cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel dynamic storage allocation algorithms

A dynamic storage allocator manages space for objects whose lifetimes are not known by the system at the time for their creation. This paper examines parallel dynamic storage allocation algorithms. Three new algorithms, multiple free list fit I, modified quick fit, and multiple free list fit II, are presented which outperform all previous algorithms we tested. The performances of the three algorithms differ when the percentage of requests for large blocks is high. Multiple free list fit I is the fastest algorithm when large blocks of many different sizes are requested. Multiple free list fit II is the fastest algorithm when large blocks of only a few different sizes are requested. >
SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA ANTIGEN IN FOLLOW-UP OF CERVICAL CANCER TREATED WITH RADIOTHERAPY: EVALUATION OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS

Purpose The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen is still considered the most accurate serologic tumor marker in cervical carcinoma. We assessed the contribution of the SCC assay to the detection of recurrences in patients treated with radiotherapy. Methods and Materials The pattern of recurrence and follow-up data were prospectively recorded for 135 patients. Of the 135 patients, 103 (76.3%) had primary cervical carcinoma and 32 (23.7%) had already experienced disease recurrence that had been successfully treated with surgery ( n = 2), surgery plus radiotherapy ( n = 2), radiotherapy ( n = 5), or concomitant chemoradiotherapy ( n = 23). The follow-up evaluations (chest X-ray, abdominopelvic magnetic resonance imaging, gynecologic examination with colposcopy, Papanicolaou smear, and SCC assay) were performed at 6-month intervals; the evaluation was done earlier if recurrent disease was suspected. The median follow-up time was 29 months (range, 6–131). The SCC serum levels were assayed, and a cost analysis was done. Results A total of 481 SCC determinations were performed. Of the 135 patients, 43 (31.8%) experienced disease recurrence. The SCC levels were higher in those with recurrent disease than in the disease-free patients. Elevation of SCC was documented in 34 (79.1% sensitivity) of 43 recurrences before symptoms appeared. Of the 38 patients with serum SCC elevation, 34 developed a recurrence (positive predictive value, 89.5%). Of the 97 patients with negative SCC serum levels, 88 had negative findings at the clinicoradiologic evaluation (negative predictive value, 90.7%). A simplified approach (SCC plus gynecologic examination) was evaluated. Compared with the complete follow-up program, the rate of missed recurrence was 2.2%. The total projected cost per patient for 5 years of follow-up for the simplified procedure was approximately 12.2-fold lower than the standard approach. Conclusions Our results have shown that a simplified diagnostic approach, including the SCC assay and gynecologic examination, can detect a high rate of recurrence from cervical cancer, with a very favorable cost-effective profile.
On a second-order rotation gradient theory for linear elastic continua

Abstract A second-order rotation gradient theory for non-classical elastic continua is developed. This theory accounts for the higher-order deformation of the material structure where the material particle inside the elastic domain is idealized as a microvolume having three degrees of freedom, namely, a translation, a micro-rotation, and a higher-order micro-deformation. The associated strain energy density is a function of the infinitesimal strain tensor and the first and second gradients of the rotation tensor. It is demonstrated that for materials in nano-scale applications and because of some defects at the material structure level, a higher-order deformation measure may be needed. The second-strain gradient theory has the merit to account for the higher-order deformation of the material particle. However, this theory has limited applications because it depends on 16 additional material constants for isotropic elastic continua. By discussing some physical concepts relevant to the natures of material structures, crystallinity, and amorphousness, the second-strain gradient theory is reduced to the second-rotation gradient theory for certain types of materials. For isotropic materials, the developed second-rotation gradient theory only depends on three additional material constants instead of 16. A continuum model equipped with an atomic lattice model is then proposed to examine the applicability of the available non-classical theories and the applicability of the proposed theory for different types of materials.
Exploiting continuity-in-time in motion vision

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1992.
Sympathoinhibitory and antihypertensive actions of CGRP and methionine sulfoxide reductase: Role of immunomodulation

modulatory properties and to secrete cytotrophic factors with neuroprotective effects. MSCs have been shown to have protective effects against neuronal loss in animal models of MSA. Moreover, intra-carotid and intra-vertebral arterial MSC delivery was recently reported to significantly slow disease progression in human MSA. Safety concerns regarding the intra-arterial administration have dampened the excitement about this approach. We and others have recently developed platforms that allow for MSC delivery directly into the spinal fluid overcoming the safety concerns associated with intra-arterial administration, and delivering stem cells into the CNSmore effectively. After demonstrating the safety of this approach in animal studies, we are currently conducting a phase I/II safety study on intrathecal autologous MSC treatment of MSA utilizing a dose-escalation protocol, with a secondary goal of assessing efficacy using carefully selected measures of neurologic and autonomic deficits. Recruitment is now completed and details of this novel approach as well as early data on safety, tolerability, and efficacy will be presented.
Greenhouse gas emissions from concrete can be reduced by using mix proportions, geometric aspects, and age as design factors

