cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drops, Jets and Bubbles

Drops, jets and bubbles occur in many different technological and scientifically relevant situations and, thus, have been the subject of a great deal of theoretical and experimental work. In the six lectures presented here, I have focused on the equilibria and dynamics of captive drops (or liquid bridges), the thermocapillary migration of drops. In the last lecture I give a brief introduction to the related problem of contact line motion and dynamic contact angles. (Contact line and angle behavior is an important aspect of captive, sessile and pendant drop dynamics.) In Chapter 1, the basic equations governing bridge dynamics and equilibria are introduced and a method for determining the stability of axisymmetric equilibrium shapes is outlined. Selected results for the stability of bridges subject to gravity and isorotation are discussed. In Chapter 2 we consider 1D models of liquid bridge oscillation. These models are based on models used to describe axisymmetric jets and have been adapted for modeling liquid bridge dynamics. In Chapter 3, 2D and 3D liquid bridge oscillations are examined and the nonlinear behavior of bridges undergoing large amplitude oscillations is discussed. It is shown that, for nonlinear oscillations, liquid bridges behave like a soft spring. In Chapter 4 we consider different models of the breaking of jets, pendant drops and liquid bridges. In Chapter 5 we briefly analyze the Young-Goldstein-Block model of the thermocapillary migration of bubbles. In Chapter 6, we introduce and discuss recent experimental and theoretical work concerning dynamic contact angles and highlight the complexity of the behavior of moving contact lines.
Yeats and Balzac

‘Lionel Johnson held that a man should have read through all good books before he was forty and after that be satisfied with six’, Yeats told one of his American lecture audiences in 1932. When asked the inevitable question, he answered that he wanted not six books but six authors, two of whom he had forgotten, and named Shakespeare, Powys Mather’s translation of the Arabian Nights, William Morris and Balzac.1 No other novelist stood so high in Yeats’s estimation for so long as did Balzac. While Yeats was still a boy, his father told him ‘plots of Balzac novels, using incident of character as an illustration for some profound criticism of life’.2 He read the Comedie humaine through in the years between 1905 and the First World War, and later wrote that this reading had ‘changed all my thought’.3 He re-read most if not all of this gigantic work in the early 1930s, and wrote that Balzac ‘has fascinated me as he did thirty years ago. In some ways I see more in him than I did thirty years ago.’4 His letters and essays of the thirties often reveal this deepened fascination with Balzac. ‘I was educated upon Balzac and Shakespeare and cannot go beyond them,’ he wrote in a letter of 1932, and in a letter of 1933 he included Louis Lambert and Seraphita in a list of his ‘sacred books’.5
Effect Of Immediate Prior-Line Lenalidomide Or Thalidomide Therapy On Response To Pomalidomide In Multiple Myeloma

Background Pomalidomide (POM) is the newest Immunomodulatory agent (IMiDs) that has shown clinical efficacy in relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) refractory to lenalidomide (LEN) and thalidomide (THAL). Studies of MM cell microenvironment suggest that tumor subclones compete for dominance during changes in drug therapy. It was previously observed that a minor clonal population increased in prominence of MM cells after 1 year of treatment with LEN. We examined whether the patients having THAL or LEN as the most recent prior-line therapy affects response to POM. Methods We studied 208 patients enrolled in a phase II trial of POM / dexamethasone between November 2007 and March 2012 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. We reviewed the immediate prior-line therapy before enrollment in our trial. Comparison of treatment duration of POM and response rates were conducted between patients who had either THAL or LEN as latest prior-line therapy, and patients who were treated with non-IMiDs immediate before enrollment in POM trial. Treatment duration of POM was estimated using Kaplan Meier method and the survival curves were compared using log-rank test. We used univariate Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the prognostic impact of different variables. Results The median age of patients was 63 (range from 32 to 88). 68 % were males. 80 patients (38.5%) had THAL or LEN immediate prior to POM. Median prior-line therapies were 3. Patients who received THAL or LEN immediately prior to POM had a lower response rate than those who had non-IMiDs as latest therapy (29% vs 44%, p 0.04) and shorter median duration of POM treatment (5.7 months vs 7.3 months, p 0.02). In 190 (91%) patients who were previously treated with LEN and THAL at any time, median time between the end of LEN or THAL treatment and the initiation of POM was higher for POM responders than non-responders (10 months vs 3 months, p 0.0008). Patients responded to POM had a shorter duration of prior LEN or THAL treatment compared to non-responders (9 months vs 15 months, p 0.001). Conclusion THAL or LEN as an immediate prior-line therapy to POM is associated with a lower response rate and shorter effective treatment duration. Longer interval between prior immunomodulatory compounds and POM, and shorter exposure to previous immunomodulatory compounds are associated with better POM treatment response. ![Figure 1][1] Figure 1 Kaplan Meier Time to Discontinuation of Treatment - Immediate Prior IMiD vs Non-ImiDs Disclosures: Gertz: Celgene: Honoraria. Kumar: Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Genzyme: Research Funding. Lacy: Celgene Corporation: Research Funding. [1]: pending:yes
Interfacial reflection enhanced optical extinction and thermal dynamics in polymer nanocomposite films

