cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to Julieta Lemaitre, Amy Lind, and Catherine Walsh

I am grateful that Julieta Lemaitre brought to my mind the imagery of the origins of the State, a thought that had somewhat eluded my imagination when I wrote the piece on neoconstitutionalism in Honduras, but which is of undeniable importance to the topic. I interpret Lemaitre’s reference and the contrast she makes between civil war and ordinary life to be similar to the Hobbesian distinction between the state of nature and the origin of the State form. I cannot help but think that her allusion to civil war as a moment when our passions, fears, evilness, loneliness, poverty, barbarism, ignorance, and savagery have a greater chance to take the best of us, must be related to what Hobbes imagined took place before the State came to “free” us from our destructiveness. Surely, to think that the law and the “peaceful” electoral process brings out the best in us because it reduces violence and the opportunity to be evil must fit squarely in a Hobbesian conception of State and society. But it does not fit the historical record, unfortunately. Imagine for a moment that we go back in time to identify the moment in which we participated in the original creation of the State. We would necessarily find that the inhabitants of the colony were not able to negotiate a truce with their predators to establish a State form that ended violence. The Hobbesian myth of individuals and whole communities voluntarily giving up their power to exercise violence for a state of law that incarnates morality (and monopolizes violence) because it protects them from outside predators (and produces peace) does not tally with the colonial encounter. The colony remains at the margins of the law and is subjected to unspeakable violence, even after colonial occupation ends. The concept of the coloniality of power means the perpetual authorization of terror and the theft of the colony’s civility. This is why in re-founding the State certain social movements in Honduras and other parts of South America like Ecuador and Bolivia demand a peace treaty with their predators, one that will restrain the violence that has been permanently directed at them. But what can be expected from such a truce anyway? Is the State a simple agreed-upon suspension of hostilities by opposing forces that later are kept at bay by a law that produces peace and the good life? Is the State form the necessary framework—el estado de derecho—that “individuals” (predators and victims alike because they are ultimately the same given the circumstances?) need to make the
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair: Thru-port (IntraClude™) Intra-aortic Balloon Occlusion Technique

In this chapter we detail systematic approaches to performing robotic mitral valve repairs using the endoballon aortic occlusion method. As 80 % of myxomatous mitral valve pathology that requires correction, particular attention is given to techniques for repairing both simple and complex posterior leaflet pathology.
A THEORY OF MUTUAL FUNDS: OPTIMAL FUND OBJECTIVES AND INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION

This paper presents a model in which investors cannot remain in the market to trade at all times. As a result, they have an incentive to set up trading firms or financial market intermediaries (FMI's) to take over their portfolio while they engage in other activities. Previous research has assumed that such firms act like individuals endowed with a utility function. Here, as in reality, they are firms that simply take orders from their investors. From this setting emerges a theory of mutual funds and other FMI's (such as investment houses, banks, and insurance companies) with implications for their trading styles, as well as for their effects on asset prices. The model provides theoretical support for past empirical findings, and provides new empirical predictions which are tested in this paper.
More basics in courses of computer-integrated manufacturing technology

This paper indicates, based on the author's teaching experience in an ABET-accredited mechanical engineering technology program, that education of computer-aided manufacturing in an engineering technology program requires of the students more knowledge of the fundamentals in basic sciences and technical sciences. The author discusses the course of robotics applications as an example. The author discusses some of the teaching materials in the course following the ABET criteria and indicates that engineering basics is very important for the course.
SKELETAL MICROSTRUCTURE INDICATES CHANCELLORIIDS AND HALKIERIIDS ARE CLOSELY RELATED

