cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Aspects of Myocardial and Valvular Disease: Clinical Correlations

An accurate and complete evaluation of heart function requires a systematic approach. The most commonly used method is composed of five logical steps. The first two elements are a satisfactory history and a thorough physical examination, which in the vast majority of cases permit at least a preliminary diagnosis to be made. The third step in the evaluation of a cardiac patient is the use of noninvasive techniques to define cardiac function. In the remote past, this was limited almost exclusively to the ECG, but in recent years, development of the phonocardiogram, vectorcardiogram, and especially the echocardiogram and noninvasive techniques, such as systolic time intervals and exercise stress, have permitted far more accurate and precise diagnoses. The fourth step includes the chest radiograph, which permits overall estimation of the cardiac and individual chamber sizes. The fifth and last step in this approach to cardiac diagnosis is cardiac catheterization. This technique has classically been reserved for the more difficult cases. It also serves as a foundation for all other diagnostic efforts. During the past ten years however, marked improvement in equipment technology and development of safer new techniques have permitted catheterization to be employed far more frequently.
CAR T-Cell Therapies in Glioblastoma: A First Look

Glioblastoma is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. The current standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients includes surgery to the extent, temozolomide combined with radiotherapy, and alternating electric fields therapy. After recurrence, there is no standard therapy and survival is less than 9 months. Recurrent glioblastoma offers a unique opportunity to investigate new treatment approaches in a malignancy known for remarkable genetic heterogeneity, an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and a partially permissive anatomic blood-brain barrier. Results from three first-in-man chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell trials targeting IL13Rα2, Her2/CMV, and EGFRvIII have recently been reported. Each one of these trials addresses important questions, such as T-cell trafficking to CNS, engraftment and persistence, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and monitoring of glioma response to CAR T cells. Objective radiologic responses have been reported. Here, we discuss and summarize the results of these trials and suggest opportunities for the field. Clin Cancer Res; 24(3); 535-40. ©2017 AACR.
Sharecropper’s Tuberculosis: Pathologies of Power in a Fatal Outbreak

Tuberculosis Bacilli (TB) is a global scourge that affects poor people and regions. Drawing on Farmer’s (2003) pathologies of power, and a case study approach, we examine the sociostructural landsc...
A novel CMOS RF energy harvester for self-sustainable applications

This paper presents a novel radio frequency (RF) energy harvester (EH) with improved RF-to-DC conversion efficiency towards implementing fully integrated single-chip in 130nm CMOS technology. The proposed energy harvester can drive low power wireless sensors, biomedical sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices without the need for any external DC supply. Utilizing −11.8 dBm (66μW) scattered RF signal from ambient, the proposed EH can generate 0.966V across 70KΩ load resistor with an RF-to-DC conversion efficiency of 20.198% at 900MHz. Similarly, for 1800MHz, results are 1.022V and 22.59% respectively. Moreover, simulated load currents for 900MHz and 1800MHz are 13.8 μA and 14.59 μA correspondingly. As a possible solution to achieve more power, the multiband energy harvesting approach is also proposed. The simulated output DC voltage is 1.406V with 21.39% conversion efficiency by combining both 900MHz and 1800MHz RF signals.
Detection of neural light-scattering activity in vivo: optical transmittance studies in the rat brain.

Abstract Optical studies of ex vivo brain slices where blood is absent show that neural activity is accompanied by significant intrinsic optical signals (IOS) related to activity-dependent scattering changes in neural tissue. However, the neural scattering signals have been largely ignored in vivo in widely-used IOS methods where absorption contrast from hemoglobin was employed. Changes in scattering were observed on a time scale of seconds in previous brain slice IOS studies, similar to the time scale for the hemodynamic response. Therefore, potential crosstalk between the scattering and absorption changes may not be ignored if they have comparable contributions to IOS. In vivo, the IOS changes linked to neural scattering have been elusive. To isolate neural scattering signals in vivo, we employed 2 implantable optodes for small-separation (2 mm) transmission measurements of local brain tissue in anesthetized rats. This unique geometry enables us to separate neuronal activity-related changes in neural tissue scattering from changes in blood absorption based upon the direction of the signal change. The changes in IOS scattering and absorption in response to up-states of spontaneous neuronal activity in cortical or subcortical structures have strong correlation to local field potentials, but significantly different response latencies. We conclude that activity-dependent neural tissue scattering in vivo may be an additional source of contrast for functional brain studies that provides complementary information to other optical or MR-based systems that are sensitive to hemodynamic contrast.
Numerical and Experimental Modal Analysis Applied to the Membrane of Micro Air Vehicles Pliant Wings

