cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioinformatics Application in Regulatory Assessment for Potential Allergenicity of Transgenic Proteins in Food Crops

Comparison of transgenic proteins with known allergens for amino acid sequence homology is one of the critical components of the widely adopted weight-of-evidence-based transgenic-protein safety assessment approach. A well-maintained and periodically updated consensus allergen database is the foundation for such comparison. Various bioinformatics tools, ranging from sequence homology identification to 3D structure prediction, have been evaluated for their applications in the prediction of protein allergenicity. The CODEX criterion of >35% sequence identity over an 80 amino acid stretch has become the benchmark used in the regulatory assessment of transgenic protein safety in spite of its high false-positive rate (false detections). It is commonly recognized that E -values should be used to measure the biological relevance of sequence homology between a query protein and allergens. Adoption of 1:1 FASTA with a biologically-relevant E -value is recommended as a supplement to the CODEX criterion to eliminate biologically-irrelevant homology hits generated by the CODEX criterion.
Identification of Multiple Ear-Colonizing Insect and Disease Resistance in CIMMYT Maize Inbred Lines with Varying Levels of Silk Maysin

Ninety four corn inbred lines selected from International Center for the Improvement of Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) in Mexico were evaluated for levels of silk maysin in 2001 and 2002. Damage by major ear-feeding insects [i.e., corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say); southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)], and common smut [Ustilago maydis DC (Corda)] infection on these inbred lines were evaluated in 2005 and 2006 under subtropical conditions at Tifton, GA. Ten inbred lines possessing good agronomic traits were also resistant to the corn earworm. The correlation between ear-feeding insect damage or smut infection and three phenotypic traits (silk maysin level, husk extension, and husk tightness of corn ears) was also examined. Corn earworm and stink bug damage was negatively correlated to husk extension, but not to either silk maysin levels or husk tightness. In combination with the best agronomic trait ratings that show the least corn earworm and stink bug damage, lowest smut infection rate, and good insect-resistant phenotypic traits (i.e., high maysin and good husk coverage and husk tightness), 10 best inbred lines (CML90, CML92, CML94, CML99, CML104, CML108, CML114, CML128, CML137, and CML373) were identified from the 94 lines examined. These selected inbred lines will be used for further examination of their resistance mechanisms and development of new corn germplasm that confers multiple ear-colonizing pest resistance.
Association of environmental chemicals & estrogen metabolites in children.

Background The prevalence of pediatric hormonal disorders and hormonally-sensitive cancers are rising. Chemicals including bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, parabens, 4-nonylphenol (4NP) and triclosan have been linked to disruption of endocrine pathways and altered hormonal status in both animal and human studies. Additionally, changes in estrogen metabolism have been associated with pediatric endocrine disorders and linked to estrogen-dependent cancers. The main objective of the study was to measure the presence of these environmental chemicals in prepubescent children and assess the relationship between chemical metabolites and estrogen metabolism.
Use of a Portable Assistive Glove to Facilitate Rehabilitation in Stroke Survivors With Severe Hand Impairment

Treatment options for stroke survivors with severe hand impairment are limited. Active task practice can be restricted by difficulty in voluntarily activating finger muscles and interference from involuntary muscle excitation. We developed a portable, actuated glove-orthosis, which could be employed to address both issues. We hypothesized that combining passive cyclical stretching (reducing motoneuronal hyperexcitability) imposed by the device with active-assisted, task-oriented training (rehabilitating muscle activation) would improve upper extremity motor control and task performance post-stroke. Thirteen participants who experienced a stroke 2–6 months prior to enrollment completed 15 treatment sessions over five weeks. Each session involved cyclically stretching the long finger flexors (30 min) followed by active-assisted task-oriented movement practice (60 min). Outcome measures were completed at six intervals: three before and three after treatment initiation. Overall improvement in post-training scores was observed across all outcome measures, including the Graded Wolf Motor Function Test, Action Research Arm Test, and grip and pinch strength ( ${\rm p} \le 0.02$ ), except finger extension force. No significant change in spasticity was observed. Improvement in upper extremity capabilities is achievable for stroke survivors even with severe hand impairment through a novel intervention combining passive cyclical stretching and active-assisted task practice, a paradigm which could be readily incorporated into the clinic.
Measuring the Power of State Legislative Leaders

