cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multilayer bending model for conducting polymer actuators

Electroactive conducting polymers (CPs) have been frequently used for fabricating bending actuators. To model this type of actuation, the traditional double-layer beam bending theory was implemented by neglecting the thickness of the thin intermediate metal layers for the sake of simplification. However, this common assumption has not been carefully validated and the associated errors have not been well acknowledged. In this work, a generic multilayer bending model was introduced to account for the actuators consisting of an arbitrary number of layers. Our model found the bending curvature, strain, stress, and in particular work density of the multilayer actuator as explicit functions of the thickness and modulus of each individual layer. The thickness of metals and conducting polymers were controlled in thermal evaporation and electrochemical synthesis, respectively. The modulus of polypyrrole (PPy), the conducting polymer used in this work, was determined within our model by the bending curvature measured using the charge-coupled device (CCD). This gave a modulus of our electrochemically synthesized PPy of 80 MPa, corresponding to an actuation strain of 2% in our model. It was concluded that neglecting the intermediate metal layers would lead to substantial errors. For instance, using a PPy/Au/Kapton trilayer actuator, a 5% error or below in strain can only be found if the Au layer is one thousand times thinner than Kapton. To enhance the actuation, a PPy/Pt/PVDF/Pt/PPy five-layer actuator has been often used. In this case, even if the Pt layer was reduced to 10 nm, our predicted error of neglecting the two metal layers would be 12.59%. Our results showed that the work density, chosen to measure the overall performance of the actuator, was highly sensitive to the modulus of the substrate polymer layer so that it was generally desirable of using a soft polymer substrate. With the multilayer bending model, we intend to provide an accurate and reliable tool for systematically analyzing the bending behavior and performance of the CP-based actuators.
Proxy Respondents and the Validity of Occupational and Other Exposure Data

As part of a multicenter cancer case-control study conducted in 1984-1988 a proxy interview was attempted for all cases who were initially interviewed for the study but who died during the 4-year data collection period. to assess the validity of using wives. Other relatives, or other informants to obtain information about a subject, the authors compared occupational and other exposure data obtained from 270 male cancer cases and their proxy respondents. The primary focus of the case-control study was on Vietnam military service and exposure to phenoxy herbicides, but cases and their proxy respondents were also asked about occupational and other exposures relevant to the cancers. The accuracy of reporting for specific occupational exposures (e.g., asbestos and formaldehyde) and specific occupations (e.g.. dry cleaning and meat packing or processing) was poor, although the latter improved somewhat when only case-spouse pairs were examined. Similarly, there was poor sensitivity in the reporting of herbicide exposure information in farming and other related occupations. In contrast, the reporting of certain demographic characteristics, childhood history characteristics, and use of alcohol and cigarettes was relatively good. and was even better when only case-spouse pairs were examined, The poor quality of proxy information for detailed exposure information suggests the need for careful use and interpretation of proxy information in epidemiologic studies. Am J Epidemiol l992;l36:712-21,
Siam and France 1863–1870

Siam's immediate reaction to the signature on Aug. 11, 1863 of the French treaty of protectorate over Cambodia (see article by author in the previous issue of the Quarterly) was formally to protest to Drouyn de Lhuys in Paris and to Admiral de la Grandiere in Saigon, but by December it appeared as if she were reconciled to the fait accompli. The strategy of the Phra Klang was no longer to contest the protectorate but rather to diminish its importance. To this end he pretended to accept it as the means by which France sought to guarantee Cambodia in the future in a state of equilibrium between herself and Siam. In a letter to Grandiere he said that no one would deny that Cambodia was an independent state. He expressed his regret for having charged the Admiral with intimidating Norodom. The translation of Norodom's letter, said he, had probably been faulty in giving the impression that he had been intimidated. The Phra Klang further acknowledged that France had succeeded to the place of Annam in Cambodia but at the same time reminded Grandiere that Siam had exercised the rights of a suzerain in Cambodia over a long period. This prolonged relationship between Siam and Cambodia entitled Siam to be consulted by France before the making of a treaty, and Siam should have been consulted. It was his hope that the Cambodians would not be encouraged by the establishment of the protectorate to deny to Siam her just rights in Cambodia and that France would continue to respect these rights.
Dioxygen Reduction by a Pd(0)–Hydroquinone Diphosphine Complex

