cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune function is related to adult carotenoid and bile pigment levels, but not to dietary carotenoid access during development, in female mallard ducks

Immune function can be modulated by multiple physiological factors, including nutrition and reproductive state. Because these factors can vary throughout an individual's lifetime as a result of environmental conditions (affecting nutrition) or life-history stage (e.g. entering the adult reproduction stage), we must carefully examine the degree to which developmental versus adult conditions shape performance of the immune system. We investigated how variation in dietary access to carotenoid pigments - a class of molecules with immunostimulatory properties that females deposit into egg yolks - during three different developmental time points affected adult immunological and reproductive traits in female mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). In males and females of other avian species, carotenoid access during development affects carotenoid assimilation ability, adult sexual ornamentation and immune function, while carotenoid access during adulthood can increase immune response and reproductive investment (e.g. egg-laying capacity, biliverdin deposition in eggshells). We failed to detect effects of developmental carotenoid supplementation on adult immune function [phytohemagglutinin-induced cutaneous immune response, antibody production in response to the novel antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), or oxidative burst, assessed by changes in circulating nitric oxide levels], carotenoid-pigmented beak coloration, ovarian development, circulating carotenoid levels or concentration of bile pigments in the gall bladder. However, we did uncover positive relationships between circulating carotenoid levels during adulthood and KLH-specific antibody production, and a negative relationship between biliverdin concentration in bile and KLH-specific antibody production. These results are consistent with the view that adult physiological parameters better predict current immune function than do developmental conditions, and highlight a possible, previously unstudied relationship between biliverdin and immune system performance.
Active Synthetic-Wheel Biped With Torso

The design of a new biped robot is proposed. Based on the concept of a self-propelled wheel, the design eliminates vertical impact forces from the ground during walking. The biped comprises a torso and two legs. With arc-shaped feet, each leg is constrained to move in a manner that allows the robot to walk by rolling alternately on its two feet. The purpose of the torso is to generate motion through unbalance. The mathematical model of the robot is developed, and constraints are imposed to generate simple walking gaits. A hardware prototype of the biped was fabricated, and a controller was designed to generate one specific gait. This gait results in horizontal impulsive forces at the time of touchdown of the swing leg and the effect of these forces is studied through experiments. The experimental results of the biped successfully walking down a hallway are presented.
Non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: diagnostic correlates and relation to suicide attempts.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a prevalent behavioral problem, yet many fundamental aspects of NSSI remain unknown. This case series study reports on the diagnostic correlates of adolescents with a recent history of NSSI and examines the relation between NSSI and suicide attempts. Data are from clinical interviews with 89 adolescents admitted to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit who engaged in NSSI in the previous 12 months. Results revealed that 87.6% of adolescents engaging in NSSI met criteria for a DSM-IVAxis I diagnosis (M=3.0, S.D.=2.2, range=0 to 8 diagnoses), including externalizing (62.9%), internalizing (51.7%), and substance use (59.6%) disorders. Most adolescents assessed also met criteria for an Axis II personality disorder (67.3%). Overall, 70% of adolescents engaging in NSSI reported a lifetime suicide attempt and 55% reported multiple attempts. Characteristics of NSSI associated with making suicide attempts included a longer history of NSSI, use of a greater number of methods, and absence of physical pain during NSSI. These findings demonstrate the diagnostic heterogeneity of adolescents engaging in NSSI, highlight the significant overlap between NSSI and suicide attempts, and provide a point of departure for future research aimed at elucidating the relations between non-suicidal and suicidal self-injury. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Electro-active nanowell structures for sensing and optofluidic applications

Here we describe the development of ldquoelectroactiverdquo nanowells which exploit extremely localized electrokinetic effects in order to guide and confine nanoparticles into targeted nanostructures. Applications for the devices include sensing and optofluidically adaptable photonics.
Forecasting Hotel Occupancy Rates with Time Series Models: An Empirical Analysis:

This study examines empirically the use of two time series models, Box-Jenkins and exponential smoothing, for forecasting hotel occupancy rates. The models are fitted and tested using actual monthl...
Quantitative Secretomic Analysis Identifies Extracellular Protein Factors That Modulate the Metastatic Phenotype of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women in the United States, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) representing 85% of all diagnoses. Late stage detection, metastatic disease and lack of actionable biomarkers contribute to the high mortality rate. Proteins in the extracellular space are known to be critically involved in regulating every stage of the pathogenesis of lung cancer. To investigate the mechanism by which secreted proteins contribute to the pathogenesis of NSCLC, we performed quantitative secretomic analysis of two isogenic NSCLC cell lines (NCI-H1993 and NCI-H2073) and an immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line (HBEC3-KT) as control. H1993 was derived from a chemo-naive metastatic tumor, while H2073 was derived from the primary tumor after etoposide/cisplatin therapy. From the conditioned media of these three cell lines, we identified and quantified 2713 proteins, including a series of proteins involved in regulating inflammatory response, progr...
Visual Literacy and the Legal Culture: Reading Film as Text in the Law School Setting

