cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flow modulation growth of III-V compound semiconductors using a multichamber OMVPE reactor

The flow modulation growth of high purity InP and GaAs based III-V compound semiconductors is demonstrated using a multichamber organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) apparatus. Flow modulation is performed by rotating substrates through spatially separated group III and group V rich zones without valve switching. This system has multiwafer capability and excellent compositional and thickness uniformity. In addition, using the appropriate flow conditions, phosphide and arsenide based superlattice structures can also be produced without the use of mechanical valve switching. High purity InP and GaAs have been realized, yielding low temperature (77 K) mobilities exceeding 110,000 and 115,000 cm/sup 2V s, respectively. Excellent transport and optical properties were also observed for GaInP-GaAs and GaInAs-InP structures. The multichamber reactor is a useful tool for both research and manufacturing of optoelectronic and high speed compound semiconductor devices. >
Escalator-Related Injuries Among Children in the United States, 1990-2002

OBJECTIVE: We describe the epidemiology of escalator-related injuries among children 0 to 19 years of age in the United States, with a focus on the pediatric population that is younger than 5 years. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Reported cases were used to project national estimates and rates of escalator-related injuries in the United States. The analysis included all patients who were 0 to 19 years of age in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database and were seen in an emergency department for an escalator-related injury during the 13-year period 1990-2002. RESULTS: There were an estimated 26000 escalator-related injuries among children who were 0 to 19 years of age in the United States during 1990-2002, yielding an average of 2000 of these injuries annually (rate = 2.6 per 100,000 population per year). The mean age was 6.5 years at the time of injury, and 53.4% of the patients were male. When comparing cases by 5-year age groups, children who were younger than 5 years had the highest estimated number of injuries (12000), as well as the highest annual escalator-related injury rate (4.8 per 100000). The most common mechanism of injury for all age groups was a fall, accounting for 13000 (51.0%) injuries. Entrapment accounted for 29.3% of all injuries and 36.5% of injuries among children who were younger than 5 years. Six percent (723) of injuries to children who were younger than 5 years involved a stroller, with most injuries occurring when a child fell out of the stroller while on the escalator. The most common body part injured for all ages was the leg, accounting for 27.7% of all injuries. Among children who were younger than 5 years, the hand was the most common injury site (40.6%), with hand injuries frequently occurring as a result of entrapment (72.4%). A laceration was the most common type of injury, accounting for 47.4% of escalator-related injuries. Amputations and avulsions were uncommon; however, 71.4% (595 of 833) occurred among children who were younger than 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: There was a disproportionate number of escalator-related injuries among children who were younger than 5 years. Entrapment occurred more frequently among children who were younger than 5 years than in any other age group, which may explain the increased number of hand injuries in this age group. Escalator designs that reduce the gap between the steps and sidewall or shield against access to the gap may decrease entrapment risk. Young children should be supervised properly and should not be transported in a stroller while riding on an escalator. All passengers should use caution and remain alert when riding an escalator to avoid injuries related to falls or entrapment. Additional research is needed to determine the relationship among passenger behavior, escalator design, and escalator-related injury. Language: en
Fitness function shaping in multiagent cooperative coevolutionary algorithms

Coevolution is a promising approach to evolve teams of agents which must cooperate to achieve some system objective. However, in many coevolutionary approaches, credit assignment is often subjective and context dependent, as the fitness of an individual agent strongly depends on the actions of the agents with which it collaborates. In order to alleviate this problem, we introduce a cooperative coevolutionary algorithm which biases the evolutionary search as well as shapes agent fitness functions to promote behavior that benefits the system-level performance. More specifically, we bias the search using a hall of fame approximation of optimal collaborators, and shape the agent fitness using the difference evaluation function. Our results show that shaping agent fitness with the difference evaluation improves system performance by up to 50 %, and adding an additional fitness bias improves performance by up to 75 % in our experiments. Finally, an analysis of system performance as a function of computational cost demonstrates that this algorithm makes extremely efficient use of computational resources, having a higher performance as a function of computational cost than any other algorithm tested.
Influence of environmental factors on smellmelon (Cucumis melo var. dudaim Naud.) germination, emergence, and vegetative growth

Abstract Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effects of optimum temperature, depth of planting, and simulated moisture stress on smellmelon germination and subsequent emergence. Smellmelon germination increased with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30 C, with the highest germination of 83% occurring at 30 C. Germination percentages decreased to 49 and 15% with temperatures of 35 and 45 C, respectively. Emergence from depths of 9 to 15 cm was less than 25% for all temperatures. Highest emergence from depths of 1 to 6 cm occurred with 30 and 35 C. Smellmelon germination was reduced from 81 to 61% when the osmotic potential was reduced to − 0.2 MPa and was further reduced to 48 and 7% with solutions of − 0.4 and − 0.6 MPa, respectively. Field studies were conducted to evaluate smellmelon biomass production in 1999 and 2000 when competing with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). End of season-smellmelon leaf area values were 16,280 and 22,053 cm2 per plant in 1999 and 2000, respectively, or 67 a...
Resting state connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex covaries with individual differences in high-frequency heart rate variability

Resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) relates to cardiac vagal control and predicts individual differences in health and longevity, but its functional neural correlates are not well defined. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) encompasses visceral control regions that are components of intrinsic networks of the brain, particularly the default mode network (DMN) and the salience network (SN). Might individual differences in resting HF-HRV covary with resting state neural activity in the DMN and SN, particularly within the mPFC? This question was addressed using fMRI data from an eyes-open, 5-min rest period during which echoplanar brain imaging yielded BOLD time series. Independent component analysis yielded functional connectivity estimates defining the DMN and SN. HF-HRV was measured in a rest period outside of the scanner. Midlife (52% female) adults were assessed in two studies (Study 1, N = 107; Study 2, N = 112). Neither overall DMN nor SN connectivity strength was related to HF-HRV. However, HF-HRV related to connectivity of one region within mPFC shared by the DMN and SN, namely, the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area with connectivity to other regions involved in autonomic control. In sum, HF-HRV does not seem directly related to global resting state activity of intrinsic brain networks, but rather to more localized connectivity. A mPFC region was of particular interest as connectivity related to HF-HRV was shared by the DMN and SN. These findings may indicate a functional basis for the coordination of autonomic cardiac control with engagement and disengagement from the environment.
Small Donors in Congressional Elections

Candidates raise substantial sums of money to compete in modern federal elections. Many electoral reform efforts focus on curbing the perceived undue influence of campaign donations by the wealthy. An intriguing new reform direction encourages small donor participation. To understand the potential effects of such reforms we utilize new internal Federal Elections Commission campaign finance data to examine patterns of small donor giving to candidates in the 2006 to 2010 congressional elections. We find encouraging small donors may be democratizing by expanding the scope of participation, in that the supply of small donors is unrelated to income levels. Unlike large donors who tend to give to incumbents, small donors give indiscriminately to incumbents, their challengers, and open seat candidates. Small donors give for the instrumental reason to affect the most competitive elections. However, we temper reformers' enthusiasm, finding that ideologically extreme incumbents tend to raise more money from small donors.
Sodium action potentials are not required for light-evoked release of GABA or glycine from retinal amacrine cells.

Sodium action potentials are not required for light-evoked release of GABA or glycine from retinal amacrine cells. Although most CNS neurons require sodium action potentials (Na-APs) for normal sti...
Nutrition status of children and women in West Bengal--challenges and opportunities.

This article presents the salient features of nutritional status among women and children in West Bengal. It also includes the presentation of existing opportunities and approaches to deal with the situation. Malnutrition in women and children in West Bengal is widespread and its serious consequences for human survival are well known. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme revealed that the maximum incidence of malnutrition (low birth weight) is found in children < 3 years old. The State Plan of Action for Children and the Convention on the Rights of the Child is committed to achieving defined nutritional goals in the environment for women and children in each state. The goals include adequate caring practices growth monitoring and nutrition interventions in the diets of children in ICDS. The Triple A ([A]ssessment [A]nalysis and [A]ction) approach to malnutrition strengthens the capacity of communities and their leaders to plan and implement affordable action plans. The widespread prevalence of malnutrition in children and women must be reduced through a reliance on scientific knowledge practical experience international law and basic mortality.
A Non‐Alethic Approach to Faultless Disagreement

This paper motivates and describes a non-alethic approach to faultless disagreement involving predicates of personal taste (PPTs). In section 1 I describe problems faced by Sundell's indexicalist approach, and MacFarlane's relativist approach. In section 2 I develop an alternative, non-alethic, approach. The non-alethic approach is broadly expressivist in that it endorses both the negative semantic thesis that simple sentences containing PPTs do not semantically encode complete propositions and the positive pragmatic thesis that such sentences are used to express evaluative mental states. Finally, in section 3 I explain how the non-alethic approach explains faultless disagreement.
Flow Structure on a Rotating Wing: Effect of Wing Aspect Ratio and Shape

ow structure at a large angle of rotation, corresponding to the steady{state lift plateau. When the aspect ratio of the rectangular wing is suciently large, and at large radial distance from the center of rotation, degradation of the organized swirl of the leading{edge vortex occurs; the structure of the separated layers from the leading{ and trailing{ edges of the wing indicate that the eects of rotation are severely diminished. Simultaneously, there is loss of an identiable tip vortex; it is coherent only for the smallest aspect ratio. Despite these changes of patterns of the leading{edge and tip vortices, the structure of the root vortex remains the same with changes of aspect ratio. These major features of the vortex system also occur along the model wing of a fruit y; their form is remarkably similar to the structure along the rectangular wing of the same aspect ratio.
Assessing the Impact of A Carbon Tax Policy on Commercial Aviation and National Airspace System Performance

