cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recycling of natural and synthetic isoprene rubbers

Abstract: This chapter provides an up-to-date account of reuse, recycling and devulcanization of natural and synthetic isoprene rubbers. Landfilling and waste utilization, grinding and pulverization, high pressure high temperature sintering, pyrolysis, microwave, ultrasonic, chemical, mechanochemical and biochemical devulcanization are discussed. Attention is paid to properties of the products made from recycled and devulcanized rubbers. Blending of natural and isoprene rubbers with virgin rubbers is discussed. structural changes occurring in rubbers during devulcanization are elucidated. The importance of recycling of rubbers without adding chemicals for their devulcanization and reuse of devulcanized rubbers in a factory floor are stressed. Future trends in rubber recycling are discussed.
Legitimizing Resistance to Activism: Royal Dutch/Shell’s Response to Divestment Pressure

Organizational scholars have focused increasing attention on how social movement activists pressure multinational corporations to divest from, or exit, countries rife with sociopolitical conflict. ...
Nonantiretroviral polypharmacy and adverse health outcomes among HIV-infected and uninfected individuals.

Background HIV-positive individuals (HIV+) on antiretrovirals commonly take enough other medications to cross a threshold for polypharmacy but little is known about associated outcomes. We asked whether non-antiretroviral polypharmacy is associated with hospitalization and mortality and whether associations differ by HIV status. Methods Data on HIV+ and uninfected individuals in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System were analyzed. Eligible HIV+ were on antiretrovirals with suppressed HIV-1 RNA and uninfected individuals received at least one medication. We calculated average non-antiretroviral medication count for fiscal year 2009. As there is no established threshold for non-antiretroviral polypharmacy, we considered more than two and at least five medications. We followed for hospitalization and mortality (fiscal year 2010-2015), adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity and VACS Index. Results Among 9473 HIV+ and 39 812 uninfected individuals respectively, non-antiretroviral polypharmacy was common (>2: 67, 71%; ≥5: 34, 39%). VACS Index discriminated risk of hospitalization (c-statistic: 0.62, 0.60) and mortality (c-statistic: 0.72, 0.70) similarly in both groups. After adjustment, more than two (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.46-1.55) and at least five non-antiretrovirals (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.49-1.56) were associated with hospitalization with no interaction by HIV status. Risk of mortality associated with more than two non-antiretrovirals interacted with HIV status (P = 0.002), but not for at least five (adjusted hazard ratio 1.43, 95% CI 1.36-1.50). For both groups and both outcomes, average medication count demonstrated an independent, dose response, association. Conclusion Neither severity of illness nor demographics explain a dose response, association of non-antiretroviral polypharmacy with adverse health outcomes among HIV+ and uninfected individuals.
Multi-Layered Shell Actuators

Due to the rapid development of adaptive structures and large flexible systems, “intelligent” or “smart” structures with built in sensors, actuators, and even control electronics are increasingly in demand today (Tzou & Anderson, 1992; Wada, Fanson, & Crawley, 1989). Conventional composite materials have been available for decades, and they are constantly being advanced in many features, such as strength/weight ratios, directional properties, high-temperature tolerance, etc. A step beyond the conventional material improvement is an addition of “intelligence”, i.e., sensors, actuators, control electronics, central processing unit (CPU), etc., to the composites. This chapter presents a theoretical development of a multi-layered thin shell with internal distributed actuators for distributed vibration controls of active shell structures.
Infections of Bones

Osteomyelitis, or infection in bone, has a wide variety of radiologic and histologic features. Early acute osteomyelitis may present as an aggressive lytic lesion. Chronic osteomyelitis produces extensive reactive change. Microorganisms find their way into bone by two mechanisms, via the bloodstream or via direct invasion. When bone is infected via the bloodstream, a syndrome known as hematogenous osteomyelitis, organisms originate elsewhere in the body. In direct invasion, often referred to as secondary osteomyelitis organisms are inoculated directly into bone from an adjacent soft-tissue infection or, as in some open fractures, from a source outside the patient. Bone infections are usually caused by bacteria, though they may result from any kind of microorganism. The clinical syndrome associated with the initial invasion of microorganisms is known as acute osteomyelitis. If the infection is not completely eradicated, a continuous interaction of microbial growth and reactive bone formation results in chronic osteomyelitis. On occasion, an episode of acute osteomyelitis is subclinical. A patient’s defenses confine the infection to a localized zone of the bone. This presentation is called subacute osteomyelitis. The initial phase in the pathogenesis of osteomyelitis is bone destruction with an abscess formation. Cytokines, released from the inflammatory cells, activate osteoclasts to resorb bone. These cytokines include tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), prostaglandin E2, and others. Although osteoclasts are responsible for resorption of viable bone in all physiologic and pathologic states, there is some evidence that inflammatory cells may be able to resorb necrotic bone.
Minimally Invasive Treatment of Spinal Deformity

