cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of database systems and Smalltalk

The authors present an object-oriented data model, that allows uniform specification of database requests and application programs. The user interface is based on Smalltalk, and the object-oriented data model is represented in terms of classes and messages. Techniques are discussed for implementing such a model on top of an underlying relational database system. Those parts of application programs that cannot be translated into a relational language are handled by a Smalltalk processor. The semantics of database requests is defined in terms of a meta-model and meta-messages, using an object-oriented approach. Hence we derive rules for translation of database requests into SQL queries over a binary relational view. >
Joint turbo channel estimation and data recovery in fast fading mobile coded OFDM

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems suffer performance degradation in fast fading channels due to intercarrier interference (ICI). Combining frequency domain equalization and bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM), the iterative receiver is able to harvest both temporal and frequency diversity. In order to perform coherent detection and estimation, channel state information (CSI) is critical. Conventional frequency domain channel estimation (CE) methods have an irreducible error floor at high normalized Doppler frequency fdTs, since ICI corrupts the orthogonality among subcarriers. Considering that the fast time-varying channel is also a source of temporal diversity, CE ought to take place in the pre-FFT time domain. With soft a priori information about the data symbols becomes available, this paper proposes a turbo channel estimator (TCE) structure which provides a way to consistently improve the bit error rate (BER). The complexity of TCE is further reduced by completely avoiding matrix inversion. Simulation results demonstrate that the PSAM system with TCE achieves no ICI with normalized Doppler frequency fdTs up to 20.46% with realistic mobile WiMAX channel environment.
Leibniz on Plenitude, Relations, and the ‘Reign of Law’

In January 1680 Leibniz wrote to Philipp as follows: “I esteem Mr. Descartes almost as much as one can esteem any man, and, though there are among his opinions some which seem false to me, and even dangerous, this does not keep me from saying that we owe nearly as much to Galileo and to him in philosophical matters as to the whole of antiquity. At present I recall only one of the ... dangerous propositions.... It is in the Principles of Philosophy, Part III, Article 47, in the following words:
The rank one mixed /spl mu/ problem and "Kharitonov-type" methods

The general mixed /spl mu/ problem has been shown to be NP hard, so that the exact solution of the general problem is computationally intractable, except for small problems. In this paper we consider not the general problem, but a particular special case of this problem-the rank one mixed /spl mu/ problem. We show that for this case the mixed /spl mu/ problem is equivalent to its upper bound (which is convex), and it can be computed easily (and exactly). This special case is shown to be equivalent to the so called "affine parameter variation" problem (for a polynomial with perturbed coefficients) which has been examined in detail in the literature, and for which several celebrated "Kharitonov-type" results have been proven. >
A Novel MitoNEET Ligand, TT01001, Improves Diabetes and Ameliorates Mitochondrial Function in db/db Mice

The mitochondrial outer membrane protein mitoNEET is a binding protein of the insulin sensitizer pioglitazone (5-[[4-[2-(5-ethylpyridin-2-yl)ethoxy]phenyl]methyl]-1,3-thiazolidine-2,4-dione) and is considered a novel target for the treatment of type II diabetes. Several small-molecule compounds have been identified as mitoNEET ligands using structure-based design or virtual docking studies. However, there are no reports about their therapeutic potential in animal models. Recently, we synthesized a novel small molecule, TT01001 [ethyl-4-(3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)thioureido)piperidine-1-carboxylate], designed on the basis of pioglitazone structure. In this study, we assessed the pharmacological properties of TT01001 in both in vitro and in vivo studies. We found that TT01001 bound to mitoNEET without peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activation effect. In type II diabetes model db/db mice, TT01001 improved hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and glucose intolerance, and its efficacy was equivalent to that of pioglitazone, without the pioglitazone-associated weight gain. Mitochondrial complex II + III activity of the skeletal muscle was significantly increased in db/db mice. We found that TT01001 significantly suppressed the elevated activity of the complex II + III. These results suggest that TT01001 improved type II diabetes without causing weight gain and ameliorated mitochondrial function of db/db mice. This is the first study that demonstrates the effects of a mitoNEET ligand on glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function in an animal disease model. These findings support targeting mitoNEET as a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of type II diabetes.
Exploring Gender and Self-Efficacy Ratings of Athletic Training Students over Time

Objective: To describe the development of a self-efficacy instrument and to explore the changes by gender in student self-efficacy ratings over 1 year. Design and Setting: An exploratory study util...
Beyond financing: Giving the United Nations power of the purse

