cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract SY38-02: Immune-related changes in breast tumor evolution

Increasing evidence supports a role for the immune system in tumor initiation and progression. Immune cells shape tumor evolution directly (e.g., anti-tumor immune response) and indirectly (e.g., changing the microenvironment) by selecting for cancer cells with certain properties. Immunotherapy is one of the most promising current therapeutic options and almost the only one that can effectively cure metastatic disease. However, thus far its success has been limited to a subset of patients. This may be a consequence of heterogeneity among tumors for mechanisms by which they escape immune surveillance. We hypothesized that the in situ to invasive carcinoma transition is a critical tumor progression step for immune escape in breast cancer that defines subsequent tumor evolution. This is due to the fact that in DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) cancer cells are still physically separated from the stroma by the basement membrane and myoepithelial cell layer, and tumor-infiltrating leukocytes are rarely detected in direct contact with cancer cells. In contrast, with invasive progression, cancer cells and leukocytes are intermingled, thus, only cancer cells that can survive in this environment will play a role in disease progression. To begin dissecting mechanisms of immune escape during breast tumor progression, we analyzed the composition of leukocytes in normal breast tissues, DCIS, and invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) by polychromatic FACS and found significant changes in multiple cell types. We also analyzed the gene expression profiles of T cells from each of these tissue types and found that T cells in DCIS are different from those in normal breast and invasive tumors. We validated some of these changes by multicolor immunofluorescence. We also performed high throughput sequencing of T cell receptor (TCR) of T cells in DCIS and found potential clonal expansions shared among patients. Lastly, we performed multicolor immunofluorescence analysis of checkpoint proteins in DCIS and IDC of different subtypes, and detected significant differences in expression patterns. Our results imply that analyzing immune-related changes during DCIS to IDC transition will identify novel targets for immunotherapy in breast cancer. Citation Format: Kornelia Polyak. Immune-related changes in breast tumor evolution. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr SY38-02.
Measuring Light’s Wavelength

Thomas Young (1773–1829) was a physician and scientist born to a Quaker family in the village of Milverton in Somerset, England. By the age of 13, he was knowledgeable in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French and Italian; later he would study near-eastern languages such as Arabic, Persian, Chaldee, Syriac, and Samarian. Young continued his study of languages even while he was practicing medicine. His work on Egyptian hieroglyphics played a significant role in deciphering the demotic script of the Rosetta Stone, which had gone on display in London in 1802 after its recent rediscovery by Napoleon’s forces during his campaign in Egypt in 1799. During his teenage years Young had studied Euclid’s Elements and Newton’s Opticks. He subsequently published a number of works on the theory of light, sound, colors and the physiology of vision; he is also credited with coining the term “energy” to describe the ability of a system to accomplish work. Young was elected a Fellow the Royal Society in 1794. In 1802 he began delivering lectures at the Royal Institution which covered a wide range of topics, including pure mathematics, motion, friction, architecture, engraving, carpentry, hydraulics, hydrodynamics, sound, heat, weather and the nature of light. In 1807, he published his comprehensive Course of lectures on natural philosophy and the mechanical arts in two-volumes. The following two reading selections are taken from a lecture in this course entitled On the nature of light and colours. Herein, he carefully considers which of the two prevalent theories of light—the particle theory of Newton or the wave theory of Huygens—might better explain the experimental observations which had been performed by himself and by other scientists. To what conclusion is he led? Do you find his arguments convincing?
US Hospitals Are Still Using Chargemaster Markups To Maximize Revenues

Many hospital executives and economists have suggested that since Medicare adopted a hospital prospective payment system in 1985, prices on the hospital chargemaster (an exhaustive list of the prices for all hospital procedures and supplies) have become irrelevant. However, using 2013 nationally representative hospital data from Medicare, we found that a one-unit increase in the charge-to-cost ratio (chargemaster price divided by Medicare-allowable cost) was associated with $64 higher patient care revenue per adjusted discharge. Furthermore, hospitals appeared to systematically adjust their charge-to-cost ratios: The average ratio ranged between 1.8 and 28.5 across patient care departments, and for-profit hospitals were associated with a 2.30 and a 2.07 higher charge-to-cost ratio than government and nonprofit hospitals, respectively. We also found correlation between the proportion of uninsured patients, a hospital’s system affiliation, and its regional power with the charge-to-cost ratio. These findings...
Granulosa cell biomarkers to predict pregnancy in ART: pieces to solve the puzzle