There has been a rapid evolution in the operative management of spinal deformity during the past century. While much has changed in the surgical theater, the goals of treatment have remained the same; to achieve balanced curve correction, obtain solid arthrodesis, prevent future deformity, improve and/or prevent back pain, and avoid cardiopulmonary compromise.1 In the first half of the 20th century, the standard of care was posterior arthrodesis followed by prolonged bed rest and casting.2 In the late 1950s, Harrington introduced instrumentation to achieve improved curve correction, lower pseudarthrosis rates, and allow early patient mobilization. Harrington utilized a nonsegmental system to distract across the concave side of a curvature and, in doing so, elongated the spine.3 The coronal plane correction achieved was desirable but the sagittal plane distraction forces resulted in a loss of lumbar lordosis and flat back syndrome in many patients.4
Vanish: increasing data privacy with self-destructing data

Today's technical and legal landscape presents formidable challenges to personal data privacy. First, our increasing reliance on Web services causes personal data to be cached, copied, and archived by third parties, often without our knowledge or control. Second, the disclosure of private data has become commonplace due to carelessness, theft, or legal actions. Our research seeks to protect the privacy of past, archived data -- such as copies of emails maintained by an email provider -- against accidental, malicious, and legal attacks. Specifically, we wish to ensure that all copies of certain data become unreadable after a userspecified time, without any specific action on the part of a user, and even if an attacker obtains both a cached copy of that data and the user's cryptographic keys and passwords. This paper presents Vanish, a system that meets this challenge through a novel integration of cryptographic techniques with global-scale, P2P, distributed hash tables (DHTs). We implemented a proof-of-concept Vanish prototype to use both the million-plus-node Vuze Bit-Torrent DHT and the restricted-membership OpenDHT. We evaluate experimentally and analytically the functionality, security, and performance properties of Vanish, demonstrating that it is practical to use and meets the privacy-preserving goals described above. We also describe two applications that we prototyped on Vanish: a Firefox plugin for Gmail and other Web sites and a Vanishing File application.
Dimensionality reduction and classification analysis on the audio section of the SEMAINE database

This paper presents an analysis of the audio section of the SEMAINE database for affect detection. Chi-square and principal component analysis techniques are used to reduce the dimensionality of the audio datasets. After dimensionality reduction, different classification techniques are used to perform emotion classification at the word level. Additionally, for unbalanced training sets, class re-sampling is performed to improve the model's classification results. Overall, the final results indicate that Support Vector Machines (SVM) performed best for all data sets. Results show promise for the SEMAINE database as an interesting corpus to study affect detection.
Outcomes of long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser treatment of basal cell carcinoma: A retrospective review

Background and objective Recent prospective trials have supported treatment of nonfacial BCC with long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser based on short-term histologic clearance rates. Studies have yet to identify the long-term clinical clearance rates of this specific laser therapy for BCC. Study design/material and methods This is a retrospective review of BCC treated with long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, which have been clinically monitored for at least 6 months, to assess for recurrence and cosmetic outcomes of the treated area. Results 16 BCC lesions (11 subjects) treated with 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser were enrolled. Our analysis revealed 100% clearance rate in all subjects (16 of 16 BCC) treated with long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser based on mean follow-up of 9 months (range 6-15 months). Minimal scarring and no long-term adverse events were noted. Conclusions This study supports the use of 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser as a therapeutic modality for BCC based on the absence of clinical recurrence upon a mean follow-up of 9 months. As studies progress, we are beginning to observe a potential role for laser as an alternative to patients who refuse surgery, have multiple co-morbidities, or decline non-surgical therapies. Laser treatment with 1064 nm Nd:YAG is an evolving, promising story that we continue to investigate to optimize parameters. Lasers Surg. Med. 51:34-39, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polymers, Polymerization Reactions, and Computational Quantum Chemistry

Abstract Synthetic-polymer properties depend strongly on the polymerization conditions and specific chemicals employed to make the polymer. As polymerization reactions can occur very rapidly in difficult mediums, it is not always possible to measure the concentrations of all the chemical species involved. Accordingly, experimental insights into the reactions have been gained from the characterization of polymerization end-products (polymers). Once a polymer is formed, it is often difficult to change its properties. This polymer property irreversibility and the strong dependence of polymer properties on polymerization conditions point to the importance of a dependable understanding of polymerization reactions to steer the reactions in favorable directions. Macroscopic-scale mechanistic models and spectroscopic methods have been used extensively to gain insights into polymerization reactions, but with limited success. This shortcoming can be alleviated through a combined application of computational quantum chemistry, macroscopic-scale mechanistic modeling, and spectroscopic methods. This chapter puts into perspective the need for and benefits of such a combined approach.
Determination of minimal energy facet structures in Σ3 and Σ9 grain boundaries: Experiment and simulation

