cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Critically Reflective Practice.

The concept of critical reflection is frequently invoked as a distinguishing feature of good practice in continuing health education. But what exactly is critical reflection? How is it recognized? What are its benefits? How can it be incorporated into professional practice? This article explains the constituent elements of critical reflection and provides an example of how a critically reflective approach can be taken toward continuous, formative evaluation. Four lenses through which educators can view their practice critically are outlined and the critical incident questionnaire is described. The critically reflective habit is proposed as a survival necessity for continuing health educators.
Interval estimation of simple difference in dichotomous data with repeated measurements

When comparing two treatments, we often use the simple difference between the probabilities of response to measure the efficacy of one treatment over the other. When the measurement of outcome is unreliable or the cost of obtaining additional subjects is high relative to that of additional measurements from the obtained subjects, we may often consider taking more than one measurement per subject to increase the precision of an interval estimator. This paper focuses discussion on interval estimation of simple difference when we take repeated measurements per subject. This paper develops four asymptotic interval estimators of simple difference for any finite number of measurements per subject. This paper further applies Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the finite-sample performance of these estimators in a variety of situations. Finally, this paper includes a discussion on sample size determination on the basis of both the average length and the probability of controlling the length of the resulting interval estimate proposed elsewhere.
Optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography is a noninvasive optical imaging modality that is rapidly gaining adoption in many clinical applications. OCT is capable of providing high-speed three-dimensional cross-sectional views into biological tissues with micrometer-scale resolutions. In this chapter, we will review the physical principles behind OCT starting early time-domain-based systems and then discuss the development of more recent high-speed Fourier-domain OCT systems. We will then discuss clinical utilization of OCT via two functional developments: Doppler-based OCT for the quantification of particulate flow rates such as blood flow and optical coherence elastography for mapping of tissue mechanical properties. Finally, we will discuss the development of endoscopic-based OCT for in vivo imaging within internal lumens such as the human airway.
The gravitational constant

Gravitational theories can be written in terms of rescaled fields without the Planck mass. The rescaled tetrads acquire the dimension of mass. The actual distribution of energy throughout space-time causes the tetrads to assume vacuum expected values of the order of the Planck mass,mp. Thus the gravitational constant,G=ħc/mP2, may be viewed not as a fundamental constant, but as a mass scale that is dynamically determined by the large-scale structure of the Universe.
Activation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae heat shock transcription factor under glucose starvation conditions by Snf1 protein kinase.

Heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that mediates eukaryotic transcriptional responses to stress. Although the mammalian stress-responsive HSF1 isoform is activated in response to a wide array of seemingly unrelated stresses, including heat shock, pharmacological agents, infection and inflammation, little is known about the precise mechanisms or pathways by which this factor is activated by many stressors. The baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a single HSF protein that responds to heat stress and glucose starvation and provides a simple model system to investigate how a single HSF is activated by multiple stresses. Although induction of the HSF target gene CUP1 by glucose starvation is dependent on the Snf1 kinase, HSF-dependent heat shock induction of CUP1 is Snf1-independent. Approximately 165 in vivo targets for HSF have been identified in S. cerevisiae using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with DNA microarrays. Interestingly, ∼30% of the HSF direct target genes are also induced by the diauxic shift, in which glucose levels begin to be depleted. We demonstrate that HSF and Snf1 kinase interact in vivo and that HSF is a direct substrate for phosphorylation by Snf1 kinase in vitro. Furthermore, glucose starvation-dependent, but not heat shock-dependent HSF phosphorylation, and enhanced chromosomal HSF DNA binding to low affinity target promoters such as SSA3 and HSP30, occurred in a Snf1-dependent manner. Consistent with a more global role for HSF and Snf1 in activating gene expression in response to changes in glucose availability, expression of a subset of HSF targets by glucose starvation was dependent on Snf1 and the HSF carboxyl-terminal activation domain.
Macrophage-rich epithelioid angiosarcoma mimicking malignant melanoma.

Background: Cutaneous epithelioid angiosarcoma is a type of cutaneous angiosarcoma and usually arise both on the head or neck of the elderly. Case report: An 86-year-old male with an epithelioid angiosarcoma of the scalp that mimicked malignant melanoma. Results: A large irregular dark grey-blue plaque with an adjacent speckled tan nodule was suggestive of a primary cutaneous malignant melanoma with adjacent in-transit metastasis. Both had a well-circumscribed growth pattern and were composed of numerous large epithelioid cells with scattered severe atypia and mitoses. The tumor was positive for S-100 protein and vimentin and negative for low- and high-molecular weight cytokeratins. However, at high power, the epithelioid cells with severe atypia were negative for S-100 protein, and abundant large epithelioid macrophages were responsible for the S-100 protein positivity. The malignant tumor cells were negative for HMB-45, positive for CD31 and Factor VIII-related antigen, and focally positive for CD34. A focus of infiltrative, classical angiosarcoma with irregular vascular channels lined with plump, anaplastic endothelial cells was then found deep to the epithelioid tumor. Conclusions: Macrophage-rich epithelioid angiosarcoma demonstrates abundant S-100 protein-positive epithelioid macrophages. This subset of epithelioid angiosarcoma may mimic malignant melanoma and may present as a pitfall in diagnosis.
Gallbladder function is altered in sickle hemoglobinopathy.

