cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Farewell to Truth. By Gianni Vattimo. Translated by William McCuaig

(New York: Columbia University Press, 2009, 2011), xxiv + 147 pp. $24.50 cloth. Gianni Vattimo is a philosopher and a politician. In his short ambitious book Farewell to Truth, he sketches a concep...
Spectroscopic refractive indices of metalorthophosphates with the zircon-type structure

Abstract The spectroscopic refractive indices for nine zircon-structure orthophosphate compounds (LnPO 4 , where Ln=Sc, Y, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) have been determined from 270 to 850 nm (1.46–4.59 eV) using two-modulator generalized ellipsometry. All crystals are highly birefringent, where Δn = n o − n e ∼0.18–0.22. All refractive indices are dispersive with wavelength, and can be fit with a single-term Sellmeier model. The refractive indices of the seven rare-earth orthophosphates (Ln=Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) were the same within the error limits of the measurement, but the refractive indices of ScPO 4 and YPO 4 were larger and smaller, respectively, than the refractive indices of the rare-earth orthophosphates. These results are pertinent to current studies of the use of orthophosphates as laser hosts, scintillators, and thermophosphors.
Mount St. Helens eruptive behavior during the past 1,500 yr

During the past 1,500 yr Mount St. Helens, Washington, has repeatedly erupted dacite domes, tephra, and pyroclastic flows as well as andesite lava flows and tephra. Two periods of activity prior to 1980, each many decades long, were both initiated by eruptions of volatile-rich dacite which were followed by andesite, then by dacite. A third eruptive period was characterized by the eruption of volatile-poor dacite that formed a dome and minor pyroclastic flows. The prolonged duration of some previous eruptive periods suggests that the current activity could continue for many years. The volatile-rich dacite that has been erupted to date probably will be followed by gas-poor magma, but it cannot yet be predicted whether a more mafic magma will be extruded during the current eruptive period.
Assessing uncertainty and risk in exploited marine populations

Abstract The assessment and management of exploited fish and invertebrate populations is subject to several types of uncertainty. This uncertainty translates into risk to the population in the development and implementation of fishery management advice. Here, we define risk as the probability that exploitation rates will exceed a threshold level where long term sustainability of the stock is threatened. We distinguish among several sources of error or uncertainty due to (a) stochasticity in demographic rates and processes, particularly in survival rates during the early fife stages; (b) measurement error resulting from sampling variation in the determination of population parameters or in model estimation; and (c) the lack of complete information on population and ecosystem dynamics. The first represents a form of aleatory uncertainty while the latter two factors represent forms of epistemic uncertainty. To illustrate these points, we evaluate the recent status of the Georges Bank cod stock in a risk assessment framework. Short term stochastic projections are made accounting for uncertainty in population size and for random variability in the number of young surviving to enter the fishery. We show that recent declines in this cod stock can be attributed to exploitation rates that have substantially exceeded sustainable levels.
Mechanism of the Insect Enzyme, Tyramine β-Monooxygenase, Reveals Differences from the Mammalian Enzyme, Dopamine β-Monooxygenase

Tyramine β-monooxygenase (TβM) catalyzes the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, octopamine, in insects. Kinetic and isotope effect studies have been carried out to determine the kinetic mechanism of TβM for comparison with the homologous mammalian enzymes, dopamine β-monooxygenase and peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase. A new and distinctive feature of TβM is very strong substrate inhibition that is dependent on the level of the co-substrate, O2, and reductant as well as substrate deuteration. This has led to a model in which tyramine can bind to either the Cu(I) or Cu(II) forms of TβM, with substrate inhibition ameliorated at very high ascorbate levels. The rate of ascorbate reduction of the E-Cu(II) form of TβM is also reduced at high tyramine, leading us to propose the existence of a binding site for ascorbate to this class of enzymes. These findings may be relevant to the control of octopamine production in insect cells.
Regenerative Chatter in High-Speed Tandem Rolling Mills

Third-octave-mode chatter, the most detrimental form of rolling chatter, is generated by means of negative damping, mode coupling, and regeneration. While mechanisms that include negative damping, and mode coupling have been thoroughly investigated, those associated with the regenerative effect remain elusive. In this paper, the mechanisms that may lead to regenerative chatter are studied through a state-space representation of a multi-stand mill that is constructed by coupling a homogenous dynamic rolling process model with a structural model for the mill stands in a high-speed tandem mill configuration. Stability analysis, by using the integral criterion for the stability of systems described by delay differential equations, is carried out for the regenerative mechanism in order to better understand the effects of rolling parameters on a single stand as well as the overall system. Preliminary simulation results, based on the proposed chatter model, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and the accuracy of the chatter model, as well as to investigate chatter phenomena too complex to be studied analytically.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Transformations of Disciplines Through their Texts: An Edited Transcription of a Talk to the Seminar on the Diversity of Language and the Structure of Power and an Ensuing Discussion at the University of Pennsylvania