Abstract The present financial constraint on UN activities is primarily of a developmental—rather than strategic, geopolitical—nature. It stems from such factors as: the blurring of the dichotomy between North and South; caution about intergovernmental cooperation which might reduce national sovereignty; and hesitation to accept the need for a fundamentally new development paradigm. Yet, strengthening of the UN is at the same time one of the critical conditions required for the international community effectively to address the growing problems of global poverty, socioeconomic inequity and environmental degradation. It is, therefore, imperative urgently to find a way out of the present political stalemate surrounding the UN's role. The present article suggests two possible steps forward: 1. (1) to shift the burden of financing the UN from national to global sources—by introducing charges for the use of global commons or levies on international activities such as trade and foreign currency transactions; 2. (2) to strengthen the UN's capacity to harmonize global policy priorities with global spending priorities—by creating under the UN's umbrella, an integrated international cooperation fund and an executive committee for ECOSOC.
Determination of dimethylamine in the air of workplaces by high performance liquid chromatography

Objective To establish a method for determination of dimethylamine in the air of workplaces by silicon tube sampling,solvent desorption and liquid chromatography. Methods Dimethylamine in the air of workplace was collected with silicon tube,then desorbed by 0. 15 mol /L HCL,derivatized with dansyl chloride,separated on C18 HPLC column,and detected by FLD,with retention time for qualitative analysis and peak area for quantitative analysis. Results Dimethylamine showed good linearity in the range of 0. 45 μg /ml ~ 90 μg /ml( r = 0. 9998),the recoveries were from 96. 7% to 98. 7%,the RSD was1. 38% ~ 2. 76%,and the detection limit was 0. 15 μg /ml. The minimum detection concentration of dimethylamine was0. 04 mg /m3. Conclusion Dimethylamine derivative products have good retention on C18 column,and can be separated from other coexisted components. This method is sensitive,accurate,precise and practical,so it is suitable for detection of dimethylamine in the air of workplace.
A study of the relationship between syringoceles and Cobb's collar.

Object : To assess the association between the congenital narrowing of the bulbar urethra and syringoceles. Materials and Methods : Eleven boys were investigated, 10 with a cystogram and 9 with video endoscopy. The video tapes were reviewed with the radiology and the relationship between the syringocele and the narrowing of the bulbar urethra (Cobb's collar) was particularly noted. Results : Seven of the 9 boys examined endoscopically were found to have a Cobb's collar near the proximal extent of the syringocele ; the proximal extent of external sphincter appeared to be above and separate from the syringocele in all cases. Six of 10 patients had a syringocele and bulbar urethral narrowing seen at cystogram. Conclusions : It would appear that syringoceles are often associated with a Cobb's collar, in keeping with the possible origin of both structures from the region of the urogenital membrane. The narrowing in the bulbar urethra may, however, be an incidental finding in many of the cases.
Self-injection of household cleaning detergents into a ventriculoperitoneal shunt reservoir during a suicide attempt: a case report and literature review

Self-injection of household cleaning detergents (more specifically, commercial toilet bowl cleaner) into the reservoir of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) has never been reported in the neurosurgical literature. A right-handed 41-year-old female with a past medical history significant for bipolar depression (with multiple prior hospital admissions for suicide attempts) and pseudotumor cerebri (status-post VPS placement from a right frontal approach) successfully injected ∼5 ml of toilet bowl cleaner into her ventricular shunt reservoir during a suicide attempt. She was found unresponsive by a family member 48 h after this event and presented to our hospital in moribund neurological condition (bilaterally fixed and dilated pupils with decerebrate posturing). Head computed tomography (CT) demonstrated marked ventriculomegaly. She was taken emergently to the operating room for placement of a left frontal ventriculostomy. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampled intraoperatively showed numerous Gram-positive cocci (later determined to be Staphylococcus epidermidis). For this reason, her right-sided shunt system was also removed in its entirety. She was treated with broad-spectrum intravenous and intraventricular antibiotics for her bacterial ventriculitis and her CSF was aggressively drained to treat her hydrocephalus. Once her infection had resolved, the shunt was replaced (using a right parietal approach) and she went on to make an excellent neurological recovery. Here, the authors present the case of a patient who self-injected household cleaning detergents into her VPS reservoir—and, likely, the ventricular system—during a suicide attempt and subsequently developed hydrocephalus and ventriculitis. Following this infrequent clinical scenario, consideration should be given to temporary ventriculostomy placement and shunt removal. Moreover, in patients with a known history of psychiatric co-morbidities—and particularly those patients with prior suicide attempts—the neurosurgeon should give serious consideration to placing the shunt system in an anatomical region which is difficult for the patient to self-access based upon their handedness.
Patient Care Medical Data

To produce a bill or claim, an office system must, as a minimum, collect at least one diagnosis per encounter, the name of any studies or procedures performed, any medications or supplies dispensed from the office that need to be billed, and appropriate demographic/insurance data. This minimum information does not make a medical record. If the system had a few more options, such as up to five diagnoses per encounter, the ability to collect orders for all studies, procedures, medications, and supplies and the capability to display these in a flow sheet printout, you would then have a summary record to serve as a memory jogger when the medical chart was not available. To make the leap from this to a computerized medical record, a system should permit the recording of studies and procedure results, medication dose and frequency information, objective physical findings, and historical findings or subjective comments. This is a major task for medical software and most office systems do not go into that degree of depth. The few systems that do, have large dictionaries since they must accommodate every likely diagnosis to be made, studies and meds to be ordered, and objective physical findings to be followed for a given medical problem.
Authentic standards for the reductive-cleavage method. The positional isomers of partially methylated and acetylated or benzoylated 1,4-anhydro-D-xylitol.

