cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactive oxygen species: role in the development of cancer and various chronic conditions

Oxygen derived species such as superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical are well known to be cytotoxic and have been implicated in the etiology of a wide array of human diseases, including cancer. Various carcinogens may also partly exert their effect by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) during their metabolism. Oxidative damage to cellular DNA can lead to mutations and may, therefore, play an important role in the initiation and progression of multistage carcinogenesis. The changes in DNA such as base modification, rearrangement of DNA sequence, miscoding of DNA lesion, gene duplication and the activation of oncogenes may be involved in the initiation of various cancers. Elevated levels of ROS and down regulation of ROS scavengers and antioxidant enzymes are associated with various human diseases including various cancers. ROS are also implicated in diabtes and neurodegenerative diseases. ROS influences central cellular processes such as proliferation a, apoptosis, senescence which are implicated in the development of cancer. Understanding the role of ROS as key mediators in signaling cascades may provide various opportunities for pharmacological intervention.
Addressing PTSD in Low-Income Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: Moving toward a Comprehensive Intervention

Research indicates that female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other negative mental health outcomes. Low-income women of color experience IPV at disproportionately high rates and may need a comprehensive array of resources to recover from victimization. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy, a psychotherapeutic approach, has been established as the most effective treatment for PTSD in some populations, psychotherapy may not be sufficient for this population of survivors. This article reviews the relevant research and literature on treatment approaches for victims of IPV and provides an overview of studies investigating more holistic intervention approaches that feature components such as social support groups and advocacy, in addition to psychotherapy. Relying on conservation of resources theory, which posits a relationship between resources and psychological stress, and a relationship-oriented ecological framework, this article presents a model of a comprehensive intervention for disadvantaged minority victims of IPV that can help address issues related to PTSD and empower survivors to access necessary resources.
In Vitro Digestibility and Chemical Composition of Kikuyugrass as Influenced by Soil Silicon, Liming, and Genotype

Kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov.) is an active silicon (Si) accumulator, and Si can reduce the organic‐matter digestibility of forage grasses. Calcium carbonate (crushed coral) applications to a low Si Maile silt loam soil (Acrudoxic Hydrudands) had no effect on the in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) concentration of 3‐week‐old (4.5‐leaf‐per‐tiller stage of development) ‘Whittet’ kikuyugrass regrowth, whereas calcium silicate (wollastonite) applied at the calcium equivalent of the calcium carbonate rates produced a curvilinear (crescent‐shaped quadratic) IVDOM response. Whittet IVDOM decreased when grass Si concentration exceeded about 22 g kg−1 or when 0.5 M acetic acid–extractable soil Si exceeded about 230 mg kg−1. Common and ‘Hosaka’ kikuyugrass regrowth on the Maile soil had less Si and greater IVDOM concentrations than those observed for high‐Si Kohala (Humic Dystrustepts) and Waialua (Pachic Haplustolls) silty clay soils. Whittet had greater crude protein and IVDOM con...
Peeling the Onion: Getting Inside Experience‐Based Leadership Development

There doesn't seem to be much disagreement that experience should be at the heart of leadership development. The energy in the commentaries was around building on the existing foundation of knowledge about experience-based leadership development, bolstering certain areas to make it more complete and usable. I examine more closely several of the issues raised in the commentaries: the role of training and education in leadership development, increasing the probability that the desired learning from experience actually happens, and the transfer of learning.
The projection of species distribution models and the problem of non-analog climate

By 2100, a quarter or more of the Earth’s land surface may experience climatic conditions that have no modern analog, with novel climates predicted to arise primarily in regions that currently support high levels of biodiversity (Williams et al. 2007). Further, global commerce will continue to transport species beyond long-standing dispersal barriers, potentially unleashing biological invaders into regions outside of those in which they evolved. Global climatic change and biological invasions will each have important and likely synergistic impacts on biodiversity. However, the emergence of non-analog climates (i.e., climatic conditions that do not presently exist) and the introduction of species to new biogeographical settings challenge our ability to anticipate these impacts because little information exists to predict how species may respond under novel environments.
Identifying Data Transfer Objects in EJB Applications

Data transfer object (DTO) is a design pattern that is commonly used in Enterprise Java applications. Identification of DTOs has a range of uses for program comprehension, optimization, and evolution. We propose a dynamic analysis for identifying DTOs in Enterprise Java applications. The analysis tracks the reads and writes of object fields, and maintains information about the application tier that initiates the field access. The lifecycle of a DTO is represented by a finite state automaton that captures the relevant run-time events and the location of the code that triggers these events. We implemented the proposed approach using the JVMTI infrastructure in Java 6, and performed a study on a real-world Enterprise Java application which is deployed for commercial use. Our results indicate that the dynamic analysis achieves high precision and has acceptable overhead.
The Effect of Temperature Gradient on the Free-Edge Interlaminar Stresses in Multi-Layered Structures

