cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of SCR NH3 Storage in the Presence of H2O

Diesel engines offer excellent fuel economy, but this comes at the expense of higher emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx ) and Particulate Matter (PM). To meet current emissions standards, diesel engines require aftertreatment devices. Concepts using combinations of catalysts are becoming more common in aftertreatment systems to reduce the cost and size of these aftertreatment systems. One combination is an LNT-SCR system where the LNT releases NH3 during a regeneration to be used by the SCR catalyst for further NOx reduction. This involves rich-lean cycling of the exhaust stream, which alters species concentrations in the exhaust. Most notably H2 O and CO2 levels can vary from 4%–14% during lean-rich cycling. An investigation was performed using multiple Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) experiments to determine how H2 O and CO2 affect NH3 storage capacity of an Fe-based zeolite SCR catalyst. It was determined that H2 O and CO2 inhibit NH3 storage capacity of the SCR catalyst. This inhibition has shown a linear dependence on H2 O and CO2 concentration at constant temperature. It was also determined that H2 O is a much stronger inhibitor of NH3 storage capacity then CO2 . Additional Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) experiments, were run where H2 O and CO2 concentration (0%, 6%, and 10%) and the initial storage temperature (200°C, 250°C, 300°C, 350°C) were varied. Results suggest the addition of a reaction that creates competition for active sites on the catalyst between H2 O and NH3 . The additional reaction allows H2 O and NH3 to be stored on open catalytic sites and has improved model accuracy by accounting for large changes in H2 O, CO2 , and temperature.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
DEVELOPING A PROTOCOL FOR THE CONVERSION OF RANK-BASED TAXON NAMES TO PHYLOGENETICALLY DEFINED CLADE NAMES, AS EXEMPLIFIED BY TURTLES

We present a rank-free phylogenetic nomenclature for 25 well-established ancient clades of living turtles. This is the first attempt to document fully the nomenclatural history of a clade with the intent of proposing a coherent nomenclatural system to replace the traditional rank-based nomenclature. Because of the imperative to retain connectivity to the literature for information retrieval, due consideration is given to balancing the desire to develop a consistent system against the desire to conserve traditional associations between names, taxa (i.e., clades), and characters. Novel issues and problems that emerged during this review include: the unclear name/clade association of traditional names; the creation of synonymy lists from which to choose a name; difficulties associated with selecting a single criterion for choosing among multiple 'subjectively synonymous' names; identifying authorship for a converted traditional name; and the potential loss of nomenclatural information due to 'functional homonyms.' This work may provide a useful road map to those intent on converting their traditional rank-based nomenclatures to explicitly phylogenetic nomenclatures under the precepts of the PhyloCode.
Lateralizing Essential Hematuria

Lateralizing essential hematuria is a rare clinical syndrome which poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the treating urologist. Despite its benign nature in the majority of patients, recurrent macroscopic hematuria can be very frustrating and stressful to the patient. Historically, these patients were treated by irrigating the renal collecting system with various cauterizing solutions, surgical evaluation of exposed collecting system, partial nephrectomy, or even nephrectomy. Recent advances in the endourological techniques and the development of more sophisticated instruments have enhanced our abilities to diagnose and treat many upper urinary tract lesions. This chapter focuses on the latest developments in the evaluation, technique, and results of fiberoptic ureteropyeloscopy in the management of lateralizing essential hematuria.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Calcium Phosphates

The class of crystalline and amorphous compounds generically known as calcium phosphates has a widespread importance across a variety of disciplines, as can be seen from other chapters in this book and from other books.1 In particular the apatite lattice of calcium phosphates, Ca5X(PO4)3, with its wide variety of possible atomic substitutions, forms a structurally rich basis for many important materials, ranging from the bones and teeth of mammals to phosphors in fluorescent lamps to phosphate ores. Other calcium phosphates have such diverse applications as fertilizers, food additives, dentifrice abrasives, and bone implants, and they can occur in soils, suspended in milk, and as undesirable scaling products in pipes or in blood vessels.
Body Tracking in Healthcare

Within the context of healthcare, there has been a long-standing interest in understanding the posture and movement of the human body. Gait analysis work over the years has looked to articulate the patterns and parameters of this movement both for a normal healthy body and in a range of movement-based disorders. In recent years, these efforts to understand the moving body have been transformed by significant advances in sensing technologies and computational analysis techniques all offering new ways for the moving body to be tracked, measured, and interpreted. While much of this work has been largely research focused, as the field matures, we are seeing more shifts into clinical practice. As a consequence, there is an increasing need to understand these sensing technologies over and above the specific capabilities to track, measure, and infer patterns of movement in themselves. Rather, there is an imperative to understand how the material form of these technologies enables them also to be situated in everyday healthcare contexts and practices. There are significant mutually interdependent ties between the fundamental characteristics and assumptions of these technologies and the configurations of everyday collaborative practices that are possible them. Our attention then must look to social, clinical, and technical relations pertaining to these various body technologies that may play out in particular ways across a range of different healthcare contexts and stakeholders. Our aim in this book is to explore these issues with key examples illustrating how social contexts of use relate to the properties and assumptions bound up in particular choices of body-tracking technology. We do this through a focus on three core application areas in healthcare-assessment, rehabilitation, and surgical interaction-and recent efforts to apply body-tracking technologies to them.
Diffusion social learning over weakly-connected graphs