Abstract Described herein is a general method for the synthesis of all positional isomers of methylated and acetylated or benzoylated 1,4-anhydro- d -xylitol. The benzoates are generated simultaneously from 1,4-anhydro- d -xylitol by sequential partial methylation and benzoylation or sequential partial benzoylation and methylation. The individual isomers are obtained in pure form by high-performance liquid chromatography. Debenzoylation and acetylation provided the corresponding acetates. The 1 H NMR spectra of the benzoates and the electron ionization mass spectra of the acetates and the tri- O -methyl derivative are reported herein as are the linear temperature programmed gas-liquid chromatography retention indices of the acetates and the tri- O -methyl derivative on three different capillary columns.
Subjects of Memory? On Performing Holocaust Memory in Two German Historical Museums

This paper looks at how historical museums in Germany that are not Holocaust or Jewish museums represent Jews. It examines the permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as their visitors’ experi...
Compression and shear mode ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) pressure sensors

Abstract In this work, two types of dynamic pressure sensors based on ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) in compression and shear deformation modes are designed, prototyped, and tested in a shock pressure tube. Although IPMCs offer appropriate properties such as flexibility, light weight, easy processing, resilience and high sensitivity to be used as sensors, there are only limited studies on applicable IPMC sensors and almost all of these devices were developed based on bending deformation. For a better understanding of the electromechanical sensing performance of the IPMCs, the charge current generation mechanisms due to external pressure in both compression and shear modes are developed based on the streaming potential hypothesis. The direct assembly process (DAP) is applied to fabricate some pressure sensor samples of each type for experimental evaluation. An equivalent circuit with parallel resistance and capacitance of the IMPCs samples, estimated by an impedance analyzer, is used to design an appropriate signal conditioner. A shock pressure tube setup is then utilized for performance evaluation of the fabricated devices. The results demonstrate that IPMCs as dynamic pressure sensors represent an appropriate linearity, sensitivity and consistency in both compression and shear modes. It is found that IPMC sensors in shear mode have a higher sensitivity compared with its compression mode counterpart.
Dynamical systems analysis of the Maasch–Saltzman model for glacial cycles

Abstract This article is concerned with the internal dynamics of a conceptual model proposed by Maasch and Saltzman (1990) to explain central features of the glacial cycles observed in the climate record of the Pleistocene Epoch. It is shown that, in most parameter regimes, the long-term system dynamics occur on certain intrinsic two-dimensional invariant manifolds in the three-dimensional state space. These invariant manifolds are slow manifolds when the characteristic time scales for the total global ice mass and the volume of the North Atlantic Deep Water are well separated, and they are center manifolds when these characteristic time scales are comparable. In both cases, the reduced dynamics on these manifolds are governed by Bogdanov–Takens singularities, and the bifurcation curves associated to these singularities organize the parameter regions in which the model exhibits glacial cycles. In addition, knowledge of the reduced systems and their bifurcations is useful for understanding the effects of slowly varying parameters, which cause passage through Hopf bifurcations, and of orbital (Milankovitch) forcing. Both are central to the mechanism proposed by Maasch and Saltzman for the mid-Pleistocene transition in their model.
Xerox and the Vision Quest