In 1984, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded several universities to convene seminars to address the contemporary malaise in the social sciences. The University of Pennsylvania was one of the recipients and named the program "The Program for Assessing and Revitalizing the Social Sciences." With the financial support, nearly 150 faculty members formed five seminars. One of the seminars, The Diversity of Language and the Structure of Power, was chaired by Dell Hymes and Carroll Smith-Rosenberg. Hymes and Smith-Rosenberg set the seminar agenda for the 1985-86 academic year:
Encoding of auditory stimuli in recognition memory tasks

A tape of 13 relatively labelable and 13 nonlabelable sounds was presented to 13 Ss. Later a second tape containing these same 26 sounds plus 17 new labelable sounds and 17 new nonlabelable sounds was presented to the same Ss. They were asked to indicate when they recognized a sound from the first tape. Ss were able to recognize a significantly greater number of the original labelable sounds than of the original nonlabelable sounds. These results seem to indicate that a dual coding process operates for sounds as well as for visual pictures and objects.
A testis cytoplasmic RNA-binding protein that has the properties of a translational repressor

Translation of the mouse protamine 1 (Prm-1) mRNA is repressed for several days during male germ cell differentiation. With the hope of cloning genes that regulate the translational repression of Prm-1, we screened male germ cell cDNA expression libraries with the 3' untranslated region of the Prm-1 RNA. From this screen we obtained two independent clones that encode Prbp, a Prm-1 RNA-binding protein. Prbp contains two copies of a double-stranded-RNA-binding domain. In vitro, the protein binds to a portion of the Prm-1 3' untranslated region previously shown to be sufficient for translational repression in transgenic mice, as well as to poly(I). poly(C). Prbp protein is present in multiple forms in cytoplasmic extracts prepared from wild-type mouse testes and is absent from testes of germ cell-deficient mouse mutants, suggesting that Prbp is restricted to the germ cells of the testis. Immunocytochemical localization confirmed that Prbp is present in the cytoplasmic compartment of late-stage meiotic cells and haploid round spermatids. Recombinant Prbp protein inhibits the translation of multiple mRNAs in a wheat germ lysate, suggesting that Prbp acts to repress translation in round spermatids. While this protein lacks complete specificity for Prm-1-containing RNAs in vitro, the properties of Prbp are consistent with it acting as a general repressor of translation.
All subsystems are not created equal: Alternative scheduling approaches for spacecraft subsystem development

The NASA civilian space environment has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. The current environment has led to a “cost paradox” patterned by low initial cost estimates and a recent history of cost and schedule overruns. While we may not readily be able to change the current NASA environment, evaluation and selection of alternative approaches to scheduling in the application of the NASA project execution methodology can improve spacecraft delivery schedule performance and contribute to significant cost savings.
A Novel Approach to Standard Techniques in the Assessment and Quantification of the Interventricular Systolic Relationship

Background Blood flow between the right and left ventricles is subject to the continuity equation and systolic ventricular interdependence. Quantification of this relationship might aid in understanding inter-ventricular function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify ventricular interdependence by directly comparing right and left ventricular systolic function though echocardiographic surrogates of right and left ventricular systolic function such as MAPSE, TAPSE, RV TVI and LV TVI.
Mind, Body, and World: Todes and McDowell on Bodies and Language

Dreyfus presents Todes's (2001) republished Body and World as an anticipatory response to McDowell (1994) which shows how preconceptual perception can ground conceptual thought. I argue that Dreyfus is mistaken on this point: Todes's claim that perceptual experience is preconceptual presupposes an untenable account of conceptual thought. I then show that Todes nevertheless makes two important contributions to McDowell's project. First, he develops an account of perception as bodily second nature, and as a practical‐perceptual openness to the world, which constructively develops McDowell's view. Second, and more important, this account highlights the practical and perceptual dimension of linguistic competence. The result is that perception is conceptual “all the way down” only because discursive conceptualization is perceptual and practical “all the way up”. This conjunction of McDowell and Todes on the bodily dimensions of discursive practice also vindicates Davidson's and Brandom's criticisms of McDowell...
SAT: situation-aware trust architecture for vehicular networks

Establishing trust in vehicular networks is a critical but also difficult task. In this position paper, we present a new trust architecture and model - Situation-Aware Trust (SAT) - to address several important trust issues in vehicular networks that we believe are essential to overcome the weaknesses of the current vehicular network security and trust models. Our model also strengthens the tie between Internet infrastructure. The new SAT includes three main components: (a) an attribute based policy control model for highly dynamic communication environments, (b) a proactive trust model to build trust among vehicles and prevent the breakage of the existing trust, and (c) a social network based trust system to enhance trust and to allow the set up of a decentralized trust framework when the vehicular network is under infrastructure failure or under attacks.
Gender Role and Participation in Shopping Behavior: Power, Time Availability, and Ideology

