cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatty acid uptake and incorporation in brain: studies with the perfusion model.

The contributions of individual components of blood to brain [14C]palmitate uptake and incorporation were studied with the in situ brain perfusion technique in the pentobarbital-anesthetized rat. With whole-blood perfusate, brain unacylated [14C]palmitate uptake was linear with time and extrapolated to zero at T=0 s of perfusion. Tracer accumulated in brain with a blood-to-brain transfer coefficient of 1.8 ± 0.1 × 10−4 mL/s/g (whole cerebral hemisphere). Incorporation into brain lipids was rapid such that ∼40% of tracer in brain at 45 s of perfusion was in cerebral phospholipids and neutral lipids. Similar rates of uptake were obtained during unacylated [14C]palmitate perfusion in whole rat plasma, serum, or artificial saline containing 2–3% albumin, suggesting that albumin has a key role in determining [14C]palmitate uptake in brain. The excellent match in brain uptake rates between whole blood and albumin-containing saline fluid suggests that the perfusion technique will be useful method for quantifying the individual contributions of blood constituents and albumin binding on brain [14C]palmitate uptake.
“We, the People of the United States”: The Birth of an American Identity, September 1787

In 1776, thirteen colonies joined together to wage a war for indepen dence; from this struggle thirteen independent states emerged in 1783. Although we think of the revolutionary generation as the first citizens of the United States of America, they were more likely to think of themselves as Marylanders, New Yorkers, or Georgians. Their first constitution, the Articles of Confederation (adopted by Congress in 1777 and ratified by all the states in 1781), reinforced these local identi ties, for it joined together thirteen sovereign states in a league of friend ship rather than a genuine union. By 1787, a significant number of politi cal leaders, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, believed this limited national government could not stand up to the challenges fac ing the Republic. They pressed for a con vention to reexamine the Confederation government, and the Congress reluctantly agreed. In the end, the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 decided not to amend the Articles but to create a stronger, more broadly em powered national government. Yet even at the convention, not everyone shared Al exander Hamilton's willingness to "think continentally." The rough draft of the new constitution they produced and printed on August 6,1787, reveals the limits of their American identity, for its original preamble read simply, but tellingly, "We the People of the States of New-Hampshire, Mas sachusetts, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, do ordain, declare and establish the following Constitution for the Government of Ourselves and our Posterity." Fortunately, the task of editing and polishing the convention's handiwork fell to an ardent nationalist, the brilliant Pennsylvania del egate Gouverneur Morris. A remarkable stylist and an astute politician, Morris realized that the preamble ought to reflect the unity this consti tution promised. It ought to signal that the people, not the states, were the source of authority and legitimacy for their national government. And, finally, the preamble ought to boldly set out the many advantages to the people of a new and, as the delegates put it, "energetic" govern ment. The delegates saw the wisdom of this approach, and approved the revisions on September 15. Thus, when the Constitution appeared in its final form, on September 17, 1787, its preamble began "We, the People of the United States"?and an American identity was born.
Influence of Certain Neurotropic Substances on Central and Synatic Transmission in Callianassa

SummaryEserine (2.5 × 10−5 M to 2.5 × 10−3 M) and atropine (2.5 × 10−3 M) produce a marked increase in the “spontaneous” activity of the ganglion cells of the ventral nerve cord of Callianassa californiensis. These substances have no appreciable effect on conduction characteristics of the giant fibers in the nerve cord, on the transmission across the synapse between the giant fibers and the nerves to the flexors of the telson, nor on denervated muscle. Nicotine (4 × 10−2 M), methylamine (1 × 10−3 M), triethylamine (4 × 10−3 M) and di-isopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) (1.3 × 10−2 M) reversibly block synaptic transmission for varying periods of time.
Foreign Market Entry as a Competitive Response

This study investigates rivalry between firms in each other’s home markets. Multipoint competition theory suggests that an incumbent under attack in its home market by rivaling entries or foothold ...
Audible conversational affordances and constraints of verbalizing professional noticing during prospective teacher lesson study

Lesson Study, which assumes multiple variations, is a collaborative method that provides an opportunity for teachers to notice professionally. We analyzed how audible conversational components afforded and constrained the verbalization of professional noticing of a lesson study team. The team, comprised of six prospective teachers, a classroom teacher, and a university facilitator, participated in weekly lesson study cycles in a teacher education program. Results indicate that a structured lesson study process afforded professional noticing as participants attended to and analyzed students’ thinking. However, noticing was constrained by shifts in the conversation content and lengthy segments of individuals exerting expertise. Findings indicate that the facilitator played a crucial role in increasing the incidence of professional noticing and also contributed to the decline of noticing. Implications for teacher education programs are included.
6 RELIGION, CONSCIENCE, AND MORALLY CONTROVERSIAL CLINICAL PRACTICES: RESULTS FROM A NATIONAL PHYSICIAN SURVEY.

