cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epineurial versus perineurial repair of peripheral nerves

A survey of clinical and experimental work concerning the efficacy of epineurial versus perineurial suture techniques for the treatment of peripheral nerve disruption has been presented. It seems that little differences result from the utilization of either of these methods. Therefore, suture of the outer epineurium is the technique of choice for most acute nerve lacerations, since it is easier, faster, and requires less manipulation of the delicate internal neural structure. Clinical indications for outer epineurial or inner epineurial (group funicular) repair have also been discussed. The reasons why these techniques lead to similar results remain unclear. However, it would seem to be impossible to align individual axons if their vast numbers and the dynamic disruptive phenomena that occur after nerve transection are taken into account. It is now recognized that peripheral nerve regeneration studies must address events occurring at the level of the injury and additionally in the periphery and the cell body itself. The answer to the clinical problem of nerve transection will lie in our ability to manipulate axonal regeneration from the central nervous system to correct peripheral end organs. This question will not be solved by the position in which suture material is placed.
Strategic Implications of Data Gathering Activities in Small Firms: A Comparison Between Family and Nonfamily Firms

The empirical research presented in this article examines data gathering activities and processes of small businesses and compares those activities and processes in family and nonfamily firms. MANOVA and t-test analyses were used in analyzing questionnaire data from 1245 respondents in 89 small businesses. For these small firms, the results indicated differences in the relative use of types of information gathered and processes used. Further, the study found differences between family and nonfamily firm data gathering activities and processes used. Finally, the study indicated that the type of customer to whom a firm sold had an impact on the data gathering activities of a small business and impacted family and nonfamily firm data gathering differentially.
Autobiographical memory in multiple sclerosis.

Studies have consistently found that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are impaired on tests of anterograde memory, but the status of remote memory in MS remains unclear. To better understand remote memory in MS we administered the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) to 44 MS patients and 19 normal controls matched for age, education, and gender. Additionally, a shortened version of the Famous Faces Test, a test of recall of past U.S. presidents, and a 14-word learning list were administered. Patients performed significantly lower than controls on the learning list and Famous Faces Test, but not on recall of past presidents. On the AMI, patients were significantly impaired on recall of semantic but not of episodic memories. These results indicate that MS patients exhibit retrograde amnesia that cannot be attributed to anterograde memory deficits or lack of exposure to task-relevant information. ( JINS , 1997, 3 , 246–251.)
Do Quality Informational Children's Books Show a Gender Bias? A Pictorial Examination of ten Years of Sibert and Orbis Pictus award Winners

Art has the ability to influence a child's worldview. This analysis looks at how the images in children's books may impact girls' gender beliefs about their future role in society, in particular, in science and engineering. In children's books, the art, not the text, often primarily defines the message (and the effects) according to picture book theory. This paper explored science-oriented (informational) children's books. Such books are focused on "real life" not fiction, and therefore, expose children to future roles and careers. As such, they can combat negative stereotypes before the first critical drop-out point for girls in science, namely before their transition to middle school. This paper did a pictoriallyfocused mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) content analysis of Sibert and Orbis Pictus award-winning informational (non-fiction) children's books, and used the textual information only as a secondary source for role identification. The analysis found moderate to severe gender bias in both the frequencies of male to female images and in the stereotyping of roles. These findings were in line with current and past research that has focused instead on fictional award-winning books.
Development of a library of feature fitting algorithms for CMMs

Conformance of a manufactured feature to the applied geometric tolerances is done by analyzing the point cloud that is measured on the feature. To that end, a geometric feature is fitted to the point cloud and the results are assessed to see whether the fitted feature lies within the specified tolerance limits or not. Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) use feature fitting algorithms that incorporate least square estimates as a basis for obtaining minimum, maximum, and zone fits. However, it is well known that results obtained from different vendors for the same data set often do not agree. This may be because of different interpretations of the GD&T standards, or the use of least squares algorithms as the basis for all fitting. Therefore, a reference or normative comprehensive library of algorithms addressing the fitting procedure (all datums, targets) for every tolerance class is needed. The library is specific to feature fitting for tolerance verification. This paper addresses linear, planar, circular, and cylindrical features only. This set of algorithms described conforms to the international Standards for GD&T. In order to reduce the number of points to be analyzed, and to identify the possible candidate points for linear, circular and planar features, 2D and 3D convex hulls are used. For minimum, maximum, and Chebyshev cylinders, geometric search algorithms are used. Algorithms are divided into three major categories: least square, unconstrained, and constrained fits.
Regional upregulation of Kv2.1-encoded current, IK,slow2, in Kv1DN mice is abolished by crossbreeding with Kv2DN mice.

