cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Interdisciplinary Assessment to Enhance Collaborative Resource Governance: The Case of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program

The Colorado River travels through seven states and two countries, nine national parks and provides water for 40 million people across the arid west. It is also the most endangered river in America. This article outlines a case study of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (UCREFRP), a collaborative effort designed to restore the Colorado pikeminnow population on a section of the Colorado River known as the imperiled 15-mile reach. After years of failed litigation, stakeholder efforts to develop water management solutions led to the establishment of the collaborative. This case study elucidates how collaborative governance efforts take shape, and how they can be more comprehensively assessed by drawing on interdisciplinary approaches from natural and social sciences. This case is an enduring example of the way trade-offs and power imbalances must be managed in collaborative governance, and introduces the importance of environmental and ecological justice, that is, how the collaborative process and benefits of collaborative solutions can be distributed more equitably across social and nonhuman stakeholders.
Import competition, product quality reversal, and welfare

Abstract We investigate product quality in an import-competing country using the framework of vertical product differentiation. Comparison of three polices suggests that the quality-based R&D subsidy brings quality-reversal, leading to a win-win-win equilibrium in consumer surplus, domestic profit and social welfare.
Crash-landings of flying witches in Ghana: Grand mystical feats or diagnosable psychiatric illnesses?

Crash-landings are a recurrent theme in Ghanaian witchcraft discourse. In the society’s witchcraft lore, these are inadvertently aborted flights of maleficent witches en route to secret nocturnal w...
Kinematics and kinetics of the shoe during human slips.

Abstract This paper quantified the heel kinematics and kinetics during human slips with the goal of guiding available coefficient of friction (ACOF) testing methods for footwear and flooring. These values were then compared to the testing parameters recommended for measuring shoe-floor ACOF. Kinematic and kinetic data of thirty-nine subjects who experienced a slip incident were pooled from four similar human slipping studies for this secondary analysis. Vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), center of pressure (COP), shoe-floor angle, side-slip angle, sliding speed and contact time were quantified at slip start (SS) and at the time of peak sliding speed (PSS). Statistical comparisons were used to test if any discrepancies exist between the state of slipping foot and current ACOF testing parameters. The main findings were that the VGRF (26.7 %BW, 179.4 N), shoe-floor angle (22.1°) and contact time (0.02 s) at SS were significantly different from the recommended ACOF testing parameters. Instead, the testing parameters are mostly consistent with the state of the shoe at PSS. We argue that changing the footwear testing parameters to conditions at SS is more appropriate for relating ACOF to conditions of actual slips, including lower vertical forces, larger shoe-floor angles and shorter contact duration.
The Solar Resetting of Thermoluminescence of Sediments in a Glacier-Dominated Fiord Environment in Spitsbergen: Geochronologic Implications

Thermoluminescence (TL) analysis of modern glacial-marine sediments from a fiord on Spitsbergen reveal that the natural TL signal varies with sedimentary environment. Till and ice-proximal glacial-marine sediments exhibit the highest natural TL, ice-distal glacial-marine sediment show intermediate TL levels, and sublittoral and littoral sediments yield the lowest TL signal. Sublittoral and littoral sediment are frequently resuspended in the water column by wave agitation and thus are relatively well light bleached. A laboratory bleaching procedure is developed that simulates the attenuation in light intensity and spectrum penetrating turbid water in the High Arctic.Thermoluminescence dating of modern and Holocene sublittoral sediment by the total-bleach method with the residual level defined by the above procedure yields age estimates of 0.9 ± 0.2 ka and 9.9 ± 1.3 ka, similar to their known age. Both the laboratory bleaching experiments and the agreement between TL age-estimates and known ages indicate th...
VEGF–neuropilin-2 signaling promotes stem-like traits in breast cancer cells by TAZ-mediated repression of the Rac GAP β2-chimaerin

The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in cancer is not only well known in the context of angiogenesis but also important in the functional regulation of tumor cells. Autocrine VEGF signaling mediated by its co-receptors called neuropilins (NRPs) appears to be essential for sustaining the proliferation and survival of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are implicated in mediating tumor growth, progression, and drug resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involved in VEGF-mediated support of CSCs is critical to successfully treating cancer patients. The expression of the Hippo effector TAZ is associated with breast CSCs and confers stem cell-like properties. We found that VEGF-NRP2 signaling contributed to the activation of TAZ in various breast cancer cells, which mediated a positive feedback loop that promoted mammosphere formation. VEGF-NRP2 signaling activated the GTPase Rac1, which inhibited the Hippo kinase LATS, thus leading to TAZ activity. In a complex with the transcription factor TEAD, TAZ then bound and repressed the promoter of the gene encoding the Rac GTPase-activating protein (Rac GAP) β2-chimaerin. By activating GTP hydrolysis, Rac GAPs effectively turn off Rac signaling; hence, the TAZ-mediated repression of β2-chimaerin resulted in sustained Rac1 activity in CSCs. Depletion of β2-chimaerin in non-CSCs increased Rac1 activity, TAZ abundance, and mammosphere formation. Analysis of a breast cancer patient database revealed an inverse correlation between β2-chimaerin and TAZ expression in tumors. Our findings highlight an unexpected role for β2-chimaerin in a feed-forward loop of TAZ activation and the acquisition of CSC properties.
Challenges to aging in place for African American older adults living with dementia and their families

