cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Covariance Data to Select Experiments Relevant to Target Systems for GNEP

The relevance of selected experiments to specific GNEP target systems is investigated with the use of representativity methods. In this approach, the similarity between the target system and selected experiments in connection with a response parameter of interest is quantitatively evaluated by comparing the sensitivity profiles of the response parameter with respect to the nuclear data in the two systems, filtered by the estimated covariance data.
Dried extracts of Encholirium spectabile (Bromeliaceae) present antioxidant and photoprotective activities in vitro

The antioxidant and photoprotective activities of dried extracts from the leaves of Encholirium spectabile were investigated. It was also evaluated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents by the Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by using of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging and β-carotene–linoleic acid bleaching and compared with ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) used as reference compounds. The photoprotective effect was evaluated by the spectrophotometric method. The most significant total phenolic and flavonoid contents was of 188.50 ± 27.50 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g and 129.70 ± 4.59 mg of catechin equivalent/g, respectively, for chloroform fraction (Es-CHCl3). The Es-CHCl3 also presented the best antioxidant activity (IC50 25.35 ± 4.35 μg/ml) for DPPH scavenging. The ethanol extract (Es-EtOH), Es-CHCl3 and the fraction ethyl acetate (Es-AcOEt) showed characteristic absorption bands in regions UVB and UVA in a concentration-dependent manner. Es-CHCl3 presented the highest sun protection factor SPF (8.89 ± 2.11). It shows the possibility to use this extract as sunscreen in pharmaceutical preparations.
Magnets with random anisotropies: The random cubic model and other models with p-fold spin interactions

Abstract In this paper we investigate in detail models with random anisotropies and p-fold spin interactions. We construct the random cubic model (p = 4) and show that when N > 2 (N being the number of spin components) its properties are similar to the random uniaxial anisotropy model, since quartic interactions, characteristic of the random uniaxial model, are generated through renormalization even if they vanish to start with. Similar conclusions apply to a random p-fold interaction model of the form −D∑ i ( n , i · S i ) p , when p is even. In the case of odd p, a random field interaction is generated. Other models are also discussed.
Conversion of Biomass Syngas to DME Using a Microchannel Reactor

The capability of a microchannel reactor for direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from biomass syngas was explored. The reactor was operated in conjunction with a hybrid catalyst system consisting of methanol synthesis and dehydration catalysts, and the influence of reaction parameters on syngas conversion was investigated. The activities of different dehydration catalysts were compared under DME synthesis conditions. Reaction temperature and pressure exhibited similar positive effects on DME formation. A catalytic stability test of the hybrid catalyst system was performed for 880 h, during which CO conversion only decreased from 88% to 81%. In the microchannel reactor, the catalyst deactivation rate appeared to be much slower than in a tubular fixed-bed reactor tested for comparison. Test results also indicated that the dehydration reaction rate and the water depletion rate via a water-gas-shift reaction should be compatible to achieve high selectivity to DME. Using the microchannel reactor, it was p...
Calculation of Free Energy from the Internal-Energy Distribution Function

We outline a new method for the calculation of free energies from a cumulant analysis of the internal-energy distribution function obtained from a Monte-Carlo simulation. The new methodology is validated by comparing the free energy calculated for a perfect crystal from this approach with the free energy calculated by a temperature integration scheme. By comparing the two methods for an inhomogeneous system containing grain boundaries, we investigate the effects of the local-strain distribution on the free energy; for the superlattice of twist grain boundaries studied here, the effects are found to be small.
Establishment of hormone‐dependent and hormone‐indhpendent carcinoma cell lines with different metastatic potentials from spontaneous mammary tumors in aged wistar rats

Three stable carcinoma cell lines, designated RM22-F5, RM17-5R, and RM1-4, were established from spontaneously occurring mammary carcinomas in old, outbred, female Wistar rats. The RM22-F5 and RM17-5R cells were keratin-positive and formed epithelial monolayers, whereas RM1-4 cells exhibited a spindle-like morphology and intense vimentin staining. When injected into nude mice, RM22-F5, RM17-5R and RM1-4 cells formed well-differentiated, poorly differentiated and undifferentiated carcinomas, respectively. The relative growth rates of the tumor cells in vitro were RM1-4 > RM22-F5 > RM17-5R. The growth of RM22-F5, but not of RM17-5R and RM1-4 cells, was significantly stimulated by insulin, epidermal growth factor, dexamethasone, 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone in vitro. Ovariectomy reduced the growth of RM22-F5 cells in vivo and these cells (but not RM1-4 or RM17-5R) were estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive. None of the lines were positive for the progesterone receptor (PR). Spontaneous lung and lymph-node metastases were observed in nude mice injected with RM22-F5 or RM17-5R cells, respectively. In contrast, RM1-4 cells were non-metastatic but invasive. Karyotype analysis revealed that RM22-F5 cells were hyperdiploid, RM17-5R were hypotetraploid, and RM1-4 were diploid with a sizeable insertion in chromosome 1. A point mutation in codon 12 (G to A transition) and loss of the normal allele of the H-ras-1 gene was detected in the DNA from RM22-F5 cells. No p53 mutations were apparent in any of the cell lines. The results indicate that RM22-F5 cells are hormone-dependent with an ER+/PR- phenotype, while the RM17-5R and RM1-4 lines are hormone-independent and ER-/PR-. These cell lines exhibit the spectrum of biological properties and genetic alterations observed in human breast cancers and may, therefore, be novel and useful models for understanding sporadic breast cancer in post-menopausal women.
Mapping Particulate Matter at the Body Weld Department in an Automobile Assembly Plant

