cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An International Law Response to Economic Cyber Espionage

In this Article, I consider the problem of economic cyber espionage that targets the intellectual property of global corporations. The core claim of the article is that the TRIPS agreement, which is the World Trade Organization agreement dealing with intellectual property, should be interpreted to contain norms against economic cyber espionage. Doing so would permit Member States recourse to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body to assert claims of economic cyber espionage. I therefore argue that the WTO is the most effective institution to ensure compliance with norms against economic cyber espionage.
The Women’s National Indian Association: A History . Edited by Valerie Sherer Mathes.

The Women’s National Indian Association: A History . Edited by Valerie Sherer Mathes. Foreword by Margaret Connell Szasz. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2015. x + 340 pp. Illustrations, table, appendix, notes, bibliography, index. $45.00.) In 1879 Mary Lucinda Bonney and Amelia Stone Quinton were dismayed by congressional debates on opening Indian Territory to white settlement (in what is now Oklahoma). The continued displacement of Indian people appalled the women, who described their condition as the nation’s “moral wrong” and a debilitating injustice. Their advocacy launched the Women’s National Indian Association (WNIA), the first national organization devoted to Indian assimilation. Women with financial resources, access to influential men, and time for social reform filled the local chapters. These women considered themselves uniquely qualified for the task of solving the … becky.jager{at}wsu.edu
K-12 multimodal assessment and interactive audiences: An exploratory analysis of existing frameworks

Abstract Multimodal writing today often occurs through membership in an online, participatory culture; thus, based on affordances of online compositions, the audience for student writers has shifted from imagined readers to actual, accessible readers and responders. Additionally, recent content and technology standards for students in US schools emphasize the importance of distributing multimodal compositions to wider audiences. In this article, we closely examine attention to interactive audience and collaboration in a purposive sample of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) assessment frameworks, as well as how these frameworks define multimodal composition. We found that multimodal composition is being defined consistently across all frameworks as composition that includes multiple ways of communicating. However, many multimodal composition examples were texts that were non-interactive composition types even though many authors acknowledged the emergence of interactive online composition types that afford the writer the ability to communicate and collaborate with an audience. In addition, the frameworks reviewed tended to focus on the final product and less often on the process or dynamic collaboration with the audience. In the discussion, implications for classroom teachers as well as considerations for researchers exploring the construct of online multimodal writing are offered.
Why Technology Always Bites Back

We investigate the faulty assumptions responsible for the failure of a prime technology. We show that many of the faulty assumptions apply to virtually all technologies, and that, in essence, technology is literally encased in a vast and complex web of institutions and stakeholders, and their assumptions. We raise a prime ethical question: If technologies contain potentially dangerous known and unknown side effects, should we ever use any technology, the consequences of which we do not completely understand and are able to contain? We argue that the management of technology and Ethical Management must be done together at every step from the initial design of a technology to its operation, maintenance, and eventual disposal. In short, we show why technology and ethics are inseparable.
Neural control of arm movements reveals a tendency to use gravity to simplify joint coordination rather than to decrease muscle effort

How gravity influences neural control of arm movements remains under debate. We tested three alternative interpretations suggested by previous research: (1) that muscular control includes two components, tonic which compensates for gravity and phasic which produces the movement; (2) that there is a tendency to exploit gravity to reduce muscle effort; and (3) that there is a tendency to use a trailing pattern of joint control during which either the shoulder or elbow is rotated actively and the other joint rotates predominantly passively, and to exploit gravity for control of the passively rotated joint. A free-stroke drawing task was performed that required production of center-out strokes within a circle while selecting stroke directions randomly. The circle was positioned in the horizontal, sagittal, and frontal plane. The arm joints freely rotated in space. In each plane, the distribution of the strokes across directions was non-uniform. Directional histograms were built and their peaks were used to identify preferred movement directions. The directional preferences were especially pronounced in the two vertical planes. The upward directions were most preferred. To test the three interpretations, we used a kinetic analysis that determined the role of gravitational torque in the production of movement in the preferred directions. The results supported the third interpretation and provided evidence against the first and second interpretation. The trailing pattern has been associated with reduced neural effort for joint coordination, and therefore, we conclude that the major tendency with respect to gravity is to exploit it for simplification of joint coordination.
Hope In The Midst Of Suffering, Violence, Extremism, And Planetary Crisis Response To Joretta Marshal And John Caputo's Papers

I was reading Joretta Marshall's concept of non-predictable linear positive future outcomes while on a small twin-engine propeller plan going through bad weather, and at the time the idea of not ha...
A Foodborne Outbreak Traced to Niacin Overenrichment

