cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Infrared Spectrometry to the Study of Metal Oxide Nanomaterials

Infrared spectrometry is a kind of important analytical method in investigation of materials. This article reviews in detail the applications of infrared spectrometry to the study of preparation, characterization,and computer simulation of metal oxide nanomaterials, discusses the developmental direction of infrared spectrometry in the area.
Neutron energy spectrum with microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors

Microstructured semiconductor neutron detector (MSND) devices have achieved 42% intrinsic efficiency when operated as a dual-detector device. The neutron energy spectrometer has alternating layers of MSND arrays, cadmium, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in a linear arrangement. The detector arrays consist of 4 dual-detector devices with 1-cm2 detector elements in a stacked configuration. A 2 mm thick layer of cadmium separates each detector from the following layer of HDPE. The cadmium layer prevents thermalized neutrons from backscattering into the previous detector. The 3-cm thick HDPE layers act as a moderator for the epithermal and fast neutrons, allowing them to disperse energy within the spectrometer's volume and reach thermal energies to be detected by the MSND arrays. The resultant device is a neutron energy spectrometer with a large surface area for the incident neutron beam.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Epidemiology

The current review aims to provide an updated analysis on race/ethnicity-specific disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) epidemiology in the USA with a focus on HCC incidence and prevalence, HCC stage at diagnosis, HCC treatment received, and overall HCC survival. While the overall incidence of HCC in the USA has stabilized, race/ethnicity-specific disparities persist. HCC incidence remains the highest among Asians, but the burden of HCC among Hispanics is rising and may reflect the significant burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related HCC among this group. Furthermore, disparate implementation of HCC screening and surveillance, which detrimentally affects ethnic minorities and underserved populations to the greatest extent, contributes to lower rates of potentially curative therapies and lower overall survival among these groups, especially African Americans with HCC. Despite improvements in clinical care of HCC patients, persistent race/ethnicity-specific disparities in HCC outcomes persist and reflect multifactorial barriers. Highlighting these disparities is the first step towards raising awareness to guide future education and research to improve HCC outcomes for all groups.
Communitarian Antidotes to Populism

Populism is rising in the United States, and this has ramifications for its democratic institutions. The rise is attributable in part to the alienation many Americans feel in their own country, which in turn stems from a combination of various sociological challenges. This article uses a liberal communitarian approach to examine these issues, and calls for the nurturing of communities as a way to reduce violence and xenophobia. It discusses cultural changes brought about by free trade, immigration, and the extension of individual rights and offers moderate policy solutions that encourage communities to flourish by facilitating cultural adjustments while also weighing the concerns of all members of society.
Emerging Learning Progressions in K-5 Integrated Mathematics And Computer Science Lesson Plans (Abstract Only)

There is growing momentum to integrate computer science (CS) education across K-12, but there is little information about how this integration should take place (Grover & Pea, 2013). This is especially true in the elementary grades, as fewer studies have examined computing at these grades. Through a National Science Foundation STEM+C project, we are developing and studying learning progressions for integrated CS and mathematics at the elementary level. Our research examines how teachers are introducing CS concepts within mathematic as well as what computational concepts and practices naturally can be taught within the context of elementary mathematics. We are also examining how these emerging progressions align with the K-12 CS Framework and the new standards from the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). Future aims are to develop a coherent set of learning progressions related to areas such as debugging, sequencing, looping, conditionals, and decomposition within mathematics topics such as geometry, fractions, and arithmetic number stories. Our research lays the groundwork for the development of learning trajectories that will guide curriculum developers and practitioners to understand how to teach students across grades K-5 computing within the context of their mathematics instruction.
Raging Against the Machine: Network Gatekeeping and Collective Action on Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms act as networked gatekeepers—by ranking, channeling, promoting, censoring, and deleting content they hold power to facilitate or hinder information flows. One of the mechanisms they use is content moderation, or the enforcement of which content is allowed or disallowed on the platform. Though content moderation relies on users’ labor to identify content to delete, users have little capacity to influence content policies or enforcement. Despite this, some social media users are turning to collective action campaigns, redirecting information flows by subverting the activities of moderators, raising the visibility of otherwise hidden moderation practices, and organizing constituencies in opposition to content policies. Drawing on the example of the campaign to change Facebook’s nudity policy, this paper examines the strategies and tactics of users turning to collective action, considering which factors are most influential in determining the success or failure of a campaign. It finds that network gatekeeping salience is a good model for assessing which collective action efforts are most likely to be effective in achieving individual user goals. This indicates that the users who are already most able to harness the attention economy of social media platforms are more likely to successfully navigate the content moderation process. The analysis concludes by attending to what users might learn from the dynamics of network gatekeeping as they seek to resist the asymmetrical power relations of platforms.
Abstract 12579: Sirt2 Contributes to the Development of Heart Failure Through a Nrf2 Dependent Pathway

Introduction: Heart failure is associated with a change in cardiac energy metabolism and increased oxidative stress. Sirtuins (SIRTs) are NAD+-dependent deacetylases, and critical regulators of ene...
Questionnaire survey on mumps vaccination for parents in Nara prefecture, Japan.