A novel p-terphenyl diphosphine ligand was synthesized with a noninnocent hydroquinone moiety as the central arene (1-H). Pseudo-tetrahedral 4-coordinate Ni(0) and Pd(0)-quinone (2 and 3, respectively) complexes proved accessible by metalating 1-H with the corresponding M(OAc)2 precursors. O2 does not react with the Pd(0)-quinone species (3) and protonation occurs at the quinone moiety indicating that the coordinated oxidized quinonoid moiety prevents reactivity at the metal. A 2-coordinate Pd(0)-hydroquinone complex (4-H) was prepared using a one-pot metalation with Pd(II) followed by reduction. The reduced quinonoid moiety in 4-H shows metal-coupled reactivity with small molecules. 4-H was capable of reducing a variety of substrates including dioxygen, nitric oxide, nitrous oxide, 1-azido adamantane, trimethylamine n-oxide, and 1,4-benzoquinone quantitatively producing 3 as the Pd-containing reaction product. Mechanistic investigations of dioxygen reduction revealed that the reaction proceeds through a η(2)-peroxo intermediate (Int1) at low temperatures followed by subsequent ligand oxidation at higher temperatures in a reaction that consumed half an equivalent of O2 and produced water as a final oxygenic byproduct. Control compounds with methyl protected phenolic moieties (4-Me), displaying a Ag(I) center incapable of O2 binding (7-H) or a cationic Pd-H motif (6-H) allowed for the independent examination of potential reaction pathways. The reaction of 4-Me with dioxygen at low temperature produces a species (8-Me) analogous to Int1 demonstrating that initial dioxygen activation is an inner sphere Pd-based process where the hydroquinone moiety only subsequently participates in the reduction of O2, at higher temperatures, by H(+)/e(-) transfers.
The Cell Surface Antigen A, B or O(h) as an Indicator of Malignant Potential in Stage a Bladder Carcinoma: Preliminary Report

AbstractThe presence or absence of cell surface antigens (A, B and H) on the cell surface of bladder tumors has been studied. The major blood group antigens A, B or O(H) are present on normal bladder epithelium but are not present on some low grade and low stage papillary transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder. We have demonstrated that of 5 stage A bladder tumors that have not recurred in at least 5 years 3 retained the cell surface antigens, while tumors that have recurred locally, invaded or metastasized had lost these cell surface antigens on the original stage A tumor.
Drinking in public: taverns and coffeehouses

People in the eighteenth century did much of their drinking in public. At a time when most lived in dwellings that were small, cramped, and poorly heated in the winter, taverns, wineshops, and cafes offered a warm fire and refuge from crowded and uncomfortable quarters. But taverns and coffeehouses were more than simply an escape from the discomforts of home. People frequented taverns and coffeehouses to find jobs, conduct business, exchange information, or celebrate important events of their lives. These were places where baptisms and marriages were celebrated, newspapers circulated, stock traded, crimes plotted, votes solicited, ministers attacked, laborers employed, wars debated, freemasons initiated. Taverns and coffeehouses were in principle public space, open to anyone who could pay for their drink. This side of taverns continues to find expression in the British term “pub” (after public house), which entered common usage in the eighteenth century. The openness and accessibility associated with public-drinking establishments date back to the Middle Ages, when local statutes or custom sometimes prescribed sanctions against tavern keepers who refused to serve a patron without good cause. Such provisions were rooted in medieval traditions of hospitality, which under specific conditions obliged communities and lordships to offer food, drink, or accommodations to travelers and pilgrims. The publicness of drinking establishments in early modern Europe found expression in the often picturesque signs that beckoned those on the street to come within.
Life-cycle Analysis of Bioproducts and Their Conventional Counterparts in GREET

To further expand upon the literature in this field and to develop a platform for bioproduct LCA, we developed LCA results for ten bioproducts produced either from algal glycerol or from corn stover-derived sugars. We used Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREETTM) model as the platform for this study. The data and calculations reported herein are available to GREET users in a bioproducts module included in the fall 2015 GREET release. This report documents our approach to this analysis and the results. In Chapter 2, we review the process we underwent to select the bioproducts for analysis based on market and technology readiness criteria. In Chapter 3, we review key parameters for production of the two feedstocks we considered: corn stover and algae. Given the lack of publicly available information about the production of bioproducts, which is caused in large part by the emerging nature of the industry, we developed Aspen Plus® simulations of the processes that could be used to produce each bioproduct. From these simulations, we extracted the energy and material flows of these processes, which were important inputs to the GREET bioproducts module. Chapter 4 provides the details of thesemore » Aspen Plus simulations. It is important to compare the LCA results for bioproducts to those for their petroleum counterparts. We therefore also developed material and energy flow data for conventional products based mostly on the literature. These data are described in Chapter 5 and are also included in the GREET bioproducts module. In Chapter 6, we present results from this analysis and examine areas for refinement and future research.« less
Glutamic Acid 192 of Activated Protein C Restricts the Specificity of PAR-1 Cleavage in Endothelial Cells.

