cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changing the Publication Culture From "Nice to Do" to "Need to Do": Implications for Nurse Leaders in Acute Care Settings.

PROBLEM Nurses in clinical settings often generate innovative practice ideas to inform their practice and improve patient outcomes. Yet, few publish and share these innovations with a wider audience. Barriers impeding clinical nurses from writing for publication include discomfort with writing, lack of time, and scarce resources. METHODS A qualitative study was designed to determine obstacles and facilitators to writing for publication. Interviews were conducted with five clinical nurses who had recently published in peer-reviewed journals. FINDINGS Three themes emerged from the data: culture of “nice to do,” personal motivation, and writing experiences. Findings from the study offer implications for nurse leaders to help increase publication efforts by clinical nurses in acute care settings. CONCLUSION Nurse leaders can promote publication by clinical nurses through three main strategies: create a culture that supports publication, offer incentives to motivate nurses to publish and reward those who do publish, and provide writing experiences that facilitate writing for publication.
Photoinduction of puberty in boars during naturally occurring short day lengths.

Summary Nine pairs of littermate boars were used to study effects of artificial lengthening of photoperiod on onset of puberty. The control group was exposed to natural daylight (9.3 to 12.7 hr) through windows in a growing and finishing house from October to April. Those in the lighted group received supplemental light in the morning and evening for a total photoperiod of 15 hours. There was no difference in body weight between boars in the two groups for the first 5 months of age. However, at 24 weeks of age, those in the lighted group were heavier (P<.05). Feed intake was reduced at 25 weeks of age, and the difference in body weight gradually disappeared thereafter. Testicular firmness decreased with age, and testes of the treated animals were less firm from 24 to 30 weeks of age. There was no difference in testicular volume between the two groups. At 8 months of age, semen had been collected from only 55.5% of the control boars, but had been collected from all boars exposed to supplemental light. Of the boars collected, there was no difference between treatments in sperm concentration, sperm-rich fraction volume, total ejaculate volume, percentage progessively motile sperm or percentage abnormal sperm either by collection interval or by ejaculate number. Overall sperm concentration and total viable sperm were greater (P6.01) for boars receiving supplemental lighting. No increase in numbers or types of abnormal sperm was observed with photoperiod stimulation.
Short-Term Antiepileptic Treatment of Solitary Cerebral Cysticercosis

A prospective randomized study of short-term vs long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment of 206 subjects with new onset seizures and solitary cerebral cysticercus granuloma (SCCG) was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Source models and rate distortion bounds for speech

In prior work, we developed new rate distortion bounds for narrowband and wideband speech coding based on composite source models for speech and perceptual PESQ-MOS/WPESQ distortion measures. It was shown that these new rate distortion bounds do in fact lower bound the performance of important standardized speech codecs, including, AMR-NB, and AMR-WB. In this paper, we examine the importance of the source models in more detail, discuss their justification, and present more extensive source modeling results and the corresponding rate distortion bounds.
Silence in the Exeter Book Riddles

Many Old English riddles of the Exeter Book delight in sonic play, but a small number luxuriate instead in provocative silences. This article brings together contemporary and medieval sound theory to examine silence in the riddles, arguing that attitudes to silence were ambivalent rather than negative. At times, the silence of the suffering being is potentially an act of resistance to the craft of the riddles, as well as an invitation to listen for other voices silenced by Anglo-Saxon culture. The final section of the article reveals that the destructive consumption of the bookworm of Riddle 47 is not merely the act of a bad monastic reader, but instead produces “signal noise,” which generates new content, new art, and new ways of reading Anglo-Saxon literature in which the loss of the past is celebrated, rather than lamented.
SCN3A deficiency associated with increased seizure susceptibility

Mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels expressed highly in the brain (SCN1A, SCN2A, SCN3A, and SCN8A) are responsible for an increasing number of epilepsy syndromes. In particular, mutations in the SCN3A gene, encoding the pore-forming Nav1.3 α subunit, have been identified in patients with focal epilepsy. Biophysical characterization of epilepsy-associated SCN3A variants suggests that both gain- and loss-of-function SCN3A mutations may lead to increased seizure susceptibility. In this report, we identified a novel SCN3A variant (L247P) by whole exome sequencing of a child with focal epilepsy, developmental delay, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Voltage clamp analysis showed no detectable sodium current in a heterologous expression system expressing the SCN3A-L247P variant. Furthermore, cell surface biotinylation demonstrated a reduction in the amount of SCN3A-L247P at the cell surface, suggesting the SCN3A-L247P variant is a trafficking-deficient mutant. To further explore the possible clinical consequences of reduced SCN3A activity, we investigated the effect of a hypomorphic Scn3a allele (Scn3aHyp) on seizure susceptibility and behavior using a gene trap mouse line. Heterozygous Scn3a mutant mice (Scn3a+/Hyp) did not exhibit spontaneous seizures nor were they susceptible to hyperthermia-induced seizures. However, they displayed increased susceptibility to electroconvulsive (6Hz) and chemiconvulsive (flurothyl and kainic acid) induced seizures. Scn3a+/Hyp mice also exhibited deficits in locomotor activity and motor learning. Taken together, these results provide evidence that loss-of-function of SCN3A caused by reduced protein expression or deficient trafficking to the plasma membrane may contribute to increased seizure susceptibility.
Effects of crop type and harvest on nest survival and productivity of dickcissels in semi-natural grasslands

