cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age composition and seasonal phenology of house-fly (Diptera: Muscidae) populations

Age-grading techniques were applied to house-fly (Musca domestica) populations sampled at a dairy farm in Ames, Iowa, USA, from June 1978 to September 1980. Seven gonotrophic classes were used to study population structure. Fecundity was estimated by counting the numbers of functional ovarioles. The mean number of eggs per female was 103, with a large seasonal variation. Daily survival probabilities among adult female flies were estimated, and the mean was 83%. An average daily survival rate of 73% was estimated among populations subjected to ad hoc space and residual treatments with organophosphorous insecticides and application of insecticidal baits. A mean of 64 eggs was produced by an untreated adult house fly over an average lifetime of 5.4 days. A mean of 22 eggs was produced in an average lifetime of 3.2 days by females subjected to insecticidal pressure. Oscillations in age structure were observed in all years. There were corresponding oscillations in fly density.
Cooperative Chemical Rebonding In The Segregation Of Impurities In Silicon Grain Boundaries

With ab initio calculations the authors show that the experimentally observed large segregation energies of As at Si grain boundaries can be explained by the formation of isolated dimers or ordered chains of dimers of threefold-coordinated As along the cores of grain boundary dislocations. They also find the intriguing possibility that As segregation may drive structural transformation of certain grain boundaries. Recently, they have obtained the first atomic-resolution STEM images of As in a Si grain boundary, consistent with the formation of As dimers. Segregation energy of As dimers was found to be significantly higher in isolated dislocation cores, where larger site-variation in strain than in grain boundaries lead to further lowering of the electronic levels of As deep into the bandgap.
Burn your memory away: one-time use video capture and storage device to encourage memory appreciation

Although modern ease of access to technology enables many of us to obsessively document our lives, much of the captured digital content is often disregarded and forgotten on storage devices, with no concerns of cost or decay. Can we design technology that helps people better appreciate captured memories? What would people do if they only had one more chance to relive past memories? In this paper, we present a prototype design, PY-ROM, a matchstick-like video recording and storage device that burns itself away after being used. This encourages designers to consider lifecycles and human-computer relationships by integrating physical properties into digitally augmenting everyday objects.
Performance Evaluation of Point-of-Load Chip-Scale DC-DC Power Converters Using Silicon Power MOSFETs and GaN Power HEMTs

Performance evaluation of low-voltage silicon and GaN power FETs is presented for chip-scale DC-DC power converter applications. The circuit calculations are based on an improved circuit model for the FET with accurate description of terminal capacitances and on-resistance. It is shown that GaN power FETs combined with silicon MOS power diodes can potentially lead to nearly 82% power conversion efficiency at 25°C for a 12V/1V, 10W DC-DC converter when switched at 5 MHz in a synchronous buck converter topology.
Alternative questions used in conversational repair

This article adds to the conversation analytic literature on repair and on preference structure by examining a previously-undescribed otherinitiated repair practice, using the form of an alternative question, and the various actions that this practice is used to accomplish. Alternative question repair initiations can present alternate hearings or understandings of a prior utterance for clarification. They can also be used to initiate error correction by targeting a trouble source in a prior utterance with the first alternative and providing a candidate correction with the second. In the latter case, rejection of the candidate preference can be done as a dispreferred response. Recipients can make use of both turn design and context to interpret the actions being done through this form of repair.
Dual-Mode Wideband Speech Compression

Many bandwidth extension techniques attempt to predict the high-band frequencies based on features extracted from the lower band. Recent work suggests that such methods are limiting because the correlation between the low band and the high band is insufficient for adequate representation. As a result, additional high-band information must be sent to the decoder. In this paper, we propose a dual mode wideband speech coding algorithm based on the principles of bandwidth extension. The principal contributions include a mode selection algorithm based on greedy algorithm that maximizes the loudness criteria, and a bandwidth extension algorithm based on a constrained MMSE estimator. Results reveal that the proposed system improves the quality of narrowband speech while performing at a lower bit rate.
Thermal Shock in Reservoir Rock Enhances the Hydraulic Fracturing of Gas Shales

prohibited. Summary Thermal shock occurs when a material’s temperature is changed over a short period of time such that constituent parts of the material deform by different amounts. The deformation of material due to thermal load can be manifested through strain and stress. As the temperature diffuses from hydraulic fracture into reservoir, the temperature changes with x coordinate and the stress/strain can be obtained from the Equation (6). Once the stress at any point exceeds the strength of material, the body fails in one of the three modes of tension, compression or shear. A thermal load on rock, results in the creation and extension of cracks, crushing the grains, or sliding the grain interfaces. In this paper we look into the possibility of stimulating the rock matrix beyond hydraulic fracturing stimulation by cooling down the rock. The physics of temperature reduction in a solid dictates that when a solid is laterally fixed and undergoes temperature reduction, a thermal stress gradient is induced in the solid body. In rock, this thermal stress gradient leads to a differential contraction of the rock, which in turn creates openings, referred to as thermal cracks. We numerically solve the nonlinear gas diffusivity equation, using finite element method and show that the thermal cracks in rock have the potential to improve the productivity of wells placed in tight formations by 20%.
From the representation theory of vertex operator algebras to modular tensor categories in conformal field theory

