cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The digital divide and academic achievement

Purpose – This paper aims to find out the degrees of students' access to computers and the internet, and to explore the relationship between technology accessibility and academic achievement.Design/methodology/approach – The research, conducted through questionnaires, focuses on fifth‐grade students in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area because state‐mandated test results for core subjects are available at the state Department of Education web site. Thus, it allows the researchers to collect data on both technology accessibility and academic achievement.Findings – The findings show that the digital divide still exists, cutting through various socioeconomic factors, and that the relationship between technology accessibility and academic achievement may also exist, although it is very much complicated by other compounding factors, such as the subjects of learning, the uses of technology, and socioeconomic conditions. It is hoped that the findings of this research can help policy makers, school administrato...
Inferior corneal vascularization associated with extended wear of prism-ballasted toric hydrogel lenses

Abstract A successful extended wearer of spherical hydrogel contact lenses switched to prism-ballasted extended-wear toric hydrogel lenses in order to obtain greater visual acuity. Within 10 months after dispensing of the new lenses, the patient's corneas began to show increased vascularity at the inferior limbus, particularly on the right eye which had the higher minus correction in the vertical meridian (−6.25, vs. −4.75 D for the left eye). Greater corneal hypoxia, among other factors, was most likely present at the inferior limbi due to the prism-ballasted lens design, the effects of which were enhanced by an already thickened lens periphery in the vertical meridian due to the moderately minus prescriptions. We propose that, although extended wear of high-minus (−8 or more power) spherical gel lenses has been already identified as potentially threatening to the peripheral cornea, inferior corneal compromise due to the extended wear of even moderately minus prism-ballasted gel lenses should be carefully avoided as well.
Pro Se Litigation: Is This Phenomenon Helping Or Hurting Our Legal System?

As we have seen over the last two decades, the number of lawsuits in America is rising significantly. We have become an increasingly litigious society. In the past, it was extremely uncommon for someone to go to court without a lawyer. However today, for a variety of reasons, this is becoming commonplace. This trend brings with it some unique challenges to the legal field. While representing oneself may ensure that you “get your day in court” the problems associated with this choice might outweigh any benefit. This paper examines this serious and ever expanding phenomenon in the legal field. Correctly framing the issue and its possible repercussions can only help in finding the proper way to ensure that all litigants are treated fairly in our justice system. This paper helps lay out the issues and examines some possible solutions.
Simulation of Hydraulic Processes in Open Channels

Techniques combining the deterministic and stochastic methods have been developed to compute and simulate various hydraulic processes in open channels, such as the three-dimensional distribution of flow velocity, steady and unsteady flows, flow resistance, secondary currents, and unsteady dispersion. The deterministic approach, using a curvilinear coordinate system based on the velocity distribution of flow, is used to deal with the basic hydrodynamic part of analysis. The stochastic approach is used to treat the irregular channel geometry that tends to cause uncertainties in simulated hydraulic processes in open channels. The techniques can be used to simulate the three-dimensional velocity distribution of (primary) flow, unsteady dispersion, and sediment transport, secondary currents, steady and unsteady flows, and flow resistance (Manning’s n.) In computing an unsteady flow it was found that the use of mean cross sections, without the geometrical irregularity of channel, causes errors in the peak and recession part of computed hydrographs, although it has the advantages of being simple and insensitive to uncertain Manning’s n.
Thiosulfate Pharmacokinetics in Normal and Anuric Dogs

AbstractCyanide (CN) toxicity has recently become increasingly a clinical problem with the greater use of Laetrile for cancer treatment and of sodium nitroprusside for blood pressure control. Sodiu...
David Montgomery: A Labor Historian's Legacies

When David Montgomery sat down for an extended interview with editors of the Radical History Review, Mark Naison and Paul Buhle, it was the spring of 1981. His career as an academic historian was on the ascent. He had moved from the University of Pittsburgh to a named chair at Yale. He was editor of what was becoming the foremost journal in the field, International Labor and Working-Class History. His studies of workers and Reconstruction and his explorations of workers' shop floor world had catapulted him to the front rank of practitioners of the “new labor history.” And he was deeply into what would probably rank as his masterwork, The Fall of the House of Labor, published six years later. But much of the interview as published dwelt on his background in the Communist Party USA and on his own shop floor experience as a militant rank and file machinist during the 1950s. His observations on the internal life of the party, as someone who did not hold a leadership position, were perceptive. But perhaps more telling for his own future work as a historian were his comments on the growing gap in the 1950s between the party and lives of workers. Vital as the “connection to the everyday struggles of Americans” may have been, he also recognized the value of “styles of social analysis that were rooted in the hard and complex realities of experience and away from phrase-mongering and dogmatic abstractions.” As the party unraveled in the 1950s and the leadership grew more isolated, he noted, “at my level of activity we continued from day to day doing our thing”
Adsorption Orientation-Induced Selectivity Control of Reactions of Benzyl Alcohol on Pd(111)