Hyperelastic latex membrane is an integral structure of micro air vehicles and plays an important role in their wings performance. This paper presents finite element analysis (FEA) models for characterizing latex hyperelastic membrane at both static and dynamic loadings, validated by experimental results. The membrane at different pre-tension levels are attached with a circular steel ring and statically loaded using steel spheres of different sizes placed at the center of the membrane. The deformation of the membrane is measured by visual image correlation (VIC), a non-contact measurement system and strain energy is calculated based on Mooney-Rivlin material model. It is found that the deflection and strain energy of the membrane computed by experimental and FEA models are correlated well, although discrepancy is expected among experimental and FEA results within reasonable limits due to the variation of the thickness of the membrane. The experimental modal analysis is conducted by imposing a structural excitation to the ring for investigating the membrane vibration characteristics at both atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure in a vacuum chamber. The three-dimensional shape of the membranes during a burst-chirp excitation at different pre-tension levels is dynamically measured and recorded and the natural frequencies are computed by performing the fast Fourier transform of the out-of-plane displacement at several points of the circular membrane. Experimental results show that the natural frequencies increase with mode and pre-tension of the membrane, but decrease due to increase in ambient pressure. A preliminary FEA model is developed for the natural frequencies of the membrane at different isotropic and nonisotropic pre-tension levels at vacuum environment.
Understanding Violence in the School: Moral and Psychological Factors

Since violence was declared a health issue in the 1980s, the literature on violence has identified psychological and psychosocial factors which place youth at risk for violent behaviors. This paper reviews the psychological literature on violent youth, the impact of violence on youth predisposing them to violent behavior, including an exploration into parenting styles and the social climate of some schools in which violence is occurring. Preventative strategies involving primary, secondary and tertiary interventions to combat school violence and youth violence, in general, are considered.
Nonlinear Interaction Between Neighboring Data Channels and a Frequency Signal in a Commercial Optical Fiber Communication System

We theoretically investigate the feasibility of transmitting a frequency signal in an interstice of the data channels in a commercial wavelength division multiplexed optical fiber communications system. The frequency signal will be impaired by neighboring data channels due to cross-phase modulation (XPM). We calculate the Allan deviation of the phase noise resulting from XPM using typical commercial system parameters as the averaging time varies. We find that the instability added by this effect is comparable to experimentally observed instabilities in research networks suggesting that frequency transfer over commercial networks without occupying an entire data channel should be feasible.
Search techniques

Search plays an important role in knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and data mining. Given hypothesis representation schemas and hypothesis evaluation criteria, a search process explores a hypothesis space to find useful knowledge from given data. The effectiveness and efficiency of the underlying search methods determine the success and performance of the overall KDD process. In this chapter, we briefly describe the basic concepts of hypothesis space and hypothesis evaluation, discuss in detail the basic search techniques, and highlight their performance and complexity. Particularly, we consider systematic enumerative search methods, including best-first search, depth-first branch-and-bound and iterative deepening, and neighborhood search methods, including gradient descent, artificial neural networks, tabu search, and simulated annealing. We also describe beam search, complete beam search, and genetic algorithms.
Renaissance of Industrial Hemp: A Miracle Crop for a Multitude of Products

The US, which historically has been a major producer of hemp, has recently reintroduced industrial hemp production. The idea is to provide agriculture and farming communities with new economic opportunities (2018 Farm Bill) to replace lost income from formerly more profitable cash crops such as tobacco. Industrial hemp is a scalable crop that could provide significant economic and environmental benefits; however, the true valorization of industrial hemp will hinge on significant innovation and the development of high-value applications. Utilization of the whole hemp plant may be the key to attaining economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Further, strong community outreach and education is required to overcome the stigma attached with industrial hemp due to its morphological and genetic similarities to its psychoactive-rich (> 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinols (THC)) analogue. This editorial identifies critical research, educational, and community outreach platforms to develop a robust US industrial hemp program, with a goal to enable the renaissance of this miracle crop. Collaboration of the forest sector, universities, and industries is urged for the establishment of a center or consortium that fosters the future advances amongst more productive hemp cultivars, local farming practices, and bioproducts development for economic outlets for this miracle crop.
Abstract 422: Recognition of Pharyngeal Pain as an Angina Equivalent

A 64-year-old man presented to his physician with a 5-day history of throat pain and hoarseness. An initial diagnosis of pharyngitis was made, and the patient was sent home with a 7-day course of a...
Microtubules Regulate Spatial Localization and Availability of Insulin Granules in Pancreatic Beta Cells.

