cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in Plasma Concentrations of Thyroxine, Triiodothyronine, Cholesterol and Total Lipid in Beef Steers Fed Ronnel

An experiment with eight beef steers was conducted to determine the patterns of change for plasma concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), cholesterol and total lipid following the addition or withdrawal of the organophosphate, ronnel, from the diet. Steers were fed 0, 2, 4 and 8 mg ronnel/kg body weight daily in a Latin square arrangement of treatments with five 28-d periods. Plasma samples were obtained at -2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 16 and 23 d of each period. Steers had not received ronnel before period 1 and, for periods 2 to 5, steers previously fed the lower levels (0 and 2 mg ronnel) were switched to the higher levels (4 and 8 mg ronnel) and steers previously fed the higher levels were switched to the lower levels. Treatment assignments for periods 1 and 5 were the same. Feed intake was similar for all treatments (7.8 kg/d) and daily gain was greater when ronnel was fed (.65 vs .88 kg). Plasma T4 concentrations increased positively in response to ronnel level within the first day after ronnel feeding began and reached a plateau within 3 d. Plasma T4 concentrations decreased following the withdrawal of ronnel, but the response was slower; a lower level being established within about 7 d. Changes in plasma T3 concentrations were small, but were concurrent with plasma T4 changes and were inversely related to ronnel level. Plasma cholesterol concentrations tended to be positively related to ronnel level, but changed slowly with time; plasma total lipid concentrations were not consistently affected by ronnel level. The results of this experiment demonstrate that ronnel has an immediate effect on thyroid function in beef steers.
Cholestasis (So-called Biliary Cirrhosis): Problems in Classification

Although conditions designated as biliary cirrhosis may present uniform clinical syndromes, the pathologic findings are often variable. As a result, confusion still exists between the clinician and pathologist regarding the nature of the syndrome. The authors review case histories of patients with primary, cholangiolitic, toxic and Secondary biliary cirrhosis.
Facile Modulation of Antibody Fucosylation with Small Molecule Fucostatin Inhibitors and Cocrystal Structure with GDP-Mannose 4,6-Dehydratase.

The efficacy of therapeutic antibodies that induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity can be improved by reduced fucosylation. Consequently, fucosylation is a critical product attribute of monoclonal antibodies produced as protein therapeutics. Small molecule fucosylation inhibitors have also shown promise as potential therapeutics in animal models of tumors, arthritis, and sickle cell disease. Potent small molecule metabolic inhibitors of cellular protein fucosylation, 6,6,6-trifluorofucose per-O-acetate and 6,6,6-trifluorofucose (fucostatin I), were identified that reduces the fucosylation of recombinantly expressed antibodies in cell culture in a concentration-dependent fashion enabling the controlled modulation of protein fucosylation levels. 6,6,6-Trifluorofucose binds at an allosteric site of GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase (GMD) as revealed for the first time by the X-ray cocrystal structure of a bound allosteric GMD inhibitor. 6,6,6-Trifluorofucose was found to be incorporated in place of fucose...
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

From ancient times, the phenomenon of the migration of human persons from settled homelands to, from the point of view of the migrants, new and strange parts of the world has raised questions about the place, position, and treatment of newcomers into an existing, self-defined human community. “The United Nations (UN) defines as an international migrant a person who stays outside their usual country of residence for at least one year. According to that definition, the UN estimated that in 2005 there were about 200 million international migrants worldwide.” 1 Koser summarizes the importance of migration to public policy and the close connection between migration and human rights: “Migration is inextricably linked with other important global issues, including development, poverty, and human rights. Migrants are often the most entrepreneurial and dynamic members of society; historically migration has underpinned economic growth and nation-building and enriched cultures. Migration also presents significant challenges. Some migrants are exploited and their human rights abused; integration in destination countries can be difficult; and migration can deprive origin countries of important skills. For all these reasons and more, migration matters.”2
Organizational and Staffing Issues in Managing Accreditation

A very important aspect of effectively managing accreditation is choosing the best personnel, motivating them to join the accreditation effort, and leading these essential individuals who are involved on teams in the accreditation process. Several fundamental issues in effective staffing in accreditation management are illustrated in the case of Eastern Michigan University (EMU), which completed a successful regional self-evaluation process that resulted in the association’s decision to continue the accreditation for ten years until the next comprehensive evaluation (Bennion et al. 2002). Even though senior administrators and academic managers at the university understand that there are a variety of reasons for this level of achievement in the self-study endeavor, they have stated that a large part of their accomplishment can be credited to the successful work of the institution’s internal 28-person self-study steering committee. The assignment of members to an accreditation steering committee is a vitally important decision that an accreditation management team must make when organizing and making arrangements for the accreditation evaluation. Consequently, the senior administrators at EMU suggested to others that the procedure for personnel selection should not be engaged too quickly. The assignment procedure at their university actually continued for a complete semester as the dean’s council conferred with the accreditation self-study coordinator.
Johnson, Charles S. (1893–1956)