For a multilayered anisotropic laminate, the intense and localized interlaminar stresses in the vicinity of a free edge may be significantly affected by non-uniformity of the temperature load. An efficient analysis method, based on polynomial expansions of the stress functions with respect to the thickness coordinate and the principle of complementary energy, is further developed in the present work to evaluate localized free-edge stresses under non-uniform temperature loads. The variational method yields closed-form solutions of the interlaminar stresses in terms of eigenfunctions. Interlaminar stresses are obtained for symmetric, four-layer, cross-ply and angle ply laminates subjected to a uniform temperature load and to linearly varying non-uniform temperature loads. It is shown that a temperature gradient may contribute significantly to the free-edge interlaminar stresses even if the local value of the temperature increment vanishes at the intersection of the interface and the free edge.
Battery swapping modularity design for plug-in HEVs using the augmented lagrangian decomposition method

A distributed supervisory controller is proposed to achieve battery component swapping modularity (CSM) for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The CSM permits to distribute a part of the controller to the battery module such that the PHEV can use a range of batteries while providing optimal fuel economy. A feedback based controller is proposed to facilitate battery CSM design. The control strategy is to optimize fuel economy and driving performance in terms of wheel power tracking error, while smoothing engine power and sustaining battery state of charge. The distributed controller with battery CSM is obtained by solving a bi-level optimization problem via the augmented lagrangian decomposition method. The simulation results demonstrate that battery CSM can be achieved without compromising fuel economy.
Holocene ostracod palaeobiogeography of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan: impact of opening of the strait

In this study, published Holocene ostracod data for Osaka, Hiroshima, and Iyo-nada Bays within the Seto Inland Sea (SIS), Japan, are re-examined. Five major faunal changes are recognized at different stratigraphic horizons (Horizons 1–5) in the Holocene sedimentary record. Horizons 1 and 5 (faunal changes) were most likely triggered by the respective openings of the Bisan-seto (and resulting formation of the SIS) and Akashi Straits. Three other major faunal changes, at Horizons 2–4, may also be linked to the opening of straits and resulting formation of bays, although the exact nature of these events is less certain. This re-examination indicates that the opening of straits extensively affected the benthic inner-bay community during the Holocene transgression in the SIS. Further high-resolution studies are needed for confirmation of faunal changes triggered by opening of straits.
Detecting drowsiness while driving using wavelet transform

The EEG signal is an indicator of the alertness of an individual. In this study, the EEG of six subjects was recorded while driving a vehicle simulator. After driving, they were asked to observe their driving in the same position without any movement. The recorded data is analyzed using wavelet transform with Daubechies wavelet of order four as the mother wavelet. As the number of laps increases, repeated driving and viewing of the same track leads to the monotony of long distance driving and alpha waves (8-13 Hz) are observed with increasing amplitude. The color-coding makes it easier to observe these waves thus enabling us to give instant feedback.
Difference frequency mixing in LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguides using an adiabatically tapered periodically-segmented coupling region

Summary form only given. We optimized waveguide designs for mixing 755-785 nm with 1064 nm to generate 2.6-3.0 /spl mu/m based on previously developed models of the linear and nonlinear properties of annealed proton exchanged (APE) LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguides. To solve the mode-coupling problem we developed a hybrid waveguide structure. The input region is single moded at both near-IR input wavelengths, the connecting segment is adiabatically tapered to effect mode conversion to the fundamental mode of the difference frequency generation (DFG) waveguide, and the mixing region is optimized for DFG of the idler wavelength.
Route adaptation in response to changes in network activity in mobile frequency-hop networks

An adaptive routing protocol is defined and evaluated that uses a measure of the network activity in making routing decisions. The distributed routing protocol is designed to conserve energy when possible without increasing delay or decreasing packet success probability. It operates in a frequency-hop network in which mobile radios employ an adaptive-transmission protocol. Each radio monitors the amount of time that it is transmitting or receiving, and it uses this information to calculate an on-air ratio. This on-air ratio provides each radio with a measure of its activity level, which is used by a radio to determine when to adapt its routing protocol. When the network activity is low, a radio strives to employ low-energy links in forwarding packets. As the activity level increases, the routing protocol adapts by employing more high-quality routes in an effort to maintain low delay and high packet success rate. Our simulation results for mobile networks show that routing based on network activity levels provides energy savings when the opportunity exists, yet it achieves low delay and high packet success probability.
The one over eight squared algorithm: a new way for computing convolutions and complex multiplications

The one over eight squared algorithm, which can be useful in computing tasks with convolutional complexity, is presented. The algorithm reduces the address-space requirement and hardware investment for table look-up implementations of convolutions and complex multiplications. Although the algorithm directly computes two-point convolutions (or complex multiplications), higher-order convolutions can be computed using two-point ones. >
A loopless implementation of a gray code for signed permutations

