cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MINERvA Measurement of Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Section Ratios of Nuclei C, Fe, and Pb to CH at Energies of a Few GeV

Abstract The MINERvA experiment is designed to measure neutrino cross sections for different nuclei using substantially similar fiducial and tracking environments. This allows for reduced systematics in the ratio to better see the evolution of the cross section with the size of the nucleus. The first such result is an inclusive charged current cross section ratio as a function of energy from and the kinematic quantity Bjorken x for nuclei Pb, Fe, and C relative to plastic scintillator CH. The measurement is made for neutrino energies from 2 to 20 GeV. In the past, charged lepton scattering ratios of heavier nuclei to deuterium have revealed interesting structure such as the EMC effect. These ratios were restricted to purely deep inelastic scattering data whereas these ratios to different nuclei in MINERvA are sensitive to the elastic scattering as well as resonance production regions. Significant deviations from the baseline scattering model are observed, and suggest new theory work to investigate these ratios.
Single- and few-layer transfer-printed CVD MoS 2 nanomechanical resonators with enhancement by thermal annealing

We report on experimental demonstration of single- and few-layer chemical vapor deposited (CVD) molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) nanomechanical resonators by employing a scalable transfer-print method. CVD MoS 2 crystals are released from their growth substrates (with well-preserved, uniform crystal quality) by a water-assisted lift-off technique, and suspended over pre-patterned arrays of microtrenches through an all-dry, aligned transfer process. We measure device performance from the resulting single- and few-layer drumhead resonators (1–2μm in diameter), showing fundamental resonance frequencies (f0) up to ∼80 MHz, and figures-of-merit (f0×Q up to ∼2.4×1010Hz. We quantify the uniformity of resonance performance in arrays of devices, and show that 250 °C thermal annealing can enhance the performance and uniformity.
Lightweight Anonymous RFID Authentication

This chapter describes on lightweight RFID anonymous authentication. The widespread use of RFID tags raises a privacy concern: They make their carriers trackable. To protect the privacy of the tag carriers, we need to invent new mechanisms that keep the usefulness of tags while doing so anonymously. Many tag applications such as toll payment require authentication. Since low-cost tags have extremely limited hardware resource, an asymmetric design principle is adopted to push most complexity to more powerful RFID readers. Instead of implementing complicated and hardware-intensive cryptographic hash functions, our authentication protocol only requires tags to perform several simple and hardware-efficient operations to generate dynamic tokens for anonymous authentication. The theoretic analysis and randomness tests demonstrate that our protocol can ensure the privacy of the tags. Moreover, our protocol reduces the communication overhead and online computation overhead to O(1) per authentication for both tags and readers, which compares favorably with the prior art.
Moderately elevated blood pressure during pregnancy and odds of hypertension later in life: the POUCHmoms longitudinal study

Objective Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy signal an increased risk of cardiovascular disease for women. However, future hypertension risk among pregnant women with moderately elevated blood pressure (BP) is unknown. We examined associations among moderately elevated BP or hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and later prehypertension or hypertension. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Five communities in Michigan, USA. Sample Data are from pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health Study. We included 667 women with gestational BP measurements who participated in the POUCHmoms Study follow-up 7-15 years later. Methods Moderately elevated BP was defined as two measures of systolic BP ≥120 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥80 mmHg among women without a hypertensive disorder. Weighted multinomial logistic regression models estimated odds of prehypertension or hypertension at follow-up, adjusted for maternal confounders and time to follow-up. Main Outcome Measures Prehypertension or hypertension. Results Women meeting the moderately elevated BP criteria (64%) had significantly higher odds of hypertension at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio =2.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-5.5). These increased odds were observed for moderately elevated BP first identified before or after 20 weeks, and for elevated systolic BP alone or combined with elevated diastolic BP. Conclusions Moderately elevated BP in pregnancy may be a risk factor for future hypertension. Pregnancy offers an opportunity to identify women at risk for hypertension who may not have been identified otherwise. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Management of Giant Cell Arteritis to Prevent Visual Loss

As has been emphasized in earlier chapters, the most dreaded complication of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is permanent visual loss in one or both eyes – and fear of visual loss is exceeded only by fear of death. If GCA is diagnosed early and treated immediately, aggressively and adequately with systemic corticosteroids, blindness is entirely preventable; that makes GCA the prime ophthalmic emergency. A study [1] further emphasized that fact, when it found that a high proportion of patients with permanent visual loss had had a delayed diagnosis and treatment; in that study 35% had experienced systemic symptoms for an average of 10.8 months before visual loss and 65% had had premonitory visual symptoms for an average of 8.5 days. This obviously raises two critical issues about the management of GCA: (1) how to establish an early and a definite diagnosis of GCA? and (2) what is the proper treatment to prevent blindness? There is a voluminous literature on both these topics; however, there is still a good deal of controversy on both issues [2].
Mercury-induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of abnormal neurobehavior is correlated with sperm epimutations in zebrafish.

