cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction linac drivers for heavy ion fusion

The Heavy Ion Fusion Accelerator Research (HIFAR) program of the USDOE has for several years concentrated on developing linear induction accelerators as Inertial Fusion (IF) drivers. This accelerator technology is suitable for the IF application because it is readily capable of accelerating short, intense pulses of charged particles with good electrical efficiency. The principal technical difficulty is in injecting and transporting the intense pulses while maintaining the necessary beam quality. The approach used has been to design a system of multiple beams so that not all of the charge has to be confined in a single beam line. The beams are finally brought together in a common focus at the target. This paper will briefly present the status and future plans of the program, and will also briefly review systems study results for HIF. 2 refs., 5 figs.
Macroscopic quantum phenomena from pairing in superconductors.

It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to join my colleagues John Bardeen and Leon Cooper in discussing with you the theory of superconductivity. Since the discovery of superconductivity by H. Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911, an enormous effort has been devoted by a spectrum of outstanding scientists to understanding this phenomenon. As in most developments in our branch of science, the accomplishments honored by this Nobel prize were made possible by a large number of developments preceding them. A general understanding of these developments is important as a backdrop for our own contribution.
Beta approximations for bridge sampling

We consider the problem of simulating X conditional on the value of X + Y, when X and Y are independent positive random variables. We propose approximate methods for sampling (X|X + Y) by approximating the fraction (X/z|X + Y = z) with a beta random variable. We discuss applications to Levy processes and infinitely divisible distributions, and we report numerical tests for Poisson processes, tempered stable processes, and the Heston stochastic volatility model.
The role of epidermal lysosomes in melanin physiology.

SUMMARY.— Melanosomes are formed within melanocytes and transferred via dendrites to keratinocytes. In caucasoids, most melanosomes are aggregated in membrane-bound organelles (melanosome complexes). These aggregates have phagocytic capacity, stain positively with aryl sulphatase and acid phosphatase, contain melanosomes apparently undergoing degradation, and are lysosomes. In addition to melanosome complexes, individual melanosomes, both in melanocytes and keratinocytes, also exhibit lysosomal properties of phagocytosis and hydrolytic enzyme activity. In contrast, negro melanosomes are mostly singly dispersed and are rarely aggregated in complexes. Melanosome dispersal contributes to the darker colour and superior sunlight protection of negro skin. Degradation by lysosomal enzymes explains the limitation of melanin principally to the basal layer. In skin with severe solar degeneration, particularly in xeroderma pigmentosum, pigment production is often apparently adequate since hypertrophic melanocytes and dendrites are conspicuous. However, pigment transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes does not occur normally. Some keratinocytes contain little melanin while others show an increase. Melanosomes within keratinocytes of actinically damaged skin tend to be concentrated within larger than normal complexes. Skin colour and sunlight protection appear to depend not only upon the rate of melanin formation but also upon distribution and rate of degradation.
Adenosine A2A analogue ATL-146e reduces systemic tumor necrosing factor-α and spinal cord capillary platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 expression after spinal cord ischemia

Abstract Objective: Inflammation is likely a major contributor to spinal cord reperfusion injury after aortic reconstruction. Systemic 4-{3-[6-amino-9-(5-ethylcarbamoyl-3,4-dihydroxy-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl]-prop-2-ynyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (ATL-146e), a selective adenosine A 2A agonist, has been shown to reduce paralysis after spinal cord ischemia. We hypothesized that ATL-146e reduces cytokine production during spinal cord reperfusion, curtailing inflammation and decreasing spinal cord capillary platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) expression. Study design: New Zealand White rabbits sustained spinal cord ischemia with 45-minute cross-clamping of the infrarenal aorta. One group of animals received intravenous ATL-146e at 0.06 μg/kg/min for 3 hours during reperfusion, beginning after 30 minutes of ischemia. A second group received saline solution vehicle alone for 3 hours, serving as an ischemic control. A third group served as sham-operated animals, undergoing laparotomy with anesthesia. Serum was assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tumor necrosing factor-α (TNF-α). Animals were allowed to recover for 48 hours and were evaluated for hind-limb motor function with the Tarlov (0 to 5) scoring system. At necropsy, animals from each group yielded spinal cords for immunohistochemical staining for PECAM-1. Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean, with statistical analysis with Student t test and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. Results: Markedly improved Tarlov scores were seen in rabbits with ATL-146e ( P P P Conclusion: ATL-146e, an adenosine A 2A agonist, reduces spinal cord reperfusion injury. The mechanism of the protection may involve a reduction in circulating TNF-α during a critical 3-hour reperfusion interval and reduction in spinal cord endothelial PECAM-1 upregulation. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:994-8.)
A Choreography of Living Texts: Selections from the ARST Oral History Project