Chancelloriids are problematic, sac-like animals whose sclerites are common in Cambrian fossil assemblages. They look like sponges, but were united with the slug-like halkieriids in the group Coeloscleritophora Bengtson and Missarzhevsky, 1981 based on a unique mode of sclerite con- struction. Because their body plans are so different, this pro- posal has never been well accepted, but detailed study of their sclerite microstructure presented here provides additional support for this grouping. Both taxa possess walls composed of a thin, probably organic, sheet overlying a single layer of aragonite fibres orientated parallel to the long axis of the sclerite. In all halkieriids and in the chancelloriid genus Archi- asterella Sdzuy, 1969, bundles of these fibres form inclined projections on the upper surface of the sclerite giving it a scaly appearance. On the lower surface of the sclerite, the pro- jections are absent. This microstructure appears to be unique to chancelloriids, halkieriids, and their relatives, siphogonu- chitids and sachitids. (The sclerites of another putative hal- kieriid relative, Wiwaxia Walcott, 1911, are unmineralized, making direct comparisons impossible.) Thus, similarity both at the level of sclerite construction and the level of sclerite microstructure suggests that chancelloriid, halkieriid, sachitid, and siphogonuchitid sclerites are homologous. The difference in chancelloriid and halkieriid body plans can be resolved in two ways. Chancelloriids either represent a derived condition exhibiting complete loss of bilaterian characters or they repre- sent the ancestral condition from which the bilaterally sym- metric halkieriids, and the Bilateria as a whole, derived. The latter interpretation, proposed by Bengtson (2005), implies that coeloscleritophoran sclerites ('coelosclerites') are a plesi- omorphy of the Bilateria, lost or transformed in descendent lineages. Given that mineralized coelosclerites appear in the fossil record no earlier than c. 542 Ma, this in turn implies either that the Ediacaran record of bilaterians has been misin- terpreted or that coelosclerite preservability increased at the beginning of the Cambrian Period. The former is difficult to reconcile with Ediacaran trace and body fossil evidence, but the latter may be possible, reflecting either independent min- eralization of organic-walled sclerites in chancelloriids and halkieriids or the opening of a taphonomic window that favours coelosclerite preservation.
The diagnostic value of imaging techniques for aortic dissection

Abstract Previous studies conducted in high-risk populations have reported high predictive values and accuracies for diagnostic imaging techniques for aortic dissection. To see how these techniques perform in low-risk populations, we used Bayes' theorem to calculate predictive values and accuracies for angiography, CT, MRI, and TEE. In high-risk populations (disease prevalence=50%), positive predictive values were all >85%. In intermediate risk populations (disease prevalence=10%), positive predictive values were ≥90% for CT, MRI, and TEE, but were 65% for angiography. In low-risk populations (disease prevalence=1%), positive predictive values were 100% for MRI and ≤50% for angiography, CT, and TEE. In all three populations, negative predictive values and accuracies were ≥85%. From these results we conclude that diagnostic imaging techniques for aortic dissection do not perform as well in low-risk populations as they do in high-risk populations.
Waste Injection into a Deep Limestone in Northwestern Floridaa

During a three-month trial period, 70 million gallons of industrial wastes were successfully injected at moderate pressures into a deep limestone in the westernmost part of Florida. The movement of these wastes is expected to be predominantly southward toward the natural discharge area which is presumed to be far out in the Gulf of Mexico. The limestone lies between two thick beds of clay (aquicludes) and contains 13,000 parts per million salty water. A series of aquifers and aquicludes appear capable of preventing contamination of the overlying fresh-water aquifers.
Primer on the human genome.

The study of the expression patterns of many genes, or even the entire genome, is now routinely possible. Such powerful tools have enabled hypothesis-generating research at a scale never before possible. Moreover, spatially or temporally linked gene and protein expression, implying co-regulation and functional relatedness, has led to the identification of particular clusters of genes important for fundamental biologic processes, such as development and cancer. Not only is this expected to yield further mechanistic insights into disease processes, but perhaps most exciting, it will likely establish the foundation of predictive medicine, in which understanding of individual genomic signatures leads to the use of appropriately targeted therapy. Learning objective At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants should be able to understand the fundamental tenets of molecular biology as they relate to the field of genomics.
The Effects of Prior Auditor Involvement and Client Pressure on Proposed Audit Adjustments

ABSTRACT: This study draws upon research on escalation of commitment, motivated reasoning, and prior involvement to formulate hypotheses about the effects of prior auditor involvement and client pressure on the magnitude of proposed audit adjustments. Consistent with theory, our experimental results reveal that auditors who have no involvement in waiving a prior period audit adjustment propose current period audit adjustments that are significantly larger than auditors who have involvement in waiving a prior period audit adjustment. Further, we find that client pressure significantly reduces the magnitude of proposed audit adjustments, although the effect of client pressure does not vary across levels of prior involvement. This suggests that client pressure continues to exert a meaningful influence on auditor judgments in the post-SOX environment.
Association of paretic lower extremity muscle strength and standing balance with stair-climbing ability in patients with stroke

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stair-climbing ability and standing balance and paretic lower extremity muscle strength in a sample of subjects following stroke. The subjects were 20 patients with hemiparesis and intact sensation who were a mean 67 years of age and 48 days post-stroke. Stair-climbing ability was measured using a three-component (assistance, rail use, pattern) grading system from which a total score was derived. The strength of five muscle groups was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. The sum of the five muscle group strengths was calculated. Standing balance was measured using an ordinal grading scheme. Individual muscle group strengths as well as the sum of the muscle group strengths were correlated significantly with the total stair-climbing scores (rs = 0.734 - 0.860). Standing balance scores correlated significantly with the total stair-climbing scores (rs = 0.937). Multiple regression showed that standing balance alone explained stair-climbing ability as well as stair-climbing ability and muscle strength combined. The results reinforce that both paretic muscle strength and standing balance may be appropriate components of the assessment and potentially fruitful targets for treatment for patients with stroke.
Recovering the World: Varieties of Philosophical Experience