A respiratory health survey conducted in an assembly plant in 2000–2001 found that welders had elevated rates of self-reported respiratory symptoms compared with painters and assembly workers. Subsequently, the ventilation system was improved at the body weld department. In a follow-up study, particle spatial distributions were analyzed, following a mapping protocol developed specifically for this workplace, to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes. Significant temporal and spatial variations were observed. Temporal variation during a shift was monitored with over-shift stationary sampling at fixed locations. Spatial variation was evaluated with 1-min time-weighted average particle concentrations measured throughout the process areas (212 locations). The arithmetic spatial mean across 212 locations for the respirable particles varied from 305 μg/m3 to 501 μg/m3 on 6 sampled days, with a standard deviation of 71 μg/m3, indicating that the difference between before and after countermeasures must be at l...
Typical and Optimal Aging in Women and Men: Is There a Double Standard?:

Gender stereotypes of typical and optimal, mentally healthy aging were examined with sixty-year-old and seventy-five-year-old women, men and gender-unspecified older people as target persons. Respondents were young adult individuals (N = 232) and their older adult relatives/acquaintances (N = 233). Perceptions of typical aging varied depending on the age of the respondent, the target gender and the target age. Gender stereotypes were more pronounced than age stereotypes: respondents described same-gender targets more similarly than same-age targets. Older women were rated higher on dimensions related to nurturance while older men were rated higher on intellectual competence and autonomy. Perceptions of optimal aging were not found to be affected by the gender of the respondent or target. Views of optimal aging, however, were influenced by respondent and target age. These findings suggest a double standard of aging for typical but not for optimal aging.
Natural variation in the expression of ORGANIC CATION TRANSPORTER 1 affects root length responses to cadaverine in Arabidopsis

Polyamines, including cadaverine, are organic cations that affect numerous biological processes including transcription, translation, cell signalling, and ion channel activity. They often function in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. Because little is known about how plants respond to cadaverine, a quantitative natural variation approach was used to identify genetic factors that contribute to this response. Here it is shown that Arabidopsis thaliana accessions have varying root length responses to exogenous cadaverine: Cape Verde Islands (Cvi) was one of the most resistant accessions tested, whereas Landsberg erecta (Ler) was one of the most sensitive. Recombinant inbred lines, near isogenic lines, and a microarray were used to show that variation in ORGANIC CATION TRANSPORTER 1 (OCT1) is at least partially responsible for this difference. OCT1 expression was higher in Cvi than in Ler, and oct1 mutants were more sensitive to cadaverine than wild-type plants. In oct1 mutants transformed with an ectopic copy of OCT1 originating from either Cvi or Ler, the expression level of the transgene, not its accession, correlated with the cadaverine response. These results suggest that decreased OCT1 expression confers cadaverine sensitivity in some accessions.
Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on hand and forearm blood flow

We have assessed the relationship between the aorto-radial pressure difference at the conclusion of cardiopulmonary bypass and blood flow to the hand. Hand blood flow was estimated from the difference between forearm blood flow measured without and with exclusion of the hand circulation. On the same hand, the skin temperature on the palm and on the middle finger was recorded, with the amplitude of the finger pulse oximeter trace. The aorto-radial pressure difference, after cardiopulmonary bypass, correlated with hand blood flow (r = 0.59, P = 0.002). There was a significant (P
Adenosine A2 receptor function in rat ventricular myocytes

Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate the functional significance of adenosine A2 receptor stimulation in a mammalian ventricular myocyte preparation. Methods: Isolated contracting rat ventricular myocytes were employed to assess the contractile, adenylyl cyclase and cyclic AMP responses to adenosine receptor stimulation. Results: In single myocytes the presence of A1 receptors was confirmed, as indicated by the A1 receptor agonist, phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA), reducing by 60 and 74% the inotropic response and activation of adenylyl cyclase, respectively, elicited by the β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol. An A1 receptor antagonist, dipropylcyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX), prevented the antiadrenergic action of PIA. The A2 receptor agonist, carboxyethylphenethyl-aminoethylcarboxamido-adenosine (CGS-21680; 0.01–10 μM) increased myocyte inotropy in a concentration-dependent manner, reaching a maximum of 41–45%. Ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), naphthyl-substituted aralkoxy-adenosine (SHA-082) and adenosine in the presence of DPCPX also increased myocyte inotropy, as evidenced by increases in myocyte shortening, duration of shortening, time-to-peak shortening, time-to-75% relaxation and rate of maximal shortening. The agonists, however, did not effect the maximal rate of relaxation. The A2 receptor antagonists, chlorofuranyldihydrotri-azoloquinazolinimine (CGS-15943) and chlorostyrylcaffeine (CSC), the latter selective for the A2a receptor, prevented the contractile responses elicited by the A2 agonists. Compared to the concentrations of A2 receptor agonists necessary to increase myocyte contractile variables, 3–12 times greater concentrations of the agonist were required to increase myocyte adenylyl cyclase activity and cAMP levels. Conclusion: The results suggest the presence of adenosine A2a receptors in the rat ventricular myocyte that appear to be responsible for an increase in inotropy via cAMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
Myocardial renin is neither necessary nor sufficient to initiate or maintain ventricular hypertrophy.

We tested the hypothesis that the myocardial renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is both necessary and sufficient to initiate and maintain all classes of ventricular hypertrophy. Myocardial and plasma renin and angiotensinogen were measured in rats during initiation and maintenance of ventricular hypertrophy associated with DOCA implants and 1% NaCl drinking water, with and without the AT1 ANG II receptor blocker losartan. Additional groups of rats were given a low-sodium diet (0.04%) for 3 wk. Ventricular hypertrophy was initiated within 7 days and maintained for 35 days in DOCA-treated rats despite significantly low myocardial and plasma renin, normal or low myocardial and plasma angiotensinogen, or the presence of losartan. Furthermore, there was no ventricular hypertrophy in low-salt diet-fed animals despite increased myocardial and plasma renin levels and normal angiotensinogen levels. Therefore, the myocardial RAS is not necessary to initiate or maintain cardiac hypertrophy in DOCA-treated rats and is not sufficient to initiate cardiac hypertrophy in low-salt diet-fed rats. Additionally, myocardial renin and angiotensinogen were significantly correlated with corresponding plasma levels.
Abstract T P69: Stroke Induces HDAC4 Nuclear Shuttling in Neurons

Background: Nuclear shuttling of class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) in neurons regulates apoptosis and facilitates neuronal recovery in response to injury. The present study examined the temporal profile of the subcellular localization of class II HDACs (4 and 5) in the peri-infarct cortex during brain recovery after stroke. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and were sacrificed at 2, 7 and 14 days after MCAo. Sham operated rats were used as a control (n=6/group). To identify phenotypes of HDAC immunoreactive cells, double immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against each HDAC isoform (4 or 5) along with MAP-2 (a marker of dendrites), p-NFH (a marker of axons), APC (a marker of oligodendrocytes) or GFAP (a marker for astrocytes). Results: In cortical neurons of sham operated rats, HDACs 4 and 5 immunoreactivity was mainly localized to the cytoplasm and dendrites, but not axons. Stroke significantly (p Conclusion: Our data show that stroke induces HDAC4 nuclear shuttling in neurons with increased dendritic density in the peri-infarct cortex, suggesting a role for HDAC4 in promoting neuronal remodeling after stroke.
Farletuzumab, an anti-folate receptor α antibody, does not block binding of folate or anti-folates to receptor nor does it alter the potency of anti-folates in vitro.

Purpose Folate is a cofactor in the synthesis of purines and pyrimidines; folate analogs are potent cytotoxic drugs. Folate receptor alpha (FRα), a protein-mediating cellular accumulation of folate (and anti-folates), has limited expression in normal tissues and is overexpressed by numerous carcinomas. Limited distribution and high affinity for folic acid have resulted in the development of antibodies or the use of folic acid coupled to toxins or radionuclides as therapeutic and imaging agents. Farletuzumab is an anti-FRα antibody in clinical trials for ovarian and non-small cell lung cancers. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of farletuzumab on binding and uptake of folates and anti-folates and the potency of anti-folates in vitro.
Millimeter wave imaging technology

Millimeter wave video rate focal plane imagers using passive (radiometric) and active (radar) modes of operation are described. These sensors involve compact ("folded") optics and focal plane low-noise receiver arrays. Active optics which utilize load switching and phase shifting twist reflectors are described.
MEMS packaging for reliable resonators and oscillators

MEMS resonators have been discussed as replacements for quartz crystals in electronics timing applications for more than 40 years. There have been impressive demonstrations of many important characteristics for resonators and oscillators throughout the last 20 years. However, MEMS resonators had always exhibited unacceptable levels of long-term frequency drift. Recent work has shown that placement of MEMS resonators in high-quality packages can eliminate the sources of drift. The emergence of high-quality, low-cost packaging for MEMS resonators has enabled the first demonstrations of long-term stability and opened the door for commercial applications.
Comparison of the Achilles Express Ultrasonometer with Central Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

