cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Photoactivated Singlet Oxygen Damage in Single-Molecule Optical Trap Experiments

Optical traps or ''tweezers'' use high-power, near-infrared laser beams to manipulate and apply forces to biological systems, ranging from individual molecules to cells. Although previous studies have established that optical tweezers induce photodamage in live cells, the effects of trap irradiation have yet to be examined in vitro, at the single-molecule level. In this study, we investigate trap-induced damage in a simple system consisting of DNA molecules tethered between optically trapped poly- styrene microspheres. We show that exposure to the trapping light affects the lifetime of the tethers, the efficiency with which they can be formed, and their structure. Moreover, we establish that these irreversible effects are caused by oxidative damage from singlet oxygen. This reactive state of molecular oxygen is generated locally by the optical traps in the presence of a sensitizer, which we identify as the trapped polystyrene microspheres. Trap-induced oxidative damage can be reduced greatly by working under anaerobic conditions, using additives that quench singlet oxygen, or trapping microspheres lacking the sensitizers neces- sary for singlet state photoexcitation. Our findings are relevant to a broad range of trap-based single-molecule experiments—the most common biological application of optical tweezers—and may guide the development of more robust experimental protocols.
Equipment utilization based maintenance task scheduling in a job shop

Abstract This study examines, through a series of simulation experiments, the performance of a dynamic job shop, where the equipment is subject to failure. A number of decision rules are developed and tested based on individual machine utilization, for the purpose of scheduling the maintenance activities, in terms of a number of selected performance criteria, under different operating conditions. In addition to maintenance sequencing, the issues of, first the level of preventive maintenance activity and, secondly, the size of the maintenance workforce are examined concurrently. The results of the simulation experiments are analyzed and an attempt is made in arriving at some general conclusions concerning the relative effectiveness of the various types of decision rules under consideration.
Galerkin/Least-Squares Finite Element Processes for BVP in h, p, k Mathematical Framework

This paper presents an investigation of the details of mathematical and computational aspects of the Galerkin/least-squares and the Galerkin/weak form least-squares finite element process within the mathematical and computational framework [1, 2, 3] based on h, p, k as independent computational parameters and requiring that the integral forms be variationally consistent (VC). Higher-order global differentiability of order (k−1) defined by the order k of the approximation space is essential for incorporating correct physics of the processes in the computations and that k is an independent parameter in addition to h and p in all finite element computations. In this paper the attributes of the Galerkin method, the Galerkin method with weak form, and least-squares processes in h, p, k framework with variationally consistent (VC) or variationally inconsistent (VIC) integral forms are utilized to investigate the mathematical features of the Galerkin/least-squares processes (GAL/LSP) and Galerkin/weak form least...
On the scatter in creep rupture times

We report here the results of three series of replicated creep rupture experiments carried out on copper bicrystals. The intent of this study is to investigate the scatter in creep rupture times in order to determine whether creep rupture may be viewed as an essentially deterministic phenomenon or if it contains intrinsic probabilistic features. The use of bicrystals is advantageous in such an investigation, because they are much less sensitive to the effects of loading eccentricity than poly crystalline specimens. The results indicate that where failure is due to a mixed cavitation/ductile rupture mode, the scatter in the failure times may be accounted for entirely by the effects of random variations in the experimental conditions. However when the failure mode is essentially intergranular creep cavitation, the scatter in the failure times is substantially greater than can be explained by the effects of experimental variability. This leads to the conclusion that under these conditions, the creep rupture phenomenon contains intrinsic probabilistic features.
SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF A LOW DENSITY, HIGH POROSITY LITHIUM HYDRIDE-BERYLLIUM HYDRIDE FOAM

Abstract We have developed a low density (30–670 kg m −3 ), high porosity (up to 96%) foam containing lithium hydride (LiH) and amorphous beryllium hydride (BeH 2 ). The composition of the foam can be varied, but the most vigorous foaming reaction is observed with equimolar mixtures of LiH and BeH 2 . We discuss several ways to synthesize the foam, and report on physical properties such as the density, the open and closed porosity, the pore size distribution, the uniformity of foam density and the foam sensitivity to moisture. Hydrogen and organic contaminants in the BeH 2 are evolved during the foaming reaction and apparently provide the force needed to expand the plastic reaction mass into a foam. Simultaneous differential thermal analysis-thermogravimetric analysis show that the reaction is endothermic with very little mass loss. The presence of LiBeH 3 as either a reaction intermediate or a final product is suggested by the fact that the most vigorous foaming occurs with equimolar mixtures of LiH and BeH 2 . This foam may be attractive as the X-ray scattering element in the Thomson scattering polarimeter as proposed for inclusion in the High Throughput X-ray Spectroscopy Space Mission sponsored by the European Scientific Agency.
Pedagogy of the Obsessed