Philosophical issues are at the core of leisure studies and have gained increasing attention. Unfamiliarity with contemporary discussions of philosophic activity, however, limits the effectiveness of teaching and study of these issues. Two contrasting approaches to philosophy, the Platonic and the historicist, are outlined here, along with their consequences for the philosophical analysis of leisure. Adopting the historicist approach, this essay suggests means by which students may become more fully engaged in exploring the philosophical aspects of leisure. Biographical Information J. L Hemingway is Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator in the Recreation and Leisure Studies Program at Washington State University. He received his doctorate in political science, specializing in political philosophy, from the University of Iowa, where he also received a master’s degree in recreation. The author may be contacted at the Recreation and Leisure Studies Program, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-1410. The philosophic analysis of leisure raises fundamental questions, ranging from the interpretation of classic texts through the role of freedom in leisure to the provision of services to various publics. Such questions require treatment not only in professional journals and meetings, but in the classroom as well. Accreditation standards for recreation and leisure study curricula call for study of the philosophical foundations of leisure. This can, and should,. recur throughout the curriculum, particularly in light of the national debate on curriculum reform and content (see, e.g., Boyer, 1987, esp. ch. 7: Wilshire, 1990). Nowhere are these questions more pressing than in students’ attempts to answer questions about the human meaning and value of leisure. Such meaning has ethical, political, civic. and aesthetic dimensions; the very advocacy of leisure has distinctly valuational tones. accentuated by the dominance of work and economically grounded values in our society. A philosophical thread can thus be seen to run through leisure studies, for questions of the types suggested above are most, and perhaps only, approachable through philosophic inquiry. Few of us in leisure studies have, however, been trained in philosophical thinking. This is not where the field finds its roots currently, despite regular appeals to the ancient philosophic heritage of the concepts of leisure. play, and recreation. Difficulties can thus arise when we confront philosophic questions or attempt to bring our students to some understanding of the philosophic implications of leisure in contempo
Modeling Gradual Dam Breaches

A simulation model of the gradual failure of an earth dam has been formulated, developed and tested with real-life data. A significant feature of the model is its ability to account for the growth of the breach and the eventual draining of the reservoir. Concepts of water and sediment routing are used in conjunction with a channel geometry descriptor to arrive at a self-contained mathematical model of the breach enlargement and the ensuing flood wave. Unsteady flow elements of the simulation are an implicit numerical solution of the complete Saint Venant equations coupled with a sequential sediment routing technique. This approach provides an increased rational basis for determining outflow hydrographs from postulated earth dam breaches.
Poisoning the Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Carbon-Supported Fe and Cu Electrocatalysts: Evidence for Metal-Centered Activity

Whether or not the active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in electrocatalysts based on carbon-supported transition-metal complexes are metal-centered has become controversial, especially for heat-treated materials. Some have proposed that the transition metal only serves to form highly active sites based on nitrogen and carbon. Here, we examine the oxygen reduction activity of carbon-supported iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) before and after pyrolysis at 800 °C and a carbon-supported copper(II) complex with 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (CuDAT) in the presence of several anions and small-molecule poisons, including fluoride, azide, thiocyanate, ethanethiol, and cyanide. CuDAT is poisoned in a manner consistent with a Cu-based active site. Although FePc and pyrolyzed FePc are remarkably resilient to most poisons, they are poisoned by cyanide, indicative of Fe-based active sites.
Comparison measurements of low-pressure between a laser refractometer and ultrasonic manometer

We have developed a new low-pressure sensor which is based on the measurement of (nitrogen) gas refractivity inside a Fabry–Perot cavity. We compare pressure determinations via this laser refractometer to that of well-established ultrasonic manometers throughout the range 100 Pa to 180 000 Pa. The refractometer demonstrates 10−6 ⋅ p reproducibility for p > 100 Pa, and this precision outperforms a manometer. We also claim the refractometer has an expanded uncertainty of U(pFP) = [(2.0 mPa)2 + (8.8 × 10−6 ⋅ p)2]1/2, as realized through the properties of nitrogen gas; we argue that a transfer of the pascal to p < 1 kPa using a laser refractometer is more accurate than the current primary realization.
New Development of the FFC Cambridge Process for Preparation of Titanium

The principle of electro-deoxidation in molten salts is introduced briefly, which called FFC cambridge process. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are both discussed in detail, and the new progress on preparation of other metals and alloys by this process is overviewed. At last, the outlook of the process is presented.
Osmotic and ionic regulation in several Western atlantic callianassidae (crustacea, decapoda, thalassinidea).

