cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flipping the Script in Study Abroad Participation: The Influence of Popular Culture and Social Networks.

This study explores primary perceptions of and motivations to study abroad for adult and higher education learners. A large Hispanic-serving Southwestern university serves as the context of this study where undergraduate students and one graduate student were enrolled in an Italian urbanism study abroad program. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 47, with six males and 11 females (N = 17) for an average age of 25. Participants self-identified as Caucasian (35%), Asian (6%), Latino/a (24%), Middle-Eastern (6%), and Mexican-American (52) %. Semi-structured interviews assessed formative and influential messages impacting perceptions of and motivations to study abroad. Findings lend special importance to popular culture, peer networks within and outside the institution and socially constructed meaning made about study abroad. Limitations of this study are highlighted, along with implications and directions for future research.
Judicial Protection of Minorities

In United States v. Carolene Products Co.,' Justice Stone suggested by indirection that there "may be narrower scope for operation of the presumption of constitutionality" when courts are called upon to determine the validity "of statutes directed at particular religious . . . or national . . . or racial minorities."2 In such cases, he explained, "prejudice against discrete and insular minorities may be a special condition, which tends seriously to curtail the operation of those political processes ordinarily to be relied upon to protect minorities, and which may call for a correspondingly more searching judicial inquiry."3 Forty years later, that cautious suggestion has ripened into an attitude. The fact that legislation bears heavily upon the interests of a minority has come to be widely regarded as a reason for subjecting it to closer judicial scrutiny than other legislation whose constitutionality is challenged and perhaps as creating a presumption of its invalidity. Yet, exactly what is meant by these conclusions is, even now, far from certain. With the passing of time, moreover, the boundaries that circumscribed Stone's suggestion have become blurred. His reference to "discrete and insular minorities" has been
Platys: From Position to Place- Oriented Mobile Computing

The Platys project focuses on developing a high-level, semantic notion of location called place. A place, unlike a geospatial position, derives its meaning from a user’s actions and interactions in addition to the physical location where they occur. Our aim is to enable the construction of a large variety of applications that take advantage of place to render relevant content and functionality and thus, improve user experience. We consider elements of context that are particularly related to mobile computing. The main problems we have addressed to realize our place-oriented mobile computing vision, are representing places, recognizing places, engineering place-aware applications. We describe the approaches we have developed for addressing these problems and related subproblems. A key element of our work is the use of collaborative information sharing where users’ devices share and integrate knowledge about places. Our place ontology facilitates such collaboration. Declarative privacy policies allow users to specify contextual features under which they prefer to share or not share their information.
Distinct signalling pathways for mutated KIT(V560G) and KIT(D816V) in mastocytosis.

Summary Background. The activating mutations KIT(V560G) and KIT(D816V) are associated with mastocytosis. Thus, identifying and inhibiting the signalling pathways associated with mutated KIT gene offers a potentially important strategy for the treatment of mastocytosis. Aim. To correlate KIT mutations with specific signalling pathways in human mast-cell lines using pathway inhibitors. Methods. Human mast-cell (HMC) lines expressing KIT(V560G) (the cell line HMC-1) and KIT(V560G and D816V) (HMC-1.2) were treated with specific signalling pathway inhibitors for 1–5 days, and the inhibitory effects on growth were determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell-proliferation assay, western blotting and flow cytometry. Results. Growth inhibitory assays and western blot analyses showed that the Janus kinase 3/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK3/STAT) pathway is the preferential signalling pathway for KIT(V560G), whereas the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1/4E-binding protein 1 (mTORC1/4E-BP1) pathway is preferentially linked to KIT(D816V). Inhibition of these critical signalling pathways results in programmed cell death. Conclusions. KIT(V560G) and KIT(D816V) use different signalling pathways that promote mast-cell growth. Inhibitors of these specific pathways might be effective in treating mastocytosis.
High-level language support for programming distributed systems

A strategy for simplifying the programming of heterogeneous distributed systems is presented. The approach used is based on integrating a high-level distributed programming model, the process model, directly into programming languages. Distributed applications written in such languages are portable across different environments, are shorter, and are simpler to develop than similar applications developed using conventional approaches. The process model is discussed, and Hermes and Concert/C, two languages that implement this model, are described. Hermes is a secure, representation-independent language designed explicitly around the process model. Concert/C is the C language augmented with a small set of extensions to support the process model while allowing reuse of existing C code. Hermes has been prototyped: an implementation of Concert/C is in development. >
The 1968 Tlatelolco Massacre: The Cold War's Politicization and Internationalization of Everyday Life

