cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pertussis vaccine for adults: Knowledge, attitudes, and vaccine receipt among adults with children in the household.

Abstract Background Pertussis is a highly contagious vaccine preventable disease resulting in significant infant morbidity and mortality. Despite the recommendations for pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in adults, coverage rates in this age group remain suboptimal. We sought to determine factors associated with Tdap receipt among adults with children in the household who live in central New York. Methods The study team surveyed Tdap immunization status of adults who accessed medical services for their children provided by Golisano Children's Hospital, Syracuse, New York. Adults who did not know their Tdap vaccine status were excluded. Each participant was asked a standard set of questions to determine factors associated with Tdap receipt. Logistic regression was used to calculate simple and adjusted odds ratios for Tdap receipt in relation to adults’ demographic characteristics, knowledge of Tdap and physician recommendations. Results Eight hundred twenty four participants were included in this study; 34% had received Tdap in the past 5 years; 58% reported that their provider or child's pediatrician recommended adult Tdap vaccination. Tdap receipt was associated with knowing the symptoms of pertussis infection, female gender, younger age, and provider recommendation ( p p Conclusion Tdap coverage rates are low among this study population, with provider recommendation most strongly associated with Tdap receipt. Future steps to improve vaccine coverage should include both increasing community awareness and determining barriers to provider recommendation.
Carbon-free fullerenes: condensed and stuffed anionic examples in indium systems.

Condensed, well-ordered analogs of the fullerenes occur in the hexagonal phases Na96In97Z2 ( Z = nickel, palladium, or platinum). Large cages of In74 ( D 3 h ) and M60 (= In48Na12, D 3 d ) share pentagonal faces to generate a double—hexagonal close-packed analog of NiAs. All these polyhedra are centered by partially disordered In10Z clusters within deltahedra of sodium atoms that cap all inner faces of the cages, namely, Z@In10@Na39@In74 and Z@In10@Na32@Na12In48 "onions" The highest filled bands in these compounds apparently involve localized electron pairs on surface features on In74-based layers. Structural and electronic relations between diamond and Naln (stuffed diamond structure) parallel those between certain fullerenes and Na96In97Z2 and, presumably, other valence-driven intermetallic phases.
The Nature of Feedback in Adventure-Based Education

Historically, adventure-based education research has focused on outcomes occurring from participation (e.g., Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997) rather than the processes through which outcomes occur. More recently however, several studies have shed light upon mechanisms, which contribute to student learning (McKenzie, 2003; Paisley, Furman, Sibthorp, & Gookin, 2008; Schumann, Paisley, Sibthorp, & Gookin, 2009). The shift to process related research provides opportunity for the examination, improvement, and modification of educational approaches or â€œfolk pedagogiesâ€ (Baldwin, Persig, & Magnuson, 2004, p. 168) which may be prevalent in practice but possess little empirical evidence supporting their implementation or describing their function in adventure-based contexts.
A numerical method for solving systems of linear ordinary differential equations with rapidly oscillating solutions

The present numerical method for accurate and efficient solution of systems of linear equations proceeds by numerically developing a set of basis solutions characterized by slowly varying dependent variables. The solutions thus obtained are shown to have a computational overhead largely independent of the small size of the scale length which characterizes the solutions; in many cases, the technique obviates series solutions near singular points, and its known sources of error can be easily controlled without a substantial increase in computational time.
PREDICTING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: NELSON-DENNY READING TEST AND MEASURES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' STUDY OF EXPOSITORY PROSE

Prediction of performance in an introductory psychology course was examined for a sample of 65 freshmen college students. Students completed the Comprehension subtest of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, then studied a 956-word passage, reported their reading strategies, and responded to 18 test questions. Predictors included Nelson-Denny Comprehension score, reading strategy, study time, retention interval, time to complete the test, and test score. Percentage of total points earned in the course for the semester was the criterion. The best set of predictors included Comprehension score, test score, and retention interval; R = .61. The text-study procedure with exemplary test questions may have utility in improving prediction of course performance.
Recent progress in the development of a solar neutron tracking device (SONTRAC)

We report the results of recent calibration data analysis of a prototype scintillating fiber tracking detector system designed to perform imaging, spectroscopy and particle identification on 20 to 250 MeV neutrons and protons. We present the neutron imaging concept and briefly review the detection principle and the prototype description. The prototype detector system records ionization track data on an event-by-event basis allowing event selection criteria to be used in the off-line analysis. Images of acrylic phantoms from the analysis of recent proton beam calibrations are presented as demonstrations of the particle identification, imaging and energy measurement capabilities. The measured position resolution is < 500 micrometers . The measured energy resolution is 14.2 percent at 35 MeV. The detection techniques employed can be applied to measurements in a variety of disciplines including solar and atmospheric physics, radiation therapy and nuclear materials monitoring. These applications are discussed briefly as are alternative detector configurations and future development plans.
Design Elements and Consumer Characteristics Relating to Design Preferences of Working Females

My study was designed to investigate the effect of design elements and consumers’ personal, psycho-social, job-related, and physical characteristics on business jacket design preferences of working...
Axonal regeneration in the adult lamprey spinal cord.

