cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value of screening endoscopy in evaluation of esophageal, gastric and colon cancers

Esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers are deadly diseases that continue to plague our world today. The value of screening endoscopy in evaluating these types of cancers is a critical area of discussion due to a potential reduction in morbidity and mortality. This article describes how to identify a good screening test and explains what are important criteria in the field of screening endoscopy. Furthermore, the current status and progress of screening endoscopy for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer will be evaluated and discussed. Mass screening programs have not been implemented for esophageal and gastric carcinomas in those with average or low risk populations. However, studies of high-risk populations have found value and a cost-benefit in conducting screening endoscopy. Colorectal cancer, on the other hand, has had mass screening programs in place for many years due to the clear evidence of improved outcomes. As the role of endoscopy as a screening tool has continued to develop, newer technology and techniques have emerged to improve its utility. Many new image enhancement techniques and computer processing programs have shown promise and may have a significant role in the future of endoscopic screening. These developments are paving the way for improving the diagnostic and therapeutic capability of endoscopy in the field of gastroenterology.
Odyssean Adventures in the Cena Trimalchionis

The Satyricon as a whole has long been recognized as deeply indebted to the Odyssey , both in its individual episodes and as an adventure narrative, and perhaps even as an extended parody of Homer9s poem. However, the longest extant episode of the Satyricon , the Cena Trimalchionis , has traditionally been thought to contain only glancing references to the Odyssey . This article demonstrates the importance of the Odyssey as a primary intertext for the Cena Trimalchionis . While Plato9s Symposium and Horace9s Satire 2.8 are recognized influences on the Cena , Odysseus9s visit to the Phaeacians and the account he gives there of his adventures are even more systematically and repeatedly alluded to, evoked, and reworked in the Cena . Petronius appropriates episodes from the adventures of Odysseus from his arrival on Scheria to his encounters with the Lotus-Eaters, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, the Sirens, and the Cyclops. These and other episodes are transmuted and incorporated into the world and experience of Trimalchio9s dinner party in a variety of ways: as clever extended allusions, as epic reworked in folktale form, as contemporary events occurring in the midst of Trimalchio9s dinner party. What emerges from this discussion is the recognition that the Cena Trimalchionis is much more integrated into the overall narrative and thematics of the rest of the Satyricon than heretofore appreciated.
Three Models of High-Technology Industrial Capitalism

It was the British who invented the industrial form of capitalism - its institutions, its processes, and its theory. Trade capitalism had been around since ancient times, and it had been modernized in Europe during the Renaissance and Reformation. Industrial capitalism was something new, as Smith, Bentham, Ricardo, Mill and Marx understood.
A conspectus of research on vitamin C requirements of man.

The literature on experimental scurvy capillary fragility blood ascorbic acid levels urinary excretion studies and other attempts to measure the need for Vitamin-C in human beings is surveyed. Some animal studies are also included. Factors that may affect Vitamin-C requirements are environmental temperature and pressure (requirements are higher in cold climates) physical exertion tobacco smoking wound healing infection allergenic reactions and hormonal function. The literature on endocrine function and Vitamin-C interaction is conflicting. Some studies have found decreased blood ascorbic acid levels during the menstrual cycle some increases midway through the cycle and some no change. 1 study reported distinct decreases at time of ovulation. 4 experimental subjects taking oral contraceptives showed low plasma ascorbic acid levels during ovulation and high during the men ses while controls showed just the reverse pattern. Since the drugs are not administered during the menses it was suggested oral contraceptives depress plasma ascorbic acid concentration. Some studies suggest Vitamin-C supplements for women taking oral contraceptives while others show that the Vitamin-C level remains low in spite of the supplements. Possible changes in intestinal absorption in metabolism and utilization or in excretion under the influence of sex hormones is suggested. Observations of Addisons disease suggests a relationship between Vitamin-C deficiency and adrenal function. A study showed that under stress or when adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) was administere d the adrenal was promptly depleted of ascorbic acid. Administration of 500 mg/day Vitamin-C is accompanied by a significant increase in level of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in the blood and 17-ketosteroids in the urine. Various suggestions have been made to explain this relationship. There is also a relationship between Vitamin-C and mental health. Requirements of specific population groups are given including: premature and full-term infants preschool and school age children adolescents pregnant and lactating women and the elderly.
Criticism Matters: A Response to Rick Repetti

