cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Highlighting consensus among medical scientists increases public support for vaccines: evidence from a randomized experiment

A substantial minority of American adults continue to hold influential misperceptions about childhood vaccine safety. Growing public concern and refusal to vaccinate poses a serious public health risk. Evaluations of recent pro-vaccine health communication interventions have revealed mixed results (at best). This study investigated whether highlighting consensus among medical scientists about childhood vaccine safety can lower public concern, reduce key misperceptions about the discredited autism-vaccine link and promote overall support for vaccines. American adults (N = 206) were invited participate in an online survey experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or to one of three treatment interventions. The treatment messages were based on expert-consensus estimates and either normatively described or prescribed the extant medical consensus: “90 % of medical scientists agree that vaccines are safe and that all parents should be required to vaccinate their children”. Compared to the control group, the consensus-messages significantly reduced vaccine concern (M = 3.51 vs. M = 2.93, p < 0.01) and belief in the vaccine-autism-link (M = 3.07 vs M = 2.15, p < 0.01) while increasing perceived consensus about vaccine safety (M = 83.93 vs M = 89.80, p < 0.01) and public support for vaccines (M = 5.66 vs M = 6.22, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis further revealed that the public’s understanding of the level of scientific agreement acts as an important “gateway” belief by promoting public attitudes and policy support for vaccines directly as well as indirectly by reducing endorsement of the discredited autism-vaccine link. These findings suggest that emphasizing the medical consensus about (childhood) vaccine safety is likely to be an effective pro-vaccine message that could help prevent current immunization rates from declining. We recommend that clinicians and public health officials highlight and communicate the high degree of medical consensus on (childhood) vaccine safety when possible.
Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age by Einstein, M. Religion in the Media Age by Hoover, S.

Nearly half of all American adults have switched their religious affiliation since childhood according to a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. We live in an age of choice and...
Münchausen's syndrome and other factitious illness.

Current perspectives on Munchausen's syndrome and other factitious illnesses are presented in this article. Self-destructive behavior manifested by the artificial production of illness remains a puzzling but fascinating clinical entity. A distinction between the clinical features of those cases that are more treatable suggests an optimistic rationale for approaching these difficult patients.
Forced Sharing of Patient-Controlled Health Records

This paper discusses the privacy issues regarding patient-controlled health data. Three major distinctions shape the extent of third party access to patient-controlled health records: (1) who seeks access to the data, and for what purpose; (2) where the data are located; (3) whether the data are encrypted. In some cases, further distinctions may arise based on (4) the nature of the data, (5) who initially created the data, and (6) whether the data has been shared with anyone.
Texaco Aviation Transport Services (a)

The C case (see also the A [G-0539] and B [G-0540] cases) presents some of the unanticipated pluses of having entered into the fractional-ownership arrangement. The real message students take away is that decisions are always made with incomplete information (i.e., Don Baldwin did not anticipate these benefits, and did not assign a cash-flow value to them). Thus, management is also about continually looking for alternatives and creative uses for existing resources. One might hypothesize that the tendency in most decision making, when contemplating a "go" versus "no-go" decision, is to identify and evaluate risks and negative "what-ifs."
Case Example of Dose Optimization Using Data From Bortezomib Dose-Finding Clinical Trials

PurposeThe current dose-finding methodology for estimating the maximum tolerated dose of investigational anticancer agents is based on the cytotoxic chemotherapy paradigm. Molecularly targeted agents (MTAs) have different toxicity profiles, which may lead to more long-lasting mild or moderate toxicities as well as to late-onset and cumulative toxicities. Several approved MTAs have been poorly tolerated during long-term administration, leading to postmarketing dose optimization studies to re-evaluate the optimal treatment dose. Using data from completed bortezomib dose-finding trials, we explore its toxicity profile, optimize its dose, and examine the appropriateness of current designs for identifying an optimal dose.Patients and MethodsWe classified the toxicities captured from 481 patients in 14 bortezomib dose-finding studies conducted through the National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, computed the incidence of late-onset toxicities, and compared the incidence of dose-limiting toxi...
Causal Attributions and Expectancy Estimates: A Framework for Understanding the Dynamics of Salesforce Motivation:

The authors present a conceptual framework for integrating attribution theory within an expectancy model of salesforce motivation. Emphasis is placed on the development of hypotheses surrounding th...
Treatment of Therapy-Related Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome

The increasing incidence of therapy-related leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome reflects (1) a longer period at risk resulting from successful treatment of solid tumors; (2) more intensive treatment regimens combining high-dose chemotherapy and irradiation; (3) broader utilization of adjuvant chemoirradiation in melanoma, colon, lung, breast, and head and neck cancers; and (4) environmental pollution and widespread exposure to chemicals and carcinogens in industrialized nations. The availability of novel therapies, including growth factors, has increased the referral of these patients to comprehensive cancer centers, partially explaining the increased awareness of the entity.
Analysis of trichothecene mycotoxins in contaminated grains by gas chromatography/matrix isolation/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Gas chromatography/matrix isolation/Fourier transform infrared (GC/MI/FTIR) spectroscopy and GC/mass spectrometry (MS) were used to confirm the identities of trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of trichothecene mycotoxins in naturally contaminated grains. Infrared spectral bands observed in the fingerprint region were unique for 10 trichothecene standards. Characteristic absorption bands were observed for the ester (near 1750 cm -1 ) and ketone (near 1700 cm -1 ) carbonyl stretching vibrations, the acetate CH 3 symmetric bend (1370 cm -1 ), the epoxide ring (1262 cm -1 ), the trimethylsilyl CH 3 in-plane deformation (1253 cm -1 ), the ester (O)C-O asymmetric stretching vibration (near 1244 cm -1 ), and several other bands including intense features due to the TMS function. Infrared bands observed under cryogenic matrix isolation conditions were compared with those found at room temperature in a potassium bromide matrix for 5 of these standards. Identities of deoxynivalenol (DON) from barley and mixed feed, nivalenol from wheat and barley, and DON and fusarenon-x from sweet corn were confirmed by comparison of their infrared spectral bands with those of standards. The identity of DON in the same test samples of sweet corn was confirmed further by GC/MS. GC/MS was also used to quantitate the levels of DON (67-455 ppm) in sweet corn test samples.
The Impact of Alternative Rating Procedures on the Measurement of Store Image: An Experimental Study

This study examined the effect of two different rating procedures on the measurement of store image and on the magnitude of the halo effect present in the ratings. One rating procedure required subjects to evaluate alternative objects, one at a time, on various attributes. The other rating procedure required subjects to evaluate all stores on one attribute, then all stores on another attribute and so on until all attributes were exhausted. In addition, the impact of familiarity of the stores on the halo effect was examined. Specifically, the following hypotheses were investigated:
Do black women still come first? Examining Essence magazine post Time Warner

ABSTRACTEssence magazine is the longest operating magazine catering to a predominately African-American women audience in the US. In 2000, media conglomerate Time Warner purchased 49% of Essence parent company Essence Communications Inc. In 2005, Time Warner purchased the remaining 51% of the black-owned company. As a media conglomerate, Time Warner owns major publishing houses, film, and television production companies, including 130 magazines, New Line Cinema, CNN, and HBO. Essence states it is “the voice and soul of Black women” Collins [Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York, NY: Routledge] argues that black women must speak in their own voices in order to reject prevailing stereotypes operating on the bodies of black women. The mission statement of Essence aligns itself in what Collins calls “safe spaces” for black women to self-define themselves and articulate their lived realties. A critical theoretical framework allows une...
Perceived learning in three MOOCs targeting attitudinal change

AbstractMassive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential to impact education at a global scale. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the cases of three MOOCs, including Human Trafficking, US Food System, and Animal Behavior and Welfare, that were specifically designed to effect attitudinal change in its participants, specifically focusing on the three aspects of attitudinal change, cognitive, affective and behavioral as well as general learning. The study examined learners’ perceptions of attitudinal change, including according to the MOOC they took, the instructional method utilized, and the influence of attitudinal components on each other. The findings from this research provide a number of implications that could be helpful for understanding instruction and instructional design of MOOCs, particularly those MOOCs addressing attitude change.
A Two-Mode Burgers Equation of Weak Shock Waves in a Fluid: Multiple Kink Solutions and Other Exact Solutions

We develop a new two-mode Burgers equation. We derive multiple kink solutions for this equation only for specific values of the nonlinearity and dispersion parameters. We also present other generalized solutions, including singular, periodic, and rational solutions, for other values of these parameters. We use the simplified Hirota’s method combined with the Cole–Hopf transformation, numerical methods of tanh/coth method, the tan/cot method, and the rational solutions scheme to conduct this study.
Time-dependent density-functional-theory investigation of the collisions of protons and α particles with uracil and adenine

Time-dependent density-functional theory was employed to study the effects of proton and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle radiation on uracil and adenine. This method has the advantage of treating nuclear motion and electronic motion simultaneously, allowing for the study of electronic excitation, charge transfer, ionization, and nuclear motion. Particle energies were surveyed in the range of 15--500 keV for protons and 100--2000 keV for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles in conjunction with impact points both on and off carbon bonds in order to investigate the electron and nuclear dynamics of irradiated molecules and the form and quantity of transferred energy. The stopping power, energy transferred, and ionization were found, and the relationship between incident particle energy and electron density of the target molecule was characterized for proton and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle radiation incident on adenine and uracil.
All-solid-state tunable Bragg filters based on a phase transition material