The influence majority party leaders have over legislative outcomes is central to many theories of the legislative process. As yet, however, we have no satisfactory measure of their influence for state legislatures and Congress to use in testing our theories. Two quite different approaches have been used to measure majority leader powers—perceptual surveys and indices of leaders' formal powers. Yet, these two types of measures show little correlation with each other. This raises important questions about exactly what each approach is measuring, and more fundamentally about our understanding of the nature of leaders' powers. First, we use results of a pilot survey of the powers of legislative leaders to explicate the relationships between leaders’ perceptual and formal powers. Second, we consider how to improve perceptual measures using existing surveys. We use a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the influence of majority party leaders in each of their chambers using the 2002 survey. At the individual level we include variables to control for response bias and at the chamber level we include a variety of explanatory, indicator and control variables.
Bringing Equal Protection out of the Tax Closet

Tax is an area in which constitutional arguments are notoriously difficult to win. With respect to equal protection, courts generally defer to the legislature’s classification of taxpayers because tax is viewed as a form of “economic” legislation. Thus, so long as the legislature refrains from blatantly classifying taxpayers on a suspect basis — for example, on the basis of race or gender — the tax laws are thought to be nearly immune from attack on equal protection grounds.By viewing taxpayers as nothing more than the sum of their financial transactions, this economic lens works in tandem with general notions of tax equity to sanitize tax policy discussions. In effect, this economic lens screens out difficult discussions of invidious discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation in the tax laws. But this economic lens does not eliminate concerns about equal protection in the tax laws; rather, it relegates them to the invisibility of the tax closet. To bring equal protection out of the tax closet, we must recognize that, even absent blatant discrimination, the Internal Revenue Code can have a disparate impact on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. If any area of the law should be open to disparate impact analysis, it should be tax law. In tax, the idea that substance should control over form — that is, the notion that what really happens is more important than what appears to be happening — is pervasive, pervasive enough to perhaps shift equal protection analysis in other areas of the law, too.
A Review of “Cities and Suburbs: New Metropolitan Realities in the US”

Urban researchers have been struggling with analyzing and understanding suburbs in the United States for more than half a century, arguably longer. Hampered by the fact that the U.S. Census Bureau ...
Towards visulations of astrophysical accretion disk on HPC clusters with AccretionSim

In this paper we present a novel architecture for visulation of astrophysical accretion disk on HPC Clusters. Visulation is a portmanteau describing a coupled system where graphic visualization and computer simulation occur simultaneously. Accretion disk investigations are critical for advancing research in astrophysical phenomena such as star birth, stellar collisions and black-hole formation. However, there exists a lack of accelerated simulations and accelerated visulations of such simulations for accretion disks. Our ongoing research attempts to fulfil this gap by providing accelerated visulations. The reference architecture we present in this paper is being implemented in a modern simulator named AccretionSim, that performs numerical simulations and graphical visualizations for astrophysical accretion disk on HPC Clusters.
Toxicity of seven alkyl organophosphorus insecticides to the bollworm, pink bollworm, and tobacco budworm and persistence of naled in various formulations on cotton leaves.

Trichlorfon and Bay S-2217 (2-choroethyl methyl (2,2,2-trichloro-1-hydroxyethyl) phosphonate) were about equally toxic to larvae of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), and trichlorfon and ethyl trichlorfon (diethyl (2,2,2-trichloro-l-bydroxyethyl) phosphonate) were equally toxic to larvae of the bollworm, H. zea (Boddie). However, trichlorfon was more toxic to tobacco budworms when it was applied a an ultra low volume spray (ULV, ½ gal or less per acre without water) than when it was used as a conventional spray (CLV, more than ½ gal per acre with water). Vapors of dichlorvos from impregnated wafers killed all moths of the pink bollworm, Pertinophora gossypiella (Saunders), within 24 hours for 19 days. The ULV sprays of naled formulated with some adjuncts maintained 57% or more of the applied naled on the surface of cotton leaves for 24 hours, but none remained on the surface more than 2 hours when the naled was applied as a CLV spray.
Discussion on the electromagnetic compatibility of power communication equipment

This paper analyses the electromagnetic compatibility of power communication equipment, discusses the requirements at different situation based on Specification of Electromagnetic Compatibility for Power Communication Equipment issued by State Grid Corporation of China. It has a reference value for the performance design, test and operation of electromagnetic compatibility of power communication equipment.
The Single Country Model

The purpose of this chapter is to develop the sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of short-run equilibrium and the long-run balanced growth path in a model which permits some consumer choice. This model is useful because it provides a basis for the study of the growth equilibrium in a two country trading world, as well as an insight into the importance of the demand conditions in determining the short- and long-run equilibrium.
A wavelet based approach to acoustic echo cancellation

The objective of this paper is to investigate the application of wavelet transforms for the acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) problem. In particular, Daubechies' wavelets are considered for adaptive identification of the acoustic echo path. The least mean square (LMS) adaptive algorithm is employed at each scale. Simulation results provided a test of the practical usefulness of the proposed wavelet-based AEC.
Free-electron-laser-induced desorption in wide-band-gap dielectrics

