cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proton exchange in lithium niobate as an ambipolar diffusion process

Abstract Proton exchange rate data from the literature are examined with particular emphasis on finding information about the composition dependence of the interdiffusion rate. In general, these data show that the proton exchange process yields a surface layer which is predominantly depleted of lithium and has protons replacing them on a one-for-one basis. Also, the composition profiles are generally very flat near the free surface, but the concentration changes quite abruptly in the interior of the lithium niobate crystal. These data are examined as the basis for understanding the defect motion and coupling effects in the structure.
Agonal physiology and blood gas tensions.

The partial pressures of oxygen (PO2), carbon dioxide (PCO2), and hydrogen ion concentrations (pH) were determined in the blood of young adult mice sacrificed either by cardiac arrest,” or by “asphyxiation”. Cardiac arrest was produced by electric shock, and asphyxiation by sudden occlusion of the trachea. A single blood sample, drawn from the left ventricle three minutes after death, was analyzed. Death due to asphyxiation resulted in a significantly lower PO2 when compared to death due to cardiac arrest. There was no significant difference in PCO2 or pH.
Nonlinear waves on liquid film surfaces—I. Flooding in a vertical tube

Abstract The recently available data on flooding in two-phase annular flow are examined via a simplified version of the Navier-Stokes equation. Instantaneous stress exerted on the interface by the gas phase is described by validated empirical correlations. Analysis of the equation then explains why the flat-film thickness is found to be in agreement with time-averaged values under total downflow and total upflow conditions. Wave celerity obtained from the equation is also found to be in excellent quantitative agreement with experimental data. More importantly, the simplicity of the equation allows analysis on the growth of nonlinear, finite-amplitude waves from the surface. A mechanism explaining the observed irregular wave behaviour near flooding is suggested.
Electronic-structure-dependent bacterial cytotoxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been previously observed to be strong antimicrobial agents, and SWNT coatings can significantly reduce biofilm formation. However, the SWNT antimicrobial mechanism is not fully understood. Previous studies on SWNT cytotoxicity have concluded that membrane stress (i.e., direct SWNT−bacteria contact resulting in membrane perturbation and the release of intracellular contents) was the primary cause of cell death. Gene expression studies have indicated oxidative stress may be active, as well. Here, it is demonstrated for the first time how SWNT electronic structure (i.e., metallic versus semiconducting) is a key factor regulating SWNT antimicrobial activity. Experiments were performed with well-characterized SWNTs of similar length and diameter but varying fraction of metallic nanotubes. Loss of Escherichia coli viability was observed to increase with an increasing fraction of metallic SWNTs. Time-dependent cytotoxicity measurements indicated that in all cases the m...
Unscrambling hepatitis C virus–host interactions

The human suffering exacted by the hepatitis C virus is enormous. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year from liver failure and cancer caused by this infection. There is no vaccine, and the available antiviral drugs are toxic, expensive and only partly effective. Progress has been hindered by the absence of cell culture and small-animal models of the infection. Nonetheless, recent advances have yielded several promising new antiviral drugs and enhanced the prospects of developing a vaccine. The recent development of a robust in vitro hepatitis C virus infection system will aid this search.
A spectral image clustering algorithm based on ant colony optimization

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a computational method used for optimization problems. The ACO algorithm uses virtual ants to create candidate solutions that are represented by paths on a mathematical graph. We develop an algorithm using ACO that takes a multispectral image as input and outputs a cluster map denoting a cluster label for each pixel. The algorithm does this through identication of a series of one dimensional manifolds on the spectral data cloud via the ACO approach, and then associates pixels to these paths based on their spectral similarity to the paths. We apply the algorithm to multispectral imagery to divide the pixels into clusters based on their representation by a low dimensional manifold estimated by the best t ant path" through the data cloud. We present results from application of the algorithm to a multispectral Worldview-2 image and show that it produces useful cluster maps.
Thermal effects and bifurcations in gas phase catalytic partial oxidations

Catalytic partial oxidation is an attractive technology for the production of intermediate chemicals. The highly exothermic nature of this process, high temperature of operation and very short contact time requires careful consideration of the accompanying thermal effects and the undesired catalytic or homogeneous reactions that could be triggered. It is essential to understand the various bifurcations (ignitions and extinctions) and the associated transients that could occur in any particular system as the desired points of operation may be on the intermediate branches. This review presents an overview of the bifurcations and the impact of various design and operating conditions on the yield (selectivity) to desired products in both laboratory and commercial scale reactors in which partial oxidations are carried out.
Molecular discrimination and contrast enhancement using a scanning coherent anti-stokes Raman microscope