BACKGROUND Although the mumps vaccine has not been included in the national immunization program (NIP) in Japan, it has been shown that a two-dose routine vaccine program would be highly cost-effective. In this study, we carried outa questionnaire-based study to investigate how many Japanese parents want the mumps vaccine to be included in the NIP with proper information. METHODS The questionnaire was given to parents who visited the Pediatrics or neonatal intensive care unit of Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara City, Japan, between 1 March 2017 and 31 August 2017. The questionnaire consisted of information about mumps and six questions, for example (i) do parents know that mumps can be prevented by vaccine; (ii) do they know that they need to pay for mumps vaccines; and (iii) do they hope that the government will resume routine mumps vaccination. RESULTS In total, 1,224 parents answered the questionnaire. A total of 81% and 75.4% of parents knew that mumps can be prevented by vaccination and that mumps vaccine is not included in the NIP, respectively, before reading the information. After reading the information, 95.0% of parents thought that mumps vaccine should be included in the NIP. While 61.7% of parents answered that they would choose two-dose vaccination without governmental financial support, 92.1% of them would choose two-dose vaccination with governmental financial support (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Japanese parents want the mumps vaccine to be included in the NIP. Japan is able to start routine use of the mumps vaccine now.
Geoengineering and sustainability

Geoengineering is regarded by advocates as a creative and responsible technological option in the face of a climate emergency. Critics often see it as a hubristic attempt to play God, with disastro...
Maxwell’s Equations in Nonlinear Biperiodic Structures

Significant recent technology advances have been made in nonlinear optics due to rapid developments of laser technology and nonlinear optical materials. Examples of nonlinear optics include laser technology, spectroscopy, optical switching and sensors, parametric amplifiers and oscillators, optical computing, and communications. A remarkable application is to generate powerful coherent radiation at a frequency that is twice that of available lasers, socalled second harmonic generation (SHG). However, nonlinear optical effects are generally very weak without effective enhancement. Recently, a novel idea to enhance the nonlinear interaction between the material and the light by using periodic (or grating) structures has been successfully explored by physicists and engineers. In particular, it has been announced [8], [9] that SHG can be greatly enhanced by using diffraction gratings.
Debris temporal y espacial en el español de Maracaibo, Venezuela

The following is a descriptive and analytical study of temporal and spatial deixis on oral discourse. Its purpose is to determine that the expression of temporality is not only restricted to the verbal element, but rather that this notion is the product of the entire sentence. The data for this study is based on a set of oral narratives collected in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Effect of Organic Material on Soil Shear Strength

The term organic soil ordinarily refers to combinations of weathered rock products and partially decayed plant matter. The organic fraction tends to dominate soil physical properties for organic contents in excess of 20 percent by weight. To simulate these materials and to include precise control over organic content, fiber type and size, and mineral type, kaolinite and pulp fibers were used to prepare model organic soils. For comparison, kaolinite and all fiber samples were included. The effect of organic material on soil shear strength is shown in terms of consolidation and stress-strain behavior, undrained shear strength, and the shear strength parameters c' and Φ'. Decomposition effects on vane shear strength are reported for selected soil samples and one consolidation pressure. The experimental work gives a relationship between void ratio and logarithm of pressure that is dependent on both organic content and pressure level. A small initial increase in organic (fiber) content significantly increased the compressive and vane shear strengths of the model organic soil. Higher organic contents changed the material behavior from one with a peak compressive strength at about 7 percent axial strain (kaolinite) to one with an almost straight line stress-strain curve for strains in excess of 20 percent (all fiber). Decomposition in the model organic soils led to a large decrease in vane shear strengths. An increase in organic (fiber) content increased the shear strength parameter Φ' for both the CIU and CID triaxial tests. A failure criterion, based on the maximum ratio of shear stress to the effective normal stress (maximum obliquity), gave Φ'-values intermediate to the CIU and CID values for high organic contents.
Small-Molecule Inhibitors Reveal a New Function for Bcl-2 as a Proangiogenic Signaling Molecule