Abstract Recent focus on climate change and global energy production has increased interest in developing biofuels including perennial native grasses (e.g. switchgrass [Panicum virgatum]) as viable energy commodities while simultaneously maintaining ecosystem function and biodiversity. However, there is limited research examining the effects of biofuel-focused grasslands on grassland bird reproductive success and conservation. In 2011–2013 we studied the effects of vegetation composition and harvest regimens of switchgrass monocultures and native warm-season grass (NWSG) mixtures on nest success, nest density, and productivity for dickcissels (Spiza americana) in Clay Co. MS, USA. There was no effect of vegetation metrics, harvest frequency, or biofuel treatment on nest survival. However, both vegetation composition and harvest frequencies influenced nest density and productivity. Native warm season grasses contained 54–64 times more nests relative to switchgrass treatments, and nest density and productivity were 10% greater in single harvest plots. Our results suggest semi-natural grasslands can balance biofuel production, ecosystem functionality, and conservation so that biofuels offer an opportunity for wildlife conservation rather than a continued threat to grassland birds.
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases: Current and Emerging Therapeutics.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) result from defects in genes affecting the immune and other systems in many and varied ways. (1) (2). Until the last few years, treatments have been largely supportive, with the exception of bone marrow transplantation. However, recent advances in immunobiology, genetics and the explosion of discovery and commercialization of biologic modifiers have drastically altered the landscape and opportunities in clinical immunology. Therapeutic options and life expectancy of PID patients have also improved dramatically, in large part as a result of better prevention and treatment of infections as well as better understanding and treatment of autoimmune complications. (3) As early-life infection-related mortality declines we should anticipate the emergence of other conditions that were previously not appreciated, including malignancies and degenerative disorders unmasked by increasing longevity (4). The genomic revolution has identified literally hundreds of new genetic etiologies of immune dysfunction, many of which are or will soon be eligible for targeted therapies. These emerging immunomodulatory agents represent new therapeutic options in primary immunodeficiency diseases. (5)
Folding against the wind.

Many thermodynamically unfavorable processes in biology are powered by ATP, the energy currency of the cell. New evidence suggests that chaperone-mediated protein stabilization may need to be added to that list.
Efficacy and Safety of Administering Fibrinolysis Inhibitors During Repeat Cardiac Surgery

Aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor, and tranexamic acid, a synthetic lysine analogue, are both used in cardiac surgery to reduce blood loss and transfusion of blood products. Concern has arisen...
Advancements in Dueling Bandits.

The dueling bandits problem is an online learning framework where learning happens “on-thefly” through preference feedback, ie, from comparisons between a pair of actions. Unlike conventional online learning settings that require absolute feedback for each action, the dueling bandits framework assumes only the presence of (noisy) binary feedback about the relative quality of each pair of actions. The dueling bandits problem is wellsuited for modeling settings that elicit subjective or implicit human feedback, which is typically more reliable in preference form. In this survey, we review recent results in the theories, algorithms, and applications of the dueling bandits problem. As an emerging domain, the theories and algorithms of dueling bandits have been intensively studied during the past few years. We provide an overview of recent advancements, including algorithmic advances and applications. We discuss extensions to standard problem formulation and novel application areas, highlighting key open research questions in our discussion.
Cognitive Science and David Hume’s Science of the Mind

What reason is there for coupling one of the newest branches of modern science with a long-dead philosopher, however august? And why with Hume, of all people? Was he not a sceptic, famous for questioning the possibility of any, and, thus, a fortiori,scientific, knowledge? Interesting as his reasons for such doubts may be to other philosophers, can they not be safely ignored by scientists, those actually engaged in pursuing and, surely, gaining, the knowledge he said was unattainable? But, then, what else has he to say to the latter? In what follows, I shall argue that far from being sceptical about the possibility of a science of the mind, Hume was perhaps the first to embark self-consciously on the project of constructing one. Furthermore, some of the goals and some of the results of his project anticipate in interesting and rarely noticed ways those of recent cognitive science and its philosophy.
Adaptive Immunity: B Cells and Antibodies