Charles Spurgeon Johnson was an African American race relations authority and academic administrator who played an important role in sociology and as president at Fisk University. He was an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance and in the National Urban League. Keywords: African American; Chicago School; civil rights; race; sociology
Large Volume X-ray Preionized XeCl Laser

An x-ray preionized XeCl discharge pumped laser, the largest of its type, has produced forty two joules energy in a single pulse. This is three times greater than any previously reported output energy from a discharge pumped laser.2 This energy was extracted from a twelve liter active volume in a 180 ns optical pulse.
Convectively Coupled Kelvin Waves and Tropical Cyclogenesis in a Semi-Lagrangian Framework

AbstractThis study examines how convectively coupled Kelvin waves interact with the semi-Lagrangian circulation of easterly waves to modulate tropical cyclogenesis. Recent studies have shown that fewer tropical cyclones form in the three days before passage of the Kelvin wave’s peak convection and more develop in the three days thereafter. Separately, other studies have identified the recirculation of moisture and vorticity within easterly waves using a semi-Lagrangian frame of reference. That framework is achieved by subtracting the easterly wave phase speed from the earth-relative winds. This study combines these recent findings by testing whether the equatorial westerlies from Kelvin waves can help close the semi-Lagrangian circulation.Past studies have shown that Kelvin waves tilt westward with height in the troposphere such that equatorial westerlies build upward from the surface in the days following the convective peak. This study shows that the easterly wave’s semi-Lagrangian closed circulation gr...
Flying objects get a good airing

One of the real fascinations of science is that it forms the basis for almost all of the contraptions encountered in everyday life, and it can therefore be used to explain how they work. Science also generally, but by no means always, has an answer for why a given gadget was originally designed or developed in a particular way. Of course, the main problem is that not everyone has the level of scientific knowledge required to follow arguments or explanations that an expert in a particular field may offer. The task of explaining scientific principles and terminology in relatively simple form and language is quite daunting. I know this from personal experience, having spent a fair portion of my life researching and explaining sports-ball aerodynamics. I was therefore looking forward to reviewing this book by Brian Kaye, a physics professor at Laurentian University in Canada.
The seeds of socialist ideology: women's experiences in Beishadao village.

Abstract This article attempts to challenge the Euro-American feminist representation of Chinese women as victims of the socialist system. The critique of this representation is grounded by an examination of the intersection between Mao’s gender ideology and rural/Beishadao village women’s experiences. Through a comparative study of two generations of Beishadao women’s lives, our attention is brought to a set of social changes in rural China that took place between the 1950s and 1990s. These changes strongly suggest that women who grew up under Mao’s regime have achieved significant power, although patriarchal privilege does not thoroughly disappear in their lives. These mixed consequences are influenced by contradictions generated by socialist gender ideas. Recognition of differences between two generations of women’s lives thus raises a feminist inquiry about the agents for social change.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (imrt) for anal cancer: Results from a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.

523 Background: This study was done to assess the toxicity and efficacy of IMRT for anal cancer in a multi-institutional setting. Methods: Records of 152 total patients (pts) were reviewed retrospectively. Data on disease control and toxicity were collected as well as pt and treatment characteristics. Acute ( =6 months) severe toxicity (grade >=3) were recorded at each institution. Four were excluded for either presence of metastatic disease (2) or stage TX (2). There was data for late toxicity on 120 pts. Results: T stage was T1 in 28, T2 in 79, T3 in 29 and T4 in 12 pts. N stage was N0 in 77, N1 in 40, N2 in 19 and N3 in 12 pts. The median age was 56 yrs and median follow-up was 26.8 months. Cumulative IMRT dose was 51.25 Gy (median) (range: 4.32-61.2 Gy) in a median of 28 fractions (2-34). Chemotherapy was given in all but 2 pts and the most common regimen was 5- fluorouracil plus mitomycin-C. The median total elapsed treatment time was 40 days. Local control at 3 yrs was 87% and w...
Aptitudes and Instructional Media.

' The research reported herein was performed pursuant to a contract with the Office of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Contractors undertaking such projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their professional judgment in the conduct of the project. Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Office of Education position or policy. A portion of this paper was presented at the National Association of Educational Broadcasters -Instructional Division, Santa Barbara, California, April 4, 1966.
Characterization of Bacterial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation

Antimicrobial materials require careful characterization and testing to evaluate their performance. Multiple methods exist for evaluating whether a material or coating prevents bacterial adhesion and/or biofilm formation. Given that the scenario and conditions in which the material or coating will be used must be taken into account to accurately assess anti-fouling efficacy, the selection of appropriate characterization techniques is critical. This chapter introduces the basic concepts associated with analyzing cell adhesion and describes several analytical methods that are used for testing. The testing procedure, benefits, and limitations of various techniques are also discussed.
Intrauterine inflammation induces sex-specific effects on neuroinflammation, white matter, and behavior.