This paper examines the effect of a hypothetical carbon tax on commercial aviation operations in the United States through a multi-tiered simulation. First, a tax similar to Australia’s current carbon price system is imposed and the effect on airline costs is estimated. Based on these results, econometric models of air carrier responses are used to estimate the impact on seat supply, flight frequency, and the types of aircraft flown. Then, a system-wide model of the National Airspace System analyzes the resulting schedules and determines preand post-tax flight operational performances, specifically average delay. Finally, a model that measures fuel burn and emissions based on flight trajectories is used to estimate the change in environmental impact from schedule adjustments made by the airlines in response to the carbon tax. Based on a range of plausible tax rates, the results show an average CO2 reduction of between 0.52% and 0.94% over the two quarters modeled in this paper.
A Patient-Specific Risk Model for Predicting Major Bleeding, Thromboembolic Events and Mortality After a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device (CF-LVAD)

s S233 (PS) is a risk factor for VAD patients. Our large study aims to compare outcomes between PS and virgin chest patients (VC) following LVAD implant. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients implanted with VADs from August 2008 to May 2014 at a single center (n = 228). Patients were divided into PS (n = 52) and VC (n = 176) cohorts. A sub-group analysis of patients who had multiple PS was also conducted. The primary endpoint was survival at 30 days and 1 year after VAD implant. Secondary endpoints included length of stay and post-operative complications. Results: Pre-operative demographics and comorbidities were similar between the PS and VC groups. The PS group was older (60.9 vs. 53.5 years, p = 0.005) and had a higher incidence of ischemic cardiomyopathy (84.6% vs 39.8%, p = 0.0001). There was no statistical difference in post-operative outcomes between the PS and VC groups, including ICU (9 vs 8 days, p = 0.396) and hospital (24 vs 23 days, p = 0.390) lengths of stay, stroke, and infection. History of multiple PS did not appear to increase risk as compared to single PS or VC. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 30 day (PS 73.8%, VC 83.3%, p = 0.107) and 1 year (PS 62.0%, VC 70.5%, p = 0.238) after VAD implantation were similar between PS and VC groups. (Table 1) Conclusion: Prior sternotomy does not appear to be a risk factor for VAD implant or subsequent short and long term outcomes. Patients with previous cardiac surgery can have similar benefits from VAD implant as patients without prior sternotomy.
Uncle Sam, Global Policeman

(1967). Uncle Sam, Global Policeman. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 32-34.
Rapid Inhibition Profiling in Bacillus subtilis to Identify the Mechanism of Action of New Antimicrobials

Increasing antimicrobial resistance has become a major public health crisis. New antimicrobials with novel mechanisms of action (MOA) are desperately needed. We previously developed a method, bacterial cytological profiling (BCP), which utilizes fluorescence microscopy to rapidly identify the MOA of antimicrobial compounds. BCP is based upon our discovery that cells treated with antibiotics affecting different metabolic pathways generate different cytological signatures, providing quantitative information that can be used to determine a compound’s MOA. Here, we describe a system, rapid inhibition profiling (RIP), for creating cytological profiles of new antibiotic targets for which there are currently no chemical inhibitors. RIP consists of the fast, inducible degradation of a target protein followed by BCP. We demonstrate that degrading essential proteins in the major metabolic pathways for DNA replication, transcription, fatty acid biosynthesis, and peptidoglycan biogenesis in Bacillus subtilis rapidly ...
Expletive NPs in Object-Position

Chomsky (1981, 1986b) formulates the Theta Criterion so that it prohibits non-argument NPs such as the expletives it and there from occurring in theta-marked positions. One consequence of this formulation is that raising-to-object analyses for (1) are disallowed because they would permit an expletive to occupy an object position, a position which is theta-marked by the verb: (1) John believes there to be a woman outside.
Re-NUCA: A Practical NUCA Architecture for ReRAM Based Last-Level Caches