Two-dimensional conformal quantum field theory (CFT) has inspired an immense amount of mathematics and has interacted with mathematics in very rich ways, in great part through the mathematically dynamic world of string theory. One notable example of this interaction is provided by Verlinde's conjecture: E. Verlinde (1) conjectured that certain matrices formed by numbers called the “fusion rules” in a “rational” CFT are diagonalized by the matrix given by a certain natural action of a fundamental modular transformation (essentially, a certain distinguished element of the group of two-by-two matrices of determinant one with integer entries). His conjecture led him to the “Verlinde formula” for the fusion rules and, more generally, for the dimensions of spaces of “conformal blocks” on Riemann surfaces of arbitrary genera. A great deal of progress has been achieved in interpreting and proving Verlinde's (physical) conjecture and the Verlinde formula in mathematical settings, in the case of the Wess–Zumino–Novikov-Witten models in CFT, which are based on affine Lie algebras. On the other hand, Moore and Seiberg (2, 3) showed, on a physical level of rigor, that the general form of the Verlinde conjecture is a consequence of the axioms for rational CFTs, thereby providing a conceptual understanding of the conjecture. In the process, they formulated a CFT analogue, later termed “modular tensor category” (discussed in refs. 4 and 5) by I. Frenkel, of the classical …
On-board state of health monitoring of lithium-ion batteries using incremental capacity analysis with support vector regression

Battery state of health (SOH) monitoring has become a crucial challenge in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and all electric vehicles (EVs) research, as SOH significantly affects the overall vehicle performance and life cycle. In this paper, we focus on the identification of Li-ion battery capacity fading, as the loss of capacity and therefore the driving range is a primary concern for EV and plug-in HEV (PHEV). While most studies on battery capacity fading are based on laboratory measurement such as open circuit voltage (OCV) curve, few publications have focused on capacity loss monitoring during on-board operations. We propose a battery SOH monitoring scheme based on partially charging data. Through analysis of battery aging cycle data, a robust signature associated with battery aging is identified through incremental capacity analysis (ICA). Several algorithms to extract this signature are developed and evaluated for on-board SOH monitoring. The use of support vector regression (SVR) is shown to provide the most consistent identification results with moderate computational load. For battery cells tested, we show that the SVR model built upon the data from one single cell is able to predict the capacity fading of 7 other cells within 1% error bound.
The Status of the Far Eastern Civilization/ World System: Evidence from City Data*

T. Chandlers city data are used to inquire whether, and when, East Asia was a world system in itself, or part of a larger Old World world-system; and whether, and when, the east end of the Old World oikumene was more advanced than the west end. On the available data, (1) A.G. Franks thesis of a single Old World world-system is less well supported than the thesis of a long coexistence of a plurality of world systems, including a separate Far Eastern system; (2) Franks thesis of the general economic lead of China over Europe is supported; (3) there is evidence of an interesting medieval outrunning of the west end by the east end economy, which begs further investigation.
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen als Wissenschaftler und Mensch

Sofort nach der ersten Bekanntmachung der Entdeckung der X-Strahlen verlangte das grose Publikum Naheres uber die Personlichkeit und die Lebensverhaltnisse des Mannes zu erfahren, dem es gegluckt war, eine bedeutende Naturerscheinung zu enthullen. Bei der allgemeinen Aufregung nach dem Bekanntwerden der unglaublichen Nachricht ist es nicht verwunderlich, das zuerst in aller Eile viele ungenaue Daten uber Rontgen in der Presse und auch in manchen wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften zusammengetragen und den Lesern vorgesetzt wurden. Der Name des Entdeckers wurde als Routgen oder Rothgen in vielen Veroffentlichungen abgedruckt. Sein Geburtsort wurde vielfach nach Holland verlegt und sein Alter um viele Jahre falsch angegeben. [Siehe z. B. London Standard vom 7. Januar 1896; Le Matin vom 13. Januar 1896; Nature (Paris) vom 25. Januar 1896; Literary Digest vom 15. Februar 1896; (36).]
Visualizing Odor Detection in Olfactory Cilia by Calcium Imaginga

: To visualize odor detection in individual cilia of olfactory sensory neurons we have developed a new approach by using high-resolution calcium imaging techniques. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed, for the first time, that odor stimuli induce transient Ca2+ elevations in single olfactory cilia. Pharmacological analysis indicates that these Ca2+ signals depend entirely on Ca2+ entry through activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels. This novel approach enables us to monitor the initial steps leading to olfactory perception in a spatially and temporally resolved manner.
Effects of age at onset of deafness and electrical stimulation on the developing cochlear nucleus in cats.

