cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SYNTHESIS OF 4-METHYL-2-IMIDAZOLIDONE-5-ALIPHATIC ACIDS

By means of Friedel-Crafts reaction, the following compounds were prepared from 4-methyl- imidazolone-2 and four different ω-carbethoxy acyl halides: 4-methyl-5-(δ-carbethoxy-γ-methyl- butyryl)-imidazolone-2, 4-methyl-5-(δ-carbethoxy-γ, γ-dimethylbutyryl)-imidazolone-2, 4-methyl- 5-(ω-carbethoxy-n-nonanoyl)-imidflzolone-2, and 4-methyl-5-(ω-carbethoxy-n-heptadecanoyl)- imidazolone-2. With PtO_2 as catalyst, they were readily reduced to the four corresponding imidazolidone compounds. These compounds were hydrolyzed with 1 N NaOH and then followed by acidification to give the following acids: 4-methyl-5-(δ-carboxy-y-methylbutyl)- imidazolidone-2, 4-methyl-5-(δ-carboxy-γ, γ-dimethylbutyl)-imidazolidone-2, 4-methyl-5-(ω-car-boxy-n-nonanyl)- imidazolidone-2, and 4-methyl-5-(ω-carboxy-n-heptadecanyl)-imidazolidone-2. Microbiological tests indicated that the first three acids are good anti-biotins towards lactobacillus casei and saccharomyces cerevisiae strain No. 139. Due to its extreme insolubility in water, the last compound has not yet been tested for its microbiological activity.
A conceptual framework for quality healthcare accessibility: a scalable approach for big data technologies

Healthcare accessibility research has been of growing interest for scholars and practitioners. This manuscript classifies prior studies on the Floating Catchment Area methodologies, a prevalent class of methodologies that measure healthcare accessibility, and presents a framework that conceptualizes accessibility computation. We build the Floating Catchment Method General Framework as an IT artifact, following best practices in Design Science Research. We evaluate the utility of our framework by creating an instantiation, as an algorithm, and test it with large healthcare data sets from California. We showcase the practical application of the artifact and address the pressing issue of access to quality healthcare. This example also serves as a prototype for Big Data Analytics, as it presents opportunities to scale the analysis vertically and horizontally. In order for researchers to perform high impact studies and make the world a better place, an overarching framework utilizing Big Data Analytics should be seriously considered.
Platelet Activation Gradients During Thrombus Formation

The hemostatic response requires the tightly regulated interaction of the coagulation system, platelets, other blood cells and components of the vessel wall at a site of vascular injury. The dysregulation of this response may result in excessive bleeding if the response is impaired, and pathologic thrombosis with vessel occlusion and tissue ischemia if the response is overly robust. Extensive studies over the past decades have sought to unravel the regulatory mechanisms that coordinate the multiple biochemical and cellular responses in time and space to ensure that an optimal response to vascular damage is achieved. We and others have observed that platelet activation at a site of injury in vivo is heterogeneous, with a gradient of platelet activation extending from the site of injury. Platelets immediately adjacent to the injured vessel wall are densely packed and fully activated forming a stably adherent core region. This stable core is overlaid by a shell of less activated platelets that are more loosely packed. Genetic and pharmacologic studies have shown that the formation of these regions is dependent on partially overlapping gradients of distinct platelet agonists, with ADP serving as a mediator of platelet recruitment and retention in the shell region, and thrombin necessary for full platelet activation in the core region. The distribution of platelet agonists and other plasma solutes in time and space is in turn determined in part by their transport in the plasma microenvironments that evolve as platelets accumulate. Platelet mass consolidation and the subsequent narrowing of the gaps between platelets are important mechanisms by which plasma solutes are retained within the platelet mass to promote platelet activation. Consolidation also regulates the escape of plasma and platelet-derived bioactive molecules into the extravascular space. These studies and others examining how cellular, biochemical and physical factors are integrated to shape the optimal response to vascular injury in vivo will be discussed. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Atmospheres panel report to the payload panel