In September 1983, the Vermont Department of Health identified seven employees who developed facial and skin flushing and erythema within minutes of eating lunch in a hospital cafeteria. None had vomiting or diarrhea. Because of the unusual nature of the symptoms, a case-control study was undertaken. All symptomatic individuals were interviewed regarding symptoms and food consumption. A case was defined as anyone who experienced visible erythema after lunch at the hospital on September 16. For each case, two friends who had eaten lunch in the cafeteria on the same day were selected as controls. All ill persons had consumed beef-rice soup, which was significantly associated with illness (P<0.001). The median time from consumption of soup to onset of symptoms was 10 min. The nature of symptoms and the brief incubation period suggested a toxic reaction to niacin. The niacin content per serving of soup consumed was determined to be 162 mg (12 times the total daily recommended amount of 13 mg). The niacin content of the enriched rice used to make the soup was 2,636 mg per pound (160 times the amount declared by the manufacturer). The excess niacin was traced to inadequate mixing of rice with enrichment powder at the processing plant. The investigation underscores the potential for toxic effects from foods which are improperly enriched.
West of Everything: The Inner Life of Westerns

A leading figure in the debate over the literary canon, Jane Tompkins was one of the first to point to the ongoing relevance of popular women's fiction in the 19th century, long overlooked or scorned by literary critics. Now, in West of Everything, Tompkins shows how popular novels and films of the American west have shaped the emotional lives of people in our time. Into this world full of violence and manly courage, the world of John Wayne and Louis L'Amour, Tompkins takes her readers, letting them feel what the hero feels, endure what he endures. Writing with sympathy, insight, and respect, she probes the main elements of the Western--its preoccupation with death, its barren landscapes, galloping horses, hard-bitten men and marginalized women--revealing the view of reality and code of behavior these features contain. She considers the Western hero's attraction to pain, his fear of women and language, his desire to dominate the environment--and to merge with it. In fact, Tompkins argues, for better or worse Westerns have taught us all--men especially--how to behave. It was as a reaction against popular women's novels and women's invasion of the public sphere that Westerns originated, Tompkins maintains. With Westerns, men were reclaiming cultural territory, countering the inwardness, spirituality, and domesticity of the sentimental writers, with a rough and tumble, secular, man-centered world. Tompkins brings these insights to bear in considering film classics such as Red River and Lonely Are the Brave, and novels such as Louis L'Amour's Last of the Breed and Owen Wister's The Virginian. In one of the most moving chapters (chosen for Best American Essays of 1991), Ttompkins shows how the life of Buffalo Bill Cody, killer of Native Americans and charismatic star of the Wild West show, evokes the contradictory feelings which the Western typically elicits--horror and fascination with violence, but also love and respect for the romantic ideal of the cowboy. Whether interpreting a photograph of John Wayne of meditating on the slaughter of cattle, Jane Tompkins writes with humor, compassion, and a provocative intellect. Her book will appeak to many Americans who read or watch Westerns, and to all those interested in a serious approach to popular culture.
Graded interference with the direct potentiometric measurement of sodium by hemoglobin.

Abstract Objectives Sodium concentration is measured by either indirect (I Na ) or direct potentiometry (D Na ), on chemistry and gas panels, respectively. A spurious difference between these methods (ΔNa = I Na − D Na ) can be confusing to the clinician. For example, variation in serum total protein (TP) is well known to selectively interfere with I Na . Red cells have been suggested to interfere with D Na , but both positive and negative interference have been reported. In this study, the effect of gas panel hemoglobin (Hb) on ΔNa was examined. Methods ΔNa was calculated in 772 pairs of closely-timed chemistry and gas panels (median: 4 min. apart), retrospectively collected from our critical care units, with 1 pair per patient. Hb was treated as a categorical or continuous variable and tested for linear and non-linear effects, with adjustment for 3 known influences on ΔNa—TP, bicarbonate (tCO 2 ), and the chemistry-gas panel glucose difference (ΔGlu). Results Hb ranged from 3.5 to 22.0 g/dL [35–220 g/L]. In categorical analysis, ΔNa increased with Hb, and the effect was essentially linear. By simple regression, ΔNa rose 0.06 ± 0.03[SE] mmol/L per 1 g/dL [10 g/L] increase in Hb (p − 3 ) with TP, tCO 2 , and ΔGlu. Using multiple regression to adjust for the confounders, ΔNa rose 0.15 ± 0.03 mmol/L per 1 g/dL [10 g/L] rise in Hb ( p − 6 ). Conclusions Increasing Hb spuriously decreases D Na and increases ΔNa. A linear correction for this artifact can reduce the discordance between I Na and D Na , promoting their interchangeable use.
Quantitative multiphase model for hydrothermal liquefaction of algal biomass

