cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Group Contingency Interventions: The Role of Teacher Preference

Group contingencies (GCs) vary in a variety of dimensions that may influence their efficacy and acceptability. This study evaluated the relative impact of four different GC types (independent, interdependent, dependent, and randomized) on classwide appropriate and disruptive student behaviors as well as how implementation of a teacher’s preferred contingency may enhance student behavioral outcomes. Three general education teachers and their students participated in the study. All four GCs resulted in reduced disruption and increased appropriate behavior across all three classrooms with no patterns of differentiation between contingency types. Teachers selected independent or dependent contingencies as their preferred reward system. Implementation of the preferred contingency resulted in further improvements in both classwide behaviors for all classes. Some evidence of generalization and maintenance was noted in all three classrooms.
A survey of available underwater electric propulsion technologies and implications for platform system safety

The majority of unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) applications are electrically powered, deriving their energy from chemical reactions within a battery. Unlike thermal engines, where chemical energy is metered into a combustion chamber, batteries are unique in the storage of all energy content within a limited material construction. Fuel cells are a logical cross between the concepts of electric storage battery and thermal engine. The requirements for military and some civilian AUVs demand increased battery energy density and volume compared to the overall AUV vehicle. Batteries, like fuel cells. are most cost-effective when they may be recharged and reutilized. The aspects of increased energy density, intrinsic power capability and electrical or mechanical recharging present a significant challenge in designing a power supply system that is safe under all conditions for the AUV and for the deployment platform. This paper will provide an overview of common AUV propulsion systems and discuss aspects of vehicle integration and vehicle and launch platform safety with respect to recharging, refurbishing or refueling an AUV system.
Clinical manifestations in thrombotic children with factor V Leiden mutation

Sixty-three children with thrombosis were screened for factor V Leiden (FVL) and the mutation was found in 20 patients, 5 of whom were homozygous for FVL. The clinical features of 15 heterozygous and 5 homozygous patients with factor V Leiden mutation were analyzed. Additional risk factors were found in 19 of these 20 patients (95%) with FVL mutation. The most frequent predisposing exogenous factor was infection. The majority of children with FVL mutation had had several associated disorders prior to their vascular occlusion, such as homocystinuria, Behcet's disease, collagen tissue disorders, and hypereosinophilia. Homozygous mutation in two children led to amputation of legs due to purpura fulminans. Cerebral thrombosis as cerebral infarct was frequent among children with FVL mutation.
Pulling the Trigger on Lyme Arthritis

The infectious disorders now collectively known as Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) began their long ascent to notoriety as a little noticed outbreak of oligoarthritis in Southeastern Connecticut during the mid 1970s [1, 2]. Local physicians mistakenly diagnosed many of these cases, mostly occurring in children, as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Two suspicious mothers called the “autoimmune” epidemic to the attention of rheumatologists at nearby Yale University, who made the critical observation that approximately one-quarter of the index case patients had developed a distinctive bull’s eye rash (erythema migrans) similar to one known to be transmitted in Northern Europe by the hard tick Ixodes ricinus. Further investigation implicated the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, as the likely arthropod vector [3].These field studies prompted an intensive microbe hunt resulting in isolation, first from ticks [4] and then from a small number of skin, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens [5, 6], of a spirochete subsequently determined to be a new Borrelia species [7]. Of the 20 or so species now known to comprise the Borrelia burfgdorferi sensu lato complex, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss), Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii ,p redominate as human pathogens [8]. B. burgdorferi ss is the only cause of Lyme disease in the United States. Surprisingly, B. burgdorferi ss, the member of the complex with the greatest proclivity to invade joints, has never been isolated from human joints, although spirochetal DNA can be amplified with polymerase chain reaction from synovial fluids. B. garinii, a common isolate in Europe, has earned a reputation for neurotropism because of its predilection for invasion of the central nervous system [8]. In nature, Lyme disease spirochetes persist asymptomatically in rodent reservoirs, such as the white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus [9]. Because humans are incidental and probably dead-end hosts for the bacterium, illness in humans may be an evolutionarily unintended outcome of the vector’s generalist feeding behavior [10].
Moral Values and Private Philanthropy

My aim is to consider how private philanthropy – and that of foundations specifically – can better serve its social purposes. What I have to say may strike professionals in the field as naive. Admittedly my perspective is limited, for I have sat only on the grantee side of the desk. But I have also often tried to put myself into the grantor's frame of mind. The impressions gained in that way have been confirmed and modified by numerous recent conversations in preparation for this paper. The heads of foundations with whom I talked, the board members, and program officers, all were warmly forthcoming, forgiving of my naivete, and very helpful. I hope that what may be construed as criticism in what I have to say will not be taken as betrayal of those good offices. I mean it as support and encouragement of the positive intent I found in every instance. When I accepted the invitation to write a paper on moral values and philanthropy, I first reflected on my own experience. I have often been troubled by my own moral standards in dealing with foundations. In nearly every instance, the proposals that I have written have contained an element of exaggeration – a heightening of the importance of the project I was proposing and of the capacity of my institution to carry it out. My end-of-grant follow-up reports have almost always contained exaggerated claims for the project's success. This inflation was not done consciously. It was a tendency learned early in my career from reading other proposals and participating in committees designing projects to be proposed.
Myxoxanthophyll is required for normal cell wall structure and thylakoid organization in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