Oral history projects about rhetorical studies contribute to transdisciplinary histories by creating living texts that reflect the dynamism of scholarly cultures. Through interviews conducted at the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology (ARST), we chart the organizational and intellectual history of a field, its contributions to science studies, and its potential future directions. These digitized, archived oral histories serve as an articulation point for transdisciplinary reflection, but they also represent an important strand of digital humanities work that creates living texts and keeps them open for future articulations.
Accelerator Physics Measurements at the Damping Ring

Besides the optics measurements described elsewhere, machine experiments were done at the SLC damping ring to determine some of its parameters. The synchrotron radiation energy loss which gives the damping rates was measured by observing the RF-voltage dependence of the synchronous phase angle. The emittance was obtained from the synchrotron light monitor, scraper measurements and by extracting the beam through a doublet and measuring its size for different quadrupole settings. Current dependent effects such as parasitic mode losses, head tail instabilities, synchrotron and betatron frequency shifts were measured to estimate the impedance. RF-cavity beam loading and its compensation were also studied and ion collection was investigated. All results agree reasonably well with expectations and indicate no limitations to the design performance.
On mimicry among sequential sampling models

Abstract Sequential sampling models are widely used in modeling the empirical data obtained from different decision making experiments. Since 1960s, several instantiations of these models have been proposed. A common assumption among these models is that the subject accumulates noisy information during the time course of a decision. The decision is made when the accumulated information favoring one of the responses reaches a decision boundary. Different models, however, make different assumptions about the information accumulation process and the implementation of the decision boundaries. Comparison among these models has proven to be challenging. In this paper we investigate the relationship between several of these models using a theoretical framework called the inverse first passage time problem. This framework has been used in the literature of applied probability theory in investigating the range of the first passage time distributions that can be produced by a stochastic process. In this paper, we use this framework to prove that any Wiener process model with two time-constant boundaries can be mimicked by an independent race model with time-varying boundaries. We also examine the numerical computation of the mimicking boundaries. We show that the mimicking boundaries of the race model are not symmetric. We then propose an equivalent race model in which the boundaries are symmetric and time-constant but the drift coefficients are time-varying.
Disassociating Lung Mechanics and Oxygenation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives:Both oxygenation and peak inspiratory pressure are associated with mortality in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since oxygenation and respiratory mechanics are linked, it is difficult to identify which variables, pressure or oxygenation, are independently associated with ou
Psychiatric investigation of allegations of child sexual abuse

Allegations of child sexual abuse are commonly seen in psychiatric practices. While these must be carefully evaluated, false allegations do occur. The syndrome of child sexual abuse is reviewed, including prevalence, setting, course, and sequelae. Common techniques of clinical investigations are discussed. The uses and limitations of interviews, anatomically correct dolls, and drawings are reviewed. Providers are encouraged to make thoughtful, informed judgments and not to overstate the power of our techniques.
Social Network Analysis as a Tool for Understanding Student Interaction in Project-based Courses (Abstract Only)

Many university software engineering/capstone courses attempt to teach students the importance of communication by having them work collaboratively on a large scale project. This can be a sink-or-swim approach. There is a real risk of complete project failure, and while students may learn that coordination is important, it isn't clear they learn how to do it effectively. The CoordinationTracker project uses social network analysis both to study coordination in student project teams, and to develop an automated tool to support students learning this skill. In this talk, I will briefly present some results using social network analysis and socio-technical congruence measures to study communication in a software engineering course, and then will describe the design of the proposed CoordinationTracker tool, which will use socio-technical congruence measures to give feedback to students. For example, as a student works on a file, an automated reminder capability will suggest who the student should be communicating with in order to prevent unwanted effects on components dependent on the file. The system also will have a reporting component which will allow each student, as well as the instructor, to view his or her coordination performance via graphs. Once CoordinationTracker has been implemented, it will be tested on several iterations of the software engineering course in order to determine whether students improve their coordination while using the tool. I am interested in audience feedback on the design of this tool as well as possible involvment with the project.
A Nationwide Survey on the Child Day Care and Common Infectious Diseases

' Purpose:As the number of children who attend child care centers has increased, concerns has increased about the effect of child day care on childhood illness. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between experience in child care and common infectious diseases in children under 5 years of age. Methods:Data were collected by surveying 1,000 respondents with children under age 5 through online interviews using a structured questionnaire. The contents of the survey were composed of demographic characteristics, child care facilities usage, experience in infectious diseases, and immunization status Results: Among the 1,000 children <5 years of age, 78.5% attended a child care facility. Rates of common communicable illnesses were higher in children in child care than for children reared exclusively at home. The predominant communicable diseases which the respondents' children experienced, in order of decreasing frequency, were gastroenteritis (47.1%), otitis media (41.8%) and pneumonia (19.1%). The immunization rate of vaccines that are not included the national immunization program (NIP) (Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine - 76.6%, hepatitis A vaccine - 63.3%, pneumococcal vaccine - 59.4%, rotavirus vaccine - 43.1%) was lower than that of the NIP vaccines (90.4%) Conclusion:Children in child care experience more bouts of common infectious disease, so nationwide policies to prevent or to control the spread of infectious agents in a child-care should be available and appropriate immunization should be emphasized as the most effective method for the control of infectious disease for children. (Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis 2012;19:19-27)
Factors Associated With Participation in a University Worksite Wellness Program.

