cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of CF(3) and CH(3) groups on the threshold energy for the unimolecular interchange reaction of Cl- and F-atoms in CF(3)CHFCH(2)Cl and CH(3)CHFCH(2)Cl

The recombination reactions of CH2Cl radicals with CF3CHF and with CH3CHF radicals were used to generate CF3CHFCH2Cl and CH3CHFCH2Cl molecules with 90-92 kcal mol(-1) of vibrational energy. The experimental rate constants for elimination of HCl and HF and the interchange of Cl and F atoms were measured and compared to RRKM calculated rate constants to assign the threshold energy for each unimolecular reaction channel. The Cl/F interchange reaction is approximately 18% of the total unimolecular reaction for both molecules. The product branching ratios and some rate constants also could be measured for the unimolecular reactions of the rearranged molecules, CF3CHClCH2F and CH3CHClCH2F. The most important result is that the CH3 group lowers the threshold for Cl/F interchange relative to CH2FCD2Cl, as expected for an electron-density donating group, and the CF3 group, an electron-density withdrawing group, increases the threshold energy relative to CH2FCD2Cl. The CH3 and CF3 groups alter the threshold energies of the HCl and HF elimination reactions in such a way so as to maintain the same branching fraction for the interchange reaction. The results from density functional theory using the B3PW91 method with the 6311+G(2d,p) and G-31G(d',p') basis sets are used to discuss the trends in threshold energies for the Cl/F interchange and the HF and HCl elimination reactions.
Distribution of different serotypes and analysis of virulence genes in Shigella species in Beijing from 2004 to 2010

Objective:To understand the changes of different serotypes of pathogenic bacteria causing the shigellosis and the distribution of virulence gene.Methods:1413 Shigella germ strains isolated from diarrhea patients were examined serotype by serum agglutination.221 strains were detected for ipaH,set1 and sen virulence gene by realtime PCR.Results:741 strains(52.4%) belonged to Shigella Sonnei,664 strains(47%) were Shigella flexneria and other 8 strains(1.2 %) respectively were Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella boydii.All the Shigella flexneria strains were composed of 19 serotypes,mainly including Shigella flexneria type 2a,4c and 1a.There is obvious difference in the distribution of the serotypes in different ages.Shigella Sonnei strains firstly became the dominant group over Shigella flexneria from 2007 and were getting prevalent the last years,reaching 79.3% in 2010.The propitiation of Shigella flexneria type 2a was increasing instead of those of 4c,with the alternate appearance of other serotypes.The distribution of ipaH,set1 and sen virulence gene among 221 strains were 95.4%,82.3% and 57.5%,respectively.The positive rate of set1 and sen virulence gene in Shigella Sonnei strains are obviously higher than those in Shigella flexneria strains.Conclusion:The distinct changes in the group and serotype of the pathogen causing shigellosis revealed that Shigella Sonnei was becoming the dominant group in Beijing.The distribution of the three virulence gene in different serotypes had difference.
Preface: Complex Adaptive Systems.

Complex systems are found all around us. Companies, societies, markets, and humans rarely stay in a stable, predictable state for long. Yet all these systems are characterized by the notable persistence of some key attributes that maintain their identities, even as their constituent parts change and adapt to new environments. Our goal is to bring together researchers from diverse ﬁelds who study these complex systems using the tools and techniques of complex adaptive systems.
Insulin-induced alterations in amino acid metabolism in the fetal lamb.

To investigate the role of insulin in modulation of fetal amino acid metabolism, insulin infusions were performed in 10 chronically-catheterized fetal lambs. Fetal insulin infusion caused a dose related fall in the arterial blood concentrations of 13 of 15 amino acids studied as well as a 15-25% decrease in total amino acid concentration. Fetal lambs exhibited a biphasic response of umbilical total amino acid uptake when compared to fetal blood insulin concentration, i.e., at achieved fetal insulin concentrations less than 100 microU/ml, umbilical uptake of 9 specific amino acids as well as summed amino acid uptake from the umbilical circulation were depressed, but at insulin concentrations of 100-350 microU/ml, amino acid uptakes were similar to or above control values. Insulin infusion also caused a drastic diminution in the rate of fetal urea excretion. These findings suggest that insulin acts in the fetus to depress amino acid catabolism, thus altering amino acid extraction and uptake. Depressed protein catabolism with or without enhanced amino acid uptake would have the theoretical effect of stimulation of net protein synthesis with a shift toward use of nonprotein substrates for energy purposes.
Projects by design a template