Myxoxanthophyll is a carotenoid glycoside in cyanobacteria that is of unknown biological significance. The sugar moiety of myxoxanthophyll in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was identified as dimethyl fucose. The open reading frame sll1213 encoding a fucose synthetase orthologue was deleted to probe the role of fucose and to determine the biological significance of myxoxanthophyll in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. Upon deletion of sll1213, a pleiotropic phenotype was obtained: when propagated at 0.5 μmol photons m−2 s−1, photomixotrophic growth of cells lacking sll1213 was poor. When grown at 40 μmol photons m−2 s−1, growth was comparable to that of the wild type, but cells showed a severe reduction in or loss of the glycocalyx (S-layer). As a consequence, cells aggregated in liquid as well as on plates. At both light intensities, new carotenoid glycosides accumulated, but myxoxanthophyll was absent. New carotenoid glycosides may be a consequence of less-specific glycosylation reactions that gained prominence upon the disappearance of the native sugar moiety (fucose) of myxoxanthophyll. In the mutant, the N-storage compound cyanophycin accumulated, and the organization of thylakoid membranes was altered. Altered cell wall structure and thylakoid membrane organization and increased cyanophycin accumulation were also observed for Δslr0940K, a strain lacking ζ-carotene desaturase and thereby all carotenoids but retaining fucose. Therefore, lack of myxoxanthophyll and not simply of fucose results in most of the phenotypic effects described here. It is concluded that myxoxanthophyll contributes significantly to the vigor of cyanobacteria, as it stabilizes thylakoid membranes and is critical for S-layer formation.
Generalized Morality, Institutions and Economic Growth, and the Intermediating Role of Generalized Trust

Summary Generalized morality reflects ethical norms in society about the inappropriateness of behaviors that can cause harm to others. Generalized morality may be an important factor affecting the economic performance of countries. An indicator of generalized morality is constructed from data from the World Values Survey. One question examined is whether generalized morality is correlated with economic growth rates in per capita GDP across a sample of countries, controlling for institutions and other factors expected to affect economic performance. A second question examined is whether the path by which generalized morality affects growth is direct or indirect through generalized trust. The findings reveal that generalized morality is moderately correlated with economic growth, but its effect appears to be manifested through generalized trust when economic institutions are weak.
Age, sex, and genotype effects on stimulus exploration and locomotor activity in young mice

Age and sex effects on stimulus exploration and locomotor activity were investigated in three genetic stocks of mice. Three measures of exploratory behavior and one measure of locomotor activity were recorded in an arena testing situation. The results showed that measures requiring locomotor activity are more affected by differences in age and sex than measures of stimulus exploration. The results are discussed in terms of the previously established genetic models of stimulus exploration and activity.
Chemicals on demand with phototriggerable microcapsules.

We report the development of phototriggerable microcapsules and demonstrate the concept of protection and remote release of chemical species. Light-rupturable, liquid-filled microcapsules were prep...
Intertexts: Writings on Language, Utterance, and Context

Intertexts: Writings on Language, Utterance, and Context. William F. Hanks. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2000. 325 pp., tables, figures, index.
How Does Artificial Force Feedback Affect Laparoscopic Surgery Performance

The use of haptic devices to provide force feedback in teleoperation has been shown to enhance performance. An experiment was conducted to examine whether artificial force feedback is utilized in the same manner as real force feedback in a simulated laparoscopic tissue-probing task. Forces in probing a double-layer silicon gel mass were replicated and exaggerated in a virtual environment using a haptic device. Ten subjects performed the probing task in four different conditions: 1) realistic force feedback, 2) exaggerated feedback, 3) disproportionately exaggerated forces, and 4) reversed and disproportionately exaggerated forces. Results showed a significantly higher maximum force, detection time and error rate in virtual probing than in real probing. Time to task completion was significantly different between the virtually realistic and exaggerated force feedback conditions. These results suggest that artificial force information may be processed differently than real haptic information, leading to higher force application, inefficiency, and reduced accuracy in tissue probing tasks.
An Introduction to Cochlear Implant Technology, Activation, and Programming

Over the last decade, cochlear implantation has become an increasingly viable alternative for the treatment of profound sensorineural hearing loss in children. Although speech and hearing professio...
Identity, ideology and medicine: health attitudes and behavior among Hindu religious renunciates

In-depth interviews and participant observation was conducted with 14 Hindu religious renunciates, 70 years or older. Despite having taken vows renouncing concern for physical pain or comfort, respondents differed markedly in their attitudes toward pain and their rationale for utilizing medical treatment. They differed still further in their use of Ayurvedic and allopathic medicine, with the most culturally conservative accepting only Ayurvedic medicine. Rejection of allopathic medicine tended to be associated with a highly systematized religious world-view. The results are discussed in terms of both the ideological conflict between religious world-view and medical usage, and the need for sophisticated distinction of religious world-view if research on the religious factor of health care utilization is to prove fruitful.
Product related adult genitourinary injuries treated at emergency departments in the United States from 2002 to 2010.

