cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane determination in air by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Current quantitative methods for airborne dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) require collection and extraction times of ≥ 12 h. The aim of this study was to develop a method for quantifying airborne DDT with a short (<4 h) collection and analysis time. RESULTS: Precision [relative standard deviation (RSD)] for each calibration point (0.8–9.0), linearity (R2 = 0.99) and apparent recovery (R′ = 96.5%) were determined from thermal desorption (TD) gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of Tenax-TA-packed sampling tubes spiked with 1–250 ng of DDT. Recovery of 13C-labeled 4,4′-DDT from tubes spiked before and after air sampling was 97.3 and 90.3% respectively. DDT was detected and quantified in 1–3 L samples of air collected during 10–180 min sampling events. A significant difference was observed in DDT air concentration between 28 and 33 °C during microchamber studies. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that the TD GC-MS method developed in this study is precise, reproducible and linear over the span of 1–250 ng of DDT spiked onto TD tubes. By avoiding dilution of the sample, the method described allows the measurement of DDT vapor concentrations during short sampling periods (10–180 min) relevant to mosquito behavior studies. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Erb and c-Kit Receptors Have Distinctive Patterns of Expression in Adult and Developing Taste Papillae and Taste Buds

Twenty four different protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) were amplified from a taste-enriched cDNA library using PCR. The expression of four protein tyrosine kinase receptors (EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, and c-kit) was examined in adult and developing rat taste papillae. All four of these receptors were expressed in overlapping populations of differentiated taste cells within adult taste buds. Taste bud basal cells were ErbB2+ but did not express the other Erb receptors. During prenatal development, the Erb receptors were expressed extensively in the basal cells around developing papillae, and ErbB2 and c-kit immunoreactive neuronal fibers were seen in close association with taste papillae. In early postnatal stages, ErbB2+ and c-kit+neuronal fibers were often seen entering the taste papillae epithelium, where new taste buds form, and by postnatal day 2 (P2), individual ErbB2+ and c-kit+ cells were seen in this region as well. Between P3 and P8, c-kit was highly expressed at the bottom of foliate papillae trenches. The extensive expression of the Erb and c-kit receptors in adult taste buds and in and around developing papillae suggests that these receptors may play a role in the prenatal and postnatal development of gustatory papillae and taste buds.
Attentional dynamics and visual perception: mechanisms of spatial disorientation in Alzheimer’s disease

Visuospatial disorientation forces Alzheimer's disease patients to abandon independent activities. We found previously that limitations of ambulatory and vehicular navigation are linked to impaired visual motion processing in Alzheimer's disease. We now hypothesize that these perceptual impairments reflect temporal constraints on visual attention. We evaluated attentional, perceptual and neuropsychological capacities in 14 Alzheimer's disease patients and 12 age-matched older normal controls. The temporal dynamics of visual attention were measured using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) to assess the attentional blink. Visual processing for spatial orientation was assessed using perceptual thresholds for optic flow, the visual motion seen during observer self-movement. Alzheimer's disease patients show an exaggerated attentional blink during RSVP, identifying the first of two targets but missing the second target depending on the number of intervening distractors. They also show a unique form of attentional masking in which they miss the first target but identify the second, again depending on the number of intervening distractors. Both types of RSVP errors are correlated with selectively elevated optic flow thresholds in Alzheimer's disease patients. This suggests that temporal constraints on visual perception might impair optic flow analysis and contribute to spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease. These findings are consistent with two-stage models of visual perception, suggesting that the working memory mechanisms in the second stage provide feedback control of input to category-specific perceptual processors in the first stage.
Characterization of an antibody scFv that recognizes fibrillar insulin and β-amyloid using atomic force microscopy

Fibrillar amyloid is the hallmark feature of many protein aggregation diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. A monoclonal single-chain variable fragment (scFv) targeting insulin fibrils was isolated using phage display technology and an atomic force microscopy (AFM) mica substrate. Specific targeting of the scFv to insulin fibrils but not monomers or other small oligomeric forms, under similar conditions, was demonstrated both by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and AFM recognition imaging. The scFv also recognizes β-amyloid fibrils, a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's disease. The results suggest that the isolated scFv possibly targets a shared fibrillar motif—probably the cross-β-sheet characteristic of amyloid fibrils. The techniques outlined here provide additional tools to further study the process of fibril formation. The scFvs isolated can have potential use as diagnostic or therapeutic reagents for protein aggregation diseases.
IntroLib: Efficient and transparent library call introspection for malware forensics

Dynamic malware analysis aims at revealing malware’s runtime behavior. To evade analysis, advanced malware is able to detect the underlying analysis tool (e.g., one based on emulation.) On the other hand, existing malware-transparent analysis tools incur signicant performance overhead, making them unsuitable for live malware monitoring and forensics. In this paper, we present IntroLib, a practical tool that traces user-level library calls made by malware with low overhead and high transparency. IntroLib is based on hardware virtualization and resides outside of the guest virtual machine where the malware runs. Our evaluation of an IntroLib prototype with 93 real-world malware samples shows that IntroLib is immune to emulation and API hooking detection by malware, uncovers more semantic information about malware behavior than system call tracing, and incurs low overhead (< 15% in all-but-one test case) in performance benchmark testing.
Fifty years in physical chemistry: homage to mentors, methods, and molecules.