Abstract Two key prerequisites for glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in Beta cells are the proximity of insulin granules to the plasma membrane and their anchoring or docking to the plasma membrane (PM). While recent evidence has indicated that both of these factors are altered in the context of diabetes, it is unclear what regulates localization of insulin and its interactions with the PM within single cells. Here we demonstrate that microtubule (MT) motor mediated transport dynamics have a critical role in regulating both factors. Super-resolution imaging shows that while the MT cytoskeleton resembles a random meshwork in the cells’ interior, MTs near the cells surface are preferentially aligned with the PM. Computational modeling demonstrates two consequences of this alignment. First, this structured MT network preferentially withdraws granules from the PM. Second, the binding and transport of insulin granules by MT motors prevents their stable anchoring to the PM. The MT cytoskeleton thus negatively regulates GSIS by both limiting the amount of insulin proximal to the PM and preventing/breaking interactions between the PM and the remaining nearby insulin. These results predict that altering MT structure in beta cells can be used to tune GSIS. Thus, our study points to a potential of an alternative therapeutic strategy for diabetes by targeting specific MT regulators.
Refresh Instead of Revoke Enhances Safety and Availability: A Formal Analysis

Due to inherent delays and performance costs, the decision point in a distributed multi-authority Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) system is exposed to the risk of relying on outdated attribute values and policy; which is the safety and consistency problem. This paper formally characterizes three increasingly strong levels of consistency to restrict this exposure. Notably, we recognize the concept of refreshing attribute values rather than simply checking the revocation status, as in traditional approaches. Refresh replaces an older value with a newer one, while revoke simply invalidates the old value. Our lowest consistency level starts from the highest level in prior revocation-based work by Lee and Winslett (LW). Our two higher levels utilize the concept of request time which is absent in LW. For each of our levels we formally show that using refresh instead of revocation provides added safety and availability.
Digital Game Advertising (IGA and Advergames): Not All Fun and Games

Video games have come a long way—from the early 1980s and console-based systems to online gaming and mobile applications. The vernacular has also changed, as industry and academic professionals hav...
Pretransplant Application of Goal (Oxyfluorfen) for Weed Control in Container-grown Nursery Crops

Abstract No injury was observed to ‘Hershey Red’, ‘Pleasant White’ and ‘Scarlet Rose’ azalea (Rhododendron obtusum Planch.) ‘Prince of Wales’ juniper (Juniperus horizontalis Moench), ‘Helleri’ holl...
Schrödinger's Cat and the Ethically Untenable Act of Not Looking.

Berkowitz and Garrett (2020) argue for giving surrogates who object to determination of brain death for their loved one the authority to refuse an apnea test. They accomplish this by defining an ap...
The weight of it all: symbiotic dinoflagellates in Caribbean reef-building corals

The interaction of reef-building coral and symbiotic dinoflagellates (family: Symbiodiniaceae) is of critical importance to organismal performance and ecosystem functioning. A standard biometric commonly used to evaluate coral physiology and health status, is coral biomass. Within-colony Symbiodiniaceae assemblages typically range from 1 to 6 million cells cm−2; however, no direct measurements have quantified the overall biomass of these dense symbiont populations. We use direct gravimetric measurements to determine the mass of individual Symbiodiniaceae cells and investigate the ratio of symbiotic dinoflagellate biomass to coral holobiont biomass in five species of scleractinian corals: Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata, Orbicella annularis O. faveolata, and Siderastrea radians from the Florida Keys, FL, USA (25.119°N, 80.302°W). Genetic identification of symbiotic dinoflagellates revealed a single, dominant population of symbiotic dinoflagellates among each scleractinian species, suggesting that the corals did not change symbionts during this study. The overall contribution of the symbionts to holobiont biomass ranged from ~ 5 to 15%, and remained relatively constant throughout the winter and summer for all species with the exception of the Acroporids. This relatively small biomass of symbionts is in contrast to the millions of cells cm−2 which are present in these corals, and that enhance calcification, recycle nutrients, and supply nutrition to their reef-building hosts.
Bodies and Minds in the Philosophy of Medicine: Organ Sales and the Lived Body

The possibility of creating a for-profit market in human organs ignites in many a feeling of deep moral repugnance. Consider, for example, physician H. Berry Jacobs, founder of International Kidney Exchange, Inc., who asked 7,500 hospitals if they would be willing to participate in his plan to broker human kidneys. He proposed to offer the poor in Third World countries and the United States the opportunity to sell a spare kidney at whatever price they would find encouraging, and then negotiate acquisition. for a profit, by Americans who could afford to pay for the organs. Jacob’s plan aroused cries of moral indignation in the United States Congress, and was denounced by the National Kidney Foundation, the Transplantation Society. and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. Professional organizations resolved to expel members who were involved in such dealings (Fox and Swazey, 1992, p. 65). As the U.S. Task Force on Organ Transplantation summarized the objection: “We are alarmed that . . . certain transplant centers are reportedly brokering kidneys from living unrelated donors. We find this practice to be unethical and to raise serious questions about the exploitation and coercion of people, especially the poor” (1 986, p. 98). The argument is that the rich exploit the fact of poverty to coerce the poor into selling their organs, which given better circumstances the poor would not have done (see also Abouna et al., 1990. p. 919; Dossetor and Stiller, 1990). The moral repugnancy which is perceived to underlie commerce in human organs is held to trump the possibility of increasing life-sustaining transplants. As the Nuffield Council Report argues, certain uses of human tissue are morally unacceptable because they “. . . injure human beings by treating them as things, as less than human, as objects for use” (1995, para. 6.7). According to Russell Scott, the historical precedent for such a market is chattel slavery, in which the human body is treated as mere property (1990, p. 1003). For James Childress, such concerns
Trends and Economic Analysis of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Cultivation in India with Special Reference to Haryana