Abstract Exposure to inflammation during pregnancy has been linked to adverse neurodevelopmental consequences for the offspring. One common route through which a developing fetus is exposed to inflammation is with intrauterine inflammation. To that end, we utilized an animal model of intrauterine inflammation (IUI; intrauterine lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration, 50 µg, E15) to assess placental and fetal brain inflammatory responses, white matter integrity, anxiety-related behaviors (elevated zero maze, light dark box, open field), microglial counts, and the CNS cytokine response to an acute injection of LPS in both males and females. These studies revealed that for multiple endpoints (fetal brain cytokine levels, cytokine response to adult LPS challenge) male IUI offspring were uniquely affected by intrauterine inflammation, while for other endpoints (behavior, microglial number) both sexes were similarly affected. These data advance our understanding of sex-specific effects of early life exposure to inflammation in a translationally- relevant model.
Lentil Underground: Renegade Farmers and the Future of Food in America

Liz Carlisle. New York, NY: Avery, 2016. xxii and 298 pp., map, notes, bibliography, glossary. $16.00 paper (ISBN 978-1-592-40956-3); $11.99 electronic (ISBN 978-0-698-18633-0).Surging popular inte...
Ethical implications of the use of decision aids for antenatal counseling at the limits of gestational viability

Shared decision-making is a recent priority in neonatology. However, its implementation is at an early stage. Decision aids are tools designed to assist in shared decision-making. They help patients competently participate in making healthcare decisions. There are limited studies in neonatology on the formal use of decision aids as used in adult medicine. Decision aids are relatively new, even in adult medicine where they were pioneered; therefore, there is a lack of systematic oversight to their development and use. Despite evidence reporting a powerful effect on patients' decisions, decision aids are not subject to quality control, leading to potentially enormous ethical implications. These include: (i) possible introduction of developers' biases; (ii) use of outdated or incorrect information; (iii) misuse to steer a patient towards less expensive treatments; (iv) clinician liability if negative patient outcomes occur, since decision aids are currently not standard of care.
A Child with a Rare Extraosseous Extension and Pathologic Fracture from a Vertebral Hemangioma: A Case Report.

CASE We present a case of a pathologic vertebral fracture and encroachment into the spinal canal from a vertebral hemangioma in a 13-year-old boy. The original approach of embolization followed by an anterior-posterior resection and stabilization through a costotransversectomy had to be converted intraoperatively to a combined anterior and posterior approach secondary to excessive bleeding. CONCLUSION Because of the hypervascularity and the extensive nature of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, surgeons attempting procedures similar to the case described herein must be prepared to adapt to the circumstances when preoperative embolization is not totally effective. Surgical technique, proper anesthesia, and patient clotting capacity are important factors to consider.
The Impact of Relationship Education on the Couple Relationship: A Grounded Theory of Intentionality and Awareness

Research on relationship education (RE) programs generally shows their effectiveness, but it is important to understand what the mechanisms of change are, how they occur within programs, and what p...
Discovery Products and the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting

ABSTRACTDiscovery products promise to offer library patrons one-stop shopping for library resources. In order to accomplish this, they harvest metadata from various library databases and repositori...
Location Privacy Protection Scheme Based on Random Encryption Period in VANETs

How to ensure location privacy has become an important issue for VANETs’ security. The more effective mechanism is that the vehicles can not be associated by replacing the pseudonyms to protect their location privacy. This paper proposes a novel location privacy protection scheme for VANETs. When vehicles need to change the pseudonyms, they will cooperate with the neighbor nodes to create the encrypted area through group key encryption, so that the external adversary cannot crack the message in this area. During this period, some vehicles change the pseudonyms jointly so that the external adversary can not associate the pseudonyms before and after. Thus the location privacy protection of the vehicle nodes is achieved.
Hardiness Leads to Meaningful Growth Through What is Learned When Resolving Stressful Circumstances