We demonstrate an all-solid-state tunable Bragg filter with a phase transition material as the defect layer. Dynamic tunability and hysteresis properties of the Bragg filter promise more applications by combining phase transition materials and optical cavities.
Ten-Year Review of Perioperative Complications After Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumors: Analysis of Monopolar and Plasmakinetic Bipolar Cases

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the rate of perioperative complications after plasmakinetic bipolar and monopolar transurethral resection of bladder tumor (BTURB and MTURB). In addition, the study...
In vitro conversion of adult murine endothelial cells to hematopoietic stem cells

The ability to generate hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro would have an immeasurable impact on many areas of clinical practice, including trauma, cancer, and congenital disease. In this protocol, we describe a stepwise approach that converts adult murine endothelial cells (ECs) to HSCs, termed 'reprogrammed ECs into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells' (rEC-HSPCs). The conversion, which is achieved without cells transitioning through a pluripotent state, comprises three phases: induction, specification, and expansion. Adult ECs are first isolated from Runx1-IRES-GFP; Rosa26-rtTa mice and maintained in culture under EC growth factor stimulation and Tgfβ inhibition. In the first (induction) phase of conversion (days 0-8), four transcription factors (TFs)-FosB, Gfi1, Runx1, and Spi1 (FGRS)-are expressed transiently, which results in endogenous Runx1 expression. During the second (specification) phase (days 8-20), endogenous Runx1+ FGRS-transduced ECs commit to a hematopoietic fate and no longer require exogenous FGRS expression. Finally, the vascular niche drives robust proliferation of rEC-HSPCs during the expansion phase (days 20-28). The resulting converted cells possess a transcriptomic signature and long-term self-renewal capacity indistinguishable from those of adult HSCs. In this protocol, we also describe functional in vitro and in vivo assays that can be used to demonstrate that rEC-HSPCs are competent for clonal engraftment and possess multi-lineage reconstitution potential, including antigen-dependent adaptive immune function. This approach thus provides a tractable strategy for interrogating the generation of engraftable hematopoietic cells, advancing the mechanistic understanding of hematopoietic development and HSC self-renewal.
Enhancement of learning and memory performance: Modality — specific mechanisms of action

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the efforts made these days to commercialize the basic neuroscientific discoveries. The goal of every futuristic research is to couple the explanations of learning and memory processes at the systems and cellular levels of analysis. This chapter discusses this challenge by employing cognitive, neuroanatomical, physiological, and molecular terminology to characterize several nervous system functions that are thought to be capable of enhancing learning and memory. The chapter takes in account three cognitive functions vital for synaptic plasticity (referred to as learning/memory): The awareness and acquisition of new stimulus/ response associations, episodic events, etc. (attention/encoding); the deliberate recording and persistence of learned information (storage/consolidation); and the recovery and expression of remembered information (retrieval/recall). These three labels are useful for dividing up the temporal stages in the learning/memory sequence (early, intermediate, and late) as well as for dissociating brain sites and nervous system signaling pathways involved in mobilizing changes necessary for one or more stages of the sequence. Neuropharmacological enhancement for attention-encoding includes dopamine receptor modulators, glutamate receptor modulators, adenosine receptor antagonists, nicotinic receptor agonists, neurosteroid, and estrogen. Whereas, neuropharmacological enhancement of retrieval/recall includes serotonin neurotransmission. The chapter discusses various memory-fitness strategies to combat learning/memory loss. The normal learning/memory performance can be improved by using the enhancement neurology approach Physical activity appears to enhance learning/memory performance in a cholinergic and neurotrophic factor-dependent manner consistent with a storage/consolidation mechanism of action. Intermediate-stage consolidation and learning/memory storage functions benefit from optimization of adrenergic, trophic factor, and cholinergic neurotransmission.
Pondering the structural factors that affect 1,2-trans-galactosylation: A lesson learnt from 3-O-β-galactosylation of galactosamine

Stereoselective formation of glycosidic bonds remains one of the most challenging topics in carbohydrate chemistry. The predominant method for stereoselective construction of 1,2-trans-glycosidic bonds is through the neighboring group participation effect (NGPE), which proved to be less successful in synthesizing Galβ(1→3)GalNAc disaccharide. The steric effect that overshadows NGPE and the impacts of substituents at the 3-O- and 2-N-positions of donors and acceptors, respectively, on this synthesis were systematically examined to lead to some practical guidelines for choosing protecting groups towards the successful synthesis of Galβ(1→3)GalNAc and similar disaccharides.
Bernoulli effect in superconductors and Cooper-pair mass spectroscopy