Background: The place of pulses in agricultural production and in human diet is very important. India is a leading pulse growing country in the world. In 2016, India’s contribution to world’s area was around 38 per cent, whereas in terms of production, it was 23 per cent. The pulses are the essential part of the cropping system in the Indian farming. The CGRs of area and production of pulses showed a positive sign in India however, it indicated declining trend in Haryana. In the study, an attempt has been made to analyse the economics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in Haryana. Methods: For the present study, the data were collected from the chickpea growers out of total 161 farm households from 30 clusters out of most growing area in Haryana state following stratified random sampling technique. The cultivation/production cost of chickpea was calculated as per the standard cost concepts framed by Directorate of Economic and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. In the economic analysis, cost of cultivation, cost of production, costs of various inputs used in production and returns were worked out for different periods from 2004-05 to 2016-17. Result: The total cost of cultivation worked out was Rs.12163/- and Rs.9241/- for the period x-I (2004-05 to 2007-08) and it touched to Rs. 36036/- and Rs.39207/-per ha in the period x-IV (2014-15 to 2016-17) for India and Haryana, respectively. On an average 74and 42 kg/ha seed; 285 and 292 human labour (man hours) were utilized for cultivation of one hectare unit of land. Out of total human labour, about 50 per cent was contributed by farm family itself. The share of fixed and variable cost to the total cost of cultivation was found 59:41 and 44:56 per cent, respectively for India and Haryana. The net profit of chickpea in the study period increased by three times in India and seven times in Haryana. The value of B-C ratio was found more than one in Haryana and India reveals that chickpea cultivation is profitable entity.
Researching the (Potentially) Sexually Explicit Material of a Minor

Adolescent online safety has historically been framed as preventing teens from being exposed to various online risks, such as sexual solicitations, cyberbullying, and exposure to explicit content. However, in trying to accomplish this goal, researchers must first deeply understand the types of risks teens encounter online. Some of these risks, however, involve very sensitive and possibly illegal artifacts, such as images that could be classified as child pornography, and pose serious ethical issues associated with conducting research.
The Experience of Latinx Students with the Harvard Law School First-Year Curriculum

This project studies six Harvard Law School Latinx students and their experience with the first-year law school curriculum. In particular, this study explores Latinx cultural norms that contradict with the Socratic method.
Reactivating Memories from a Mathematical Task over a Period of Sleep

Sleep, especially slow-wave sleep (SWS), has been found to facilitate memory consolidation for many types of learning. Mathematical learning, however, has seldom been examined in this context. Solving multiplication problems involves multiple steps before problems can be mastered or answers memorized, and thus it can depend on both skill learning and fact learning. Here we aimed to test the hypothesis that memory reactivation during sleep contributes to multiplication learning. To do so, we used a technique known as targeted memory reactivation (TMR), or the pairing of newly learned information with specific stimuli that are later presented during sleep. With TMR, specific memories can be reactivated over a period of sleep without disrupting ongoing sleep. We applied TMR during an afternoon nap to reactivate half of the multiplication problems that had previously been practiced. Results showed no effect of TMR on response time or accuracy of multiplication problem solving. Because these results were unexpected, we also used a variation of this paradigm to examine results in subjects who remained awake. Comparisons between the wake and sleep groups showed no difference in response time or accuracy in either the initial test or the final test. Although neither TMR nor sleep differentially influenced multiplication performance, correlational analysis provided some clues about mathematical problem solving and sleep. On the basis of these findings, even though they did not provide convincing support for our hypotheses, we suggest future experiments that could help produce a better understanding of the relevance of sleep and memory reactivation for this type of learning.
Telemedicine Perspectives in Radiation Oncology.