The course in Law and Popular Storytelling scratched the surface of a simple idea: lawyers are popular story tellers who operate in an aural and visual storytelling culture. Lawyers tell imagistic narratives constructed upon aesthetic principles that are closely akin to the structural principles that control the formulation of plot-structure in commercial cinema. We tell stores with hard driving plot-lines and clear themes that are readily distilled. We shoot our films from the fixed perspective of protagonist-clients. We are simple realists who construct our stories to hook the sympathy and capture the imagination of audiences who think in pictures. We sequence shots on imaginary storyboards until we establish the patterns that ultimately suit our purposes. We speak and think filmically. We have much to learn from visual storytellers working the same popular cultural turf.
Prevalence Trends For Three Common Medical Conditions: Treated And Untreated

Studies that use the number of individuals treated for a medical condition to investigate its prevalence understate true prevalence and obscure prevalence trends. For example, treated diabetes prevalence was less than half of true prevalence in 1999–2000. Over the ensuing twelve years, the rate of increase in treated prevalence was more than 50 percent higher than that of true prevalence.
Hindbrain GRP receptor blockade antagonizes feeding suppression by peripherally administered GRP

Bombesin (BN)-like peptides injected peripherally or centrally suppress food intake in rats. The relationship between the central and peripheral actions of BN is unknown. However, experimental evidence supports a critical role for the caudal hindbrain in mediating the feeding effects of BN. To investigate this relationship further, we examined the ability of fourth ventricular infusion of a specific gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) antagonist, [D-F5, Phe6, D-Ala11]BN-(6-13) methyl ester (BN-ME), to block suppression of glucose intake (0.5 kcal/ml) produced by intraperitoneal administration of GRP-(18-27) in 5-h food-deprived male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 10). We found that fourth ventricular administration of 10, 32, and 100 ng BN-ME blocked the suppression of glucose intake produced by peripherally administered 10 nmol/kg GRP-(18-27). The most effective dose of BN-ME (100 ng) blocked the ability of peripheral injection of GRP-(18-27) to inhibit glucose intake but had no effect on intake when given alone. These results demonstrate that the availability of caudal hindbrain GRP receptors is necessary for peripherally administered GRP-(18-27) to reduce food intake in rats.
Maternal high-fat diet influences outcomes after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in rodents.

The typical US diet has >30% calories from fat; yet, typical laboratory diets contain 17% calories from fat. This disparity could confound the clinical relevance of findings in cerebral ischemia models. We compared outcomes after neonatal brain injury in offspring of rat dams fed standard low-fat chow (17% fat calories) or a higher fat diet (34% fat calories) from day 7 of pregnancy. On postnatal day 7, hypoxic-ischemic injury was induced by right carotid ligation, followed by 60, 75 or 90 min 8% oxygen exposure. Sensorimotor function, brain damage, and serum and brain fatty acid content were compared 1 to 4 weeks later. All lesioned animals developed left forepaw placing deficits; scores were worse in the high-fat groups (p < 0.0001, ANOVA). Similarly, reductions in left forepaw grip strength were more pronounced in the high-fat groups. Severity of right hemisphere damage increased with hypoxia-ischemia duration but did not differ between diet groups. Serum and brain docosahexaenoic acid fatty acid fractions were lower in high-fat progeny (p < 0.05, ANOVA). We speculate that the high-fat diet disrupted docosahexaenoic acid-dependent recovery mechanisms. These findings have significant implications both for refinement of neonatal brain injury models and for understanding the impact of maternal diet on neonatal neuroplasticity.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Dihydronicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide at Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) substantially lower the overpotential necessary for dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidation compared to nondoped CNTs or traditional carbon electrodes such as glassy carbon (GC). We observe a 370 mV shift in the peak potential (Ep) from GC to CNTs and another 170 mV shift from CNTs to 7.4 atom % N-CNTs in a sodium phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) with 2.0 mM NADH (scan rate 10 mV/s). The sensitivity of 7.4 atom % N-CNTs to NADH was measured at 0.30 ± 0.04 A M–1 cm–2, with a limit of detection at 1.1 ± 0.3 μM and a linear range of 70 ± 10 μM poised at a low potential of −0.32 V (vs Hg/Hg2SO4). NADH fouling, known to occur to the electrode surface during NADH oxidation, was investigated by measuring both the change in Ep and the resulting loss of electrode sensitivity. NADH degradation, known to occur in phosphate buffer, was characterized by absorbance at 340 nm and correlated with the loss of NADH electroactivity. N-CNTs are further demonstrated...
Intelligent Monitor System of Navigation Lights Based on GSM/GPRS Short Messages