Introduction Healthcare reform legislation encourages employers to implement worksite wellness activities as a way to reduce rising employer healthcare costs. Strategies for increasing program participation is of interest to employers, though few studies characterizing participation exist in the literature. The University of Michigan conducted a 5-year evaluation of its worksite wellness program, MHealthy, in 2014. MHealthy elements include Health Risk Assessment, biometric screening, a physical activity tracking program (ActiveU), wellness activities, and participation incentives. Methods Individual-level data were obtained for a cohort of 20,237 employees who were continuously employed by the university all 5 years. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the independent predictive power of characteristics associated with participation in the Health Risk Assessment, ActiveU, and incentive receipt, including employee and job characteristics, as well as baseline (2008) healthcare spending and health diagnoses obtained from claims data. Data were collected from 2008 to 2013; analyses were conducted in 2014. Results Approximately half of eligible employees were MHealthy participants. A consistent profile emerged for Health Risk Assessment and ActiveU participation and incentive receipt with female, white, non-union staff and employees who seek preventive care among the most likely to participate in MHealthy. Conclusions This study helps characterize employees who choose to engage in worksite wellness programs. Such information could be used to better target outreach and program content and reduce structural barriers to participation. Future studies could consider additional job characteristics, such as job type and employee attitudinal variables regarding health status and wellness program effectiveness.
Biology of two members of the Euwallacea fornicatus species complex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), recently invasive in the U.S.A., reared on an ambrosia beetle artificial diet

Recent molecular studies have found that the ambrosia beetle Euwallacea fornicatus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is a complex of cryptic species, each carrying a different species of symbiotic fungus, in the genus Fusarium, which they farm within galleries inside woody hosts. Several of these beetle species have become invasive pests around the world for attacking and infecting healthy trees with their phytopathogenic fungal symbionts. Diet and rearing protocols were developed for two members of the E. fornicatus species complex, polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and tea shot hole borer (TSHB), using sawdust from host trees, allowing collection of data on beetle biology, phenology and sex ratios. Adults developed within 22 days at 24 °C. Single PSHB or TSHB foundresses averaged 32.4 and 24.7 adult female offspring, respectively, and up to 57 and 68 female adults within 6–7 weeks. A strong predictor of the number of offspring in a colony was the number of entry holes. Average sex ratios (% male) for PSHB and TSHB, respectively, were 7.4% and 7.2%. Being haplodiploid, virgin PSHB foundresses were able to produce and mate with male offspring, then subsequently produce female offspring, confirming that they have arrhenotokous reproduction. A cold tolerance study found significant mortality rates among PSHB colonies exposed to −5° or −1 °C but not colonies exposed to 0°, 1° or 5 °C. Given Hamilton's local mate competition (LMC) theory, a number of LMC predictions were violated. PSHB sex ratios were not affected by the number of foundresses; approximately 14% of broods did not contain males; males did not usually eclose before females but eclosed around the same time (22–23 days); and PSHB males were found walking outside of their natal galleries on the trunk of a heavily infested tree in the field. Alternatives to LMC are considered, such as early forms of sociality (maternal care, cooperative brood care), local resource enhancement and kin selection.
Production of an Inhibitor Substance by DA Myxovirus. Auto-Inhibition of Plaque Formation.

SummaryAuto-inhibition of DA virus plaque formation was observed in tissue cultures during serial passages of this virus. An inhibitor (interferon-like) substance was found in the virus-free culture fluids. The presence of such an inhibitor substance seemed to be the determining factor for the 2 unusual phenomena observed with the DA virus: 1) plaque formation under agar overlay without CPE in parallel fluid cultures, and 2) “prozone“ reaction in plaque formation.
Atom probe tomography of apatites and bone-type mineralized tissues.