Xerox Production Manager Jim Deese has an employee who is uncomfortable with the company's “vision quests” (creative and spiritual retreats). Xerox began conducting these vision quests as a means of invigorating production and innovation at the company, which had struggled over the years with product development and increasing competition. Some studies have shown that incorporating some element of spirituality helps to generate a happier and more creative workplace. Nonetheless, the employee questions the vision quests and the company's other mildly spiritual practices, and Deese must decide how to respond. Excerpt UVA-E-0367 Rev. Oct. 4, 2013 Xerox and the Vision Quest At the close of a busy workday, Xerox Production Manager Jim Deese found himself thinking about a conversation he had had earlier in the day with Assistant Manager Mike Biggs, who had recently been hired right out of business school. Biggs had confessed to Deese that several aspects of the Xerox culture troubled him. Primarily, Biggs had been surprised to learn that all Xerox employees were strongly encouraged to participate in the company's creative and spiritual retreats, also known as “vision quests,” a Native American term indicating the journey one took to achieve higher spirituality. Biggs admitted to Deese that he was an atheist, a fact that he kept to himself, and that he was not comfortable with anything involving spirituality in the workplace. Deese had explained the origin and nature of these quests, emphasizing that religion was not involved, but Biggs was troubled that they even existed. As Deese thought about the conversation, he reflected back on his 20 years with Xerox and the company's culture of creativity, which often seemed to border on spirituality. Starting in the early 1990s, Xerox began conducting these vision quests as a means of invigorating production and innovation at the company, which had struggled over the years with product development and increasing competition. In these vision quests, sometimes over 300 employees would spend 24 hours in remote locations such as New York's Catskill Mountains or New Mexico's deserts, equipped with only sleeping bags and water. Employees were encouraged to use this time to think about infusing greater creativity into the design and redesign of Xerox products. One legendary story was that, after seeing a Xerox paper carton floating in an oil puddle in the middle of a swamp, company engineers vowed to design and build more recyclable products. Deese had heard that this event was behind the creation of the 97% recyclable and highly successful Xerox 265 Digital Copier. As a follow-up to these vision quests, Xerox incorporated other Native American customs, such as talking circles in which a stone was passed around and only the person holding the stone could talk, thus emphasizing the power and importance of listening and being receptive to others' thoughts. So successful had Xerox been in utilizing these Native American customs to foster creativity that several other companies had visited the company's Rochester, New York, headquarters to learn more. . . .
Structural Characterization of Poised States in the Oxygen Sensitive Hydrogenases and Nitrogenases

The crystallization of FeS cluster-containing proteins has been challenging due to their oxygen sensitivity, and yet these enzymes are involved in many critical catalytic reactions. The last few years have seen a wealth of innovative experiments designed to elucidate not just structural but mechanistic insights into FeS cluster enzymes. Here, we focus on the crystallization of hydrogenases, which catalyze the reversible reduction of protons to hydrogen, and nitrogenases, which reduce dinitrogen to ammonia. A specific focus is given to the different experimental parameters and strategies that are used to trap distinct enzyme states, specifically, oxidants, reductants, and gas treatments. Other themes presented here include the recent use of Cryo-EM, and how coupling various spectroscopies to crystallization is opening up new approaches for structural and mechanistic analysis.
A Mechanistic Understanding of Axon Degeneration in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Chemotherapeutic agents cause many short and long term toxic side effects to peripheral nervous system that drastically alter quality of life. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and enduring disorder caused by several anti-neoplastic agents. CIPN typically presents with neuropathic pain, numbness of distal extremities and/or oversensitivity to thermal or mechanical stimuli. This adverse side effect often requires a reduction in chemotherapy dosage or even discontinuation of treatment. Currently there are no effective treatment options for CIPN. While the underlying mechanisms for CIPN are not understood, current data identify a “dying back” axon degeneration of distal nerve endings as the major pathology in this disorder. Therefore, mechanistic understanding of axon degeneration will provide insights into the pathway and molecular players responsible for CIPN. Here, we review recent findings that expand our understanding of the pathogenesis of CIPN and discuss pathways that may be shared with the axonal degeneration that occurs during developmental axon pruning and during injury-induced Wallerian degeneration. These mechanistic insights provide new avenues for development of therapies to prevent or treat CIPN.
Association Between Anemia and Fatigue in Hospitalized Patients: Does the Measure of Anemia Matter?

OBJECTIVE To assess multiple Hb-based measures of anemia in hospitalized patients and test whether these are associated with fatigue. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Urban, academic medical center. PATIENTS Hospitalized general medicine patients, age =50 years, with any Hb < 9 g/dL. MEASUREMENTS Measures of anemia were created for each patient based on the Hb values from their hospitalization (mean, median, minimum, maximum, admission, and discharge). Fatigue was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue subscale. RESULTS Seven hundred eighty-four patients participated. Minimum Hb was strongly associated with fatigue. Patients with a minimum Hb of < 8 g/dL had higher fatigue levels (mean FACIT [standard deviation] Hb < 7 g/dL: 25 [13], 7 g/ dL = Hb <8 g/dL: 25 [14] Hb =8 g/dL: 29 [14], P = 0.001) and were more likely to report high levels of fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue < 27) (56% vs 41%; P = 0.002). Mean Hb had a less robust association with fatigue than minimum Hb, and no other measure of Hb was associated with patients' fatigue levels. CONCLUSIONS Minimum Hb is associated with fatigue while hospitalized and may help identify patients for interventions to address anemia-related fatigue.
Hydrodynamic performance of two air nozzles diameters on the massive microalgae culture: Computational and experimental approaches