Cumulus and mural granulosa cells of the ovarian follicle surround and interact with the developing oocyte. These follicular cells reflect the oocyte's overall health and may indicate subsequent developmental competence of embryos. Biomarkers of granulosa cells associated with individual oocytes could potentially be used in assisted reproduction to indicate which embryos have the best chance of implanting in the uterus and completing gestation. In this review, we have performed a comprehensive assessment of the recent literature for human cumulus and mural granulosa cell mRNA biomarkers as they relate to pregnancy and live birth. A critical discussion of variables affecting granulosa gene expression profiles for in vitro fertilization patients, including patient demographics and ovarian stimulation regimens, is presented. Although studies with microarray data were evaluated, this synopsis focuses on expressed genes that have been validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, we summarize the current published data that support or refute identified granulosa expressed genes as potential biomarkers of embryos that give rise to ongoing pregnancy and live birth. Finally, we review studies that offer predictive models for embryo selection for uterine transfer based on biomarkers that show differential gene expression.
Alpha-particle experiments on the Tokamak Fusion test reactor and the compact ignition tokamak

In this paper plans for alpha-particle experiments on the Tokamak Fusion test Reactor and Compact Ignition Tokamak are described. The main physics issue is whether alpha particles are confined long enough to thermalized. Some of the diagnostic methods required to measure alpha-particle confinement are briefly described.
Recovery from spinal cord infarction associated with cannabis use

Context: Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular accidents have been associated with illicit drug use. The most commonly used substance worldwide is cannabis. It has been related to acute ischemic cerebral stroke in multiple reports, with different mechanisms suggested.Findings: This is a case of Acute Spinal Cord Ischemia Syndrome (ASCIS) in a 25-year-old male who presented 20 minutes after smoking cannabis. Although a direct causal relationship between cannabis and cerebrovascular accidents is difficult to establish, there might be an association.Conclusion: The presented patient didn't have any vascular risk factors, and his symptoms started 20 minutes after smoking cannabis. This signifies a possible association between ASCIS and cannabis use.
How is history possible? Georg Simmel on empathy and realism

Georg Simmel’s The Problems of the Philosophy of History: An Epistemological Essay, along with related works, proposes that history is largely a reflection of how well the historian can penetrate t...
Living in Las Rémoras. An Introduction to Eloy Urroz’s Fiction

Regalado offers an introduction to Urroz’s narrative from The Laws Chosen by Love (Las leyes que el amor elige, 1993) to Foolishness (Demencia, 2016), with a special emphasis on the intertextual links between his campus novel Friction (Friccion, 2009) and previous works in the Hispanic, Latin American, and universal tradition: the fictionalization of Mikhail Bakhtin’s studies about Rabelais, and the homage to novels by Mexican Sergio Pitol (To Tame the Sacred Heron [Domar a la divina Garza], 1988) and Chilean Jose Donoso (Where Elephants Die [Donde van a morir los elefantes], 1995) that followed a similar approach to grotesque realism.
Reduction of Speckle in Ultrasound B-Scans by Digital Processing

Ultrasonic B-scans of regions of tissue whose inhomogeneities are small compared to the acoustic wavelength have a textured appearance with large fluctuations in echo amplitude; termed speckle. This texture pattern is caused by random interference between scattering regions too fine to be resolved, and is a consequence of the coherent nature of ultrasonic waves. As such it is similar in properties to laser speckle and has been investigated by Buckhardt (1) , and Abbott and Thurstone (2) . If a simple model of speckle is considered, where the scatterers are weak, randomly positioned, and numerous, so that there are a large number within each resolution cell, then the B-scan image of such a scattering ensemble will have the following properties. The amplitude distribution will always have the same form, a Rayleigh distribution. The mean amplitude is determined by the scatterer strength, and the standard deviation is half the mean. The spatial properties are determined solely by the interrogating pulse; the auto-correlation function of the speckle pattern is dependent on the pulse shape and beam-width of the pulse.
Hybrid.AI: A Learning Search Engine for Large-scale Structured Data

Variety of Big data is a significant impediment for anyone who wants to search inside a large-scale structured dataset. For example, there are millions of tables available on the Web, but the most relevant search result does not necessarily match the keyword-query exactly due to a variety of ways to represent the same information. Here we describe Hybrid.AI, a learning search engine for large-scale structured data that uses automatically generated machine learning classifiers and Unified Famous Objects (UFOs) to return the most relevant search results from a large-scale Web tables corpora. We evaluate it over this corpora, collecting 99 queries and their results from users, and observe significant relevance gain.
Arachidonic acid inhibition of muscarinic receptor-mediated nitric oxide production occurs at the level of calcium mobilization in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Strong evidence supports that nitric oxide (NO) alters cell signaling pathways involving arachidonic acid (AA). Little is known, however, about the reciprocal modulation of nitrergic pathways by AA. The effects of exogenous AA on signal transduction of M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors were investigated in a model system of stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. AA concentration-dependently inhibited the effects of carbachol in producing NO (IC50 = 191 μM) but did not alter inositol phosphate production or M1 receptor binding. AA inhibited both carbachol-induced transient and sustained increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i; IC50 = 11 and 12 μM, respectively). Furthermore, AA-induced increase in [Ca2+]i cross-desensitizes with thapsigargin, but AA does not inhibit Ca2+-ATPase activity. These data support the concept that AA concentration-dependently inhibits receptor-mediated NO production at the level of calcium mobilization.
Multiparticle production in high-energy hadron-nucleus collisions

