cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomarker Profiling of Neurovascular Diseases in Patients with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease.

Patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5D) have a higher risk of developing neurocognitive deficits. Stroke, cervical carotid artery disease (CCAD), and intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) are causes of such deficits in CKD5D. Chronic inflammation from renal failure elevates risk for these diseases through oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction. The adverse impact on the carotid and intracranial vasculatures contributes to the multifactorial pathophysiology of stroke. Eleven plasma biomarker levels in patients with CKD5D (n = 97) and healthy controls (n = 17-50) were measured using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Of the 97 patients with CKD5D, 24 had CCAD, 19 had ICAD, and 23 had acute stroke. Elevations in NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NALP3) levels in patients with CKD5D (+)CCAD (1.80 ± 0.11 ng/mL) compared to patients with (−)CCAD (1.55 ± 0.08 ng/mL) were statistically significant (P = .0299). Differences in D-dimer levels were also fo...
A link between harmonicity of 2-distance functions and incompressibility of canonical vector fields

Let $M$ be a Riemannian submanifold of a Riemannian manifold $\tilde M$ equipped with a concurrent vector field $\tilde Z$. Let $Z$ denote the restriction of $\tilde Z$ along $M$ and let $Z^T$ be the tangential component of $Z$ on $M$, called the canonical vector field of $M$. The 2-distance function $\delta^2_Z$ of $M$ (associated with $Z$) is defined by $\delta^2_Z=\$. In this article, we initiate the study of submanifolds $M$ of $\tilde M$ with incompressible canonical vector field $Z^T$ arisen from a concurrent vector field $\tilde Z$ on the ambient space $\tilde M$. First, we derive some necessary and sufficient conditions for such canonical vector fields to be incompressible. In particular, we prove that the 2-distance function $\delta^2_Z$ is harmonic if and only if the canonical vector field $Z^T$ on $M$ is an incompressible vector field. Then we provide some applications of our main results.
Thermophilin 109 is a naturally produced broad spectrum bacteriocin encoded within the blp gene cluster of Streptococcus thermophilus.

To demonstrate that S. thermophilus ST109 produces an antimicrobial peptide encoded within the bacteriocin-like peptide (blp) gene cluster, and to determine its broad spectrum activity against potential human pathogens. Analysis of the cell free supernatant (CFS) revealed that antimicrobial activity was associated with the presence of a heat-stable peptide of approximately 5–6 kDa; and activity was lost after protease treatment or exposure to α-amylase. Deletion of blpC, which encodes a quorum sensing induction peptide, resulted in a loss of antimicrobial activity showing that thermophilin 109 was encoded within the blp gene cluster of ST109. Sequencing of the ST109 blp gene cluster showed 90% and 99% identity to clusters previously characterized in S. thermophilus strains LMD-9 and ST106, both of which are unable to naturally produce their bacteriocins. Real-time qPCR showed that blpC and blpD were expressed approximately 24 and 100-fold higher in ST109 as compared to strain LMD-9; and broad spectrum activity was demonstrated against lactobacilli, enterococci and the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. The high level of similarity observed between the ST109 and ST106 blp gene clusters at the nucleic acid level suggests bacteriocin expression may be regulated by factors encoded elsewhere on the chromosome. Activity against E. faecalis and S. pyogenes suggest S. thermophilus ST109 could be used for food safety and probiotic applications.
The Early Universe

In this chapter, we begin to assemble resources previously developed to probe back to the earliest times in the existence of the Universe and the Galaxy. In this quest we hope to clarify the origin of the chemical elements, identify processes that led to the formation of galaxies and stars, and come to an understanding of the factors that played a role in the formation of the Earth and planets. To this end, we start with an investigation of what might be learned from an analysis of the background radiation reaching us from the most distant parts of the Universe.
Actors in whitespace: Communicating risk information on pharmaceutical websites

This study examined the use of an actor to communicate prescription drug risks on pharmaceutical websites. Participants viewed risk information for a fictitious drug in one of several static visual...
Short-Term International Travel Experience (SITE) as a Learning Model for International Education

This chapter provides a framework for using short-term international travel experience to develop cultural competence among undergraduate students. Two unique pedagogical approaches that embed short-term (7–14-day) international travel experiences into interdisciplinary courses will be discussed. Evaluation of students’ shared experiences and outcomes demonstrates the transferability and replicability of these approaches, regardless of travel location or students’ academic majors.
Surface softening regulates size-dependent stiffness of diamond nanowires