Despite comparable rates of hemolysis, only 50% of patients with sickle hemoglobinopathy (SH) develop pigment gallstones by age 20 yr. Thus, pathogenetic factors, other than hemolysis, may contribute to gallstone formation. In the present study we determined whether gallbladder function, measured by real-time ultrasonography, or bile acid metabolism, determined by isotope dilution-mass spectrometry, were altered in adolescents and young adults with SH. Compared with healthy controls, SH subjects had larger fasting (27 ± 16 vs. 15 ± 5 ml, p
States on Steroids: The Intergovernmental Odyssey of American Climate Policy

Climate change has conventionally been framed as an issue that would be addressed by an international regime established through negotiation among nation-states. The experience of policy development in the decade following the signing of the Kyoto Protocol indicates that climate change also needs to be examined as a challenge of multilevel governance. The increasingly central role of state governments in American climate policy formation squares with recent experience in other Western democracies that share authority across governmental levels. This paper examines the American experience, considering factors that have contributed to a state-centric policy process and using that body of experience to assess competing strategic choices faced by individual states based on their mix of emission trends and policy adoption rates. In turn, the collective state experience allows for consideration of the varied political feasibility of competing climate policy tools that remain under active review in subnational, national, and international contexts. The paper concludes with a set of scenarios that explore different ways in which a state-centric system may be integrated with expanding involvement at the national level.
Room temperature synthesis of surface-functionalised boron nanoparticles

Capped boron nanoparticles have been synthesized at room temperature by a simple route that does not involve the use of flammable boranes.
Requirement of NifX and Other nif Proteins for In Vitro Biosynthesis of the Iron-Molybdenum Cofactor of Nitrogenase

The iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) (a unique prosthetic group that contains molybdenum, iron, sulfur and homocitrate in a ratio of 1:7:9:1), is the site for substrate reduction of nitrogenase (Hoover et al, 1989; Kim, Rees, 1992). The products of at least six nitrogen fixation (nif) genes, including nifQ, nifV, nifB, nifH, nifN and nifE, are required for the biosynthesis of FeMo-co. It has been suggested that NifNE protein might serve as a scaffold for FeMo-co biosynthesis. This hypothesis is supported by NifB-co (the Fe-S precursor of FeMo-co) binding to NifNE in a 2:1 ratio (Roll et al, 1995), but intermediates containing heterometal are not observed on NifNE. In vitro FeMo-co synthesis requires an ATP-regenerating system, molybdate, homocitrate, and at least NifB, NifNE, and NifH proteins. Using in vitro FeMo-co synthesis, the product of NifB was purified (Shah et al, 1994) as a detergent-soluble, small molecule termed NifB-cofactor (NifB-co). The requirement for NifB in the in vitro FeMo-co synthesis assay is satisfied by the addition of NifB-co (Shah et al, 1994) which is an iron-sulfur precursor of FeMo-co. Unfortunately all attempts to gain insights into the NifB-co by various spectroscopic techniques (EPR, MCD, Resonance Raman) have failed to reveal any information about this unusual Fe-S cluster (Shah, Johnson unpublished).
Can structure predict function in the human brain

Over the past decade, scientific interest in the properties of large-scale spontaneous neural dynamics has intensified. Concurrently, novel technologies have been developed for characterizing the connective anatomy of intra-regional circuits and inter-regional fiber pathways. It will soon be possible to build computational models that incorporate these newly detailed structural network measurements to make predictions of neural dynamics at multiple scales. Here, we review the practicality and the value of these efforts, while at the same time considering in which cases and to what extent structure does determine neural function. Studies of the healthy brain, of neural development, and of pathology all yield examples of direct correspondences between structural linkage and dynamical correlation. Theoretical arguments further support the notion that brain network topology and spatial embedding should strongly influence network dynamics. Although future models will need to be tested more quantitatively and against a wider range of empirical neurodynamic features, our present large-scale models can already predict the macroscopic pattern of dynamic correlation across the brain. We conclude that as neuroscience grapples with datasets of increasing completeness and complexity, and attempts to relate the structural and functional architectures discovered at different neural scales, the value of computational modeling will continue to grow.
The 6 thalamic regions: surgical approaches to thalamic cavernous malformations, operative results, and clinical outcomes