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) experiments were performed to determine the surface chemistry of benzyl alcohol on Pd(111) at varying initial surface coverage. At low coverage, benzyl alcohol adopts a flat lying structure where both the alcohol and phenyl ring are close to the surface. This structure decomposes through a benzaldehyde intermediate and undergoes decarbonylation to produce benzene and carbon monoxide. At high coverage, benzyl alcohol adopts an upright structure where only the alcohol function is bound to the surface and the phenyl ring extends into vacuum. The orientation of this structure is correlated with deoxygenation to produce toluene and water. These results have important implications in designing catalysts with modified surfaces and reaction conditions to have high selectivity toward a given process.
Single-Phase Lithiation and Delithiation of Simferite Compounds Li(Mg,Mn,Fe)PO4

Understanding the phase transformation behavior of electrode materials for lithium ion batteries is critical in determining the electrode kinetics and battery performance. Here, we demonstrate the lithiation/delithiation mechanism and electrochemical behavior of the simferite compound, LiMg0.5Fe0.3Mn0.2PO4. In contrast to the equilibrium two-phase nature of LiFePO4, LiMg0.5Fe0.3Mn0.2PO4 undergoes a one-phase reaction mechanism as confirmed by ex situ X-ray diffraction at different states of delithiation and electrochemical measurements. The equilibrium voltage measurement by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique shows a continuous change in voltage at Mn3+/Mn2+ redox couple with addition of Mg2+ in LiMn0.4Fe0.6PO4 olivine structure. There is, however, no significant change in the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox potential.
Planning with a large public sector: Turkey (1963–1967)

As promotion of economic growth becomes a declared aim of policy-makers in less developed countries (LDC), more and more emphasis is placed on the public sector as an essential instrument of policy implementation. The public sector is considered more capable of inducing higher rates of savings and of channeling them into development-promoting outlets than the economy can do by itself. State Economic Enterprises (SEE) financed wholly or in large part through government budgets become the instruments of such policies. In an environment where the private sector invests mainly along traditional lines and is shy of long gestation periods, the absorption of modern technology depends on an ability to amass and channel large amounts of finance capital into productive ventures with relatively little direct short-run profitability. The absence of organized markets for equity capital so prevalent in LDC also points in the direction of the state's active participation in economic activities.
Conditional Discrimination Learning in Children as a Function of Number of Conditional Cues

Each of three groups of third graders received a Lashley type conditional discrimination problem containing either one, two, or three conditional cues. In support of a deduction from the stimulus i...
Inadequate Prenatal Care and Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children Born in Providence, Rhode Island: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to determine whether children born to mothers receiving inadequate prenatal care are at an increased risk for having an elevated blood lead level during early childhood. METHODS The authors conducted a population-based study of children born in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1997 to 2001 whose mothers had received adequate, intermediate, or inadequate prenatal care. The children's blood lead levels were compared between groups using bivariate and logistic regression. To understand the regulatory implications and public health impact of changing the definition of an elevated blood lead level, "elevated" was defined as 5 microg/dL, 10 microg/dL, and 15 microg/dL. RESULTS Children born to mothers who received inadequate prenatal care were at an elevated risk for having an elevated blood lead level later in life. This relationship remained statistically significant for each definition of elevated blood lead level and after controlling for other socio-economic status measures and birthweight (at 5 microg/dL, odds ratio [OR] = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09, 1.68, p = 0.006; at 10 microg/dL, OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.26, 2.24, p < 0.0004; at 15 microg/dL, OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.10, 3.04, p = 0.019) represent an opportune moment to identify expectant mothers living in lead-contaminated environments. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that conducting lead screening as a regular part of prenatal care provision could help identify women possibly experiencing ongoing lead exposure and help reduce or prevent exposures to their offspring.
Root System Water Uptake and Respiration for Agave deserti: Observations and Predictions Using a Model Based on Individual Roots

Water uptake and root respiration for the desert succulent Agave deserti, were predicted in the laboratory and in the field using a model based on root hydraulic conductivity and the rate of maintenance respiration previously determined in the laboratory for individual roots as non-linear functions of root age, soil temperature , and soil water potential .
Power Spectral Resonance Analysis in the Evaluation of Vitreous Pathology

The pre-operative evaluation of patients with vitreous opacifications has been greatly enhanced by ultrasonic examination. The location and extent of vitreous hemorrhage may now be ascertained with a high degree of confidence, but the differentiation of hemorrhage, vitreous membranes and retina is a difficult but essential distinction.
Potential Competition under the Merger Guidelines