The composition of an intelligent monitor system for navigation lights based on GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communication/General Packet Radio System) short message services is introduced. The available working procedures of the system and methods for controlling GSM/GRPS short messages are given, functional properties of the system are also described. The result of experiment indicates that the system can meet the requirements of navigation light management of river and marine navigation.
The IgG Subclasses of Red Cell Antibodies and Relationship to Monocyte Binding

Purified IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 myeloma proteins were coupled to red blood cells with chromic chloride either individually or in various combinations. Only red blood cells coated with IgG1 or IgG3 formed rosettes; red cells coated with IgG3 appeared to predominate in this reaction. IgG2, IgG4, and IgA myeloma proteins coupled to red blood cells did not appear to inhibit the IgG1 and/or IgG3 also on the red cells from forming rosettes. The IgG subclass specificity of a number of red cell isoantibodies was determined. The majority were IgG1 and IgG3, as previously noted. IgG2 was observed among some of these antibodies, namely in anti-D, anti-CD, anti-CDE, anti-s, and anti-Jka. Although rosette formation was strongly associated with the relative amounts of IgG1 and IgG3, particularly the latter, on red cells, a number of exceptions were noted.
273 PSYCHIATRIC COMPLAINTS IN 8 TO 12 YEAR OLDS PRESENTING TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS: WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM?

Background An alarming number of increasingly younger children are presenting to the emergency department (ED) for psychiatric crises. This investigation examines the characteristics of this cohort, ED management, and psychiatric disposition and treatment. Method After IRB approval, a retrospective chart review was conducted on a cross-section of all patients 8-12 years old presenting to the ED in 2004. A standardized chart review form was used to extract data, which were then entered into an Access database for analysis. Results A total of 66 charts were reviewed (68% male). Racial distribution was 56% Caucasion, 38% African American, and 6% other. Thirty-five percent had a history of abuse; 44% had an established psychiatric diagnosis before ED presentation; 62% were already on a psychiatric medication; and 38% had already been admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility. Out of 66 patients 7 performed an act of violence at school or took a weapon to school with the intent of harming a teacher or other student. Fifty-three percent had a significant psychiatric family history. Many of these patients (64%) had multiple chief complaints; 33 were suicidal, 5 were homicidal, 39 exhibited aggression, 22 had signs of clinical depression, 8 had psychotic features, and 3 had evidence of anxiety disorder. No patients required chemical restraint in the ED. Eighty-nine percent required admission (n = 59); 52 were admitted to our institution, with 7 transferred elsewhere because of lack of beds. Average length of stay was 11 days with a range of 1-25 days. Of the 58 patients discharged from our institution 57 had psychiatric follow-up arranged. Fifteen percent returned for a repeat psychiatric evaluation between their discharge date in 2004 and July 31, 2005. Conclusions A significant number of 8-12 year olds have serious psychiatric illnesses. Of those that reach the ED a large number require admission. Possible risk factors indicated by this study are a family history of psychiatric illness and a personal history of sexual or physical abuse. This study also reveals the potential danger for schools from students as young as those in the third grade. This emphasizes the importance of early identification and treatment of psychiatric illness in this population.
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Total Extraperitoneal (TEP) Approach

Inguinal hernias are extremely common and can be repaired through a variety of open and laparoscopic techniques. The following chapter reviews our approach to the laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair.
Cytogenetic and linkage studies with translocations in soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr]

57 Introduction 58 Materials and Methods 59 Results and Discussion 66 Conclusions 70 References 70 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 92 APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY DATA FROM INDIVIDUAL EXPERIMENTS 94 GENERAL REFERENCES 105
Leukocytosis and Leukemia

Leukocytosis is among the most common findings on peripheral blood smear. A wide range of causes may mediate this finding, and careful clinical and laboratory evaluation assist in differentiating between benign and malignant causes of increased white blood cell counts. In this article, various nonmalignant causes are explored, including infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and allergic. In addition, malignant causes of leukocytosis are discussed, including myeloproliferative disorders, acute leukemia, and chronic leukemia, as well as treatment and monitoring for patients with these diseases.
The gender gap in college major: Revisiting the role of pre-college factors ☆