In this paper, we study diffusion social learning over weakly-connected graphs. We show that the asymmetric flow of information hinders the learning abilities of certain agents regardless of their local observations. Under some circumstances that we clarify in this work, a scenario of total influence (or "mind-control") arises where a set of influential agents ends up shaping the beliefs of non-influential agents. We derive useful closed-form expressions that characterize this influence, and which can be used to motivate design problems to control it. We provide simulation examples to illustrate the results.
Does bank loan supply affect the supply of equity capital? Evidence from new share issuance and withdrawal

Abstract We examine the hypothesis that fluctuations in the aggregate supply of bank loans influence the supply of new equity capital. Using residual lending standards as a clean measure of aggregate loan supply and a VAR framework to aid identification, we find that a one-standard-deviation shock to lending standards results in 15% fewer IPOs. Shocks elicit strong responses from IPO-firms that are highly dependent on external capital and increase the number of withdrawals, strengthening the interpretation that the above is driven by changes in the supply of equity. Our results suggest that credit conditions are important to a well-functioning IPO market.
The Controversy over Community Water Fluoridation : an Analysis of its Effects and Reasons Behind the Arguments

This thesis explores different viewpoints on the history of community water fluoridation and reflects on the arguments made by the proand anti-fluoridationists in the United States. Community water fluoridation has been controversial in the United States since it was first proposed in 1945. Since then, fluoridation has been a major factor in reducing the prevalence and severity of dental cavities in the United States (U.S.). Fluoride safely and effectively prevents dental cavities and is available from multiple sources. Community water fluoridation is one of these sources, providing fluoride to all people regardless of their position within the community. Even so, community water fluoridation has not been universally implemented despite efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA) to support and promote it. Fluoridation has been declared one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20 century (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). In this study, I will review the literature on the history of community water fluoridation, comprised by scientific studies on its benefits and disadvantages. I will examine how the controversy surrounding this issue began, and how the anti-fluoridationists’ arguments have continued to influence some communities to vote against fluoridation. Finally, I will attempt to draw a conclusion as to why community water fluoridation has not been implemented in all cities, despite its overall health benefits. The Controversy over Community Water Fluoridation 4
AJAX AND OTHER OBJECTS: HOMER'S VIBRANT MATERIALISM

ἕρϰος Ἀχαιῶν: ἔμψυχον τeῖχος τῶν Ἑλλήνων. Bulwark of the Achaeans: living wall of the Greeks. Schol. D. Il. 6.5 (on Ajax) Now, still breathing, he is simply matter… Simone Weil, ‘The Iliad or the Poem of Force’ The two quotations at the start of this paper, one from the D scholion on the Iliad and the other from Simone Weil's famous essay on force, both make of the Homeric warrior a kind of ‘breathing material’. Two references, then, to the liveliness of objects, but each meaning very different things. For the scholiast places man on the same side as materiality, as if humans and things can equally be infused with life and can exist in a sort of continuum, but Weil argues that a human who is reduced to mere matter, even if he is a still a thing that breathes, is as good as nothing. Unlike the scholiast, Weil's interpretation is predicated on a strong belief in the duality of body and soul in the structure of human life, and since objects do not have souls they are, for her, essentially dead. Throughout her essay, Weil visits again and again the materiality of Homeric man and his propensity to turn, under the crushing power of force, into what she calls alternately a ‘thing’, ‘inert matter’, ‘stone’, and even ‘nothingness’. But for the D scholiast, the comparison of Ajax to stone does not subjugate him or turn him into a ‘mere’ or ‘inert’ object. On the contrary, the gloss ἔμψυχον τeῖχος speaks instead to the lively and permeable boundary between human and nonhuman in early Greek epic, one that suggests that objects can have their own life form, their own energy, vitality, and even creativity.
About Celestial Problems

In all of the history of mechanics there is no problem which has had a more profound influence on its development than the Kepler problem.
Dawn‐dusk asymmetries in rotating magnetospheres: Lessons from modeling Saturn