Abstract New applications of a nonlinear optical microscope using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) are presented. Excellent molecular discrimination using chemically similar molecular species and signal contrast enhancement using digital image processing are demonstrated. Limitations of the technique and future applications are discussed.
Supercritical extraction of contaminants from soils and sediments

This paper summarizes representative developments in the field of polluted soil/sediment decontamination by supercritical extraction (SCE). The broad accomplishments of SCE through sustained research and its applications as a remedial technology are outlined. This technology basically employs green supercritical fluids (SCFs) such as carbon dioxide (SCCD) and water (SCW) for the extraction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and various pesticides from environmental matrices. Comprehensive data on solute solubilities in SCFs, partition equilibrium of solutes between a solid matrix and SCFs, solute desorption from the matrix, and solute separation from the SCF provide a solid basis to develop models regarding a SCE process. Significant experimental results and various proposed models to interpret the extraction phenomena from soils/sediments are presented. SCE has been developed to be applied as an environmental remedial technology after its successful use in analytical chemistry. This development has occurred because of a need for a rapid, safe and cheap cleanup method. Conventional techniques for the extraction of environmental matrices (e.g. liquid solvent extraction, thermal desorption) are time and solvent/energy consuming. The review attempts to summarize the representative studies about SCE of organic contaminants, advantages and the drawbacks of SCE compared to other remedial technologies, and economic aspects. A short section on the future direction for research in this field and general trends toward commercial applications are also included. This review is also intended as a guide for conducting a remediation study in a systematic and stepwise fashion for determination of the effectiveness of SCE technology in conjunction with other cleanup technologies. Systematically conducted and well-documented remedial studies are important in the investigation/feasibility and design processes. The applicability and inherent limitations of SCE technology to determine its specific suitability are also discussed.
Detection, isolation and management of actuator faults in parabolic PDEs under uncertainty and constraints

This paper presents a methodology for the design of integrated robust fault detection and isolation (FDI) and fault-tolerant control (FTC) architecture for transport- reaction processes modeled by nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with time-varying uncertain variables, actuator constraints and faults. The design is based on an approximate, finite-dimensional system that captures the dominant dynamic modes of the PDE. Initially, an invertible coordinate transformation, obtained with judicious actuator placement, is used to transform the approximate system into an equivalent form where the evolution of each dominant mode is excited directly by only one actuator and decoupled from the rest. For each mode, a robustly stabilizing bounded feedback controller that achieves an arbitrary degree of asymptotic attenuation of the effect of uncertainty is then synthesized and its constrained stability region is explicitly characterized in terms of the constraints, actuator locations and the size of uncertainty. A key idea in the controller synthesis is to shape the healthy closed-loop response of each mode in a prescribed fashion that decouples the effects of uncertainty and other modes on its dynamics, thus allowing (1) the derivation of performance-based FDI rules for each actuator, and (2) an explicit characterization of the state-space regions where FDI can be performed under uncertainty and constraints. Following FDI, a switching law is derived to orchestrate actuator reconfiguration in a way that preserves robust closed- loop stability. Finally, the theoretical results are demonstrated using a diffusion-reaction process example.
This time with motivation: The implications of social neuroscience for research on motivated self- and other-perception (and vice versa)

Early neural research on self-evaluation began testing whether self-evaluation was somehow neurally different than evaluations of other people and inanimate objects. Self-evaluation was lauded as potentially unique partially because of motivational and affective influences. Despite the acknowledgement that motivation influences social cognition such as self-perception, neural models of self-perception have been conspicuously silent on how motivational states affect the neural level of analysis. What can be learned by examining motivational influences on the neural systems underlying social cognition including self-perception? An emerging body of neural research on self-enhancement motivation (i.e., the motivation to see one’s self in a positive light) is described and its implications for longstanding psychological questions about self-enhancement are discussed. Finally, several additional avenues for using the neural level of analysis to test questions about motivational influences on social cognition are discussed.
Important considerations for methaemoglobin measurement in fish blood: assay choice and storage conditions

Spectrophotometric assays of methaemoglobin (metHb) in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, tilapias Tilapia niloticus and Tilapia zillii and white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, under baseline conditions, were low (<4%) for each species, and yet higher than human values (<1%). MetHb results for a given fish species varied significantly between assays and two assays were deemed unacceptable for particular animals. For rainbow trout, white sturgeon, and the two species of tilapia, the Dubowski method gave uncharacteristically high estimates of metHb. MetHb could not measured in tilapia blood using the Evelyn & Malloy method due to spectral interference. Only the Horecker & Brackett assay worked well for all species. Storage conditions were extremely important in the quantification of metHb in rainbow trout blood. For consistent values, samples can be stored up to 4 h on ice (0 degrees C) or at least 20 days under liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C). Auto-oxidation, however, elevates rainbow trout metHb at -20 and -80 degrees C. It should not be assumed that the blood of fishes and humans perform similarly during assays of metHb.
“The Internet is a Mask”: High School Students' Suggestions for Preventing Cyberbullying