Diamond nanowires (NWs) belong to an important class of nanoscale materials for their outstanding potential in mechanical, electrical, and thermal applications. However, their mechanical behavior under pristine and defective conditions remains less understood. This paper reveals a comprehensive understanding of the effective elastic behavior of diamond NWs, and it uncovers surface-softening as the dominant mechanism that regulates their effective behavior. We applied the force-based and energy-based approaches and constructed a comparative analysis to reveal the atomistic basis behind the diameter-dependent elastic properties of the nanowires. Our findings suggest the energy-based approach to produce physically meaningful results, whereas the widely used force-based scheme produces inconsistent size-dependent behavior. Results show that, with increasing diameter, the softening of the surface and the defective regimes decreases. As a direct consequence of the alteration in the softening state, the first-order elastic modulus increases with increasing diameter, whereas the second-order modulus decreases. Also, vacancy defects, even in very dilute concentrations, are found to substantially affect the elastic behavior of the nanowire. Furthermore, surface, core, and defective regimes exhibit very different roles in nanowires of different diameters: the surface regime acts as a softer regime and the core as stiffer, regardless of the diameter. Their cumulative effect is however dominated by the surface in smaller-diameter nanowire -- but in wider diameter nanowires it is dominated by the core. As a result, the size-dependent behavior is strictly controlled by the softening state of the surface. The diameter-dependent elastic moduli show a simple power-law relation, which deviates substantially from the simple surface-to-volume ratio. These findings suggest surface-engineering as an important tool for modulating the effective behavior of brittle nanowires.
Evolution as a Timeless Continuum

In “On the Origin of Species,” Darwin describes the terrain of Patagonia at great length during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. From that experience, he inferred the importance of the environment in understanding the adaptive evolution of flora and fauna. To this day, and despite the passage of time, observations of the interrelationship between the complexity of environmental stresses and their relevance to evolution remain inferential rather than proven through rigorous scientific measurement. In the Galapagos, the Grants have attempted a distinct longitudinal study of the interrelationship between the environment and adaptive phenotype. However, their scrutiny of finch beaks and size is confounded with substantial observational bias, included no rigorous species definitions, and answered no substantive evolutionary questions since no novelty was observed (Grant, P. R., Grant, B. R. How and Why Species Multiply: The Radiation of Darwin’s Finches. Princeton University Press, 2011).
Neural Stem Cell Grafts Form Extensive Synaptic Networks that Integrate with Host Circuits after Spinal Cord Injury

Summary Neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) grafts can integrate into sites of spinal cord injury (SCI) and generate neuronal relays across lesions that can provide functional benefit. To determine if and how grafts become synaptically organized and connect with host systems, we performed calcium imaging of NSPC grafts in SCI sites in vivo and in adult spinal cord slices. NSPC grafts organize into localized and spontaneously active synaptic networks. Optogenetic stimulation of host corticospinal tract axons regenerating into grafts elicited distinct and segregated neuronal network responses throughout the graft. Moreover, optogenetic stimulation of graft-derived axons extending from the graft into the denervated spinal cord also triggered local host neuronal network responses. In vivo imaging revealed that behavioral stimulation likewise elicited focal synaptic responses within grafts. Thus neural progenitor grafts can form functional synaptic subnetworks whose activity patterns resemble intact spinal cord.
Direct CO2 air capture with aqueous 2-(ethylamino)ethanol and 2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethanol: 13C NMR speciation of the absorbed solutions and study of the sorbent regeneration improved by a transition metal oxide catalyst

Abstract The removal of CO2 from the atmosphere (DAC technology) has been accomplished at room temperature and pressure with aqueous solutions of 2-(ethylamino)ethanol (EMEA) and 2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethanol (DGA). The absorption efficiency of the sorbents has been investigated in five cycling steps of absorption-desorption, and the speciation of the solutions has been studied by 13C NMR analysis. The CO2 capture efficiency of both fresh amines is about 88%, and that of the regenerated EMEA solutions decreases to about 79% once the equilibrium between amine regeneration (at 110 °C) and CO2-loaded amine has been reached. Instead, the efficiency of regenerated DGA progressively decreases to 69% at the end of the fifth cycle. 13C NMR analysis of the absorbed solutions of EMEA indicates that CO2 is captured as amine carbamate and bicarbonate (nearly 1:1 proportion), whereas DGA carbamate is the sole species of captured CO2. To improve the efficiency of regenerated DGA solutions, solid WO3 has been employed as desorption catalyst in five subsequent cycles of absorption and desorption. At equilibrium, the efficiency of CO2 capture increased to 85%, substantially greater than that of regenerated EMEA. The catalyst has been recovered unchanged at the end of each desorption step.
Exploiting hierarchy in medical concept embedding.