Spacecraft measurements reveal perplexing dawn-dusk asymmetries of field and plasma properties in the magnetospheres of Saturn and Jupiter. Here we describe a previously unrecognized source of dawn-dusk asymmetry in a rapidly rotating magnetosphere. We analyze two magnetohydrodynamic simulations, focusing on how flows along and across the field vary with local time in Saturn's dayside magnetosphere. As plasma rotates from dawn to noon on a dipolarizing flux tube, it flows away from the equator along the flux tube at roughly half of the sound speed (Cs), the maximum speed at which a bulk plasma can flow along a flux tube into a lower pressure region. As plasma rotates from noon to dusk on a stretching flux tube, the field-aligned component of its centripetal acceleration decreases and it flows back toward the equator at speeds typically smaller than 12Cs. Correspondingly, the plasma sheet remains far thicker and the field less stretched in the afternoon than in the morning. Different radial force balance in the morning and afternoon sectors produce asymmetry in the plasma sheet thickness and a net dusk-to-dawn flow inside of L = 15 or equivalently, a large-scale electric field (E) oriented from postnoon to premidnight, as reported from observations. Morning-afternoon asymmetry analogous to that found at Saturn has been observed at Jupiter, and a noon-midnight component of E cannot be ruled out.
Selective Reduction and Separation of Europium from Mixed Rare-Earth Oxides Recovered from Waste Fluorescent Lamp Phosphors

Nearly the entire worldwide production of europium is recovered, as a minor constituent, from mining bastnasite, monazite ore, or ion absorbing clays. However, this research indicates a process to recycle europium from waste lamp phosphors as a strategy meet the demand for europium. In this process, waste fluorescent lamp powder is retorted, sieved, leached, and precipitated to produce a mixed europium/yttrium rare earth oxide (REO). Europium is separated from yttrium by selectively reducing Eu(III) to Eu(II) using zinc powder and precipitating europium (II) sulfate from solution using sulfuric acid. Screening experiments were conducted observe the effect of pulp density, precipitation time, entrance pH, and stoichiometric ratio sulfate upon the grade and recovery of europium (II) sulfate. The best conditions to maximize grade and recovery of europium (II) sulfate were a 1 h precipitation time, 10× the stoichiometric ratio of sulfate, 100 g/L mixed REO, and the entrance pH equal to 3. The maximum grade of europium sulfate was 95.93%, and the maximum recovery was 73.32%.
“Knowing What Is Sufficient” and the Embodied Nature of Contentment in the Laozi and the “Neiye”

The idea of contentment or sufficiency is an important theme throughout the Laozi 老子, and Western readings of this text have especially emphasized an understanding of contentment in terms of satisfaction with an existence free of excessive material possessions. Building on recent scholarship that suggests a close connection between the kind of early breath cultivation described in the “Neiye 內業” (“Inward Training”) chapter of the Guanzi 管子 and the form and content of the Laozi, this article explores how the concept of contentment or sufficiency is treated in both texts as an embodied phenomenon, often manifesting as a balance of psycho-physical energies. It argues that reading the Laozi on contentment in this light yields a more complete picture of how this concept functions there, concluding that this reading will be more helpful in thinking about wider ethical issues of materialism and acquisitiveness.
Allocation and Usage of Presidential Resources in Interbranch Bargaining

Executive-legislative bargaining operates with cost-benefit tradeoffs. Presidents possess several material options in leveraging Congressional support but also marshal these scarce resources. We argue presidents should strategically grant requests of members of Congress for a range of executive actions based upon the nature of the cost and the political context. Using an original dataset of 4,000 internal Congressional requests made during the Eisenhower, Ford, and H.W. Bush administrations, we are able to avoid endogeneity issues by examining when the president granted requests out of all requests made. We find that the president is highly strategic in granting requests, where the cost of the request is the most important consideration when deciding whether or not to approve legislator requests. Divided government enhances the president’s stinginess in granting requests to opposition party legislators. We conclude by highlighting the implications of institutional factors and constraints on the president’s resources in interbranch bargaining.
Can telemetry data obviate the need for sleep studies in Pierre Robin Sequence

Abstract Objective This study looks to correlate telemetry data gathered on patients with Pierre Robin Sequence (PRS) with sleep study data. Strong correlation might allow obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to be reasonably predicted without the need for sleep study. Methods Charts from forty-six infants with PRS who presented to our children's hospital between 2005 and 2015 and received a polysomnogram (PSG) prior to surgical intervention were retrospectively reviewed. Correlations and scatterplots were used to compare average daily oxygen nadir, overall oxygen nadir, and average number of daily desaturations from telemetry data with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen nadir on sleep study. Results were also categorized into groups of AHI ≥ or Results Our data did not show significant correlations between telemetry data and sleep study data. Patients with O2 nadir below 80% on telemetry were not more likely to have an O2 nadir below 80% on sleep study. Patients with an average O2 nadir below 80% did show some correlation with having an AHI greater than 10 on sleep study but this relationship did not reach significance. Of 22 patients who did not have any desaturations on telemetry below 80%, 16 (73%) had an AHI >10 on sleep study. Conclusions In the workup of infants with PRS, the index of suspicion is high for OSA. In our series, telemetry data was not useful in ruling out severe OSA. Thus our data do not support forgoing sleep study in patients with PRS and concern for OSA despite normal telemetry patterns.
Gene Evolution: Getting Something from Nothing

