cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual/Environmental Justice and Ecocriticism of the New Century

Current U.S. debates over issues such as climate change, gay marriage, insurance coverage of abortion within the proposed health care plans, signal that activists have finally captured the attention of a public that had wished to remain happily oblivious of issues that profoundly challenge society’s problematic assumptions about the human recourse to “nature” and “environment,” but I rarely hear public examination of the conjunctions between sexual justice and environmental justice issues. I predict that in this 21 st century, environmental justice lit-crit will lead the way in further illuminating these intersecting oppressions and movements for change. While environmental justice movements and cultural criticism have focused predominantly on intersections of race, class and environmental inequities, 21 st century authors, activists and theorists now also consider how other aspects of human corporeality and identity such as sexuality/reproductivity are interwoven with environmental injustice. Recent and forthcoming work by myself and other ecocritics/ecotheorists explores how sexual identity and sexual oppression have often been formulated in terms of nature, the natural, and material environments. Yet, at the same time, I am still troubled that certain mainstream versions of environmentalism and ecocriticism remain unaware or indifferent to such questions—or even more disturbing--may still be promoting sexual injustice in the name of environmental need. However, I foresee that in the new century, the field of ecocriticism will become more conscious of the need to think through our assumptions about sex and nature. Let me look backward for a moment to my introduction to the volume of essays entitled New Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Gender, Sexuality and Activism that I edited in 2004, in which I spelled out these historically rooted intersections:
Early-stage HIV infection and hepatitis C virus infection are associated with elevated serum porphyrin levels.

Abstract Background: Porphyria cutanea tarda is known to be associated with HIV infection and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate whether early infection with HIV, with or without HCV infection, is associated with elevated serum porphyrin levels. Methods: Serum porphyrin levels were measured in samples obtained from 103 patients with early HIV infection. The results were compared with those of 89 late-stage HIV–positive patients and 78 HIV-negative patients. Results: The highest median porphyrin level was in early-stage HIV-positive/HCV-positive samples, followed in decreasing order by those in early-stage HIV-positive/HCV-negative, late-stage HIV-positive/HCV-positive, late-stage HIV-positive/HCV-negative, HIV-negative/HCV-positive, and HIV-negative/HCV-negative groups. Elevated porphyrin levels were independently associated with early-stage HIV infection ( P P = .03). Conclusion: This finding suggests abnormal porphyrin metabolism is most noticeable in early-stage HIV infection; it becomes less severe with the progression of HIV disease. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;39:956-9.)
Room Temperature Growth of Conducting ZnO Films

Single and dual-laser ablation techniques have been used to grow conductive ZnO films at room temperature by ablating a Zn metal target in oxygen ambient. The emission spectroscopy of the material plumes shows a significant presence of oxygen ions and Zn ions in the dual-laser ablated plume. Furthermore, dual-laser ablated plumes expanded rapidly in the radial direction resulting in large-area uniform films. The electrical properties of the films deposited on glass substrates depend critically on the ambient oxygen pressure. Conductivities of the order of 103 (Ω.cm)-1 have been obtained for films deposited at room temperature by the dual-laser ablation process.
Design and modeling of RF MEMS tunable capacitors using electro-thermal actuators

A series mounted MEMS tunable capacitor in a CPW line is reported. An electro-thermal actuator has been used for driving the top plate of the parallel plate capacitor. The MEMS structure is bonded on an alumina substrate using flip-chip technology so that the silicon on the backside of the MEMS can be removed to reduce the RF losses. The lumped-element model of the capacitor up to 40 GHz has been developed based on Y-parameters, which are derived from measured S-parameters. The measured Q-factor is 256 at 1 GHz for a 0.102 pF capacitor and C/sub max//C/sub min/ ratio of the capacitor is about 2:1.
Nikola Tesla: An Extraordinary Life

Well known to radiologists because his name is associated with the standard international unit for magnetic field strength, Nikola Tesla was also one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of American engineering, and his inventions form part of the fabric of daily life.
Characterization of the complex permittivity of brain tissues up to 50 GHz utilizing a two-port microstrip test fixture

Broad-band complex-permittivity values of biological tissues above 20 GHz obtained from direct measurements have not been reported in the literature. This paper presents for the first time the measurement results of complex permittivity of brain grey and white matters from 15 to 50 GHz utilizing a two-port microstrip test fixture. Test fixture S-parameters are simulated employing the finite-element method. To apply the data obtained from the simulation in complex-permittivity extraction, an efficient procedure, using the linear least square technique, is introduced to fit the modeling results to a rational function of complex permittivity, which is similar to the transfer function for a linear system. This fitting procedure is computationally more efficient than the previously developed fitting methods. Measurements are performed on slices of brain sample using a calibrated network analyzer utilizing custom designed through-reflect-line (TRL) calibration standards. The measurements are corrected for the residual errors observed in the measurement results due to the lack of performance repeatability of coaxial-to-microstrip launchers utilized in the TRL calibration standards. Finally, the measured results for brain matters are fitted to a single term Cole-Cole relation representing the dispersion characteristics of white and grey matters up to 50 GHz.
PHARMACOKINETICS OF ATRACURIUM IN ANAESTHETIZED INFANTS AND CHILDREN