Nanocrystalline biological apatites constitute the mineral phase of vertebrate bone and teeth. Beyond their central importance to the mechanical function of our skeleton, their extraordinarily large surface acts as the most important ion exchanger for essential and toxic ions in our body. However, the nanoscale structural and chemical complexity of apatite-based mineralized tissues is a formidable challenge to quantitative imaging. For example, even energy-filtered electron microscopy is not suitable for detection of small quantities of low atomic number elements typical for biological materials. Herein we show that laser-pulsed atom probe tomography, a technique that combines subnanometer spatial resolution with unbiased chemical sensitivity, is uniquely suited to the task. Common apatite end members share a number of features, but can clearly be distinguished by their spectrometric fingerprint. This fingerprint and the formation of molecular ions during field evaporation can be explained based on the ch...
Miicrostructural Evolutiion Duriing Sinteriing

Small-angle scattering techniques have been used in a number of studies to characterize pore evolution in ceramic compacts. Parameters characterizing the pore distribution, such as total pore surface area, pore size, and pore density, have been measured through both intermediate and final stage sintering. A review of these results indicates that pore sizes were generally found to remain constant during intermediate-stage sintering; supporting a topological decay model of sintering. Pore sizes generally increased and the size distribution broadened during final-stage sintering. The scattering results also suggest the presence of a unique pore surface area versus density curve.
Suppression of Hindlimb Inputs to S-I Forelimb-Stump Representation of Rats With Neonatal Forelimb Removal: GABA Receptor Blockade and Single-Cell Responses

Neonatal forelimb removal in rats results in the development of inappropriate hindlimb inputs in the forelimb-stump representation of primary somatosensory cortex (S-I) that are revealed when GABAA...
Research on the Influence of Multiple Cooperative Supply of Rural Public Goods to Supply Performance

The rural public goods' efficiency of multiple cooperative supply has been not high,this supply mode has not fundamentally improve the supply performance of rural public goods.The most important issue of improving the rural public goods' multiple cooperative supply performance is to explore action mechanism and influence factors of multiple cooperative supply to performance.Therefore,from the perspective of multi-cooperation supply process of rural public goods,the establishment,stability and development of cooperative relations and its influence on supply performance were analyzed,as well as the influence mechanism of multi-cooperative supply to performance.From this analysis the important influencing factors and dimensions which can improve supply performance of rural public goods were explored in order to provide the theoretical reference for the supply practice of rural public goods.
Prepositions and Adverbs: Similar Development Patterns in First and Second Language Acquisition

This chapter examines natural morphological processes of spatial prepositions and temporal adverbs in first and second language acquisition by children and adult immigrants. The constructions under consideration are such diverse grammatical structures as simple morphemes (e.g. in, between, yet, again) and complex structures (e.g. in front of, in between, no longer, not yet). This data is used to account for the natural morphological developments described in terms of markedness theory. The present study reveals that first and second language phenomena exhibit similar developmental patterns in French, Italian, Spanish, and a number of other languages. The developmental path of these phenomena can be explained in terms of universal hierachies of markedness that reflect natural morphological processes: in a natural environment (i.e. outside the classroom), less-marked structures are acquired earlier by both children and second language speakers. This chapter surveys numerous published papers and provides a summary of the literature compared with my own findings.
Role of right ventricular three-dimensional electroanatomic voltage mapping for arrhythmic risk stratification of patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot or other congenital heart disease involving the right ventricular outflow tract

Abstract Background The post-surgical history of repaired congenital heart disease (rCHD), in particular tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), is often complicated by sudden death. Electrical myocardial abnormalities could be a substrate for malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Methods and results 146 patients with TOF or other rCHD involving a subpulmonary right ventricle, considered to be at high arrhythmic risk, underwent right ventricular (RV) electroanatomic voltage mapping (EVM). Maps showed endocardial scars ( n =141, 96.6%). In 28 cases (19.2%), other areas were involved. Total scar extension, expressed as % of total endocardial area, was significantly higher in patients with QRS ≥180ms [4.5% (±2.5) vs 2.8% (±2.4), p =0.014], left and right ventricular systolic dysfunction [4.5% (±3.2) vs 2.8% (±2.3), p =0.016 and 3.5% (±3.0) vs 2.6% (±1.9), p =0.03, respectively], premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) [3.2% (±2.6) vs 2.2% (±1.8), p p =0.01], previous shunt [4.0% (±2.7) vs 2.6% (±2.2), p =0.01] and reintervention [4.2% (±3.2) vs 2.6% (±2.0), p =0.008]. Scar size also showed a positive correlation with duration of post-surgical follow-up (ρ=0.01), age at correction (ρ=0.01) and absolute QRS duration (ρ=0.05). Conclusions Patients with rCHD involving the right ventricle show electrical scars with variable distribution, not necessarily matching with sites of surgical lesions. Scar extension correlates with some of the risk factors for life-threatening arrhythmias in CHD, such as prolonged QRS. Thus EVM could be considered an additional tool in the assessment of risk stratification in this particular population.
Delay Control for Temporally Fair Scheduling Policies via Opportunistic Mixing