The author examines his obsession with a variety of media culture texts—films, television programs, visual ads in magazines and on billboards, music CDs, comic books, video games, websites—an obsession that manifests itself most pervasively in collecting “video texts.” Among the over 1,000 video texts collected are more than 100 school films, many of which were used for various critical pedagogical projects designed around selected media texts. The author explains how his use of these video texts was radically transformed when he began using selected segments from a wide range of them to create “videocompilations” and “videocollages.” He argues that even though we live in a media-saturated society (a typically negative phrase within media-literacy discourses), there exist many opportunities for educators to use media texts for productive pedagogical purposes.
Insect Walking and Robotics

With the advent of significant collaborations between researchers who study insect walking and robotics engineers interested in constructing adaptive legged robots, insect walking is once again poised to make a more significant scientific contribution than the numbers of participants in the field might suggest. This review outlines current knowledge of the physiological basis of insect walking with an emphasis on recent new developments in biomechanics and genetic dissection of behavior, and the impact this knowledge is having on robotics. Engineers have begun to team with neurobiologists to build walking robots whose physical design and functional control are based on insect biology. Such an approach may have benefits for engineering, by leading to the construction of better-performing robots, and for biology, by allowing real-time and real-world tests of critical hypotheses about how locomotor control is effected. It is argued that in order for the new field of biorobotics to have significant influence it must adopt criteria for performance and an experimental approach to the development of walking robots.
American primary care physicians' decisions to leave their practice: evidence from the 2009 commonwealth fund survey of primary care doctors.

The status of the primary care workforce is a major health policy concern. It is affected not only by the specialty choices of young physicians but also by decisions of physicians to leave their pr...
Using Community-based Participatory Research to Assess Health Needs among Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

Principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) were applied among migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) in a seven-county region of east Texas. The study purpose was to establish communitybased partnerships for CBPR and conduct a preliminary qualitative assessment of perceived health needs and capacities. Key informant interviews and a snowballing technique were used to identify gatekeepers and recruit participants from three stakeholder groups: health care providers, social service providers, and MSFWs. A modified nominal group technique (NGT) was applied in a series of five qualitative group interviews: one group of health care providers (n=9), one group of social service providers (n=11), and three groups of MSFWs (one all male, n=4; one all female, n=8; one gender-balanced, n=8). To enhance response validity, the protocols used in each NGT session were adapted to the communication and problem-solving styles of each stakeholder group. The participants collectively identified behavioral, psychological, environmental, social/economic, and health service access/treatment factors believed to contribute to the health status of the MSFW community. A preliminary comparison of responses across stakeholder groups, known as heterogeneity sampling, revealed differing perspectives related to contributing factors and potential solutions. A discussion of the CBPR process and results, and specific intervention recommendations are provided.
Physics-based image enhancement for infrared thermography

Abstract Thermal imaging with an infrared camera can be used to view the location and intensity of heat sources in space and time. In a thermal conductor, thermal diffusion blurs out those heat sources. Knowledge of the physics of thermal diffusion can be used to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of thermal images. In two dimensions, quantitative reconstruction of the heat source intensity is possible. The same algorithm applied to three-dimensional heat flows provides dramatic improvements in temporal and spatial resolution of the thermal images. Performance is illustrated both in theory and by experiment. An application example demonstrates utility to nondestructive evaluation.
Profiling the trace metal composition of wine as a function of storage temperature and packaging type

The effect of wine packaging and storage temperature on the elemental profile of a commercial Cabernet Sauvignon wine was studied using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In the method, 14 trace elements were monitored in a concentration range between 0.1 and 500 μg L−1, with five of these elements showing significant concentration differences among the samples as a result of the different wine packaging and storage temperatures. Among others, increased tin levels were found in screw capped samples, probably originating from the tin liner used inside the screw caps.
On the acceleration of viscous fluid through an unbounded channel

Viscous incompressible time-dependent flow through a two-dimensional channel of finite cross section is considered. The well-posed theorem for this problem has remained open in the past because flux carrying velocity fields possess infinite energy. We resolve this issue by constructing a suitable infinite energy vector field and seeking the solution of the Navier-Stokes problem as a finite-energy perturbation of this vector field.
Variable rate vector quantization for speech, image, and video compression

The performance of a vector quantizer can be improved by using a variable-rate code. Three variable-rate vector quantization systems are applied to speech, image, and video sources and compared to standard vector quantization and noiseless variable-rate coding approaches. The systems range from a simple and flexible tree-based vector quantizer to a high-performance, but complex, jointly optimized vector quantizer and noiseless code. The systems provide significant performance improvements for subband speech coding, predictive image coding, and motion-compensated video, but provide only marginal improvements for vector quantization of linear predictive coefficients in speech and direct vector quantization of images. Criteria are suggested for determining when variable-rate vector quantization may provide significant performance improvement over standard approaches. >
Exact 1D model for coherent synchrotron radiation with shielding and bunch compression