Abstract This paper considers the importance of pre-college test scores in accounting for gender gaps in college major. Large gaps in major content exist: men are more likely to study math-, science-, and business-intensive fields, while women are more likely to study humanities-, social science-, and education-intensive fields. Previous research has found that gender differences in college preparation, typically measured by SAT scores, can account for only a small portion of these differences. Using a broader array of pre-college test scores (the ASVAB), I show that differences in college preparation can actually account for a large portion of most gender gaps in college major content, including 62% of the gap in science, 66% of the gap in humanities, and 47% of the gap in engineering. SAT scores explain less than half as much as the ASVAB scores, while noncognitive skill measures appear to explain none of the gaps in major. The gender gaps in test scores, particularly in science and mechanical fields, exist by the mid-teenage years and grow with age.
Parent Perceptions of Parent Involvement With Elementary-Aged Students With Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this research was to explore parent perceptions concerning their involvement in their children’s special education. The goal of this study was to better understand why some parents become involved while others donot. Survey methodology was utilized to determine parent perceptions of (a) levels of parent and children’s participation in home literacy activities, (b) levels of parent efficacy, and (c) parent viewpoints of their responsibilities in the homeschool relationship. Participants in this study consisted of 49 parents of elementary-aged children diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, and included six elementary schools from two school districts, one rural and one urban district. Descriptive statistics and correlational analysis were utilized. Participants provided demographic/background information and completed a modified version of the Likert-type survey known as the “Parent Survey of Family and Community Involvement in the Elementary and Middle Grades.” Results indicate a strong positive correlation between parent literacy activities and at home child literacy activities and a correlation between parent efficacy and parent involvement at school. Subscribe to LDMJ
Getting Hard-Nosed About Software: Guidelines for Evaluating Computerized Instructional Materials.

Why Special Guidelines, Anyway? Most educators are at some time called upon to participate in the selection of learning materials. Using selection criteria that have attained a certain national com monality evaluators have coped with the nonexistence of the perfect textbook by employing academic "trade offs." This flexible application of criteria was justified by the belief that the ultimate effectiveness of the materials chosen is dependent on the manner in which they are used by the teacher or student. To date, both gross con trol and fine tuning of the instructional en vironment have been under the command of the participants. The execution of computer-assisted less ons is characterized by a new independence from teacher or learner control. For ex
Associations Between Self‐Reported Physical Activity and Physical Performance Measures Over Time in Postmenopausal Women: The Women's Health Initiative

Objectives To examine prospective associations between changes in physical activity (PA) and changes in physical performance measures (PPMs) over 6 years in older women. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Forty clinical centers in the United States. Participants Women aged 65 and older (mean age 69.8) enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trials with gait speed, timed chair stand, grip strength, and self-reported recreational PA data assessed at baseline (1993–98) and follow-up Years 1, 3, and 6 (N = 5,092). Measurements Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to determine the association between time-varying PA and change in each PPM. Potential interactions between time-varying PA and age (<70, ≥70) were also tested. Results Significan, dose-response associations between PA and improvements in all PPMs were observed over the 6 years of follow-up after adjusting for important covariates. High PA groups (≥1,200 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/wk) had stronger grip strength (0.48 kg greater; P < .01), more chair stands (0.35 more; P < .001), and faster gait speeds (0.06 m/s faster; P < .001) than sedentary women (<100 MET-min/wk). Higher PA levels were associated with a greater increase in chair stands over time in women aged 70 and older (P < .001) than in those younger than 70 (Pinteraction for age = .01). Conclusion In postmenopausal women, maintaining high PA levels over time is associated with better lower extremity function. These data support the view that regular PA plays an important role in maintaining functional status during aging in older women.
Challenges to large-scale digital organization: the case of Uber

Mobile computing, the so-called Internet of Things, and the rapid expansion of Internet connectivity all over the world are combining to challenge long-standing assumptions about the mission, function, and reach of traditional organizational forms. Uber is a fast-growing company with several unique attributes: its drivers are not employees, the company does not own the majority of its productive infrastructure, and the management is often at odds with local law and custom. Uber’s rapid rise to unprecedented scale serves to illustrate the gaps between traditional organizational assumptions and the reach of current technological capability. To address these gaps, we conclude by suggesting four principles for designing large-scale digital organizations.
Thermodynamics of a μ-oxo Dicopper(II) Complex for Hydrogen Atom Abstraction

The mono-μ-hydroxo complex {[Cu(tmpa)]2-(μ-OH)}3+ (1) can undergo reversible deprotonation at -30 °C to yield {[Cu(tmpa)]2-(μ-O)}2+ (2). This species is basic with a pKa of 24.3. 2 is competent for concerted proton-electron transfer from TEMPOH, but is an intrinsically poor hydrogen atom abstractor (BDFE(OH) of 77.2 kcal/mol) based on kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Nonetheless, DFT calculations experimentally calibrated against 2 reveal that [Cu2O]2+ is likely thermodynamically viable in copper-dependent methane monoxygenase enzymes.
Utility of Radionuclide Bone Scintigraphy in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