OBJECT The ideal surgical approach to thalamic cavernous malformations (CMs) varies according to their location within the thalamus. To standardize surgical approaches, the authors have divided the thalamus into 6 different regions and matched them with the corresponding surgical approach. METHODS The regions were defined as Region 1 (anteroinferior), Region 2 (medial), Region 3 (lateral), Region 4 (posterosuperior), Region 5 (lateral posteroinferior), and Region 6 (medial posteroinferior). The senior author’s surgical experience with 46 thalamic CMs was reviewed according to this classification. An orbitozygomatic approach was used for Region 1; anterior ipsilateral transcallosal for Region 2; anterior contralateral transcallosal for Region 3; posterior transcallosal for Region 4; parietooccipital transventricularfor Region 5; and supracerebellar-infratentorial for Region 6. RESULTS Region 3 was the most common location (17 [37%]). There were 5 CMs in Region 1 (11%), 9 in Region 2 (20%), 17 in Region 3 (...
On the minimum attention and anytime attention problems for nonlinear systems

The current convergence of control, communication and computation opens the door to new avenues for the applicability of control systems, but it also leads to new constraints and requirements. The traditional quadratic cost function has become too plain to represent the diverse performance indices of today's complex applications. For instance, the implementation cost of a control law has become a major factor, since resources are frequently shared among different tasks. Implementation costs of control laws depend on a wide range of factors: computation complexity, sensor accuracy, required bandwidth, actuation speed, or sampling rates, to name a few. In this paper we focus on the notion of attention, that is, how often the loop needs to be closed in order to achieve a desired performance. We propose two attention-aware control laws: first, a technique to construct minimum attention control laws that maximizes the open loop operation of a nonlinear control system; and second, a control algorithm that permits the system run in open loop for a pre-scheduled amount of time.
A comparison of perturbation theory and the small-slope approximation for acoustic scattering from a rough interface for a Biot medium

In this paper, the lowest order small-slope approximation (SSA) scattering cross section for Biot theory is derived. Numerical results are obtained for both backscattering and bistatic scattering using a modified power law spectrum, and these results are compared with those of lowest order perturbation theory (PT). Frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 3 kHz are used for surfaces with RMS heights h of 0.1 and 1 m and a correlation length l of 10 m. The angle of incidence for the bistatic results is limited to 45/spl deg/. It is found that for the smaller surface height roughness (h = 0.1 m), the SSA and PT give the same results for frequencies up to almost 1 kHz for both backscattering and bistatic scattering. For h = 1 m, the SSA and PT backscatter results are in good agreement at all frequencies for incident grazing angles up to approximately 45/spl deg/. For the bistatic results, the SSA and PT results agree only at low grazing angles of scatter. In the specular region, the results differ significantly.
Control and optimization of multiscale process systems

In this work, we present an overview of recently developed methods for control and optimization of complex process systems described by multiscale models. We primarily discuss methods developed in the context of our previous research work and use examples of thin film growth processes to motivate the development of these methods and illustrate their application.
Magnetically insulated and inductively charged capacitor for the attainment of gigavolt potentials

A magnetically insulated coaxial capacitor of toroidal geometry is proposed which promises the attainment of gigavolt potentials. In contrast to earlier ideas employing the concept of magnetic insulation the proposed device does not depend on superconductors. Furthermore, also in contrast to earlier proposals, the charging does not require a high-energy electron accelerator but can simply be, performed inductively within a fraction of a second. The short charging time is of importance because magnetic insulation may prevent break-down only on a comparatively, small time scale. The energy of the device is discharged in the form of an intense relativistic electron beam with beam voltages and energy outputs many orders of magnitude larger than what is presently possible with Marx generators. The two most important applications of this machine seem to be in the field of thermonuclear fusion and the collective acceleration of ions up to energies of 103 GeV. Other applications are the generation of intense meson beams, gamma-ray flash tubes, the pumping of high-power lasers and ultrastrong microwave pulse generators.
Investing in the Child Welfare Workforce A Response to David Stoesz

Responding to David Stoesz’s invited article criticizing the Children’s Bureau and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI), the author’s inaccurate assertions are challenged, and new information is provided about the significant work underway to support the child welfare workforce. The Children’s Bureau has made historic investments in workforce capacity building, which bring multiple universities, public, and tribal child welfare systems into a partnership designed to support a multilevel approach to workforce development. Information that counters the author’s spurious claims is provided with regard to the structure of NCWWI and the evaluation protocol being implemented.
Fast Sequential Creation of Random Realizations of Degree Sequences

We examine the problem of creating random realizations of very large degree sequences. Although fast in practice, the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for selecting a realization has limited usefulness for creating large graphs because of memory constraints. Instead, we focus on sequential importance sampling (SIS) schemes for random graph creation. A difficulty with SIS schemes is assuring that they terminate in a reasonable amount of time. We introduce a new sampling method by which we guarantee termination while achieving speed comparable to the MCMC method.
Overcoming the Language Barrier: AISC's CIS/2 Initiative