Recently Mishonov (Phys. Rev. B {\bf 50}, 4009 (1994)) suggested to measure the Cooper-pair effective mass using current-induced contact potential difference in superconductors. In this Comment it is shown that actual experiments can be substantially simplified.
Temperature dependency of intraguild predation between native and invasive crabs

Environmental factors such as temperature can affect the geographical distribution of species directly by exceeding physiological tolerances, or indirectly by altering physiological rates that dictate the sign and strength of species interactions. Although the direct effects of environmental conditions are relatively well studied, the effects of environmentally mediated species interactions have garnered less attention. In this study, we examined the temperature dependency of size-structured intraguild predation (IGP) between native blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus, the IG predator) and invasive green crabs (Carcinus maenas, the IG prey) to evaluate how the effect of temperature on competitive and predatory rates may influence the latitudinal distribution of these species. In outdoor mesocosm experiments, we quantified interactions between blue crabs, green crabs, and shared prey (mussels) at three temperatures reflective of those across their range, using two size classes of blue crab. At low temperatures, green crabs had a competitive advantage and IGP by blue crabs on green crabs was low. At high temperatures, size-matched blue and green crabs were competitively similar, large blue crabs had a competitive advantage, and IGP on green crabs was high. We then used parameter values generated from these experiments (temperature- and size-dependent attack rates and handling times) in a size-structured IGP model in which we varied IGP attack rate, maturation rate of the blue crab from the non-predatory to predatory size class, and resource carrying capacity at each of the three temperatures. In the model, green crabs were likely to competitively exclude blue crabs at low temperature, whereas blue crabs were likely to competitively and consumptively exclude green crabs at higher temperatures, particularly when resource productivities and rates of IGP were high. While many factors may play a role in delimiting species ranges, our results suggest that temperature-dependent interactions can influence local coexistence and are worth considering when developing mechanistic species distribution models and evaluating responses to environmental change.
Functional Analyses of the RsmY and RsmZ Small Noncoding Regulatory RNAs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen with distinct acute and chronic virulence phenotypes. Whereas acute virulence is typically associated with expression of a type III secretion system (T3SS), chronic virulence is characterized by biofilm formation. Many of the phenotypes associated with acute and chronic virulence are inversely regulated by RsmA and RsmF. RsmA and RsmF are both members of the CsrA family of RNA-binding proteins and regulate protein synthesis at the posttranscriptional level. RsmA activity is controlled by two small noncoding regulatory RNAs (RsmY and RsmZ). Bioinformatic analyses suggest that RsmY and RsmZ each have 3 or 4 putative RsmA binding sites. Each predicted binding site contains a GGA sequence presented in the loop portion of a stem-loop structure. RsmY and RsmZ regulate RsmA, and possibly RsmF, by sequestering these proteins from target mRNAs. In this study, we used selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) chemistry to determine the secondary structures of RsmY and RsmZ and functional assays to characterize the contribution of each GGA site to RsmY/RsmZ activity. Our data indicate that RsmA has two preferential binding sites on RsmY and RsmZ, while RsmF has one preferential binding site on RsmY and two sites on RsmZ. Despite RsmF and RsmA sharing a common consensus site, RsmF binding properties are more restrictive than those of RsmA. IMPORTANCE CsrA homologs are present in many bacteria. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses RsmA and RsmF to inversely regulate factors associated with acute and chronic virulence phenotypes. RsmA has an affinity for RsmY and RsmZ higher than that of RsmF. The goal of this study was to understand the differential binding properties of RsmA and RsmF by using the RsmY and RsmZ regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) as a model. Mutagenesis of the predicted RsmA/RsmF binding sites on RsmY and RsmZ revealed similarities in the sites required to control RsmA and RsmF activity in vivo. Whereas binding by RsmA was relatively tolerant of binding site mutations, RsmF was sensitive to disruption to all but two of the sites, further demonstrating that the requirements for RsmF binding activity in vivo and in vitro are more stringent than those for RsmA.
The Pathogenesis of MHV Nucleocapsid Gene Chimeric Viruses

A set of viruses in which various segments of the nucleocapsid (N) gene of MHV have been substituted with the corresponding segments of bovine coronavirus (BCV) by targeted recombination were analyzed for their biologic properties. Histology for organ pathology and plaque assay for viral titer analysis following intracerebral (IC) inoculation were studied. One chimeric virus (A1b85), in which only a small segment of the N gene was replaced, exhibited a phenotype similar to wild type MHV-A59. However, three of the chimeric viruses (A1b 106, A1b 112 and A1b 100) produced acute encephalitis and demyelination but without hepatitis following IC inoculation. Intravenous (IV) and intrahepatic (IH) inoculations were able to restore the ability of these viruses to produce hepatitis. The common denominator of the three chimeric viruses with a different phenotype is a region between aa 306 and aa 386 in which 17 amino acids (aa) differences exist between the two strains. Thus this region may contain determinants which enable the virus to exit the brain and reach the blood stream.
Analysis of Precracking Parameters for Ceramic Single-Edge-Precracked-Beam Specimens