Introduction: Interactions through technology have an important impact on today’s youth. While someof these interactions are positive, there are concerns regarding students engaging in negativeinteractions like cyberbullying behaviors and the negative impact these behaviors have on others. Thepurpose of the current study was to explore participant suggestions for both students and adults forpreventing cyberbullying incidents. Methods: Forty high school students participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Participantexperiences and perceptions were coded using constant comparative methods to illustrate ways inwhich students and adults may prevent cyberbullying from occurring within their school and community. Results: Students reported that peers would benefit from increasing online security, as well asbecoming more aware of their cyber-surroundings. Regarding adult-provided prevention services,participants often discussed that there is little adults can do to reduce cyberbullying. Reasons includedthe difficulties in restricting online behaviors or providing effective consequences. However, somestudents did discuss the use of in-school curricula while suggesting that adults blame people ratherthan technology as potential ways to prevent cyberbullying. Conclusion: Findings from the current study indicate some potential ways to improve adult efforts toprevent cyberbullying. These strategies include parent/teacher training in technology andcyberbullying, interventions focused more on student behavior than technology restriction, and helpingstudents increase their online safety and awareness. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(5):587–592.]
Comparison of two common pipeline structures

Two pipeline structures that are employed in commercial microprocessors are examined. The first is the load-use interlock (LUI) pipeline, which employs an interlock to ensure correct operation during load-use hazards. The second is the address-generation interlock (AGI) pipeline. It eliminates the load-use hazard but has an address-generation hazard, which requires an address-generation interlock for correct operation. The performance of these two pipelines on existing binaries and on applications that have been recompiled with a local code scheduler that understands the difference in the pipeline structures is compared. Under the assumption of perfect branch prediction, the AGI pipeline outperforms the LUI pipeline on the SPEC92 integer benchmarks, even on binaries that have been compiled for the LUI pipe. When branch prediction is considered the AGI pipeline performs significantly better than the LUI pipeline if branch prediction is more than 80% accurate and the data cache access time is greater than two cycles. Recompiling the benchmarks with a new local code scheduler optimised for the AGI pipeline provides little additional performance improvement.
Risk Factors for Peer Sexual Harassment in Schools

This study introduces potential risk factors for victimization and perpetration of sexual harassment among teens not previously studied. The first set of analyses compared histories of perpetration and victimization by gender, as well as the relationship between risk factors and perpetration or victimization. For girls (r = .544) and boys (r = .700), the relationships between perpetration and victimization histories were very strong. Most proposed risk factors were also significantly related to perpetration and victimization histories for both genders, including alcohol use frequency, delinquency, histories of family violence and victimization, cultural and personal power, and retaliation, with all increasing as perpetration or victimization history increased. For girls, two direct paths were moderately related to victimization--delinquency and family victimization. For boys, only one variable--perpetration history--was related to victimization history. Four variables were directly related to greater sexual harassment perpetration-greater personal power, delinquency, family violence, and family victimization.
Mass-Balance Effects in Depositional Systems

Abstract Net deposition is necessarily accompanied by overall loss of sediment mass from the transport system; on long time scales the deposition compensates for subsidence and creates the stratigraphic record. Although its spatial pattern changes and it can be locally stopped or reversed, depositional mass loss is a fundamental driving influence on the morphology and behavior of depositional systems. Mass extraction to deposition leads directly to facies changes as sediment flux declines; indirectly it usually leads to down-channel sediment fining as deposition preferentially removes coarser particles. Laboratory experiments illustrate the effects of systematic mass extraction on fluvial channel stacking and deposit grain size, and show how a mass-balance framework allows consistent comparison of facies despite major shifts in depocenter location. Mass-balance analysis of experimental fluvial and turbidite systems, and a turbidite mini-basin from the Gulf of Mexico, show a change from channel-dominated to lobe-dominated deposits at about 80% total mass extraction. Experimental and field studies also show a close connection between rate of mass loss and rate of downstream grain-size fining, as predicted by a mechanistic theory based on mass balance. These are first steps towards a framework for quantitative basin analysis based on mass extraction. A mass-balance framework allows for consistent, quantitative comparison across basins of varying scale and shape. Mass-balance frameworks can account for overall and/or generic mass-balance effects, and help separate them from local effects. One way to use such generalized models effectively is to view the results as reference cases of down-transport change resulting from the basic interplay of spatial mass-extraction pattern and sediment supply. Where such reference cases do not provide detailed predictions of specific field cases, they can still provide a baseline to separate local, case-specific features from generic system behavior. The approach is analogous to the way the geoid serves as a reference case against which to measure gravity anomalies.
Evidence Levels: Applied to Select Fall and Fall Injury Prevention Practices.