Larval sea lampreys recover from complete spinal transection by a process involving directionally specific axonal regeneration. In order to determine whether this is also true of adults, 14 adult lampreys were transected at the level of the 5th gill and allowed to recover for 10 weeks. Muller and Mauthner cells and their giant reticulospinal axons (GRAs) were impaled with microelectrodes and injected with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The tissue was processed for HRP histochemistry and wholemounts of brain and spinal cord were prepared. All animals recovered coordinated swimming; 61 of 121 (50%) neurites emanating from 30 axons regenerated caudal to the scar into the distal stump. Of the neurites which had grown beyond the scar, 92% were correctly oriented, i.e., caudalward and ipsilateral to the parent axon. Retransection in two additional animals eliminated the recovered swimming. Thus, behavioral recovery in adult sea lampreys is accompanied by directionally specific axonal regeneration.
Rebuttal from Terence K. Smith and Michael D. Gershon.

The question at hand is whether 5-HT is necessary for peristalsis. Smith & Gershon (2015) have marshalled experimental evidence that makes a compelling case for the necessity of 5-HT. Spencer et al. (2015) rebut none of that evidence but advance an argument that refutes a straw man of assertions that no one has made. 5-HT receptors are arbitrarily assigned constitutive activity so that antagonists can be called inverse agonists with no supporting data. Spencer el al. also use an ad hominem attack to denigrate contrary observations which are dismissed as the result of an inadequate number of experiments that have been performed incorrectly. In fact, the mucosa was removed from over 80 preparations without ever observing a spontaneous colonic migrating motor complex (CMMC), yet ongoing neural activity of the myenteric plexus was preserved (Heredia et al. 2009; Bayguinov et al. 2010; Dickson et al. 2010). Moreover, it is not new that mucosal removal, or mucosal asphyxiation or anaesthetization, abolishes peristaltic reflexes in guinea pigs, rabbits and cats (Bulbring et al. 1958) and verified (Frigo & Lecchini, 1970). Bulbring proposed that enterochromaffin (EC) cells secrete 5-HT, which stimulates sensory (primary afferent) neurons to initiate peristaltic reflexes, and predicted that prevention of mucosal 5-HT biosynthesis would impair peristaltic reflexes. In fact, despite the incorrect contrary assertion of Spencer et al. (2015), it does (Heredia et al. 2013). Brushing of the mucosal surface elicits CMMCs in isolated wild-type colon but not in that of mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1KO mice) and thus mucosal 5-HT. To evoke CMMCs in the absence of mucosal 5-HT, it is necessary to dilate/stretch the gut, which short circuits the mucosa and activates mechanosensitive neurons (Smith et al. 2010). In the TPH1KO colon small pellets, which fail to dilate the gut, are not propelled. Although fecal pellets form in situ in the TPH1KO colon they are oversized and the colon is elongated and dilated, illustrating the pathophysiological toll exacted by the absence of mucosal 5-HT. Equally important, motility is a direct function of luminal bacteria that regulate 5-HT biosynthesis in EC cells (Yano et al. 2015). Altering mucosal 5-HT biosynthesis (Brown et al. 2011) or actions (Chey et al. 2015) has, furthermore, proven to be effective therapeutically in treating intestinal motility disorders. Mucosal 5-HT might not be the only driver of peristalsis since 5-HT neurons are still present, but it is a necessary one that provides insights into GI physiology, pathophysiology and therapy.
Differences in Entrepreneurial Opportunities: The Role of Tacitness and Codification in Opportunity Identification*

The role of opportunities in the entrepreneurial process remains relatively underdeveloped. To address this issue, we develop a definition of an entrepreneurial opportunity and draw upon a distinction from the domain of knowledge management to suggest a continuum of entrepreneurial opportunities ranging from codified to tacit. Though both traditional and contemporary research has examined how individual differences relate to the identification of opportunities, we focus instead on the importance of differences in the opportunities themselves. Specifically, we examine how relative differences in the degree of opportunity tacitness relate to the process of opportunity identification. We find that relatively more codified opportunities are more likely to be discovered through systematic search, whereas more tacit opportunities are more likely to be identified due to prior experience. These findings contribute to an increased understanding of the role of the opportunity in entrepreneurship research and have important implications for economic theories of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial networks, and entrepreneurial education.
Blended Learning Pedagogy: The Time is Now!

