cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Some Ways in Which A Thing Can be Good

IThere are a great many ways in which a thing can be good. What counts as a way of being good? I leave it to intuition. Let us allow that being a good dancer is being good in a way, and that so also is being a good carpenter. We might group these and similar ways of being good under the name activity goodness, since a good dancer is good at dancing and a good carpenter is good at carpentry. Everything good at doing something D is good in a way, and for each activity D, being good at D-ing falls into the class of ways of being good which I call activity goodness.Again, let us allow that being a good hammer is being good in a way, and that so also is being a good butter knife. We might group these ways of being good under the name equipment goodness, since a good hammer is good for use in hammering nails and a good butter knife is good for use in buttering bread. Everything good for use in achieving a purpose P is good in a way, and for each purpose P, being good for use in achieving P falls into the class of ways of being good which I call equipment goodness.Again, let us allow that tasting good is being good in a way, and so also are looking good, sounding good, and so on. The class here is aesthetic goodness.Is all goodness goodness-in-a-way? Intuitively, the answer is yes: it seems right to think that everything is good only insofar as it is good in one or more ways.
Geochemical Simulation of Reaction Between Spent Fuel Waste Form and J-13 Water at 25°C and 90°C

Geochemical simulations of the degradation of spent fuel waste form in the presence of groundwater at the candidate Yucca Mountain, Nevada repository have been carried out to attempt to predict elemental concentrations in solution and to identify potential radionuclide-bearing precipitates. Spent fuel was assumed to dissolve congruently into a static mass of J-13 groundwater at 25°C and 90°C. No inhibitions to the precipitation and dissolution of secondary phases were assumed to exist. The elements Ac, Zr, Nb, Pd, Sm, Mo, Sb and Cm were not considered in the simulations because of a lack of thermodynamic data. Simulation results indicate that haiweeite, soddyite, Na2U2O7(c) and schoepite are potential U-bearing precipitates. Na2U2O7(c) is only predicted to occur at 90°C. U concentrations in solution and the identity of the U-bearing precipitate depend on the activity of SiO2(aq) in solution. U concentrations are limited to < 1 mg/kg when sufficient SiO2(aq) exists in solution to precipitate uranyl silicates. Depletion of SiO2(aq) in solution by the precipitation of silicates results in predicted increases of U concentrations to 87 and 619 mg/kg at 25°C and 90°C, respectively. Subsequent reaction and precipitation of schoepite cause U concentrations to decrease. Radionuclides other than U commonly precipitate as oxides in the simulations. The precipitation of solid phases appears to be extremely effective in limiting the concentrations of some radionuclides, such as Pu and Th, in solution. Concentrations of other elements are held constant (Sn) or are alternately held constant and then increase (Am, Ni, Np) as various solid phases precipitate and pH decreases from 8.5 to 6.5 at 25°C and 8.7 to 8 at 90°C. No solid phases containing Cs or Tc are predicted to form. Increasing the temperature from 25°C to 90°C does not impact greatly the identity of precipitated phases or solution composition, except in the case of U. A technique involving isotope dilution measurements may allow determination of the rates of spent fuel dissolution in future experiments.
Globally Optimal Design Using Simulated Annealing

A new approach to optimization in nonlinear nonconvex mechanical design problems (e.g., kinematic synthesis of mechanisms, design of multi-speed gearboxes, scheduling and process planning in manufacturing processes, and shape optimization) is developed which is based on simulated annealing, a probabilistic combinatorial optimization technique [1,2]. Simulated annealing is a probabilistic hill jumping combinatorial optimization (CO) technique. A hill jumping technique is one which allows for an increase in the value of the objective function in a controlled manner, as opposed to a hill climbing interative technique, which only accepts moves which result in an immediate improvement in the objective function. Hill jumping implies the possibility of “jumping” out of a local optimum. The field of combinatorial optimization involves developing efficient techniques to find the minimum value of an objective function for problems with a large number of independent discrete variables. The advantage of this technique is that it converges to the global optimum asymptotically. Simulated annealing has been successfully applied to solve several combinatorial optimization problems in the fields of computer-aided design of VLSI chips, image processing and graph theory. However, it is not widely used as an optimization tool in the field of mechanical design. Applications of simulated annealing to several problems in mechanical design show that the method is fast and obtains globally optimal solutions.
Performance of multi-antenna MMSE receivers in non-homogenous Poisson networks

A technique to compute the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of the Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio (SINR) for a wireless link with a multi-antenna, Linear, Minimum-Mean-Square-Error (MMSE) receiver in the presence of interferers distributed according to a non-homogenous Poisson point process on the plane, and independent Rayleigh fading between antennas is presented. This technique is used to compute the CDF of the SINR for several different models of intensity functions, in particular, power-law intensity functions, circular-symmetric Gaussian intensity functions and intensity functions described by a polynomial in a bounded domain. Additionally it is shown that if the number of receiver antennas is scaled linearly with the intensity function, the SINR converges in probability to a limit determined by the “shape” of the underlying intensity function. This work generalizes known results for homogenous Poisson networks to non-homogenous Poisson networks.
Linking embryonic myogenesis to meat quantity and quality.