A nostalgic account is given of my scientific odyssey, recalling early encounters, some fateful, some just fun, with mentors, methods, and molecules. These include stories of my student years at Stanford, pursuing chemical kinetics with Harold Johnston; graduate study at Harvard, doing molecular spectroscopy with Bright Wilson; and fledgling faculty years at Berkeley, launching molecular beam studies of reaction dynamics. A few vignettes from my “ever after ” era on the Harvard faculty emphasize thematic motivations or methods inviting further exploration. An Appendix provides a concise listing of colleagues in research and the topics we have pursued.
Scheduling of Soft Real-Time Systems for Context-Aware Applications

Context-aware applications pose new challenges, including a need for new computational models, uncertainty management, and efficient optimization under uncertainty. Uncertainty can arise at two levels: multiple and single tasks. When a mobile user changes environments, the context changes resulting in the possibility of the user requesting tasks which are specific for the new environment. However, as the user moves these requested tasks may no longer be context relevant. Additionally, the runtime of each task is often highly dependent on the input data. We introduce a hierarchical multi-resolution statistical task model that captures relevant aspects at the task and intertask levels, and captures not only uncertainty, but also introduces the notion of utility for the user. We have developed a system of non-parametric statistical techniques for modeling the runtime of a specific task. This model is a framework where we define problems of design and optimization of statistical soft real-time systems (SSRTS). The main algorithmic novelty is a cumulative potential-based task scheduling heuristic for maximizing utility. The heuristic conducts global optimization and induces low runtime overhead. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the scheduling heuristic using a Trimaran-based evaluation platform.
Building Criminal Authority: A Comparative Analysis of Drug Gangs in Rio de Janeiro and Recife

Why do drug gangs develop sophisticated authority functions in some places and not in others? Comparing two Brazilian cities, Rio de Janeiro and Recife, this article argues that territorially embedded informal authority structures from earlier times, coupled with sporadic and extremely violent policing, encouraged drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro to develop authoritative functions and residents to acquiesce to them. In Recife, by contrast, drug gangs inherited diffuse and territorially independent authority structures and confronted a much less lethally violent police force. Consequently, they failed to find common cause with local residents, and their organizational development was truncated.
Literary tourism, littérature monde, and the ethics of conversation in Ernest Pépin's L'Envers du décor

Advocates for jettisoning the term ‘francophonie’ in favour of litterature-monde argue that francophonie, as a word and a concept, represents the legacy of a colonial relationship that places France at the centre of the globe. One of the pernicious effects of such an organization is how the francophonie label prepares readers to approach the text as a sociological tract or an opportunity for literary tourism. This article focuses on this last problem: how can one shift the way that readers approach a text? In analyzing Ernest Pepin’s L’Envers du decor (2006), it suggests that Pepin offers one path for the transformation of tourists and by extension, of readers. Informed by Edouard Glissant’s theorization of la poetique de la Relation (1990), this reading of Pepin develops a theory of the conversation as a means of answering the question posed implicitly in the litteraturemonde manifesto, transforming the relationship between readers and texts within the French literary sphere. Resume En proposant que la francophonie comme categorie litteraire soit epuisee, les auteurs de la collection d’essais, ‘Pour une litterature-monde’, expriment un malaise envers la consommation de la litterature en France. C’est-a-dire, l’etiquette ‘francophonie’ limite les relations possibles entre le lecteur et le texte a une quete de l’exotisme ou bien une recherche sociologique. La question s’impose: comment transformer la relation entre le lecteur et le texte? Cet article repense le debat autour de la francophonie dans le contexte du tourisme litteraire avec des analyses du roman d’Ernest Pepin, L’Envers du decor (2006), qui presente une serie de meditations sur la transformation de la perspective culturelle. Il s’appui sur la pensee d’Edouard Glissant, notamment sa notion de ‘la poetique’ comme operation intellectuelle qui peut transformer les modalites d’expression et de comprehension des cultures globales (1990). Les conclusions de l’article suggerent que ces ecrivains developpent une theorie de la conversation comme reponse possible au probleme de la relation entre le lecteur, le texte, et la culture de l’autre. Vous avez fait touristes, chapeau de paille et ti-punch. Touristes flottant dans l’air sans lancer aucune liane. Touristes, guide a la main! Votre bible que 289 IJFS 12 (2&3) pp. 289–304 © Intellect Ltd 2009 Keywords
Monosynaptic projections from the nucleus tractus solitarii to C1 adrenergic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla: Comparison with input from the caudal ventrolateral medulla