Pedagogy is rapidly changing. To develop best practice in academia, it is important that we change with the changing needs of students. This article suggests that blended learning is one of the most important pedagogical formats that can enhance student learning, optimize the use of active learning strategies, and potentially improve student learning outcomes.
Tight Genetic Linkage of a Glucosyltransferase and Dextranase of Streptococcus mutans GS-5

A genetic library consisting of over 5000 clones with an average insert size of 6.9 kilobasepairs (kbp) of Streptococcus mutans GS-5 has been constructed in a bivalent plasmid vector pMK3, which is capable of replicating in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The recombinant plasmid pSUCRI, containing a 6.0 kbp fragment of S. mutans GS-5 DNA, was the focus of this study. Using Southern hybridization, in vitro and in vivo gene expression techniques, and biochemical analysis, this clone was shown to encode the 55 kiloDalton (kDal) GS-5 gtfA gene product, as well as a 38 and a 66 kDal polypeptide. In addition to the gtfA gene, pSUCRI encodes a dextranase activity with specificity for α(1→6)-linked glucans, and with no detectable activity on mutan. The dextranase enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 66 kDal as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE analysis of the proteins produced by a dextranase-negative deletion derivative. The pH optimum of the enzyme was approximately 6.0, and there was no detectable activit...
Full-wave mutual coupling analysis of wideband arrays based on aperiodic tilings

Recently, aperiodic tilings have been shown to provide an effective framework for designing planar antenna array layouts with the attractive features of ultra-wide bandwidths and highly sparse distributions. Their application to array design was explored in [1], where the radiation properties of planar arrays based on certain categories of aperiodic tilings were investigated. In this investigation selected portions of tilings were replaced by arrays that had an element located at each vertex of the tiling. It was shown that certain aperiodic sets (the set of tiles that make up the tiling) lead to array configurations that exhibit broadband performance in terms of suppressed grating lobes and maintaining low sidelobe levels. Array operating bandwidths (i.e., the frequency range over which the peak sidelobe level remains at or below −10 dB) corresponding to minimum element spacings of up to of 1.5λ were reported in [1]. While aperiodic tiling arrays naturally possess broadband characteristics, their performance is basically limited by their corresponding aperiodic set. In other words, various arrays generated from the same aperiodic set tend to have similar radiation properties. In [2], a design technique that circumvents this limitation by introducing perturbations into the basic tiling generation process was introduced. The technique utilizes a small number of design parameters to greatly vary the geometry of arrays generated from an aperiodic set. With proper parameter selection, the bandwidth of the perturbed aperiodic arrays can be enhanced past that of unperturbed counterparts. Genetic algorithm optimized designs with bandwidths up to 22:1 were presented in [2]. This design technique also has the potential to lead to highly sparse element distributions [2], [3].
Structure-Activity Relationships of Cardiotonic Steroids for the Inhibition of Sodium- and Potassium-Dependent Adenosine Triphosphatase: III. Dissociation Rate Constants of Various Enzyme—Cardiac Glycoside Complexes Formed in the Presence of Sodium, Magnesium, and Adenosine Triphosphate

The dissociation rate constants (kd) of cardiac monoglycoside-(Na+ + K+)-ATPase complexes in the presence of magnesium and inorganic phosphate were determined by enzymatic assay after dilution. Among various cardiac monoglycosides, kd was dependent on the nature of the sugar and the temperature but not on the steroid. The 39-hydroxyl and the 59-α-methyl group of the sugar markedly influenced the stability of the complex. The order of stability of cardiac monoglycoside-(Na+ + K+)-ATPase complexes is the following: L-rhamnoside > D-6-deoxyguloside [unknown] D-digitoxide > D-fucoside [unknown] D-6-deoxyglucoside. Methylation or acetylation of the 39-hydroxyl group decreased this stability. These data indicate a sugar site on the enzyme, and they suggest that the 39-hydroxyl is bound to two groups at this site, a proton-donating group and a proton-accepting group. The 39-α-hydroxyl binds to either group, but the 39-β-hydroxyl and the 39-α-methoxyl bind only a proton-accepting group and a proton-donating group, respectively. The activation energy of this dissociation was rather constant (20 kcal/mole) with various cardiac monoglycosides. The rate-determining step of the dissociation might be a conformational change of the enzyme, and it is suggested that the reaction order is the following: dissociation of the sugar portion of the cardiac glycoside from the sugar site of enzyme, conformational change of the sugar site, and dissociation of the steroid portion from the steroid site.
β‐Methylglutaric Anhydride

β-Methylglutaric anhydride reactant: 115 g. (0.72 mole) of diethyl malonate reactant: 60 g. (0.60 mole) of methyl crotonate product: β-Methylglutaric anhydride product: methyl hydrogen β-methylglutarate Keywords: addition, to CC–CO and CC–CN; annulation, heterocyclic-[6]; cyclization, miscellaneous; elimination, dehydration; hydrolysis, esters and lactones; diethyl malonate
Episodic Sedimentation--How Normal is Average? How Rare is Rare? Does it Matter?: ABSTRACT