Coherent synchrotron radiation has been studied effectively using a one-dimensional model for the charge distribution in the realm of small angle approximations and high energies. Here we use Jefimenko's form of Maxwell's equations, without such approximations, to calculate the exact wakefields due to this effect in multiple bends and drifts. It has been shown before that the influence of a drift can propagate well into a subsequent bend. We show, for reasonable parameters, that the influence of a previous bend can also propagate well into a subsequent bend, and that this is especially important at the beginning of a bend. Shielding by conducting parallel plates is simulated using the image charge method. We extend the formalism to situations with compressing and decompressing distributions, and conclude that simpler approximations to bunch compression usually overestimate the effect. Additionally, an exact formula for the coherent power radiated by a Gaussian bunch is derived by considering the coherent synchrotron radiation spectrum, and is used to check the accuracy of wakefield calculations.
Multi-Band (1-6GHz), Sampled, Sliding-IF Receiver with Discrete-Time Filtering in 90nm Digital CMOS Process

A prototype 1-6GHz multi-band sampled sliding-IF receiver with discrete-time channel select filtering in a 90nm low resistivity substrate, strained-Si digital CMOS process is presented. The core receiver has an inductor-less wideband LNA front-end, a sampled mixer, and a combination of programmable poly-phase FIR and IIR filter for baseband filtering. The receiver achieves a noise figure (NF) of -19dBm for bands between 1-6GHz. The receiver when used in a system with an external tuned LNA (2.5dB NF) on the front end module achieves NF of -34dBm for the WiFi bands. The die area for the entire receiver is 0.8mm2 and consumes 89mW
A Comparison of Fish and Aquatic Plant Assemblages to Assess Ecological Health of Small Wisconsin Lakes

ABSTRACT Biological monitoring uses assemblage structure to assess condition of ecological systems. Taxa that effectively integrate impacts within the system of interest are useful for biological monitoring, whereas taxa that do not demonstrate predictable responses can provide ambiguous or misleading indicators. We compared the effectiveness of aquatic plant and fish assemblages for biological monitoring in 16 small lakes (< 80 ha). The lakes were limnologically similar but differed in extent of lakeshore development and type of watershed land-cover. Linear regression analysis revealed that the quality of the aquatic plant community declined with increasing lakeshore development (number of dwellings per km of shoreline), which is the primary source of impacts within this group of northern Wisconsin lakes. As lakeshore development increased, we observed a decrease in the Floristic Quality Index (FQI) of a lake, number of plant species per lake, number of highly intolerant plant species per lake, and the s...
A Note on Augmenting Resolution III Designs

Abstract Box and Draper suggested two methods for augmenting resolution III fractional replications of a 2 n experiment. One method identifies a particular factor of interest and augments the design to obtain estimates of the corresponding main effect and all two-factor interactions involving that factor so that they are not aliased with other two-factor interactions. The second method provides an augmented design that allows one to estimate all main effects unaliased with two-factor interactions. In particular, the second method provides foldover designs. Both methods consist of adding another fraction to the original design. The purpose of this note is to show how these augmentation methods can be obtained as fractional replications of a larger design involving an additional blocking factor. This provides both a simple justification of the blocking methods and a basis for discussing hidden block effects.
The Owner of the Hill: Masculinity and Drug-trafficking in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

RESUMEN Este articulo investiga el modo en que los traficantes de drogas de Rio Janeiro, Brasil, usan un discurso ideologico de autoridad masculina para estructurar sus relaciones con los residentes de las favelas en esa ciudad. El articulo muestra como el discurso en torno al “respeto” permite a los traficantes la legitimacion de su propia influencia sobre los habitantes de las favelas, la normalizacion de la desigualdad y el silenciamiento de la oposicion. Tambien muestra por que los residentes de las favelas aceptan este tipo de discursos de autoridad y examina como estos residentes, a su vez, usan el discurso de genero en su intento de negociar la relacion con los traficantes de drogas. Sin embargo, los traficantes tambien alteran la relacion entre la masculinidad y la asignacion de los diferentes grados de vulnerabilidad. Ademas el articulo muestra como este tipo de relacion genera una experiencia desestabilizadora de ansiedad para los hombres de las favelas que no participan en el trafico de droga. En general, sostengo que hasta que el analisis de la violencia urbana no se situe dentro de un contexto que tenga en cuenta el genero, la misma no podra ser completamente entendida.
Activity of Nickel(II) Oxide in Silicate Melts