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL) contains reticulospinal adrenergic (C1) neurons that are thought to be sympathoexcitatory and that form the medullary efferent limb of the baroreceptor reflex pathway. The RVL receives direct projections from two important autonomic regions, the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVL) and the nucleus tractus solitarii with immunocytochemical identification of C1 adrenergic neurons in the RVL to compare the morphology of afferent input from these two autonomic regions into the RVL. NTS (n = 203) and CVL (n = 380) efferent terminals had similar morphology and vesicular content, but CVL efferent terminals were slightly larger than NTS efferent terminals. Overall, efferent terminals from either region were equally likely to contact adrenergic neurons in the RVL (21% for NTS, 25% for CVL). Although efferents from both regions formed both symmetric and asymmetric synapses, NTS efferent terminals were statistically more likely to form asymmetric synapses than CVL efferent terminals. CVL efferent terminals were more likely to contact adrenergic somata than were NTS efferents, which usually contacted dendrites. These findings 1) support the hypothesis that a portion of NTS efferents to the RVL may be involved in sympathoexcitatory, e.g., chemoreceptor, reflexes (via asymmetric synapses), whereas those from the CVL mediate sympathoinhibition (via symmetric synapses); and 2) provide an anatomical substrate for differential postsynaptic modulation of C1 neurons by projections from the NTS and CVL. With their more frequent somatic localization, CVL inhibitory inputs may be more influential than excitatory NTS inputs in determining the discharge of RVL neurons.
PERSON PERCEPTIONS OF DEAF AND HEARING OBSERVERS VIEWING FILMED INTERACTIONS

2 experiments were performed to investigate effects of several visual stimulus factors and observer differences in person perception. Traits of persons were judged after observers viewed films of social interactions. Extreme differences were found in deaf and hearing observers' judgments of persons when static views served as stimuli, but when social interactions served as stimuli, only some traits showed differences between observer groups. Visual information regarding the apparent deafness of an interactant, as well as interactive role and gestural forcefulness showed interaction effects with observer group in several instances. Results were discussed within frameworks of differences between deaf and hearing Ss' judgments, and methodology of typical impression formation and person-perception studies.
A comparative study of vision-based lateral control strategies for autonomous highway driving

This paper will present the results of a comparative study of a set of vision-based control strategies that have been applied to the problem of steering an autonomous vehicle along a highway. The aim of this work has been to further our understanding of the characteristics of various control laws that could be applied to this problem with a view to making informed design decisions. The control strategies that we explored include a lead lag control law, a full-state linear controller and input-output linearizing control law. Each of these control strategies was implemented and tested on our experimental vehicle, a Honda Accord LX, both with and without a curvature feedforward component.
Stacked high-power avalanche-diode oscillators

Combined power outputs are obtained from high-efficiency avalanche-diode oscillators connected in series as a multiple-stacked unit. Increased circuit impedances for stacked diodes are measured. The results demonstrate the locking capability of such diodes and the prospect of attaining power levels in the kilowatt range.
Mitochondrial H2O2 emission and cellular redox state link excess fat intake to insulin resistance in both rodents and humans

High dietary fat intake leads to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, and this represents a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated in the disease process, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. Here we show that in skeletal muscle of both rodents and humans, a diet high in fat increases the H2O2-emitting potential of mitochondria, shifts the cellular redox environment to a more oxidized state, and decreases the redox-buffering capacity in the absence of any change in mitochondrial respiratory function. Furthermore, we show that attenuating mitochondrial H2O2 emission, either by treating rats with a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant or by genetically engineering the overexpression of catalase in mitochondria of muscle in mice, completely preserves insulin sensitivity despite a high-fat diet. These findings place the etiology of insulin resistance in the context of mitochondrial bioenergetics by demonstrating that mitochondrial H2O2 emission serves as both a gauge of energy balance and a regulator of cellular redox environment, linking intracellular metabolic balance to the control of insulin sensitivity.
Effect of temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass on gastric mucosal perfusion