Although resistive RAM (ReRAM) technology offers a good combination of high capacity and low-power for cache memories, its long write latency and low endurance are potential showstoppers to its wide commercial adoption. In particular, its low write-endurance can cause fast wear-out of cache lines, bringing reliability issues and leading to capacity reduction over time. This problem is exacerbated when ReRAM cache has dynamic NUCA structure, where each core brings most of its data to the cache banks close to itself and writes become localized. We propose Re-NUCA, a NUCA architecture design for ReRAM cache to address its lifetime problem while keeping its performance high. Re-NUCA relies on performance-wise data criticality: if it realizes a cache line is performance critical, it keeps it in the banks close to the target core, like dynamic NUCA, otherwise, it maps cache lines onto banks using static NUCA to evenly distribute writes over cache banks. This change in mapping of cache lines to banks relaxes the lifetime problem in ReRAM NUCA significantly and wear-levels the lifetime of banks. Re-NUCA needs a logic for detecting performance-wise critical cache lines and a low-overhead changes in TLB for keeping mapping information. Our experimental results of a 16-core chip multiprocessor with 32MB ReRAM L3 cache show that Re-NUCA improves the lifetime of the non-volatile cache by about 42%, on average, with almost no impact on performance.
Study on the measurement of power-transmission-line parameters with induced voltage

Parameters of the power transmission line are the gist of the power system load flow calculation as well as the protection setting value, which are important in the proper arrangement of power system operation mode, the reliability and sensitivity improvement of the relay protection, etc. However, the measurement of the power transmission line parameters will be affected easily by the induced voltage when the traditional meter-method or the non-power frequency method is employed, and the measurement methods mentioned above are also limited by the additional power supply. Due to the induced voltage, the open circuit voltage and the short circuit current of the power transmission line can be measured, furthermore, the sequence parameters of the linear transmission lines are independent when the lines have the symmetrical parameters of the triple-phase, i.e. the certain sequence current (voltage) will only bring the same sequence voltage (current). As a result, the sequence impedance of the power transmission line can be solved by decomposing the induced voltage (current) into positive, negative and zero sequence respectively. By simulating the sequence impedance of the transmission line with lumped parameters in the PSCAD, the results indicate that the error between the induction-method and the meter-method is less than 10%. Sequence impedance simulation of quadruple circuit lines on same tower by induction-method was also carried out, it reveals that the sequence impedance of the transmission lines can be accurately calculated by the induction-method. A sequence impedance measuring instrument was also developed based on the induction-method, sequence impedance of the analog lines as well as the quadruple circuit lines on same tower was measured, and the result shows that the instrument is fit for the measurement of the transmission lines. Effect of the voltage amplitude dispersion on the induction-method-measurement is also discussed in this paper, results reveal that the error of the zero sequence impedance will be reduced under the large voltage amplitude dispersion.
Fricke Temporal Forehead Flap

The Fricke flap was first described in 1829 as a temporally based monopedicle flap originating from above the brow. This flap is an option for reconstructing significant laterally positioned upper and lower eyelid anterior lamellar defects. The original description of the flap suggested an indication in which the flap could be tunneled under healthy lateral eyelid tissue to reconstruct a more medial defect. Modifications have been described in which the flap bridges over healthy tissue to reach medial defects. Both approaches are not considered the procedure of choice for more medial defects. When a posterior lamella defect is present, additional support through hard palate graft, harvested cartilage, etc. may be used.
An integral validation technique of RANS turbulence models

Abstract An integral technique to validate Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence models is presented. The technique has the advantage of providing a direct connection between wall fluxes and mean flow dynamics, thus providing the necessary means to evaluate if a model correctly predicts the flow physics. In turn, the technique provides needed information critical to the improved development of turbulence models. To assess the value of the technique, it is used to evaluate the performance of two low-Reynolds-number turbulence models against DNS of reciprocating channel flow with heat transfer. The evaluation demonstrates that the integral technique is an improved validation technique compared to standard validation techniques.
Design and Prototyping a Smart Deep Brain Stimulator: An Autonomous Neuro-Sensing and Stimulating Electrode System

This article presents the design and prototyping of an innovative smart deep brain stimulator (SDBS) that consists of brain-implantable smart electrodes and a wireless-connected external controller. SDBS electrodes operate as completely autonomous electronic implants that are capable of sensing and recording neural activities in real time, performing local processing, and generating arbitrary waveforms for neuro-stimulation. A bidirectional, secure, fully passive wireless communication backbone was designed and integrated into this smart electrode to maintain contact between the electrodes and the controller. The standard EPC-Global protocol has been modified and adopted as the communication protocol in this design. The proposed SDBS was demonstrated and tested through a hardware prototypes.
Population differentiation in allele frequencies of obesity-associated SNPs.