Cancer has a complex etiology and displays a wide range of cellular escape pathways that allow it to circumvent treatment. Signaling molecules functionally downstream of the circumvented pathways, and particularly at checkpoints where several of these pathways intersect, provide valuable targets for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Bcl-2, a pro-survival signaling molecule, is one such protein. This review examines the efficacy, potency, and function of several small molecule inhibitor drugs targeted to the Bcl-2 family of proteins. The review focuses on the compounds with most available data within the literature and discusses both the anti-cancer and the recently unveiled anti-angiogenic potential of this new class of drugs.
A Right to the Best: Or, Once More, Elitism versus Populism in Art Education

his is the third occasion on which I've set out my views on the elitist-versuspopulist issue in art education. Since my earlier efforts were published in places where art educators are likely to have come across them (Smith 1981, 1982), and since I do not flatter myself that my ideas have become so popular that readers can't hear them often enough, I find it somewhat perplexing that my opinions continue to be sought. Why are they currently the object of some interest? Perhaps one reason is that we are going through one of those recurring periods of educational soul-searching in which the pendulum is swinging noticeably toward more traditional thinking about the purposes and substance of education and schooling. In particular, the expansionist and liberationist attitudes of the 60s and 70s are coming under scrutiny, and those less encompassing in their outlook (those who look askance at the way the curriculum has indiscriminately proliferated subjects and who perceive potential anarchy in unchecked pluralism) may be seen as a threat. Certainly as a proponent of general and liberal education and the common required curriculum it tends to imply, I can be included among those calling for checks on unlimited choice. Perhaps this plus my pleas for more seriousness in the study of the arts and for a commitment to judgment and excellence have been sufficient for some to tag me an elitist (Bersson, 1981, 1983). The basis for the accusation of elitism generally is the conviction that elitism is evil, its practice reprehensible, and its manifestations particularly insulting and injurious to "ordinary people" whom populists profess to champion. This conception of elitism is correct only if one accepts that interpretation of the term according to which all elites set arbitrary admission criteria, are the result of unearned privilege, and exhibit a tendency to exclusiveness. Elite cultural objects are
Nucleation and Surface Melting of Ice

The freezing of water and the melting of ice, phenomena that are extraordinarily familiar from the world around, are only poorly understood at a molecular level. Like all liquids, water can be undercooled without freezing; like most solids, ice cannot be superheated to a significant extent. The dynamics of these phase transitions, and what they tell about the molecular level structure of interfaces and critical nuclei, is revealed by experiment, computer simulation, and theory. In some regards, water resembles simpler liquids in the kinetics of its changes of state, but in others it is quite different. This chapter explores the microscopic dynamics of freezing and melting, with particular emphasis on the water-ice system.
Graphical evaluation of alkylation of myosin's SH1 and SH2: the N-phenylmaleimide reaction.

Previous assertions about the effect of alkylation of SH1 and SH2 on the myosin high-salt calcium and EDTA ATPases have been summarized, and a simple procedure for obtaining the fractional labeling of SH1 and SH2 after treatment of myosin with alkylating agents has been derived. A simple graphical procedure for illustrating the degree of preference of a particular alkylating agent for SH1 over SH2 has also been developed. The procedures we developed were validated by applying them to two previously studied compounds, 4-(2-iodoacetamido)-TEMPO and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzine, and then were used to determine a procedure for maximizing the extent of labeling of SH1 alone by N -phenylmaleimide, a compound not previously studied in this manner. It was found that ∼80% of the SH1 sites could be alkylated without significant alkylation of SH2.
The Analysis of Recombination Process for Multiple Exaction Generation Solar Cell from Single Junction to Multijunction

We review the thermodynamic limit of multiple exaction generation (MEG) solar cells from single junction to multijunction approaches. Introducing limit of open circuit voltage (Voc) shows near identical results between (1) multiple carrier recombination (MR) and (2) single carrier recombination (SR). After applying this concept into multijunction with MEG (MJMEG), we have found similar results between MR and SR with limited V OC due to optimum chemical potentials between two cases. Therefore. SR case with limited V OC can be available to use the recombination current for MEGSC and MJMEG devices under the certain condition.
The California environmental DNA “CALeDNA” program

Abstract Global change is leading to habitat shifts that threaten species persistence throughout California’s unique ecosystems. Baseline biodiversity data provide opportunities for ecosystems to be managed for community complexity and connectivity. In 2017, the University of California Conservation Genomics Consortium launched the California Environmental DNA (CALeDNA) program, a community science initiative monitoring California’s biodiversity through environmental DNA (eDNA)—DNA shed from organisms through fur, mucus, spores, pollen, etc. Community scientists collect soil and sediment samples, then researchers analyze the eDNA in the samples and share results with the public. The results are catalogues of thousands of organisms per sample, ranging from microbes to mammals. The CALeDNA website presents biodiversity inventories in a platform designed for the public and researchers alike, as well as user-friendly analysis tools and educational modules. Here, we present CALeDNA as a scalable community science framework that can harmonize with future biodiversity research and education initiatives.
Cavitary Optic Disc Maculopathy