This report is the outgrowth of the Atmospheres Panel meeting held in September 1991. The Panel was asked to either endorse or reject the CEES and IPCC research priorities for global change and to indicate which EOS candidate instruments, in the Panel's opinion, made the most significant contributions to answering the scientific questions associated with the CEES and IPCC priorities. After some discussion, the Panel endorsed the CEES and IPPC priorities as presented by Dr. Watson at the Seattle IWG. However, the Panel remained very concerned about significant weakness in the proposed stratospheric instrument package associated with hydroxyl and halogen measurements. This concern is expressed in our recommendation list below. This report is divided into five sections. The first section is a summary of recommendations of the Panel. The summary contains the list of primary instruments needed to answer the major science questions which the Panel has identified. The four sections following detail our recommendations. They are: (1) Clouds, Radiation and Precipitation, (2) Tropospheric Chemistry, (3) Stratospheric Chemistry and Dynamics and (4) Data Assimilation. While the separation of these issues may seem artificial, these four categories represent the cores of merging disciplines within the atmospheric sciences. In order to expose the reasoning behind instrument prioritization, the Panel reiterated the key science questions and then discussed the approach used to answer those questions. From the approach, measurement needs and instrument priorities follow logically. Additional subsections briefly discuss constraints on the remote measurements (if any) and other relevant measurement programs (if any); major recommendations follow. EOS instruments matching the data requirements for a given science objective are divided into three categories: Primary, Ancillary and Contributing. The order of listing within the category does not indicate prioritization; it is random. A Primary Instrument is one directly relevant to the core science questions. A Contributing Instrument is one whose measurement would add to the overall pool of information in a positive way, but loss of data from that instrument would not cripple the science objectives as would loss of data from a Primary Instrument. Ancillary Instruments occupy the gray area in between. The Panel recognizes the measurements made by Ancillary Instruments as contributing significantly to some science objectives, but not all Panel members felt that an ancillary instrument was core to a given science objective.
Sidestepping the Elephant in the Classroom: Using Culturally Localized Technology To Teach Around Taboos

Cultural taboos can restrict student learning on topics of critical importance. In India, such taboos have led multiple states to ban materials intended to educate youth about HIV, putting millions at risk. We present the design of TeachAIDS, a software application that leverages cultural insights, learning science, and affordances of technology to provide comprehensive HIV education while circumventing taboos. Using a mixed-methods evaluation, we demonstrate that this software leaves students with significantly increased knowledge about HIV and reduced stigma toward individuals infected with the virus. Validating the effectiveness of TeachAIDS in circumventing taboos, students report comfort in learning from the software, and it has since been deployed in tens of thousands of schools throughout India. The methodology presented here has broader implications for the design and implementation of interactive technologies for providing education on sensitive topics in health and other areas.
The Symbolic Nature of Trust in Heterosexual Adolescent Romantic Relationships

Trust contributes to young people's capacity for sustaining current and future successful relationships. To date, research has yet to examine the meaning of trust in early dating relationships and reasons for its deterioration. The present study focused on video-recorded conversations about trust between 34 heterosexual adolescent couples in dating relationships living in the U.S. Transcripts from these conversations were qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis to identify adolescents' meanings of trust and reasons they provided for a lack of trust in their romantic partners. All 34 couples identified concerns specifically related to infidelity. Six major themes for not trusting romantic partners emerged. Results suggested that the lack of trust in romantic relationships might stem from several areas that are directly and indirectly related to the current relationship, including low self-esteem, the experience of betrayal in past romantic relationships, partners' extradyadic behaviors, and gossip among peers. Importantly, peers can play a defining role in influencing young people's perceptions of their romantic partners and developing or sustaining trust in their romantic relationships.
Tolerancing Transmission Variation in Optical Systems with Scanning Pupil

Formula for a quick tolerance estimate of transmission variation in optical system with scanning pupil is developed. The estimate uses statistics of surface coating degradation due to random errors in layer thickness and refractive index.
Obesity in Pregnancy

Obesity is defined as a BMI of greater than 30 kg/m2. Its prevalence continues to increase in the United States which is salient for obstetric providers given its association with complications such as hypertensive disorders and increased risk for cesarean delivery. Obesity is described in terms of class I, II, or III [1].
Acidic peptides in brain: do they act at putative glutamatergic synapses?

Glutamic acid (GLU) and/or aspartic acid (ASP) are considered the most likely candidates as the predominant excitatory neurotransmitters in the mammalian brain (Curtis and Johnston, 1974; Cotman et al., 1981; Watkins and Evans, 1981; Fonnum, 1984). Nevertheless, certain reservations about this inference remain because these amino acids are involved in several metabolic pathways, including protein synthesis, and because they exhibit rather uniform excitatory effects on brain neurons. Furthermore, reports of inconsistencies between the pharmacology of ionophoretically applied GLU/ASP and that of the endogenous excitatory neurotransmitter released at putative GLU/ASP synapses have appeared. For example, Hori et al. (1981) demonstrated that a-amino-phosphono-butyric acid (APB) antagonized the effects of the excitatory neurotransmitter released by the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) but not the excitatory effects of ionophoretically applied GLU and ASP, which have been proposed as neurotransmitters for the LOT based upon their selective uptake and evoked release (Bradford and Richards, 1976; Collins, 1978). Shiells et al. (1981) have observed differences in the neurophysiologie effects of GLU on retinal bipolar cells from that of the endogenous neurotransmitter released by the photoreceptors, which is reputed to be GLU.
Joint Versus Sole Physical Custody: Children’s Outcomes Independent of Parent–Child Relationships, Income, and Conflict in 60 Studies