Background There is heated public debate about whether health professionals may refuse to provide treatments to which they morally object. To date, there have been no studies of how physicians themselves think about their rights and obligations when such moral conflicts emerge in the clinical encounter. Methods A cross-sectional, mailed survey of a stratified, random sample of 2,000 practicing US physicians from all specialties. Primary criterion variables were physicians9 judgments about their ethical rights and obligations when patients request a legal medical procedure to which the physician objects for religious or moral reasons. Results Most physicians believe that, in such situations, it is ethically permissible for doctors to explain their moral objections to patients (63%). Most also think that physicians are obligated to disclose information about (86%) and refer the patient for (71%) requested procedures. Physicians who are male or religious or have personal objections to morally controversial clinical practices are less likely to believe that doctors must disclose information about or refer patients for morally contested medical procedures. Conclusions In light of these findings, patients who want information about and access to legal but controversial medical interventions might inquire proactively to make sure that their physician would discuss or accommodate requests for these options. Such dialogue may be particularly important if the physician is male or religious or has known objections to other controversial treatments.
Low Grade B Cell Lymphoma Arising in a Background of Multifocal Extra-Adrenal Myelolipoma

Myelolipomas are rare, benign, non-functioning tumors composed of an admixture of mature adipose tissue and hematopoietic elements. Extra-adrenal myelolipomas are extremely rare, but have been reported in multiple sites including the omentum, presacral, and retroperitoneal areas, along with the thorax, kidneys, liver and stomach. We report a case of a 68-year-old man with low-grade B-cell lymphoma arising in a background of recurrent multifocal extra-adrenal myelolipoma. Pathological evaluation of the lesion and bone marrow showed foci of lymphoid aggregate that were confirmed to be monoclonal B lymphoma by flow cytometry. To our knowledge, this is only the third reported case to feature such a rare combination of diseases. The clinical, radiological, and pathological differential diagnostic findings are discussed.
Magnetic resonance angiography : technique and skull-base applications

Cerebral angiography has become essential in the evaluation and management of extensive skull-base lesions. However, with a 2.6 percent incidence of neurologic complications and a 0.3 percent incidence of permanent neurologic deficits associated with cerebral angiography, the procedure is not without risk. Recent advances in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), allow one to visualize the skull-base vasculature without need of intravenous contrast injection or radiation exposure. Our initial experience in visualizing the normal vascular anatomy and pathology at the base of skull with this new imaging modality is presented. Two different MRA techniques were used: (1) thin-slice two-dimensional gradient echo pulse sequence acquisition with three-dimensional projection reconstruction, and (2) two-dimensional phase contrast angiography. The specifics of these techniques and their usefulness in the evaluation of lesions involving the skull base are discussed and demonstrated.
Künstlerische und journalistische Prosa

Bachmanns essayistische Prosa ist in der Forschung sowohl auf Theodor W. Adornos Aufsatz »Der Essay als Form« (1958) als auch auf Robert Musils Begriff der ›essayistischen Existenz‹ im Mann ohne Eigenschaften bezogen worden: »Die Rechtfertigung der Bezeichnung Bachmanns als Essayistin scheint aber gerade in der begrifflichen Unbestimmtheit, in der Undefinierbarkeit des Essays zu liegen, die einerseits eine alte, traditionsreiche literarische Gattung ist, andererseits im 20. Jahrhundert zum Essayismus als einer Lebenshaltung erweitert wurde.« (Świderska 1989, S. 93) Diese Unbestimmtheit last sich jedoch durchaus genauer fassen als ein Spannungsfeld, das sich zwischen den literaturkritischen Arbeiten und der kunstlerischen Kurzprosa Bachmanns eroffnet. Dient in den literaturkritischen Arbeiten Bachmanns die Form des Essays dazu, die Kritik zum »Schauplatz geistiger Erfahrung« (Adorno, S. 29) zu erweitern, so erprobt Bachmann in ihrer kunstlerischen Kurzprosa dagegen literarische Modelle ›essayistischer Existenz‹ im Sinne Musils (Musil, S. 253).
Steel Penstock Design for Tims Ford Dam

The design and construction of an embedded steel penstock is discussed. A straight line trench, from intake to powerhouse, cut into the rock under the left side of the dam reduced construction time. The concrete encasement is designed to carry the dead load of the rockfill dam and shell. Shell and stiffeners made of A 516, grade 60 are designed for internal head of 235 ft and an external head of 153 ft. Allowable working stress of 60% of yield strength gave a safety factor of three. Hydrostatic tests of the penstock in place along with 100% radiographing of all shell welds was required.
Photoinduced charge separation at polymer-fullerene interfaces of BHJ solar cells (Conference Presentation)