A common language for electronic data interchange is a key enabling technology that has been largely lacking in the construction industry. The inability to systematically share project data among the members of the constructed facilities team has been a major barrier to delivering advanced computing and information technologies. Adopting a standard object-oriented format for the electronic exchange of data enables the building and sharing of product models. The American Institute of Steel Construction’s recent endorsement of the CIMSteel Integration Standards (CIS) has lead to pioneering projects using object-oriented product models in the design, detailing, procurement, fabrication, and erection of steel framed buildings. Actual benefits in terms of time and quality are examined. Schedule reductions are quantified, showing substantial time savings of about one-quarter, even in a pioneering environment. By examining the evolving use of CIS/2 in the North American steel building industry, a grounded perspective is gained from which to consider the successes, failures, barriers, and solutions for transfer of information technology advances from research to application in practice. The product data model as key enabling technology The construction industry is infamous for its degree of fragmentation both vertically and horizontally. This industry fragmentation has lead to an information technology (IT) infrastructure classically characterized by “islands of automation”. That is to say, commercial engineering software products address a part of the constructed facilities product or process, but there is no provision for systematic interaction and integration of the isolated individual implementations. This lack of a “common language” has proved a persistent barrier to realizing in practice the possible benefits of more advanced computing approaches. The need for standard product and/or process models has been well known for many years. Despite many research demonstrations of feasibility and several major standardization efforts, progress has been markedly slow. A recent bright spot in the arena of application of an open data exchange standard to the construction industry is the rapidly growing use of CIMSteel Integration Standards, Version 2 (CIS/2) in the North American steel building industry. This provides an opportunity to quantify the benefits realized by the practical deployment of this critical enabling technology. Recent pioneering projects
Impact of comorbid mental health needs on racial/ethnic disparities in general medical care utilization among older adults.

Objective The objective is to apply the Institute of Medicine definition of healthcare disparities in order to compare (1) racial/ethnic disparities in general medical care use among older adults with and without comorbid mental health need and (2) racial/ethnic disparities in general medical care use within the group with comorbid mental health need. Methods Data were obtained from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (years 2004–2012). The sample included 21,263 participants aged 65+ years (14,973 non-Latino Caucasians, 3530 African–Americans, and 2760 Latinos). Physical illness was determined by having one of the 11 priority chronic health illnesses. Comorbid mental health need was defined as having one of the chronic illnesses plus a Kessler-6 Scale >12, or two-item Patient Health Questionnaire >2. General medical care use refers to receipt of non-mental health specialty care. Two-part generalized linear models were used to estimate and compare general medical care use and expenditures among older adults with and without a comorbid mental health need. Results Racial/ethnic disparities in general medical care expenditures were greater among those with comorbid mental health need compared with those without. Among those with comorbid mental health need, non-Latino Caucasians had significantly greater expenditures on prescription drug use than African–Americans and Latinos. Conclusions Expenditure disparities reflect differences in the amount of resources provided to African–Americans and Latinos compared with non-Latino Caucasians. This is not equivalent to disparities in quality of care. Interventions and policies are needed to ensure that racial/ethnic minority older adults receive equitable services that enable them to manage effectively their comorbid mental and physical health needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PEF-Induced Biological Changes

This chapter discusses the different biological changes induced by pulsed electric field (PEF), and how these changes take place in the cell membrane of the treated microorganisms. To analyze the membrane response to PEF, a capacitor charged by electric field pulses is considered, and an explanation is provided as to how after the membrane has reached a certain potential, it undergoes an electrical breakdown or major perturbation in its structure that leads to a permeability increase in the membrane. Some of the biological changes induced by electric fields include electropermeabilization, electrofusion, motility alteration, and microorganism inactivation. External electric fields induce transmembrane potential across cell membranes and cause electroporation and/or damage of cell organelles that lead to cell inactivation. The subsequent inactivation of microorganisms by PEF is affected by treatment conditions, treatment time, electric field strength, temperature, pulse waveshape, and pulse width; the type, concentration, and growth stage of the microbial entity; and the physical and electrical properties of the treatment media. Conductivity, ionic strength, pH, antimicrobials, the presence of particles or gas bubbles, and the dielectric properties of a medium are all important characteristics that alter the biological changes produced during PEF treatment.
Milton and Ecology: Place regained: Sabrina puts down roots

Does man still dwell calmly between heaven and earth? Heidegger, Discourse on Thinking “They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow / Through Eden took thir solitaire way” (12.648–49). With these lines Paradise Lost closes, but after Adam and Eve take that long walk out of Paradise, what next? Once lost, how is Paradise to be regained? The sad truth is that the situation has gotten so out-of-hand that, try as they might, Adam and Eve simply cannot regain Paradise – regardless of what they do to atone. It is somewhat surprising, then, that Milton did not give greater emphasis to what the Son did to atone for humanity in Paradise Regained ; instead the poet focuses on the decisive scene in the desert where the Son would “first lay down the rudiments / Of his great warfare” (1.155–58) in order to provide what is both his plan for atonement and arguably a new paradigm of human action. As I shall argue in the following sections, in Paradise Regained not by looking to what the Son did on the cross to atone but in laying down the rudiments of a startlingly new manner for humans to approach their world (for example, by resisting the temptation of Greek learning, Roman power, and exalted Judaic thinking), Milton delivers a fair measure of the responsibility of regaining Paradise (place) in the here and now back to humankind.
Transverse Modes of Coupled Nonlinear Oscillator Arrays