Serous maculopathy associated with optic pits and related optic disc malformations represents a unique but well-recognized entity that has long confounded ophthalmologists. The source and pathophysiology of macular fluid in such cases has been an ongoing subject of discussion that has spanned generations [1, 2]. In recent years, this condition has spawned a variety of treatment approaches, both with conventional vitreoretinal surgical maneuvers and more novel approaches. Yet attempts at repair are often met with persistent or recurrent submacular fluid, and there remains a lack of consensus regarding the optimal treatment approach.
Short-Stem Prostheses in Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Unexpected Short-Term Complication: A Report of 2 Cases.

Case We present here 2 cases of postoperative stress fractures in the setting of a short-stem implant. Both patients had well-aligned implants with good bone quality and presented with delayed onset and atraumatic thigh pain. They were diagnosed with periprosthetic fractures around stable implants. Conclusions We now reserve the use of these stems for patients who have femoral morphology and are unable to accept standard stems. Patients who complain of new-onset thigh pain in the setting of short-stem total hip arthroplasty should have a femoral stress fracture included in the differential diagnosis and be worked up appropriately.
Numerical analysis of non-spherical particle effect on molten pool dynamics in laser-powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Abstract In laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing, the powder particles commonly produced by gas atomization have some non-sphericities. It is known that non-spherical particles affect the particle packing process, however, there is a limited understanding of their effect on molten pool dynamics resulted from laser-powder interaction. In this paper, the non-sphericities in L-PBF were studied by extending an existing computational framework which consisted of a particle packing model based on discrete element method (DEM) and a meso-scale molten pool model based on heat transfer and free surface flow. Experimentally, by visually inspecting the scanning electron microscope images of Inconel® alloy 718 powder particles, the non-spherical particle shapes were classified into two main types: particles with satellite and joined particles. These measured non-sphericities were simulated using a multi-sphere approach in DEM to generate the packed powder structure on a flat substrate, which was imported into the heat transfer and free surface flow model to calculate the molten pool dynamics. The calculated melt track dimensions were validated against the respective experimental data for single track melting. The effect of non-spherical particles on packing density, molten pool dynamics and melt track dimensions was discussed by comparing the simulated results for real powder with those for idealized powder consisting of spherical particles only.
Effects of Potato Psyllid Vector Density and Time of Infection on Zebra Chip Disease Development after Harvest and during Storage

“Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Lso) (=“Candidatus Liberibacter psyllarous”) is an uncultured, phloem-limited bacterium that is associated with zebra chip disease (ZC) in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and transmitted by the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc)). Vector density and timing of infection have been shown to affect ZC prevalence at harvest; however, little work has been done on disease development during storage. Here we confirm with field-cage trials that ZC prevalence at harvest was greater with increased time between inoculation and vine kill. Moreover, we show that with Pacific Northwest growing conditions, ZC can develop over time during storage. Plants inoculated 2 to 3 weeks before vine kill showed little or no ZC symptoms in tubers at harvest, but higher prevalence of symptoms after 3 months in storage. For plants inoculated at 4 to 5 weeks before vine kill, tubers exhibited notable symptoms at harvest, but still showed evidence of symptom development after storage. Plants inoculated within 1 week before vine kill exhibited little or no risk of ZC in tubers at harvest or after storage. Higher vector density tended to contribute to ZC prevalence, but was far less important than timing of infection. These results underscore the potential danger of underestimating ZC prevalence at harvest for tubers being stored long term, and suggest that plants at risk of Lso infection should be protected from potato psyllids until at least 2 weeks before vine kill.
Impact of installation faults in air conditioners and heat pumps in single-family homes on U.S. energy usage

Abstract To ensure that new residential air conditioners and heat pumps operate optimally, care must be taken during the initial system design and installation to avoid missteps that immediately degrade a system’s performance. Laboratory and simulation studies have quantified the impact that faults can have on capacity and efficiency. Field studies have demonstrated that installation-related faults are commonplace. However, the national impact of installation-related faults cannot be accurately estimated by only simulating a limited number of homes at several fault levels because of the variety of home characteristics and climates involved. In our analysis, we use an improved residential building stock simulation tool to predict the annual energy increase and additional utility costs resulting from two common installation faults: indoor airflow rate and refrigerant charge level. Our method considers the wide range of building characteristics and climate zones of the U.S. housing stock. We use existing field data to develop fault intensity probability distributions to inform our analysis. The analysis shows that these two faults result in approximately 20.7 TWh/y of additional energy use for central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps in U.S. single-family detached homes, which is a 9% increase over baseline (no-fault) usage, costing homeowners approximately $2.5 billion annually on utility bills. Air-source heat pumps are responsible for a disproportionate fraction of this energy use increase because of the larger number of operating hours compared to central air conditioners and the sensitivity of heating mode performance to the faults analyzed compared to cooling mode.
H− ion fractions scattered from Ag(111) and polycrystalline Ag