Is joint physical custody (JPC) linked to any better or worse outcomes for children than sole physical custody (SPC)? How are these outcomes affected by family income, parental conflict, and the qu...
FOSTERING IMAGINATIVE EXPRESSION IN ELEMENTARY ART STUDENTS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF TEACHER STRATEGIES

FOSTERING IMAGINATIVE EXPRESSION IN ELEMENTARY ART STUDENTS: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF TEACHER STRATEGIES By Julia Robinson Bargo, M.A.E. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006 Thesis Director: Dr. Pamela G. Taylor Chair & Associate Professor Department of Art Education The students in my elementary art classes did not seem to be creating for themselves. They seemed to have the understanding there was only one correct answer in art class, and the art teacher knew what that answer was. By way of research I have found ways to create an atmosphere in my art room that promotes imagination and self expression in children, thus fostering a free and creative reaction from my students. Through
Place-Based Aid Versus People-Based Aid and the Role of an Urban Audit in a New Urban Strategy

Cities with relatively high poverty rates remain high-cost places in which to live and work, even with hundreds of billions of dollars in means-tested monetary and in-kind transfers flowing annually to their poorer residents. Consequently, place based aid to jurisdictions is needed to eliminate the cost differential between central cities and many of their suburbs that firms and middle-class households correctly perceive when they make location decisions. An Urban Audit is needed to provide estimates of how much aid is required to equalize poverty-related costs of various public services across jurisdictions and to provide localities incentives to employ the funds efficiently.
Magnetic Resonance Line Shapes in Slowly Tumbling Molecules

The line shapes of some ESR and NMR spectra are affected by motion of the molecules. Naturally, for motion to have any effect, the resonant frequencies of a single molecule must depend in some way on the motion. For instance, the ESR transitions of a diradical depend on the orientation of the molecule relative to the applied field, and the orientation is changed during the thermally agitated tumbling of the molecule in solution.1 Any orientation dependent resonance frequency is likewise affected by this rotational diffusion process. Another example is the ESR spectrum of radicals with nuclear hyperfine splittings, such as nitroxide radicals.2
Exploiting coroutines to attack the "killer nanoseconds"

Database systems use many pointer-based data structures, including hash tables and B+-trees, which require extensive "pointer-chasing." Each pointer dereference, e.g., during a hash probe or a B+-tree traversal, can result in a CPU cache miss, stalling the CPU. Recent work has shown that CPU stalls due to main memory accesses are a significant source of overhead, even for cache-conscious data structures, and has proposed techniques to reduce this overhead, by hiding memory-stall latency. In this work, we compare and contrast the state-of-the-art approaches to reduce CPU stalls due to cache misses for pointer-intensive data structures. We present an in-depth experimental evaluation and a detailed analysis using four popular data structures: hash table, binary search, Masstree, and Bw-tree. Our focus is on understanding the practicality of using coroutines to improve throughput of such data structures. The implementation, experiments, and analysis presented in this paper promote a deeper understanding of how to exploit coroutines-based approaches to build highly efficient systems.
113 Analyzing conflicts between biological and economic efficiencies of beef production without mature cows.

Confounding interests between biological and economic efficiencies of the All Heifer, No Cow (AHNC) beef production system makes system evaluation difficult. In a conventional cow/calf system, emphasis is placed on reproduction, longevity, and maternal behavior with the goal of achieving a cow that successfully breeds back and consistently weans a healthy calf each year. With AHNC, calving ease and carcass quality are emphasized. In the AHNC system, yearling heifers are inseminated with sexed semen to produce primarily females; calves are weaned 3 months after parturition; heifers are finished on a high concentrate diet; and are harvested before 30 months of age. By eliminating the mature cowherd, every animal in the enterprise is growing, offering improved biological efficiency. However, the reduction in feed use does not necessarily equate with economic efficiency. The carcasses produced are high marbling, but payment does not always reflect quality due to premature bone ossification caused by increased hormone concentrations during pregnancy. A model was developed using system dynamics methodology to simulate an AHNC production system. The objective was to increase understanding of interactions and trade-offs between biological and economic efficiencies in the AHNC system. Biological efficiency was considered as lifetime kg of TDN (input) per kg of hot carcass weight produced (output). Profitability was evaluated using net income. The model was calibrated using data from the period 2013 to 2017 collected from the management of an AHNC herd. Efficiency was evaluated by changing the age at harvest and adjusting diet type. Profit leverage points were identified by changing selected variables ±10 % from the observed values while all other variables were held constant. Net income was sensitive to the percent female calves born; a greater number of females coincide with greater profitability. Results suggested AHNC could be managed to balance biological and economic efficiency.
Partial compensation to delayed auditory feedback: An analysis of syllable duration.