In a paper titled “Meditation Matters: Replies to the Anti-McMindfulness Bandwagon!”, Rick Repetti aims to refute four common criticisms directed at the Mindfulness community. The present paper offers a response to each of Repetti’s four refutations. The main contentions made in this rebuttal to Repetti are that he: (i) conflates the ideological construct known as Mindfulness with a cognitive ability, called mindfulness (lower case), of paying attention “in a particular way” to what one is thinking, saying, and doing and (ii) claims for mindfulness a materialist “phenomenological self-mirroring” that is, in fact, more consistent with idealism. On the basis of Repetti’s refutations, my chapter argues throughout that Mindfulness advocates have failed to respond adequately to the brunt of the most serious criticisms leveled against them.
European Union Enlargement Announcement and Corporate Valuations

AbstractThis study explores the effects of the European Union accession announcement on the valuations of companies in the prospective member states. I examine firm level data from ten countries which joined the EU in May 2004. My analysis reveals that the announcement of these countries’ future EU membership in November 2001 significantly increased the Tobin’s Q ratios of their publicly traded firms several years before formal membership was granted. This increase in firm value can likely be attributed to a reduced cost of capital and/or an expected increase in growth opportunities and cash flows, resulting from the announcement of their countries’ inclusion in the EU.
Causes and consequences of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.

Purpose of reviewTo review current information on the causes, treatments, and consequences of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.Recent findingsDisease activity (inflammation, pain, joint symptoms) is associated with greater fatigue. However, disease activity per se accounts for only a small portion of
Developing Design Interventions for Cyberbullying: A Narrative-Based Participatory Approach.

This paper presents a user-generated framework for designing affordances that would counter acts of cyberbullying on social media sites. To do so, we used narrative inquiry as a research methodology, which allowed our two focus groups – one composed of teens and the other of undergraduate students – to map out a cyberbullying story and overlay it with a set of design recommendations that, in their view, might alleviate mean and cruel behavior online. Four “cyberbullying stories” were constructed by the participants, each one revealing two sub-plots – the story that “is” (as perceived by these participants) and the story that “could be” (if certain design interventions were to be embedded in social media). In this paper, we describe seven emergent design themes evident in the participants’ design recommendations for social media: design for reflection, design for consequence, design for empathy, design for personal empowerment, design for fear, design for attention, and design for control and suppression.
Questions of Developmental Neurolinguistic Assessment

It is obvious upon the most casual inspection that children develop language gradually and that there is an apparent temporal sequence to the acquisition of linguistic skills. A basic premise of this chapter is that the order of events of language acquisition reflects, or more pointedly, is dependent upon, a normal sequence of neurological maturation. This seems to be an almost obvious supposition. Yet the clinical evaluation of communicative abilities in children has not, to date, subscribed to a developmental neurolinguistic philosophy. In the following pages the questions of the utility of a developmental neurolinguistic approach to speech/language assessment will be addressed. It would be preliminary to offer a comprehensive model given present knowledge. Nonetheless, the major purpose is to propose the possibility of such an approach and to identify areas for additional study.
Intelligence Explosion: Evidence and Import

In this chapter we review the evidence for and against three claims: that (1) there is a substantial chance we will create human-level AI before 2100, that (2) if human-level AI is created, there is a good chance vastly superhuman AI will follow via an “intelligence explosion,” and that (3) an uncontrolled intelligence explosion could destroy everything we value, but a controlled intelligence explosion would benefit humanity enormously if we can achieve it. We conclude with recommendations for increasing the odds of a controlled intelligence explosion relative to an uncontrolled intelligence explosion.
Thromboprophylaxis in Day Surgery: Knee Arthroscopy and Ligamentoplasty (Ligament Reconstruction)

This chapter discusses issues of non-large joint surgery, mainly knee arthroscopy and ligamentous knee injuries, and what to do in regard to prevention of venous thromboembolism in these patients. Events, if they occur, can be costly, associated with poor outcomes and, even in rare instances, death. The purpose of this chapter is to raise one’s awareness of this complication as well as to assess risk stratification and decrease the occurrence of DVT in this orthopedic population.
Value of CACS compared with ETT and myocardial perfusion imaging for predicting long-term cardiac outcome in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients at low risk for coronary disease: Clinical implications in a multimodality imaging world