Osmotic and ionic regulatory capacities of callianassid mud shrimps, Callianassa jamaicense, C. major, and C. islagrande, are correlated to their distributions on the Louisiana coast. Callianassa jamaicense burrows in muddy estuaries where salinity may commonly fall to < 5‰, but C. major and C. islagrande usually burrow in sandy beaches bathed by higher salinities. Lower lethal limits of salinity are < 2‰ for C. jamaicense, 7-8‰ for C. major and probably just below 15‰ for adult C. islagrande. After exposure to low salinity C. jamaicense exhibits better volume control than the other two species. Blood osmotic, sodium, and chloride concentrations in C. jamaicense are regulated near stable levels at acclimation salinities beneath ∼ 20‰ but those of C. major and C. islagrande are not. Blood magnesium is slightly hyper-regulated by C. jamaicense at most acclimation salinities < 25‰ and more markedly hyper-regulated at salinities < 10‰; it is also slightly hyper-regulated by C. major at acclimation salinities ...
Electronic System Design Techniques

The design of a radiation-hardened electronic system is in many ways no different from the design of electronic systems which must perform correctly while exposed to the more standard environments, such as temperature, vibration, and humidity. The early recognition of shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, and acceleration as environments which would influence electrical performance of the electronic systems has resulted in a thorough understanding of how to design against these environments. The reader familiar with electronic design in the more standard environments should endeavor to apply good design techniques from these environments to that of nuclear radiation, when the techniques seem applicable. This is seldom possible, since the radiation environment is in most ways quite unique, though there are instances where the approach can be used. For example, the design of electronics for operation in high temperatures (100 to 600°C) will also result in an electronic system which can withstand large integrated particle doses without degradation. The application of failure probability analysis, which is quite common for the more standard environments, has been generally neglected in work associated with the nuclear radiation environment. The importance of the failure probability analysis cannot be stressed enough. The single or few test sample determinations of component radiation sensitivity may be adequate early in the design cycle of a particular electronic system. However, toward the end of the design cycle, large test sample determination is a must in order to establish high confidence in the component selection for production units of the electronic system.
Genetics of Common Tumors

Host factors play an exceedingly important role in virtually all forms of cancer. A significant question is: “Are there any cancers, including those which are clearly sporadic by virtue of a negative family history of cancer through two or more generations, that would not be appropriate for discussion about potential genetic etiology?” A comment by J. Michael Bishop (1986) is appropriate for consideration in answering this question: Much of contemporary cancer research is motivated by the conviction that cancer is at its heart a genetic disease. This conviction has three main origins: the perception of sometimes vague, sometimes dramatic hereditary diatheses to cancer; the presence of chromosomal damage in at least some cancer cells; and the efforts to equate mutagenic potential to carcinogenicity. Now the conviction has acquired the substance of experiment. Vertebrate cells contain a set of genes that can become tumorigenic “oncogenes” when transduced into retroviruses (Bishop 1983). In their normal guise, these “proto-oncogenes” may be part of the genetic wiring that directs the growth and development of normal cells. And it requires only an easy leap of faith to imagine that these same genes might also be important substrates for carcinogenic influences of diverse sorts.
Chai Jing's Under the Dome: A multimedia documentary in the digital age

ABSTRACTChai Jing's Under the Dome: Investigating China's Smog presents an unprecedented model of how a multi-media documentary can turn an environmental crisis into a dynamic media event that achieves mass virality. The “going viral” came about because of the interplay between unconventional multimedia documentary modes and an extensive digital network characterized by a large number of users resorting to various technologies. While the rhetorical persuasion built upon multimedia assets encouraged viewers to interact with or navigate through the story of an environmentally alarming reality, the digital media enabled citizens alerted to deadly environmental conditions to tap into a channel of green discussion and diverse voices. The irony of the film's initial virality provoking its short-lived circulation reveals once again the brute fact of media censorship and social-political constraints. In a polluted landscape and manipulated virtual space, open discussions and investigative exposures of environment...
Phase II trial of bevacizumab (B) and ixabepilone (Ix) for advanced non-squamous NSCLC progressive after first-line therapy.

e13550 Background: Ix is a semisynthetic epiothilone analog which inhibits mitosis through microtubule stabilization, with activity in multiple tumor types. Weekly dosing may have less toxicity. B improves survival in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for previously untreated non-squamous NSCLC. The use of B in the salvage setting has not been extensively studied. Methods: Non-randomized, open-label, single arm phase II trial of B, 10 mg/kg iv every 2 weeks and Ix, 20 mg/m2 iv weekly for 3 out of 4 weeks. An initial lead-in phase of 6 patients (pts) treated with B and Ix (16 mg/m2 iv weekly for 3 out of 4 weeks) was planned. Pts with advanced non-squamous NSCLC progressive after 1 or 2 lines of therapy are eligible, prior erlotinib is allowed, ECOG 0-1. Prior B is allowed. Pts are treated for a maximum of 6 28-day cycles, with staging every 2 cycles. Pts with response or stable disease may continue on maintenance B for up to 1 year. Primary endpoint is progression free survival, with secondary e...
Vegetation change during 40 years of repeated managed wildfires in the Sierra Nevada, California.