Conway, Sloane and Wilks (1989) proved the existence of a Gray code for the reflection group Bn. The elements of this group are the signed permutations of the set 1,2,...,n . Here we give al oopless algorithm which generates a specific Gray code for Bn.
Abstract CN08-04: Novel topoisomerase I inhibitors in development

Camptothecins are effective against previously resistant tumors. Because camptothecins are presently the only class of topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitors approved for cancer treatment, and because camptothecins have limitations including dose‐limiting toxicity, chemical instability, and are susceptible to drug efflux transporter, we developed the indenoisoquinolines. Like camptothecins, the indenoisoquinolines selectively trap Top1‐DNA cleavage complexes and have been co‐crystallized with the Top1‐DNA cleavage complexes. Indenoisoquinolines show antitumor activity in animal models. They have several advantages over the camptothecins: 1) They are synthetic and chemically stable (unlike camptothecins); 2) The Top1 cleavage sites trapped by the indenoisoquinolines have different genomic locations than camptothecins, implying differential targeting of cancer cell genomes; 3) The Top1 cleavage complexes trapped by indenoisoquinolines are more stable than for camptothecins, indicative of prolonged drug action; and 4) They are less or not substrates for the multidrug resistance efflux pumps (ABCG2 and MDR‐1). Among the more than 400 indenoisoquinolines synthesized and evaluated, three have been retained as leads for clinical development by the NCI: NSC 706744, NSC 725776 (Indimitecan) and NSC 724998 (Indotecan). The trapping of Top1 cleavage complexes by indenoisoquinolines in cells results in the rapid and sustained phosphorylation of histone H2AX (referred to as ‐H2AX). We will also discuss the other class of non‐camptothecin Top1 inhibitors GENZ644283 (see abstract by D. Sooryakumar) and the use of ‐H2AX as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for the clinical development of the non‐camptothecin Top1 inhibitors. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):CN08-04.
Field Evaluation of Early Season Fungicide Substitutions on Tetranychid Mites and the Predators Neoseiulus fallacis and Agistemus fleschneri in Two Missouri Apple Orchards

Statistically significant differences among treatment means for tetranychid mites and the predators Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman) and Agistemus fleschneri Summers were shown by substituting a single fungicide in early season while maintaining an otherwise complete pesticide spray schedule on apple trees. The fungicides benomyl, sulfur, and dodine were used until July 9 and 17, respectively, in 2 orchards followed by uniform applications of captan in all treatment blocks. Benomyl and sulfur were toxic to both N. fallacis and A. fleschneri . Dodine was innocuous to N. fallacis . Minimizing early season mortality of either N. fallacis or A. fleschneri is necessary for effective tetranychid suppression. This appears to be even more critical under Missouri growing conditions due to higher temperatures during May and June as compared with more northern states.
Highly Stable Vapor-Deposited Glasses of Four Tris-naphthylbenzene Isomers

Recent reports have shown that physical vapor deposition can prepare organic glasses with remarkably high kinetic stability and low enthalpy in comparison with ordinary glasses formed by cooling the supercooled liquid. We have prepared vapor-deposited glasses of four isomers of tris-naphthylbenzene (TNB) and characterized them using differential scanning calorimetry. We find that highly stable glasses can be prepared from all four isomers of TNB by vapor deposition at 0.85 Tg. Glasses with low enthalpy were prepared for at least three of the four isomers. Because the TNB family of isomers contains both good and poor glass-formers, these results indicate a new dimension to the generality of stable organic glass formation via physical vapor deposition.
Crop response of drought-tolerant and conventional maize hybrids in a semiarid environment

In the High Plains, corn (Zea mays L.) is an important commodity for livestock feed. However, limited water resources and drought conditions continue to hinder corn production. Drought-tolerant (DT) corn hybrids could help maintain high yields under water-limited conditions, though consistent response of such hybrids is unverified. In this two-year study, the effects of three irrigation treatments were investigated for a DT and conventional maize hybrid, Pioneer AQUAMax P0876HR and Pioneer 33Y75, respectively. In 2013, the drier of the 2 years, irrigation amounts and crop water use (ETc) were greater for the conventional hybrid, but grain water use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index were significantly greater for the DT hybrid. In 2014, grain yields and WUE were not significantly different between hybrids. However, irrigation amounts, ETc and biomass yields were greater for the conventional hybrid. Results from both years indicate that the DT hybrid required less water to maximize grain yield as compared to the conventional hybrid. Producing relatively high yields with reduced amounts of water may provide a means for producers to continue corn production in a semiarid environment with declining water supplies.
Flight Vehicle Structural Design Processes for a Common Bulkhead and an MPCV Spacecraft Adapter