Although the colossal ideological struggle between the U.S. and the Soviets raged and ravished the peripheral nations of the world and left no space unaffected, perhaps no other country in the world responded, reacted to, and altered the context of the Cold War in a more complex fashion than Mexico. Within this encompassing global context, the mindsets of both the students murdered and those directing the killings in the Plaza of the Three Cultures were molded less by the dictates of Moscow or Washington than by the more decentralized and localized ideologies, plans of action, and policies which evolved in the shadow of the macro level of the titanic superpower struggle. In this shadow world, the discontent of students grew to be global, disaffected, and revolutionary. The consequences of Mexico's Cold War politicization and internationalization of everyday life unfolded throughout the summer of 1968 and culminated on the night of October 2nd at La Plaza de las Tres Culturas at Tlatelolco, Mexico City. On this night a student demonstration was to end in a hail of bullets. When the shooting ended, hundreds of people would lay dead or wounded; Army and police forces apprehended many of the survivors; now subjected to interrogation.
The predictability of labor outcome from a comparison of birth weight and x-ray pelvimetry

Abstract The value of x-ray pelvimetry in labor has recently been questioned by many, although few morphometric data on the fetopelvic relationship have been presented. Fifty-one women who had dysfunctional labor, in whom both x-ray pelvimetry and oxytocin were used during clinical management, were studied. Twenty-seven were delivered by cesarean section, while 24 were delivered vaginally. Regression equations were developed for mulitple pelvic indices versus birth weight. The analysis revealed no differences between the vaginal group and the cesarean section group. The design of this study suggests that tha variables of pelvic measurements and birth weight do not provide a predictive tool for delivery outcome. The approximately 15% margin of dimensional differences between a successful outcome and a failed outcome is too small to be detected by current diagnostic methods.
Innovation Policy in the Knowledge-Based Economy

In 1987, the National Science Foundation sponsored a workshop entitledAn Agenda for Science Policy Research.That event was a hallmark in science and technology planning. The participants evaluated the existing knowledge base for science and technology policy planning They also set forth an agenda of questions that need to be addressed and the policy implications of the answers to those questions for the policy community Topics discussed included the social importance of basic research; the value of the linear model (ala Vannevar Bush) for policy planning in the current science and technology environment; and a host of competitive issues, such as collaborative research relationships, that were expected to be related to the ever present competitive pressures from global markets. Subsequently, scholars investigated many of the recommended issues, and their research influenced legislative initiatives (e.g., the 1993 amendment to the National Cooperative Research Act) during the following decade.
Transforming the U.S. electricity system

The smart electric power grid of the future will integrate the traditional elements of supply and demand, transmission and distribution with new technologies such as superconductors, energy storage, customer load management, and distributed generation, using information to make them function as a "society" of devices in a complex, integrated system. The vision for transforming the nation's electric system-from central generation down to customer appliances and equipment-into a collaborative network filled with information and a myriad of market-based opportunities-is being put forward by leading thinkers in the U.S Department of Energy, national laboratories, and industry as a major scientific and engineering challenge for the nation and as an important economic value proposition for ratepayers and the electric industry. An overview of this vision and some illustrative examples are the subjects of this paper.
Natural and Forced Convection Solar Stills

Natural convection still may be expected to have daily production of 0.5 psf; forced convection still produces up to 3 times yield of natural convection still; internal efficiency of forced convection still is linear with increasing brine temperature at constant cover temperature; efficiency of forced convection still with external condenser was increased by dispersion of basin water to increase rate of mass transfer.
Review of Gail P. C. Streete, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity

Philip Michael Forness reviews Gail P. C. Streete, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity . Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009.
Analysis of replication intermediates by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the analysis of replication intermediates by two-dimensional (2D) agarose gel electrophoresis. The first step in the analysis of replication intermediates on 2-D gels involves the isolation of branched molecules in a way that preserves their structure. Branched molecules are delicate, and shearing is minimized by use of large-bore pipette tips and gentle hand mixing. Shearing can lead to loss of replication intermediates, as well as generation of novel branched artifacts. Exposure of the DNA to excessive heat is avoided in order to preserve the integrity of DNA at the fork. Restriction fragments of larger or smaller size can be analyzed on 2-D gels if some modifications are made to the electrophoresis conditions. Finding the correct electrophoresis conditions for larger or smaller fragments require some experimentation using fragments of known size and replication pattern. Fragments that are larger than 5.5 to 6 kb must be run under conditions of lower agarose concentration and lower voltage in both dimensions in order to separate successfully the bubble and simple Y arcs. If gels are run under the conditions intended for smaller fragments (2 to 5.5 kb), the bubble and simple Y patterns are not clearly separated, and the signals for each are distorted. After the second dimension of electrophoresis, nonreplicating molecules are seen as a shallow arc, whereas the rare replicating molecules run above this arc.
Positive Scalar Curvature, K-area and Essentialness

The Lichnerowicz formula yields an index theoretic obstruction to positive scalar curvature metrics on closed spin manifolds. The most general form of this obstruction is due to Rosenberg and takes values in the K-theory of the group C ∗-algebra of the fundamental group of the underlying manifold.We give an overview of recent results clarifying the relation of the Rosenberg index to notions from large scale geometry like enlargeability and essentialness. One central topic is the concept of K-homology classes of infinite K-area. This notion, which in its original form is due to Gromov, is put in a general context and systematically used as a link between geometrically defined large scale properties and index theoretic considerations. In particular, we prove essentialness and the non-vanishing of the Rosenberg index for manifolds of infinite K-area.
Secret key capacity: Talk or keep silent?