The Single-Edge-Precracked-Beam (SEPB) method involves creation of a straight-through crack from an indentation crack. The straight-through crack is developed by applying a controlled bending load to a specimen via a precracking fixture. The fixture induces a sequence of stable growth of the initial indentation crack, pop-in, and then arrest, thereby forming the straight-through precrack. The effects of indentation load on precracking load as well as on precrack size were studied for experimental variables such as specimen width, precracker span and test material. The finite element method was used to obtain the stress distribution and stress intensity factor, thus providing a quantitative prediction of the experimental results obtained for silicon nitride, alumina, silicon carbide, and two SiC whisker-reinforced silicon nitrides.
Identifying Muscle Fatigue and Hyperthermia in Sports Activities Using Thermal Imaging and Facial Recognition Software

Hyperthermia and muscle fatigue during sports activities are a challenge to detect because body temperatures cannot be unobtrusively evaluated from the field of play. Recently, inexpensive portable thermal imaging devices have become available, allowing accurate monitoring of players from a distance. In this paper, we examine the accuracy of thermal imaging devices by distance and monitoring angle. Using thermal imaging, object recognition, and facial recognition techniques, we develop a visualization tool to display core body temperature information for each player. This augmented display allows us to detect potential heat-related player injuries on a sports field in near real time.
Tensor Product Decomposition of Holomorphically Induced Representations and Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients

A formalism of decomposing tensor product of irreducible representations of compact semisimple Lie groups is presented, using holomorphic induction techniques. The case of SU(n) is examined in detail. Irreducible representation spaces are realized as polynomial functions over GL(n,ℂ) group variables and it is shown how to generate invariant spaces labelled by double cosets, with one double coset subspace isomorphic to the original tensor product space. Global and noninductive procedure for constructing orthogonal polynomial bases is presented and is compared with the Gelfand-Žetlin procedure. Clebsch-Gordan (Wigner) coefficients are computed and are used to provide a resolution of the multiplicity problem occurring in the tensor product decompositions of U(n) groups.
Public Attitudes on Transgender Military Service: The Role of Gender

Policy regarding the inclusion of transgender soldiers in the U.S. Military has shifted back and forth in recent years, with public opinion likely a significant factor shaping the eventual policy o...
Effect of bicarbonate and oxidizing conditions on U(IV) and U(VI) reactivity in mineralized deposits of New Mexico

Abstract We investigated the effect of bicarbonate and oxidizing agents on uranium (U) reactivity and subsequent dissolution of U(IV) and U(VI) mineral phases in the mineralized deposits from Jackpile mine, Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico, by integrating laboratory experiments with spectroscopy, microscopy and diffraction techniques. Uranium concentration in solid samples from mineralized deposit obtained for this study exceeded 7000 mg kg −1 , as determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggest the co-existence of U(VI) and U(IV) at a ratio of 19:1 at the near surface region of unreacted solid samples. Analyses made using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron microprobe detected the presence of coffinite (USiO 4 ) and uranium-phosphorous‑potassium (U-P-K) mineral phases. Imaging, mapping and spectroscopy results from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) indicate that the U-P-K phases were encapsulated by carbon. Despite exposing the solid samples to strong oxidizing conditions, the highest aqueous U concentrations were measured from samples reacted with 100% air saturated 10 mM NaHCO 3 solution, at pH 7.5. Analyses using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicate that all the U(IV) in these solid samples were oxidized to U(VI) after reaction with dissolved oxygen and hypochlorite (OCl − ) in the presence of bicarbonate (HCO 3 − ). The reaction between these organic rich deposits, and 100% air saturated bicarbonate solution (containing dissolved oxygen), can result in considerable mobilization of U in water, which has relevance to the U concentrations observed at the Rio Paguate across the Jackpile mine. Results from this investigation provide insights on the reactivity of carbon encapsulated U-phases under mild and strong oxidizing conditions that have important implication in U recovery, remediation and risk exposure assessment of sites.
Retaliation and Requesting Religion Accommodation