Desorption and ablation using ultraviolet lasers has come to be a widely accepted tool in processing and analytical technologies, in fields as diverse as pulsed-laser film deposition and laser-desorption mass spectrometry. Ultraviolet-laser-induced desorption from wide-band-gap insulators has been linked to the creation of electronic defects and their subsequent relaxation by non-radiative electron-lattice coupling.1
State, Embourgeoisment, and Market Development in India

In this chapter the process of embourgeoisment in India and its contribution to market development is presented. While an incipient capitalist class had already emerged under the British, in post-independent India the state significantly contributed to its further development. The state itself pursued a national capitalist project, which was cloaked under a social-democratic form and circumscribed by the vestiges of non-capitalist social relations. Adhering to the then popular tenets of Keynesianism and structuralism, the government of India attempted to transform the Indian economy through public investments as well as insulating the domestic economy from the forces of global capitalism.
Native and bone marrow-derived cell mosaicism in gastric carcinoma in H. pylori-infected p27-deficient mice

// Songhua Zhang 1 , Woojin Kim 1 , Tu T. Pham 1 , Arlin B. Rogers 2 , Jean Marie Houghton 3 and Steven F. Moss 1 1 Division of Gastroenterology, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA 2 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA 3 Department of Medicine and Cancer Biology, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA Correspondence to: Steven F. Moss, email: // Keywords : Helicobacter pylori , gastric cancer, bone marrow transplantation, inflammation, cytokines Received : March 15, 2016 Accepted : September 02, 2016 Published : September 15, 2016 Abstract Objective: Chronic Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection promotes non-cardia gastric cancer. Some mouse models suggest that bone marrow derived cells (BMDC) contribute to Helicobacter -associated gastric carcinogenesis. We determined whether this increased susceptibility to Helicobacter -induced gastric carcinogenesis of p27-deficient mice is dependent upon their p27-null BMDC or their p27-null gastric epithelial cells. Design: Female mice (recipients) were irradiated and transplanted with BMDC from male donors. Wild type (WT) mice in group 1 (control) received BMDC from male GFP-transgenic mice. Female WT and p27 KO mice were engrafted with male p27KO mice BMDC (Group 2) or GFP-transgenic WT BMDC (Group 3). Recipients were infected with H. pylori SS1 for one year. Results: Mice lacking p27 in either the BM pool or gastric epithelium developed significantly more advanced gastric pathology, including high-grade dysplasia. Co-staining of donor BMDC in dysplastic gastric glands was confirmed by immunofluorescence. Gastric expression of IL-1 beta protein was reduced in groups 2 and 3 ( p < 0.05 vs control) whereas expression of IFN-γ and chemokines MIP-1 beta, MIG, IP-10 and RANTES in group 2 were significantly higher than group 3. Conclusions: Both bone marrow-derived and gastric epithelial cells contribute to the increased gastric cancer susceptibility of p27-deficient H. pylori -infected mice.
Patient Consent and Patient Perception of Complications

Informed consent refers to the process by which the physician and patient agree to a plan formulated concerning the patient’s care. Medicolegal cases throughout the twentieth century provide the framework for the discussion of informed consent. Informed consent is comprised of both the physician informing and disclosing information to the patient and also the patient consenting to the formulated plan of care. In female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, patients derive information about procedures not only from their clinicians but also from other sources. Recent litigation regarding mesh complications enforces the need for physicians to thoroughly and clearly communicate with patients about their treatment choices so they can make an informed decision regarding their treatment plan.
Advancement in simulating moisture diffusion in electronic packages under dynamic thermal loading conditions

Abstract The normalization approach has been accepted as a routine to overcome the concentration discontinuity at multi-material interfaces in the moisture diffusion simulation by the finite element method. However, applying the normalization approach directly in the commercial finite element software under a dynamic thermal loading condition, such as reflow process, may lead to erroneous results. Special techniques are needed to obtain correct results. In this study, different approaches that can deal with the moisture diffusion under dynamic thermal loading conditions were reviewed and compared with case studies. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach were analyzed and discussed. Theoretical derivation was developed to show the direct concentration approach (DCA) violates the law of mass conservation. The effect of Fourier number on the accuracy of the DCA was also examined. The internal source approach was shown to be a universal method in modeling the moisture diffusion in a multi-material system under dynamic thermal loading conditions. The newest version of ANSYS also showed good performance in solving the diffusion problem under transient thermal loadings if a proper time step size was used.
Implementation and Validation of an LTE D2D Model for ns-3