Data spanning 40 years supports project-based learning as an effective way to teach science, to synthesize learning objectives, to demonstrate relevance, to improve retention, and to engage students. However, to complete a successful project, students need scaffolding in project design, project management, and — most importantly — foundational content knowledge. Without such preparation, students may fail to understand or flounder in open-ended projects. Therefore, it is imperative that faculty members carefully design class projects to foster learning outcomes and student success. We present an template for project design that we have tested and refined in our computer science, engineering, and new media classes over the last nine years. Our approach is simple, repeatable, and adaptable; and it aligns with current research in learning theory. Specifically, we divide project design into three phases: (1) project definition, (2) assessment plan, and (3) implementation strategy. The guidelines provided for each phase are designed to assure project success.
Past, Present, and Future of Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the greatest cause of death and severe disability in young adults; its incidence is increasing in the elderly and in the developing world. Outcome from severe TBI has improved dramatically as a result of advancements in trauma systems and supportive critical care, however we remain without a therapeutic which acts directly to attenuate brain injury. Recognition of secondary injury and its molecular mediators has raised hopes for such targeted treatments. Unfortunately, over 30 late-phase clinical trials investigating promising agents have failed to translate a therapeutic for clinical use. Numerous explanations for this failure have been postulated and are reviewed here. With this historical context we review ongoing research and anticipated future trends which are armed with lessons from past trials, new scientific advances, as well as improved research infrastructure and funding. There is great hope that these new efforts will finally lead to an effective therapeutic for TBI as well as better clinical management strategies.
EXERCISE TESTING IN THE EVALUATION OF IMPAIRMENT AND DISABILITY

Integrative cardiopulmonary exercise testing has evolved from a specialized research laboratory tool into a valuable clinical test that is especially useful for assessment of symptoms of exertional dyspnea and exercise intolerance. There is increasingly convincing evidence that evaluation and quantitation of impairment are enhanced by use of exercise testing. In particular, exercise testing has the advantages of objective determination of abnormal exercise tolerance, increased sensitivity for subtle pulmonary gas exchange abnormalities, the ability in many instances to identify unsuspected or unanticipated non-pulmonary causes of impairment, and a useful quantitation of impairment. Although exercise testing is especially valuable in those with mild-to-moderate lung disease in whom questions about the presence of occupational disease and its contribution to impairment are raised, other important questions can be addressed with these methods (Table 10). Therefore there is a high likelihood that the logic of assessing work capacity while the subject performs work will become increasingly clear.
Draft Genome Sequence of Propionibacterium avidum Strain UCD-PD2 Isolated from a Feline Anal Sac.

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Propionibacterium (Cutibacterium) avidum strain UCD-PD2. The assembly contains 2,667,287 bp in 51 contigs. The strain was isolated from anal sac secretion samples collected from a feral domestic cat (Felis catus) as part of a larger project to study the microbiology of cats.
Clinical and risk factor analysis of cloacal defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Cloacal exstrophy (CE) and persistent cloaca (PC) (alternatively termed urorectal septum malformation sequence [URSMS]), represent two major cloacal defects (CDs). Clinical characteristics and risk factors often are studied for both defects combined, rather than exploring if these defects have different etiologies. We enumerated clinical features for 47 CE and 54 PC (inclusive of URSMS) cases from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Thirty-three CE cases were classified as isolated and 14 as multiple (presence of unassociated major defects); respective totals for PC cases were 26 and 28. We compared selected child and maternal characteristics between 11,829 non-malformed controls and CE and PC cases using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Compared to controls, CE and PC cases were statistically more likely (p < 0.05) to be preterm; CE cases were more likely to be multiple births. We conducted logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for any CD, CE, and PC with selected self-reported maternal prepregnancy and periconceptional (one month prior to 3 months following conception) exposures. In crude and adjusted analyses, we observed significant positive associations for any CD, CE, and PC with use of any fertility medication or assisted reproductive technology procedure. Significant positive associations observed only in crude analyses were any CD with maternal obesity or use of progesterone, any CD and CE with any x-ray, and any CD and PC with use of folate antagonist medications. Our findings provide some of the first insights into potential differing etiologies for CE and PC.
Overview: Exploring ways to encourage healthier food purchases by low-income consumers—Lessons from behavioral economics and marketing

Abstract This overview paper provides a background for a series of papers on exploring ways to encourage healthier food purchases among low income consumers. The papers presented in this special issue make the case that behavioral economics is a promising approach to promotion of healthy food choices. They provide some examples of successful application of behavioral economics-based “nudges” at the time and place of food selection, whether in retail grocers or food banks. Future research may build on these examples to develop a broader array of strategies that could be used to improve food selection and, ultimately, diet and health of consumers.
Identification of Single Nucleotide Non-coding Driver Mutations in Cancer

Recent whole-genome sequencing studies have identified millions of somatic variants present in tumor samples. Most of these variants reside in noncoding regions of the genome potentially affecting transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation. Although a few hallmark examples of driver mutations in noncoding regions have been reported, the functional role of the vast majority of somatic noncoding variants remains to be determined. This is because the few driver variants in each sample must be distinguished from the thousands of passenger variants and because the logic of regulatory element function has not yet been fully elucidated. Thus, variants prioritized based on mutational burden and location within regulatory elements need to be validated experimentally. This is generally achieved by combining assays that measure physical binding, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation, with those that determine regulatory activity, such as luciferase reporter assays. Here, we present an overview of in silico approaches used to prioritize somatic noncoding variants and the experimental methods used for functional validation and characterization.
Impact of Nasopharyngeal FilmArray Respiratory Panel Results on Antimicrobial Decisions in Hospitalized Patients.