New genes arise from pre-existing genes, but some de novo origin from non-genic sequence also seems plausible. A new study has surprisingly concluded that 25% of random DNA sequences yield beneficial products when expressed in bacteria.
Abstract 4565: Forced expression of GITRL in cancer cells enhances adenovirus-mediated in situ vaccination

Our approach involves a platform of killing cancer using more potent oncolytic viruses-based immunotherapy strategies. These replication competent adenoviruses are targeted to the Rb pathway to generate tumor-selectivity. The second generation of these therapeutic agents, Delta-24-RGD, was successfully translated to the clinical setting and is currently been tested in Phase I studies in several institutions in the USA and in Europe for the treatment of patients suffering from recurrent gliomas. Preliminary data from these clinical trials showed that 10 to 15% of Delta-24-RGD-treated tumors undergo complete regression. Agonistic treatments targeting co-stimulatory tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), such as GITR (CD357), have been shown to enhance the proliferation and activation of T cells. Moreover, in preclinical tumor efficacy studies, these agonistic signals have shown potent tumoricidal activity. Different from antibodies, co-stimulatory ligands can be easily incorporated into replication competent oncolytic adenoviruses. Infection of cancer cells with these armed viruses will lead to the expression in their cell membranes of the co-stimulatory molecule that will directly interact with the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes to amplify and enhance the anti-tumor T-cell activity. In this study, we have developed an armed Delta-24-RGD carrying the cDNA of the mouse GITRL, Delta-24-GREAT. Treatment of glioma-bearing mice with intracranial injection of Delta-24-GREAT increased mice survival (P Citation Format: Yisel A. Rivera-Molina, Francisco Puerta Martinez, Teresa Nguyen, Hong Jiang, Xuejun Fan, Rehnuma Shifat, Mohammad Belayat Hossain, Verlene K. Henry, Caroline C. Carrillo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Juan Fueyo. Forced expression of GITRL in cancer cells enhances adenovirus-mediated in situ vaccination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4565. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4565
Implicit theories of relationships and self-expansion: Implications for relationship functioning:

Individuals hold implicit beliefs about the nature of romantic relationships. Growth beliefs are characterized by thoughts that romantic relationships can be cultivated over time, whereas destiny b...
Recording within-cotton distribution of plant bug injury using plant mapping computer-based tools

Abstract Plant mapping has been included and evolving in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. [Malvales: Malvaceae]) research and management for over 100 years. Here we describe the structure and use of a plant mapping program (PMAPplus) that includes capabilities to record and manage insect injury to fruiting bodies by position and branch, compare it to existing programs (COTMAN and PMAP), and illustrate its use in cotton research that includes an assessment of insect injury. PMAPplus was modified from PMAP to allow entry of additional data on insect injury to squares and bolls and cotton boll rot and to produce output in a numerical and graphical format that can be customized to user specifications. Comparing use side-by-side, protocols of PMAPplus required more mapping time per plant than PMAP and COTMAN due to observing the additional insect injury data. But the added data were found useful in a planting date experiment that included evaluation of verde plant bug (Creontiades signatus Distant [Hemiptera: Miridae]) feeding on cotton that results in injury to bolls and is associated with cotton boll rot. PMAPplus graphical displays and output that was further analyzed statistically indicated that first position bolls in the middle branches of later planted cotton had the higher insect injury scores and incidence of boll rot, despite similar verde plant bug densities occurring on both plantings. The within-cotton distribution of verde plant bug insect injury helped explain the significantly higher yield from the earlier planting than from the later planting that was incongruent with the weekly insect monitoring data alone.
Does Size Matter? An Economic Analysis of Small Business Exemptions from Regulation

The author examines whether exemptions for small businesses and small transactions that appear in many regulations are economically efficient. The cost of regulation has both variable and fixed components. As demonstrated by many empirical studies of regulatory compliance costs, the fixed costs of regulation, and some of the variable costs, are subject to economies of scale that benefit larger firms and larger transactions. Though it is harder to measure the benefits of regulation, the benefits of regulation generally vary in proportion to the size of the regulated firm or transaction. The author develops a mathematical model of how the costs and benefits of regulation vary with size and concludes that, no matter what assumptions one makes in constructing that model, it supports small business exemptions. However, when transactions costs, the cumulative effect of regulation, and other real-world issues are considered, the case for small business exemptions is more ambiguous.
Spatio-temporal signaling in mast cells.