Abstract Objectives This prospective, observational study in 988 asymptomatic or symptomatic low-risk patients without prior coronary artery disease was conducted to define the relative value of coronary artery calcium score (CACS), exercise treadmill testing (ETT), and stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) variables in predicting long-term risk stratification. Background CACS, ETT, and stress myocardial perfusion SPECT results predict patients9 outcome. There are currently no data comparing their relative value in long-term risk stratification. Methods Patients were stratified by Framingham risk score (FRS), with a median follow-up of 6.9 years. Cardiac events were defined as a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and the need for coronary revascularization. Most patients (87%) were considered appropriate candidates for functional testing as defined by current appropriate use criteria. Results The long-term cardiac event rate was 11.2% (1.6% per year). Multivariate risk predictors in all patients and in the appropriate use cohort were abnormal SPECT (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.83 and 1.99), ETT ischemia (HR: 1.70 and 1.76), decreasing exercise capacity (HR: 1.11 and 1.17), decreasing Duke treadmill score (HR: 1.07 for both), and CACS severity (HR: 1.29 for both), respectively. Throughout the 10-year follow-up, CACS improved risk prediction, with event rates ranging from 0.6% per year (CACS ≤10) to 3.7% per year (CACS >400) (p Conclusions CACS significantly improved long-term risk stratification beyond FRS, ETT, and SPECT results across the spectrum of clinical risk and importantly even among those who are currently considered appropriate candidates for functional testing or have low-risk functional test results. Our findings support CACS as a first-line test over ETT or SPECT for accurately assessing long-term risk in such patients.
Perspectives on process systems engineering R&D in support of pharmaceutical product/process development and manufacturing

Publisher Summary This chapter presents various perspectives on process systems engineering (PSE) research and development in support of pharmaceutical product/process development and manufacturing. PSE methodology is important in terms of addressing the product design problem, which is a formulation-type design problem. Drug product performance is dependent on key quality attributes such as solubility, physical and chemical stability, particle size and size distribution, particle morphology, excipient properties and functionality, and surface properties of the component materials, as well as the impact of packaging components. At present, there exists no systematic methodology for identifying and optimizing formulation design that can select from existing components to develop formulations meeting a suite of desired product attributes. This chapter outlines a roadmap describing the key research needs associated with the development, design, scale-up, and operation of pharmaceutical processes.
An investigation of wet grinding in a laboratory overflow ball mill

Batch breakage kinetic tests were performed in a mill of 0.3 m diameter for a range of mill conditions. Accurate simulation required the measurement and use of factors which accelerated the specific rates of breakage of the top sizes as finer material accumulated in the slurry. These factors depended on the size distribution expressed relative to the top size, not the absolute size, suggesting that they are due to a packing effect not a rheological effect. The data simulated correctly a series of steady-state continuous tests in a mill of the same diameter providing values were corrected to the hold-up, ball load, slurry density, and size distribution measured in the continuous mill tests.
Analytical modeling of machining forces of ultra-fine-grained titanium

In this work, the machining of ultra-fine-grained pure titanium (UFG Ti) in an integrated manufacturing process combining severe plastic deformation (SPD) process and machining process is investigated through analytical modeling with experimental validation. UFG Ti is increasing finding usefulness in lightweight engineering applications and biomedical applications because of its sufficient mechanical strength, manufacturability, and biocompatibility. The UFG Ti is prepared by a SPD process, namely equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) from commercial pure grade 4 titanium. However, the machining process in the integrated manufacturing process has not been fully understood in the context of machining forces and temperatures. The machining forces are predicted in this work using extended chip formation model. In this model, the average temperature at the primary shear zone is calculated based on the equilibrium between generated heat and plastic work. Orthogonal cutting tests were conducted under various cutting conditions with experimental force measurements using a piezoelectric dynamometer. Good agreements are observed between predicted forces and experimental forces. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the influence of input J-C constants and cutting condition parameters on the accuracy of the predicted machining forces. The predicted machining forces were compared to machining forces of Ti-6Al-4V alloy under various cutting conditions, which are widely used in engineering and biomedical applications. This work extends the applicability of analytical models in machining to a broader class of materials. It will promote the use of UFG Ti and the integrated manufacturing process in engineering and biomedical applications.
Contained rupture of arch aneurysm managed with total arch, frozen elephant trunk and endograft

We here describe a complex case of a 75-year-old man presenting with contained rupture of an aortic arch aneurysm in the presence of a second thoracic aortic aneurysm. He was managed with emergent total arch replacement with frozen elephant trunk. Another stent-graft was used to achieve hemostasis at the distal anastomosis. He later underwent TEVAR extension to manage his second aneurysm in a staged fashion. This case demonstrates a number of important concepts in the evolving interaction between open and endovascular therapies of the aortic arch, particularly in the emergent setting.
Screening for anal cancer precursors among patients living with HIV in the absence of national guidelines: practitioners' perspectives.