Abstract This study examined the effects of deafness and intracochlear electrical stimulation on the anatomy of the cochlear nucleus (CN) after a brief period of normal auditory development early in life. Kittens were deafened by systemic ototoxic drug injections either as neonates or starting at postnatal day 30. Total CN volume, individual CN subdivision volumes, and cross-sectional areas of spherical cell somata in the anteroventral CN (AVCN) were compared in neonatally deafened and 30-day deafened groups at 8 weeks of age and in young adults after ∼6 months of electrical stimulation initiated at 8 weeks of age. Both neonatal and early acquired hearing loss resulted in a reduction in CN volume as compared to normal hearing cats. Comparison of 8- and 32-week old groups indicated that the CN continued to grow in both deafened groups despite the absence of auditory input. Preserving normal auditory input for 30 days resulted in a significant increase in both total CN volume and cross-sectional areas of spherical cell somata, as compared to neonatally deafened animals. Restoring auditory input in these developing animals by unilateral intracochlear electrical stimulation did not elicit any difference in CN volume between the two sides, but resulted in 7% larger spherical cell size on the stimulated side. Overall, the brief period of normal auditory development and subsequent electrical stimulation maintained CN volume at 80% of normal and spherical cell size at 86% of normal ipsilateral to the implant as compared to 67% and 74%, respectively, in the neonatally deafened group.
North American Christian Study Abroad Programs: Wheaton College and Whitworth University

Study abroad programs are in vogue today, especially among Christian colleges and universities. It is, therefore, appropriate to ask tough questions of these programs. Do they help our students become more mature followers of Jesus? Are they respectful of people in the target culture? College and university leaders must focus in particular on how study abroad programs are framed to take advantage of the cultural interface between students’ sending culture and their receiving culture, the partnerships that are built between institutions and communities, and some of the key learning experiences we ought to seek and provide for all involved. How can Christian colleges and universities best engage with the opportunities and demand for studying abroad without turning them into glorified tourism experiences? How can institutions set up study abroad sites that are mutually beneficial to the sending institution as well as the host institution and their immediate communities? These questions are addressed by exami...
A cell‐based screening assay to identify pharmaceutical compounds that enhance the regenerative quality of corneal repair

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a simple but quantitative cell-based assay to identify compounds that might be used pharmaceutically to give tissue repair a more regenerative character. The cornea was used as the model, and some specific aspects of repair in this organ were incorporated into assay design. A quantitative cell-based assay was developed based on transcriptional promoter activity of fibrotic marker genes ACT2A and TGFB2. Immortalized corneal stromal cells (HTK) or corneal epithelial cells (HCLE) were tested and compared to primary corneal stromal cells. Cells were transiently transfected with constructs containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene driven by transcriptional promoters for the selected fibrotic marker genes. A selected panel of seven chemical test compounds was used, containing three known fibrosis inhibitors: lovastatin (LOV), tyrphostin AG 1296 (6,7-dimethoxy-3-phenylquinoxaline) and SB203580 (4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H-imidazole), and four potential fibrosis inhibitors: 5-iodotubercidin (4-amino-5-iodo-7-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidine), anisomycin, DRB (5,6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole) and latrunculin B. Transfected cells were treated with TGFB2 in the presence or absence of one of the test compounds. To validate the assay, compounds were tested for their direct effects on gene expression in the immortalized cell lines and primary human corneal keratocytes using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Three "hits" were validated LOV, SB203580 and anisomycin. This assay, which can be applied in a high throughput format to screen large libraries of uncharacterized compounds, or known compounds that might be repurposed, offers a valuable tool for identifying new treatments to address a major unmet medical need. Anisomycin has not previously been characterized as antifibrotic, thus, this is a novel finding of the study.
9.3 A very-low-noise frequency-translational quadrature-hybrid receiver for carrier aggregation

To meet the demands of ever-increasing data throughput, carrier aggregation (CA) across frequency bands is becoming necessary. Different regional spectrum allocations lead to a large number of band combinations and challenge the antenna interface performance for inter-band CA. A dedicated antenna for each carrier severely increases the form factor of the device. Splitting the antenna signal with filter banks becomes very complex and costly due to the large number of band combinations. Existing wideband receiver architectures like FTNC [1] have excellent noise figure (NF) but cannot easily handle CA while current inter-band CA receivers [2,3] use separate antennas. We present a frequency-translational quadrature-hybrid (FTQH) receiver architecture that allows RF signal sharing between receivers; FTQH receivers can further be daisy-chained to share a single antenna among multiple receivers while maintaining excellent RF impedance matching and low NF.
Behavioral intentions to HIV test and subsequent testing: the moderating role of sociodemographic characteristics.