Purpose/objective(s) Given the changes to Radiation Oncology clinic workflow inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, this study sought to determine the attitudes and perceptions of radiation oncologists towards the integration of telemedicine in the clinical setting. Materials/methods An online survey was sent nationwide to radiation oncologists, accompanied by a $10 gift card incentive for completing the survey. Of 117 complete responses received, the majority of respondents reported practicing in an academic setting (92%) and in an urban area (95%). 42% of respondents were still in training, while the rest had graduated from residency 0-5 years (16%), 6-10 years (8%), 11-20 years (15%), and 21+ years (19%) ago. Results Of all respondents, 79% worked at institutions that had implemented a work-from-home policy. Satisfaction was reported to be 87% regarding work-from-home flexibility, 84% regarding decreased commute to work, 40% regarding interaction with patients, 46% regarding impact on workflow, and 76% regarding overall impression. Before COVID-19, 99% of all visits were completed in-person whereas after COVID-19, telephone and telemedicine video visits comprised approximately 35% of new patient consults, 12% of on-treatment visits (OTVs), and 51% of follow-up visits. The primary factors in determining whether a patient was seen via telemedicine were patient preference (46%), physician preference (32%), and department policy (22%). Overall, in-person visits were felt to be better than telemedicine encounters in obtaining information during consultation (55%), establishing a personal connection with the patient/family (89%), answering questions about radiation treatment (45%), assessing for toxicity while on-treatment (87%), and assessing for toxicity/recurrence during follow-up (70%). 70% of respondents were in favor of more telemedicine utilization even after the COVID-19 pandemic, while 22% were in favor of telemedicine use only during the pandemic, and 8% were against the use of telemedicine unless absolutely necessary. Telemedicine visits for OTV encounters were deemed somewhat appropriate or extremely appropriate by 86% of respondents for patients confirmed to be COVID-positive, 79% for patients with mild symptoms who had not been tested, 65% for asymptomatic patients living with an at-risk person, 57% for asymptomatic patients who had recently traveled to a high-risk zone within the last 14 days, 92% for physician with mild symptoms who had not been tested, and 89% for asymptomatic physician living with an at-risk person. Conclusion Telemedicine has become quickly integrated into the Radiation Oncology clinical workflow allowing for convenience, flexibility, and minimization of infection transmission. These encounters are likely to play a role in conjunction with - not in place of - in-person visits, which allow physicians the ability to obtain crucial information during consultation, establish a personal connection with patients, and assess for toxicity/recurrence.
Probing molecular vibrations by monochromated electron microscopy

Chemical bonds fundamentally determine molecular properties and are prevalently characterized by various spectroscopic means such as infrared and Raman spectroscopies. However, the spatial resolution of these conventional approaches is insufficient to reveal nanoscale features. Recently, monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the transmission electron microscope achieved a groundbreaking energy resolution of a few millielectronvolts and enabled direct observation of molecular vibrational spectrum with unmatched spatial resolution. Vibrational EELS is widely applicable to both organic and inorganic matter in the solid state or liquid phase. In this review, we introduce recent advancements and key concepts of this method, compare with other spectroscopic techniques, and discuss future developments for potential applications in research fields centered on catalysts, polymers, and live cells.
Seraphic Companions: The Friendship between Elizabeth Gauden and Simon Patrick

This essay explores the friendship between Simon Patrick, future bishop of Ely, and Elizabeth Gauden, one of his parishioners, as an example of Neo-Platonic, chaste, yet impassioned friendship, between the sexes: Based on a combination of Neo-Platonic metaphysics of love, Aristotelian notions of philia , and legitimised by the ideal of Christian charity, the friendship’s spiritual aim is the two ‘soul mates’’ mutual intellectual and emotional refinement in order to be united with the heavenly community and the divine. The ideal of their seraphic companionship is to be achieved through the every-day practice of their friendship, that is, in their actual meetings and through their correspondence (Cambridge University Library Add. MS 19). Patrick and Gauden act as friends by discussing questions of theological and philosophical import, by advising each other on matters spiritual and mundane, and by sharing in social and devotional practices. Through Simon Patrick, the two friends are connected to a ‘this-worldly’ intellectual and religious community the philosophical and theological origins of which can be located within the most important school of seventeenth-century Platonic philosophy, Cambridge Platonism. Patrick, too, counts as a Cambridge Platonists, whose theological views and emphasis on matters of practical divinity characterise him as a prominent figure of post-Restoration liberal Anglicanism. Simon Patrick and Elizabeth Gauden are a virtually unknown example of the seventeenth century trend for intellectual friendships between men and women as Ruth Perry has identified it (1985) . The friendship between Patrick and Gauden is presented as a form of sociability that offered women a dynamic role within the learned community and furthered their active religious participation. With a close focus on the literary performance of friendship, my discussion explores how the two companions conformed to the protocols of private correspondence, but also shows how far they transformed these rules to suit their own spiritualising ends. The letter was a genre available to early modern men and women alike, and its particular communicative structure, its dialogic nature and its status as disembodied communication are presented as ideally suited for the practice of an idealised friendship between the sexes, since these features allow for intellectual intimacy, spiritual union, and affectionate excess on the letter’s page. The essay analyses the dynamics of Patrick and Gauden’s correspondence as the performance of their friendship and as the textualisation of central Neo-Platonic notions of the loving relations between the human and the divine. The focus is on Patrick’s rhetoric of unlimited and unconfined affection that questions contemporaneous norms of passionate involvement, and on Patrick’s epistolary idealisations of himself and his friend as philosophical companions. Both discursive strategies are meant to transport the seraphic friends beyond the earthly and into the heavenly community.
Olfaction-stimulated seizures : A case report