We derive and apply an extension of Master Stability Function (MSF) theory to learn how transverse modes arise in arrays of coupled nonlinear oscillators. The MSF theory shows how network topology affects the stability of perfect synchrony between the oscillators. In particular it shows how the dynamics of the single oscillator and the eigenvalue spectrum of the coupling matrix determine the degree of synchronization of a coupled nonlinear system. In our description, the synchronous state actually corresponds to the first transverse mode of the system. We show that the MSF theory can also describe whether a non-synchronous transverse mode is stable. We apply this analysis to arrays of semiconductor lasers in order to demonstrate how mode selection occurs.
Electrochemical corrosion of a noble metal-bearing alloy-oxide composite

Abstract The effects of added Ru and Pd on the microstructure and electrochemical behaviour of a composite material made by melting those metals with AISI 410 stainless steel, Zr, Mo, and lanthanide oxides were assessed using electrochemical and microscopic methods The lanthanide oxides reacted with Zr to form durable lanthanide zirconates and Mo alloyed with steel to form FeMoCr intermetallics. The noble metals alloyed with the steel to provide solid solution strengthening and inhibit carbide/nitride formation. A passive film formed during electrochemical tests in acidic NaCl solution, but became less effective as corrosion progressed and regions over the intermetallics eventually failed.
Of Blind Mice, Bald Mice, and Bawkie-Birds: Euphemism and Early Names for the Bat

The terms for chiroptera in English and French, bat and chauve-souris, are unrelated, as far as can be determined, but a parallel search for satisfactory etymologies and plausible early histories r...
Overview and Historical Background of Polybenzoxazine Research

Publisher Summary This chapter points out that naming of polybenzoxazine is very complex due to the rich variety of structures from similar raw materials available. The general overview of benzoxazine chemistry and polybenzoxazine properties is provided here. The benzoxazine chemistry offers the richest molecular design flexibility among all classes of polymers, thus leading to advances in many fields with tailored properties. Benzoxazines exhibit various unusual properties, such as near-zero shrinkage upon polymerization, fast development of properties at low conversions, very high char yield, and hydrophobicity and low dielectric constants, despite having many hydrophilic groups. The cross-linked polybenzoxazine derived from bisphenol-A and aniline-based monomeric benzoxazine (BA-a) is expressed as poly (BA-a). It states that Benzoxazine is a molecule where an oxazine ring is attached to a benzene ring. There are several benzoxazine structures depending on the position of the heteroatoms. It explains that if benzoxazine monomers crystallize is pure then it tends to retain a small amount of solvents and impurities rather tenaciously and thus purification can sometimes be difficult. Upon polymerization, polybenzoxazine exhibits amorphous structure, as they are cross-linked. The synthesized compound is subjected to thermally accelerated, cationic ring-opening polymerization with or without an added initiator. If the initiation takes place with a labile proton initiator, such as phenol, it leads to a polymer with a phenolic structure. On the other hand, if a nonlabile proton initiator, such as Lewis acid, is used to polymerize at a relatively low temperature, it could lead to an arylether structure. However, the arylether structure is thermally unstable and can undergo structural transformation to the phenolic-type at an elevated temperature.
Hope for the Worst: Occasional Reinforced Extinction and Expectancy Violation in the Treatment of OCD

Abstract An inhibitory learning conceptualization of treatment mechanisms in exposure-based therapy appears to better account for durability of symptom reduction and index overall learning. Presented here is an overview of two core elements of inhibitory learning, expectancy violation and occasional reinforced extinction, as they are thought to function in exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD. The overview is then followed by case examples illustrating these processes at work in a naturalistic clinical setting. Implications for treatment are broadly discussed.
Shape Memory Polymer–Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposites

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have been the focus of much research over the last few decades. From the novelty of temporarily fixing a three-dimensional shape from a planar polymer sheet, to the uses that SMPs are seeing today as softening biomedical implants and self-deploying hinges, this class of smart materials has successfully been used to tackle a variety of biological, electrical, and mechanical problems. However, the properties of these networks are limited by the organic nature of the SMPs. To enhance their properties, researchers across the globe have looked into imparting the desirable properties of inorganic composite materials to these polymer networks. As the field of shape memory polymer composites began to grow, researchers quantified the unique enhancements that came at varying filler loading levels as a result of controlled material interface interactions. Specifically, the incorporation of nanofillers of various shapes and sizes leads to increased internal interfacial area relative to micro- and macrocomposites at identical loading fractions and imparts interesting mechanical, optical, electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties to these emerging nanocomposites. This new class of material, referred to in this review as shape memory polymer–inorganic nanocomposites (SMPINCs), allows a host of new interactions between the smart polymer and its surrounding environment as a result of the ability to control the internal environment of the polymer network and nanofiller. In this work, the reader is introduced to both the methods of preparing these composites and the effects the fillers have on the biological, electromagnetic, and mechanical properties of the resulting composite.
Potential of Agave lechuguilla biomass for Cr(III) removal from aqueous solutions: thermodynamic studies.