Activity–composition relations of NiO have been determined at 1435°C in melts of the system CaO–NiO–SiO2 and at 1400°C in melts of the systems CaO–MgO–NiO–SiO2, CaO–MgO–NiO–Al2O3–SiO2, and CaO–MgO–NiO–K2O–SiO2. In the CaO–NiO–SiO2 and CaO–MgO–NiO–SiO2 systems the activity coefficient of NiO (γNiO) decreases as the polymerization of the melt increases (basicity decrease). γNiO stays contant up to several weight percent NiO for melts with similar basicity, an indication of Henry's law behavior. Minima in the NiO activity coefficient are observed in melts of the CaO–MgO–NiO–Al2O3–SiO2 and CaO–MgO–NiO–K2O–SiO2 systems at NBO/Si ratios between 1.0 and 1.5; i.e., γNiO decreases with decreasing basicity for NBO/Si ratios >1.5 and increases with decreasing basicity for melts with NBO/Si ratios <1.0 (NBO/Si; nonbridging oxygens per silicon). The addition of Al2O3 and K2O to the CaO–MgO–NiO–SiO2 system results in an increase in the activity coefficient of NiO.
Patterns of Presentation of Carcinoma of the Esophagus and Cardia in Patients Less Than 50 Years Old

Squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus in the Western hemisphere are epidemiologically related to tobacco use and alcohol consumption. In the past 10 years, there has been a striking increase in the incidence of adenocarcinomas of the distal esophagus and cardia, many of which do not arise from Barrett’s mucosa. Coincident with this rise in the incidence of adenocarcinomas has been an apparent shift to involvement in younger patients, most of whom do not share the risk factors associated with squamous cell cancers. We reviewed our recent experience with carcinoma of the esophagus and cardia to address several questions. Is the prevalence of cancer among young people increasing? Do young people develop a different type of cancer than that seen in older individuals, and, if so, do their prognoses differ? Can risk factors be identified that facilitate earlier diagnosis in young people?
Issues in American Foreign Food Policy

E XHAUSTIVE treatment of this topic would be a far more ambitious undertaking than I am prepared to attempt. I am interested in the many important problems which it suggests. From observation of events during and since the war, I have perhaps gained some familiarity with a few of these problems. But my direct participation in this area of government activity was brief, intermittent, and is now sometime in the past. I have had no opportunity for really intensive study of current developments. In assigning the topic to me under these circumstances, I understand that your program representatives mainly desired a brief review of a few selected aspects of the developing situation, which would reemphasize some of the important difficulties and problems confronting the United States in relation to its participation in international food affairs.
The safety and efficacy of single balloon enteroscopy in the elderly.

Background:Single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) is an important tool in the management of small bowel disease with limited data available on its performance in the elderly. We aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes of SBE in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective review was performed on 366 patients undergoing 428 SBEs from 2010 to 2014. Patients were divided into different age groups: control <55, 55–64, 65–74 and ⩾75 years. Data on comorbidities, complications, findings, diagnostic and therapeutic yield were compared between groups.Results:Anterograde and retrograde SBE were performed in 340 and 49 patients, respectively, with 63 patients requiring more than 1 procedure. Diagnostic yield was significantly higher for age ⩾75 years compared with <55, 66.3% versus 50%, odds ratio (OR) 1.97 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–3.41]. Therapeutic yield was significantly higher in all three older age groups compared with <55 years, 20.3%: 55–64 years, 44.4%, OR 3.13(95% CI 1.7–5.78...
The Newton-Krylov Method Applied to Negative-Flux Fixup in SN Transport Calculations

Under some circumstances, spatial discretizations of the S N transport equation will lead to negativity in the scalar flux; therefore, negative-flux fixup schemes are often employed to ensure that the flux is positive. The nonlinear nature of these schemes precludes the use of powerful linear iterative solvers such as Krylov methods; thus, solutions are generally computed using so-called source iteration (SI), which is a simple fixed-point iteration. In this paper, we use Newton's method to solve fixed-source S N transport problems with negative-flux fixup, for which the analytic form of the Jacobian is shown to be nonsingular. It is necessary to invert the Jacobian at each Newton iteration. Generally, an exact inversion is prohibitively expensive and furthermore is not necessary for convergence of Newton's method. In the inexact Newton-Krylov method, the Jacobian is inverted using a Krylov method, which completes at some prescribed tolerance. This tolerance may be quite large in the initial stages of the Newton iteration. In this paper, we compare the use of the exact Jacobian with two approximations of the Jacobian in the inexact Newton-Krylov method. The first approximation is a finite difference approximation. The second is that used in the Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov (JFNK) method, which performs a finite difference approximation without actually generating the Jacobian itself. Numerical results comparing standard SI with the three methods demonstrate that Newton-Krylov can outperform SI, particularly for diffusive materials. The results also show that the additional level of approximation introduced by the JFNK approach does not adversely affect convergence, indicating that JFNK will be robust and efficient in large-scale applications.
Silicon carbide doubledisk optomechanics