The purpose of our study was to prospectively study the splanchnic response to hypothermic and tepid cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using alphastat management of arterial blood-gas tensions. Twenty-four patients for elective CABG surgery were allocated randomly to tepid (35-36 degrees C) or hypothermic (30 degrees C) bypass groups. Measurements were made at four times: (1) baseline, (2) stable during CPB (inflow temperature = nasopharyngeal temperature) 30 degrees C for hypothermic patients, bypass +20 min for tepid patients, (3) 10 min before the end of bypass, (4) after bypass, skin closure. Both groups demonstrated a significant reduction in gastric intramucosal pH (pHim) from time 1 to time 4 and there was no difference in the incidence of a low pHim between the tepid and cold groups (4/12 vs 3/12; ns) at time 4. pHim was significantly lower in the tepid groups at time 3 (P = 0.03) but this discrepancy may have been because of an artefactually high pHim in the cold group. There was a significantly higher incidence of postoperative non-cardiac complications in patients who had a low pHim at time 4 (P = 0.0008). Therefore, we conclude that although the temperature during CPB had a transient effect on pHim it is unlikely to be a major determinant in the pathogenesis of gut mucosal hypoperfusion after bypass.
West Indian Species of Hymenochaete

Hymenochaete can be characterized quite easily and is readily recognized in the field. On the other hand, to determine specimens to species is frequently difficult. Burt's monograph (1918) brought considerable order into the group, but despite his efforts it is still relatively difficult to recognize correctly many American species. In part this is because many are tropical and subtropical in distribution-regions where little work has been done. Too, many descriptions were frequently drawn from single collections, often in poor condition. In several instances we also have been forced to rely upon a single collection, but we hope our methods of analysis will increase the confidence of others in the identification of these species. A brief exposition of our methods may be helpful. Although Welden's collections from the West Indies (primarily the Lesser Antilles) form the basis for our study, other collections reported from the West Indies, particularly those cited by Burt, and many types or authentic specimens were also analyzed. Descriptions and drawings were made from free-hand radial sections cut from selected herbarium material. Microscopic details and measurements were determined with an oil immersion lens, and the composite drawings, made with the aid of a camera lucida, were arranged to show basidiocarp elements in their natural order. Frequently several sections must be examined before all of the details are revealed. In those specimens which have parts in intimate contact with the substrate, a portion of the substrate ought to be included in the section. Such sections show the nature and arrangement of the hyphae in all parts of the basidiocarp. Sections taken from near the margin more frequently show basidia, spores, and details of accessory structures. Sections were transferred from the razor blade to ethanol on a microslide, the excess alcohol was then removed, and the sections were
Infections caused by unusual beta hemolytic streptococci.

Eight isolates of beta hemolytic streptococci, Lancefield groups C, F, and K, are reported; all strains were hemolytic on sheep’s blood agar. There were four of group F, three of group K, and one of group C; all but one were deemed pathogenic. By use of simple laboratory procedures, the more common groups (A, B, and D) may be excluded, permitting Lancefield grouping of the remainder. Included in the study were two patients with pericarditis, one with septicemia, one with appendiceal abscess, and three with wound infection. Of antibiotics tested, only penicillin and ampicillin were universally efficacious. It is concluded that these infections are more common than generally realized and should be sought when beta hemolytic streptococci of more mundane varieties can be excluded by routine laboratory investigations.
Determination of Borneol in Houyanjing Powder by Gas Chromatography

A GC method was established for the determination of borneol in Houyanjing Powder.A DB-WAX(30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm)Column was used.The column temperature was 140 ℃,injector temperature was 160 ℃,detector temperature was 180 ℃;the column flow was 1 mL/min,the carrier gas was nitrogen,the solvent was ethyl acetate and the internal standard was methyl salicylate.A good linearity of borneol was in the rang of 0.1999～3.998 μg(R2=0.999),and the average recovery was 99.1% with RSD of 0.7%.The method is rapid,sensitive and accurate.It can be used to control the quality of Houyanjing Powder.
“Serbest meslek sahibi”: Neoliberal subjectivity among İstanbul's popular sectors

Some of the literature on neoliberal subjectivity tends to attribute omnipotence and impeccable consistency to neoliberalism. Other recent literature, by contrast, has emphasized how actually existing neoliberal subjectivity combines liberal and non-liberal elements, some of the latter emanating from local culture. However, even this revisionist scholarship holds that the non-liberal elements only lead to a smoother functioning of neoliberalism. A focus on informal workers and small merchants in a squatter district in Istanbul reveals that neoliberal subjectivity harbors contradictory orientations that might actually undermine some aspects of neoliberalism. The mixture of self-reliance, individual responsibility (condensed in an emphasis on hard work and pious patience), and entrepreneurial spirit with extra-market survival techniques, as well as non-liberal orientations toward legal property, land and money, and desire of redistribution (as well as state protection against big capital) all exhibit how marketization is restricted, twisted, and perhaps endangered, even within the process of neoliberalization.
Research in Outpatient Clinical Practice