Do sedimentary rocks record mainly average, continuous, day-to-day processes or relatively rare, large-magnitude ones separated by long nondepositional intervals? Subtle legacies from Lyellian uniformitarianism may still impose a subconscious abhorrence of unique events, discontinuities, and large deviations from "average" magnitudes. Where repeated sharp changes of sedimentation are inescapable, periodic cycles are commonly invoked to preserve uniform, orderly variations from some supposed norm. The sedimentary record rarely reflects such uniformity, however, as sedimentologists have gradually realized. Magnitude versus frequency of processes has long been debated in geomorphology, but has received less attention in sedimentology. Recurrence interval, recovery time, and preservation potential are critical factors for evaluating significance for the sedimentary record. Large-magnitude processes, which represent positive deviations from the norm and are rare on the human time scale, must be significant over geologic time. But how significant? Could not everyday processes have obliterated much of the evidence? Flood deposits have relatively low preservation potential because they lie above base level. Marine gravel layers dispersed by abnormal waves have greater preservation potential because most ordinary processes are not competent to modify them. Sandy or shelly deposits formed by la ge waves and displaying either hummocky cross-stratification or graded bedding have a moderate preservation potential, especially if too thick for burrowing animals to homogenize them. Turbidites, which provide exceptional records of episodicity, have excellent preservation potential because they lie well below base level. Many bedding planes are important records of episodicity, too; some are surfaces of erosion, others of nondeposition. These represent negative deviations from average process magnitudes. The sedimentological importance of rare events is difficult to End_Page 564------------------------------ assess because the record of such events may be very subtle. This is especially true if a deposit has been thoroughly bioturbated or if the record of an event is simply an erosional surface. It has now become possible to evaluate quantitatively ancient episodic sedimentation using modern-process rates as well as refined biostratigraphic and isotopic dating. I predict that such evaluation will necessitate revision of our favorite depositional models, which have become so important for exploration as well as for research. End_of_Article - Last_Page 565------------
There Cannot be any Algorithm for Integer Programming with Quadratic Constraints

This paper studies a class of integer programming problems in which squares of variables may occur in the constraints, and shows that no computing device can be programmed to compute the optimum criterion value for all problems in this class.
Psychiatric Barriers to Readiness for Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection among Injection Drug Users: Clinical Experience of an Addiction Psychiatrist in the HIV-HCV Coinfection Clinic of a Public Health Hospital

Among injection drug users, psychological and psychiatric barriers to readiness for treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection include mood and anxiety disorders, cognitive deficits, temperament disorders, and personality vulnerabilities, as well as ongoing drug use. Many aspects of these barriers can be overcome with direct treatment or social support. To establish effective treatment for HCV infection in this population of patients, it is essential that the patient and providers develop a rapport that allows for active communication. It is also important that the patient make an effort to adhere to the treatment requirements and that the patient receive the appropriate evaluation and management of treatable barriers.
Family support as a mediator of change in sexual risk-taking attitudes among orphaned adolescents in rural Uganda

Abstract Purpose Prior studies demonstrated the effect of family-based economic empowerment intervention Suubi on reducing attitudes approving sexual risk-taking behavior among orphaned adolescents in Uganda. To understand mechanisms of change, the article examines the effect of Suubi intervention on family support variables and their role in mediating the change in adolescents' attitudes toward sexual risk-taking. Methods The Suubi study used a cluster-randomized experimental design with three waves, and included 283 orphaned adolescents from 15 primary schools in Rakai, Uganda. First, using mixed-effects models, the study tested for the effect of intervention on family support variables. Second, using mediation analysis, the study examined whether the change in sexual risk-taking attitudes was mediated by the change in family support. Results Compared with adolescents from the control group, at wave 2, adolescents in the treatment group reported higher levels of perceived support from caregivers, were more willing to talk to caregivers about their problems, and felt more comfortable talking about sexual risk behaviors with their caregivers. Mediation analysis demonstrated that the improvement in perceived support from caregivers at wave 2 accounted for 16.8% of the reduction in adolescents' attitudes toward sexual risk-taking behavior at wave 3 ( z = −2.21, p Conclusions A family-based economic empowerment intervention Suubi may have the potential to increase family support to orphaned adolescents. Interventions aimed at strengthening existing social networks and improving connectedness with surviving family members may be critical in preventing sexual risk-taking behavior among orphaned adolescents in Uganda, which is characterized by low resources.
Overexpression of the dominant-negative form of interferon regulatory factor 1 in oligodendrocytes protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) is a transcription factor that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the human autoimmune demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS) and in its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The goal of the present study was to directly examine the role of IRF-1 in oligodendrocyte injury and inflammatory demyelination. For the purpose of this study, we generated a transgenic mouse line (CNP/dnIRF-1) that overexpresses the dominant-negative form of IRF-1 (dnIRF1) specifically in oligodendrocytes. CNP/dnIRF-1 mice exhibited no phenotypic abnormalities but displayed suppressed IRF-1 signaling in oligodendrocytes. The major finding of our study was that the CNP/dnIRF-1 mice, compared with the wild-type mice, were protected against EAE, a phenomenon associated with significant reduction of inflammatory demyelination and with oligodendrocyte and axonal preservation. The observed protection was related to suppressed IRF-1 signaling and impaired expression of immune and proapoptotic genes in oligodendrocytes. No significant differences in the peripheral immune responses between the wild-type and the CNP/dnIRF-1 mice were identified throughout the experiments. This study indicates that IRF-1 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of EAE by mediating oligodendrocyte response to inflammation and injury. It also suggests that oligodendrocytes are actively involved in the neuroimmune network, and that exploring oligodendrocyte-related pathogenic mechanisms, in addition to the conventional immune-based ones, may have important therapeutic implications in MS.
Autobiographical Memories for Very Negative Events: The Effects of Thinking About and Rating Memories