Purpose: We describe the epidemiological features of adult genitourinary injuries related to consumer products and determined the patient cohorts, products and situations associated with increased genitourinary injury risk.Materials and Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a data set validated to provide a probability sample of injury related emergency department presentations in the United States, was analyzed to characterize genitourinary injuries from 2002 to 2010. We analyzed 3,545 observations to derive national estimates.Results: An estimated 142,144 adults (95% CI 115,324–168,964) presented to American emergency departments with genitourinary injuries from 2002 to 2010. Of the injuries 69% occurred in men. A large majority of injuries involved the external genitalia. The most common categories of products involved were sporting items in 30.2% of cases, clothing articles in 9.4% and furniture in 9.2%. The highest prevalence of injury was at ages 18 to 28 years (37.5%), which ...
Histamine inhibits the melanin-concentrating hormone system: Implications for sleep and arousal

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-producing neurons are known to regulate a wide variety of physiological functions such as feeding, metabolism, anxiety and depression, and reward. Recent studies have revealed that MCH neurons receive projections from several wake-promoting brain regions and are integral to the regulation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Here, we provide evidence in both rats and mice that MCH neurons express histamine-3 receptors (H3R), but not histamine-1 (H1R) or histamine-2 (H2R) receptors. Electrophysiological recordings in brain slices from a novel line of transgenic mice that specifically express the reporter ZsGreen in MCH neurons show that histamine strongly inhibits MCH neurons, an effect which is TTX insensitive, and blocked by the intracellular presence of GDP-β-S. A specific H3R agonist, α-methylhistamine, mimicks the inhibitory effects of histamine, and a specific neutral H3R antagonist, VUF 5681, blocks this effect. Tertiapin Q (TPQ), a G protein-dependent inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channel inhibitor, abolishes histaminergic inhibition of MCH neurons. These results indicate that histamine directly inhibits MCH neurons through H3R by activating GIRK channels and suggest that that inhibition of the MCH system by wake-active histaminergic neurons may be responsible for silencing MCH neurons during wakefulness and thus may be directly involved in the regulation of sleep and arousal.
Effect of selective dissolution on charge and surface properties of an acid soil clay

To evaluate the importance of oxides to the surface chemistry of acid mineral soils, clay fractions were separated from a surface and subsurface horizon of an Inceptisol representative of many of the acid soils of the Southern Tier of New York state. Portions of the clays were treated to remove selectively noncrystalline and microcrystalline Fe and A1 oxides (acid ammonium oxalate extraction), total free iron oxides (dithionite reduction in buffered citrate solution), and organic matter (hypochlorite oxidation). Charge and ion-adsorption characteristics of the treated and untreated clays were investigated by means of Ca 2+- and C1--exchange capacities, potentiometric titrations, and electrophoretic mobility (zeta po- tential) measurements of the CaC12-treated clays. Based upon surface area and anion- and cation-exchange measurements, the Fe and A1 oxides or oxide- organic matter complexes were found to contribute a large part of the surface area and pH-dependent charge of these clays. Oxide removal increased the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and virtually eliminated the anion-exchange capacity (AEC) at pH 3 and 5.5 while shifting the positive zeta potential (ZPC) of the B-horizon clay toward negative values. Organic matter oxidation increased the AEC at pH 3 and the CEC at pH 5.5 and markedly shifted the ZPCs of both A- and B-horizon clays toward more positive values, probably by the removal of adsorbed organics from oxide surfaces. Estimates of the ZPCs of the clays varied among the three methods used, Ca 2+- and C1--exchange capacities giving the lowest, and electrophoresis giving the highest values.
Seismic investigation of crustal structure in the eastern part of the basin and range province