Objective To construct and publicly release a set of medical concept embeddings for codes following the ICD-10 coding standard which explicitly incorporate hierarchical information from medical codes into the embedding formulation. Materials and Methods We trained concept embeddings using several new extensions to the Word2Vec algorithm using a dataset of approximately 600,000 patients from a major integrated healthcare organization in the Mid-Atlantic US. Our concept embeddings included additional entities to account for the medical categories assigned to codes by the Clinical Classification Software Revised (CCSR) dataset. We compare these results to sets of publicly released pretrained embeddings and alternative training methodologies. Results We found that Word2Vec models which included hierarchical data outperformed ordinary Word2Vec alternatives on tasks which compared naive clusters to canonical ones provided by CCSR. Our Skip-Gram model with both codes and categories achieved 61.4% normalized mutual information with canonical labels in comparison to 57.5% with traditional Skip-Gram. In models operating on two different outcomes, we found that including hierarchical embedding data improved classification performance 96.2% of the time. When controlling for all other variables, we found that co-training embeddings improved classification performance 66.7% of the time. We found that all models outperformed our competitive benchmarks. Discussion We found significant evidence that our proposed algorithms can express the hierarchical structure of medical codes more fully than ordinary Word2Vec models, and that this improvement carries forward into classification tasks. As part of this publication, we have released several sets of pretrained medical concept embeddings using the ICD-10 standard which significantly outperform other well-known pretrained vectors on our tested outcomes.
Exercise, Decision-Making, and Cannabis-Related Outcomes among Adolescents

Poor decision-making may represent a risk factor for adverse cannabis-related outcomes, whereas exercise has been linked to better executive functioning and substance use outcomes. This study exami...
Fill dynamics and sample mixing in the AirCore

Abstract. The AirCore is a long coiled tube that acts as a “tape recorder” of the composition of air as it is slowly filled or flushed. When launched by balloon with one end of the tube open and the other closed, the initial fill air flows out during ascent as the outside air pressure drops. During descent atmospheric air flows back in. We describe how we can associate the position of an air parcel in the tube with the altitude it came from by modeling the dynamics of the fill process. The conditions that need to be satisfied for the model to be accurate are derived. The extent of mixing of air parcels that enter at different times is calculated, so that we know how many independent samples are in the tube upon landing, and later when the AirCore is analyzed.
Great lakes urban pocket-beach dynamics: A GIS-based analysis of infrastructure-design influences on geomorphic development

Abstract Chicago’s lakefront beaches experienced inundation and coastal erosion when Lake Michigan’s mean annual water level rose by >1.5 m between 2013 and 2019. Understanding beach geomorphic response to this type of lake-level event is important, as future climate predictions call for a continuation of decadal oscillatory patterns. A GIS-based study of beach change was conducted along the city’s urban lakefront, where sand is embayed by groins, jetties, and revetments. Morphologic changes associated with the most recent decadal lake-level rise were evaluated in context of the surrounding infrastructure. Beach morphometrics, derived from historical aerial images and available LiDAR products, were compared against the characteristics of the fixed urban infrastructure. Overwash volumes associated with an ∼1 m-rise in lake level scaled well with beach size (R2 = 0.88), suggesting that the creation of new sediment accommodation and its spatial distribution along the urban lakefront during lake-level rise is an important control on beach morphodynamic behavior. Overwash patterns were influenced by embayment orientation and groin characteristics. Counterclockwise beach rotation of up to 21° occurred in places where shorelines were exposed to the open lake. More tightly enclosed beaches retreated more uniformly along strike due to passive inundation of terrain with lake-level rise. Our insights provide managers with useful information on key beach behavioral patterns and how they are influenced by infrastructure design, allowing for the possibility of mitigation strategies to be emplaced in anticipation of future lake-level oscillations.
The Role of Alfvén Waves in the Formation of Auroral Parallel Electric Fields

The visual aurora is a manifestation of a system of field-aligned currents that couple the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Changes in these currents are mediated by the propagation of shear mode Alfven waves along auroral field lines. The development of parallel electric fields on these field lines is considered in terms of the propagation characteristics of Alfven waves. Auroral parallel electric fields occur in low-density regions where the ratio B/n maximizes. On the scale of individual auroral arcs, the electron inertial effect becomes critically important, and inhomogeneities in the Alfven speed both parallel and perpendicular to the field must be considered to develop a complete theory of the formation of auroral arcs. Mechanisms such as nonlinear effects, ionospheric feedback or phase mixing at horizontal gradients in the Alfven speed can act to produce the narrow scales observed in auroral arcs.
The Impacts of Sharing Responsibility for Product Recovery across the Supply Chain

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs typically hold the producer - a single actor defined by the regulator - responsible for the environmental impacts of end-of-life products. This is despite emphasis on the need to involve all actors in the supply chain in order to best achieve the aims of EPR. In this paper, we examine the important economic and environmental implications of sharing EPR program costs. We use a steady-state, two-echelon supply chain model to determine the impacts of product collection and recycling mandates on the incentive to recycle, and resulting profits in the integrated and decentralized supply chains. For the decentralized supply chain, we demonstrate how the sharing of EPR program costs between the echelons can improve total supply chain profit and suggest a contract menu that can Pareto-improve profits in the decentralized supply chain. To examine both the economic and environmental performance associated with the sharing of program costs, we propose a social welfare construct that includes supply chain profit, consumer surplus, and the externalities associated with virgin material extraction, product consumption, and disposal of non-recycled products. Using a numerical example, we discuss how EPR program cost sharing may or may not improve social welfare. The results of this paper are of value to firms either anticipating or subject to product recovery legislation, and to social planners that attempt to balance the economic and environmental impacts and ensure the fairness of such legislation.
Dinosaurs: To catch a dinosaur