Design and manufacturing space flight vehicle structures is a skill set that has grown considerably at NASA during that last several years. Beginning with the Ares program and followed by the Space Launch System (SLS), in-house designs were produced for both the upper stage and the SLS Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Spacecraft Adapter (MSA). Specifically, critical design review-level analyses and flight production drawings were produced for the aforementioned hardware. In particular, the experience of this in-house design work led to increased manufacturing infrastructure for both Marshall Space Flight Center and Michoud Assembly Facility, improved skill sets in both analysis and design, and provided hands-on experience in building and testing MSA full-scale hardware. The hardware design and development processes from initiation to critical design review and finally, to flight, resulted in many challenges and experiences that produced valuable lessons. This paper builds on these experiences of NASA in recent years on designing and fabricating flight hardware and examines the design/development processes used, as well as the challenges and lessons learned, i.e., from the initial design, loads estimation, and mass constraints to structural optimization/affordability to the release of production drawing to hardware manufacturing. While there are many documented design processes that a design engineer can follow, these unique experiences can offer insight into designing hardware in current program environments and present solutions to many of the challenges experienced by the engineering team.
Physical development of the Danzig quintuplets in their first year of life.

The physical development of the quintuplets in their first year of age is described, including anthropological measurements, psychological, hematological, immunological, and other examinations. Piotr appeared to show the highest rate of height and weight growth; Ewa, the lowest one. In the 7th month of age, head and chest circumference values achieved the standards of singletons born at term. Psychomotor development of the quintuplets was not only proper but even exceeding. Teething occurred in the 8th-10th month. Hematological examinations in the first 6 months showed some anemia, which disappeared in the 7th month. Other laboratory examinations did not show any deviations, except for slightly lowered serum level of gamma-globulins. In their first year of age the children suffered from nearly any diseases. The infections of the upper respiratory tract showed a mild course.
Allogeneic versus Autologous Source: Comparative Effects

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a safe and promising biologic therapeutic for promoting tissue repair in ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease. The mechanisms underlying the salutary effects of MSCs include multilineage differentiation potential, immunomodulatory effect, anti-fibrotic effect, and stimulation of neovascularization and endogenous progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. The immune-evasive properties of MSCs permit their use in allogeneic therapy, which offers the benefit of immediate availability and the appropriate number of cells. A growing number of clinical trials support the notion that both autologous and allogeneic MSC therapy is safe and has the capacity for repair of the myocardium. Studies are underway to determine the best tissue source of MSCs and the optimal number of cells, route(s) of delivery, and timing of the intervention. In addition, combination stem cell therapy is emerging as a strategy to improve the therapeutic potential of MSCs.
Aquatic habitat analysis as an element of water resources planning and management

With increased emphasis on environmental quality objectives in water resources planning and management, past practices of simply considering water quality as the only environmental quality objective are inappropriate. Expanded environmental quality objectives include maintenance of high quality aquatic habitat. Water resource systems must provide both physical and chemical conditions appropriate for the propagation and maintenance of healthy diverse aquatic communities. Managing water resources to provide high quality habitat involves planning to meet both water quality and water quantity objectives. Existing technology based water quality controls and stream based water quality criteria can now be supplemented by aquatic habitat management. An approach to aquatic habitat management is illustrated by use of the Incremental Methodology developed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Incremental Methodology uses measures of aquatic habitat to assess instream flows required for by aquatic life. Thus the range of environmental quality objectives in resources planning and management is expanded by application of these methods to include aquatic habitat as well as water quality management. Methods used to determine instream flow needs for rivers in Illinois are reviewed, and the use of this information in developing regulations limiting water extraction for off stream use are described. Aquatic habitat based management is shown to provide workable methods to meet expanded environmental quality objectives in water resources planning and management.
Pregnancies complicated by both preeclampsia and growth restriction between 34 and 37 weeks' gestation are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.

Objective: To determine whether adverse outcomes were more common in late preterm pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and growth restriction compared to those affected by preeclampsia alone.Met...
Wireless video content delivery through distributed caching and peer-to-peer gossiping

We present a novel approach to handle the ongoing explosive increase in the demand for video content in wireless mobile devices. We show how distributed caching and collaboration between users and femtocell-like base stations without high-speed backhaul, which we call helpers, can greatly improve throughput without suffering from the backhaul bottleneck problem common to femtocells. We also investigate the role of collaboration among users - a process that can be interpreted as the mobile devices playing the role of helpers also. This approach allows an improvement in the video throughput without deployment of any additional infrastructure.
Supervisory control of families of linear set-point controllers. II. Robustness

The supervisory control system proposed in Part I is shown to be capable of controlling the set-point of an imprecisely modelled process in the face of constant disturbance inputs and norm bounded modeling errors of both the parametric and unmodelled dynamical types. It is also shown that the overall system cannot be destabilized by bounded exogenous disturbances and measurement noise be they constant signals or not.
Bioelectric effect and bacterial biofilms. A systematic review.