Abstract A culturally informed community health assessment was conducted to explore the community context of care for older adults in African American urban neighborhoods. The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges to aging in place for African American older adults living with dementia and their family members. Data collection and analysis were conducted as concurrent iterative procedures between photographs, media clippings, semi-structured interviews ( N = 24), observation notes, and journaling. Content analysis revealed shame, improper housing, financial constraints, resource inadequacy, transportation concerns, and knowledge deficit as common challenges faced by the older adults and their families to receiving health services to support aging in place within urban neighborhoods. Data from this report are to inform clinicians, community partners, families, and service organizations, to promote uptake of future research and programing to improve outcomes for African American older adults living with dementia and their family members.
Driving and Patients With Dementia

Driving is a symbol of autonomy and independence, eagerly awaited during adolescence, cherished during adulthood and reluctantly rescinded during old age. It is nevertheless an individual’s privile...
Advances in the Study of Spin Effects in Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering at Small and Intermediate Momentum Transfers

There has been remarkable progress made in the field of high energy physics in the past five years. We have recently witnessed the discovery of new quantum numbers, the spectra of particles associated with these quantum numbers, and a much improved understanding of the role that all quantum numbers play in high energy interactions. With the wide assortment of experiments and studies being conducted in high energy physics at any one time, it is very easy for one to get the impression that, the activity in the field is highly unfocused. On the one hand, it is precisely this apparent unfocused nature that has given rise to much of the excitement and richness of the field. On the other hand, as one examines the situation more closely, one finds that much of the effort in the field is indeed directed toward the solution of a few central problems. One of these problems which I will continually refer to today is that of understanding the details of the structure of the elementary particles. This problem—one of the most fascinating and most difficult problems ever tackled by man-can be approached from several different angles.
The Role of Literature in Teaching ESL: Still Viable in the 21st Century

Despite much opinion to the contrary, literature, whether drama, narrative, or poetry, can be used effectively in the ESL classroom. Even in a world where increasing importance is placed on communicative competence, the use of literature in ESL has not been outdated. If one argued that it has become outdated, one would have to say that the use of dialogs (which dates from Plato and Aristotle’s day) is also outdated. But the discriminating teacher knows that, in the great majority of cases, it is the use to which the material is put and the way in which it is dealt with that makes it either useful, or boring and outdated. Just because goals and objectives change then, does not mean that we should throw literature or any tool of the trade out, even if we think of them as so much extra baggage left over from the old-fashioned Grammar-Translation classes in which Homer’s Iliad was used in translation exercises. Obviously, teachers today stress word for word translation less, and yet the possibilities for culture learning and empathy building through exposure to literature abound for those teachers who are willing to use the same well tried tools for a different purpose.
Oncogenes and the Neoplastic Process

The quest to understand the mechanisms by which normal human cells become malignant has been aided immeasurably by research on oncogenic retroviruses (oncoviruses). Two major groups of oncoviruses have been recognized based on their biological properties1. One group, termed chronic transforming retroviruses, causes mostly leukemias when inoculated into susceptible animals but only after a latent period of several months. These viruses replicate in known assay cells in tissue culture without causing apparent transforming effects. The other group, known as acute transforming viruses, induces a variety of tumors within a very short time of days to a few weeks. The types of malignancies they cause include sarcomas, hematopoietic tumors, and even carcinomas. Cells infected with acute viruses undergo morphologic transformation, acquire the ability to grow in soft agar, and cause tumors when inoculated into susceptible hosts.
Big data and extreme-scale computing: Pathways to Convergence-Toward a shaping strategy for a future software and data ecosystem for scientific inquiry

Over the past four years, the Big Data and Exascale Computing (BDEC) project organized a series of five international workshops that aimed to explore the ways in which the new forms of data-centric...
The alcohol breath test in practice: effects of exhaled volume

Subjects who provide breath samples for evidentiary alcohol breath tests exhale, on average, about half of their predicted vital capacity. Because breath alcohol concentration increases with greate...
Gender Matters: Racial Variation and Marital Stability Among Intraracial Couples:

Studies assessing differences between intraracial and interracial marriages typically use race data from one time point. Yet because racial identification can vary across time, context, or perspect...
Effect of timing and exposure of sunflower pollen on a common gut pathogen of bumble bees