Overexpression of a truncated Kv1.1 channel transgene in the heart (Kv1DN) resulted in mice with a prolonged action potential duration due to marked attenuation of a rapidly activating, slowly inac...
The effects of prolonged administration of vasopressin and oxytocin on renin, aldosterone and sodium balance in normal man.

1. Vasopressin was administered to normal men in metabolic balance for periods of 5–10 days under conditions of water restriction or overhydration. Likewise, oxytocin was administered to two normal men for 10 days. 2. The effects of both neuropeptides on plasma renin activity, aldosterone excretion rate and sodium balance were observed. 3. In the absence of overhydration, vasopressin had no demonstrable effect upon plasma renin activity, aldosterone excretion rate or sodium balance. During overhydration body weight gain and plasma dilution were followed by natriuresis; the associated changes in plasma renin activity and aldosterone excretion, however, were unimpressive. 4. The prolonged administration of oxytocin for 10 days under conditions of normal hydration failed to influence sodium excretion, plasma renin activity or aldosterone excretion. 5. It is concluded that in normal man changes in circulating levels of vasopressin or oxytocin do not play a physiological role in the control of sodium excretion.
Cimetidine and procainamide secretion by proximal tubules in vitro

Previous studies have shown that organic bases, including some drugs, are secreted by renal proximal tubules. The present studies examined the transport of the organic bases cimetidine and procainamide by rabbit proximal straight tubules perfused in vitro. Both drugs were secreted into the tubule lumen. [3H]cimetidine secretion was reduced by quinidine, procainamide, and N-acetylprocainamide. Previous studies showed that cimetidine secretion was reduced by other organic bases. Hypothermia and ouabain inhibited [3H]procainamide secretion as was shown previously for cimetidine secretion. [3H]procainamide secretion was also reduced by quinidine, cimetidine, procainamide, and N-acetylprocainamide but not by probenecid. High concentrations of cimetidine (10(-3) M) had no effect on the rates of fluid or total CO2 absorption. When analyzed in terms of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, the effect of cimetidine on procainamide secretion and procainamide on cimetidine secretion was consistent with competitive inhibition. The results suggest that both cimetidine and procainamide are secreted into the lumen of proximal straight tubules predominately by an organic base transport mechanism. These studies raise the possibility that some of these drugs might compete for a common secretory mechanism in renal tubules and reduce the elimination of each other.
Sports and Disciplined Movement - Paths to Stimulating Strivings

The focus of this article is the relation between life, sport, and disciplined movement. How do these enhance life? This means looking at sports in terms of the qualitative experiences they afford and considering the role of disciplined movement. Phenomenological description helps explore the normative paths that heighten said experiences. At their best, such paths result in skillful strivings to excel within communitarian frameworks, of which the Japanese practices of self-cultivation are exemplary. Sheets-Johnstone’s forays into kinesthesia, Ortega y Gasset’s meditations, and Husserl’s historical lifeworld (lebenswelt) animate this account. The aim is to show how sports and movement, in bridling an exuberant temperament, cultivate our abilities, creativity, and excellence, ultimately encouraging stimulating lives.El articulo examina la relacion entre la vida, los deportes, y el movimiento disciplinado. ?Como mejoran estos la vida? Esto implica evaluar a los deportes acorde a las experiencias cualitativas que hacen posibles y considerar el papel del movimiento disciplinado. La descripcion fenomenologica ayuda a explorar los caminos normativos que mejoran tales experiencias. En los mejores casos, estos conllevan esfuerzos habiles de superacion dentro de marcos comnunitarios. Las practicas japonesas de autocultivo destacan a este respecto. Las indagaciones de Sheets-Johnstone sobre la kinestesia, las meditaciones de Ortega y Gasset, y las ideas de Husserl sobre el Lebenswelt historico animan el analisis. El objetivo es mostrar como deportes y movimiento, al embridar un temperamento exuberante, cultivan nuestras destrezas, creatividad, y excelencia, fomentando, en ultimo termino, vidas estimulantes.
Research on Submarine Cable Projects at Home and Abroad

The submarine power transmission project is regarded as the most complex and difficult in the world,espe-cially the design,manufacture and installation of submarine power cables.The paper briefly reviews the development history of submarine power cable projects in the world,with a focus on the introduction of the present situation of some major submarine cable projects.And comparison is made about the advantages and disadvantages of the subma-rine cables with different insulation modes.Then the applicability and economy of AC and DC submarine cables are analyzed,and the light crosslinked DC cables are introduced as well.Finally,the application prospects of submarine cables in china are presented.
Complications of endoscopic sphincterotomy : a prospective series with emphasis on the increased risk associated with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and nondilated bile ducts