Objective. To determine whether results of the nasopharyngeal FilmArray respiratory panel (NP-FARP) influenced antibiotic decisions. Methods. We reviewed the medical records of nonintensive care unit (ICU) inpatients that had an NP-FARP performed at our institution between June 2013 and June 2014. The inpatient records were reviewed 48 hours after the NP-FARP for the following data: demographic information; NP-FARP, serum procalcitonin, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal swab (MRSA NS) results; antibiotics prior and post-48 hours of the NP-FARP result; and the current immunosuppression status. Clinical outcome data were not obtained. Patients were categorized into those who had a positive (+) or a negative (−) NP-FARP. We further subdivided these two categories into groups A, B, and C based on the antibiotic modifications 48 hours after their NP-FARP result. Group A included patients who were never initiated on antimicrobial therapy. Patients whose antibiotics were discontinued or deescalated were placed in group B. Patients with antibiotic escalation or continuation without change constituted group C. We compared and analyzed groups A, B, and C in the (+) and (−) NP-FARP cohorts. Results. A total of 545 patients were included. There were 143 (26%) patients with positive and 402 (74%) patients with negative NP-FARPs. Comparison of groups A, B, and C between those with a (+) and (−) NP-FARP were as follows: (+) A and (−) A, 28/143 (20%) and 84/402 (21%); (+) B and (−) B, 59/143 (41%) and 147/402 (37%); and (+) C and (−) C, 56/143 (39%) and 171/402 (43%), respectively. We found no statistically significant differences between groups (+) A versus (−) A, (+) B versus (−) B, and (+) C versus (−) C with respect to age, gender, MRSA NS result, procalcitonin result, or concurrent immunosuppression. Conclusion. In non-ICU inpatients, NP-FARP alone or in combination with procalcitonin or MRSA NS did not influence antibiotic decisions during the study period.
On Distinguishing Types of Measurement

Measurement has been, and no doubt may properly be, classified into kinds according to various criteria. In recent years various analyses of measurement [11], [20], [34], have sought to take profitable account, not only of the older criteria enshrined in the works of N. R. Campbell [4], [5], but also of newer ones suggested initially by S. S. Stevens [27], [28], [29]. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss and relate five factors which have been or may be proposed as relevant to the distinction of measurement into types. These are the following: The intrinsic character of the empirical state-of-affairs ingredient to measurement; the scaling function, or rule for number assignment; the scale type; the form assumed by numerical laws issuing from measurement; and the invariance of statistics within the limits of scale type transformation group. We begin with a discussion basic to all five factors but especially concerned with the first two.
Sporadic RCC: Abnormalities in Histone-Modifying Genes

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the top ten leading causes of cancer death, affecting more than 50,000 patients annually. The median survival of patients with metastatic disease is approximately 2 years with systemic therapy, and the most common histology is clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The molecular mechanism is linked to the inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL), which encodes for an oxygen sensor that regulates degradation of the HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor) transcription factor (Latif et al., Science 260(5112):1317–1320, 1993). HIF transactivates target genes involved in cellular adaptation to hypoxia. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling cascade is often stimulated in ccRCC, and activation of the mTOR kinase pathway further augments HIF levels to subsequently activate HIF-dependent transcription (Barthelemy et al., Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 88(1):42–56, 2013). The elucidation of VHL function and mTOR pathway activation led to the discovery of VEGF and mTOR inhibitors for RCC treatment. Recently, secondary mutations identified in histone-modifying enzymes suggest that chromatin remodeling and alterations of histone modifications may play a role in RCC pathogenesis and prognosis with distinct epigenetic phenotypes. This chapter will focus on summarizing the more prevalent genetic mutations and possible aberrant signaling pathways that contribute to metastatic ccRCC.
Semiotics in Romania

The history of Romanian semiotics has not yet become an independent object of study in Romania. Overviews of Romanian semiotics appear, however, in Marcus (1979a) and Voigt (1979), and a general bibliography of the subject has been prepared by Mihai Nadin.1 Information concerning Romanian linguistic semiotics or semiotics of folklore can be found in Miclau (1977a) and Marcus (1975e, 1978), respectively.
Taurine protection of lungs in hamster models of oxidant injury: a morphologic time study of paraquat and bleomycin treatment.