Bacteria growing in biofilms cause a wide range of human infections. Biofilm bacteria are resistant to antimicrobics at levels 500 to 5,000 times higher than those needed to kill non-biofilm bacter...
Risk and Resilience in Health Data Infrastructure

Today’s health system runs on data. However, for a system that generates and requires so much data, the health care system is surprisingly bad at maintaining, connecting, and using those data. In the easy cases of coordinated care and stationary patients, the system works — sometimes. But when care is fragmented, fragmented data often result. Fragmented data create risks both to individual patients and to the system. For patients, fragmentation creates risks in care based on incomplete or incorrect information, and may also lead to privacy risks from a patched-together system. For the system, data fragmentation hinders efforts to improve efficiency and quality, and to drive health innovation based on collected data. Efforts to combat data fragmentation would benefit by considering the idea of health data infrastructure. Most obviously, that would be infrastructure for health data — that is, infrastructure on which health data can be stored and transmitted. But it should also be an infrastructure of health data — that is, a platform of shared data on which to base further efforts to increase the efficiency or quality of care.
Blue fluorescent amino acid for biological spectroscopy and microscopy

Many fluorescent proteins are currently available for biological spectroscopy and imaging measurements, allowing a wide range of biochemical and biophysical processes and interactions to be studied at various length scales. However, in applications where a small fluorescence reporter is required or desirable, the choice of fluorophores is rather limited. As such, continued effort has been devoted to the development of amino acid-based fluorophores that do not require a specific environment and additional time to mature and have a large fluorescence quantum yield, long fluorescence lifetime, good photostability, and an emission spectrum in the visible region. Herein, we show that a tryptophan analog, 4-cyanotryptophan, which differs from tryptophan by only two atoms, is the smallest fluorescent amino acid that meets these requirements and has great potential to enable in vitro and in vivo spectroscopic and microscopic measurements of proteins.
RBS Study of a Dilute Alloy of Ga(99.8% at.):Bi(0.2% at.)

Abstract Dilute alloys of bismuth in gallium (98-99% at.) are known from theoretical calculations and x-ray scattering to display a strong segregation of bismuth atoms at the surface, a monatomic layer of bismuth appearing because of the lower surface tension of the Bi compared to the Ga. Rutherford backscattering (RBS) spectra from 2 MeV He+ and 2 MeV C+ on a dilute alloy of Ga(99.8% at.):Bi(0.2% at.) have been measured. A distinct peak in the RBS spectra, corresponding to scattering from the surface of the alloy, is consistent with a monatomic layer of bismuth on the alloy over a range of temperatures for which the alloy is a liquid to room temperature where it is a solid. The peak is not observed when the alloy is cooled to a solid state and this observation is thought to be due to the irregular surface structure of the alloy. Bismuth is also observed to be uniformly distributed throughout the gallium host for the depths studied at these beam energies. Some oxide may be present due to the 10-7 Torr vacuum and the long spectral integration times.
Addressing the Problem of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Dialysis.

Multidrug-resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, are a major public health threat, especially in the population of patients on maintenance hemodialysis. The objective
Understanding College Students’ Attitudes toward Made in USA Apparel Products:Exploration of Projective Techniques

In recent years, manufacturing of apparel products in America has been increasing due to growing consumer demand, changing business models, and rising government support. Although previous research in country-of-origin (COO) literature has examined consumers’ attitudes towards American made products, many studies have focused on how consumers utilized country information as a product attribute to help them evaluate the quality of the products and to understand consumers’ views about products manufactured in developed countries vs. developing countries (e.g., Samiee, 1994).
Visceral Learning: Cardiovascular Conditioning in Primates

Behavior science developments over the past decade (Honig & Staddon, 1976), coupled with rapid advances in techniques for monitoring the circulation (Obrist, Black, Brener, & DiCara, 1974) have contributed substantially to the systematic experimental analysis of interacting cardiovascular-behavioral processes which define psychophysiological aspects of stress, anxiety, and emotional arousal. The results of rapidly expanding laboratory investigative efforts in this complex domain appear to reflect the emergence of two general models for the experimental analysis of such psychophysiological relationships (Brady & Harris, 1976). The first and more traditional concurrent model emphasizes the effects of antecedent or concurrent behavioral interactions upon the elicitation of physiological responses and has provided a productive framework for laboratory studies since at least the time of Pavlov (1879) and Cannon (1929). The second and more contemporary contingent model, in contrast, focuses upon the controlling effects of environmental-behavioral consequences which follow such physiological changes and bear a close temporal relationship to their occurrence.
Effect of biomass type, heating rate, and sample size on microwave-enhanced fast pyrolysis product yields and qualities