To describe the current understanding of the role of three-phase bone scintigraphy (TPBS) in the diagnosis and management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), discuss its advantages and limitations, and present three examples of TPBS patterns typically seen in CRPS patients. CRPS is a debilitating disorder frequently presenting with pain to ordinarily non-painful stimuli, redness, swelling, following fractures, stroke, myocardial infarction, surgery, or even minor trauma, and its diagnosis, based on clinical criteria and supportive imaging findings, is difficult. Of the available adjunctive diagnostic imaging modalities, radionuclide bone scintigraphy using a TPBS protocol is the most sensitive and specific for detecting abnormalities commonly seen with this condition—classically, increased periarticular uptake on delayed phase of TPBS, with variable increased uptake on perfusion phases, depending on chronicity. Recent studies have (1) demonstrated a more heterogeneous correlation of TPBS findings with CRPS diagnosis using the current Budapest criteria than in studies using older criteria, (2) pointed to the utility of novel quantitative scintigraphic techniques, and (3) highlighted the value of the early perfusion phases of TPBS in predicting treatment response. TPBS remains a valuable imaging adjunct to clinical diagnosis of CRPS. In combination with a multi-modal analgesic approach, TPBS can be used to follow disease course and potentially treatment response, although prospective trials are needed to further delineate its role.
A Compact Single-Cantilever Multicontact RF-MEMS Switch With Enhanced Reliability

This letter presents a novel cantilever and electrode biasing design of a metal-contact radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF-MEMS) switch to integrate multiple contact points in a single cantilever to improve the reliability of the switch. In the design presented in this letter, multiple contact points are integrated in a single cantilever. The contact points are used to conduct RF current one by one until one point fails. To switch between the contact points, two actuator electrodes are placed under the cantilever and biased with different voltages and the touching point between the cantilever and bottom RF electrode are changed. The parasitic capacitance of the switch is kept to be the same with that of a single contact point RF-MEMS switch. The OFF-state isolation will not be worsen, while accumulation of the lifetime of each contact point can improve the overall lifetime of the switch. Without the need of shrinking the actuator to maintain small parasitics capacitance, the contact force is also not sacrificed when comparing to the case of putting several miniature switches together. The performance and reliability improvement of the switch are experimentally demonstrated. The insertion losses of the switch of different contact points are <1 dB, and the isolation is better than 10 dB up to 20 GHz.
Evaluation of Bronchodilator Use During Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation Inpatient Admissions.

Background: It is unknown whether the timing of initiation of a long-acting bronchodilator (LABD) during a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation or the method of short-acting br...
Sporogenesis and gametogenesis in some Cyperaceae

The paper is an account of some salient embryological features in four genera and five species belonging to the family Cyperaceae (Eleocharis atropurpurea, E. congesta, Fimbristylis tetragona, Fuirena trilobites andScirpus lateriflorus). InE. atropurpurea double pollen grains are occasionally observed. Their significance in systematic considerations of the family is discussed. The development of the female gametophyte conforms to thePolygonum type.
Genetic Aspects of Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is estimated to affect 4 in 1000 to 8 in 1000 live births in the United States. Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is the most common chromosomal disorder; it occurs in approximately 1 in 800 births and the incidence rises steeply for women older than 35 years. Complete atrioventricular canal abnormalities account for 60% of heart defects in these patients. Coarctation of the aorta is the most common cardiovascular defect in patients with Turner syndrome. Patients with DiGeorge syndrome often have conotruncal abnormalities, including tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defect (VSD), truncus arteriosus, and aortic arch anomalies. Holt-Oram syndrome has anomalies of the upper limbs and heart, including secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs). The most common cardiac abnormality with Noonan syndrome is valvular pulmonic stenosis.
Applications of robust controller designs in automated manufacturing

Often we face the question of how to account for the supervisory “input” of the manager or the operator in a closed-loop system. In either case, it is preferred to have a minimum involvement of these people. In this article we model this supervisory input by an additional input which will be used to robustify system performance when this system is subject to large parameter variations. Subsequently, we present an algorithm for derivation of an optimal controller gain for automatic regulation of plant (a closed-loop policy) such that the efforts of the additional (or auxiliary) input for improving the robustness measure of the system dynamics, when this system is subject to large parameter variations, becomes minimum.
Frequency Standards in the Optical Spectrum

A long standing problem of spectroscopic measurements in the optical region of the spectrum has been the difficulty of obtaining accurate frequency reference standards to which spectral measurements can be compared. As will be discussed in this symposium on the hydrogen atom, this affects the value of the Rydberg constant as derived from optical measurements in hydrogen. As the experiments on hydrogen improve, the need for better reference points becomes more acute.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VORTEX REACTOR DESIGN