The problem of when all terminals must talk to achieve the secrecy capacity in the multiterminal source model is investigated. Two conditions under which respectively a given terminal does not need to and must talk to achieve the secrecy capacity are characterized. The cases when all terminals must talk to achieve secrecy capacity are shown to be many more than those conjectured in [1] for systems with four or more terminals. There is a gap between the above two conditions, in which whether a given terminal need to talk is not clear. A conjecture is further made in order to narrow down the gap.
What is the state of the art of systematic reviewin engineering education

Background Systematic review refers to a growing set of research methodologies intended to critically appraise and synthesize research to inform policy and practice. Systematic review methods, widely used in fields such as medicine, psychology, and education, are being applied in engineering education. Analysis of current systematic review practices in engineering education can contribute to continuous improvement of an important set of synthesis methodologies. Purpose To promote continuous improvement in systematic reviews, researchers are currently developing criteria to evaluate the quality of systematic review methodologies. The purpose of this article is to identify prior systematic reviews in areas of interest to the engineering education community, use these criteria to critique these systematic reviews, and make recommendations for improving use and quality of systematic review methods in engineering education research. Scope/Method Using systematic review search methodologies, we identified 12 conference papers and 37 journal articles that are systematic reviews published since 1990. Two reviewers coded each by topic, education level, quantitative or qualitative sources and synthesis methods, and 18 quantitative measures of review quality. Interrater reliability was calculated using kappa as described by Landis and Koch, which ranged from 0.43 (moderate) to 0.80 (almost perfect) with overall agreement of 0.64 (substantial). Conclusions We found that the 49 identified systematic reviews in engineering education are particularly strong in stating their purposes, rationale, and inclusion criteria. They can be improved by explaining reasons for excluding studies, appraising quality of included studies, engaging multiple coders in evaluation procedures, stating their limitations, and, in the case of meta-analyses, describing statistical methods in greater detail.
More than "Model Minorities" or "Delinquents": A Look at Hmong American High School Students

Hmong American youth are often stereotyped by the popular press as either high-achieving "model minorities" or low-achieving "delinquents." In this ethnographic study, Stacey Lee attempts to move beyond the model minority image of 1.5-generation students and the delinquent stereotype of second-generation students to present a more complex picture of Hmong American students' school experiences. The author explores the way economic forces, relationships with the dominant society, perceptions of opportunities, family relationships, culture, and educational experiences affect Hmong American students' attitudes toward school, and the variation that exists among 1.5- and second-generation youth. This article provides insight into how forces inside and outside school affect attitudes toward education, and suggests possibilities for ways in which schools might better serve these students. (pp. 505–528)
Toward developing a direct relation between gross volume increment and stand density

A general form for expressing gross volume increment in terms of stand density is derived and tested with data from spacing trials in red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). The equation relates the stand sum of individual-tree volume increment per metre height increment to a power function of quadratic mean diameter times tree density. The proposed equation fit the data best when the model included an intercept. Within each species, the fits were unbiased with respect to the independent variables, plantation age, and site height, and with the exception of the youngest ages for red alder and loblolly pine, they were unbiased with respect to the plot sums of individual-tree volume increment divided by individual height increment. Exponents estimated for quadratic mean diameter for each species ranged from 1.58 to 1.80. The resulting equations indicate a linear relationship between the stand sum of indiv...
In vivo comparison between two tip pressure transducer systems.

Experimental findings are presented of anin vivo comparison between a Sentron catheter and another tip transducer manometer: a Millar microtip catheter. Both catheters have been used simultaneously in the left ventricle of dogs. Pressure variations were elicited by drug infusion. Pressure values and derivatives obtained from both systems were compared. A cross correlation between episodes of the two pressures was computed. Results from this study showed good correlation between left ventricular systolic pressure measured with both manometers (R=0.992, p<0.0001), end-diastolic pressure (R=0.809, p<0.0001) and between first derivatives: positive derivative (R=0.993, p<0.0001) and negative (R=0.634, p<0.0001). The mean cross correlation between both pressure signals was 0.61±0.04. In the frequency domain no statistical difference was found between the location of the maxima of the peaks. It is concluded that a Sentron manometer can be a valid alternative, at a reasonable price, to a cheaper, though less accurate fluid filled catheter and a more expensive ‘golden standard’ microtip catheter.
First Report of Puccinia veronicae-longifoliae on Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles' in Minnesota.