Optimized incorporation of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL, reaction in water at elevated temperature and pressure) within an integrated biorefinery requires accurate models to predict the quantity and quality of all HTL products. Existing models primarily focus on biocrude product yields with limited consideration for biocrude quality and aqueous, gas, and biochar co-products, and have not been validated with an extensive collection of feedstocks. In this study, HTL experiments (300 °C, 30 min) were conducted using 24 different batches of microalgae feedstocks with distinctive feedstock properties, which resulted in a wide range of biocrude (21.3–54.3 dry weight basis, dw%), aqueous (4.6–31.2 dw%), gas (7.1–35.6 dw%), and biochar (1.3–35.0 dw%) yields. Based on these results, a multiphase component additivity (MCA) model was introduced to predict yields and characteristics of the HTL biocrude product and aqueous, gas, and biochar co-products, with only feedstock biochemical (lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and ash) and elemental (C/H/N) composition as model inputs. Biochemical components were determined to distribute across biocrude product/HTL co-products as follows: lipids to biocrude; proteins to biocrude > aqueous > gas; carbohydrates to gas ≈ biochar > biocrude; and ash to aqueous > biochar. Modeled quality indicators included biocrude C/H/N contents, higher heating value (HHV), and energy recovery (ER); aqueous total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents; and biochar carbon content. The model was validated with HTL data from the literature, the potential to expand the application of this modeling framework to include waste biosolids (e.g., wastewater sludge, manure) was explored, and future research needs for industrial application were identified. Ultimately, the MCA model represents a critical step towards the integration of cultivation models with downstream HTL and biorefinery operations to enable system-level optimization, valorization of co-product streams (e.g., through catalytic hydrothermal gasification and nutrient recovery), and the navigation of tradeoffs across the value chain.
Developing an Intersectional Framework: Engaging the Decenter in Language Studies

The author explores how current scholarship has investigated diversified identities and identification practices using a variable-by-variable approach. This kind of approach focuses on developing in-depth understandings of particular variables of identity, such as race and gender. However, this kind of approach has also limited language studies engagement with diversified identities and identification practices. The author argues for a variable-with-variable or intersectional approach to develop more complex, nuanced ways of understanding these identities and identification practices within the nexus of language studies. The approach attempts to retheorize K. W. Crenshaw’s (1993) intersectionality for the language classroom by proposing the concept of the decenter, or the potentially productive spaces in which forgotten and unintelligible experiences can be perceived. The author discusses how this concept encourages us to investigate identity and identification practices in innovative ways through a caref...
Immunometabolic editing: a new type of immunoediting in tumorigenesis (TUM7P.1027)

Immune evasion and deregulated metabolic transformation are hallmarks of cancer that contribute to tumor aggressiveness and metastasis through different mechanisms. However, it has not been examined whether there is a connection between these two hallmarks. In this study, we approach this question by both melanoma engraftment and a genetically modified melanoma mouse model. First we investigated whether the presence of CD4 or CD8 T cells during tumorigenesis has any effect on a tumors metabolic profile by depleting these cells post-tumor induction. We found that T cell depletion in the early phase of tumorigenesis led to down regulation of hexokinase 2 and pyruvate kinase isozyme M2. Then we investigated whether the effector functions of T cells, especially CD40L and interferon gamma (IFNγ), promote tumor cells to acquire deregulated metabolic activity. It appears the IFNγ may be a major player in the metabolic selection process. Finally, we aim to examine whether the metabolic activity of tumor cells has an effect on the immune activity. In the pilot test, we identified three different melanoma cell lines derived from genetically modified melanomas that have distinct glycolytic activity and oxidative phosphorylation. These tools lay a foundation for future analysis to investigate whether the metabolic features of melanoma cells can play a regulatory role in controlling anti-tumor immunity and the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment.
Tissue Engineering Cartilage and Bone

Tissue engineering is an emerging multidisciplinary field in which the material properties of synthetic compounds are manipulated to enable delivery of an aggregate of dissociated cells into a host in a manner that will result in the formation of new functional tissue. A high density of viable, dissociated functional cells can be seeded onto synthetic, biocompatible, biodegradable polymers of an appropriate chemical composition and physical configuration, which act as scaffolds. They allow diffusion of nutrients to the cells, as well as cell-to cell contact and can then be transplanted into animals. The purpose of this new field of research is to repair, replace, maintain, or enhance the function of a particular tissue or organ. Cells can be isolated from an individual, expanded in vitro and/or modified by gene therapy to replace a defective gene, and reimplanted.
Effect of Interaction Between Multiple Defects on Z-Depth Estimate in Lock-in Thermography Applications