The 1982 Merger Guidelines' give more enforcement emphasis to potential competition mergers than to any other type of non-horizontal merger. This emphasis reflects the basic theme of the Guidelines-to prevent market structures likely to facilitate collusion. Mergers reducing potential competition in oligopolistic markets raise collusive risks because they may diminish both actual and perceived increases in market rivalry through new entry. Indeed, such anticompetitive risks may be intensified if enforcement effectively constrains horizontal mergers, since collusion-minded firms, barred from horizontal acquisitions, could be stimulated to undertake injurious potential competition mergers. When the authors of the Guidelines turned to potential competition mergers, they confronted the challenge of devising an effective approach for an area where unworkable legal standards had stymied viable enforcement. The Guidelines are an effort to bring vitality to potential competition merger enforcement by formulating structural and objective legal criteria. Such an effort is well within the appropriate scope of enforcement guidelines, since the deficiency in potential competition merger enforcement stems from doctrinal inadequacy rather than from any judicial repudiation of the underlying antitrust premise. However, in attempting to reorder the enforcement approach to potential competition mergers, the Guidelines have introduced a new and undefined surrogate for potential competition-"entry advantage"-that unless effectively developed could confuse rather than clarify legal analysis. Part I of this Article considers the present plight of potential competition merger enforcement and the inadequate policy justification for this unsatisfactory condition. Part II then describes the criteria for evaluation of potential competition mergers under the 1982 Guidelines. Part III examines the Guidelines' surrogate for potential competition-
A release-recapture experiment with the malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi Liston, with observations on dispersal, survivorship, population size, gonotrophic rhythm and mating behaviour.

10 118 female and 10 863 male Anopheles stephensi were released on three successive nights at a breeding site near the village of Sattoki, Punjab Province, Pakistan during early May, 1977. A total of 721 (7.13%) females and 505 (4.65%) males were recaptured resting indoors, feeding on buffaloes and swarming. The average distance dispersed for females and males recaptured resting inside 13 cattle sheds within 2.17 km of the release point was 165.5 m and 184.8 m, respectively. The maximum longevity of the marked females and males was 12 and 13 days, respectively (mean longevity 3.24 and 3.26 days, respectively). Population size was estimated for the first five days after release using the Lincoln Index modified to account for survivorship, and Jackson's positive and negative methods. Estimates of population size at the two cattle sheds nearest the release point ranged from 1294.7--2551.7 for females and from 481.6--1374.3 for males, considerably less than the size of the released cohort. Marked males from all three releases were collected while swarming with wild males. Inseminated marked and unmarked females were captured at male swarms. Females mated on the night of release, some within 15 minutes of release. Mating here presumably occurred while the females were transversing the 45 metres from the release point to the site of the buffalo biting collections. Both inseminated and uninseminated females were collected feeding on buffaloes. The first gonotrophic cycle was completed when the females were three to four days old, i.e. two to three days after release.
Congenital herpesvirus infections.

Although herpesvirus infections may be detected in pregnant mothers, effective therapy is lacking. Because the risk of birth defects is great, cesarean section is recommended in mothers with active genital infection with herpesvirus types 1 and 2, and abortion may be considered in patients with active cytomegalovirus infection.
Long term spectrum survey of the 2.4 GHz ISM band in multiple hospital environments

Wireless technology has become an invaluable facilitator in many aspects of daily life. Healthcare environments in particular have gained noticeable agility and flexibility by integrating wireless functionality into various medical equipment. As of late, chipsets designed to implement communication standards in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band have become inexpensive and widely available, making wireless-enabled medical devices reach increased number of users. However, the sharp increase in the number of operating nodes now occupying the ISM band has resulted in a cluttered spectrum with limited resources in many environments. In this paper, we report on a long term spectrum survey of the ISM band in both an intensive care unit (ICU) and a post-surgery recovery room (RR). Both spaces were concurrently surveyed for 28 consecutive days capturing spectrum occupancy on every weekday four times. Results indicate that spectrum occupancy patterns are location dependent. Examined sub-channels with significant correlation in activity pattern corresponded mainly to IEEE 802.11 channels 1, 6, and 11. Low daily duty cycle is indicated at a maximum of 5.17% at RR and 3.11% at ICU.
Some Additional Effects of Contributions