In September 2008, Veronica spicata ‘Royal Candles’ plants showing foliar symptoms typical of a rust infection were brought to the Plant Disease Clinic at the University of Minnesota. Plants were grown in a local nursery in Dakota County, Minnesota. A dark brown discoloration was apparent on the upper surface of the leaf with lighter brown pustules on the underside. Teliospores collected from the pustules were 2-celled with smooth walls and 36.35 to 48.87 μm long, 11.96 to 18.28 μm wide, and had a wall thickness of 1.33 to 2.61 μm, which is in accordance with type specimen of Puccinia veronicae-longifoliae (4). Pathogen identity was confirmed by comparison of the DNA sequence of nuclear ribosomal RNA region containing the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2, 5.8S and the 5′ end of the 28S subunits between herbarium samples from the U.S. National Fungus Collection (BPI 841971/GenBank Accession JQ627617 and BPI 871789/GenBank Accession JQ627618) and the collected specimen (BPI 882886/GenBank Accessi...
Documentation of Unaccounted-for Losses of Chinook Salmon from Saltwater Cages

Abstract “Shrinkage”, or unaccounted-for losses of fish during cage rearing, is widely acknowledged among fish culturists who rear salmonid fishes, but the extent of such losses has not been documented. Over 60,000 Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were reared in floating cages at four locations in Puget Sound, Washington, and were hand-counted at the beginning and end of 200+ d of rearing. Average unexplained losses were 8–38% for individual locations (three to four cages each) and 2.5–46.5% for individual cages. When cage netting remains intact, unexplained losses are probably the result of decomposition of carcasses (particularly during disease outbreaks); scavenging by birds, mammals, and fishes; and to a lesser extent, escapes. The economic consequences of losing fish can be important in terms of lost harvest and increased food costs, resulting in true food conversions 10–68% higher than anticipated.
Particle swarm optimization of high-frequency transformer

A high frequency transformer is a critical component in a dual active bridge converter (DAB) used in a power electronics-based solid state transformer. Operation of a DAB converter requires its transformer to have a specific amount of winding leakage inductance. The demand for high efficiency requires minimization of transformer copper loss and core loss. Furthermore, available window area limits the winding arrangement of transformer. A hybrid of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and differential evolution (DE) is proposed to solve this multi-objective problem with constraints. DE provides diversity to pbest of each particle, which is missing in standard PSO. The differential evolution particle swarm optimization (DEPSO) algorithm is applied to find optimal transformer designs for DAB converters. Results show the DEPSO method is a generic effective way to find optimal high frequency transformer design.
Abstract B275: Dovitinib as a single-agent or in combination with other small molecule inhibitors for mutant BRAF melanomas.

Background: Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) modulate many oncogenic signaling pathways. RTKs can be activated as a result of feedback loops initiated from inhibition of downstream signaling components and contribute to resistance to small molecule targeted therapies. Target-specific inhibitors have provided many advances in cancer treatment, but it is becoming increasingly evident that single-agent treatment approaches are suboptimal. To address this, we performed single-agent compound screens against a panel of melanoma cell lines to select candidate agents for testing in combination agent screens (Cancer Discov 2013 3:52-67). One of the top single-agents effective in mutant BRAF melanomas was dovitinib (TKI258, CHIR258), a multi-RTK inhibitor shown to inhibit numerous type III, IV, and V RTKs. We present data examining the target profile of dovitinib in short-term cultured melanoma cell lines and describe effective partner agents for further testing as combination therapies. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five melanoma cell lines were screened against 150 agents. The most efficacious forty agents from the single-agent screen were collated and three consensus concentrations were determined for each compound to perform pair-wise combinations (Cancer Discov 2013 3:52-67). Growth inhibition was evaluated by ATP luminescent detection by CellTiterGlo®. Colony formation experiments were performed to confirm positive drug interactions. Phosphoproteomic approaches were used to further evaluate targets of dovitinib. Results: Dovitinib was one of the top hits from this single-agent screen that was effective in mutant BRAF melanoma cell lines. Dovitinib does not inhibit mutant BRAF directly, but inhibits RTKs. We found that multiple RTK targets of dovitinib are expressed and active in mutant BRAF melanoma cell lines. Furthermore, we found that dovitinib combines well with vemurafenib and MEK and AKT inhibitors to inhibit colony formation ability and cell proliferation. This was seen in both vemurafenib-sensitive and resistant cell lines. Conclusions: These findings further demonstrate the utility of using both single- and combination agent screening to determine genotype specific compound effects. Furthermore, these results support the rationale for using dovitinib as a partner agent with several small molecule inhibitors for melanoma combination therapy, especially in the vemurafenib-resistant setting. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B275. Citation Format: Casey G. Langdon, Matthew A. Held, Andrew B. Koo, Michael Klein, Zongzhi Liu, James T. Platt, David F. Stern. Dovitinib as a single-agent or in combination with other small molecule inhibitors for mutant BRAF melanomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B275.
Reliability model using truncated skew-Laplace distribution