While photovoltaic cells are highly promising man-made devices for direct solar energy utilization, a number of fundamental questions about how the organic bulk heterojunction cell enables efficient long-lived and long-range charge separation remain unanswered. These questions were address by employing an advanced suite of EPR spectroscopy in combination with DFT calculations to study mechanism of charge separation at the polymer-fullerene interfaces of photo-active BHJ. Observed charge delocalization in BHJ upon photoinduced ET is analogous to that in organic donor-acceptor material. This is an efficient mechanism of charge stabilization in photosynthetic assemblies. Time-resolved EPR spectra show a strong polarization pattern for all polymer-fullerene blends under study, which is caused by non-Boltzmann population of the electron spin energy levels in the radical pairs. The first observation of this phenomenon was reported in natural and artificial photosynthetic assemblies, and comparison with these systems allows us to better understand charge separation processes in OPVs. The spectral analysis presented here, in combination with DFT calculations, shows that CS processes in OPV materials are similar to that in organic photosynthetic systems. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357 at Argonne National Laboratory.
Approximation algorithms for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows, Capacity Constraint and Unlimited Number of Vehicles: Poster Paper

In this paper, we study the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows, Capacity Constraint and Unlimited Number of Vehicles (VRPTWC-UV). We design a novel approximation algorithm to solve this problem. We also develop a JAVA framework that implements our algorithm and simulates it using Google Maps API. Our framework is very useful to assistive environments, as it can be used by any device using Google Maps API, for the purpose of assigning vehicle routes to minimize the total travelling costs.
LITE Flood: Simple GIS-Based Mapping Approach for Real-Time Redelineation of Multifrequency Floods

AbstractFlood zones with 1 and 0.02% of annual flooding chance are projected in FEMA’s digital flood insurance rate maps (DFIRMs) and are suited for identifying flood risk at the largest impacts. H...
Total variation image deblurring with space-varying kernel

Image deblurring techniques based on convex optimization formulations, such as total-variation deblurring, often use specialized first-order methods for large-scale nondifferentiable optimization. A key property exploited in these methods is spatial invariance of the blurring operator, which makes it possible to use the fast Fourier transform (FFT) when solving linear equations involving the operator. In this paper we extend this approach to two popular models for space-varying blurring operators, the Nagy---O'Leary model and the efficient filter flow model. We show how splitting methods derived from the Douglas---Rachford algorithm can be implemented with a low complexity per iteration, dominated by a small number of FFTs.
The media impact of animal disease on the US meat demand

Consumers are sensitive to food safety problems such as the outbreak of animal diseases. This paper examined the impact on consumers’ consumption behavior from information about food safety reported in news media. Taking avian influenza outbreak as an example, we counted articles published in major newspapers in the United States between 2001 and 2009, and included variables constructed based on these counts in an Inverse Almost ideal Demand model using monthly market consumption data on chicken, duck, other poultry, beef, and pork to estimate the impact of news on actual demand of these meats. We found that U.S. consumers would reduce their poultry demand and substitute by livestock meats when such news is reported by media negatively. This effect is boundary-unconstrained, i.e., the U.S. poultry market suffers irrespective to the country of the disease outbreak. However, the magnitude of the effect is lower if the outbreak is from overseas.
Assignable Grade of Service using Time Dependent Priorities — N Classes

A new generation of High Speed Switching equipment that can handle multiple types of information — such as voice, video and data is being developed. Because voice services dominate current telephone network applications, bandwidth for network access is based on Grade-of-Service (GOS) requirements for it. This paper provides a method for allocating access capacity for High Speed networks that carry multiple types of information with different GOS requirements. The GOS is assumed to be given in terms of mean waiting time until access to the network is provided. We will develop an algorithm that calculates priority factors which will meet given Grade-of-Service requirements for different types of information.
Tracking the evolution of mantle sources with incompatible element ratios in stagnant-lid and plate-tectonic planets

Abstract The distribution of high field strength incompatible element ratios Zr/Nb, Nb/Th, Th/Yb and Nb/Yb in terrestrial oceanic basalts prior to 2.7 Ga suggests the absence or near-absence of an enriched mantle reservoir. Instead, most oceanic basalts reflect a variably depleted mantle source similar in composition to primitive mantle. In contrast, basalts from hydrated mantle sources (like those associated with subduction) exist from 4 Ga onwards. The gradual appearance of enriched mantle between 2 and 3 Ga may reflect the onset and propagation of plate tectonics around the globe. Prior to 3 Ga, Earth may have been in a stagnant-lid regime with most basaltic magmas coming from a rather uniform, variably depleted mantle source or from a non-subduction hydrated mantle source. It was not until the extraction of continental crust and accompanying propagation of plate tectonics that “modern type” enriched and depleted mantle reservoirs developed. Consistent with the absence of plate tectonics on the Moon is the near absence of basalts derived from depleted (DM) and enriched (EM) mantle reservoirs as defined by the four incompatible element ratios of this study. An exception are Apollo 17 basalts, which may come from a mixed source with a composition similar to primitive mantle as one end member and a high-Nb component as the other end member. With exception of Th, which requires selective enrichment in at least parts of the martian mantle, most martian meteorites can be derived from sources similar to terrestrial primitive mantle or by mixing of enriched and depleted mantle end members produced during magma ocean crystallization. Earth, Mars and the Moon exhibit three very different planetary evolution paths. The mantle source regions for Mars and the Moon are ancient and have HFS element signatures of magma ocean crystallization well-preserved, and differences in these signatures reflect magma ocean crystallization under two distinct pressure regimes. In contrast, plate tectonics on Earth has destroyed most or all of the magma ocean crystallization geochemical record, or less likely, the terrestrial magma ocean may not have been strongly fractionated during crystallization. The rather uniform incompatible element ratio record in pre-2 Ga oceanic terrestrial basalts requires vigorous mixing of most of the mantle between magma ocean crystallization and about 4 Ga, the onset of the preserved greenstone record.
Copper absorption as affected by supplemental calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and potassium