Polymer films containing plasmonic nanostructures are of increasing interest for development of responsive energy, sensing, and therapeutic systems. A series of novel gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films were fabricated to elucidate enhanced optical extinction from diffractive and scattering induced internal reflection. AuNPs with dramatically different scattering-to-absorption ratios were compared at variable interparticle separations to differentiate light trapping from optical diffraction and Mie scattering. Description of interfacial optical and thermal effects due to these interrelated contributions has progressed beyond Mie theory, Beer’s law, effective media, and conventional heat transfer descriptions. Thermal dissipation rates in AuNP-PDMS with this interfacial optical reflection was enhanced relative to films containing heterogeneous AuNPs and a developed thermal dissipation description. This heuristic, which accounts for contributions of both internal and external thermal dissipations, has been shown to accurately predict thermal dissipation rates from AuNP-containing insulating and conductive substrates in both two and three-dimensional systems. Enhanced thermal response rates could enable design and adaptive control of thermoplasmonic materials for a variety of implementations.
Hardware-friendly seizure detection with a boosted ensemble of shallow decision trees

Efficient on-chip learning is becoming an essential element of implantable biomedical devices. Despite a substantial literature on automated seizure detection algorithms, hardware-friendly implementation of such techniques is not sufficiently addressed. In this paper, we propose to employ a gradientboosted ensemble of decision trees to achieve a reasonable trade-off between detection accuracy and implementation cost. Combined with the proposed feature extraction model, we show that these classifiers quickly become competitive with more complex learning models previously proposed for hardware implementation, with only a small number of low-depth (d < 4) “shallow” trees. The results are verified on more than 3460 hours of intracranial EEG data including 430 seizures from 27 patients with epilepsy.
Contagion in Financial Networks: Measure, Evaluation and Implications

The recent financial crisis have generated renewed interests in fragilities of global financial networks among economists and regulatory authorities. In particular, a potential vulnerability of the financial networks is the "financial contag ion" process in which insolvencies of individual entities propagate through the "web of dependencies" to affect the entire system. In this paper, we formalize an extension of a financial network model originally proposed by Nier et al. (35) for scenarios such as the OTC derivatives market, define a suitable global stability measure for this model, and perform a comprehensive empirical evaluation of this stability measure over more than 700,000 combinations of networks types and parameter combinations. Based on our evaluations, we discover many interesting implications of our evaluations of this stability measure, and derive topological properties and parameters combinations that may be used to flag the network as a possible fragile network.
Fe- and Ln-DOTAm-F12 Are Effective Paramagnetic Fluorine Contrast Agents for MRI in Water and Blood.

A series of fluorinated macrocyclic complexes, M-DOTAm-F12, where M is LaIII, EuIII, GdIII, TbIII, DyIII, HoIII, ErIII, TmIII, YbIII, and FeII, was synthesized, and their potential as fluorine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents was evaluated. The high water solubility of these complexes and the presence of a single fluorine NMR signal, two necessary parameters for in vivo MRI, are substantial advantages over currently used organic polyfluorocarbons and other reported paramagnetic 19F probes. Importantly, the sensitivity of the paramagnetic probes on a per fluorine basis is at least 1 order of magnitude higher than that of diamagnetic organic probes. This increased sensitivity is due to a substantial—up to 100-fold—decrease in the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of the fluorine nuclei. The shorter T1 allows for a greater number of scans to be obtained in an equivalent time frame. The sensitivity of the fluorine probes is proportional to the T2/T1 ratio. In water, the optimal metal complexes...
Conformational Changes in C-Reactive Protein Affect Binding to Curved Membranes in a Lipid Bilayer Model of the Apoptotic Cell Surface.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a serum protein that binds to damaged membranes through a phosphatidylcholine binding site. The membrane binding process can initiate the complement immune response and facilitates the clearance of apoptotic cells, likely aiding in the protection of autoimmunity. The initiation of an immune response relies on a conformation change from a native, pentameric form to a modified form, where the modified form binds complement proteins (i.e., C1q) and regulatory proteins substantially better than the native form. In vitro, this reactivity is observed when CRP is monomeric, and a modified form has also been observed at sites of inflammation. Despite evidence that the monomeric form has much higher affinities for almost all proteinaceous binding partners, the role of CRP conformation on lipid binding is yet unknown. In this work, we mimic the outer leaflet of apoptotic cell membranes using a nanopatterned substrate to create curved, supported lipid bilayers and then characterize how CR...
A comparison study of Taiwan regulation and GHTF regulatory model on in vitro diagnostic medical devices.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: In Taiwan, In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device (IVD) is regulated as medical device since 1987, and the implementation of IVD registration was fully completed in 2005. The management system of IVD medical device is highly similar with a guidance ‘The GHTF Regulatory Model’ developed by Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) in 2011 for use of regulation development on medical devices.Area covered: In this study, the Regulatory Model developed by GHTF was compared with Taiwanese IVD management system and it has shown that these two regulatory frameworks are highly similar.Expert commentary: The experience of IVD management in Taiwan can serve a strong evidence to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of GHTF Regulatory Model.
To accede or not to accede: An analysis of the current US position related to the United Nations law of the sea