Previous studies have considered many variables in seeking to understand consumers’ participation in the shopping-related tasks of their household. This study investigates the ability of three gender-role constructs to explain overall participation in consumer logistics (CL), a form of shopping-related behavior that is the household’s counterpart of business logistics. Analyses of survey data from 202 married persons shows participation in CL can be explained by married persons’ relative power and relative time availability, but not by their gender-role ideology.
Black Political Protest in São Paulo, 1888–1988*

Beginning with Brazil's origins as a nation, and continuing to the present, the relationship between race and politics in that country has been a close and integral one. Portuguese state policy made black slavery the very foundation of Brazil's social and economic order during three centuries of colonial rule. That foundation remained in place even after independence, with the paradoxical result that Brazil became ‘the last Christian country to abolish slavery, and the first to declare itself a racial democracy’. Indeed, perhaps nowhere is the connection between race and politics in Brazil more evident than in the concept of ‘racial democracy’, which characterises race relations in that country in explicitly political terminology.This article explores some of the connections between race and politics in Brazil by examining four moments in the history of black political mobilisation in that country. Geographically, it focuses on the south-eastern state of Sao Paulo, which by the time of emancipation, in 1888, housed the third-largest slave population in Brazil (after neighbouring Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro), and which has formed a centre of black political action from the 1880s through to the present. Chronologically, it focuses on: the struggle for the final abolition of slavery in the 1880s; the rise and fall of the Frente Negra Brasileira in the 1930s; the black organisations of the Second Republic; and the most recent wave of black protest, from the mid-1970s to 1988.The purpose of such an exercise is twofold. First, placing these moments of black mobilisation in a century-long time-frame makes it possible for us to see them not as isolated episodes, but as chapters in a long-term, ongoing history of black protest and struggle in Brazil.
The multicommodity maximal covering network design problem

We introduce the multicommodity maximal covering network design problem (MCNDP) in the context of determining critical routes for earthquake management. We seek low cost routes that cover the maximum population while satisfying budget constraints introduced by the need to retrofit bridges on the critical routes. The MCNDP seeks the subnetwork that minimizes the total routing cost and maximizes the total demand covered for a pre-determined set of origin-destination (O-D) pairs subject to budget constraints. An integer programming formulation of the MCNDP is presented. It is applied to an earthquake management problem in southwestern Indiana. Insights on the model are illustrated by evaluating the tradeoffs between the two objectives over a range of budget values.
2-(N-Fmoc)-3-(N-Boc-N-methoxy)-diaminopropanoic acid, an amino acid for the synthesis of mimics of O-linked glycopeptides.

Amino acids with N-alkylaminooxy side chains have proven effective for the rapid synthesis of neoglycopeptides. Chemoselective reaction of reducing sugars with peptides containing these amino acids provides glycoconjugates that are structurally similar to their natural counterparts. 2-(N-Fmoc)-3-(N-Boc-N-methoxy)-diaminopropanoic acid (Fmoc: 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl; Boc: t-butyloxycarbonyl) was synthesized from Boc–Ser–OH in >40% overall yield and incorporated into peptides by standard Fmoc chemistry based solid phase peptide synthesis. The resulting peptides are efficiently glycosylated and serve as mimics of O-linked glycopeptides. The synthesis of this derivative greatly expands the availability of the N-alkylaminooxy strategy for neoglycopeptides. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers(Pept Sci) 84: 414–420, 2006 This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Geomorphic response to flow regulation and channel and floodplain alteration in the gravel-bedded Cedar River, Washington, USA

article i nfo Decadal- to annual-scale analyses of changes to the fluvial form and processes of the Cedar River in Washington State, USA, reveal the effects of flow regulation, bank stabilization, and log-jam removal on a gravel-bedded river in a temperate climate. During the twentieth century, revetments were built along ~60% of the lower Cedar River's length and the 2-year return period flow decreased by 47% following flow regulation beginning in 1914. The formerly wide, anastomosing channel narrowed by over 50% from an average of 47 m in 1936 to 23 m in1989and became progressively single threaded. Subsequent high flows and localized revetment remov- al contributed to an increase in mean channel width to about 34 m by 2011. Channel migration rates between 1936 and 2011 were up to 8 m/year in reaches not confined by revetments or valley walls and less than analysis uncertainty throughout most of the Cedar River's length where bank armoring restricted channel movement. In unconfined reaches where large wood and sediment can be recruited, contemporary high flows, though smaller in magnitude than preregulation high flows, form and maintain geomorphic features such as pools, gravel bars, and side channels. Reaches confined by revetments remain mostly unmodified in the regulated flow regime. While high flows are important for maintaining channel dynamics in the Cedar River, their effectiveness is currently reduced by revetments, limited sediment supply, the lack of large wood available for recruitment to the channel, and decreased magnitude since flow regulation. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Preparing for transition? The allocation of oral medication regimen tasks in adolescents with renal transplants