Immunocompromised populations including people living with HIV (PLWH) suffer disproportionate burden from anal cancer, a rare cancer caused by persistent infection of the anal canal with oncogenic strains of human papillomavirus. In the US, there are no nationally adopted screening guidelines for anal cancer. In the absence of such guidelines, this study explores healthcare practitioners’ screening practices for early signs of anal cancer among PLWH. Between November 2017 and June 2018, the research team completed 25 interviews among a diverse sample of healthcare practitioners who provide care for PLWH. Providers expressed frustration that screening and treatment guidelines for anal cancer were scant, and they varied in their screening practices. The majority of providers screened PLWH for anal dysplasia via the anal Pap smear; few providers were trained and had the medical equipment to conduct high-resolution anoscopy-guided biopsies, a more sensitive and specific screening method. Others screened through digital ano-rectal examinations (DARE) and both visually and with a DARE. Participants discussed how providers may be over-treating their patients who have high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) and the role of biomarkers to determine whether the lesion is carcinogenic. Practitioners who provide care for PLWH are proactive in screening to help prevent and control anal cancer, a rare and slow-growing disease. Continuing to regularly surveil high-risk populations, particularly PLWH previously diagnosed with high-grade lesions, is critical to prevent and control anal cancer.
The Impact of Fluid Management in Patients with Sepsis and Heart Failure

Background Current guidelines recommend 30cc/kg of intravenous fluid (IVF) early resuscitation for patients with suspected sepsis. However, IVF resuscitation is often delayed in patients with left ventricular dysfunction due to concern of worsening heart failure. There is limited data regarding outcomes in large volume IVF in this population with various degrees of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with heart failure and sepsis admitted to a single cardiovascular center between January 2015 and December 2018. Heart failure was defined as preserved (EF > 50%), mid-range (40-50%), or reduced (EF Results A total of 979 patients with diagnosis of heart failure and sepsis were included in the analysis. There were 539 (55%) males and mean age was 75.4 ± 14.1. There were 590 (60.2%) patients with preserved EF, 87 (8.8%) patients with mid-range EF, and 302 (30.8%) with reduced EF. See Table 1 for baseline characteristics. There was no significant difference in amount of IVF received by either cohorts at encounter, 6 hours or 24 hours. Although not statistically significant, patients with mid-range EF appeared more likely to die during hospitalization. See Table 2 for outcomes. Conclusions This retrospective analysis suggests the mortality in patients with heart failure and sepsis was not affected by the degree of LVEF. Larger randomized trials are needed to further investigate the impact of IVF management in these patients.
Microscopic Surgical Techniques for Varicocele Repair

The varicocele is a common condition afflicting postpubertal men, a subset of whom will develop subfertility and/or androgen deficiency. Varicocele repair is associated with improved semen parameters, sperm DNA integrity, androgen levels, and fertility outcomes. Multiple treatment modalities exist for the varicocele, each carrying a differing set of advantages and disadvantages. The appropriate treatment for a given patient depends upon the patient’s anatomy, his values and goals, the resources available, and the experience of the surgeon. Beyond the treatment modality ultimately selected, the success of varicocele repair is most dependent upon appropriate patient selection in whom the indications are clear. In this review, the subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy will be discussed in detail. Overriding principles, outcomes, and complications of this technique will first be addressed with a critical overview of existing literature. The technical aspects to effectively and safely perform a subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy are outlined in a stepwise fashion. Additionally, controversial elements of the repair, mainly delivery of the testis and the benefits of arterial preservation, will be presented based upon available data. The remainder of the technical description will address the unique obstacles and strategies required when the reproductive urologist faces the recurrent varicocele. Finally, it cannot be emphasized enough that formal microsurgical training should be considered a requirement for offering the subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy. A call for better and more standardized training regimens concludes this review, as uniform and high-quality varicocele repair is the ultimate gold standard the medical community must strive for.
Abstract 885: The Role of Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) in Mitochondrial Membrane Phospholipid Composition and Lipid Peroxidation

Introduction: We have recently reported that PON2 plays a protective role against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) by reducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, in the for...
Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) for operando materials characterization within batteries

This perspective article describes the use of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) to study the evolution of electrochemical energy storage materials. Using a synchrotron light source, EDXRD allows crystallographic changes in materials to be tracked from deep within large specimens, due to the use of highly penetrating X-rays and the ability to define a well-controlled diffraction gauge volume in space. Herein we provide an overview of battery work performed using the EDXRD technique, as developed at beamline X17B1 at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), and continued at beamline 6BM-A at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), beamline I12 at the Diamond Light Source, and beamline 7T-MPW-EDDI at the Berlin Electron Storage Ring Society for Synchrotron Radiation (BESSY II). The High Energy Engineering X-Ray Scattering (HEX) beamline currently under construction at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) by Brookhaven National Lab and the State of New York will further expand capability for and access to this technique. The article begins with a general introduction to the technique of EDXRD, including a description of the photon energy and d-spacing relationship and a discussion of the gauge volume. The primary topic of the review, battery characterization by EDXRD, includes discussion of batteries of differing materials chemistries (lithium-based batteries and aqueous batteries) which store energy by different mechanisms (insertion and conversion materials). A discussion of high temperature batteries is also included.
Interest in Dementia Testing: Family History, Dementia-Related Anxiety, and Coping