A recent Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision on an issue of first impression suggests that requests for reasonable accommodation of religious practices or observances are generally not protected conduct within the scope of § 704, Title VII’s antiretaliation provision. The court reasoned that such a request fell did not fall within the “opposition” clause of the provision since it did not “oppose” anything the employee could have reasonably believed was discriminatory. This counterintuitive holding has the potential to frustrate Title VII’s command that employers reasonably accommodate believers by suggesting to employees that requests for accommodation are perilous. It is true that Supreme Court precedent protects an employee when the accommodation must be granted because it is reasonable and not an undue hardship on the employer. In such cases, retaliating against the employee is viewed as core religious discrimination, prohibited under § 703, and so there is no need to invoke § 704. But what if the accommodation is not legally required under Title VII? That is a very common scenario given the Supreme Court’s longstanding and extraordinarily narrow reading of the duty of accommodation under the statute. And if the Eighth Circuit’s view were to be generally adopted, employers would seem to be largely free not merely to deny the request but also take adverse employment actions against those foolish enough to ask for it. This Article analyses the complicated interaction between the accommodation command of § 703 and the retaliation prohibition of § 704. In the process it rejects the “no harm, no foul” argument sometimes made, which is that denying employment or firing a worker who seeks an “unreasonable accommodation” is not actionable because the worker will not perform the job requirements in any event. Such a view is predicated on a false notion that employees can seek accommodations only when they are faced with the choice between their religion and their job. In many cases, believers seek accommodations when their religion encourages (or discourages) but does not mandate (or prohibit) the conduct in question, a point that is often unappreciated. The Article concludes that the Eighth Circuit is wrong in its reading of § 704 as applied to requests for accommodation. Further, it argues that, regardless of the correct reading of that provision, taking adverse action against a worker whose accommodation request was legitimately denied may violate § 703’s prohibition of status discrimination, a question not answered by the Eighth Circuit.
Discharge or reuse? Comparative sustainability assessment of anaerobic and aerobic membrane bioreactors.

Water reuse is believed to be a sustainable solution to overcome the scarcity of freshwater. Aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors are becoming an effective technology for wastewater treatment and reuse. Aerobic membrane bioreactors show good nutrient removal, whereas those that are anaerobic have nutrient-rich effluent, enabling the direct agricultural use of the effluent. As a result, the end use will dictate the potential environmental impacts of the bioreactor's application. Therefore, with the consideration of the end use (i.e., discharge or reuse) of the effluent, this study aimed to compare the environmental and economic impacts associated with full-scale aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment under different end use scenarios using life cycle assessment and cost analysis. The results of these analyses show that anaerobic bioreactors have greater environmental impacts and life cycle cost than aerobic bioreactors in the discharge scenario due to the incorporation of a biological nutrient removal system. In the reuse scenario, anaerobic membrane bioreactors have lower impacts that are attributable to the offset of the nutrients required for crops, and the potential benefits vary depending on the types of crops receiving the reclaimed water. Integrating anaerobic membrane bioreactors with agricultural fertigation resulted in effluent water nitrate concentrations (after crop uptake and soil treatment) of <2 mg L-1 in most U.S. states. This indicated that the use of the anaerobic membrane bioreactors effluent for fertigation could be a win-win solution to both irrigation water shortage and high environmental impact associated with nutrient removal.
Multiple Cancers and Diffuse Bony Metastases

Twelve years ago, a man who is now 81 years old had stage II adenocarcinoma of the left breast managed by radical mastectomy. Ten years ago, he had a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate, stage A1, treated by irradiation. He now has fatigue with pain in his left shoulder and back. Imaging studies show a large excavating mass in the right lower lobe of the lung extending to the pleura with a large effusion. Lytic and blastic lesions are seen in the thoracic and lumbar spine and the right acetabula. Bone scan reveals increased uptake in the ribs bilaterally and in the left hemipelvis. A homogeneously enlarged prostate has been found with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 5.25, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, and a hemoglobin of 10 g/dl.
On Cohen-Macaulay Hopf monoids in species

We study Cohen-Macaulay Hopf monoids in the category of species. The goal is to apply techniques from topological combinatorics to the study of polynomial invariants arising from combinatorial Hopf algebras. Given a polynomial invariant arising from a linearized Hopf monoid, we show that under certain conditions it is the Hilbert polynomial of a relative simplicial complex. If the Hopf monoid is Cohen-Macaulay, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the corresponding relative simplicial complex to be relatively Cohen-Macaulay, which implies that the polynomial has a nonnegative $h$-vector. We apply our results to the weak and strong chromatic polynomials of acyclic mixed graphs, and the order polynomial of a double poset.
Higher Percentage of Patients Return to Work than Sport Following Tibial Tubercle Anteromedialization

Objectives:Tibial tubercle anteromedialization (AMZ) is a commonly performed procedure for patients with patellofemoral instability or patellofemoral osteochondral disease. While the clinical outco...
Satellite-to-satellite imaging in support of LEO optical navigation, using the ASTERIA CubeSat

The Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics (ASTERIA) was a 6-unit CubeSat technology demonstration mission that was built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on November 20th, 2017. After successfully completing its 90-day primary mission that demonstrated arcsecond-level line-of-sight pointing and focal plane thermal stability for exoplanet detection, it entered an extended mission performing onboard software demonstrations alongside science until end of mission in December 2019. At the end of its lifetime it was being used as a demonstration platform for several experiments, including low earth orbit (LEO) optical navigation operations. With its visible light astrometric camera and stable attitude control system, the ASTERIA spacecraft showed itself to be a capable platform for the imaging of geosynchronous satellites from LEO. This paper will describe the imagery attained in flight and also the image processing algorithms that were developed to render that imagery into navigation quality data. These algorithms dealt with hot pixel filtering, noise modeling, attitude registration, star signal rejection and satellite signal identification. Brightness prediction algorithms used for target selection will also be discussed.
The Internationalization of U.S. High Schools: Avenues for Future Research.