In the recent years, 3D packaging has become a major enabler for heterogeneous integration of multiple functional devices and different nodes into a single package. The integration of multiple devices into 3D packages poses significant challenges when it comes to electrical fault isolation and failure analysis. With 3D packages, non-destructive fault isolation is important so as to accurately isolate the defect to the specific part of the failing package. This is critical since the different components in a 3D package are often owned by different suppliers and accurate non-destructive fault isolation will facilitate further root cause analysis and failure disposition by the concerned suppliers. Much higher sensitivity and better resolution in defect depth are two critical capabilities required for 3D packages. Lock-in Thermography (LIT) is a powerful non-destructive fault isolation technique for thermally active defects in semiconductor packages. With the integration of multiple components into 3D packages, the challenge lies in the added complexity in terms of the number of active devices and routing inside the package. More often than not, we have multiple defects inside the package at the same time. This study presents a fundamental analysis on the interaction between multiple defects in a package and its effect on defect depth estimate accuracy in lock-in thermography applications. In addition, data from real test cases have also been presented, which help better understand the interaction between multiple defects and provide confidence in the proposed correlations. The learnings from this study will facilitate tool and technique development and benefit failure analysis and 3D package development community.
Rotary Ultrasonic Machining of CFRP: Effects of Abrasive Properties

Drilling is the most common machining practice conducted on carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), which is challenging to conventional machining processes, such as twist drilling. Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) is a non-traditional machining process that has been successfully used to drill CFRP, many other brittle (e.g. silicon, ceramics), and ductile (e.g. titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), stainless steel) materials. RUM is superior to twist drilling on CFRP hole-making in many aspects: lower cutting force and torque, better surface finish, less potential for delamination, and better tool life. Since RUM is a hybrid process of abrasive grinding and ultrasonic machining, it is important to study the effects of abrasive properties on output variables. This paper for the first time investigates the effects of abrasive properties (abrasive size and abrasive concentration) on output variables (cutting force, torque, and surface roughness) in RUM of CFRP. It is found that cutting force increased as abrasive size increased and as abrasive concentration increased; however, abrasive properties did not have significant effects on surface roughness of the machined holes.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
Bioethanol production from corn

Abstract Rapid growth in energy demands and environmental concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels has driven the growth of bioethanol industry, a promising renewable and environmental-friendly transportation fuel. Corn is the major feedstock for bioethanol production in the United States. This chapter discusses the status of bioethanol production, corn composition, and details of corn to ethanol conversion technologies. Key technical challenges and opportunities associated with new technologies and approaches are presented. The potential and challenges of the cellulosic bioethanol production are also reviewed.
Workload and Performance: Associations, Insensitivities, and Dissociations:

Objective:The aim of this study was to distill and define those influences under which change in objective performance level and the linked cognitive workload reflections of subjective experience a...
An Improved Method for Differentiating Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Cerebellar Purkinje Neurons

While mixed primary cerebellar cultures prepared from embryonic tissue have proven valuable for dissecting structure-function relationships in cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PNs), this technique is technically challenging and often yields few cells. Recently, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have been successfully differentiated into PNs, although the published methods are very challenging as well. The focus of this study was to simplify the differentiation of mESCs into PNs. Using a recently described neural differentiation media, we generate monolayers of neural progenitor cells from mESCs and differentiate them into PN precursors using specific extrinsic factors. These PN precursors are then differentiated into mature PNs by co-culturing them with granule neuron (GN) precursors also derived from neural progenitors using different extrinsic factors. The morphology of mESC-derived PNs is indistinguishable from PNs grown in primary culture in terms of gross morphology, spine length, and spine density. Furthermore, mESC-derived PNs express Calbindin D28K, IP3R1, IRBIT, PLCβ4, PSD93, and myosin IIB-B2, all of which are either PN-specific or highly expressed in PNs. Moreover, we show that mESC-derived PNs form synapses with GN-like cells as in primary culture, express proteins driven by the PN-specific promoter Pcp2/L7, and exhibit the defect in spine ER inheritance seen in PNs isolated from dilute-lethal (myosin Va-null) mice when expressing a Pcp2/L7-driven miRNA directed against myosin Va. Finally, we define a novel extracellular matrix formulation that reproducibly yields monolayer cultures conducive for high-resolution imaging. Our improved method for differentiating mESCs into PNs should facilitate the dissection of molecular mechanisms and disease phenotypes in PNs.
Associations of Hormonal Biomarkers With Mental Health and Healthy Behaviors Among Mothers of Very-Low-Birthweight Infants.