Abstract The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereafter “UNCLOS”) is one of the most significant legal instruments of modern times, though the United States (US) has yet to join the 167 nations that have signed the document. Until the twentieth century, freedom of the seas led to inequity among nations, violence, and environmental disasters. UNCLOS provides a peaceful legal structure to resolve border disputes and enforce anti-pollution regulations while maintaining freedom of navigation, safety at sea, and marine scientific research efforts. However, the legitimacy of UNCLOS continues to deteriorate as China acts unilaterally while its global economic reach expands. Additionally, the US cannot participate in international agreements to access ocean resources in the deep seabed or claim portions of the Arctic due to non-accession to UNCLOS. Such accession would protect global security as the balance of power otherwise becomes increasingly unstable. The US must also accede to ensure economic development for itself as well as the preservation of coastal resources upon which many nations rely. In conclusion, US non-accession will risk global security, economic development, and the US position of strength.
Photosensitivity and Photoreactivity in Ethnic Skin

Solar radiation comprises a continuum of wavelengths including ultraviolet radiation (UVR; 280–400 nm), visible light (VL; 400–760 nm), and infrared radiation (IR; 760 nm–1 mm) (Sklar et al. in Photochem Photobiol Sci 12(1):54–64, 2013 [1]). In this chapter, we describe the molecular and clinical consequences of exposure to UVR and visible light across different skin types. We also provide a review of the more common idiopathic photodermatoses, photosensitivity reactions to systemic medications and dermatoses which are aggravated by sunlight.
Beginning to understand variation in teaching approaches to game-based learning

Recently, games have grown in popularity as tools to support student learning and motivation. Accordingly, games represent one possible contributor to student motivation, an outcome of engineering education particularly important to learning and to student persistence. However, research into game-based learning — a broad term referring to the use of games in education — has been rather narrow to date, focusing on proving or disproving the effectiveness of games as learning tools. As evidence supporting games' effectiveness continues to mount, it is important that the field broaden its inquiry to provide practice-based insights that enable instructors to implement game-based learning in an effective manner. Our research seeks to address this gap by studying how engineering instructors use games in the classroom, and how these teaching practices related to student motivation to learn. The overall study will use a multiple-case study approach, including observations and interviews with instructors and their students. Preliminary results from this work-in-progress study revealed substantial variability in the teaching practices of two engineering instructors using non-digital games, and provided several methodological implications for future study of game-based teaching.
MENGUKUR KINERJA KEUANGAN PERUSAHAAN MENGGUNAKAN ANALISIS DU PONT SYSTEM DENGAN MS. ACCESS PROGRAMMING

Competition higher business world requires companies to further improve their performance in order to continue to compete and survive. To measure the performance of the company can be seen from the annual financial statements. One of the tools for measuring the financial performance of the company is to use the analysis du pont system. Du Pont Analysis System is an analysis that includes activity ratios and profit margins on sales to determine the profitability of the company which aims to determine the efficiency of the use of corporate assets. In these analyzes used Du Pont chart that serves as a chart designed to show the relationship between the return on the investment, asset turnover and profit margin. Du Pont system can be used by the management company to analyze how to improve performance. One of the advantages Du Pont System is to measure the profitability of each product produced by the company so as to know which product potential. Ms. Access Programming as an application programming can be used to simplify the analysis du pont system.
Serial magnetic coupling and voltage multiplier cell modified SEPIC converter with elevated gain for solar application

In this paper, A PV fed serial magnetic coupling and voltage multiplier cell Modified SEPIC converter by using P&O controlled algorithm is proposed. Using the serial magnetic coupling the voltage gain of the converter is elevated which provides the needed voltage for injecting PV to AC grid. The serial magnetic coupling with voltage multiplier cell converter can increase further by adding a number of voltage multiplier stages as per requirement of static gain. The MATLAB simulation model is developed with PV MPPT fed serial magnetic coupling and voltage multiplier cell. The result shows the proposed topologies of converters reduced switch voltage, reduces output diode voltage, reduces the reverse recovery current. With the proposed topologies the static gain of the converter is increased, as well as the efficiency of converter is increased up to about 92%
Managing Aggression Using Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions: State of the Practice and Future Directions.