In this chapter we examine some additional implications of the importance of contributions to political campaigns. In chapters 7 and 8 we showed that contributions could affect the way in which representatives vote. That is, contributions could be used not only to elect representatives who would vote as the contributor desired, but also to influence the way in which elected representatives would choose to vote. In this chapter we examine two issues related to the impact of contributions on voting changes. First, to determine the actual effect of certain selected types of contributions, we ask what the Congress would have been like if these contributions had not been made. Second, we ask how much it would have cost various contributors to shift congressional voting in desired directions. That is, we ask: “What is the ‘price’ of Congress?”
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Radioimmunotherapy Using Iodine-131 Labeled Murine Anti-CD20 Antibodies (131I-Tositumomab and Tositumomab, “Bexxar”)

The rationale for the use of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) in cancer is that radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies specifically target and irradiate tumor cells while sparing normal tissues. The specific tumor targeting theoretically allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered to tumor as compared to external beam radiation because the effects of the radiation on normal tissues is lesser with RIT. An additional advantage of RIT is that the beta-emissions of the radiolabel target surrounding malignant cells via the cross-fire effect, probably killing those not reached by unlabeled antibody. Tositumomab and Iodine (I 131) tositumomab (Bexxar® therapeutic regimen) is RIT directed against the CD20 antigen which is effective for the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This chapter discusses the rationale, development, clinical applications and practical aspects of delivering tositumomab and Iodine (I 131) tositumomab (Bexxar® therapeutic regimen).
Cabildos de naturales en el ocaso colonial: jurisdicción, posesión y defensa del espacio étnico

Este ensayo examina ciertos cambios criticos en la jurisdiccion de la «Republica de indios» en el Peru colonial tardio. Busca ademas problematizar el significado del concepto de «posesion» y del derecho de usufructo en el contexto de la propiedad comunal en los pueblos de indios y los cambios producidos en la jurisdiccion indigena en 1777 con la creacion de las subdelegaturas que reemplazaron el juzgado del corregidor. Las Ordenanzas de Intendencia de 1784 y 1803 desplazaron mas certeramente la autoridad jurisdiccional del Cabildo indigena y su capacidad de decision en cuanto al ordenamiento espacial del pueblo. Los procuradores y jueces del Cabildo de Chorrillos, entre otros, avanzaron una sistematica defensa legal de la propiedad comunal y un nuevo sentido de la etnicidad urbana. Al amanecer del siglo XIX, se profundizaba una refinada cultura letrada anclada en el potencial jurisdiccional de la «Republica de indios» con una larga tradicion de escritura y lucha legal. Desafiando la autoridad del juez subdelegado, el Cabildo respondia tacitamente al proyecto borbon de control politico local de los pueblos, intentando rescatar los ultimos vestigios de comunidad que permanecian aun en los pueblos del valle de Lima al final de la experiencia colonial.
Unusual Cause of Pediatric Vaginal Bleeding: Infantile Capillary Hemangioma of the Cervix.

ABSTRACT Background The differential diagnosis for pediatric prepubertal vaginal bleeding is wide. Rare etiologies include vascular malformations and tumors, such as infantile hemangiomas (IHs), which validate the usefulness of exam under anesthesia, vaginoscopy, and tissue diagnosis. Case We report a case of an IH in a 6-year-old girl causing vaginal bleeding requiring transfusion. Vaginoscopy revealed a cervical IH of less than 1 cm. Expectant management and oral propranolol were successful management options. Summary and Conclusion Rare, even small soft tissue tumors such as IH can lead to impressive blood loss via vaginal bleeding. Accurate tissue diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach are essential to planning safe, effective treatment, and follow-up.
Extraction of Full-Field Structural Dynamics from Digital Video Measurements in Presence of Large Rigid Body Motion

Video cameras offer a versatile high resolution alternative to traditional sensor apparatuses for full field structural dynamics analysis. Previous work has extended phase based motion magnification techniques to achieve state of the art results in vibrational and structural analysis. One limitation on the current approach is that it does not work very well in situations where substantial rigid body motion is present in the scene. The large rigid motion drowns out the tiny vibrations that are relevant for a full-field structural analysis. This work extends upon previous phase based motion algorithms in order to allow them to work even in cases with large rigid body motion present. Through a keypoint tracking and video cropping scheme rigid body motion is subtracted from video streams, while preserving the smaller motions of interest. After this preprocessing step, the new video stream can be passed into the full-field analysis scheme as usual, in order to get a full-field modal decomposition.
Dynamic knee valgus kinematics and their relationship to pain in women with patellofemoral pain compared to women with chronic hip joint pain

Background Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is an abnormal movement pattern visually characterized by excessive medial movement of the lower extremity during weight bearing. Differences in hip and knee kinematic components of DKV may explain the emergence of different pain problems in people who exhibit the same observed movement impairment. Using a secondary analysis of exiting data sets, we sought to determine whether hip and knee frontal and transverse plane angles during a functional task differed between women with patellofemoral pain and women with chronic hip joint pain and the relationship between joint-specific kinematics and pain in these 2 pain populations.
K-10 montmorillonite-catalyzed solid phase diazotizations: environmentally benign coupling of diazonium salts with aromatic hydrocarbons to biaryls