An attempt is made to understand the gross features of multiparticle production in high-energy hadron-nucleus collisions (including the nuclear-size dependence of inclusive cross sections at large transverse momenta and the energy and atomic-number dependence of average multiplicity) in terms of a simple physical picture. The main characteristics of this picture are: (a) The time needed for the formation of multibody final states in hadron-hadron collisions at high energies is so long that in a high-energy hadron-nucleus multiparticle-production process the nucleons along the path of the incident hadron inside the target nucleus can be viewed as acting collectively, and in the first-order approximation can be considered as a single object---an "effective target." (b) This hadron-effective-target collision process can be described by the same physical picture as that used to describe the collision between two hadrons. In particular, such a collision is either gentle (fragmentation) or violent (violent collision). (c) The mass of the effective target is proportional to its "average thickness." For the sake of simplicity and definiteness, the ansatz $M = {A}^{\frac{1}{3}}{M}_{1}$ (here $A$ is the atomic mass number of the nucleus, $M$ and ${M}_{1}$ are the mass of the effective target and that of the proton, respectively) is used to carry out the illustrative examples. Arguments for this picture are presented. Further experiments are suggested.
Characterization of queer supercrystals

Abstract We provide a characterization of the crystal bases for the quantum queer superalgebra recently introduced by Grantcharov et al. This characterization is a combination of local queer axioms generalizing Stembridge's local axioms for crystal bases for simply-laced root systems, which were recently introduced by Assaf and Oguz, with further axioms and a new graph G characterizing the relations of the type A components of the queer supercrystal. We provide a counterexample to Assaf's and Oguz' conjecture that the local queer axioms uniquely characterize the queer supercrystal. We obtain a combinatorial description of the graph G on the type A components by providing explicit combinatorial rules for the odd queer operators on certain highest weight elements. This also yields a new combinatorial description of the Schur expansion of the Schur P-polynomials.
“I Would Say It’s Almost Like a Crime Against, You Know, the Soul”: Building a Culture of Health in Low-Income Housing Communities Through Addressing Childhood Trauma

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to examine parental perceptions of child maltreatment to inform services that target families living in low-income housing communities in Fresno, California, ...
Overview of Pituitary Tumor Treatment

Major advances in the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to pituitary tumors have occurred over the past two decades. As a result of the increased capacity to detect and treat pituitary microadenomas, the goals of treatment are now often different. Several years ago, the diagnosis of pituitary tumor was most often made in patients over 40 years of age.1 Frequently, the presenting complaints include visual defects, indicating relatively large tumors.2 In addition, most pituitary tumors were believed to be nonfunctional because (1) no hypersecretory syndrome was clearly identified in approximately 75% of patients and (2) on histological examination, the tumor cells showed no specific chromophilic hormone granules. The therapeutic goal in patients with these so-called “chromophobe adenomas” was often to prevent expansion or control tumor growth and avoid the visual and endocrine deficiencies caused by the mass effect of the tumor. Total resection of the tumor was not necessarily recommended because of the high incidence of complete pituitary dysfunction and fatality.3 Therapy for these tumors was usually either trans-frontal surgery,1 external irradiation,4 or a combination of both.5
Identification of a novel bacterial receptor that binds tail tubular proteins and mediates phage infection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

The adsorption of phages to hosts is the first step of phage infection. Studies have shown that tailed phages use tail fibres or spikes to recognize bacterial receptors and mediate adsorption. However, whether other phage tail components can also recognize host receptors is unknown. To identify potential receptors, we screened a transposon mutagenesis library of the marine pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus and discovered that a vp0980 mutant (vp0980 encodes a predicted transmembrane protein) could not be lysed by phage OWB. Complementation of this mutant with wild-type vp0980 in trans restored phage-mediated lysis. Phage adsorption and confocal microscopy assays demonstrated that phage OWB had dramatically reduced adsorption to the vp0980 mutant compared to that to the wild type. Pulldown assays showed that phage tail tubular proteins A and B (TTPA and TTPB) interact with Vp0980, suggesting that Vp0980 is a TTPA and TTPB receptor. Vp0980 lacking the outer membrane region (aa 114-127) could not bind to TTPA and TTPB, resulting in reduced phage adsorption. These results strongly indicated that TTPA and TTPB binding with their receptor Vp0980 mediates phage adsorption and subsequent bacterial lysis. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report of a bacterial receptor for phage tail tubular proteins.
Chapter 44 – Kuiper Belt Objects: Physical Studies