A mixed-methods design was utilized to examine strategies that families use to manage the post-transplant oral medication regimen of adolescents with renal transplants. Seventeen adolescents and their caregivers were administered structured interviews assessing the tasks that families identified as comprising the oral medication regimen, how tasks were allocated across family members and how the dyad decided on the allocation of tasks. Adherence was assessed via electronic pill bottles and calculated by dividing the number of doses taken by those prescribed. Patients and their caregivers identified the following tasks as part of the oral medication regimen: filling the pillbox (71%), calling for refills (65%) and verifying that the pillbox is filled correctly (47%). Adult caregivers were primarily responsible for managing the medication regimen for the majority of adolescents (70%). Secondary analyses revealed that the number of oral medication regimen tasks identified by the dyad was significantly associated with patient adherence. Our findings highlight the need to bolster efforts to develop methods to quantitatively assess and promote self-management skills among adolescents with renal transplants.
Compliance in parallel to actuators for improving stability of robotic hands during grasping and manipulation

Humans exploit the inherent biomechanical compliance in their fingers to achieve stability and dexterity during many manipulation tasks. The compliance is a result of muscles and tendons series compliance and flexible joints parallel compliance. While the effects of series compliance have been studied in many robotic systems, research on the effects of joint compliance arranged in parallel with the actuators is limited. In this paper, we first demonstrate, through mathematical modeling, that introducing parallel compliance improves stability and robustness in the presence of time delay in a generic robotic joint. We also provide guidelines to balance the benefits of added stability with the increased actuator load when implementing parallel compliance in robotic joints. The result is experimentally validated on a one-degree-of-freedom tendon-driven joint. We build upon this result to design two 2-DOF tendon-driven fingers with parallel compliance, and develop an impedance control law for object manipulation with the fingers. The experimental results demonstrate, for the first time, the advantages of introducing parallel compliance in robotic hands during dexterous manipulation tasks, specifically in achieving smoother trajectory tracking, improved stability, and robustness to impacts.
Isolated Inferior Rectus Palsy: A Case Report and Review of Literature

A case of sudden-onset isolated inferior rectus paresis is described. This is a rare presentation of isolated oculomotor nerve paresis and its features are described. Lesions of the oculomotor nerv...
Brain–Behavior Relations in Infancy: Integrative Approaches to Examining Infant Looking Behavior and Event-Related Potentials

This article describes three approaches to conducting integrated research on brain–behavior relations in infancy. These approaches include: conducting an integrative study that tests the same cognitive construct using behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) measures in separate experiments, measuring behavior and ERPs in different phases of the same experiment, and measuring behavior and ERPs simultaneously. We review studies that have utilized these approaches with a specific focus on research on infant visual attention and recognition memory, and discuss the application of cortical source localization with infant ERP data. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.
Comparative Requirements for Premarketing Premanufacture Notifications in the EC Countries and the USA, with Special Reference to Risk Assessment in the Framework of the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

The legal-scientific control system for toxic substances is embodied in the 79/831 EC Directive in the European Community countries and in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the United States. The 6th Amendment of the EC Directive and Section 5 of TSCA cover notification of new chemicals and require a Premarketing Notification and a Premanufacture Notification, respectively (both known as PMN). Beyond a commonality of some general information required in the submission on a new chemical (such as chemical identity and molecular structure, proposed categories of use, production or importation level) there are two important differences between the two systems. First, the EC Directive requires as a mandatory part of a PMN submission a specified “base set” of health, environmental, and physicochemical test data; TSCA Section S does not specify a set of mandatory test data but requires, as a part of the PMN submission, data on all health and environmental effects in the possession or control of the noti...
Direct carbamoylation of alkenyl halides.

Alkenyl chlorides and bromides are converted into tertiary enamides by treatment with a carbamoylsilane in toluene at 110 °C in the presence of phosphine-palladium(0) catalysts.
Patterns of Knemidokoptes jamaicensis (Acari: Knemidokoptidae) Infestations Among Eight New Avian Hosts in the Dominican Republic

The ectoparasitic mite Knemidokoptes jamaicensis Turk burrows into the cornified epithelium of the legs and feet of Passeriform birds and has been reported from 12 species of North American birds. Here we establish new host and distribution records for K. jamaicensis from eight species of birds from three habitats in the Dominican Republic. These species include Hispaniolan pewee (Contopus hispaniolensis Bryant), northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos L.), Cape May warbler (Dendoica tigrina Gmelin), prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor Vieillot), palm warbler (Dendroica palmarum Gmelin), green-tailed warbler (Microligea palustris Cory), black-crowned palm tanager (Phaenicophilus palmarum L.), and Greater Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla violacea L.). Rates of infestation were as great as 18.2% but varied between species and habitats. Mites were far more common in the dry desert thorn scrub than they were in higher elevation and more moist habitats, despite the fact that many of the affected species had distributions that spanned multiple habitat types. Results suggest that the abundance of scaley-leg mites is controlled by the abundance of suitable host species and by specific ecological conditions that promote transmission.
Surface chemistry manipulation of gold nanorods preserves optical properties for bio-imaging applications