With increased awareness of the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the significant contribution from the cement industry, research efforts are being advanced to reduce the impacts associated with concrete production and consumption. A variety of methods have been proposed, one of the most common being the replacement of cement as a binder in concrete with supplementary cementitious materials, such as fly ash (FA), which can have lower environmental effects. The use of FA can change the kinetics of the hydration reactions and, consequently, modify the evolution of the concrete strength over time. Yet the influence of designing structural elements to obtain the required strength at later ages has not been examined in terms of their influence on global warming potential (GWP) of concrete. This research investigates the influence of design age, in addition to mix proportions and geometric aspects, on the GWP associated with making beams, columns, and a concrete building frame. Findings suggest that while the GWP for beams is not highly dependent on concrete mixture strength, the GWP for columns is dependent on strength, thus the influence of required strength at later ages influences GWP of making columns more so than beams. For the concrete frame analyzed, a potential 45% reduction in GWP, depending on mix proportions and design age, was found. Using the findings from this research, the GWP associated with production of concrete in California could be reduced by approximately 1.8 million metric tons of CO2-eq emissions, equivalent to approximately 2% of all industrial GHG emissions in California.
Use of blood transfusion in management of anemia

Transfusion of red blood cells is useful in restoring oxygen-carrying capacity in patients with symptomatic anemia. In general, physicians should avoid transfusing blood based on hemoglobin concentration alone. Instead, they should focus on the impact of anemia on the patient's symptoms and level of activity. The concern for HIV infection and viral hepatitis has only served to highlight the potential risks associated with homologous transfusion therapy. These concerns should be carefully considered, along with possible alternatives, before a decision is made to transfuse. It is important to define the cause of anemia and to institute appropriate corrective therapy. The availability of recombinant human erythropoietin offers an option in selected patients to reduce or eliminate the need for red blood cell transfusion.
Tunable resonant and nonresonant interactions between a phase qubit and LC resonator.

We use a flux-biased radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device (rf SQUID) with an embedded flux-biased direct current SQUID to generate strong resonant and nonresonant tunable interactions between a phase qubit and a lumped-element resonator. The rf SQUID creates a tunable magnetic susceptibility between the qubit and resonator providing resonant coupling strengths from zero to near the ultrastrong coupling regime. By modulating the magnetic susceptibility, nonresonant parametric coupling achieves rates $g100\text{ }\mathrm{MHz}$. Nonlinearity of the magnetic susceptibility also leads to parametric coupling at the subharmonics of the qubit-resonator detuning.
Quality Management and Application of Oxygen Supply System in Medical Center

On the basis of the system requirement on medical oxygen supply in modern hospital, from the aspects of rigorous installation, ensuring logical course environment, following related technological standard and enhancing personnel training, the whole quality course management is put up. It is indicate that proper equipment and quality control in evary link are the quarantee of clinical service.
Fluorides in neoplastic disease.

If patients have malignant osteolytic bone lesions, they may benefit from taking fluorides by mouth. Fluorides relieve pain, and in about 40 percent of patients, increase the x-ray density of osteolytic lesions. Fluorides tend to strengthen and harden the bones, thereby decreasing the possibility of fractures, compression and deformity.
Discharge properties of primate forearm motor units during isometric muscle activity

Activity of single motor units (MUs) was recorded in forelimb muscles of rhesus macaques while they generated isometric ramp-and-hold torques about the wrist. Multiunit electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from 10-12 identified flexor and extensor muscles of the wrist and digits with implanted EMG wire electrodes. Single MUs from these muscles were recorded with a remotely controlled tripolar microelectrode array. The parent muscle of each MU was determined by compiling MU-triggered averages of multiunit EMGs. The MU firing patterns during the isometric task were determined from response histograms aligned with change in torque. At moderate torque levels, MUs (n = 86) exhibited four types of discharge patterns during the ramp-and-hold trajectory: phasic-tonic (23%), tonic (33%), decrementing (39%), and phasic (5%). Phasic-tonic MUs exhibited a phasic burst of activity during the torque ramp which exceeded the firing rate during the static hold period. Both phasic-tonic and tonic MUs exhibited a constant mean firing rate during the hold period; the discharge of decrementing MUs gradually decreased during the static hold. Phasic MUs fired only during the change in force. The relation between MU firing rate and torque was investigated as the monkeys generated responses of different levels of static torque during the hold period. Mean firing rate during the hold was found to be proportional to static torque up to moderate torque levels, where it reached a maximum. In the linear range, the mean rate-torque slope was 3.4 +/- 1.9 imp/s per 10(5) dyn . cm (n = 9).
Spatial Patterns and Frequency of Unforced Decadal-Scale Changes in Global Mean Surface Temperature in Climate Models