Life is by its nature stressful, and this emphasizes the importance of Hardiness, which is the pattern of attitudes and strategies that help one to turn stresses from potential disasters into growth opportunities instead. This chapter summarizes the conceptualization, research, assessment, training, and practice of Hardiness. This summary shows that Hardiness is positively related to a sense of meaningfulness, and enhances performance and health. Hardiness is also negatively related to depression and anxiety.
Serum biomarker for diagnostic evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) is one of the leading causes of death in SSc. Identification of a serum-based proteomic diagnostic biomarker for SSc-PAH would allow for rapid non-invasive screening and could positively impact patient survival. Identification and validation of novel proteins could potentially facilitate the identification of SSc-PAH, and might also point to important protein mediators in pathogenesis. Thirteen treatment-naive SSc-PAH patients had serum collected at time of diagnosis and were used as the discovery cohort for the protein-expression biomarker. Two proteins, Midkine and Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) were then validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Midkine and FSTL3 were tested in combination to identify SSc-PAH and were validated in two independent cohorts of SSc-PAH (n = 23, n = 11). Eighty-two proteins were found to be differentially regulated in SSc-PAH sera. Two proteins (Midkine and FSTL3) were also shown to be elevated in publicly available data and their expression was evaluated in independent cohorts. In the validation cohorts, the combination of Midkine and FSTL3 had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.85 and 0.92 with respective corresponding measures of sensitivity of 76% and 91%, and specificity measures of 76% and 80%. These findings indicate that there is a clear delineation between overall protein expression in sera from SSc patients and those with SSc-PAH. The combination of Midkine and FSTL3 can serve as an SSc-PAH biomarker and are potential drug targets for this rare disease population.
Schemas and Frames

A perennial concern in frame analysis is explaining how frames structure perception and persuade audiences. In this article, we suggest that the distinction between personal culture and public cult...
Optical communications systems for NASA's human space flight missions

The Laser-Enhanced Mission Communications Navigation and Operational Services (LEMNOS) office at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) manages two NASA optical communication related projects, the Orion EM-2 Optical Communications Terminal (O2O) and the Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) projects. The main goal of LEMNOS is the advancement and implementation of optical communications systems and technologies for NASA missions. The O2O mission is sponsored by NASA's Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. The O2O project will provide optical communications capability to the Orion series of spacecraft, starting with the demonstration of operational utility on EM-2. It will be the first time a human exploration mission will rely on optical communications for its high-bandwidth link. ILLUMA-T is sponsored by the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program Office. It is destined for the International Space Station (ISS) as an external payload attached to the Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). The ILLUMA-T project is developing an optical communications user terminal to demonstrate high bandwidth data transfer between LEO and the ground through the geosynchronous LCRD relay. ILLUMA-T will be the first demonstration of a LEO user of the LCRD system, pointing and tracking from a moving spacecraft at LEO to GEO satellite and vice versa, end-to-end operational utility of optical communications, and 51 Mbps forward link to ISS from ground. Both projects are collaborations between GSFC, Massachusetts Institute of Technology â€" Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL), and a number of contractors.
Modeling and Analysis of Deception Games Based on Hypergame Theory

In this chapter, we discuss a deception game where attackers and defenders can have different perceptions towards a given situation. Although existing game theories have considered incomplete information to consider uncertainty, how players’ different perceptions or misperceptions can affect their decision-making has not been fully addressed. In particular, we discuss hypergame theory which has been used to resolve conflicts under uncertainty. In this chapter, we examine how a player’s perception (or misperception) affects their decision-making in choosing a best strategy based on hypergame theory. To deliver a concrete idea on how the attack–defense game can be modeled based on hypergame theory, we model a simple cybergame scenario and demonstrate an example probability model using Stochastic Petri Nets. Through the evaluation of the model, we show the experimental results to deliver insightful findings in terms of the relationships between perceptions by different players (i.e., an attacker or a defender), their chosen best strategies, and corresponding utilities. Lastly, we measure performance of the attacker and the defender in terms of attack success probability and mean time to security failure.
Increased Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage Rates in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Biologic Therapy.

Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis patients are at increased risk for periprosthetic joint infection after arthroplasty. The reason is multifactorial. Nasal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus is a modifiable risk factor; carriage rates in RA patients are unknown. The goal of this study is to determine the S aureus nasal carriage rates of RA patients on biologics, RA patients on traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and osteoarthritis. Methods Consecutive patients with RA on biologics (±DMARDs), RA on non-biologic DMARDs, or OA were prospectively enrolled from April 2017 to May 2018. One hundred twenty-three patients were determined necessary per group to show a difference in carriage rates. Patients underwent a nasal swab and answered questions to identify additional risk factors. S aureus positive swabs were further categorized using spa typing. Logistic regression evaluated the association with S aureus colonization between the groups after controlling for known risk factors. Results RA patients on biologics, 70% of whom were on DMARDs, had statistically significant increase in S aureus colonization (37%) compared to RA on DMARDs alone (24%), or OA (20%) (P = .01 overall). After controlling for glucocorticoids, antibiotic use, recent hospitalization, and diabetes, RA on biologics had a significant increased risk of S aureus nasal colonization (Odds ratio 1.80, 95% confidence interval 1.00-3.22, P = .047). Conclusion S aureus colonization risk was increased for RA on biologics compared to RA not on biologics and OA. Nasal S aureus carriage increases the risk of surgical site infection; this modifiable risk factor should be addressed prior to total joint arthroplasty for this higher risk patient group.
When will useful quantum computers be constructed? Not in the foreseeable future, this physicist argues. Here's why: The case against: Quantum computing