PROBLEM: Rehabilitation nurses know the impact of injury on function, independence, and quality of life, complicated by age-related changes associated with decreased strength, endurance, reserve, frailty, and social and financial resources. Multidisciplinary teams are essential to provide expert, age specific health care delivery to this vulnerable population across settings of care. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to apply level of evidence rating scales to identify the best practice interventions to prevent falls on rehabilitation units. KEY FINDINGS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The evidence supports the importance of determining specific risk factors and initiating multifactorial fall risk factors tailored to the individual. Yet, little evidence exists for single interventions, universal fall prevention strategies, and population-specific fall prevention strategies. A review of the literature confirms the effectiveness of many fall prevention practices and interventions remains insufficient. Of particular concern are rehabilitation units in hospitals that have higher fall rates compared to other acute units. Language: en
Calibration of remotely sensed, coarse resolution NDVI to CO2 fluxes in a sagebrush–steppe ecosystem

The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon flux can be partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R). The contribution of remote sensing and modeling holds the potential to predict these components and map them spatially and temporally. This has obvious utility to quantify carbon sink and source relationships and to identify improved land management strategies for optimizing carbon sequestration. The objective of our study was to evaluate prediction of 14-day average daytime CO2 fluxes (Fday) and nighttime CO2 fluxes (Rn) using remote sensing and other data. Fday and Rn were measured with a Bowen ratio–energy balance (BREB) technique in a sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)–steppe ecosystem in northeast Idaho, USA, during 1996–1999. Micrometeorological variables aggregated across 14-day periods and time-integrated Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (iNDVI) were determined during four growing seasons (1996–1999) and used to predict Fday and Rn. We found that iNDVI was a strong predictor of Fday (R 2 =0.79, n=66, P<0.0001). Inclusion of evapotranspiration in the predictive equation led to improved predictions of Fday (R 2 =0.82, n=66, P<0.0001). Crossvalidation indicated that regression tree predictions of Fday were prone to overfitting and that linear regression models were more robust. Multiple regression and regression tree models predicted Rn quite well (R 2 =0.75–0.77, n=66) with the regression tree model being slightly more robust in crossvalidation. Temporal mapping of Fday and Rn is possible with these techniques and would allow the assessment of NEE in sagebrush–steppe ecosystems. Simulations of periodic Fday measurements, as might be provided by a mobile flux tower, indicated that such measurements could be used in combination with iNDVI to accurately predict Fday. These periodic measurements could maximize the utility of expensive flux towers for evaluating various carbon management strategies, carbon certification, and validation and calibration of carbon flux models. D 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
A moderated mediation model: racial discrimination, coping strategies, and racial identity among Black adolescents.

This study examined a moderated mediation model among 314 Black adolescents aged 13–18. The model included general coping strategies (e.g., active, distracting, avoidant, and support-seeking strategies) as mediators and racial identity dimensions (racial centrality, private regard, public regard, minority, assimilationist, and humanist ideologies) as moderators of the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Moderated mediation examined if the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms varied by the mediators and moderators. Results revealed that avoidant coping strategies mediated the relation between perceptions of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. The results indicated that avoidant coping strategies mediated the relation between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms among youth with high levels of the minority/oppressive ideology.
Invited Review: Micronutrient and Trace Element Monitoring in Adult Nutrition Support

Certain disease states, strict diets, or excess nutrient intake can affect the normal balance of micronutrients and trace elements. Over time, syndromes of excess or deficiency states may be recognized. Some conditions are more common and predictable than others. This article reviews the important micronutrient and trace elements relevant to nutrition support and offers monitoring suggestions for clinical practice.
Navigating the Unknown: Shared Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty

In shared decision-making (SDM), patient and physician deliberate together on the basis of shared evidence, supporting the patient’s choice among multiple options, informed by her values and preferences. One factor complicating the implementation of SDM is uncertainty, which has long been recognized in medicine but perhaps not sufficiently addressed in the context of SDM. In order to ensure that SDM can be realistically applied to real-world clinical encounters, the issue of uncertainty should be recognized and explicitly incorporated into SDM strategies. Here we propose practical approaches, based in doctor–patient communication science and bioethics, that may be of help for incorporating the uncertainty factor into SDM in the context of the doctor-patient encounter. We also discuss how decision aids might be more widely applicable through routinely acknowledging the preference sensitivity of decisions and supplementing these tools with a discussion of uncertainty.
Site-selected transposon mutagenesis at the hcf106 locus in maize.