1. Several bee species are declining due to multiple factors, including pathogens. Ingestion of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) pollen can dramatically reduce the bumble bee gut pathogen Crithidia bombi, but little is known about how timing and exposure to sunflower pollen consumption affects pathogen load. 2. Two experiments were carried out to investigate how exposure to sunflower pollen relative to pathogen exposure affects Crithidia bombi in Bombus impatiens. Foraging trials with pollen‐producing and male‐sterile (pollen absent) sunflower lines were performed to investigate whether sunflower pollen affected pathogen transmission in a single foraging bout, and 7‐day laboratory trials were done to investigate whether timing and duration of exposure to sunflower pollen after infection affected C. bombi. 3. In foraging trials, pollen presence on inflorescences inoculated with C. bombi did not affect transmission (pathogen cell counts of foraging workers) 1 week later, suggesting that a brief experience with sunflower pollen concurrent with pathogen exposure is insufficient to reduce infection. In laboratory trials, consuming sunflower pollen for the first 3.5 days or all 7 days after infection reduced cell counts compared with a negative control pollen, but consuming sunflower pollen starting 3.5 days after infection did not. Consuming sunflower pollen for 7 days was significantly and substantially more effective than any other treatment. Thus, both duration and timing of exposure to sunflower pollen may affect pathogen load. 4. These results are important for understanding ecological disease dynamics in natural settings with free‐flying bumble bees, and may inform decisions about using medicinal diets to manage bumble bee health commercially.
Abnormal T-cell subpopulation function in CLL: excessive suppressor (T gamma) and deficient helper (T mu) activity with respect to B-cell proliferation.

T-cell function directly influences several B-cell functions. The effect of T-cell subgroups on B-cell function (DNA synthesis) was evaluated for controls and patients with B-cell type of CLL. Control and CLL intact T cells, T cells with receptors for IgG (T gamma), and T cells without Fc receptors at isolation (T non-gamma) were admixed with control B cells. Two predominant differences between control and CLL T cells were observed. First, CLL T gamma cells were excessively effective at suppressing B-cell DNA synthesis, and secondly, control T non-gamma cells were more efficient than CLL T non-gamma at promoting control B-cell DNA synthesis. While it is unclear whether the qualitative and quantitative T-cell abnormalities are part of the CLL disease process, it is possible that excessive T gamma cell numbers and function may reflect an appropriate immune response to a malignant B- cell clone.
PHYSICAL MAPPING OF BACTERIOPHAGE DNA BY EXONUCLEASE III AND ENDODEOXYRIBONUCLEASE BAMH1

ABSTRACT A simple technique for producing a physical map of bacteriophage DNA was developed using bacteriophage ϕ3T + . Digestion of mature bacteriophage DNA with exonuclease III followed by cleavage with the site-specific endonuclease BamH1 resulted in a sequential loss of bands D, B, A, C and E as resolved by gel electrophoresis. Bacteriophage ϕ3T + carries a gene encoding thymidylate synthetase. Because the frequency of Thy + transformation markedly decreased when band A disappeared it was concluded that thy P resides on band A. This mapping procedure enables the rapid orientation of fragments of bacteriophage DNA by gel electrophoresis and DNA-mediated transformation.
Climate Variability and Extreme Weather in High Mountain Asia: Observation and Modelling

The hydrological cycle in High Mountain Asia is of critical importance for water security, agriculture and power generation for one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Glaciers over the central Himalaya have retreated at particularly rapid rates in recent decades, while glacier mass in the Karakoram appears stable. This chapter focuses on the climate of recent decades and discusses how the unique orography and complex terrain of this area of the planet influence weather patterns and the climate of the region and implications of these interactions for the future of high-elevation freshwater reservoirs.
Examining the Relationship between Youth-Targeted Food Marketing Expenditures and the Demographics of Social Media Followers.

Background: To determine how many adolescents follow food/beverage brands on Instagram and Twitter, and examine associations between brands’ youth-targeted marketing practices and percentages of adolescent followers. Methods: We purchased data from Demographics Pro to characterize the demographics of Twitter and Instagram users who followed 27 of the most highly advertised fast food, snack, and drink brands in 2019. We used one-sample t-tests to compare percentages of adolescent followers of the selected brands’ accounts versus all social media accounts, independent samples t-tests to compare followers of sugary versus low-calorie drink brands, and linear regression to examine associations between youth-targeted marketing practices and the percentages of adolescent followers. Results: An estimated 6.2 million adolescents followed the selected brands. A higher percentage of adolescents followed the selected brands’ accounts (9.2%) compared to any account on Twitter (1.2%) (p < 0.001), but not Instagram. A higher percentage of adolescents followed sugary (7.9%) versus low-calorie drink brands (4.3%) on Instagram (p = 0.02), but we observed the opposite pattern for adults on Twitter and Instagram. Television advertising expenditures were positively associated with percentages of adolescent followers of the selected brands on Twitter (p = 0.03), but not Instagram. Conclusions: Food and sugary drink brands maintain millions of adolescent followers on social media.
Nucleic Acid Testing for Diagnosis of Perinatally Acquired Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Early Infancy.