The pharmacokinetics of atracurium were studied in infants and children anaesthetized with isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. There were no significant differences in volume of distribution (area) (139 v. 152 ml kg−1), clearance (5.1 v. 5.3 ml kg−1 min−1), T½α (2.1 v. 2.0 mim), or T½β (19.1 v. 20.3 min) between children with normal hepatic and renal function and those with moderately impaired hepatic function presenting for hepatic transplantation. There were significant differences in volume of distribution (area) (176 v. 139 ml kg−1) and in clearance of atracurium (9.1 v.5.1 ml kg−1 min−1) between infants and children with normal excretory function. In infants the clearance of atracurium in ml m−1 min−1 (153 v. 133) tended to be greater and the T½α and T½β tended to be shorter (1.0 v. 2.0 and 13.6 v. 19.1) than in children with normal excretory function; however, these trends did not reach statistical significance. Plasma laudanosine concentration was around 100 ng ml−1 greater in patients with liver disease than in normal children from 15–45 min following a bolus of atracurium 0.5 mg kg−1.
Early Language Development and Adult/Child Relationships

The conversations that adults have with babies provide them with much more than language models for acquiring speech. Perhaps more importantly, they are giving the baby a sense of who he is, what his place is in the world, and the ways that other people can be expected to behave. While adult conversations with infants are rooted in the desire to share meanings together, they are the basic ways that infants acquire models for entering into future relationships. Luckily, the strategies for encouraging a child to engage with adults in conversation also foster strong and secure relationships. Adults who are sensitive to the infant's interests and needs, who recognize a baby's role in a conversation, and who allow the child's interests to dictate the nature of the exchange are using effective strategies for both conversa- tion and for helping the baby learn how to develop satisfying relationships.
Positron emission tomography: brain tumors and lung cancer.

The 1990s marked the emergence of positron emission tomography (PET) using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as the single most powerful imaging tool in the diagnosis and staging of malignancy. PET began three decades ago as a revolutionary method for studying biologic processes in vivo; yet, until recently it was considered by most clinicians to be an expensive and impractical research tool with little or no clinical application. After many years of dedicated research, PET has now firmly established its extraordinary use in the field of clinical oncology. In 1998, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) approved Medicare reimbursement for FDG-PET for evaluating solitary pulmonary nodules, and for the initial staging of lung cancer. In 1999, HCFA approved reimbursement for staging of colorectal cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma. In 2001, HCFA broadened the coverage for diagnosis, staging, and restaging of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, esophageal cancer, and head-and-neck cancer. These landmark decisions by HCFA have removed the most serious impediment to the acceptance of PET by the medical community at large. The decision to allow reimbursement for FDG-PET has led to the proliferation of regional FDG distribution centers; has stimulated the development of technologies, such as CT-PET and gamma camera–based PET; and has created an increasing demand among radiologists for continuing medical education in clinical PET. Because of these new and exciting developments, this uniquely powerful diagnostic tool is becoming increasingly available to patients whom it can most benefit. At the authors' institution, and at many other tertiary care centers, FDG-PET has become the standard of care for diagnosing and staging many common malignancies. Historically, the first clinical application of FDG-PET imaging was for the evaluation of brain tumors, and the second clinical application of FDG-PET was in lung cancer. This article reviews the use of FDG-PET imaging in brain tumors and in lung cancer.
Multiple-frequency interferometric velocity SAR location and imaging of elevated moving target

Locations of moving targets in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are determined not only by their geometric locations but also by their velocities that cause their SAR images defocused, smeared, and mis-located. With a linear antenna array, velocity synthetic aperture radar (VSAR) can detect, focus, and locate slowly moving targets well. However, it may mis-locate fast moving targets in the azimuth (cross-range) direction, and sometimes even in the ground range direction if the targets are elevated above the ground. In this paper, we propose an antenna array approach with cross-track interferometry, in which multiple wavelength signals are transmitted. It is shown that our proposed multiple-frequency interferometric velocity SAR (MFIn-VSAR) can locate both slowly and fast moving elevated targets correctly.
USER™ friendly DNA engineering and cloning method by uracil excision