Obesity is emerging as a global health problem, with more than one-third of the world’s adult population being overweight or obese. In this study, we investigated worldwide population differentiation in allele frequencies of obesity-associated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). We collected a total of 225 obesity-associated SNPs from a public database. Their population-level allele frequencies were derived based on the genotype data from 1000 Genomes Project (phase 3). We used hypergeometric model to assess whether the effect allele at a given SNP is significantly enriched or depleted in each of the 26 populations surveyed in the 1000 Genomes Project with respect to the overall pooled population. Our results indicate that 195 out of 225 SNPs (86.7%) possess effect alleles significantly enriched or depleted in at least one of the 26 populations. Populations within the same continental group exhibit similar allele enrichment/depletion patterns whereas inter-continental populations show distinct patterns. Among the 225 SNPs, 15 SNPs cluster in the first intron region of the FTO gene, which is a major gene associated with body-mass index (BMI) and fat mass. African populations exhibit much smaller blocks of LD (linkage disequilibrium) among these15 SNPs while European and Asian populations have larger blocks. To estimate the cumulative effect of all variants associated with obesity, we developed the personal composite genetic risk score for obesity. Our results indicate that the East Asian populations have the lowest averages of the composite risk scores, whereas three European populations have the highest averages. In addition, the population-level average of composite genetic risk scores is significantly correlated (R2 = 0.35, P = 0.0060) with obesity prevalence. We have detected substantial population differentiation in allele frequencies of obesity-associated SNPs. The results will help elucidate the genetic basis which may contribute to population disparities in obesity prevalence.
Prevalence and predictors of phthalate exposure in pregnant women in Charleston, SC

Abstract Phthalates are plasticizers commonly detected in human urine due to widespread exposure from PVC plastics, food packaging, and personal care products. Several phthalates are known antiandrogenic endocrine disruptors, which raises concern for prenatal exposure during critical windows of fetal development. While phthalate exposure is ubiquitous, certain demographics are subject to greater or lesser exposure. We sampled urine from 378 pregnant women during the second trimester of gestation living in Charleston, SC, and measured eight urinary phthalate metabolites as biomarkers of phthalate exposure: monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monomethyl phthalate (MMP). Demographic data was collected from questionnaires administered at the time of specimen collection. All phthalate metabolites were detected in over 93% of urine samples. On average, concentrations were highest for MEP (median = 47.0 ng/mL) and lowest for MMP (median = 1.92 ng/mL). Sociodemographic characteristics associated with elevated phthalate concentrations included being unmarried, less educated, having a low income, high body mass index (BMI), and/or being African American. After racial stratification, age, BMI, education, and income were significantly associated with phthalate concentrations in African American women. Marital status was associated with phthalate concentrations in Caucasian women only, with greater concentrations of MBP, MEHHP, MiBP, and MMP in unmarried versus married women. Results of this cross-sectional study provide evidence for significant racial and demographic variations in phthalate exposure.
30 years after the nobel: James Buchanan’s political philosophy

There are three main foundations of Public Choice theory: methodological individualism, behavioral symmetry, and “politics as exchange.” The first two are represented in nearly all work that identifies as “Public Choice,” but politics as exchange is often forgotten or de-emphasized. This paper—adapted from a lecture given on the occasion of the 30th year after Buchanan’s Nobel Prize—fleshes out Buchanan’s theory of politics as exchange, using four notions that are uniquely central to his thought: philosophical anarchism, ethical neutrality, subjectivism, and the “relatively absolute absolutes.” A central tension in Buchanan’s work is identified, in which he seems simultaneously to argue both that nearly anything agreed to by a group could be enforced within the group as a contract, and that there are certain types of rules and arrangements, generated by decentralized processes, that serve human needs better than state action. It is argued that it is a mistake to try to reconcile this tension, and that both parts of the argument are important.
Self-Consistent Particle-Field Monte Carlo Simulation of Semiconductor Microstructures

A recently developed self-consistent particle-field Monte Carlo simulation is described and results obtained using it are presented. The implementation is applicable to unipolar (electronic) devices fabricated from GaAs and InP. The first part of the paper outlines the different algorithms used for scalar (conventional) and vector (supercomputer) processors, and presents representative timing and cost data in various forms. The importance of boundary conditions is emphasized.
Modular verification and supervisory controller design for discrete-event systems using abstraction and incremental construction

The subject of this dissertation is modular approaches to the verification and control of discrete-event systems (DES). DES are dynamic systems characterized by discrete states and event-driven evolution. In recent years, a substantial body of work has been built up to provide a theory and framework for the control and verification of DES. Despite all the advancements that have been made in this area, application to real-life systems has been somewhat slow. A significant hurdle to the adoption of these methods is the state-space explosion that occurs in modeling systems of the size most commonly found in industry. A common approach that has been applied to address this complexity problem is to construct a series of smaller modular supervisors, rather than a single monolithic supervisor. The problem with this approach is that the modular supervisors can often conflict with one another. This dissertation develops three new approaches to the supervisory control of DES that adopt a modular aspect to their control, while addressing the potential problem of conflict. The first approach addresses the problem of state-space explosion by offering a procedure for incrementally building modular supervisors that are guaranteed to not conflict with one another by construction. An observer type abstraction is employed to make the procedure more computationally feasible. The second approach of this dissertation constructs traditional modular supervisors, then adds another level of coordinating control to resolve conflict between the supervisors. This work employs a conflict-equivalence preserving abstraction to detect and resolve the conflict. The final approach of this dissertation employs interfaces between different components of the global system. The additional structure of these interfaces allows global properties to be verified through the achievement of local properties. Additionally, these interfaces allow for modular supervisors to be synthesized locally such that the necessary requirements are met by construction. In this work, the correctness of the three approaches is proven. Additionally, application to some manufacturing based examples are employed to illustrate the potential strengths and weaknesses of each of the approaches.
The Disappearing Trial: Retrenchment of Litigation in North America