The High chlorophyll fluorescence106 (Hcf106) gene in maize is required for chloroplast membrane biogenesis, and the hcf106-mum1 allele is caused by the insertion of a Robertson9s Mutator Mu1 element into the promoter of the gene. Seedlings homozygous for hcf106-mum1 are pale green and die 3 weeks after germination, but only in the presence of Mutator activity conferred by active, autonomous Mu regulatory transposons elsewhere in the genome. When Mutator activity is lost, the mutant phenotype is suppressed, and homozygous plants have an almost wild-type phenotype. To isolate derivative alleles at the hcf106 locus that no longer require Mutator activity for phenotypic expression, we have developed a method for site-selected transposon mutagenesis in maize. This procedure, first described for Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila, involves using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to screen pools of individuals for insertions and deletions in genes of known sequence. Pools of seedlings segregating for the progenitor allele hcf106-mum1 were screened by PCR for insertions and deletions associated with Robertson9s Mutator. In a 360-bp target region, two new insertions and one deletion were identified in only 700 Mu-active gametes screened. One of the insertions was in the progenitor hcf106-mum1 allele and the other was in the wild-type allele, but all three new alleles were found to have break-points at the same nucleotide in the first intron. Unlike the hcf-106-mum1 progenitor allele, the deletion and one of the insertions conferred pale green seedling lethal phenotypes in the absence of mutator activity. However, the second insertion had a weak, viable phenotype under these conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Policy-based management of content distribution networks

We present a policy-based architecture for the control and management of content distribution networks that form an overlay of caching proxies over an underlying physical network. The architecture extends the policy framework used for controlling network quality of service (QoS) and security to content distribution networks. The fundamental advantage of a policy-based framework is that it allows a machine-independent scheme for managing multiple devices from a single point of control. In this article we describe this architecture and demonstrate how it enables dynamic updates to content distribution policies. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of such dynamic distribution on the cost of content serving.
Circular coinductive rewriting

Circular coinductive rewriting is a new method for proving behavioral properties, that combines behavioral rewriting with circular coinduction. This method is implemented in our new BOBJ (Behavioral OBJects) behavioral specification and computation system, which is used in examples throughout this paper. These examples demonstrate the surprising power of circular coinductive rewriting. The paper also sketches the underlying hidden algebraic theory and briefly describes BOBJ and some of its algorithms.
Telehealth problem-solving therapy for depressed low-income homebound older adults.

Objective To evaluate the acceptance and preliminary efficacy of in-home telehealth delivery of problem-solving therapy (tele-PST) among depressed low-income homebound older adults in a pilot randomized control trial designed to test its feasibility and preliminary efficacy. Methods A total of 121 homebound individuals who were age 50+ and scored 15+ on the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) participated in the three-arm randomized control trial, comparing tele-PST with in-person PST and telephone support calls. Six sessions of the PST-primary care were conducted for the PST participants. For tele-PST, sessions 2–6 were conducted via Skype video call. Acceptance of tele-PST or in-person PST was measured with the 11-item, 7-point scale modified Treatment Evaluation Inventory (TEI). A mixed-effect regression analysis was used to examine the effects of treatment group, time, and the interaction term between treatment group and time on the HAMD scores. Results The TEI score was slightly higher among tele-PST participants than among in-person PST participants. The HAMD scores of tele-PST participants and in-person PST participants at a 12-week follow-up were significantly lower than those of telephone support call participants, and the treatment effects were maintained at a 24-week follow-up. The HAMD scores of tele-PST participants did not differ from those of in-person PST participants. Conclusions Despite their initial skepticism, almost all participants had extremely positive attitudes toward tele-PST at the 12-week follow-up. Tele-PST also appears to be an efficacious treatment modality for depressed homebound older adults and to have significant potential to facilitate their access to treatment.
Alfred Tarski and a Watershed Meeting in Logic: Cornell, 1957

In the summer of 1957 at Cornell University the first of a cavalcade of large-scale meetings partially or completely devoted to logic took place—the five-week long Summer Institute for Symbolic Logic. That meeting turned out to be a watershed event in the development of logic: it was unique in bringing together for such an extended period researchers at every level in all parts of the subject, and the synergetic connections established there would thenceforth change the face of mathematical logic both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Integrals and measures