Abstract It is known that residue 192 (chymotrypsin numbering) plays a key role in determining the P3 binding specificity of coagulation proteases. This residue is a Glu in both thrombin and activated protein C. Previous studies have indicated that the substrates containing an acidic residue at the P3 position are not recognized efficiently by either thrombin or APC in the absence of a cofactor. Protease activated receptor 1 (PAR-1), a common substrate for both thrombin and APC contains an acidic Asp at the P3 position. In this study we examined the ability of Glu-192 to Gln (E192Q) substitution mutants of both thrombin and APC to recognize and cleave PAR-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) transfected with a PAR-1 cleavage reporter plasmid in which the exodomain of the receptor has been fused to a cDNA fragment encoding the soluble alkaline phosphatase. Thrombin E192Q cleaved PAR-1 with a catalytic efficiency that was approximately 5-fold higher than that of wild-type thrombin. On the other hand, the activity of APC E192Q toward PAR-1 was improved approximately 100-fold. Thus, unlike an approximately 1000-fold lower activity for APC in cleaving PAR-1 relative to thrombin, the activity of APC E192Q toward PAR-1 was only 10-fold lower than that of thrombin. These results suggest that the inhibitory interaction of Glu-192 of APC with P3-Asp of PAR-1 is responsible for its poor activity toward PAR-1. It is known that the cleavage of PAR-1 by thrombin in endothelial cells elicits a proinflammatory response. However, the cleavage of the same receptor by APC in complex with endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) invokes a protective antiinflammatory response. The mechanism of the paradoxical effect of PAR-1 signaling by the two proteases is not known. We used these mutants to investigate the possibility that the level of PAR-1 activation by either thrombin or APC dictates the type of the response in endothelial cells. Furthermore, we used these mutants in TNF-a-stimulated endothelial cell permeability and apoptosis assays to understand the mechanism by which EPCR enables APC to activate PAR-1 in endothelial cells. We discovered that the dose of receptor activation is not responsible for the paradoxical effect of PAR-1 signaling by APC and thrombin in endothelial cells. Furthermore, the interaction of APC with EPCR is not associated with an improvement in the catalytic efficiency of the protease toward PAR-1. The possible EPCR and PAR-1 dependent recognition and signaling mechanism of APC and thrombin is discussed.
Biologically based neural circuit modelling for the study of fear learning and extinction

The neuronal systems that promote protective defensive behaviours have been studied extensively using Pavlovian conditioning. In this paradigm, an initially neutral-conditioned stimulus is paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus leading the subjects to display behavioural signs of fear. Decades of research into the neural bases of this simple behavioural paradigm uncovered that the amygdala, a complex structure comprised of several interconnected nuclei, is an essential part of the neural circuits required for the acquisition, consolidation and expression of fear memory. However, emerging evidence from the confluence of electrophysiological, tract tracing, imaging, molecular, optogenetic and chemogenetic methodologies, reveals that fear learning is mediated by multiple connections between several amygdala nuclei and their distributed targets, dynamical changes in plasticity in local circuit elements as well as neuromodulatory mechanisms that promote synaptic plasticity. To uncover these complex relations and analyse multi-modal data sets acquired from these studies, we argue that biologically realistic computational modelling, in conjunction with experiments, offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of the neural circuit mechanisms of fear learning and to address how their dysfunction may lead to maladaptive fear responses in mental disorders.
Thrombotic valvular dysfunction with transcatheter mitral interventions for postsurgical failures

BACKGROUND Degenerated surgical mitral valve repairs or surgical prostheses are currently being treated with transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). We report the procedural and mid-term assessment of thirteen cases. METHODS From 12/2013 to 12/2015, 13 consecutive patients with degenerated mitral valve repair or valve replacement were treated. Patients were assessed for mitral valve academic valve consortium (MVARC) defined outcomes. RESULTS Immediate procedural MVARC defined technical success was 92%. At 30 days MVARC device and procedure success were 61% and 84%, respectively. Mean follow-up was 150 days [IQR 40-123 days]. There were 2 late major adverse outcomes, a noncardiac related death (628 days) and a stroke (382 days). The mean mitral gradient decreased from 9.5 ± 3.4 to 5.5 ± 2.6 mm Hg (P < 0.01). Three patients were found to have high gradients, two presented with heart failure while another patient was found to have reduced leaflet motion and abnormal thickening postprocedure. The two patients with heart failure were treated with enoxaparin, which caused subsequent resolution of increased valve gradients in one patient. The other patient could not tolerate prolonged treatment from anticoagulation due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Three of 13 patients were treated with dual-antiplatelet therapy and were suspected to have valve thrombosis. CONCLUSION Thrombotic related dysfunction post-TMVR occurred in 15% (2/13) of patients and one patient had abnormal leaflet thickening that may have been thrombus related. Dual-antiplatelet therapy was used in all 3 cases suggesting the possible need for oral anticoagulation postmitral valve-in-valve therapy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Understanding Employee-Level Dynamics within the Merger and Acquisition Process:

Given the challenge companies face in combining organisations in the merger and acquisition (M&A) process, this article presents a model that explores the potential determinants of success in the company blending (acculturation) process. The model examines the effect of employee-level factors and perceptions of managerial behaviours during the M&A process. Utilising data from 254 employees that recently experienced an M&A, the authors tested for managerial guided, direct and indirect impacts on employee-level dynamics (job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviours) which are believed to affect the successful co-mingling of two previously independent organisations. The authors highlight the key role that employee identification with the new consolidated organisation plays, most notably organisational citizenship. Lastly, attention is drawn to the importance of management's perceived competence and procedural justice toward employee-level factors. The article concludes with specific managerial ...
Substituted pyrrole synthesis from nitrodienes

Abstract Though the Cadogan-Sundberg approach has been employed to synthesize a variety of indole and carbazole derivatives from nitroarenes, surprisingly, very little is reported for making pyrroles using the same approach from non-arene nitrodienes. Herein, we report a general method to synthesize substituted pyrroles, in one step with modest yields, from nitrodienes using triphenylphosphine in the presence of an Mo catalyst, bis(acetylaceto)dioxomolybdenum (VI). To shed light on the mechanism of this reaction, we performed DFT calculations using uB3LYP/6-31+G(d) basis set and observed that the reaction favors a path through a nitrene intermediate.
High Reliability Downlink Transmission with Superposition Modulated Side Information

A highly reliable transmission scheme based on a combined application of network coding and superposition modulation is introduced for a non- relay wireless communication system. It is shown that by employing superposition modulation, the side information needed for error recovery can be transmitted over the same set of resources as the original packets. A sub-constellation alignment mechanism for constructive combining of the least significant bits of the received symbols is proposed for efficient side information dissemination. The outage analysis and numerical results show that the proposed system can offer significant gains in link reliability.
¿Cuánto cuesta la densificación? La relación entre la densidad y el costo de proveer servicios públicos municipales en Brasil, Chile, Ecuador y México

The relationship between per capita municipal spending on basic urban services and urban population density is not a linear one. The optimal density level that minimizes spending in urban services is close to 9,000 inhabitants per square kilometer. In Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico, 85% of the municipalities find themselves below the ideal density level. The findings of this article suggest that policies that promote urbanization and densification of intermediate cities can have significant benefits in reducing municipal expenditures.
All That Remains

This chapter examines the ways in which various host countries (other than the USA) deal with the repatriation of dead migrants and what has been so far a simple business transaction: migrant sells his/her labor to host country in exchange for X amount of money and protection and becomes a confluence of sociopolitical, religious, and class issues when the migrant worker dies. The chapter explores the practices associated with the repatriation of dead migrants in places such as Thailand and Dubai and weaves in compelling testimonies from a Mexican mother and an Afghan father, both migrants who lost family members whose bodies could not be repatriated.
Abstract 18826: Excellent Outcomes in Long-Term Follow-Up After Heart Transplantation for Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Introduction: Orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) is increasingly utilized for end-stage heart failure due to cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). However, concern regarding the long-term outcomes in CS patient...
Mapping bacteria on filter membranes, an innovative SERS approach.

Abstract The existence of pathogenic bacteria in drinking water has been a threat to the safety of human well-being. Traditional methods to detect bacteria are standard plate counts or rapid methods such as ELISA and PCR. However, those methods can be time-consuming or require pre-enrichment when detecting low concentrations of bacteria. Filter membrane has been used for bacteria collection and culturing when monitoring environmental water samples. In this study, we applied surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to rapidly screen bacteria cells on a filter membrane based on the unique signal from an indicator molecule, 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-mpba), that can specifically bind to the surface of bacteria through diol group in its structure and give off consistent SERS signal. With a pore size of 0.22 μm, the filter membrane functions as both a concentrating device and a separation mechanism that eliminates molecules smaller than the pore size. With SERS mapping, 4-mpba gives characteristic signal, indicating the presence of bacteria, whereas no 4-mpba signal was observed in the absence of bacteria. The developed method can detect Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes on a filter membrane non-selectively in 80 min. Application of the method in pond water was demonstrated. However, this method may not be able to discriminate between live and dead bacterial cells and further development is needed.
Dimensions of Level Sets

This chapter contains some byproducts of the author’s analysis of Gaussian fields, especially extremal fields. The notions of “dimension” and “implicit dimension” of level sets of Gaussian fields are defined, together with techniques for computing these dimensions. Applications to understanding the near-maximal regions of polymer models and spin glasses are worked out.
Far Ultraviolet Analysis of Steroids and other Biologically Active Substances