Here we report a PCR-based DNA engineering technique for seamless assembly of recombinant molecules from multiple components. We create cloning vector and target molecules flanked with compatible single-stranded (ss) extensions. The vector contains a cassette with two inversely oriented nicking endonuclease sites separated by restriction endonuclease site(s). The spacer sequences between the nicking and restriction sites are tailored to create ss extensions of custom sequence. The vector is then linearized by digestion with nicking and restriction endonucleases. To generate target molecules, a single deoxyuridine (dU) residue is placed 6-10 nt away from the 5'-end of each PCR primer. 5' of dU the primer sequence is compatible either with an ss extension on the vector or with the ss extension of the next-in-line PCR product. After amplification, the dU is excised from the PCR products with the USER enzyme leaving PCR products flanked by 3' ss extensions. When mixed together, the linearized vector and PCR products directionally assemble into a recombinant molecule through complementary ss extensions. By varying the design of the PCR primers, the protocol is easily adapted to perform one or more simultaneous DNA manipulations such as directional cloning, site-specific mutagenesis, sequence insertion or deletion and sequence assembly.
A decision-analytic approach to postexposure rabies prophylaxis

The risks and benefits of postexposure rabies prophylaxis were analyzed from clinical and economic perspectives. A decision-analytic model was constructed by using probability and outcome data from the literature and the state health department. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years. In the base case (overweight adult male), treatment is optimal when the probability of animal rabidity is greater than 1 in 2000. Sensitivity analysis showed robustness in the treatment decision; however, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ($140,000/quality-adjusted life year) is sensitive to the rabidity probability. Treatment is optimal from the patient's perspective; however, it may not be cost-effective when the probability of rabidity is low.
Physiological responses to submaximal exercise at the mid‐follicular, ovulatory and mid‐luteal phases of the menstrual cycle

This study examined the responses of eumenorrheic women to 60 min of submaximal exercise at the mid-follicular (MF), ovulatory (OV) and mid-luteal (ML) phases of the menstrual cycle. Blood metabolite-hormonal measures, cardiorespiratory responses and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) (local, legs only; and total, entire body) were monitored at 15-min intervals throughout exercise. No significant effects for phase were observed in the blood measures or the cardiorespiratory responses, except for the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). The overall exercise OV RER (0.86 ± 0.02; mean ± SEM) was lower than at MF (0.94 ± 0.02) but not at ML (0.89 ± 0.01). Substrate utilization (%) and oxidation (g/min) calculations indicated that more fat was used during OV than at MF but not ML. Conversely, more carbohydrate was used during MF than OV. Additionally, local RPE was higher in OV than in the MF or ML trials at 30-60 min of exercise. These findings suggest that menstrual cycle hormonal fluctuations influence metabolic substrate usage and effort perception during submaximal exercise in eumenorrheic women.
Securing an equal role for substance abuse counselors: a commentary on Kerwin, Walker-Smith, and Kirby.

Training and credentialing are especially timely issues as the substance abuse field grapples with the challenges of responding to dually diagnosed clients, incorporating empirically supported practices, and preparing for the implementation of results-oriented management. The field has recognized the need for greater workforce professionalism (Campbell, Catlin, & Melchert, 2003) and has made substantial advances in that direction (Mulvey, Hubbard, & Hayashi, 2003), which have been very apparent to those of us working in the field over the past 20 years. However, the study by Kerwin, Walker-Smith, and Kirby (2006) underscores the need to accelerate this process. The study examines only minimum (not advanced) credentials and only state (not private organization) certification/licensure. The study also does not reflect those states that are changing their credential requirements. Nonetheless, this study provides important data for action. Leaders in the substance abuse field can play an essential role in inviting and promoting specific changes to move the field forward. Here I suggest three changes that will be especially important.
Robyn j. Barst, MD.

Editor: Contributors to Robyn Barst’s obituary are to be congratulated for capturing her indomitable spirit. As one of the handful of doctors interested in pulmonary hypertension in the 1980s, it was a privilege to share my passion with Robyn. She, along with many other wonderful friends in the pulmonary hypertension community, became a soulmate with a shared passion to make a difference for those affected by “PPH.” Robyn and I often shared our thoughts on early morning walks at meetings. I remember well a conversation in which I told Robyn my common advice to my children: (1) find your talent, (2) find your passion, (3) work hard, and (4) give back to your community. In retrospect, Robyn’s life epitomized these principles. Robyn found and developed her talent as a master physician-scientist. Robyn found much to be passionate about—her patients, medical science, her wonderful family, her many colleagues and friends. Can there be any doubt that Robyn worked hard every working hour of every day, even in the face of her own terminal illness? Robyn gave back to her community when she established the Robyn J. Barst Pediatric PH Research and Mentoring Fund as part of her legacy to all of us. I hope readers will join me in honoring that legacy to continue Robyn’s work until children and their parents no longer know pulmonary arterial hypertension. “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson.1 Robyn J. Barst, MD, succeeded.
Bacterial cocaine esterase: a protein-based therapy for cocaine overdose and addiction.