Over the years, a variety of improvements have been incorporated into the vortex reactor that considerably increase its efficiency, durability, and operability. These improvements have included an internal rib to guide feed particles into a tight helix, an easily replaceable wear plate located at the vortex entry, a recycle loop that ensures complete pyrolysis of large feed particles, reorientation of the reactor from horizontal to vertical, better conservation of kinetic energy in the recycle loop with a new eductor design, and the ability to periodically remove inert particles from the reactor. A mathematical model that describes the vortex reactor was used to guide the design of a reactor with a nominal capacity of 32 dry tonnes of biomass/day. This reactor was fabricated with the internal spiral rib using large, but conventional, machining equipment. Other techniques of fabrication exist, but have not been proven. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is interested in scaling up this technology in cooperation with industry.
Reactions to Perceived Risk: Changes in the Behavior of Cigarette Smokers

Since publication of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health [U.S. DHEW, 1964], Americans have been exposed to voluminous evidence linking cigarette smoking to a variety of serious illnesses. The Surgeon General’s report collected evidence developed in the preceding decade and a half and, interpreting that evidence, it made the first widely publicized pronouncement that smoking was casually linked to lung cancer and represented a major risk factor in other debilitating diseases. Since then, scores of scientific studies have supported and extended understanding of the relationships between smoking and illness, and a variety of mechanisms have been used to convey the basic health risk message to the public. On the national scene, most notable among these were the Fairness Doctrine antismoking messages broadcast on television and radio from 1968 through 1970 [Warner, 1979] and the publicity surrounding then-HEW Secretary Califano’s announced reinvigoration of the federal antismoking effort in 1978 [Califano, 1978]. For the last three years, new Surgeon General’s reports have provided a comprehensive compendium of knowledge of smoking and health [U.S. DHEW, 1979] and focused on specific issues of current concern: the health consequences of smoking for women [U.S. DHHS, 1980] and the quest for a less hazardous cigarette and smoking behaviors [U.S. DHHS, 1981].
A Simplified Bioenergetics Model of a Hammerhead Shark for Teaching Natural Selection

Students often have difficulty understanding the underpinning mechanisms of natural selection because they lack the means to directly test hypotheses within the classroom. Computer simulations are ideal platforms to allow students to manipulate variables and observe evolutionary outcomes; however, many available models solve the scenario for the users without revealing the evolutionarily significant calculations. I developed a simplified bioenergetics model of a hammerhead shark for teaching natural selection that allows the users to manipulate variables and see the impacts of modeling while solving for the evolutionary consequences. Students generate variation within the population by controlling cephalofoil widths and swimming speeds of an individual, which affect its ability to detect and capture prey at the expense of energy lost as drag from swimming. The trade-off between energy gained from successful predation and energy lost from metabolic expenditures dictates rates of reproduction. By manipulating a subset of factors that influence differential reproductive success, students gain an improved understanding of natural selection.
Multiplexed enrichment and genomic profiling of peripheral blood cells reveal subset-specific immune signatures

Specialized immune cell subsets are involved in autoimmune disease, cancer immunity, and infectious disease through a diverse range of functions mediated by overlapping pathways and signals. However, subset-specific responses may not be detectable in analyses of whole blood samples, and no efficient approach for profiling cell subsets at high throughput from small samples is available. We present a low-input microfluidic system for sorting immune cells into subsets and profiling their gene expression. We validate the system’s technical performance against standard subset isolation and library construction protocols and demonstrate the importance of subset-specific profiling through in vitro stimulation experiments. We show the ability of this integrated platform to identify subset-specific disease signatures by profiling four immune cell subsets in blood from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and matched control subjects. The platform has the potential to make multiplexed subset-specific analysis routine in many research laboratories and clinical settings.
Phase Insensitive High Order Mode Pass Filter with Low Reflection for Two-Mode Division Multiplexing

A TE 0 block TE 1 pass filter is proposed and experimentally demonstrated on SOI platform over C band. The filter suffers negligible reflection and is theoretically immune to phase dependent spectral fluctuation under dual-modes concurrent input.
Death anxiety and death acceptance in atheists and other nonbelievers

This study explores how age, certainty of belief, belief in science and gender is related to death anxiety and death acceptance. Results from a sample of atheists and other nonbelievers (N = 270) i...
It’s Still about Race: Peremptory Challenge Use on Black Prospective Jurors:

Objectives:The use of race as a motive for excluding individuals from serving on juries in American criminal trials is unconstitutional. Nevertheless, Black individuals remain substantially more li...
Implementation of Redundancy Techniques Using 97% Carbon Content Graphene-Based Conductors

In any application, redundancy is one of the desired properties to have. Here, a redundancy technique is introduced for the first time where 97% carbon content graphene-based conductors (GBC) are used as reliable transmission lines and antenna radiators. Due to the reliability, the graphene-based conductors are used instead of the traditional copper conductors which are widely used in transmission lines and antenna radiators. More specifically, in this study, conductor failure was imitated on both flat and conformal surfaces to investigate the advantages of using 97% carbon content graphene-based conductors.
The addition of chemoradiation to adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in lymph node-positive gastric cancer.