Mostly retrospective series with limited use of sphincter of Oddi manometry have indicated that early complications are more common when endoscopic sphincterotomy is performed for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction than for common duct stones. The current study was undertaken to prospectively evaluate the frequency and type of complications of endoscopic sphincterotomy performed for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction compared with endoscopic sphincterotomy performed for other conditions. Four hundred twenty-three patients underwent sphincterotomy for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (166), common duct stone(s) (163), tumor (60), and miscellaneous reasons (34). Patients were observed in the hospital for at least 24 hours after the procedure, and 30-day follow-up data were obtained. The overall complication rate was 6.9%, but complications were more frequent when sphincterotomy was performed for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction than for all other indications (10.8% vs. 4.3%; P = 0.009). Precut sphincterotomy was more frequently required in the sphincter of Oddi dysfunction group (21.1% vs. 11.7%, P = 0.009) but was no more likely to result in a complication (6.2%) than standard sphincterotomy. The risk of a complication was considerable for a small-diameter common bile duct (less than or equal to 5 mm), particularly when sphincterotomy was performed for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (37.5%). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 1.7%, but the procedure-related mortality rate was believed to be 0.2%. It is concluded that endoscopic sphincterotomy for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is more hazardous than for other conditions, particularly when a small common bile duct is present.
Modeling concurrency with geometry

The phenomena of branching time and true or noninterleaving concurrency find their respective homes in automata and schedules. But these two models of computation are formally equivalent via Birkhoff duality, an equivalence we expound on here in tutorial detail. So why should these phenomena prefer one home over the other? We identify dimension as the culprit: 1dimensional automata are skeletons permitting only interleaving concurrency, whereas true n-fold concurrency resides in transitions of dimension n. The truly concurrent automaton dual to a schedule is not a skeletal distributive lattice but a solid one. We introduce true nondeterminism and define it as monoidal homotopy; from this perspective nondeterminism in ordinary automata arises from forking and joining creating nontrivial homotopy. The automaton dual to a poset schedule is simply connected whereas that dual to an event structure schedule need not be, according to monoidal homotopy though not to group homotopy. We conclude with a formal definition of higher dimensional automaton as an n-complex or n-category, whose two essential axioms are associativity of concatenation within dimension and an interchange principle between dimensions.
Automating Learner Feedback in an eTextbook for Data Structures and Algorithms Courses

How to provide appropriate feedback to students on the state of their knowledge and supplying a sufficient number of practice problems are major concerns for many courses. Creating engaging and interactive course materials is another challenge for many educators. We explore how an eTextbook can be used to address these issues and improve learning outcomes. Through several case studies, we discuss how information gathered from user interaction logs can be used both to understand student behavior and to improve the system. We explore the deployment of basic gamification techniques within an eTextbook to motivate students and to encourage them toward more learning-oriented behavior.
Expert judgment and uncertainty regarding the protection of imperiled species

Decisions concerning the appropriate listing status of species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) can be controversial even among conservationists. These decisions may determine whether a species persists in the near term and have long-lasting social and political ramifications. Given the ESA's mandate that such decisions be based on the best available science, it is important to examine what factors contribute to experts' judgments concerning the listing of species. We examined how a variety of factors (such as risk perception, value orientations, and norms) influenced experts' judgments concerning the appropriate listing status of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Experts were invited to complete an online survey examining their perceptions of the threats grizzly bears face and their listing recommendation. Although experts' assessments of the threats to this species were strongly correlated with their recommendations for listing status, this relationship did not exist when other cognitive factors were included in the model. Specifically, values related to human use of wildlife and norms (i.e., a respondent's expectation of peers' assessments) were most influential in listing status recommendations. These results suggest that experts' decisions about listing, like all human decisions, are subject to the use of heuristics (i.e., decision shortcuts). An understanding of how heuristics and related biases affect decisions under uncertainty can help inform decision making about threatened and endangered species and may be useful in designing effective processes for protection of imperiled species.
Altered formation of topotecan-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA adducts in human leukemia cells

Topotecan (TPT) is a topoisomerase I (topo I) poison that has shown promising antineoplastic activity in solid tumors and acute leukemia. In the present study, a band depletion assay was used to evaluate the ability of TPT to stabilize topo I-DNA adducts in human leukemia cell lines and in clinical leukemia samples ex vivo. This assay showed that 50% of the cellular topo I in HL-60 human myelomonocytic leukemia cells became covalently bound to DNA at an extracellular TPT concentration of 4 μmol/L. In contrast, in 13 clinical specimens of human leukemia harvested before treatment of patients with TPT, the TPT concentration required to stabilize 50% of the cellular topo I in topo I-DNA complexes ranged from 3 to greater than 100 μmol/L (median, 30 μmol/L). Flow microfluorimetry showed that cellular TPT accumulation varied over only a twofold range and failed to provide evidence for transport-mediated resistance in the clinical samples. These observations raise the possibility that formation of topo I-DNA adducts is diminished in many specimens of refractory/relapsed acute leukemia by a mechanism that might alter topo I sensitivity to TPT.
Long-term Follow-up of Adolescents Treated for Rumination Syndrome in an Inpatient Setting.