Education professionals consistently rank disruptive/aggressive student behavior as persistent and troubling, reporting various types of maladaptive behaviors ranging from talking out in class to assault. Researchers suggest that childhood aggression accounts for a high proportion of the referrals to special education for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Teachers who work with students with EBD have traditionally relied on externally applied behavioral techniques to manage aggressive behavior, but researchers more recently have studied interventions that use traditional behavioral principles of behavior change along with cognitive components to increase student self-regulation, prevent or ameliorate aggressive behavior patterns, and increase constructive social interactions and long-term behavioral change. With this in mind, we examine aggression from a contextual social cognitive perspective, describe the cognitive-behavioral approach to intervention, provide examples of cognitive-behavioral pro...
Notation and Terminology

This chapter provides a quick reference of the notation and terminology followed in this book. The details will become clear in the following chapters. The invited chapters in Part II follow this convention as closely as possible, but inevitably contain a few minor differences.
Genetic mapping and analysis of quantitative trait loci affecting fiber and lignin content in maize

Plant cell walls of forage provide a major source of energy for ruminant animals. Digestion of cell walls is limited by the presence of lignin, therefore the improving the digestibility of forages by reducing lignin content is a major goal in forage crop breeding programs. A recombinant inbred line maize population was used to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) of leaf-sheath and stalk tissues. All traits were positively genetically correlated. The larger genetic correlations were between NDF and ADF in sheaths (r = 0.84), NDF and ADF (r = 0.96), ADF and ADL (r = 0.83), and NDF and ADL (r = 0.76) in stalks. Twelve QTL were detected for NDF and 11 QTL for ADF in leaf-sheaths. Eight QTL detected for both traits were defined by the same or linked marker loci. Eight QTL were associated with leaf-sheath ADL. Eleven QTL were detected for NDF and ADF, and 12 QTL for ADL in stalks. Nine of eleven QTL detected for both NDF and ADF in stalks coincided in their genomic position. A high proportion of QTL detected for these traits had the same parental effects and genomic locations, suggesting that it is only necessary to select on one fiber component (NDF or ADF) to improve digestibility. Favorable correlated responses of unselected fiber components are expected due to coincident genomic locations of QTL and the high genetic correlation between fiber components. Several QTL detected in this study coincided in their positions with putative cellulose synthase genes from maize.
Biliary and Pancreatic Stents: Indications and Placement Techniques

Placement of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) has now become accepted for the relief of malignant obstruction of the biliary system, either preoperatively or palliatively. The advantage of SEMS over traditional plastic stents is the significant prolongation in patency. Available SEMS are uncovered, partially covered, and completely covered. Covered stents may have prolonged patency as compared to uncovered stents but, more importantly, do not imbed into tissue and thus are removable and have applications for benign disease. Applications of covered SEMS for benign biliary diseases include strictures, leaks closure of perforations, and treatment of postsphincterotomy bleeding. SEMS can be placed percutaneously or endoscopically; the latter is usually done at the time of ERCP, but endoscopic ultrasound guidance can also be used to place SEMS. Applications of SEMS in the pancreas are limited but evolving. This chapter will summarize the indications and techniques for placement of self-expandable metal stents in the biliary tree and for the treatment of pancreatic disease.
Individual differences in exploration and persistence: Grit and beliefs about ability and reward

The tradeoff between knowing when to seek greater rewards (exploration), and knowing when to settle (exploitation), is critical to success. One dispositional factor that may modulate this tradeoff is "grit." Gritty individuals tend to persist in the face of difficulty and consequently experience greater life success. It is possible that they may also experience a greater tendency to explore in a reward task. However, although most exploration/exploitation tasks manipulate beliefs about the presence/magnitude of rewards in the environment, the belief of one's ability to actually achieve a reward is also critical. As such, we investigated whether individuals higher in grit were more likely to explore, and how beliefs about the magnitude/presence of rewards, and the perceived ability to achieve a reward, modulated their exploration tendencies. Over two experiments, participants completed 4 different exploration/persistence tasks: two that tapped into participant beliefs about the presence/magnitude of rewards, and two that tapped into participant beliefs about their ability to achieve a reward. Participants also completed measures of dispositional grit (Experiment 1a and 1b), conscientiousness (Experiment 1b), and working memory (Experiment 1a and 1b). In both experiments, we found a relationship between the two "belief of rewards" tasks, as well as between the two "belief of ability" tasks, but performance was unrelated across the two types of task. We also found that dispositional grit was strongly associated with greater exploration, but only on the "belief of ability" tasks. Finally, in Experiment 1b we showed that conscientiousness better predicted exploration on the "belief of ability" tasks than grit, suggesting that it is not grittiness per se that is associated with exploration. Overall, our findings showed that individuals high in grit/conscientiousness are more likely to explore, but only when there is a known reward available that they believe they have the ability to achieve.
Location Privacy Challenges in Spatial Crowdsourcing