Effects of feeding supplements of calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and potassium on dietary copper bioavailability of humans were investigated. Results indicated that the calcium supplements depressed fecal copper losses and improved body copper retention as did potassium supplements. Magnesium and selenium supplementation of diets resulted in increased apparent fecal losses of copper while no effect of manganese supplementation was found. It may be that the unexpected positive effect of calcium on copper utilization was due to its neutralizing effect on the relatively high level of ascorbic acid provided by the constant background diet. Ascorbic acid is known to inhibit the absorption of copper.
Nonparametric Interval Estimators for the Coefficient of Variation

The coefficient of variation (CV) is a widely used scaleless measure of variability in many disciplines. However the inference for the CV is limited to parametric methods or standard bootstrap. In this paper we propose two nonparametric methods aiming to construct confidence intervals for the coefficient of variation. The first one is to apply the empirical likelihood after transforming the original data. The second one is a modified jackknife empirical likelihood method. We also propose bootstrap procedures for calibrating the test statistics. Results from our simulation studies suggest that the proposed methods, particularly the empirical likelihood method with bootstrap calibration, are comparable to existing methods for normal data and yield better coverage probabilities for nonnormal data. We illustrate our methods by applying them to two real-life datasets.
Multivariate Characterization of Light Emission From ZnS:Cu-PDMS Self-Sensing Composites Under Cyclic Tensile Strains

The objective of this work is to understand multivariate elastic-mechanoluminescent (EML) light emission characteristics of copper-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu)-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) self-sensing composites subjected to sinusoidal tensile loading and unloading cycles. To investigate the effect of tensile strain and strain rate on the EML light emission profiles (i.e., intensity and color) of the ZnS:Cu-PDMS composites, which are fabricated with different gage lengths (i.e., 150 and 4.7 mm). Each specimen is subjected to cyclic tensile loading and unloading with various maximum strains at various loading frequencies, and the EML light emission is video-recorded and subjected to image processing for quantifying intensity and color of EML light. The test specimen with 150-mm gage length is loaded and unloaded between 0 and a maximum tensile strain, which varies from 16 to 30, at 1 Hz. The shorter specimen is subjected to tensile loading and unloading cycles between 0 and 15 strain at a frequency varying from 5 to 80Hz. It is revealed that the EML light emission is triggered at a threshold tensile strain rate, and the light intensity increases as the composites undergo deformation during both loading and unloading cycles. This multistep EML light emission is attributed to the unique light emission mechanism of ZnS:Cu-embedded in soft PDMS matrix, which is a result of friction at the ZnS:Cu-PDMS interface, unlike other deformation-triggered light emitting EML materials.
Home automation system using brain computer interface paradigm based on auditory selection attention

Brain Computer Interface is a technique through which a direct communication link can be established between a human brain and an external device using Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. This technique implemented with a smart home system can be an effective remedy to help individuals suffering from speech and motion related disabilities. This paper presents a home automation system based on Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) to mitigate speech and motion disabilities. The system comprises of an ultra-cortex headset, Arduino boards, speakers, personal computers with the processing IDE, SD card module, and proximity sensors. Two smart home (voice controlled) devices were used in system implementation: a smart bulb and a fan attached to a smart plug. Four subjects tested the devices where each subject performed three trials with a minute gap between each trial. Testing involved four states for the smart bulb, namely turn on, turn off, brighten by 25%, and dim by 25%. The smart plug was tested for its ON and OFF states. For each trial, system response time and accuracy were recorded. Average system response time for the smart bulb was found to be 17, 20.4, 16, 17.6 seconds with an accuracy of 92%, 50%, 59%, 67% for ON, OFF, brighten, and dim states respectively. Average system response time for the smart plug was found to be 31 and 22 seconds with an accuracy of 100% and 92% for its on and off states respectively.
Measuring Change in Mental Models of Complex Dynamic Systems