Chapter objectives Understanding fossils and fossilization Collecting dinosaur fossils Preparing dinosaur specimens Tales of dinosaurs This book is a tale of dinosaurs; who they were, what they did, and how they did it. But more significantly, it is also a tale of natural history. Dinosaurs enrich our concept of the biosphere , the three-dimensional layer of life that encircles the Earth. Our biosphere has a 3.8 billion -year history, and we and all the organisms around us are products of yet a fourth dimension: its history. To be unaware of the history of life is to be unaware of our organic connections to the rest of the world. Dinosaurs have significant lessons to impart in this regard, because, as we learn who dinosaurs really are, we can better understand who we really are. Ours is also a tale of science itself. In an increasingly technical world, an understanding of science and how it affects lives is important. Science depends upon imagination and creativity, as well as data. In the following pages, we hope to build a sense of the intellectual richness of science, as well as a feel for what philosopher of science Karl Popper called the “logic of scientific discovery.” The word “dinosaur” in this book . The term “dinosaur” ( deinos – terrible; sauros – lizard) was invented in 1842 by the English naturalist Sir Richard Owen (see Box 14.2) to describe a few fossil bones of large, extinct reptiles.
Representation and Analysis of Uncertainty Using Fuzzy Petri Nets

This article proposes a generalized definition of the fuzzy Petri net FPN and the reasoning structures of transitions in the FPN. Three types of fuzzy variables, local fuzzy variables, fuzzy marking variables, and global fuzzy variables, are used to model uncertainty based on different aspects of fuzzy information. A fuzzy Petri net is used to model the incomplete, uncertain, and approximate information associated with firing of transitions and changing of states in robotics and manufacturing systems. Using FPNs to model a system, a fuzzy reasoning strategy may be used to infer new fuzzy values in output places after the corresponding enabled transition is fired. A global fuzzy variable is used to sequence operations with key precedence relations for a manufacturing system. A local fuzzy variable is used to represent the uncertainty in local configuration variables of the system and may be used to control on-line reasoning about sensor-based execution. Several basic types of fuzzy Petri nets are analyzed, and the necessary and/or sufficient conditions of safeness, liveness, and reversibility are given. An example of modeling sensory transitions in a robotic system is discussed to illustrate reasoning about input local fuzzy variables to obtain mutually exclusive tokens in the output places.
Interplanetary solar-wind measurements by Mariner II

The interplanetary spacecraft Mariner II was launched on August 27.29, 1962, and it transmitted scientific and engineering data back to Earth almost continuously until January 3.29, 1963. In addition to making the first close-up measurements of electromagnetic radiation from the planet Venus, it collected data on the magnetic fields and the charged atomic particles in space for the equivalent of 104 days, extending over more than 4.5 solar rotations.
Vortex fluctuation contribution to the negative ion trapping lifetime

In the early work of Donnelly and Roberts1 on the trapping of negative ions by vortex lines in He II (bubble radius R, vortex circulation κ = h/m, and core parameter a) it was noted in passing that the trapping lifetime did not exhibit quite the right temperature dependence required by experiment.
Cost Structures in Organizations: A Strategic Paradox

Cost-cutting has been a common means in efforts to improve a firm’s ‘bottom-line’ during times of declining revenues, despite the evidence that cost-cutting has generally produced mixed results on profitability. In this paper, cost structures in firms are conceptualized as being a strategic paradox created by concurrent opposing forces which necessitate the firm to give consideration to simultaneously increasing and decreasing the cost structure. These pressures are explored via a classification of cost-programs to address alternative cost-pressures faced by firms.
Alteration of Cartilage Lysosomal Enzyme Activities during Development. (acid hydrolases/cartilage development/cartilage growth/hypophysectomy)

Cartilage cathepsin D, cathepsin B and acid phosphatase activities decreased with maturation of Sprague-Dawley rats. Although this phenomenon may largely be due to an age-dependent decrease in cell concentration at young ages (1–8 weeks), in older (8–25 weeks) rats there appeared to be a decrease in enzyme activity per cell. The dimunition in cartilage cathepsin D activity coincided with an apparent decrease in its concentration. In addition, the inverse correlation between rat age and cartilage lysosomal enzyme activities was, at least in part, tissue specific as the pattern of liver lysosomal enzyme activities was quite different from that noted with cartilage. Interestingly, hypophysectomy greatly diminished age-related modulations in lysosomal enzyme activities suggesting that one or more pituitary hormones may be involved in the mechanism of this age-dependent phenomenon. In addition, cartilage growth rate appeared to be correlated with the level of cartilage lysosomal enzyme activities, indicating that these enzymes may be related to the biochemical mechanism of cartilage growth and development.
WTO Dispute Settlement as a Tool for Conflict Management