We consider the delay control problem for multiuser opportunistic scheduling policies in wireless systems. First, the user selection behaviors of opportunistic scheduling policies are examined to highlight the delay and resource starvation issues. We then propose and analyze two schemes for delay control and starvation prevention that are both effective and flexible for use with existing scheduling policies. The first scheme, the Round-Robin Mixing (RRM) scheme, provides a simple and accurate mechanism for controlling the starvation probability in an i.i.d. environment. Based on the foundation of the RRM scheme and a small set of carefully chosen system approximations, we develop another improved scheme, the Opportunistic Bernoulli Mixing (OBM) scheme, that can support different user channel conditions and resource allocation requirements. The OBM scheme performs much closer in achievable system rate to the original non delay-controlled policy due to its flexible opportunistic delay adjustments while enabling very accurate control on user starvation probabilities. Numerical results illustrate excellent delay/performance tradeoff for the OBM scheme with negligible approximation errors for even moderately small systems.
Marital Expectations in Strong African American Marriages

The current exploratory study utilized a family strengths framework to identify marital expectations in 39 strong African American heterosexual marriages. Couples reflected on their marital expectations over their 10 or more years of marriage. Three themes emerged through qualitative analysis and the participants' own words were used in the presentation of the themes. African Americans indicated that there was growth in marital expectations over time, with marital expectations often beginning with unrealistic expectations that grew into more realistic expectations as their marriages progressed. Participants also indicated that core expectations in strong African American marriages included open communication, congruent values, and positive treatment of spouse. Finally, participants explained there is an “I” in marriage as they discussed the importance of autonomy within their marital relationships. Results are discussed in association with existing research and theory.
Encapsulated Organic Package Technology for Wideband Integration of Heterogeneous MMICs

The heterogeneous integration of silicon germanium (SiGe) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) technologies is presented using a novel encapsulated packaging approach with organic laminates. The combination of unique and optimally matched interconnects for each die, and the low-loss nature of the organic substrates, provides wideband performance and system design flexibility. A hybrid receiver front-end is realized on multilayer Rogers RO3003 to demonstrate this concept, incorporating a flip-chip bonded SiGe low-noise amplifier and a ribbon-bonded GaAs mixer. The simulated 3-dB bandwidth of the receiver is 4.5–14.5 GHz with a maximum conversion gain of 1.2 dB. Measured results for the packaged module show a 4–14-GHz 3-dB bandwidth and 0.9-dB maximum conversion gain. These results validate that the package is indeed low loss and preserves system performance over the entire bandwidth. The receiver also exhibits a double side band NFmin of 4 dB and a maximum $P_{\text {1 dB, input}}$ of −5.5 dBm. This is the first time that heterogeneous semiconductor technologies have been integrated and encapsulated within a multilayer organic package using different interconnects for each chip to form a receiver. Moreover, the receiver achieves the widest bandwidth among heterogeneous receivers reported to date.
Postpartum Taxation and the Squeezed Out Mom

Legislation seeking to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work has been on the books for decades. Nevertheless, the average American woman still receives less than eighty cents for every dollar earned by the average American man. Happily, the gender pay gap between men and childless women is narrowing over time. Meanwhile, the gap between mothers and others continues to widen. Career interruptions contribute significantly to this disturbing trend — nearly half of mothers opt out of the workforce at some point in their lives, most often to care for young children. Faced with too-short (or non-existent) maternity leaves, inflexible work schedules and the soaring costs of childcare in the United States, this opt out phenomenon is hardly surprising. But with the decision to opt out comes grave cost. Over 90% of opt out moms want to return to the workforce several years after off ramping. Unfortunately, many discover that they are unable to do so. A mother that does manage to reenter the workforce will find that even a short off ramp results in a sizeable and disproportionate reduction in her annual earnings that will persist for every year of her remaining life.Given this dismal reality, experts that study the biases faced by women in the workplace encourage mothers who want to maintain careers to resist opting out during their children’s preschool years (and to incur the many high costs of doing so) in order to protect their most valuable economic asset — their lifelong earning capacity. Surprisingly, these insights are under- (if not completely un-) utilized in tax scholarship considering the taxation of women and the family. Incorporating these critical insights, this Article shows that the tax laws are already well suited to provide new mothers the encouragement urged by so many non-tax scholars. This Article first proposes several reforms to ensure the postpartum earnings of new mothers are not over-taxed. It then discusses existing mechanisms used by the tax laws to encourage long-term investment and identifies two mechanisms that could be easily fashioned to help new mothers remain in the very imperfect workforce that exists today.
Noninvasive hemoglobin measurement using unmodified smartphone camera and white flash