ABSTRACT Results are presented of seismic studies of nine quarry blasts, ranging in size from 50,000 to 2,138,000 lbs of explosives, at Promontory and Lakeside, Utah, during 1956 to 1959, and also of the Rainier (1.7 kilotons) and Blanca (23 kilotons) nuclear explosions near Mercury, Nevada, on September 19, 1957, and October 30, 1958, respectively. Seismic waves from the blasts were recorded at 17 temporary stations to a distance of about 280 km and 15 permanent seismograph stations to a distance of about 1,009 km. Time-distance graphs were plotted using first and later arrivals at all of the stations. Depths to refracting horizons were computed using refraction equations for horizontal layers having constant velocities. The time-distance plot of first seismic arrivals from Promontory, Utah, to Eureka, Nevada, (nearly 355 km) shows the following velocities: 5.73 km/sec to a horizontal distance of approximately 76 km, 6.33 km/sec from 76 to 132 km, and 7.59 km/sec from 132 to 355 km. The data are interpreted to indicate two velocity discontinuities, one at a depth of about 9 km, and the other at a depth of approximately 25 km. A composite time-distance plot of seismic arrivals from all blasts at Promontory and Lakeside, Utah, shows that the velocity of recognizable first arrivals changes from 7.59 km/sec to 7.97 km/sec at a horizontal distance of about 650 km from the blast sites. Assuming flatlying layers, the depth to this third velocity discontinuity is computed to be 72 km. The time-distance plot of first arrivals for the Blanca nuclear explosion, which was obtained from four stations in northern Utah at horizontal distances between 380 and 630 km from the shotpoint, shows a velocity of 7.44 km/sec for the recognizable first arrivals of energy between 379 and 464 km and 7.46 km/sec for arrivals correlated from 380 to 630 km. For seismic energy that traveled beneath mountains in the medium characterized by a velocity of approximately 7.5 km/sec, the measurements of arrival times of first seismic energy showed that any warping of the top of the 7.5 km/sec layer beneath the mountains was not more than a few kilometers.
High Total-Dose Proton Radiation Tolerance in TiN/HfO2/TiN ReRAM Devices

The resistive switching properties of CMOS compatible TiN/HfO2/TiN resistive-random-access-memory (ReRAM) devices have been investigated after exposure to 1 MeV proton radiation. The HfO2-based ReRAM devices were found to have high total-ionizing-dose (TID) radiation tolerance up to 5 Grad(Si). TiN/HfO2/TiN ReRAM performance parameters include high-resistance state (HRS) resistance, low-resistance state (LRS) resistance, set and reset voltages. HfO2-based ReRAM devices exhibited no degradation in these performance parameters following proton irradiation exposure with TID from 105 to 109 rad(Si). Furthermore, the HfO2-based ReRAM devices exhibited more uniform resistive switching behavior with increased TID. Based on this radiation response it is proposed that the resistive switching mechanism in TiN/HfO2/TiN–trap-assisted tunneling associated with Hf-rich conducting filament formation–may be reinforced through proton exposure which acts to stabilize the formation/rupture of Hf-rich filaments. The high radiation tolerance of HfO2-based ReRAM devices suggests such devices may be potentially attractive for aerospace and nuclear applications.
The mechanism of fungistatic action of sec-butylamine: I. Effects of sec-butylamine on the metabolism of hyphae of Penicillium digitatum☆

Growth of Penicillium digitatum was inhibited after a 40-min incubation in a culture medium containing 0.5 mM sec-butylamine, and the dry weight of the hyphae was 50% of the control value after 180 min. Respiration of the hyphae was reduced 13% after a 20-min contact with 0.5 mM sec-butylamine but this treatment did not influence the uptake of amino acids, glucose, or phosphate nor intensify the efflux of 33P- or 14C-labeled metabolites from the cells. The syntheses of cell walls and total lipids were inhibited 20–30% after a 90-min incubation with sec-butylamine, and nucleic acid synthesis was reduced to about 50% of the control value at this time. sec-Butylamine inhibited the incorporation of labeled carbon from [14C]glucose into the protein fraction of the hyphae to a greater degree than 14C derived from labeled proline, lysine, or leucine. These observations suggested that sec-butylamine interfered primarily with the intermediary metabolism of glucose rather than inhibiting a later stage of macromolecule synthesis. Hyphae incubated with [14C]glucose and sec-butylamine accumulated pyruvic acid to a level seven times greater than in control hyphae. Furthermore, sec-butylamine strongly inhibited 14CO2 evolution from hyphae metabolizing [14C]pyruvate whereas CO2 derived from acetate or glucose after a 45-min incubation was only slightly reduced by sec-butylamine. These observations implicate pyruvate oxidation as the primary site of sec-butylamine action in young hyphae of P. digitatum.
Ruthenium(II) Dichloride Complexes of Chiral, Tetradentate Aminosulfoxide Ligands: Stereoisomerism and Redox-Induced Linkage Isomerism

Ruthenium(II) dichloride complexes of two chiral tetradentate aminosulfoxide ligands, varying only in the N–N linker, were synthesized. With each ligand, two major isomers formed, and these were structurally assigned and characterized through a combination of NMR and UV–vis spectroscopies, X-ray crystallography, and density functional theory calculations. The cis-β geometric isomer was formed by each ligand, whereas the trans and cis-α geometric isomers were significant components for one ligand only. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that only the cis-β isomers undergo linkage isomerism upon oxidation to ruthenium(III), whereas the trans and cis-α isomers show simple reversible redox couples.
Fibrinogen proteolysis and platelet alpha-granule release in preeclampsia/eclampsia