This chapter summarizes the evidence for localized signaling domains in mast cells and basophils, with a particular focus on the high affinity IgE receptor, FceRI, and its crosstalk with other membrane proteins. It is noteworthy that a literature spanning 30 years established the FceRI as a model receptor for studying activation-induced changes in receptor diffusion and lipid raft association. Now a combination of high resolution microscopy methods, including immunoelectron microscopy and sophisticated fluorescence-based techniques, provide new insight into the nanoscale spatial and temporal aspects of receptor topography on the mast cell plasma membrane. Physical crosslinking of FceRI with multivalent ligands leads to formation of IgE receptor clusters, termed “signaling patches,” that recruit downstream signaling molecules. However, classes of receptors that engage solely with monovalent ligands can also form distinctive signaling patches. The dynamic relationships between receptor diffusion, aggregation state, clustering, signal initiation and signal strength are discussed in the context of these recent findings.
Dipstick Testing of Urine—Can It Replace Urine Microscopy?

One thousand consecutive urine specimens were studied to assess the sensitivity of a commercially available dipstick (Chemstrip 8, Boehringer Mannheim Corp., Indianapolis, IN) to predict the presence or absence of microscopic abnormalities. The Chemstrip 8 had a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 54%, and a false negative rate of 38%. An additional 1,000 consecutive urine specimens were then studied using the Chemstrip 9, a reagent dipstick that includes the leukocyte esterase (LE) test. The Chemstrip 9 had a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 42%, and a false negative rate of 36%. Chi-squared analysis revealed that the two dipsticks were not significantly different (chi 2 = 0.17, P greater than 0.5). Clinical review of patients with false negative results showed that approximately one-third to one-half of these patients had either spinal cord injury or genitourinary problems. Maximal potential savings in workload of approximately 10% were found if microscopic examinations were to be performed only on urine specimens with abnormal dipsticks. Our data suggest that in our patient population, we should not eliminate microscopic urine examination based on abnormal dipstick findings.
Pilot study of publicly available data to evaluate the relationship between forest fires and emergency department visits due to asthma in the state of California

The focus of this study was to determine the relationship between asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and fires in the state of California. Publicly available data of ED visits due to asthma, as well as occurrence of forest fires in California from 2005 to 2015 were obtained, where the California counties were grouped by region: North, Coastal, Motherload, Central, and South. There were no statistical differences with regards to acres of forest burned, but statistically significant differences were found (although small) with regards to ED visits due to asthma attacks by region (Motherload higher than South region). When evaluating the relationship of ED visits due to asthma and acres of forest burned, forest fires barely explained the variability of emergency department visits (r 2 = f 0.05, p<0.01). With aims to establish a connection between natural disasters and respiratory distress, we faced obstacles in data limitations and confounding variables. This paper serves as a pilot study supporting the need for further exploration of environmental, health, and socio-demographic variables that interplay when evaluating relationships of natural disasters and incidence of chronic diseases, such as asthma.
Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Chronic Daily Headache: Part I—Mind/Body

The refractory nature of chronic daily headache makes it difficult to treat. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may provide relief in addition to, or in place of, conventional treatments. Although few studies have specifically evaluated CAM modalities for chronic daily headache, many studies have assessed such treatment options for headache. In this chapter we review the data supporting the use of CAM for other primary chronic headache conditions (migraine, tension type, cervicogenic, and cluster) and episodic headache syndromes. Part I summarizes this evidence for the treatment modalities of mind/body approaches (meditation, yoga, tai chi, deep breathing). Part II reports on the evidence for using manipulation-based therapies (acupuncture, acupressure, dry needling, chiropractic manipulation, massage, craniosacral therapy, reflexology) and other CAM options for headache (aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, daith piercing, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy). Part III summarizes the evidence regarding nutraceutical options (feverfew, riboflavin, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, melatonin, vitamin D, and ginkgo) and homeopathy for headache. We also describe what is known about potential benefits, adverse events, cost analyses, potential mechanisms, pediatric use, and guideline recommendations. CAM treatment options may provide much-needed relief for the challenging condition of chronic daily headache.
Undernutrition and growth in the developing world

Purpose of reviewDespite targeted interventions, an estimated 150.8 million children under 5 years globally are still stunted, of which more than half live in Asia and more than one-third live in Africa. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding how longitudinal bone growth is regulated
Through Their Eyes, in Their Words: Using Photo-Elicitation to Amplify Student Voice in Policy and School Improvement Research

Although various measures of student success are often used as data points in scholarly and policy debates about how to improve schools, the policy and school-level changes that stem from these discussions are presumed to be taken on behalf of students without very much effort to meaningfully include students’ perspectives on the proposed changes. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the promise of photo-elicitation-based data collection to authentically leverage student voice in research on policy and school improvement in ways that promote equity and critical social justice. Photo-elicitation, in its simplest form, involves inviting research participants to take photographs of a space (e.g., a school) under a broad prompt (e.g., places where you like to have fun) (Harper, Visual Studies, 17, 13–26, 2002; Torre & Murphy, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23, 2015). This chapter highlights methodological choices researchers must make in utilizing photo-elicitation and how these choices bear on the equity implications of this method.
Examination of the causal effects between the dimensions of service quality and spectator satisfaction in minor league baseball.