ABSTRACTObjectives:Although several studies have demonstrated the short-term benefit of the behavioral treatment of rumination syndrome, few have investigated the long-term outcomes. Studies reporting long-term benefit have involved combined pediatric and adult samples or have examined outcomes of p
Materials Characterization for Cultural Heritage: XRF Case Studies in Archaeology and Art

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy has become an important materials characterization technique used by researchers studying cultural and archaeological artifacts. XRF is often a first choice for an initial materials investigation due to its nondestructive nature, swift setup, short acquisition times, portability, and ease of use. XRF analysis is noninvasive, and can be undertaken without contacting the artifact, making it also preferred from a conservation standpoint, and routinely adopted by heritage conservation practitioners. In particular, handheld, portable XRF instruments can be easily transported and deployed under most field scenarios and conditions. As such, XRF has secured its place in the cultural heritage/archaeological tool box. This chapter will present an overview of the role and use of XRF for the collection/acquisition of materials characterization data on cultural heritage and archaeological artifacts.
Insurance access in adults with congenital heart disease in the Affordable Care Act era

Background Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) have traditionally been viewed as an underinsured population. Whether this is true in the Affordable Care Act era is unknown. We determined insurance patterns in ACHD patients compared to the non-ACHD cardiology population in a contemporary cohort. Methods All cardiology outpatient visits between July 2016 and February 2017 to a large referral center in the United States were reviewed. The primary payer was categorized as health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO), Medicare, Medicaid, self-pay, or other. Diagnosis and lesion severity of ACHD were extracted from ICD-10 diagnostic codes and assigned according to the 2008 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association ACHD guidelines. Age-matching was used to account for baseline age differences between ACHD and non-ACHD patients. Results E ACHD and 17 154 non-ACHD patients were identified. Without age-matching, ACHD patients were significantly younger than non-ACHD patients (mean age 38.5 vs 63.8 years). After age-matching (N = 805 in each group), mean age was 39.5 years in both groups. ACHD patients had less HMO (29.1% vs 34.7%, P = .012) and Medicaid (12.4% vs 17.3%, P = .006) coverage, but more PPO (34.4% vs 27.5%, P = .003) and Medicare (23.2% vs 18.1%, P = .005) coverage compared to non-ACHD patients. No differences were found in private insurance, public insurance, or self-pay. Lesion complexity had no effect on insurance in ACHD patients. Eligibility of parental plan coverage did not affect use of private insurance. ACHD patients in states with Medicaid expansion had higher rates of Medicaid (15.6% vs 10.6%, P = .045) but lower rates of HMO coverage (24.5% vs 31.7%, P = .036) and self-pay (0% vs 3.3%, P < .001). ACHD status, age, income, and residence in Medicaid expansion states were independent determinants of insurance types. Conclusions In the Affordable Care Act era, ACHD patients are a well-insured population. Governmental policy has substantial effects on individual-level choice and access to insurance.
A CRISPR-Based Selective Gene Inhibition Method Reveals Dynamic Features of a Cell Nucleus Nanobody Related to the Disease Myotonic Dystrophy

A major form of the severe pediatric muscle disease myotonic dystrophy is caused by a CTG repeat expansion in the gene (dmpk) for the enzyme DM protein kinase 1. As a consequence, this mutant allele produces aberrant transcripts that have elongated tracts of CUG repeats. These RNAs appear to stall within the cell nucleus, congressing in small, discrete bodies situated away from their site of gene transcription. Here, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based approach is deployed that reveals that these nuclear nanobodies are not static structures. When the transcription of the dmpk gene is halted by a targeted CRISPR-based inhibition method, the preexisting transcripts delocalize from the nuclear bodies, showing that they are continuously trafficking through and are not stalled there in an accretion mode. This report is an example of how a novel method can address a nanoscale dimension of molecular cell biology in the nucleus, one with direct medical relevance.
Role of Molecular Imaging in the Era of Personalized Medicine: A Review

Molecular imaging allows the visual representation, characterization, and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and subcellular levels within intact living organisms. In oncology, it can be used to depict the abnormal molecules as well as the aberrant interactions of altered molecules on which cancers depend.
Calcified Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Clinical, Radiographic and Pathologic Study