Abstract The scaling of microalgae production in culture systems depends on preventing cells to settle down and assure a well-mixed water column. Doing so, each cell would have better exposure to light and nutrients. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be an effective tool for understanding and predicting the multiphase flow inside tanks. In this study, we have used CFD to simulate the velocity field and the turbulent kinetic energy inside a computational tank to find best hydrodynamic performance for two nozzles configurations: case 1) one single 3 mm air nozzle; case 2) a set of nine 1 mm air nozzles. Computational results showed that smaller air nozzles are more efficient in reducing dead zones inside culturing tanks. Further, mean turbulent kinetic energy field suggested a more homogeneous dissipation, and higher intensities of turbulence were observed in the smaller nozzle simulation. The application of present numerical observations on culture systems was investigated by several experiments in 300 L cylindrical photobioreactors and 1600 L open circular tanks, both with different air nozzles sizes (1 and 3 mm) where the marine microalga Nannochloropsis oceanica was grown. Microalga growth was determined by measurements of water absorbance at 750 nm. Higher cell densities were determined in the photobioreactors and tanks with 1 mm nozzles. Thus, smaller nozzle was efficient to improve the microalga production even with increasing volume and different culture system designs, supporting the numerical analyses predictions by CFD.
Investigation of a Structural Phase Transition and Magnetic Structure of Na2BaFe(VO4)2: A Triangular Magnetic Lattice with a Ferromagnetic Ground State.

The structural and magnetic properties of a glaserite-type Na2BaFe(VO4)2 compound, featuring a triangular magnetic lattice of Fe2+ (S = 2), are reported. Temperature dependent X-ray single crystal studies indicate that at room temperature the system adopts a trigonal P3m1 structure and undergoes a structural phase transition to a C2/c monoclinic phase slightly below room temperature (Ts = 288 K). This structural transition involves a tilting of Fe-O-V bond angles and strongly influences the magnetic correlation within the Fe triangular lattice. The magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a ferromagnetic transition near 7 K. Single crystal neutron diffraction confirms the structural distortion and the ferromagnetic spin ordering in Na2BaFe(VO4)2. The magnetic structure of the ordered state is modeled in the magnetic space group C2'/c' that implies a ferromagnetic order of the a and c moment components and antiferromagnetic arrangement for the b components. Overall, the Fe magnetic moments form ferromagnetic layers that are stacked along the c-axis, where the spins point along one of the (111) facets of the FeO6 octahedron.
SECURE PCI: how important can a subgroup analysis be?

Among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable coronary artery disease patients, the effect of a loading dose of statin, prior to revascularization, has been assessed in several observational studies and randomized controlled trials (1-3). A high dose of statin before percutaneous or surgical revascularization was associated with a decreased risk of periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), contrast induced—acute kidney injury and, finally, improved clinical outcomes (4,5). The underlying mechanism was hypothesized to be related to the complex pleiotropic effects of statins which improve endothelial function, stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque, and decrease the vascular inflammation (6).
Abstract 4163: Space radiation-induced persistent DNA damage and alterations in cytoskeletal remodeling pathways affect intestinal epithelial cell migration in mice

Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA. Heavy ion space radiation is considered as a risk factor of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and perturbed intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) migration has been implicated in GI carcinogenesis. The purpose of the current study was to assess rate of IEC migration as well as dissect key IEC migration signaling events after exposure to heavy ion 56 Fe irradiation and compare the results to sham- and γ-irradiation. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 0.5 Gy of either γ or 56 Fe radiation and control mice were sham irradiated. IEC migration distance was measured 7 and 60 d after exposure using BrdU pulse labeling. We also analyzed cell polarity, microtubule dynamics, and adhesion dynamics using immunoblots and immunofluorescence. Measure of IEC migration rate showed a greater decrease after 56 Fe relative to γ radiation at both the time points. At the molecular level, compared to sham and γ radiation, 56 Fe radiation exhibited significantly greater impairment of cell adhesion dynamics evidenced by altered integrins and Rock1 as well as cytoskeletal dynamics evidenced by altered MLCK expression. Similarly, perturbed cell polarity, tight junction, and microtubule dynamics was revealed by the deregulation of Par3, Claudin1, Scribble, Occludin, ZO-1, phospho-Tau and MAP1B. Also, the Wnt/β-catenin and EphB/EphrinB pathways critical for IEC migration consistently showed greater deregulation at both the time points tested after 56 Fe radiation relative to γ -rays. Taken together, our molecular findings correlate with the BrdU pulse labeling data, and demonstrate greater effects of heavy ion 56 Fe on IEC migration relative to γ -rays. In summary, our results have demonstrated for the first time that radiation can disrupt cell migration dynamics through alteration of signaling molecules involved in crucial cellular processes and these results have implications for heavy ion space radiation-induced gastrointestinal homeostatic deregulation and carcinogenesis. Citation Format: Santosh Kumar, Shubhankar Suman, Albert Fornace, Kamal Datta. Space radiation-induced persistent DNA damage and alterations in cytoskeletal remodeling pathways affect intestinal epithelial cell migration in mice [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4163.
Light Scattering Apparatus