Abstract Experimental H− ion fractions measured after H− scattering from Ag(111) and polycrystalline Ag at 1 keV incident energy in specular conditions revealed a larger ion fraction on H−/Ag(111) compared to polycrystalline Ag for exit angles less than 100 measured from surface, while a smaller ion fraction has been obtained on H−/Ag(111) compared to polycrystalline Ag for exit angles larger than 100. The H− ion fractions on Ag(111) are calculated with the Wave Packet Propagation method adapted to ion-surface interactions. The calculated ion fractions nicely reproduce the experimental results. A detailed study based on the analysis of the projected density of states for various ion-surface distances, the ion's interaction time with the surface, and the ion's distance of closest approach to surface, explains the behaviour of ion fractions on Ag(111) and polycrystalline Ag at small and large exit angles. At small angles, the effect of a larger distance of closest approach dominate over the ion's interaction time with the surface. This translates into less ion decay on Ag(111), because the states correlated asymptotically with H− and the surface state do not fully go through their avoided crossing and are mostly located inside the band gap. At larger angles, the ion is getting closer to the surface and the two states fully go through the avoided crossing. The state correlated asymptotically with H− moves into the image states energy region, while the state correlated asymptotically with the surface state approaches the bottom of the band gap. The electron loss is significant, and translates into a reduced ion survival on Ag(111).
Confronting whiteness: antiracism in medieval studies

The field of medieval studies exists and functions under structural racism. The pervasive whiteness of the field treats the white perspective as ‘neutral’ and authoritative to the exclusion of alternate perspectives. This treatment not only drives people of color away from medieval studies, it also signals that white bodies are the rightful occupants of spaces associated with the Middle Ages. However, as the medieval past is increasingly politicized and utilized by violent white supremacists from beyond the academy, there is a growing need for medievalists to confront the whiteness of the field and respond by being antiracist. This article illustrates how practices within medieval studies uphold whiteness by excluding, silencing, and dismissing scholars of color, and how these practices inadvertently reinforce the views espoused by white supremacists outside the academy who co-opt the medieval past. It further argues for antiracist practices that challenge the association of whiteness with authority and make for more equitable academic spaces and intellectual engagement. By confronting whiteness and practicing antiracism, medieval studies can begin to dismantle the structural racism within the field and better respond to racist uses of the Middle Ages from beyond the academy.
Carbonized metal-organic framework cathodes for secondary lithium-bromine batteries

Abstract Secondary lithium-bromine (Li–Br2) batteries offer cell potentials near 4 V and storage capacities over 1200 Whkg−1-LiBr. Here, we demonstrate Li–Br2 cells with two types of carbonized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Carbonized MIL-53(Al) electrodes show capacities of 224 mAhg−1 LiBr (at 3.4 V) and 72% capacity retention after 100 cycles, while carbonized ZIF-8 electrodes show specific capacities of 273 mAhg−1 LiBr and 88% capacity retention over 100 cycles at 1C (at 3.4 V). Surface characterization (XPS, EDS) and porosimetry indicate that the ZIF-8 derived MOF electrodes are heavily microporous with heteroatom (C–N) doping. The increased capacity and reversibility of ZIF-8 derived carbon during cyclic voltammetry and cycling measurements is ascribed to higher LiBr loadings, enhanced bromine trapping and adsorption due to the electrode microporosity and heteroatom bonding.
Chipless RFID Tags as Microwave Sensors for Delamination Detection in Layered Structures

Monitoring multilayer dielectric structures for defects, such as disbonds and delaminations, is an ongoing issue in a number of critical applications. Chipless RFID tags can be used to address some of the issues pertinent to detecting these defects. This work explores the use of chipless RFID tags for this application and investigates the effects of tag operating frequency, material thickness, material dielectric properties, and delamination thickness on this approach's sensing capabilities. The benefits and challenges of this approach are discussed in the context of a collection of simulations and measurements using two new tag designs.
The Status of Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937, a Reputed Endemic to Madagascar