As scientists who are interested in studying people's mental models, we must develop appropriate experimental methods and discard our hopes of finding neat, elegant mental models, but instead learn to understand the messy, sloppy, incomplete, and indistinct structures that people actually have. Donald A. Norman [1983, p. 14]
Evaluation of the Bio-Rad BioPlex 2200 Toxoplasma gondii IgM Multiplex Flow Immunoassay

Background: Toxoplasmosis is routinely diagnosed through detection of Toxoplasma gondii–specific antibodies. However, the imperfect specificity of T. gondii serologic assays is a well-recognized limitation. The new BioPlex 2200 (Bio-Rad Laboratories) T. gondii, rubella, and cytomegalovirus (ToRC) IgM multiplex flow immunoassay (MFI) received FDA clearance in May 2017. We evaluated the clinical performance of the new T. gondii IgM and existing IgG portion of this MFI. Methods: Three hundred prospectively collected consecutive, residual sera, submitted for T. gondii serologic testing as part of routine clinical care, and an archived set of 52 residual sera previously positive for anti–T. gondii IgM and IgG with the predicate ADVIA Centaur Toxoplasma IgM and IgG assays (Siemens) were evaluated. Performance of the BioPlex 2200 T. gondii IgM and IgG MFIs was assessed by calculating positive (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) compared to the Centaur tests. Results: Among prospective specimens, the BioPlex 2200 T. gondii IgM and IgG MFIs demonstrated a PPA of 0% (0/7) and 82.3% (28/34) and NPA of 99.3% (288/290) and 95.8% (251/262), respectively, with the Centaur assays. Chart review of the 7 Centaur T. gondii IgM-positive samples revealed that these were likely falsely positive. Among archived samples, the BioPlex 2200 T. gondii IgM and IgG MFIs showed PPAs of 90.4% (47/52) and 100% (52/52), respectively. Conclusions: The BioPlex 2200 T. gondii IgM and IgG MFIs demonstrated excellent concordance with the Centaur assays. The T. gondii IgM MFI may provide higher specificity in low-prevalence populations.
The rise of the gay warrior: Rhetorical archetypes and the transformation of identity categories:

This essay investigates the representation of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people during the debate over whether they should serve openly in the United States military. Many studies on this topi...
Teacher Variables, and Modeling the Relationships Between Teacher Characteristics, Teacher Behaviors, and Student Outcomes

After a brief discussion of the history of IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the implications this has had for comparative research into the influence of teachers on student outcomes, this chapter details the key variables that are employed in the remainder of the book. These include several student-level control variables (such as gender, socioeconomic status, and language spoken in the home), teacher-reported measures (experience, education, gender, and time spent on teaching mathematics), and newly developed instruments based on TIMSS responses related to teacher self-efficacy and instructional alignment. All of the analyses in this report make use of TIMSS data, merging several distinct instruments: student assessments, teacher background surveys, and national background surveys. The design of TIMSS has a number of important implications. Relationships between variables should be treated as associations rather than strictly causal, thus a multi-model analytical strategy is needed to test the robustness of statistical results and improve confidence in the reliability of analyses. Relationships were examined across time, across different aggregations of data, and using different statistical procedures, and are discussed in more detail in later chapters. Many features of TIMSS and the topics included in the survey have changed considerably over time and some key variables of interest were not included in earlier versions of the TIMSS, greatly restricting the available sample when analyzing country-level trends (whether as means or regression coefficients). The complex sampling design has important implications for statistical modeling and analysis, and for purposes of analysis, the models in subsequent chapters ignore school effects. Multilevel and classroom-mean models treat each classroom as existing independently, rather than being clustered within schools. Given the acknowledged impact of schools, and the importance of within-school, between-classroom heterogeneity, any conclusions drawn from the analysis should be treated with caution.
Bring the Noise, But Not the Funk: Does the Effect of Performance Measure Noise on Learning Depend on Whether the Learning is Experiential or Vicarious?

Strategic performance measurement systems facilitate strategic learning by providing managers with performance measures useful for evaluating strategic performance and identifying opportunities for improvement. However, a significant body of literature points to the conclusion that performance measure noise can be a critical barrier to strategic learning. Importantly, this literature has focused almost exclusively on experiential learning (i.e., learning from one’s own experience). In contrast, the modern firm often offers opportunities to learn from observing others’ actions and outcomes (i.e., vicarious learning). We use an experiment to examine whether the effects of performance measure noise on managers’ strategic learning depends on the type of learning (experiential versus vicarious). We predict and find performance measure noise has a more deleterious effect on strategic learning when such learning occurs experientially rather than vicariously. Specifically, we find experiential learners demonstrate less learning as performance measure noise increases, but vicarious learners show no such effect of performance measure noise. Consistent with our theory, additional analyses reveal experiential learners process performance measure outcome information more myopically than do vicarious learners, which hinders learning. Notably, our results demonstrate these differences can be quite profound, such that depending on the level of performance measure noise, vicarious learning may be superior or inferior to experiential learning. Collectively, our research suggests performance measure noise and learning type play important roles in the extent to which firms realize the decision-facilitating benefits of strategic performance measurement systems. In particular, given that much of the learning in modern organizations occurs vicariously, our findings suggest performance measure noise may not be as detrimental to strategic learning as previously thought.
Prism: Deconstructing the Blockchain to Approach Physical Limits