Spatial crowdsourcing has appealed attention in collecting and processing social, environmental, and other spatio-temporal data by the contribution of individuals, communities and groups of workers in the physical world. The objective of spatial crowdsourcing is to outsource a set of spatio-temporal tasks to a set of workers, which requires the workers to be physically traveling to the tasks' locations in order to perform them, i.e., taking photos or collecting real time weather information at prespecified location. However, the crowd workers privacy could be compromised by disclosing their locations to untrusted parties. This paper aims to provide a brief description of spatial crowdsourcing and highlight its privacy concerns. Thereafter, it demonstrates the common attacks in the location privacy of spatial crowdsourcing.
Making Radio: Early Radio Production and the Rise of Modern Sound Culture, by Shawn VanCour

Radio studies are having somewhat of a resurgence in printed scholarship. From case studies of early radio dramas to the role of podcasting in modern life, most recent examinations of radio examine...
Effect of Donor Milk Supplementation on Breastfeeding Outcomes in Term Newborns: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background. Pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) use for healthy newborns is increasing; however, no studies have explored its effect on breastfeeding outcomes. Patients and Methods. We enrolled 60 h...
Review of Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Among Summer Camps in the United States: Updates and Challenges

Introduction:More than 14 million children in the United States attend summer camps yearly, including many special medical needs children. Summer camps are at risk for multiple pediatric casualties during a disaster. The American Camp Association, in the 2017 critical issues report, identified emergency preparedness as the top critical health and safety issue. Camps, compared to school-based settings, face unique challenges when planning for disasters, but research has been challenging because of the lack of access to camp leadership and data.Aim:Provide a targeted up-to-date synopsis on the current state of disaster preparedness and ongoing collaborative research and technology interventions for improving preparedness among summer camps.Methods:Researchers partnered with a national health records system (CampDoc.com) and American Academy of Pediatrics disaster experts to review results from a national camp survey. Main themes were identified to assess gaps and develop strategies for improving disaster preparedness.Results:169 camps responses were received from national camp leadership. A substantial proportion of camps were missing 4 critical areas of disaster planning: 1) Most lacked online emergency plans (53%), methods to communicate information to parents (25%), or strategies to identify children for evacuation/reunification (40%); 2) Disaster plans failed to account for special/medical needs children (38%); 3) Staff training rates were low for weather (58%), evacuation (46%), and lockdown (36%); 4) Most camps (75%) did not plan with disaster organizations.Discussion:Collaboration with industry and disaster experts will be key to address the gaps identified. Current research and interventions include the recent release of a communication alert tool allowing camps to send mass text emergency notifications. Additionally, a recent pilot to incorporate disaster plans into the electronic health records platform emphasizing communication, evacuation, and identification of local experts has begun. Efforts to develop a unified disaster tool kit for summer camps remains a challenge.
Monitoring of Heart Rate from Photoplethysmographic Signals Using a Samsung Galaxy Note8 in Underwater Environments

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a commonly used in determining heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2). However, PPG measurements and its accuracy are heavily affected by the measurement procedure and environmental factors such as light, temperature, and medium. In this paper, we analyzed the effects of different mediums (water vs. air) and temperature on the PPG signal quality and heart rate estimation. To evaluate the accuracy, we compared our measurement output with a gold-standard PPG device (NeXus-10 MKII). The experimental results show that the average PPG signal amplitude values of the underwater environment decreased considerably (22% decrease) compared to PPG signals of dry environments, and the heart rate measurement deviated 7% (5 beats per minute on average. The experimental results also show that the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and signal amplitude decrease as temperature decreases. Paired t-test which compares amplitude and heart rate values between the underwater and dry environments was performed and the test results show statistically significant differences for both amplitude and heart rate values (p < 0.05). Moreover, experimental results indicate that decreasing the temperature from 45 °C to 5 °C or changing the medium from air to water decreases PPG signal quality, (e.g., PPG signal amplitude decreases from 0.560 to 0.112). The heart rate is estimated within 5.06 bpm deviation at 18 °C in underwater environment, while estimation accuracy decreases as temperature goes down.
Divergent fortunes: growing wealth inequality and widening entrepreneurship by age

ABSTRACTEntrepreneurship can offer people control over their working lives. Yet, it has declined among households younger than 50 years and grown among older households. We examine the relationship...
Steroids: A Wake-Up Call in TBI Induced Hypersomnolence

Hypersomnolence is one of the more common symptoms reported after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and often one of the most difficult to treat. This case series presents a cohort of patients with...
Multidecade Mortality and a Homolog of Hepatitis C Virus in Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the National Bird of the USA