AbstractA retrospective review from 1954 to 1977 revealed 17 patients with radiographically calcified renal cell carcinoma. Any calcified renal lesion, regardless of the characteristics of the calcification, must be regarded as suspicious for a malignant neoplasm. Calcified renal cell carcinoma appears to be a biologically distinct subgroup of renal parenchymal tumors. The angiographic diagnosis of these tumors often was difficult since most were either hypovascular or avascular Most calcified renal parenchymal tumors were relatively large but tended to be localized and histologically well differentiated These tumors were associated with a predicted 5-year survival rate of 77 per cent.
Effectiveness of combined use of cryotherapy and neuromuscular electrostimulation in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction/Background Non-pharmacological methods have an important role in the complex treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The combination of cryotherapy and neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) is one of the new non-pharmacological methodic that reduces pain and local inflammation. Material and method The study group comprised 69 RA patients, 52.4 ± 17.6 years, 88.4% women with moderate activity (DAS28 3.48 ± 1.17) who received standard therapy: methotrexate or leflunamide, glucocorticoids Results In group 1, there was a greater improvement in comparison with groups 2 and 3. DAS28 decreased from 3.51 ± 1.31 to 3.11 ± 1.07, from 3.44 ± 1.24 to 3.34 ± 1.12 and from 3.45 ± 1.24 to 3.31 ± 1.24 (P 50% was noted in 53.0%, 18.2% and 25.6% of patients (P Conclusion Cryotherapy and NMES can reduce pain and improve function in RA. The combined use of cryotherapy with NMES provides more pronounced effect and is well tolerated.
NGO laws after the colour revolutions and the Arab spring: Nondemocratic regime strategies in Eastern Europe and the Middle East

How significant were popular mobilizations like the colour revolutions and the Arab Spring in raising legal regulatory barriers for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Eastern Europe and the M...
Wideband 3D-Printed Dielectric Resonator Antennas

Dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) using materials with spatial variation of dielectric constants are proposed for wideband applications. Spatial variation is achieved using state-of-the-art 3D printing, and an X-band antenna achieving an impedance bandwidth of 60% and desirable radiation characteristics is presented.
The impact of motivational interviewing training on rehabilitation counselors: Assessing working alliance and client engagement. A randomized controlled trial.

Objective To determine the impact of a motivational interviewing (MI) training designed to improve rehabilitation counselors' counseling skills to promote clients' engagement in return-to-work behaviors and to establish strong working alliance. Participants The target population for this study was counselors who work for the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) program and their clients. Data were collected from a total of 347 participants (67 counselors and 280 clients) in the experimental and comparison groups, during the pre-and-posttests. Study method A randomized controlled trial was used in this study. The counselors in the experimental group received a 4-hr standardized MI training and a 4-week follow-up coaching sessions. Results The counselors in the experimental group demonstrated significant gains in their MI competence scores compared to the comparison group. The clients of the experimental group's counselors improved their engagement in VR services and working alliance with their counselors. Conclusions The findings of this research indicated a need for carefully developed counseling trainings and incorporation of the evidence-based practices in the VR programs to provide better quality of rehabilitation services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Bond dissociation energy of Au2+: A guided ion beam and theoretical investigation.

Guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry was employed to measure the kinetic energy-dependent product ion cross sections for the collision induced dissociation of Au2+ with Xe. Gold dimer cations were formed in a glow discharge flow tube source that should create ions in their ground electronic state with thermal internal energies. Analysis of the endothermic kinetic energy dependent cross section accounts for multiple collisions, lifetime effects, and the internal energy of the reactant ion. The value obtained for the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of Au2+ is the first direct measurement and is reported here as 2.20 ± 0.21 eV. For comparison with experimental results, theoretical calculations were also completed at the B3LYP, M06-2X, and coupled cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T,full)] levels of theory using the def2-TZVPPD basis set and at the CCSD(T)-F12/correlation-consistent polarized valence triple zeta basis with pseudopotential level. These results predict a 2Σg+ electronic ground state for Au2+ with BDEs calculated at the B3LYP and both CCSD(T) levels of theory in agreement with the experiment within the uncertainty. Several electronically excited states are also evaluated theoretically.
Local adaptation for enhanced salt tolerance reduces non‐adaptive plasticity caused by osmotic stress

Organisms often respond to environmental change via phenotypic plasticity, in which an individual modulates its phenotype according to the environment. Highly variable or changing environments can exceed physiological limits and generate maladapted plastic phenotypes, which is termed nonadaptive plasticity. In some cases, selection may reduce the negative or disruptive impacts of environmental stress and produce locally adapted populations. Salt is an increasingly prevalent contaminant of freshwater systems and can induce nonadaptive plastic phenotypes for freshwater organisms like amphibians. Hyla cinerea is a frog species with populations inhabiting brackish, coastal habitats, so we use this species to test whether coastal populations are locally adapted to tolerate saltwater by determining how salt exposure during the embryonic and larval stages alters mortality and plastic developmental and metamorphic phenotypes of coastal and inland populations. Coastal frogs have higher survival, faster growth rates, and metamorphose sooner than inland frogs across salinities. Coastal frogs also metamorphose smaller (likely a consequence of earlier metamorphosis) yet maintain constant size, while higher salinities reduce metamorphic size for inland frogs. Coastal frogs evolved to minimize nonadaptive and disruptive impacts of saltwater during larval development and accelerate the larval period to reduce time spent in a stressful environment.
Acrylamide levels and dietary exposure from foods in the United States, an update based on 2011-2015 data