The ability to perform device-to-device (D2D) communication in Long Term Evolution (LTE)-based cellular networks became possible with the introduction of Proximity Services (ProSe) functionalities in the 3rd Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) specifications. In this paper, we provide a description of the ProSe implementation that extends the LTE model already available in ns-3. Our model contains key features defined in LTE Release 12 and further enhanced in LTE Release 13 related to synchronization, discovery, and communication. We also provide validation of each feature by comparing simulation results with analytical models developed as part of our work on D2D communication.
Rubber in the 19th Century

Aspects of the history of rubber are very briefly described, with special reference to the pioneers of vulcanization, Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock. The meaning of crosslinking is explained with reference to rubber and its highly crosslinked version, Vulcanite.
I Just Feel So Guilty: The Role of Emotions in Former Urban Teachers’ Career Paths

This article explores the dynamic structures of emotions used by former urban teachers as they negotiated the challenges of the profession. Drawing from a national sample of 25 former urban teacher...
Autistic Disorder and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Treatment of autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) requires identification of target symptoms, such as irritability, hyperactivity, self-injurious behavior, anxiety, or depression. If the target symptoms adhere to a comorbid syndrome such as obsessive compulsive disorder, treatment is specific to that comorbid syndrome with some exceptions. It is important to distinguish hyperactivity and inattention caused by difficulty with language and social impairment or rituals of autistic disorder and other PDDs from that caused by a comorbid syndrome similar to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychopharmacologic classes discussed include potent serotonin transporter inhibitors (e.g., clomipramine and fluoxetine), other tricyclic antidepressants, stimulants, sympatholytics (clonidine and β-blockers), naltrexone, fenfluramine, typical (e.g., haloperi- dol) and atypical (e.g., clozapine and risperidone) neuroleptics, anticonvulsants (e.g., carbamazepine and sodium valproate), lithium, anxiolytics, pyredoxine, and newer agents.
Trial wave function approach to bilayer quantum Hall systems

We study the properties of some known trial wave functions in bilayer quantum Hall systems at the total filling factor ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{T}=1$. In particular, we find that the properties of a meron wave function and a natural ``quasihole'' wave function are dramatically different due to the broken symmetry and the associated Goldstone mode in the bulk. Although the (smallest) meron has localized charge $1∕2$ and logarithmically divergent energy, the charge of the quasihole excitation extends over the whole system and its energy diverges linearly with the area of the system. This indicates that the natural quasihole wave function is not a good trial wave function for excitations. It also shows that the energy of the naive candidate for a pair of meron wave functions written down previously increases quadratically instead of logarithmically as their separation increases. Our results indicate that qualitatively good trial wave functions for the ground state and the excitations of the interlayer coherent bilayer quantum Hall system at finite $d$ are still not available and searching for them remains an important open problem.
Optimization of synthesis time for SBA-15 materials

A series of the SBA-15 samples was prepared by varying the time of the first synthesis step, which involved the self-assembly of block copolymer and tetraethylorthosilicate under acidic conditions at 40°C. The time of the second synthesis step, which consisted of the hydrothermal treatment of the gel at 100°C, was varied too. The SBA-15 samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, thermogravimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. It was shown that the time of the first synthesis step can be shortened up to two hours, while the hydrothermal treatment should be carried longer.
Engaging Issues of Diversity in the Political Science Classroom

Increasing student awareness of diversity is a core value and goal of many colleges and universities, and is particularly of concern for many Political Science programs. Using surveys administered to instructors and students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, this article identifies how Political Science instructors incorporate tools to increase student awareness of aspects of diversity such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. The survey data also assesses how effective these are related to student reported outcomes.
Sensory Sensitivity in TBI: Implications for Chronic Disability.

This review investigates the relationship between sensory sensitivity and traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the role sensory sensitivity plays in chronic disability. TBI is a significant cause of disability with a range of physical, cognitive, and mental health consequences. Sensory sensitivities (e.g., noise and light) are among the most frequently reported, yet least outwardly recognizable symptoms following TBI. Clinicians and scientists alike have yet to identify consistent nomenclature for defining noise and light sensitivity, making it difficult to accurately and reliably assess their influence. Noise and light sensitivity can profoundly affect critical aspects of independent function including communication, productivity, socialization, cognition, sleep, and mental health. Research examining the prevalence of sensory sensitivity and evidence for the association of sensory sensitivity with TBI is inconclusive. Evidence-based interventions for sensory sensitivity, particularly following TBI, are lacking.
Sleep phenotype in the Townes mouse model of sickle cell disease