Sports organisations must continuously assess how better to meet or exceed consumer expectations and perceptions of their experience in order to maintain and increase the number of spectators and loyal fans attending their sporting events. This study aims to enhance our understanding of which characteristics of a service attribute will best define its quality and impact on spectator behaviour by understanding the causal relationship between perceived service quality (PSQ) and satisfaction.
Dietary Nitrate Intake and Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

It has been reported that low BMI is associated with lower CSF pressure, which then translates into higher translaminar cribrosa pressure gradient, which is a risk factor for glaucoma. Previously, in our epidemiologic studies, we have reported that low BMI was a possible risk factor for POAG. To better understand this association and because POAG is a heterogeneous condition, we previously evaluated the relation between BMI and POAG subtypes based on pattern of visual field loss. We observed that low BMI is more strongly associated with primary open-angle glaucoma where the loss of vision tends to focus on the paracentral region rather than the peripheral vision. Every 10-unit increase in BMI was associated with a 33% lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma with early paracentral loss, whereas it was not associated with peripheral loss [1, 2]. So we have hypothesized that the paracentral fibers, particularly the inferior, are in the “macular vulnerability zone,” as the fovea lies below the disc, and accompanying blood vessels make more acute arcuate turns, creating shear forces that could compromise local blood flow.
The Effect of the Gate-Connected Field Plate on Single-Event Transients in AlGaN/GaN Schottky-Gate HEMTs

A focused pulsed X-ray beam is used to determine how the redistribution of the electric field by the gate-connected field plate affects single-event transient (SET) susceptibility of an AlGaN/GaN Schottky-gate HEMT on SiC. SETs generated by scanning the X-ray beam across the HEMT depend strongly on the presence of the field plate, radiation strike location, bias conditions, and X-ray photon energy. For the particular HEMT we tested, the gate-connected field plate reduces the electric-field strength near the edge of the gate by a factor of approximately 2, which results in faster decaying transients and less collected charge.
Intergenerational Governance and Leadership Around the World

Globalization led to unprecedented intergenerational equity imbalances regarding climate change, over-indebtedness in the aftermath of the 2008/09 World Financial Crisis as well as pension reform needs of an aging Western World population. In the eye of current intergenerational concerns, the study of global intergenerational balances leverages into a necessary and blatant demand but is up-to-date limited. Intertemporal transfers between generations have not been captured on a global scale. Pursuing to fill laissez-faire gaps on intergenerational concerns, outlining public or private sector endeavors in coordinating intergenerational exchange would provide concrete means how to balance intertemporal benefits and burdens between overlapping generations in a fair way. In the contemporary extensive writing on inequality, unraveling intergenerational equity opens ways to steer intertemporal social mobility. Therefore, the creation of a contemporary macroeconomic intergenerational transfer model with attention to public and private sector contributions as well as benefit and burden sharing is proposed and preliminary results presented.
Leveraging LDV techniques for the investigation of unsteady turbomachinery flows

Steps required for proper acquisition and processing of laser Doppler velocimetry data for turbomachinery research applications are addressed. Turbomachinery applications are difficult due to the small internal passages, high-frequency fluctuations, large turbulence intensities, and strong secondary flows resulting in low overall signal-to-noise ratios and narrowband noise sources that cannot be removed by simple band-pass filters. Special aspects that must be considered for successful and accurate laser Doppler velocimetry studies to be conducted in turbomachinery are discussed. Specifically, the design of the measurement volume size, reflection mitigation, engineering of seed particle size and injection schema, and alignment of the traverse mechanism are addressed in terms of their importance (from literature sources) and the solutions implemented by the authors. These techniques have been applied to successfully obtain three-component, unsteady velocity data in a high-speed centrifugal compressor for aeroengine application. Processing techniques are also presented including a novel mixture-model-based statistical method for narrowband noise isolation developed by the authors. The method, validation steps, and example results are presented, showing the successful rejection of noise with high accuracy, a low failure rate, and a significant reduction in required manual inspection. This newly developed method elucidated flow features that were not clear prior to the noise removal.
A review of the vocalic cues to [± voice] in post-vocalic stops in English