The Kuiper belt stretches beyond the orbit of Neptune to an orbital distance of about 50 astronomical units from the Sun. The known objects in the Kuiper belt are icy bodies of up to about the size of Pluto, one of the biggest objects in the Kuiper belt. Centaurs are icy bodies that have escaped from the Kuiper belt by dynamical interaction with outer solar system bodies. This chapter describes the discoveries of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) and Centaurs and our knowledge about their physical properties, mostly from telescope observations. The data include brightnes, albedo and chemistry, diameter and mass, and period of rotation. The New Horizons mission will fly by Pluto as the first KBO in 2015 and possibly other KBOs thereafter.
Utilization Management of Highway Operations Equipment

This paper presents fleet utilization management processes for highway operations equipment based on actual tracked and reported usage data obtained from transportation agencies. The objective is t...
Metabolic Communication and Healthy Aging: Where Should We Focus Our Energy?

Aging is associated with a loss of metabolic homeostasis and plasticity, which is causally linked to multiple age-onset pathologies. The majority of the interventions—genetic, dietary, and pharmacological—that have been found to slow aging and protect against age-related disease in various organisms do so by targeting central metabolic pathways. However, targeting metabolic pathways chronically and ubiquitously makes it difficult to define the downstream effects responsible for lifespan extension and often results in negative effects on growth and health, limiting therapeutic potential. Insight into how metabolic signals are relayed between tissues, cells, and organelles opens up new avenues to target metabolic regulators locally rather than globally for healthy aging. In this review, we discuss the pro-longevity effects of targeting metabolic pathways in specific tissues and how these interventions communicate with distal cells to modulate aging. These studies may be crucial in designing interventions that promote longevity without negative health consequences.
Early Stage Machine Learning-Based Prediction of US County Vulnerability to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Machine Learning Approach.

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 means that government and health services providers have little time to plan and design effective response policies. It is therefore important to quickly provide accurate predictions of how vulnerable geographic regions such as counties are to the spread of this virus. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop county-level prediction around near future disease movement for COVID-19 occurrences using publicly available data. Methods: We estimated county-level COVID-19 occurrences for the period March 14 to 31, 2020, based on data fused from multiple publicly available sources inclusive of health statistics, demographics, and geographical features. We developed a three-stage model using XGBoost, a machine learning algorithm, to quantify the probability of COVID-19 occurrence and estimate the number of potential occurrences for unaffected counties. Finally, these results were combined to predict the county-level risk. This risk was then used as an estimated after-five-day-vulnerability of the county. Results: The model predictions showed a sensitivity over 71% and specificity over 94% for models built using data from March 14 to 31, 2020. We found that population, population density, percentage of people aged >70 years, and prevalence of comorbidities play an important role in predicting COVID-19 occurrences. We observed a positive association at the county level between urbanicity and vulnerability to COVID-19. Conclusions: The developed model can be used for identification of vulnerable counties and potential data discrepancies. Limited testing facilities and delayed results introduce significant variation in reported cases, which produces a bias in the model.
β-Amyloid peptides tailor switching behaviors of Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts

Abstract Molecular switching plays a critical role in biological and displaying systems. Here we demonstrate the first use of peptides to operate molecular switches of donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs), a series of negative photochromes that are highly promising for applications ranging from smart material to biological systems. Fluorescence imaging proved Aβ40 species could make SHA-2 more stable in the linear configuration than without peptide and decrease the rate of molecular switching. According to molecular dynamics simulation, SHA-2 bound to protein resulted in substantial changes in the tertiary structure of Aβ40 monomer with the region of Glu22-Ala30 partially unfolded and being more exposed to water. This structural change is likely to impede the aggregation of Aβ40, as evidenced by fluorescence and ProteoStat® aggresome detection experiments. SHA-2 is able to inhibit the aggregation of Aβ40 by producing the off-pathway structures. These results open ample opportunities for optically addressable potential widely apply DASAs in the biological system based on this peptides-tailor process.
Ad Watch: 'Unstoppable' VUSE Alto TV Spot Closely Mirrors 'Nicotine Addiction Checks' on TikTok.