Objectives:To examine the concurrent use of self-report questionnaires and hormonal biomarkers, specifically levels of testosterone and cortisol, along with demographic variables and corrected age ...
Faculty Perceptions of the Usefulness of Integrating Graduate Student-Created Resources into Teacher Preparation Coursework

The purpose of this study was to examine how faculty in the department of Curriculum and Instruction at one university perceived the usefulness of a website which contained ELL (English language learner) teaching resources (e.g., videos, lesson plans, handouts) created by graduate students. The website was created as part of a graduate level course which positioned students as contributors to the growing body of resources available to educators at both the university and K-12 level. The faculty members reviewed the webpage and provided survey feedback indicating whether or not they felt that the resources should be shared with the pre-service and in-service teachers they taught, and if so, how the resources may be utilized. The survey responses indicated nearly all faculty members felt they would be somewhat likely or very likely to share the website with the educators they taught and offered a variety of ideas of how they may integrate the resources into their courses.
Frequent use of upland habitats by the endangered Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni)

The Hawaiian Stilt, or Ae'o (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), is an endangered waterbird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Loss of suitable wetland habitats due to anthropogenic development is a leading cause for decline, as well as the introduction of non-native predators and invasive wetland plants. This study fitted four Hawaiian Stilts with GPS satellite tags to document their use of wetland and surrounding habitats on Oahu Island. While other Hawaiian waterbirds are largely restricted to wetlands, we detected Hawaiian Stilts using heavily modified upland habitats, including developed areas, undeveloped fields, sports fields, as well as wetland habitats over a 6-month period. Overall, a high use of non-wetland habitat was observed (up to 58%), with significant differences in habitat occupancy among individual stilts and across different times of day. Wetlands were the dominant habitat occupied from morning to early afternoon, but non-wetland habitats were occupied at higher frequencies in the evening and early morning hours. Although only four birds were tracked, the extensive use of non-wetland habitat by these individuals indicates non-wetland habitats may be important for the conservation of this subspecies. However, more research is needed to understand how applicable these results are to other stilt populations across the Hawaiian Islands, and better understand the potential risks and benefits of these non-wetland habitats to stilt populations.
Multi-source insights for discernment of "competition" threat

A recent report on Hostile Social Manipulation stated that the tools and techniques being employed in targeted social media campaigns, sophisticated forgeries, cyberbullying and harassment of individuals, and distribution of rumors and conspiracy theories pose a “potentially significant threat to U.S. and allied national interests”. This creates a challenge for an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) force comprised of platforms, sensors, networks and personnel that have been focused on overseas contingency operations for nearly 20 years. Recent defense strategy emphatically stated, “Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in U.S. national security.” Joint guidance on Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) emphasized the need for a better characterization and assessment of the informational as well as physical, and human aspects of the security environment in order to identify and leverage interdependencies between them. Carley and Beskow wrote, “Social cybersecurity is an emerging subdomain of national security that will affect all levels of future warfare, both conventional and unconventional, with strategic consequences”4 and characterized a set of 16 socio-cyber security forms of maneuver in the BEND model. This paper will introduce the BEND model, providing real-world examples of maneuvers, and highlight emerging multi-source analytics for discernment of threat.
Pubertal Growth, IGF-1, and Windows of Susceptibility: Puberty and Future Breast Cancer Risk.

Abstract Purpose Risk markers for breast cancer include earlier onset of menarche (age at menarche [AAM]) and peak height velocity (PHV). Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is associated with pubertal milestones, as well as cancer risk. This study examined the relationships between pubertal milestones associated with breast cancer risk and hormone changes in puberty. Methods This is a longitudinal study of pubertal maturation in 183 girls, recruited at ages 6–7, followed up between 2004 and 2018. Measures included age at onset of puberty, and adult height attained; PHV; AAM; adult height, and serum IGF-1, and estrone-to-androstenedione (E:A) ratio. Results PHV was greatest in early, and least in late maturing girls; length of the pubertal growth spurt was longest in early, and shortest in late maturing girls. Earlier AAM was related to greater PHV. IGF-1 concentrations tracked significantly during puberty; higher IGF-1 was related to earlier age of PHV, earlier AAM, greater PHV, and taller adult height. Greater E:A ratio was associated with earlier AAM. Conclusions Factors driving the association of earlier menarche and pubertal growth with breast cancer risk may be explained through a unifying concept relating higher IGF-1 concentrations, greater lifelong estrogen exposure, and longer pubertal growth period, with an expanded pubertal window of susceptibility.
Commentary on ‘Elective high frequency oscillatory ventilation versus conventional ventilation for acute pulmonary dysfunction in preterm infants’