AbstractThe causes of decadal time-scale variations in global mean temperature are currently under debate. Proposed mechanisms include both processes internal to the climate system as well as external forcing. Here, the robustness of spatial and time scale characteristics of unforced (internal) decadal variability among phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) preindustrial control runs is examined. It is found that almost all CMIP5 models produce an interdecadal Pacific oscillation–like pattern associated with decadal variability, but the frequency of decadal-scale change is model dependent. To assess the roles of atmosphere and ocean dynamics in producing decadal variability, two preindustrial control Community Climate System model (version 4) configurations are compared: one with an atmosphere coupled to a slab ocean and the other fully coupled to a dynamical ocean. Interactive ocean dynamics are not necessary to produce an IPO-like pattern but affect the magnitude and frequency of ...
Psychiatric Disorders and the RAS

Disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder have similar reticular activating system (RAS)-related dysfunction: (a) wake–sleep disturbances, reflex hyperactivity, and decreased P50 potential habituation and (b) decreased or interrupted gamma band activity. Comorbid symptoms and genetic factors overlap greatly. Treatment of these symptoms is available with some care. Disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism include very heterogeneous populations and/or manifest only partial RAS-related dysregulation.
Gothic Landscapes: Poe and Antebellum Southern Women Poets

Bennett’s chapter introduces three antebellum Southern women poets who used Poe to re-think the antebellum South’s fantasy of itself as a dreamland (or fairyland). Like most poets of the slave-holding class, these writers were steeped in the romantic literature of fairyland and dreams that played a key role in the literary imaginary of Southern elites. Deeply familiar with Poe’s works, these women used his writings as springboards to address central issues in their lives: gender limitations, domestic violence, and the perils of slaveholding. Doing so, they created a body of work that not only helps us situate Poe as a Southern writer, but also helps establish Southern women’s poetry generally as a self-contained branch of American literature, one scholars have ignored for too long.
Deposition of magnetoelectric hexaferrite thin films on substrates of silicon

Abstract Magnetoelectric M-type hexaferrite thin films (SrCo 2 Ti 2 Fe 8 O 19 ) were deposited using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique on Silicon substrate. A conductive oxide layer of Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO) was deposited as a buffer layer with the dual purposes of 1) to reduce lattice mismatch between the film and silicon and 2) to lower applied voltages to observe magnetoelectric effects at room temperature on Silicon based devices. The film exhibited magnetoelectric effects as confirmed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques in voltages as low as 0.5 V. Without the oxide conductive layer the required voltages to observe magnetoelectric effects was typically about 1000 times larger. The magnetoelectric thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and ferromagnetic resonance techniques. We measured saturation magnetization of 650 G, and coercive field of about 150 Oe for these thin films. The change in remanence magnetization was measured in the presence of DC voltages and the changes in remanence were in the order of 15% with the application of only 0.5 V (DC voltage). We deduced a magnetoelectric coupling, α, of 1.36×10 −9 s m −1 in SrCo 2 Ti 2 Fe 8 O 19 thin films.
The Role of C-Nociceptors in Cutaneous Heat Pain and Hyperalgesia

Neurophysiological studies have demonstrated the existence of cutaneous nociceptors that respond with graded discharge to noxious heat stimuli of different temperatures. The studies have also shown that certain nociceptors can be sensitized to heat after cutaneous heat injury (Beitel and Dubner, 1976a,b, Bessou and Perl, 1969, Campbell et al., 1979, Fitzgerald and Lynn, 1977, Iggo, 1959, Kumazawa and Perl, 1977, Lynn, 1979, 1980, Meyer and Campbell, 1981, Perl et al., 1976, Torebjork and Hallin, 1974). These results indicate a role of cutaneous nociceptors in heat pain and the hyperalgesia that develops after cutaneous injury. However, no clear relationship between nociceptor responses and the sensation of pain can be established until combined neurophysiological and psychophysical studies are carried out in the same or related species using the same set of experimental stimuli. With this idea in mind, my colleagues and I have investigated some peripheral neural mechanisms of cutaneous heat pain and hyperalgesia (LaMotte et al., 1982, 1983, Torebjork et al., 1984).
The Source, Form, and Goal of Art in Anton Chekhov’s The Sea Gull

Excessive attention to the personal dimension may distract the reader or audience member in responding to Anton Chekhov’s The Sea Gull from noticing the most important meaning of the play: the dialectic over the source, form, and goal of art. As for the source of art, Chekhov’s character Nina says that the source of her acting art is her faith in herself; Konstantin sees the source of art as a gush that spontaneously surges from the soul of the artist, as he or she tries to stop thinking; and the play shows Boris taking notes from life for ideas he has for stories and novels. As far as form goes, Konstantin writes literature full of abstract ideas in what might be called an idealist form. Boris’s form is clearly realism. Pertaining to the goal of art, Boris clearly says that he wants to serve his country, the nation he loves, by describing the suffering of her people. The only objective stated by Konstantin is the self-referential one of creating new forms. Dr. Dorn says that no clear goal can be discerned in Konstantin’s art. Although the play presents several personal motives for Konstantin’s suicide, it also shows him realizing the superiority of Boris’s approach to art. Thus, in having Konstantin commit suicide, Chekov may be showing which side he takes in the debate.
Mobile Multiwire Gamma Camera for First-Pass Radionuclide Angiography