Abstract. Increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) may contribute to anxiety about the prospect of a dementia-related diagnosis (dementia-related anxiety). In an onl...
Energy-Resolved Collision-Induced Dissociation Studies of 2,2'-Bipyridine Complexes of the Late First-Row Divalent Transition-Metal Cations: Determination of the Third-Sequential Binding Energies.

The third-sequential binding energies of the late first-row divalent transition-metal cations with 2,2'-bipyridine (Bpy) are determined using guided-ion-beam tandem mass spectrometry (GIBMS) techniques. The metal cations investigated include the late first-row divalent transition-metal cations, Fe2+ , Co2+ , Ni2+ , Cu2+ , and Zn2+ . The kinetic-energy-dependent cross sections for collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the M2+ (Bpy)3 complexes are analyzed to extract absolute 0 and 298 K bond dissociation energies (BDEs) for the loss of an intact Bpy ligand. Theoretical electronic structure calculations at the B3LYP, BHandHLYP, and M06 levels of theory are performed to determine stable geometries and sequential BDEs of the M2+ (Bpy)x complexes (x=1-3). BDEs computed using the M06 functional are the largest, BHandHLYP values are intermediate, whereas B3LYP produces the smallest values. Very good agreement between the B3LYP theoretically calculated and threshold collision-induced dissociation experimentally determined BDEs is found, which suggests that the B3LYP functional is capable of accurately describing the binding in these M2+ (Bpy)3 complexes. Periodic trends in the binding of the M2+ (Bpy)x complexes are examined and compared to the analogous complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen), M2+ (Phen)x . Comparisons are also made to the analogous Bpy complexes, M+ (Bpy)x , with the late first-row monovalent transition-metal cations, Co+ , Ni+ , Cu+ , and Zn+ investigated previously.
Sexually dimorphic influence of the circadian clock gene Bmal1 in the striatum on alcohol intake

Summary The clock gene Bmal1 plays an obligatory role in the generation of circadian rhythms in gene expression, physiology, and behavior in mammals [1–4]. In mice, perturbations in Bmal1 expression in the brain are associated with loss of circadian rhythmicity and various physiological and behavioral disturbances, including disrupted sleep architecture and deficits in cognitive and affective behaviors [5–14]. Gene association studies in both humans and animals suggest that Bmal1 may also play a role in the control of appetitive behaviors such as alcohol preference and consumption [15–19]. Although there is evidence that genes that interact with Bmal1 in the molecular circadian clock, such as Per2 and Clock influence alcohol intake and preference [15, 20–23], experimental evidence of a causal role of Bmal1 is lacking. In addition, the specific brain regions where Bmal1 might affect alcohol consumption are not known. We investigated voluntary alcohol consumption in conditional knockout mice that lack BMAL1 protein exclusively in the striatum, which is an important structure in the control of alcohol intake and preference [24–29]. Particular emphasis was attributed to the investigation of male and female mice because of known sex differences in alcohol intake and preference [30–32], and the impact of a sexually dimorphic constitution of circadian clocks on behavior [33, 34]. We found that deletion of BMAL1 from the principal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the striatum significantly altered voluntary alcohol intake and preference, without affecting total fluid intake, sucrose preference, body weight, or circadian rhythms in behavior. Strikingly, there were major sex differences in the effect of striatal BMAL1 deletion on alcohol consumption. While striatal BMAL1 deletion augmented alcohol intake and preference in males, the same deletion suppressed intake and preference in females. Interestingly, striatal deletion of PER2, a clock gene that interacts with Bmal1 in the circadian clock, and which has been shown to limit alcohol consumption in mice [22], mimicked the effect of striatal BMAL1 deletion, albeit only in males. Together, our results reveal that BMAL1 in MSNs of the striatum plays a sexually dimorphic role in the control of alcohol intake in mice, restraining consumption in males, possibly by interacting with PER2, and promoting intake in females, independently of PER2. We therefore hypothesize that a sex-specific mechanism in the function of BMAL1 in MSNs of the striatum regulates differences between male and female mice in the propensity to consume alcohol.
Approximation algorithms for data-intensive service chain embedding