Thermodynamic studies on the bioadsorption of Cr(III) onto Agave lechuguilla biomass were conduced. The experimental results at different temperatures were modeled using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms to obtain the characteristic parameters of each model. Both the Freundlich and Langmuir models were found to represent the bioadsorption process. The average adsorption capacities calculated from Freundlich (4.7 mg/g) and Langmuir (14.2 mg/g) isotherms showed A. lechuguilla to be an effective biomass in the removal of Cr(III) from an aqueous solution. Thermodynamic parameters (DG 0 , DH 0 and DS 0 ) determined in the temperature range from 10 to 40 C along with the parameters of the Dubinin–Radushkevick equation support the idea that the binding of Cr(III) may be caused by interactions with functional groups such as carboxyl groups located on the outer surface of the cell tissue of the bioadsorbent. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Semaglutide for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To detail studies investigating the efficacy/safety of semaglutide as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Data Sources: A ...
Wayward Leadership and the Breakdown of Reform on the Failed Jesuit Mission to the Maronites, 1577-1579

In 1578, at the behest of Syriac Maronite Patriarch Mihail ar-Ruzzy, Pope Gregory XIII sent three Jesuits to Lebanon to assist the Maronites in ecclesiastical reform. However, the mission’s superior, Tommaso Raggio, desired to leave Lebanon, insulted Mihail, and did little to help the Maronites. Within a year of arriving, Raggio was recalled. The mission’s failure due to Raggio’s actions, especially when compared to subsequent successful missions, illuminates three aspects of Catholic missionary activity. First, missionaries and their superiors had to agree on a given mission’s specific objectives. Second, successful missions required missionaries who understood the world in which they found themselves. Third, evangelization was a negotiated process between the clergy and the faithful that often hinged on whether communities felt that missionaries were serving their needs. These three issues point to early modern missionary Catholicism’s need to be conciliatory rather than rigid in its evangelizing and reform efforts.
I mean do we want just one theory of the universe?: A pragmatic reading of philanthropic foundations, problems and hope

Abstract Foundations play an increasingly important role in the creation and maintenance of urban infrastructure supporting social reproduction (e.g. schools, health care, human services, etc.). Yet, geographical scholarship on the consequences of their funding and influence remains relatively sparse, and research from other disciplines is predominately critical. This manuscript offers a more hopeful reading of the consequences of foundations through pragmatic theory. It highlights pragmatism’s pluralistic theory of knowledge, focus on the problematic situation and the future, and its integration of hope as a generative process in creating truths to reveal a more nuanced and ultimately more hopeful reading of the possibilities for nonprofits engaging with philanthropic foundations. It further argues that in an era of mature neoliberalism and hallowed out urban government, abandoning all engagement with philanthropic foundations as a universal principle runs the risk of further starving critical community resources of the necessary funds to do their work.
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING: EVALUATION OF GLANCE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FREQUENT/INFREQUENT TEXTERS AND KEYPAD/TOUCHPAD TEXTERS.

The threat that cell-phones pose to driving has been a well researched topic. There are fewer studies of the threat that texting creates for drivers, but the risks are obvious and the few existing studies confirm this. What is not obvious is whether frequent texters will expose themselves to the same risks as infrequent texters. This is important to know because many texters, especially teens who text frequently, may consider themselves immune to the dangers of texting while driving. As such, a comparison of frequent and infrequent texters was undertaken on a driving simulator. It is also not immediately clear what effects the different types of interfaces have on driving performance while text messaging. The interfaces under evaluation included keypad or “qwerty” phones (e.g., Blackberries) and touchpad phones (iPhone). It was found that the frequent and infrequent texters were equally likely to glance at least once for more than 2s inside the vehicle while sending a text message. It was also found that touchpad texters had a larger number of glances above the 2s threshold than keypad users, though this difference was not significant. The implications of this for future public policy are discussed.
Waardenburg's syndrome