Nycteris madagascariensis is an enigmatic bat species, described as endemic to Madagascar and known only from two century-old specimens. Vigorous recent efforts to document this species on the island have proven unsuccessful. We extracted DNA from the fluid-preserved paratype of this taxon and used high-throughput sequencing methods to recover cytochrome b sequence data, which was overlaid on an extensive phylogeny of Afrotropical Nycteris. We also analyzed craniodental measurements of both Malagasy and Afrotropical Nycteris using principal components analysis and one-way ANOVAs. Both genetic and morphological analyses unequivocally place N. madagascariensis in a clade otherwise known only from eastern and coastal Kenya. Review of the collector's notes and itinerary raises doubts on the accuracy of its having originated in Madagascar; the hypodigm was probably collected during his travels in coastal East Africa. We therefore place Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937 in the synonymy of N. macrotis sensu lato and remove this species from the bat fauna of Madagascar.
Vulvovaginal Complaints

Teaching patients the proper vulvar care is the first, and arguably the most important, aspect of treating vulvovaginal complaints in the pediatric population. Other treatments, which will be discussed in this chapter, will be less effective with a high risk of recurring symptoms if the patient and her parents do not adopt good vulvar care habits. Vulvovaginitis usually can be managed with conservative measures, including proper hygiene and education on vulvar care guidelines. These include avoiding chemical irritants and excessive hygiene, wearing white cotton underwear, avoiding dryer sheets, wiping from front to back, and limiting tight-fitting clothing. Additionally, it is important to discuss bathing, including recommending showers or baths without soaps and bubble products. If both the child and the parents follow these simple rules, the vast majority of vulvovaginal complaints will dramatically improve. Consistently following the vulvar care guidelines will not only help relieve the symptoms of itching and irritation but will also aid in the healing and treatment of vulvovaginitis. If the girl is infected with a specific organism, the treatment should be directed at that organism, and the girl should be educated on proper vulvar care. Finally, any condition that requires topical steroid ointment or simple barrier creams will be treated more quickly and effectively when good vulvar hygiene is added to the treatment regimen.
Censoring Extremism: Influence of Online Restriction on Official Media Products of ISIS

Recognizing that militant, non-state groups utilize social media and online platforms to reach members, sympathizers, and potential recruits, state agencies and social media corporations now increa...
Personal foreword: John Stanton special issue

In 1986, I was very fortunate to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship that I used to spend a semester at Harvard in the group of W. N. Lipscomb, known to all as the ‘Colonel’ because of his honorary Ken...
Introduction – Canopy science: time to shape up

My first introduction to canopy science was as part of the large multinational Royal Geographical Society expedition to Mt. Mulu in Sarawak, Malaysia in 1977–1978. At that time I was inspired by the fact that the subjects I came to study, gibbons (Hylobates maileri) and other species of primates remained invisible 30–40 m up, inhabiting a world I could only dream of. Thus challenged, I ventured a year later into the canopy world on an assortment of climbing ropes, platforms, and aerial walkways designed by myself and Stephen Sutton and built by teams of the Royal Engineers of the British Army with support from the Scientific Exploration Society. Our walkways were built in the rain forests of Panama, Papua, New Guinea, Sulawesi and Costa Rica and enabled some of the first comparative canopy studies across continents (Mitchell 1986).
Origins of the Common Law

Written for the beginning student as well as the experienced scholar, this introductory analysis of the origin and early development or the English common law provides and excellent grounding for the early study of legal history. Between 1154, when Henry II became king, and 1307, when Edward I died, the common law underwent spectacular growth. The author begins with a discussion of the relationship between the early rules of common law and the social order they serve during this period and concludes with an extended commentary on the durability and continued growth of the common law in modern times.
High speed quantitative imaging over extended fields of view (medical ultrasound)

The axial range over which a high-speed data-analysis technique yields accurate results is reported. Backscatter-coefficient estimates were used to compare this technique with the rigorously tested technique developed at the University of Wisconsin. Inaccuracies occurring when this technique is applied to strongly focused transducers are also described. The motivation for this work is to determine the applicability of the high-speed data-analysis approach to data acquired in the B-scan image plane. >
Development and Characterization of Nanomaterials for Zinc Vapor Capture

To address a radiological contamination event, a materials and process project was initiated. During the course of this project, processes and materials were developed that successfully captured zinc vapors physically and chemically, respectively. However, the physical traps were placed in an undesirable area and it was determined that the chemically captured zinc reactions was reversible. Consequently, advanced nanomaterials are being developed to capture zinc vapors. The current state of the art of the science and engineering of these materials and their efficacy for zinc capture and retention is discussed in this paper.
Analysis of CMOS active pixel sensors as linear shift-invariant receivers