Cocaine is highly addictive and there are no pharmacotherapeutic drugs available to treat acute cocaine toxicity or chronic abuse. Antagonizing an inhibitor such as cocaine using a small molecule has proven difficult. The alternative approach is to modify cocaine’s pharmacokinetic properties by sequestering or hydrolyzing it in serum and limiting access to its sites of action. We took advantage of a bacterial esterase (CocE) that has evolved to hydrolyze cocaine and have developed it as a therapeutic that rapidly and specifically clears cocaine from the subject. Native enzyme was unstable at 37°C, thus limiting CocE’s potential. Innovative computational methods based on the protein’s structure helped elucidate its mechanism of destabilization. Novel protein engineering methodologies were applied to substantially improve its stability in vitro and in vivo. These improvements rendered CocE as a powerful and efficacious therapeutic to treat cocaine intoxication and lead the way towards developing a therapy f...
Precision tests of parity violation over cosmological distances

Recent measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background $B$-mode polarization power spectrum by the BICEP2 and POLARBEAR experiments have demonstrated new precision tools for probing fundamental physics. Regardless of origin, the fact that we can detect sub-$\mu$K CMB polarization represents a tremendous technological breakthrough. Yet more information may be latent in the CMB's polarization pattern. Because of its tensorial nature, CMB polarization may also reveal parity-violating physics via a detection of cosmic polarization rotation. Although current CMB polarimeters are sensitive enough to measure one degree-level polarization rotation with $>5\sigma$ statistical significance, they lack the ability to differentiate this effect from a systematic instrumental polarization rotation. Here, we motivate the search for cosmic polarization rotation from current CMB data as well as independent radio galaxy and quasar polarization measurements. We argue that an improvement in calibration accuracy would allow the precise measurement of parity- and Lorentz-violating effects. We describe the CalSat space-based polarization calibrator that will provide stringent control of systematic polarization angle calibration uncertainties to $0.05^\circ$ -- an order of magnitude improvement over current CMB polarization calibrators. CalSat-based calibration could be used with current CMB polarimeters searching for $B$-mode polarization, effectively turning them into probes of cosmic parity violation, i.e. without the need to build dedicated instruments.
Comparative trends in shortening velocity and force production in skeletal muscles

Skeletal muscles are diverse in their properties, with specific contractile characteristics being matched to particular functions. In this study, published values of contractile properties for >130 diverse skeletal muscles were analyzed to detect common elements that account for variability in shortening velocity and force production. Body mass was found to be a significant predictor of shortening velocity in terrestrial and flying animals, with smaller animals possessing faster muscles. Although previous studies of terrestrial mammals revealed similar trends, the current study indicates that this pattern is more universal than previously appreciated. In contrast, shortening velocity in muscles used for swimming and nonlocomotory functions is not significantly affected by body size. Although force production is more uniform than shortening velocity, a significant correlation with shortening velocity was detected in muscles used for locomotion, with faster muscles tending to produce more force. Overall, the contractile properties of skeletal muscles are conserved among phylogenic groups, but have been significantly influenced by other factors such as body size and mode of locomotion.
Athermal annealing of silicon implanted layer: beyond the light

The mechanism of annealing silicon implanted layers has been a subject of debate for more than three decades. The great majority of the research work is restricted to only phenomenological results and elaborating changes in the resistivity of annealed layers. Less obvious parameters such as mobility or carrier lifetime are investigated only occasionally. Restrictions on the duration of thermal exposure, as dictated by state-of-the art semiconductor processing of devices, leads to the application of laser or optical irradiation as a processing technology. The presence of a plasma, generated by intense radiation, significantly alters the mechanism and time scale of energy deposition and heat dissipation. This paper discusses the physical processes involved in deposition, thermalization, and heat dissipation during the wafer irradiation. A novel non-thermal annealing approach based on the coherent excitation of phonons is proposed
Polymorphisms of the Scavenger Receptor Class B Member 1 Are Associated with Insulin Resistance with Evidence of Gene by Sex Interaction

Background: Genetic variation in diabetes-associated genes cumulatively explain little of the overall heritability of this trait. We sought to determine whether polymorphisms of the scavenger receptor class B, member I (SCARB1), an estrogen-regulated chromosome 12q24 positional candidate diabetes gene, were associated with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance in a sex-specific fashion. Methods: We evaluated 34 haplotype-tagged single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SCARB1 for their association with type 2 diabetes and measures of insulin resistance in two populations: a clinic-based sample of 444 Mexican-American women from Proyecto SALSA and a community-based sample of 830 white women from the Rancho Bernardo Study. Results: We identified significant associations between a tagged SNP in intron 9, rs9919713, and fasting glucose in the SALSA population (P = 2.3 × 10−4). In the Rancho Bernardo Study, the same SNP also showed significant association with the related traits homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (P = 3.0 × 10−4), fasting glucose (P = 1.1 × 10−3), and type 2 diabetes (P = 9.0 × 10−3). In men from the Rancho Bernardo population, the opposite effect was found (genotype by sex interaction in the Rancho Bernardo population P < 10−3 for insulin resistance). Conclusions: Our data support an association between SCARB1 variants and insulin resistance, especially in women, with evidence of significant gene by sex interaction. These findings warrant further investigation in additional populations and prompt exploration of a role for SR-BI in the development of insulin resistance.
The Berliner Schule as a Recent New Wave in German Cinema