Abstract The products from fast pyrolysis of biomass are variable and highly dependent upon feedstock composition, particle size and geometry, and operating conditions such as heating rate, reaction temperature, and sweep gas composition and velocity. Microwave heating is internal to the biomass particles, thereby avoiding convective and conductive heat transfer limitations, which facilitates decoupling heat transfer effects from chemical reaction kinetics. This separation allows for elucidation of the primary effects of the original materials’ composition on product yields. To better understand the interconnectedness of biomass composition and fast pyrolysis (pyrolysis liquid oil yield in particular), a high throughput microwave-enhanced fast pyrolysis (MEFP) reactor was used to react 33 biomass samples with a minimum of three replicate tests each. The materials in this study included: woody feedstocks (with and without bark), agricultural residues, herbaceous energy crops, and blended feedstocks. The highest liquid yields were obtained from lumber (66.2 wt%) and tulip poplar (64.9 wt%), while the lowest yields were obtained from sorghum (47.8 wt%) and single-pass harvested corn stover (48.5 wt%). Liquid yields had an average standard deviation of 1.4 wt% (average 2.5% relative standard deviation). The MEFP achieved heating rates up to 200 °C/s, however, beyond 10 °C/s liquid oil plateaued with increasing heating rate. Multivariate regression of pyrolysis yields with over 20 feedstock properties, obtained through detailed compositional analysis, indicates that aggregated alkali and alkaline Earth metals (primarily K and Na, along with Ca and Mg) accounted for the most variability among liquid yields (R2 = 0.71). Addition of volatile matter as a second predictor variable achieved the greatest reduction of the model residuals to increase the coefficient of regression (R2) to 0.85. Liquid yield water fraction increased linearly with feedstock potassium and sodium content over a much wider range than previously observed. Pyrolysis oil acid content was found to increase with increasing volatile matter and decreasing potassium and sodium content.
An Outcomes-Based Teacher Preparation Program

As members of higher education faculties, society sees us as being in the knowledge business. The role of higher education is to develop research based knowledge and transmit it to students. Many of our critics across the campus, the state, and the country deny that teacher educators perform either role. They deny that there is any research based knowledge relevant to the practice of teaching. They assert instead that professors of education function as master teachers who pass on the accumulated folklore of teaching to apprentices—a function schools can do better than the institution of higher education can.
SPONTANEOUS HEALING OF A BUCCAL BIFURCATION CYST: A CASE REPORT

Background The buccal bifurcation cyst is an uncommon odontogenic cyst that is associated with mandibular permanent molars. Histopathologic features are not distinctive, making diagnosis dependent on clinical and radiographic findings. Molar vitality and buccal tilting of the crown are evident in most cases. Radiographically, the lesion usually presents as a radiolucency on the buccal aspect of the tooth. The apices of the roots are tilted toward the lingual cortex of the mandible. A 15-year-old female presented for orthodontic screening. Upon radiographic examination of a pantomograph, a radiolucent lesion was noted on the furcation area of the mandibular left second molar. A 10-mm periodontal pocket on the facial aspect was detected. The tooth was determined to be vital on endodontic examination. A partialvolume cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was performed and showed a well-defined, corticated, round, radiolucent entity in the furcation area of the mandibular left second molar, with lingual tilting of the roots. A diagnosis of buccal bifurcation cyst was made. The patient decided not to have a biopsy and preferred a periodic follow-up. After 6 months, on clinical examination, all tissues were within normal limits. On radiographic examination of a new partial-volume CBCT scan, the lesion had significantly decreased in size, and there was evidence of bone deposition. Discussion/Conclusions As the histopathologic features of the buccal bifurcation cysts are nonspecific, diagnosis of this entity has to be based on its clinical and radiographic characteristics. Over time, treatments for this condition have changed drastically, ranging from tooth extraction and curettage to enucleation and preservation of the tooth. Lately, a new and more conservative approach has been described. Only a few cases have been reported in which the cyst resolved after periodontal probing or daily irrigation of the buccal pocket with saline. This new approach is described as micromarsupialization.
Opportunities and dilemmas of in vitro nano neural electrodes