Background:Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) devices provide portable, easy-to-operate, low-cost options for point-of-care screening of bone mineral density (BMD). Community pharmacists should be aware of the precision, sensitivity, and specificity of these devices prior to their purchase.Objective:To determine the precision, sensitivity, and specificity of the Achilles Express ultrasonometer compared with central dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (cDXA) as well as its utility as a bone density screening device in the community pharmacy setting.Methods:A prospective study in a community pharmacy and outpatient ambulatory clinic was conducted with 2 groups of white women. Group 1 participants were 25–35 years of age (young, healthy), and those in Group 2 were 45 years of age or older (postmenopausal). BMD assessments of the spine and the nondominant wrist and hip were performed using cDXA. Assessments of the heel were performed using the Achilles Express, a QUS device. The main outcome measures were correlation...
Placental transmogrification of the lung presenting as tension pneumothorax: case report with review of literature.

An unusual case of localized giant bullous emphysema with placental histologic features (also known as placental transmogrification of lung) was seen in a patient with bullae admitted for a tension pneumothorax. This report evaluates the clinical, pathologic, and surgical aspects of this unusual histologic subtype of bullous emphysema. Thus far, 12 case reports documenting 23 cases have been identified in the English literature.
Aluminum Electromigration Lifetime Variations with Linewidth: The Effects of Changing Stress Conditions

The electromigration behavior of aluminum in films deposited by In-Source evaporation has been examined for films with widths ranging from 2 to 5 ?m and lengths ranging from 30-80 cm. The linewidth dependence of the lifetime was obtained for films subjected to steady direct current stressing as well as for films subjected to pulsed current stressing. The results indicate that the observed linewidth dependence is a function of the nature of the accelerated aging method employed. Those samples subjected to high frequency, (2MHz), low duty cycle pulses showed less linewidth dependence for lifetime than did those subjected to high duty cycle and steady direct current stressing. Measurements utilizing pulse nonlinearity testing show a correlation between the onset of degradation as evidenced by a change in the thermal time constant, and the nature of the applied current stress tests is proposed which may more accurately predict metallization lifetime under actual use conditions.
The Limits of Moral Maturity

In Analects 15.19 Confucius states, “The profound person is concerned with lacking ability; [he] is not concerned with others not recognizing him.” 1 In seeming contrast to this, in Analects 15.20 Confucius states, “The profound person worries that he will leave this generation without his name being praised.” While Amy Olberding does not explicitly discuss these two passages in her article, her primary issue of concern is entangled with such a comparison—namely, how do we make sense of Confucius’ dismissal of prosaic goods such as a reputation on the one hand, while at the same time taking into account his concern (or complaints) with not achieving them on the other? Said somewhat differently, how do we understand Confucius’ statements that say, for instance, “[I] do not resent heaven” (Analects 14.35), while also giving due attention to his more spontaneous remarks in the narrative depictions of his life that say things such as, “Heaven has forsaken me” (Analects 11.9)? Olberding addresses this issue by referring to two pre-theoretical sensibilities associated with the good life—those “elements that contribute to our personal happiness and well-being,” which she calls “the desirable”; and the “character and conduct that we... esteem worthy of admiration,” which she calls “the admirable” (Olberding 2013: 419). She explains that these two sensibilities can, in fact, come apart in the complexities of life. The figure of Confucius, as found in the Analects, is intriguing because he has “unknotted the tangle of desires in a self-conscious decision to seek his primary good in the admirable” (Olberding 2013: 427). In other words, when recognizing his limitations on achieving the desirable, Confucius prioritizes the admirable. Moral maturity, the central concept of Olberding’s article, is the means by Dao (2015) 14:567–572 DOI 10.1007/s11712-015-9468-4
Reinventing Media Activism: Public Interest Advocacy in the Making of U.S. Communication-Information Policy, 1960-2002

This monograph is a long-term analysis of citizens' collective action to influence public policy toward communication and information. We define and defend a vision of communication and information policy (CIP) as a comprehensive and integrated policy domain. We also define and describe the three primary modes of advocacy around CIP issues. We draw on theories of institutions and institutional change to provide a framework for the report. Organizational ecology methods are used to analyze how the population of public interest advocacy groups has changed over 40 years. Organizational ecology is a social science method that looks at organizations in a particular field as a population and analyzes how the size and composition of the population changes over time. Our research gathered data on the formation and disbandment of public interest advocacy organizations devoted to CIP issues in the United States from 1961 to 2002. That data permitted us to estimate changes in the size of the population, its ideological composition, which media or information policy issues the groups focused on, and which modes of advocacy were employed. We gathered comprehensive data about congressional testimony on communication and information policy issues in the U.S. Congress from 1969 to 2002. That data permits us to objectively measure the amount of Congressional activity on CIP issues in a given year, permitting analysis of how it changed over time and how the numbers compared to other issue areas. It also tells us how often specific public interest organizations and the individuals who work for them have gained access to lawmakers. We describe and assess the mass media activism of the mid-1960s and 1970s, the period of the most rapid rate of growth in the population. We show that most advocacy at this time focused on broadcasting and cable TV. We discuss four major institutional changes in CIP that occurred in this period, with or without the advocates' participation. We describe how the 1980s was characterized by major changes in both the political climate and the type of communication-information policy issues under consideration. We document the appearance of computer professionals and technologists organizing around computer-related policy issues in the organizational population for the first time. We show how in the 1990s digital technology became the focal point of institutional change in CIP, leading to an explosion of Congressional activity, bringing in a new generation of advocacy groups and creating a major change in the composition of the advocacy organization population.
A New Metric for Automated Stability Identification in Time Domain Milling Simulation