Abstract Background In the ARTIST trial, chemoradiation did not improve disease-free survival (DFS) in gastric cancer patients treated with curative-intent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Subgroup analysis suggested chemoradiation improved DFS in patients with lymph node (LN) metastases, but the role of adjuvant chemoradiation remains uncertain. This study sought to determine the role of adjuvant chemoradiation using population-based methods. Methods Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked data from 2004 to 2013 was used to identify patients aged 66 and older with LN-positive gastric adenocarcinoma. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated factors associated with receipt of chemoradiation. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to evaluate overall survival (OS). Results A total of 2409 patients with LN-positive gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent upfront surgical resection were identified; 309 (13%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 407 (17%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiation. Among all patients, median OS was 15 months. Median OS was 20 months for patients who received chemotherapy alone and 27 months for patients who received chemotherapy and chemoradiation (p Conclusions In patients with LN-positive gastric adenocarcinoma, the addition of chemoradiation to adjuvant chemotherapy after upfront surgical resection was associated with improved survival irrespective of the extent of lymphadenectomy. These data suggest chemoradiation should be considered in patients with LN-positive gastric adenocarcinoma.
Ca2+ dependency of limb muscle fiber contractile mechanics in young and older adults.

Age-induced declines in skeletal muscle contractile function have been attributed to multiple cellular factors, including lower peak force (Po), decreased Ca2+ sensitivity, and reduced shortening v...
Chapter 4 – Soil–Water Terminology and Applications

This chapter defines water content and water potential. The water potential and its components are then described. All water in soil and plants is subjected to force fields originating from four main factors: the presence of the solid phase (the matrix); the gravitational field; dissolved salts; and the action of water pressure. These force fields can be defined in units of potential energy or in head (length) units. The reason why a length unit can represent a potential energy unit is given. Head units are used to show the force fields on water in a column of soil. The direction of movement of water between two tensiometers is determined by calculating the sum of the matric potential and the gravitational potential. A biography of William L. Powers, who is coauthor of a classical book on soil physics from which information in this chapter was taken, is given in the appendix.
Novel dynamics of optical manipulation of objects with sub-wavelength structure

Light is a powerful tool to manipulate matter, but existing approaches for manipulation, such as optical traps and tweezers, usually necessitate tightly focused light to realize the stabilizing optical potential. This in turn imposes fundamental limitations on the properties of the manipulated object and the type of dynamics that can be achieved. Here, we discuss how incorporation of engineered sub-wavelength elements can remove the need for a focused optical potential. By tailoring the anisotropy of light scattering along the object’s surface, the stabilizing potential can be self-created by the object, and not by the laser beam. We outline a general formalism for the motion of an object with sub-wavelength structure in a light field, and discuss several kinds of photonic platforms that can realize such “self-stabilizing” dynamics.
Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children With Myelomeningocele.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies have shown high rates of sleep disordered breathing in children with myelomeningocele. However, most patients included in those studies underwent polysomnography because of symptoms, so the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in this population is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in children with myelomeningocele using screening polysomnography. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, all children with myelomeningocele seen in a multi-disciplinary spina bifida clinic between 2016 and 2020 were referred for polysomnography regardless of clinical symptoms. Included children had not previously undergone polysomnography. The primary outcome for this study was presence of sleep disordered breathing, defined as Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI, number of apnea or hypopnea events per hour of sleep) greater than 2.5. Clinical and demographic variables relevant to myelomeningocele were also prospectively collected and tested for association with presence of sleep apnea. RESULTS: A total of 117 participants underwent polysomnography (age 1 mo to 21 yr, 49% male). The majority were white, non-Hispanic. Median AHI was 1.9 (interquartile range 0.6-4.2). A total of 49 children had AHI 2.5 or greater, yielding a sleep disordered breathing prevalence of 42% (95% CI 33%-51%). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, children with more rostral neurological lesion levels had higher odds of sleep disordered breathing (OR for thoracic, mid-lumbar, and low-lumbar: 7.34, 3.70, 4.04, respectively, compared to sacral level, P = .043). CONCLUSION: Over 40% of a sample of children with myelomeningocele, who underwent screening polysomnography, had significant sleep disordered breathing. Routine screening polysomnography may be indicated in this population.
Ford's Hidden Fairness Defect