In the language of modern integration theory the term integral refers to a number of somewhat different concepts, arrived at through a variety of constructions and definitions. About the only thing that can be said about integration in reasonable generality is that an integral on a space X is a linear transformation that is defined on a vector space of functions on X and satisfies certain continuity requirements. As regards the Lebesgue integral, however, matters are in a much less chaotic state. Indeed, while a considerable number of different definitions and constructions can be found in the literature, there is unanimous agreement on what a Lebesgue integral is. We provide an axiomatic characterization.
BioEye 2015: Competition on biometrics via eye movements

Biometric recognition via eye movement-driven features is an emerging field of research. Eye movement cues are characterized by their non-static nature, the encapsulation of physical and behavioral traits, and the possibility to be recorded in tandem with other modalities, e.g. the iris. The BioEye 2015 competition was organized with the aim to boost the evolution of the eye movement biometrics field. The competition was implemented with a particular focus on the issues facing the researchers in the domain of the eye movement recognition, e.g. quality of the eye movement recordings, different visual stimulus types, and the effect of template aging on the resulting recognition accuracy. This paper describes the details and the results of the BioEye 2015 competition, which provided the largest to date biometric database containing records from 306 subjects, stimulus of two types, and recordings separated by short-time and long-time intervals.
When more 'Informed Consumers' Reduces Welfare

When product quality is unknown, a natural supposition is that having more consumers informed will increase consumer surplus and welfare. However, when a monopolist is selling a product of unknown quality, welfare can decrease in the fraction of informed consumers.
A Novel Stem-Based Mass Spectroscopic Technique: Applications to Catalytic Materials

Very high angle (∼ 100mrad) annular dark-field (HAADF) images in a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) can be used to quantitatively measure the mass of a cluster on a support material. With knowledge of the annular dark field (ADF) detector efficiency, the absolute intensity of very HAADF images can be converted to elastic scattering cross-sections. By comparing the theoretical and experimental elastic scattering cross-sections, the number of atoms can be determined. Statistical measurement of absolute cross-sections from Re-6 clusters show good agreement with theoretical cross-sections. The experimental error corresponded to ±2 Re atoms. Our experiments demonstrate the exceptional stability of the Re-6 organometallic compound relative to Re-8 clusters. This technique is presently being applied to Pt clusters.
Paternal Investment in a Seed Beetle (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): Influence of Male Size, Age, and Mating History

Males of many insect species provide large ejaculates that females may use for somatic maintenance and egg production. Male cowpea weevils, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.), contribute large ejaculates in their first mating, averaging >5% of male body mass. Here, we quantify the influence of repeated matings on male ejaculate size in C. maculatus and find that multiply mated males produce much smaller ejaculates than once-mated males. Some of this effect, however, is compensated for if males increase the length of time between matings. Male age also has a large effect on ejaculate size; two-day-old males produce larger ejaculates than either young or old males.
The Cognitive Attentional Syndrome is Associated With Sleep Difficulties in a Community Sample

We examined whether a process common to anxiety, labeled the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), is also associated with sleep disturbances. The CAS represents the sustained use of self-regulating strategies, such as rumination and worry, and beliefs individuals hold about such strategies. Using a sample of community adults located in the United States (N = 226), we found that the CAS was positively associated with sleep difficulties. The association remained intact after controlling for demographic variables, physical health, and negative affect. We further found that self-regulating strategies may be the component of the CAS that is most important to sleep disturbances. Future experimental studies are needed to elucidate whether there exists a causal, and potentially bidirectional, link between the CAS and sleep difficulties.
A Mismatch Between Patient Education Materials About Sickle Cell Disease and the Literacy Level of Their Intended Audience.

Introduction Despite the first goal of the 2010 National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, the literacy demands of much health information exceeds the reading skills of most US adults. The objective of this study was to assess the health literacy level of publicly available patient education materials for people with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Effect of an implant of trenbolone acetate and estradiol on growth, feed efficiency, and carcass composition of Holstein and beef steers