Altered feedback perturbation studies have shown that speakers only partially compensate for shifts in vocal pitch, intensity, or spectral content. The partial compensation generally plateaus around 30%–40% of the non-shifted, baseline production and is proposed to reflect the integrated effect of altered (auditory) and non-altered (somatosensory) sensory feedback. The authors hypothesized that the same pattern should hold for changes in syllable duration with delayed auditory feedback. To test this, the authors calculated average syllable duration from 21 young adults who read a standard passage as auditory feedback was delayed by 0, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 600 ms. Given the complex nature of speech errors elicited under delayed auditory feedback, the authors compared durational effects across two broad error categories: prolongations and repetitions. Average syllable duration increased non-linearly and reached a peak near 40% of baseline durations. Separated by error type, prolongations, and distortions made up 89% of perceived errors. Only 9% of perceived errors were identified as repetitions. Unlike prolongations, however, the duration of repeated tokens ranged from 74% to 110% of the target syllable and compensated fully for the delay. These results are consistent with the notion that increasing syllable duration compensates partially for delays in auditory feedback. The compensation pattern resembles that of responses to other forms of altered auditory feedback, which suggests that this may be a general attribute of low-level, sensorimotor compensation. The higher frequency of prolongation occurrences further suggests that these may be the primary means of compensation for delayed auditory feedback. Repetitions, on the other hand, likely reflect compensatory mechanisms of higher-level motor planning or sequencing processes.Altered feedback perturbation studies have shown that speakers only partially compensate for shifts in vocal pitch, intensity, or spectral content. The partial compensation generally plateaus around 30%–40% of the non-shifted, baseline production and is proposed to reflect the integrated effect of altered (auditory) and non-altered (somatosensory) sensory feedback. The authors hypothesized that the same pattern should hold for changes in syllable duration with delayed auditory feedback. To test this, the authors calculated average syllable duration from 21 young adults who read a standard passage as auditory feedback was delayed by 0, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 600 ms. Given the complex nature of speech errors elicited under delayed auditory feedback, the authors compared durational effects across two broad error categories: prolongations and repetitions. Average syllable duration increased non-linearly and reached a peak near 40% of baseline durations. Separated by error type, prolongations, and distorti...
Sexualities and genders in education: towards queer thriving: by Adam J. Greteman, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. 210 pp., ISBN 978-3-319-71128-7

In 2011 the Chicago History Museum hosted Out in Chicago, a year-long exhibition of 150 years of LGBTQ history in Chicago. As part of the exhibition, an anonymous student wrote, “There isn’t a text...
Ibrutinib Potentiates Antihepatocarcinogenic Efficacy of Sorafenib by Targeting EGFR in Tumor Cells and BTK in Immune Cells in the Stroma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent primary liver cancer, is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide because of rising incidence and limited therapy. Although treatment with sorafenib or lenvatinib is the standard of care in patients with advanced-stage HCC, the survival benefit from sorafenib is limited due to low response rate and drug resistance. Ibrutinib, an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of the TEC (e.g., BTK) and ErbB (e.g., EGFR) families, is an approved treatment for B-cell malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that ibrutinib inhibits proliferation, spheroid formation, and clonogenic survival of HCC cells, including sorafenib-resistant cells. Mechanistically, ibrutinib inactivated EGFR and its downstream Akt and ERK signaling in HCC cells, and downregulated a set of critical genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, survival, and stemness, and upregulated genes promoting differentiation. Moreover, ibrutinib showed synergy with sorafenib or regorafenib, a sorafenib congener, by inducing apoptosis of HCC cells. In vivo, this TKI combination significantly inhibited HCC growth and prolonged survival of immune-deficient mice bearing human HCCLM3 xenograft tumors and immune-competent mice bearing orthotopic mouse Hepa tumors at a dose that did not exhibit systemic toxicity. In immune-competent mice, the ibrutinib-sorafenib combination reduced the numbers of BTK+ immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, we found that the BTK+ immune cells were also enriched in the tumor microenvironment in a subset of primary human HCCs. Collectively, our findings implicate BTK signaling in hepatocarcinogenesis and support clinical trials of the sorafenib-ibrutinib combination for this deadly disease.
Does temporal variability limit standardized biological monitoring at wave and tidal energy sites

Commercial viability of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) is progressing but no national or international monitoring standards have been established for wave or tidal energy sites. Standardized monitoring within and across MRE sectors is necessary to expedite project permitting/consenting, detect environmental impacts, and enable comparison among sites and technologies. Acoustic backscatter from a bottom-deployed platform at a pilot wave energy site off Newport, Oregon was compared to data collected at a tidal turbine site in Admiralty Inlet, Washington. Metrics that describe fish and macrozooplankton densities and vertical distributions derived from acoustic backscattered energy were compared using wavelets and Autoregressive Moving Average models (ARMA). Average density and vertical distribution values significantly differed between sites. Metrics of density and location in the water column displayed diel (24 h) and tidal (12 h) cycles. Dispersion of animals in the water column varied at 64- and 128-h periods at both sites. Applicability of methods in both sectors suggests that a standard approach to biological monitoring is possible. Stationary acoustics and analytic methods presented here can be used to characterize pre-installation conditions and refine post-installation monitoring to site-specific characteristics to ensure cost-effective detection of impacts associated with MRE development.
A new inactivation method to facilitate cryo-EM of enveloped, RNA viruses requiring high containment: A case study using Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV).