We demonstrate the first silicon carbide doubledisk microresonator with an optical quality of 105 and a mechanical quality of 1150. We study its optomechanical effects including optical spring, mechanical harmonic generation, and quadratical optomechanical coupling.
Accepting the robotic other: Why real dolls and spambots suggest a near-future shift in architecture’s architecture

With weak Artificial Intelligence in the pockets of the majority of American adults, a societal introduction of a strong Artificial Intelligence or sentience seems close. Although the “intelligence...
Pharmacokinetics and Protein Binding of Cefamandole and Its 1-Methyl-1 H-Tetrazole-5-Thiol Side Chain in Subjects with Normal and Impaired Renal Function

The 1-methyl-1 H-tetrazole-5-thiol (MTT) side chain present on several new cephalosporins may be an important factor in coagulopathy observed during therapy with these antibiotics. To determine the plasma kinetics and protein binding of the side chain and to test the hypothesis that renal failure alters these parameters, we gave six normal volunteers and six anuric patients a single iv dose of 15 mg of cefamandole/kg. Plasma concentrations of cefamandole and free MTT were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography 14 times during the 48-hr period after the dose was given. A compartment-independent pharmacokinetic analysis showed that MTT was rapidly removed from the plasma of normal subjects, but that peak concentrations of MTT were nearly three times greater and persisted for 48 hr in patients with renal failure. Further, renal failure caused a significant MTT protein-binding defect. If a relation exists between hypoprothrombinemia and plasma concentrations of MTT side chain, patients with reduced renal function may be at increased risk for this adverse effect.
Perimesencephalic Hemorrhage: Yield of Single versus Multiple DSA Examinations—A Single-Center Study and Meta-Analysis

Purpose To quantify the rate of detection of aneurysms at follow-up digital subtraction angiography (DSA) after initial DSA with results negative for aneurysms in subjects with perimesencephalic (PM) nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Materials and Methods This single-center retrospective study and meta-analysis was approved by the institutional review board. At a single institution from 2000 to 2013, 252 consecutive patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage at computed tomography (CT) and two DSA examinations negative for aneurysm within 10 days were evaluated for inclusion in the study, and 131 met CT criteria for PM nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (53 women; mean age, 53 years [range, 33-88 years]). DS angiographic reports were reviewed for causative abnormalities. Three reviewers searched MEDLINE and electronic databases for studies that reported detection of aneurysm in subjects with PM hemorrhage who had undergone multiple DSA examinations. Main inclusion criteria were PM hemorrhage at CT per van Gijn classification, head CT performed within 72 hours of symptom onset, initial DS angiographic results negative for aneurysm, and two DSA examinations within 10 days. Studies with fewer than 25 subjects were excluded. Methodology was assessed by using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The summary rate of aneurysm detection for subsequent DSA was calculated by using a fixed-effects model. Results Six studies with 298 subjects and a single-institution study with 131 subjects were included. No aneurysms were seen at follow-up DSA in the single-center study (0.0%). Three aneurysms were detected at follow-up DSA in three of six studies from the literature (one of 29 [3.4%], one of 65 [1.5%], and one of 34 [2.9%] patients). Two occurred in cases that likely preceded the use of the current DSA technique. The summary aneurysm detection rate at subsequent DSA was 1.6% (95% confidence interval: 0.7%, 3.8%; range of individual study detection rate: 0.0%-3.4%). Conclusion In patients with PM nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and initial DSA negative for aneurysms, the yield of follow-up DSA for detection of causative aneurysms is very low. © RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.
Autoimmune manifestations in patients with multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) and its precursor, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), have been linked with several autoimmune conditions in the medical literature. Yet, significance of these associations is not well understood.
Leadership Misplacement: How Can This Affect Institutions of Higher Education?.

Well-reasoned leadership theories are described in many academic books, yet they may not apply specifically to practices in higher education. In higher education, the absence of tailored leadership theories is compounded by the lack of technical skills or leadership ethics, resulting in leadership issues that impact the organization. To illustrate the effect of the true gaps between leadership theories and practice in higher education, the authors provide a scenario. The intention of this article is to demonstrate that applying theory to practice will assist leaders in guiding followers in the right direction, for the benefit of these specific stakeholders, as well as for the academe at large. The conceptual framework encapsulates: (a) the interaction of one's teaching philosophies and teaching theories; (b) the interaction of one's teaching philosophies and leadership theories; and (c) considerations regarding learning organizations and their success using a flat organizational model.
Undergraduate students’ initial conceptions of factorials

Counting problems offer rich opportunities for students to engage in mathematical thinking, but they can be difficult for students to solve. In this paper, we present a study that examines student thinking about one concept within counting, factorials, which are a key aspect of many combinatorial ideas. In an effort to better understand students’ conceptions of factorials, we conducted interviews with 20 undergraduate students. We present a key distinction between computational versus combinatorial conceptions, and we explore three aspects of data that shed light on students’ conceptions (their initial characterizations, their definitions of 0!, and their responses to Likert-response questions). We present implications this may have for mathematics educators both within and separate from combinatorics.
Measuring nanocurie quantities of tritium bred in metallic lithium and lithium oxide samples