Outpatient clinical practice encompasses many activities, but undoubtedly the primary one is this: A clinician is interacting with another individual who is experiencing problems in the natural environment. The nature of the interaction and the interpretation of the client’s problem vary widely from clinician to clinician and from one school of thought to another. The purpose, in broad terms, is the same: to help the individual with some aspect of what he or she does (where doing includes feeling, thinking, remembering, relating, and so on) as a result of this therapeutic interaction. In this sense, therapy is a form of social influence (Frank, 1973).
Abstract 107: Early Change in Ferumoxytol-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signal Suggests Unstable Human Cerebral Aneurysm. A Pilot Study

Background: Imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 72 hours after infusion of ferumoxytol demonstrated maximal uptake by macrophages in the wall of human cerebral aneurysms. The clinical significance of early (i.e. within the first 24 hours) uptake of ferumoxytol by macrophages in the wall of human cerebral aneurysms is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether early uptake of ferumoxytol which may indicate inflammation, suggests unstable cerebral aneurysm. Methods: 30 unruptured aneurysms in 22 patients were imaged with MRI 24 hours after infusion of ferumoxytol. Eighteen aneurysms were also imaged 72 hours after infusion of ferumoxytol. Aneurysm dome tissue was collected from four patients with early MRI signal changes, five patients with late signal changes, and five other patients with ruptured aneurysms. The tissue was immunostained for expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), microsomal-prostaglandin-E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) and macrophages. Findings: In 23% (7/30) of aneurysms, there was pronounced early uptake of ferumoxytol. Four aneurysms were clipped. The remaining three aneurysms which were managed conservatively with observation, all ruptured within six months. In 89% (16/18) of aneurysms, there was pronounced uptake of ferumoxytol at 72 hours. Nine aneurysms were surgically clipped and nine were managed conservatively; none ruptured or increased in size in six months. With immunostaining, expression of COX-2, mPGES-1, and macrophages was similar in unruptured aneurysms with early uptake of ferumoxytol and ruptured aneurysms. Expression of these inflammatory molecules was significantly higher in aneurysms with early uptake of ferumoxytol than in aneurysms with late uptake. Interpretation: Uptake of ferumoxytol in aneurysm walls within the first 24 hours strongly suggests aneurysm instability and probability of rupture within six months, and may warrant intervention. Larger clinical studies are indicated to validate this preliminary observation.
Institutional review board training when patients and community members are engaged as researchers

Background Patient engagement efforts often rely on a participatory research approach, which means engaging patients and community members in all aspects of research. As research team members, they require familiarity with the principles of human subject protection, privacy, and institutional review boards (IRB). However, the time required for individual IRB training may be a barrier to engaging community members in participatory research. As more community members participated in research, the State Networks of Colorado Practices and Partners (SNOCAP) was faced with finding a balance between including community members as part of the research team and the significant time commitment and institutional requirements for human subjects research oversight. Objective Design and implement a community training on human subject protection in research. Methods The SNOCAP team worked with the leadership from the Colorado Multi-Institutional Review Board (COMIRB) to develop a training programme that included the ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects. Results The final training programme was based on the core principles of the Belmont Report: respect for persons, beneficence and justice. Privacy was taught using the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) national guidelines. Conclusions The members of the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council were fully engaged in developing the training programme, as well as in the training itself. They were committed to the principles and guidelines for protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects. Patients and community members have become a critical part of our research team. They understand the principles of human subjects protection and privacy and incorporate these principles into their research activities.
Practical Approaches to Mitigating Economic Barriers to Living Kidney Donation for Patients and Programs

Live donor kidney transplantation has superior outcomes to deceased donor transplantation; however, the number of living kidney donors continues to decrease in the USA. This is in part attributed to economic barriers. The significant economic barriers that exist include out-of-pocket expenses, loss or increased costs of insurability, and potential loss of employment. This paper describes the economic barriers to living kidney donation and national, local, and private sector initiatives needed to alleviate these barriers. Ongoing attention to economic barriers is needed including improvement in reimbursement for travel, a process for coverage of lost wages and civil protection so that healthy willing donors may proceed with their desire to be a living kidney donor.
Representing Skill Demonstrations for Adaptation and Transfer

We address two domains of skill transfer problems encountered by an autonomous robot: within-domain adaptation and cross-domain transfer. Our aim is to provide skill representations which enable transfer in each problem classification. As such, we explore two approaches to skill representation which address each problem classification separately. The first representation, based on mimicking, encodes the full demonstration and is well suited for within-domain adaptation. The second representation is based on imitation and serves to encode a set of key points along the trajectory, which represent the goal points most relevant to the successful completion of the skill. This representation enables both within-domain and cross-domain transfer. A planner is then applied to these constraints, generating a domain-specific trajectory which addresses the transfer task.
Potential Assistance for Disadvantaged Workers: Employment Social Enterprises