Abstract Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous environmental neurotoxicant, with human exposures predominantly resulting from fish consumption. Developmental exposure of zebrafish to MeHg is known to alter their neurobehavior. The current study investigated the direct exposure and transgenerational effects of MeHg, at tissue doses similar to those detected in exposed human populations, on sperm epimutations (i.e., differential DNA methylation regions [DMRs]) and neurobehavior (i.e., visual startle and spontaneous locomotion) in zebrafish, an established human health model. F0 generation embryos were exposed to MeHg (0, 1, 3, 10, 30, and 100 nM) for 24 hours ex vivo. F0 generation control and MeHg-exposed lineages were reared to adults and bred to yield the F1 generation, which was subsequently bred to the F2 generation. Direct exposure (F0 generation) and transgenerational actions (F2 generation) were then evaluated. Hyperactivity and visual deficit were observed in the unexposed descendants (F2 generation) of the MeHg-exposed lineage compared to control. An increase in F2 generation sperm epimutations was observed relative to the F0 generation. Investigation of the DMRs in the F2 generation MeHg-exposed lineage sperm revealed associated genes in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and actin-cytoskeleton pathways being effected, which correlate to the observed neurobehavioral phenotypes. Developmental MeHg-induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of abnormal neurobehavior is correlated with sperm epimutations in F2 generation adult zebrafish. Therefore, mercury can promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease in zebrafish, which significantly impacts its environmental health considerations in all species including humans.
Boom and Bust Carbon-Nitrogen Dynamics during Reforestation

Abstract Legacies of historical land use strongly shape contemporary ecosystem dynamics. In old-field secondary forests, tree growth embodies a legacy of soil changes affected by previous cultivation. Three patterns of biomass accumulation during reforestation have been hypothesized previously, including monotonic to steady state, non-monotonic with a single peak then decay to steady state, and multiple oscillations around the steady state. In this paper, the conditions leading to the emergence of these patterns is analyzed. Using observations and models, we demonstrate that divergent reforestation patterns can be explained by contrasting time-scales in ecosystem carbon-nitrogen cycles that are influenced by land use legacies. Model analyses characterize non-monotonic plant-soil trajectories as either single peaks or multiple oscillations during an initial transient phase controlled by soil carbon-nitrogen conditions at the time of planting. Oscillations in plant and soil pools appear in modeled systems with rapid tree growth and low initial soil nitrogen, which stimulate nitrogen competition between trees and decomposers and lead the forest into a state of acute nitrogen deficiency. High initial soil nitrogen dampens oscillations, but enhances the magnitude of the tree biomass peak. These model results are supported by data derived from the long-running Calhoun Long-Term Soil-Ecosystem Experiment from 1957 to 2007. Observed carbon and nitrogen pools reveal distinct tree growth and decay phases, coincident with soil nitrogen depletion and partial re-accumulation. Further, contemporary tree biomass loss decreases with the legacy soil C:N ratio. These results support the idea that non-monotonic reforestation trajectories may result from initial transients in the plant-soil system affected by initial conditions derived from soil changes associated with land-use history.
Abstract 2333: Modulation of Bax and mTOR for cancer therapeutics

Pharmacologic manipulation of the serine (S)184 phosphorylation site of Bax protein to functionally regulate its proapoptotic activity is an attractive anticancer strategy. We recently identified three small molecule Bax agonists. SMBA1 was selected as the lead compound based on its chemical structure and its drug-like properties, from which a more effective analog, CYD-2-11, was generated. CYD-2-11 targets the structural pocket around S184 in the C-terminal tail of Bax, directly activating its proapoptotic activity via 6A7 conformational change and formation of Bax homo-oligomers in mitochondrial membranes. CYD-2-11 suppresses tumor growth in SCLC, NSCLC and patient-derived lung cancer xenografts as well as the genetically engineered mutant KRAS-driven lung cancer model with no significant normal tissue toxicity. Inhibition of mTOR by RAD001 enhances S184 Bax phosphorylation in lung cancer cell lines and tumor tissues from lung cancer patients treated with RAD001, which inactivates the propaoptotic function of Bax, contributing to rapalog-resistance. Combined CYD-2-11 and RAD001 treatment not only displays strong synergistic activity against lung cancer but also overcomes rapalog-resistance in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, a mechanism-driven combination of Bax agonist and mTOR inhibitor represents a highly attractive therapeutic strategy to improve lung cancer patient outcomes. Citation Format: Rui Li, Chunyong Ding, Jun Zhang, Maohua Xie, Dongkyoo Park, Ye Ding, Guo Chen, Guojing Zhang, Melissa Gilbert-Ross, Wei Zhou, Adam Marcus, Shi-Yong Sun, Zhuo Chen, Gabriel Sica, Suresh Ramalingam, Andrew Magis, Haian Fu, Fadlo Khuri, Walter Curran, Taofeek Owonikoko, Dong Shin, Jia Zhou, Xingming Deng. Modulation of Bax and mTOR for cancer therapeutics [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2333. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2333
The effect of isolation, fragmentation, and population bottlenecks on song structure of a Hawaiian honeycreeper