Summary 1. Individuals with Waardenburg's syndrome, including the first reported instances in the Negro race, have been presented. 2. This syndrome consists of: A. Lateral displacement of the medial canthi of the eyes and of the lacrimal puncta. B. A hyperplastic, broad nasal root. C. Hyperplasia of the medial portions of the eyebrows. D. Partial or total heterochromia iridum or isochromic, hypoplastic blue irides. E. Congenital deafness or varying degrees of partial deafness. F. White (or gray) forelock. 3. The syndrome is genetically determined and transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner with varying degrees of penetrance of the individual characteristics. 4. Possible additional characteristics of the syndrome have been discussed. These include premature graying of the hair; abnormal depigmentation of the skin; pigmentary changes of the fundi and a characteristic facial appearance. 5. It has been roughly estimated that 2.0 per cent of congenital deafness in the United States may result from this disorder. 6. A summary of the pertinent literature relative to the occurrence of defects of pigmentation and deafness in man and in animals has been presented.
ECOLOGY OF THE YELLOW-BELLIED WATERSNAKE (NERODIA ERYTHROGASTER FLAVIGASTER) IN AN EASTERN TEXAS FLOODPLAIN

Relatively little has been documented about the seasonal activity, population biology, and foraging ecology of the yellow-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster). I studied a population of N. e. flavigaster in a riparian bottomland forest in eastern Texas. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.23. Relative body mass did not differ between sexes but sampling was skewed toward juveniles. Relative tail length was sexually dimorphic with males having longer tails. Captures were highest in the spring months and significantly correlated with soil temperature under cover boards. Maximum prey size increased with snake size but adults still consumed small prey including anuran larvae, demonstrating a telescoping pattern of prey size selection. Approximately 50% of individuals with food had consumed more than one prey item. The data herein provide information regarding understudied aspects of N. e. flavigaster autecology and watersnake ecology in riparian forests.
Anzeigen und Bildschirme

Ein grundsatzliches Problem ist die ungleichmasige Verteilung der Sehscharfe uber das Gesichtsfeld des menschlichen Auges gegenuber der gleichmasigen Verteilung der Bildpunkte bei den meisten Anzeigegeraten. Nur ein enger Bereich der Netzhaut (die Fovea centralis) hat die maximale Sehscharfe. Wenn wir einen Gegenstand genau sehen wollen, drehen wir das Auge so, das der Gegenstand auf die Fovea centralis projiziert wird. In diesem Bereich konnen wir noch zwei Linien unterscheiden, die einen Abstand von einer Winkelminute haben (in 20 cm Entfernung betrachtet, ein Abstand von einem zwanzigstel Millimeter). Auserhalb der Fovea centralis nimmt die Sehscharfe rasch ab. Man kann insgesamt etwa 600 000 Bildpunkte unterscheiden (Bild 5.1–1). Diese 600 000 Bildpunkte entsprechen etwa auch der Zahl der Bildpunkte auf dem Fernsehschirm. Da diese Punkte jedoch gleichmasig uber die Bildflache verteilt sind, ist die Auflosung im fixierten Bildteil schlecht, im nicht fixierten Bildteil zu gut. Vorschlage, auf dem Bildschirm nur den vom Auge fixierten Bereich scharf darzustellen, haben bislang keine Verwirklichung gefunden.
A Radioimmunoassay for Erythropoietin

We describe the development of a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for erythropoietin. Antisera were raised in rabbits with an impure human urinary erythropoietin preparation used as immunogen, but with pure human erytropoietin serving as the labeled antigen in the RIA and as a primary standard. The immunoreactivity of erythropoietin is not altered significantly by the mode of labeling with radioiodine, even though the biologic activity is lost. With this method, it is possible to detect 2- -3 mU of erythropoietin in a volume of 0.1--0.3 ml. Therefore, the method can be used for detection of normal and subnormal serum titers as well as elevated titers. RIA for erythropoietin does not distinguish between the native (active in vivo) and the asialo form (inactive in vivo) and cannot yet be used for routine monitoring of crude fractions during purification.
Wittgenstein and the Philosophy of Language: The Legacy of the Philosophical Investigations

In the preface to the Philosophical investigations, Wittgenstein notoriously wrote ‘It is not impossible that it should fall to the lot of this work in its poverty and in the darkness of this time,...
Private patient rooms and hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A hospital-level analysis of administrative data from the United States.

Objective To use hospital-level data from the US to determine whether private patient rooms (PPRs) are associated with fewer in hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) infections. Methods We retrospectively analyzed Texas Inpatient Public Use Data with discharges between September 2015 and August 2016 merged with American Hospital Association annual survey data. We used negative binomial regression to estimate the association between the proportion of PPRs within a hospital and the count of discharges with HA-MRSA infections, adjusting for potentially confounding variables. Results We analyzed data for 340 hospitals and 2,670,855 discharges. HA-MRSA incidence within these hospitals was 386 per 100,000 discharges (95% CI: 379, 393) and, on average, 62.73% (95% CI: 58.99, 66.46) of rooms in these hospitals were PPRs. PPRs were significantly associated with fewer HA-MRSA infections (unadjusted IRR = 0.973, 95% CI: 0.968, 0.979; adjusted IRR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.991, 0.994; p<0.001 for both); at the hospital level, as the percentage of PPRs increased, HA-MRSA infection rates decreased. This association was non-linear; in hospitals with few PPRs there was a stronger association between PPRs and HA-MRSA infection rate relative to hospitals with many PPRs. Conclusion We identified 0.8% fewer HA-MRSA infections for each 1% increase in PPRs as a proportion of all rooms, suggesting that private rooms provide substantial protection from HA-MRSA. Small changes may not induce significant improvements in HA-MRSA incidence, and hospitals seeking tangible benefits in HAI reduction likely need to markedly increase the proportion of PPRs through large-scale renovations. The effect of private rooms is disproportionate across hospitals. Hospitals with proportionately fewer PPRs stand to gain the most from adding additional PPRs, while those with an already high proportion of PPRs are unlikely to see large benefits. Our findings enable hospital administrators to consider potential patient safety benefits as they make decisions about facility design and renovation.
Encrypted Key-Value Stores