Abstract A random variable X follows the skew-Laplace distribution if its pdf is f ( x ) = 2 g ( x ) G ( λ x ) , where g ( · ) and G ( · ) denote pdf and cdf of the standard Laplace distribution. We study different characteristics of truncated from the left at zero skew-Laplace distribution. The reliability of this model is compared with a two-parameter Gamma model.
Research in Theology in the digital age : opportunities and limitations

Digital text repositories in the field of theology and history, including the works of John Calvin (1509-1564), are promising tools assisting scholars with comprehensive search capabilities, collaborative projects, annotations, and editing options. This paper discusses a case study of the opportunities and limitations of online scholarly archives of primary sources concerning the works of Calvin with particular attention to research, education, and publication.
Steganography by multipoint Arabic letters

Security methodologies are taken into consideration for many applications, where transferring sensitive data over network must be protected from any intermediate attacker. Privacy of data can be granted using encryption, by changing transmitted data into cipher form. Apart from encryption, hiding data represents another technique to transfer data without being noticeable by an attacker. This technique is called Steganography. In this paper, we will discuss the main concepts of Steganography and a carrier media that is used for this goal. Employing text as mask for other text represents the most difficult method that can be used to hide data. We will discuss some algorithms that use Arabic text. We then describe our doted space methodology to enhance data hiding.
Intrinsic common bile duct stricture: an unusual presentation of retroperitoneal fibrosis

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of dense, grayish-white plaques centered about the abdominal aorta in the retroperitoneal space.1,2 Most commonly, it causes fibrous encasement of the ureters and subsequent obstructive uropathy leading to renal failure. Atypical sites of involvement include the small intestine, mesentery, duodenum, colon, urinary bladder, and epidural space.1 Typically, mass effect from the enlarging fibrous plaque leads to compromise of surrounding structures. For example, extrinsic compression can lead to small and large bowel obstruction, vena caval stasis, and arterial insufficiency in the lower extremities.1,3 The disease has an incidence of 1 in 200,000 and predominantly affects men, with a male to female gender ratio of 2-3 to 1.1,3 It generally presents in the fifth to sixth decades of life with dull noncolicky flank and back pain, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, malaise, hypertension and fever.1,3 Involvement of the common bile duct in this rare disorder is extremely uncommon. In this report we describe an unusual case of retroperitoneal fibrosis presenting with a malignant-appearing common bile duct stricture without a contiguous soft tissue mass or adenopathy on imaging studies.
Osteoporosis: some aspects of pathophysiology and therapy.

1 he underlying clinical problem in osteoporosis is a deficiency of bone mass, or skeletal osteopenia, resulting in fractures of spine, distal radius and ulna, and femoral neck. In addition, a possibly related and significant mandibular osteopenia appears to occur in edentulous patients, resulting in extensive alveolar atrophy and making denture fitting and wearing quite difficult. While bone mass is reduced in osteoporosis, current research data suggest that the bone that is present is essentially normal.
Help Wanted: American Drone Program Needs Multifaceted Support to be Effective

The U.S. drone program in Pakistan faces strong resistance in Pakistan. Because the program solely seeks to eliminate terrorist groups and leaders through bombing campaigns, with no built in social support, the local population’s anti-American sentiment has reached the highest level in history. This angry mood against U.S. drone programs is spreading throughout the Islamic world. To counter this anti-American sentiment, and increase the drone program’s effectiveness, the U.S. must invest in multifaceted, socio-economic support efforts to educate the population and rebuild the gratuity, trust, and commitment of Pakistan’s people to the “War on Terror.” This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol7/iss4/6
Antioxidant Pathways and One‐Electron Oxidation of Dopamine and Cysteine in Electrospray and On‐Line Electrochemistry Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Dopamine [DA]+ (m/z 154), DA dimer [2DA-H]+ (m/z 307) and DA quinone [DAQ]+ (m/z 152) are detected in positive ion mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) of dopamine in 50/1/49 (vol%) water/acetic acid/methanol. H/D exchange experiments support a covalent structure of DA dimer. Thus, ESI of DA may involve 1e−, 1H+ oxidation processes followed by rapid radical dimerization. The DA quinone signal is low in ESI MS, which indicates a low efficiency of the 2e−, 2H+ oxidation reaction. On-line electrochemistry ESI MS (EC/ESI MS) with low electrochemical cell voltage floated on high ES voltage increases electrospray current and improves sensitivity for DA. The DA quinone signal increases and DA dimer signal decreases. A new configuration of the ESI MS instrument with a cone-shaped capillary inlet significantly enhanced sensitivity of ESI and EC/ESI MS measurements. A DA quinone-cysteine adduct [DAQ+Cys]+ was detected in solutions of DA with cysteine (Cys). ESI MS and EC/ESI MS indicate formation of the DA quinone-cysteine adduct by 1e− pathway. Oxidation pathways in ESI MS are relevant to biological reactivity of DA and Cys.
Tuning reactivity and chemoselectivity in electron transfer initiated cyclization reactions: applications to carbon-carbon bond formation.