A new heterogeneous catalytic diazotization and subsequent coupling of diazonium salts with aromatics for the synthesis of biaryls is described. The method involves the solid phase diazotization of anilines and the successive C–C bond formation of the diazonium salt with alkylbenzenes. Excellent yields were obtained for a broad range of anilines and aromatic nucleophiles. The reaction was carried out using K-10 montmorillonite as an acid catalyst and medium as well. The high selectivity, metal-free, recyclable catalyst, easy work up, and absence of harmful waste make the process a sustainable alternative to available methods.
The soluble organic compounds of the Mukundpura meteorite: A new CM chondrite fall

Abstract We analyzed the water extracts of the recently fallen Mukundpura (MK) meteorite and searched for amino-, hydroxy- and carboxylic acids, amines and their possible enantiomeric excesses. All water-soluble compounds detected so far were found to have distributions similar to those identified in Murchison, with the main compositional differences of lower yields overall and absence in MK of longer chain compounds. Enantiomeric excesses were detected in MK for (S) isovaline and (S) sec-butylamine, the compounds that displayed them in several CM and CR chondrites. We also obtained a preliminary survey of MK hydrocarbons by extracting with solvent their water-extracted powders. MK hydrocarbons presented a suite containing far fewer linear species and is dominated by likely contaminants branched alkanes. Given the large variability of abundances and ee values reported so far within and between meteorites, repeat analyses of MK stones will be needed to better evaluate their extent in the new meteorite.
Introduction to Lethal School Violence

In this chapter, we offer an introduction to the topic of the book, lethal school violence (LSV). We begin with an introduction to and definition of LSV, and then highlight five different situations that often result in fatalities (i.e., suicide, rampage shootings, gang-related deaths, domestic murder/suicide that occurs on campus, and barricaded captive events). We then turn our attention to the history of school violence, highlighting the fact that it is not a new phenomenon. Following this brief history lesson, we turn our attention to characteristics of “school shooters,” according to the research that has been done on this population. The chapter continues with a discussion of behavioral profiling as a means of identifying potentially violent youth, which some have argued could then be used to prevent LSV. In the final section, we provide an overview the Safe School Communities Model and an overview of the remainder of the book.
Learning the Secrets of the Excel for Mac Interface

In this chapter, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the Excel for Mac interface and the many secrets it holds.
The Common Good and Social-Competitive Creativity

What does it mean for the top management of a corporation pursuing common good by doing business activities? This communication intends to give a contribution in answering to this question from a perspective typical of management studies. Given a competitive strategy, the first step towards CG is the activation of a dialogue mechanism with various groups of actors in order to identify principal areas of need. A clear and decisive understanding of social issues is indeed a condition to shape a more valid strategy. Before trying to respond to these social issues, the corporate executive must screen them using two criteria: ethical and historical. Once legitimate social needs have been identified for the corporate strategy, there is the problem of how to integrate them into this strategy. This communication proposes a pyramid that identifies five efficiency levels in answering social needs.
FOUR-COLOUR AND HBETA PHOTOMETRY OF O-TYPE STARS.

Kitt Peak data on 0-type stars have been combined with those of Morrison (1975) to derive interstellar reddening slopes for the uvby system. The results are Ec1 = 0.20 E(b- y), Em1 = -0.32 E(b-y), E(u-b) = 1.5E(b-y),andE(b-y) = 0.74 E(B- V). Key words: 0-type stars - interstellar reddening
Sexual Pheromones in the Fungi

The capability of sexual reproduction is distributed across the eukaryotes, including the fungi. A primary influence in the sexual interaction is the exchange of information mediated by diffusible molecules, called sexual pheromones. This chapter examines the biosynthesis of pheromones and the sexual responses induced by them in different branches of the fungal kingdom, with an emphasis on the early lineages. The best-studied species are members of the Dikarya and they use pheromones derived from peptide precursors. In contrast, members of the Mucoromycotina use apocarotenoids while the Blastocladiomycota use sesquiterpenes. Comparison between these pheromones establishes evolutionary trends among the fungal lineages.
Childhood Inequality in China: Evidence from Recent Survey Data (2012–2014)