Abstract B cells provide a variety of important functions to the adaptive immune system including antibody production, antigen presentation, and cytokine secretion, as well as being required for the development of proper lymphoid architecture. B cells originate in the bone marrow, where they mature and produce an initial diverse repertoire of non-self reactive B-cell receptors. After moving to the periphery, naive B cells are presented with antigen by dendritic and other antigen-presenting cells. B cells that come in contact with and can recognize antigen become activated, expand, and further alter the B-cell receptor to improve antigen specificity through somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. This B-cell receptor is subsequently secreted as active, mature antibody. Antibodies are able to recognize and bind to bacteria, viruses, and other antigens, initiating a cascade of processes that rid the body of pathogens.
Preventive Treatments during the Pre-Slaughter Period

Dark-cutting in beef is caused by cattle being exposed to several hours stress pre-slaughter. The most effective method of preventing dark-cutting beef is careful handling of animals from the time they leave the farm until they are slaughtered. Specific recommendations which will aid in preventing the conditions are: Market and slaughter well-nourished and healthy cattle. Avoid exciting cattle while loading, transporting to abattoir, and while holding prior to slaughter. Provision of adequate loading chutes, properly equipped trucks and rail cars and holding-pens will help to minimise excitement and injury. Avoid overcrowding and mixing of large and small cattle during shipment. If mixed loads are to be shipped, dividers should be used to keep large and small cattle separated. Avoid mixing strange cattle, females that are in oestrus, or bulls during shipment and particularly in holding pens prior to slaughter. Reduce time in shipment and holding pre-slaughter to as short a period as possible, preferably less than 12 h. Protect cattle from heat and high humidity by transporting during the cool portion of the day or night. Provide protection against wind3 rain or snow during shipment and holding pre-slaughter. When cattle arrive at the market or abattoir always provide water, and if slaughter is scheduled for the following day, provide feed. Move cattle from holding pens to the slaughter floor with a minimum of excitement.
The Effects of Starvation Selection on Drosophila Melanogaster Life History and Development

The Effects of Starvation Selection on Drosophila melanogaster Life History and Development
Menstrual Symptoms and Menstrual Beliefs: National and Cross-National Patterns

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad comparative perspective within which menstrual beliefs and menstrual-related symptoms may be considered. Until very recently, there has been a serious bias in the kinds of questions researchers asked about the event of menstruation in Western countries compared to non-Western cultures. In the West, the focus has been almost completely on the psychological and biomedical aspects of the menstrual cycle, most notably the variety of symptoms reported just prior to and during the menses. In non-Western cultures, however, researchers customarily document beliefs and practices pertaining to menstruating women.
Problems with computer gaming may contribute to retention troubles for CS students

A failure to retain students that have enrolled in Computer Science programs is one of the contributors to the low production of graduates in the field. The research behind this paper reveals the possibility that a problem with excessive computer gaming is one of the reasons that students do poorly in classes, and consequently drop out of Computer Science programs. Results from a survey taken by 640 Point Loma Nazarene University undergraduate students revealed that Computer Science, Math, and Physics students appear to be significantly more susceptible to problems with computer gaming. This paper presents these results, along with additional information concerning who might be at risk, who plays, why students play, and how their play changed upon entering college.
Design of a 6.8-kW Two-Phase Converter for 48V Automotive Applications

48V motor drive systems become more prevalent with the widespread introduction of low-cost micro-mobility and micro-hybrid propulsion systems. Two-phase electric machines offer a more compact and economical structure and lower cost than three-phase electric machine alternatives, while the power density and torque density remain the same. For some applications, such as 48V mild hybrid propulsion system, two-phase electric machine is a superior solution. In this paper, three topologies of two-phase voltage source inverters are compared and the three-legged configuration is selected. To obtain the optimal motor drive system cost, a 48-V silicon MOSFET-based, two-phase power converter with maximum power of 6.8kW is designed and developed. The DC-link capacitance and voltage ripple is analyzed in order to minimize the capacitor bank. The design process is explained in details and the experimental tests are included.
Experimental and numerical investigation of temperature fluctuations in the near-wall region of an optical reciprocating engine

Abstract Accurate prediction of in-cylinder heat transfer processes within internal combustion engines (ICEs) requires a comprehensive understanding of the boundary layer effects in the near-wall region (NWR). This study investigates near-wall temperature fluctuations of an optical reciprocating engine using a combined approach of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) thermometry and numerical conjugate heat transfer modeling. Single-line excitation of toluene and subsequent one-color emission detection is employed for PLIF thermometry, while large-eddy simulations (LES) using commercial CFD software (CONVERGE v2.4.18) is utilized for modeling. The PLIF signal is calibrated to predicted in-cylinder temperatures from a GT-POWER simulation, and precision uncertainty of temperature is found to be ±1.5 K within the calibration region. Near-wall temperature fluctuations are determined about the multi-cycle mean, and the development of thermal stratification is captured in the NWR under motored and fired conditions during the compression stroke. Regions of the largest cycle-to-cycle temperature fluctuations are identified closer to the in-cylinder head surface indicating the unsteadiness of the thermal boundary layer. Analysis includes an assessment of cyclic variability of near-wall temperature fluctuation, and the effects of compression on temperature fluctuations. Additionally, thermal stratification is found to be similar under motored and fired conditions before ignition timing. Lastly, spatial correlation analysis of temperature fluctuations is performed in the wall-normal direction, and it reveals higher correlations under fired conditions. Spatial correlations experience an initial drop outside of the buffer layer in the NWR, and the location of the drop is well captured in the simulations. Analysis of fluctuating temperatures needs to be extended to fluctuations about the spatial average temperature which directly affects the spatial thermal gradients relevant to engine heat transfer.
Descriptions of Four New Species of Tumbling Flower Beetles (Coleoptera: Mordellidae) from Eastern North America