In this communication, we demonstrate that the scope of our electron transfer initiated cyclization reaction can be significantly broadened by exploiting the relationship between the oxidation potentials of homobenzylic ethers and the mesolytic benzylic carbon−carbon bond dissociation energies of their radical cations. By lowering the oxidation potential of the electrophore and the benzylic carbon−carbon bond dissociation energy, we can initiate reactions under mild, nonphotochemical conditions. The selectivity of the arene oxidation and the mild reaction conditions allow a variety of electron-rich olefins to serve as nucleophilic groups to form carbon−carbon bonds with excellent efficiency.
Special Issue “Feature Papers”

The Special Issue “Feature Papers” of the journal Processes aims to establish the scope of this new open access journal in chemical, biological, environmental, pharmaceutical, and material-process engineering, as well as the development of general process engineering methods. The Special Issue is available online at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/processes/special_issues/feature-paper.[...]
Nonredundant Single-Gimbaled Control Moment Gyroscopes

Abstract : Two objectives dominate consideration of control moment gyroscopes for spacecraft maneuvers: high torque (equivalently momentum) and singularity-free operations. This paper adds to the significant body of research toward these two goals using a minimal three-control-moment-gyroscope array to provide significant singularity-free momentum performance increase spherically (in all directions) by modification of control-moment-gyroscope skew angles, compared with the ubiquitous pyramid geometry skewed at 54.73 deg. Spherical 1H (one control moment gyroscope s worth momentum) singularity-free momentum is established with bidirectional 1H and 2H in the third direction in a baseline configuration. Next, momentum space reshaping is shown via mixed skew angles permitting orientation of maximum singularity-free angular momentum into the desired direction of maneuver (yaw in this study). Finally, a decoupled gimbal angle calculation technique is shown to avoid loss of attitude control associated with singular matrix inversion. This technique permits 3H (maximal) yaw maneuvers without loss of attitude control despite passing through singularity. These claims are demonstrated analytically, then heuristically, and finally validated experimentally.
Study of the effect of embedded piezoelectric layers in composite cylinders

ABSTRACT An elasticity solution is presented for the static equilibrium equations of an axisymmetriccomposite cylinder under loadings due to surface mounted or embedded piezoelectric laminae.Both uniform and non—uniform distributions of the piezoelectric effect are studied and results areverified using a finite element analysis based on axisymmetric 2—D elasticity theory equations. Acylindrical truss element actuator is developed which may be used for damping vibrations of truss type structures. Finally, the effects of a piezoelectric patch have been investigated. The axial forces generated at the fixed ends of a cylinder are found to be proportional to the length of thepatch. 1. INTRODUCTION One of the most recent advancements in the field of piezoelectricity is the discovery of thepiezoelectric effect in a polymer based material called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)' . Compared to other materials, PVDF is flexible, rugged, available in thin sheets and easily manufactured inlarge quantities and at a low cost2. For these reasons, PVDF is currently being studied for useas distributed sensors/actuators in flexible structures. However, before piezoelectric materials canbe successfully used for control, the mechanical interaction between them and the structure beingcontrolled must be well understood.In this paper, two analytical tools are used to study the effects of embedded PVDF laminae inan axisymmetric composite cylinder. An elasticity solution is presented for the static equilibriumequations and verified using the finite element method. These tools are used to develop a cylindrical
High long-term symptomatic recurrence rates after Chiari-1 decompression without dural opening: a single center experience.

Abstract Objective We evaluated long-term outcomes of posterior fossa decompression (PFD) without duroplasty in consecutive patients with newly diagnosed Chiari-1 malformation. Methods We searched the institutional database for all adult patients who underwent Chiari decompression between 1995 and 2007. PFD was offered to all consecutive patients with Chairi-1 malformation during this time period. We excluded patients who underwent re-exploration after initial Chiari-1 decompression elsewhere. Besides the demographic variables, presenting symptoms, neurological and radiographic findings the clinical records were studied for long-term outcomes specifically symptomatic improvement. We defined symptomatic improvement as resolution of all presenting symptoms including pain and/or neurological deficits at the last follow-up. The factors associated with symptom recurrence were also analyzed. Results We identified 47 patients who underwent PFD for Chiari-1 malformation. Syringomyelia was noted in 36.2% of patients and the mean tonsilar herniation was 12.6 mm. At a mean follow-up of 9.3 years, the symptomatic improvement rate was 60.6%. There were no operative complications. Repeat posterior fossa decompression was required for 31.9% patients with symptomatic recurrence at an average of 2.6 years after initial decompression. Fibrotic thickening overlying the dura mater was observed in one-third of these patients. Conclusions This case series reports low complication but high long-term symptomatic recurrence rates adults with symptomatic Chiari-1 malformation undergoing PFD.
The AO system for primary mandibular reconstruction