Although the internationalization of the U.S. education sector is perhaps the most salient at the postsecondary level, U.S. secondary schools have increasingly experienced the effects of globalization. In recent years, these schools have witnessed a surge in their population of international students. However, there is relatively little scholarship focused on this student population. This Research in Brief article first highlights recent research on nonimmigrant, international high school students in the United States. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory as a framework, the article then identifies areas where future research is needed to more fully explicate the unique experiences of these students and their effects on the U.S. secondary education sector.
Preoperative laboratory testing among low-risk patients prior to elective ambulatory endocrine surgeries: A review of the 2015-2018 NSQIP cohorts.

Abstract Background Preoperative laboratory tests (PLTs) are not associated with complications among healthy patients in various ambulatory procedures. This association has not been studied in ambulatory endocrine surgery. Methods The 2015–2018 NSQIP datasets were queried for elective outpatient thyroid and parathyroid procedures in ASA class 1 and 2 patients. Outcomes were compared between those with and without PLTs. Multivariate regression examined factors predictive of receiving PLTs. Testing costs were calculated. Results 58.7% of the cohort received PLTs. There were no differences in outcomes between those who were and those who were not tested. Non-white ethnicity, dyspnea, and non-general anesthesia were strongly predictive of receiving PLTs. Over $2.6 million is spent annually on PLTs in this population. Conclusions Over half of healthy patients undergoing elective thyroid and parathyroid surgery receive PLTs. Complication rates did not differ between those with and without PLTs. Preoperative testing should be used more judiciously in these patients, which may lead to cost savings.
Signatures of visuospatial information foraging during learning of complex environments

Abstract Many real world environments contain latent features that animals must learn in order to accomplish their goals. Animals often learn these environments over sequences of choices, but the behavioral mechanisms underlying this complex cognitive competence remain poorly characterized. We investigate this sophisticated behavior in two primate species, humans and macaque monkeys, with a task in which subjects searched for shapes hidden on a grid. Both primate species were adept learners, quickly learning the subset of shapes out of the numerous possibilities. Subjects tended to select tiles earlier in trials that were informative in the past about the hidden shape than those that were rewarding. In addition, we found a surprising signature of foraging behavior over sequences of choices during trials, with human subjects searching local areas of the board until information dropped below the average across all choices, at which time they jumped to a different part of the board. This pattern of choices was not evident for rewards in humans. In contrast, the sequences of choices of monkeys were equally well-described as information or reward foraging. Finally, the rate at which humans learned shapes could be predicted by how well their choice sequences matched foraging behavior. These findings suggest that humans are more tuned to the search for information than reward than monkeys and that foraging competence predicts the capacity to learn complex environments.
Cardiac Masses and Miscellaneous

A 59-year-old man presented with acute dysarthria and left hemiparesis, which lasted for 15 min and spontaneously resolved. He had no risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and had a negative family history for stroke or other premature cardiovascular diseases. Cardiac examination revealed a grade 3/6 systolic murmur at the left parasternal border.
Detection of multiple deformable objects using PCA-SIFT

In this paper, we address the problem of identifying and localizing multiple instances of highly deformable objects in real-time video data. We present an approach which uses PCA-SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) in combination with a clustered voting scheme to achieve detection and localization of multiple objects while providing robustness against rapid shape deformation, partial occlusion, and perspective changes. We test our approach in two highly deformable robot domains and evaluate Its performance using ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) statistics.
Charge-delay (Qt) as a performance metric for low-power CMOS circuit design

The advent of low-power design has created a need for a metric (Figure of Merit) that is convenient to use in technical communications as well as a design guide. This paper examines a few common metrics for evaluating low-power CMOS circuit design effectiveness. It identifies charge-delay product (Qt) as a convenient and balanced metric. This function has an optimum point offering a better criterion than other common metrics for circuits that have operating margins that depend on the circuit delays.
Characterization of an anthraquinone fluor from the bioluminescent, pelagic polychaete Tomopteris.