In three related experiments, 250 participants rated properties of their autobiographical memory of a very negative event before and after writing about either their deepest thoughts and emotions of the event or a control topic. Levels of emotional intensity of the event, distress associated with the event, intrusive symptoms, and other phenomenological memory properties decreased over the course of the experiment, but did not differ by writing condition. We argue that the act of answering our extensive questions about a very negative event led to the decrease, thereby masking the effects of expressive writing. To show that the changes could not be explained by the mere passage of time, we replicated our findings in a fourth experiment in which all 208 participants nominated a very negative event, but only half the participants rated properties of their memory in the first session. Implications for reducing the effects of negative autobiographical memories are discussed.
Hi-C: a comprehensive technique to capture the conformation of genomes

We describe a method, Hi-C, to comprehensively detect chromatin interactions in the mammalian nucleus. This method is based on Chromosome Conformation Capture, in which chromatin is crosslinked with formaldehyde, then digested, and re-ligated in such a way that only DNA fragments that are covalently linked together form ligation products. The ligation products contain the information of not only where they originated from in the genomic sequence but also where they reside, physically, in the 3D organization of the genome. In Hi-C, a biotin-labeled nucleotide is incorporated at the ligation junction, enabling selective purification of chimeric DNA ligation junctions followed by deep sequencing. The compatibility of Hi-C with next generation sequencing platforms makes it possible to detect chromatin interactions on an unprecedented scale. This advance gives Hi-C the power to both explore the biophysical properties of chromatin as well as the implications of chromatin structure for the biological functions of the nucleus. A massively parallel survey of chromatin interaction provides the previously missing dimension of spatial context to other genomic studies. This spatial context will provide a new perspective to studies of chromatin and its role in genome regulation in normal conditions and in disease.
A parameterized model transformations approach for automating middleware QoS configurations in distributed real-time and embedded systems

Model transformation is a key requirement of model-based software development processes, such as middleware quality of service (QoS) configuration which involves mapping domain-specific requirements onto the right set of middleware-specific configuration options. There exists a significant opportunity to factor out commonality patterns from individual platform-specific transformation mappings to develop general-purpose transformations. Although existing model transformation tools provide support for developing, testing and debugging transformation rules using a variety of approaches, the development of templatized, reusable (patterns of) model transformations is not well supported. We introduce the concept of transformation template specialization that:(1) allows developers to specify variability points in their transformation project, (2) automatically creates a modeling language that captures middleware platform variabilities, and (3) accommodates these varabilities in the transformation project such that platform-specific model transformations can be instantiated.
Treaty Interpretation by the WTO Appellate Body

This article analyses how the Appellate Body in practice expresses its interpretation of the WTO covered agreements, and discusses whether the Appellate Body's hermeneutics is different from that of other international courts and tribunals. It shows that it is impossible to discern the Appellate Body's hermeneutics from the practical exposition of how it interprets treaties. It also addresses the alleged particularity of the Appellate Body's hermeneutics. The key thread is the function of treaty interpretation in the development of the judicial function in the WTO. From the outset, the Appellate Body made the conscious choice to function as if it were a court. This exercise of the judicial function relates to the tasks and powers of the international judge and transcends the mere mandate and context of a particular court or tribunal as established in its constitutive document and other procedural rules. The Appellate Body's use of principles of interpretation has been instrumental in making acceptable its early choice to function as a court and to build its judicial identity. After 15 years of jurisprudence, the response of WTO members and the broader audience for the Appellate Body's decisions shows general acceptance of this initial, but perhaps not unavoidable, choice and the strategy to achieve this objective. In turn, this response has prompted less formalism in the Appellate Body's recent interpretations of the WTO treaties.
Palace wars and privatization: did Chicago beat Cambridge in influencing economic policies