By integrating a business mission into a transitional jobs program, employment social enterprises (ESEs) provide temporary work and a supported work environment to reduce the barriers facing disadvantaged workers while generating revenue to cover production costs. This study uses surveys of workers in and financial statements from seven ESEs to provide information for three sets of complementary analyses: a pre-post analysis examines changes in employment between the time a person starts ESE work and about one year later; a case study uses propensity score methods to compare changes in employment between ESE workers and similar people who did not work in an enterprise; and a cost-benefit analysis estimates the potential value of ESE jobs. Results suggest that individuals have close to 21% gain in employment one year after starting ESE work; taxpayers gain at least $0.42 for every dollar spent on an ESE job; the return to society of developing an ESE is at least 34%; and the social returns to converting a profit-driven business into an ESE exceed 100%. Although the study cannot control for many of the factors that would allow estimation of causal impacts, it provides some of the first preliminary evidence of the value of the ESEs’ public-private approach to increase workforce skills and employment and stabilize lives of individuals with employment barriers.
Need to Reclassify Etiologies of ESRD on the CMS 2728 Medical Evidence Report.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2728 Medical Evidence Report (2728 form) serves multiple purposes, including Medicare entitlement and registry, as well as documentation of the presence and presumed cause of ESRD. Dialysis facilities complete this form in newly diagnosed patients
Membrane-bound and soluble forms of an NMDA receptor extracellular domain retain epitopes targeted in auto-immune encephalitis

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANRE) is a potentially lethal disease attributed to auto-antibodies against the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Full recovery is possible if therapy is initiated early in the disease course. Detection of ANRE antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is essential for diagnosis. The assays for ANRE-associated IgGs often rely on cells transiently transfected with NMDAR genes. A cell line that stably expresses pathogenic NMDAR epitopes could improve standardization of the assays and provide antigen that could be used in commercial solid state assay systems. We expressed the amino terminal domain (ATD) of the GluN1 NMDAR subunit (NR1) as a fusion protein on the outer plasma membrane of 293T cells, creating a stable cell population (293T-ATD) that is recognized by ANRE patient monoclonal antibodies in flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assays. The ATD fusion protein also contains a Myc tag and a 6XHIS tag, which provide functionality for immunoassays and antigen purification, and a TEV protease site, which allows the ATD domain to be specifically released from the cells in essentially pure form. ATD mobilized from the 293T ATD cell line maintained the pathogenic ANRE epitopes in ELISA binding assays. CSF (3/4) and sera (4/4) from ANRE patients also bound the 293T-ATD cell line, whereas normal CSF and sera did not. The 293T-ATD cell line is potentially adaptable to a variety of formats to identify antibodies associated with ANRE, including cell-based and soluble antigen formats, and demonstrates a useful method to produce complex proteins for research, drug discovery, and clinical diagnosis.
Limits on low scale gravity from e + e - -->W + W - , ZZ and γγ

Abstract It has been proposed recently that the scale of quantum gravity (“the string scale”) can be M S ∼few TeV with n ≥2 extra dimensions of size R ≲mm so that, at distances greater than R , Newtonian gravity with M Pl ∼10 18 GeV is reproduced if M Pl 2 ∼ R n M S n +2 . Exchange of virtual gravitons in this theory generates higher-dimensional operators involving SM fields, suppressed by powers of M S . We discuss constraints on this scenario from the contribution of these operators to the processes e + e − → W + W − , ZZ , γγ . We find that LEP2 can place a limit M S ≈1 TeV from e + e − → W + W − , ZZ , γγ .
Phylogeny of hydrothermal vent Iphionidae, with the description of a new species (Aphroditiformia, Annelida).

The scale-worm family Iphionidae consists of four genera. Of these, Thermiphione has two accepted species, both native to hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean; T.fijiensis Miura, 1994 (West Pacific) and T.tufari Hartmann-Schroder, 1992 (East Pacific Rise). Iphionella is also known from the Pacific, and has two recognized species; Iphionellarisensis Pettibone, 1986 (East Pacific Rise, hydrothermal vents) and I.philippinensis Pettibone, 1986 (West Pacific, deep sea). In this study, phylogenetic analyses of Iphionidae from various hydrothermal vent systems of the Pacific Ocean were conducted utilizing morphology and mitochondrial (COI and 16S rRNA) and nuclear (18S and 28S rRNA) genes. The results revealed a new iphionid species, described here as Thermiphionerapanuisp. n. The analyses also demonstrated the paraphyly of Thermiphione, requiring Iphionellarisensis to be referred to the genus, as Thermiphionerisensis (Pettibone, 1986).
Integrated multiscale modeling of fixed bed reactors: Studying the reactor under dynamic reaction conditions