Background Most U.S. children with perinatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) exposure fail to receive the recommended anti-HCV antibody test at age ≥18 months. Earlier testing for viral RNA might facilitate increased screening, but sensitivity of this approach has not been established. We hypothesized that modern HCV-RNA RT-PCR platforms would adequately detect infected infants. Methods Nationwide Children's Hospital electronic health records from 1/1/2008 to 6/30/2018 were reviewed to identify perinatally-exposed infants tested by HCV-RNA RT-PCR at age 2-6 months. Diagnostic performance was determined using a composite case definition: 1) infected children had positive repeat HCV-RNA testing or positive anti-HCV at age ≥24 months; 2) uninfected children lacked these criteria and had negative anti-HCV at age ≥18 months. Results During the study period, 770 perinatally-exposed infants underwent HCV-RNA testing at age 2-6 months. Of these, 28 (3.6%) tested positive, and viremia was confirmed in all who underwent repeat testing (n=27). Among 742 infants with negative HCV-RNA results, 226 received follow-up anti-HCV testing at age ≥18 months, of whom 223 tested negative. Three children had low-positive anti-HCV results at age 18-24 months that were negative upon re-testing after age 24 months, possibly indicating waning maternal antibodies. Using the composite case definitions, early HCV-RNA screening demonstrated sensitivity of 100% (87.5%-100%, Wilson-Brown 95% confidence interval) and specificity of 100% (98.3-100%). Conclusion Modern HCV-RNA RT-PCR assays have excellent sensitivity for diagnosis of perinatally-acquired infection at age 2-6 months and could aid HCV surveillance given the substantial loss to follow-up at ≥18 months of age.
Achievement of clinical isavuconazole blood concentrations in transplant recipients with isavuconazonium sulphate capsules administered via enteral feeding tube

Background Isavuconazole is a triazole antifungal available in IV and capsule formulation. Prescribing information states that capsules should not be chewed, crushed, dissolved or opened because the drug was not studied in this manner. However, considering the pharmacokinetics of the capsules, we theorized opening and sprinkling the contents into an enteral feeding tube (EFT) would result in adequate absorption and systemic concentrations of isavuconazole. Objectives To determine whether patients receiving isavuconazonium sulphate capsules via EFT would achieve clinical blood concentrations of isavuconazole. Methods Nineteen solid organ and HCT recipients receiving isavuconazole via EFT for prevention or treatment of invasive fungal infection (IFI) were prospectively identified at four academic medical centres in the USA. Patients were included in this evaluation if they received isavuconazole via EFT for at least 5 days and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was performed. Results TDM was performed after a median of 7 days (range 6-17) following EFT administration and 15 days (range 7-174) of isavuconazole therapy overall. Median isavuconazole concentration was 1.8 μg/mL (range 0.3-5.2). Median isavuconazole concentrations in patients with or without prior IV administration were 1.8 μg/mL (range 0.3-5.2) and 2.2 μg/mL (range 0.8-3.6; P = 0.896), respectively. Concentrations achieved with the EFT route were similar to or greater than the corresponding concentrations via the IV route in six patients who had TDM performed during both routes of administration. Conclusions It is reasonable to consider opening isavuconazonium sulphate capsules and administering the contents enterally for prevention and treatment of IFI.
Predictors of adverse outcomes and cost after surgical management for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: Analyses from a national database.

Abstract Introduction We utilized a national administrative database to investigate drivers of immediate adverse economic and hospital outcomes, including non-routine discharge, prolonged length of stay (LOS), and admission costs among patients undergoing surgery for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried from 2007 to 2017 for patients aged ≥60 with a diagnosis code for iNPH undergoing surgery. Multivariable logistic-regression models and Wald χ2 were used to identify drivers of non-routine discharge, prolonged length of stay (LOS) (>75th percentile) and higher admission costs (>90th percentile). Results A total of 13,363 patients with iNPH undergoing surgical management were identified. The most common comorbidity reported in the cohort was a cardiovascular pathology (56.9 %, n = 7,787), followed by urinary pathology (37.2 %, n = 5,084), osteoarthritis (7.8 %, n = 1,071), Alzheimer’s disease (4.6 %, n = 626) and cerebrovascular pathology (4.2 %, n = 569). The most frequently employed procedure was ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt placement (65.6 %, n = 8,942) of which 89.8 % (n = 8,027) were performed open and 10.2 % (n = 915) laparoscopically. This was followed by lumbo-peritoneal (LP) shunting (15.5 %, n = 2,115), lumbar puncture alone (screened, serial CSF removal) (14.8 %, n = 2,013), endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) (2%, n = 274), ventriculo-atrial (VA) shunt (0.95 %, n = 130) and ventriculo-pleural (Vpleural) shunt (0.46 %, n = 64). The median (IQR) LOS was 3 days (2–5), the rate of non-routine discharge was 37.3 % and median (IQR) cost was $11,230 ($7,735–15,590). On multivariable-analysis, emergent-admission (OR 2.91), older age (76–90: OR 1.55; 90+: OR 2.66), VP shunt (open: OR 3.09; laparoscopic: OR 2.32), ETV (OR 3.16), VA/VPleural shunt (OR 2.73) and hospital admission in Northeast-region compared to Midwest (OR 1.27) were found to be associated with increased risk of non-routine discharge. Some of the highly significant associated factors for prolonged LOS included emergent-admission (OR 11.34), ETV (OR 10.92), VA/VPleural shunt (OR 7.79) and open VP shunt (OR 8.24). For increased admission costs, some of the highly associated factors included VA/VPleural shunt (OR 18.48), laparoscopic VP shunt (OR 9.92), open VP shunt (OR 12.72) and ETV (OR 9.34). Predictor importance analysis revealed emergent admission, number of diagnosis codes (comorbidities) open VP shunt, hospital region, age] and revision or removal of shunt to be the most important drivers of these outcomes. Conclusion Analyses from a national database indicate that among patients with iNPH, an emergent-admission may be the most significant risk-factor of adverse economic outcomes and higher costs.
Continuities of Legal Consciousness: Professor John Haley's Writings on Twelve Hundred Years of Japanese Legal History