Little is known about how important social behaviors such as song vary within and among populations for any of the endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers. Habitat loss and non-native diseases (e.g., avian malaria) have resulted in isolation and fragmentation of Hawaiian honeycreepers within primarily high elevation forests. In this study, we examined how isolation of Hawai'i 'amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) populations within a fragmented landscape influences acoustic variability in song. In the last decade, small, isolated populations of disease tolerant 'amakihi have been found within low elevation forests, allowing us to record 'amakihi songs across a large elevational gradient (10-1800 m) that parallels disease susceptibility on Hawai'i island. To understand underlying differences among populations, we examined the role of geographic distance, elevation, and habitat structure on acoustic characteristics of 'amakihi songs. We found that the acoustic characteristics of 'amakihi songs and song-type repertoires varied most strongly across an elevational gradient. Differences in 'amakihi song types were primarily driven by less complex songs (e.g., fewer frequency changes, shorter songs) of individuals recorded at low elevation sites compared to mid and high elevation populations. The reduced complexity of 'amakihi songs at low elevation sites is most likely shaped by the effects of habitat fragmentation and a disease-driven population bottleneck associated with avian malaria, and maintained through isolation, localized song learning and sharing, and cultural drift. These results highlight how a non-native disease through its influence on population demographics may have also indirectly played a role in shaping the acoustic characteristics of a species.
Development and Evaluation of the Boston University Osteoarthritis Functional Pain Short Form (BU-OA-FPS).

Background Pragmatic studies have gained popularity, thus emphasizing the need for patient-reported outcomes (PRO) to be integrated into electronic health records. Objective This study describes the development of a customized short form from the Boston University Osteoarthritis Functional Assessment PRO (BU-OA-PRO) for a specific pragmatic clinical trial. Methods A Functional Pain Short Form was created from an existing item bank of deidentified data in the BU-OA-PRO. Item response theory (IRT) methods were used to select items. Reliability was measured with the Cronbach alpha, then with IRT simulation methods. To examine validity, ceiling and floor effects, correlations between the short-form scores and scores from the BU-OA-PRO and the Western Ontario McMasters University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain and Difficulty subscales, and the area under the curve (AUC) were calculated. A minimum detectable change at 90% confidence (MDC90) was calculated based on a calibration sample. Results The BU-OA-PRO was reduced from 126 items to 10 items to create the BU-OA Functional Pain Short Form (BU-OA-FPS). The Cronbach alpha indicated high internal consistency (0.91), and reliability distribution estimates were 0.96 (uniform) and 0.92 (normal). Low ceiling effects (4.57%) and floor effects (0%) were found. Moderate-to-high correlations between the BU-OA-PRO and BU-OA-FPS were found with WOMAC Pain (BU-OA-FPS = 0.67; BU-OA-PRO = 0.64) and Difficulty (BU-OA-FPS = 0.73; BU-OA-PRO = 0.69) subscales. The correlation between the BU-OA-PRO and BU-OA-FPS was 0.94. The AUC ranged from 0.80 to 0.88. The MDC90 was approximately 6 standardized points. Conclusions The BU-OA-FPS provides reliable and valid measurement of functional pain. Pragmatic studies may consider the BU-OA-FPS for use in electronic health records to capture outcomes.
Tone-evoked acoustic change complex (ACC) in an animal model

The auditory change complex (ACC) is a cortical evoked potential complex generated in response to a change (e.g., frequency or level) within an ongoing auditory stimulus. The ACC has been recorded in both normal-hearing human subjects and in cochlear implant users, suggesting that the ACC would be useful in clinical applications. Here, we investigate the feasibility of recording ACC in response to frequency or level changes in sedated cats. Five purpose-bred cats were sedated with ketamine and acepromazine. Continuous tones alternated between high and low frequencies or levels in 500-ms blocks. Frequency and level steps were varied parametrically. Scalp potentials were recorded with needle electrodes (two active electrodes = one on each hemisphere, reference: mastoid, ground = back of the cat). ACC was successfully elicited in all cats by both frequency and level steps. In many cases, ACCs were markedly greater for increasing or for decreasing stimulus steps. The discrimination thresholds measured were in good agreement with previous behavioral studies in which cats where trained to perform similar frequency or level discriminations. The results indicate that the ACC will be a useful tool for evaluating novel acoustical or electrical stimulation modes that are not yet feasible in humans.The auditory change complex (ACC) is a cortical evoked potential complex generated in response to a change (e.g., frequency or level) within an ongoing auditory stimulus. The ACC has been recorded in both normal-hearing human subjects and in cochlear implant users, suggesting that the ACC would be useful in clinical applications. Here, we investigate the feasibility of recording ACC in response to frequency or level changes in sedated cats. Five purpose-bred cats were sedated with ketamine and acepromazine. Continuous tones alternated between high and low frequencies or levels in 500-ms blocks. Frequency and level steps were varied parametrically. Scalp potentials were recorded with needle electrodes (two active electrodes = one on each hemisphere, reference: mastoid, ground = back of the cat). ACC was successfully elicited in all cats by both frequency and level steps. In many cases, ACCs were markedly greater for increasing or for decreasing stimulus steps. The discrimination thresholds measured were in...
The multifaceted roles of the matrikine Pro-Gly-Pro in pulmonary health and disease