Although CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) cameras are used as receivers for low-bandwidth visible light communications (VLC), they have typically not been used to receive high-bandwidth VLC signals. However, by selectively scanning pixels on the image sensor, the sampling rate of CMOS APS pixels can be greatly improved, enabling them to capture high-bandwidth signals while maintaining the ability to scale to high image resolutions. To analyze CMOS APS image sensors for potential use in high data-rate applications, the CMOS active pixel is modeled as a linear shift-invariant (LSI) system. Using this LSI model, the frequency response (as a function of device and timing parameters) and the optimal exposure time for each sample are derived. The LSI model is also used to investigate the effects of clock-jitter on CMOS APS VLC receivers.
Electrical and structural characterization of AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures grown on LiGaO2 substrates

In this letter, we report on the properties of a AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructure grown on LiGaO2. A two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is observed with mobility of 731 cm2/V s at room temperature and 2166 cm2/V s at 77 K. A comparison of the structural quality of the heterostructure as determined by x-ray diffraction shows significant improvement in comparison to a similar structure grown on a sapphire substrate. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis indicates that lithium diffuses into the GaN during growth. The concentration decreases by two orders of magnitude from the substrate to the surface in a 0.8 μm thick GaN film. The enhancement of the mobility of the 2DEG compared to that of electrons in a uniformly doped film is due, in part, to the proximity of the 2DEG to the film surface, where the Li concentration is lower. In addition, we believe that the surface roughness plays a role in the mobility of the 2DEG. Despite these extrinsic factors, the good conductivity of the 2DEG shows the promise of LiGaO2 as a substrate for device-quality GaN.
Lessons learned from adult clinical experience to inform evaluations of VEGF pathway inhibitors in children with cancer.

Agents targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway have been studied in adults with cancer for nearly two decades. It is important to assess the lessons learned from this adult experience and to see how these lessons can help inform pediatric development of agents in this class. The benefit achieved from the use of VEGF pathway targeted agents for adult cancers has primarily been to delay for several months disease progression and less commonly time to death for conditions in which cure is not a reasonable expectation. VEGF pathway targeted agents have shown no efficacy when applied in the adjuvant setting. For adults with advanced cancer, prolongation of survival by 2–3 months is considered an important achievement in some settings. However, the primary goal of pediatric oncology clinical research is to identify treatments that allow children to be cured of their cancer and to grow to adulthood without treatment-induced limitations that lower their quality of survival. An important question for the pediatric oncology research community, pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory agencies to address in planning for future clinical trials is whether existing data support a role for VEGF pathway targeted agents in contributing to a therapeutic pathway to cure for children with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014; 61:1497–1505. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Polymorphous Light Eruption

Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) is the most common of the immunologically mediated (formerly categorized as idiopathic) photodermatoses. Its onset is typically within the first three decades of life affecting females more than males. PMLE lesions are characterized by as non-scarring, erythematous, pruritic papules, vesicles, papulovesicles, plaques, or nodules, affecting sun-exposed skin. The pinpoint variant of PMLE is the most common morphology seen in individuals with darker skin types. Diagnosis is based on history, morphology, as well as clinical course. Treatments for PMLE include photoprotection, light tolerance or “hardening” with phototherapy before sunny weather occurs, and topical corticosteroids, but some systemic medications may be warranted in cases of acute exacerbation of the disease.
Orientation by jumping spiders in the absence of visual feedback.

1. Jumping spiders turn to face moving objects. These turns are mediated by the lateral eyes. They can be accomplished accurately whether or not the spider sees the relative movement of the stimulus across the retinae which would normally result from such a turn. 2. The spider9s response to an adequate stimulus may be: (i) to make a ‘complete’ turn resulting in fixation by the antero-median eyes; (ii) to make a ‘partial’ turn of 10-20°, whose magnitude is independent of stimulus position, and which does notresult in fixation, or (iii) to ignore it. 3. To be seen, a stimulus must subtend more than 0.7° (slightly less than the distance between receptors) and must move through a minimum angle of about 1°. 4. The probability of a turn being made is greatest for stimuli 40-90° from the spider9s front, and decreases to a low value for stimuli behind the animal, and immediately in front of it. 5. Repeated presentation of a stimulus to one part of the retina results in a rapid decrease to zero of the probability of a turn being made, but turns can still be evoked by moving the stimulus a few degrees to a previously unstimulated part of the retina. Habituation does not affect the sizes of the few turns that are made. Dishabituation can be caused by mechanical stimulation, or it may occur spontaneously. 6. The fields of view of the lateral eyes have been measured in the horizontal plane by blinding each eye and determining the parts of the visual field from which turns could not be evoked. 7. Three kinds of response mediated by the lateral eyes, in addition to turns towards the stimulus, are described.
Determining the site of pharyngeal collapse in sleep apnea patients from the inspiratory flow pattern