Serial measurements of the plasma concentration of fibrinopeptide A, thrombin-increasable fibrinopeptide B (reflecting B beta 1–42), desarginyl fibrinopeptide B, beta thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 were made before, during, and after delivery in patients with preeclampsia/eclampsia. The data were correlated with routine coagulation studies, hematologic and renal status, as well as with the clinical manifestations. In 11 patients with mild preeclampsia, there were small increases in the fibrinopeptides at the time of delivery, but no other hematologic changes. In 5 patients with severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, there were marked increases in plasma levels of fibrinopeptides and platelet alpha granule proteins, which correlated in time with the clinical manifestations. When the changes in these patients were compared with those occurring in patients undergoing intraamniotic hypertonic saline infusion, it was noted that: (1) patients with severe preeclampsia/eclampsia usually presented when plasmin action on fibrinogen exceeded that of thrombin; (2) in patients with preeclampsia/eclampsia the increase in fibrinopeptides lasted from 3 to 7 days, rather than for several hours as occurred after the infusion of hypertonic saline, indicating a more persistent stimulus to intravascular coagulation in preeclampsia/eclampsia; (3) severe thrombocytopenia and increased platelet protein levels were seen in these patients and were disproportionate to the degree of increase in the fibrinopeptide A level, suggesting that a mechanism other than thrombin must have contributed to the platelet changes; and (4) in two patients with severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, high desarginyl fibrinopeptide B levels preceded renal insufficiency, possibly reflecting fibrin II formation in renal vessels.
Design of Pt-Shell Nanoparticles with Alloy Cores for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

We report that the oxygen binding energy of alloy-core@Pt nanoparticles can be linearly tuned by varying the alloy-core composition. Using this tuning mechanism, we are able to predict optimal compositions for different alloy-core@Pt nanoparticles. Subsequent electrochemical measurements of ORR activities of AuPd@Pt dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) are in a good agreement with the theoretical prediction that the peak of activity is achieved for a 28% Au/72% Pd alloy core supporting a Pt shell. Importantly, these findings represent an unusual case of first-principles theory leading to nearly perfect agreement with experimental results.
Facilitating Interaction: Board Games as Social Lubricants in the Ancient Near East

Summary This re-evaluation of existing data on board games from the Near Eastern Bronze Age demonstrates their function as social lubricants in cross-cultural interaction. Board games are situated theoretically as liminoid practices, which lie outside the bounds of normative social behaviour and allow for interaction across social boundaries. Utilizing double-sided game boards, with an indigenous game on one side and a newly introduced game on the other, the games of senet, mehen and twenty squares provide evidence for social interactions. Cypriots had adopted Egyptian mehen and senet by the third millennium BC, and indigenized the games. This lies in contrast to the game of twenty squares, which had a particular role among elites in the Late Bronze Age interaction sphere. This anthropological discussion of evidence relating to gaming seeks to inspire further research on the role of board games in society.
Reading the Neighbor in Geoffrey Chaucer and Pero López de Ayala

This article employs a neighborly model of literary-historical relations to analyze two medieval accounts of the controversial King Pedro I of Castile and Leon. Utilizing the neighbor as a conceptual category at the interstices of history writing, literary representation, and geographic textual relations, the argument charts Pedro’s textual unrest in Geoffrey Chaucer’s tragedy of Pedro in “The Monk’s Tale” and Pero Lopez de Ayala’s Coronica del rey don Pedro. Both Ayala’s and Chaucer’s accounts confront Pedro as their neighbor — a contentious figure whose ethical meaning is as forceful as it is unstable.
The Underground Economies and the Cost of Regulation

One way to get the trains to run on time is to straighten the tracks. Another is to use more powerful locomotives. A less costly way — indeed, the cheapest way — is to lengthen the time allowed for the journey. In the 1920s the trip from Chicago to New York on the Twentieth Century Limited took 15 hours; passengers got rebates if the train was late, with the amount of the rebate scaled to the length of the delay. The same journey on Amtrak now takes 19–20 hours on the Broadway Limited — and there are no rebates if the train is late. The mileage between Chicago and New York is a constant, more or less. If the trains can’t adjust to the timetables, then the timetables adjust to the trains. Mussolini’s claim to fame was that he got the trains to run on time; but mostly he lengthened the timetables.
Solitary waves in two-dimensional nonlinear lattices

Our understanding of nonlinear dynamics critically hinges on rigorous closed-form solutions to nonlinear wave equations; few closed-form solutions have been achieved for physics-based interaction models beyond one-dimensional space. In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of a two-dimensional lattice with harmonic, weakly nonlinear, and strongly nonlinear interactions. Assuming nearest neighbor interaction, we derive the continuum approximation of the discrete system in the long-wavelength regime while keeping the Hamiltonian structure of the system. For a hexagonal lattice with nontrivial shear resistance, we surprisingly find that solitary wave solutions exist in certain directions related to the underlying symmetries of the lattice. The properties of the solitary waves are also studied by numerical simulations of the original discrete system. Besides being of fundamental scientific interest, the solitary wave solutions in nonlinear hexagonal lattices are anticipated to have applications in the design of shock absorbers, acoustic lens, or nondestructive structural testing devices, among many others.
Adhesion energy of as-grown graphene on copper foil with a blister test