Acrylamide is a contaminant that can form in certain plant-based foods during high-temperature cooking. From 2011-2015, the Food and Drug Administration conducted extensive sampling and analyses of acrylamide in foods, as a follow-up to surveys from 2002-2006. We compared acrylamide occurrence data and exposure estimates based on 2011-2015 data with data and exposure estimates from 2002-2006. Acrylamide levels in selected food categories generally did not decrease significantly in 2011-2015 compared with 2002-2006. However, significant decreases in acrylamide concentrations were observed for potato chips and crackers, which may be related to the availability and use of mitigation techniques for reducing acrylamide in foods. Mean dietary intake for those 2 years and older based on 2011-2015 data was 0.36 µg/kg bw/day, comparable to the 0.44 µg/kg bw/day reported by FDA in 2006. French fries and potato products, breakfast cereal, cookies, potato chips, and crackers continue to be the greatest contributors to dietary intake of acrylamide. Infant snack foods were identified as an important contributor to acrylamide intake relative to infant jarred foods. The continued presence of acrylamide in food suggests that manufacturers and governments should continue to pursue efforts to reduce acrylamide in foods that are important contributors to acrylamide intake.
Re-examining trade networks in Late Woodland Virginia (900–1600 CE): An LA-ICP-MS analysis of copper artifacts

Abstract When Europeans and Virginia Indian polities first made contact, the Monacan of the Virginia Piedmont supplied the Powhatan of the lower Chesapeake Bay with copper, a material that Powhatan elites considered highly valuable. Scholars have long debated the provenience of this copper. Some suggest that throughout the Late Woodland Period (900–1600 CE) the Monacan mined their trade copper from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains. This study supports an alternative model wherein the Monacan acquired much of their copper through trade and strategically controlled its flow into coastal trade networks. Laser-Ablation Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis of copper artifacts from Late Woodland sites in Virginia suggests that much of the native copper that circulated through interior trade networks came from more distant deposits (e.g., Michigan), rather than from sources in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Everyday Cross-session Search: How and Why Do People Search Across Multiple Sessions?

We report on a survey about people's cross-session search activities in their everyday work and life. We recruited a broad range of participants (N=110) using the Amazon Mechanical Turk service. The survey asked people to describe a recent task in which they searched across multiple sessions, to recall the reasons they started and stopped the most recent search session for the task, and to explain methods they used for reacquainting themselves with the task at the beginning of the most recent session. Across a broad range of tasks reported by our participants, our results show that a majority of the cross-session work tasks involved high levels of cognitive complexity, consultation with additional human information sources (in addition to search engines), and often involved multiple devices (e.g., computer and smartphone). Our analysis of reasons why people stopped and restarted search sessions extends and validates the reasons outlined in Lin and Belkin's model of Multiple Information Seeking Episodes and previous results from MacKay and Watters' study of multi-session search. We also identified methods that searchers use to re-acquaint themselves when restarting multi-session searches, and reasons why they may choose not to use any re-acquainting method. Our results update prior work and provide insights about how search systems can better support cross-session work tasks.
Diversity and Disagreement in Ethics: Philosophical Implications

The extraordinary variety of ethical beliefs and practices that is possible within and across human societies has been a rich source of philosophical reflection. This article discusses important philosophical accounts, historical as well as contemporary, of what that diversity and disagreement come to. Philosophers ask what diversity and disagreement can tell us about the nature of ethical argument and inquiry, and they consider the implications of diversity and disagreement for ethical practice and social life. It is shown that philosophical contributions to these debates have often shaped and, in turn, been shaped by related work in the social sciences, and that as a result philosophers and social scientists frequently discuss similar methodological concerns. It is also argued that some of those concerns demand a response to debates about the nature of argument and inquiry in science, in order to address skepticism about the possibility of ever resolving serious ethical disagreement. Finally, it is shown that many recent philosophical discussions of diversity and disagreement address the ongoing challenge of adjudicating ethical and political conflict in culturally complex societies.
Colonization of Wild Blackberry Plants in California by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. mori