History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.
Human neural stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles mitigate hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease

Regenerative therapies to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology have shown very limited success. In the recent era, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from multipotent and pluripotent stem cells have shown considerable promise for the treatment of dementia and many neurodegenerative conditions. Using the 5xFAD accelerated transgenic mouse model of AD, we now show the regenerative potential of human neural stem cell (hNSC)-derived EVs on the neurocognitive and neuropathologic hallmarks in the AD brain. Two- or 6-month-old 5xFAD mice received single or two intra-venous (retro-orbital vein, RO) injections of hNSC-derived EVs, respectively. RO treatment using hNSC-derived EVs restored fear extinction memory consolidation and reduced anxiety-related behaviors 4–6 weeks post-injection. EV treatment also significantly reduced dense core amyloid-beta plaque accumulation and microglial activation in both age groups. These results correlated with partial restoration of homeostatic levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines in the AD mice. Importantly, EV treatment protected against synaptic loss in the AD brain that paralleled improved cognition. MiRNA analysis of the EV cargo revealed promising candidates targeting neuroinflammation and synaptic function. Collectively, these data demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of systemic administration of stem cell-derived EVs for remediation of behavioral and molecular AD neuropathologies.
Thin-film nanostructure-based enzymatic alcohol sensor for wearable sensing and monitoring applications

Fast and accurate detection and monitoring of alcohol consumption have significant importance for safety and clinical applications. The excessive consumption of alcohol causes many health issues, such as colon, rectum, mouth, and throat cancers, liver cirrhosis, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and several psychiatric comorbidities. Alcohol addiction treatments also require close monitoring of the consumption. The correlation of alcohol concentration levels in sweat with the blood alcohol content (BAC) encourages developing a wearable sensing platform for alcohol detection noninvasively, continuously, and in real-time. Moreover, sweat is considered one of the most useful body fluids for biosensing applications since it contains several biomarkers with crucial medical information and is easy to collect. ZnO has exclusive chemical and physical characteristics to enhance chemical stability in physiological environments. Moreover, it has higher catalytic activity, biocompatibility, and a higher isoelectric point (IEP) of 9.5. Such a high IEP of ZnO nanoflakes (NFs) improves any biomolecules' immobilization. Hence, there is no necessity for an additional binding layer between the enzyme and the sensing electrode. A single-step sonochemical approach was developed to synthesize a thin layer of ZnONFs virtually on any substrate. This technique is fast, catalyst-free, less expensive, and ecologically benign, which enables a well-oriented growth on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) over an extensive range. In this study, an electrochemical biosensor was fabricated by immobilization of alcohol oxidase (AOX) on ZnO nanoflakes with a thickness of 20nm, synthesized on Au-coated PET. The results demonstrated a fast response within 5s. The sensor was tested in the range of 1 mg – 400 mg, which covers the entire physiological range, and the sensitivity of the sensor was determined by 3.47 nA/mg/dL/cm2.
Transforming Aviation Training with Augmented and Virtual Reality Using Collaborative Platforms

As with virtual and augmented reality, spatial computing is based on the concept of the "digital twin". We have seen how Virtual and Augmented Reality have started to transform aviation training and now we can optimize real world global training with digital tools such as, spatial computing. In spatial computing training environments, the avatar serves various purposes for virtual training sessions while connecting other digital objects and create virtual worlds. In practice, this means an instructor can present a digital version of an aircraft, aircraft system or flight deck to multiple students in different locations around the world at the same time (WATS, 2020). Students are mirrored as avatars and can walk around the aircraft, learn cockpit procedures, practice two-crew operations with multiple people in the flight deck, examine components up-close, ask questions and share opinions, just as if they were together in a traditional classroom, simulator, or aircraft setting (Brown, 2020a).
Comparative forecasting: Hindsighting the Czechoslovakian invasion

Abstract Two dissimilar information-processing techniques may be used to forecast the same phenomenon. Event-pattern recognition, objective in nature, uses predetermined indicators and is dependent upon selected data flows; the Bayesian method rests more heavily upon subjective interpretation. These two methods may be used to forecast a variety of phenomena—here they are retrospectively tested for their ability to forecast the August 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Objective and subjective methods may be used to generate combined, or at least cross-validated, forecasts; and the author suggests how—and at what costs—comparative forecasting may be used productively for international political analysis.
On statistical model checking of stochastic systems

Statistical methods to model check stochastic systems have been, thus far, developed only for a sublogic of continuous stochastic logic (CSL) that does not have steady state operator and unbounded until formulas. In this paper, we present a statistical model checking algorithm that also verifies CSL formulas with unbounded untils. The algorithm is based on Monte Carlo simulation of the model and hypothesis testing of the samples, as opposed to sequential hypothesis testing. We have implemented the algorithm in a tool called VESTA, and found it to be effective in verifying several examples.
Oxidative cleavage of tryptophanyl peptide bonds during chemical- and peroxidase-catalyzed iodinations.