Due to their anisotropic shape, gold nanorods (GNRs) possess a number of advantages for biosystem use including, enhanced surface area and tunable optical properties within the near-infrared (NIR) region. However, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide-related cytotoxicity, overall poor cellular uptake following surface chemistry modifications, and loss of NIR optical properties due to material intracellular aggregation in combination remain as obstacles for nanobased biomedical GNR applications. In this article, we report that tannic acid-coated 11-mercaptoundecyl trimethylammonium bromide (MTAB) GNRs (MTAB-TA) show no significant decrease in either in vitro cell viability or stress activation after exposures to A549 human alveolar epithelial cells. In addition, MTAB-TA GNRs demonstrate a substantial level of cellular uptake while displaying a unique intracellular clustering pattern. This clustering pattern significantly reduces intracellular aggregation, preserving the GNRs NIR optical properties, vital for biomedical imaging applications. These results demonstrate how surface chemistry modifications enhance biocompatibility, allow for higher rate of internalization with low intracellular aggregation of MTAB-TA GNRs, and identify them as prime candidates for use in nanobased bio-imaging applications.
The Refugee Crisis and Germany: From Migration Crisis to Immigration and Integration Regime

This paper begins by examining the various contours of the current crisis for Europe and Germany in particular. It examines the breakdown of the categories with which the post-1945 international regime has worked: migrant, immigrant, asylum seeker, overseas/quota/UNHCR refugee, etc. and looks at how those distinctions might now be more of an impediment to crisis management than a solution.The paper then turns to an examination of the Germany’s citizenship policies and the various ersatz mechanisms it has used since 1945 in lieu of immigration laws: including the massive ingathering of ethnic Germans from the East, large (and self-deceptive) “guest worker” programs, EU free-mobility rules, and various forms of German and EU asylum and subsidiary protection. These have served to mystify the actual process of immigration while also vitiating the meaning of asylum. The paper then argues for a “real” immigration law that might be constructed in such a way as both to serve Germany’s mercantilist interests and show a decent respect for the humanitarian and family needs of current German residents. Finally, accompanying such an immigration policy would be a policy of social integration into the welfare state that would protect standards while pushing back against both cultural fissiparousness and neo-liberal economics. Since e pluribus unum is not so simple, significant opportunities must be offered for immigrants to think of themselves as “citizens in the making.”
FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TETRAPODS

the land. Romer (1945) has suggested that the tetrapod limb is an adaptive modification permitting primitive aquatic amphibians confined in some drying pool of the Devonian landscape to leave this pool in search of asylum in a larger body of water. Orton (1954) argues that this is contrary to experience since, if the lands are drying, the amphibians tend to congregate in the dampest spots available rather than to disperse across the arid and inhospitable terrain. She suggests that the tetrapod limb originated as a burrowing device to permit estivation during times of drought and that the amphibians emerged on land in the Mississippian when more humid conditions prevailed. Ewer (1955) points out that this thesis fails to answer the question of why the amphibians should have left the water at a time when aquatic habitats were expanding. He discusses three different patterns of behavior by which the South African Clawed Toad, Xenopus laevis, has responded to the drying of its normal habitat. Usually the toads estivate by simply burrowing in the mud. As Ewer points out, this is in keeping with Orton's
In their own words: A qualitative study of the psychosocial concerns of posttreatment and long-term lung cancer survivors

Although lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer, survival rates are improving. To address the dearth of literature about the concerns of lung cancer survivors, the authors conducted 21 in-depth interviews with lung cancer survivors that focused on experiences during diagnosis, treatment, and long-term survivorship. Emergent themes included feeling blamed for having caused their cancer, being stigmatized as throwaways, and long-term survivors' experiencing surprise that they are still alive, given poor overall survival rates. Survivors also desired increased public support. It is imperative for healthcare and public health professionals to learn more about needs of this population.
Neonatal gonadal stromal tumor of the testis: limitations of tumor markers.