Matrikines are bioactive fragments of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that are fundamental in regulating a diverse array of physiological processes. The tripeptide Proline-Glycine-Proline (PGP) is a collagen-derived matrikine that has classically been described as a neutrophil chemoattractant. In this article, we describe our current understanding of the pathways that generate, degrade and modify PGP to dictate its bioavailability and stability. Additionally, we discuss our expanding appreciation of the capacity of PGP to regulate diverse cell types and biological processes, independent of its activity on neutrophils, including a putative role in wound repair. We argue that PGP functions as a primitive and conserved damage-associated molecular pattern, which is generated during infection or injury and subsequently acts to shape ensuing inflammatory and repair processes. As a fragment of the ECM that accumulates at the epicentre of the action, PGP is perfectly positioned to focus neutrophils to the exact site required and direct a localised repair response. However, it is essential that PGP is efficiently degraded, as if this matrikine is allowed to persist then pathology can ensue. Accordingly, we discuss how this pathway is subverted in chronic lung diseases giving rise to persistent inflammation and pathological tissue remodelling.
A Historical Outline of Hacienda San Juan Bautista Tabi

Hacienda San Juan Bautista Tabi is located in the Mexican state of Yucatan, approximately 65 km south of the capital Merida, and 23 and 17 km southeast of the towns of Ticul and Oxkutzcab, respectively (see Fig. 1.1). The hacienda is located in a fertile valley between the Sierrita de Ticul or Puuc Hills to the northeast and the Sierra de Bolonchen or Witz hills to the southwest. In this fertile region the archetypal pre-Hispanic sites of the Puuc architectural style, including Labna, Sayil, and Kabah, flourished.
Colorimetric Gas Sensing Washable Threads for Smart Textiles.

A fabrication method for a stable entrapment of optically responsive dyes on a thread substrate is proposed to move towards a detection system that can be integrated into clothing. We use the dyes 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine manganese(III) chloride (MnTPP), methyl red (MR), and bromothymol blue (BTB), for a proof-of-concept. Our optical approach utilizes a smartphone to extract and track changes in the red (R), green (G) and blue (B) channel of the acquired images of the thread to detect the presence of an analyte. We demonstrate sensing of 50–1000 ppm of vapors of ammonia and hydrogen chloride, components commonly found in cleaning supplies, fertilizer, and the production of materials, as well as dissolved gas sensing of ammonia. The devices are shown to be stable over time and with agitation in a centrifuge. This is attributed to the unique dual step fabrication process that entraps the dye in a stable manner. The facile fabrication of colorimetric gas sensing washable threads is ideal for the next generation of smart textile and intelligent clothing.
Optical Phased Array with Electromechanical Phase Shifters

We propose a chip-scale optical phased array (OPA) enabling steering along two orthogonal angles using integrated electromechanical optical phase shifters. Initial experimental results from fabricated silicon nitride OPAs are presented.
Analysis of transit users’ waiting tolerance in response to unplanned service disruptions

Abstract Public transit not only provides an affordable, efficient, and green service but also plays a critical role in the development of resilient transportation systems in urban areas. Transit disruption as a common incident in transit service operation can severely affect the resiliency of the transportation system as well as users’ satisfaction. While it is of great interest to transportation authorities to understand passengers’ decision behavior during unplanned transit disruptions in order to implement efficacious recovery strategies, still little is known about users’ behavior in case of such incidents. The scarcity of available data is a major underlying factor for this gap. Utilizing a recently collected data of transit users in the Chicago metropolitan area, the current study investigates transit users’ waiting tolerance during unplanned service disruptions and disclose the factors that affect their behavior. A set of interval-censored accelerated failure time models using different survival distributions are developed, compared, and the factors influencing the survival functions of the waiting tolerance are identified. The results of the analysis reveal that, for instance, having experience of using ridesharing services decreases users’ waiting tolerance during a disruption. Further, built-environment attributes (such as the density of pedestrian-oriented links and transit service frequency), availability of alternative modes, transit service type, user’s attitudes, and trip characteristics turn to be significant in users’ decision behavior.
Aid projects: The effects of commodification and exchange