A television (TV) advertisement launched in Spring 2020 for Reynolds American’s VUSE e-cigarette, titled ‘Unstoppable,’ features VUSE Alto devices undulating in colour-coordinated ribbons or waves around a neon-lit room (see figure 1).1 A hip-hop jingle accompanies the visuals with the chorus: ‘Unstoppable! Who us? YES! Passion, CHECK! Drive, CHECK! How much you gonna give? That’s a hundred percent. Gonna take it to the top, won’t settle for less.’ Figure 1 Screen capture of VUSE Alto devices arranged in colour-coordinated ribbons. This ad is notable for its similarities to ‘Nicotine Addiction Check’ memes on the short-form video sharing app TikTok (see figures 2 and 3).2,3 These user-generated videos have been popular since at least late 20194 and frequently feature spent e-cigarette devices and liquid refills (often Puff Bars and JUUL pods) arranged in colour-coordinated rows, cascading into a trash receptacle. The …
Storage Requirements for Grid Integration of Marine Renewable Energy - a Parametric Study

Marine resources such as waves and tides house immense potential to serve as energy-rich sources of renewable power generation. They are known to be highly available, persistent and predictable in nature. Therefore, these can serve as one of the critical components for a primarily renewable energy-driven, resilient and robust future power grid. Although some inherent temporal characteristics of these resources lend themselves favorably to potential grid applications, the inclusion of storage allows the benefits and value streams to become realized more fully. In this paper, we present a framework for assessing impact of marine energy resources inclusion on the overall load generation balance and its impact on the relevant storage requirements to obtain the desired level of renewable energy penetration. From this study, we can critically infer two main points - (a) the relative storage requirements for grid operations with and without marine energy, and (b) the avoided cost of storage by including marine energy into the generation mix. We demonstrate our framework for two different locations across the United States.
Testing Frequency and Results of Cases of Feedlot Cattle Submitted to Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for Bovine Respiratory Disease

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a multifactorial disease of cattle that results in large economic losses to the cattle industry. BRD results from various factors leading to susceptibility of cattle to respiratory tract infection by one or more bacterial and viral pathogens. These pathogens include M. haemolytica, H.somni, P multocida, Pseudomonas spp, A. pyogenes, Mycoplasma bovis, bovine coronavirus, BRSV, BVDV, IBR and PI-3. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency in which type of diagnostic tests were being requested by practitioners for BRD submissions and the results of these tests.
Preparing ABSN students for early entry and success in the clinical setting: flipping both class and skills lab with the Socratic Method.

OBJECTIVES Accelerated Second Degree BSN (ABSN) students have limited time to gain expertise. Reaching competency in skills takes weeks, delaying the application and mastery of skills in clinical practice. Our objective is to describe how our ABSN program fundamentals of nursing course enhances learning effectiveness and prepares students for successful entry into nursing. METHODS Using the Socratic Method and flipping the classroom and skills lab, with deliberate practice techniques, ABSN students quickly gain competence in core aspects of nursing. Rapid acquisition of competence early in the program allows for a meaningful clinical experience. RESULTS NCLEX pass rates for our ABSN graduates averaged 93.84% over the past 4 years, and students report high levels of satisfaction with the program. CONCLUSIONS Using the Socratic Method in a flipped classroom and skills lab provides an environment that engages students, fosters NCLEX success, and supports development of clinical judgment critical for positive patient outcomes.
A Memory Diagram for All Seasons

Tracing code execution and creating memory diagrams have long been tools for teaching computer science. These techniques are useful beyond demonstration or assessment of understanding: they are teaching and learning tools. We argue that if consistent diagramming is used across courses and programming languages, variations to the level of detail in those diagrams can become a teaching technique. We previously described a consistent form of memory diagram to be used across curricula, Ithaca Memory Diagrams IMDs, and explained their basic use. After four more years of classroom use, we find that variation in these diagrams is useful to emphasize specific concepts and highlight features of various languages. Our updates to previously published memory diagrams improve their usefulness in courses from the high-level abstraction of CS1 to the depth of systems courses. We provide specific examples of this variation with explanation of the intended benefits.
Threeui-Dimensional Solution for a Through-Thickness Crack with Crack Tip Damage in a Cross-Plied Laminate

A three-dimensional finite-element solution is given for the stress field of a 0/90 laminate containing a sharp through-thickness edge crack with crack tip damage consisting of subcracks parallel to the fibers of each ply. The solution is compared to that for a sharp crack with no subcracks given in an associated paper, and the introduction of the subcracks is shown to significantly alter the stress field. Outside of a core zone at the main crack tip, the two stress distributions are nearly identical. Inside of the core zone, the subcracks serve to relax the in-plane stresses in a manner similar to the action of a plastic zone in a metal; the mechanisms of stress transfer around the subcracks are identified. The results also indicate that the fundamental fracture mechanics concept of a zone of relaxed stresses near the main crack tip, surrounded by an undisturbed singular stress field, is preserved, and that the subcracks cause no shift in the singular stress field which would require a crack length correction.
Bargaining for Privacy in the Unionized Workplace