The Berliner Schule can be called a minor new wave of German cinema. Minor since the impact of more recent "waves" does not reach the scope of the "waves" of the 1960s and 70s, most notably, la Nouvelle Vague in France and Das Neue Kino in Germany. And still, it has most of the features associated with the earlier "waves:" it emerged in a turbulent period of time (late 1980s - early 1990s), and in many ways in opposition to the current mainstream cinema. The Berliner Schule has its aesthetic programme expressed on the pages of Revolver magazine, emphasizing the importance of creating a platform for exchange of ideas over academic-style theorizing. It cannot be called a movement in a strict sense, as the current range of filmmakers associated with the Berliner Schule is diverse enough to disagree upon many points expressed in Revolver or each other's films. There are two "generations" commonly associated with the Berliner Schule. The first generation mainly includes three directors, namely Christian Petzold, Angela Schanelec and Thomas Arslan. Directors such as Valeska Grisebach, Matthias Luthardt, Maria Speth, Benjamin Heisenberg, Christoph Hochhausler, Ulrich Kohler, Henner Wickler, Maren Ade, Elke Hauk, Sylke Enders and some others are associated with the second generation. Films made by these directors feature a lot of elements associated with the "waves," such as use of long shots, casting non-professional actors, and attention to the issues of history and memory. Yet, the notion of auteur is revised, and team work gains more importance than it did in the earlier relevant films. The Berliner Schule appears to be a vivid example of how the ideas grounded in the 1960s are manifested and transformed in today's cinema.
Reasoning Together Through Telling Stories: How People Talk about Social Controversies

We use focus groups of ordinary citizens talking about social controversies to analyze the role of storytelling in collective reasoning. Prior research has emphasized storytelling and abstract reasoning as distinct rhetorical forms, and elaborated on how they function differently in group deliberation. But we find that people often combine the telling of stories and the articulation of abstract principles as they reason together about controversial issues. We extend prior research by showing how storytelling can foster collective reasoning and how people combine telling stories and stating abstract principles to create morally complex understandings of concrete courses of action. We complicate earlier research by showing that, in some group settings, stories are treated as legitimate justifications for the speaker’s preferences and are not used disproportionately by more marginal group members. Our research emphasizes the constitutive role that storytelling can play in collective reasoning by highlighting the interplay of stories and abstract principles and the way that stories themselves can function as a form of reason-giving.
Frederick Taylor and Frank Gilbreth: Competition in Scientific Management

The vital task of measuring jobs in order to establish equitable incentive wage rates is usually accomplished by a combination of techniques involving both time and motion studies. Yet for many years a highly personal competition between leading exponents of each type of study prevented a union of techniques from taking place. In the early days of the scientific management movement, Frank Gilbreth was a fierce admirer of Frederick W. Taylor, but Taylor and his disciples rejected Gilbreth, whose micromotion techniques came into competition with the Taylorites' stop watches. Thereby scientific management was split into two antagonistic camps and the course of the movement decisively influenced.
History of the Eastern Branch

The Eastern Branch is neither the oldest nor the largest of our society's branches—the Pacific is first in both categories — but entomology as practiced in its constituent states and provinces has a rich tradition. As E. H. Smith points out in his history of ESA in this issue, North American entomology developed from and moved in two major, interacting streams: the biological sciences and agriculture. Both have a proud heritage in the East.
Surface roughness and dry friction.

Persson's multiscale contact mechanics theory combined with a multiscale Brillouin-Prandtl-Tomlinson model is used to show that on the basis of these models ``dry friction'' [i.e., kinetic friction that remains at exceedingly small velocities (but still above the creep range) close to its value at higher velocities] should almost always occur for self-affine surfaces when the dominant interaction between two surfaces in contact is due to interatomic hard core repulsion, except for extremely smooth surfaces (i.e., surfaces with a Hurst index very close to 1).
Numerical Study of Enhancement of Regenerative Cooling Using Ribs

Advancements in liquid propellant rocket engines (LPRE) are requiring higher thermal loads for long duration times. Regenerative cooling has been shown to be a highly effective cooling technique for LPRE. To authors’ knowledge, there have not been any previous work published that explores the use of turbulators in regenerative cooling channels for LPRE application. In the present study, regenerative cooling of a high performance engine is modeled numerically to explore the effects of introducing turbulence inducing structures to the coolant passages. The addition of longitudinal ribs at critical locations within the coolant channel have shown to reduce the maximum temperature experienced by the nozzle casing by 32K with a less than 1% pressure rise compared to the conventional design. The addition of ribs is observed to provide a relatively uniform increase in the local heat transfer on the coolant channel surface.
The missing link in teacher professional development: student presence