The intracellular reduction of oxygen is a natural part of nutrient conversion into energy and results in the production of small amounts of short-lived intermediates of oxygen; superoxide [O2-], singlet oxygen [1O2],hydrogen peroxide [H2O2] and hydroxide radical [OH]1. Naturally occurring enzymatic “scavengers” serve as the primary protection against oxidant injury2. When the production of oxygen intermediates exceeds the scavenging and detoxifying capacity of these enzymes, then lung parenchymal cell injury results3.
Antidepressants and Related Drugs

The clinical efficacy of various drugs used in the treatment of affective disorders has been well established during the past decade.(1–7) The biological actions of these drugs, including their neurochemical and behavioral effects, have been fairly extensively investigated(3–18) and aspects of this literature have been reviewed recently. This chapter will focus primarily on the effects of these drugs on the physiology and metabolism of the biogenic amines in the nervous system. The effects of these drugs on behavior in animals, as well as in man, will also be reviewed, since the correlation of alterations in behavior with neurochemical changes has been of considerable interest in this field of research.
Rules for Optical Testing

Based on 30 years of optical testing experience, a lot of mistakes, a lot of learning and a lot of experience, I have defined seven guiding principles for optical testing - regardless of how small or how large the optical testing or metrology task: Fully Understand the Task, Develop an Error Budget, Continuous Metrology Coverage, Know where you are, Test like you fly, Independent Cross-Checks, Understand All Anomalies. These rules have been applied with great success to the inprocess optical testing and final specification compliance testing of the JWST mirrors.
Do Not Blame the Resident: the Impact of Surgeon and Surgical Trainee Experience on the Occurrence of Intraoperative Adverse Events (iAEs) in Abdominal Surgery.

Objective Intraoperative adverse events (iAEs) are defined as inadvertent injuries that occur during an operation and are associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and health care costs. We sought to study the impact of attending surgeon experience as well as resident training level on the occurrence of iAEs. Design The institutional American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and administrative databases for abdominal surgeries were linked and screened for iAEs using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification-based Patient Safety Indicator “accidental puncture/laceration.” Each flagged record was systematically reviewed to confirm iAE occurrence and determine the number of years of independent practice of the attending surgeon and the postgraduate year (PGY) of the assisting resident at the time of the operation. The attending surgeon experience was divided into quartiles ( 20 years). The resident experience level was defined as Junior (PGY-1 to PGY-3) or Senior (PGY-4 or PGY-5). Univariate/bivariate then multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for patient demographics, comorbidities, and operation type and/or complexity (using RVUs as a proxy) were performed to assess the independent impact of resident and attending surgeon experience on the occurrence of iAEs. Setting A large tertiary care teaching hospital. Participants Patients included in the 2007-2012 ACS-NSQIP that had an abdominal surgery performed by both an attending surgeon and a resident. Results A total of 7685 operations were included and iAEs were detected in 159 of them (2.1%). Junior residents participated in 1680 cases (21.9%), while senior residents were involved in 6005 (78.1%). The iAE rates for attending surgeons with 20 years of experience were 2.7%, 1.7%, 2.4%, and 1.4%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, the risk of occurrence of an iAE was significantly decreased for surgeons with >20 years of experience compared to those with Conclusions The surgeon's level of experience, but not the resident's, is associated with the occurrence of iAEs in abdominal surgery. Efforts to improve patient safety in surgery should explore the value of pairing junior surgeons with the more experienced ones thru formalized coaching programs, rather than focus on curbing resident operative autonomy.
MACULAR CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN UNILATERAL COMMOTIO RETINAE.

Purpose To investigate the choroidal thickness (CT) and choroidal area (CA) in patients with unilateral commotio retinae of the macula using spectral domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced-depth imaging. Methods This is a retrospective review of 16 eyes of 8 consecutive patients with unilateral macular commotio retinae within 7 days of blunt ocular trauma that underwent optical coherence tomography with enhanced-depth imaging seen at our institution. The contralateral, nontraumatized eye served as the control group. All patients underwent spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging with enhanced-depth imaging protocol. Using the electronic caliper within the Zeiss optical coherence tomography review software, CT was measured from the outer portion of the retinal pigment epithelium band to the inner surface of the sclera. The central horizontal and vertical rasters were averaged to calculate the final CT measurement of each eye. The final CA reading of each eye was obtained by averaging the central 1,500 μm of subfoveal CA using the same rasters. The researchers compared the CT, CA, and best-corrected visual acuity in traumatized eyes with macular commotio with their fellow nontraumatized control eyes. Results Traumatized eyes with macular commotio retinae had greater subfoveal CT and CA (P = 0.0027, P = 0.0279) compared with the normal fellow eye. An increase in CT and CA in the subfoveal area in the presence of commotio retinae was associated with worse visual acuity (P = 0.0180). Conclusion Subfoveal CT and CA were greater in eyes with commotio retinae when compared with normal fellow eyes. Increased CT and CA in macular commotio retinae were associated with decreased visual acuity.
A Non-Contact PPG Biometric System Based on Deep Neural Network