AbstractWe report case 10 of a gonadal stromal tumor of the testis in a neonate. This tumor may occur in the testis or ovary, and is defined as a tumor of any of the specialized supporting structures of the male or female gonad. All neonatal tumors reported to date have been benign. The serum alpha-fetoprotein level, although elevated for adults, was within the normal range for an infant.
Medical Applications of Elemental Analysis Using Fluorescence Techniques

Elemental analysis using X-ray fluorescence had its beginnings in the early 1900s with the discovery of characteristic X-ray line spectra. One of the earliest uses of the technique was to determine the elemental composition of mineral samples. During the last 15 years, much progress has been made in X-ray detection and analysis systems, so that fluorescence analysis techniques are being used in many different fields. Modern applications include analyzing environmental pollutants near urban and industrial areas, analyzing commercial products for impurities, determining the constituents of geological and archaeological samples, as well as applications in the field of criminology. In recent years, fluorescence analysis has received much attention from the medical community because of its usefulness in determining concentrations of naturally occurring trace elements and changes in these concentrations due to pathological conditions, and in detecting elements deliberately introduced into the body as tracers.
Magnetic-field-induced criticality in superconducting two-leg ladders

We study magnetic-field-induced critical singularities in the superconducting phase of the hole-doped Hubbard model of repulsively interacting electrons, defined on a two-leg ladder. We argue that, provided the low-energy spin excitations in doped ladders carry electric charge, the low-temperature thermodynamic quantities, such as the specific-heat coefficient and magnetic susceptibility, will show logarithmic singularities in the quantum critical regime. This behavior is in drastic contrast to the magnetic-field-induced criticality in undoped Mott insulator ladders, which is governed by the zero-scale-factor universality with its hallmark square-root singularities.
Design of multifunctional compliant mechanisms for minimally invasive surgery

Compliant mechanisms that can perform multiple unique functions have great potential for use in minimally invasive therapy. A fully compliant mechanism may be thought of as a monolithic mechanism without hinge joints which uses elastic deformation to achieve force and motion transmission. Incorporating multifunctional compliant mechanisms into minimally invasive surgical tools has many possible advantages, including reduced instrument exchanges and additional dexterity at the surgical site. Compliant mechanisms also offer the advantage of single-piece construction and ease of manufacture over their rigid-link counterparts, eliminating the need for complex millimeter-scale assembly and cleaning in hinge areas. A multicriteria topology optimization procedure for the design of multifunctional compliant mechanisms is illustrated through the design of a combination tool that will perform forceps and scissor function. A working solid model of the combination forceps/scissors has been generated based on the optimal topology. Results of detailed finite element modeling are discussed along with implications for practical manufacture and implementation.
Electromagnetic wave enabled micro/nanorobotic devices and their applications

In this chapter, we review the concept, design, working mechanisms, and applications of state-of-the-art micro/nanorobotic devices manipulated by electromagnetic waves. Various devices are categorized according to the working mechanisms. Unique characteristics of each type of micro/nano machines are discussed. The development of micro/nanorobotics will enable a myriad of applications in microfluidics, biosensing, diagnosis, drug delivery, and surgery.
Investigating Enzyme Active-Site Geometry and Stereoselectivity in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Lab

The three-dimensional nature of interactions between enzymes and their substrates often leads to exacting spatial binding orientations and stereoselectivity in chemical catalysis. Dehydrogenases that use NAD+ as a redox cofactor tend to show stereospecificity in transferring a hydride to the C4 of the nicotinamide moiety via either the re or the si face. The stereospecificity of this hydride transfer, which results in a prochiral C4 in the reduced NADH, may be determined using deuterated substrates and 1H NMR spectroscopy. A biochemistry lab activity that combines analysis of the intermolecular interactions and spatial orientation between substrate, cofactor, and enzyme from a recent crystal structure of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase with improved in situ single-tube reaction conditions for elucidating the prochiral specificity of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase through 1H NMR spectra analysis is presented.
Why qualia and consciousness seem mysterious

Qualitative experiences (qualia) and consciousness seem mysterious, but are easily understood when we realize that they are neural processes that provide language-independent information about external objects and about the state of the organism. Thus, colors, sounds, smells, and emotions can be named, but they are ineffable because they cannot be transmitted through explanations. Experiences are neural processes that compress large amounts of information into messages that are directly perceived and understood by association to other experiences, which provide their aboutness. Qualitative experiences are phylogenetically determined and allow humans and organisms without language to navigate in their environment, communicate, and satisfy their biological needs. Consciousness is an active process maintained by oscillating neural activity, which can focus on specific subjects or produce the simultaneous awareness of multiple experiences.
Requirement Identification and Analysis Techniques

In the literature there are several requirements engineering methods that can be used in order to elicit as many requirements as possible for a new information system. These methods can be categorized in terms of different factors. One such classification depends on how the method is applied e.g., directly to the actual users of the system or the developers or experts [55].
Individual variation in ACTH-induced cortisol levels in females of a livebearing fish at different gestational stages.