Abstract International aid work has been increasingly oriented around the administrative form of the aid project. Aid projects are financial and temporal delineations used for the planning, implementation, and reporting of aid work. Originating as a budgetary reform, the project has grown to become an important unit of conceptualization for donors, subcontracting NGOs, aid workers, and the recipients of development projects. As the project has become the dominant form of disbursing aid, what effects does this administrative form have on contemporary humanitarian and development work? A growing literature on the project form combined with ethnographic research on humanitarian and development aid in Haiti demonstrates how the project is not only an administrative unit but has become a principal product of aid work. Framing the project as a commodity produced within the aid industry illuminates the centrality of exchange, rather than donation, at the heart of the aid industry. Project documents, produced in order to account for implementation, assume the form of a commodity as they are exchanged for aid funding. Accordingly, project documents have a particular exchange value within the aid industry. One of the more prevalent effects of project-based aid is that for NGOs and subcontractors, this exchange value can take precedence over services provided to beneficiaries. In order to compete in the market for projects, sub-contracting organizations seek visibility and documentation, which may come at the expense of service provision. This affects the way in which projects are both implemented and evaluated. By illustrating the impacts of the administrative form of aid, this research argues for a more focused line of research interrogating the politics of the project.
Extracting and utilizing electronic health data from Epic for research

Many institutions would like to harness their electronic health record (EHR) data for research. However, with many EHR systems, this process is remarkably difficult. We have been using our vast EHR system for research very effectively, with substantial research support and many publications. Herein we share our process and provide recommendations for others wanting to utilize their EHR data for research.
CRT-200.06 Utilization of EKOS (Ultrasound-Accelerated Thrombolysis) in the Treatment of Acute Limb Ischemia

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) can be a devastating presentation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and is treatable if recognized early. ALI can involve large territories and can be cumbersome to revascularize. Advances in endovascular treatment are essential in achieving re-perfusion quickly and
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Characteristics and Crystal Structure of a Tutton Salt Analogue: Copper-Doped Cadmium Creatininium Sulfate.

Electron paramagnetic resonance and crystallographic studies on copper-doped cadmium creatininium sulfate (CdCrnS) were undertaken to study the characteristics of a copper-hexahydrate complex in an organic analogue of Tutton's salt. X-ray diffraction experiments determined the crystal structure of CdCrnS at both 100 and 298 K. CdCrnS, like Tutton salt, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n. The unit cell contains two cadmium hexahydrate complexes, four creatininium ions, four sulfates, and four additional solvation waters. Both crystallography and EPR find that the doped copper replaces the cadmium in the structure. Single-crystal EPR measurements at room temperature determined the g and copper hyperfine (ACu) tensors (principal values: g = 2.437, 2.134, and 2.080 and ACu = -327, -84.8, and 7.33 MHz). EPR spectra of the powder at room temperature gave g = 2.448, 2.125, and 2.085 and ACu = -315, -75.0, and 35.0 MHz and at 110 K gave g = 2.462, 2.116, and 2.077 and ACu = -340, -30.0, and 35.0 MHz. The room-temperature tensors are close to the "rigid lattice limit" values found in copper-doped Tutton salts but with a higher gmin and weaker ACux coupling than average. A small but measurable temperature dependency of the tensors indicated the presence of a dynamic Jahn-Teller (JT) effect. In addition, the EPR line width changed dramatically with temperature, which is like that found in all copper-doped Tutton crystals. Utilizing the model of Silver-Getz for the g-value variation gave an estimate for the energy difference (δ12 = 640 cm-1) between the ground and next highest JT configurations. An empirical correlation appears to exist between δ12 and gmin and ACux for the copper hexahydrates studied in similar crystals. This suggests a relationship between the amount of unpaired spins in the copper d-orbital x lobe and the gap between wells of the adiabatic potential surface.
“When a Patient Is Unable to Work in the Transference”: Dr. Lament’s Response

This piece addresses a prominent question that arose from the author’s presentation of her paper, “Turning Points in Adolescent Analysis”. Specifically, the adolescent patient who was the subject o...
Palingenesis and Totalitarianism in Roger Griffin’s Interpretation of Fascism

In this essay, David D. Roberts resumes his long and productive exchange of views on fascism with Roger Griffin by revisiting the latter’s conceptual investment in the notion of fascism as ‘palingenetic ultra-nationalism’. Robert’s alternative perspective suggests that a more productive line of enquiry could be based on reconceptualising totalitarianism and probing its relevance as an analytical tool in fascism studies. Roberts reiterates his plea for a recast notion of totalitarianism wound around a new mode of collective action in response to the new sense of possibility, of unprecedented scope for experiment. More attention to the totalitarian trajectory and less reliance on Griffin’s ‘palingenesis’, however, does not mean that we must choose between the two; totalitarianism need not be taken as a completely independent variable, uncoupled from palingenesis altogether. Rather than either/or, this is a matter of degrees, proportions.
Enhanced thermoelectric performance of F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films