Abstract Grain boundary engineering (GBE) in FCC alloys relies on the presence of low-energy, coherent Σ3 boundaries to improve material performance. To make microstructures with a profuse network of Σ3 boundaries, a repetitive cycle of low-level deformation and followed by annealing is commonly employed. In this work, we use a combination of in situ SEM, in situ TEM, and a relaxation theory for grain boundaries to investigate the structural states of grain boundaries in Cu after a cycle or many cycles of deformation and annealing steps. It is revealed that during annealing the orientation relationships and boundary morphology of deformed Σ3 and higher order variants, Σ9 boundaries, change appreciably, from being curved to distinctly, crystallographically faceted. The theoretical analysis identifies the faceting process and the crystallography of the facets as corresponding to the optimal, low-energy structures for the observed orientation relationships. It is, therefore, shown that post-deformation heat treatments used in GBE are recovering the highly deviated and deformed Σ3s boundaries to a low-energy state.
Quantifying photo-production of triplet excited states and singlet oxygen from effluent organic matter.

Abstract The organic matter present in wastewater effluents (EfOM), is likely to have different properties than the organic matter present in the receiving water. The properties of EfOM will affect the fate of contaminants of emerging concern because EfOM is a source of photochemically produced reactive intermediates (PPRIs) capable of transforming contaminants. Effluent water samples were taken seasonally from sixteen wastewater treatment plants in Minnesota and two effluent dominated rivers in California and Arizona. Samples (n = 94) were tested for water chemistry, light absorption characteristics, and excited state triplet organic matter (3EfOM∗) and singlet oxygen (1O2) production. Based on analysis of spectral parameters, EfOM had higher molecular weight and lower aromatic content than organic matter present in stormwaters from Minnesota, which are representative of human-impacted natural organic matter (NOM) containing waters. The second order rate constant for the reaction of the 3EfOM∗ probe 2,4,6-trimethylephenol (kT,TMP) for the effluents was 7.79 (±3.03) × 108 M−1s−1, and this value was used to calculate apparent quantum yields for 3EfOM∗ production, which ranged from 0.006 to 0.114. The quantum yield for the production of singlet oxygen ranged from 0.007 to 0.064. Processes in the wastewater treatment train, season, and water chemistry parameters did not serve as predictors of 3EfOM∗ or 1O2 production. Among the parameters measured, Spearman rank correlations were strongest between quantum yields of 1O2 and 3EfOM∗ and E2/E3 (absorption at 250 nm/absorption at 365 nm). This relationship, however, is weaker than that previously observed for NOM. The efficiency of 1O2 production from 3EfOM∗ was 54%. Results indicate that 2,4,6-trimethylphenol samples nearly all of the triplets in EfOM that have sufficient energy to produce 1O2, which may not be the case for NOM.
BYOD-Insure: A Security Assessment Model for Enterprise BYOD

As organizations continue allowing employees to use their personal mobile devices to access the organizations' networks and the corporate data, a phenomenon called ‘Bring Your Own Device’ or BYOD, proper security controls need to be adopted not only to secure the corporate data but also the organizations themselves. Current literature and research have focused on specific areas or solutions regarding BYOD. This paper proposes a comprehensive security assessment model, BYOD-Insure, that assesses the security of an organization's BYOD posture. The model aims to identify security vulnerabilities in organizations that allow BYODs and answers the question how an organization can mitigate security risks associated with BYOD, in order to protect its corporate data? The paper demonstrates the use of BYOD-Insure by presenting an example where a hypothetical organization's management security posture is assessed. The assessment results are measurable and provide practical recommendations in order to mitigate the inherent risks of BYOD and thus strengthen an organization's security posture. The model is also extendible, adaptable, and flexible. The results are easily visualized using Kiviat's diagrams.
Can Global Liquidity Forecast Asset Prices?1

During the period leading up to the global financial crisis many asset classes registered rapid price increases. This coincided with a significant rise in global liquidity. This paper attempts to determine the extent to which the rise in asset prices was influenced by developments in global liquidity. We confirm that global liquidity had a significant impact on the buildup in house prices; however, the impact on equity prices was limited. In contrast to common perception, we find that the impact of global liquidity declined during the period of the Great Moderation. The paper also examines spillovers from global liquidity to domestic variables and concludes that domestic factors generally played a more significant role in house price appreciation relative to global factors. This contradicts the hypothesis of weakened potency of domestic monetary policy in the presence of increased international liquidity.
Micromachined Uncooled Si x Ge y O 1-x-y Microbolometer Integrated Metasurface for Uncooled Infrared Detection