Abstract The challenges associated with operating electron microscopes (EM) in biosafety level 3 and 4 containment facilities have slowed progress of cryo-EM studies of high consequence viruses. We address this gap in a case study of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) strain TC-83. Chemical inactivation of viruses may physically distort structure, and hence to verify retention of native structure, we selected VEEV strain TC-83 to develop this methodology as this virus has a 4.8 A resolution cryo-EM structure. In our method, amplified VEEV TC-83 was concentrated directly from supernatant through a 30 % sucrose cushion, resuspended, and chemically inactivated with 1 % glutaraldehyde. A second 30 % sucrose cushion removed any excess glutaraldehyde that might interfere with single particle analyses. A cryo-EM map of fixed, inactivated VEEV was determined to a resolution of 7.9 A. The map retained structural features of the native virus such as the icosahedral symmetry, and the organization of the capsid core and the trimeric spikes. Our results suggest that our strategy can easily be adapted for inactivation of other enveloped, RNA viruses requiring BSL-3 or BSL-4 for cryo-EM. However, the validation of inactivation requires the oversight of Biosafety Committee for each Institution.
Effective bounds for traces of singular moduli

Abstract We give an asymptotic formula for traces of weak Maass forms at CM points with an effective bound on the error term. Upon specializing to the modular j-function, we deduce such a result for traces of singular moduli. Due to work of Zagier, and Bringmann and Ono, these traces of weak Maass forms at CM points appear as Fourier coefficients of half-integral weight weakly holomorphic modular forms. Hence, our results give effective upper bounds for these Fourier coefficients.
Anomaly Detection of Transactive Energy Systems with Competitive Markets

An anomaly detection method is proposed for transactive energy systems with competitive markets. The detection method is also applicable to general distributed convex optimization problems. Transactive energy systems seek an optimal power allocation through hybrid economic control methods to facilitate the integration of various types of distributed energy resources to power distribution systems. In transactive energy systems, every participant is assumed to be a rational entity, in which the consumers have diminishing marginal utility and the suppliers have increasing marginal cost. With the proposed method, the convexity of the objective function is examined through the monotonicity of the gradient in distributed optimization problems, which corresponds with the assumption of diminishing marginal utility and increasing marginal cost in transactive energy systems. The proposed detection method does not require any data beyond those necessary to find the optimal solution. Simulation is carried out to show the efficacy of the proposed method to detect anomaly caused by cyberattacks.
A Systematic Review of the Association between Poverty and Biomarkers of Toxic Stress.

Purpose: Toxic stress has been identified as a key mechanism by which poverty impacts health and empirical evidence on the relationship between poverty and biological markers of toxic stress is acc...
Big smile, small self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults.

Aging into later life is often accompanied by social disconnection, anxiety, and sadness. Negative emotions are self-focused states with detrimental effects on aging and longevity. Awe-a positive emotion elicited when in the presence of vast things not immediately understood-reduces self-focus, promotes social connection, and fosters prosocial actions by encouraging a "small self." We investigated the emotional benefits of a novel "awe walk" intervention in healthy older adults. Sixty participants took weekly 15-min outdoor walks for 8 weeks; participants were randomly assigned to an awe walk group, which oriented them to experience awe during their walks, or to a control walk group. Participants took photographs of themselves during each walk and rated their emotional experience. Each day, they reported on their daily emotional experience outside of the walk context. Participants also completed pre- and postintervention measures of anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction. Compared with participants who took control walks, those who took awe walks experienced greater awe during their walks and exhibited an increasingly "small self" in their photographs over time. They reported greater joy and prosocial positive emotions during their walks and displayed increasing smile intensity over the study. Outside of the walk context, participants who took awe walks reported greater increases in daily prosocial positive emotions and greater decreases in daily distress over time. Postintervention anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction did not change from baseline in either group. These results suggest cultivating awe enhances positive emotions that foster social connection and diminishes negative emotions that hasten decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Optical whispering-gallery mode barcodes for high-precision and wide-range temperature measurements.