The influence of calcium intake on bone mineralisation was evaluated in 200 girls at the age of 11 -15 years and 97 women at the age of 20-23 years from a random sample of general population. The nutritional value of diets was estimated with the use of a three-day record method. Bone mineral density (BMD) of two points of radius was measured by a p-DEXA device. Mean daily intake of calcium accounted for 831±363 mg in girls and for 933±401 mg in women. An increase in calcium contents in the diet significantly influenced bone mineralisation only in girls. It was concluded that an insufficient calcium intake during puberty was connected with lower bone mineralization and thereafter risk of osteoporosis development.
De-Brogramming the History of Computing [Think Piece]

In April 2012, the term brogrammer became part of the national consciousness thanks to a frenzy of media scrutiny kicked off by a Mother Jones article. The piece was meant to sound an alarm about the state of the American high tech culture. In this and other such instances, however, the coverage resulted in an unexpected, violent backlash from the male-dominated gaming and IT communities. The author argues that rather than disregarding these occurrences as fringe incidents, such episodes can show us something about mainstream computing culture. Specifically, refocusing attention on the differences among the less powerful, even the relatively anonymous, can help historians of computing add to the texture and variety of the past. Critically, it will also help avoid assumptions about gender in different national and sociotechnical contexts.
Planning as an Instrument of International Relations: Economic Cooperation between Ghana and Egypt in the Late 1950s

My paper examines economic planning and cooperation as an aspect of African international relations in the early post-independence era. I am particularly interested in the vision of state planning proposed by Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah and Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, a vision that interlinked political and economic independence on the continental as well as national levels. A successful programme of economic planning depended on the acquisition of certain technical skills and in the context of the Cold War and continuing decolonization, deciding from whom to acquire those skills was unavoidably political. In the case of Ghana, not only the Egyptians were offering to share their technical expertise and experience, but the British and the Israelis too, and cooperating with one party virtually guaranteed antagonising another. Focusing on the initiatives in the late 1950s to deepen economic ties between Ghana and Egypt through trade agreements, ministerial exchanges and tours by business interests, my paper explores how Egyptian and Ghanaian officials compared their respective economic aspirations even as they differed strongly over the role of colonial and non-African parties in realizing those aspirations. Finally, it compares the different funding fates of the Aswan and Akosombo Dams in the context of the Cold War.
With All Deliberate Speed: The Life of Philip Elman, an Oral History Memoir

Philip Elman was responsible, in the Solicitor General's Office of the Department of Justice, for reviewing hundreds of cases involving civil rights, civil liberties and economic justice. He was a law clerk to Justice Frankfurter during the Second World War and then a lawyer in the Solicitor General's office for seventeen years, a principal draftsperson of the government's briefs in the Brown cases. He later served as Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, where he played a major role in the rebirth of the consumer movement and in the antismoking movement. This book presents a first-hand account of legal education, clerkship and government lawyering over a fifty year period, especially an account of events within the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission; and a secondary historical interpretation of events.
Arboreal archaeology and early Navajo land use

Abstract Arboreal archaeology is the use of tree-ring data to examine past human exploitation of forest resources. Arboreal archaeology can identify how and when past groups procured wood for artifact manufacture, medicine, fuel, and construction timbers. More importantly, dendroarchaeological sampling of these non-site resources can significantly enhance our understanding of past land use patterns. This research shows the utility of the arboreal archaeological record in understanding early Navajo land use in northwestern New Mexico, USA, and suggests archaeologists should promote wider application of the research on these endangered parts of the archaeological record.
The Nutritional Value of Extruded Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Extruded Mixtures of Beans and Soybeans in Chick Diets

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to evaluate extruded small red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) (recleaned culls) and extruded mixtures of beans and soybeans as protein sources in chick diets. In Experiment 1, protein efficiency ratios (PER) were determined for week-old chicks fed diets for 2 weeks containing all the protein (13%) from either soybean meal, extruded soybeans, autoclaved (121 C for 15 min) beans, 135 C extruded beans, or 150 C extruded beans. All of the bean treatments, with or without supplemental methionine, resulted in lower (P .10) in PER were noted between autoclaved or 150 C extruded bean treatments; however, 135 C extruded bean treatments resulted in lower (P .10) gain-to-feed ratios. The method of extrusion (separate or together) or moisture pretreatment during extrusion (dry or wet extrusion) of the bean and soybean mixtures had no effect (P>.10) on chick performance when fed. In both experiments, supplementation of diets with methionine resulted in greater increases in weight gain and gain-to-feed ratios for chicks fed the bean containing diets compared to chicks fed the soybean diets. It appears that dry extrusion of beans and soybeans together, especially if the proportion of beans in the mixture is one-third or less, offers a practical and easy method for heat processing cull beans for use in poultry diets.
Software Development of a Globally Distributed Multicomponent Project: A Theoretical Model and Simulations