Quantum Computing IS ALL THE RAGE. It seems like hardly a day goes by without some news outlet describing the extraordinary things this technology promises. Most commentators forget, or just gloss over, the fact that people have been working on quantum computing for decades—and without any practical results to show for it. t IBM notes that quantum computers could "provide breakthroughs in many disciplines, including materials and drug discovery, the optimization of complex systems, and artificial intelligence." Microsoft assures us that quantum computers will "forever alter our economic, industrial, academic, and societal landscape." And journalists repeatedly warn that quantum computers may soon break the encryption that protects the Internet. It has gotten to the point where many researchers in various fields of physics feel obliged to justify whatever work they are doing by claiming that it has some relevance to quantum computing.
Das Keilzinken von Holz—Erste Mitteilung: Ein neues Verfahren für die Keilzinkung von Holz und seine Grundlagen

Die stumpfe Hirnholzverleimung war eine Zeitlang das Ziel vieler technologischer Bemuhungen. Neuere Forschungen haben indessen gezeigt, das sie nicht zu verwirklichen ist. Uberlappungsfugen werden deshalb schon lange verwendet. Seit etwa einem Jahrzehnt werden sie allerdings immer mehr durch andere Fugenarten, insbesondere durch Keilzinken, ersetzt. Die Verwendung dieser Fugenart beruht auf der Annahme, das, je langer die Zinkung ist, desto groser auch die Festigkeit wird. Da die Langsverleimung von Bauholz immer grosere Verbreitung findet, ware es von groser wirtschaftlicher Bedeutung, wenn man eine sehr kurze Keilzinkung mit Innreibender Festigkeit herstelien konnte. Der Verfasser hat die Forderungen, die an eine Endverbindung gestellt werden untersucht und die ideale Fuge definiert. Diese Forderungen werden von dem hier geschilderten Keilzinkenverfahren naheza vollstandig erfullt.
Tax Abatement Disclosures: An Exploratory Study of Professional’s Perceptions and Early Disclosures of GASB Statement No. 77

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) adopted Statement No. 77 requiring government disclosure of tax abatements in audited financial reports for years beginning after December 15, 2015. This paper reports survey findings provided by accounting and finance professionals (practitioners) regarding their tax abatement reporting perceptions. We then review early implementation of the abatement disclosure and find the disclosed information does not meet the practitioner’s expectations. Our findings fill a gap in state and local financial reports as it appears the new disclosure requirement does not fulfill the Board’s reporting transparency expectation goals.
A Specialized Concurrent Queue for Scheduling Irregular Workloads on GPUs

The persistent thread model offers a viable solution for accelerating data-irregular workloads on Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). However, as the number of active threads increases, contention and retries on shared resources limit the efficiency of task scheduling among the persistent threads. To address this, we propose a highly scalable, non-blocking concurrent queue suitable for use as a GPU persistent thread task scheduler. The proposed concurrent queue has two novel properties: 1) The supporting enqueue/dequeue queue operations never suffer from retry overhead because the atomic operation does not fail and the queue empty exception has been refactored; and 2) The queue operates on an arbitrary number of queue entries for the same cost as a single entry. A proxy thread in each thread group performs all atomic operations on behalf of all threads in the group. These two novel properties substantially reduce thread contention caused by the GPU's lock-step Single Instruction Multiple Threads (SIMT) execution model. To demonstrate the performance and scalability of the proposed queue, we implemented a top-down Breadth First Search (BFS) based on the persistent thread model using 1) the proposed concurrent queue, and 2) two traditional concurrent queues; and analyzed its performance and scalability characteristics under different input graph datasets and hardware configurations. Our experiments show that the BFS implementation based on our proposed queue outperforms not only ones based on traditional queues but also the state-of-the-art BFS implementations found in the literature by a minimum of 1.26× and maximum of 36.23×. We also observed the scalability of our proposed queue is within 10% of the ideal linear speedup for up to the maximum number of threads supported by high-end discrete GPUs (14K threads in our experiment).
Catalytic CO2 absorption in an amine solvent using nickel nanoparticles for post-combustion carbon capture