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) regularly experience abnormal sleep, characterized by frequent arousals and reduced total sleep time. However, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common comorbidity of SCD, making it unclear whether the disease per se is impacting sleep, or sleep disruption is secondary to the presence of OSAS. Thus, we assessed sleep, independent of OSAS, using a mouse model of SCD. Sleep was compared between 10-to-12-week-old Townes knockout-transgenic mice with the sickle cell phenotype SS (n = 6) and Townes mice with sickle cell trait AS (n = 6; control). The mice underwent chronic polysomnographic electrode implantation (4EEG/2EMG) to assess sleep architecture. The SS mice had significantly lower hemoglobin concentration compared to control AS mice (7.3 ± 1.3 vs. 12.9 ± 1.7 g/dL; p < 0.01), consistent with the expected SCD phenotype. SS mice exhibited significantly decreased total NREM sleep time (45.0 ± 0.7 vs. 53.0 ± 1.3% 24 h sleep time; p < 0.01), but no change in total REM sleep time compared to the AS mice. The SS mice took longer to resume sleep after a wake period compared to the AS mice (3.2 ± 0.3 min vs. 1.9 ± 0.2 min; p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, SS mice experienced fewer arousals compared to AS mice (19.0 ± 0.9 vs. 23.3 ± 2.1 arousals/h of sleep; p = 0.031). The presence of decreased total NREM sleep associated with reduced arousals, in the absence of OSAS, suggests a distinctive underlying sleep phenotype in a mouse model of SCD.
Return to learn.

Abstract Students who have sustained a concussion often have symptoms that affect their full participation in academics. Physical symptoms, such as headaches and dizziness, and cognitive symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating or remembering, may affect students as they try to get through their normal academic workload. The concept of returning a student to normal learning following a concussion is gaining attention, as previously the emphasis has been on the process of returning a student back to full physical activity. Appropriate guidance is needed to assist the student with the transition back into the school environment.
Intraoperative Tilted Posteroanterior View for the Measurement of Distal Radius Articular Step-Off

The purpose of this study is to more accurately determine distal radius articular step-off in the posteroanterior (PA) view. A cadaveric forearm was osteotomized with varying amounts of articular displacement. A second osteotomy was made through the distal radius metaphysis to create four positions of tilt in the lateral plane (5° and 15° dorsal tilt; 5° and 15° volar tilt). Using fluoroscopy, the beam was positioned in the lateral plane from 25° volar to 20° dorsal, separated by 5° increments, obtaining modified PA images of the distal radius in its various configurations. The images were randomly evaluated for step-off by three hand surgeons in a blinded fashion. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the accuracy between estimated and actual step-off and was demonstrated to be greater when the PA view was parallel to the distal radius tilt in the lateral plane, for all four configurations of distal radius tilt. Data pertaining to the distal radius with 0 mm of step-off did not demonstrate the PA view, parallel to the distal radius tilt, to be superior than the PA views not parallel to the tilt; reaffirming that with anatomic reduction, any fluoroscopic image exhibits good alignment. This study confirms that the most accurate method of accessing PA step-off is to first determine the tilt of the radius on a lateral film and then align the beam in the PA plane to match this tilt.
Predictors of Physical Therapy Referral Among Persons With Peripheral Vestibular Disorders in the United States.

Abstract Objective To determine the rate of physical therapy (PT) referral and patient and physician characteristics associated with PT referral for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and other peripheral vestibular disorders (PVD) in ambulatory care clinics in the United States. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2004-2015 Setting Ambulatory care clinics in the United States. Participants We identified 5.6 million weighted adult visits for BPPV (International Classification of Diseases–9th Revision–Clinical Modifications (ICD-9-CM): 386.11) and 6.6 million weighted visits for other PVDs (ICD-9-CM: 386.1-386.9, excluding 386.11 and 386.2) made by patients 18 years and older from 2004 through 2015. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Patient, clinical, and physician characteristics were extracted, and descriptive statistics were stratified by referral to PT. Two multivariable logistic regression models were estimated for each diagnostic group (BPPV and other PVDs) to identify predictors of PT referral. Results PT referrals for BPPV increased from 6.2% in the period from 2004 to 2006 to 12.9% in the period from 2013 to 2015, whereas PT referrals for other PVDs decreased from 3.8% in the period from 2004 to 2006 to 0.5% in the period from 2013 to 2015. Other insurance coverage (versus private) and neurologists and other specialists (versus otolaryngologists) were associated with a greater odds of PT referral for BPPV. Visits made in the Midwest and West (versus the Northeast) and in rural versus metropolitan areas had greater odds of PT referral for BPPV. Relative to otolaryngologists, primary care physicians were less likely to refer to PT for other PVDs. Visits made in metropolitan versus rural areas and visits with 1 or more comorbidities (versus none) had greater odds of PT referral for other PVDs. Conclusions PT referrals remain low for ambulatory care visits for BPPV and other PVDs in the United States. Referral to PT for BPPV and other PVDs varied by insurance type, physician specialty, and office location.
Two-temperature effects in Hall-MHD simulations of the HIT-SI experiment