A new metric is presented to automatically establish the stability limit for time domain milling simulation signals. It is based on periodically sampled data. Because stable cuts exhibit forced vibration, the sampled points repeat over time. Periodically sampled points for unstable cuts, on the other hand, do not repeat with each tooth passage. The metric leverages this difference to define a numerical value of nominally zero for a stable cut and a value greater than zero for an unstable cut. The metric is described and is applied to numerical and experimental results. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4032586]
My Money Versus Your Money: An Examination of NGOs' Income and Expenditure; Evidence From UK International NGOs

Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have various sources of income and expenditure. They have donated and commercial incomes, and they spend them on both charitable and non-charitable expenditure. Standard economic theory implies that different sources of income are fungible, which means that income elasticities should be the same across income and expenditure categories. This paper seeks to test that assumption using panel data on 74 UK-based international NGOs. I find that changes in donated income primarily affect charitable expenditures, while changes in commercial income sources seem to affect mostly expenditures that relate less to the NGO's charitable mission. These findings suggest that income is not fungible but that NGOs have mental accounts.
Simultaneous Full-waveform Inversion For Source Wavelet And Earth Model

The theory of full-waveform inversion developed by Tarantola (1988) included inversion for the source wavelet. Source-wavelet inversion has been performed in the time domain by Zhou et al. (1997) and in the frequency domain by Pratt (1999). Minkoff and Symes (1997) performed simultaneous inversion for reflectivity and source based on primary reflections in a layered earth. Since we believe a synthetic study of the stability and accuracy of source inversion to be important to both seismic acquisition and inversion communities, we performed a simultaneous fullwaveform inversion for the source wavelet and model parameters (P-wave velocity in this test).
CHROMOSOMAL DIVERGENCE AND SPECIATION IN TWO FAMILIES OF NORTH AMERICAN FISHES.

Cladogenesis, or splitting, refers to the formation of independently evolving lineages from a single ancestral line. A fundamental cladogenetic process is speciation. Rates of cladogenesis vary greatly among different groups or phylads. Occasionally, rates of speciation may appear very different even among closely related phylads living in similar macroenvironments. Theoretical models have recently been proposed which predict relative levels of genetic divergence between species belonging to species-rich (speciose) versus species-poor (depauperate) phylads (Avise and Ayala, 1975). The predictions of these models depend upon the relationship between rates of speciation and amount of genetic or mdlecular divergence. The qualitative results are as follows: (1) when genetic distance between species is a function of time since they last shared a common ancestor, the mean level of genetic
The initial treatment of the concept of function in the selected secondary school mathematics textbooks in the US and China

In order to provide insight into cross-national differences in students’ achievement, this study compares the initial treatment of the concept of function sections of Chinese and US textbooks. The number of lessons, contents, and mathematical problems were analyzed. The results show that the US curricula introduce the concept of function one year earlier than the Chinese curriculum and provide strikingly more problems for students to work on. However, the Chinese curriculum emphasizes developing both concepts and procedures and includes more problems that require explanations, visual representations, and problem solving in worked-out examples that may help students formulate multiple solution methods. This result could indicate that instead of the number of problems and early introduction of the concept, the cognitive demands of textbook problems required for student thinking could be one reason for differences in American and Chinese students’ performances in international comparative studies. Implicatio...
Testing of a 1 meter Mars IceBreaker Drill in a 3.5 meter Vacuum Chamber and in an Antarctic Mars Analog Site

In this paper we report on the development of a rotary-percussive sampling drill: the IceBreaker. The purpose of the drill is to penetrate at least 1 meter in icy-regolith and in ice, and acquire sub-surface sample for science analysis. The drill was tested at a Mars analog site in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and inside a 3.5 meter vacuum chamber in icy-soil, ice and ice with 2% perchlorate. In all cases, the drill reached ~1 meter depth in approximately one hour. The average power was 100 Watts and Weight on Bit was less than 100 Newton. This corresponds to the drilling energy of 100 Whr. In each case approximately 500 cubic centimeters of sample was recovered and deposited into sterile bags.
'Gaming the system' in Newton's Playground.