Abstract Tryptophanyl peptide bonds are oxidatively cleaved by "active iodine" that is generated with H2O2, iodide, and a peroxidase (donor: H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.7). Complete oxidation of tryptophan derivatives and peptides to the oxindole occurs within 2 min at pH 3 to 5 with either lactoperoxidase or horseradish peroxidase, and a 2.5-fold molar excess of iodide plus H2O2. Under identical conditions, simple tryptophan peptides are cleaved 30 to 40% in 10 min at pH 5.0, and the rate of cleavage is parallel to, but less than, the rate of oxidation. All three constituents (iodide, H2O2, and peroxidase) are required for oxidation and fission to proceed. Iodinating reagents yield similar results, except that they oxidize tryptophan derivatives and peptides (Z-Trp-X, X-Trp-X) over the pH range of 2 to 11. Fission of the tryptophan peptide proceeds in acid media with a maximum at pH 5.0, and no cleavage occurs in alkaline media. A 2.5-fold molar excess of positive halogen reagents, ICl, iodide oxidized with chloramine-T, and N-iodosuccinimide completely oxidize tryptophan peptides at pH 5.0 within 1 min, whereas oxidation by I2 and I3- is 2 and 8 times slower, respectively. Chloramine-T per se oxidizes tryptophan peptides at about the same rate as I2 below pH 6.5, but is unreactive above this pH. All of the iodinating reagents induce complete oxidation within 1 min at pH 9.5. Thirty to forty percent of a tryptophan peptide (e.g. Z-Trp-Gly or Z-Trp-Leu) is cleaved in 10 min at pH 5 by a 2.5- to 10-fold molar excess of all the reagents, except for I3- which promotes half as much cleavage. With all of the iodinating reagents, the rate of cleavage is parallel to, but less than, the rate of oxidation. Iodimetric titrations and pH profiles suggest that the oxidation and oxidative cleavage of tryptophan peptides during iodination proceeds via the mechanism proposed for brominating agents (Patchornik, A., Lawson, W. B., Gross, E., and Witkop, B. (1960) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 82, 5923). Two equivalents of I+ or I2 convert the indole nucleus to the oxindole, which undergoes spontaneous hydrolysis after cyclization to the iminolactone. Unlike brominating reagents, a third iodine equivalent does not form a stable iodooxindole derivative with several different tryptophan peptide models or oxindole itself. Two exceptions are Z-Trp-Gly and Z-Trp, which are probably iodinated by ICI on the benzyloxycarbonyl moiety. Free tryptophan is oxidized by 2.6 to 2.9 eq of iodine (ICl or I2), but it does not become iodinated in labeling experiments with 131I2 or 131ICl.
Why, how and to what effect do firms deviate from their intended marketing plans?: : Towards a taxonomy of post plan improvisations

Purpose – Very little is known about why, how and to what effect firms deviate from intended marketing plans. The aim of this paper is to extend the understanding of this phenomenon, post plan improvisation (PPI), and begin to identify and categorize such deviations along with their apparent causes and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Using the critical incident technique, 384 incidents of PPI were gathered and systematically classified from marketing planners (managers who use marketing planning software) on six different continents using an online survey. Findings – The principal contributions of this study are: the systematic development of a taxonomy for post-plan improvisations; the reported frequencies associated with those categories; and tentative findings regarding relationships between the causes, deviations, and success of PPI. Improvisations that were prompted by changes in external market factors were more likely to be judged by planners as having been successful than those made for re...
Featuring People in Ads

This is a book chapter from a new casebook, Advertising & Marketing Law: Cases and Materials, by Rebecca Tushnet and Eric Goldman. This chapter examines the legal issues arising from featuring people in advertisements, including publicity rights and endorsement/testimonial guidelines.
Considerations regarding adherence of anti-osteoporosis therapy.