ABSTRACTReflex seizures or reflex epilepsy is not an uncommon form of epilepsy, existing in 5–6% of patients with epilepsy. This entity has also been known as sensory precipitation epilepsy or stimulus sensitive epilepsy. In this report, we discuss the study of a young girl who presented with a unique form of reflex epilepsy, olfactory-induced tonic seizures. Tonic seizures were consistently induced in her with a variety of odors. These seizures were elicited and recorded during an EEG study.
Contrasting in Vivo Effects of Murine and Human Apolipoprotein A-II ROLE OF MONOMER VERSUS DIMER

The role of apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II) in high density lipoprotein (HDL) structure and metabolism has been studied previously in transgenic mice overexpressing either human or murine apoA-II. These studies have shown differences between these two groups of transgenic animals in the levels of very low density, low density, and high density lipoproteins, in the HDL particle size distribution, and in the relationship between apoA-II levels and lipoprotein levels. To determine whether these differences are due to the fact that human apoA-II is dimeric and murine apoA-II monomeric, we have examined the effects of monomeric human apoA-II (hA-IImon) in transgenic mice. Site-directed mutagenesis (Cys6→ Ser) was used to generate 15 transgenic founder lines of hA-IImon mice, that contained plasma hA-IImon concentrations over a 10-fold range (11 mg/dl to 185 mg/dl). The hA-IImon floated in the d ≤ 1.21 g/ml fraction and migrated as an apoA-II monomer by nonreducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. HDL levels were not correlated with hA-IImon levels (r = −0.26); HDL particle size and size distribution, as well as very low density and low density lipoprotein levels and sizes, were unchanged compared to nontransgenic control mice. These results suggest that differences between mice overexpressing human dimeric apoA-II and those overexpressing murine apoA-II are the result of sequence differences between these two apoA-II molecules and are not solely due to the fact that human apoA-II exists as a dimer.
PMU Impact on State Estimation Reliability for Improved Grid Security

State estimation plays a key role in real-time power system operations. It determines a best estimate of the current actual power system based on available SCADA measurements and power system model data. One of the key state variables in state estimation is the bus voltage phase angle. This was not available as a measurement before. Presently PMUs can provide the direct measurement of voltage and current phase angles. Initial research has shown that PMU data provides valuable, 'instantaneous' information about system security and has the potential to improve the reliability and robustness of state estimation. The beneficial impacts of PMU data on state estimation depend on PMU measurement accuracy and calibration, the number of PMUs, PMU locations and related SCADA data accuracy. Practical implementation issues include: the synchronization of PMU data to a global reference, calibration of PMU data from different vendors and utilities, preparation of the PMU data for use in SE and tuning of the PMU data weights for optimal online performance
Mixing and phase partitioning of primary and secondary organic aerosols

[1] Predicting primary and secondary organic aerosol (POA and SOA) concentrations requires understanding the phase partitioning of semi-volatile organic species. A well-mixed single phase organic aerosol can absorb greater amounts of semi-volatile species but little experimental evidence exists on the phase distribution of particulate organics. We investigated the phase partitioning and mixing of semi-volatile POA and SOA in a smog chamber. Particle time of flight (PToF) data from an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) were used to quantify the extent of mixing. The SOA plus motor oil and diesel fuel combination produced a weakly mixed system, in which two particulate organic phases coexist. However, the POA in diesel exhaust readily mixed with SOA, forming a single phase after one hour. Although both POA types contain semi-volatile components, there is a fundamental difference in their partitioning behavior with SOA. The high resolution AMS data reveal minor differences in composition between the two types of POA. This work provides further evidence that there exists a set of unidentified components that influence particulate mixing that affect OA formation and suggests the extent of absorbent phase mixing (strong versus weak) can be observed and quantified with PToF data.
Electricity generation from synthetic acid-mine drainage (AMD) water using fuel cell technologies