Abstract Individuals vary in their baseline levels of stress hormones (predictive homeostasis) and in their stress responses (reactive homeostasis). Variation in normal reactive scope, both predictive and reactive homeostasis, may be important for understanding how endocrine traits respond to selection. Reactive homeostasis is the increase in glucocorticoid (GCs) hormones above baseline. Individuals at different life history stages, such as gestation in females, may show variation in normal reactive scope. We performed an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge and measured changes in circulating GCs to estimate the reactive scope of female sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) at different gestational states. We measured cortisol, primary GC in teleost fishes, to obtain baseline release rates prior to injection with either ACTH or saline control. Using water-borne hormones, we measured cortisol release rates at four time intervals post-injection. Females were then sacrificed to determine the developmental stage of embryos, if present, and the number of developing embryos or mature ova. We found that ACTH-injected females had significant increases in cortisol releases rates, whereas cortisol release rates of control females did not change during the 4 h post-injection period. We found high repeatability in predictive homeostasis of cortisol and moderate repeatability in reactive homeostasis and a phenotypic correlation between predictive and reactive homeostasis. Gestational state did not affect female predictive or reactive homeostasis. We applied the reactive scope model to P. latipinna and gained a further understanding of how among- and within-individual variation in both predictive and reactive homeostasis are partitioned and how these traits vary under certain life-history conditions.
AUTOMATED DETERMINATION OF PULSE AMPLITUDE CHANGES IN FINGER PHOTOPLETHYSMOGRAPHY WAVEFORM DURING THE VALSALVA MANEUVER HAS HIGH SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY FOR IDENTIFYING ELEVATED LEFT VENTRICULAR END DIASTOLIC PRESSURE

Improved noninvasive techniques for evaluating left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) are needed. We have developed a handheld device for assessing LVEDP based on the change in pulse amplitude (PA) of a finger photoplethysmography (PPG) waveform during a Valsalva maneuver (VM). We
Distribution of Ephemeral Herbaceous Plants near Treeline in the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A.

Annuals and ephemeral perennials which become dormant early in the snow-free season are uncommon life forms in most alpine areas. In Slate Creek Valley in the Sierra Nevada, California, few of the ...
Cryocoolers for Human and Robotic Missions to Mars

Future missions to Mars will make use of a number of different cryocoolers. These cryocoolers will be used to liquefy and preserve propellants and for transporting liquid hydrogen feed stock. The earliest mission requiring a cryocooler is the 2003 robotic mission, which will demonstrate technology for In-Situ-Consumable-Production (ISCP) as part of the long-term goal of developing In-Situ-Resource-Utilization (ISRU). Later missions may require cryocoolers to preserve propellants on Trans-Mars Injection stages, Martian landers, and Mars return vehicles. In addition, ISCP may require liquid hydrogen feed stock as part of the chemical process to produce propellants from the Martian atmosphere. Cryocoolers will be required to minimize or eliminate the boiloff of this hydrogen in transit to Mars. Propellants produced on Mars will need liquefiers and cryocoolers for storage on the Martian surface until the propellants are used in the ascent vehicle.
Effect of Alcohol Structure on the Kinetics of Etherification and Dehydration over Tungstated Zirconia.

Linear and branched ether molecules have attracted recent interest as diesel additives and lubricants that can be produced from biomass-derived alcohols. In this study, tungstated zirconia was identified as a selective and green solid acid catalyst for the direct etherification of primary alcohols in the liquid phase, achieving ether selectivities of >94 % for C6 -C12 linear alcohol coupling at 393 K. The length of linear primary alcohols (C6 -C12 ) was shown to have a negligible effect on apparent activation energies for etherification and dehydration, demonstrating the possibility to produce both symmetrical and asymmetrical linear ethers. Reactions over a series of C6 alcohols with varying methyl branch positions indicated that substituted alcohols (2°, 3°) and alcohols with branches on the β-carbon readily undergo dehydration, but alcohols with branches at least three carbons away from the -OH group are highly selective to ether. A novel model compound, 4-hexyl-1dodecanol, was synthesized and tested to further demonstrate this structure-activity relationship. Trends in the effects of alcohol structure on selectivity were consistent with previously proposed mechanisms for etherification and dehydration, and help to define possible pathways to selectively form ethers from biomass-derived alcohols.
Interventions to Support Behavioral Self-Management of Chronic Diseases

A majority of the US adult population has one or more chronic conditions that require medical intervention and long-term self-management. Such conditions are among the 10 leading causes of mortality; an estimated 86% of the nation's $2.7 trillion in annual health care expenditures goes toward their treatment and management. Patient self-management of chronic diseases is increasingly essential to improve health behaviors, health outcomes, and quality of life and, in some cases, has demonstrated effectiveness for reducing health care utilization and the societal cost burden of chronic conditions. This review synthesizes the current state of the science of chronic disease self-management interventions and the evidence for their effectiveness, especially when applied with a systematic application of theories or models that account for a wide range of influences on behavior. Our analysis of selected outcomes from randomized controlled trials of chronic disease self-management interventions contained in 10 Cochrane systematic reviews provides additional evidence to demonstrate that self-management can improve quality of life and reduce utilization across several conditions.
Development of wide bandgap perovskites for next-generation low-cost CdTe tandem solar cells