This paper presents a study of metasurface integrated uncooled infrared (IR) silicon germanium oxide (Si-Ge-O) microbolometers for Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) detection. The inclusion of the metasurface permits engineering the IR absorptance with respect to wavelength. Absorption by the metasurface eliminates the need for a ¼-wave resonant cavity under the microbolometer. In addition, the metasurface can significantly improve the electrical performance of the temperature-sensing layer. Experimental results show an increase in the Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) and a decrease in the resistivity of the amorphous Si-Ge-O films. These parameters scale with the periodicity and area fraction of the metasurface. The voltage noise power spectral density was reduced by annealing the devices in vacuum. The measured responsivity and detectivity approached 104 V/W and 109 cm Hz1/2/W to filtered blackbody infrared radiation.
Microwave-induced heavy metal removal from dewatered biosolids for cost-effective composting

Abstract Urbanization and population growth have resulted in the accumulation of heavy metals in biosolids, and these metals act as potent environmental contaminants. In this study, a novel microwave-mediated method of extracting heavy metals from dewatered biosolids was developed. With an electromagnetic power of 140 W for a contact time of 10 s, microwave irradiation effectively induced the immobilization of heavy metals. The treated biosolids were subsequently mixed with acetic acid, sulfuric acid, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for heavy metal extraction. The biosolids in this study were contaminated by different heavy metals, including Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn. Among them, the concentrations of Cd (94.3 ± 14.2 mg/kg) and Pb (888.7 ± 79.8 mg/kg) were considerably above the limits allowed for land application. Conventional extraction methods were found to be insufficient in lowering heavy metal contents below regulation limits, while the microwave-mediated method efficiently increased heavy metal removal by as much as ∼3x. After the biosolids were treated, Cd and Pb concentrations decreased to 80.2 ± 2.7 and 159.8 ± 22.1 mg/kg, respectively. The treated biosolids and their products were eligible for land application as an alternative treatment. The microwave-mediated method also lowered the demand for extractants. Using a reduced concentration of sulfuric acid, acetic acid, or EDTA, at least 90% of Cu, 70% of Zn and Pb, 45% of Fe, and 20% of Ni were simultaneously removed from the contaminated biosolids. Cost analyses revealed that the microwave-mediated method could decrease the net total cost of biosolid handling by as much as 62.7%. Considering its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and minimal environmental impacts, the proposed method offers a promising solution to the problem of heavy metal accumulation in biosolids.
Injectable Shear-Thinning Hydrogels Prevent Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation and Normalize Ventricular Flow Dynamics.

Injectable hydrogels are known to attenuate left-ventricular (LV) remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI), dependent on material mechanical properties. The effect of hydrogel injection on ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) resultant from LV remodeling remains relatively unexplored. This study uses multiple imaging methods to evaluate the efficacy of injectable hydrogels with tunable modulus to prevent post-MI development of IMR. Posterolateral MI was induced in 20 sheep with subsequent epicardial injection of saline (control (MI); n = 7), soft hydrogel (guest-host crosslinking, modulus 5 mL) regurgitant volumes. Injectable hydrogels attenuated subvalvular remodeling and leaflet tethering, preventing IMR development and normalizing LV flow dynamics. Hydrogels with a supraphysiological modulus yielded best outcomes.
A Multiorgan Trafficking Circuit Provides Purifying Selection of Listeria monocytogenes Virulence Genes

Author(s): Louie, Alexander; Zhang, Ting; Becattini, Simone; Waldor, Matthew K; Portnoy, Daniel A | Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes can cause a life-threatening illness when the foodborne pathogen spreads beyond the intestinal tract to distant organs. Many aspects of the intestinal phase of L. monocytogenes pathogenesis remain unknown. Here, we present a foodborne infection model using C57BL/6 mice that have been pretreated with streptomycin. In this model, as few as 100 L. monocytogenes CFU were required to cause self-limiting enterocolitis, and systemic dissemination followed previously reported routes. Using this model, we report that listeriolysin O (LLO) and actin assembly-inducing protein (ActA), two critical virulence determinants, were necessary for intestinal pathology and systemic spread but were dispensable for intestinal growth. Sequence tag-based analysis of microbial populations (STAMP) was used to investigate the within-host population dynamics of wild-type and LLO-deficient strains. The wild-type bacterial population experienced severe bottlenecks over the course of infection, and by 5 days, the intestinal population was highly enriched for bacteria originating from the gallbladder. In contrast, LLO-deficient strains did not efficiently disseminate and gain access to the gallbladder, and the intestinal population remained diverse. These findings suggest that systemic spread and establishment of a bacterial reservoir in the gallbladder imparts an intraspecies advantage in intestinal occupancy. Since intestinal L. monocytogenes is ultimately released into the environment, within-host population bottlenecks may provide purifying selection of virulence genes.IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes maintains capabilities for free-living growth in the environment and for intracellular replication in a wide range of hosts, including livestock and humans. Here, we characterized an enterocolitis model of foodborne L. monocytogenes infection. This work highlights a multiorgan trafficking circuit and reveals a fitness advantage for bacteria that successfully complete this cycle. Because virulence factors play critical roles in systemic dissemination and multiple bottlenecks occur as the bacterial population colonizes different tissue sites, this multiorgan trafficking circuit likely provides purifying selection of virulence genes. This study also serves as a foundation for future work using the L. monocytogenes-induced enterocolitis model to investigate the biology of L. monocytogenes in the intestinal environment.
Secrets and Lies: Secrecy Notices (Esther 2:10, 20) and Diasporic Identity in the Book of Esther