The effect of courts arises through process and precedent. First, the process of selecting cases to escalate in the legal venue reveals information about the preferences of defendant and complainant. A third party arbitrator and multilateral membership adds international obligation and reputation as new leverage for compliance. Second, a formal dispute mechanism may have broader impact if the adjudication of one case leads to other countries reforming policies. This paper examines WTO dispute settlement to assess the role of courts to solve disputes and prevent future incidents. The effectiveness of WTO dispute settlement as a process for resolving specific disputes is tested with statistical analysis of an original dataset of potential trade disputes coded from U.S. government reports on foreign trade barriers. Evidence shows that taking a dispute to legal forum brings policy change and reduces dispute duration in comparison with outcomes achieved in bilateral negotiations. Whether these cases also prevent future disputes is more challenging to evaluate. The paper explores the possibility of precedent effects through analysis of the time trend in frequency of complaints filed by all members from 1995 to 2009.
Defining Urban Geochemistry

From 1950 to 2014, the proportion of the world's population living in urban centers has increased from 30% to 54%, and the United Nations' World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision estimates this number will reach 66%, or 6.3 billion, by 2050. Nearly 90% of this growth is projected to occur in Africa and Asia, which today remain mostly rural.
EXACT PHASE DIAGRAMS FOR THE CONDENSATION OF A KAGOMÉ LATTICE GAS WITH THREE-PARTICLE INTERACTIONS

The condensation of a two-dimensional kagome lattice gas having purely three-particle interactions is first theoretically investigated. The Hamiltonian Hlg=−∈3Σ ninjnk, where ∈3>0 is the strength. parameter of the short-range attractive triplet interaction, the sum is taken over all elementary triangles of the kagome lattice, and nl=0, 1 is an idempotent site-occupation number. The method initially involves transforming the lattice-gas model into a generalized kagome Ising model having both pair and triplet interactions as well as a magnetic field. Since the canonical partition function of a generalized kagome Ising model is equivalent (aside from known prefactors) to the canonical partition function of a standard honeycomb Ising model in a magnetic field, one can deduce the exact liquid-vapor phase diagrams of the triplet-interaction kagome lattice gas from its grand canonical partition function. As results, the liquid-vapor phase boundary (reduced chemical potential μ/∈3 vs reduced temperature T/Tc) is found to be curvilinear with a positive slope, originating at zero temperature with μ/∈3=−2/3 and analytic at its terminating critical point whose coordinates are T/Tc=1, μc/∈3=−0.64469…, where ∈3/kBTc=3.96992…. The companion coexistence curve (particle number density ρ vs. reduced temperature T/Tc) exhibits an asymmetric rounded shape with a positive-slope curvilinear diameter, and the value of the critical density ρc=0.58931…. At criticality, the expression for the coexistence curve superposes a pair of branch point singularities resulting in an infinite (vertical) slope at the critical point (T/Tc=ρ/ρc=1). The case of a kagome lattice gas having mixed attractive pair interactions and very weak repulsive triplet interactions (Axilrod-Teller) is next considered. Perturbation analyses upon exact expressions relating to the phase diagrams reveal, over chosen ranges of reduced temperatures, that the phase boundary and the diameter of the two-phase coexistence region each have a negative slope due to the repulsive three-particle interactions.
STAR parenting: A model for inservice training of child care professionals

This article describes how a parent training program, STAR, can be used as a model for inservice training for child care professionals. The STAR Parenting Program is reviewed, and how it was used as inservice training for 29 child care professionals is is described. Survey results from the participants indicated that the inservice greatly enhanced their understanding of key childrearing concepts and that the program would be useful to child care professionals in general.
Colonic Fistulization due to Pancreatitis

S PONTANEOUS COLONIC FISTULIZATION due to p a n c r e a t i t i s is u n c o m m o n ; on ly four teen recorded cases were found in a rev iew of the l i t e ra ture . T h e purpose of th is r e p o r t is to record the c l in ical and pa tho log ic fea tu res of four a d d i t i o n a l cases encoun te red a t the Los Angeles C o u n t y H o s p i t a l dur ing the l as t t w e n t y years . Two s ignif icant f ea tu res were demons t r a t e d b y these cases. F i s t u l i z a t i on never occur red dur ing the in i t ia l acu te phase of pancrea t i t i s , r a t h e r i t t ook p lace l a t e r dur ing the evo lu t ion of pe r ipanc rea t i c s u p p u r a t i o n or pseudocys t . Also, f i s tu l iza t ion fai led to influence f a v o r a b l y the course of t he p r i m a r y disease. I t n o t on ly fai led to decompress the pe r ipanc rea t i c col lect ion successful ly as m i g h t be expec ted b u t also a p p e a r e d to induce m a j o r hemor rhage and dea th .
Aging effects on fire-retardant additives in polymers