We show that a mobile phone can measure hemoglobin levels using the built-in RGB camera and white LED without modification. Prior work has demonstrated that a smartphone using the built-in RGB camera with the aid of visible and IR lights can achieve a Pearson correlation results between 0.69–0.82 and an RMSE value between 1.26–1.56 g/dL. Our system builds upon the prior work and demonstrates that with only the built-in white LED, the estimation of hemoglobin level has a Pearson correlation of 0.62 with an RMSE of 1.27 g/dL. This extension work demonstrates that it is feasible to measure hemoglobin without using an IR source.
Hydrostatic Pressurization of Lung Surfactant Microbubbles: Observation of a Strain-Rate Dependent Elasticity

The microbubble offers a unique platform to study lung surfactant mechanics at physiologically relevant geometry and length scale. In this study, we compared the response of microbubbles (∼15 μm initial radius) coated with pure dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) versus naturally derived lung surfactant (SURVANTA) when subjected to linearly increasing hydrostatic pressure at different rates (0.5–2.3 kPa/s) at room temperature. The microbubbles contained perfluorobutane gas and were submerged in buffered saline saturated with perfluorobutane at atmospheric pressure. Bright-field microscopy showed that DPPC microbubbles compressed spherically and smoothly, whereas SURVANTA microbubbles exhibited wrinkling and smoothing cycles associated with buckling and collapse. Seismograph analysis showed that the SURVANTA collapse amplitude was constant, but the collapse rate increased with the pressurization rate. An analysis of the pressure–volume curves indicated that the dilatational elasticity increased during c...
College Interns: An Entrepreneurial Response to a Cost-Conscious Economy

College interns often possess information-age skills that are not familiar to workers who have been on the job for several years. Interns may be future sources for new employees. There is also the added benefit of observing and evaluating an intern for future consideration, as a full-time employee, after graduation. Giving junior employees the opportunity to supervise interns is also a way of evaluating the junior employees℉ potential as a supervisor. The employment of college interns should be a mutually beneficial endeavor. As with all successful endeavors, the employment of interns requires planning and supervision.
A direct, bioluminescent caspase-1 assay for monitoring inflammasome activation

Caspase-1, an essential component of the inflammasome, is activated in response to inflammatory stimuli, resulting in 1) the processing and release of IL-1b and IL-18, and 2) pyroptosis, an immunogenic form of cell death. To provide a homogeneous method for detecting caspase-1 activity, we developed a bioluminescent assay that combines a substrate, Z-WEHD-aminoluciferin, with a thermostable luciferase in an optimized reagent added directly to cultured cells. The assay can also measure caspase-1 activity released into the medium. Assay specificity for caspase-1 is conferred by inclusion of a proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, in the reagent and by use of a caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CHO, to confirm activity. Using this assay system, caspase-1 activity has been monitored in THP-1 cells, J774A.1 mouse macrophages, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), and human primary monocytes treated with known inflammasome inducers. Caspase-1 activity was not detected in BMDMs derived from Casp 1 −/− mice. Measuring caspase-1 activity released into medium enables multiplexing of the sample to monitor additional cell parameters. Multiplexing to monitor caspase-1 activity, cell death, and IL-1b release revealed that unprimed, undifferentiated THP-1 cells stimulated with nigericin or a-hemolysin activate caspase-1 and undergo pyroptosis, but do not release any IL-1b. This suggests that K+ efflux alone can engage the inflammasome and activate caspase-1 in THP-1 cells, providing an interesting system to assess pyroptosis in the absence of IL-1b. This convenient caspase-1 assay will allow a more efficient and effective assessment of inflammasome activation as well as enable high-throughput screening for inflammasome modulators.
Teaching Life Lessons: When Millennials Fail

Background: Students who fail may face feelings of diminished self-perception, decreased sense of achievement, and experience negative emotions or moods such as: guilt, embarrassment, thoughts of reoccurring failure, feeling of letting others down or disappointing teachers and parents. Aim : This paper is to discusses the topic of failure and providing thoughts and reflections on the topic. The authors believe that faculty can help students learn to fail and also maintain their self-worth and dignity. Helping students learn from these failures and promoting resilience and humility when faced with life adversities may be one of the best lifelong lessons faculty can teach. Results: Failure is never an easy experience. When a student is faced with failure, it is critical for faculty to help the student find the positives of the experience. This as an opportunity to promote personal growth and character development. Educators are in a precarious position because learning outcomes are based on successful performance and failure can be looked upon negatively for faculty. Conclusions: Faculty are perfectly positioned to help reframe failure for students struggling in college and help them find their true passion in life. College is a transformative experience, a time for self-discovery and finding one’s true identity. It is a time to learn life lessons and how to manage adversity facilitating strong, emotionally healthy, driven men and women of future generations.
The Social and the Cultural: Where do They Meet?