The LBM program requires that nanocurie quantities of tritium, bred in both lithium oxide pellets and lithium samples, be measured with an uncertainty not exceeding + or - 6%. Two methods of accurately measuring nanocurie quantities of tritium bred in LBM lithium oxide pellets and one method of accurately measuring nanocurie quantities of tritium bred in lithium samples are described. Potential errors associated with these tritium measurement techniques are also discussed.
Injection molding of polypropylene hybrid composites reinforced with carbon fiber and wood fiber

Hybrid composites are made by incorporating two or more different types of fillers in a single matrix that is highly tailorable. Carbon fiber (CF) reinforced composites have been well developed for certain industries such as aerospace and sporting goods. However, the high cost of carbon fiber, as well as lack of cost effective processing technologies for mass production, prevents its penetration to many different markets. Wood fiber (WF), an environmentally sustainable bio-fiber, has been used widely in making wood/plastic composites (WPCs) for building products and automotive applications, due to its low cost and lightweight. Nevertheless, WPCs have very limited structural applications where strong mechanical properties are required. Incorporating CF and WF into a polymer matrix to make hybrid composites through injection molding, would be a path to expanded applications for both. This paper investigated the injection molding of CF-WF/polypropylene hybrid composites and their mechanical properties. The effects of fiber content and hybridization on the mechanical properties were studied. POLYM. COMPOS., 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
A Reply to Hyde, Can Judges Identify Fair Bargaining Procedures?

Professor Alan Hyde believes, and we disbelieve, that giving courts the power to review union contracts for fairness will increase the sum of fairness in the world. We assert that there is no procedural routine that is “fair” in the sense of guaranteeing distributional outcomes.
Disseminating Time: Durations, Configurations, and Chance

This essay addresses time’s dissemination both in the sense of an undoing or fracturing of unifying conceptions of time, as well as in the sense of ‘scattering seeds’ by conceiving of manifold temporalizing configurations of living beings, things, and events without an overarching sense of time. After a consideration of traditional conceptions of time, this essay explores the notion of duration in Bergson in order to make it fruitful for thinking duration without centering it in human consciousness. The author suggests that we can begin to think the temporal happening of things and events in terms of different temporal configurations of various degrees and qualities of complexity that may be occasioned by chance, whereby chance is understood as the freeing of time-spaces of indeterminacy in which temporal configurations take shape or manifest themselves. 1
Memory as we approach a new horizon

■ All memory continues to scale, increasingly difficult and complex ■ New DRAM architectures in work across all major application areas ■ Numerous very high bandwidth options with GDDR5X as highest BW/$ ■ HMC delivers unique advantages for ultra-high bandwidth applications ■ Emergence of Persistent Memory, first as DRAM+NAND NVDIMM - Evolving, enabling new and better products ■ 2016 production of first new memory technology in decades: 3D XPoint™ Memory ■ The future: blending the many existing and new memory types - Overall cost and performance tuned to the application
Design, synthesis, and taste evaluation of a high-intensity umami-imparting oxazole-based compound.