AbstractAdopting the framework of a multicomponent, distributed outsourced project in information technology research and development, the present paper introduces a quantitative model of the asymptotic stability of development output in the outsourced project components. Empirical production functions are employed to formulate stochastic distributions of the parameters in the model. Observational data from actual industrial projects are compared with prediction results from Monte Carlo simulations of the underlying project dynamics to determine the span of the linear regime of development progress. Simulation-based analysis further provides domain maps of parameter stability. These are valuable tools for project managers and management practitioners to control and sustain the long-term evolution of the project. The points of departure from linearity as well as some of their probable causes are also indicated and discussed.
Predictors of Online Cancer Prevention Information Seeking Among Patients and Caregivers Across the Digital Divide: A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study.

Background: The digital divide is a recognized public health problem caused by social determinants that exacerbate health disparities. Despite the “tectonic shift” in how most of the public obtains cancer information, underserved communities are at increased risk of being digitally marginalized. However, research that examines factors underlying eHealth information seeking in diverse health contexts is lacking. Objective: The aim of this paper is to explore preferences and use of eHealth cancer prevention information (CPI) among patients and caregivers attending a minority-serving oncology clinic using the comprehensive model of information seeking as a theoretical framework. Specifically, the study examined the role of social determinants and prevention orientation in differences in preference and use of the Internet for CPI seeking among this diverse sample. Methods: Survey methodology was used to identify social determinants and behavioral factors, including prevention orientation as correlates and predictors of respondents’ (n=252) preferences and use of eHealth for CPI seeking. Results: Less than half (112/252, 44.4%) of respondents said that if faced with the need to seek CPI, they would seek this information online. In the final logistic regression model, education, ethnicity, age, and prevention orientation made significant contributions to the model ( P <.05). Specifically, for each year increase in age, participants were 3% less likely to use the Internet for CPI seeking ( P =.011). Compared to college graduates, respondents who did not complete high school were 11.75 times less likely to cite the Internet as a CPI carrier ( P P =.015) less likely. In addition, the odds that a Spanish speaker would cite the Internet as a CPI carrier were one-fifth (22%) of non-Hispanic whites ( P =.032) and about one-quarter (26%) of English-speaking Latinos ( P =.036). Finally, with each one point increase on the prevention orientation scale, respondents were 1.83 times less likely to cite online CPI seeking ( P =.05). Conclusions: Social determinants to health have profound influence on eHealth CPI seeking. Providers and policy makers should focus on meeting patients and family members’ CPI needs following diagnosis and increase eHealth accessibility and availability of evidence-based CPI to diverse populations. Future research is needed to unravel further differences in eHealth CPI seeking, including those among Native Americans that emerged as an additional digitally underserved racial/ethnic group. Finally, additional factors underlying these differences should be explored to better tailor CPI eHealth information to diverse communities’ information needs. [JMIR Cancer 2016;2(1):e2]
Methane seepage effects on biodiversity and biological traits of macrofauna inhabiting authigenic carbonates

Abstract Authigenic carbonate rocks at methane seeps are recognized as hosting diverse and abundant invertebrate assemblages, with potential forcing from fluid seepage and hydrography. Mensurative studies of carbonate macrofauna (>0.3 mm) at Hydrate Ridge, OR revealed little effect of water depth and overlying oxygenation (at 600 m and 800 m) but a large influence of seepage activity on density, taxonomic composition, diversity, and biological traits (feeding, lifestyle, motility, size and calcification). Rocks exposed to active seepage had 3–4× higher total macrofaunal densities than under inactive conditions. Assemblages exhibited higher species richness and reduced evenness (greater dominance) under active seepage than inactive conditions, but no difference in H′ or rarefaction diversity. Actively seeping sites were characterized by errant (motile), bacterial grazing, small- and medium-sized, heavily calcified species, whereas inactive sites exhibited a greater diversity of feeding modes and more burrowers, sessile, large and lightly calcified species. Active rocks supported more exogonid (Syllidae), ampharetid, and cirratulid polychaetes, provannid snails, pyropeltid limpets, nemerteans, and sponges; whereas inactive rocks supported higher densities of ophiuroids, isopods, gammarid amphipods, hydroids, Typosyllis (Syllidae) and tanaids. Transplant experiments, in which rocks were transferred between active and inactive sites at Hydrate Ridge North (600 m), revealed that assemblages respond within 13 months to increase or cessation of seepage, taking on the feeding, size and calcification characteristics of the background fauna at the new site. Lifestyles and motility patterns shifted more slowly as the sessile, attached species did not track seepage as quickly. Provannid snails and pyropeltid limpets rapidly colonized rocks transplanted to active sites and disappeared when transplanted to inactive sites. Given the known variability of fluid fluxes and rapid community response, a mosaic of communities changing in space and time is hypothesized to generate the relatively high species diversity at methane seeps.
Focus on "multiple functional P2X and P2Y receptors in the luminal and basolateral membranes of pancreatic duct cells".

when released to extracellular spaces, ATP and other nucleotides can participate in multiple types of intercellular communication ([4][1]). This can involve classical mechanisms of intercellular signaling (similar to those used in neurotransmission and many types of endocrine regulation) that
Surgically Corrected Mitral Regurgitation During Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Is Associated With Low Recurrence Rate and Improved Midterm Survival.