Representative steroids, barbiturates, amino acids, and model compounds were studied in the far ultraviolet region to 170 mμ. The absorption of pertinent chromophores is discussed with regard to analytical usefulness. Of these, isolated double bonds and monoaromatic rings offer the most promise. The problems associated with this region are also considered.
Nuclear Acceptor Sites for the Mammalian Estrogen Receptor: Effects of Antiestrogens

Estrogenic steroid hormones interact with target tissues through their binding to specific receptor proteins (1–3). Triphenylethylene derivatives inhibit several estrogen-stimulated responses, and are thus termed anti-estrogens (4–6). Triphenylethylene antiestrogens have been used effectively in the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers. MCF-7, a well established human breast cancer cell line, has been a useful tool for steroid receptor studies as these cells contain high levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors, and cell growth is inhibited markedly by antiestrogens in the absence or presence of estrogens (7–12). Current studies of antiestrogen action utilize high affinity triphenylethylene derivatives which allow a more accurate assessment of the physicochemical characteristics of receptor complexes (13–15). Although physicochemical differences in the estrogen receptor bound by estrogen versus antiestrogen have been reported by our laboratory as well as by others (16–20), it is not clear how these receptor complexes interact with nuclear binding sites which have been proposed to involve various domains such as DNA sequences, chromatin, nucleoacidic proteins and nuclear matrix (21–25). Thus, the cellular mechanisms whereby these triphenylethylene compounds provoke agonist, antagonist, and unique responses is still not clear. Antiestrogens act as mixed agonists/antagonists both in vivo and in vitro.
An analysis of strong-motion accelerometer data from the San Francisco earthquake of March 22, 1957

The San Francisco earthquake of March 22, 1957, was recorded simultaneously by accelerometers at five United States Coast and Geodetic Survey stations in the San Francisco area. Response spectrum curves were computed from the acceleration-time records, and from these response spectrum curves the spectrum intensities have been determined. From these spectrum intensities certain conclusions are drawn as to: (1) the effects of local geology on the recorded ground motions; (2) the calculation of total energy released by the earthquake from strong-motion accelerometer records; (3) possible influence of structural dynamic behavior on the accelerations recorded in building basements, and the relationship between basement accelerations and ground accelerations; and (4) the applicability of a simplified type of strong-motion earthquake instrument for investigations of local distribution effects. A general comparison is made between the present earthquake and typical Pacific Coast earthquakes.
First Report of Orobanche ludoviciana Parasitizing Sunflowers

In September 2014, a commercial field in western Nebraska was found exhibiting sunflower plants being parasitized by another flowering plant. Its presence was detected in approximately 25% of the f...
Direct measyrement of thermal tensing in Cr3+-doped colquiirities

Longitudinal diode pumping of a solid-state laser material has the advantage of highly efficient fundamental mode operation.1
Frailty as a prognostic indicator in the radical cystectomy population: a review

Radical cystectomy and urinary diversion are the current gold standard of management for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. While it is a common urologic procedure, it is associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality. Complications associated with the operation are often frequent, although minor, and significantly impact functional outcomes as well as patient quality of life. Frailty is emerging as a new preoperative prognostic indicator to help determine which patients are at greatest risk of poor outcomes and postoperative complications after treatment. In this review, we summarize the current known literature analyzing frailty as a significant prognostic risk factor of short-term and long-term outcomes after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
The effect of Medicaid expansion among adults from low-income communities on stage at diagnosis in those with screening-amenable cancers

Background Several states have opted to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which offers insurance coverage to low-income individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level. This expansion of Medicaid to a medically vulnerable population potentially can reduce cancer outcome disparities, especially among patients with screening-amenable cancers. The objective of the current study was to estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on the percentage of adults from low-income communities with screening-amenable cancers who present with metastatic disease. Methods Using state cancer registry data linked with block group-level income data, a total of 12,760 individuals aged 30 to 64 years who were diagnosed with incident invasive breast (female), cervical, colorectal, or lung cancer from 2011 through 2016 and who were uninsured or had Medicaid insurance at the time of diagnosis were identified. This sample was probability weighted based on income to reflect potential Medicaid eligibility under the ACA's Medicaid expansion. A multivariable logistic model then was fitted to examine the independent association between the exposure (pre-expansion [years 2011-2013] vs postexpansion [years 2014-2016]) and the outcome (metastatic vs nonmetastatic disease at the time of diagnosis). Results After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals who were diagnosed postexpansion were found to have 15% lower odds of having metastatic disease compared with those who were diagnosed pre-expansion (adjusted odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.93). As a control, a separate analysis that focused on individuals with private insurance who resided in high-income communities found nonsignificant postexpansion (vs pre-expansion) changes in the outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.09). Conclusions Medicaid expansion is associated with a narrowing of a critical cancer outcome disparity in adults from low-income communities.
Putting me back together by getting back together: Post-dissolution self-concept confusion predicts rekindling desire among anxiously attached individuals:

Previous research suggests that romantic relationship dissolution diminishes self-concept clarity, leading to emotional distress. Over time, people overcome breakup. But little is known about how p...
A large database supports the use of simple models of post-fire tree mortality for thick-barked conifers, with less support for other species

Predictive models of post-fire tree and stem mortality are vital for management planning and understanding fire effects. Post-fire tree and stem mortality have been traditionally modeled as a simple empirical function of tree defenses (e.g., bark thickness) and fire injury (e.g., crown scorch). We used the Fire and Tree Mortality database (FTM)—which includes observations of tree mortality in obligate seeders and stem mortality in basal resprouting species from across the USA—to evaluate the accuracy of post-fire mortality models used in the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) software system. The basic model in FOFEM, the Ryan and Amman (R-A) model, uses bark thickness and percentage of crown volume scorched to predict post-fire mortality and can be applied to any species for which bark thickness can be calculated (184 species-level coefficients are included in the program). FOFEM (v6.7) also includes 38 species-specific tree mortality models (26 for gymnosperms, 12 for angiosperms), with unique predictors and coefficients. We assessed accuracy of the R-A model for 44 tree species and accuracy of 24 species-specific models for 13 species, using data from 93 438 tree-level observations and 351 fires that occurred from 1981 to 2016. For each model, we calculated performance statistics and provided an assessment of the representativeness of the evaluation data. We identified probability thresholds for which the model performed best, and the best thresholds with either ≥80% sensitivity or specificity. Of the 68 models evaluated, 43 had Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) values ≥0.80, indicating excellent performance, and 14 had AUCs <0.7, indicating poor performance. The R-A model often over-predicted mortality for angiosperms; 5 of 11 angiosperms had AUCs <0.7. For conifers, R-A over-predicted mortality for thin-barked species and for small diameter trees. The species-specific models had significantly higher AUCs than the R-A models for 10 of the 22 models, and five additional species-specific models had more balanced errors than R-A models, even though their AUCs were not significantly different or were significantly lower. Approximately 75% of models tested had acceptable, excellent, or outstanding predictive ability. The models that performed poorly were primarily models predicting stem mortality of angiosperms or tree mortality of thin-barked conifers. This suggests that different approaches—such as different model forms, better estimates of bark thickness, and additional predictors—may be warranted for these taxa. Future data collection and research should target the geographical and taxonomic data gaps and poorly performing models identified in this study. Our evaluation of post-fire tree mortality models is the most comprehensive effort to date and allows users to have a clear understanding of the expected accuracy in predicting tree death from fire for 44 species.
The Role of Marketplace Policy on Welcome Mat Effects for Children Eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) required coordination between Marketplaces, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in an effort to streamline application processes and improve enrollment. We use 2013-2018 data from the American Community Survey and difference-in-difference models to estimate the relationship between Marketplace policy and increases in Medicaid/CHIP coverage observed among pre-ACA eligible children after the implementation of the ACA ("welcome mat effects"). Our sample includes non-disabled, citizen children (0-18) at 139-250% FPL who were Medicaid-/CHIP-eligible before (and after) the implementation of the ACA. Marketplace policies studied include state-based versus federally-facilitated, and whether the Marketplace had authority to directly enroll Medicaid-/CHIP-eligible applicants into public coverage. Models also control for ACA adult Medicaid expansion policy and provide the first estimates in this literature for non-expansion states. Welcome mat effects were present among all Marketplace and expansion policy categories. However, public coverage increased more in states that empowered their Marketplace to enroll publicly-eligible applicants directly into Medicaid/CHIP and these results were driven by enrollment policy, not by choice of state-based versus federal based Marketplaces. Welcome mat effects were largest in expansion states (for most years) and among children whose parents did not hold employer-sponsored insurance coverage. Ranging from 9 to 13 percentage points, these estimates are larger than those found among other subgroups of children in the welcome mat literature. Although there is evidence of lagged effects for both welcome mat effects and the role of Marketplace policy in non-expansion states, by 2018 we find no differences in these measures by expansion policy.
Development of a Theoretical Framework and a Measure of General Organizational Means-Efficacy

Means-efficacy was introduced by Eden as one’s perception of available organizational resources, a form of external efficacy which, together with internal (i.e., self) efficacy comprises a larger s...
Measuring success: perspectives from three optimization programs on assessing impact in the age of burnout