In this paper, we describe a compact mobile multiwire gamma camera (MWGC) dedicated to first-pass radionuclide angiography (FPRNA). Studies with this camera are performed utilizing the short-lived (T½ = 9.3 min) isotope tantalum-178 (178Ta), eluted (up to 100 mCi doses) at the patient’s bedside from a portable tungsten-tantalum generator. Processing is completed on-site within ~8 min, including calculation of right and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), ejection rate, peak filling rate (PFR), and time to peak ejection and filling. Regional ventricular volume curves allow assessment of segmental ejection and filling indices. In a recent study, high count-rate FPRNA was performed before and during coronary angioplasty in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. During coronary angioplasty, a significant transient depression in LV function was seen: the LV EF fell from 52% ± 12% to 40% ± 14% (p = 0.0001) and the PFR from 2.4 ± 0.8 to 2.0 ± 0.8 EDV/sec (p = 0.0007). Thus, the mobile MWGC, combined with 178Ta, expands the range of first-pass cardiac imaging. Imaging can now be conveniently used at bedside, during cardiac catheterization, and during coronary interventional procedures, allowing study of transient changes in ventricular function and possibly assisting in therapeutic decisions during emergency situations.
Economic inequality and belief in meritocracy in the United States

How does the context of income inequality in which people live affect their belief in meritocracy, the ability to get ahead through hard work? A prominent recent study by Newman, Johnston, and Lown argues that, consistent with the conflict theory, exposure to higher levels of local income inequality leads lower-income people to become more likely to reject—and higher-income people to become more likely to accept—the dominant United States ideology of meritocracy. Here, we show that this conclusion is not supported by the study’s own reported results and that even these results depend on pooling three distinctly different measures of meritocracy into a single analysis. We then demonstrate that analysis of a larger and more representative survey employing a single consistent measure of the dependent variable yields the opposite conclusion. Consistent with the relative power theory, among those with lower incomes, local contexts of greater inequality are associated with more widespread belief that people can get ahead if they are willing to work hard.
The effect of acute aerobic exercise on hemostasis in obstructive sleep apnea

Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an altered hemostatic balance; however, the exercise response is less described. The purpose of this study is to determine the hemostatic response after acute aerobic exercise in obstructive sleep apnea. Eighteen males (nine OSA vs. nine controls) were recruited from the university and local community. Individuals with evidence of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease were excluded. An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >5 was a criterion for OSA. Subjects performed a treadmill exercise test at 35 and 70% predicted VO2 reserve during the morning hours. Pre-exercise blood samples were obtained after 15 min supine rest and within 2 min following exercise. Repeated measures ANOVA were performed for factor VIII antigen, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen, tPA activity, and PAI-1 activity. Correlational analysis compared resting and post-exercise hemostatic factors with age, BMI, and AHI. Mean AHI was 13.00 ± 12.6. No exercise × condition interactions were observed for hemostatic markers. There was a main effect for exercise in factor VIII, tPA antigen, and tPA activity in both groups. PAI-1 activity tended to be elevated in OSA (145%) compared to controls which remained after exercise (205%) (P = 0.05). Post-exercise FVIII/Ag correlated with BMI (r = 0.52), while resting tPA/Ag correlated with AHI (r = 0.49) and age (r = 0.50). The hemostatic response after acute aerobic exercise is unaffected in mild OSA, although PAI-1 activity seems to be elevated, reducing fibrinolytic potential. BMI seems to correlate with FVIII/Ag, while tPA/Ag is associated with AHI and age.
Prediction of years of life after diagnosis of breast cancer using omics and omic-by-treatment interactions

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most common type of cancer and a major cause of death for women. Commonly, BC patients are assigned to risk groups based on the combination of prognostic and prediction factors (eg, patient age, tumor size, tumor grade, hormone receptor status, etc). Although this approach is able to identify risk groups with different prognosis, patients are highly heterogeneous in their response to treatments. To improve the prediction of BC patients, we extended clinical models (including prognostic and prediction factors with whole-omic data) to integrate omics profiles for gene expression and copy number variants (CNVs). We describe a modeling framework that is able to incorporate clinical risk factors, high-dimensional omics profiles, and interactions between omics and non-omic factors (eg, treatment). We used the proposed modeling framework and data from METABRIC (Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer Consortium) to assess the impact on the accuracy of BC patient survival predictions when omics and omic-by-treatment interactions are being considered. Our analysis shows that omics and omic-by-treatment interactions explain a sizable fraction of the variance on survival time that is not explained by commonly used clinical covariates. The sizable interaction effects observed, together with the increase in prediction accuracy, suggest that whole-omic profiles could be used to improve prognosis prediction among BC patients.
Short-run impacts of a severance tax change: Evidence from Alaska