Abstract Fire suppression has been reported to homogenize landscapes in regions that historically experienced frequent wildfire. The Illilouette Creek Basin in Yosemite National Park experienced nearly 100 years of fire suppression, but after a change in management strategy it is now one of the few areas in the United States that has experienced a frequent fire regime for the past half-century. This study quantifies changing landscape properties in the Basin from its fire-suppressed state to the present. These landscape properties range from the relative dominance of different vegetation types to the spatial distribution of vegetation patches. This is the first detailed study of watershed-scale changes in overstory vegetation within a landscape transitioning from a fire suppressed condition to frequent, mixed severity wildfires. We mapped major vegetation types over time within Illilouette Creek Basin using high resolution aerial images from four different decades, starting with the final years of a fire-suppressed period and capturing multiple snapshots during forty years of repeated fires. We quantify landscape heterogeneity and vegetation patch shape properties using landscape metrics. From 1969 to 2012, conifer cover decreased by 24% while shrub area increased by 35%, sparse meadow area increased by 199% and dense meadows by 155%. The Shannon’s Evenness Index based on these four vegetation types increased from 0.4 to 0.7, indicating increased landscape heterogeneity. This study demonstrates that wildfires can return diversity to a fire-suppressed landscape, even after protracted fire suppression. Management of forests to restore fire regimes has the potential to maintain healthy, resilient landscapes in frequent fire-adapted ecosystems.
David Oliver: Tube feeding and deteriorating patients—guidelines can take us only so far

Like most geriatricians, I look after many patients with progressive vascular or Lewy body dementia, severe disabling stroke, near end stage Parkinson’s disease, and other progressive neurological conditions. The natural history of patients with such conditions is that many run into problems with swallowing and lose their strength of cough. They’re at risk of aspiration pneumonia. They find it hard to meet daily caloric requirements and risk poor nutrition. They may find it hard to take key medicines, which can further worsen swallowing, alertness, or overall medical fitness. Family carers often do sterling work helping their loved ones to eat and drink on the wards, which even the most conscientious nurses find hard to match. In some families or cultures the idea of withdrawing intravenous fluids or artificial nutritional support, and focusing on palliative care, can require several sensitive and lengthy conversations, over days or weeks, for clinicians and …
Imprinting of Repeated Influenza A/H3 Exposures on Antibody Quantity and Antibody Quality: Implications for Seasonal Vaccine Strain Selection and Vaccine Performance.

Background Reduced seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) was observed in individuals who received repeated annual vaccinations. Preexisting influenza antibody levels were also found inversely correlated with postvaccination titers. These reports suggest that preexisting immunity may affect contemporary seasonal vaccine performance. Methods Influenza A/H3 specific cross-reactivity of postvaccination sera from humans with or without preexisting immunity was assessed by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. Ferret antisera induced by repeated H3 exposures were also subjected to HAI, antibody affinity, and antibody avidity analyses. Results Human postvaccination sera derived from subjects with or without preexisting immunity showed different cross-reactivity against H3 variant viruses. Similarly, the breadth of cross-reactive ferret antibodies induced by repeated H3 exposures was also broadened. Antigenic differences between H3 viruses characterized by ferret antisera became smaller as the number of exposures increased. Although repeated H3 exposures induced "original antigenic sin" phenomena in HAI titers against later exposed viruses, resultant ferret antibodies showed gradually enhanced avidity for different H3/hemagglutinin. Increased antibody avidity was found to be inversely correlated with decreased antigenic differences among H3 viruses characterized. Conclusions Our results suggest that repeated H3 exposures imprinted not only antibody quantity but also antibody quality. The "naive" ferret model currently used for vaccine strain selection does not recapitulate the complexity of human preexisting immunity. Vaccine strains identified hereby may not provide coverage sufficient for those who were frequently infected and/or vaccinated, leading to the reduced VE observed.
Appendix: Getting Started with R

This appendix focuses on some specific features and commands of R that you will need in the first few chapters of this book. If you have never used R before—or you need a review of the basics—we recommend starting here. Throughout the book, we show the R code required for each new concept, briefly explaining the new R commands involved. If you want more detailed information, you can refer to the introductory and general reference manuals available on the R website.
The Bush Administration's Huge Tax Cuts: Steps Towards Bigger Government?