With a continuing disconnect between structural changes to the work of teaching and the work of teachers engaged with students in classrooms, this paper addresses a growing need to attend to the way teacher professional development (TPD) is enacted in today’s schools. Specifically, drawing from theories of teacher learning and numerous models of TPD that have been implemented over the past 30 years, we argue that the physical presence of students is the missing variable in the majority of TPD efforts. To help organize and advance the latest in TPD research and practice, the purpose of this article is to provide a framework for administrators, teacher leaders, and teachers to either evaluate or initiate TPD in relation to levels of physical student presence. Ultimately, we argue that changes in TPD structures cannot be expected to yield changes in TPD culture. Likewise, changes in the culture surrounding TPD cannot be expected to lead to changes in TPD structures. Rather, changes in TPD structures and cult...
Accelerated Physical Stability Testing of Amorphous Dispersions.

The goal was to develop an accelerated physical stability testing method of amorphous dispersions. Water sorption is known to cause plasticization and may accelerate drug crystallization. In an earlier investigation, it was observed that both the increase in mobility and decrease in stability in amorphous dispersions was explained by the “plasticization” effect of water (Mehta et al. Mol. Pharmaceutics 2016, 13 (4), 1339–1346). In this work, the influence of water concentration (up to 1.8% w/w) on the correlation between mobility and crystallization in felodipine dispersions was investigated. With an increase in water content, the α-relaxation time as well as the time for 1% w/w felodipine crystallization decreased. The relaxation times of the systems, obtained with different water concentration, overlapped when the temperature was scaled (Tg/T). The temperature dependencies of the α-relaxation time as well as the crystallization time were unaffected by the water concentration. Thus, the value of the coup...
Haloaldehyde polymeres XIII. Polydibromofluoroacetaldehyde

Dibromofluoracetaldehyde (DBFA) was prepared by reducing methyl dibromofluoroacetate with lithium aluminium hydride (LAH) at low temperatures whereby theLAH was added to dibromofluoroacetate. The initially obtainedDBFA hydrate was dehydrated to the free aldehyde. Methyl dibromofluoroacetate was synthesized together with methyl bromodifluoroacetate by air oxidation of 1,1-dibromo-2,2-difluoroethylene. The mixture of oxidation products, consisting of two acid halides, was treated with methanol and gave a mixture of the methyl esters which here separated by distillation.
The DD Check App for prevention and control of digital dermatitis in dairy herds

Digital dermatitis (DD) is the most important infectious claw disease in the cattle industry causing outbreaks of lameness. The clinical course of disease can be classified using 5 clinical stages. M-stages represent not only different disease severities but also unique clinical characteristics and outcomes. Monitoring the proportions of cows per M-stage is needed to better understand and address DD and factors influencing risks of DD in a herd. Changes in the proportion of cows per M-stage over time or between groups may be attributed to differences in management, environment, or treatment and can have impact on the future claw health of the herd. Yet trends in claw health regarding DD are not intuitively noticed without statistical analysis of detailed records. Our specific aim was to develop a mobile application (app) for persons with less statistical training, experience or supporting programs that would standardize M-stage records, automate data analysis including trends of M-stages over time, the calculation of predictions and assignments of Cow Types (i.e., Cow Types I-III are assigned to cows without active lesions, single and repeated cases of active DD lesions, respectively). The predictions were the stationary distributions of transitions between DD states (i.e., M-stages or signs of chronicity) in a class-structured multi-state Markov chain population model commonly used to model endemic diseases. We hypothesized that the app can be used at different levels of record detail to discover significant trends in the prevalence of M-stages that help to make informed decisions to prevent and control DD on-farm. Four data sets were used to test the flexibility and value of the DD Check App. The app allows easy recording of M-stages in different environments and is flexible in terms of the users' goals and the level of detail used. Results show that this tool discovers trends in M-stage proportions, predicts potential outbreaks of DD, and makes comparisons among Cow Types, signs of chronicity, scorers or pens. The DD Check App also provides a list of cows that should be treated augmented by individual Cow Types to help guide treatment and determine prognoses. Producers can be proactive instead of reactive in controlling DD in a herd by using this app. The DD Check App serves as an example of how technology makes knowledge and advice of veterinary epidemiology widely available to monitor, control and prevent this complex disease.
A review on organic spintronic materials and devices: II. Magnetoresistance in organic spin valves and spin organic light emitting diodes