This is a commentary on a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Henderson-Smart DJ, Cools F, Bhuta T, Offringa M. Elective high frequency oscillatory ventilation versus conventional ventilation for acute pulmonary dysfunction in preterm infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Review 2007, Issue 3. Art. No. 2. CD000104.DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000104.pub2. Further information for thisCochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Summary and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables. Copyright © 2008 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Psychological Distress Among the U.S. General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant global toll on emotional well-being, but evidence of mental health impacts in the United States remains limited. In April 2020, we conducted an exploratory survey of U.S. residents to understand prevalence of and factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and U.S. adult respondents were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Among 1,366 respondents, 42% (n = 571) reported clinically significant anxiety and 38% (n = 519) reported clinically significant depression. Factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms included Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; younger age; lower income; employment as or living with a health care worker-first responder; caregiver status; SARS-CoV-2 infection status; decreased frequency of engagement in healthy behaviors; and changed frequency of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. That some of these factors are associated with elevated distress during the pandemic is not yet widely appreciated and might be useful in informing management of mental health care resources.
Nanotechnology-based therapies for the prevention and treatment of Streptococcus mutans-derived dental caries.

Abstract Background Dental caries results from long-term acid production when sugar is metabolized by a bacterial biofilm, resulting in a loss of calcium and phosphate from the enamel. Streptococcus mutans is a type of acid-producing bacteria and a virulent contributor to oral biofilms. Conventional treatment options, such as cefazolin and ampicillin, have significant levels of bacterial resistance. Other topical agents, such as fluoride, tend to be washed away by saliva, resulting in low therapeutic efficacy. Highlight This review aims to highlight the solubility issues that plague poorly water-soluble therapeutic agents, various novel polymeric, and lipid-based nanotechnology systems that aim to improve the retention of therapeutic agents in the oral cavity. Conclusion In this review, different formulation types demonstrated improved therapeutic outcomes by enhancing drug solubility, promoting penetration into the deep layers of the biofilm, facilitating prolonged residence time in the buccal cavity, and reducing the emergence of drug-resistant phenotypes. These formulations have a strong potential to give new life to therapeutic agents that have limited physicochemical characteristics.
Examining progressive collapse robustness of a high-rise reinforced concrete building

Abstract To examine high-rise building robustness to sudden column removal, progressive collapse studies of a 13-story flat-slab reinforced concrete (RC) core-wall building system were completed in this study. Two buildings on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) campus, Cather and Pound Halls, were demolished in December of 2017. UNL researchers were given unique access to the building sites to assess their response before, during, and after the event. Prior to demolition, accelerometers were placed throughout both buildings, and ambient measurements were conducted to establish natural frequencies and mode shapes. The response of both buildings during controlled demolition was recorded and analyzed using time histories from the accelerometers. Controlled demolition initiated with sequential blast detonation at selected column sections that resulted in progressive collapse. A detailed 3D nonlinear numerical model of Pound Hall was developed using LS-DYNA to mimic the progressive collapse. The accuracy of the building model was evaluated via comparisons between (i) simulated and measured building ambient frequencies and modes; and (ii) displacement and video recorded during the full-scale demolition. The validated model was then used to further investigate damage scenario effects on the robustness of high-rise RC buildings caused by sudden removal of columns at various locations on the ground floor. The study results can be used to develop and calibrate the nonlinear numerical model for analyzing high-rise building progressive collapse behavior and can help provide information that may improve new and existing flat-slab RC core-wall building robustness against progressive collapse.
Dynamic Surface Tension of Aqueous Surfactant Solutions: 2. Diffusion-Kinetic-Convective Controlled Adsorption

Abstract A qualitative theory of the dynamic surface tension is developed for the diffusion-kinetic-convective theoretical models obeying any adsorption isotherms and any adsorption kinetics when the diffusion coefficient in the adsorbed layer depends on the fraction of the total surface coverage. The effect of the convective transfer is estimated in an analytical form for short and long times. The time-dependent adsorption over a wide range of time is obtained in an analytical form any adsorption isotherms and any adsorption kinetics for the diffusion-kinetic theoretical model. It is shown that the dynamic surface tension over a wide range of time may be described by using two linear equations in the form of the relaxation function F(t) = log[γ0 - γ(t))/(γ(t) - γe)] = n log(t/trel) versus log(t). The parameter of n is equal to 1.0 for the kinetic-controlled adsorption and equal to 0.5 for the diffusion-controlled adsorption. Formulae were derived to calculate (a) the rate constant for adsorption/desorption, (b) the diffusion coefficient, and (c) the activation energy of diffusion in the adsorbed layer by using kinetic adsorption data at different adsorbate concentrations. It is shown that the dynamic surface tension over a wide range of surfactant concentrations may be described by using the following models: (I) the kinetic-controlled adsorption for short times (0 ⩽ t ⩽ tcr1), (II) the diffusion-kinetic-controlled adsorption for intermediate times (tcr1 ⩽ t ⩽ tcr2), and (III) the diffusion-controlled adsorption for long time (t ⩾ tcr2 ). Formulae were derived to calculate the critical times tcr1 and tcr2. The existence of the (I), (II), and (III) regimes are justified by using the experimental data for the dynamic surface tension of N -dodecyl-N-benzyl-N-methylglycine (C12BMG) in water.
Parallel optical interconnects using VCSELs