Abstract In industrial post-carbon capture processes, monoethanolamine (MEA) has been mainly used as an absorption solvent. However, this approach generates significant amounts of toxic wastewater containing a heavy chemical difficult to treat and also raises concerns about acute corrosion of metal structures in the facility. To reduce the use of MEA in carbon capture, this work evaluates the catalytic performance of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) for CO2 capture as a possible additive in an MEA solvent. We test the CO2 absorption rate in MEA catalyzed by NiNPs in both limited and high mixing conditions to model real capturing processes in the packed column of industrial absorption reactors. For this purpose, a microreactor and a long serpentine microchannel are employed. The catalytic absorption performance of NiNPs for CO2 in aqueous MEA is evaluated using CO2 microbubbles by monitoring changes in size upon their time-dependent absorption. We find that the average CO2 absorption rate with NiNPs is accelerated by 34% in the limited mixing condition in the microreactor. This increase is mainly due to NPs’ catalytic CO2 absorption driven by a Brownian motion. On the other hand, in the high mixing condition in the long serpentine microchannel, the catalytic activity of NiNPs improves the average CO2 absorption rate further to 54%. This improvement makes it possible to shorten the timescale for reaching CO2 absorption equilibrium and therefore to reduce the size of the reactors significantly. The test results demonstrate that NiNPs serve as suitable additives in the MEA-based CO2 absorption system.
Defining and Measuring the Influences of GIS-Based Instruction on Students’ STEM-Relevant Reasoning

Geospatial technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and GPS have been used in a variety of educational settings to help improve student learning. A sample of 53 h...
Dynavision Normative Data for Healthy Adults: Reaction Test Program

Importance: Previous research has calculated normative data for the Dynavision D2 Visuomotor Training (D2) System among healthy athletes to understand concussion management, but to date no studies have identified the norms for healthy adults over a large age range (18–80 yr) for physical response speed. Objective: To provide normative data for the D2 for physical response speed in adults ages 18–80 yr. Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study to obtain normative data on physical response speed using the D2 for adults in age categories 18–40, 41–60, and 61–80 yr. Setting: Genesis Physical Therapy and Wellness Center, a Midwestern outpatient hospital–based therapy center. Participants: Three hundred adults, stratified into three different age categories. Normal standards with quartiles were identified for each age and sex category. Outcomes and Measures: Multiple regression model of the inverse response times. Results: The results showed a significant difference in physical response speed between men and women and between the different age groups. Women in all age categories were slower than men. Physical response speed increased with age in both sexes, but each had significantly different age and sex main effects (p < .0005). Conclusions and Relevance: Occupational therapy practitioners can use the normative standards identified in this study in their assessment of clients with visual and cognitive deficits after a brain injury, stroke, or other neurologic pathology. What This Article Adds: This study’s results can be added to the battery of other common evaluation measures that occupational therapists use to evaluate visual and cognitive deficits after neurological impairments.
ALD-Modified LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2 Paired with Macroporous Silicon for Lithium-Ion Batteries: An Investigation on Lithium Trapping, Resistance Rise, and Cycle-Life Performance

Combining high energy density electrodes, such as silicon and NMC, has the potential to meet the growing demand of high energy electric vehicles. Herein, we report a full-cell design using a macroporous silicon anode and alumina-coated NMC cathode that provides stable cyclability by means of capacity-limited charging. The proposed Si-NMC full-cell design with alumina passivation on cathode has exhibited a stable capacity of 1000 mAh/g, with 1.2 times higher energy density than the Si-NMC full-cell without cathode passivation. The role of alumina coating on the altered half-cell electrode charging mechanisms and electrochemical full-cell reactions with Si anode was investigated systematically using various structural and chemical analyses. The alumina passivated Si-NMC full-cell designed in this study elucidated an interesting electrochemical behavior of Li trapping, which shed light on a significant pathway in the efficient utilization of Si-NMC battery for high energy applications.
Comparison of commonly used solid tumor targeted gene sequencing panels for estimating tumor mutation burden shows analytical and prognostic concordance within the cancer genome atlas cohort.

Background Tumor mutation burden (TMB) is a biomarker frequently reported by clinical laboratories, which is derived by quantifying of the number of single nucleotide or indel variants (mutations) identified by next-generation sequencing of tumors. TMB values can inform prognosis or predict the response of a patient’s tumor to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Methods for the calculation of TMB are not standardized between laboratories, with significant variables being the gene content of the panels sequenced and the inclusion or exclusion of synonymous variants in the calculations. The impact of these methodological differences has not been investigated and the concordance of reported TMB values between laboratories is unknown. Methods Sequence variant lists from more than 9000 tumors of various types were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Variant lists were filtered to include only appropriate variant types (ie, non-synonymous only or synonymous and non-synonymous variants) within the genes found in five commonly used targeted solid tumor gene panels as well as an in-house gene panel. Calculated TMB was paired with corresponding overall survival (OS) data of each patient. Results Regression analysis indicates high concordance of TMB as derived from the examined panels. TMB derived from panels was consistently and significantly lower than that derived from a whole exome. TMB, as derived from whole exome or the examined panels, showed a significant correlation with OS in the examined data. Conclusions TMB derived from the examined gene panels was analytically equivalent between panels, but not between panels and whole-exome sequencing. Correlation between TMB and OS is significant if TMB method-specific cut-offs are used. These results suggest that TMB values, as derived from the gene panels examined, are analytically and prognostically equivalent.
Bifacial Perovskite Solar Cells via a Rapid Lamination Process