In the past decade, great efforts have been devoted to the development of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites for achieving efficient photovoltaics, but less attention has been paid to their thermoelectric applications. In this study, for the first time, we report the thermoelectric performance of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) doped NH2CHNH2SnI3 (FASnI3) thin films. It is found that the electrical conductivities of the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films increase and then decrease along with increased doping levels of F4-TCNQ. Systematic studies indicate that enhanced electrical conductivities are attributed to the increased charge carrier concentrations and mobilities and superior film morphologies of the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films, and decreased electrical conductivities originate from the cracks and poor film morphology of the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films induced by excess F4-TCNQ dopants. The quantitative thermal conductivity scanning thermal microscopy studies reveal that the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films exhibit ultralow thermal conductivities. Moreover, the thermoelectric performance of the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films is investigated. It is found that the F4-TCNQ doped FASnI3 thin films exhibit a Seebeck coefficient of ∼310 μV K−1, a power factor of ∼130 μW m−1 K−2 and a ZT value of ∼0.19 at room temperature. All these results demonstrate that our studies open a door for exploring cost-effective less-toxic organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites in heat-to-electricity conversion applications at room temperature.
IGF-1 infusion to fetal sheep increases organ growth but not by stimulating nutrient transfer to the fetus

After a 1-wk infusion of LR3 IGF-1, late gestation fetal sheep had lower umbilical uptake rates of amino acids, lower fetal arterial amino acid and insulin concentrations, and lower fetal oxygen co...
Is competition among soft drinks, juices, and other major beverage categories responsible for reducing Americans' milk consumption?

US per capita milk consumption has been falling since the 1940s and falling at an accelerated rate in recent years. One possible reason is competition between it and other types of beverages. In this study, we determine whether changes in beverage prices are in a direction and of a sufficient magnitude for consumption trends to be explained by price competition between milk and other beverages. They are not. We also estimate a vector autoregressive model using data on households' average weekly purchases of milk and four other, major beverage categories for a very general test of whether any increase in sales of those other beverages would come at milk's expense. Results again suggest that competition between milk and the identified other major beverages is not responsible for milk's accelerated decline, and there is a need for the research community to investigate other possible explanations. [EconLit Citations: D12, Q11, Q18].
The Road to Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy for the Prevention of Preeclampsia Began with the Placenta.

The road to low-dose aspirin therapy for the prevention of preeclampsia began in the 1980s with the discovery that there was increased thromboxane and decreased prostacyclin production in placentas of preeclamptic women. At the time, low-dose aspirin therapy was being used to prevent recurrent myocardial infarction and other thrombotic events based on its ability to selectively inhibit thromboxane synthesis without affecting prostacyclin synthesis. With the discovery that thromboxane was increased in preeclamptic women, it was reasonable to evaluate whether low-dose aspirin would be effective for preeclampsia prevention. The first clinical trials were very promising, but then two large multi-center trials dampened enthusiasm until meta-analysis studies showed aspirin was effective, but with caveats. Low-dose aspirin was most effective when started 100 mg/day. It was effective in reducing preterm preeclampsia, but not term preeclampsia, and patient compliance and patient weight were important variables. Despite the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin therapy in correcting the placental imbalance between thromboxane and prostacyclin and reducing oxidative stress, some aspirin-treated women still develop preeclampsia. Alterations in placental sphingolipids and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids not affected by aspirin, but with biologic actions that could cause preeclampsia, may explain treatment failures. Consideration should be given to aspirin's effect on neutrophils and pregnancy-specific expression of protease-activated receptor 1, as well as additional mechanisms of action to prevent preeclampsia.
Dark Traits and Hacking Potential

This paper investigates the psychological traits of individuals' attraction to engaging in hacking behaviors (both ethical and illegal/unethical) upon entering the workforce. A new set of scales have been developed to assist in the delineation of the three hat categories. We have also developed a scale to measure each subject's perception of the probability of being apprehended for violating privacy laws. The results suggest that white hat, grey hat, and black hat hackers score high on the Machiavellian and psychopathy scales. We also found evidence that grey hatters oppose authority, black hatters score high in the thrill-seeking dimension, and white hatters, the good guys, tend to be narcissists. Thrill-seeking was moderately important for white hat and black hat hacking, and opposition to authority was significant for grey hat hacking. Narcissism was not statistically significant in any of the models. A perceived probability of being apprehended had a negative effect on both grey hat and black hat hacking. Additional models were explored to examine the relationships among the research variables.
Development of a New Reusable and User-Centric General-Use Mask for Averting Respirator Supply Crisis in the Healthcare Sector:

Healthcare workforce implements general-use masks for low and/or moderate barrier protection in sterile environments. However, these masks are often unavailable in pandemic situations due to a stra...
Nonaqueous hybrid redox flow energy storage with a sodium–TEMPO chemistry and a single-ion solid electrolyte separator