Energy states face a fundamental tradeoff when increasing severance tax rates: potential gains in tax revenues versus potential losses in exploration, development, and production activity. Despite the significant implications of this tradeoff, there is very little empirical evidence on the short-run responsiveness of extraction-related activities to changes in severance taxes. We conduct a comparative case study to evaluate the short-term impact of a severance tax increase on oil-related activities and development in Alaska. In 2007, the introduction of “Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share” (ACES) more than tripled the tax liability for much of the oil already under production in Alaska. We construct a synthetic Alaska from a set of U.S. energy states, with the purpose of estimating the counterfactual evolution of oil production, exploration and development wells, gross state product, and employment, in the absence of ACES. Overall, our results indicate that there is no discernible difference in the outcome variables of interest between Alaska and its synthetic control after the implementation of ACES, suggesting that ACES had a minimal effect on Alaskan oil-related activity and development in the short run.
COMMENTS ON ''ON THE CONSTITUTIVE RELATIONS OF CHIRAL MEDIA AND GREEN'S DYADICS FOR AN UNBOUNDED CHIRAL MEDIUM''

Liu et al. are incorrect in claiming that previously derived expressions of the Green dyadics for homogeneous, isotropic chiral media are not “good enough.” In fact, nothing new has been presented in the subject paper. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 26: 65, 2000.
Dementia as a predictor of mortality in adult trauma patients.

Abstract Background The specific contribution of dementia towards mortality in trauma patients is not well defined. The purpose of the study was to evaluate dementia as a predictor of mortality in trauma patients when compared to case-matched controls. Methods A 5-year retrospective review was conducted of adult trauma patients with a diagnosis of dementia at an American College of Surgeons-verified level I trauma center. Patients with dementia were matched with non-dementia patients and compared on mortality, ICU length of stay, and hospital length of stay. Results A total of 195 patients with dementia were matched to non-dementia controls. Comorbidities and complications (11.8% vs 12.4%) were comparable between both groups. Dementia patients spent fewer days on the ventilator (1 vs 4.5, P = 0.031). The length of ICU stay (2 days), hospital length of stay (3 days), and mortality (5.1%) were the same for both groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Dementia does not appear to increase the risk of mortality in trauma patients. Further studies should examine post-discharge outcomes in dementia patients.
Bone Marrow Lymphoma

Lymphomas are malignant hematopoietic neoplasms arising from mature lymphoid cells that typically reside within extramedullary lymphoid tissues, including the lymph nodes and spleen. However, lymphomas can frequently involve the extranodal tissues, including peripheral blood (leukemia) and/or the bone marrow. There are even rare instances in which the bone marrow is the sole location of involvement by lymphoma [1]. A variety of infiltration patterns may be observed (paratrabecular, interstitial, or sinusoidal) in the various B and T cell lymphomas, besides varying background microenvironment inflammatory cells (e.g., in Hodgkin lymphoma, T cell lymphomas). Both pattern and microenvironment are useful features that assist in characterizing marrow involvement by providing clues to the nature of the lymphoma in cases where marrow involvement is the presenting feature. Ancillary studies such as flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry are both complementary studies in evaluating for marrow involvement.
Quantum Chemical Calculation of pKas of Environmentally Relevant Functional Groups: Carboxylic Acids, Amines, and Thiols in Aqueous Solution

Developing accurate quantum chemical approaches for calculating pKas is of broad interest. Useful accuracy can be obtained by using density functional theory (DFT) in combination with a polarizable continuum solvent model. However, some classes of molecules present problems for this approach, yielding errors greater than 5 pK units. Various methods have been developed to improve the accuracy of the combined strategy. These methods perform well but either do not generalize or introduce additional degrees of freedom, increasing the computational cost. The Solvation Model based on Density (SMD) has emerged as one of the most commonly used continuum solvent models. Nevertheless, for some classes of organic compounds, e.g., thiols, the pKas calculated with the original SMD model show errors of 6–10 pK units, and we traced these errors to inaccuracies in the solvation free energies of the anions. To improve the accuracy of pKas calculated with DFT and the SMD model, we developed a scaled solvent-accessible surf...
Phase transition in amphiphilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide): controlled gelation.