In recent decades, China has transformed from a relatively egalitarian society to a highly unequal one. What are the implications of high levels of inequality for the lives of children? Drawing on two nationally representative datasets, the China Family Panel Studies and the China Education Panel Survey, we develop a comprehensive portrait of childhood inequality in post-reform China. Analyses reveal stark disparities between children from different socio-economic backgrounds in family environments and in welfare outcomes, including physical health, psychosocial health and educational performance. We argue that childhood inequality in China is driven not only by the deprivations of poverty but also by the advantages of affluence, as high socio-economic status children diverge from their middle and low socio-economic status counterparts on various family environment and child welfare measures.
Oxidation effect on the shear strength of graphene on aluminum and titanium surfaces

We report the interfacial shear strength of graphene on pure and oxidized Ti and Al metal surfaces using density functional theory calculations. Our results show significant changes to the graphene-metal bonding properties in the presence of an oxide phase. In particular, the strongly chemisorbed interface between graphene and pure Ti is drastically weakened by the formation of a metal-oxide phase, while the weakly physisorbed interface between graphene and pure Al is significantly strengthened through the metal oxide formation. These oxidation effects can be modulated to some extent by the presence of vacancy or Stone-Wales defects which increases the binding interactions of weaker graphene-metal interfaces. These dramatic changes to the interfacial properties by surface oxidation explain the results of recent carbon nanotube pull-out experiments from Al and Ti metal-matrix nanocomposites.
Social Movement Theory in the Examination of Mobilization in a Black Community: The 1991 Sacramento Redistricting Project

This chapter focuses on an organization called the 1991 Sacramento Redistricting Project. The organization was formed in early 1991 to enhance the prospects for black political representation in the Sacramento area. A long, rich, and contextually dense institutional and community history preceded the Summit and the Redistricting Project. This is particularly true on the issue of districting and redistricting for the Sacramento City Council. The 1991 Redistricting Project enables people to uncover the kinds of empirical circumstances on which much of social movement theory rests. The chapter describes the link between institutionalization and racial or social memory and the use of black narrative in black spaces to develop the content of racial memory and to direct the actions of institutions. The Summit on African-American Concerns was convened in late 1990 by the Black Sacramento Christian Club Organizers (BSCCO), 100 Black Men, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Sacramento Urban League.
Incentive-based Residential Energy Optimization Considering Comfort and Voltage Impacts

Residential energy management can be used to reduce peak electric demand, decrease electricity costs, and maintain grid reliability. Previous work only performs demand response to reduce the power consumption and the electricity bill. In this paper, we model the physical distribution system and investigate the impact of demand response program on the distribution network. This paper first introduces a residential energy management system that maintains residential consumers’ demand within a utility-defined limit during peak times. The system further examines the impact of the residential energy management on the voltage profile of the distribution network. A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system, showing that the proposed system is capable of reducing demand to remain within the demand limit while considering consumers’ comfort and allocating reward incentives to each consumer. It is shown that the voltage profile of the distribution system is improved with the proposed system.
Dissolution of used nuclear fuel using a tributyl phosphate/n-paraffin solvent

The complete recycle of used nuclear fuel (UNF) is desirable to recover the energy value from the remaining U and higher actinides; however, construction of a large-scale facility is extremely expe...
Chapter 7 Xenobiotic receptors in fish: Structural and functional diversity and evolutionary insights

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the implications for environmental toxicology and the evolution of gene regulatory pathways. Studies have identified three families of proteins as having important roles in regulating the response to xenobiotic chemicals. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a member of the basic helix-loop-helix Per-ARNTSim (bHLH-PAS) family of transcription factors, is well known for its role in the altered gene expression and toxicity elicited by chlorinated dioxins, related planar halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and certain polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The chapter presents the aryl hydrocarbon receptors and the bHLH-PAS superfamily, nuclear receptor superfamily, and the antioxidant response. The bHLH-PAS superfamily in vertebrates includes nearly two dozen PAS-domain containing proteins that act as transcription factors to regulate gene expression. Nuclear receptor superfamily is a group of transcription factors with important roles in the response to xenobiotic chemicals, which includes receptors for steroid and thyroid hormones, sterols, retinoids, fatty acids, and many other endogenous low-molecular weight signaling molecules. Oxidants, electrophiles, and some so-called antioxidant chemicals activate antioxidant response or oxidative stress response (OSR) via a family of related, cap ‘n’ collar (CnC) basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors that interact with an antioxidant response element in the promoter region of target genes.
Sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics associated with blood donation in the United States: a population-based study.