There has been increasing interest in recent years in exploring and implementing organic electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage. Liquid phase electrodes with an electrochemically active organic material dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent are of particular interest for developing nonaqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs). In contrast to traditional aqueous RFBs, nonaqueous systems offer two eminent benefits in terms of being able to operate at low temperatures and being able to access a high working voltage. By incorporating an anode chemistry of sodium, we present in this study a nonaqueous hybrid flow battery (HFB) with a (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) liquid cathode. To prevent the oxidative TEMPO species from entering the sodium anode, a sodium-based solid-electrolyte membrane, Na3Zr2Si2PO12, is incorporated as a single-ion solid electrolyte separator. The Na3Zr2Si2PO12 membrane selectively allows the transport of Na+ ions but avoids the crossover of other species between the two electrodes. At a medium current density, the nonaqueous Na–TEMPO cell delivers a high voltage of ca. 2.6 V. By managing the TEMPO catholyte with a reasonably high concentration, the cell provides a remarkable volumetric energy density of ca. 32 W h L−1.
Coherence, Justification, and Knowledge: The Current Debate

Despite Emerson’s maxim associating consistency with little minds, no philosopher champions incoherence, and this is how it should be. Since the most basic virtue of a belief is that it be knowledge, and since no belief stands alone, but is held in the context of other things believed, sound relations among beliefs are bound to be epistemically important.
Human skeletal muscle nebulin sequence encodes a blueprint for thin filament architecture. Sequence motifs and affinity profiles of tandem repeats and terminal SH3

Analysis of deduced protein sequence and structural motifs of ~5500 residues of human fetal skeletal muscle nebulin reveals the design principles of this giant multifunctional protein in the sarcomere. The bulk of the sequence is constructed of ~150 tandem copies of ~35-residue modules that can be classified into seven types. The majority of these modules form 20 super-repeats, with each super-repeat containing a 7-module set (one of each type in the same order). These super-repeats are further divided into eight segments: with six segments containing adjacent, highly homologous super-repeats, one single repeat segment consisting of 8 nebulin modules of the same type, and a non-repeat segment terminating with a SH3 domain at the C terminus. The interactions of actin, tropomyosin, troponin, and calmodulin with nebulin fragments consisting of either repeating modules or the SH3 domain support its role as a giant actin-binding cofilament of the composite thin filament. Such affinity profiles also suggest that nebulin may bind to tropomyosin and troponin to form a composite calcium-linked regulatory complex on the thin filament. The modular construction, super-repeat structure, and segmental organization of nebulin sequence appear to encode thin filament length, periodicity, insertion, and sarcomere proportion in the resting muscle.
Congruence lattices of algebras— the signed labelling

For an arbitrary algebra A a new labelling, called the signed labelling, of the Hasse diagram of Con A is described. Under the signed labelling, each edge of the Hasse diagram of Con A receives a label from the set {+, -}. The signed labelling depends completely on a subset of the unary polynomials of A and its inspiration comes from semigroup theory. For finite algebras, the signed labelling complements the labelled congruence lattices of tame congruence theory (TCT). It provides a different kind of information about those algebras than the TCT labelling particularly with regard to congruence semimodularity. The main result of this paper shows that the congruence lattice of any algebra A admits a natural join congruence, denoted -+, such that Con A/ -+ satisfies the semimodular law. In an application of that result, it is shown that for a regular semigroup S, for which J = D in H(S), -+ is actually a lattice congruence, + coincides with U, and Con S/U (= ConS/ S/ ) satisfies the semimodular law.
The Internet Engineering Design Agent System: iEDA

Approaches to engineering design and manufacturing such as integrated design and manufacture and just in time fabrication depend on interaction with and among component supply companies which most often use very diverse technologies. The Internet Engineering Design Agents (iEDA) approach is a distributed, component-based, agent methodology that is realized following a strong black box approach to modeling. An individual Design Agent (DA) is a virtual product capable of encapsulating both descriptive and model based information about the product it represents. Hierarchically recursive agents for sub-systems and/or components are linked via a communications network to form larger integrated model systems. A crucial part of the iEDA architecture is a global ontology of questions; these questions in the ontology are standardized engineering domain queries that form a sufficient set of queries to allow compositional modeling methods; the global query ontology is itself realized as a networked agent. Most importantly, Design Agents interact without divulging the proprietary descriptive information or models contained within component or device represented. The iEDA architecture thus enables both proprietary security and compositional modeling of component parts/systems. The structure and function of the iEDA architecture and its current implementation is discussed. A two dimensional bridge system model is used as an example to illustrate the distributed nature of assemblies and components registered as DA’s on a communications network. iEDA forms a distributed modeling environment that enables communication and coordination required for effective and efficient global collaborative distributed design.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Rethinking the Harmonization of Jurisdictional Rules