Electronic health record (EHR) optimization has been identified as a best practice to reduce burnout and improve user satisfaction; however, measuring success can be challenging. The goal of this manuscript is to describe the limitations of measuring optimizations and opportunities to combine assessments for a more comprehensive evaluation of optimization outcomes. The authors review lessons from 3 U.S. healthcare institutions that presented their experiences and recommendations at the American Medical Informatics Association 2020 Clinical Informatics conference, describing uses and limitations of vendor time-based reports and surveys utilized in optimization programs. Compiling optimization outcomes supports a multi-faceted approach that can produce assessments even as time-based reports and technology change. The authors recommend that objective measures of optimization must be combined with provider and clinician-defined value to provide long term improvements in user satisfaction and reduce EHR-related burnout.
Dispersing insoluble yolk low-density lipoprotein (LDL) recovered by complexing with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) for the nanoencapsulation of hemp cannabidiol (CBD) through emulsification at neutral pH

Abstract Insoluble yolk low-density lipoprotein (LDL) recovered by complexing with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was studied as an encapsulation agent for nanoencapsulation formulation at neutral pH. The effect of emulsifier and defatting on the dispersibility of the LDL-CMC complex was investigated. A novel dispersion containing partially defatted LDL, CMC, low quantity of Tween 80 and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) were successfully created and investigated for encapsulating lipophilic terpenes-cannabidiols mixture (TP-CBD) and crystalline CBD. The stability of such system under different environmental stresses was also evaluated. The defatting of LDL played an important role and the combination of Tween 80 and SLS synergistically improved the dispersibility of LDL-CMC complex. Non-defatted and fully defatted LDL did not fully disperse even with the assistance of Tween 80 and SLS (at 2,000 ppm each). Partially defatted LDL (average fat content of 42%) could be fully dispersed, while LDL with 25% fat had lower dispersibility. The 2% LDL (42% fat) dispersed with Tween 80 and SLS at 1,000 ppm each of the emulsifiers was identified as an excellent encapsulation system. TP-CBD and pure crystalline CBD nanoencapsulations were successfully formulated and found to be stable (no phase separation) under ambient condition and after freeze-thawing and heating (10 min at 90 °C), although instrumental measurement of their turbidity and particle size varied. Low viscosity of a carrier oil for pure CBD is preferred and medium chain triglyceride (MCT) resulted in better nanoencapsulations compared to vegetable oils such as high oleic soybean oil. Overall, a novel encapsulation system was developed, and crystalline CBD was successfully encapsulated within the LDL particles.
Readability of Patient Education Materials From High-Impact Medical Journals: A 20-Year Analysis.

Comprehensive patient education is necessary for shared decision-making. While patient–provider conversations primarily drive patient education, patients also use published materials to enhance the...
Characterization of 14-Crown-4 Ethers for the Extraction of Lithium from Natural Brines: Synthesis, Solubility Measurements in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, and Thermodynamic Modeling

Improving lithium mining methods is key to furthering lithium’s use as an energy metal. Current mining methods from brines are slow and inefficient and have significant environmental impacts, providing an avenue of research toward developing more effective and less environmentally damaging methods. Supercritical fluid extraction has been evaluated in earlier research for the extraction of metals such as uranium, mercury, and several alkali and earth alkaline metals from aqueous solutions but not for lithium. This study documents the synthesis and preliminary testing of two lithium extractants for possible application in a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction process to recover lithium from natural brines. Based on their high solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide and their desirable structural properties, two 14-crown-4 ethers with different functional groups were selected. In this work, solubility measurements and thermodynamic modeling were carried out to characterize their solubility behavior in the range of P = 100–300 bar with T = 60 °C and T = 85 °C. The main conclusion from this work is the experimental observation of sufficiently high solubilities of the synthesized crown ethers in supercritical carbon dioxide. The highest measured solubility of M14C4, the nonfluorinated 14-crown-4 ether, was 0.30 mol/L at 60 °C and 205 bar, and the highest measured solubility of F14C4, the fluorinated 14-crown-4 ether, was 0.27 mol/L at 60 °C and 285 bar. Another major conclusion was the observed higher solubility of M14C4 than F14C4. We also showed that equation of state modeling provides insight into the factors affecting the crown ether solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide.
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I’ll organize my replies around four topics: mind wandering and phenomenal selfhood, transformation versus enactive emergence, agency versus ownership, and finally the importance of doing philosophy of mind from a cross-cultural perspective.
The Effect of Basis Selection on Static and Random Acoustic Response Prediction Using a Nonlinear Modal Simulation