Background Indications for concomitant intervention for mitral regurgitation (MR) during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remain controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the surgical correction of MR during LVAD implantation. Methods From July 2008 to December 2014, 164 patients with significant preoperative MR underwent LVAD (HeartMate II; Thoratec, Pleasanton, CA) implantation. The MR resolved after LVAD implantation in 110 of 164 patients (67.1%) with either surgical or spontaneous correction. The cohort (n = 110) without significant postoperative MR was divided into two groups: a spontaneous correction group (n = 54, MR spontaneously resolved after LVAD implantation); and a surgical correction group (n = 56, MR surgically corrected). Patients who received aortic valve procedures (n = 17) were excluded from this study. Results Patient demographics, perioperative outcomes including bleeding, prolonged intubation, and stroke, and inhospital mortality did not differ in the two groups except for significantly longer cardiopulmonary bypass time in the surgical correction group (spontaneous correction 123 minutes [interquartile range (IQR): 107 to 150] versus surgical correction 177 minutes [IQR: 132 to 198], p p = 0.015) and pulmonary vascular resistance (spontaneous correction 2.0 Wood units [IQR: 1.5 to 2.4] versus surgical correction 1.7 Wood units [IQR: 0.8 to 2.1], p = 0.047) were significantly improved in the surgical correction group compared with the spontaneous correction group. Overall survival rate and freedom from recurrent MR were significantly better in the surgical correction group compared with the spontaneous correction group (1-year survival, spontaneous correction 59.4% ± 6.9% versus surgical correction 69.6% ± 6.4%, log rank p = 0.030; 1-year freedom from recurrent MR, spontaneous correction 76.2% ± 7.5% versus surgical correction 95.0% ± 3.5%, log rank p = 0.028). Conclusions The LVAD patients with surgically corrected MR had improved midterm hemodynamics and survival compared with spontaneously resolved MR, along with low recurrence of MR. Aggressive surgical mitral valve intervention during LVAD implantation may be recommended.
Neurological Basis of Dyslexia

Evidence of a neurological basis for developmental dyslexia is reviewed by a researcher from the Cognitive Neurology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Marseille, France.
Platelet-activating factor induces cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression in corneal epithelium. Requirement of calcium in the signal transduction pathway.

Purpose. To investigate the effect of the inflammatory mediator platelet-activating factor (PAF) in the induction of the inducible prostaglandin H synthase-cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression in corneal epithelium. Methods. Rabbit corneas were incubated in organ culture with or without carbamyl PAF (cPAF, 100 nM). The effects of PAF antagonist BN50730 (10 μM), protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX; 30 μg/ml), RNA synthesis inhibitor actinomycin D (50 μg/ml), and tumor promoter phorbol ester (TPA); (100 nM) were tested. Total RNA for corneal epithelium was analyzed by Northern blot analysis using mouse COX-2 cDNA fragments labeled with 32 P as probes. Western blots were performed using mouse monoclonal antibodies. Primary cultures of rabbit corneal epithelium were loaded with the fluorescent dye fluo-3 AM and changes in intracellular calcium concentration [Ca 2+ ] i were analyzed by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Results. Platelet-activating factor induction of COX-2 expression was detectable by Northern blot analysis at 2 hours, peaked at 4 hours, and remained increased for as long as 8 hours. At 16 hours, there was a marked increase in COX-2 expression. The effect was abolished by the PAF antagonist. TPA also induced COX-2 gene expression. Neither PAF- nor TPA-induced expression was inhibited by CHX. In a Ca 2+ -free medium, there was a 50% inhibition of COX-2 gene induration by PAF. The calcium ionophore A23187 also caused an increase in expression of COX-2 messenger RNA; this did not occur in Ca 2+ -free medium. Confocal microscopy imaging showed that after the addition of PAF, there was a transient increase in [Ca 2+ ] i in corneal epithelial cells that peaked between 30 and 60 seconds. The increase was inhibited in the presence of BN50730 or in a a Ca 2+ -free medium. A23187 also caused a transient increase in [Ca 2+ ] i that was not altered in cells previously treated with PAF or BN50730. Conclusions. PAF may enhance prostaglandin synthesis in the corneal epithelium by increasing COX-2 gene expression. This increase is by means of transcriptional activation of the gene and results in increased COX-2 protein formation. Influx of Ca 2+ due to PAF stimulation is required to induce the COX-2 gene. A PAF antagonist abolishes all PAF effects and could be of therapeutic value by modulating ocular inflammation at the level of COX-2 gene expression.
Pearls for Pediatric Dermatologic Procedures

Procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are commonplace in pediatric dermatology practices. Managing children undergoing invasive procedures requires minimizing pain and anxiety during the procedure while meeting the emotional needs of the child and family. As a guiding principle, pediatric dermatologists aim to avoid general anesthesia whenever possible, given the unresolved safety issues surrounding the sedation of young children and the potential risk of neurotoxic effects from anesthetic agents. This chapter reviews options for the safe and effective use of analgesics, sedatives, and anesthetics for the management of children requiring invasive procedures in both the office and outpatient surgical setting. Nonpharmacologic strategies for pain management, used alone or in combination with pharmacologic agents, are offered to avoid unnecessary sedation for procedures that traditionally required general anesthesia in children. This chapter also offers newer surgical techniques and regional anesthetic pearls for minimizing injected and procedure-related pain to be incorporated into your practice.
Arteriogenesis in murine adipose tissue is contingent on CD68+/CD206+ macrophages

Objective The surgical transfer of skin, fat, and/or muscle from a donor site to a recipient site within the same patient, is a widely performed procedure in reconstructive surgeries. A surgical pre-treatment strategy that is intended to increase perfusion in the flap, termed “flap delay”, is a commonly employed technique by plastic surgeons prior to flap transplantation. Here, we explored whether CD68+/CD206+ macrophages are required for arteriogenesis within the flap by performing gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies in a previously published flap delay murine model. Methods and Results Local injection of M2-polarized macrophages into the flap resulted in an increase in collateral vessel diameter. Application of a thin biomaterial film loaded with a pharmacological agent (FTY720), which has been previously shown to recruit CD68+/CD206+ macrophages to remodeling tissue, increased CD68+/CD206+ cell recruitment and collateral vessel enlargement. Conversely, when local macrophage populations were depleted within the inguinal fat pad via clodronate liposome delivery, we observed fewer CD68+ cells accompanied by diminished collateral vessel enlargement. Conclusions Our study underscores the importance of macrophages during microvascular adaptations that are induced by flap delay. These studies suggest a mechanism for a translatable therapeutic target that may be used to enhance the clinical flap delay procedure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Role of Iron in Toxicity of Stored Red Blood Cell Units

Abstract SCI-46 Accumulating evidence suggests that transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) stored for longer durations is associated with increased rates of infection, morbidity, and mortality in hospitalized patients. During refrigerated storage in vitro, RBCs undergo cumulative biochemical and biomechanical changes that reduce their survival in vivo. After transfusion, storage-damaged RBCs are rapidly cleared from the circulation by reticuloendothelial macrophages, usually within the first hour. The associated hemoglobin iron is then rapidly catabolized and returned to the plasma at a pace that can exceed the rate of uptake by the physiologic iron transporter, transferrin, thereby producing plasma non-transferrin-bound iron. Our overarching hypothesis is that the rapid clearance of storage-damaged RBCs is responsible for some of the adverse effects of transfusion, specifically by delivering a large bolus of toxic hemoglobin-derived iron to macrophages. In particular, plasma non-transferrin-bound iron can produce oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA, thereby activating endothelial cells and platelets to increase thrombotic risk. Furthermore, increased macrophage iron and plasma non-transferrin-bound iron can enhance infectious risk by providing sources of iron to microbial pathogens both within macrophages and within the systemic circulation. Our studies in healthy human volunteers demonstrate that transfusions of “older” RBCs (stored for 40–42 days), but not “fresh” RBCs (stored for less than seven days), significantly increase circulating non-transferrin-bound iron levels in vivo (1) and enhance bacterial growth in vitro in posttransfusion serum samples. Animal studies (2) confirm these findings and provide additional evidence that transfusion exacerbates infection in vivo with Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, murine studies suggest that rapid transfusion of the equivalent of two units of older, stored RBCs produces a proinflammatory cytokine response, which was not seen after slow transfusion of one unit of older, stored RBCs to healthy human volunteers. Studies in dogs are currently under way to test whether the RBC transfusion rate and dose affects the proinflammatory response. In conclusion, transfusion of older, stored RBCs results in delivery of a potentially toxic dose of iron to macrophages that both increases macrophage intracellular iron and produces plasma non-transferrin-bound iron. This iron toxicity may increase infectious and thrombotic risks and potentially exacerbate an existing proinflammatory response. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Sustainability Literacy and Cultural Assessments