AbstractOsteoporosis remains a challenging disease to treat due to a number of barriers including patient adherence to therapies. One of the most recent advances has been the development of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, which is helpful in conveying fracture risk to patients and providing treatment guidance to clinicians. The decision to use an anti-osteoporosis therapy must be tailored to the patient’s specific clinical scenario. The bisphosphonates are first-line agents in the treatment of osteoporosis and are efficacious in substantially reducing fracture risk between 25% and 70% on average depending on fracture site. Compliance with oral bisphosphonate pills can be poor, resulting in a significant deterrent to the proper management of osteoporosis. Non-pill forms of bisphosphonate and nonbisphosphonate therapy are available for the treatment of osteoporosis and may increase compliance. Among these is Binosto, a new formulation of weekly effervescent alendronate, as well as intravenous bisphosphon...
Transformation from live sequence charts to colored Petri nets

A tool called LSC2CPN has been developed to reduce the gap between informal and formal methods of loosely coupled distributed software specification, verification, and validation. This tool reads the Live Sequence Chart (LSC) model as an input and transforms the system into an equivalent Colored Petri Nets model. LSC is a richer construct than UML Sequence Diagram. The resulting Colored Petri net can be analyzed using CPNTools to check whether the model satisfies desired behavioral properties. The paper presents atomic transformation steps required to map Live Sequence Charts into behaviorally equivalent Colored Petri nets. The proposed transformation method is scalable with respect to Colored Petri net modeling efforts as a function of the number of messages in LSC. It may not be scalable from CPNTools simulation time perspective due to potential state explosion problem.
STABILITY-INDICATING HPLC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE STABILITY OF EXTEMPORANEOUSLY PREPARED NOREPINEPHRINE PARENTERAL SOLUTIONS

A stability-indicating HPLC method was developed for analysis of norepinephrine in the presence of the degradation products. The stability of extemporaneously compounded norepinephrine syringes was investigated using this method. The sterile preparations of norepinephrine were compounded to the strength of 8 µg/mL in accordance with USP (United States Pharmacopeia) standards. To carry out the stability testing of these products, these syringes were stored under three different temperature conditions of −20°C, 2–6°C, 22–25°C, and light-protected at 22–25°C. Three injections from each temperature were withdrawn and were assessed for stability on days 0, 7, 15, 21, and 30 as per the USP guidelines. The assay of norepinephrine was examined by this calibrated stability-indicating HPLC method. No precipitation, cloudiness, or color change was observed during this study at all temperatures. The assay content by HPLC revealed that norepinephrine syringes retain greater than at least 90% of the initial conce...
Laser Design Basis for the National Ignition Facility

Controlled nuclear fusion initiated by highly intense laser beams has been the subject of experiment for many years. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) represents the culmination of design efforts to provide a laser facility that will successfully demonstrate fusion ignition in the laboratory. In this so-called inertial confinement approach, energetic driver beams (laser, X-ray, or charged particle) heat the outer surface of a spherical capsule containing deuterium and tritium (DT) fuel. As the capsule surface explosively evaporates, reaction pressure compresses the DT fuel causing the central core of the fuel to reach extreme density and temperature. When the central temperature is high enough, DT fusion reactions occur. The energy released from these reactions further heats the compressed fuel, and fusion burn propagates outward through the colder regions of the capsule much more rapidly than the inertially confined capsule can expand. The resulting fusion reactions yield many times more energy than was absorbed from the driver beams.
Back to the Future? US Labour in the New Gilded Age

This article argues that the twenty-first century US labour movement has increasingly come to resemble its counterpart in the Gilded Age 100 years ago. Starting in the 1970s, deindustrialization and deregulation have gradually undermined the New Deal labour relations system, and have led to the proliferation of precarious labour. The labour movement then began to experiment with alternative labour organizing strategies and increasingly sought out political alliances with other progressive movements, reproducing practices that were widespread among US unions prior to the New Deal era. Although many of these experiments have succeeded on a small scale, they face intransigent opposition from employers and anti-union organizations, and whether they can be expanded enough to generate a new labour movement upsurge remains to be seen.
Plasma and erythrocyte biomarkers of dairy fat intake and risk of ischemic heart disease

Background The relation between dairy product intake and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains controversial. Objective We aimed to explore biomarkers of dairy fat intake in plasma and erythrocytes and to assess the hypothesis that higher concentrations of these biomarkers are associated with a greater risk of IHD in US women. Design Among 32,826 participants in the Nurses' Health Study who provided blood samples in 1989-1990, 166 incident cases of IHD were ascertained between baseline and 1996. These cases were matched with 327 controls for age, smoking, fasting status, and date of blood drawing. Results Among controls, correlation coefficients between average dairy fat intake in 1986-1990 and 15:0 and trans 16:1n-7 content were 0.36 and 0.30 for plasma and 0.30 and 0.32 for erythrocytes, respectively. In multivariate analyses, with control for age, smoking, and other risk factors of IHD, women with higher plasma concentrations of 15:0 had a significantly higher risk of IHD. The multivariate-adjusted relative risks (95% CI) from the lowest to highest tertile of 15:0 concentrations in plasma were 1.0 (reference), 2.18 (1.20, 3.98), and 2.36 (1.16, 4.78) (P for trend = 0.03). Associations for other biomarkers were not significant. Conclusions Plasma and erythrocyte contents of 15:0 and trans 16:1n-7 can be used as biomarkers of dairy fat intake. These data suggest that a high intake of dairy fat is associated with a greater risk of IHD.
On the limiting parameters of artificial cavitation

Abstract Artificial cavitation, or ventilation, is produced by releasing gas into the liquid flow. One of the objectives of creating this multiphase flow is to reduce frictional and sometimes wave resistance of a marine vehicle completely or partially immersed in the water. Flows around surface ships moving along the water–air boundary are considered in this paper. It is favorable to achieve a negative cavitation number in the developed cavitating flow under the vessel’s bottom in order to generate additional lift. Cavities, formed in the flow, have limiting parameters that are affected by propulsion and lift-enhancing devices. Methods for calculating these influences and the results of a parametric study are reported.
Proteolysis of soluble IgE-receptor complexes: localization of sites on IgE which interact with the Fc receptor.