The 2001 through 2003 tax cuts, to the extent that they involved a principled, long-term policy view, seem to have been aimed at shrinking the size of government. The idea apparently was to force eventual spending discipline, even (or perhaps especially) with respect to Social Security and Medicare, by turning reduced tax revenues into a political fact on the ground that would be difficult to reverse. In fact, however, the idea that the tax cuts would make the government smaller seems to have rested on spending illusion, or confusion between the actual size of government, in terms of its allocative and distributional effects, and the observed dollar flows that are denominated "taxes" and "spending." Given the long-term budget constraint, which holds that government inflows and outlays must ultimately be equal in present value, and the huge preexisting fiscal imbalance, the tax cuts are likely to be paid for, in the main, through some combination of future tax increases and cuts to Social Security and Medicare. (Other government spending cuts, relative to the case where the tax cuts were not enacted, are likely as well, but cannot contribute nearly enough.) To the extent that the 2001 through 2003 tax cuts lead to future tax increases, the combined effect is likely to make the government bigger both allocatively and distributionally. To the extent that Social Security and Medicare spending bear the brunt, the government still gets larger in the sense of increasing redistribution from younger to older generations, although Medicare cuts might decrease the size of government allocatively.
Toxicogenomic Evaluation of Nanomaterials

The ongoing search for specialty substances with unique physical and chemical properties has motivated the development of numerous types of metal oxide nanomaterials, but concerns remain regarding biological effects of particles that are comparable in size to ultrafine air pollution (d < 100 nm). Much of the nanoparticle toxicological research has been on inhalation and intact-skin dermal exposures. Lung epithelial cells exposed to oxide nanoparticles show diverse responses, most notably upregulation of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways. This chapter addresses potential etiologies, mechanisms, and methodologies for investigating potential unforeseen toxicities of nanoparticles that are likely to occur in skin as nanoproducts become more and more available.
Sensitivity to “sunk costs” in mice, rats, and humans

Sunk costs are irrecoverable investments that should not influence decisions, because decisions should be made on the basis of expected future consequences. Both human and nonhuman animals can show sensitivity to sunk costs, but reports from across species are inconsistent. In a temporal context, a sensitivity to sunk costs arises when an individual resists ending an activity, even if it seems unproductive, because of the time already invested. In two parallel foraging tasks that we designed, we found that mice, rats, and humans show similar sensitivities to sunk costs in their decision-making. Unexpectedly, sensitivity to time invested accrued only after an initial decision had been made. These findings suggest that sensitivity to temporal sunk costs lies in a vulnerability distinct from deliberation processes and that this distinction is present across species.
Thematic analysis of nurse practitioners use of clinical decision support tools and clinical mobile apps for prescriptive purposes.

Background and purpose An obstacle to clinical implementation of precision medicine is the absence of easily accessible peer-reviewed, comprehensive clinical practice guidelines. Therefore, an easily accessible format is needed to propel the adoption of these guidelines by healthcare providers. An understanding of the process providers take to prescribe medications will inform development of clinical decision support tools, specifically related to precision medicine. Successful use of mobile applications will depend on the buy-in from healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of trustworthiness surrounding clinical decision support tools and mobile applications through interviews with nurse practitioners. Methods A descriptive, qualitative research design was used. A sample of 10 nurse practitioners who actively prescribe medication was used within the study. Conclusions The participants mentioned both negative and positive attitudes regarding these prescribing techniques. Overall four themes emerged from this thematic analysis: the use of pharmacists to help with current prescribing practices, reliance on the EMR as a clinical decision support tool, lack of mobile app use in clinical practice, but the desire to have these resources if they were affordable and reliable. Implications for practice The participants were aware of the use of mobile apps for clinical decision support, but the adoption of these tools was limited due to the perceived lack of affordability and reliability. Therefore, to overcome these barriers to adoption of a mobile app related to precision medicine, affordability and transparent construction of an app grounded in credible sources must be developed.
Switching from Batch to Continuous Reactors Is a Trajectory Optimization Problem

Over the past two decades, the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries have led a considerable effort toward transitioning from existing batch to continuous flow processes. The transition ...
Remarks on the design and analyses of longitudinal studies for cancer patients with anorexia and weight loss