As campus sustainability initiatives have expanded over the past decade, related efforts to assess the progress and impact of those initiatives have also developed. These assessments generally fall into two distinct categories, those focused on the assessment of student learning regarding sustainability and those focused on the assessment of campus culture—the sustainability values, behaviors, and awareness of students, faculty and staff. This paper provides an overview of leading examples of these two types of assessments—the Assessment of Student Knowledge (ASK) and the Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program (SCIP). Next, using self-reported assessment data from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS—a program of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) an analysis is provided on the number of institutions which are using such assessments. Results indicate that very few institutions are using these assessments and only a very small number are claiming the full STARS credit for this work. Finally, recommendations are provided on strategies for developing assessments and disseminating results which can best drive progress towards advancing campus sustainability.
Making Ethical Decisions in Political Social Work

National Association of Social Workers (Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, 2008) Code of Ethics is central to political social work not just in terms of providing an imperative to engage in political social work, but also in terms of guiding practice. Many consider politics a “dirty business,” so we outline specific principles in the Code of Ethics that inform social workers’ decisions and actions in political social work. We discuss common ethical challenges that arise in political social work. For example, we discuss the appropriate use of opposition research of a personal nature, in view of the ethical mandate for respect of inherent dignity and worth of others. We then discuss three ethical decision-making frameworks and examine their applications to political social work practice. The chapter concludes with specific ethical dilemmas to foster discussion and reflection on ethical challenges that political social workers may face.
IgE Response and Its Regulation in Allergic Diseases

The distinguishing feature of the allergic person is his or her elevation of serum IgE. This propensity to develop a sustained IgE response is determined genetically. The biologic effects of IgE are mediated via Fc receptors (Fc epsilon R) present on mast cells and basophils (Fc epsilon R type 1) and subpopulations of monocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, and platelets (Fc epsilon R type 2). Interaction of allergen with IgE on these cells results in receptor "bridging" and the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators. Fc epsilon R type 2 on lymphocytes and monocytes are upregulated in atopic disease and may play a role in the allergic inflammatory reaction. The activation of B cells to synthesize IgE requires several stages (see Fig. 2). T cells play an important role in the regulation of IgE synthesis. In vitro activation of resting B cells to synthesize IgE requires direct cellular interaction with T cells or the presence of IL4 for activation. The latter effect is inhibited by alpha-interferon. Preactivated B cells are influenced in an isotype-specific manner by T-cell-derived IgE binding factors (IgE-BF), which may act as IgE-potentiating or IgE-suppressive factors, depending on their degree of glycosylation. The regulation of IgE synthesis is an important area of investigation. It provides us with an understanding of the basis of the human allergic response and ultimately may provide the basis for novel strategies in the treatment of allergic diseases.
Distilling the Verification Process for Prognostics Algorithms

The goal of prognostics and health management (PHM) systems is to ensure system safety, and reduce downtime and maintenance costs. It is important that a PHM system is verified and validated before it can be successfully deployed. Prognostics algorithms are integral parts of PHM systems. This paper investigates a systematic process of verification of such prognostics algorithms. To this end, first, this paper distinguishes between technology maturation and product development. Then, the paper describes the verification process for a prognostics algorithm as it moves up to higher maturity levels. This process is shown to be an iterative process where verification activities are interleaved with validation activities at each maturation level. In this work, we adopt the concept of technology readiness levels (TRLs) to represent the different maturity levels of a prognostics algorithm. It is shown that at each TRL, the verification of a prognostics algorithm depends on verifying the different components of the algorithm according to the requirements laid out by the PHM system that adopts this prognostics algorithm. Finally, using simplified examples, the systematic process for verifying a prognostics algorithm is demonstrated as the prognostics algorithm moves up TRLs.
Provision of Climate Services for Agriculture: Public and Private Pathways to Farm Decision-making

CapsuleIn a U.S. Corn Belt study, we found that agricultural advisors are engaged and critical users of climate information, while gaps remain in providing salient climate information to farmers.
Targeted nanoparticle delivery of therapeutic antisense microRNAs presensitizes glioblastoma cells to lower effective doses of temozolomide in vitro and in a mouse model

Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy for glioblastoma (GBM) is generally well tolerated at standard doses but it can cause side effects. GBMs overexpress microRNA-21 and microRNA-10b, two known oncomiRs that promote cancer development, progression and resistance to drug treatment. We hypothesized that systemic injection of antisense microRNAs (antagomiR-21 and antagomiR-10b) encapsulated in cRGD-tagged PEG-PLGA nanoparticles would result in high cellular delivery of intact functional antagomiRs, with consequent efficient therapeutic response and increased sensitivity of GBM cells to lower doses of TMZ. We synthesized both targeted and non-targeted nanoparticles, and characterized them for size, surface charge and encapsulation efficiency of antagomiRs. When using targeted nanoparticles in U87MG and Ln229 GBM cells, we showed higher uptake-associated improvement in sensitivity of these cells to lower concentrations of TMZ in medium. Co-inhibition of microRNA-21 and microRNA-10b reduced the number of viable cells and increased cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase upon TMZ treatment. We found a significant increase in expression of key target genes for microRNA-21 and microRNA-10b upon using targeted versus non-targeted nanoparticles. There was also significant reduction in tumor volume when using TMZ after pre-treatment with loaded nanoparticles in human GBM cell xenografts in mice. In vivo targeted nanoparticles plus different doses of TMZ showed a significant therapeutic response even at the lowest dose of TMZ, indicating that preloading cells with antagomiR-21 and antagomiR-10b increases cellular chemosensitivity towards lower TMZ doses. Future clinical applications of this combination therapy may result in improved GBM response by using lower doses of TMZ and reducing nonspecific treatment side effects.
Grounding Interactive Machine Learning Tool Design in How Non-Experts Actually Build Models