A two-temperature Hall-magnetohydrodynamic (Hall-MHD) model, which evolves the electron and ion temperatures separately, is implemented in the PSI-Tet 3D MHD code and used to model plasma dynamics in the Helicity Injected Torus–Steady Inductive (HIT-SI) experiment. The two-temperature model is utilized for HIT-SI simulations in both the PSI-Tet and NIMROD codes at a number of different injector frequencies in the 14.5 – 68.5 kHz range. At all frequencies, the NIMROD two-temperature model results in increased toroidal current, lower chord-averaged density, higher average temperatures, outward radial shift of the current centroid, and axial symmetrization of the current centroid, relative to the single-temperature NIMROD simulations. The two-temperature PSI-Tet model illustrates similar trends, but at high frequency operation, it exhibits lower electron temperature, smaller toroidal current, and decreased axial symmetrization with respect to the single-temperature PSI-Tet model. With all models, average temperatures and toroidal currents increase with the injector frequency. Power balance and heat fluxes to the wall are calculated for the two-temperature PSI-Tet model and illustrate considerable viscous and compressive heating, particularly at high injector frequency. Parameter scans are also presented for artificial diffusivity, wall temperature, and density. Both artificial diffusivity and the density boundary condition significantly modify the plasma density profiles, leading to larger average temperatures, toroidal current, and relative density fluctuations at low densities. A low density simulation achieves sufficiently high current gain (G > 5) to generate significant volumes of closed flux lasting 1–2 injector periods.
The Queue Behind the Curtain: Information Disclosure in Omnichannel Services

With evolving mobile technologies, increasing number of firms are running multiple channels to serve customers. Due to the novelty of these systems, questions related to the design of such omnichannel systems and their implications for the firm and customers remain open. In particular, the question of whether or not a firm should disclose queue information to its customers in an omnichannel setting, has not been extensively addressed in prior literature. In this paper, we address some of these open questions of design of omnichannel service system, especially focusing on the issue of congestion information disclosure and its impact on customer channel choice behavior. We benchmark the omnichannel model against a conventional single channel model, and compare these settings in terms of the firm’s throughput and average consumer surplus.
Large Deviations Principles for Langevin Equations in Random Environment and Applications

In contrast to the study of Langevin equations in a homogeneous environment in the literature, the study on Langevin equations in randomly-varying environments is relatively scarce. Almost all the existing works require random environments to have a specific formulation that is independent of the systems. This paper aims to consider large deviations principles (LDPs) of Langevin equations involving a random environment that is a process taking value in a measurable space and that is allowed to interact with the systems, without specified formulation on the random environment. Examples and applications to statistical physics are provided. Our formulation of the random environment presents the main challenges and requires new approaches. Our approach stems from the intuition of the Smoluchowski-Kramers approximation. The techniques developed in this paper focus on the relation between the solutions of the second-order equations and the associate first-order equations. We obtain the desired LDPs by showing a family of processes enjoy the exponential tightness and local LDPs with an appropriate rate function.
Association of Temporary Financial Assistance With Housing Stability Among US Veterans in the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program.

Importance Temporary financial assistance (TFA) for housing-related expenses is a key component of interventions to prevent homelessness or to quickly house those who have become homeless. Through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, the department provides TFA to veterans in need of housing assistance. Objective To assess the association between TFA and housing stability among US veterans enrolled in the SSVF program. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study analyzed data on veterans who were enrolled in the SSVF program at 1 of 203 partner organizations in 49 US states and territories. Some veterans had repeat SSVF episodes, but only the first episodes were included in this analysis. An episode was defined as the period between entry into and exit from the program occurring between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2018. Exposures Receipt of TFA. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was stable housing, defined as permanent, independent residence with payment by the program client or housing subsidy after exit from the SSVF program. Covariates included demographic characteristics, monthly income and source, public benefits, health insurance, use of other VA programs for homelessness, comorbidities, and geographic location. Multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression, inverse probability of treatment weighting, and instrumental variable approaches were used. Results The overall cohort consisted of 41 969 veterans enrolled in the SSVF program, of whom 29 184 (mean [SD] age, 50.4 [12.9] years; 25 396 men [87.0%]) received TFA and 12 785 (mean [SD] age, 50.0 [13.3] years; 11 229 men [87.8%]) did not receive TFA. The mean (SD) duration of SSVF episodes was 90.5 (57.7) days. A total of 69.5% of SSVF episodes involved receipt of TFA, and the mean (SD) amount of TFA was $6070 ($7272). Stable housing was obtained in 81.4% of the episodes. Compared with those who did not receive TFA, veterans who received TFA were significantly more likely to have stable housing outcomes (risk difference, 0.253; 95% CI, 0.240-0.265). An association between the amount of TFA received and stable housing was also found, with risk differences ranging from 0.168 (95% CI, 0.149-0.188) for those who received $0 to $2000 in TFA to 0.226 (95% CI, 0.203-0.249) for those who received more than $2000 to $4000 in TFA. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that receipt of TFA through the SSVF program was associated with increased rates of stable housing. These results may inform national policy debates regarding the optimal solutions to prevent and reduce housing instability.
Sensitivity to shifts in probability of harm and benefit in moral dilemmas.