Temperature is one of the most fundamental physical properties to characterize various physical, chemical, and biological processes. Even a slight change in temperature could have an impact on the status or dynamics of a system. Thus, there is a great need for high-precision and large-dynamic-range temperature measurements. Conventional temperature sensors encounter difficulties in high-precision thermal sensing on the submicron scale. Recently, optical whispering-gallery mode (WGM) sensors have shown promise for many sensing applications, such as thermal sensing, magnetic detection, and biosensing. However, despite their superior sensitivity, the conventional sensing method for WGM resonators relies on tracking the changes in a single mode, which limits the dynamic range constrained by the laser source that has to be fine-tuned in a timely manner to follow the selected mode during the measurement. Moreover, we cannot derive the actual temperature from the spectrum directly but rather derive a relative temperature change. Here, we demonstrate an optical WGM barcode technique involving simultaneous monitoring of the patterns of multiple modes that can provide a direct temperature readout from the spectrum. The measurement relies on the patterns of multiple modes in the WGM spectrum instead of the changes of a particular mode. It can provide us with more information than the single-mode spectrum, such as the precise measurement of actual temperatures. Leveraging the high sensitivity of WGMs and eliminating the need to monitor particular modes, this work lays the foundation for developing a high-performance temperature sensor with not only superior sensitivity but also a broad dynamic range. Extremely precise measurement of temperature using devices known as whispering-gallery mode (WGM) sensors can be greatly improved using a technique that simultaneously monitors different modes, or patterns, of the optical signals. WGM sensors rely on the sustained circulation of light within closed concave microstructures—discs, rings, or spheres—similar to the movement of sound waves in whispering galleries such as the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Jie Liao and Lan Yang at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, developed procedures to analyse the effect of temperature on the collective patterns of light signals in WGM sensors. The results are converted into optical barcodes which indicate the temperature directly. This multimode system overcomes significant limitations imposed by the restricted range and less direct monitoring methods of existing single-mode sensors.
Electroconductive nylon-6/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite for sodium sensing applications

Abstract Developing smart fabric materials that can withstand stress, strain, and bending is a key factor to successful integration into smart clothing. The aims of this study were (1) development and characterization of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)- based electroconductive materials for sensing applications, (2) optimization of experimental fabrication parameters to sensor response, (3) optimization of experimental fabrication parameters for mechanical properties. Nylon-6/MWCNT nanocomposites have enhanced mechanical and electrical properties which make them an ideal candidate for integration into smart clothing. Nylon-6/MWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by functionalizing an electrospun Nylon-6 scaffold for selective sodium detection. Selective sodium detection is realized using a calixarene functionalization of the MWCNT and the MWCNT is only responsible for increased charge transfer of the nanocomposite. Initially, three factors were considered for optimization of nylon-6/MWCNT nanocomposite fabrication: nanotube type, nanotube concentration, and the weight percent of nylon in the electrospinning solution. The sensing nanocomposite materials were characterized for the electrical and mechanical properties. The sensitivity of the sensor to changing sodium ion concentration (µA/mM) was optimized for 20wt% nylon-6 nanofiber base functionalized in a solution of 0.5 mg/mL of CNT. The optimized sensor has a nanotube length less than 0.2 µm and fiber diameter ranging between 0.25–0.32 µm. The target-controlled coat weight is 20 GSM (g/m2) for electrospun nylon nanofibers. Secondly, the impact of electrospinning conditions, particularly flow rate, on sensor response was considered. Sensor materials produced at an electrospinning flow rate of 1.0 mL/min had an enhanced stress at break, compared to neat nylon-6, without sacrificing elasticity. Additionally, sensors produced at electrospinning flow rates of 1.0 mL/h maintain their sensor response for approximately 20 stretches with no statistical difference between sensor response of the stretched and unstretched sensors.
Laser Direct Write of Heteroatom-Doped Graphene on Molecularly Controlled Polyimides for Electrochemical Biosensors with Nanomolar Sensitivity

ABSTRACT Fabrication of heteroatom-doped graphene electrodes remains a challenging endeavor, especially on flexible substrates. Precise chemical and morphological control is even more challenging for patterned microelectrodes. We herein demonstrate a scalable process for directly generating micropatterns of heteroatom-doped porous graphene on polyimide with different backbones using a continuous-wave infrared laser. Conventional two-step polycondensation of 4,4'-oxydianiline with three different tetracarboxylic dianhydrides enabled the fabrication of fully aromatic polyimides with various internal linkages such as phenylene, trifluoromethyl or sulfone groups. Accordingly, we leverage this laser-induced polymer-to-doped-graphene conversion for fabricating electrically conductive microelectrodes with efficient utilization of heteroatoms (N-doped, F-doped, and S-doped). Tuning laser fluence enabled achieving electrical resistivity lower than ∼13 Ω sq–1 for F-doped and N-doped graphene. Finally, our microelectrodes exhibit superior performance for electrochemical sensing of dopamine, one of the important neurotransmitters in the brain. Compared with carbon fiber microelectrodes, the gold standard in electrochemical dopamine sensing, our F-doped high surface area graphene microelectrodes demonstrated 3 order of magnitude higher sensitivity per unit area, detecting dopamine concentrations as low as 10 nM with excellent reproducibility. Hence, our approach is promising for facile fabrication of microelectrodes with superior capabilities for various electrochemical and sensing applications including early diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Estimating Leaf Area Index in Row Crops Using Wheel-Based and Airborne Discrete Return Light Detection and Ranging Data