Recent advances in network virtualization and programmability enable innovative service models such as Service Chaining (SC), where flows can be steered through a pre-defined sequence of service functions deployed at different cloud locations. A key aspect dictating the performance and efficiency of a SC is its instantiation onto the physical infrastructure. While existing SC Embedding (SCE) algorithms can effectively address the instantiation of SCs consuming computation and communication resources, they lack efficient mechanisms to handle the increasing data-intensive nature of next-generation services. Differently from computation and communication resources, which are allocated in a dedicated per request manner, storage resources can be shared to satisfy multiple requests for the same data. To fill this gap, in this paper, we formulate the data-intensive SCE problem with the goal of minimizing storage, computation, and communication resource costs subject to resource capacity, service chaining, and data sharing constraints. Using a randomized rounding technique that exploits a novel data-aware linear programming decomposition procedure, we develop a multi-criteria approximation algorithm with provable performance guarantees. Evaluation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves near-optimal resource costs with up to 27.8% of the cost savings owed to the sharing of the data.
Enhancing Interdisciplinary and Systems Thinking with an Integrative Plant Chemistry Module Applied in Diverse Undergraduate Course Settings

To meet the complex global challenges that workers in STEM fields face, it is critical that today’s students develop integrative technical skills and cognitive competencies. As a highly interdisciplinary field, medicinal plant chemistry provides an exceptionally rich environment for such training. Here, we describe a hands-on medicinal plant chemistry laboratory module (Phytochemical Laboratory Activities for iNtegrative Thinking and Enhanced Competencies; PLANTEC) for undergraduates that targets the development of core competencies in (i) logical thinking and analysis of text and data, (ii) interdisciplinary and systems thinking, (iii) oral and written communication of science, and (iv) teamwork and collaboration. Each student determines the natural product profile of a plant species using thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Students work in pairs and small groups to analyze their data and interpret their findings in chemical, biochemical, and biological contexts. PLANTEC is scalable and so can be offered in laboratory or lecture courses, and even partially or entirely online. We implemented this module in an undergraduate biology lecture course over six 50 min lessons in the fall semesters of both 2018 and 2019. We also experimented with modifications of PLANTEC to tailor learning objectives and thereby emphasize different disciplines during data interpretation (e.g., plant chemistry, ecology, evolution). Students consistently responded that PLANTEC increased not only their confidence in analyzing, interpreting, discussing, and writing about new kinds of data and complex ideas but also their interest in medicinal plant chemistry. Interdisciplinary laboratory modules of this type will be particularly useful in developing an innovative and versatile STEM workforce of the future.
Gene Patents: Balancing the Myriad Issues Concerning the Patenting of Natural Products

Gene patents have been a subject of a great deal of controversy. However, the legal question regarding the patenting of genes can only be solved through a comprehensive doctrinal framework applicable to all other purified natural products. Unfortunately, the Federal Circuit’s recent explication of the doctrine in Association for Molecular Pathology v. United States Patent & Trademark Office suffered from a fundamental flaw arising out of the Court’s conflation of function and utility of products. The Court looked at the difference in structure and utility of a claimed product versus the natural product to determine patent-eligibility. But a new utility of a claimed product is not the appropriate indicator of the transformation in a product. While function and properties of a product are its inherent characteristics, utility is the exploitation of these characteristics by man to serve his goal. An inventor can find a new utility of an old product without any change in the product. Thus, a better standard for assessing the patentability of natural products should focus on its structure and properties (including function). Proposed here is a framework, which adequately considers these factors, including the fact that the relationship between structure and function is not always linear; that sometimes, small structural changes can lead to significant difference in properties and vice-versa.
Control of low-frequency Lamb wave propagation in plates by boundary condition manipulation

Locally resonant metasurfaces can control the propagation of Lamb wave modes in a plate. The resonator is typically designed through frequency matching: adjusting its geometry and/or materials properties by trial and error until its resonance frequency matches the frequency of the target Lamb wave mode. We demonstrate that although frequency matching appears effective for controlling the A 0 wave mode, it may fail in the case of the S 0 mode. This paper proposes a fundamentally different approach to design a specific metasurface to forbid the propagation of a prescribed Lamb wave mode in a plate. The proposed approach is based upon manipulating the boundary conditions on the top surface of the plate. Different types of Cauchy boundary conditions applied to the surface are shown to control the reflections and mode conversions of low-frequency A 0 and S 0 Lamb waves. Even a small patch with the modified boundary conditions can be effective. Finally, we show that a local “clamping” resonator that assimilates Cauchy boundary conditions on the surface of the plate changes the plate dispersion characteristics resulting in mode conversion and reflection. This finding provides a rational procedure to design a specific metasurface. The surface-mounted resonators enable control of wave propagation in plates without compromising structural integrity, are easily installed, and can be retrofit to the existing planar structures. The numerical results agree well with the experimental results reported in the literature.
Performing Mariage Mondial Through Social Media