Tomopteris is a cosmopolitan genus of polychaetes. Many species produce yellow luminescence in the parapodia when stimulated. Yellow bioluminescence is rare in the ocean, and the components of this luminescent reaction have not been identified. Only a brief description, half a century ago, noted fluorescence in the parapodia with a remarkably similar spectrum to the bioluminescence, which suggested that it may be the luciferin or terminal light-emitter. Here, we report the isolation of the fluorescent yellow–orange pigment found in the luminous exudate and in the body of the animals. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the mass to be 270 m/z with a molecular formula of C15H10O5, which ultimately was shown to be aloe-emodin, an anthraquinone previously found in plants. We speculate that aloe-emodin could be a factor for resonant-energy transfer or the oxyluciferin for Tomopteris bioluminescence. © 2014 The Authors. Luminescence published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Interrogating Transability: A Catalyst to View Disability as Body Art

Keywords body modification, ableism, pathogolizing disability, transability, transition Abstract This paper interrogates transability – the need or desire to transition from supposed binary states of physical ability to physical disability - by positioning it within the boundaries of acceptable body modification. The pathology of this bodily transition, noted in the literature, is dissected to inquire how compulsory able-bodiedness and ableism enable the pathologization of transabled people. Transabled people depart from ableist compulsions "to never want to be disabled" but needing it to feel "whole" or who they really are. A key informant interview with a transabled man, who has lived as a paraplegic for a decade, provides a humanizing account of this often problematic identity from the standpoint of the disability community. Instead of concluding with resolution about the meaning of transability or disability as body art – the piece closes with several questions to promote a dialog on the boundaries of transition.
High mobility in monolayer MoS 2 devices grown by chemical vapor deposition

Monolayer (1L) two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as MoS 2 have garnered attention for highly scaled optoelectronics [1,2], due to their sub-nm thickness and direct band gap. For practical applications, such films must be grown on large areas with good electrical properties. However, the highest reported mobility values of 1L MoS 2 grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to date have been below 20 cm2/V/s, and only on isolated single crystals [3,4]. Here we demonstrate CVD-grown continuous 1L MoS 2 with mobilities comparable to those of exfoliated samples over a range of temperatures (T = 80–500 K) and carrier densities (up to n ≈ 5×1012 cm−2). We also demonstrate the highest current density reported to date (∼275 µA/µm) at 300 K for an 80 nm channel length FET built from CVD-grown 1L MoS 2 .
Current status of GaN heterojunction bipolar transistors

This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art GaN HBT results, and discusses the advantages of GaN HBTs over GaN HFETs and other material systems for high power amplifier applications. Technical difficulties associated with GaN HBTs such as MOCVD material growth, ICP dry etching, and ohmic contact issues are discussed. Methods for the elimination of technical issues and the authors' recommended approaches for practical realization of the GaN HBT-based RF high power amplifiers are described.
Sputtering and Desorption from Icy Surfaces

The data from the Pioneer and Voyager missions, the improvements in ground-based observations, and the recent Hubble Space Telescope observations have revolutionized our understanding of the outer solar system. Quite remarkably, a new area of physics has evolved based on the exploration of the outer solar system, the study of the sputtering of surfaces composed of low- temperature condensed gases. Sputtering of such materials is of interest because most of the small, icy objects in the outer solar system are exposed to a plasma (the solar plasma, a planetary magnetospheric plasma, or a local pick-up ion plasma) and the plasma bombardment leads to the efficient ejection of material from such surfaces (e.g. Johnson 1990, 1996)
7. Which Capitalism?: Lessons from the East Asian Crisis

As a result of the Asian crisis, relationship-based systems are now under attack for being inefficient and corrupt. Yet, till recently, they were proposed as an alternative form of capitalism to the arm's length Anglo-Saxon system. What went wrong? This paper suggests that relationship-based systems work well when contracts are poorly enforced and capital scarce. Power relationships substitute for contracts, and can achieve better outcomes than a primitive contractual system. But a relationship-based system suppresses the price system and the signals it provides. As a result, relationship-based systems can misallocate capital when presented with large external capital inflows. Since the external capital comes from arm's length investors who typically have little contractual rights or power in a relationship system, and since these investors are rationally aware of the potential for misallocation, they rationally choose to maintain control over borrowers by keeping their claims short term. Thus, the contact between the two systems creates a fragile hybrid, which while mutually beneficial to relationship borrowers and arm's length investors in normal times, is excessively prone to shocks. The paper suggests that while there may be some short term benefits for these economies to revert to the pure relationship-based system, in the long run they will be held back unless they have the greater disclosure, contract enforcement, and competition of the arm's length system. The current Asian crisis may be the most opportune moment for these economies to effect the transition between systems.
Electromagnetic coupling to nano-devices: 2D vs. 1D

This paper discusses the coupling of two dimensional and one dimensional nano-materials to electromagnetic waves across the spectrum, from RF to light wave.