Abstract In the preceding review paper, Paper I [Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices 1 (2016) 128–140], we showed the major experimental and theoretical studies on the first organic spintronic subject, namely organic magnetoresistance (OMAR) in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The topic has recently been of renewed interest as a result of a demonstration of the magneto-conductance (MC) that exceeds 1000% at room temperature using a certain type of organic compounds and device operating condition. In this report, we will review two additional organic spintronic devices, namely organic spin valves (OSVs) where only spin polarized holes exist to cause magnetoresistance (MR), and spin organic light emitting diodes (spin-OLEDs) where both spin polarized holes and electrons are injected into the organic emissive layer to form a magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) hysteretic loop. First, we outline the major advances in OSV studies for understanding the underlying physics of the spin transport mechanism in organic semiconductors (OSCs) and the spin injection/detection at the organic/ferromagnet interface (spinterface). We also highlight some of outstanding challenges in this promising research field. Second, the first successful demonstration of spin-OLEDs is reviewed. We also discuss challenges to achieve the high performance devices. Finally, we suggest an outlook on the future of organic spintronics by using organic single crystals and aligned polymers for the spin transport layer, and a self-assembled monolayer to achieve more controllability for the spinterface.
Inhalation anesthesia induced by isoflurane alters penicillin disposition in swine tissues

Twelve healthy swine were dosed with penicillin G intramuscularly. Fluids and tissues samples were collected at the end of two periods of general anesthesia, performed 24 h apart. Tissue samples were collected by minimally invasive laparoscopy under general anesthesia at 8 and 28 h postdose. Four nonanesthetized, penicillin-treated pigs were euthanized at 8 h postdose, and a second set of four similarly treated control pigs were sacrificed 28 h postdose. Liver penicillin tissue concentrations from animals that underwent anesthesia and laparoscopic tissue collection had tissue concentrations that were higher than nonanesthetized pigs at both time points. Urine, plasma, kidney, skeletal, and cardiac muscle showed no differences between the two groups. Laparoscopic tissue collection under general anesthesia in swine induces physiological changes that cause alterations in tissue pharmacokinetics not seen in conscious animals.
Renal progenitors: Roles in kidney disease and regeneration

Kidney disease is a devastating condition that affects millions of people worldwide, and its prevalence is predicted to significantly increase. The kidney is a complex organ encompassing many diverse cell types organized in a elaborate tissue architecture, making regeneration a challenging feat. In recent years, there has been a surge in the field of stem cell research to develop regenerative therapies for various organ systems. Here, we review some recent progressions in characterizing the role of renal progenitors in development, regeneration, and kidney disease in mammals. We also discuss how the zebrafish provides a unique experimental animal model that can provide a greater molecular and genetic understanding of renal progenitors, which may contribute to the development of potential regenerative therapies for human renal afflictions.
Determining Mutation Density Using Restriction Enzyme Sequence Comparative Analysis (RESCAN)

The average mutation density of a mutant population is a major consideration when developing resources for the efficient, cost-effective implementation of reverse genetics methods such as Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING). Reliable estimates of mutation density can be achieved by the analysis of several selected loci from hundreds of individuals via mismatch cleavage of heteroduplexes or sequencing. A more rapid and less expensive alternative involves reduced representation sequencing of the genomes of a few individuals. Here we present a detailed protocol for the construction of restriction enzyme sequence comparative analysis (RESCAN) sequencing libraries using a combination of single restriction enzyme digestion and solid phase reversible immobilization-based size selection of restriction fragments. Indexing of the libraries using barcoded adapters enables cost-saving multiplexing prior to sequencing on an Illumina platform. Mutation density can be determined from the resulting sequence data with or without a reference genome.
The use of spiral computed tomography in the evaluation of vessel encasement for pancreatic cancer

Spiral CT allows for a noninvasive evaluation of the mesenteric arterial and venous vessels. This test can be performed quicker, with less expense, and with a reduced radiation and contrast load than angiography. Comparison studies of angiography and spiral CT are needed in patients with pancreatic cancer to determine the best method of evaluating possible vessel involvement. Preoperative imaging of patients with pancreatic cancer is crucial in determining resectability and planning management. Computed tomography (CT) remains the diagnostic procedure of choice for the evaluation of the primary tumor and angiography is the gold standard to evaluate vessel encasement. This case evaluates the usefulness of spiral computed tomography in determining vessel encasement. A 53-yr-old female presented with vague abdominal complaints and evaluation revealed a mass in the pancreas. CT suggested portal vein involvement and collateralization was noted in the upper abdomen. Spiral CT revealed normal arterial anatomy and near complete obstruction of the portal vein at the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) splenic vein (SV) confluence. Operative findings confirmed the involvement of the portal vein at the confluence of the SMV and SV. Pancreatico-duodenectomy with portal vein resection and primary anastomosis was performed. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged home on the 13th postoperative day.
Towards interactive analytics and visualization on one billion tweets