Four new species of tumbling flower beetles (Coleoptera: Mordellidae) are described from the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA in eastern North America: Mordellina wimbledon Steury and Steiner, new species, Mordellina washingtonensis Steury and Steiner, new species, Mordellistena virginica Steury and Steiner, new species, and Pseudotolida syphaxi Steury and Steiner, new species. Images and descriptions are provided for each new species. Comparisons are made with morphologically similar species.
An American Reset ― Safe Water & a Workable Model of Federalism

In 2015, at least 3.9 million Americans were exposed to lead in their drinking water at legally unacceptable levels. An additional 18 million Americans are at risk because their water systems are not in compliance with federal rules designed to detect the presence and to ameliorate the impact of lead contamination. What’s more, in 82% of the cases where the violation related to a health standard, no formal state or federal enforcement action was taken.These startling statistics indicate that the Flint Water Crisis is not an isolated event. In fact, it is a case study that might explain these statistics. For those who care to see, Flint Water reveals a fault line within our cooperative federalism model: We are relying on an increasingly inappropriate power structure to guarantee the safety of our water supply, one that places the heaviest burden on the least powerful actor — the water supplier. This article proposes a ‘reset’ of the model in order to achieve safe water and government accountability.
Innovations with tele-ultrasound in education sonography: the use of tele-ultrasound to train novice scanners.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become increasingly integrated into medical education given the growing role of evaluative and procedural techniques in practice today. Tele-ultrasound is a new and promising venture that aims to expand medical knowledge and education to previously unreached or underserved areas. This study aimed to determine the non-inferiority of teaching ultrasound remotely using tele-ultrasound via the Philips Lumify (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA) system, which utilizes video conferencing technology and real-time imaging that can be viewed by the operator and educator simultaneously. Three commonly used ultrasound exams were taught and evaluated in 56 ultrasound-naive medical participants: Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST), Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis (LEDVT) screening, and ultrasound-guided vascular access. The participants were randomized into either in-person traditional learning or tele-ultrasound learning with the Philips Lumify (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA) units. The primary outcome of interest was the ability to perform certain tasks for each exam Competency on each exam was tested across all exams and no inferiority was found between in-person and remote learning (p < 0.05). Our findings support the use of tele-ultrasound in beginner ultrasound education.
Common and rare myocilin variants: Predicting glaucoma pathogenicity based on genetics, clinical, and laboratory misfolding data.

Rare variants of the olfactomedin domain of myocilin are considered causative for inherited, early-onset open angle glaucoma, with a misfolding toxic gain of function pathogenic mechanism detailed by 20 years of laboratory research. Myocilin variants are documented in the scientific literature and identified through large-scale genetic sequencing projects such as those curated in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). In the absence of key clinical and laboratory information, however, the pathogenicity of any given variant is not clear, because glaucoma is a heterogeneous and prevalent age-onset disease, and common variants are likely benign. In this review, we reevaluate the likelihood of pathogenicity for the ~100 non-synonymous missense, insertion-deletion, and premature termination myocilin olfactomedin variants documented in the literature. We integrate available clinical, laboratory cellular, biochemical and biophysical data, the olfactomedin domain structure, and population genetics data from gnomAD. Of the variants inspected, ~50% can be binned based on a preponderance of data, leaving many of uncertain pathogenicity that motivate additional studies. Ultimately, the approach of combining metrics from different disciplines will likely resolve outstanding complexities regarding the role of this misfolding-prone protein within the context of a multifactorial and prevalent ocular disease, and pave the way for new precision medicine therapeutics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Examining the Relationship between Social Connection and Opioid Misuse: A Systematic Review.