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. mori, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of blackberry, was first reported in California and Mexico in 2016. A limited survey of the population revealed this pathogen to be one of the most diverse formae speciales of F. oxysporum. We explored the possibility that strains of F. oxysporum pathogenic to commercial blackberry could also be recovered from wild blackberry (Rubus spp.) in California. For this purpose, wild Rubus species in blackberry nurseries, fruit production fields, and nearby areas were collected between 2017 and 2019. Thirty-four isolates of F. oxysporum were recovered from asymptomatic Rubus armeniacus and Rubus ursinus plants. Based on sequence of the translation elongation factor 1-α, somatic compatibility, and pathogenicity to blackberry, 16 isolates were confirmed as F. oxysporum f. sp. mori. These isolates were associated with three somatic compatibility groups, one of which was first identified in this study. Recovery of the pathogen confirmed that wild blackberry plants can act as a reservoir of inoculum of F. oxysporum f. sp. mori and that it can move from wild blackberry plants to commercial cultivars or vice versa.
Eros Ideologies: Writings on Art, Spirituality, and the Decolonial

In the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) of Far Eastern Siberia, a key concept for personal and interrelated social well-being is kut-siur, glossed as a balance of heart-soul-mind-body. While not aware of t...
The Joyful Life: An Existential-Humanistic Approach to Positive Psychology in the Time of a Pandemic

In the midst of a global pandemic, psychology has a duty to identify dispositional or character traits that can be cultivated in citizens in order to create resiliency in the face of profound losses, suffering and distress. Dispositional joy holds some promise as such a trait that could be especially important for well-being during the current pandemic and its consequences. The concept of the Joyful Life may operate as bridge between positive psychology and humanistic, existential, and spiritual views of the good life, by integrating hedonic, prudential, eudaimonic and chaironic visions of the good life. Previous phenomenological research on state joy suggests that momentary states of joy may have features that overlap with happiness but go beyond mere hedonic interests, and point to the experience of a life oriented toward virtue and a sense of the transcendent or the sacred. However, qualitative research on the Joyful Life, or dispositional joy, is sorely lacking. This study utilized a dialogical phenomenological analysis to conduct a group-based analysis of 17 volunteer students, who produced 51 autobiographical narrative descriptions of the joyful life. The dialogical analyses were assisted by integration of the Imagery in Movement Method, which incorporated expressive drawing and psychodrama as an aid to explicate implicit themes in the experiences of the participants. The analyses yielded ten invariant themes found across the autobiographical narrative descriptions: Being broken, being grounded, being centered, breaking open, being uplifted, being supertemporal, being open to the mystery, being grateful, opening up and out, and being together. The descriptions of a Joyful Life were consistent with a meaning orientation to happiness, due to their emphasis on the cultivation of virtue in the service of a higher calling, the realization of which was felt to be a gift or blessing. The discussion examines implications for future research, including the current relevance of a joyful disposition during a global pandemic. Due to the joyful disposition's tendency to transform suffering and tragedy into meaning, and its theme of an orientation to prosocial motivations, the Joyful Life may occupy a central place in the study of resiliency and personal growth in response to personal and collective trauma such as COVID-19.
Optical metrology of an adjustable x-ray mirror prototype

Exquisite angular resolution (< 0.5 arcsec) and high effective area (≥ 2 m^2 @ 1 keV) are requirements for a next-generation X-ray observatory capable of tackling outstanding problems in high energy astrophysics, including understanding how black holes grow over cosmic time and how hot baryonic material is distributed on the largest scales. However, realizing a telescope with this performance is challenging, as the thin optics required are susceptible to fabrication errors, thin film stress, and mounting deformations. One potential method of addressing these errors to fabricate adjustable X-ray optics – mirrors with actuators capable of correcting the optic’s figure following mounting. In this work, we present interferometric measurements of an adjustable X-ray optics prototype with lead titanate zirconate (PZT) actuators. We detail the realized actuator performance and correctability of the mirror prototype, and discuss the implications for the next-generation of adjustable mirrors.
Post-Season Neurophysiological Deficits Assessed by ImPACT and fMRI in Athletes Competing in American Football