Thermally reversible gelation of polymers is of converging interest in both the fundamental research and practical biomedical or pharmaceutical applications. While the block structure is widely reported to favor gelation, there are few studies regarding the behavior of amphiphilic random copolymers. Herein, hydrophobically modified poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) polymers were designed and synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of NIPAM and butyl acrylate (BA). A library of polymer systems was created by varying the BA : NIPAM ratio, molecular weight (Mw) and concentrations. While a coil-to-globule transition induced microphase separation occurred in the dilute solution, diverse phase behaviors were observed by phase diagram study. A transparent gel phase was identified in p(NIPAM-co-BA) systems, which was missing in its block counterpart pNIPAM-b-pBA, and existed over a wider temperature range with increased BA content, Mw and concentrations. A dynamic rheological analysis revealed that the gel properties were strongly dependent on temperature, which regulated the interchain hydrophobic association, and the gel proved to be highly elastic, stable, reversible and self-healable under the optimized conditions. The p(NIPAM-co-BA) system will be highly desirable for injectable in situ forming hydrogel materials, and the study demonstrated here can be potentially extended to other amphiphilic pNIPAM copolymers.
Steigung. Richtungswinkel eines Vektors

Wir ziehen durch den Anfangspunkt der Strecke A B (Strecken mit Richtung nennt man auch Vektoren) einen Strahl a parallel zur positiven Richtung der X-Achse. Unter dem Richtungewinkel der Strecke A B verstehen wir den Winkel α, um den man diesen Strahl a im positiven Sinne um A drehen mus, bis er mit A B zusammenfallt. Es ist also $$tg\alpha = \frac{{BC}}{{AC}} = \frac{{{y_2} - {y_1}}}{{{x_2} - {x_{}}1}} = m$$ .
A Moving Belt Divertor Concept

The primary concerns in the design of a divertor component are the high heat fluxes (15 to 30 MW/m2) and the surface erosion due to plasma/wall interactions, along with the associated issue of plas...
What is Paris Doing to Us

Heidegger makes a descriptive claim that both weds his work to the history of western philosophy and incites a turn within this history. This is a combination that defines one edge of his originality. The claim is that western thought carries and perpetuates a questionableness that takes place in its own occurrence, a questionableness that takes place in the happening of everything that appears in thought. This questionableness, as it emerges early in our lineage, does not involve something present and permanent that strikes wonder in people and gives rise to reflective activity. His historical claim about the question of thought in the absence of ultimate or eternal presence sets him apart from another claim that is dominant in our tradition about the origin of thinking. That claim states that thought at its best belongs to the enactment of a primordial being or to a non-temporal order. His different claim is that our heritage of thought has its inception in the utter strangeness of things whose appearing arises in an occurrence of simultaneous coming to presence and losing presence. Our ability to think is formed by a nascent experience of being’s happening as mortal temporality in a double movement of presentation and withdrawal from presentation. There is, however, agreement on this classical idea: thought names a kind of mentation that is different from calculation, computation, and practical intelligence. Thought, which is the occurrence that defines a philosopher, arises as some people are stirred by excess to our meanings and clarity, an excess to which human being seems essentially to belong. Such people are stirred to thought by a mood which seems to be connected to this excess. This mood might be articulated by such questions as, what are things really made of? Who are we in common beyond the differences that divide us? What is the meaning of mortality? How do beings begin? Is everything that happens characterized by sameness? These are questions whose emergence requires mentation that is distinct to solving problems. They require the cultivation of perceptiveness that is strangely related both to something that is not comprehended and to the occurrence of human being.
Immigration Enforcement and Fairness to Would-Be Immigrants

This chapter argues that governments have a duty to take reasonably effective and humane steps to minimize the occurrence of unauthorized migration and stay. While the effects of unauthorized migration on a country’s citizens and institutions have been vigorously debated, the literature has largely ignored duties of fairness to would-be immigrants. It is argued here that failing to take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized migration and stay is deeply unfair to would-be immigrants who are not in a position to bypass visa regulations. Importantly, the argument here is orthogonal to the debate as to how much and what kinds of immigration ought to be allowed.
Resisting Corporeal Boundaries in Body Work and Knowledge Work

This essay summarizes two worker injury narratives: (a) one in a bodywork context and (b) the other in a knowledge work context. Framed by these narratives, the essay integrates unobtrusive control theory with recent research on organizational health and wellness Discourses1. The author highlights how the material quality of corporeal resistance may be a conduit for change in unobtrusive organizational contexts. The essay concludes with practical recommendations for workers to question hidden, problematic, work norms as well as maintain authentic health and wellness as an organizational member.
Combined effects of citric acid and pulsed light treatments to degrade B-aflatoxins in peanut

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the combination of citric acid (CA) and pulsed light (PL) treatments on B-aflatoxins inactivation and the treatment’s effects on the physicochemical properties of peanuts. AFT (B1 and B2) levels in peanuts after PL + CA treatment by ELISA and LC–MS–MS were measured and compared to untreated peanuts. The physiochemical properties of the treated samples were evaluated. Results indicate that the total number of AFTs were reduced by 98.2% (±1.03) from the combined treatment (citric acid + PL). Moreover, LC–MS/MS results confirmed that the combined treatment (citric acid + PL) reduced AFT B1 and B2 up to 98.9% (±0.8) and 98.1% (±1.1), respectively. Differences were not significant (p > 0.05) between the evaluated chemical quality indices for all experiments, while significant (p
Kratom from Head to Toe—Case Reviews of Adverse Events and Toxicities