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) once experienced near-extinction but has since rebounded. For decades, bald eagles near the Wisconsin River, USA, have experienced a lethal syndrome with characteristic clinical and pathological features but unknown etiology. Here, we describe a novel hepacivirus-like virus (Flaviviridae: Hepacivirus) identified during an investigation of Wisconsin River eagle syndrome (WRES). Bald eagle hepacivirus (BeHV) belongs to a divergent clade of avian viruses that share features with members of the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus. BeHV infected 31.9% of eagles spanning 4,254 km of the coterminous USA, with negative strand viral RNA demonstrating active replication in liver tissues. Eagles from Wisconsin were approximately 10-fold more likely to be infected than eagles from elsewhere. Eagle mitochondrial DNA sequences were homogeneous and geographically unstructured, likely reflecting a recent population bottleneck, whereas BeHV envelope gene sequences showed strong population genetic substructure and isolation by distance, suggesting localized transmission. Cophylogenetic analyses showed no congruity between eagles and their viruses, supporting horizontal rather than vertical transmission. These results expand our knowledge of the Flaviviridae, reveal a striking pattern of decoupled host/virus coevolution on a continental scale, and highlight knowledge gaps about health and conservation in even the most iconic of wildlife species.
Why I Chose Evolution Over Religion

Both evolution and theology are awesome ideologies! They both describe the origin of life in their own interesting way. Of course, religion is a more popular concept than evolution, as most of us are born into one of the religions in the world (no choice there) and most of us continue to blindly follow it as we journey through life. Also, it is a fundamental law for the religions to “pooh-pooh” the concept of evolution. Though there are several differences between the two ideologies, I would like to list just two of them that I deem most startling:
Comparative review of hydrogen production technologies for nuclear hybrid energy systems

Abstract Nuclear hybrid energy systems (NHES) have potential to capitalize on (1) producing multiple commodities, i.e. electricity and hydrogen as well as (2) allowing for electricity grid load following, with hydrogen production during low electricity prices. Using nuclear thermal energy and electricity (from the reactor itself) makes hydrogen production an economically attractive option. The reactor can continuously operate at full capacity, sending excess heat and electricity towards hydrogen production, which could either be sold or converted back to electricity using fuel cells at high price times. Several hydrogen production technologies exist, but in this study the focus is on processes that require heat and electricity. These candidates include alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), thermochemical sulfur–iodine (S–I), calcium-bromide (Ca-Br) cycles, hybrid sulfur (HyS) and copper–chlorine (Cu–Cl) cycles. Each have different minimum temperature requirements which can be coupled to Generation III and IV reactor outlet temperatures: low (i300 °C), medium (i750 °C), and high (i950 °C). Energy input and material process flow diagrams were created for all technologies at compatible reactor temperatures and compared to the most common commercially operating hydrogen production method: steam methane reforming (SMR). Technology readiness levels (TRLs) and costs were also compared. The TRL of most systems is still below commercial development, and hydrogen productions costs are still too high to be economic without additional policy and/or other developments.
Regulation of EMT markers by the KISS1 metastasis suppressor gene

5375 Epithelial to mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a normal developmental process in which epithelial cells temporarily acquire mesenchymal characteristics. EMT is also proposed to be a mechanism used by neoplastic cells to escape the primary tumor and migrate into the circulatory system, which are key steps in metastasis. Three genes central to EMT - SNAI1 (SNAIL), SNAI2 (SLUG) and TWIST (TWIST) - repress E-cadherin, which thought to be the critical regulatory change for EMT. We hypothesized that the KISS1 metastasis suppressor might regulate EMT. Re-expression of KISS1 in metastatic human C8161.9 melanoma cells blocks metastasis without inhibiting orthotopic tumor growth. At both the protein and RNA levels, KISS1 re-expression reduced SNAIL, but not TWIST, compared to vector control. E-cadherin RNA expression is restored in the C8161.9KISS1. Genes regulated by SNAIL, such as VEGF and IL-8, are also reduced in C8161.9KISS1. Since KISS1 is secreted, we investigated whether deletion of the secretion signal (KFMΔSS) had an effect on these EMT markers. Neither SNAIL nor TWIST expression was affected by KFMΔSS yet E-cadherin was re-expressed at the RNA level. These studies suggest that KISS1 may suppress metastasis, in part, by modulating processes involved in EMT. The data further suggests alternate roles of KISS1 or KISS-derived peptides inside the cell. Support: Natl. Fndn. for Cancer Res, CA87728, F32CA113037, and Komen PDF 1122006
Development of SKI-349, a dual-targeted inhibitor of sphingosine kinase and microtubule polymerization