Machine learning (ML) promises data-driven insights and solutions for people from all walks of life, but the skill of crafting these solutions is possessed by only a few. Emerging research addresses this issue by creating ML tools that are easy and accessible to people who are not formally trained in ML (non-experts). This work investigated how non-experts build ML solutions for themselves in real life. Our interviews and surveys revealed unique potentials of non-expert ML, as well several pitfalls that non-experts are susceptible to. For example, many perceived percentage accuracy as a sole measure of performance, thus problematic models proceeded to deployment. These observations suggested that, while challenging, making ML easy and robust should both be important goals of designing novice-facing ML tools. To advance on this insight, we discuss design implications and created a sensitizing concept to demonstrate how designers might guide non-experts to easily build robust solutions.
Lumped Elastoplastic Flexibility Models

For the dynamic analysis of structures beyond the elastic range, one approach is to discretize the mass and the flexibility of the structure such that the model is kinematically determinate. In this approach, the distortions (or generalized strains) of the discretized elements are determined from the displacements obtained from a numerical integration of the equations of motion. The latter equations are essentially controlled by the internal forces or generalized stresses as well as the external loads.
The Expanded Transposition Flap for Face and Neck Reconstruction

Resurfacing of the face and neck in burn survivors is best accomplished using skin from the “blush areas” of the upper body including the neck, shoulders, and upper chest. This gives the best color and texture match to the remaining normal skin of the face and neck.
Exploring the Complementarity of Mathematical and Artistic Thinking in Design through 3-D Printing

Most development of the “STEAM” (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) paradigm has been in the realm of education; however, the idea of combining technical and artistic thinking has many practical applications in product design. The more artistic side of technology design is often considered during design, but it tends to be subservient to the technical (“quantitative”) side due to the lack of a definite method for combining the technical and artistic concepts. New developments in 3-D printing and related technologies have opened some doors toward this by allowing the qualitative and quantitative design aspects to be expressed via a “common language” derived from the complementarity of mathematics and art. In this article, the complementarity of thought in design is discussed through the medium of 3-D printing. The basic concept of a “complementary design thinking” approach and work-flow of 3-D printing is explored in detail, with a focus on the value of the technology to bring together both the quantitative and qualitative approaches to design thinking. A case study using a 3-D printed model of the well-known Costa Minimal Surface from mathematics is presented and discussed to demonstrate the concepts. The concepts presented have clear policy implications for design, arts, education, engineering, and human-technology interaction research and practice; these implications are discussed in detail.
Smart Machines and Smarter Policy: Foreign Investment Regulation, National Security, and Technology Transfer in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The Foreign Risk Review Modernization Act, a bill introduced to Congress in 2017 that seeks to strengthen the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), has the potential to increase restrictions on Chinese companies investing in the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Although the bill addresses legitimate national security concerns related to the military applications of AI, it also has the potential to negatively impact the U.S. AI industry and the U.S. economy as a whole. Currently, the combination of a Chinese government focused on strategic technology acquisitions, the open and diffuse nature of AI systems, the off-the-shelf nature of defense technology procurement, the integrated Chinese and U.S. AI industries, and the connection of Chinese tech companies to the Chinese Communist Party create a pipeline for technology transfer from U.S. companies to Chinese government entities. Given the vague nature of what constitutes a national security threat according to CFIUS, past high profile CFIUS action against Chinese companies investing in the U.S. technology sector and an emerging bipartisan consensus that CFIUS needs to be strengthened, there is a strong potential for new foreign investment restrictions. Restricting Chinese investment in the U.S. AI industry, however, may be counterproductive, because it may negatively impact U.S. economic competitiveness by reducing the venture capital pool for AI, potentially driving away top talent and causing AI research and development centers to relocate elsewhere. Instead of increasing restrictions, a smarter policy would be to continue utilizing CFIUS risk mitigation measures in a non-discriminatory manner, while increasing government funding for AI research and development and increasing visas for science and technology graduate students who are foreign nationals.
Role of microRNA in CB1 antagonist–mediated regulation of adipose tissue macrophage polarization and chemotaxis during diet-induced obesity