Rationale: The serious impact of the opioid overdose crisis requires an understanding of the root causes of opioid misuse. This systematic review assesses evidence for an association between social...
Valuación con opciones reales, transformación de Edgeworth y funciones isoelásticas de utilidad (Real Options Valuation, Edgeworth Transformation and Isoelastic Utility Functions)

Spanish Abstract: Las empresas de la nueva economia como start up, empresas de base tecnologicas, intangibles en ID se aplica analisis de sensibilidad sobre el coeficiente de aversion y el valor de la opcion. Se concluye sobre las ventajas del modelo, en particular, se incorpora la probabilidad extrema de exitos y fracasos mediante momentos estocasticos de orden superior y actitudes frente al riesgo. English Abstract: The new economics firms like start up, technological basis firms, R&D intangible, investments in innovative strategies, among others, they characterized by its dynamics and flexibility. For its valuation must be employ real options models. The model’s main weakness reside in the complete markets assumptions, a difficult requirement to archive in emerging markets. For that is develop a model that combines the Edgeworth transformation and the isoelastic utility function (CRRA), incorporating the agent´s degree risk aversion. Is use the cases analysis over a biopharmaceutical project with sequential options, applying a sensibility analysis over the risk aversion coefficients and the option value. Is concludes about the advantages of the model, particularly modeling the probability of extreme events beyond higher stochastic moments and risk attitudes.
Characterizing substance use typologies and their association with HIV viral load outcomes: A latent class analysis among sexual minority men living with HIV.

Abstract Background Racially diverse sexual minority men (SMM) are disproportionately impacted by the U.S. HIV epidemic. Substance use, particularly stimulant use, may impact viral suppression for SMM living with HIV. The current study sought to characterize patterns of substance use via latent class analysis (LCA) and test associations between those patterns and future viral load outcomes, among SMM living with HIV. Methods Data were drawn from Thrive With Me (TWM), an RCT of an mHealth intervention targeting ART adherence among SMM living with HIV. LCA was performed with six dichotomous indicators of substance use, derived from validated measures and urinalysis results, to determine substance use classes at baseline. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models tested associations between baseline substance use classes and HIV viral load 5-months post-baseline. Results Among 383 SMM living with HIV, we identified a three-class model of substance use fit best: low probability substance use (81.3 %), high probability hazardous alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use (7.5 %), and high probability methamphetamine and amphetamine use (11.2 %). Additionally, the high probability amphetamine use class was less likely to be virally suppressed at 5-month follow-up compared to the low probability substance use class [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 3.34, 95 % Confidence Interval = 1.39–7.99, p = .0069]. Conclusion We identified that some patterns of substance use (i.e., methamphetamine and amphetamine use), but possibly not others (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use), are potentially important intervention targets for improving HIV-related outcomes among racially diverse SMM living with HIV.
In Search of Justice: The Politics of Identity, Religion and Civic Engagement in the African American LGBT Community

This work examines the intersections of identity, religion and civic engagement among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) African Americans. Using data from the Social Justice Sexuality Project, we find evidence that the racial or ethnic status of LGBT African Americans is an important part of their identity. Simultaneously, LGBT African Americans deem their sexual orientation just as important of a feature in their identity as their racial identity. With religion and civic engagement being important staples of Black culture, this study explores how the identities of LGBT African Americans impact their engagement in spiritual and community engagement. The findings of this study have implications for larger discussions on LGBT sexuality, identity, religion, and civic engagement in interracial context.
Therapy with Autistic Children

If any therapy is to be investigated scientifically one must dispassionately, without romanticism acknowledge that: (1) autism is not a static disorder; (2) we know something about the factors related to outcome (Rutter, 1974) which include initial I.Q., degree of language impairment, total symptom score, and experience of schooling; (3) we adhere to the usual rules of scientific investigation which include statistical comparisons and attempt to decrease the bias of selection. Finally, we must include in all our studies some consideration of the natural history of autism so that when we claim significant change, we are not doing less than or equal to that which would be expected when the child is reared with the humanistic supports that are available. We have on hand Eisenberg’s (1957) careful literature review indicating that if communicative speech is developed by age five, there is a 50% chance for some social recovery, and that within the entire group of psychotic children improvement rates of better than 25% must be recorded in order to do better than natural outcome alone. Our own studies (Shapiro et al., 1974; Shapiro, 1976) on the language development of young psychotic children point to certain parameters which might be used as early prognosticators such as the persistence of echoic speech—the development of out-of-context bizarre utterance, as well as the percentage of communicativeness after brief (three months) observation in nursery milieu.
An Efficient Parallel Architecture for H.264/AVC Fractional Motion Estimation

This paper presents a new VLSI architecture for fractional motion estimation (FME) in H.264/AVC. Statistical characteristics of the motion vectors of different inter-prediction modes are analyzed. The FME architecture explored block-level parallelism and can process multiple blocks with the same prediction mode simultaneously, external memory data accesses are dramatically reduced. Simulation results show that the proposed architecture can support 1080P (1960x1088) at 30fps with a frequency of 80MHz.
Uncovering the Structure of Nafion–SiO2 Hybrid Ionomer Membranes for Prospective Large‐Scale Energy Storage Devices