An investigation of the effect of basis selection on geometric nonlinear response prediction using a reduced-order nonlinear modal simulation is presented. The accuracy is dictated by the selection of the basis used to determine the nonlinear modal stiffness. This study considers a suite of available bases including bending modes only, bending and membrane modes, coupled bending and companion modes, and uncoupled bending and companion modes. The nonlinear modal simulation presented is broadly applicable and is demonstrated for nonlinear quasi-static and random acoustic response of flat beam and plate structures with isotropic material properties. Reduced-order analysis predictions are compared with those made using a numerical simulation in physical degrees-of-freedom to quantify the error associated with the selected modal bases. Bending and membrane responses are separately presented to help differentiate the bases.
Fluorescence lifetime, yield, energy transfer and spectrum in photosynthesis, 1950-1960.

The fluorescence lifetime of chlorophyll a gives information about the primary photo-physical events in photosynthesis. Most of the light energy absorbed by chlorophylls is utilized for photochemistry. There are two main additional pathways competing for the absorbed light energy: fluorescence and radiationless internal conversion (heat). Only a few percent of the absorbed energy proceeds along these two pathways. This historical minireview focuses on the first direct measurements of the lifetime of chlorophyll fluorescence, the time it takes to transfer energy from phycoerythrin to chlorophyll a, and the discovery of the fluorescence band at 720 nm (F720; then attributed to a dimer of chlorophyll). These works were carried out during the the late 1950s to the early 1960s in the laboratory of Professor Eugene Rabinowitch at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign [Brody (1995) Photosynth Res 43: 67–74].
A scalable X86 CPU design for 90 nm process

A third generation Pentium/sup /spl reg//4 processor is designed to meet the challenges of a 90 nm technology. Design methodology allows scalability with increased transistor performance over the life of the process. Improved design for test techniques are developed to facilitate the debug process. We also discuss improved design automation techniques to reduce hand-drawn schematics.
Synergism between CpG-Containing Oligodeoxynucleotides and IL-2 Causes Dramatic Enhancement of Vaccine-Elicited CD8+ T Cell Responses

Novel anticancer vaccination regimens that can elicit large numbers of Ag-specific T cells are needed. When we administered therapeutic vaccines containing the MHC class I-presented self-peptide tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-2180–188 and CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) to mice, growth of the TRP-2-expressing B16F1 melanoma was not inhibited compared with growth in mice that received control vaccinations. When we added systemic IL-2 to the TRP-2180–188 plus CpG ODN vaccines, growth of B16F1 was inhibited in a CD8-dependent, epitope-specific manner. Vaccines containing TRP-2180–188 without CpG ODN did not cause epitope-specific tumor growth inhibition when administered with IL-2. The antitumor efficacy of the different regimens correlated with their ability to elicit TRP-2180–188-specific CD8+ T cell responses. When we administered TRP-2180–188 plus CpG ODN-containing vaccines with systemic IL-2, 18.2% of CD8+ T cells were specific for TRP-2180–188. Identical TRP-2180–188 plus CpG ODN vaccines given without IL-2 elicited a TRP-2180–188-specific CD8+ T cell response of only 1.1% of CD8+ T cells. Vaccines containing TRP-2180–188 without CpG ODN elicited TRP-2180–188-specific responses of 2.8% of CD8+ T cells when administered with IL-2. There was up to a 221-fold increase in the absolute number of TRP-2180–188-specific CD8+ T cells when IL-2 was added to TRP-2180–188 plus CpG ODN-containing vaccines. Peptide plus CpG ODN vaccines administered with IL-2 generated epitope-specific CD8+ T cells by a mechanism that depended on endogenous IL-6. This is the first report of synergism between CpG ODN and IL-2. This synergism caused a striking increase in vaccine-elicited CD8+ T cells and led to epitope-specific antitumor immunity.
The New Sherman Act: A Positive Instrument of Progress

T HE issue of competition and monopoly is fundamental to the development of legal machinery for the effective and progressive control of the national economy. Competition is not a cure-all for our economic ills. But measures to increase the degree of competition in the organization of economic life are important items in the tool-bag of techniques with which we can reasonably hope to control our economic destiny. The amount of competition we achieve in industrial organization will have a good deal to do with our success in reaching the basic goals of the Employment Act of 1946-high and sustained levels of productive employment in a free society. The organization of industry and commerce is a matter of central consequence to national policy in at least four basic particulars. First of all, the degree of monopoly in the business structure is important in relation to the simple problems of economic welfare-whether goods and services cost more than they might, and whether resources and income are being allocated and used in ways which correspond to the preferences of the community.' Factors of competition as against monopoly are of direct, though not exclusive importance in determining the rate of technological progress and the rate at which cheaper methods of production are introduced.