Optobus is a ten channel parallel bi-directional datalink based on multimode fiber ribbons. The design represents a series of tradeoffs between cost and performance to produce a low cost interconnect solution with a minimum of 1.5 Gbit/s of aggregate throughput.
Conversion of Glycerol to Liquid Fuels

Abstract A significant fraction of the total petroleum supply is used for transportation in the form of liquid hydrocarbons. This fact, along with the increasing demand for oil in developing countries has led to substantial research efforts in the area of renewable liquid fuels. One alternative is the conversion of vegetal oil and animal fat into bio-diesel. However, this comes with the production of significant amounts of glycerol, a byproduct that will become abundant if large scale bio-diesel production is implemented. In order to increase the total biomass to fuel efficiency during the production of bio-diesel and address the overproduction of glycerol, a novel integrated Glycerol Reforming (GR) + Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process is presented. The novelty of this process lies in the use of a Rhenium-based catalyst for the conversion of aqueous glycerol to synthesis gas (syngas). This step reduces significantly the cost of syngas production in traditional green FT processes. This work presents a preliminary process synthesis and an economic evaluation for a medium capacity GR-FT plant. The results show that the integrated process is economically attractive, and that there is room for further improvements trough the use of systematic process design and optimization methodologies.
A protease-sensitive hinge linking the two domains of the hepatitis B virus core protein is exposed on the viral capsid surface.

Abstract Core particles of hepatitis B virus are assembled from dimers of a single 185-residue (subtype adw) viral capsid or core protein (p21.5) which possesses two distinct domains: residues 1 to 144 form a minimal capsid assembly domain, and the arginine-rich, carboxyl-terminal residues 150 to 185 form a protamine-like domain that mediates nucleic acid binding. Little is known about the topography of the p21.5 polypeptide within either the p21.5 capsids or dimers. Here, using site-specific proteases and monoclonal antibodies, we have defined the accessibility of p21.5 residues in dimers and capsids assembled from wild-type and mutant hepatitis B virus core proteins in Xenopus oocytes and in vitro. The data reveal the protamine region to be accessible to external reagents in p21.5 dimers but largely cryptic in wild-type capsids. Strikingly, in capsids the only protease target region was a 9-residue peptide covering p21.5 residues Glu-145 to Asp-153, which falls largely between the two core protein domains. By analogy with protease-sensitive interdomain regions in other proteins, we propose that this peptide constitutes a hinge between the assembly and nucleic acid binding domains of p21.5. We further found that deletion or replacement of the terminal Cys-185 residue greatly increased surface exposure of the protamine tails in capsids, suggesting that a known disulfide linkage involving this residue tethers the protamine region inside the core particles. We propose that disruption of this disulfide linkage allows the protamine region to appear transiently on the surface of the core particle.
Ring Hydroxylation of p-Chlorophenylacetate by an Arthrobacter Strain

Resting cell suspensions of a strain of Arthrobacter grown on phenylacetate converted p-chlorophenylacetate to two products. One of the products was identified as 4-chloro-3-hydroxyphenylacetate.
Rapid, precise, and high‐sensitivity acquisition of paleomagnetic and rock‐magnetic data: Development of a low‐noise automatic sample changing system for superconducting rock magnetometers

Among Earth sciences, paleomagnetism is particularly linked to the statistics of large sample sets as a matter of historical development and logistical necessity. Because the geomagnetic field varies over timescales relevant to sedimentary deposition and igneous intrusion, while the fidelity of recorded magnetization is modulated by original properties of rock units and by alteration histories, "ideal" paleomagnetic results measure remanent magnetizations of hundreds of samples at dozens of progressive demagnetization levels, accompanied by tests of magnetic composition on representative sister specimens. We present an inexpensive, open source system for automating paleomagnetic and rock magnetic measurements. Using vacuum pick-and-place technology and a quartz-glass sample holder, the system can in one hour measure remanent magnetizations, as weak as a few pAm2, of ~30 specimens in two vertical orientations with measurement errors comparable to those of the best manual systems. The system reduces the number of manual manipulations required per specimen ~8 fold.
Supercritical behaviors in first-passage percolation