This review describes case reports for patients with kratom-associated adverse events in order to assist clinicians with patient management. A stepwise approach is proposed for assessing active kratom users as well as considerations for the management of toxicities or withdrawal. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies illustrate the pharmacologic and toxicologic effects of kratom extract. No randomized controlled trials in humans exist that assess the safety and efficacy of the substance. Cross-sectional surveys from active users and reports from poison control centers have shown acute and chronic physiological and psychological adverse events. Reports of adverse effects associated with kratom use have demonstrated hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, hepatitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, seizure, and coma. Overdose toxidrome leads to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and fatalities. Adult and neonatal withdrawal symptoms have also occurred. Clinicians should be aware of the risks and benefits of kratom use.
Diagnosing Clause Structure in a Polysynthetic Language: Wh-Agreement and Parasitic Gaps in West Circassian

This article identifies and tests a novel diagnostic for clause structure in West Circassian, a polysynthetic language with ergative alignment. The diagnostic concerns an unusual construction involving multiple wh-agreement in relative clauses. I argue that wh-agreement morphology uniformly tracks agreement with a wh-trace, and sentences with more than one instance of wh-agreement are surface manifestations of a parasitic gap dependency. Once multiple wh-agreement is understood in this theoretically familiar light, it can be used as a powerful tool for diagnosing asymmetries between various constituents in the West Circassian clause. By appealing to well-known constraints on parasitic gap licensing, the article demonstrates that the absolutive DP raises to a position c-commanding other clausemate DPs, and applied objects may undergo optional scrambling to a position above the ergative agent.
Criteria for Maintaining Desired Contacts for Quasi-Static Systems

In robotic manipulation, finding a feasible motion plan doesn’t guarantee a successful execution. The real world could bring all kinds of unexpected changes to the planned motion, the most deadly ones are usually marked by or caused by unexpected changes of contacts (object slipping away between fingers; getting stuck somewhere, etc). We notice that some actions are more likely to maintain desired contacts than others. To help finding these actions, in this work we propose a set of criteria to quantify the robustness of contacts against modeling uncertainties and disturbance forces. Under the quasi-static assumption, we analyze the causes of contact mode (sticking, sliding, disengaged) transitions and discuss how to endure larger uncertainties and disturbances. We summarize our results into several physically meaningful and easy-to-compute scores, which can be used to evaluate the quality of each individual contacts in a manipulation system. We illustrate the meaning of the scores with a simple example.
Pedagogical Journeys or Pleasure Trips: Danish Schoolteachers’ Educational Journeys, 1898–1932

In the last decades of the nineteenth and first decades of the twentieth centuries, a wide range of pedagogical ideas were disseminated in Denmark, influencing both primary schooling and everyday school life. Many of these ideas, along with the desire for educational reform, originated in other European countries and were transferred into a Danish context. During the period 1898–1932, the Danish Ministry of Education awarded 874 grants to Danish male and female primary schoolteachers, enabling them to embark on educational journeys at home and abroad. The author analyses these journeys as an example of educational borrowing to determine the exact nature of the new, inspirational concepts and knowledge to be acquired and to ascertain which countries were perceived as being educationally progressive. From a broader perspective, this article contributes to our understanding of how academic and professional discourses of education crossed borders and contributed to national educational systems becoming more and more alike. The article concludes that the majority of teachers wanted to embark on a Bildung journey, visiting Nordic countries and Germany, with the experience of foreign culture, language and education as their desired purpose. These teachers did not seek big changes, but rather sought to incorporate new concepts and practices into their daily work. Only a minority of the group applied for grants in order to obtain inspiration for widespread reforms or pedagogical renewal. These teachers were national experts in a particular field and belonged to a wider international group, which contributed to the construction of international grammar of school reforms.
The population of oomycetes in a recycled irrigation water system at a horticultural nursery in southern California.

Abstract Recapture and recycling of irrigation water is often required to meet enormous water demands at horticultural nurseries. We tested four water types associated with a recycled irrigation system at a commercial container nursery in southern California for presence of oomycete plant pathogens from July 2015 to December 2017. These water types included: the main source of water originating from a reservoir, retention water from an on-site collection pond, irrigation water received by different growing areas within the nursery, and irrigation runoff captured in polyethylene sheet-lined runoff channels. The genera Phytophthora, Pythium, and Phytopythium together contributed more than 85% of the total oomycete population detected in the recycled irrigation system. The Phytophthora and Pythium genera were represented by member species from nine (1–4, 6–10) and eight (A, B, D-F, H-J) different sub-generic clades, respectively. Incoming water sourced from the reservoir was found to harbor known plant pathogens such as Phytophthora citricola-complex, P. capsici-cluster, P. tropicalis, P citrophthora-cluster, P. nemorosa-cluster, P. riparia, P. cryptogea-complex, P. parsiana-cluster, P. sp. nov. aff. kernoviae, Pythium dissotocum-complex, Py. oligandrum-cluster, Py. irregulare, and Phytopythium litorale. Runoff water showed the highest oomycete species richness and frequency of detection with both filtration and leaf baiting methods. In addition to plant pathogens, oomycete fish pathogens such as Aphanomyces laevis, Pythium chondricola-complex, Pythium flevoense-complex, and Saprolegnia diclina-complex were also detected in greater abundance in the recycled irrigation water. The oomycete species richness in the runoff water was correlated with several environmental parameters such as soil temperature. Greater oomycete richness in incoming water was associated with higher soil temperatures, whereas richness in runoff declines with increasing soil temperature, likely suggesting connections to weather-dependent nursery operations.
Zn2+ to probe voltage-gated proton (Hv1) channels.