This chapter will introduce the reader to the various physical components of an experiment designed to obtain information from solutions of macromolecules by measurements of the time dependence of light scattered from the molecules. In some cases the components are readily available commercially and therefore only broad operation specifications will be discussed. Examples of items in this category include the laser and the light detector (photomultiplier). It will be assumed that devices of this type can be used satisfactorily as “black boxes.” At the other extreme stands the light scattering spectrometer itself. While spectrometers are available commercially, many investigators prefer to assemble their own, and, in any case, their optimal use depends on a detailed knowledge of the principles of operation. Consequently, considerable effort will be expended to acquaint the reader with the physical principles involved in laser fluctuation spectroscopy.
Enrollment of economically disadvantaged participants in clinical research.

Disadvantaged and homeless people should not be ineligible to participate in scientifically and ethically sound medical research on the sole basis of this vulnerable status. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Secession as a Tool of Public Finance

Politicians have always found it easier to spend money than to raise it. That accounts for the fact that the federal government of the United States has not been able to balance its budget more than a few times in the last two or three generations. But the problem of overspending is not confined to the federal level. Governments at all levels have problems restraining their spending habits and being responsive to the needs of the people.
On pragmatic presupposition

I argue that (a) the phenomenon characteristic of pragmatic presupposition, is distinct from (b) the phenomenon characteristic of semantic presupposition, and that there are sentences exhibiting (a) alone. I apply this to Stalnaker's defense of van Fraassen's theory of semantic presupposition against Karttunen. I show that, since Stalmaker fails to distinguish (a) from (b), this defense amounts to an unsuccessful attempt to explain pragmatically the supposed instances of (b) in Karttunen's counter-examples. I observe that, given the distinction between (a) and (b), we can salvage from Stalnaker the strategy of discounting certain of Karttunen's counter-examples which exhibit not (b) but merely (a).
Plant Control on the Fate of Common Groundwater Contaminants

In general, groundwater can become contaminated by two different processes; contaminant release from nonpoint and point sources. Nonpoint-source groundwater contamination reflects the widespread release of contaminants from sources that are dispersed throughout an area or cannot be attributed to an identifiable location. Such nonpoint sources include runoff or atmospheric deposition. Between 1985 and 2001, the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program analyzed about 3,500 samples of groundwater collected throughout the United States. As part of that study, it was determined that almost 20% of the ambient groundwater samples contained 0.2μg/L or greater of one or more of 55 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analyzed (Zogorski et al. 2006). The most frequently detected VOCs were trihalomethanes (THMs), such as chloroform, and the chlorinated solvents PCE and TCE. In some specific areas of the United States, VOCs such as the fuel oxygenate MTBE, the fumigant and gasoline additive ethylene dibromide (EDB), and the soil fumigant dibromochloropropane (DBCP) also were detected. Encouragingly, however, 90% of the groundwater samples analyzed had VOCs concentrations less than 1μg/L. Although some regulated compounds have MCLs near 1μg/L, such as EDB, and vinyl chloride (VC), the low concentration detected for most compounds indicates either the lack of a constant contaminant source or the cleansing effects of natural attenuation processes.
Invited Talk: THREE-BODY FORCES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on three-body forces. It reviews a study on the pion-mediated three-body interaction. The main three-body force would appear to come from beyond the region where soft-pion theorems can make definitive statements and from processes involving scattering through the N * 33 -isobar. This process involves the scattering of off-mass-shell pions; however, in the static limit, the off-mass-shell and on-mass-shell scattering is the same. Therefore, the process can be calculated directly using physical π-nucleon scattering. In case of the triton, the expectation value of the Fujita–Miyazawa force was evaluated, and an increase of 1.38 MeV in the binding energy of the triton was found. The triton wave functions calculated by Davies using the Hamada–Johnston potential was used. The short-range correlations built into the triton wave function by the hard core of the Hamada–Johnston potential are important. In addition to the three-body interactions, the chapter also describes further interactions involving only pions and nucleons that arise from the retardation in pion exchange.
Frequency, cell lineage, and clinical correlates of lymphopenia in untreated T-cell lymphomas (TCL).

e19023Background: Pre-treatment lymphopenia (Lp) independently predicts survival in TCL. However, lack of knowledge about the lineage of the decreased lymphocyte subset(s) prevents hypothesis formu...
Opportunities for Energy Storage in CAISO