Abstract: Vowel length (VL) and vowel transition (VT) have been proposed as cues to [± voice] in post-vocalic stops in English, even in the absence of the stop closure and release. Here five studies are examined which can be interpreted as supporting VT as the primary cue. Vowel length, however, is capable of overriding the VT at extreme vowel durations. We explain this as an associative process: speakers apparently learn to associate VL with [± voice]; however, they use VL as a cue only under artificial or abnormal circumstances.
Popularity Block Labelling for Steiner Systems

Ordering the blocks of a design, the point sum of an element is the sum of the indices of blocks containing that element. Block labelling for popularity asks for the point sums to be as equal as possible. For Steiner systems of order v strength t in general, the average point sum is O(v2t–1); under various restrictions on block partitions of the Steiner system, the difference between the largest and smallest point sums is shown to be O(v(t+1)/2 log v).
Diel and Seasonal Variability in Kelp Forest Soundscapes Off the Southern California Coast

Soundscape ecology is a relatively new field that can provide insights into the structure and health of marine habitats. Though this field is growing, the acoustics of many marine habitats, including the giant kelp forests off Southern California, remain poorly studied. Here, we examine the diel and seasonal periodicity of kelp forest soundscapes within a protected and unprotected site off San Diego, CA. Singular value decomposition was used to identify frequency bands of interest, enabling tracking of these bands through seasons to examine their variability. Four frequency bands were identified: (1) 60-130 Hz, which encompassed a putative fish chorus, (2) 300-500 Hz, which encompassed a different putative fish chorus, (3) a band that encompassed humming generated by Plainfin Midshipmen Poricthys notatus (fundamental frequency: 85-95 Hz, and two subharmonics 175-185 Hz and 265-275 Hz), and (4) a band that encompassed the snaps of snapping shrimps from 2.5-7.5 kHz. Overall, kelp forest soundscapes exhibited diel and seasonal variability. In particular, the two putative fish choruses dominated the dusk soundscapes during late spring and summer, and the Midshipmen hums persisted throughout nights in summer. Snapping shrimp sounds exhibited stereotypic crepuscular activity, with peaks in acoustic energy in the 2.5-7.5 kHz band occurring at dusk and dawn. In addition, vessel noise was identified and found to exhibit strong seasonal and spatial variation. Vessel noise was greatest during August and September at the protected site and was generally lower during the winter and spring months. These findings help establish reference acoustic indices for the kelp forests off Southern California, within and outside of a protected area, and can provide resource managers with information on how well a marine reserve protects a species of interest, as well as the putative human visitation of these protected areas.
Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transformation-derived Activated Fibroblast Behavior in a 3D Culture Environment

Objective: In calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are present in the normally collagen-rich aortic valve fibros...
Do Antifungals and Local Anesthetic Affect the Efficacy of Antibiotic Dipping Solution

ABSTRACT Background The rates of infection after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) range from 1% to 3%; however, with changes in antibiotic practice intraoperatively and the incorporation of local anesthetic dips, it is unclear whether this incidence of infection is affected. Aim To evaluate whether the utilization of local anesthetic dips and antifungal solutions affect the efficacy of previously established dips across multiple species and strains. Methods Strains of four different species of bacteria and one fungus were prepared in a standardized confluency. A standardized, and sterile protocol was used to punch out 6mm circular discs from the reservoir of a Coloplast Titan device. The discs were submerged in a standardized concentration of antimicrobials (combinations of Bactrim, Rifampin + Gentamicin, Vancomycin, Zosyn, and Amphotericin B) and plated. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) was measured at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Five repetitions of each organism was performed (>1700 discs), and the mean ZOI was calculated. Saline and DMSO were used as control on each plate. Outcomes Main outcome was the ZOI identified with each antibiotic solution, and the secondary outcome was the efficacy of the antibiotic over the course of 72 hours. Results Difference in antibiotic efficacy was seen when each bacterial species was evaluated separately, with rifampin and gentamicin having less efficacy towards all organisms other than S. epidermidis. When looking specifically at the Candida species, amphotericin B was significantly better than other antibiotic solutions. In regards to efficacy of antibiotics over 72 hours, all treatment groups showed a decrease in ZOI over time. However, treatment groups that included rifampin demonstrated the ability to inhibit S. aureus and S. epidermidis over the 72-hour period. Clinical Implications To improve clinical practice and alleviate concerns that incorporation of local anesthetic and antifungals may decrease the efficacy of antibiotic solutions. Strengths and Limitations A major strength of the study is that it is the most robust and scientifically sound study performed on this topic with approximately 1700 repetitions. It is also the first study of its kind to include a wide spectrum of bacterial and fungal strains and antibiotic solutions along with temporal data on drug elution over a 72-hour period. A limitation of the study is the in vitro model, and this needs to be validated in a clinical setting. Conclusions Dipping prosthetics in antifungal and local anesthetic does not decrease the efficacy of the antimicrobials. The drug elution capabilities of the hydrophilic coating lasts primarily for 24-48hours. Mishra K, Bukavina L, Long L, et al. Do Antifungals and Local Anesthetic Affect the Efficacy of Antibiotic Dipping Solution?. J Sex Med 2021;18:966–973.
Slouching Toward the Posthuman: Teaching Edith Wharton’s Twilight Sleep