Abstract Fixed-bed reactors are widely used for large-scale, heterogeneously-catalyzed gas-phase reactions, such as steam reforming, selective hydrogenations and partial oxidations. These reactions have strong heat effects; exothermic reactions can exhibit “hot-spots”, while endothermic reactions require a large supply of heat. Steady-state reactor analysis does not give the whole picture; when dynamics are considered then hot-spots, extinction waves and “wrong-way” behavior (increased downstream temperature following inlet feed temperature decrease) can result. We investigate here the interactions between the local pellet-scale dynamic responses, and the bed-scale global fields, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This method allows detailed simulation of the fluid around the catalyst, coupled to transport and reaction inside it. To date, reactor dynamics have been based on simplified reactor models. We have developed a methodology to use 3D detailed models to investigate local dynamic hot-spot formation and wrong-way responses to inputs and their connections to bed-scale flow and transport.
Anterior Column Realignment in Adult Spinal Deformity: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Objective Anterior column realignment (ACR) is a new emerging minimally invasive surgical technique for adult spinal deformity (ASD) that has the potential to provide similar corrective ability to traditional posterior approaches. This article reviews the current literature on the clinical efficacy and safety of ACR and illustrates an additional use of this technique in a case of sagittal imbalance after posterior spinal fusion with segmental instrumentation. Methods We performed a literature search of all published ACR reports using PubMed, including only clinical studies describing the ACR technique and reporting radiographic and/or clinical outcomes. Results Thirteen studies were included. Improvement in lumbar lordosis after ACR ranged from 12.7° to 39°, and increases in focal segmental lordosis at each ACR level ranged from 1° to 34°. Good clinical and functional outcomes have consistently been reported after ACR. The complication rate has been comparable to or lower than traditional posterior-based techniques. We also illustrate the use of ACR in a patient with sagittal imbalance after a prior posterior instrumented spinal fusion. ACR in combination with a posterior osteotomy allowed for the induction of lordosis by cantilevering of rods and compression of pedicle screws. Conclusions Radiographic and clinical outcomes after ACR have been promising so far. In addition to primary ASD surgery, ACR can also be effectively used in cases with prior posterior instrumented spinal fusion to correct sagittal imbalance.
Quantum Chemical Characterization of Factors Affecting the Neutral and Radical-Cation Newman–Kwart Reactions

Details of the electronic and geometric structures of stationary points along the reaction coordinate of the Newman Kwart rearrangement, which transforms an O-arylthiocarbamate into an S-arylcarbamothioate, are examined using quantum-chemical methods for a large number of compounds considering both the thermal reactions of uncharged substrates as well as the corresponding reactions of radical-cation substrates generated under photoredox conditions. The uncharged mechanism, which has intrinsically high 298 K free energies of activation (in excess of 30 kcal mol-1), has the character of nucleophilic aromatic substitution and is thus accelerated by electron-withdrawing substituents on the aromatic ring. The radical-cationic mechanism, by contrast, has 298 K free energies of activation that are typically below 20 kcal mol-1 and is accelerated by electron donating substituents on the aromatic ring, which stabilize the hole character that is transferred to this fragment from the thiocarbamate fragment as the reaction proceeds. Opportunities to further accelerate the radical-cation reaction are revealed by computational assessment of alternative amino groups for the thiocarbamate functionality.
Barriers to Pediatric Pain Management: A Brief Report of Results from a Multisite Study

Abstract Background Pain management is essential for the care of hospitalized children. Although multiple barriers have been identified that interfere with nurses' ability to provide optimal pain management, it is not known how pervasive are these barriers across the United States. Aims This study is the third in a series of studies examining barriers to pediatric pain management. The aim of this study was to examine barriers in different organizations using the same tool during the same period of time. Settings/Participants A sample of 808 nurses from three pediatric teaching hospitals responded to a survey addressing barriers to optimal pain management for children. Results Barriers unanimously identified as being most significant included inadequate or insufficient physician medication orders, insufficient time allowed to premedicate before procedures, insufficient premedication orders before procedures, and low priority given to pain management by medical staff. Conclusions Barriers identified as the most and least significant were similar regardless of hospital location. Revealing similar barriers across multiple pediatric hospitals provides direction for nurses trying to provide solutions to these pain management barriers.
The Census, Reapportionment, and Redistricting.