Concerned with the rising rate of litigation and seemingly unchecked litigation abuse, countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, are making changes to their civil justice systems. It is a renewed call for minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency. Through legislative actions as well as judicial decisions both countries have moved towards greater encouragement of alternative dispute resolution and efforts to weigh the cost of the litigation against the value of the litigation, and, in some instances, they have heightened the barriers to the courts by restricting jurisdiction and raising pleading requirements. But has the protection of rights been subsumed by concerns over efficiency and cost containment? This contribution assesses these most recent limits in the United States and Canada—in personal jurisdiction, class actions, discovery, and the effects of upholding arbitration clauses that prohibit collective actions—and their likely effects on access to justice.
Juggling parent care and employment responsibilities: The dilemmas of adult daughter caregivers in the workforce

We review findings from our programmatic research on adult daughters who are simultaneously involved in the roles of employee and care provider to an impaired parent. Two opposing theoretical perspectives on the health effects of occupying these two roles are described, and empirical findings that bear on each perspective are presented. Our review reveals that, consistent with the competing demands perspective, parent care and employment often conflict with one another. Consistent with the energy expansion perspective, however, there is evidence that holding these two roles can be beneficial for the health of adult daughters.
Hydroxychloroquine Ocular Toxicity: Lessons Learned.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is efficacious for various diseases1,2, but can produce “bulls-eye” retinopathy that decreases vision even after discontinuance3,4. Retinopathy can be present in 7.5% of patients after 5 or more years of HCQ treatment, increasing to 20% after 20 years2. In 2016, the American Academy of Ophthalmology published new recommendations for the evaluation of HCQ, emphasizing dosage based on body weight (≤ 5 mg/kg)5. We describe a case in which dosage …
Challenges in the Provision of End-of-Life and Palliative Care to Ethnic Nepali Refugees.

Abstract After over a decade of resettlement of ethnic Nepali refugees in the U.S., a significant population of seriously ill refugees will require palliative care and hospice care. The refugee experience and culturally specific factors affect the end-of-life care of this population. Challenges in the end-of-life care of Nepali refugees include challenges related to social and health inequities, such as significant chronic respiratory disease burden; lack of protocols for deferral of illness disclosure; lack of support for group decision making; unfamiliarity with spiritual, religious, and traditional health practices; and difficulty with cross-cultural communication. Culturally competent care of ethnic Nepali refugees can be accomplished through respectful exploration of patients' and families' preferences regarding the challenges identified. This article presents recommendations that can guide primary and specialist palliative care for this population.
Managing Prostate Cancer Surgical Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Brief Report of the Duke Cancer Institute's Initial Experience

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has rapidly placed tremendous stress on health systems around the world. In response, multiple health systems have postponed elective surgeries in order to conserve hospital beds and personal protective equipment, minimize patient traffic, and prevent unnecessary utilization and exposure of healthcare workers. The American College of Surgeons released the following statement on March 13, 2020: "Each hospital, health system and surgeon should thoughtfully review all scheduled elective procedures with a plan to minimize, postpone, or cancel electively scheduled operations, endoscopes, or other invasive procedures until we have passed the predicted inflection point in the exposure graph and can be confident that our health care infrastructure can support a potentially rapid and overwhelming uptick in critical patient care needs." In our state, North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper requested that all hospitals postpone elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries effective March 23, 2020.
Cotton architecture: examining the roles of SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING in regulating growth habits of a woody perennial crop

By specifying patterns of determinate and indeterminate growth, FLOWERING LOCUS T/SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) and TERMINAL FLOWER 1/SELF-PRUNING (SP) regulate plant architecture. Though well characterized in Arabidopsis, the impacts of these genes on the architectures of diverse crops cultivated in different environments, and their potential to enhance crop productivity and management, are less well addressed. Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is naturally a short-day photoperiodic perennial that is now grown primarily as a day-neutral, annual row crop. Different environments and cultivation practices favor specific growth habits to optimize yield, and in cotton, especially in regions that rely heavily on mechanized harvest, the trend has been to more determinate varieties. Identifying and functionally characterizing SFT and SP homologs in cotton uncovered new aspects of how ratios of indeterminate and determinate growth are balanced, and unraveling their genetic networks emphasized how broadly these gene products affect cotton growth habits.
Teaching Prevention: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Population Health Through Law and Policy

This article describes the development of a new course focused on prevention. This interdisciplinary course, which included students from medicine, public health, law, and public policy, explored the concept of “prevention” and the role of law and public policy preventing disease and injury and improving population health. In addition to interdisciplinary course content, students worked in interdisciplinary teams on public health law and policy projects at community organizations and agencies.
Ideal Body Weight-Based Dosing of Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin for Cost Minimization in Kidney Transplantation.