Nafi on nanocomposite membranes are attractive candidates for the ion conducting phase in energy storage devices such as vanadium redox fl ow batteries. Herein, vanadium crossover and Nafi on‐SiO 2 nanostructure are quantifi ed in a series of hybrid membranes created via solution-casting Nafi on fi lms with discrete SiO 2 nanoparticles, as well as membranes created using an in situ silica sol‐gel condensation process. The crossover of vanadium ions is suppressed in all Nafi on membranes with the SiO 2 inorganic phase when compared to unannealed, neat Nafi on membranes. However, it is also observed that annealing the neat Nafi on membranes is equally as effective at suppressing vanadium crossover. Small-angle neutron scattering measurements show that no signifi cant changes to the Nafi on structure occurred in membranes with discrete nanoparticles. In contrast, drastic changes in the scattering profi les of the Nafi on‐SiO 2 membranes created via sol‐gel chemistry are observed, where the SiO 2 nanoclusters are determined to be on the order of 10 nm in diameter. These scattering length scales are verifi ed through real space images using transmission electron microscopy. Insights from this investigation help elucidate the structure of the Nafi on‐SiO 2 membranes and suggest that the current hypothesis by how vanadium crossover is reduced may not be fully accurate.
IRB Policies Regarding Finders' Fees and Role Conflicts in Recruiting Research Participants

Background: We conducted this study to determine whether and how medical school IRB websites address conflicts of interest during recruitment of research participants.Methods: We analyzed the content of IRB policies posted on their websites regarding recruitment payments and role conflicts for 121 U.S. medical schools that receive NIH research funding.Results: The majority of IRB websites discuss conflicts of interest during recruitment, but less than one-half discuss both types of recruitment payments and role conflict. There is considerable variation in IRB approaches to these conflicts. IRBs commonly ban recruitment payments, but few IRBs restrict recruitment when role conflicts exist. IRBs often acknowledge concerns about role conflict without indicating how to respond to such conflicts.Conclusions: Recruitment payments and role conflicts may compromise study recruitment and potentially harm research participants. Our findings demonstrate how IRBs can strengthen their policies to avoid unnecessary conflicts and minimize risk of harm.
Liberal Arts in China’s Modern Universities: Lessons from the Great Catholic Educator and Statesman, Ma Xiangbo

Ma Xiangbo was born in 1840 and became a pioneer of educational reform during the republican period. He was responsible for introducing the idea that science and humanities should be valued equally in liberal arts education, a concept that became key to the model of university education. Ma’s view of education combined Western humanism and science with classical Confucian humanism. His ideas still have a referential value for contemporary Chinese higher education and society.
High-Order Sum and Difference-Frequency Generation in Helium

High-order harmonic generation provides a new method for generating coherent, XUV radiation.1,2 These harmonics are characterized by a rapid, perturbative drop at low orders, followed by a broad plateau extending to photon energies of 150 eV in the lighter, rare gas atoms.3,4 An experimentally observed limit coincides with the theoretical limit for harmonic generation in neutral atoms given by the expression Ec(eV)=IP(0)+3Up(I)5, where Ec is the energy cutoff of the harmonic plateau, IP(0) is the field-free ionization potential and Up is the electron quiver energy at the maximum intensity, I, seen by the atom. As part of a broad effort to develop this technique into a general purpose, XUV source, extensive work to understand the phase-matching between the harmonic and driving fields, and the resulting effect on the conversion efficiency, angular distribution and spectral brightness has been undertaken at several laboratories.6–8 Nevertheless, certain aspects of the harmonically generated radiation such as the polarization, relative strength of a given harmonic, and the plateau extent, are defined by the single atom-field interaction. Specifically, the single-atom harmonic spectrum is determined primarily by the interaction of a driven, quasi-free electron with the atomic potential. Using two, independent fields one can affect the electron motion by controlling the relative strength, polarization, and phase of the fields and alter the harmonic spectrum.
Why Libertarians Shouldn't Be (Too) Skeptical About Intellectual Property

Libertarians are inclined to view property as best dealt with through contract. They are hostile to IP rights in general, and copyright and patent rights in particular, because these aren't viewed as natural rights over tangible things stemming from the actions of individuals. Still these rights are defensible because they help advance human happiness in a wide range of circumstances, so that their creation under a set of general prospective rules satisfies the most exacting of social criterion. They tend to leave no one worse off than in a state of nature, and indeed tend to spread their net benefits broadly over the entire population. Differences in how the law treats both tangible and intellectual property do not signal any disintegration in the overall conception of property rights. As in all cases we should be on the lookout for strong social improvements that cannot be achieved by voluntary means. In those cases, purposive innovation on property rights, by either courts or legislatures seems appropriate. The law of intellectual property should be subject to constant analysis and review, but not to any a priori attack on the supposed inferiority of intellectual property rights to those in tangible objects.
Two Different Mechanisms Underlie Reversible, Intrinsic Optical Signals in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) induced by synaptic stimulation and moderate hypotonic swelling in brain tissue slices consist of reduced light scattering and are usually attributed to cell swelli...
Determination of surface morphology of diblock copolymers of styrene and butadiene by atomic force microscopy