Meetings of ideas are not scripted events like handshakes of politicians at diplomatic summits. Rather, ideas meet as if they were clandestine lovers — at first secretly, passionately, and later — if discovered — as parts of a scenario of a public scandal or a reconstituted legally accepted relationship. Meta-theoretical discourse in the social sciences is part of that latter social legitimation.
Modeled and Observed Multidecadal Variability in the North Atlantic Jet Stream and Its Connection to Sea Surface Temperatures

AbstractMultidecadal variability in the North Atlantic jet stream in general circulation models (GCMs) is compared with that in reanalysis products of the twentieth century. It is found that almost...
Conceptualizing and Investigating Entrepreneurial Action in Family Firms: A Few Promising Directions

While entrepreneurship is inextricably linked to the survival, growth, and longevity of family businesses, we address the surprisingly sparse attention in the literature to the conceptual and contextual grounding of entrepreneurial action in family firms. We review the extant literature on entrepreneurial action and conceptualize as well as contextualize it for family firms. We subscribe to the subjectivist view of entrepreneurial action that views entrepreneurial opportunities as constructed by the author of the action. We integrate issues such as the impetus for action in the family, the cultivation of entrepreneurs, and crafting of opportunities in a family. We describe two methods to achieve a workable consensus on the definition and understanding of entrepreneurial actions in the family business field and provide a few promising research directions.
Occurrence and Geochemistry of Lead-210 and Polonium-210 Radionuclides in Public-Drinking-Water Supplies from Principal Aquifers of the United States

On the basis of lifetime cancer risks, lead-210 (210Pb) and polonium-210 (210Po) ≥ 1.0 and 0.7 pCi/L (picocuries per liter), respectively, in drinking-water supplies may pose human-health concerns....
Aroma Profile Characterization of Mahi-Mahi and Tuna for Determining Spoilage Using Purge and Trap Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amines, and sulfur compounds are essential aroma compounds related to fish flavor and spoilage. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an instrument that is widely used to identify and quantify volatile and semi-volatile compounds in fish products. In this research, a simple and accurate GC-MS method was developed to determine the aroma profile of mahi-mahi and tuna for chemical indicators of spoilage. In the developed GC-MS method, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution was used to extract analytes from homogenized fish samples. The purge and trap system was used for sample introduction, and the GC-MS with an RTX-Volatile Amine column was able to separate compounds without a derivatization procedure. The created purge and trap gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT-GC-MS) method could identify and quantify twenty aroma compounds in mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) and 16 volatile compounds in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) associated with fish spoilage. The amines (dimethylamine, trimethylamine, isobutylamine, 3-methylbutylamine, and 2-methylbutanamine), alcohols (2-ethylhexanol, 1-penten-3-ol and isoamyl alcohol, ethanol), aldehydes (2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde), ketones (acetone, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanone, acetoin), and dimethyl disulfide strongly statistically correlated with poorer quality tuna and mahi-mahi and were considered as the key spoilage indicators. Practical Application A simplified and rapid purge and trap gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PT-GC-MS) method developed in this research was able to identify and quantify important spoilage compounds in mahi-mahi and yellowfin tuna. This method is an efficient analytical method for determining volatile profiles of fish samples for industry analytical labs or the government. The identified analytical quality markers can be used to monitor the spoilage level of tuna and mahi-mahi.
Inter-alpha Inhibitor Proteins Modulate Neuroinflammatory Biomarkers After Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Rats.

Neuroinflammation contributes to hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. Inter-alpha inhibitor proteins (IAIPs) have important immunomodulatory properties. Human (h) plasma-derived IAIPs reduce brain injury and improve neurobehavioral outcomes after HI. However, the effects of hIAIPs on neuroinflammatory biomarkers after HI have not been examined. We determined whether hIAIPs attenuated HI-related neuroinflammation. Postnatal day-7 rats exposed to sham-placebo, or right carotid ligation and 8% oxygen for 90 minutes with placebo, and hIAIP treatment were studied. hIAIPs (30 mg/kg) or PL was injected intraperitoneally immediately, 24, and 48 hours after HI. Rat complete blood counts and sex were determined. Brain tissue and peripheral blood were prepared for analysis 72 hours after HI. The effects of hIAIPs on HI-induced neuroinflammation were quantified by image analysis of positively stained astrocytic (glial fibrillary acid protein [GFAP]), microglial (ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 [Iba-1]), neutrophilic (myeloperoxidase [MPO]), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), and MMP9-MPO cellular markers in brain regions. hIAIPs reduced quantities of cortical GFAP, hippocampal Iba-1-positive microglia, corpus callosum MPO, and cortical MMP9-MPO cells and the percent of neutrophils in peripheral blood after HI in male, but not female rats. hIAIPs modulate neuroinflammatory biomarkers in the neonatal brain after HI and may exhibit sex-related differential effects.
Time Inconsistency and Product Design: A Strategic Analysis of Feature Creep