Energy storage is a unique grid asset in that it is capable of providing a number of grid services. In market areas, these grid services are only as valuable as the market prices for the services provided. This paper formulates the optimization problem for maximizing energy storage revenue from arbitrage and frequency regulation in the CAISO market. The optimization algorithm was then applied to three years of historical market data (2014–2016) at 2200 nodes to quantify the locational and time-varying nature of potential revenue. The optimization assumed perfect foresight, so it provides an upper bound on the maximum expected revenue. Since California is starting to experience negative locational marginal prices (LMPs) because of increased renewable generation, the optimization includes a duty cycle constraint to handle negative LMPs. The results show that participating in frequency regulation provides approximately 3.4 times the revenue of arbitrage. In addition, arbitrage potential revenue is highly location-specific. Since there are only a handful of zones for frequency regulation, the distribution of potential revenue from frequency regulation is much tighter.
Chapter 75 – Food Allergy: Immunophysiology

The gastrointestinal tract forms a barrier to the outside environment while providing a surface area to process and absorb ingested food and to discharge waste products. The immune system associated with this barrier, the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), is capable of discriminating between dangerous pathogens and harmless foreign proteins and commensal organisms. Although intact food antigens penetrate the gastrointestinal tract, they generally do not cause clinical symptoms because most individuals develop tolerance. In mucosal tissues, soluble antigens, such as food antigens, are typically poor immunogens and induce a state of unresponsiveness known as oral tolerance. T lymphocytes are largely responsible for the development of allergic disease through their release of cytokines that regulate multiple aspects of the allergic phenotype. T cells may contribute to the development of allergic disease by means of an overabundance of proallergic cytokines or a lack of regulatory cytokines. It is likely that both of these aspects are involved in the development of allergic sensitization to food proteins.
Activation of WNT and CREB signaling pathways in human neuronal cells in response to the Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Abstract A subset of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) elects treatment with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), including the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Previous studies in rodents suggest that DHA modulates neurodevelopmental processes, including adult neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms of DHA's potential therapeutic effect in the context of human neurobiology have not been well established. Here we sought to address this knowledge gap by investigating the effects of DHA using human iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and post-mitotic neurons using pathway-selective reporter genes, multiplexed mRNA expression profiling, and a panel of metabolism-based viability assays. Finally, real-time, live-cell imaging was employed to monitor neurite outgrowth upon DHA treatment. Overall, these studies showed that DHA treatment (0–50 μM) significantly upregulated both WNT and CREB signaling pathways in human neuronal cells in a dose-dependent manner with 2- to 3-fold increases in pathway activation. Additionally, we observed that DHA treatment enhanced survival of iPSC-derived NPCs and differentiation of post-mitotic neurons with live-cell imaging, revealing increased neurite outgrowth with DHA treatment within 24 h. Taken together, this study provides evidence that DHA treatment activates critical pathways regulating neuroplasticity, which may contribute to enhanced neuronal cell viability and neuronal connectivity. The extent to which these pathways represent molecular mechanisms underlying the potential beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids in MDD and other brain disorders merits further investigation.
Why Do Criminology and Criminal Justice Students Choose Their Major? An Examination of Parental, Personality, and Other Individual Characteristics

A truism concerning college attendance is that the knowledge and experiences gained from it have the ability to change one’s attitudes and beliefs. In regard to criminology and criminal justice (C&...
Palynology, organic petrology and geochemistry of the Bell coal bed in Western Kentucky, Eastern Interior (Illinois) Basin, USA