OBJECTIVE Health behavior theorists have proposed that cognitive variables (e.g., intentions to change, self-efficacy) drive individual health behaviors, and most HIV/AIDS prevention interventions are grounded in this notion. However, some scholars have suggested that marginalized groups experience structural barriers to enacting their healthy intentions, and thus, cognitive variables might be a poorer predictor of health behaviors in these populations. The purpose of the present study was to test the possibility that intentions are a poorer predictor of behavior among younger, lower SES, and ethnic minority individuals. METHOD Using longitudinal data from a sample of men who have sex with men (N = 487), we examined whether baseline behavioral intentions to obtain an HIV test differed by socioeconomic status (SES), age, and race/ethnicity and whether the prospective association between intentions to test and subsequent testing differed by these sociodemographic variables. RESULTS Lower-status individuals expressed equal or greater intentions to obtain an HIV test at baseline. However, intentions to obtain an HIV test did not predict subsequent testing behavior among low-SES men and younger men. Race/ethnicity did not moderate the intentions-behavior relation. CONCLUSIONS Although lower-status individuals express equal or greater intentions to obtain HIV testing, they appear to be less likely to act on these intentions. HIV prevention strategies that target cognitive variables, such as intentions, must recognize that they may be less reliable predictors of health behavior among vulnerable populations. Future research and interventions must explore and address the barriers that marginalized and lower-status individuals experience in enacting their healthy intentions.
Near-Infrared Asymmetrical Squaraine Sensitizers for Highly Efficient Dye Sensitized Solar Cells: The Effect of π-Bridges and Anchoring Groups on Solar Cell Performance

Conventional squaraine dyes exhibit an intense absorption band in the red region of the solar spectrum and with appropriate design can also have high energy absorption as well, making them interesting building blocks toward achieving panchromatic dyes for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. In this report, eight squaraine dyes with thiophene, 4-hexyl-4H-dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole, dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]thiophene, and 4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-silolo[3,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (DTS) π-bridges with cyanoacetic acid (CA) and cyanophosphonic acid (PA) acceptor/anchoring groups are synthesized to extend the squaraine absorption into the 450–550 nm region and to provide different spatial arrangements of solubilizing groups. Squaraines with CA anchoring groups have higher power conversion efficiencies compared to their PA analogs, with the highest being 8.9% for the DTS-based dye, which is among the highest reported in the literature for squaraine dyes. This is due to high short circuit currents (JS...
Mode of Resistance of Triazine-Resistant Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)'

Two previously identified triazine-resistant annual bluegrass (Poa annua) biotypes in Mis- sissippi were evaluated to determine the level as well as the mode of resistance compared to a triazine-susceptible biotype. Annual bluegrass seeds were collected at two sites (Meridian and Tupelo, MS) from field plots previously treated with 11.2 kg ailha simazine. Seeds were planted on agar containing simazine (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, or 100 mM) or diuron (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 ,uM), placed in the growth chamber with an 8 h daylength and alternating temperatures of 15 and 20 C, and allowed to grow for 3 wk, after which fresh weight was determined. Data were subjected to regression analyses and the amount of simazine or diuron required to reduce fresh weight to 50% of the untreated plants was determined. These data indicated a greater than 1,000-fold level of resistance to simazine with either biotype. Diuron concentrations of 5.0, 3.0, and 3.2 ,uM were required to reduce fresh weight to 50% of the untreated for the triazine-susceptible, Meridian, and Tupelo biotypes, respectively. Sequencing a portion of the chloroplast psbA gene revealed a serine 264 to glycine mutation, which reduced the affinity of the triazine herbicides for the QB-binding niche on the DI protein in photosystem II.
Italy's Fascist Bureaucracy

Neglected by foreign critics of the Fascist regime and taken for granted by the Italian people, the bureaucracy of Italy has been eclipsed by more spectacular institutions. This “core of modern government” has been concealed by a black-shirted periphery embossed with some corporative theories. From this center, some studies of more than the mere structural features of Fascist Italy might well begin. In any case, the “peculiar Anglo-Saxon pastime of making foreign personnel studies,” as an Italian civil servant recently observed, will admit of a consideration of certain of the functional elements of the Italian bureaucracy—the hierarchical and career aspects.
Flow Networks and Combinatorial Operations Research

(1966). Flow Networks and Combinatorial Operations Research. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 115-138.
STATCOM Additional Subsynchronous Damping Controller Design Based on Prony Identification