Extensive thermal aging experiments have been conducted on (i) ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) formulations containing various commercial halogenated-hydrocarbon fire-retardant additives together with Sb2O3, and (ii) on chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) formulations with and without added Sb2O3. Significant losses of both chlorine and antimony are found on aging, dependent upon the ability of the particular halocarbon to undergo intramolecular dehydrohalogenation. The stoichiometry indicates antimony volatilization as SbCl3. Arrhenius treatment of the data for the EPR formulation which undergoes the most rapid loss gives an overall activation energy of 34 kcal/mol for antimony volatilization and indicates that fire-retardant loss should become appreciable only at temperatures significantly above ambient (i.e., 70°C). Oxygen index flammability measurements showed moderately increased flammability for certain aged EPR samples, but showed significantly decreased flammability for aged CSPE which was correlated with the loss of other volatile components from the formulation.
The affirmative character of cultural studies

Drawing on the four authors’ experiences as members of a collective made up of faculty and staff housed across several academic and non-academic educational institutions in the Seattle metropolitan...
Value Theory and Online Video Gaming

Online video gaming has been an important object of study because of its complex social and cultural processes. However, few studies exist in the discipline of games studies that inspect actual gamers’ concepts of online gaming value. Value theory exists in other disciplines (economics, sociology, axiology, etc.), but has not yet been fully explored in relation to online gaming worlds. This study seeks to inspect how gamers define value and how this is expressed through their online gaming experiences. Additionally, the survey seeks to establish a link between the internal value of the games and the concept of value in the external, real world. The analysis of the survey in this paper shows that gamers establish value in online gaming in relation to value in the external.
Sodium Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors

SGLT2 inhibition offers a novel mechanism to mitigate hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes and the introduction of SGLT2 has added a significant new tool to the antihyperglycemic armamentarium. At present, 2 agents are approved for use in the United States and several more are in development. SGLT2 inhibitors are generally associated with a reduction in A1C of between 0.5% and 1%. SGLT2 inhibitors are associated with an increased incidence of urinary tract and genital infections but these infections are typically mild, responsive to treatment, and are not use limiting.
CHANGES IN SOIL PHOSPHORUS DURING 200 YEARS OF SHIFTING CULTIVATION IN INDONESIA

We investigated the long-term effects of shifting cultivation on soil phosphorus pools to understand the effects of repeated intense disturbance on nutrient cycling in rain forests and to assess the sustainability of a widespread tropical agricultural system. We studied 24 sites that formed a gradient of cultivation history near a village in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, where long-fallow shifting cultivation has been practiced for at least 200 yr. The sites, including primary forest, had undergone 0–10 prior cycles (each ∼20 yr) of cultivation and forest regrowth. The number of swidden–fallow cycles experienced at a given site was determined through interviews. Using sequential chemical extraction of surface soils, we inferred changes in the distribution and availability of soil phosphorus during 200 yr of shifting cultivation. We examined the relative importance of fire vs. secondary forest biota in mediating the changes observed by heating soils in the laboratory to simulate the conditions of a slash fir...
Pressure swing adsorption: Development of an equilibrium theory for binary gas mixtures with nonlinear isotherms

Abstract A conventional pressure swing adsorption cycle is analyzed for an arbitrary feed composition of a binary mixture where both compenents may have nonlinear equilibrium isotherms. The method of characteristics is used to solve the equilibrium-based continuity relationships resulting in an algrebraic expression for the recovery of the less strongly adsorbed component. For the case of linear isotherms, the nonlinear expression reduces properly to the previously developed and experimentally verified binary linear isotherm theory. A case study examines the separation of oxygen from air at 0.0°C and pressures up to 6.0 atm on zeolite 13X. At these conditions,the oxygen isotherm is essentially linear, but nitrogen has a concave downward equilibrium isotherm. That curvature reduces recovery compared with that expected based on purely linear isotherms, which are approached at low absolute pressures. Specifically, for constant pressure ratios the recovery decreases as either the purge pressure or feed pressure increases. Conversely, operation in the linear isotherm domain yields no independent effect of those pressures (i.e. only the pressure ratio is of consequence). In addition, when the purge pressure is fixed, there exists an intermediate pressure ratio at which maximum recovery is achieved. In contrast, recovery increases monotonically with pressure ratio in the linear isotherm region.
Ineffectiveness of low-high junctions in optimized solar cell designs

Abstract Exact numerical calculations for the back-surface field (BSF) type of silicon solar cell show that the base doping level for optimum overall performance is sufficiently high that the BSF is essentially ineffective. This implies that an optimized conventional cell will perform roughly as well as a BSF design and accounts for the fact that the highest efficiency cells to date have low resistivity bases. A second generic cell type, the high-low emitter, is also modeled. Again, no significant advantage of this cell over the conventional device is found. Summaries of optimized design performances of the different cell types are given.
Current Perspectives on HIV-1 Antiretroviral Drug Resistance

Current advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have turned HIV-1 infection into a chronic and manageable disease. However, treatment is only effective until HIV-1 develops resistance against the administered drugs. The most recent antiretroviral drugs have become superior at delaying the evolution of acquired drug resistance. In this review, the viral fitness and its correlation to HIV-1 mutation rates and drug resistance are discussed while emphasizing the concept of lethal mutagenesis as an alternative therapy. The development of resistance to the different classes of approved drugs and the importance of monitoring antiretroviral drug resistance are also summarized briefly.
The effects of axial conduction on collector heat removal factor