The concept of a blockchain was invented by Satoshi Nakamoto to maintain a distributed ledger. In addition to its security, important performance measures of a blockchain protocol are its transaction throughput and confirmation latency. In a decentralized setting, these measures are limited by two underlying physical network attributes: communication capacity and speed-of-light propagation delay. In this work we introduce Prism, a new proof-of-work blockchain protocol, which can achieve 1) security against up to 50% adversarial hashing power; 2) optimal throughput up to the capacity C of the network; 3) confirmation latency for honest transactions proportional to the propagation delay D, with confirmation error probability exponentially small in the bandwidth-delay product CD; 4) eventual total ordering of all transactions. Our approach to the design of this protocol is based on deconstructing Nakamoto's blockchain into its basic functionalities and systematically scaling up these functionalities to approach their physical limits.
ANIONIC POLYMERIZATION AND CHAIN-END FUNCTIONALIZATION CHEMISTRY

ABSTRACT Anionic polymerization, especially alkyllithium-initiated polymerization of styrenes and dienes, is a truly living polymerization that proceeds in the absence of the kinetic steps of chain...
Palatability assessments of beef strip loin steaks portioned by weight or by thickness sourced from various carcass weight/ribeye area size combinations

Abstract Beef carcasses (n = 90; U.S. Choice) met a 3 ribeye area (REA – Small, Medium, Large) × 3 carcass weight (CW – Light, Intermediate, Heavy) scheme to assess palatability on steaks cut by portion thickness (PT– 3.18 cm) and weight (PW –340 g). Significant interactions revealed trends for steaks from the Small REA, regardless of CW, to have among the lowest shear-force values. For PT steaks, significant interaction for overall liking revealed no differences for Small and Medium REA across all CW categories, but steaks from Large REA from Light CW differed (P
Gastroparesis and the brain-gut axis

Abstract Gastroparesis causes impairment in quality of life with deleterious impacts on health. Complicating our understanding of the condition is the combination of different insults which can provoke the disorder. No matter the etiology, it is likely that virtually all gastroparesis patients do suffer from perturbations in the brain-gut innervation derived from the vagus nerve and/or the enteric nervous system. While traditionally management of impaired brain-gut axis function has focused on the motor aspects of gastroparesis pathophysiology (stomach emptying), sensory elements likely contribute to patient suffering. Namely, there are patients who appear to have exaggerated symptom manifestations despite relatively mild impairment in stomach emptying time and vice versa. This chapter provides a unified framework for both motor and sensory dysfunction in the brain-gut axis as it relates to gastroparesis. Doing so provides a model that could be applied to other “functional” gastrointestinal disorders.
On the mechanistic origins of maximum strength in nanocrystalline metals

The maximum strength of polycrystalline metals/alloys has been suggested to occur at nanoscale grain sizes where the governing deformation mechanism transitions from dislocation plasticity to grain boundary mediated deformation. Despite tremendous progress recently uncovering links between transitions in nanoscale mechanisms and peak strength, the scientific literature is mostly devoid of any quantitative support, owing to the difficulty in measuring the resolved contribution of individual mechanisms to microstructural strain accommodation. In this study, the contribution of individual nanoscale mechanisms to the overall deformation of nanocrystalline Ni is calculated from atomistic simulations leveraging continuum-based kinematic metrics to compute mechanistic contributions to microstructural strain. By employing such a quantitative approach to analyze deformation behavior, it is shown that the realization of maximum strength in nanocrystalline metals corresponds to a grain size regime where the operative nanoscale mechanisms transition, and are thus equally competing to accommodate strain. However, the transition occurs between intergranular and intragranular mediated mechanisms, as it is found that dislocation plasticity alone is not the governing mechanism at all grain sizes above the peak strength regime.
A Unified Theory of the Term Structure and the Beta Anomaly

Rational expectation models generally suggest that assets with more exposure to systematic risks should carry higher risk premia. However, several empirical findings challenge this result. I propose a novel generalized recursive smooth aversion model that allows agents to show different levels of aversion to short-run consumption risk and long-run shocks. I apply this model to a consumption-based asset pricing model in which the representative agent’s consumption process is subject to rare but large disasters. The calibrated model matches major asset pricing moments, while riskier assets could carry lower risk premia.
Comparison of germ cell differentiation of rat testis fragments cultured in knockout serum replacement versus Albumax™ I.