The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and went into effect in 1781. They were soon found inadequate for smooth governmental operations, particularly ...
What if OregonSaves Went National: A Look at the Impact on Retirement Income Adequacy

The OregonSaves program began in July 2017 to provide defined contribution (DC) plan coverage for those workers in the state of Oregon who are not currently eligible for an employer-sponsored DC plan. The program requires employers to automatically enroll workers into a post-tax individual retirement account (IRA). The program’s default contribution rate is 5 percent; contributions automatically increase by 1 percent each year until they reach 10 percent (unless the employee opts out of automatic increases). Employees can opt out of the program or choose a savings rate of as little as 1 percent and as much as 100 percent of gross pay, up to annual Roth IRA contribution limits. With more than a year of experience with the OregonSaves plan, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) asked the question: What if OregonSaves were a national program? How would that impact the retirement security of American workers? We further asked how a national version of OregonSaves would compare with nationwide implementation of 401(k) safe harbor plans among employers who do not currently offer a defined benefit (DB) or DC plan. We examined both using EBRI’s Retirement Security Projection Model® (RSPM). The incremental benefit of including a full auto portability system in addition to these changes was also simulated. We found that the “national” OregonSaves plan would provide a 16.3 percent reduction in retirement deficits (as measured by the average retirement savings shortfalls (RSS)) for the youngest age cohort simulated (those currently ages 35–39). The reduction would be smaller for those closer to age 65, with the reduction being only 3.1 percent for those currently ages 60–64. Overall, this would reduce the simulated retirement deficits by $456 billion, or 12 percent of the $3.83 trillion under the baseline assumptions. In contrast, the 401(k) safe harbor plan expansion would reduce the retirement deficits for the youngest cohort by an additional 8.8 percentage points (for an overall reduction of 25.2 percent). The additional reduction for those ages 40–44 would be slightly higher (9.2 percentage points), but by ages 60–64 the additional reduction would only be 2.5 percentage points. Overall, this scenario would reduce the simulated retirement deficits by $645 billion, or 17 percent of the $3.83 trillion under the baseline assumptions. Finally, we added a full auto portability scenario to both of the access expansion scenarios. Under the “national” OregonSaves plan with a full auto portability scenario, simulated retirement deficits would be reduced by $759 billion, or 20 percent of the $3.83 trillion under the baseline assumptions. Under the 401(k) safe harbor plan expansion with a full auto portability scenario, simulated retirement deficits would be reduced by $1,031 billion, or 27 percent of the $3.83 trillion under the baseline assumptions.
The Paradox of HBCU Graduation Rates

This paper examines the propensity of African American students to graduate from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Using IPEDS data from 2004 to 2016, we take care in developing a control group of institutions from which to compare HBCU success. Results suggest that despite accepting more students who are at risk of not graduating, HBCUs have a higher graduation rate for African American students than their peers. We then show that gender nor major choice help explain this persistent difference.
Dynamics between the budget deficit and the government debt in the United States: a nonlinear analysis

This paper empirically investigates the dynamics between budget deficit and government debt in the U.S. using two different measures of the budget deficit: the current budget deficit and cyclically-adjusted budget deficit. A threshold Vector autoregression (VAR) model is estimated to explore the dynamics in different regimes using quarterly data from 1947:Q1 to 2017:Q3. The specification test rejects a linear VAR model against the threshold VAR. When we use the current budget deficit, regime 1 resemble governments prioritize minimizing budget deficit and debt, whereas, regime 2 resemble otherwise. When we use the cyclically adjusted budget deficit, regime 1 resemble economic expansions, whereas, regime 2 resemble recessions. The impulse responses show evidence of asymmetry and counter-cyclicality. The impulse responses also indicate that an increase in the debt dictate the government’s response towards minimizing the budget deficit and tend to prioritize budget deficit less when the economy expands.
Interacting Multiple Model Estimation for Helicopter Regime Recognition

Regime recognition (RR) is an important aspect of condition-based maintenance for modern helicopters. RR involves the postflight classification of flight data into regime categories. These classifi...
Marijuana and the Pediatric Population

Cannabinoids, the psychoactive compounds in marijuana, are one of the most commonly used substances in the United States. In this review, we summarize the impact of marijuana on child and adolescent health and discuss the implications of marijuana use for pediatric practice. We review the changing epidemiology of cannabis use and provide an update on medical use, routes of administration, synthetic marijuana and other novel products, the effect of cannabis on the developing brain, other health and social consequences of use, and issues related to marijuana legalization.
Does seeing bad make you do good? How witnessing retail transgressions influence responses to cause marketing offers

Abstract Can witnessing another individual commit a marketplace transgression (e.g., shoplifting) influence a consumer’s responsiveness to cause marketing (CM) offers? Four experiments demonstrate that consumers respond more favorably to CM offers as a means of atoning for another’s transgression. This vicarious moral compensation effect is observed only among high moral identifiers who feel psychologically close to (vs. distant from) the transgressor (studies 1 and 3), and arises in response to the identity threat they experience after witnessing the transgression (study 2). Additional findings show that this increased responsiveness to CM offers for moral compensation purposes is attenuated when consumers have an opportunity to address this threat by affirming their sense of morality (study 4). The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed, as are suggestions for future research.