This paper describes the current status of ongoing research looking into students gaming the system behaviors in an open-ended learning environmentthe game Newtons Playgroundin relation to their physics learning, enjoyment of the game, and persistence. Our next step is to code students gaming behaviors and then compare learning via pretest and posttest scores. Well also examine gaming behaviors relative to enjoyment of the game and persistence. Findings can inform improvements to Newtons Playground (and other games) and guide the design of scaffolding for students in other OELEs.
Septal and Turbinate Surgery in Revision Sinus Surgery

• Septal deviation and turbinate variants can encroach on sinus drainage pathways and may benefit from correction in the revision surgical patient.
Reflective Polyethylene Mulch Reduces Mexican Bean Beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Densities and Damage in Snap Beans

Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, is a serious pest of snap beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., in the eastern United States. These beetles are intolerant to direct sunlight, explaining why individuals are typically found on the undersides of leaves and in the lower portion of the plant canopy. We hypothesized that snap beans grown on reflective, agricultural polyethylene (plastic mulch) would have fewer Mexican bean beetles and less injury than those grown on black plastic or bare soil. In 2014 and 2015, beans were seeded into beds of metallized, white, and black plastic, and bare soil, in field plots near Blacksburg, VA. Mexican bean beetle density, feeding injury, predatory arthropods, and snap bean yield were sampled. Reflected light intensity, temperature, and humidity were monitored using data loggers. Pyranometer readings showed that reflected light intensity was highest over metallized plastic and second highest over white plastic; black plastic and bare soil were similarly low. Temperature and humidity were unaffected by treatments. Significant reductions in Mexican bean beetle densities and feeding injury were observed in both metallized and white plastic plots compared to black plastic and bare soil, with metallized plastic having the fewest Mexican bean beetle life stages and injury. Predatory arthropod densities were not reduced by reflective plastic. Metallized plots produced the highest yields, followed by white. The results of this study suggest that growing snap beans on reflective plastic mulch can suppress the incidence and damage of Mexican bean beetle, and increase yield in snap beans.
Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension before and after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Background Right ventricular function is impaired in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) have been shown to help assess right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension. Our goal was to (1) assess TAPSE and RVFAC before and after PTE, and (2) assess correlation of these variables with right heart catheterization data and PVR. Methods We evaluated 67 consecutive patients with CTEPH for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). Of these 67 patients, 48 were deemed surgical candidates. Preoperative right heart catheterization was performed within 1.3±1.2 days of the preoperative echocardiogram. All postoperative right heart catheterizations were performed on the first postoperative day. Results TAPSE dropped from 18±6 to 10±3 mm after PTE (P Conclusion In patients with CTEPH, TAPSE paradoxically decreased by 50% early after PTE. TAPSE correlated inversely with PVR prior to PTE, but this correlation was lost completely after PTE. Thus, despite the immediate and marked decrease in afterload postoperatively, TAPSE did not improve; thus, TAPSE cannot be used as an early marker for surgical success.
Salt and Water Uptake in Nanoconfinement under Applied Electric Field: An Open Ensemble Monte Carlo Study

Permeation of electrolytes in nanoporous materials underlies many applications in energy and materials technologies. Wetting of apolar nanopores can be enhanced by electric field, attracting water and ions from unperturbed electrolyte bath. We study absorption of water and NaCl in the pores by Expanded Ensemble Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation, which implements particle insertions and deletions through incremental changes in particles’ coupling with the system. We determine the uptake of water and ions in the pores, and concomitant changes in pore thermodynamics, as functions of field strength in the pore and salinity in the external bath. Pressure increase and reduction of wetting free energy, σ, in the pore intensify near-quadratically with the field. Surprisingly, the influence of bulk salinity on σ can change qualitatively with pore width and field strength. Conforming to Gibbs adsorption isotherm, narrow pores with salt molality below that of the bath experience an increase in σ with rising bul...
The Impact of Hospice Services in the Care of Patients with Advanced Stage Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract Introduction: Prior research has shown that advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in hospice care receive less aggressive treatment at the end of life (EOL) without compromising survival. Our purpose was to profile the continuum of care of these patients, exploring the connection between hospice enrollment and quality indicators for excellence in EOL cancer care. Methods: One hundred ninety-seven deceased stage IV NSCLC patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2010 at two separate tertiary care centers within the same county were identified. A retrospective review was conducted, collecting data from electronic medical records regarding antitumor treatment, postdiagnosis hospital visits and admissions, hospice referrals and enrollments, and circumstances surrounding the patient's death. Patients were grouped by their status of hospice enrollment, and the remainder of the measures compared accordingly. Results: There was no significant difference found in total number of pos...
Restorying the Self: Bending Toward Textual Justice