Abstract Interfacial adhesion energy between as-grown graphene and its growth substrate reveals the nature of bonding, as well as provides insights for large-scale roll-to roll graphene transfer. In this study, a novel sample preparation scheme was developed and a unique quasi-static blister test was performed to measure the adhesion energy between as-grown graphene and its copper foil substrate. The copper foil was treated with acetic acid for 4 h, 24 h and 48 h prior to graphene growth. The corresponding adhesion energy was determined to be 0.74 ± 0.13 J/m2, 1.10 ± 0.16 J/m2, and 1.53 ± 0.11 J/m2, respectively. Longer exposures to acetic acid led to rougher copper foil surfaces, and thus higher adhesion energy. This trend is in contrast to that for transferred graphene, which has been found to have weaker adhesion to rougher substrates. The experimental results from this study suggest that the interaction between as-grown graphene and its seed layer was mainly due to van der Waals, instead of covalent or ionic bonds and that surface roughness of the growth substrate could be a significant factor in determining the as-grown graphene adhesion energy.
Sonic Hedgehog from both nerves and epithelium is a key trophic factor for taste bud maintenance

The integrity of taste buds is intimately dependent on an intact gustatory innervation, yet the molecular nature of this dependency is unknown. Here, we show that differentiation of new taste bud cells, but not progenitor proliferation, is interrupted in mice treated with a hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitor (HPI), and that gustatory nerves are a source of sonic hedgehog (Shh) for taste bud renewal. Additionally, epithelial taste precursor cells express Shh transiently, and provide a local supply of Hh ligand that supports taste cell renewal. Taste buds are minimally affected when Shh is lost from either tissue source. However, when both the epithelial and neural supply of Shh are removed, taste buds largely disappear. We conclude Shh supplied by taste nerves and local taste epithelium act in concert to support continued taste bud differentiation. However, although neurally derived Shh is in part responsible for the dependence of taste cell renewal on gustatory innervation, neurotrophic support of taste buds likely involves a complex set of factors.
ANALYSIS OF CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES WITH BRIDGING CRACKS IN THE PRESENCE OF CREEP

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) represent an attractive class of materials, particularly in aerospace applications where a combination of thermal and mechanical loads may present a challenge for a designer. An important feature of these materials is their ability to withstand damage without immediate failure. This emphasizes a significance of studies of damaged CMCs, particularly at high temperatures. In particular, the analysis of creep of CMCs with matrix cracks is important to accurately predict the response and reliability of such materials. The solution presented in this paper concentrates on creep in the presence of bridging cracks and uniaxial tensile load. Residual thermal stresses and the effect of temperature on the rate of creep are incorporated into the formulation.
The Value of Mindfulness Practice for People with Substance Use Problems

Approximately 2,000 years ago an Indian scholar named Patanjali described the goal of yoga as the “cessation of the turnings of thoughts” (Miller, 1996, p. 29), which helps the practitioner cultiva...
Robotic repair of symptomatic Spigelian hernias: a series of three cases and surgical technique review

Spigelian hernias are a rare defect in the Spigelian aponeurosis, comprising of 0.1-2% of all hernias. These rare hernias can contain intra-abdominal tissue, and rarely bladder. Spigelian hernias pose a high risk for incarceration or strangulation of its herniated content if not repaired promptly. There are a number of routinely employed operative techniques to repair Spigelian hernias, including open or laparoscopic, suture or mesh repair, transabdominal pre-peritoneal approach or totally extraperitoneal approach. Robotic Spigelian repairs have been rarely reported in the literature. We report three cases of incarcerated Spigelian hernias that were successfully repaired robotically with mesh.
Corticosteroids in Pediatric Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by mucosal and submucosal edema of the bronchi and bronchioles, thickening of the basement membrane, intraluminal mucus plugs, and smooth muscle hyperplasia [1]. In recent years our view of the underlying pathophysiological mechanism involved in asthma has changed with the knowledge that inflammation plays a pivotal role. Current scientific information supports the concept that asthma, even in mild cases, is an inflammatory disease with resulting airway hyperresponsiveness and airflow limitation [2]. The recent increase in asthma morbidity and mortality is of great concern in light of scientific advances that have improved our understanding of asthma and provided promising new therapies [3]. This rise is occurring despite an increase in prescribed asthma therapy, suggesting that currently available therapy is inadequate or is not being used optimally.
Radiation Shielding and Protection, Part II

The medical radiation safety program is a subset of the overall radiation protection. Major source of radiation in the medical facilities are from radioactive decay of various radionuclides, from X-ray-generating machines, and from particle accelerators for radiation therapy. And patients have been administered radioactive material for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Those sources of radiation could be sealed source (e.g., Co-57 flood for gamma camera QC), unsealed sources (e.g., radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine), X-rays produced from CT or fluoroscopy units, and particle beams for therapy in radiation oncology. Another source of radiation is from patients who have taken radiopharmaceuticals by injection or other methods of administration in nuclear medicine or implanted with sealed sources in radiation oncology (radioactive I-125, Pd-103 implants). The goal of the radiation safety program in medical facility is to manage staff exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), to minimize patient exposure, to protect general public, and to prevent radioactive waste from contaminating environment.
Evaluating hearing loss risks in the mining industry through MSHA citations