We reviewed the records of 27 patients who underwent primary mandibular reconstruction with AO plates to investigate the outcome and complications of this procedure. Immediate soft-tissue flap coverage was required in 26 patients. Early complications were seen in 44% of the patients, with the highest incidence after irradiation (P = 0.02). Late complications were mostly related to tumor recurrence (12). Late complications not associated with recurrence were persistent pain (2), minor infections (3), plate exposure (3), and plate fracture (1). Good to excellent cosmetic results were obtained in all but 1 patient. Full mastication was not possible for any of our patients, and therefore function was not fully restored. Speech and deglutition were mostly influenced by the amount of soft-tissue resection. Mean follow-up was 20 months (range 3 to 52). At last evaluation, 12 patients were alive and free of disease, and 15 were dead of disease or other causes. Our results show that primary mandibular reconstruction with rigid plates is a safe, effective, and reliable technique to restore mandibular continuity and cosmesis. For lateral defects, this method is a viable alternative to free vascularized osseocutaneous flaps.
Effective Multi-Scattering-Stream Model for Fast Radiative Transfer Simulation

A fast solar spectral radiative transfer model with high accuracy and fast computation speed is developed based on a new effective multi-scattering-stream model for hyperspectral remote-sensing applications in cloudy atmosphere.
Prognostic implications of reduction of left ventricular filling pressure in early transmural acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) was measured within 12 hours of onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 99 patients, including 21 nonsurvivors. Initial LVFP for survivors was 18 ± 6 mm Hg (mean ± SD) and for nonsurvivors was 24 ± 8 mm Hg ( p 18 mm Hg, 72-hour mortality rate was 21% and 30-day mortality rate was 33% ( p 18 mm Hg. We compared sequential measurements of LVFP in a subset of survivors and nonsurvivors and observed that long-term average trend was for survivors to decrease their LVFP. We conclude that AMI mortality rate is related to LVFP and that LVFP > 18 mm Hg is associated with very high mortality rate when compared to LVFP ≤ 18 mm Hg. Thus reduction of LVFP either spontaneously or as result of therapy may lower AMI mortality rate.
Rapunzel's Syndrome: Gastric Bezoars and Endoscopic Management

The diagnosis of bezoar formation may be difficult secondary to the nonspecific clinical presentation. Once a diagnosis is reached, the clinician has many options for management. These management options are largely based on the size and composition of the bezoar along with the experience or preference of the operator. Once a bezoar has been safely treated, steps should be taken to avoid recurrence, because many patients may be at risk for reformation.
Decreased phosphorylation of specific proteins in neostriatal membranes from rats after long-term narcotic exposure.

Abstract The endogenous phosphorylation of membrane-bound proteins was studied in the neostriata of rats treated for three weeks with incrementing doses of morphine. Fractions containing synaptic membranes were incubated with γ- 32 P-ATP. Phosphate incorporation into individual proteins was determined by gel-electrophoresis and autoradiography of SDS-solubilized membranes. At short reaction times (10 sec.), phosphorylation of all the endogenous protein substrates was reduced compared to preparations from placebo treated rats, but this decrease was differential. Phosphorylation of the specific protein bands designated F and H (MW 47,000 and 15–20,000) decreased by 60–70% while that of all the other bands decreased by only 15–30%. At longer incubations (2–5 min.) bands F and H remained depressed, while the phosphorylation of all the other bands had reached control values. The bands whose phosphorylation selectively decreased after long-term narcotic exposure were identified as the proteins whose phosphorylation was reported previously to increase after training experience. Modifications induced in the phosphorylation of these specific proteins may play a role in the adaptive responses of brain cells to various environmental and pharmacological stimulations.
Design for a Packer/Vacuum Slug Test System for Estimating Hydraulic Conductivity in Wells with LNAPLs, Casing Leaks, or Water Tables Intersecting the Screens

“Results indicate that the packer/vacuum system is an adequate method for obtaining values of hydraulic conductivity.”
Wireless Amperometric Neurochemical Monitoring Using an Integrated FSK Telemetry Circuit

A low-power integrated circuit for real-time wireless monitoring of neurochemical activity in the central nervous system is described. The chip is capable of conducting high-resolution amperometric measurements in four input-current settings. The chip architecture includes a current-based, first-order, sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (LA ADC) and a frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operating near 433MHz. It is fabricated using the AMI 0.5mum double-poly triple-metal n-well CMOS process, and requires only one off-chip component for operation. In a truly wireless fashion, measured dc current resolutions of 250fA, ~1.5pA, ~4.5pA and ~17pA were achieved for input currents in the range of plusmn5nA, plusmn 37nA, plusmn 150nA and plusmn 600nA, respectively, at a decimated sampling rate of 100Hz for all ranges. The ADC core and the VCO consume 21.7muA and 400muA from a 2.6-V power supply, respectively.
The Osceola Mudflow from Mount Rainier: Sedimentology and hazard implications of a huge clay-rich debris flow