Developing electrophysiological platforms to capture electrical activities of neurons and exert modulatory stimuli lays the foundation for many neuroscience-related disciplines, including the neuron–machine interface, neuroprosthesis, and mapping of brain circuitry. Intrinsically more advantageous than genetic and chemical neuronal probes, electrical interfaces directly target the fundamental driving force—transmembrane currents—behind the complicated and diverse neuronal signals, allowing for the discovery of neural computational mechanisms of the most accurate extent. Furthermore, establishing electrical access to neurons is so far the most promising solution to integrate large-scale, high-speed modern electronics with neurons that are highly dynamic and adaptive. Over the evolution of electrode-based electrophysiologies, there has long been a trade-off in terms of precision, invasiveness, and parallel access due to limitations in fabrication techniques and insufficient understanding of membrane–electrode interactions. On the one hand, intracellular platforms based on patch clamps and sharp electrodes suffer from acute cellular damage, fluid diffusion, and labor-intensive micromanipulation, with little room for parallel recordings. On the other hand, conventional extracellular microelectrode arrays cannot detect from subcellular compartments or capture subthreshold membrane potentials because of the large electrode size and poor seal resistance, making it impossible to depict a comprehensive picture of a neuron's electrical activities. Recently, the application of nanotechnology on neuronal electrophysiology has brought about a promising solution to mitigate these conflicts on a single chip. In particular, three dimensional nanostructures of 10–100 nm in diameter are naturally fit to achieve the purpose of precise and localized interrogations. Engineering them into vertical nanoprobes bound on planar substrates resulted in excellent membrane–electrode seals and high-density electrode distribution. There is no doubt that 3D vertical nanoelectrodes have achieved a fundamental milestone in terms of high precision, low invasiveness, and parallel recording at the neuron–electrode interface, albeit with there being substantial engineering issues that remain before the potential of nano neural interfaces can be fully exploited. Within this framework, we review the qualitative breakthroughs and opportunities brought about by 3D vertical nanoelectrodes, and discuss the major limitations of current electrode designs with respect to rational and seamless cell-on-chip systems.
Transit and Transfer: Between Germany and Israel in the Granddaughters’ Generation

This chapter traces the iterations of flight, transition and upheaval in the narratives of two recent German novels written by female members of the third generation after the Holocaust, Mirna Funk’s Winternahe [Near to Winter] (2015) and Olga Grjasnowa’s Der Russe ist einer, der Birken liebt [All Russians Love Birch Trees] (2014). The trajectories of the central female characters in each novel highlight the interconnectedness of political, personal and historical memory for women who inherent familial trauma. Despite the characters’ ability to move as individuals across the boundaries of the two countries, the transference of their inherited, familial memories of the Holocaust and subsequent political traumas into a new national space suggests the impossibility of transcendence and homecoming in a late-Zionist era.
Progressive stenosis of a popliteal artery stent graft by laminated thrombus.

Abstract We present a case of failed popliteal artery aneurysm repair using a Viabahn stent graft (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz) due to laminated thrombus formation. A 75-year-old man presented with a symptomatic popliteal artery aneurysm. He was treated with a Viabahn stent graft. On follow-up, the patient complained of lower extremity claudication, and duplex ultrasound examination showed a focal intrastent stenosis. A computed tomography scan showed a significant stenosis within the stent graft, at the level of the knee joint creases. The patient underwent superficial femoral artery to distal popliteal surgery. This case report aims to expand on the mechanism of stent graft failure in popliteal aneurysms.
Eric Voegelin and Enlightenment Rationalism

The twentieth-century philosopher Eric Voegelin (1901–1985) provides a critique of Enlightenment rationalism in his From Enlightenment to Revolution (1975), revised and republished in his collected works as Crisis and the Apocalypse of Man. Voegelin was especially concerned that Enlightenment thinkers like Helvetius, D’Alembert, Turgot, Auguste Comte, and Condorcet truncated the horizon of reality by closing off the philosophical search for truth. The legacy of the Enlightenment was to create the Religion of Humanity, as Comte did, or substitute man for God as with Turgot’s mass totale. Such thinker laid the groundwork for the immanentizing ideologies of the totalitarian age. Voegelin’s criticism of Enlightenment rationalism fits into three primary categories: (1) Enlightenment rationalism elevates method above philosophical substance and historical experience; (2) Enlightenment rationalism is irrational because it is reductionistic; it is unwilling “to recognize the ratio of ontology and philosophical anthropology”; and (3) Enlightenment rationalism embraces a progressive historicism that claims to know the meaning of history thus ending the search for meaning in history.
Agreement Prediction of Arguments in Cyber Argumentation for Detecting Stance Polarity and Intensity

In online debates, users express different levels of agreement/disagreement with one another’s arguments and ideas. Often levels of agreement/disagreement are implicit in the text, and must be predicted to analyze collective opinions. Existing stance detection methods predict the polarity of a post’s stance toward a topic or post, but don’t consider the stance’s degree of intensity. We introduce a new research problem, stance polarity and intensity prediction in response relationships between posts. This problem is challenging because differences in stance intensity are often subtle and require nuanced language understanding. Cyber argumentation research has shown that incorporating both stance polarity and intensity data in online debates leads to better discussion analysis. We explore five different learning models: Ridge-M regression, Ridge-S regression, SVR-RF-R, pkudblab-PIP, and T-PAN-PIP for predicting stance polarity and intensity in argumentation. These models are evaluated using a new dataset for stance polarity and intensity prediction collected using a cyber argumentation platform. The SVR-RF-R model performs best for prediction of stance polarity with an accuracy of 70.43% and intensity with RMSE of 0.596. This work is the first to train models for predicting a post’s stance polarity and intensity in one combined value in cyber argumentation with reasonably good accuracy.
Systematic Review of Intraoperative Assessment Tools in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