Background Contemporary population-based data on characteristics associated with blood donation in the United States (U.S.) are limited. Study design and methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed among 28,739 persons aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, a household survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. civilian population. Analyses were weighted and accounted for the complex survey design. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were estimated by multivariable log-binomial regression. Results The percentage of individuals reporting a past-year history of blood donation was 5.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3%-6.1%) and was highest in the youngest age group (18-24 years, 8.4%). A past-year history of blood donation was more common in males compared to females (6.3% vs. 5.1%; aPR, 1.12 [95% CI, 0.99-1.27]) and those born in the U.S. compared to individuals born outside the U.S. (6.4% vs. 2.4%; aPR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.49-2.47]). The percentage of individuals with a past-year history of blood donation was significantly lower in blacks (3.9%; aPR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.47-0.75]) and Hispanics (3.0%; aPR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.48-0.83]) in comparison to whites (6.9%). Being a college graduate, being employed, being physically active, and never being a cigarette smoker were factors positively associated with blood donation. The percentage of individuals with a past-year history of blood donation varied by geographic census region, with prevalence being higher in the Midwest (7.3%) and South (6.0%) compared to the Northeast (4.7%) and West (4.4%). Conclusion Continued differences in the blood donor population with reference to the U.S. population underscore the need to understand barriers or deterrents to blood donation. Evidence-based donor recruitment and related policies remain imperative to ensure that there is a sustainable blood supply.
Butyrate‐producing gut bacteria and viral infections in kidney transplant recipients: A pilot study

BACKGROUND The gut microbiome is being associated increasingly with development of infections besides Clostridium difficile infection. A recent study found an association between butyrate-producing gut (BPG) bacteria and less frequent development of lower respiratory viral infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (Haak et al, Blood 131(26): 2978, 2018). In this investigation, we examine the relationship between the abundance of BPG bacteria and the development of viral infections in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients. METHODS We recruited 168 kidney transplant recipients who provided 510 fecal specimens in the first 3 months after transplantation and profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4-V5 hypervariable region. We classified the kidney transplant recipients into higher BPG Bacteria Group and lower BPG Bacteria Group using the same criteria of 1% relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria as the Haak et al study. RESULTS Administration of antibiotics against anaerobes was associated with a significant decrease in the relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria. The higher BPG Bacteria Group was associated with less development of respiratory viral infections (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.28, P = .01) but not with less development of CMV viremia (HR: 0.38, P = .13) or BK viremia (HR: 1.02, P = .98) at 2 years post transplantation. CONCLUSION Our pilot investigation supports future validation of the relationship between high relative gut abundance of BPG bacteria and decreased risk for development of respiratory viral infections.
Accurate string constraints solution counting with weighted automata

As an important extension of symbolic execution (SE), probabilistic symbolic execution (PSE) computes execution probabilities of program paths. Using this information, PSE can prioritize path exploration strategies. To calculate the probability of a path PSE relies on solution counting approaches for the path constraint. The correctness of a solution counting approach depends on the methodology used to count solutions and whether a path constraint maintains a one-to-one relation with program input values. This work focuses on the latter aspect of the solution counting correctness for string constraints. In general, maintaining a one-to-one relation is not always possible, especially in the presence of non-linear constraints. To deal with this issue, researchers that work on PSE for numerical domains either analyze programs with linear constraints, or develop novel techniques to handle solution counting of non-linear constraints. For the string domain, however, previous work on PSE mainly focuses on efficient and accurate solution counting for automata-based string models and has not investigated whether a one-to-one relationship between the strings encoded by automata and input string values is preserved. In this work we demonstrate that traditional automata-based string models fail to maintain one-to-one relations and propose to use the weighted automata model, which preserves the one-to-one relation between the path constraint it encodes and the input string values. We use this model to implement a string constraint solver and show its correctness on a set of non-trivial synthetic benchmarks. We also present an empirical evaluation of traditional and proposed automata solvers on real-world string constraints. The evaluations show that while being less efficient than traditional automata models, the weighted automata model maintains correct solution counts.
Large Scale Distributed Data Processing for a Network of Humanoid Telepresence Robots

We present an open-source data lake architecture implemented to store and process data from robotic systems at large scale. In particular, we leverage our architecture for the use case of processing data from a network of humanoid telepresence robotic avatars that are controlled by human operators wearing immersive telepresence control suits. Our architecture leverages well-established open-source technologies and integrates into existing robot frameworks and middleware such as Robot Operating System (ROS) and Data Distribution Service (DDS).
The Off-Axis Galaxy Cluster Merger Abell 115