This paper examines how time-inconsistent consumers affect firms’ product design and pricing decisions.
Factors Associated With Advanced Presentation for Carpal Tunnel Release.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with presentation of carpal tunnel syndrome for carpal tunnel release (CTR) in the advanced electrodiagnostic stages. Methods We identified 920 patients with preoperative electrodiagnostic studies (EDSs) who underwent CTR at a tertiary-care referral center from July 2008 to June 2013. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those in the advanced electrodiagnostic stage, defined as those with unrecordable nerve potentials on preoperative EDSs (group 1), and those with recordable nerve potentials on preoperative EDSs (group 2). Logistic regression was used to determine factors that were associated with presentation in the advanced stages of the disease. Results Multivariable regression analysis showed older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.05; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.04–1.07), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.13–2.62), and hypertension (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.25–2.84) to be associated with advanced presentation for CTR. Conclusions A 10-year increase in age results in a 1.6-times increase in the odds of advanced presentation. Diabetes mellitus or hypertension independently doubles the odds of advanced presentation. A subset of symptomatic patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may benefit from earlier referral for hand surgery evaluation and earlier CTR. Older patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension are at increased risk for advanced presentation. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.
The Fundamental Mechanism behind the Stability of Li Metal Anodes in Non-Aqueous Electrolytes

A stable and high efficiency Li metal anode (LMA) is critical rechargeable Li metal batteries (LMBs), including the batteries with various cathodes such as ion intercalation compounds and conversion materials (such as sulfur and oxygen). An ideal metal anode not only needs to have a very high Coulombic efficiency (CE), but also need to have a low concentration, high conductivity and low cost. [1-2] During the last a few years, various methods have been used to prevent dendrite growth and improve CE of LMA, including used of high concentration electrolytes (HCEs) Localized High-Concentration Electrolytes (LHCE) by diluting HCEs with electrochemically "inert" solvents or poorly solvating diluents. [3] However, the fundamental mechanism behind the stability of LMA in non-aqueous electrolyte is still not well understood. This work will report our recent investigations on the interaction between LMA and various non-aqueous electrolytes. Although LMA is kinetically unstable with non-aqueous electroltye, appropriate selection of non-aqueous electrolyte, including both salt and solvent will enable formation of a more stable SEI layer on LMA surface and largely minimize the side reaction between LMA and electrolyte, therefore enable a dynamically stable LMA for long term cycling of li metal batteries. Several high performance electrolytes that are stable at ~4.5V with a CE of more than 99.2% have enabled long term cycling of LMBs and will also be reported in this work. S. Whittingham, "History, Evolution, and Future Status of Energy Storage", proceedings of the IEEE(Volume: 100, Issue: Special Centennial Issue , May 13 2012). -G. Zhang, W. Xu and W. A., Henderson, Lithium Metal Anode and Rechargeable Li Metal Batteries. (Springer International Publishing), 249, (2017). Shuru Chen, Jianming Zheng, Donghai Mei, Kee Sung Han, Mark H. Engelhard, Wengao Zhao, Wu Xu, Jun Liu and Ji-Guang Zhang," Mater. 2018, 30, 1706102.
Engaging Caregivers in Making: The Role of Physical and Social Settings in Museum-Based Making and Tinkering Activities

Many studies have documented the impact of maker experiences on children’s learning, but few have examined how caregivers participate in maker activities in museums, both as facilitators of their c...
In Men With Obesity, T2DM Is Associated With Poor Trabecular Microarchitecture and Bone Strength, and Low Bone Turnover.

Introduction Obesity and type 2 Diabetes (T2D) are both associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD) but increased risk of fractures. The effect of the combination of both conditions on bone metabolism, microarchitecture, and strength in the obese population remains unknown. Methods Data from 112 obese men were collected. Bone turnover and biochemical markers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, body composition and BMD at all sites were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, whereas bone microarchitecture and strength (stiffness and failure load) were measured by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography. Data were compared among metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO) with and without T2D and between obese without and with T2D. Results Compared to MHO and MUHO without T2D, MUHO with T2D had significantly lower levels of osteocalcin ((7.49 ± 3.0 and 6.03 ± 2.47 vs 4.24 ± 2.72 ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.003) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx) (0.28 ± 0.10 and 0.29 ± 0.13 vs 0.21 ± 0.15 ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.02). Dividing our subjects simply into those with and without T2D showed that obese men with T2D had significantly lower levels of osteocalcin (P = 0.003) and CTx (P = 0.005), greater trabecular separation at the tibia and radius (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively), and lower tibial failure load and stiffness (both P = 0.04), relative to obese men without T2D. Conclusion In men, the combination of obesity and T2D is associated with reduced bone turnover and poorer trabecular bone microarchitecture and bone strength compared to those who are obese but without T2D, suggesting worse bone disease.