ABSTRACTA new noise regulation for the mining industry became effective in 2000, providing a consistent regulatory requirement for both coal and non-coal mining divisions. The new rule required mines to implement hearing conservation programs, including a system of continuous noise monitoring, provision of hearing protection devices, audiometric testing, hearing loss training, and record keeping. The goal of this study was to assess hearing conservation program compliance, and excessive noise exposure and hearing loss risks for both coal and non-coal mining divisions through evaluating MSHA citations. We analyzed 13,446 MSHA citations from 2000–2014 pertinent to 30 CFR Part 62. Descriptive statistics were generated and comparisons were made among mines of different commodities. In addition, one-way ANOVA on ranks was conducted to estimate the correlation between excess risks and establishment size. Results showed that 25.6% of coal mines and 14.7% of non-coal mines were cited at least once during this per...
3D printed high density, reversible, chip-to-chip microfluidic interconnects.

Our latest developments in miniaturizing 3D printed microfluidics [Gong et al., Lab Chip, 2016, 16, 2450; Gong et al., Lab Chip, 2017, 17, 2899] offer the opportunity to fabricate highly integrated chips that measure only a few mm on a side. For such small chips, an interconnection method is needed to provide the necessary world-to-chip reagent and pneumatic connections. In this paper, we introduce simple integrated microgaskets (SIMs) and controlled-compression integrated microgaskets (CCIMs) to connect a small device chip to a larger interface chip that implements world-to-chip connections. SIMs or CCIMs are directly 3D printed as part of the device chip, and therefore no additional materials or components are required to make the connection to the larger 3D printed interface chip. We demonstrate 121 chip-to-chip interconnections in an 11 × 11 array for both SIMs and CCIMs with an areal density of 53 interconnections per mm2 and show that they withstand fluid pressures of 50 psi. We further demonstrate their reusability by testing the devices 100 times without seal failure. Scaling experiments show that 20 × 20 interconnection arrays are feasible and that the CCIM areal density can be increased to 88 interconnections per mm2. We then show the utility of spatially distributed discrete CCIMs by using an interconnection chip with 28 chip-to-world interconnects to test 45 3D printed valves in a 9 × 5 array. Each valve is only 300 μm in diameter (the smallest yet reported for 3D printed valves). Every row of 5 valves is tested to at least 10 000 actuations, with one row tested to 1 000 000 actuations. In all cases, there is no sign of valve failure, and the CCIM interconnections prove an effective means of using a single interface chip to test a series of valve array chips.
Cooperative CRF and α1 Adrenergic Signaling in the VTA Promotes NMDA Plasticity and Drives Social Stress Enhancement of Cocaine Conditioning

Stressful events rapidly trigger activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, driving the formation of aversive memories. However, it remains unclear how stressful experience affects plasticity mechanisms to regulate appetitive learning, such as intake of addictive drugs. Using rats, we show that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and α1 adrenergic receptor (α1AR) signaling enhance the plasticity of NMDA-receptor-mediated glutamatergic transmission in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons through distinct effects on inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3)-dependent Ca2+ signaling. We find that CRF amplifies IP3-Ca2+ signaling induced by stimulation of α1ARs, revealing a cooperative mechanism that promotes glutamatergic plasticity. In line with this, acute social defeat stress engages similar cooperative CRF and α1AR signaling in the VTA to enhance learning of cocaine-paired cues. These data provide evidence that CRF and α1ARs act in concert to regulate IP3-Ca2+ signaling in the VTA and promote learning of drug-associated cues.
Evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of neutral electrolyzed water on pork products and the formation of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) pathogens.

The goals of this study were to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of Neutral electrolyzed oxidizing (NEO) water on E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Enteritidis and Yersinia enterocolitica in both pure culture and on inoculated pork chops and skin samples, and to investigate the formation of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) pathogens after treatments. Both the plate count method and flow cytometry were used to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy on pure cultures. Different concentrations of NEO water were prepared by diluting the original NEO water (100%) with sterilized deionized water. The antimicrobial efficacy increased as the concentrations of NEO water increased. The flow cytometry results showed that treating with diluted NEO water led to the formation of VBNC cells. No VBNC cells formed when treating pure cultures with 50% or 100% NEO water. Yersinia cultures were found to be more resistant to NEO treatments than Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 cultures, with Yersinia cultures showing lower reductions and higher levels of VBNC cells after treatments. The antimicrobial efficacy of NEO water was significantly better on skin samples than on pork chops. The differences in protein content and structure between pork chops and skin samples serve as major factors impacting the NEO water's efficacy.
Michael Furnell's Crusade against the "Local Influences" Theory of Cholera.