Our sphingosine kinase inhibitor (SKI) optimization studies originated with the optimization of the SKI-I chemotype by replacement of the substituted benzyl rings with substituted phenyl rings giving rise to the discovery of SKI-178. We have recently reported that SKI-178 is a dual-targeted inhibitor of both sphingosine kinase isoforms (SphK1/2) and a microtubule disrupting agent (MDA). In mechanism-of-action studies, we have shown that these two separate actions synergize to induce cancer cell death in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell and animal models. Owning to the effectiveness of SKI-178, we sought to further refine the chemotype while maintaining "on-target" SKI and MDA activities. Herein, we modified the "linker region" between the substituted phenyl rings of SKI-178 through a structure guided approach. These studies have yielded the discovery of an SKI-178 congener, SKI-349, with log-fold enhancements in both SphK inhibition and cytotoxic potency. Importantly, SKI-349 also demonstrates log-fold improvements in therapeutic efficacy in a retro-viral transduction model of MLL-AF9 AML as compared to previous studies with SKI-178. Together, our results strengthen the hypothesis that simultaneous targeting of the sphingosine kinases (SphK1/2) and the induction of mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint arrest, via microtubule disruption, might be an effective therapeutic strategy for hematological malignancies including AML.
Incentive compatibility under ambiguity

The paper examines notions of incentive compatibility in an environment with ambiguity-averse agents. In particular, we propose the notion of maxmin transfer coalitional incentive compatibility, which is immune to coalitional manipulations and thus more stable than the individual incentive compatibility condition. The main result characterizes the set of allocations that satisfy the maxmin transfer coalitional incentive compatibility condition. We show that an allocation satisfies maxmin transfer coalitional incentive compatibility if and only if it is maxmin interim efficient. This result extends that of De Castro and Yannelis (J Econ Theory 177:678–707, 2018) in the sense that ambiguity not only resolves the conflict between efficiency and incentive compatibility, it also accommodates stability. Furthermore, this result is false in a finite economy where agents are subjective expected utility maximizers.
Acceptance of the HPV Vaccine in a Multiethnic Sample of Latinx Mothers.

This descriptive qualitative study explored Latinx mothers’ acceptance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for their adolescent children. Data were collected through individual, semi-structur...
Similarity as an extension of symmetry and its application to superrationality

Abstract In this paper we present a concept of similarity in games, on which to ground alternative solution concepts, some of which differ from the classical notions in the field. In order to do this we impose a constraint on players’ beliefs that amounts to a variant of the well-known symmetry principle in classical bargaining theory. We show how this similarity relation helps to identify different Nash equilibria in games, and how these “similar Nash equilibria” can be extended to non-symmetric games. While the notion is normative, it is nonetheless inspired by phenomena in which similarities between players lead to outcomes detected in behavioral studies. We study the strategic properties of the concept of similarity and discuss its relationships with Hofstadter’ notion of superrationality.
Design of energy management system of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle using hybrid systems

In this paper, an energy management system of power-split Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is designed. This PHEV with power-split drivetrain operates in discrete operating domains. The drivetrain dynamics of the system are continuous within each of these discrete modes. This PHEV system consisting of discrete operational modes and continuous dynamics can be modeled using the hybrid dynamical system framework. In this paper, the vehicle and powertrain dynamics of power-split PHEV are introduced. Using these dynamics, a hybrid system model of the PHEV is proposed, and a nonlinear constrained energy minimization problem is solved using the dynamic programming approach. This designed Energy management system's performance is evaluated for different city and highway driving.
Resource optimizing, access delimited (ROAD) electrical power and machinery laboratory-a prototype

The cost of equipping an average modern power laboratory for teaching and graduate research runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is therefore necessary for many electrical power engineering programs to trade off quality measurement and laboratory equipment for affordable but significantly less accurate scaled-down models such as fractional horse-power machinery sets. The author proposes an electrical power and machinery laboratory concept attempts to remedy some of the deficiencies and inadequacies of the current model. The Resource Optimizing, Access Delimited (ROAD) laboratory prototype under development is a top-rate electrical power and machinery laboratory facility that would be accessible to the world community through computer networks, Internet, Intranet, Extranets, Overnets and PC-based virtual instruments.
Curriculum Building in International Social Work: Toward Preparing Professionals for the Global Age

Abstract How can social workers be better prepared to practice and make other professional contributions in an increasingly interdependent world? This article reports the results of a study of expert opinion on the rationale for and optimal approaches to internationalizing social work education. Learning objectives and content areas for the general graduate curriculum and for specializations are discussed. Curriculum recommendations are presented to address three identified arenas for professional contribution: Enhanced domestic practice; professional exchange and action; and international practice and research.
The effect of glyceraldehyde on red cells: Haemoglobin status, oxidative metabolism and glycolysis