Cherny and coworkers use zinc ion as a probe to identify different conformational states of voltage-gated proton (Hv1) channels.
Why Have Developers Been Powerless to Develop Ocean Power

This Article suggests that regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) offers a robust alternative to regulation by the Mineral Mining Service (MMS) for those alternative energy projects located between three to twelve nautical miles from the U.S. shore. The paper briefly illustrates the ocean’s immense potential to provide this nation with clean, sustainable, and cost-effective energy from ocean waves, tides, and currents. The paper then shows how a heated territorial dispute between FERC and MMS for control over these green energy projects obstructed the research and development necessary to make them viable as the administrative conflict generated immense risks and costs for developers. The paper discusses how ambiguous statutory authority does little to resolve the administrative debate. The paper next compares the relative capabilities of the two agencies and demonstrates that giving FERC lead authority is the soundest solution as FERC (1) has already established a regulatory regime better designed to respond to the needs of the nascent industry; (2) possesses the greatest expertise with hydropower technologies; and (3) has primary jurisdiction over hydrokinetic projects out to approximately three nautical miles from the shoreline already. Beyond these advantages, the paper further discusses the societal benefits of permanent resolution of the debate so that this "blue" green industry may flourish.
Sonographic Evaluation of Hidradenitis Suppurativa with Smartphone-Linked Portable Ultrasound.

Background: Clinical staging systems for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have poor interrater reliability and may underestimate disease activity. Sonographic staging systems may overcome these challenges, but conventional ultrasound (US) machines are expensive and bulky. Portable (p)US may facilitate the integration of sonography into routine practice. Objectives: To assess the ability of a novel smartphone-linked pUS device to identify key sonographic lesions of HS. Methods: The charts of 16 patients with HS who were assessed with pUS at the outpatient Dermatology and Wound Care Clinics of a university hospital center were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and sonographic images of the affected areas were examined. The main outcome measures were the number of patients with identifiable sonographic lesions and the number of patients with subclinical lesions detected by pUS. Results: All 3 key sonographic lesions of HS were identifiable with pUS. Sonographic lesions were identified in 10 patients (62.5%). Subclinical lesions were identified in 2 patients (12.5%); in both cases, this affected management decisions. Conclusions: We demonstrate the ability of pUS to identify the key sonographic lesions of HS. pUS is a simple and affordable way to integrate HSUS into clinical and research settings, with clear potential benefits to patients.
Nature's Rights

Do forests and rivers possess standing to sue? Do mountain ranges have substantive rights? A recent issue of The Judges’ Journal, a preeminent publication for American judges, alerts the bench, bar, and policymakers to the rapidly emerging “rights of nature,” predicting that state and federal courts will increasingly see claims asserting such rights. Within the United States, Tribal law has begun to legally recognize the rights of rivers, mountains, and other natural features. Several municipalities across the United States have also acted to recognize the rights of nature. United States courts have not yet addressed the issue, though in 2017, a Colorado District Court dismissed a suit claiming rights for the Colorado River ecosystem. Meanwhile, fourteen foreign countries have extended standing and substantive rights to nature, and that number is growing quickly. This international trend matters because U.S. Supreme Court Justices, including Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer, have argued that American courts should note and address cutting-edge legal developments in foreign jurisdictions. This Article provides the key foundational and theoretical basis for recognizing the rights of nature. It explores the intellectual and precedential basis for accepting nature’s rights, surveying developments in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and providing the only comprehensive survey of all legal systems that currently recognize such rights. It traces the geographic, theoretical, and practical development of the idea of nature’s rights, illustrating that human thought regarding the intrinsic value and rights of nature has evolved significantly since our common law on the issue was established. This Article thus provides the intellectual, moral, and philosophical grounding for students, clerks, judges, and lawmakers facing questions about extending rights to nature.
Constitutional Conscience and Plural Ethical Directionality

From the landmark work by John Rohr, Ethics for Bureaucrats, the authors seek to take a step in furthering moral readings of the Supreme Court for public administrators. While Rohr and the Constitu...