Rationale: The upper airway can collapse at a variety of sites in patients with OSA. However, site-specific surgery is currently not an option for many patients due to the difficulty in determining the site of collapse. Furthermore, recent evidence shows that different OSA patients exhibit distinct and characteristic inspiratory flow shapes during sleep. We hypothesized that the site of pharyngeal collapse in an individual could be determined from the shape of their inspiratory flow signal. Method: To answer this hypothesis, 40 individuals with sleep apnea were studied during natural sleep endoscopy with simultaneously measured airflow. Flow was measured with a pneumotach and the site of airway collapse was visualized with a pediatric bronchoscope. Collapse was produced by slowly lowering CPAP to several cmH2O below the therapeutic level. The site if airway collapse was categorized using the VOTE classification (velum, oropharyngeal lateral walls, tongue base, and epiglottis). The configuration of airway collapse (AP, lateral, concentric) was also classified. The inspiratory flow shape was quantified as the percent reduction in airflow between the peak flow (early in inspiration) and the flow at peak negative epiglottic pressure (during mid/late inspiration). Results: Patients with collapse primarily at the palate exhibited a small reduction in flow from early to late inspiration. On the other hand, collapse at any of the other sites exhibited a more scooped-out inspiratory flow shape (large reduction peak flow from early to late inspiration). Conclusion: Analysis of the inspiratory flow shape could yield important structural information for guiding pharyngeal surgery.
“Unfreezing” Lewin: The Case for Alternative Change Strategies in Health Education

Lewin's conceptualization of change as a three part process of unfreezing, changing and refreezing remains a key theoretical underpinning of health education practice. While the concept of refreezing change remains an important one in many health education situations, its application in other situations, e.g., those characterized by uncertainty and complexity, has often been problematic.It is in these instances that what Biller has termed “contingent change strategies” appear a valuable alternative to the non-contingent approaches of which refreezing is a classic example. Lewin's “spiral of steps” approach to action research, Kahn's “agnostic” use of information and theory, and Mathiesen's concept of “the unfinished” represent three such alternative change approaches. The last in particular, with its stress on the process of change rather than its completion, holds relevance for those situations in which health educators are concerned with broad system change rather than solely with short term reforms wit...
Examining the components and concomitants of parental structure in the academic domain

Self-Determination Theory posits and research supports that caregiver autonomy support, involvement, and structure facilitate children’s motivation and well-being. However, to attain a comprehensive understanding of these caregiving behaviors and thus make informed practical recommendations, their key components must be identified. While a significant literature examines autonomy support and involvement, structure has been less extensively researched. This study thus attempted to provide an in-depth exploration of parental structure. Drawing from past literature, six components were identified. Seventy-five seventh and eighth graders completed semi-structured interviews and students and parents completed questionnaires assessing structure, other parenting dimensions, and motivational outcomes in the academic domain. Findings indicate that structure (a) is multi-faceted, (b) is independent from autonomy support, and (c) makes unique contributions to children’s motivation and school performance. Implications for providing facilitative contexts for children’s motivation and success as well as for future work are discussed.
Stable doping of carbon nanotubes via molecular self assembly

We report a novel method for stable doping of carbon nanotubes (CNT) based on methods of molecular self assembly. A conformal growth of a self-assembled monolayer of fluoroalkyl trichloro-silane (FTS) at CNT surfaces results in a strong increase of the sheet conductivity of CNT electrodes by 60–300%, depending on the CNT chirality and composition. The charge carrier mobility of undoped partially aligned CNT films was independently estimated in a field-effect transistor geometry (∼100 cm2V−1s−1). The hole density induced by the FTS monolayer in CNT sheets is estimated to be ∼1.8 × 1014 cm−2. We also show that FTS doping of CNT anodes greatly improves the performance of organic solar cells. This large and stable doping effect, easily achieved in large-area samples, makes this approach very attractive for applications of CNTs in transparent and flexible electronics.
Mathematical model of neural learning

A generalized unified mathematical model of neural learning is proposed. A learning potential function is defined. A broad class of problems which are related to neural learning are examined. Differential inclusions for finding the minimum of the learning potential functions are derived. The general convergence theorem of optimal solutions are proved and its applications to the supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and Hopfield neural networks are investigated.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Determinant formulas for the free field representations of the Virasoro and Kac-Moody algebras

Abstract The determinant formulas are given for the Feigin-Fuchs modules over the Virasoro algebra and for the Wakimoto modules over the affine Kac-Moody algebras. These formulas imply that some of the modules are isomorphic to the Verma modules or their duals. In particular, this is the case for all Feigin-Fuchs modules over the Virasoro algebra with central charge c ⩾25. Seiberg's condition is a simple criterion as to whether such a module is isomorphic to a dual Verma module.