Acid-mine drainage (AMD) is difficult and costly to treat. We investigated a new approach to AMD treatment using fuel cell technologies to generate electricity while removing iron from the water. Utilizing a recently developed microbial fuel cell architecture, we developed an acid-mine drainage fuel cell (AMD-FC) capable of abiotic electricity generation. The AMD-FC operated in fed-batch mode generated a maximum power density of 290 mW/m2 at a Coulombic efficiency greater than 97%. Ferrous iron was completely removed through oxidation to insoluble Fe(III), forming a precipitate in the bottom of the anode chamber and on the anode electrode. Several factors were examined to determine their effect on operation, including pH, ferrous iron concentration, and solution chemistry. Optimum conditions were a pH of 6.3 and a ferrous iron concentration above ∼0.0036 M. These results suggest that fuel cell technologies can be used not only for treating AMD through removal of metals from solution, but also for producin...
A New Approach to Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry Using a Fiber-Optic Probe: Application to Organometallic Redox Chemistry

A mid-IR fiber-optic cable operating as a “dip” probe has been used to obtain IR spectra of electrolysis solutions. The probe is employed in conventional electrochemical cells to sample the bulk of solution before, during, and after electrolysis. Unlike other spectroelectrochemical methods, this technique requires no cell design compromises which diminish the accuracy of the electrochemical data.
Increased calcium-current hypothesis of brain aging

Based on evidence that high Mg2+ counteracts age-related declines in synaptic plasticity, and that aged rat hippocampal neurons exhibit prolonged Ca2+-dependent K+ currents, it is proposed that an underlying cause of altered Ca2+ homeostasis during brain aging may be an increased membrane conductance to Ca2+. An apparent Ca2+-mediated inactivation of Ca2+ current, which was recently described in hippocampus, could account for some of the contradictions in the literature.
Chenopod salt bladders deter insect herbivores

Trichomes on leaves and stems of certain chenopods (Chenopodiaceae) are modified with a greatly enlarged apical cell (a salt bladder), containing a huge central vacuole. These structures may aid in the extreme salt tolerance of many species by concentrating salts in the vacuole. Bladders eventually burst, covering the leaf in residue of bladder membranes and solid precipitates. The presence of this system in non-halophytic species suggests additional functions. I tested the novel hypothesis that these bladders have a defensive function against insect herbivores using choice, no choice, and field tests. Generalist insect herbivores preferred to feed on leaves without salt bladders in choice tests. In no choice tests, herbivores consumed less leaf matter with bladders. In a field test, leaves from which I had removed bladders suffered greater herbivory than adjacent leaves with bladders. Solutions containing bladders added to otherwise preferred leaves deterred herbivores, suggesting a water-soluble chemical component to the defense. This bladder system has a defensive function in at least four genera of chenopods. Salt bladders may be a structural defense, like spines or domatia, but also have a chemical defense component.
Superconductor-insulator transition in a capacitively coupled dissipative environment

We present results on disordered amorphous films that are expected to undergo a field-tuned superconductor-insulator transition. The addition of a parallel ground plane in proximity to the film changes the character of the transition. Although the screening effects expected from ``dirty-boson'' theories are not evident, there is evidence that the ground plane couples a certain type of dissipation into the system, causing a dissipation-driven phase transition. The dissipation that drives this phase transition couples similarly into quantum phase transition systems, such as superconductor-insulator transitions and the Josephson junction arrays.
Canaries in the Goal Mines: A Timely Analysis of College Athletics and the Role of Student-Athletes

In July 2012, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) imposed severe sanctions on The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) athletics program related to allegations of sexual abuse occurring in Penn State athletics facilities. Sanctions included a $60 million !ne, a four-year postseason ban for the Penn State football team, a signi!cant reduction in athletics scholarships, and a !veyear probationary period (Consent Decree, 2012). These punitive actions were designed in part to “change the culture that allowed this activity to occur and realign it in a sustainable fashion with the expected norms and values of intercollegiate athletics” (Consent Decree, 2012, p. 4). The NCAA concluded that the situation at Penn State demonstrated “an unprecedented failure of institutional integrity leading to a culture in which a football program was held in higher esteem than the values of the institution, the values of the NCAA, the values of higher education, and most disturbingly the values of human decency” (Consent Decree, 2012, p. 4). Reactions to the penalties were mixed among those associated with the university. Rodney Erickson, then President at Penn State, stated that the university accepted the NCAA penalties and corrective actions. Erickson explained that Penn State:
Midwives' and physicians' experiences in collaborative practice: A qualitative study

G roup endeavors, such as interdisciplinary collaborative maternity practices, have become a key concept in the current market-driven health care environment. Collaborative practice (CP) is viewed as one way of reaching the goals of cost-effective health services delivery systems that improve access, offer quality care, and provide patient satisfaction.*-” To work successfully as a group endeavor, Cl’ requires “immense effort, training, and cooperation.“l However, there is very little literature describing or analyzing research that explains the fundamental variables that affect certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and physician Cl’. Besides case studies at the individual practice or institutional leve1,5-9 and the speculative pieces (“Should you add a nurse-midwife to your practice?“),” a review of the Cl’ literature revealed only two research studies on the state or regional leve1,‘7,‘2 and only two studies on the national level.‘“,” Although these studies describe the prevalence of CP,11,13 conflict among practitioners,i2 interprofessional attitudes,*’ and patient satisfaction,‘” none examine the variables contributing to successful Cl’. To better understand this form of CP, the author undertook a two-part study to discover different models of Cl’ and to explore the attitudes and experiences of providers who participate in Cl%.
Sensitive collinear laser spectroscopy on fast atom and ion beams