We present a system called "Cloudberry" that allows users to interactively query, analyze, and visualize large amounts of data with temporal, spatial, and textual dimensions. As a general-purpose full-stack solution, it has a friendly UI, intelligent middleware, and a powerful big data management backend running Apache AsterixDB to enable big data analytics and visualization. We will demonstrate the system using Twitter data on a computer cluster.
There and Back Again: Loss and Reacquisition of Two-Cys Photocycles in Cyanobacteriochromes

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are cyanobacterial photoreceptors distantly related to phytochromes. Both families use linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophores that are covalently attached to a conserved Cys residue. CBCRs are more spectrally diverse than phytochromes, with known examples detecting light from the near ultraviolet to the edge of the infrared (370-750 nm). Detection of ultraviolet to blue light by CBCRs is mediated by a second Cys residue, which forms a covalent linkage to the bilin C10 atom. Second linkage formation is best understood in a subfamily possessing a conserved Asp-Xaa-Cys-Phe (DXCF) motif. Some DXCF CBCRs can isomerize their phycocyanobilin (PCB) chromophores into phycoviolobilin (PVB), a property not reported for other lineages. Both the DXCF Cys and PVB formation have been lost during evolution of other CBCR subfamilies. Using phylogenetic analysis and characterization of recombinantly expressed CBCRs, we show that the DXCF Cys residue has also been reacquired during CBCR evolution. Guided by this knowledge, we successfully reintroduced a second cysteine into a red/green CBCR, restoring blue-light sensing and PVB formation with two additional substitutions. Our results validate the roles of these residues in CBCR spectral tuning and thus provide new insight into the molecular basis of their spectral diversity.
Vivre de sa fiction, vivre dans sa fiction : le processus créateur au défi du numérique

Resume Cet article traite du rapport entre l’identite numerique d’un auteur et la creation de son œuvre. L’auteur et moi (2012) d’Eric Chevillard sert d’etude de cas pour examiner le processus creatif a partir duquel la presence numerique de cet auteur renforce et avance son projet d’ecrivain. Il s’agit de remettre en question l’authenticite du reel en analysant les facons dont Chevillard se confond avec ses personnages, qui sont souvent eux-memes des ecrivains. Cette confluence d’identites devient d’autant plus complexe lorsque le numerique brouille les frontieres entre le reel et le virtuel, permettant a Chevillard de se servir de son site-web, de son blog et de ses interviews pour effacer davantage toute distinction entre lui-meme et son persona. La presence auctoriale, devenue proteiforme et omnipresente, est disposee a interroger les partis-pris du lecteur et a explorer les enjeux de la litterature contemporaine dans une culture numerique. Abstract This article reflects on the relationship between an author’s digital identity and the creation of literary works. The Author and Me (2012, transl. 2014) by Eric Chevillard, serves as a case study to examine the creative undertaking by which the digital presence of this author reinforces and advances his literary project. The goal is to challenge the authenticity of the real by analyzing the ways in which Chevillard confuses himself with his characters, who are often writers themselves. This confluence of identities becomes more complex as the digital blurs the boundaries between the real and the virtual, allowing Chevillard to use his website, blog and interviews to further undermine the distinction between himself and his persona. Having become protean and ubiquitous, authorial presence is well-positioned to call into question a reader’s biases and explore the stakes of contemporary literature in digitally-mediated culture.
Surrogate-Based Approach to Calculate the Bayes Factor

Calculation of the Bayes factor for comparison of computationally expensive models is not a straight forward process. To obtain the model’s evidence, numerical integration methods are often implemented. To apply these methods, many samples should be obtained from the model, requiring the model to be run thousands of times. In this paper, we propose to use a probability distribution function as a surrogate model for the evidence. Considering the second axiom of probability, a modified scale factor used for fitting the surrogate model to the integrand would be an estimate of the model’s evidence, and no further integration is needed after the surrogate model is fitted to the integrand. Two structural models are compared to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method. The Bayes factor is estimated for both models using Monte Carlo integration and the proposed method. Results show that fewer numbers of samples of the structural models are needed when the proposed method is applied. Therefore, this method reduces the computational cost required to compare models in a probabilistic sense.
Adaptive B Cell Responses to Influenza Virus Infection in the Lung

Abstract Adaptive B cell response is a key arm of protective immunity against influenza viruses. Owing to the acutely infectious and cytopathic nature of these viruses, efficient containment of viral spread relies on the prompt provision of protective antibodies to the site of virus infection, the respiratory tract (RT). To accelerate the protective antibody response, B cell responses can be ectopically induced, maintained, and reactivated in the lungs after primary and secondary infection, thereby providing an anatomical advantage in supplying neutralizing antibodies against reinfecting viruses with faster kinetics. However, the prompt supply of protective antibodies may be insufficient to protect against reinfection because influenza viruses can easily change their antigenic profiles to escape antibody surveillance. B cell responses have multiple strategies for adjusting antibody repertoires according to viral fitness, one of which is the formation of local germinal centers capable of selecting B cell r...