The 3.8 km 3 Osceola Mudflow began as a water-saturated avalanche during phreatomagmatic eruptions at the summit of Mount Rainier about 5600 years ago. It filled valleys of the White River system north and northeast of Mount Rainier to depths of more than 100 m, flowed northward and westward more than 120 km, covered more than 200 km 2 of the Puget Sound lowland, and extended into Puget Sound. The lahar had a velocity of ≈19 m/s and peak discharge of ≈2.5×10 6 m 3 /s, 40 to 50 km downstream, and was hydraulically dammed behind a constriction. It was coeval with the Paradise lahar, which flowed down the south side of Mount Rainier, and was probably related to it genetically. Osceola Mudflow deposits comprise three facies. The axial facies forms normally graded deposits 1.5 to 25 m thick in lowlands and valley bottoms and thinner ungraded deposits in lowlands; the valley-side facies forms ungraded deposits 0.3 to 2 m thick that drape valley slopes; and the hummocky facies, interpreted before as a separate (Greenwater) lahar, forms 2–10-m-thick deposits dotted with numerous hummocks up to 20 m high and 60 m in plan. Deposits show progressive downstream improvement in sorting, increase in sand and gravel, and decrease in clay. These downstream progressions are caused by incorporation (bulking) of better sorted gravel and sand. Normally graded axial deposits show similar trends from top to bottom because of bulking. The coarse-grained basal deposits in valley bottoms are similar to deposits near inundation limits. Normal grading in deposits is best explained by incremental aggradation of a flow wave, coarser grained at its front than at its tail. The Osceola Mudflow transformed completely from debris avalanche to clay-rich (cohesive) lahar within 2 km of its source because of the presence within the preavalanche mass of large volumes of pore water and abundant weak hydrothermally altered rock. A survey of cohesive lahars suggests that the amount of hydrothermally altered rock in the preavalanche mass determines whether a debris avalanche will transform into a cohesive debris flow or remain a largely unsaturated debris avalanche. The distinction among cohesive lahar, noncohesive lahar, and debris avalanche is important in hazard assessment because cohesive lahars spread much more widely than noncohesive lahars that travel similar distances, and travel farther and spread more widely than debris avalanches of similar volume. The Osceola Mudflow is documented here as an example of a cohesive debris flow of huge size that can be used as a model for hazard analysis of similar flows.
‘Why, why are we not allowed even…?’: a de/colonizing narrative of complicity and resistance in post/apartheid South Africa

South Africa is poised at a critical moment in its de/colonizing efforts. Engulfed in laudable anti‐apartheid policies and legislation, South Africa has created a strong base for addressing colonial and apartheid legacies of racial, economic and political oppression. Despite these efforts, education continues to be a complex and contested terrain as the new ideology of human rights and social justice for all is negotiated, challenged and imagined. What is imperative at this historical juncture is an analysis of how de/colonizing efforts are translated in key educational environments. I present this analysis through the interplay of the de/colonizing narrative of complicity and resistance of Gugu, a Black South African teacher. Contextualized within both historic‐political and contemporary educational discourse, rhetoric and legislation, Gugu’s narrative offers a space to examine the complex and contradictory roles apartheid and post/apartheid education play in engendering and resisting de/colonization and...
Studies on choline and ethanolamine phosphoglyceride biosynthesis in developing rabbit brain

Activities of cholinephosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.2) and ethanolaminephosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.1) were evaluated in microsomal preparations derived from rabbit cerebrum. Animals ranged in age from nineteen day's gestation through two months of postnatal development. Under optimal conditions the properties of these transferases in rabbit brain were remarkably similar relative to pH, divalent cation requirements, and apparent-Km values for the CDP-intermediates and the lipid acceptor, respectively. Cholinephosphotransferase-specific activity exhibited a dramatic rise during the last 15%–20% of fetal life and a second rise to a maximum near the 15th postnatal day. Ethanolaminephosphotransferase-specific activity exhibited a similar, but less striking age-related increase during the same period. Growth of rabbit cerebrum, as determined by weight, increased 30-fold during this same period (24 days gestation to the 19th postnatal day). Specific activities of these transferases were similar in brain preparations from mid-fetal and early adult rabbits. The maximum specific activity of cholinephosphotransferase exceeded that of ethanolaminephosphotransferase by 3–4-fold. Age-related changes in the specific activities of these transferases appear to correlate with the developmental pattern of morphological and compositional events occurring in rabbit cerebrum during the last third of gestation and the first three weeks of postnatal life.