Umami taste is imparted predominantly by monosodium glutamate (MSG) and 5′-ribonucleotides. Recently, several different classes of hydrophobic umami-imparting compounds, the structures of which are quite different from MSG, have been reported. To obtain a novel umami-imparting compound, N-cinnamoyl phenethylamine was chosen as the lead compound, and a rational structure-optimization study was conducted on the basis of the pharmacophore model of previously reported compounds. The extremely potent umami-imparting compound 2-[[[2-[(1E)-2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)ethenyl]-4-oxazolyle]methoxy]methyl]pyridine, which exhibits 27,000 times the umami taste of MSG, was found. Its terminal pyridine residue and linear structure are suggested to be responsible for its strong activity. The time taken to reach maximum taste intensity exhibited by it, as determined by the time-intensity method, is 22.0 s, whereas the maximum taste intensity of MSG occurs immediately. This distinct difference in the time-course taste profile...
Abstract 2114: Targeting invasive and drug-resistant PDAC with photodynamic therapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with an extensive desmoplastic reaction and a characteristic extracellular matrix (ECM)-rich stromal microenvironment which is a major determinant of disease progression and therapeutic response. Using 3D cell culture models of PDAC, we recently showed that an invasion-promoting ECM composition leads to differential response to chemotherapy agents and photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which cytotoxic response is triggered by light activation of a photosensitizing agent. In particular, ECM-infiltrating populations with characteristic mesenchymal phenotype display a marked increase in sensitivity to PDT (using the photosensitizer verteporfin), while the same cells exhibit increased chemoresistance. Here, motivated by these findings we systematically disentangle influences associated with the physical and biochemical properties of ECM as regulators of PDAC growth behavior and treatment response. In 3D tumor spheroids transplanted into invasion-promoting type 1 collagen gels, we use riboflavin-mediated photocrosslinking as a tool to regulate ECM stiffness (independent of its concentration), combined with high-content imaging to co-register invasive progression and differential response to chemotherapy and PDT. Increased extent of photocrosslinking correlates with increased collagen stiffness as confirmed by bulk oscillatory rheology, and is associated with a decrease in the invasive velocity (migration speed directed away from the primary transplanted spheroid) of ECM-infiltrating PDAC cells. Preliminary comparisons of PDT and oxaliplatin chemotherapy in low and high collagen crosslinking conditions show that PDT is significantly more effective than oxaliplatin in ECM-invading populations regardless of collagen stiffness. We also compare oxaliplatin chemotherapy and PDT before and after PDAC invasion into Matrigel ECM, and find that PDT efficacy is only enhanced after extensive invasion into the surrounding matrix. These results support the efficacy of PDT in targeting locally invasive PDAC while stressing the importance of elucidating how both biochemical and biophysical ECM interactions regulate therapeutic susceptibilities. Citation Format: Gwendolyn Cramer, Seyedehrojin Jafari, Hamid El-Hamidi, Dustin Jones, Jonathan Celli. Targeting invasive and drug-resistant PDAC with photodynamic therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2114. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2114
Mate value discrepancies, the Dark Triad and relationship satisfaction: A Euclidean distances approach.

We used a Euclidean algorithmic method of calculating mate value discrepancies to test the hypothesis that mate value discrepancies would mediate a negative association between the Dark Triad and relationship satisfaction. Participants (N = 211) rated themselves, their partner, and their ideal partner on a set of traits known to be important in mate selection. They also completed Dark Triad and relationship satisfaction measures. We found an indirect, negative association between the Dark Triad and relationship satisfaction mediated by the partner-potential partner mate value discrepancy. The higher on the Dark Triad, the more alternative partners there were that were closer to the participant’s ideal mate preferences than their current partner, which was associated with decreased relationship satisfaction. This study contributes to our understanding of how the Dark Triad relates to mating psychology. These findings also highlight the utility of employing a Euclidean algorithm to understand associations between individual differences and relationship outcomes.
Art Education and Art Therapy Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder Students

As an art educator, art therapist, and professor of preservice teachers, I seek to contribute to knowledge of teaching art to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through examples that ...
Vitamin E Phosphate Nucleoside Prodrugs: A Platform for Intracellular Delivery of Monophosphorylated Nucleosides

Vitamin E phosphate (VEP) nucleoside prodrugs are designed to bypass two mechanisms of tumor resistance to therapeutic nucleosides: nucleoside transport and kinase downregulation. Certain isoforms of vitamin E (VE) have shown activity against solid and hematologic tumors and result in chemosensitization. Because gemcitabine is one of the most common chemotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer, it was used to demonstrate the constructs utility. Four different VE isoforms were conjugated with gemcitabine at the 5' position. Two of these were δ-tocopherol-monophosphate (MP) gemcitabine (NUC050) and δ-tocotrienol-MP gemcitabine (NUC052). NUC050 was shown to be able to deliver gemcitabine-MP intracellularly by a nucleoside transport independent mechanism. Its half-life administered IV in mice was 3.9 h. In a mouse xenograft model of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) NCI-H460, NUC050 at a dose of 40 mg/kg IV qwk × 4 resulted in significant inhibition to tumor growth on days 11-31 (p < 0.05) compared to saline control (SC). Median survival was 33 days (NUC050) vs. 25.5 days (SC) ((hazard ratio) HR = 0.24, p = 0.017). Further, NUC050 significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to historic data with gemcitabine at 135 mg/kg IV q5d × 3 on days 14-41 (p < 0.05). NUC052 was administered at a dose of 40 mg/kg IV qwk × 2 followed by 50 mg/kg qwk × 2. NUC052 resulted in inhibition to tumor growth on days 14-27 (p < 0.05) and median survival was 34 days (HR = 0.27, p = 0.033). NUC050 and NUC052 have been shown to be safe and effective in a mouse xenograft of NSCLC.
Outcomes According to Discharge Location for Persons Who Inject Drugs Receiving Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy.