Michael Furnell, MD, sanitary commissioner in India during British rule, offered a scientific explanation of cholera that was rejected by British officials with deadly consequences. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Glycolipid-Dependent Adhesion Processes

The majority of glycolipids in mammalian cells are glycosphingolipids (GSLs), with the exception of sulfated galactosyl diglyceride (seminolipid) present in testis, seminal fluid, and a very small quantity in brain. Therefore, this article is limited to cell adhesion caused by GSLs. Although > 500 GSLs are known, only 10 species of GSLs have been studied and found to mediate cell-to-cell adhesion. Change of signal transduction and cell phenotype take place in most cases of GSL-dependent cell adhesion. The known examples may constitute only a small proportion of the existing cases, since this area of research is still in the early stage of development. There may be a number of cell adhesion systems mediated by GSLs that are not yet known. Glycolipid-dependent cell adhesion requires a specific assembly in which a cluster of GSLs is present as a functional center. Because GSL-dependent adhesion takes place through clustered GSLs in microdomain, we will first explain GSL assembly in membrane, then report cases of cell adhesion mediated through such microdomains.
Replacement Management in Cattle | Pre-Ruminant Diets and Weaning Practices

Feeding programs for the preweaned calf must focus on providing an abundant supply of nutrients to foster desirable growth, yet encourage development of the ruminant stomach to enable weaning at a reasonable age. Early consumption of adequate quantities of colostrum is essential to acquisition of immunity and good health. Initial diets consist of highly digestible liquid diets based upon milk and milk-based ingredients. In some cases, vegetable proteins can be substituted for milk proteins with reductions in cost and some sacrifice in growth. Liquid-feeding programs that foster more biologically normal rates of gain have gained popularity in recent years as they offer benefits of improved health and greater performance once the calves enter the milking herd. Within several weeks of birth, the calf should begin consuming starter concentrate mixtures that have been formulated to encourage intake and support growth of the rumen. Calves are weaned when consumption of dry feeds is sufficient to support reasonable rates of body weight gain.
Political Alignment and the American Middle Class, 1974–1994

The middle class is central to American political life, yet the political alignment of this occupationally diverse class is unclear. This paper proposes an ideal-typical scheme of alignment structures for the middle class that incorporates several major theories of middle-class politics. Using data from the General Social Surveys and employing Multiple Correspondence Analysis, this framework is used as the basis for comparing the observed pattern of political alignments among middle-class occupations in two recent periods, 1974–1978 and 1989–1994. In the earlier period, the middle class was clearly segmented into liberal, conservative, and centrist groups in a way that accorded with established sociological descriptions. By the second period, this clear segmentation had largely broken down. Much of this breakdown occurred on the political right. The paper concludes with a discussion of this finding.
Examination of Veins and Arteries

A wealth of information about the circulation can be obtained from careful examination of the jugular venous system. One can evaluate right ventricular function, hemodynamically significant pericardial disease, tricuspid valve function, and a number of cardiac dysrhythmias.
Collecting the History in the CDH Patients

Chronic daily headache (CDH) is a frequently used but nonspecific term that includes all the headaches which are experienced on more than 15 days per month for at least 3 months. There are numerous headache disorders, both primary and secondary, that behave like this. They represent a great challenge to medical professionals and a burden to the patient and society. The primary CDHs (for which no underlying cause is found) are the most common. Of those, chronic migraine is the leading problem encountered in specialized headache clinics, much more common than other primary CDHs of long duration (≥4 h/day). Most important primary CDHs of short duration (<4 h/day) are the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs), i.e., chronic cluster headache. There is a host of secondary causes of CDH, and they need to be carefully diagnosed based on history, examination, and additional investigations.
Navigating uncertainty: Narrative medicine in pregnancy options counseling education

Abstract Objectives Pregnancy options counseling, or nondirective counseling of patients with unintended pregnancy, is a “necessary competency” for medical students according the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Narrative Medicine (NM) utilizes stories of illness to inform clinical practice and promotes self-reflection in medical education. The authors analyzed the effect of a NM workshop on medical students’ ability to provide pregnancy options counseling. Methods The authors randomized students in the major clinical year at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) to either a 2-hour NM workshop or to a control intervention. The NM group participated in reading and reflective writing exercises addressing varying perspectives on pregnancy. Students then completed a video-taped and numerically-scored OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) regarding pregnancy options counseling. The authors compared mean OSCE scores between the groups. Results The study analyzed 103 participants. Overall mean OSCE scores were higher in the NM group (11.9 ± 1.5, n = 51) than the control group (11.3 ± 1.6, n = 52) (p = 0.049). Conclusions Students undergoing a NM workshop had higher scores on a pregnancy options counseling OSCE. Practice implications This brief intervention may aid future physicians in providing nondirective pregnancy options. This novel approach to teaching is an easily shared learning tool.
High-resolution observations of subsurface fronts and alongshore bottom temperature variability over the inner shelf

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 53(3), (2019): 1639-1649, doi:10.1029/2018JC014454.