This chapter builds upon previous ethnographic work to analyze social media posts of wedding celebrations and to explore the ways that young people in urban Guinea are continuing, augmenting, and transforming the social significance of an adult rite of passage central to the meaning of gender success in Malinke culture. This chapter also addresses the ways that participation in these activities reveal emerging patterns of family dynamics as marriage arrangements are transformed, with daughters and wives positioned within a “techno-/media-scape” of a global economy of consumption and profit opportunities. Interviews with women within the research reveal the emergence of consumer-based business opportunities for personal augmentation, including maquillage (cosmetics), hairdressing, and religiously observant couture. Through analysis of social networks, and emerging “technologies of the self” found within marriage announcements posted to social media, this chapter elaborates on how economic successes are contingent on cumulative effects at the intersectionality of gender, religion, age, and an individual’s marital position to open or constrain access to markets.
Explication Defended

How can formal methods be applied to philosophical problems that involve informal concepts of ordinary language? Carnap answered this question by describing a methodology that he called “explication." Strawson objected that explication changes the subject and does not address the original philosophical problem; this paper shows that Carnap’s response to that objection was inadequate and offers a better response. More recent criticisms of explication by Boniolo and Eagle are shown to rest on misunderstandings of the nature of explication. It is concluded that explication is an appropriate methodology for formal philosophy.
Using REITs to Invest in Utility Scale Solar Projects

Excerpt] Public policy in the form of Renewable Portfolio Standards, rising electricity costs, and a sharp decline in upfront costs for commercial and utility scale solar power projects in recent years have allowed for the rapid growth of new solar power installations, and with them, a new opportunity for real estate investors. In this article we discuss solutions to one challenge in the growth of this asset class, securing a viable public financing structure through the utilization of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) that will allow large scale investment to take place and the cost of capital to fall.
Esthetic removable partial dentures

This article provides information regarding the many ways that removable partial dentures (RPDs) may be used to solve restorative problems in the esthetic zone without displaying metal components or conspicuous acrylic resin flanges. The esthetic zone is defined and described, as are methods for recording it. Six dental categories are presented that assist the dentist in choosing a variety of RPD design concepts that may be used to avoid metal display while still satisfying basic principles of RPDs. New materials that may be utilized for optimal esthetics are presented and techniques for contouring acrylic resin bases and tinting denture bases are described.
A Taiwanese Mandarin Main Concept Analysis (TM-MCA) for quantification of aphasic oral discourse.

Background Various quantitative systems have been proposed to examine aphasic oral narratives in English. A clinical tool for assessing discourse produced by Cantonese-speaking persons with aphasia (PWA), namely Main Concept Analysis (MCA), was developed recently for quantifying the presence, accuracy and completeness of a narrative. Similar tools for Mandarin speakers are currently absent. Aims The first aim is to develop and establish the validity of the Taiwanese Mandarin Main Concept Analysis (TM-MCA) for the Mandarin-speaking population in Taiwan, given the paucity of related investigations. Another aim is to establish the influence of age and education level on Taiwanese Mandarin speakers’ oral narrative abilities. The third purpose is to examine how well the TM-MCA could distinguish between native speakers with and without aphasia in Taiwan. The final aim is to examine the reliability and validity of the TM-MCA. Methods & Procedures Eight speech–language pathologists (SLPs) and eight neurologically intact participants were involved to establish the TM-MCA main concepts. Another 36 neurologically intact participants and 10 PWA participated to validate the TM-MCA by contrasting their performance. Outcomes & Results Both age and educational level affected the oral discourse performance among the neurologically intact adults. Significant differences on the TM-MCA measures were noted between the control group and the group with aphasia. Moreover, the degree of aphasia significantly affected the oral discourse of PWA. Conclusions & Implications The TM-MCA is a culturally appropriate quantitative system for the Taiwanese Mandarin population. It can be used to supplement standardized aphasia tests to help SLPs make more informative decisions not only on clinical diagnosis but also on treatment planning.
Land data assimilation and estimation of soil moisture using measurements from the Southern Great Plains 1997 Field Experiment