ABSTRACT Objective : To collect, summarize, and evaluate the currently available intraoperative rating tools used in abdominal minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS). Data Sources : Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases from January 1, 2000 to May 12, 2020 Methods of Study Selection : A systematic search strategy was designed and executed. Published studies evaluating an assessment tool in abdominal MIGS cases were included. Studies focused on simulation, reviews, and abstracts without a published manuscript were excluded. Risk of bias and methodologic quality were assessed for each study. Tabulation : Disparate study methods prevented quantitative synthesis of the data. Integration and Results : 10 studies were included in the analysis. Tools were grouped into global (n=4) and procedure specific assessments (n=6). Most studies evaluated small numbers of surgeons and lacked a comparison group to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool. All studies demonstrated content validity, at least one dimension of reliability, and 2 have external validity. The intraoperative procedure specific tools have been more thoroughly evaluated compared to the global scales. Conclusions : Procedure specific intraoperative assessment tools for MIGS cases are more thoroughly evaluated compared to global tools; however, poor-quality studies and borderline reliability limit their use. Well designed, controlled studies evaluating the effectiveness of intraoperative assessment tools in MIGS are needed.
A Reconstruction of Transnational Legal Pluralism and Law's Foundations

This essay addresses core theoretical issues surrounding global/transnational legal pluralism, taking up the work of leading theorists. First, I demonstrate that global legal pluralism is very different from earlier versions of legal pluralism (postcolonial and sociological). Next, I expose the flaw of over-inclusive conceptions of legal pluralism, which appears in the global legal pluralism of Paul Berman, and I explain why theoretical concepts of law cannot solve this flaw. I then address the profusion of private and hybrid regulatory forms on the domestic and transnational levels, and I mark the line between theory and practice. Thereafter, I expose problems with the relational concept of law formulated for global legal pluralism by Ralf Michaels, showing why it is unsuitable for many situations of legal pluralism. The approach to transnational legal pluralism I articulate avoids these conceptual problems. It centers on conventionally identified forms of law that vary and change over time, which can be grouped in terms of three categories: community law, regime law, and cross-polity law. Finally, I set forth a handful of specific lessons for a reconstructed transnational legal pluralism.
A Vision-Based Method For Estimating Contact Forces In Intracardiac Catheters

Atrial fibrillation is a kind of cardiac arrhythmia in which the electrical signals of the heart are uncoordinated. The prevalence of this disease is increasing globally and the curative treatment for this problem is catheter ablation therapy. The adequate contact force between the tip of a catheter and cardiac tissue significantly can increase the efficiency and sustainability of the mentioned treatment. To satisfy the need of cardiologists for haptic feedback during the surgery and increase the efficacy of ablation therapy, in this paper a sensorfree method is proposed in such a way that the system is able to estimate the force directly from image data. To this end, a mechanical setup is designed and implemented to imitate the real ablation procedure. A novel vision-based feature extraction algorithm is also proposed to obtain catheter’s bending variations obtained from the setup. Using the extracted feature, machine learning algorithms are responsible of estimating the forces. The results revealed ${MAE \lt }0.0041$ and the proposed system is able to estimate the force precisely.
Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors of a Health Department Central-South Chile: Trend from 2015 to 2019

The objective was to evaluate the trend of physical activity (PA) and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in a Department of Health in Chile between 2015 and 2019. Records of people ≥15 years of age were analysed to determine the trend of PA, nutritional status, cardiometabolic diseases and lifestyles. The probability that these variables occurred over the years was calculated. A tendency to decrease in PA was found in all cases, in men and women, and an increase in CVRF for all cases and in women; between 2015 and 2019, there was a certain stability in men. Women who consulted for PA in July-September 2019 were more likely to do so compared to men (OR: 2.09, p < .001), women with obesity (OR: 1.81, p < .0001), overweight (OR: 1.91, p < .0001), hypertension (OR: 1.15, p = .01), high blood glucose (OR: 1.36, p < .0001) and smoking (OR: 2.4, p < .0001) were more likely to suffer them compared to men in April-June 2019. It is concluded that the highest and lowest periods in the cases of PA and CVRF could be known, and the probability that these occurred over time could be estimated. PA can be important for the control and treatment of CVRF.