Longitudinal data serve an important role in understanding the cancer anorexia weight loss syndrome and in testing interventions to palliative and treat patients who develop this syndrome. The element of time and the interrelatedness of data points define longitudinal data and add to the richness of this type of data. However, longitudinal data can also give rise to non-random, missing data that can lead to flawed conclusions. This paper discusses these issues and suggests practical considerations for design and analysis of longitudinal cancer anorexia weight loss studies.
Was That Bullying? A Mixed-Methods Examination of Layperson Views in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Bullying is problematic for school-age children and especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is commonly defined in research using three themes: intent to harm, repetition, and a power imbalance. Despite encompassing a wide range of behaviors, these themes may not fully align with day-to-day layperson experiences. They also may not account for the cognitive biases within respondent groups that impact bullying perception. This study used a mixed-methods approach to understand how laypersons determine the presence and type of bullying behavior. The impact of an ASD relationship (i.e., ASD parents and teachers) on perceptions of bullying was also examined. Participants (N = 184 adults) categorized brief, written vignettes describing child dyadic interactions as a type of bullying behavior (i.e., physical, verbal, interpersonal, cyber), non-bullying behavior, or provided an “other” response. Thematic analysis of the qualitative, “other” explanations for bullying ambiguity revealed three themes: a need for more contextual information, the presence of other types of bullying (outside the options provided), and other non-bullying behaviors (e.g., crime, peer pressure). Comparing the probability of use across and within themes revealed statistically significant differences such that layperson views of bullying did not fully align with research definitions. Additionally, perceptions of bullying differed among individuals with and without ASD relationships (i.e., parents, teachers) and undergraduate students. Existing research definitions for bullying do not fully encompass the breadth of daily-lived and cultural experiences of laypersons. We propose an expanded “working definition” of bullying that may be useful to more accurately identify children in need of intervention and generate more reliable estimates of bullying across studies.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Leprosy in China, 2018

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of leprosy in China in 2018 and provide the essential evidences for leprosy control. Methods: We collected data of leprosy cases nationwide from Leprosy Management Information System in China (LEPMIS) except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. And then we performed a descriptive and comparative analysis. Results: A total of 521 new leprosy cases were detected nationwide in 2018, with a case detection rate of 0.037/100,000. The proportion of children under 15 years of age, multi-bacillary (MB) cases, and cases with WHO grade 2 disability (G2D) were 1.3%, 89.4%, and 19.0%, respectively. There were 2,479 registered cases of leprosy in China by the end of 2018, accounting for a prevalence rate of 0.178/100,000, with 43 replase cases. Southwest China separately accounted for 312/521 (59.9%) newly detected cases and 1,180/2,479 (47.6%) registered cases of leprosy in China. Conclusion: China is a low endemic country for leprosy and the detection rate was much lower than the global average. Southwest China is still the key regions for leprosy control, including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. In addition, leprosy in low endemic provinces also needs to be focused. Key words: leprosy; epidemiology; China; endemic
No Sperm Morphometric Differences between Two Populations of Diamond-backed Watersnakes (Nerodia rhombifer) with Varying Resource Availability

Vast differences in available resources between habitats can have profound influences on aspects of an organism's life history, such as reproductive investment. Our study investigated how differences in nutrient availability affect sperm size in Diamond-backed Watersnakes (Nerodia rhombifer). We compared body size and sperm morphometrics between two populations with differing nutrient availability: a naturally occurring lake and a commercial fish farm. We hypothesized that prey availability affects sperm morphometrics. Our null hypothesis was that there would be no significant difference in sperm morphometrics between populations, whereas our alternative hypothesis was that the snakes from the fish farm would have significantly longer sperm. We measured total sperm length, sperm head length, sperm tail length, and snout–vent length (SVL). We then used two-tailed t-tests and AIC model selection to test our hypotheses. SVL was not correlated with sperm size. Furthermore, none of the sperm morphometrics were significantly different between the two populations. Finally, a nearly 1:1 correlation between sperm tail length and total sperm length was found. AIC model selection corroborated these results by choosing only sperm head length and sperm tail length as significant predictors of total sperm length. This is the first published study to explicitly compare sperm morphometrics between two populations of the same snake species. Additional studies of this nature are required to corroborate whether lack of significant differences in sperm morphometrics among snake populations are common.
The relationship of personality and behavior change in a physical activity intervention: The role of conscientiousness and healthy neuroticism

Abstract This study examined the role of personality traits in a 5-week physical activity intervention study for working adults. We tested whether personality traits predicted individual differences in change in daily steps over time. Fifty-two participants ages 35 to 69 (Mage = 49.71, SD = 8.64) wore a Fitbit Zip step counter for 35 days and completed a personality questionnaire. Participants were randomly assigned to either an implementation intention group or a control group. Both groups wore a Fitbit and had the goal to increase their daily steps. For the present study, the sample was collapsed across groups. Higher conscientiousness was associated with greater increases in daily steps. Also, individuals with healthy neuroticism, the combination of higher neuroticism and higher conscientiousness, showed greater increases in daily steps. The findings highlight that the efficacy of physical activity interventions may depend on personality traits. Intervention outcomes may be improved if personality is taken into account when designing the programs.
Optical readout of microaccelerometer code features