The objective of this study is to develop a non-contact biometric system with photoplethysmogram (PPG). A novel method for non-contact PPG acquisition based on the Laplacian pyramid is proposed in this paper with the authentication module based on the deep neural network (DNN). Laplacian pyramid based video amplification technique extracts the subtle changes of blood volume as a result of the cardiovascular activities in the facial region. The video data was recorded from 20 subjects in varying light conditions at different places, resembling different scenarios in the generalized environment. Authentication accuracy ranges from 66.67% to 100% with an average of 86.67%. In order to validate the repeatability of PPG waveforms, a comparative analysis of the correlation coefficients for the waveforms recorded over a month are conducted.
LOW INCOME IS LINKED TO A HIGHER RISK OF MORTALITY AND INCIDENT CARDIOVASCULAR (CV) EVENTS IN OLDER ADULTS: A 23-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH STUDY (CHS)

Income is a known independent predictor of health outcomes. Less is known about the long-term impact of income on CV outcomes in older adults. Of the 5422 Medicare-eligible CHS participants ≥65 years, 4518 were free of baseline CV disease (HF, AMI, stroke, or PAD). Of these, 1787 had a low income
Computational Parametric Studies for Preclinical Evaluation of Total Knee Replacements

Aseptic loosening remains a leading cause of long-term failure of total knee replacement (TKR) that can limit the lifetime of the implant past the second decade. To help accelerate and facilitate advances in TKR design, our goal was to develop a computational framework based on previous work, that could accurately and efficiently predict the effect of design, surgical, and patient variability on TKR wear. The framework can accommodate patient-specific, population-specific, or standardized motions and forces as inputs. The wear model that is fully integrated into the finite element model the framework is built around was calibrated from materials testing (wheel-on-flat) experiments. Validation of the model is carried out by comparison to pin-on-disk and mechanical knee simulator studies. We present two applications to test the effectiveness of the framework for performing parametric studies: one to test the sensitivity of TKR wear to the transverse-plane rotational alignment of the tibial component, and the second to test the sensitivity of TKR wear to femoral center of rotation. We demonstrate that wear is highly sensitive to femoral component alignment, consistent with previous studies, and that choice of femoral center of rotation is important during simulator testing of TKR components. The two reported applications represent initial attempts to study variability in component alignment- future work will include studying variability in kinematics and kinetics. In a design setting, the finished framework will allow new innovations to be tested as soon as they are developed, supplementing mechanical testing, and reducing the amount required.
Slow pyrolysis as a platform for negative emissions technology: An integration of machine learning models, life cycle assessment, and economic analysis

Abstract Biochar sequestration has gained increasing attention as a negative emissions technology to mitigate climate change. Although pyrolysis is a commercial technology, comprehensive environmental and economic assessments have been difficult to perform since biochar can be produced from a wide range of feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions. Many researchers have evaluated the environmental and economic impacts of biochar-based CO2 sequestration systems. However, most studies either worked on a single type of biomass under varying pyrolysis conditions or multiple feedstocks under the same pyrolysis conditions. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated the energy, climate change, and economic performance of slow pyrolysis of multiple feedstocks under various processing conditions via the integration of machine learning approaches, life cycle assessment (LCA), and economic analysis. Machine learning models (i.e., random forest) were developed by fitting existing laboratory data. The models were then used to predict the yields and characteristics of biochar produced from slow pyrolysis of different feedstocks under designed processing conditions. The results were further integrated with LCA and economic analysis to compute three important metrics: energy return on investment (EROI), net global warming potential (GWP), and minimum product selling price (MPSP). The results indicate that random forest models offer good prediction accuracy for laboratory-scale (R2 = 0.78–0.87) and pilot-scale pyrolysis data (R2 = 0.45–0.65). LCA and economic analyses reveal that feedstock characteristics and pyrolysis temperature affect energy, climate change, and financial performance. Our results demonstrate slow pyrolysis of crop residues and woody wastes holds promise as an energy-producing negative emissions technology, with EROI values from 1.9 to 3.6 (without substitution) and 2.4 to 4.3 (with substitution), and GWP values from −470 kg CO2 eq/t to −200 kg CO2 eq/t (without substitution) and −1050 kg CO2 eq/t to −770 kg CO2 eq/t (with substitution). The MSPS values evaluated in this study range from $774–1256/t, depending on temperature and feedstocks. A tradeoff between environmental and economic performance is observed. The best overall energy and climate change performances are achieved via pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass at high temperature, while the best MPSP is achieved with the pyrolysis of sludge at low temperature.
The effects of edge quality on the measured compression strength of quasi-isoptropic composite specimens and its practical implication to the development of allowables:

This manuscript presents results from an experimental study that examined the effect of quality of edge finish of test coupons on the measured compression strength of quasi-isotropic carbon fiber l...
QCD at a Finite isospin density: From the pion to quark-antiquark condensation

QCD at a finite isospin chemical potential μ I is studied. This theory has no fermion-sign problem and can be simulated on a lattice by using present-day techniques. We solve this theory analytically in two limits: low μ I, where chiral perturbation theory is applicable, and asymptotically high μ I, where perturbative QCD is at work. At a low isospin density, the ground state is a superfluid pion condensate. At a very high density, it is a Fermi liquid with Cooper pairing. The pairs carry the same quantum numbers as the pions. Motivated by this observation, we put forward a conjecture that the transition from hadron to quark matter is smooth. The conjecture passes several nontrivial tests. Our results imply a nontrivial phase diagram in the space of the temperature and chemical potentials of isospin and baryon number. At asymptotically large values of μ I and small values of the baryon chemical potential, the ground state is in a phase similar to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase. It is characterized by a spatially modulated superfluid order parameter 〈ūγ 5 d〉 and may be the asymptotic limit of the inhomogeneous pion-condensation phase advocated by Migdal and others.
Factors influencing customers’ dine out intention during COVID-19 reopening period: The moderating role of country-of-origin effect

Abstract COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the restaurant industry and reopening provides restaurants an opportunity to survive this crisis. This study examined the interplay of perceived importance of preventive measures, dining involvement, brand trust, and customers’ intention to dine out at American Chinese restaurants during the reopening period. Additionally, the study investigated the moderating role of country-of-origin (COO) effect on these relationships. 296 U.S. restaurant customers recruited via a market research company completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was used for data analyses. The results indicated that dining involvement had a direct positive effect on customers’ intention to dine out. Moreover, both perceived importance of preventive measures and dining involvement could enhance customers’ intention to dine out indirectly via brand trust. Positive COO effect moderated the relationship between perceived importance of preventive measures and brand trust. The study provided significant implications for restaurant operators in the U.S during the reopening period.
3-D Die Stacking With 55 μ m Pitch Interconnections on Advanced Ground-Rule Laminate for Artificial Intelligence System

In this letter, we have demonstrated a packaging technique for 3-D IC with Cu back-end-of-the line (BEOL) on a mixed pitch (55 and $75~\mu \text{m}$ ) advanced ground-rule laminate by developing a 3-D die-stack on substrate (3D-DSS) technology. 3-D DSS is a new assembly technology to address issues caused by warpage and mechanical stress response of 3-D integration packaging when bonding a thin through-silicon via (TSV) die on an organic substrate. The $35\,\,\text {mm} \times 35$ mm test substrate has high density interconnects which include four wiring layers with thin film insulators on the chip mounting side of conventional buildup layers. A minimum 2 $\mu \text{m}$ /2 $\mu \text{m}$ line/space is constructed on this advanced ground-rule laminate. The experimental results showed that the 3-D DSS method can effectively prevent microbump opens or shorts, and can produce good solder joints between thin TSV die in a 3-D configuration on a fine, mixed pitch laminate.
Materials and Processes Selection for SSC Collider Dipole Magnets

Considerable research and development effort has gone into design and production of prototype model dipole and quadrupole magnets for the superconducting super collider (SSC) at the Central Design Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), and Texas Accelerator Center (TAC), in addition to work done at CERN. Experience gained by GDSS in designing and building MFTF, PMS, and LCP magnets was merged with the work obtained by the SSC Central Design Group and other accelerator magnet programs in making decisions on selection of materials and processes for the collider dipole magnets. The two overwhelming issues in CDM design are high reliability and high producibility of magnets at a low practical cost. The GDSS Materials and Process Engineering group took a close look at the SSCL design, the selection of materials, and processes, and conducted trade studies based on current CDM requirements and past material selection, design, and fabrication experience. GDSS recommended some changes, notably: (1) change of beam tube material from Type 21Cr-6 Ni-9Mn CRES to Type 304LN CRES, (2) superconductor cable-to-cable insulation scheme from one layer of polyimide film and a single barber pole wrap of fiberglass-epoxy to two layers of polyimide film with a polyimide-type adhesive, (3) substitution of machined G10 CR fiberglass epoxy end pieces with less costly and mass-producible injection or resin transfer molded end pieces, and (4) substitution of precision machined, shrink-fit metal and composite re-entrant cold mass support posts with less expensive and mass-producible injection or resin transfer molded posts. The last two changes are not final and need development testing, which is underway. Several other changes are under consideration, including replacement of extruded Al 6063-T6 liquid cryogenic line with Type 304L CRES and coating the beam tube copper plating with a very thin layer of gold for reducing photo-desorption and protecting copper plating from oxidation. The superconductor material remains the same, SSCL optimized, high homogeneity, multi-filamentary Nb-47% Ti wire with copper stabilizer. The cold mass skin and the end domes shall be fabricated from Type 304LN CRES, a proven material with which GDSS has past fabrication experience, and with an extensive design data base. This choice will be extremely valuable for preparing the code case for ASME compliance approval of the cold mass structure.
International Council of Psychologists