In this essay, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and Amy Stornaiuolo explore new trends in reader response for a digital age, particularly the phenomenon of bending texts using social media. They argue that bending is one form of restorying, a process by which people reshape narratives to represent a diversity of perspectives and experiences that are often missing or silenced in mainstream texts, media, and popular discourse. Building on Louise Rosenblatt's influential transactional theory of reading, the authors theorize restorying as a participatory textual practice in which young people use new media tools to inscribe themselves into existence. The authors build on theorists from Mikhail Bakthin to Noliwe Rooks in order to illustrate tensions between individualistic “ideological becoming” and critical reader response as a means of protest. After discussing six forms of restorying, they focus on bending as one way youth make manifest their embodied, lived realities and identities, providing examples from sites of ...
Bridge with a left ventricular assist device to a simultaneous heart and kidney transplant: Review of the United Network for Organ Sharing database

Background Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation as a bridge to cardiac transplantation (BTT) is an effective treatment for end-stage heart failure patients. Currently, there is an increasing number of patients with a LVAD who need a heart and kidney transplant (HKT). Little is known of the prognostic outcomes in these patients. This study was undertaken to determine whether an equivalent outcome would be present in HKTs as compared to a non-LVAD primary HKT cohort. Methods We reviewed the United Network for Organ Sharing database from 2004 to 2013. Orthotropic heart transplant recipients (n = 49 799) were subcategorized as dual organ HKT (n = 1 921) and then divided into cohorts of HKT following continuous flow left ventricular assist device placement (CF-VAD-HKT, n = 113) or no LVAD placement (HKT, n = 1 808). Survival after transplantation was analyzed. Results For CF-LVAD-HKT and HKT cohorts, preoperative characteristics were similar regarding age (50.8 ± 13.7, 50.1 ± 13.7, p = 0.75) and panel reactive antibody (12.3 ± 18.4 vs 7.1 ± 18.4, p = 0.06). Donors were similar in age, gender, creatinine, and ejection fraction. Post-transplant, there was no difference in complications. Survival for CF-LVAD-HKT and HKT were similar at 1 year (77% vs 82%) and 3 years (75% vs 77%, log rank p = 0.2814). Conclusions For patients with advanced heart failure and persistent renal dysfunction, simultaneous HKT is a safe option. Survival after CF-LVAD-HKT is equivalent to conventional HKT.
Indoor Air Radon

The presence of radon is a cause for concern, because it is radioactive; and inhalation of its decay products, or progeny, at sufficiently elevated levels is known to cause lung cancer.
Amplified spontaneous emission of an end-pumped cesium vapor laser

Diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) provide a significant potential for construction of high-powered lasers. A series of models have been established to analyze the DPAL's kinetic process and most of them are based on the algorithms in which the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) effect has not been considered. However, ASE is harmful in realization of a high-powered DPAL since the gain is very high. Usually, ASE becomes serious when the volume of the gain medium is large and the pump power is high. Basically, the conclusions we obtained in this study can be extended to other kinds of laser configurations.
Retrievals of cloud droplet size from the research scanning polarimeter data: Validation using in situ measurements

Abstract We present comparisons of cloud droplet size distributions (DSDs) retrieved from the research scanning polarimeter (RSP) data with correlative in situ measurements made during the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES). The airborne portion of this field experiment was based out of St. John's airport, Newfoundland, Canada with the focus of this paper being on the deployment in May–June 2016. RSP was onboard the NASA C-130 aircraft together with an array of in situ and other remote sensing instrumentation. The RSP is an along-track scanner measuring the polarized and total reflectance in 9 spectral channels. Its uniquely high angular resolution allows for characterization of liquid water droplet sizes using the rainbow structure observed in the polarized reflectance over the scattering angle range from 135° to 165°. The rainbow is dominated by single scattering of light by cloud droplets, so its structure is characteristic specifically of the droplet sizes at cloud top (within unit optical depth into the cloud, equivalent to approximately 50 m). A parametric fitting algorithm applied to the polarized reflectance provides retrievals of the droplet effective radius and variance assuming a prescribed size distribution shape (gamma distribution). In addition to this, we use a non-parametric method, the Rainbow Fourier Transform (RFT), which allows us to retrieve the droplet size distribution itself. The latter is important in the case of clouds with complex microphysical structure, or multiple layers of cloud, which result in multi-modal DSDs. During NAAMES the aircraft performed a number of flight patterns specifically designed for comparisons between remote sensing retrievals and in situ measurements. These patterns consisted of two flight segments above the same straight ground track. One of these segments was flown above clouds allowing for remote sensing measurements, while the other was near the cloud top where cloud droplets were sampled. We compare the DSDs retrieved from the RSP data with in situ measurements made by the Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP). The comparisons generally show good agreement (better than 1 μm for effective radius and in most cases better than 0.02 for effective variance) with deviations explainable by the position of the aircraft within the cloud, or by the presence of additional cloud layers between the cloud being sampled by the in situ instrumentation and the altitude of the remote sensing segment. In the latter case, the multi-modal DSDs retrieved from the RSP data were consistent with the multi-layer cloud structures observed in the correlative High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) profiles. The results of these comparisons provide a rare validation of polarimetric droplet size retrieval techniques, demonstrating their accuracy and robustness and the potential of satellite data of this kind on a global scale.
Using Behavioral Economics to Advance Deterrence Research and Improve Crime Policy: Some Illustrative Experiments:

Recent experiments show that offender decision making is characterized by the use of cognitive heuristics. Questions remain about what this means for deterrence research and policy. I argue that the primary task is to identify ways to leverage decision-making biases to reduce crime. I outline three avenues for future research on deterrence, and discuss their relevance for crime policy. To illustrate these lines of inquiry and stimulate additional studies, I provide initial experimental results for each topic. I report evidence that (a) pseudocertainty publicity can increase perceived arrest risk and deterrent fear, (b) the availability heuristic can help explain how target characteristics affect situational perceptions of crime benefits and costs, and (c) individuals experience declining sensitivity to increases in sanction severity.
Variation in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance among red maple (Acer rubrum) urban planted cultivars and wildtype trees in the southeastern United States

Photosynthesis is a fundamental process that trees perform over fluctuating environmental conditions. This study of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) characterizes photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency in planted cultivars relative to wildtype trees. Red maple is common in cities, yet there is little understanding of how physiological processes affect the long-term growth, condition, and ecosystem services provided by urban trees. In the first year of our study, we measured leaf-level gas exchange and performed short-term temperature curves on urban planted cultivars and on suburban and rural wildtype trees. In the second year, we compared urban planted cultivars and urban wildtype trees. In the first year, urban planted trees had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis and higher overall rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance throughout the summer, relative to suburban or rural wildtype trees. Urban planted trees again had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis in the second year. However, urban wildtype trees had higher water use efficiency as air temperatures increased and similar overall rates of photosynthesis, relative to cultivars, in mid and late summer. Our results show that physiological differences between cultivars and wildtype trees may relate to differences in their genetic background and their responses to local environmental conditions, contingent on the identity of the horticultural variety. Overall, our results suggest that wildtype trees should be considered for some urban locations, and our study is valuable in demonstrating how site type and tree type can inform tree planting strategies and improve long-term urban forest sustainability.
Concealing Corruption: How Chinese Officials Distort Upward Reporting of Online Grievances

A prerequisite for the durability of authoritarian regimes as well as their effective governance is the regime’s ability to gather reliable information about the actions of lower-tier officials. Allowing public participation in the form of online complaints is one approach authoritarian regimes have taken to improve monitoring of lower-tier officials. In this paper, we gain rare access to internal communications between a monitoring agency and upper-level officials in China. We show that citizen grievances posted publicly online that contain complaints of corruption are systematically concealed from upper-level authorities when they implicate lower-tier officials or associates connected to lower-tier officials through patronage ties. Information manipulation occurs primarily through omission of wrongdoing rather than censorship or falsification, suggesting that even in the digital age, in a highly determined and capable regime where reports of corruption are actively and publicly voiced, monitoring the behavior of regime agents remains a challenge.
$\Sigma^0_1$ and $\Pi^0_1$ Equivalence Structures

We study computability theoretic properties of $\Sigma _{1}^{0}$ and $\Pi _{1}^{0}$ equivalence structures and how they differ from computable equivalence structures or equivalence structures that belong to the Ershov difference hierarchy. Our investigation includes the complexity of isomorphisms between $\Sigma _{1}^{0}$ equivalence structures and between $\Pi _{1}^{0}$ equivalence structures.
Depth-based shape-analysis.

In this paper we propose a new method for shape analysis based on the depth-ordering of shapes. We use this depth-ordering to non-parametrically define depth with respect to a normal control population. This allows us to quantify differences with respect to “normality”. We combine this approach with a permutation test allowing it to test for localized shape differences. The method is evaluated on a synthetically generated striatum dataset as well as on a real caudate dataset.
Mawson breccias intrude Beacon strata at Allan Hills, South Victoria Land; regional implications

At Allan Hills, south Victoria Land, Antarctica, Mawson tuff breccias are intrusive into Permian and Triassic Beacon strata, contrary to previous reports of the relationship. North of Watters Peak, Mawson intrusive and extrusive rocks, a megaclast unit consisting principally of beds of Member C of the Triassic Lashly Formation, and in situ brecciated Permian and Triassic country rock, taken together, comprise an assemblage of Jurassic rocks interpreted as a magmatically-driven collapse structure. At adjacent Coombs Hills the contact at one locality is intrusive but at another the relationships are less clear. The intrusive, rather than stratigraphic, relationship between Mawson tuff breccias and Beacon strata leads to reinterpretation of the Prebble Formation field relations at Otway Massif as also intrusive. Previous interpretations, based on a major unconformity at Allan Hills, of an episode of Early Jurassic pre-Ferrar erosion that created significant topography can no longer be supported.