Abstract A closed form solution is presented which predicts the performance of a solar collector and includes the effects of axial conduction in the receiver. The results are presented in terms of the well known collector heat removal factor which is shown to be a function of three dimensionless design parameters. The error, which is introduced by neglecting axial conduction, was found to be less than 30 per cent, for all collectors and less than 12 per cent for most collectors.
A Middle-Age Woman with Sudden Onset Dyspnea

In this series, a clinician extemporaneously discusses the diagnostic approach (regular text) to sequentially presented clinical information (bold). Additional commentary on the diagnostic reasoning process (italics) is integrated throughout the discussion.
Thermopower composition dependence in ferrospinels

Abstract The composition dependence of thermoelectric power (Seebeck coefficient) in ferrospinels with fixed valence foreign cations has been calculated via combined small polaron and cation distribution models. Satisfactory agreement with experimental data is achieved assuming cation distribution thermodynamic constants to be independent of foreign cation concentration. Data are analyzed for a trivalent foreign cation (Al 3+ ) at elevated temperature and for divalent foreign cations (Ni 2+ , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ ) at lower temperatures.
Prosthodontic management of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain

Guidelines for advanced education in prosthodontics describe specific competency levels. The complex nature of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and oral facial pain requires a multidisciplinary team. However, the multifactorial nature of this malady places some aspects of this disease beyond the traditional education of a prosthodontist. The management goals for the prosthodontist as a member of a TMD team are patient comfort, occlusal stability, and/or the complex restoration of teeth.
The Fertility Transition in Egypt: Intraurban Patterns in Cairo

Fertility transitions are historically thought to have started in cities and then spread to the rest of the country. This would suggest that in Egypt we would find that Cairo was well ahead of the rest of the nation in its fertility transition. The data suggest otherwise and highlight the fact that many parts of Cairo are still experiencing high levels of fertility. Population geographers have generally examined differences only between urban and nonurban areas, but incorporating census tract level data from the 1996 and 1986 censuses of Egypt into a geographic information system, we are able to show that there are substantial intraurban geographic variations in fertility within the greater Cairo area. These spatial patterns are indicative of underlying clusters of differences in human reproduction that have important implications for understanding the decline of fertility within Cairo and the spread of that decline throughout the remainder of Egypt.
Sexual competition in captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu)

Packard, J.M., Babbitt, K.J., Franchek, K.M. and Pierce, P.M., 1991. Sexual competition in captive collared peccaries ( Tayassu tajacu ). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 29:319-326. Collared peccaries are one of the few native North American ungulates that show very little sexual dimorphism. As they live in large social groups and communal suckling has been observed in the wild, the authors expected intrasexual competition to be low in a large captive group. A group assembled from several capture locations (7:17 adults ) was observed for 1 year. All-occurrence and ad libitum data were collected during 1-h evening sample periods on at least 15 days of each month. Dominance interactions among males were not linear and squabbles were more frequent on days when a female was in estrus. Initially, 1 male was dominant, intimidating other males, scent marking and defending estrous females. When he stopped showing assertive behavior, some of the other adult males started marking objects and defending estrous females. Proximity of young males was tolerated by adult males even though the juveniles mounted females. Mounts occurred frequently when females were not fertile. Dominant (marking) males mounted during fertile periods more often, and adult non-dominant adult males mounted during fertile periods less often than expected by chance. Non-dominant adult males mounted when > 1 female was in estrus. Estrous periods did not appear to be synchronized and occurred throughout the year. Serious injuries were inflicted during male-male and female-female fights. It is predicted that more detailed observations of wild groups under a variety of ecological conditions would indicate that 1 male may be able to exclude others from breeding in small groups, but that as group size increases, the degree of promiscuity increases. It is recommended that captive peccaries be housed as groups of familiar female lineages rather than mixing individuals from several wild groups.
The nonaqueous microdetermination of nitroguanidine

Nitroguanidine can be determined as a base by nonaqueous titration in acetic anhydride. The titrant is perchloric acid in glacial acetic acid. Endpoints are determined potentiometrically by a glass (or platinum)/modified calomel electrode system. Nitramines such as HMX and RDX do not interfere.
Mouse transgenes in human cells detect specific base substitutions.