In the Hebrew and Greek canonical versions of her book, Esther, the beauti ful Jewish orphan, is taken with all the beautiful young virgins into the Persian king's harem. Mordecai, her cousin and foster father, has commanded Esther not to reveal her people and her kin, and the text assures us twice that she did not (MT/LXX 2:10,20). Of all those taken into the harem, Esther wins the favor of the king—and only in the final scenes of the book does she reveal to him her relation ship to Mordecai and that she is a Jew. But there is another version of the story. Like the book of Tobit, the book of Esther is preserved in two different Greek versions: the widely attested LXX and a lesser-known, second Greek text, now commonly called the Alpha-Text (AT), which is attested in four medieval manuscripts.1 While similar in its main lines to the LXX and the MT, the AT does not say that Esther kept her identity secret; few scholars have observed that in the AT at least the king, if not the rest of the court, knows that she is a Jew. This difference has further implications for the AT s ren dering of the crucial episode in ch. 4, in which Mordecai tells Esther of the edict against the Jews and implores her to intervene. In this article, I consider (1) the significance of Esther's secret for under standing diasporic identity in each of the three versions.21 further consider (2) the
IConMHC: a deep learning convolutional neural network model to predict peptide and MHC-I binding affinity

Tumor-specific neoantigens are mutated self-peptides presented by tumor cell major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and are necessary to elicit host's anti-cancer cytotoxic T cell responses. It could be specifically recognized by neoantigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs). However, current wet-lab assays for identifying peptide MHC binding are too expensive and time-consuming to meet the clinical needs. In this study, we developed an in silico method with a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model, iConMHC, to predict peptide MHC binding affinity. Unlike other in silico methods that only learn from properties of amino acid in neoantigen peptides alone and/or MHCs alone, iConMHC learns from physical and chemical interaction properties between pairwise amino acids from the two molecules. These properties, such as contact potentials and distances in folded proteins, directly affect neoantigen-MHC binding affinity. In addition, IConMHC is a pan-allele model that is capable of making predictions for all the MHC alleles. Even for those rare MHC alleles without training data, iConMHC can make predictions with reasonable accuracy. We benchmarked iConMHC with other commonly used MHC-I binding predictors and found our model performs better than most of the pan-allele models.
Metastatic Disease to the Lung

After the liver, the lung is the second most common site for metastatic disease (Treasure et al., Thorax 69:946–9, 2014). Consequently, 25–55% of patients with malignancy will develop lung metastases at some point during the course of their disease (Crow et al., Cancer 47:2595–602, 1981; Johnson and Lindskog, JAMA 202:94–8, 1967; Abrams et al., Cancer 3:74–85, 1950). The rich capillary network of the lung and its central location in the circulatory system predispose the lung to the arrest and implantation of circulating tumor cells in the terminal pulmonary vasculature with subsequent spread via direct extension or lymphatic spread into adjacent structures. The diagnosis of pulmonary metastatic disease is usually not a major challenge, especially when supported by an appropriate clinical history with known malignancy elsewhere and radiologic evidence of multiple lung nodules. However, distinction of a solitary pulmonary metastasis from a primary bronchogenic carcinoma, especially after a prolonged disease-free interval may be more difficult and usually requires a multidisciplinary approach, including tissue biopsy, for definitive diagnosis. In this chapter, the pathogenesis, patterns of spread, most common metastatic tumor types, and mechanisms of pulmonary metastasis will be discussed.
Opto-thermoelectric speckle tweezers for large-scale trapping and filtration of particles

We present opto-thermoelectric speckle tweezers (OTEST) for large-scale and high-throughput trapping of particles. OTEST combine optical speckle with plasmonic substrate to generate a thermal speckle field that consists of many random thermal hotspots to trap a large number of particles using thermoelectric forces. We demonstrate trapping of dielectric and metallic particles with sizes as small as 100 nm in the speckle field. Finally, we integrate OTEST with microfluidic systems to demonstrate filtration of the smaller-sized particles from a mixed solution of 200 nm and 1 µm particles.
RING NMR dynamics: software for analysis of multiple NMR relaxation experiments