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important variable for characterizing plant canopy in crop models. It is traditionally defined as the total one-sided leaf area per unit ground area and is estimated by both direct and indirect methods. This paper explores the effectiveness of using LiDAR data to estimate LAI for sorghum and maize with different treatments at multiple times during the growing season from both a wheeled vehicle and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Linear and nonlinear regression models are investigated for prediction utilizing statistical and plant structure-based features extracted from the LiDAR point cloud data with ground reference obtained from an in-field plant canopy analyzer (indirect method). Results based on the value of the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean squared error (RMSE) for predictive models ranged from ~0.4 in the early season to ~0.6 for sorghum and ~0.5 to 0.80 for maize from 40 Days after Sowing (DAS) to harvest.
African-American and Black LGBT Elders

This chapter discusses issues relevant to African-American and Black LGBT elders, including historical influences that frame these issues, demographic and cultural contexts, and sociopolitical considerations that impact policy and service delivery. This chapter describes the cultural capital of the African-American community and examines Black homo–bi–transphobia, the intersection of identities is presented along with multiple oppressions and gay racism, and the ways in which historical hostilities influence help-seeking by older African-American LGBT persons are presented. Information is presented on health disparities and services. The ways in which service models nationally, cross-culturally, and multidisciplinarily work to promote effective interventions are discussed. Finally, the impact of policy on African-American LGBT elders is presented within the context in which by this population perceives services.
Research opportunities in creating medical images

Computer vision is traditionally defined as the analysis of the content of images. In the context of medical imaging, this naturally leads to a focus on segmentation and registration. I argue that there is an underappreciated opportunity for computer vision researchers in the domain of image creation. I illustrate the technical challenges involved, with an emphasis on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. These problems have unusual features that make them intellectually interesting, beyond their obvious practical importance.
Personhood and Ethical Commercial Life: Hegel's Transformation of Locke

G.W.F. Hegel has been interpreted as a staunch critic of classical liberal “atomism”. This paper challenges this view by arguing that Hegel owed a great deal to John Locke’s analysis of the normative ground and design of modern commercial society. Following Locke, Hegel located the basis for moral “personhood” and private property in the structure of an autonomous human self-consciousness. Hegel also agreed with Locke’s claim that a properly designed modern commercial society would increase the overall wealth and prosperity of a nation. Nonetheless, this paper argues that Hegel was ultimately critical of Locke, though on different grounds than usually considered. For Hegel, Locke fails to grasp and incorporate the inescapably ethical nature of the human person into an often unjust commercial society.
Patients' intuitive judgments about surveillance endoscopy in Barrett's esophagus: a review and application to models of decision-making.

Summary Adherence to practice guidelines for endoscopic surveillance of Barrett's esophagus is equivocal with evidence of underutilization and overutilization. While physicians report strong agreement with and adherence to recommended surveillance endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy [EGD]) guidelines, less is known about modifiable barriers and facilitators shaping patients' adherence behaviors. The aim of this study is to conduct a structured literature review of studies exploring patients' perspectives regarding surveillance EGD and to place these results within a conceptual framework. A structured literature review of PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases with qualitative thematic analysis was performed. Six studies met eligibility criteria. Analysis of results identified five distinct themes. First, patients' objective cancer risk estimates are consistent with subjective risk perceptions, but neither is associated with EGD surveillance. Second, patients have strong beliefs in the benefits of cancer screening and surveillance and trust in their doctors. Third, anxiety and depression symptoms are related to risk perceptions and outcome expectancies of surveillance. Fourth, endoscopic surveillance itself has affective and physical consequences. Finally, health services and system variables are related to risk perception and EGD surveillance. These themes coherently fit within an integrated model of intuitive decision-making and health behaviors. Studies meeting eligibility criteria were heterogeneous in terms of their study objectives and findings. Quantitative meta-analyses of study findings could not be performed. To improve adherence, endoscopic surveillance programs should consider how patients intuitively frame risks and benefits and patients' emotional reactions to the endoscopy procedure, and focus on how physicians communicate recommendations.
Generation of ESD wave pulse and its space propagation characteristics

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) between a metal object of large aspect ratio, charged at a low voltage, and another metal object emits electromagnetic energy, which is propagated in an impulsive form in the spatial medium around the metal objects. Sometimes, this phenomenon interferes with a computer system located in this spatial medium. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) in this case, recognized as indirect ESD, has been found by the present author to be proportional, not to the charged energy in the metal object, but to the acceleration component of the electromagnetic energy which has been emitted. An experimental study of the waveform and spatial propagation characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation emitted is reported. >
Kinetic analysis of manganese peroxidase: the reaction with manganese complexes