This article considers whether collective bargaining can enhance privacy protection for employees in the United States. Employers are increasingly engaging in practices that invade employee privacy with few existing legal protections to limit their actions. While data on the extent of bargaining about privacy is limited, it appears that unions in the U.S. have primarily used the grievance and arbitration procedure to challenge invasions of privacy that lead to discipline of the employee instead of negotiating explicit contractual privacy rights. In contrast to the U.S., labor representatives in many other countries, particularly in the European Union, have greater legal rights of consultation with employers and take a more proactive approach to protection of employee privacy. While this approach offers promise for achieving greater privacy for employees and more flexibility for employers, the article concludes that it is unlikely to be widely adopted in the U.S. because of the limited power of labor unions.
Design considerations of LLC resonant converter for contactless laptop charger

In this paper, a contactless charging system for laptop battery is proposed. The system consists of three parts: a high frequency power supply from a full-bridge inverter with frequency modulation, a LLC resonant tank that incorporates a loosely coupled transformer (LCT) and a resonant capacitor series connected with the primary winding, and a rectification output circuits that uses a full-bridge diode rectifier. Due to the characteristics of the LCT, the design of proposed contactless charging system is different from traditional LLC converter. Several design considerations are studied thoroughly to help improve the system efficiency. With carefully designed system parameters, the LLC converter could operate at or slightly before the series resonant point within the full load range. Therefore, zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) can be ensured for all the primary switches, and zero-current-switching (ZCS) can be achieved by all the secondary diodes. The design considerations based on the effect of the LCT turns number to the winding and core loss are analyzed and verified by experimental results. For a 100-W hardware prototype employing secondary synchronous rectification, the peak DC-DC efficiency reaches 92%, and from 20% load to full load the efficiency maintains higher than 88.5%.
Nietsche's 'Most Abysmal Thought': The Experience of Eternal Recurrence

One August afternoon in 1881, while walking down a wooded path alongside Lake Silvaplana in SilsMaria, Switzerland, Friedrich Nietzsche stopped to rest beside a pyramidal rock that sat by the water’s edge. It was there, while gazing at this rock, that an idea overtook him. 1 I say “overtook” because this was no ordinary sort of notion, to say the least. Even a great many extraordinary notions have been conceived with a settled mind, perhaps with no more outward evidence than a raised eyebrow or quickened lips— but this was quite different. Nietzsche would later describe this idea as his “most abysmal thought” 2 and “the heaviest weight.” 3 In one sense it was a solution to many problems he had been struggling with, but at the same time it posed an even greater problem—namely, “How does one live knowing this?” This idea would come to be known as “eternal recurrence.” It is not so easy, however, to give a preliminary explanation of eternal recurrence, especially since the purpose of this essay is to offer a new interpretation of it. We might say, for example, that it is the theory that whatever happens in this world has happened innumerable times in the past and will happen again innumerable times in the future, and so on throughout all of eternity. But even this explanation, while it gives us something to work with, is misleading. It presupposes that Nietzsche understood eternal recurrence in a certain way—in this case as a cosmological theory—and this may or may not be accurate. At any rate, eternal recurrence is truly an idea that needs interpretation, and if one wishes to suggest a new one, the old explanations will obviously not suffice. We should also note at this point that the incident at the pyramidal rock was not the first time Nietzsche had come across the notion of eternal recurrence. In his studies as a classical philologist, he encountered it in the writings of Leucippus, and his “Lectures on the Pre-Platonic Philosophers” specifically cite what he considered to be the Pythagorean and Stoic versions of the idea. 4 Elsewhere he says quite explicitly, “I have come across this idea in earlier thinkers.” 5 In any case, he would have known that it was not a new or innovative idea when he initially conceived of it at the rock. What was it, then, that made this experience so poignant, such that he would later call it his “most abysmal thought?” Why did he not feel such dread when he encountered it in the writings of other philosophers? In this essay, I endeavor to shed light on these questions by suggesting a new interpretation of eternal recurrence that reveals it to be of far greater significance to Nietzsche’s thought—and moreover to the existentialist movement—than the usual interpretations allow. The essence of eternal recurrence, I posit, lies in a lived experience, akin to Nietzsche’s own at the pyramidal rock; and to fully grasp it in this aspect demands
Radiation hardened memory development at Honeywell

Deep submicron Silicon on Insulator (SOI) technology advancements at Honeywell have enabled new generations of radiation hard memory products. This paper covers plans and results of our SOI technology development programs for SRAM products and giant magneto resistive (GMR) non-volatile memory.
Pancyclicity of 4-Connected, Claw-Free, P 10 -Free Graphs

A graph G is said to be pancyclic if G contains cycles of all lengths from 3 to *. We show that if G is 4-connected, claw-free, and P10-free, then G is either pancyclic or it is the line graph of the Petersen graph. This implies that every 4-connected, claw-free, P9-free graph is pancyclic, which is best possible and extends a result of Gould et al. Pancyclicity in 3-connected graphs: Pairs of forbidden subgraphs, [J Graph Theory 47 (2004), 183–202]. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Contract grant sponsor: NSF; Contract grant number: 0742434; Contract grant sponsor: UCD GK-12 Transforming Experiences Project.This research was completed while the third author was an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Colorado, Denver.)
The impact of coercive and non-coercive forms of influence on trust, commitment, and compliance in supply chains