Based on an analysis of privatization acts and self-collected data on 13,422 economists, this paper statistically explores whether the diffusion of the ‘diffusers’, American-trained economists, influenced adoption of an economic policy. The results show that the diffusion of privatization was significantly affected by American-trained economists in the adopting countries and by the broader debates in the construction of economic ideas. The qualitative assessment of the enactment of privatization identifies the role of technocrats as handmaidens to broader national strategies. These results offer the interpretation of a transnational community, whose ideas evolve by an ongoing construction rather than by a diffusion of a reputed homogeneous American ideology.
Among 10 Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Variables, Smoking Is Strongly Associated with Biomarkers of Acrylamide Exposure in a Representative Sample of the U.S. Population

Hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide (HbAA) and glycidamide (HbGA) have been measured as biomarkers of acrylamide exposure and metabolism in a nationally representative sample of the US population in the NHANES 2003–2004. We assessed the association of sociodemographic (age, sex, race-ethnicity, education, and income) and lifestyle variables (smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, physical activity, and dietary supplement use) with these biomarkers in US adults (≥20 y). We used bivariate and multiple regression models and assessed the magnitude of an estimated change in biomarker level with change in a covariable for 2 biomarkers of acrylamide exposure. Smoking was strongly and significantly correlated with HbAA and HbGA levels (rs=0.51 and 0.42, respectively), with biomarker concentrations being 126% and 101% higher in smokers compared to nonsmokers after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Age was moderately and significantly correlated with both biomarkers (rs=−0.21 and −0.22, respectively). BMI (rs=−0.11) and alcohol consumption (rs=0.13) were weakly yet significantly correlated with HbAA levels only. The estimated percent change in biomarker concentration was ≤20% for all variables other than smoking after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle covariates. Using multiple regression models, the sociodemographic variables explained 9% and 7%, while the sociodemographic and lifestyle variables together explained 46% and 25% of the variability in HbAA and HbGA, respectively, showing the importance of considering and adequately controlling for these variables in future studies. Our findings will be useful in the design and analysis of future studies that assess and evaluate exposure to acrylamide and its metabolism to glycidamide.
A Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS) 2.0?

Contesting International Society in East Asia. Edited by Buzan Barry, Zhang Yongjin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. 272 pp., $95.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-1-107-07747-8). In a collection of fine essays, this book asks a timely question: Is there an (emerging) international regional society in East Asia? Two scenarios/interpretations of the “Western–global international society” are first introduced: the “globalization” view in which the Western systems and values triumph in some form, and the “postcolonial” view in which the “regional” international society will assert itself (pp. 5–6). In theory, however, a third interpretation should also be possible: the emergence of a non-Western “global” society. The book also seeks to conceptualize the international relations of East Asia from the perspective of the English School. Indeed, there is quite a strong link between the book under review and The Expansion of International Society edited by Hedley Bull and Adam Watson (⇓) but not just because the latter is generally regarded as a foundational text of the English School. The seemingly unlikely link is an essay by Ali Mazrui (⇓:289–308) entitled: “Africa Entrapped: Between the Protestant Ethic and the Legacy of Westphalia,” which basically articulates what the editors of Contesting International Society in East Asia , Barry Buzan and Yongjin Zhang, would call “a core-periphery view of Western–global international society” (pp. 5–6). Mazrui argues that Africa was a miracle of diversity, that it interpreted and practiced “primary institutions” differently, that it had no dominant core, …
Environmental Effects of Glyphosate Resistant Soybeans in the United States

Great controversy surrounds the potential environmental effects of genetically modified (GM) crops. Of the GM crops currently in commercial use, glyphosate resistant (GR) soybeans have probably received the most attention from both proponents and opponents of GMOs.
Automatically Determining Web Site Comprehensibility

Current search engines obtain their search results largely based on keyword matching methods, and rarely return search results based on the web site comprehensibility. Moreover search mechanisms perform the matching at the level of individual web pages, and do not account for the related hypertext information presented on the website. To answer those two challenges that current search engines have, we propose a website-level comprehensibility model. This model aims to automatically compute the comprehensibility score of a site from webpage-level quantitative features. An empirical study indicates the accuracy rate to predict a comprehensibility score of a site is 64% using our model. Our work can be potentially applied to provide an additional search criterion to the existing web search practices for the purpose of learning. Additionally the automatic calculation of comprehensibility scores may improve the ability of a learner to select appropriate websites from a list of search results to best service their self-directed learning objectives.
Self-assembly and tunable mechanics of reconfigurable colloidal crystals