The effects of an implant of 140 mg of trenbolone acetate and 28 mg of estradiol (TBA + E2) on performance and carcass composition were evaluated with 72 individually fed steers. Holstein (n = 24), Angus (n = 24), and Angus x Simmental (n = 24) steer calves were allocated by breed and implant treatment to either an individual feeding pen (n = 36) or an electronic feeding door in a group pen (three pens with 12 animals per pen). Intake and refusal of the 85% concentrate diet were recorded daily. Animals were slaughtered when ultrasonic attenuation values of the longissimus muscle at the 12th rib reached .55, which is correlated with low Choice marbling. At slaughter, complete carcass measurements were taken and the right side of each carcass was separated into boneless wholesale cuts. Implanting with TBA + E2 improved (P less than .01) daily gain and feed efficiency. Daily gain was increased 17, 26, and 21% in Holstein, Angus, and crossbred steers, respectively. The implant increased overall daily protein and fat accretion 23%. Carcass conformation and dressing percentage were not affected (P greater than .05) by TBA + E2 treatment. Implantation with TBA + E2 had little effect on yield of wholesale boneless cuts when expressed as a percentage of carcass weight but increased absolute weight as a small degree of marbling by 6 to 40 kg.
Pseudomonas Alcaligenes Endocarditis

Pseudomonas alcaligenes is a common soil and water inhabitant that has rarely been proven a human pathogen. We describe a fatal case of Pseudomonas alcaligenes endocarditis. The need for accurate identification of unusual organisms isolated in a clinical setting are discussed.
Propaganda and American Ideological Critique

Since 1900, different schools of thought have emerged in the United States concerning the implications of propaganda for the rational-democratic society. The conversation among progressive propaganda critics, communication practitioners, rationalists, communication scientists, conservative humanists, and political polemicists reveals the panorama of American experience with and interpretation of mass persuasion. Although selectively remembered today, this dialectic provides an ideological critique that is not only powerful, but historically grounded in the vicissitudes of American culture. When fully recovered, the long-standing American dialogue on propaganda supplies a useful alternate vocabulary to Marxism for analyzing the diffusion of ideology through such ostensibly neutral channels of public communication as news, entertainment, government agencies, religion, and education.
Challenges in the evaluation of thiol-reactive inhibitors of human protein disulfide Isomerase

This paper addresses how to evaluate the efficacy of the growing inventory of thiol-reactive inhibitors of mammalian protein disulfide Isomerase (PDI) enzymes under realistic concentrations of potentially competing thiol-containing peptides and proteins. For this purpose, we introduce a variant of the widely-used reductase assay by using a commercially-available cysteine derivative (BODIPY FL L-Cystine; BD-SS) that yields a 55-fold increase in fluorescence (excitation/emission; 490/513nm) on scission of the disulfide bond. This plate reader-compatible method detects human PDI down to 5-10nM, can utilize a range of thiol substrates (including 5µM dithiothreitol, 10µM reduced RNase thiols, and 5mM glutathione; GSH), and can operate from pH 6-9.5 in a variety of buffers. PDI assays often employ low micromolar levels of substrates leading to ambiguities when thiol-directed inhibitors are evaluated. The present work utilizes 5mM GSH for both pre-incubation and assay phases to more realistically reflect the high concentration of thiols that an inhibitor would encounter intracellularly. Extracellular PDI faces a much lower concentration of potentially competing thiols; to assess reductase activity under these conditions, the pre-reduced PDI is treated with inhibitor and then fluorescence increase upon reduction of BD-SS is followed in the absence of additional competing thiols. Both assay modes were tested with four mechanistically diverse PDI inhibitors. Two reversible reagents, 3,4-methylenedioxy-β-nitrostyrene (MNS) and the arsenical APAO, were found to be strong inhibitors of PDI in the absence of competing thiols, but were ineffective in the presence of 5mM GSH. A further examination of the nitrostyrene showed that MNS not only forms facile Michael adducts with GSH, but also with the thiols of unfolded proteins (Kd values of 7 and <0.1µM, respectively) suggesting the existence of multiple potential intracellular targets for this membrane-permeant reagent. The inhibition of PDI by the irreversible alkylating agent, the chloroacetamide 16F16, was found to be only modestly attenuated by 5mM GSH. Finally, the thiol-independent flavonoid inhibitor quercetin-3-O-rutinoside was found to show equal efficacy in reoxidation and turnover assay types. This work provides a framework to evaluate inhibitors that may target the CxxC motifs of PDI and addresses some of the complexities in the interpretation of the behavior of thiol-directed reagents in vivo.
Effects of a 12-Month Educational Intervention on Clinicians' Attitudes/Practices Regarding the Screening Spiritual History