Mouse and rat IgE and the respective soluble IgE-receptor complexes purified from rat basophilic leukemia cells were digested with trypsin. The end product in each case was F(ab')2-like. It contained the Ce2 regions, had intact antigen combining sites but had lost all ability to bind to the cell receptor for IgE. With mouse IgE the two principal sites of cleavage are likely to be the interdomain regions between Ce4:Ce3 and Ce3:C32 respectively. Cleavage at these sites occurs sequentially with the rate constant for the cleavage at the second site being approximately four-fold greater than that for the initial cleavage. When IgE is bound to the receptor the rates of cleavage are inhibited approximately three-fold. With rat IgE, the principal initial cleavage occurs within the intrachain disulfide loop in the Ce3 domain. Even when this disulfide bond in the digested protein is reduced, the product retains a substantial binding activity. A second cleavage occurs at a similar rate as the first and at a site analogous to that seen with mouse IgE, i.e. between the Ce3 and Ce2 domains. Notably, when bound to the receptor, the rate of cleavage at the first site is inhibited approximately three-fold but at the second site more than or equal to 40-fold. These results strongly implicate thd Ce3 domain as the principal site of interaction between rodent IgE and its receptor.
The Intel 8086 Microprocessor: a 16-bit Evolution of the 8080

The architecture and instruction set of this new 16-bit microprocessor were designed to meet the requirements of a broad spectrum of new microprocessor applications.
Numerical simulation of the gas immersion laser doping (GILD) process in silicon

A simulation program that models the gas immersion laser doping (GILD) process is described. This program, which is called LASERMELT, first solves for the silicon melt depth and melt time versus laser energy fluence, and then the impurity dopant profiles using a dopant incorporation and impurity diffusion model. Experimental and simulated dopant profiles and sheet resistance values are given as functions of the laser energy fluence and number of pulses. The determination of liquid phase impurity diffusion coefficients in molten silicon is also described. >
Using a Task Analysis to Identify Potential Information Processing Bottlenecks in Intersection Driving Scenarios

A task analysis was conducted to identify the information processing bottlenecks that drivers face in specific intersection driving scenarios. These bottlenecks represent situations in which drivers may become "overloaded" by driving demands, possibly resulting in drivers improperly performing important driving tasks or skipping certain tasks altogether. The focus of this task analysis was on identifying the underlying information processing elements, including the perceptual, cognitive, and psychomotor subtasks associated with each individual driving task. A total of 7 distinct driving scenarios were investigated in the task analysis, with each scenario being successively decomposed into segments, tasks, and subtasks/information processing elements. Information processing bottlenecks were identified by analyzing converging information about workload levels, task sequencing and pacing, spatial distribution of required information, and other factors that mitigate or amplify taxing conditions. Language: en
Positron annihilation in liquid mercury

Abstract A positron wave function has been calculated for a vacancy and applied to the angular correlation data of liquid mercury. Our results indicate that 19% of all annihilations occur at vacancy sites.
Role of operative airway evaluation in children with recurrent croup: A retrospective cohort study

Objective Determine which risk factors in children with recurrent croup warrant bronchoscopic evaluation. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary paediatric hospital. Participants Children with recurrent croup who underwent a rigid bronchoscopy between 2001 and 2013. Main outcome measures Bronchoscopy findings, classified as normal, mildly abnormal or significantly abnormal. Results Two hundred and thirty-five children underwent a rigid bronchoscopy and 110 underwent a flexible oesophagoscopy. One hundred and forty-five children (61.7%) had a mildly abnormal exam, and 27 children (11.5%) had significant findings that required a surgical intervention or grade 2 or greater subglottic stenosis. The significantly abnormal group included 4 children with laryngomalacia, 2 with a subglottic cyst, 8 with grade 2 or 3 subglottic stenosis and 13 children who underwent a surgical procedure for subglottic stenosis. Sixty-seven children had a preoperative diagnosis of asthma, 62 were atopic and 78 had symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Oesophagoscopy was diagnostic of gastro-oesophageal reflux in 19 of 110 cases, and 106 children (45.1%) had bronchoscopic findings suggestive of GERD. Eight children had eosinophilic oesophagitis. After multivariate analysis, significantly abnormal bronchoscopy was significantly associated with chronic cough (P = 0.02), have a previous intubation (P = 0.002) or be younger than 3 years old (P = 0.01). Conclusion Significant findings on bronchoscopy that warranted further surgical intervention were uncommon in this cohort. Nearly half of the patients had evidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux. In patients without risk factors for significant abnormalities, empiric medical management may be beneficial prior to endoscopy.