Molecular motions are fundamental to the existence of life, and NMR spectroscopy remains one of the most useful and powerful methods to measure their rates and molecular characteristics. Multiple experimental methods are available for measuring the NMR relaxation properties and these can require different methods for extracting model parameters. We present here a new software application, RING NMR Dynamics, that is designed to support analysis of multiple relaxation types. The initial release of RING NMR Dynamics supports the analysis of exponential decay experiments such as T1 and T2, as well as CEST and R2 and R1ρ relaxation dispersion. The software runs on multiple operating systems in both a command line mode and a user-friendly GUI that allows visualizing and simulating relaxation data. Interaction with another program, NMRFx Analyst, allows drilling down from the derived relaxation parameters to the raw spectral data.
Factors Affecting the Frequency and Length of Blackouts in Retransmission Consent Negotiations: A Quantitative Analysis

This paper examines the factors predicting the frequency and duration of local broadcast television blackouts by Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), as a consequence of breakdowns ...
Management challenges in patients with comorbid COVID-19 associated delirium and serious mental illness - A case series.

BackgroundThere is still a lot unknown about the novel Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) and its effects in humans. This pandemic has posed several challenging clinical situations to healthcare pro...
“I Would Report It Even If They Have Not Committed Anything”: Social Service Students’ Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted People:

This study explores future mental health providers’ assumptions about minor-attracted people, using data from a survey of 200 students preparing for entry into social service professions at a publi...
Gait Differences in the Real World and Virtual Reality: The Effect of Prior Virtual Reality Experience

Walking is one of the most influential parts of virtual reality applications, such as training, health care, and education. Prior research has established that people’s gait behavior change when walking in virtual reality (VR), as compared to the real world. However, very little research has evaluated how people’s gait parameters change over time as they gain more experience with VR, and whether this reduced the difference in gait parameters between the real and virtual worlds. We hypothesize that the more experience people have in VR, the less difference there will be between VR and real-world gait parameters. Collected data out of the experiments, observations, and interviews make mixed-method research involving quantitative and qualitative sections to answer the research question.
Measuring the Frequency of Inner-Experience Characteristics.

Inner experience is widely accepted by psychologists and lay people as being straightforwardly observable: Inner speech, visual images, feelings, and so on are understood to be directly apprehendab...
RFInsole: Batteryless Gait-Monitoring Smart Insole Based on Passive RFID Tags

There are growing demands for daily gait-monitoring smart insoles which are light, soft, and comfortable both in the general population interested in sports and people with disabilities, such as children with cerebral palsy or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Currently available technologies are basically battery-powered systems, which are bulky, heavy, and not ideal for in-home and everyday use. This study introduces RFInsole, a battery-less smart insole based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), tracking the sequence of foot pressures within a stance. RFInsole utilizes passive RFID tags and push button switches, so that the foot pressure can activate the tags at each location. Soft, thin, affordable, and simple structure of the device open broad possibilities to implement the same system into lighter and soft applications such as socks or pressure-sensing garments.
Research on Cable Fire Detection and Early Warning Based on Deep Learning

Fire detection based on computer vision is an important task in modern monitoring systems. In recent years, due to the high-precision recognition rate of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), applications in the field of fire detection and recognition based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have continued to develop. In this paper, aiming at the realistic requirements of cable fire, we build an algorithm based on flame detection, process the picture data of multiple scenes monitored by ordinary cameras, and use the deep neural network model based on CNN to classify, identify and detect the pictures with fire/smoke and without fire. Finally, according to the classification results, when there is a fire alarm signal is displayed. Experimental results show that this method can effectively identify cable fires, achieve a higher recognition and alarm rate in the self-made database, meet the expected functions and index requirements, and achieve the goal of cable fire warning.
3D printer particle emissions: Translation to internal dose in adults and children

Abstract Desktop fused deposition modeling (FDM®) three-dimensional (3D) printers are becoming increasingly popular in schools, libraries, and among home hobbyists. FDM® 3D printers have been shown to release ultrafine airborne particles in large amounts, indicating the potential for inhalation exposure and consequent health risks among FDM® 3D printer users and other room occupants including children. These particles are generated from the heating of thermoplastic polymer feedstocks during the FDM® 3D printing process, with the most commonly used polymers being acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and poly-lactic acid (PLA). Risk assessment of these exposures demands estimation of internal dose, especially to address intra-human variability across life stages. Dosimetry models have proven to effectively translate particle exposures to internal dose metrics relevant to evaluation of their effects in the respiratory tract. We used the open-access multiple path particle dosimetry (MPPD v3.04) model to estimate inhaled particle deposition in different regions of the respiratory tract for children of various age groups from three months to eighteen years old adults. Mass concentration data for input into the MPPD model were calculated using particle size distribution and density data from experimental FDM® 3D printer emissions tests using both ABS and PLA. The impact of changes in critical parameters that are principal determinants of inhaled dose, including: sex, age, and exposure duration, was examined using input parameter values available from the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Internal dose metrics used included regional mass deposition, mass deposition normalized by pulmonary surface area, surface area of deposited particles by pulmonary surface area, and retained regional mass. Total mass deposition was found to be highest in the 9-year-old to 18-year-old age groups with mass deposition by pulmonary surface area highest in 3-month-olds to 9-year-olds and surface area of deposited particles by pulmonary surface area to be highest in 9-year-olds. Clearance modeling revealed that frequent 3D printer users are at risk for an increased cumulative retained dose.
Justice Brennan's Accommodating Approach toward Religion