Abstract A major premise in managing channel relationships is encouraging cooperation to achieve the aims of the relational partners. This often requires a balancing act between utilization of influence across the supply chain to motivate decisions, while employing tactics that do not damage the future of the relationship. This paper builds and tests a model of how influence strategies affect relational elements, specifically trust and commitment, which both promote strong inter-firm relationships and act as mediators of joint action, specifically cooperation and compliance across channel partners. Results suggest that coercive strategies are counterproductive in encouraging cooperation and compliance either directly or through relational intermediaries, while non-coercive influence produces positive outcomes and effects on intermediaries. Low levels of coercive influence do appear to generate positive outcomes. Managerial implications and future research based on these results conclude the paper.
Numerical simulation of electroosmotic complex flow patterns in a microchannel

Abstract Complex electroosmotic flow patterns induced by imposing external electric potentials on an electrolyte fluid contained in a microchannel with uniform and spatially-variable (sinusoidal) surface charges are given in this article. The two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the electric potential equations are solved to generate various flow patterns in the limit of the Stokes flow regime i.e., Re ∼ 0. The coupled system of equations was re-formulated using the vorticity-stream function formulations and have been solved numerically using a second order accurate finite differencing method. Two main groups of cases based on the external potential distributions that assigned to both top and bottom walls are investigated in details. Results have shown that, a simple surface charge distribution can lead to complex electroosmotic flow patterns. For example, different vortical motions such as single and multiple vortices have been generated to show the potential of using electrokinetics phenomena (non-intrusive method) to pattern the flow field in microchannels. This simulation can form a basis to study mixing at the microscale for electrically-driven flows.
Evaluation of the sulfur isotopic composition and homogeneity of the Soufre de Lacq reference material

Sulfur isotopic analysis of the elemental sulfur reference material Soufre de Lacq, prepared as silver sulfide by chromous chloride reduction and as copper sulfide by sealed-tube synthesis, indicates that Soufre de Lacq is isotopically homogeneous across different size fractions to within analytical uncertainty (±0.15‰). The sulfur isotopic composition of aliquots of Soufre de Lacq prepared by these two techniques are identical to within analytical uncertainty. The mean sulfur isotopic composition for Soufre de Lacq prepared as silver sulfide and copper sulfide (relative to VCDT) is +16.20±0.15‰ (1σ).
Inflammatory mechanisms in neonatal chronic lung disease.

Chronic lung disease (CLD) of preterm infants has a multifactorial aetiology. Oxygen toxicity, mechanical injury (barotrauma), volutrauma as well as prenatal and postnatal infections most likely contribute to pulmonary injury in the immature lung of preterm infants. There is sufficient evidence that respiratory distress syndrome and CLD are associated with a significant inflammatory response of the airways and the interstitium of the lungs; besides neutrophils, alveolar and interstitial macrophages immunoreactive for tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are found in large numbers. Phagocyte influx is possibly mediated by chemotactic and chemokinetic factors present in the broncho-alveolar secretions: interleukin-8, leukotriene B4, C5a, elastin fragments, macrophage-inflammatory protein-1α and other chemokines. Increased concentrations of soluble selectins and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in broncho-alveolar secretions and the serum of infants with CLD possibly reflect neutrophil diapedesis. Lipid mediators including leukotrienes, prostacyclin, platelet activating and other mediators such as the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, interleukin-1 and -6, exert various effects on the airways and the vascular system by increasing the microvascular permeability which is one of the most important pathophysiological factors of early CLD. Pulmonary cells of preterm infants may be unable to downregulate inflammation through the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Inflammatory cells can cause severe lung damage by release of potent proteases (elastase), cytokines and by generation of toxic oxygen radicals (O2-, •OH). The presence of free elastase acitivity and the protease-antiprotease imbalance has been well documented. In fact, increased concentrations of products of elastolytic fibre degradation and of oxygen radical mediated lipid peroxidation were detected in infants with CLD. Conclusion The complex interaction between mediators of inflammation and fibrosis has still to be defined. Moreover, the possible interference of inflammation with postnatal lung development especially with the alveolarization process has not been evaluated yet.
Primary biliary tract malignancies: MRI spectrum and mimics with histopathological correlation