Abstract The Bell coal bed is one of the stratigraphically oldest coals (Atokan, Duckmantian) in the Illinois Basin that has been commercially mined and occurs near the Morrowan-Atokan boundary, which was a time of significant lithologic change in the basin. The Bell coal occurs as a series of discontinuous pods, in contrast to younger (Asturian) coals in the basin that are thicker and more extensive in occurrence. Thirty-two samples of coal and carbonaceous shale, collected from surface mine, outcrop, and drill core locations were analyzed geochemically, petrographically and palynologically to ascertain the origin of the Bell coal bed in western Kentucky. The Bell coal exhibits a great deal of variability in thickness and composition, both temporally and spatially. Based on ash yields, the Bell coal consists of intercalated layers of coal (≤25% ash), impure coal (>25 to 80%, mmf), with telovitrinite occurring more frequently than detrovitrinite and gelovitrinite. Certain layers, however, contain elevated amounts of liptinite and inertinite. Among the inertinite macerals, examples of both fire (e.g., fusinite) and degradation (e.g., macrinite) origin are evident. Samples with elevated amounts of inertinite are commonly, though not exclusively, high in ash, indicating that some of the inertinite may be of allochthonous origin. Palynologically, the Bell coal is dominated by arborescent lycopod spores (avg. >70%), occurring primarily as Lycospora, with some samples containing increased proportions of spores and pollen from other Pennsylvanian plant groups. Samples with more heterogenous palynofloras commonly have elevated ash yields, indicating that some portion of the assemblages may be also of allochthonous origin. Collectively, the Bell coal is interpreted to have formed from a series of small, disconnected paleomires that were planar and topogenous with paleotopography having an influence on peat development. A planar, topogenous origin helps to explain the highly variable ash yields and sulfur contents. Accumulating peat, principally from arborescent lycopod source material, was mainly well-preserved, but punctuated with intervals marked by sediment influx, the development of more heterogeneous palynofloras and degradation and oxidation of the surficial peat by both biologic (decay) and abiotic (fire) processes.
Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency as a Potential Masquerader in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) frequently have meal-related symptoms and can recognize specific trigger foods. Lactose intolerance is a well-established carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome that causes symptoms similar to IBS such as bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. However, the prevalence of sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (SID) in this population is poorly defined. SID is a condition in which sucrase-isomaltase, an enzyme produced by brush border of small intestine to metabolize sucrose, is deficient. Just like lactase deficiency, SID causes symptoms of maldigestion syndromes including abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. In this study, we aim to determine the prevalence of SID in patients with presumed IBS-D/M and characterize its clinical presentation. Patients with a presumed diagnosis of IBS-D/M based on symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or bloating who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with duodenal biopsies and testing for disaccharidase deficiency were included. Patients with a history of inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal malignancy, or celiac disease were excluded. Odds ratio was calculated for abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating in patients with versus without SID. A total of 31 patients with clinical suspicion for IBS-D/M were included with a median age of 46 years (IQR 30.5–60) and with 61% females. SID was present in 35% of patients. Among patients with SID, 63.6% had diarrhea, 45.4% had abdominal pain, and 36.4% had bloating. Patients with SID were less likely than controls to have abdominal pain (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.03–0.81, p = 0.04) although no difference in diarrhea or bloating was found. Only two patients with SID underwent sucrose breath testing of which only one had a positive result. However, this patient also had a positive glucose breath test and may have had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as a confounder. SID was found in 35% of patients with presumed IBS-D/M and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bloating. Further studies should better characterize the clinical features of SID and investigate the effects of dietary modification in this group of patients.
Monetizing the Impact of Food Safety Recalls on the Low-Moisture Food Industry.

ABSTRACT New Food Safety and Modernization Act rules require that food producers implement and validate processes that sufficiently reduce the risk of known hazards, such as those posed by microbial pathogens. Investments in food safety technology choices are ultimately business decisions, and current decision-making methods make it difficult to quantify financial value associated with food safety risk reduction. Predicted financial loss is a tangible way to quantify how a recall might affect the manufacturer. The hypothesis of this study was that class I recalls of low-moisture foods due to the presence of microbial pathogens have a significant negative economic impact on the affected manufacturers, which can be quantified in terms of loss in market capitalization. Financial impacts of the recalls were analyzed over a 10-year period by computing the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) in stock values over a recall event period for 22 low-moisture foods made by publicly held companies. Abnormal returns were aggregated over an event window (0 to 20 days) to compute the CAR, which was multiplied by prerecall market capitalization to compute monetary losses due to the recall event. The CARs for a 20-day postrecall period were -26.5 to 8.4%, with a mean of -5.1%. These CARs translated to a median loss in corporate value due to a recall of $243 million for the recall events analyzed in this study. If implementation of a food safety technology could reduce risk of a recall by fivefold, the mean annual economic benefit would be >$2 million in reduced risk for companies such as those included in the study. Such analyses can positively impact business decisions to invest in food safety technologies. HIGHLIGHTS
High-Performance Microring-Assisted Space-and-Wavelength Selective Switch

We introduce a novel design of space-and-wavelength selective switch using microring-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometers. A 2×2×2λ elementary switch block is demonstrated with full spatial and wavelength switching capabilities, showing 20dB crosstalk suppression and 19dB extinction ratio.
Use of a Long-Acting Opioid Microsphere Formulation to Overcome Difficulties in Swallowing Pain Medication.

Purpose Xtampza ER® (XER) is a long-acting oxycodone formulation ﻿which was designed to be abuse-deterrent and to overcome capsule-swallowing issues. This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of XER at reducing swallowing difficulty while providing effective analgesia in the setting of chronic pain. Subjects and Methods Eleven subjects with chronic pain who reported pill-swallowing difficulty were enrolled in a 6-week uncontrolled open-label pilot study in which their prescribed daily opioid medication was converted to XER. Swallowing difficulty, pain intensity, opioid satisfaction, and secondary indicators of pain response were recorded for subjects throughout the study. Results Both swallowing difficulty and opioid satisfaction (XER vs baseline opioid) improved significantly over the 6-week study period (p < 0.05), while pain intensity ratings demonstrated no significant change. No significant change was noted in any of the secondary pain, mental health, or physical function measures after conversion to XER compared to baseline. Conclusion Subjects experienced improvement in both swallowing and opioid medication satisfaction after conversion to XER with no significant change ﻿in pain intensity and related measures.