Background Opioid use disorder poses a significant public health risk. Persons who inject drugs (PWID) suffer from high mortality and morbidity secondary to serious infectious diseases, often requiring prolonged courses of outpatient parenteral antibiotics. The goal of this study was to determine the outcomes of PWID discharged to home or to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility (SNF/rehab) with parenteral antibiotic treatment under an outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) program. Methods This is a retrospective observational study. The study population was identified via hospital and OPAT databases using substance use disorder diagnoses and confirmed through chart review. The study population included hospitalized PWID with injection drug use in the preceding 2 years who were discharged between 2010 and 2015 to complete at least 2 weeks of parenteral antibiotics and monitored by the OPAT program. Retrospective chart review was used to describe patient characteristics and outcomes. Results Fifty-two patients met inclusion criteria, 21 of whom were discharged to home and 31 were discharged to a SNF/rehab. Of the patients discharged to home, 17 (81%) completed their planned antibiotic courses without complication. Twenty (64%) patients discharged to a SNF/rehab completed the antibiotic courses without complication. Six (11%) patients had line infections, 6 (11%) had injection drug use relapse, and 12 (23%) required readmission. Conclusions Persons who inject drugs discharged home were not more likely to have complications than those discharged to a SNF/rehab. Home OPAT may be a safe discharge option in carefully selected patients.
Convergence of the Core in Assignment Markets

We consider a two-sided assignment market with agent types and a stochastic structure, similar to models used in empirical studies. We characterize the size of the core in such markets. Each agent has a randomly drawn productivity with respect to each type of agent on the other side. The value generated from a match between a pair of agents is the sum of the two productivity terms, each of which depends only on the type (but not the identity) of one of the agents, and a third deterministic term driven by the pair of types. We prove, under reasonable assumptions, that when the number of agent types is kept fixed, the relative size of the core vanishes rapidly as the number of agents grows. Numerical experiments confirm that the core is typically small. Our results provide justification for the typical assumption of a unique core outcome in such markets, which is close to a limit point. Further, our results suggest that, given the market composition, wages are almost uniquely determined in equilibrium. The ...
Thoughts on the Vulnerability of the Field of Computational Social Science

This study examines the new and not yet fully formed field of Computational Social Science (CSS). Current literature presents differing notions of the field, so my research methodically evaluates these definitions against a set of criteria established by Economic and Social Research Council's National Centre for Research Methods in order to conclude that CSS cannot, in its current state, function as an individual academic discipline. This does not preclude CSS from acting as an important research area, and indeed, we maintain that it is essential to the advancement of the social sciences. Further, we believe that with the addition of a specific and novel object of research, as well as a body of unique theories, terminologies, and specialist knowledge, CSS may also act as an academic discipline, or at least be central to social science research in higher education.
Position-effect variegation

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the cytogenetic aspects of position-effect variegation. One of the diagnostic characteristics of position-effect variegation, at least in Drosophila, is the suppression of the variegation toward wild type upon the addition of a Y chromosome and, conversely, the enhancement of the variegation toward the mutant phenotype upon the deletion of this element. Three facts are mentioned, which suggest that position-effect variegation is operating at the transcriptional, or possibly the translational, level of gene expression. These facts are the ubiquity of genes affected, the cis-trans nature of the effect and the centromere-distance effect. The phenomenon of position-effect variegation is overly blessed with the number of interesting observations that have been made. The position-effect nature of the variegation in the mouse was demonstrated by use of a translocation between the X chromosome and genophore 8 that produced brown variegation. Position-effect variegation in the mouse is always associated with rearrangements of the X, an element that is known to become heteropycnotic in one of the X's of an XX cell. This correlates well with the heterochromatic regions responsible for variegation in Drosophila .
Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Is an Effective Treatment for Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm in First Complete Remission: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction It is common practice to refer patients to transplantation centers for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic-cell neoplasm (BPDCN) despite lack of randomized controlled trials. We performed a systematic review to assess the totality of evidence pertaining to the efficacy of allo-HCT in BPDCN. Methods We searched the Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase databases through January 5, 2018, for studies on allo-HCT for BPDCN. Two authors independently reviewed all references for inclusion and extracted data related to benefits (overall [OS] and progression-free/disease-free [PFS/DFS] survival) and harms (relapse and nonrelapse mortality) from included studies. When appropriate, data were pooled using random-effects model. Results Four studies (128 patients) were included in analysis. Pooled OS rate was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 41-59) for all patients. Among patients who underwent allografting whose disease was in first complete remission (CR1), pooled OS and PFS/DFS rates were 67% (95% CI, 52-80) and 53% (95% CI, 29-76), respectively. For patients who underwent allografting in > CR1, pooled OS and PFS/DFS rates were 7% (95% CI, 0-32) for both outcomes. Relapse rates were higher when reduced-intensity regimens were used (40% [95% CI, 25-56] vs. 18% [95% CI, 7-31]). Conclusion This systematic review represents the best available evidence supporting allo-HCT in BPDCN, especially when offered in CR1. Use of myeloablative allo-HCT results in lower pooled relapse rates (18% vs. 40%). A prospective comparative study will be needed to determine the impact of intensity of the conditioning regimen on postallograft relapse.