Consolidated cases before the U.S. Supreme Court involving Ford Motor Co. will address whether a strict causal connection between a defendant’s forum contacts and the plaintiff’s claim is necessary for specific personal jurisdiction. The Court’s holding will resolve whether the plaintiffs can access a convenient forum when injured by vehicles that Ford marketed—but did not manufacture, design, or originally sell—within their home states. The decision, though, may also have another significant but less obvious consequence: truncating judicial evaluation of the jurisdictional fairness or reasonableness factors, which are designed to guarantee “fair play and substantial justice.” These fairness factors extend a jurisdictional due process analysis beyond merely the defendant’s conduct by weighing the defendant’s litigation burdens against the plaintiff’s interest in convenient relief, the forum state’s underlying interest in the controversy, the systemic efficiency of resolving the dispute in the forum court, and the shared substantive interests of the states. These factors ensure that the interests of all the relevant institutional actors will be considered in resolving the ultimate question: Does the assertion of jurisdiction comport with fair play and substantial justice? While Ford does not directly challenge the fairness factors, its preferred causal test weighs the defendant’s interest in the jurisdictional calculus so strongly that courts will rarely be permitted to reach these other considerations. Under Ford’s proposal, the jurisdictional analysis would end when the defendant’s contacts did not strictly give rise to the plaintiff’s claim, precluding the interests of the plaintiff, the states, and the court system from impacting the allocation of litigation to an appropriate forum. Yet defendants could still raise these other interests to escape jurisdiction when causation exists, allowing the fairness factors to be wielded as a one-way ratchet for defendants’ sole protection. The Supreme Court’s recent personal jurisdiction jurisprudence has already taken a formalist turn that minimizes the import of the fairness factors. A further retreat into formalism—and thus a continued retreat from the fairness factors—risks undermining the due process foundations of the doctrine. While personal jurisdiction doctrine cannot ensure an ideal forum, it should not needlessly thwart the search for one. And yet that is likely to occur if the Supreme Court continues narrowing the jurisdictional focus, employing a formalist perspective privileging defendants’ interests, and constricting the remaining fairness factors into oblivion.
What Is Bioethos

From its nineteenth-century outset, anthropology’s studies of human remains have been tied to colonial projects with insidious ends. The prior chapter made this point clear. In the U.S., land appropriation and necropolitical governance by Euro-Americans yielded scientific opportunities and sizeable skeletal collections. These payoffs came at the expense of various disenfranchised groups. Reciprocally, anthropological observations about bounded, racial categories were consolidated to exclude Others—dispossessed Indians and enslaved Blacks—from the body politic. Ideologies of Whiteness informed emergent understandings of American citizenship...
A retrospective comparison of time to cessation of acute heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents following two dose regimens of combined oral hormonal therapy.

Abstract Study Objective : While multiple hormonal treatment strategies are effective in decreasing heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in adolescents, few studies compare relative effectiveness of hormone therapy based on dose. Design : Retrospective chart review Setting : Urban tertiary care institution Participants : Adolescents aged 9-19 years with acute HMB and anemia in 2008-2018 Interventions : We used billing codes to identify encounters for acute HMB with hemoglobin 35mcg/day in any step-down regimen). Main Outcome Measures : Time until patient-reported resolution of acute HMB, measured in days from initial treatment. Results : Of 207 patients with vaginal bleeding and anemia, 90 met criteria for review of therapy type and dose. Users of combined EE/P were hormone-naive in 28/33 (84.8%) of those who initiated standard EE/P and 22/32 (68.8%) who initiated taper dosing. Bleeding duration was available for 15/28 (53.6%) and 18/22 (81.8%). Resolution of HMB occurred in 0-9 days with standard dosing (mean ±SD 2.1±2.3 days) versus 1-15 days for taper dosing (4.9±4.7; p=0.04). Excluding six outliers of zero or >10 days, HMB ceased by 2.6 and 3 days (n=12 and 15; p=0.62). Conclusions : Currently recommended higher dose combined hormonal regimens do not appear to shorten the time to resolution of acute heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents.
Are China's Minority Nationalities Still on the Margins?

In 2010, the population of China totalled 1.33 billion people, of which an overwhelming majority (91.6 % of the total) were members of the Han nationality. The remaining 112 million (almost 8.4 %) were members of one of China’s 55 minority nationalities. The authors examine the demographic and socioeconomic structure of China’s minority populations, focusing in particular on the 18 groups with populations of over 1 million.
Teaching microprocessors utilizing a project-based approach

In recent years the use of the microprocessor in industrial applications has exploded. New graduates in computer science seeking to enter the work force require a working knowledge of this powerful device concerning not only its basic structure, but also its use in practical settings. To give the students this type of knowledge, a junior-senior level course was developed to provide hands-on experience and an in-depth study of a particular microprocessor and how to interface it with common devices. To this end, the course centered on the design and construction of a working single-board computer based on the Motorola MC68000 microprocessor family. What made this course unique was that it was taught from a project driven perspective and utilized a non-traditional teaching approach. Comments from students were very favorable regarding both the structure and the content of the course. The single-board computer was also used in the computer organization course to provide a platform into which students could download their assembly language programs and see them execute.