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), due to their excellent soft tissue contrasts, have become first-line noninvasive tests in the characterization and detection of both hepatic and pancreaticobiliary pathologies. MRCP is also helpful in detecting the level and cause of obstruction in patients presenting with jaundice. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the most common primary malignant tumor arising from the bile duct epithelium, with extrahepatic tumors presenting more often than with intrahepatic ones. However, the diagnosis and management of CCA is made more complex by a variety of malignant and benign conditions that resemble CCA, including hepatocellular carcinoma variants such as the fibrolamellar variant of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocellular carcinoma, biliary metastases, hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor, lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, confluent fibrosis, primary sclerosis cholangitis, and the secondary sclerosing cholangitis complex. Consequently, knowledge of the underlying risk factors and imaging characteristics of these conditions is important in differentiating between neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions in order to reach a definite diagnosis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography should be reserved for those patients who require intervention or biopsy for histopathological diagnosis.
Tobacco Budworms: Nocturnal Activity of Adult Males as Indexed by Attraction to Live Virgin Females in Electric Grid Traps

Knowledge about nocturnal activity has become an important consideration in insect release-recovery programs, and probably will be in control programs which utilize synthetic baits and/or released insects. Graham et al (1964), using BL traps, reported that of 5 periods of 2 hr between 7:30 PM and 5:30 AM, peak collections of tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.), occurred during the middle nightly period with little difference between the pattern of the sexes. This paper similarly reports nightly activity data on the male tobacco budworm except that the attractant lamp was replaced with an electric grid baited with virgin females. Another paper (Goodenough and Snow 1972) shows the grid trap to be 100-fold more effective than BL traps in collection of tobacco budworms.
Falls and fear of falling among elderly persons living in the community: occupational therapy interventions

Each year, about one third of the population over 65 years of age experiences at least one fall (Perry, 1982). Assessment of the incidence of falls and the prevalence, intensity, and covariates of fear of falling among community-based elderly persons was conducted through interviews of 115 residents in a housing development (mean age = 78 years). Fifty-three percent reported having fallen in recent years, 32% in the last year. Fear of falling ranked first when compared with other common fears. In a logistic regression model predicting limitation of activity independent of risk factors for falling, fear of falling was marginally significant (p = .06). The results of the study show that falls are frequent and fear of falling prevalent among the community-based elderly. A comprehensive program designed to reduce the risk of falls is presented.
Identification of the structural mutation responsible for the dibucaine-resistant (atypical) variant form of human serum cholinesterase.

Abstract A point mutation in the gene for human serum cholinesterase was identified that changes Asp-70 to Gly in the atypical form of serum cholinesterase. The mutation in nucleotide 209, which changes codon 70 from GAT to GGT, was found by sequencing a genomic clone and sequencing selected regions of DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. The entire coding sequences for usual and atypical cholinesterases were compared, and no other consistent base differences were found. A polymorphic site near the C terminus of the coded region was detected, but neither allele at this locus segregated consistently with the atypical trait. The nucleotide-209 mutation was detected in all five atypical cholinesterase families examined. There was complete concordance between this mutation and serum cholinesterase phenotypes for all 14 heterozygous and 6 homozygous atypical subjects tested. The mutation causes the loss of a Sau3A1 restriction site; the resulting DNA fragment length polymorphism was verified by electrophoresis of 32P-labeled DNA restriction fragments from usual and atypical subjects. Dot-blot hybridization analysis with a 19-mer allele-specific probe to the DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction distinguished between the usual and atypical genotypes. We conclude that the Asp-70----Gly mutation (acidic to neutral amino acid substitution) accounts for reduced affinity of atypical cholinesterase for choline esters and that Asp-70 must be an important component of the anionic site. Heterogeneity in atypical alleles may exist, but the Asp-70 point mutation may represent an appreciable portion of the atypical gene pool.
Disease, parasitism and herbivory: Multidimensional challenges in plant evolution

Plants provide feeding sites for a broad range of parasites, commensals and symbionts. In the process, they can be subjected to selection whenever feeding choices are based upon heritable traits of the plants and the feeding affects plant fitness. The outcome of such selection depends on the correlation between choices made by various taxa. Recent work suggests that this multispecies selection, although common in natural communities, now needs to be incorporated more fully into ecological and evolutionary perspectives.
Re-Constituting Place and Space: Culture and Communication in the Construction of a Jamaican Transnational Identity

Using the post-colonial tropes of space and place, the central thesis of this article is that immigrants arrive from developing, often previously colonized lands with detailed knowledge of and very specific attitudes toward the more developed host culture; knowledge and attitudes that impact their willingness and motivation to assimilate. Furthermore, because of the colonial history of many of these developing countries, the process of cultural adaptation has an added layer of complexity linked to issues of race, class, and history. Drawing on the work of Caribbean scholars who have analyzed the Jamaican immigrant experience in the United States, an argument is presented for how colonial history, particularly as it intersects with race and class, can influence the willingness of immigrant groups from developing countries to assimilate into majority White, Western, developed host cultures.