Manganese peroxidase from the lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyzes the H2O2-dependent oxidation of Mn2+ to Mn3+. Presteady-state methods were employed to characterize the reactions of free and chelated Mn2+ with the 2-electron and 1-electron oxidized forms of the enzyme, compounds I and II, respectively. At pH 4.5, the optimum pH for steady-state turnover, the reaction of compound I with Mn2+, either free or complexed, is too rapid to measure by stopped flow methods. The reactions of compound I with Mn2+ can only be monitored under non-optimal conditions of pH 2.5. The reaction of compound II with Mn2+ is much slower than compound I. Chelators such as oxalate, lactate, and malonate facilitated the reaction of Mn2+ with compound II. In contrast, succinate, which does not readily form a complex with Mn2+, and polyglutamate, which is polymeric, were ineffective in stimulating the reaction of Mn2+ with compound II. The 1:1 chelator-Mn2+ complex is the preferred substrate for compound II; this conclusion is based on known formation constants for the various Mn2+ complexes. Steady-state kinetics studies were performed by directly measuring the initial rate of Mn3+ formation. The kcat values for the formation of Mn(3+)-oxalate, Mn(3+)-lactate, and Mn(3+)-malonate are 308, 211, and 220 s-1, respectively. The Km values for Mn(2+)-oxalate, Mn(2+)-lactate, and Mn(2+)-malonate are 13, 41, and 18 microM, respectively. These results collectively indicate that manganese peroxidase does not readily oxidize free (hexa-aquo) Mn2+ as previously proposed (Wariishi, H., Valli, K., and Gold, M. H. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 23688-23695), but the Mn2+ has to be chelated to support steady-state turnover.
Using Literature that Portrays Individuals with Autism with Pre-Service Teachers.

Abstract The incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing in the United States. The rate of diagnosis, combined with the trend towards more inclusive classrooms, means that general education teachers will most likely be teaching some students with ASD. In their teacher preparation course in special education, pre-service teachers learned about characteristics of students with ASD by reading literature with positive portrayals of individuals with ASD. In conjunction, pre-service teachers received instruction on teaching strategies to use in the classroom for students with ASD. By combining good literature with instruction in inclusive teaching practices, teacher educators can model the use of disability literature in the classroom to the benefit of all students.
In Short Supply: Short Sellers and Stock Returns

We examine the economic determinants of short-sale supply, and its consequences for future stock returns. Lendable supply increases with expected borrowing costs and decreases with financial statement constructs that indicate overvaluation. Although rising loan fees help ease supply, we find shares are still least available when they are most attractive to short sellers. Using a number of firm characteristics, we derive useful instruments for real-time loan supply and demand conditions in the lending market. Further, we show that (1) when lendable supply is binding (non-binding), short-sale supply (demand) is the main predictor of future stock returns, (2) abnormal returns to the short-side of nine well-known market anomalies are attributable solely to “special” stocks, and (3) loan fees significantly reduce the profitability of the short side and several of these anomalies cease to be profitable. Overall our evidence highlights the central role played by the supply of lendable shares in equity price formation and returns prediction.
Movement patterns and ecology of Pteronarcys nymphs (Plecoptera).: Observations of marked individuals in a Rocky Mountain stream

SUMMARY. 1. Individually tagged Pteronarcys californica (Newport) nymphs were caught and recaptured over a 3-month period to determine their movement patterns and home range size. Sex/age structure, population density, and food habits (from gut contents) were also recorded. More than 1000 nymphs were tagged of which 256 (25%) were recaptured at least once. Tagged insects were confined to contiguous fast water, cobble riffles. Low velocity, silt-bottomed pools acted as barriers. 2. This stonefly has a 3-year life cycle although only the two oldest nymphet size-classes were tagged. Females were larger than males at all ages. The population sex ratio was skewed 60:40 towards females. Densities averaged 1.7 m−2±0.17 SE (range 0–19 m−2). 3. Most movements were short, indicating that a majority of the stoneflies stayed within a few meters of their first capture point (mean 1.8 m downstream ±0.51 SE, range 44 m downstream to 40 m upstream). Significant patch size is a stream reach 24 m long that would contain 85% of the average individual's movements. Time between captures averaged 16 d ±0.734 SE (maximum 81 d). Eight individuals were notable for extremely rapid upstream movements ranging from 6 to 22 m d−1. 4. Frequency of movements up and downstream differed significantly between the sexes. Pteronarcys distribution was clumped with certain quadrate representing‘zones of attraction.’The stoneflies moved rapidly between zones, then stayed many days in those areas. Movements differed significantly from random walk models. 5. Guts contained 75% diatoms, 15% vascular plant material, and 8% animal remains. Females ate significantly more diatoms than males on a volumetric basis.
Takayasu Arteritis: It Is Time to Work Together.

In the United States, the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 defines a disease as rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people. In the United States, there are more than 6,800 rare diseases that affect up to 30 million people. With an estimated incidence of 2 to 3 cases per million people in the United States 1 , Takayasu arteritis (TA) easily meets this definition. As such it suffers from the challenges inherent to its limited patient base.