Static Synchronous Compensator(STATCOM) has strong ability to control reactive power and voltage.It can keep access point voltage stable,as well as inhibit oscillation caused by its access into the system and the Subsynchronous Resonance(SSR) in the power system by its additional damping control.Prony identification method was adopted to obtain the effective open-loop transfer function between STATCOM reference voltage and the generator′s speed deviation through the time-domain system simulation data,and the oscillation modal and feature information were identified as well.Additionally,a STATCOM SSDC was designed by means of state feedback pole placement technique.Simulation tests based on PSCAD/EMTDC were made for IEEE SSR first benchmark model.The results verify that the method proposed for designing STATCOM damping controller is feasible and effective.
Effect of nitric oxide on renin secretion. I. Studies in isolated juxtaglomerular granular cells

Experiments were performed on juxtaglomerular granular cells (JGC) in short-term primary culture to determine the direct immediate effect of NO on renin secretion and to test whether JGC are able to generate NO. Renin secretion was measured repeatedly over short time intervals in a cell superfusion system. Renin release did not significantly decrease over a 40-min observation period in untreated JGC. Addition of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) caused a reduction in renin release (measured in nano-Goldblatt hog units vs. time, i.e., nGU/min) from 479 +/- 25, 423 +/- 70, and 388 +/- 54 nGU/min to 295 +/- 19 (n = 5), 102 +/- 21 (n = 7), and 71 +/- 9 nGU/min (n = 6) with 10(-5), 10(-4), and 10(-3) M SNP, respectively. In the presence of the guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue at 10(-4) M, SNP at 10(-4) M had no significant effect on renin secretion. 8-Bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate at 10(-4) M in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (10(-3) M) caused a reduc...
Moving frontiers in anesthesia training: the anesthesia simulator

In the late sixties, SIM I, the first anesthesia simulator, made its appearance. Conceived and built by Dr. Densen, from the University of California in Los Angeles, the anesthesiologist, and Dr. Abrahamson, the engineer. The simulator was a mannequin with an anatomic airway and computer programs that caused the blood pressure to rise and the heart rate to increase when epinephrine was injected. The authors believe the simulators that have evolved in the last few years will do well in anesthesia and in medicine in general because, on the one hand they enable the student to practice until perfect, and on the other, they represent a new approach in medical education. They respond to the demand for a more individually-oriented direction in training.
Decision Trees and Financial Variables

A decision tree program for forecasting stock performance is applied to Compustat's Global financial statement data augmented with International Monetary Fund data. The hypothesis is that certain Compustat variables will be most used by the decision tree program and will provide insight as to how to make investing decisions. Surprisingly, the authors' experiments show that the most frequently used variables come from the International Monetary Fund and that variables provided exclusively for Financial Industry stocks were not useful for forecasting financial stock performance. These experiments might be part of a constellation of such experiments that help people map financial forecasting problems to the variables most useful for solving those problems. The research shows the value of using decision tree methodologies as applied to finance.
Queering Prison Masculinity: Exploring the Organization of Gender and Sexuality within Men’s Prison

Gender, sex, and sexuality are fluid, socially constructed aspects of social life that are organized differently based on the context in which individuals’ lives are situated. Of particular interes...
National Human Genome Research Institute History of Genomics Oral History Program: An Example of “Triangulation”

The essay will describe the oral history effort at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Overseen since 2013 by the NHGRI Historian, the focus of the oral history effort is to capture the perceptive of scientific program staff, many of whom have worked at the National Institutes of Health since the origin of the Human Genome Project. Scientific program staffs have functioned as “managers” of the Human Genome Project and of subsequent genomics efforts. Program staff design granting programs and ensure that grantees and institutions meet their scientific targets and spend money in a cost-effective manner. They are an untapped source of knowledge behind the development of modern genomic science. Interviewing the program managers behind the Human Genome Project and subsequent genomics programs mitigates many of the issues surrounding traditional oral histories. Individual scientists often promote their own work at the expense of others. Individual scientists also are increasingly specialized; they can typically only discuss certain aspects of a large, international, and interdisciplinary science such as genomics. Program staffs are able more than individual scientists to discuss the whole of a scientific project. They are also, from their managerial perspective, far less likely to denigrate the work of one individual scientist for the promotion of another.
Ultraminor Literature in a Major Language

Deleuze and Guattari list out three characteristics of a minor literature—it is written in a major language from a marginalized position; its nature is thoroughly political; and it has a collective value. Yet, as this article shows by taking the case of T.S. Pillai’s Malayalam novel Chemmeen (1956) and its various afterlives, world literatures illuminate greater varieties of scale and of characteristics than can readily be covered by a single binary opposition between minor versus major, local versus global, original versus translation, singular versus plural. The concept of ultraminor literature, especially in the South Asian context, thus gives us a chance to engage with an undefined space that archives historical, translational, political, linguistic, idiosyncratic, and aesthetic tales of a text within and outside its tradition.
The Lady Vanishes: The Rise of the Spectral Mother