In the aftermath of the various unsuccessful attempts by The Hague Conference to devise an international convention on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments, this work examines what the common law and civil law delegations to the Conference considered irreconcilable differences between their respective jurisdictional laws. The Article studies the historical and functional evolution of these allegedly irreconcilable jurisdictional categories, their underlying ideas (e.g., “minimum contacts” and due process analysis, doing-business jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, tag jurisdiction), and suggests a new method of analysis, which generates a unified approach to jurisdictional law and choice of laws rules. The analysis unearths the original symmetries between jurisdictional law and choice of law rules in common law and civil law systems that existed in the past, as well as the various similarities still existing today despite the different labels sometimes used, and it exposes some preconceptions that make some of these categories and principles falsely appear to be irreconcilable. In fact, by solving some representative problem situations under both of the allegedly different regimes, the Article shows that the solutions that these systems offer are, most of the times, similar. This is because there is a strong interaction between jurisdictional law and choice of law rules within each individual system and across legal systems, and because the existing differences are not irreconcilable but merely the product of recent developments. The Article posits that conflict of laws rules governing civil and commercial matters should be harmonized, and that such harmonization is feasible and worth pursuing. Therefore, rather than once more suggesting to adopt an international convention on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments only, this work suggests the adoption of an international convention on conflict of laws rules. The proposed convention could adopt similar criteria or “connecting factors” to identify the judge with jurisdiction over a controversy and the law to govern it; this will eventually make the judgment rendered at the end of the proceeding suitable for recognition and enforcement in the countries that ratify the convention. Such a convention would apply to litigation on civil and commercial matters only. The identification of the judge and of the governing law would significantly enhance the efficiency and fairness of this type of litigation.
The Legislative Lacuna on Assisted Reproduction: Reimagining the Modern Mexican State

Resumen Basado en el trabajo de campo en las clinicas de fertilidad de la Ciudad de Mexico, este articulo examina como los pacientes y medicos que forman parte de tratamientos de fertilidad re-imaginan su relacion con el Estado. Ambos ven las tecnologias de reproduccion asistida (TRAs) como algo problematico en Mexico debido a la ausencia de una ley que regule sus usos. La pretension de estos actores es que los oficiales del Estado aprueben una ley que proteja a los pacientes y los embriones y que legitime a los medicos de fertilidad en Mexico. La expectativa es que las clinicas de fertilidad locales se emparejen con aquellas del hemisferio norte. Al suplicar un mayor involucramiento del Estado con las TRAs, mis informantes se encuentran re-conceptualizando el Estado en terminos completamente modernos: responsivo a sus preocupaciones reproductivas y ya no exclusivamente dedicado a estrategias de control de la poblacion propias de finales del siglo XX.
Regarding the Imprisonment of Others: Prison Abuse Photographs and Social Change

Through four case studies of U.S. incarceration, this paper explores the relationship between the visualization of abuse and change in policy. By examining the verbal and visual presentations of abuses at Andersonville (1864-1865), Attica (1971), Guantanamo (2002-2005), and Abu Ghraib (2003-2005), the paper argues that there is no simple correlation between images, outrage, and social change. Querying prison images currently and historically questions the assumption that simply rendering visible the unseen will limit abuse. Indeed, these case studies suggest a more ambivalent role for the power of images: sometimes causing great change, at times resulting in little difference, and other times having questionable impact. At question is what role images play in drawing attention specifically to those places where attention was never meant to be, the institutions that have defined themselves by being out of sight and thus out of mind. In examining the power, use, and impact of still photographs, this paper interrogates the role of the state and identity in approaching structures of incarceration.
A 10 GHz high-efficiency active antenna

This work discusses the use of a microstrip-fed slot antenna to directly provide the necessary output match and harmonic tuning for a 10 GHz class-E power amplifier. There is no matching circuit at the output of the amplifier since the slot is designed to provide the correct impedance at the fundamental frequency and to present an open circuit at the second harmonic. This eliminates losses in the matching circuit and decreases circuit area. Since the class-E amplifier requires a complex output load, the designed slot antenna is not a resonant structure. The device used is an Alpha AFM04P2 MESFET, which has a maximum output power of about 21 dBm. The measured performance of the active antenna shows 74% drain efficiency, 62% power-added-efficiency (PAE), and 20 dBm output power at 10 GHz, at 5 dB gain compression. The PAE is greater than 50% in a 400 MHz bandwidth.
CDC Periodontal Disease Surveillance Project: Background, Objectives, and Progress Report

This supplement contains papers presented at the 2006 International Association of Dental Research (IADR) symposium entitled “Development of Self-Reported Measures for Population-Based Surveillance of Periodontitis.” These papers highlight activities of an independent periodontal disease surveillance workgroup convened by the Division of Oral Health (DOH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the American Academy of Periodontology, to examine the feasibility of using self-reported measures for population-based surveillance of periodontal disease in the United States. This workgroup was convened in 2003 as part of a CDC periodontal disease surveillance project.