Neurocognitive assessment, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and head impact monitoring were used to evaluate neurological changes in high school football players throughout competitive seasons. A substantial number of asymptomatic athletes exhibited neurophysiological changes that persisted post-season, with abnormal measures significantly more common in athletes receiving 50 or more hits per week during the season.
MicroRNA-302b is a new regulator of inflammatory responses via feedback to TLR/IRAK4 circuits during bacterial infection (INM9P.459)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in a spectrum of physiological and pathological conditions, including immune responses. miR-302b has been implicated in stem cell differentiation and cell proliferation; however its role in infection and immunity remains to be defined. In this study, we showed that miR-302b was induced by TLR2 and TLR4 through ERK-p38- NF-κB signaling upon Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Suppression of inflammatory responses to bacterial infection is mediated by targeting IRAK4, a protein required for the activation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Through negative feedback, enforced expression of miR-302b in mice with its “mimics” (or IRAK4 siRNA silencing) inhibited downstream NF-κB signaling and airway leukocyte infiltration, thereby alleviating lung injury and increasing survival in P. aeruginosa-infected mice. Similarly, IRAK4 siRNA silencing blocked airway leukocyte infiltration and inflammatory cytokine production, thereby increasing survival after infection in mice. On the other hand, miR-302b inhibitors exacerbated inflammatory responses and decreased survival in both P. aeruginosa-infected mice and lung epithelial and macrophage cells. Collectively, our findings revealed that miR-302b is a novel inflammatory regulator of NF-κB activation in respiratory bacterial infections through negative feedback to TLRs-mediated immunity.
2-(3,5-Di­chloro­phenyl)-1,4-benzo­quinone

In the title compound, C12H6Cl5O2, the dihedral angle between the two rings is 37°. This dihedral angle is different from the calculated dihedral angle in aqueous solution (48°), a likely cause being the influence of crystal packing.
Overview of Human Factors and Ergonomics in the OR, with an Emphasis on Minimally Invasive Surgeries

Operating rooms OR are where medical teams work to improve the health of a patient. However, because of the complexity of the procedures, errors and unsafe situations are likely to occur. These complications can lead to harm to the patient or medical professionals. Human factors and ergonomic professionals have been working to improve these unsafe conditions in the OR for over a century. However, with advances in technology, increased surgical complexity, as well as an increase in medical team members in the OR, there are still numerous improvements yet to be accomplished. Minimally invasive surgeries require an even more advanced approach to prevent errors due to technology, fatigue, and miscommunication. Human factors and ergonomic techniques provide the ability to greatly improve conditions for patients and surgeons alike. It is imperative that human factors and ergonomics continue to grow and facilitate technological advancements in healthcare. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bioelectric impedance measurements using synchronous sampling

Synchronous sampling has been applied to the demodulation of bioelectric impedence signals. This overcomes the need for analog demodulators in bioimpedance measurements. The sampling rate is determined by signal bandwidth, rather than by the highest frequency component before demodulation. >
Forward- and backward-masked intensity discrimination measured using forced-choice and adjustment procedures

A ‘‘midlevel’’ hump in the intensity jnd has been reported for pure tones preceded [e.g., Zeng et al., Hear. Res. 55, 223–230 (1991)] or followed [Plack and Viemeister, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92, 3097–3101 (1992)] by an intense masker where the signal‐masker interval was 100 ms. These previous studies used forced‐choice procedures, in which subjects were required to indicate the more intense tone. Plack and Viemeister [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92, 3097–3101 (1992)] have proposed that the task of judging the intensity of the short probe tone, when it is presented along with an intense masker, may lead to cognitive or central factors influencing the results. The present experiments attempted to reduce these possible effects by measuring intensity jnd’s using two additional paradigms. First, a ‘‘multiple‐look’’ forced‐choice method, in which subjects listened to the stimulus pairs several times before responding, was used to obtain only forward‐masked intensity jnd’s. Second, the method of adjustment was used to obtain both forward‐ and backward‐masked intensity jnd’s. Both the standard forced‐choice method and the multiple‐look forced‐choice method yielded jnd data with a midlevel hump, when compared to jnd’s measured without a masker. In contrast, jnd’s obtained with the method of adjustment yielded jnd data with no midlevel hump. The present results suggest that the traditional method of adjustment for intensity discrimination, where subjects adjust the signal level to a point of subjective equality, may measure a fundamentally different quantity than that measured by forced‐choice procedures.
Estimating the economic impacts of tourism

Abstract An important component in assessing the merits of tourism focusing on the ecosystem is determining its economic impact in the designated area. This study uses a social accounting matrix to examine the economic effects of tourism in a Brazilian region. The matrix provides a systematic framework for synthesizing and displaying the data on a region's economy and estimating regional economic multipliers. Most of the inputs, commodities, and capital used in the region are imported. Therefore, monies tourists spend are used to pay for these imports and will generate only a small economic impact. Consequently, there is little incentive to stop current economic activities that are probably counter to ecosystem-based tourism.
The Effect of Face Loss on Willingness to Confront Hurtful Messages from Romantic Partners

An individual's imagined hurt, face loss, and willingness to confront were hypothesized to vary with the social context and type of face attack expressed by a romantic partner. Undergraduates responding to hypothetical scenarios indicated greater imagined hurt and willingness to confront the attack when insulted versus when teased. Individuals reported more face loss from public versus private attacks. Individuals were less willing to confront public attacks, implying that individuals are sensitive to the type of face attack but are concerned about losing face in a public confrontation.