Abstract Psychologists and philosophers who pose moral dilemmas to understand moral judgment typically specify outcomes as certain to occur in them. This contrasts with real-life moral decision-making, which is almost always infused with probabilities (e.g., the probability of a given outcome if an action is or is not taken). Seven studies examine sensitivity to the size and location of shifts in probabilities of outcomes that would result from action in moral dilemmas. We find that moral judgments differ between actions that result in an equal increase in probability of harm (equal size), but have different end-states (e.g., an increase in harm probability from 25% to 50% or from 50% to 75%). This deviation from expected value is robust under separate evaluation, and increases when the comparison between shifts is made explicit under simultaneous evaluation. Consistent with the centrality of perceived harm in some models of moral judgment, perceived harm partially mediates sensitivity to location of harm probability shift. Unlike for shifts in harm probabilities, participants are insensitive to the location of shifts in probability of beneficial outcomes. They are also insensitive to the location of shifts in probability of analogous monetary losses and gains, suggesting an asymmetry between harm and benefit in moral reasoning, as well as an asymmetry between moral and monetary decision-making more broadly. Implications for normative philosophical theory and moral psychological theory, as well as practical applications, are discussed.
Moderate heat-assisted gene electrotransfer for cutaneous delivery of a DNA vaccine against Hepatitis B virus

An estimated 350 million people are living with chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) worldwide. Preventative HBV vaccination in infants has reduced the disease burden; however, insufficient immunization...
Spontaneous and inherited TP53 genetic alterations

The p53 protein is a transcription factor that prevents tumors from developing. In spontaneous and inherited cancers there are many different missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of the TP53 gene that contributes to tumor formation. These mutations produce a wide distribution in the transcriptional capabilities of the mutant p53 proteins with over four logs differences in the efficiencies of forming cancers in many diverse tissue types. These inherited and spontaneous TP53 mutations produce proteins that interact with both genetic and epigenetic cellular modifiers of p53 function and their inherited polymorphisms to produce a large number of diverse phenotypes in individual patients. This manuscript reviews these variables and discusses how the combinations of TP53 genetic alterations interact with genetic polymorphisms, epigenetic alterations, and environmental factors to begin predicting and modifying patient outcomes and provide a better understanding for new therapeutic opportunities.
Weighted Dynamic Computer Generated Holography for 3D Image Display With a Commercial Video Projector

We have developed a new algorithm to generate 3D holograms with a MEMS-based display device and a laser light source. Our technique rapidly superimposes mutually optimized coherent frames by encoding them into 8-bit RGB images.
Water nanocondensation on polymer single crystal-decorated buckypaper

Abstract Condensation on the surfaces of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) buckypaper and polymer single crystal-decorated buckypaper was monitored in situ using an environmental SEM (ESEM). Water vapor was pumped into the chamber, and backside cooling was used to control sample surface temperature. In this way, condensation could be imposed on the sample. It was found that, due to the different wetting states, condensation contact angles of all the samples are significantly lower than the static contact angles measured by the sessile drop method. The polyethylene (PE) single crystal-decorated buckypaper also strongly resists water vapor condensation, thereby precluding flooding below the fog point. Our results show that the heterogeneous surface structure plays a key role in determining water condensation.
Circulation in the intervillous space of the primate placenta.

C u R RE N T awareness of the influence upon the course of embryonic development exerted by the environment of the fetus has directed attention to the mechanism of placental exchange. This in turn has led investigators to ask numerous searching questions of anatomy and embryology, These questions, as they relate to the maternal side of the placenta, deal essentially with the intervillous space, probing in particular its size and form, its source of blood supply, and the mechanism of circulation within it. Although much more information will be needed before fully satisfactory answers can be supplied to all of the queries, a good deal of data is already at hand, especially as the result of recent research. Current anatomical work has largely been based upon the classical studies of earlier investigators. In many instances their theories have been confirmed by new information, but, in others, initial errors in observation or conclusion have been brought to light necessitating revision or replacement of the original concepts. Old ideas die hard, however, even when their validity has been challenged, and it is well known that they frequently maintain their position in textbooks for some time after they have been discarded by workers in the forefront of the field. Old ideas also have a tendency to leave fragments of themselves, as complicating legacies, incorporated in the theories which finally replace them. These familiar difficulties par-
Productivity in VC Reuse: Linking Soc Platforms to Abstract Systems Design Methodology