Abstract To continue towards long-term reduction in the price of energy generated by photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, technological innovations are needed to achieve significant increases in device efficiency without increasing manufacturing costs. One approach is to utilize the existing capability to manufacture thin film CdTe PVs at very low cost and add another inexpensive thin film absorber to create a tandem solar cell to improve device efficiency. For this, a semiconductor with an optimal bandgap must be identified, along with a suitable device architecture. The wide bandgap perovskite methylammonium lead bromide (CH3NH3PbBr3, MAPBr) has a well-matched band gap of 2.3 eV for a CdTe tandem device. It can be processed at relatively low temperature, and is also suitable for CIGS and all-perovskite tandems. We fabricated MAPBr PVs and found that optical scattering, or haze, was significant in these perovskite layers. This limits the transmitted light reaching the bottom cell. The performance of a four-terminal (4T) perovskite-CdTe tandem cell was modeled using the 1D Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS) software package to determine how much haze could be tolerated and still achieve an efficiency boost compared to the CdTe cell.
(340) Stroop Task, but not a Pain-Specific Stroop Task, is Associated with Clinical and Experimental Pain in Older Adults

Chronic pain is a cause of disability in older individuals and is commonly associated with executive function deficits. In particular, cognitive inhibitory processes have been previously reported to decline with age and in relation to pain; however, no studies have focused on older individuals with and without pain. The present study investigated cognitive inhibitory processes using a computer adapted Stroop task including neutral, congruent, incongruent and pain-specific paradigms in older (60-93 years old) participants in the Neuromodulatory Examination of Pain and Mobility Across the Lifespan (NEPAL) study. A subset of the sample completed demographic, clinical pain assessments followed by a multi-modal quantitative sensory testing (QST) battery and the Stroop paradigm. There were significant differences between older individuals with (n=20) and without (n=34) chronic pain with regards to Stroop-interference and Stroop-facilitation scores (p 0.05). Similarly, Stroop interference and facilitation were inversely correlated to self-reported pain experienced while performing physical activities and cold detection thresholds (p's 0.05). Our findings suggest that inhibitory control as measured by the Stroop task are associated with clinical and experimental pain in older adults with performance deficits in those with chronic pain. These deficits were not related to attentional bias towards pain words; thus, it is possible that the significant decrements in Stroop performance reaches a ceiling effect, with no further decrements in the pain-specific Stroop performance. Future research examining pain and aging interactions in relation to cognitive inhibitory processes may improve our understanding of the impact of pain-related information on executive function in aging.
Dermatologic Conditions in Transgender Populations

Transgender persons receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy and procedures may face specific skin conditions. Skin diseases in transgender patients often are underdiagnosed and underrecognized despite their important impact on quality of life and mental health. This article discusses pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of common skin diseases in the transgender populations. For transmasculine patients, conditions include acne vulgaris and male pattern hair loss. For transfeminine patients, conditions include hirsutism, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and melasma. Postprocedural keloids and other cutaneous complications are discussed. Unique aspects of skin health in transgender persons should be considered in the context of multidisciplinary gender-affirming care.
The Feasibility and Utility of Level III Portable Sleep Studies in the Pediatric Inpatient Setting.

Study Objectives:Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may significantly impact the course of medical illness in hospitalized children. Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for establishing diagno...
Model predictive control of a rotary kiln for fast electric demand response

Abstract Rotary kilns require large fans to induce drafts to support transformation of minerals. If fan controls can be modified to respond to rapid changes in electric demand, they can become valuable grid assets. Due to their considerable thermal inertia, kilns and the associated fans are traditionally operated continuously in a steady manner to avoid process disruption. However, advanced process control, such as model predictive control (MPC) can allow for the rigid process to be operated flexibly. Ultimately the flexible process can respond to grid demand requirements by ramping the induced draft fan. Process disturbances generated by a quick change in the kiln air flow rate are buffered by adjusting kiln operations using MPC. In this work, a through, dynamic kiln model was developed. On top of the model, a novel MPC algorithm is presented which leverages kiln rotation rate, stone feed rate, and coal feed rate to ensure successful calcination of limestone while the kiln simultaneously plays a crucial role in electric grid regulation. Four scenarios were explored, long and short term duration of both up and down regulation. The MPC algorithm reduced the number of hours of poor stone quality production to 0 during smart grid participation. The economic penalty of the grid responses was reduced by at least 65% using MPC, compared to steady-state optimized operation. For short-term participation, less than two hours, the MPC algorithm would reduce economic penalties by at least 77%. Minimized economic penalties and high stone quality improve the feasibility of smart grid participation.