A detailed study by atomic force microscopy of the surfaces of diblock copolymers which exhibit lamellar and spherical microphase domains in the bulk is presented. The surface morphology of the lamellar samples consists of corrugations. Transmission electron microscopy of cross sections which include the surface and near surface demonstrate the connection between the corrugations and the bulk lamellae. The surface of a sample with spherical bulk domains was found to consist of a series of pits that can be linked with centers on the faces of the cubic cell arrangement of the bulk. Disclinations and intersections of lamellae could be found. The latter result in lamellar break-up in the contact area of the two lamellar orientations. Lamellar tilt can lead to variation in periodicity and depth of the surface morphology. Damage due to scanning was observed, but only for the sample with spherical morphology.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Subfreezing Operation in PEM Fuel Cells

In this work, we present a neutron radiography and analysis, as well as modeling study on cold-start operation of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Fuel cells with Gore™ or LANL MEAs and SGL or E-Tek ELAT GDLs are tested in varying subfreezing temperatures (−40 to 0°C) to determine the time scale of cold-start failure, amount of solid water formation, solid water formation location, and. A higher PTFE-loading in the MPL is found to decrease loss in electrocatalytic surface area in our case. Theoretical analysis is also conducted and model predictions are compared with the experimental data in terms of the cell voltage evolution.© 2010 ASME
Energy efficient all-to-all broadcasting for situation awareness in wireless ad hoc networks

Ad hoc wireless networks have nodes with limited battery power and energy efficient communications are critical in such networks. In this paper, we consider energy efficient one-to-all and all-to-all broadcast operations in ad hoc networks. It is assumed that nodes have power control, and therefore, can adjust the range of their transmissions. Given a network of N nodes in a playing field of size D × D, we first establish a lower bound and then present a simple scheme for one-to-all broadcast operation. Using simulations we show that the average energy cost of broadcasting from any source is within 25% of this lower bound in a network of 100 nodes in small fields of size 500 m × 500 m and 1000 m × 1000 m. In the situation awareness application, each node periodically transmits a small packet of 60 bytes to all other nodes in the network. For this all-to-all broadcast communication, we present a cluster scheme when nodes are allowed to transmit long distances, and a chain-based scheme when nodes are limited to only short distances. Our schemes for situation awareness significantly improve the life of the network compared to a scheme with direct transmissions.
Superior cervical ganglionectomy in the Japanese quail

Les effets de l'ablation des ganglions cervicals superieurs deCoturnix coturnix japonica font l'objet de cet expose. Chez le mâle la gangliectomie bilaterale n'affecte pas l'activite testiculaire. Par contre chez les femelles la quantite d'œufs pondus est nettement reduite et l'interruption post-operatoire de la pondaison est prolongee; de plus la premiere ponte des jeunes femelles est retardee. LesCoturnix qui ont subi l'ablation des ganglions ont un taux de mortalite plus eleve lorsque les oiseaux sont exposes a des abaissements de temperature et des changements de photoperiodisme.
Does ulnar neuropathy predispose to focal dystonia

We have observed a high incidence of ulnar neuropathy in musicians with dystonic flexion of the ipsilateral little and ring fingers. To investigate the relationship between ulnar neuropathy and focal dystonia, we compared the patterns of surface EMG activity in extensor digitorum communis (EDC4) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS4) during tapping of the ring finger in normal controls and patients with ulnar neuropathy or focal dystonia. Ten of 10 normal subjects exhibited well-formed alternating EMG bursts in EDC4 and FDS4 separated by clear silent periods. Seven of 7 patients with dystonic flexion of the little and ring fingers showed loss of silent periods between poorly formed bursts in FDS or EDC. Surprisingly, 9 of 10 patients with ulnar neuropathy showed burst pattern abnormalities qualitatively similar to those observed in the dystonic patients. These data suggest that ulnar neuropathy alters the execution of a motor task involving multiple peripheral nerves.
Identifying Host Targets for Drug Development with Knowledge from Genome-wide Studies: Lessons from HIV-AIDS

Summary Advances in human genomics are now being effectively applied to the search for host factors underlying susceptibility to common diseases. From the steady stream of studies showing association of host genetic factors with viral diseases, it has become clear that host factors contribute substantially to the variability of viral infections in humans. Candidate gene studies that seek to show associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a disease outcome have predominated, but whole-genome association studies (GWAS) have recently appeared. A major goal of these studies is to understand how human genetic variation contributes to individual differences in susceptibility and to exploit this knowledge for targeted drug development.
The crystallinity of ionomers

Abstract Ionomers are a recently developed class of copolymers consisting of a hydrocarbon repeat unit such as ethylene or butadiene and an ionized carboxylic acid group such as ionized acrylic or methacrylic acid. In this paper measurements of crystallinity in poly(ethylene-methacrylic acid) ionomers from DSC endotherms and polymer densities are shown to be in good agreement. The effect of annealing on the DSC endotherms of acid copolymers and ionomers and on the small-angle x-ray scattering of a poly(ethylene-methacrylic acid) ionomer is presented. It is shown that annealing results in the appearance of a secondary endotherm and a shift of the crystalline x-ray scattering to smaller angles. The data are interpreted in terms of an ionomer crystallinity model in which the hydrocarbon portion of the ionomer crystallizes into folded-chain lamellae.
Global climatic issues in the coastal wider Caribbean region.