[1] Remotely sensed microwave measurements provide useful but indirect observations of surface soil moisture. Ground-based measurements are more direct but are very localized and limited in coverage. Model predictions provide a more regional perspective but rely on many simplifications and approximations and depend on inputs that are difficult to obtain over extensive areas. The only effective way to achieve soil moisture estimates with the accuracy and coverage required for hydrologic and meteorological applications is to merge information from satellites, ground-based stations, and models. In this paper we describe a convenient data merging (or data assimilation) procedure based on an ensemble Kalman filter. This procedure is illustrated with an application to the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) field experiment. It uses land surface and radiative transfer models to derive soil moisture estimates from airborne L band microwave observations and ground-based measurements of micrometeorological variables, soil texture, and vegetation type. The ensemble filter approach is appealing because (1) it can accommodate a wide range of models, (2) it can account for input and measurement uncertainties, (3) it provides information on the accuracy of its estimates, and (4) it is relatively efficient, making large-scale applications feasible. Results from our SGP97 application of the ensemble Kalman filter include large-scale maps (∼10,000 km2) of soil moisture estimates and estimation error standard deviations for the entire month long experiment and comparisons of filter soil moisture and latent heat estimates to ground truth measurements (gravimetric and flux tower observations). The ground truth comparisons show that the filter is able to track soil moisture fluctuations. The filter estimates are significantly better than those from an “open loop” simulation that includes the same ground-based data but does not incorporate radio brightness measurements. Overall, the results from this field test indicate that the ensemble Kalman filter is an accurate, efficient, and flexible data assimilation procedure that is able to extract useful information from remote sensing measurements.
The Effects of Magnetosheath Electrons on Charge Exchange, Radiation Trapping and Other Atomic and Molecular Processes in the Mid-Day Polar Cusp Thermosphere

Magnetosheath electrons precipitating in the mid-day cusp region dissipate most of their energy in the thermosphere above 200 km where atomic species are more abundant than at lower altitudes. Part of the atmosphere where these electrons excite mid-day auroras is also sunlit. The high abundance of atomic species, their longer mean free path and the presence of sunlight in the atmospheric region where mid-day auroras are formed, permit studies of certain interactions among atmospheric constituents, as well as radiation transport process, which cannot be observed in laboratories or in lower altitude night time auroras. Examples of such upper atmospheric processes amenable to investigations in the mid-day cusp region are (i) charge exchange reactions between 0+(2D) and N2, (ii) radiative entrapment of extreme ultraviolet radiation and its effect on auroral emissions, (iii)iresonant scattering of sunlight by atmospheric species, (iv) buildup of vibrationally excited molecules above the level expected from the kinetic temperatures in the thermosphere, (v) variations in the abundance of thermospheric N and He, and (vi) the propagation of atmospheric disturbances from the thermosphere to the mesosphere.
An indirect method of measuring DC bus capacitor current

This paper describes a general method to measure inverter DC bus capacitor current in an indirect manner. The method measures input and output voltage and current and calculates DC bus capacitor current. The method applies to standard inverters and common bus inverters. Commonly available test equipment will be used. The investigation will develop the theory that describes the indirect method. It will also discuss test equipment selection and set up, and data analysis. Practical implementation issues are also discussed. A comparison between direct (in-situ) and indirect measurements will be made
Transposing Arrays on Multicomputers Using de Bruijn Sequences

Transposing anN×Narray that is distributed row- or columnwise acrossP=Nprocessors is a fundamental communication task that requires time- consuming interprocessor communication. It is the underlying communication task for the fast Fourier transform of long sequences and multidimensional arrays. It is also the key communication task for certain weather and climate models. A parallel transposition algorithm is presented for hypercube and mesh connected multicomputers with programmable networks. The optimal scheduling of network transmissions is not unique and is known to be nontrivial. Here, scheduling is determined by a single de Bruijn sequence ofNbits. The elements in each processor are first preordered and then, in groups of log2Padjacent elements, either transmitted or not transmitted, depending on the corresponding bit in the de Bruijn sequence. The algorithm is optimal both in overall time and the time that any individual element is in the network. The results are extended to other communication tasks including shuffles, bit reversal, index reversal, and general index-digit permutation. The caseP?Nand rectangular arrays with non-power-of-two dimensions are also discussed. Algorithms for mesh connected multicomputers are developed by embedding the hypercube in the mesh. The optimal implementation of the algorithms requires certain architectural features that are not currently available in the marketplace.
Mitigating the effect of multipath interference in shallow water acoustic channels

Non-stationary reflections from moving sea surface, along with unpredictable oceanographic phenomena such as surface wave focussing render multipath interference in shallow water acoustics difficult to model or track in real time. Traditional equalization techniques have met limited success in underwater acoustic communications due to these rapid channel fluctuations as well as time-varying sparsity of the multipath delay spread. In this work, we examine these key challenges in the context of shallow water acoustic channel equalization. Results are also presented based on experimental field data collected at 200 meters range, 15 meters depth and moderate to rough sea conditions.