Hybrid perovskite solar cells are considered a promising choice for next-generation thin-film photovoltaic technology. To meet commercialization requirements, more research efforts have now been fo...
The respiratory disease burden of non-traumatic fractures for adults with cerebral palsy

Abstract Background Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) are vulnerable to non-trauma fracture (NTFx) and premature mortality due to respiratory disease (RD); however, very little is known about the contribution of NTFx to RD risk among adults with CP. The purpose of this study was to determine if NTFx is a risk factor for incident RD and if NTFx exacerbates RD risk in the adult CP population. Methods Data from 2011 to 2016 Optum Clinformatics® Data Mart and a random 20% sample Medicare fee-for-service were used for this retrospective cohort study. Diagnosis codes were used to identify adults (18+ years) with and without CP, NTFx, incident RD at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month time points (pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial/pleura disease), and comorbidities. Crude incidence rates per 100 person years of RD were estimated. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HR and 95% confidence interval [CI]) for RD measures, comparing: (1) CP and NTFx (CP + NTFx); (2) CP without NTFx (CP w/o NTFx); (3) without CP and with NTFx (w/o CP + NTFx); and (4) without CP and without NTFx (w/o CP w/o NTFx) after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities. Results The crude incidence rate was elevated for CP + NTFx vs. CP w/o NTFx and w/o CP + NTFx for each RD measure. After adjustments, the HR was elevated for CP + NTFx vs. CP w/o NTFx for pneumonia and interstitial/pleura disease at all time points (all P Conclusions Study findings suggest that NTFx is a risk factor for incident RD, including pneumonia and interstitial/pleura disease, among adults with CP and that NTFx exacerbates RD risk for adults with vs. without CP.
Cryoanalgesia Decreases the Inpatient Opioid Use After Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum.

Introduction: Minimally invasive repair in pectus excavatum (MIRPE) has evolved, but pain control remains a challenge. Therapeutic options have included thoracic epidural analgesia, multimodal analgesia, elastomeric pain pumps, and more recently, cryoanalgesia. Cryoanalgesia has the reported benefit of prolonged postoperative chest wall anesthesia that may result in a shorter length of stay and a quicker return to normal activity. The purpose of this …
Postwar American Fiction and the Rise of Modern Conservatism: A Literary History, 1945–2008

Bryan M. Santin examines over a half-century of intersection between American fiction and postwar conservatism. He traces the shifting racial politics of movement conservatism to argue that contemporary perceptions of literary form and aesthetic value are intrinsically connected to the rise of the American Right. Instead of casting postwar conservatives as cynical hustlers or ideological fanatics, Santin shows how the long-term rhetorical shift in conservative notions of literary value and prestige reveal an aesthetic antinomy between high culture and low culture. This shift, he argues, registered and mediated the deeper foundational antinomy structuring postwar conservatism itself: the stable social order of traditionalism and the creative destruction of free-market capitalism. Postwar conservatives produced, in effect, an ambivalent double register in the discourse of conservative literary taste that sought to celebrate neo-aristocratic manifestations of cultural capital while condemning newer, more progressive manifestations revolving around racial and ethnic diversity.
Corporate opacity and effectiveness of independent female directors

Abstract Research shows female directors are associated with proxies for improved monitoring, yet finds mixed results as to their effect on firm performance. Hypothesizing that their performance impact depends on the firms' information environment, we find that independent female directors have a negative (positive) effect on performance in opaque (transparent) firms, an effect which is incremental to that of independent male directors. We then explore the channels which drive this finding. The standard measure of the information environment considers opacity from the view of external parties such as analysts and investors. However, independent directors have greater access to information than external parties. Consequently, we investigate whether additional data sources, if they exist, mitigate the impact of “external” opacity on the effect of independent female directors on firm performance. We find that when independent female directors have greater access to information either from sources inside, e.g., an independent board chair, or outside, e.g., a large network, the firm, their negative effect on performance in opaque firms dissipates. Investigating their positive impact in transparent firms, we find that independent female directors decrease both discretionary accruals and the likelihood of an Accounting and Auditing Enforcement release.
The Influence of Vacation Home Rentals on Neighborhood Crime and Disorder