This chapter links two trends in virtual component (VC) reuse, and systems design: 1. system-on-chip (SOC) integration platforms, and 2. new methodologies for abstract systems design.
Average Pattern and Beam Efficiency Characterization of Reflector Antennas with Random Surface Errors

Random errors on a reflector surface will result in antenna gain loss, beam efficiency reduction, and sidelobe level degradation. In this study, an improved mathematical model is presented for handling correlated random surface errors. The average power patterns of arbitrarily distorted antennas are determined by performing a complete numerical integration. Furthermore, in the case of a parabolic reflector antenna with random surface errors that have relatively short correlation length, the effective aperture distribution parameters, Be and pe, can be defined and analytically derived. Numerical data for a parabolic reflector antenna with dimensions recommended by a recent NASA study are generated to investigate the effects of uniform and linear random surface errors on power pattern, boresight gain loss, and beam efficiency. The results properly characterize the pattern degradation and the beam efficiency reduction as a function of random surface errors. For high beam efficiency and low sidelobe specifica...
Gulf Coast Soundings: People and Policy in the Mississippi Shrimp Industry

Gulf Coast Soundings: People and Policy in the Mississippi Shrimp Industry. E. Paul Durrenberger. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1996.170 pp.
The Low-Energy Dynamics of N=1 SUSY Gauge Theories with Small Matter Content

We describe the low-energy dynamics of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories with the Dynkin index of matter fields less than or equal to the Dynkin index of the adjoint plus two. We explain what kinds of nonperturbative phenomena take place in this class of supersymmetric gauge theories.
The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture in the Southwestern United States: The Ricardian Approach Revisited

AbstractThis paper estimates a Ricardian model of farmland value across the counties of the semiarid Southwestern United States. Compared to previous contributions, we focus on one climate zone and include the presence of extreme weather events and of farm subsidies in our analysis. We also control for heterogeneity and for various types of spillover effects. Once calibrated, the model is used to project changes due to future climate conditions. We find that the probability of a decrease is great in highland counties while an increase or decrease is equally probable in lowland counties where climate impacts farmland value less.
Chapter 1 Structure and Functions of Biomembranes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure and functions of biomembranes, and highlights the specialized roles of mitochondria and peroxisomes. Cell membrane systems provide two important functions: (1) They establish a biological barrier to the extracellular environment, and (2) they compartmentalize specialized and sometimes toxic biological reactions within the cell. Mitochondria consist of a double membrane system, with an extensive inner membrane surface area. The mitochondrial membrane system is second, only to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane surface area, often consisting of up to 40% of the total membrane in a cell. Because of this vast membrane network, mitochondria occupy a large portion of the cytoplasmic volume of cells, and in many cell types, are constantly changing shape. Rather than the rod-like structures often depicted in textbooks, they are more often seen as elongated string-like structures. Mitochondrial movement occurs in a number of cell types and is mediated by microtubules. Although, the mitochondrial genome encodes for 33 genes, the vast majority of proteins are made by the cell and are imported by the mitochondrial transporters of the outer and inner membranes, the translocase of the inner membrane (TOM) and translocase of the inner membrane (TIM) complexes. The most commonly associated function of mitochondria is in the production of ATP from oxidative phosphorylation. Peroxisomes are small, single membrane organelles that contain a number of oxidative enzymes. One unique function is in the production of plasmalogens, the most abundant lipid found in myelin.
Correlation Between Students’ Dental Admission Test Scores and Performance on a Dental School’s Competency Exam

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a statistically significant positive correlation between dental students' Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores, particularly on the Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), and their performance on a dental school's competency exam. Scores from the written and clinical competency exam administered in the fall quarter of the fourth year of the curriculum at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona were compared to DAT scores of all 216 members of the graduating classes of 2012 and 2013. It was hypothesized that students who performed highly on one or more sections of the DAT would perform highly on the competency exam. Backward stepwise regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the PAT scores were most strongly correlated with the competency exam scores and were a positive predictor for all three clinical sections of the exam (operative dentistry, periodontics, and endodontics). Positive predictors for the written portion of the exam were total DAT score for patient assessment and treatment planning and the DAT reading comprehension score for prosthodontics; there were no predictors for periodontics. The total variance explained by the results ranged from 4% to 15%. While statistically significant relationships were found between the students' PAT scores and clinical performance, DAT scores explained relatively little variance in the competency exam scores. According to these findings, neither the PAT nor any of the DAT components contributed to predicting these students' clinical performance.