We investigate the self-assembly of crystals from reconfigurable colloidal building blocks. The building blocks possess the unique ability, inspired by recent experiments, to continuously alter their shape before, during, and after assembly. Using molecular simulations, we report the assembly of a reconfigurable degenerate crystal containing a fractionally filled kagome sublattice. We show that this degenerate crystal differs from, and assembles more easily than, its counterpart known for rigid dimers. We further report that the reconfigurable crystal has unique mechanical properties under shear strain compared to a crystal comprised of rigid building blocks. We find that even a small amount of reconfigurability in an assembly of otherwise rigid building blocks can greatly affect mechanical properties.
Seasonal Activity and Thermoregulatory Behavior of Cicindela patruela (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Cicindela patruela Dejean was studied in a central Indiana woodland. Adults were active in September and spring, but they were three times more abundant in spring when the numbers were positively correlated with air temperatures at 1 cm and 100 cm above the surface. Seasonal activity budgets for spring and fall were significantly different, with more feeding in the fall and more basking in spring. A regression of body temperatures on air temperature at 1 cm indicated an ability to thermoregulate behaviorally. Basking, stilting, and shuttling to shade enabled the beetles to maintain body temperatures between 34 and 36°C for most of the daily activity period. Thermoregulatory behaviors were generally similar to those of other tiger beetle species. The spring-fall life history pattern for C. patruela in Indiana contrasts with the apparent spring-only pattern in Wisconsin.
Why U.S. States Need Pension Waiver Credits

This article identifies a novel approach to public pension reform, which takes into account existing political and legal constraints. It does its work in four key ways. First, the article encourages better use of public sector resources by calling for the elimination of public pension inefficiencies. Next, it explains how to reduce public pension inefficiencies, on a prospective basis, by moving away from defined-benefit pension plans. Third, the article describes one way to move beyond defined-benefit pension plans through the creation of a new tax expenditure program (specifically, a Pension Waiver Credits Program). Finally, it explains how to implement this new tax expenditure program: so that U.S. states may partially address their public pension issues.
Non-contact scanning diffuse optical tomography for three-dimensional vascular imaging in a murine bone graft model

A non-contact scanning diffuse optical tomography system was developed for monitoring vascularization during bone graft healing in a murine femur model. Preliminary testing of the system using tissue phantoms is presented.
Rapid increase in inositol phosphate levels in norepinephrine-stimulated vascular smooth muscle

We examined the correlation between agonist-stimulated increases in inositol phosphates and force development in vascular smooth muscle. Segments of rat tail artery were preincubated with [3H]inositol and treated with norepinephrine (10(-5) M) for 3-10 s. Tissue levels of inositol monophosphate (IP), inositol bisphosphate (IP2), and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) were measured. IP and IP2 increased significantly after 3 s of norepinephrine treatment. IP3 increased significantly after 5 s of norepinephrine treatment. Analysis of tissue extracts by high-pressure liquid chromatography demonstrated that the only isomer of IP3 present in any tissue extract was the 1,4,5-isomer [Ins(1,4,5)P3]. Contractile response to norepinephrine stimulation showed that the increase in inositol phosphates coincides well with the time course of force development. This is the first report demonstrating such an early increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 in agonist-stimulated vascular smooth muscle. These results are consistent with the hypothetical role of Ins(1,4,5)P3 as a mediator linking agonist-receptor activation to increased intracellular calcium and force development in norepinephrine-stimulated vascular smooth muscle.
Blind prediction of cyclohexane–water distribution coefficients from the SAMPL5 challenge

In the recent SAMPL5 challenge, participants submitted predictions for cyclohexane/water distribution coefficients for a set of 53 small molecules. Distribution coefficients (log D) replace the hydration free energies that were a central part of the past five SAMPL challenges. A wide variety of computational methods were represented by the 76 submissions from 18 participating groups. Here, we analyze submissions by a variety of error metrics and provide details for a number of reference calculations we performed. As in the SAMPL4 challenge, we assessed the ability of participants to evaluate not just their statistical uncertainty, but their model uncertainty-how well they can predict the magnitude of their model or force field error for specific predictions. Unfortunately, this remains an area where prediction and analysis need improvement. In SAMPL4 the top performing submissions achieved a root-mean-squared error (RMSE) around 1.5 kcal/mol. If we anticipate accuracy in log D predictions to be similar to the hydration free energy predictions in SAMPL4, the expected error here would be around 1.54 log units. Only a few submissions had an RMSE below 2.5 log units in their predicted log D values. However, distribution coefficients introduced complexities not present in past SAMPL challenges, including tautomer enumeration, that are likely to be important in predicting biomolecular properties of interest to drug discovery, therefore some decrease in accuracy would be expected. Overall, the SAMPL5 distribution coefficient challenge provided great insight into the importance of modeling a variety of physical effects. We believe these types of measurements will be a promising source of data for future blind challenges, especially in view of the relatively straightforward nature of the experiments and the level of insight provided.
Assessment of Sleeping, Feeding/Eating, and Attachment Problems in Early Childhood

This chapter focuses on problems that can occur in three fundamental developmental processes during infancy and early childhood: sleeping, feeding/eating, and attachment. Background, context, and recent research for problems and disorders in these three domains are covered. Assessment of problems and disorders in attachment, sleeping, and feeding/eating are described including classification and diagnostic considerations. In addition, specific assessment instruments for the three types of problems are covered. The chapter concludes with a discussion of implications for practitioners to help establish links between assessment and intervention.
The nova outburst: thermonuclear runaways on degenerate dwarfs