We have used a 50.4 ksec Chandra obsffervation to examine the galaxy cluster Abell 115 (z=0.1971). The X-ray surface brightness distribution shows a merger of 2 sub-clusters with substantial off-axis motion. The northern sub-cluster moves toward the southwest and exhibits a strong X-ray surface brightness gradient toward this direction as well as a "fan" of X-ray bright Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM) toward the northeast. The southern sub-cluster shows a pronounced northeast-southwest elongation, probably as a consequence of the ongoing merger. The temperature of the ICM is highly non-uniform across the cluster. Although the merger is well underway and has had a substantial influence on the morphology of the 2 sub-clusters, it has apparently not disturbed the cool sub-cluster cores. The ICM in between the sub-clusters has a significantly elevated temperature of ~8 keV. However, owing to the low surface brightness, we do not find direct evidence for shocks in this region. The X-ray surface brightness distribution of the northern sub-cluster is highly non-uniform. The data show a bright central core region of about 10" (30 kpc) diameter. A highly significant surface brightness discontinuity separates the core from the ambient ICM. We discuss several possibilities to explain the compact core, and its relation to the central radio galaxy 3C 28.0 and the sub-cluster's cooling flow. Further outwards, at about 24.6" (80 kpc) to the southwest of the sub-cluster core, the surface brightness distribution shows a jump associated with a contact discontinuity. The Chandra imaging spectroscopy data do not show evidence for a shock associated with the surface brightness jump. We conclude that it is associated with denser plasma moving sub-sonically through the ambient plasma.
Using native grass seeding and targeted spring grazing to reduce low-level Bromus tectorum invasion on the Colorado Plateau

Reducing invasive species abundance near the leading edge of invasions is important for maintaining diverse, high-functioning ecosystems, but it can be hard to remove invasives present at low levels within desirable plant communities. Focusing on an invasive annual grass, Bromus tectorum, near the edge of its range in the southern Colorado Plateau, we used an observational study to ask what plant community components were associated with lower levels of B. tectorum, and a manipulative experiment to ask if targeted spring grazing or seeding native competitors were effective for reversing low-level invasion. The observational study found that higher C3 perennial grass cover and shrub cover were associated with lower B. tectorum abundance, and adult Poa fendleriana and Pascopyrum smithii plants had the fewest B. tectorum individuals within 50 cm. Our manipulative experiment used a randomized, hierarchical design to test the relative effectiveness of seeding native perennial grasses using different spatial planting arrangements, seeding rates, seed enhancements, and targeted spring grazing. Two years after seeding, seeded species establishment was 36% greater in high seed rate than unseeded plots, and high rate plots also had lower B. tectorum cover. One season after targeted spring grazing (a single, 2-week spring-grazing treatment 17 months post-seeding), grazed paddocks displayed trends towards higher seeded species densities and lower B. tectorum biomass in certain seeding treatments, compared to ungrazed paddocks. Results suggest high rate native grass seedings may be effective and short-duration spring grazing should be further evaluated as potential tools for preventing ecosystem conversion along invasion fronts.
Household food insecurity and health in a high-migration area in rural Honduras.

Household food insecurity (HFI) is a significant problem in the developing world. Relationships between HFI and nutrition, physical growth, and development have been elucidated; less is known about the non-nutritional impacts among individuals living in rural areas in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to determine if HFI is a risk factor for suboptimal mental health and overall health in rural Honduras. In a population of 24,696 adults with 176 isolated villages in western Honduras, we collected data on household food insecurity and physical and mental health outcome measures. Using logistic regression with and without adjusting for village and household level unobservables invariant across individual respondents, we show that females (OR: 1.11, p <0.01)), indigenous people (OR: 2:00, p < 0.01), and those planning to migrate (OR: 1.24, p <0.01) have higher odds of experiencing food insecurity. The risks of food insecurity and poor health were mitigated among respondents living where they were born and having multi-generations of relatives living in the same village-a measure of the opportunity and availability of social networks. Living in a food insecure compared to a food secure household was associated with 77 percent higher odds of being depressed, 35 percent higher odds of low overall mental health, and 20 percent higher odds for low overall health.
Here's the twist: How the brain updates naturalistic event memories as our understanding of the past changes

The brain actively reshapes past memories in light of new incoming information. In the current study, we ask how the brain supports this updatinge process during the encoding and recall of naturalistic stimuli. One group of participants watched a movie ("The Sixth Sense") with a cinematic "twist" at the end that dramatically changed the interpretation of previous events. Next, participants were asked to verbally recall the movie events, taking into account the new "twist" information. Most participants updated their recall to incorporate the twist. Two additional groups recalled the movie without having to update their memories during recall: one group never saw the twist; another group was exposed to the twist prior to the beginning of the movie, and thus the twist information was incorporated both during encoding and recall. We found that providing participants with information about the twist beforehand altered neural response patterns during movie-viewing in the default mode network (DMN). Moreover, presenting participants with the twist at the end of the movie changed the neural representation of the previously-encoded information during recall in a subset of DMN regions. Further evidence for this transformation was obtained by comparing the neural activation patterns during encoding and recall and correlating them with behavioral signatures of memory updating. Our results demonstrate that neural representations of past events encoded in the DMN are dynamically integrated with new information that reshapes our memory in natural contexts.