Abstract We describe a system of transgenic human cell lines that detects and identifies specific point mutations at defined positions within a gene. The target transgenome is a mouse adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) gene rendered nonfunctional by introduction of a substitution at either of two bases that comprise a splice acceptor site. Reversion at a mutated site results in the expression of wild-type mouse APRT and consequent growth of APRT+ transgenic cell colonies. Site-specific reversion to wild-type sequence is confirmed by regeneration of a previously destroyed diagnostic Pst I site. Two independent cell clones, each with mutant transgenomes bearing an A----G transition, exhibited an up to 7500-fold, dose-dependent induction of reversion following treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate. Treatment of these clones with 2-aminopurine resulted in no induction of revertants. In contrast, another transgenic cell clone, bearing a G----A transition, reverted as a consequence of 2-aminopurine, but not ethyl methanesulfonate, treatment. These data confirm for human cells the proposed mechanisms of action of these mutagens and provide evidence for the utility of our site-specific reversion method for mutagenesis studies.
Identifying large robust network clusters via new compact formulations of maximum k-club problems

Abstract Network robustness issues are crucial in a variety of application areas. In many situations, one of the key robustness requirements is the connectivity between each pair of nodes through a path that is short enough , which makes a network cluster more robust with respect to potential network component disruptions. A k - club , which by definition is a subgraph of a diameter of at most k , is a structure that addresses this requirement (assuming that k is small enough with respect to the size of the original network). We develop a new compact linear 0–1 programming formulation for finding maximum k -clubs that has substantially fewer entities compared to the previously known formulation ( O ( kn 2 ) instead of O ( n k +1 ), which is important in the general case of k > 2) and is rather tight despite its compactness. Moreover, we introduce a new related concept referred to as an R - robust k - club (or, ( k , R )-club), which naturally arises from the developed k -club formulations and extends the standard definition of a k -club by explicitly requiring that there must be at least R distinct paths of length at most k between all pairs of nodes. A compact formulation for the maximum R -robust k -club problem is also developed, and error and attack tolerance properties of the important special case of R -robust 2-clubs are investigated. Computational results are presented for multiple types of random graph instances.
AB initio study of naphthalene formation by addition of vinylacetylene to phenyl

Reaction pathways leading to the formation of naphthalene by the addition of vinylacetylene to phenyl were examined using density functional theory B3-LYP functionals with the standard triple-zeta basis set, 6-311G(d,p). The chemically activated reaction dynamics were examined employing time-dependent solution of master equations. The addition of phenyl to the triple bond of vinylacetylene was computed to be relatively slow, due to a substantial energy barrier of the intermediate rotation about the double bond. Addition of phenyl to the other end of a vinylacetylene molecule produced equally low rate constants. The most promising pathway appeared to be a two-step reaction sequence via the formation of phenyl-C 4 H 3 molecules. The reaction rate evaluated for this pathway was very close to the value tested in prior flame simulations that demonstrated a dominant character of such a step for naphthalene formation. This indicates that the formation of naphthalene from phenyl and vinylacetylene may play a significant role in flame modeling of aromatic growth, and that the more favorable mechanism of the reaction may be a two-step sequence via the formation of a stable molecular intermediate rather than a “single” chemically activated path. The time-dependent solution of master equations revealed that at flame conditions typical of aromatic growth, the reaction system does not attain a steady state on a timescale of 1 ms, suggesting that dynamics of energy redistribution in such “elementary” reaction systems may need to be treated with inclusion of bimolecular reactions between energized adducts and gaseous partners.
Spin labelling of Bacillus anthracis endospores: A model for in vivo tracking by EPR imaging

Anthrax is caused by the gram-negative bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. Infection by this microbe results from delivery of the endospore form of the bacillus through direct contact, either topical or inhalation. With regard to the latter route of administration, it is proposed that endospores of B. anthracis enter the lungs and are phagocytized by host alveolar macrophages. Thereafter, it is unclear as to how endospores travel to distal loci and what tissues are the targets. Herein, this study describes the spin labelling of endospores through two different approaches with various aminoxyls. Indeed, after exposure to RAW 264.7 cells, these aminoxyl-containing endospores were phagocytized, as demonstrated by EPR spectroscopy of the infected macrophage, thus providing a potential tool for EPR imaging in animals.
Fumigation of Buildings to Control the Dry-Wood Termite, Cryptotermes brevis

Fumigation with methyl bromide at a dosage of 2.5 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet for 15 to 19 hours apparently eliminated all natural infestations of the dry-wood termite, Cryptotermes brevis (Walker), within 23 of the 24 buildings fumigated. However, considerable differences occurred in mortality among the termites exposed in wooden block cages within these buildings. The mortality in wooden block cages exposed in 18 buildings fumigated with this gas was: 6 buildings 100%, 4 buildings 91% to 99%, 3 buildings 51% to 90%, 3 buildings 11% to 50%, and 2 buildings 0% to 10%. On the other hand, sulfuryl fluoride at a dosage of 2 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet for as little as 1.5 hours killed all the termites in similar blocks. Ethylene dibromide at 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000 cubic feet for 24 hours failed to penetrate the wooden block cages in sufficient quantity to cause any measurable mortality. Furthermore, fumigation with this gas failed to eliminate the natural infestations in two out of five treatments. It is apparent from these tests that sulfuryl fluoride (eight buildings fumigated in tests) was far superior to methyl bromide and methyl bromide was far superior to ethylene dibromide. The use of sulfuryl fluoride should make it possible to greatly reduce exposure time, a great asset in the fumigation of buildings.