Abstract Observational and theoretical studies of the outbursts of classical novae have provided critical insights into a broad range of astrophysical phenomena. Thermonuclear runaways (TNRs) in accreted hydrogen-rich envelopes on the white dwarf (WD) components of close binary systems constitute not only the outburst mechanism for a classical nova explosion, but also for recurrent novae and a fraction of the symbiotic novae explosions. Studies of the general characteristics of these explosions, both in our own galaxy and in neighboring galaxies of varying metallicity, can teach us about binary stellar evolution, while studies of the evolution of nova binary systems can constrain models for the (as yet unidentified) progenitors of Type Ia supernovae. Further, the empirical relation between the peak luminosity of a nova and the rate of decline, which presents a challenge to theoretical models, allows novae to be utilized as standard candles for distance determinations out to the Virgo Cluster. Extensive studies of novae with IUE and the resulting abundance determinations have revealed the existence of oxygen–neon white dwarfs in some systems. The high levels of enrichment of novae ejecta in elements ranging from carbon to sulfur confirm that there is significant dredge-up of matter from the core of the underlying white dwarf and enable novae to contribute to the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium. Observations of the epoch of dust formation in the expanding shells of novae allow important constraints to be placed on the dust formation process and confirm that graphite, SiC, and SiO2 grains are formed by the outburst. It is possible that grains from novae were injected into the pre-solar nebula and can be identified with some of the pre-solar grains or “stardust” found in meteorites. Finally, γ-ray observations during the first several years of their outburst, using the next generation of satellite observatories, could confirm the presence of decays from 7 Be and 22 Na.
The role of investment bankers in nonprofit conversions.

When investment bankers set the value of a nonprofit hospital for its sale to a for-profit enterprise, is society getting a fair return on its investment?
Effects of Strain Rate on Tensile Deformation and Fracture Behavior of Directionally Solidified Superalloy DZ125L

The tensile deformation and fracture behavior of directionally solidified superalloy DZ125L were studied with a strain rate ranging from 10−3 to 7 × 102 s−1 at room temperature. Results show that the strength of DZ125L alloy presents positive strain rate sensitivity in tested strain rate range which is mainly resulted from the increasing accumulation of dislocations in the matrix. The ductility of the alloy first increases and then it remains insensitive with the increase in strain rates. The enhancement of ductility is primarily due to the increasing amount of broken MC carbides and plastic deformation in the matrix at higher strain rates. The strain rates influence the amount of broken MC carbides and then affect the deformation behavior of the alloy. Based on observations and discussions of the lateral microstructures and dislocations, it is concluded that the MC carbides with sizes larger than 10 μm are easy broken in the early deformation stage and act as crack sources during the proceeding plastic deformation. The growth and connection of microcracks and the propagation of main crack lead to the fracture of the matrix.
The Effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on Defined Benefit Pension Contributions

This study examines the effect of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) on corporate defined benefit pension contributions. The TCJA decreases the corporate tax rate from 35 percent in 2017 to 21 percent in 2018 and thereafter. This change incentivizes firms to increase 2017 pension contributions to take advantage of tax deductions at a higher rate. Consistent with this incentive, we find firms increase defined benefit pension contributions by an average of 25 to 31 percent in 2017 compared with earlier years. We also find that taxpaying firms are the primary contributors. Further, taxpaying firms with high levels of pension‐related deferred tax assets contribute over three times as much as taxpaying firms with low levels of pension‐related deferred tax assets. We also find firms that increase pension contributions in 2017 reduce 2018 contributions, consistent with intertemporal income shifting rather than a permanent change in pension funding strategy. Effets de la Tax Cuts and Jobs Act de 2017 sur les cotisations aux regimes de retraite a prestations determinees Cette etude examine l'effet de la Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) de 2017 sur les cotisations des societes aux regimes de retraite a prestations determinees. En vertu de la TCJA, le taux d'imposition des societes est passe de 35 % en 2017 a 21 % en 2018 et par la suite. Ce changement a incite les entreprises a augmenter leurs cotisations aux regimes de retraite en 2017 pour profiter de deductions fiscales a un taux plus eleve. Conformement a cet incitatif, nous etablissons que les entreprises ont augmente leurs cotisations aux regimes de retraite a prestations determinees de 25 a 31 % en moyenne en 2017 par rapport aux annees precedentes. Nous constatons egalement que les societes contribuables sont les principaux cotisants. De plus, les cotisations des societes contribuables qui possedent une grande quantite d'actifs d'impots differes associes aux regimes de retraite sont plus de trois fois plus elevees que celles des societes contribuables qui ne possedent que peu d'actifs d'impots differes de ce type. Nous constatons aussi que les societes qui ont augmente leurs cotisations en 2017 les ont reduites en 2018, ce qui correspond a un transfert de revenus intertemporel plutot qu’a une modification permanente de la strategie de financement des regimes de retraite.