Although it is one of Edith Wharton’s later and often neglected novels, Twilight Sleep is arguably more relevant than ever. Brisk, mysterious, and satirically critical of fads and celebrity culture, the novel invites college students to consider their own processes of development at a time when they face financial pressures combined with unprecedented access to personalized technologies that exhibit a ubiquitous ensemble of celebrities, artists, or influencers whom many of them aspire to emulate. This chapter details a method of teaching Twilight Sleep using the comparison and contrast teaching approach. With a focus on the formation of identity, the collapses in communication, and the temptations of evasion and escape, it shows ways to encourage students to analyze their generation’s circumstances in comparison to those of Wharton’s main character Pauline Manford and her family in Twilight Sleep. Suggesting that the development of technology has rendered Twilight Sleep more applicable in the 2020s than in the past decades, the chapter offers a current approach for teaching Wharton’s late-career novel.
Impact of communication modality on caregiver ratings for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Literature on children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) suggests overall increased rates of difficulties in emotional/behavioral and adaptive functioning. However, limitations of this literatu...
Capacity for increased surface area in the hydrophobic core of β-sheet peptide bilayer nanoribbons.

Amphipathic peptides with amino acids arranged in alternating patterns of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues efficiently self-assemble into β-sheet bilayer nanoribbons. Hydrophobic side chain functionality is effectively buried in the interior of the putative bilayer of these nanoribbons. This study investigates consequences on self-assembly of increasing the surface area of aromatic side chain groups that reside in the hydrophobic core of nanoribbons derived from Ac-(XKXE)2 -NH2 peptides (X = hydrophobic residue). A series of Ac-(XKXE)2 -NH2 peptides incorporating aromatic amino acids of increasing molecular volume and steric profile (X = phenylalanine [Phe], homophenylalanine [Hph], tryptophan [Trp], 1-naphthylalanine [1-Nal], 2-naphthylalanine [2-Nal], or biphenylalanine [Bip]) were assessed to determine substitution effects on self-assembly propensity and on morphology of the resulting nanoribbon structures. Additional studies were conducted to determine the effects of incorporating amino acids of differing steric profile in the hydrophobic core (Ac-X1 KFEFKFE-NH2 and Ac-(X1,5 KFE)-NH2 peptides, X = Trp or Bip). Spectroscopic analysis by circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy indicated β-sheet formation for all variants. Self-assembly rate increased with peptide hydrophobicity; increased molecular volume of the hydrophobic side chain groups did not appear to induce kinetic penalties on self-assembly rates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging indicated variation in fibril morphology as a function of amino acid in the X positions. This study confirms that hydrophobicity of amphipathic Ac-(XKXE)2 -NH2 peptides correlates to self-assembly propensity and that the hydrophobic core of the resulting nanoribbon bilayers has a significant capacity to accommodate sterically demanding functional groups. These findings provide insight that may be used to guide the exploitation of self-assembled amphipathic peptides as functional biomaterials.
Connections as Liabilities: The Cost of the Politics-Business Revolving Door in China

Established literature recognizes revolving-door hiring as a means for firms to obtain protection against political risks and advance business interests. This paper theorizes a cost of the political-business revolving door, which transmits uncertainty from the political system to firms in turbulent times. I empirically estimate the cost of revolving-door recruitment for over 3,000 publicly listed firms in the early years of a major corruption crackdown in China. I show that firm-level returns to revolving-door recruitment turn negative during this period. The cost of revolving door recruitment is larger in areas with high-profile corruption crackdowns and poorer market institutions. In contrast to the conventional corporate governance explanations, the mechanism proposed in this paper emphasizes external perceptions of firms. Analyses of over 1 million equity reports and bank loan records data show that political connections act as a negative signal for investors and lenders, thereby discouraging investment.
Almost-disjoint coding and strongly saturated ideals

We show that Martin's Axiom plus c = N 2 implies that there is no (N 2 , N 2 , N 0 )-saturated cr-ideal on ω 1 .
A Re-Examination of the 'Underground Economy' in the United States; A Comment on Tanzi

This paper examines alternative specifications of a general currency ratio (GCR)model used to obtain macroeconomic estimates of the size and growth of the 'underground economy'. Tanzi's approach to estimating the underground economy is shown to be a variation of the GCR model. However both his conceptual specification and his empirical implementation of the model are shown to flawed, leading to significant underestimation of the size and growth of unreported income in the US economy. The paper appears in the International Monetary Fund Staff Papers, Vol. 33 No. 4 December, 1986(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)