The International Council of Psychologists (ICP), comprised of members from over 35 countries, has been active since 1941. The organization's mission is to strengthen international bonds and improve communication among psychologists throughout the world. Regular Members are psychologists with membership in a national psychological association affiliated with the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) who have been working in psychology for at least two years. Associate Members lack two years of qualifying experience, or, in countries in which the national psychological association recognizes a higher and lower level of experience, qualify at the lower level. Professional Affiliates are active in a profession allied to psychology. Student Affiliates are working toward a degree in psychology or a related field. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; international psychology; psychology abroad; psychology organization
A Reference Model for Information Infrastructures

There are a number of different approaches to information infrastructures, all of which purport to be an answer to the problem of integrating diverse heterogeneous systems. Frameworks and Reference Models are also used for similar purposes. Each has a slightly different focus and approach, yet all are essentially addressing the same problem. Several reference models have been proposed and information infrastructure systems are under development for shop floor control in the discrete manufacturing and semiconductor industries, for high level distributed interactive simulations, software engineering and for collaborative design and manufacturing. In this paper we review several of the current approaches and develop a reference architecture which is then used to categorize and compare these same approaches. Approaches and models reviewed include the ADAPTIVE Communication Environment (ACE), the Common Object Request Broker Architecture/Common Object Services Specification (CORBA/COSS), the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), the High Level Architecture (HLA), the Simulation-Based Design (SBD) architecture, the National Industrial Information Infrastructure Protocols (NIIIP), Shipbuilding Information Infrastructure Project (SHIIP), and the Systems Integration Architecture (SIA). A brief description of the proposed reference architecture and of each system is given and the services it provides are compared with those in the reference architecture.
The fate of human platelets exposed to porcine renal endothelium: a single-pass model of platelet uptake in domestic and genetically modified porcine organs.

Abstract Background Thrombocytopenia may represent a significant challenge to the clinical application of solid-organ xenotransplantation. When studied in a pig-to-primate model, consumptive coagulopathy has challenged renal xenografts. New strategies of genetic manipulation have altered porcine carbohydrate profiles to significantly reduce human antibody binding to pig cells. As this process continues to eliminate immunologic barriers to clinical xenotransplantation, the relationship between human platelets and pig organs must be considered. Methods Genetically modified pigs that were created by the CRISPR/Cas9 system with α-1,3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) −/− or GGTA1 −/− cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase −/− phenotype, as well as domestic pigs, were used in this study. Autologous porcine platelets were isolated from donor animal blood collection, and human platelets were obtained from a blood bank. Platelets were fluorescently labeled and in a single-pass model, human, or autologous platelets were perfused through porcine organs at a constant concentration and controlled temperature. Platelet uptake was measured by sampling venous output and measuring sample florescence against input florescence. In vitro study of the interaction between human platelets and porcine endothelial cells was accomplished by immunohistochemical stain and confocal microscopy. Results Differences between human and autologous platelet loss through the porcine kidney were not significant in any genetic background tested (WT P = 0.15, GGTA1 −/− P = 0.12, GGTA1 −/− cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase −/− P = 0.25). The unmodified porcine liver consumed human platelets in a single-pass model of platelet perfusion in fewer than 10 min. WT suprahepatic inferior vena cava fluoresce reached a maximum of 76% of input fluoresce within the human platelet cohort and was significantly lower than the autologous platelet control cohort ( P = 0.001). Confocal microscopic analysis did not demonstrate a significant association between human platelets and porcine renal endothelial cells compared with porcine liver endothelial positive controls. Conclusions Our results suggest that in the absence of immunologic injury, human platelets respond in a variable fashion to organ-specific porcine endothelial surfaces. Human platelets are not removed from circulation by exposure to porcine renal endothelium but are removed by unmodified porcine hepatic endothelium. Kidneys possessing genetic modifications currently relevant to clinical xenotransplantation failed to consume human platelets in an isolated single-pass model. Human platelets did not exhibit significant binding to renal endothelial cells by in vitro assay.
Rapid thermal annealing of Be implanted GaAs