Introduction:Contemporary dosing strategies for rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) in kidney transplantation aim to reduce cumulative exposure, minimizing long-term adverse events. The use of id...
Thermomechanical Treatment Of Steel

A method is presented for classifying the various types of thermomechanical treatment in terms of the nature of the structure deformed and the type and point of formation of the transformation products. Classes of treatment are discussed from the viewpoint of both the strengthening mechanisms involved and the property changes observed. Comparisons of properties obtained by different treatments are made.
University Student Experiences with Mandated Home Isolation

University students were surveyed regarding their experiences with mandated home isolation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 42 survey responses were analyzed through the lens of social cybernetics. Key associations between elements of student experiences with social isolation were identified.
Improved outcomes over time for adult COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome or acute respiratory failure.

Author(s): Yeates, Eric O; Nahmias, Jeffry; Chinn, Justine; Sullivan, Brittany; Stopenski, Stephen; Amin, Alpesh N; Nguyen, Ninh T | Abstract: BackgroundCOVID-19's pulmonary manifestations are broad, ranging from pneumonia with no supplemental oxygen requirements to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with acute respiratory failure (ARF). In response, new oxygenation strategies and therapeutics have been developed, but their large-scale effects on outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to examine the trends in mortality, mechanical ventilation, and cost over the first six months of the pandemic for adult COVID-19 patients in the US who developed ARDS or ARF.Methods and findingsThe Vizient Clinical Data Base, a national database comprised of administrative, clinical, and financial data from academic medical centers, was queried for patients ≥ 18-years-old with COVID-19 and either ARDS or ARF admitted between 3/2020-8/2020. Demographics, mechanical ventilation, length of stay, total cost, mortality, and discharge status were collected. Mann-Kendall tests were used to assess for significant monotonic trends in total cost, mechanical ventilation, and mortality over time. Chi-square tests were used to compare mortality rates between March-May and June-August. 110,223 adult patients with COVID-19 ARDS or ARF were identified. Mean length of stay was 12.1±13.3 days and mean total cost was $35,991±32,496. Mechanical ventilation rates were 34.1% and in-hospital mortality was 22.5%. Mean cost trended downward over time (p = 0.02) from $55,275 (March) to $18,211 (August). Mechanical ventilation rates trended down (pl0.01) from 53.8% (March) to 20.3% (August). Overall mortality rates also decreased (pl0.01) from 28.4% (March) to 13.7% (August). Mortality rates in mechanically ventilated patients were similar over time (p = 0.45), but mortality in patients not requiring mechanical ventilation decreased from March-May compared to June-July (13.5% vs 4.6%, pl0.01).ConclusionsThis study describes the outcomes of a large cohort with COVID-19 ARDS or ARF and the subsequent decrease in cost, mechanical ventilation, and mortality over the first 6 months of the pandemic in the US.
Principal Component Analysis in Machine Intelligence-Based Test Generation

In a machine intelligence (MI)-based automatic test pattern generator (ATPG), an artificial neural network (ANN) may guide decisions that would otherwise rely on some heuristic. Heuristics use circuit-specific data such as gate types, logic depth, fan-out data, or various testability measures. Treating these data collectively as a multivariate statistic of circuit topology, this study extracts principal components (PCs). A subset of PCs is then used to train the ANN that facilitates algorithmic decisions in ATPG. This reduces the ANN complexity and enhances ATPG efficiency. Results on benchmark circuits show the benefit of reduced CPU time.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: What's Safe and What's Not?