Abstract Glyceraldehyde induces changes in the flux of glucose oxidised through the hexose monophosphate pathway, the concentrations of intermediates in the Embden-Meyerhoff pathway, the oxidative status of haemoglobin and levels of reduced and oxidised pyridine nucleotides and glutathione in red cells. Glyceraldehyde autoxidises in the cellular incubations, consuming oxygen and producing glyoxalase I- and II-reactive materials. Major fates of glyceraldehyde in red cells appear to be: (i) adduct formation with reduced glutathione and cellular protein; (ii) autoxidation and reaction with oxyhaemoglobin and pyridine nucleotides, and (iii) phosphorylation of d -glyceraldehyde and entry into the glycolytic pathway as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. The production of glycerol from glyceraldehyde by red cell l -hexonate dehydrogenase appears not to be a major reaction of glyceraldehyde in red cells. These results indicate that high concentrations of glyceraldehyde (1–50 mM) may induce oxidative stress in red cells by virtue of the spontaneous autoxidation of glyceraldehyde, forming hydrogen peroxide and α-ketoaldehydes (glyoxalase substrates). The implications of glyceraldehyde-induced oxidative stress for the in vitro anti-sickling effect of dl -glyceraldehyde and for the polyol pathway metabolism of glyceraldehyde are discussed.
A Comparison of Rereading Benefits in First and Second Language Reading

Text comprehension models in first and second language reading research posit that slow word recognition inhibits reading speed and decreases comprehension. To investigate the role of word recognition in reading, 2 experiments examined rereading benefits in participants’ first and second languages using scrambled and normal versions of English and Spanish texts. Native English speakers with intermediate (Experiment 1) or advanced (Experiment 2) Spanish skills demonstrated word- and text-level transfer in both English and Spanish. However, advanced Spanish readers did not exhibit word-level transfer when reading simple Spanish texts. These results suggest that fluent reading may be strongly influenced not just by word recognition, but also by text difficulty relative to reader skill, as well as other factors.
Abstract P145: Evaluating the Diagnostic Efficacy of A1C, Fructosamine and Glycated Albumin in Determining Glucose Tolerance Status in Africans: The Africans in America Study

As both diabetes and pre-diabetes are common in Africa, screening tests must be rapid, simple, and accurate. Hemoglobin A1C (A1C), fructosamine, and glycated albumin (GA) are screening tests of long term glycemia which only require one blood sample obtained any time of day without consideration of recent nutrient intake. A1C is already recommended as a screening test for diabetes by the American Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation, but fructosamine and GA are under active evaluation. Fructosamine is a measure of circulating glycated protein. GA is a subfraction of fructosamine. Data on the effectiveness of fructosamine and GA in African descent populations are scant. Therefore, our goal was to compare the ability of A1C, fructosamine, and GA to predict diabetes. Two hour OGTT were performed in 230 African immigrants (67% male; age 37±10y (mean±SD); BMI: 27.6±4.6 kg/m2). Glucose tolerance category was defined by 2h glucose levels (normal: 2h glucose<140 mg/dL; pre-diabetes: 2h gl...
Stochastic Local Gauss-Bonnet-Chern Theorem

The Gauss-Bonnet-Chern theorem for compact Riemannian manifold (without boundary) is discussed here to exhibit in a clear manner the role Riemannian Brownian motion plays in various probabilistic approaches to index theorems. The method with some modifications works also for the index theorem for the Dirac operator on the bundle of spinors, see Hsu.(7)
Environmental health 101: Incorporating environmental health into the nursing curriculum

Abstract Environmental Health 101: Incorporating Environmental Health into the Nursing Curriculum program for nursing faculty was presented at the National League for Nursing's annual conference in November 2011. This faculty program provided by the Connecticut League for Nursing was designed in response to the American Nurses' Association inclusion of environmental health into the 2010 Scope and Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses. State and national leaders in environmental health and nursing presented to representatives from licensed practical nurse, associate, and bachelor's degree nursing programs in Connecticut. Follow-up surveys revealed that attendees had incorporated environmental health information into lectures and clinical experiences and have shared information gained from the programs with families and communities. This interactive program was positively evaluated and can be duplicated by other providers.
Landscape influences on genetic differentiation among bull trout populations in a stream‐lake network

This study examined the influence of landscape heterogeneity on genetic differentiation between migratory bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations in Glacier National Park, Montana. An information-theoretic approach was used to compare different conceptual models of dispersal associated with barriers, different models of isolation by distance, and the combined effects of barriers, waterway distance, patch size, and intra- and inter-drainage distribution of populations on genetic differentiation between bull trout populations. The effect of distance between populations on genetic differentiation was best explained by partitioning the effects of mainstem and tributary stream sections. Models that categorized barriers as having a one-way effect (i.e. allowed downstream dispersal) or a two-way effect were best supported. Additionally, patch size and the distribution of populations among drainages influenced genetic differentiation. Genetic differentiation between bull trout populations in Glacier National Park is linked to landscape features that restrict dispersal. However, this analysis illustrates that modelling variability within landscape features, such as dispersal corridors, will benefit landscape genetic analyses. Additionally, the framework used for evaluating the effects of barriers must consider not just barrier presence, but also potential asymmetries in barrier effects with respect to the organism under investigation.