Although cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonists have been shown to attenuate diet-induced obesity (DIO) and associated inflammation, the precise molecular mechanisms involved are not clear. In the current study, we investigated the role of microRNA (miR) in the regulation of adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) phenotype following treatment of DIO mice with the CB1 antagonist SR141716A. DIO mice were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks and then treated daily with SR141716A (10 mg/kg) for 4 weeks while continuing HFD. Treated mice experienced weight loss, persistent reduction in fat mass, improvements in metabolic profile, and decreased adipose inflammation. CB1 blockade resulted in down-regulation of several miRs in ATMs, including the miR-466 family and miR-762. Reduced expression of the miR-466 family led to induction of anti-inflammatory M2 transcription factors KLF4 and STAT6, whereas down-regulation of miR-762 promoted induction of AGAP-2, a negative regulator of the neuroimmune retention cues, Netrin-1 and its coreceptor UNC5B. Furthermore, treatment of primary macrophages with SR141716A up-regulated KLF4 and STAT6, reduced secretion of Netrin-1, and increased migration toward the lymph node chemoattractant CCL19. These studies demonstrate for the first time that CB1 receptor blockade attenuates DIO-associated inflammation through alterations in ATM miR expression that promote M2 ATM polarization and macrophage egress from adipose tissue. The current study also identifies additional novel therapeutic targets for diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorder.
Polyisobutylene containing covalently bound antioxidant moieties

Polyisobutylene (PIB) bearing covalently bound antioxidants is reported. TiCl₄‐catalyzed cleavage/alkylation reactions were conducted on poly(isobutylene‐co‐isoprene) (EXXON® Butyl 068; M¯n = 3.37 × 10⁵ g/mol, (Ð) = 1.29, and 1.08 mol % isoprene) at −70 °C in 60/40 hexane/dichloromethane in the presence of 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenol (DTP). Resulting PIB M¯n s ranged from 30,000 to 85,300 g/mol and number average DTP functionalities (Fₙ) ranged from 4.3 to 12.0. ¹H NMR showed that 25%–40% of the DTP moieties underwent de‐tert‐butylation to form mono‐tert‐butyl phenol moieties. DTP‐functionalized and nonfunctionalized control PIBs were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen and in air. In nitrogen, commercial control PIBs (olefinic end groups) showed delayed onset of thermal degradation (T₁₀ = 380–381 °C) relative to both control PIBs produced by living polymerization (tert‐chloride end groups) and DTP‐functionalized PIBs (T₁₀'s all within the range of 366–370 °C). All PIBs showed lower degradation temperatures in air compared to nitrogen. Various control PIBs suffered 90% weight loss in air at temperatures ranging from 372 °C to 410 °C; DTP‐functionalized PIBs did not suffer 90% weight loss in air until 412–414 °C. Oxidative induction time analysis showed that all control PIBs suffered catastrophic degradation within 6 min, and most within 1 min, but DTP‐functionalized PIBs resisted degradation for >100 min. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1836–1846
Labile Imidazolium Cyclopentadienides

A series of imidazolium-based synthetic routes to imidazolium cyclopentadienides are reported. The 2:1 reaction of imidazolium (1) with [Cp2TiIIICl]2 gives [NHCDippH]+[Cp2TiIIICl2]− (NHCDipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene) (2). The “inverse sandwich” imidazolium cyclopentadienide (3) is obtained as a crystalline solid via reaction of 1 with both [Cp2TiIIICl]2 and cyclopentadienyllithium (CpLi) (in a molar ratio of 2:1:1) in THF/toluene at elevated temperature. Notably, the 1:1 reaction of 1 with CpLi leads to the isolation of “multidecker” 4 in the solid state, while the corresponding 1:2 reaction of 1 with CpLi gives the crystals of CpLi-bound cyclopentadienyl-imidazolium complex 5. While compounds 3, 4, and 5 have been structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, in solution these complexes dissociate due to the conversion of [NHCDippH]+[Cp]− to both cyclopentadiene and NHCDipp through intramolecular proton transfer. The equilibrium of the acid–base conv...
The Depth of Unknowing: Or, How to (Un)Know God according to Pseudo-Dionysius and Raimon Panikkar

What is the relevance of the sixth-century writings attributed to Dionysius of Areopagite or Pseudo-Dionysius for twenty-first-century Christianity? This article is an inquiry into the notion of divine unknowability within the Pseudo-Dionysian corpus. As a thinker who lived in an era in which great disputations over cardinal doctrines of the church had become passe, Pseudo-Dionysius seemed to have creatively used different concepts and phrases than those great thinkers before him. For Dionysius, the way to know God is to unknow (agnōsia) God, for God cannot be the object of human knowledge—God is beyond being. To posit God as being or to be existent means, therefore, idolatry, since God is that which cannot be grasped by words or human concepts. To assess this apophatic theology of Pseudo-Dionysius, I shall make use of the thinking of Raimon Panikkar who struggles against Western “strict monotheism.” Finally, I shall demonstrate the implications of the doctrine of the unknowability of God vis-a-vis modern debates on the existence of God and on atheism.