In the absurd polarization of American political culture, many have come to treat religion as a partisan matter. It is easy for liberals to point at religious right events, like "Justice Sunday," but there are equally divisive counterparts on the left. Many people on the left side of the political spectrum seem to think that religiously grounded political conservatism is not only wrong, but somehow illegitimate-an affront to public reason and the secular state. Furthermore, the political left often asserts that long-standing protections for the independence of religious institutions, such as tax exemptions and regulatory accommodations, are unwarranted special privileges. A recent four part New York Times series, "In God's Name: Favors for the Faithful," even compared religious accommodations enacted by Congress to special-interest appropriations earmarks. 1 Against this backdrop, re-reading Justice Brennan's religion decisions brings a breath of fresh air. In striking contrast to the partisans of today, Justice Brennan did not view a vigorous and publicly active religious sector as a threat to democratic values. His interpretation of the separation of church and state did not pit the religious against the secular nor favor secular ideologies over their religious counterparts. Instead, Justice Brennan sought to protect the freedom of both, and ultimately the freedom of the American people to make their own decisions about what worldviews are most persuasive. Indeed, with one glaring exception, Justice Brennan's jurisprudence was highly protective of religious freedom and hence, in many applications, of religion.
Technology strategy and software new ventures' performance:Exploring the moderating effect of the competitive environment

Abstract Technology strategy (TS) is one of the most important aspects of any firm's strategic posture especially in dynamic environments such as the computer software industry. Not only do new ventures face the pressures that accompany all young companies (e.g., shortages of capital), but they also have to keep up with a rapid rate of technological change. Consequently TS, the sum of a firm's choices on how to develop and exploit its technological resources, can profoundly affect a venture's performance and survival. This empirical study examines the relationships between TS and new venture performance (NVP). By focusing on TS variables and analyzing their performance outcomes, the study offers insights into the factors that can influence the success of new ventures in a fast-paced environment. This study also examines key environmental moderators, those external environmental forces, which can significantly impact the strength or direction of the relationship between a firm's TS and NVP. The study examines five TSs that can enhance NPV. The first is radicality, which means developing and introducing new products ahead of competitors. The second is the intensity of product upgrades, which refers to a venture's commitment to introducing more refinements and extensions of its products than its competition. The third is the level of R&D spending, which indicates a venture's strong investment in internal research and development activities. The fourth is the use of external technology sources (e.g., strategic alliances and licenses) to augment a firm's own R&D efforts. The final dimension is the use of
Nonverbal communication in two-and three-year-old children with autism

The forms, functions, and complexity of nonverbal communication used by very young children with autism were investigated. Fourteen children with autism were matched to 14 children with developmental delays and/or language impairments on the basis of CA, MA, and expressive vocabulary. Subjects participated in a structured communication assessment consisting of 16 situations designed to elicit requesting or commenting behavior. Children with autism requested more often and commented less often than controls. Autistic children were less likely to point, show objects, or use eye gaze to communicate, but were more likely to directly manipulate the examiner's hand. The autistic group also used less complex combinations of behaviors to communicate. Implications for early identification and intervention are discussed.
Abdominal Exploration: Finding What Is Wrong

Not uncommonly—especially with the increased use of diagnostic imaging—when opening the abdomen, the surgeon knows what to expect inside; the clinical picture or ancillary tests direct the surgeon to the disease process. In some instances, however, the surgeon explores the unknown, led on only by the signs of peritoneal irritation, assuming that the peritoneal cavity is flooded with blood or pus. Usually, the surgeon speculates about the predicted diagnosis but always remains ready for the unexpected. This is what makes emergency abdominal surgery so exciting and demanding—the ever-looming catastrophe and the anxiety about whether you are able to tackle it competently. Yes, even in the days of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the abdomen can be full of surprises.
An analysis of bivalve larval shell pigments using micro-Raman spectroscopy

Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been used on adult bivalve shells to investigate organic and inorganic shell components but has not yet been applied to bivalve larvae. It is known that the organic matrix of larval shells contains pigments, but less is known about the presence or source of these molecules in larvae. We investigated Raman spectra of seven species of bivalve larvae to assess the types of pigments present in shells of each species and how the ratio of inorganic : organic material changes in a dorso-ventral direction. In laboratory experiments, we reared larvae of three clam species in waters containing different organic signatures to determine if larvae incorporated compounds from source waters into their shells. We found differences in spectra and pigments between most species but found less intraspecific differences. A neural network classifier for Raman spectra classified five out of seven species with greater than 85% accuracy. There were slight differences between the amount and type of pigment present along the shell, with the prodissoconch I and shell margin areas being the most variable. Raman spectra of 1-day-old larvae were found to be differentiable when larvae were reared in waters with different organic signatures. With micro-Raman spectroscopy, it may be possible to identify some unknown species in the wild and trace their natal origins, which could enhance identification accuracy of bivalve larvae and ultimately aid management and restoration efforts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hosts, Nesting Behavior, and Ecology of Some North American Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), II

This monograph is a continuation of a multiyear study of the genera and species of North American spider wasps (Pompilidae) and their spider host families, genera and species, nesting behavior, ecology, and natural communities. The study enlarges and enhances host preference, nesting behavior, and ecological information for 77 North American pompilid taxa. The first North American Pompilidae records for the families Tengellidae and Segestriidae, both from central coastal California, are reported herein. New host spider genera and species are listed for many of the pompilid species, including the first North American host record for Dipogon (Dipogon) g. graenicheri. The first detailed observations of male and female behavior in Arachnospila arcta are described.
Structure and defect chemistry of grain boundaries in CuInSe2

Abstract Geometrical models for simple grain boundary structures in the CuInSe 2 lattice are developed. A number of structural units are derived which can be used to describe random grain boundaries. A typical feature is the occurrence of six incorrect cation-cation (CuIn) and anion-anion (SeSe) bonds. The energy of the incorrect bonds is estimated and used to determine the formation energies of vacancies and antisite defects in the bulk and at grain boundaries. The predominant intrinsic point defects are described and differ in single-crystal and polycrystalline materials. The results give some insight into the electrical properties of grain boundaries and their interaction with intrinsic point defects. They are discussed from the perspective of the electrical properties of polycrystalline thin films.
Description, performance, and wavelengths of iodine stabilized lasers.

A description is given of lasers stabilized to components of the 129I2 spectrum in the region of the 633-nm laser lines for 3He–20Ne and 3He–22Ne. Relationships between operational characteristics such as power output, peak size, and peak width are shown, along with their relationships to some of the controllable parameters such as excitation level, iodine absorption, and iodine pressure. We found an iodine pressure broadening of about 13 MHz/Torr with a 2.6-MHz zero-pressure intercept. The frequency shift associated with iodine pressure is roughly 2 × 10−9ν/Torr to the red. Power broadening and power shifts are small, about a 10% increase in width and about 2 × 10−11ν variation in frequency for a fivefold to sixfold increase in power. These lasers exhibit a frequency stability for 10-sec sampling time of about 2 × 10−12ν and a resetability of about 1 × 10−10ν. The absolute vacuum wavelength for one iodine component has been measured against the 86Kr standard—3He–20Ne:129I2, k λ = 632 991.2670 A 0.0009 pm. The wavelengths of several other iodine components have been determined by measuring the frequency difference between them and the 129I2, k component. Among these are 3He–22Ne:129I2, B λ = 632 990.0742 ± 0.0009 pm: and 3He–20Ne:127I2, i λ = 632 991.3954 ± 0.0009 pm. These results were obtained using the Rowley-Hamon model for asymmetry in the krypton line and assume that the defined value for the standard is associated with the center of gravity of the line profile. The indicated uncertainties are statistical. No allowance has been included for imperfect realization of the krypton standard or for uncertainty in the asymmetry model.
Electron microscopic study of the cortical reaction in eggs of the starfish (Patiria miniata)

The egg coats of a starfish (Patiria miniata) are examined before, during, and after the cortical reaction by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The unfertilized egg is closely invested by a vitelline coat about 300 μm thick, and cortical granules are scattered in the peripheral cytoplasm. After insemination, as the cortical granules undergo exocytosis, the cortical reaction sweeps over the egg surface. Much of the material ejected from the cortical granules adheres to the inner surface of the vitelline coat as a dense layer about 40 μm thick and as scattered spheres and hemispheres, each about 1 μm in diameter. Together, the vitelline coat and the adherent cortical granule material form the fertilization envelope, which becomes separated from the plasma membrane of the egg by a perivitelline space. The perivitelline space contains some flocculent material, which is too diffuse and discontinuous to be considered a hyaline layer. Possible functions of the starfish egg coats are discussed.