This study examines the association between vacation home rentals (VHR) and residential burglary, disturbances, and substance crimes from social disorganization and routine activity perspectives. Airbnb and crime data for 2018 in Austin, Texas, were analyzed spatially and with multivariate count regression models. Census block groups were used as the unit of analysis (N = 602). Other variables considered include socio-demographic variables, a spatial lag, and bar and nightclub locations. Negative binomial regression analyses revealed VHR properties to be significantly and negatively associated with residential burglary, substance crimes, and disturbances when the rental was the entire structure; however, VHR properties were associated with all crime types in a significant and positive manner when the rental was only for an individual room in the property. This is the second study to find negative associations between entire structure VHRs and crime, though this study varies from others in several aspects. VHRs do not appear to contribute to crime in all circumstances, and listing type matters. However, this is a newer research topic and future studies would benefit from using longitudinal methods, addressing the temporal order of VHR properties and crime in neighborhoods, as well as considering property management characteristics.
Leveraging high-throughput hyperspectral imaging technology to detect cadmium stress in two leafy green crops and accelerate soil remediation efforts.

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that can accumulate in soils and negatively impact crop as well as human health. Amendments like biochar have potential to address these challenges by reducing Cd bioavailability in soil, though reliance on post-harvest wet chemical methods to quantify Cd uptake have slowed efforts to identify the most effective amendments. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology that could overcome this limitation by quantifying symptoms of Cd stress while plants are still growing. The goals of this study were to: 1) determine whether HSI can detect Cd stress in two distinct leafy green crops, 2) quantify whether a locally sourced biochar derived from hardwoods can reduce Cd stress and uptake in these crops, and 3) identify vegetative indices (VIs) that best quantify changes in plant stress responses. Experiments were conducted in a tightly controlled automated phenotyping facility that allowed all environmental factors to be kept constant except Cd concentration (0, 5 10 and 15 mg kg−1). Symptoms of Cd stress were stronger in basil (Ocimum basilicum) than kale (Brassica oleracea), and were easier to detect using HSI. Several VIs detected Cd stress in basil, but only the anthocyanin reflectance index (ARI) detected all levels of Cd stress in both crop species. The biochar amendment did reduce Cd uptake, especially at low Cd concentrations in kale which took up more Cd than basil. Again, the ARI index was the most effective in quantifying changes in plant stress mediated by the biochar. These results indicate that the biochar evaluated in this study has potential to reduce Cd bioavailability in soil, and HSI could be further developed to identify rates that can best achieve this benefit. The technology also may be helping in elucidating mechanisms mediating how biochar can influence plant growth and stress responses.
Why an Independent Appointing Authority Is Necessary to Choose Counsel for Indigent People in Capital Punishment Cases

The revised ABA Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases require that an agency “independent of the judiciary” be responsible for “ensuring that each capital defendant in the jurisdiction receives high quality legal representation.” This independent agency “and not the judiciary or elected officials should select lawyers for specific cases.” These mandates reflect two realities that have become overwhelmingly clear: (1) judges—whether initially elected, subject to retention elections, or appointed—are subject to political pressures in connection with capital punishment cases; and (2) lawyers whom judges have appointed in capital punishment cases have frequently been of far lower quality than could have been selected. Accordingly, an entity whose members are free from the political pressures that judges face, and have the requisite expertise and commitment to effective representation of people facing the death sentence, should be appointing counsel for these individuals.
A Quick and Inexpensive System for Resolving Digital Copyright Disputes

We have argued elsewhere that peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing poses significant new challenges to the enforcement of copyright law. Copyright owners' initial response to these challenges - to try to shut down the technologies that facilitate file sharing - is bad for society. We suggested that it would be preferable to lower enforcement costs for copyright owners by making dispute resolution by copyright owners against direct infringers quick and cheap, so that copyright owners would be more inclined to pursue such direct infringers instead of suing innovators. While enforcement costs are likely always to be too great to allow pursuit of every infringer, lower costs would allow for enforcement against more infringers, increasing any given infringer's chance of being sued. In this article, we explain how such a dispute resolution system might work, and propose a draft amendment to the copyright act to implement the system.
Human life support during interplanetary travel and domicile. II - Generic Modular Flow Schematic modeling

This paper describes the Generic Modular Flow Schematic (GMFS) architecture capable of encompassing all functional elements of a physical/chemical life support system (LSS). The GMFS can be implemented to synthesize, model, analyze, and quantitatively compare many configurations of LSSs, from a simple, completely open-loop to a very complex closed-loop. The GMFS model is coded in ASPEN, a state-of-the-art chemical process simulation program, to accurately compute the material, heat, and power flow quantities for every stream in each of the subsystem functional elements (SFEs) in the chosen configuration of a life support system. The GMFS approach integrates the various SFEs and subsystems in a hierarchical and modular fashion facilitating rapid substitutions and reconfiguration of a life support system. The comprehensive ASPEN material and energy balance output is transferred to a systems and technology assessment spreadsheet for rigorous system analysis and trade studies.