Rapid thermal annealing is used to activate shallow-Be-implanted in GaAs. A proximity annealing technique is used which minimizes As evaporation. Because the substrate is left capless during annealing, surface interaction with the cap and interfacial stress are relieved. Surface morphology and Be redistribution during annealing are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy, respectively. Electrical characterization of the activated implant is achieved by means of a rapid thermally alloyed Au-Zn-Au contact using Van der Pauw patterns and the transmission line method. Nearly 100% implant activation and ohmic contacts are achieved. >
Pulse-Glasses: An unobtrusive, wearable HR monitor with Internet-of-Things functionality

The concurrent popularity of wearable sensors and Internet-of-Things (IoT) brings significant benefits to body sensor networks (BSN) that could communicate with the cloud computing platforms for bringing interoperability in health and wellness monitoring. We designed Pulse-Glasses that are cloud-connected, wearable, smart eyeglasses for unobtrusive and continuous heart rate (HR) monitoring. We 3D-printed the first prototype of Pulse-Glasses that use a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor on one of the nose-pads to collect HR data. We integrated other circuits including an embedded board with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and a rechargeable battery inside the two temples of Pulse-Glasses. We implemented IoT functionalities such that HR data are recorded from Pulse-Glasses, visualized on an Android smartphone, and stored seamlessly on the cloud. In this paper, we present the developments of Pulse-Glasses hardware including IoT services and the preliminary results from validation experiments. We compared Pulse-Glasses with a laboratory ECG system to cross-validate HR data collected during various activities-sitting, talking, and walking-performed by a participant. We used Pulse-Glasses to record HR data of a driver to test IoT functionalities of location services and BLE and cloud connectivity. The first set of results is promising and demonstrates the prospect of Pulse-Glasses in the field of cloud-connected BSN.
A Macroscopic Phenomenological Formulation for Coupled Electromechanical Effects in Piezoelectricity

A phenomenological formulation of polarization reversal of piezoelectric materials s proposed based on the dynamics of domain switching. This formulation provides a method to describe the hysteresis in piezoelectricity as well as in electromagnetics. It is shown that a good ap proach to describe the nonlinear induced strain-field behavior and electromechanical hysteresis in piezoelectricity is by combining the macroscopic phenomenological aspects with the microscopic naterial properties. A one-dimensional thermo-electro-mechanical constitutive model for piezo ceramics which undergo polarization reversal is presented using a continuum mechanics approach. This model is based on thermodynamic principles and reflects the essence of the electromechanical behavior of piezoceramics in a simple form. It is illustrated that this theory can describe the elec romechanical behavior of piezoceramics simply and reasonably well.
Maximum likelihood detection of PPM signals governed by arbitrary point-process plus additive Gaussian noise

The maximum likelihood decision statistic for pulse-position modulated (PPM) signals governed by an arbitrary discrete point process in the presence of additive Gaussian noise is derived. Sufficient conditions are given for determining when the optimum PPM symbol detection strategy is to choose the PPM symbol corresponding to the maximum slot statistic. In particular, it is shown that for the important case of Webb distributed avalanche photodiode output electrons in the presence of Gaussian noise, the optimum decision rule is to choose the largest slot observable.
Yeast artificial chromosome targeting technology: an approach for the deletion of genes in the C57BL/6 mouse.

An approach is described to modify yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) with cassettes that can be easily excised for embryonic stem (ES) cell gene targeting experiments. YAC targeting technology (YTT) uses the WIBR/MIT-820 C57BL/6-mapped YAC library derived from the C57BL/6 mouse as the starting point for Internet- or PCR-based clone isolation, although in principle any YAC system can be used. Homologous recombination is initially performed in yeast using cassettes that function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and ES cells, followed by cloning or conversion of the targeted locus into a plasmid. The completed targeting vector can be transfected into C57BL/6 ES cells and clones selected with G418 followed by injection into Balb/c blastocysts. YTT increases the speed of targeting vector construction and obviates the need for extensive backcrossing to the C57BL/6 background.
Transvaginal sonographic cervical length for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in twin pregnancies: a systematic review and metaanalysis

Objective To assess the accuracy of transvaginal sonographic cervical length (CL) in predicting spontaneous preterm birth in women with twin pregnancies. Study Design Systematic review and metaanalysis of predictive test accuracy. Results Twenty-one studies (16 in asymptomatic women and 5 in symptomatic women) with a total of 3523 women met the inclusion criteria. Among asymptomatic women, a CL ≤20 mm at 20-24 weeks' gestation was the most accurate in predicting preterm birth Conclusion Transvaginal sonographic CL at 20-24 weeks' gestation is a good predictor of spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic women with twin pregnancies.
Theoretical Value of Psychological Testing

Apart from their diagnostic value, psychological tests, especially the Rorschach test, have an important theoretical value for understanding psychopathology. They present a picture of a living person, in contrast to a picture of forces and agencies within the person. This rests on 2 advantages of tests over the usual psychiatric and psychoanalytic interviews: Tests are ahistorical and they present information primarily of a formal kind.