Background Spermatogenesis complexity makes reliable in vitro testis model development challenging. Previously, we evaluated an in vitro mouse testis organ culture system for assessing testicular toxicity. However, rat models are commonly used for drug/chemical toxicity testing; therefore, we assessed the effects of media on germ cell differentiation in cultured rat testis fragments. Methods Testes from postnatal day 5 Sprague-Dawley (Hsd:SD) rats were cultured in knockout serum replacement (KSR) or Albumax™ I (Albumax) medium. For testis morphology and germ cell differentiation, rat testis fragments were collected on days 20, 27, 35, 42, 49, and 63 of culture for histology/immunohistochemistry using antibodies to spermatogenesis-specific markers. The fragments collected on days 20, 27, 42, 49, and 63 were used for qPCR. Results Pachytene spermatocyte (PS) differentiation was observed in rat testis fragments cultured in KSR and Albumax. However, there were more seminiferous tubules (STs) with PS in rat testis fragments cultured in Albumax than in KSR. Over 60% of STs with germ cell differentiation were observed in rat testis fragments when cultured in Albumax on days 20, 27, and 35, whereas this figure showed only on day 20 when cultured in KSR. Conclusions This study found only PS differentiation in rat testis fragments. Compared to KSR, Albumax appears to contribute to increased PS production. This in vitro rat testis organ culture system may be useful for assessing testicular toxicity. However, PS differentiation per ST is lower in rat testis fragments; further studies are required to improve this rat testis organ culture system.
Do Perverse Insurance Incentives Encourage Coastal Vulnerability

AbstractSubsidized insurance is often described as a perverse incentive, moral hazard, or maladaptation that perpetuates coastal residencies in vulnerable homes despite increasing safety and econom...
Surgery of the liver.

Historical aspects of liver surgery basic science considerations assessment and diagnosis surgical disorders and techniques hepatic trauma, tumours and resection special problems in liver surgery.
Cesarean section for disproportion in the multipara.

Abstract In a series of 20,883 deliveries, cesarean section was performed on 215 multiparas. Of these multiparas, in twenty-seven patients the primary indication was cephalopelvic disproportion. Because of the concept that multiparas rarely have cephalopelvic disproportion, eleven of these patients had labors of over twenty-four hours, fourteen had a morbid postoperative course, and ten required a cesarean hysterectomy or an extraperitoneal procedure. Multiparas in early labor, with the fetal head not engaged, should receive the same careful investigation for cephalopelvic disproportion that a primipara would receive. The fact that the multipara has had one or more vaginal deliveries should be regarded as an optimistic historical fact, not a diagnostic criterion for spontaneous delivery of the pregnancy at hand.
Properties of Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate-dependent Protein Kinases Isolated from Bovine Epididymal Spermatozoa

Abstract Three protein kinases were separated from bovine epididymal spermatozoa by using DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The molecular weights of these three kinases were estimated to be 120,000, 78,000 and 56,000 by the use of Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The activity of all three kinases was greatly enhanced by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP). In the presence of 10-6 m cyclic AMP, a catalytic subunit of molecular weight 30,000 to 35,000 was separated from each of the three protein kinases. Under these same conditions, cyclic AMP-binding proteins were located in fractions corresponding to molecular weights of 78,000, 35,000 to 40,000, and 17,000 to 18,000; the latter may result from proteolysis for it was not observed in fresh preparations. The cyclic AMP-binding protein of molecular weight 78,000 combined with the isolated catalytic subunits of all three protein kinases. The apparent Km for casein (approximately 3 mg per ml) appeared to be neither different for the three kinases nor affected by the addition of cyclic AMP. The apparent Km for ATP varied from 3.5 to 8.7 µm, but it appeared to be the same for all three protein kinases and also appeared to be unaffected by cyclic AMP. The isolated catalytic subunit of the kinase of molecular weight 120,000 exhibited a Km for ATP of 5.5 µm, which agreed with the Km for the intact kinase. Maximum kinase activity was at about pH 6.5 with casein as substrate and at about pH 7.5 with histone as substrate for all three kinases. The isolated catalytic subunit of the 120,000 molecular weight kinase showed identical responses to pH. Cyclic AMP activated all three kinases half-maximally in the 10-7 m range, whereas cyclic GMP activated the kinases half-maximally in the 10-6 m range. 8-Methylthio-cyclic AMP appeared to be more potent than cyclic AMP in activating the kinases. The data suggest that the catalytic subunits of the three kinases are either similar or identical.
Bernard Crick: citizenship and democracy in the United Kingdom

Bernard Crick's contribution to citizenship studies can be regarded as part of the tradition so ably represented by T.H. Marshall. I want to argue in this brief article on Crick that on the one hand he is part of the ‘golden age’ of political philosophy that has flourished in the English-speaking world over the last two or three decades, but on the other his work also shows the limitations of that tradition, at least from the perspective of comparative and historical studies in political sociology. His work was unquestionably ‘local’ in its focus on the subject of Scottish independence and the viability of the British Isles under the governance of a multi-national state.
Wound healing: a local reaction or a systemic process? Experimental studies on guinea pigs.