OBJECTIVES Patients' spiritual values, beliefs, and preferences are identified in outpatient medical settings by the taking of a screening spiritual history (SSH). We report the impact of an educational/training program on the attitudes/practices of physicians (MDs) and midlevel practitioners (MLPs). METHODS A convenience sample of 1082 MDs or MLPs in outpatient practices was approached to participate in a 12-month educational/training program in this single-group experimental study. Of the 1082 professionals, 48% (427 physicians, 93 MLPs) agreed to complete a questionnaire assessing demographics, practice characteristics, religiosity, and attitudes/practices regarding the SSH. Changes in attitudes/practices over time were examined and baseline predictors identified using mixed-effects regression. RESULTS Of the 520 participants completing questionnaires at baseline, 436 were assessed at 1 month (83.8%) and 432 were assessed at 12 months (83.1%). The belief that MDs should take a SSH did not significantly change over time (B = -0.022, standard error [SE] 0.028, P = 0.426). However, those who took an SSH often/always increased from 16.7% at baseline to 34.8% at 12-month follow-up (B = 0.328, SE 0.030, P < 0.0001), and perceived patient acceptance/appreciation increased from 72.1% to 80.5% (B = 0.074, SE 0.023, P = 0.001). Predictors of increased SSH taking across time among MDs were older age, female sex, family medicine specialty, prior training, and importance of religion; older age was the only predictor in MLPs. CONCLUSIONS Although attitudes toward taking an SSH were not affected, taking an SSH increased initially and was sustained over time, as did the sense that patients accepted/appreciated this practice. Educational programs of this type may be used to increase SSH taking by outpatient MDs and MLPs.
Descartes’ Dog: a Clock with Passions?

Although much has been written on Descartes’ thought on animals, not so much has originated in, or has taken full account of, Descartes’ views on (human) emotions. I explore here the extent to which the latter can contribute to the debate on whether he embraced, and to which extent, the doctrine of the bete machine. I first try to show that Descartes’ views on emotions can help offer new support to the skeptical position without necessarily creating new tensions with other central aspects of his philosophy. And second, I sketch the type of theory of animal passions which Descartes could have accepted. The general conclusion I draw is not that Descartes did not hold the view of the bete machine but rather that we can find within his thought a solid stream of ideas, which became stronger towards the end of his life, that points in the opposite direction.
Helios: web-based open-audit voting

Voting with cryptographic auditing, sometimes called open-audit voting, has remained, for the most part, a theoretical endeavor. In spite of dozens of fascinating protocols and recent ground-breaking advances in the field, there exist only a handful of specialized implementations that few people have experienced directly. As a result, the benefits of cryptographically audited elections have remained elusive. We present Helios, the first web-based, open-audit voting system. Helios is publicly accessible today: anyone can create and run an election, and any willing observer can audit the entire process. Helios is ideal for on-line software communities, local clubs, student government, and other environments where trustworthy, secret-ballot elections are required but coercion is not a serious concern. With Helios, we hope to expose many to the power of open-audit elections.
The Status of Women in STEM in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature 2007–2017

Increased efforts to diversify science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States have drastically increased the number of studies offering insight into the exp...
Pathogenesis of Some Controversial Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Clinical Entities

There are some cases of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) whose very existence, nature and pathogeneses have been controversial and require detailed discussion.
Efficient Lead-Free Solar Cells Based on Hollow {en}MASnI3 Perovskites

Tin-based perovskites have very comparable electronic properties to lead-based perovskites and are regarded as possible lower toxicity alternates for solar cell applications. However, the efficiency of tin-based perovskite solar cells is still low and they exhibit poor air stability. Here, we report lead-free tin-based solar cells with greatly enhanced performance and stability using so-called “hollow” ethylenediammonium and methylammonium tin iodide ({en}MASnI3) perovskite as absorbers. Our results show that en can improve the film morphology and most importantly can serve as a new cation to be incorporated into the 3D MASnI3 lattice. When the cation of en becomes part of the 3D structure, a high density of SnI2 vacancies is created resulting in larger band gap, larger unit cell volume, lower trap-state density, and much longer carrier lifetime compared to classical MASnI3. The best-performing {en}MASnI3 solar cell has achieved a high efficiency of 6.63% with an open circuit voltage of 428.67 mV, a short...
A Bayesian hierarchical model for related densities using Polya trees

Bayesian hierarchical models are used to share information between related samples and obtain more accurate estimates of sample-level parameters, common structure, and variation between samples. When the parameter of interest is the distribution or density of a continuous variable, a hierarchical model for continuous distributions is required. A number of such models have been described in the literature using extensions of the Dirichlet process and related processes, typically as a distribution on the parameters of a mixing kernel. We propose a new hierarchical model based on the Polya tree, which allows direct modeling of densities and enjoys some computational advantages over the Dirichlet process. The Polya tree also allows more flexible modeling of the variation between samples, providing more informed shrinkage and permitting posterior inference on the dispersion function, which quantifies the variation among sample densities. We also show how the model can be extended to cluster samples in situations where the observed samples are believed to have been drawn from several latent populations.