Western culture has a predilection for displacing mothers from its literary, historical, and social narratives. To provide a framework to analyze maternal displacement across different times and cultures, this chapter identifies the expectations of maternal behavior, and the factors that lead to the marginalization and displacement of mothers in the West. The eighteenth century provides a crucial pivot for this analysis, because economic growth, rising literacy, and religious and gender expectations combined to formalize a domestic ideology for women—an ideology that reverberates through Western culture to this day. Yet this ideology did not provide cultural narratives for mothers, and the mother vanishes at the moment of her ideological definition.’Bad' mothers dominate the cultural landscape rather than’good' mothers, for’bad' mother narratives please by exposing and punishing the’bad' mother for her undesirable behaviors. The’bad' mother invokes, but does not represent, her’good' twin, whose narratives were (and are) largely absent from cultural representation. Instead, the spectral mother rises to fill a cultural and ideological gap: she depicts the desired ideology of the’good' mother with the narrative fecundity of the’bad' one. This chapter offers an anatomy of spectral maternal narrative—of maternal absence, maternal surveillance, and maternal death—and demonstrates that spectral motherhood fulfills domestic ideology, by facilitating child development and allaying anxieties about maternal sexuality, agency, and autonomy.
Evidence-Based Psychotherapy in Primary Care

The functional and financial effects of untreated psychiatric disorders within primary care have led to the development of novel service delivery models to improve access to high-quality, evidence-based mental health treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious and effective psychotherapeutic approach for treating a broad range of mental health conditions. CBT is a practical, skill-building approach that emphasizes self-efficacy and self-management of symptoms while working toward defined and measurable treatment goals. Although significant barriers to the full dissemination of CBT remain, collaborative care and integrated behavioral health programs embedded within primary care clinics can enhance treatment outcomes by using CBT. Identifying core CBT principles used in the treatment of anxiety (e.g., exposure), depression (e.g., behavioral activation), and insomnia (e.g., stimulus control) is an important step toward improving the quality of care for these conditions. High-impact, low-...
Novel integration of Dimetheus and WalkSAT solvers for k-SAT filter construction

This paper describes a novel approach used to integrate two leading satisfiability (SAT) solvers, Dimetheus and WalkSAT, into a system to provide users with solver selection and solution customization capabilities. The two solvers are efficient for two different cases, have different execution procedures and generate a single solution from a single line of command. This integration provides the most efficient way to find multiple random solutions of any set membership problem from a common single line of command. To build an effective k-SAT filter, multiple random solutions are essential. The integration also provides a unified solution output format rather than two different output formats of two solvers. The theoretical approach and a practical C program were developed and tested during the work in an on-going project to build world's first practical k-SAT filter for deep packet inspection in network intrusion detection systems at Stony Brook University.
G2A Attenuates Propionibacterium acnes Induction of Inflammatory Cytokines in Human Monocytes

Background: Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by increased sebum production, hyperkeratinization, and immune responses to Propionibacterium acnes (PA). Here, we explore a possible mechanism by which a lipid receptor, G2A, regulates immune responses to a commensal bacterium. Objective: To elucidate the inflammatory properties of G2A in monocytes in response to PA stimulation. Furthermore, our study sought to investigate pathways by which lipids modulate immune responses in response to PA. Methods: Our studies focused on monocytes collected from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the monocytic cell line THP-1, and a lab strain of PA. Our studies involved the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent, Western blot, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, small interfering RNA (siRNA), and microarray analysis of human acne lesions in the measurements of inflammatory markers. Results: G2A gene expression is higher in acne lesions compared to normal skin and is inducible by the acne therapeutic, 13-cis -retinoic acid. In vitro, PA induces both the Toll-like receptor 2-dependent expression of G2A as well as the production of the G2A ligand, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, from human monocytes. G2A gene knockdown through siRNA enhances PA stimulation of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-1β possibly through increased activation of the ERK1/2 MAP kinase and nuclear factor kappa B p65 pathways. Conclusion: G2A may play a role in quelling inflammatory cytokine response to PA, revealing G2A as a potential attenuator of inflammatory response in a disease associated with a commensal bacterium. (Ann Dermatol 29(6) 688∼698, 2017)
Cannabinoid agonist administration within the cerebellar cortex impairs motor learning.

Abstract Systemic administration of cannabinoid agonists impairs cerebellum-dependent motor learning. The cannabinoid-induced impairment of motor learning has been hypothesized to be due to disruption of Purkinje cell plasticity within the cerebellar cortex. In the current study, we tested this hypothesis in rats with localized microinfusions of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists into the cerebellar cortex during eyeblink conditioning, a type of cerebellum-dependent motor learning. Infusions of the cannabinoid agonists WIN55,212-2 or ACEA directly into the eyeblink conditioning microzone of the cerebellar cortex severely impaired acquisition of eyeblink conditioning, whereas the CB1R antagonist SR141716A did not produce a significant impairment. Infusions of WIN55,212-2 outside of the eyeblink conditioning microzone did not impair motor learning, establishing anatomical specificity for the agonist effects. The motor learning impairment caused by WIN55,212-2 and ACEA was rescued by SR141716A, indicating that the learning deficit was produced through CB1Rs. The current findings demonstrate that the effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists on motor learning are localized to CB1Rs within a discrete microzone of the cerebellar cortex.
Investigation of Outbreaks of Disease Under a Protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention

Progress is being made in Geneva towards the negotiation of a Protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC),1 which would be opened for signature and ratification by all parties to the BWC. One of the provisions of this Protocol will almost certainly be a mechanism for investigating certain outbreaks of disease,2 to resolve suspicions that might arise about compliance with the BWC.
Ethical Studies, Overview (Western)

This article surveys the different divisions of philosophy in general and moral philosophy in particular. It points out that while ethics and morality have one same common linguistic root, the two terms have come to stand for two different approaches to ethical theory. The moral philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are discussed. Kantian deontology and utilitarianism are also analyzed. The article concludes with a brief overview of three twentieth-century moral theories.
Cancer modelling: a personal perspective

C ancer modeling comes in a wide variety of styles. Indeed, it can involve almost any type of applied mathematics. My personal favorite approach is the use of probability models to understand how genetic mutations lead to cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Ordinary differential equations can be used to study the growth of tumor cell populations, often leading to a conclusion of Gompertzian growth [21]. PDE models using cell densities and nutrient concentrations as state variables can be used to analyze various spatiotemporal phenomena; see [13]. Individual and agent-based models that treat cells as discrete objects with predefined rules of interaction can offer an improvement over PDE methods in some situations, such as the study of angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels to bring nutrients to a growing tumor [1]. For a comparison of individual-based and continuum approaches in one particular example, see [4]. Agent-based systems are one of many computationally intensive methods [24] and are often components of multiscale models (see [16], [6], and [8]). Rather than spend the entire article in the land of generalities with random pointers to the literature, I will next give a description of a useful, simple, and flexible model: multitype branching processes. The types represent stages in the cancer progression. For example, in colon cancer, type 1 cells have one copy of the gene APC inactivated, type 2 cells have both copies inactivated, type 3
Mass Spectrometry Exposes Undocumented Lignin-Carbohydrate Complexes in Biorefinery Pretreatment Stream

The presence and effects of lignin–carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) in biorefinery processes are largely unknown. Recently identified in a significant hydrothermal pretreatment process stream (autohydrolyzate), these molecules likely influence not only downstream processing but also product purity and performance. However, without an understanding of their structures, it is impossible to analyze and cope with their effects. To identify and elucidate LCCs in autohydrolyzate, a new method employed chloride doping and tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed complexes ranging in mass from 326–714 Da with evidence of xylose and glucose units. Further analysis revealed lignin-like levels of unsaturation, considering the number of carbons present. These results suggest that, although the complexes contain one or two carbohydrate units, their primary structures are closer to lignin compounds. This method provides a glimpse into the structures of LCCs in a biorefinery process stream, laying the foundation for ea...
Developing Operational Definitions and Measuring Interobserver Reliability Using House Crickets (Acheta domesticus)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of operational definitions and a technique for measuring whether there is consistency between two observers who have observed the same animal. It employs the common house cricket, Acheta domesticus, which is native to Asia and is used extensively in North America as fishing bait and as food for reptiles. Operational definitions enable researchers to translate concepts into more concrete terms so that they can be measured reliably by anyone using the definition. For example, an operational definition of aggression might state that each time one animal bites another, it will count as one aggressive encounter. Controversies can result if definitions are not used in identical ways by all researchers. Once a concept is operationally defined, it must be used consistently by all observers. Often, the study of animal behavior—whether in the field or in the laboratory—requires more than one observer, particularly if the observations are made over an extended period. Consistency between two observers can be tested by having both observers simultaneously observe the same animal.
Propene Hydrogenation Catalyzed by γ-Al2O3-Supported Ir4 Clusters: Inhibition by Dehydrogenated Propene Derivatives on Ir4

Ir4 clusters supported on MgO and on γ-Al2O3 were prepared from supported [Ir4(CO)12] and used as catalysts for hydrogenation of propene. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra of the working catalysts identify the Ir4 clusters themselves as the catalytically active species. Infrared spectra of Ir4/γ-Al2O3 during catalysis indicate propylidyne and highly dehydrogenated propene derivatives (approximated as C3H2 and C2H) bonded to the clusters; they are inhibitors of catalysis and not reactive intermediates. Infrared spectra also show that the formation of propylidyne and highly dehydrogenated propene derivatives is greatly reduced when the Ir4 clusters are supported on MgO instead of γ-Al2O3. The results suggest that the more basic MgO support is a better electron donor to the clusters than γ-Al2O3, causing the strength of the interaction between the clusters and propene to be less for Ir4/MgO than for Ir4/γ-Al2O3.
Effects of a Higher Heart Rate on Quality of Life and Functional Capacity in Patients With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction

There is no evidence-based treatment for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Although lower heart rates (HRs) provide an unequivocal benefit for patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, higher HR might convey important hemodynamic and substrate-modifying benefits in patients with diastolic dysfunction. In a prospective study of 20 stable outpatients with diastolic dysfunction and pacemakers, we evaluated the effects of a 4-week increase in the lower pacemaker rate to 80 beats/min followed by reversal to the previous lower HR setting from weeks 4 to 6. We assessed quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire), 6-minute walk test and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. Pacing at 80 beats/min significantly improved quality of life and the 6-minute walk test (p ≤0.05). There was a strong positive correlation between the pacing-induced changes in NT-proBNP and baseline QRS intervals (r2 = 0.31, p 150 ms was associated with a 26 ± 35% increase in NT-proBNP (p
A bis(arylphosphinito)amide pincer ligand that binds nickel forming six-membered metallacycles

Abstract The synthesis of a bis(arylphosphinito)amide pincer ligand P2ONO− designed to form two six-membered rings upon metallation is reported. Phosphination of a known bis(phenolato)amide ONO3− scaffold led to isolation of two isomers: the intended H(P2ONO) preligand with an amine moiety is formed as a kinetic product, which isomerizes via net oxidative addition of the amine N−H to phosphorous to yield a benzoxazaphosphole-containing thermodynamic product. Both isomers undergo productive metallation with NiBr2(dimethoxyethane) to produce the same complex, (P2ONO)NiBr. Treatment with triethylborohydride furnished the terminal hydride complex (P2ONO)NiH. The bromide and hydride complexes enabled comparisons of the steric and electronic properties of the P2ONO− ligand with other amide-based pincers.
Management of Lupus Nephritis in Children

Lupus nephritis affects 50-75% of all children with systemic lupus erythematosus with a higher prevalence in Asians. It remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in childhood onset lupus. Proliferative lupus nephritis (class III and class IV) warrants aggressive treatment to prevent progression to end stage renal disease. Newer immunosuppressive agents available in the last decade offer more options to treat lupus nephritis. Despite guidelines from professional bodies, there remains a lack of consensus on the treatment of refractory disease and duration of maintenance therapy. We review the treatment options for pediatric patients with lupus nephritis based on studies and published guidelines in the last decade, and highlight opportunities for continued improvement in care.
Etiology and Treatment of Intraoperative Hyperkalemia During Posterior Spinal Fusion in an Adolescent.

Hyperkalemia, defined as a serum or plasma potassium greater than 5.5 mEq/L, while an uncommon occurrence in children, is a serious medical problem that warrants immediate attention as it can result in serious cardiac arrhythmias and death. Although hyperkalemia may occur in the critically ill patient or in the setting of renal failure and insufficiency, there are limited reports of its occurrence during intraoperative care. The authors report a previously healthy, 18-year-old patient, who developed hyperkalemia intraoperatively during posterior spinal fusion to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The potential etiologies of hyperkalemia are reviewed, a differential diagnosis for the possible etiologies presented, and treatment modalities discussed. J Med Cases. 2020;11(6):152-156 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3470
Clinical Impact of Preexisting Right Bundle Branch Block after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now the treatment of choice for patients with severe aortic stenosis regardless of their surgical risk. Right bundle branch block (RBBB) can be a predictor for development of significant atrioventricular (AV) block after TAVR, requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). However, data related to the risk of PPI requirement with preexisting RBBB is scarce. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess clinical outcomes of patients undergoing TAVR with RBBB on preexisting electrocardiogram. Methods. We performed a systematic literature review to identify randomized and nonrandomized clinical studies that reported any clinical impact of patients undergoing TAVR with preexisting RBBB. A total of eight databases including PubMed (Medline), Embase, Cochrane Library, ACP Journal Club, Scopus, DARE, and Ovid containing articles from January 2000 to May 2020 were analyzed. Results. We identified and screened 224 potential eligible publications through the databases and found 14 relevant clinical trials for a total of 15,319 participants. There was an increased 30-day pacemaker implantation rate of 38.1% in the RBBB group compared to 11.4% in the no RBBB group with a risk ratio of 3.56 (RR 3.56 (95% CI 3.21–3.93, )) . There was an increased 30-day all-cause mortality in the RBBB group of 9.5% compared with 6.3% in the no RBBB group with an odds ratio of 1.60 (OR 1.60 (95% CI 1.14–2.25, )) . Conclusion. This study indicates that patients with preexisting RBBB have higher incidence of PPI and all-cause mortality after TAVR compared with patients without RBBB. Further trials are needed to compare the clinical outcomes based on TAVR valve types and assess the benefit of PPI in patients with new-onset RBBB after TAVR.