Abstract An experiment was designed to study the possible release of a circulating “wound healing factor” from a cutaneous defect and the influence of such a factor on the healing of a second cutaneous wound made several days later. In studies on 44 guinea pigs no evidence was found of a circulating wound hormone which might stimulate the second wound to heal more rapidly. There was no significant difference in the rate of healing between the first and second wounds.
Studies in glycogen storage disease. 3. Limit dextrinosis: a genetic study

A case of type III glycogen storage disease is reported in which amylo-1,-6-glucosidaseactivity was markedly reduced in liver and muscle. The leukocyte debranching enzyme activity was higher than that observed in previous cases and was more in the range thought to be characteristic of heterozygotes. Although both parents had some reduction in the activity of leukocyte debranching enzyme, their muscle enzyme activity was normal. The father's hepatic amylo-1,6-glucosidase activity was normal, while the mother's was probably reduced. These results indicate tissue variability in the expression of both the homozygotic state in the patient and the heterozygotic state in the parents. The reasons for such findings are not apparent. Both the maternal and paternal grandfathers had significant reduction of amylo-1,-6-glucosidase activity consistent with the heterozygous state, while both grandmothers had normal enzyme levels. These results and those of leukocyte debranching enzyme assays in eight other relatives would be most consistent with a simple Mendelian recessive mode of inheritance of this type of glycogen storage disease in this patient.
Substance use network characteristics and drug and alcohol use behaviors among young men who have sex with men (YMSM)

Background Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) use alcohol and other drugs at rates higher than their heterosexual peers. While social networks of YMSM have been acknowledged as an important contextual influence on their health behavior, studies have largely focused on social and sexual networks rather than substance use networks, despite the potential importance of substance use alters in shaping substance use behavior.
Considerations Of Sea Water Conductivity Enhancement For Electromagnetic Thrusters

This paper discusses the mechanisms of enhancing the electric conductivity of sea water. The direct impact of conductivity enhancement of sea water is the improvement of propulsion performances of marine vehicles that use the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thrusts of sea water. The performance improvement can be in energy efficiency or in vehicle speed. Injection of strong electrolytes (acids or bases) into the main sea water flow in the MHD channel appeared to be the most logical wag of achieving the purpose. Several seedin compoun s were compared from the electrochemical points of view. The advantage of using concentrated sulfuric acid (H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/) over the others was conclusively discussed. It was found that the computed conductivity of a synthetic sea water of known salt constituency is consistent with the average conductivity of ocean water. Parametric studies of volumetric mixing ratios and seeding electrolytes were also conducted, and their effects on the conductivity of the mixed sea water were compared and discussed.
Using the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit to Improve the Quality of Patient Materials

Patient materials are often written above the reading level of most adults. Tool 11 of the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit ("Design Easy-to-Read Material") provides guidance on ensuring that written patient materials are easy to understand. As part of a pragmatic demonstration of the Toolkit, we examined how four primary care practices implemented Tool 11 and whether written materials improved as a result. We conducted interviews to learn about practices' implementation activities and assessed the readability, understandability, and actionability of patient education materials collected during pre- and postimplementation site visits. Interview data indicated that practices followed many action steps recommended in Tool 11, including training staff, assessing readability, and developing or revising materials, typically focusing on brief documents such as patient letters and information sheets. Many of the revised and newly developed documents had reading levels appropriate for most patients and--in the case of revised documents--better readability than the original materials. In contrast, the readability, understandability, and actionability of lengthier patient education materials were poor and did not improve over the 6-month implementation period. Findings guided revisions to Tool 11 and highlighted the importance of engaging multiple stakeholders in improving the quality of patient materials.
“Blood, Guts, and Gore Galore:” Bodies, Moral Pollution, and Combat Trauma

This article is based on interviews with U.S. veterans diagnosed with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In remembering war, the veterans consistently described grotesque death and injury. These stories of “blood, guts, and gore” were often closely associated with negative moral evaluations of war, which included outright moral claims, moralistic allusions, and expressions of moral emotions. I argue that memories of grotesque death and injury “code” combat as moral pollution, and as these veterans present it, combat pollutes every soldier who passes through it. Furthermore, this classification represents a modern moral culture in which the body is sacred, subject to sustained ritual cleanliness and to strict prohibitions against encroachment by others. A mutilated body is severely disordered and filthy, and when a product of human design, it represents an extremely cruel trespass. Consequently, mutilated bodies are doubly polluted and can code combat as negative in the extreme. This article illustrates that personal traumatic memories are sociologically and historically organized, that the traditional religious ideas of purity and pollution still order moral life, and that autobiographical memory can be approached as a classificatory structure.