A fiber optic light collector has been constructed in order to efficiently guide photons from a long narrow source onto the face of a photomultiplier. We present here a brief review of the technique of collinear laser-fast atom beams and describe the performance of this new collector in such a collinear system.
Differential response of Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq ex DC) JD Sauer to glyphosate.

Midwest USA farmers have reported inconsistent control of Amaranthus tuberculatus (= rudis) (Moq ex DC) JD Sauer by glyphosate in glyphosate-resistant crops. The potential of selection for decreased A tuberculatus sensitivity to glyphosate was therefore investigated in a reportedly resistant Everly, IA population (P0–EV). Evaluation of six A tuberculatus populations from the Midwest USA estimated a seedling baseline sensitivity of 2.15 mM glyphosate. Based on these results, three generations of divergent recurrent selection were implemented on P0–EV to isolate resistant and susceptible populations. A seedling assay was developed to screen large amounts of seeds and thus expedite the selection process. Whole-plant and seedling rate responses of P0–EV and a known pristine A tuberculatus population from Paint Creek, OH (P0–WT) identified no significant difference in response to glyphosate; however, greater phenotypic variance was ostensibly evident in P0–EV. The first recurrent generation selected for resistance at 3.2 mM glyphosate (RS1–R) had a 5.9- and 1.7-fold resistance increase at the seedling and whole-plant levels, respectively, compared with the susceptible generation selected at 32 µM glyphosate. After three cycles of recurrent selection, 14.6-fold difference in resistance at the seedling level and 3.1-fold difference at the whole-plant level were observed when comparing the populations selected for resistance (RS3–R) and susceptibility (RS3–S). Overall, recurrent selection increased the frequency of resistant individuals and decreased the variability to glyphosate at the population level. Nevertheless, variability for glyphosate resistance was still evident in RS3–R. Results herein suggested that A tuberculatus is inherently variable to glyphosate and that selection decreased the sensitivity to glyphosate. We purport that evolved glyphosate resistance in A tuberculatus may require multiple cycles of selection under field conditions. Historic estimated use of glyphosate alludes to the evolution of tolerant weed populations. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
SOME NEGLECTED ISSUES IN THE LITERATURE ON BEHAVIOR THERAPY

Sltmn2ary.-This paper cities several areas which have received little attention in the literature on behavior therapy. It is suggested that these areas are important from the standpoint of practicing and evaluating a behavior rherapeutic approach to maladaptive behavior. The issues include diagnosing, dealing with more realistic response classes, getting objective measures of additiona1 relevant variables, selecting appropriate behavioral modification techniques for rhe particular case, exploring stimulus conditions leading to the maladaptive behavior, and reporting the carry-over of behavioral changes produced in the experimental environment to the natural environment. In spite of the growing literature on methods and applications of behavior therapy, few papers evaluate this work in light of actual therapeutic demands. Despite the many studies demonstrating the utility of the approach and its potential benefit, there are a number of important issues that have as yet received too little discussion in the literature. These iss~les are discussed in this paper. Although many well-traincd therapists are aware of these issues and each point has received some mention in the literature, in general they have been neglected. Further, while chis paper is written in the context of behavior therapy, it is believed that each point has bearing on other therapies as well. A variety of behavior modification techniques derived from the operant and classical conditioning literature have been described (Bachrach, 1962; Eysenck, 1964; Grossberg, 1964; Kalish, 1966; Rachman, 1963; Truax, 1966; U11man & Krasner, 1965; Wolpe, 1958; Wolpe & Lazarus, 1966). If behavioral change is the goal of therapy, these procedures are important. Techniques include shaping, reinforcing. extinction, desensitization, negative practice, escape and avoidance training, stimulus control, role-taking, and others. Their advantage lies in their being based on principles supported by considerable evidence from st~tdy of both animals and humans. This past research and specific techniques give the behavior therapist a valuable framework and practical armamentarium for approaching a situation in which his aim is to alter behavior (Bandura, 1961). An advantage of this work is that it is relatively precise and objective. Its operational natiue permits the reader to know precisely what behavior is under smdy and what the therapist does in his efforts to modify the behavior. While having a framework of functioning is desirable, this frame of reference should not be too limiting. Rather than viewing therapy as plugging maladaptive behavior into a single model, the therapist should be attuned, as the ex