The PSLRA’s safe harbor provisions define forward-looking statements and permit certain issuers to disclose predictive information without liability, as long as the statements are accompanied by cautionary language sufficient to warn investors of projections’ inherent unreliability. This article analyzes the existing safe harbor cases. It focuses on the courts’ interpretation of 'forward looking statement,' explaining results and attempting to reconcile them one with another, while identifying trends in judicial analysis. Similarly, the paper meticulously studies the courts’ construction of the 'meaningful cautionary language' requirement. Interpretation of this new safe harbor is central to securities issuers’ disclosure of forward looking information in SEC filings, in press releases, press conferences, telephone conferences with analysts, and in other literature disseminated to investors. Consequently the paper concludes by issuing specific advice to issuers and their professional advisors on how best to proceed under the safe harbor and its interpretations in the courts so far.
Evolutionary consequences of predation: avoidance, escape, reproduction, and diversification

One of the most important and obvious forces shaping organismal traits is predation. Prey have evolved diverse means of enhancing the probability of survival in the face of predation, and these means fall into two classes of antipredator strategies: (1) avoidance of predatory encounters, and (2) escaping after encountering a predator. A range of antipredator defenses—including behavioral, morphological, physiological, and chemical defenses—serve to either reduce the probability of detection by a predator or enhance the probability of surviving after detection by a predator. However, the recognition that reproductive strategies (e.g. offspring number, reproductive lifespan) are typically strongly influenced by mortality regimes induced by predators, highlights that most but not all “antipredator traits” fall into one of these two categories—that is, some life history traits influence only fecundity, not survival. Life history evolution has not traditionally been included in reviews of antipredator adaptations, however this chapter reveals that the conceptual link between life histories and predation broadens and refines our understanding of predation’s role in phenotype evolution.
Preaching and the epistemological enforcement of ‘ulamā’ authority: The sermons of Muhammad Mitwallī Sha'rāwī

The changes that have taken place during the modern era have threatened the overall authority of the ‘ulamā’ as transmitters of knowledge. The ‘ulamā’ nevertheless retained their status by adapting their past discursive forms. Based upon interviews and content analysis, this study found that the ‘ulamā’ in Egypt continue to use the medium of preaching as a means of instructing the public. They still interpret the Qur’ān and ḥadīth to bring forth new responses, ones attuned to their particular environment. Additionally, ‘ulamā’ communications to the believing public have become the texts of suitability, which represent continuation and adaptation, or textual traditions melded with the present concerns of adherents. One Egyptian ‘ālim preacher, Muhammad Mitwallī Sha‘rāwī, relied on his authority as a man of knowledge engaged with the past Islamic interpretive understanding to demonstrate the necessity of the religious specialist in his sermons to the people. He needed to reiterate the necessity of his expertise because many social and political forces were threatening his authority during his lifetime.
Regulation of Aspartokinase Activity in Clostridium perfringens

Abstract Cells of Clostridium perfringens type D apparently possess only a single species of aspartokinase. This enzyme has been partially purified and shown to be feedback inhibited by meso-diaminopimelate in an allosteric manner. The inhibitor exerts its action noncompetitively with respect to both substrates. The kinetic analysis further indicates that no homotropic cooperative interactions occur between either multiple substrate or inhibitor sites. Like aspartokinases from other bacteria, the clostridial enzyme is stimulated by the presence of either potassium or ammonium cations. A molecular weight of 102,000 was estimated for the enzyme following gel-filtration chromatography. Enzyme activity remains relatively constant throughout the growth cycle of the organism even well into the stationary growth phase. These results are discussed in terms of the role of the enzyme in the growth of the organism.
Phosphorus-32 bioelimination by arthropod predators fed labeled eggs ofHeliothis virescens [Lep.: Noctuidae]

Adults ofGeocoris punctipes (Say),Tropiconabis capsiformis Germar,Nabis roseipennis Reuter andColeomegilla maculata (DeGeer) were confined inside petri dishes and fed phosphorus-32 (32p)-labeledHeliothis virescens (F.) eggs. Observations of bioelimination of32p over a 72 h period allowed derivation of equations for predicting the number ofH. virescens eggs ingested by each species. Twenty-four to 72 h after eggs were eaten, the percentages of32p eliminated ranged from ca. 14% forG. punctipes to 42 % forT. capsiformis. Cautious use of the results will aid researchers in assessing predation on32p labeledHeliothis.
Separation of the methylated nucleoside constituents of ribonucleic acid by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography

Abstract In an attempt to separate a number of methylated nucleoside constituents reportedly present in various mammalian RNA preparations, a comparison of the migration of selected nucleoside standards was assessed via thin-layer chromatographic techniques with respect to three solvent systems and an adsorbent of varying proportions of silica gel and microcrystalline cellulose. The results of these studies revealed that a mixture of seventeen methylated constituents could be separated following two-dimensional development on an adsorbent containing 60% cellulose and 40% silica gel. Constituents separated included the 2′-O-methylated deerivatives of adenosine, guanosine, cytidine and uridine, 1-, N6- and N6,N6-methyladenosines, 1- methylinosine, 1-, 7-, N2- and N2,N2-methylguanosines, 3-, 4- and 5-methylcytidines and 3- and 5-methyluridines. In addition, all of the above constituents were separated from their respective non-methylated nucleosides and bases.