Micromachine accelerometers offer a way to enable critical functions only when a system encounters a particular acceleration environment. This paper describes the optical readout of a surface micromachine accelerometer containing a unique 24-bit code. The readout uses waveguide-based optics, which are implemented as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). The PIC is flip-chip bonded over the micromachine, for a compact package. The shuttle moves 500 micrometer during readout, and each code element is 17 micrometer wide. The particular readout scheme makes use of backscattered radiation from etched features in the accelerometer shuttle. The features are etched to create corner reflectors that return radiation back toward the source for a 'one' bit. For a 'zero' bit, the shuttle is not etched, and the radiation scatters forward, away from the detector. This arrangement provides a large signal difference between a 'one' and 'zero' signal, since the 'zero' signal returns virtually no signal to the detector. It is thus superior to schemes that interrogate the code vertically, which have a limited contrast between a 'one' and a 'zero.' Experimental results are presented for mock shuttle features etched into a silicon substrate. To simulate the shuttle moving under a fixed PIC, a commercially available waveguide source was scanned over the mock code.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mindfulness, mood, and food: The mediating role of positive affect.

With rates of overweight and obesity rising worldwide, it is important to examine psychological factors associated with food intake. Previous research has shown that mindfulness may serve as a protective factor against overconsumption of food. Some studies have posited that mindfulness addresses unhealthy eating by promoting the increased awareness of, and decreased responsiveness to, internal emotional cues. The present study investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness induction on positive and negative affect and subsequent energy intake in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 126). After exposure to a negative mood induction, 63 participants were randomly assigned to a brief mindfulness intervention, while the remaining participants listened to a news article. Subsequently all participants were offered healthful and unhealthful snack foods. Although there was not a significant between-group difference in intake, a multiple mediation model indicated that positive affect, but not negative affect, significantly mediated the association between condition and food intake. Relative to controls, those in the experimental condition reported higher positive affect after the mindfulness induction, which in turn reduced their energy intake. Further exploratory analyses indicated that positive affect in the experimental group was associated with reduced consumption of unhealthful food. These findings provide insight into how mindfulness-based interventions may target unhealthy eating behaviors.
Childbirth Computational Models: Characteristics and Applications.

The biomechanical process of childbirth is necessary to usher in new lives - but it can also result in trauma. This physically intense process can put both the mother and the child at risk of injuries and complications that have life-long impact. Computational models, as a powerful tool to simulate and explore complex phenomena, have been used to improve our understanding of childbirth processes and related injuries since the 1990s. The goal of this paper is to review and summarize the breadth and current state of the computational models of childbirth in the literature - focusing on those that investigate the mechanical process and effects. We first summarize the state of critical characteristics that have been included in computational models of childbirth (i.e., maternal anatomy, fetal anatomy, cardinal movements, and maternal soft tissue mechanical behavior). We then delve into the findings of the past studies of birth processes and mechanical injuries in an effort to bridge the gap between the theoretical, numerical assessment and the empirical, clinical observations and practices. These findings are from applications of childbirth computational models in four areas: (1) the process of childbirth itself, (2) maternal injuries, (3) fetal injuries, and (4) protective measures employed by clinicians during delivery. Finally, we identify some of the challenges that computational models still face and suggest future directions through which more biofidelic simulations of childbirth might be achieved, with the goal that advancing models may provide more efficient and accurate, patient-specific assessment to support future clinical decision-making.
DC Motor Speed Control Using Mamdani Fuzzy Logic Based on Microcontroller

DC motors are included in the category of motor types that are most widely used both in industrial environments, household appliances to children's toys. The development of control technology has also made many advances from conventional control to automatic control to intelligent control. Fuzzy logic is used as a control system, because this control process is relatively easy and flexible to design without involving complex mathematical models of the system to be controlled. The purpose of this research is to study and apply the fuzzy mamdani logic method to the Arduino uno microcontroller, to control the speed of a DC motor and to control the speed of the fan. The research method used is an experimental method. Global testing is divided into three, namely sensor testing, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) testing and Mamdani fuzzy logic control testing. The fuzzy controller output is a control command given to the DC motor. In this DC motor control system using the Mamdani method and the control system is designed using two inputs in the form of Error and Delta Error. The two inputs will be processed by the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) to get the output value in the form of a PWM signal to control the DC motor. The results of this study indicate that the fuzzy logic control system with the Arduino uno microcontroller can control the rotational speed of the DC motor as desired.