There is mounting evidence of global climate change. Analysis of near-surface temperatures over land and oceans during the past 130 years shows marked warming during the first half of this century, with relatively steady temperatures thereafter to the mid-1970s and rapid warming occurring during the 1980s. Of further significance is the fact that the warmest decade in the record is that of the 1980s, with some of the most pronounced warming occurring in the lower latitudes which include the wider Caribbean region. In the context of this study, the important consequences of this warming are the potential impacts associated with rising sea-level and the increased frequency, intensity, and seasonality, of tropical storms due to thermal expansion of the oceans, melting of land-based ice-sheets and glaciers, and local geological parameters. Within the wider Caribbean, rates of relative sea-level rise have been recently estimated at around 2.5 mm/yr. Also, meteorological changes are evident with the occurrence of unusually intense storms such as Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Rising sea-level coupled with meteorological changes present the potential for increased coastal erosion, loss of wetlands, disappearance of special habitats such as mangroves, and destruction of coral-reef communities. These potential impacts may have a significant influence on future land-use and development practices that could alter the economic growth and development of the region not least through curtailment of tourism.
trans-trans-2,5-Bis-[2-{5-(2,2'-bithienyl)}ethenyl]thiophene : synthesis, characterization, thin film deposition and fabrication of organic field-effect transistors

Abstract trans-trans -2,5-Bis-[2-5-(2,2′-bithienyl)ethenyl]thiophene (BTET) was synthesized and then purified in a gradient sublimation system. It was characterized using IR, UV—Vis and mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. BTET films were deposited with molecular beam deposition (MBD) or spin-coating from solution. Insulated-gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) devices based on such films were used to study their electrical transport properties. A field-effect mobility of 0.01 cm 2 V −1 s −1 was measured from films deposited with MBD, while the mobility of the spin-coated films was slightly above 0.001 cm 2 V −1 s −1 .
Spatial correlation of interseismic coupling and coseismic rupture extent of the 2011 MW = 9.0 Tohoku‐oki earthquake

[1] Imaging the extent to which the rupture areas of great earthquakes coincide with regions of pre-seismic interplate coupling is central to understanding patterns of strain accumulation and release through the earthquake cycle. Both geodetic and seismic estimates of the coseismic rupture extent for the March 11, 2011 MW = 8.9–9.0 earthquake Tohoku-oki earthquake may be spatially correlated (0.26 ± 0.05 to 0.82 ± 0.05) with a region estimated to be partially to fully coupled in the interseismic period preceding the earthquake, though there is substantial variation in the estimated distribution and magnitude of coseismic slip. The ∼400 km-long region estimated to have slipped ≥4 m corresponds to an area of the subduction zone interface that was coupled at ≥30% of long-term plate convergence rate, with peak slip near a region coupled ≥80%. The northern termination of rupture is collocated with a region of relatively low (<20%) interseismic coupling near the epicenter of the 1994 MW = 7.6 Sanriku-oki earthquake, and near a region of potential long-term low coupling or ongoing slow slip. Slip on the subduction interface beneath the coastline (40–50 km depth) is best constrained by the land-based GPS data and least constrained on the shallowest portion of the plate interface due to the ∼230 km distance between geodetic observations and the Japan trench.
The labor force participation of elderly males in Japan

Abstract The estimated elasticity of the probability of retirement with respect to social security retirement benefits declines as individuals age. The negative impact of social security retirement benefits on full-time workers is much greater than the impact on part-time workers for all age groups. The earnings test in Japan is, therefore, more effective for full-time workers than for part-time workers among the elderly. Social security retirement benefits also provide the elderly with an incentive to prolong their unemployment status. The marginal effect of the market unemployment rate on full-time work is significantly larger than that on part-time work and both effects are negative. The elasticity of retirement with respect to the market unemployment rate for those in their 60s is two to three times larger than for those aged 70 and over. The labor force behavior of those in their 60s is quite responsive to changes in labor market conditions. The results also suggest that family and environmental surroundings have significant influences on the labor force participation of the elderly in Japan. J. Japan. Int. Econ. , March 1990, 4 (1), pp. 1–23. National Bureau of Economic Research, 269 Mercer Street, New York, New York 10003, and Department of Economics, Rutgers-The State University, Camden, New Jersey 08102.