Distributed key-value stores (KVS) are distributed databases that enable fast access to data distributed across a network of nodes. Prominent examples include Amazon’s Dynamo, Facebook’s Cassandra, Google’s BigTable and LinkedIn’s Voldemort. The design of secure and private key-value stores is an important problem because these systems are being used to store an increasing amount of sensitive data. Encrypting data at rest and decrypting it before use, however, is not enough because each decryption exposes the data and increases its likelihood of being stolen. End-to-end encryption, where data is kept encrypted at all times, is the best way to ensure data confidentiality.
Special Session: Adiabatic Circuits for Energy-Efficient and Secure IoT Systems

This paper discusses the potential of adiabatic circuits for simultaneously achieving energy-efficiency and security. Despite the presence of adiabatic logic for more than six decades, some of the relatively recent improvements demonstrate the significant benefits that adiabatic circuits can provide in niche applications such as RF-powered devices. An overview of these improvements is provided, highlighting the primary design challenges and opportunities related to adiabatic circuits.
Maternal Education and Early Childhood Education across Affluent English-Speaking Countries.

Women who attain more education tend to have children with more educational opportunities, a transmission of educational advantages across generations that is embedded in the larger structures of f...
A Spectroscopic Diffuse Optical Tomography System for the Continuous 3-D Functional Imaging of Tissue—A Phantom Study

This article demonstrates a spectroscopic diffuse optical tomography (DOT) system for the noninvasive continuous imaging of tissue. The system was built on an embedded system architecture along with an algorithm that performs entire system control, data acquisition, noise-free lock-in detection, and wireless data transmission to a host computer, equipped with a graphics processing unit (GPU). The GPU system executes a fast 3-D DOT spectroscopic image reconstruction algorithm. The algorithm computes Jacobians and solves four different depth-sensitive inverse problems of image reconstruction. The host computer sends commands to the DOT server system and collects data, and simultaneously performs high-speed 3-D spectroscopic image reconstruction to display images in real-time. We designed a configurable optical fiber patch to collect depth-resolved diffused light exiting the imaging media by placing the patch on the surface. The simulation and experimental results from two setups showed the spectroscopic imaging capability of the system to map the concentration of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and water, and to characterize the tumor located deep inside the tissue. The proposed system uses low-cost LEDs, photodiode detectors, embedded system, and algorithms to perform high-speed 3-D functional imaging and can be further miniaturized. Our promising results pave the way for the development of a low-cost hand-held spectroscopic DOT system for the real-time onsite functional imaging of biological tissue.
Managing and transforming water conflicts

Background, trends, and concepts -- Water wars, water reality: reframing the debate on transboundary water disputes, hydropolitics, and preventive hydrodiplomacy -- Water conflict management: theory and practice -- Crafting institutions: law, treaties, and shared benefits -- Public participation, institutional capacity, and river basin organizations for managing conflict -- Lessons learned: patterns and issues -- Water conflict prevention and resolution: where to from here? -- Appendix A: 1997 convention and ILC draft rules on international groundwater -- Appendix B: river basin organizations / Jerome Delli Priscoli -- Appendix C: case studies of transboundary dispute resolution / Aaron T. Wolf and Joshua T. Newton -- Appendix D: international water pricing: an overview and historic and modern case studies / Kristin M. Anderson and Lisa J. Gaines -- Appendix E: treaties with groundwater provisions / Kyoko Matsumoto -- Appendix F: treaties with water quality provisions / Meredith A. Giordano -- Appendix G: treaties the delineate water allocations / Aaron T. Wolf.
Regulation of nif Gene Transcription in Methanococcus maripaludis

Thirteen years ago, it was shown that nitrogen fixation occurred in the methanogenic Archaea (Beley et al., 1984; Murray, Zinder, 1984). Since then, the fundamental mechanism of nitrogen fixation in the Archaea has proven similar to that in the bacteria (Lobo, Zinder, 1992). In addition, nifH, D, and K homologues have been cloned from methanogens, and two glnB-like genes have been found between nifH and nifD (Souillard, Sibold, 1989).