Abstract We consider standard first passage percolation on Zd: {x(e): e an edge of Zd} is i.i.d. family of random variables with distribution F. Denote by a0,n the first passage time from the origin to (n, 0, …, 0). We show that there exists a path called a route with passage time a0,n if F(0) > pc. Indeed, we can show that if F(0) > pc, any route of a0,n has to stay in the infinite cluster B with X(e) = 0 except a few edges. We also show that if F(0) > pc, lim Ea0,n = ϱ(F) exists.
Computer aided concurrent design for printed wiring boards

The design and fabrication cycle of Printed Wiring Boards (PWB) continues to expand. As designs become more complex, the possibility for first-pass correctness is reduced because the communication between engineers becomes more difficult due to the segregation of design knowledge into specific areas of expertise. The complexity of todays designs require more specialized knowledge for each phase in the product development cycle. The time now spent in the redesign cycles could be dramatically reduced if the knowledge now embedded in the support groups could be made available to the engineer up front. This paper presents an approach for reducing the time and cost required to produce a first-pass PWB design by building an integrated engineering support environment that aids the designer in simultaneously engineering both the design and fabrication stages.
Food for starving hearts.

Angiogenic factors are a promising new treatment for myocardial ischemia but several practical questions still await answers (pages 534–539).
Predictors of existential openness

Abstract The relationship of several demographic, psychosocial, and environmental variables to the willingness to confront existential issues was examined using 218 undergraduates. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed using gender, age, locus of control, cognitive structure, resourcefulness, perceived social support, and stressful events as predictors of existential openness. Gender, cognitive flexibility, and resourceful coping were significant predictors. Separate stepwise regressions by gender revealed that existential openness among women was related to youth, cognitive flexibility, external locus of control, resourceful coping, and little perceived social support; for men, existential openness was linked to cognitive flexibility and resourceful coping. Results are discussed in terms of the existential perspective of human functioning and are integrated with research on coping and stress.
Internalism and the snapshot conception of phenomenal experience: A reply to Fisher

Justin Fisher (2007) has presented a novel argument designed to prove that all forms of mental internalism are false. I aim to show that the argument fails with regard to internalism about phenomenal experiences. The argument tacitly assumes a certain view about the ontology of phenomenal experience, which (inspired by Alva Noe) I call the “snapshot conception of phenomenal experience.” After clarifying what the snapshot conception involves, I present Fisher with a dilemma. If he rejects the snapshot conception, then his argument against phenomenal internalism collapses. But if he embraces the snapshot conception, then internalists may argue that in light of the snapshot conception, their view is not so implausible—and that if Fisher still disagrees, he owes us an argument that shows why phenomenal internalism is false even given the snapshot conception. I conclude the paper by showing that Fisher cannot escape my criticism by adjusting his argument so that it no longer depends on the snapshot conception.
Effects of clozapine on fixed-consecutive-number responding in rats: A comparison to other neuroleptic drugs

Abstract The effects of clozapine and several other neuroleptic drugs were examined in rats responding under fixed-consecutive-number (FCN) schedules with minimum response requirements of 4 and 8. Under these schedules, rats were trained to respond either 8 or more times or 4 or more times on one lever, and then respond once on a second lever. In one component of these schedules, an external discriminative stimulus was presented following the completion of the response requirement on the first lever, whereas no stimulus change was programmed under the other. Under the FCN 8 schedule without the external discriminative stimulus, clozapine produced large dose-dependent decreases in accuracy (percent of reinforced response runs), whereas molindone produced small decreases in accuracy. Neither clozapine or molindone, however, altered accuracy under the FCN 4 without the external discriminative stimulus. Under these same schedules, loxapine, chlorpromazine, haloperidol and thioridazine produced small increases in accuracy at intermediate doses without affecting accuracy at the low and high doses. None of the neuroleptics evaluated produced accuracy-altering effects under the FCN schedules with the external discriminative stimulus. In general, all of these drugs decreased response rates in a dose-dependent fashion. The order of potency for the rate-decreasing effects of these drugs was loxapine > haloperidol > molindone > clozapine = chlorpromazine > thioridazine. Thus, the effects of clozapine on accuracy under the FCN schedules without the external discriminative stimulus differed qualitatively from those of other neuroleptic agents.