cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Congenital Absence of the Pericardium

Congenital absence of the pericardium (CAP) is one of the rarest cardiac congenital anomalies. It can occur as a complete absence of the entire pericardium, absence of the right or left portion of the pericardium or a partial, foramen-like defect of the right or left pericardium. While the majority of cases are clinically silent, multiple reports associate CAP with symptomatic presentation. The most feared complication of CAP is sudden death due to cardiac strangulation across a partial defect of the left pericardium. Given its rare occurrence, most clinicians and imaging specialists will have little experience with this condition and may fail to recognize it on thoracic or cardiac studies. Thus, the purpose of this review is to highlight the common clinical and multimodality imaging features associated with this anomaly and suggest a management algorithm.
Visualizing Changes in Neuronal Dendritic Morphology in Response to Stress and Pharmacological Challenge.

This unit outlines a protocol for Golgi staining, which has been used extensively to reliably and quantitatively assess alterations in dendritic arborization and spine density as a result of a variety of factors, including chronic administration of glucocorticoids, chronic stress, and pharmacological manipulations. The method stains neurons in their entirety, allowing for sophisticated analyses of branch lengths and numbers as well as patterns of dendritic branching. Advantages of the technique include its usefulness in multisite collaborations and its utility in visualizing neurons in multiple regions within the same brain. Given that it typically labels approximately one in one hundred neurons, many neurons per region of interest can be sampled per animal, greatly increasing the ability to obtain a representative sample of neurons. Limitations include its time-consuming nature, the hazardous chemicals employed, and the inability to use the stain to identify discrete subpopulations of neurons based on their projections, activation, or protein expression. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: dendrites; dendritic spines; morphology; histology
Abstract 502: Arterial Calcification Increases Neointimal Proliferation Following Balloon Injury in Rat Carotid Arteries

Introduction Arterial calcification predicts accelerated restenosis after angioplasty and stenting. We sought to determine how calcification affected neointimal accumulation after balloon injury in the rat carotid. Hypothesis We propose that transformed SMCs in calcified arteries respond to balloon injury in an accelerated manner through a mechanism involving bone-related factors. Methods Arterial calcification was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 350-400 grams by subcutaneous administration of vitamin D3. Control rats received vehicle. Both groups underwent left carotid balloon injury one week following injection, a time at which significant medial calcification has developed. Arteries were harvested twenty-one days following balloon injury. The degree of neointimal cell proliferation was next assessed by immunohistochemical staining for PCNA. Neointimal hyperplasia was measured by morphometric analysis using standard imaging analysis software. Results At 3 weeks after carotid balloon injury, mean cellular proliferation as measured by PCNA staining was higher in the intima of calcified than control arteries (63.8 ± 6.0 versus 40.5 ± 9.5 cells/hpf, P=ns). Calcified arteries from Vitamin D3-treated rats, however, had significantly more intimal hyperplasia than control uncalcified arteries (intima-to-media ratio = 1.374 ± 0.071 versus 0.758 ± 0.080, P=0.0021). Intimal and medial areas were also individually larger in calcified than control arteries. Conclusions Neointimal hyperplasia is accelerated in Vitamin D3-treated rats through a mechanism that partially involves increased SMC proliferation. Calcified vessels may respond differently to balloon angioplasty and this may explain the poorer results of endovascular interventions in patients with arterial calcification. Other factors including accelerated migration and increased matrix synthesis may also be involved. Treatments to inhibit restenosis in calcified arteries may differ from those that work in uncalcified vessels.
A Simulation Model for Evaluating Predation Control Alternatives in Salmon Ocean Ranching

Abstract A model was developed to facilitate the evaluation of options for the release of coho smolts in the presence of predators. Based on the model, survival to recruitment and return can be predicted and analyzed for different release strategies. The techniques described should be applicable to similar fish release situations.
Modification of Synaptic Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase in Ischemic Injury in an Animal Model of Global Ischemia

P83 Regulation of [Ca 2+ ] i is altered in neurons during ischemic injury in stroke, but the precise mechanism(s) underlying the Ca 2+ dysregulation are not known. The plasma membrane Ca 2+ -ATPase (PMCA) is one of the two main Ca 2+ extrusion systems that play a critical role in maintaining neuronal Ca 2+ homeostasis. We have substantial evidence showing that this enzyme is very sensitive to oxidative stress. When exposed to very low concentrations of physiologically relevant oxidants, the PMCA has been shown to form high molecular weight aggregates and this is accompanied by the decline in its enzymatic activity. Because stroke-induced hypoxia is associated with the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a loss of Ca 2+ homeostasis, we carried out studies to determine if the PMCA is modified in an in vivo animal model of stroke. Global ischemia was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by occlusion of the common carotid arteries for defined time periods. The V max of PMCA activity in brain homogenates as well as in purified synaptic plasma membranes was significantly reduced following occlusion of the vessels, and the reduction was proportional to the time of ischemia. The loss in PMCA activity could not be reversed by addition of exogenous ATP, suggesting an alteration in the protein itself. Immunoblots of the synaptic membranes run under non-reducing conditions showed crosslinking of PMCA molecules to form high molecular weight adducts, and this too increased with increasing periods of ischemia. The PMCA aggregates were partially reversed under reducing conditions, indicating the involvement of sulphydryl group oxidation. These observations support the hypothesis that increased formation of ROS under ischemic conditions can oxidatively modify specific proteins critical for the regulation of free [Ca 2+ ] i levels. Such oxidative damage is likely to contribute to the loss of neuronal Ca 2+ regulation and neuronal viability in stroke. (Supported by AHA 9960343Z, AG 12993, and the Higuchi Biosciences Center, University of Kansas)
Synthesis, Structure, and Luminescence of Copper(I) Halide Complexes of Chiral Bis(phosphines)

For investigation of structure–property relationships in copper phosphine halide complexes, treatment of copper(I) halides with chiral bis(phosphines) gave dinuclear [Cu((R,R)-i-Pr-DuPhos)(μ-X)]2 [X = I (1), Br (2), Cl (3)], [Cu(μ-((R,R)-Me-FerroLANE)(μ-I)]2 (5), and [Cu((S,S)-Et-FerroTANE)(I)]2 (6), pentanuclear cluster Cu5I5((S,S)-Et-FerroTANE)3 (7), and the monomeric Josiphos complexes Cu((R,S)-CyPF-t-Bu)(I) (8) and Cu((R,S)-PPF-t-Bu)(I) (9); 1–3, 5, and 7–9 were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Treatment of iodide 1 with AgF gave [Cu((R,R)-i-Pr-DuPhos)(μ-F)]2 (4). DuPhos complexes 1–4 emitted yellow-green light upon UV irradiation at room temperature in the solid state. This process was studied by low-temperature emission spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which assigned the luminescence to (M + X)LCT (Cu2X2 to DuPhos aryl) excited states. Including Grimme’s dispersion corrections in the DFT calculations (B3LYP-D3) gave significantly shorter Cu–Cu distan...
Architecture and the Liberal Arts: A Whole-School Approach to Community Engagement

In 2015 Drury University students competed in the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. Students designed a home to respond to, recover from, and resist a tornado. In 2011 an EF-5 tornado hit Joplin, MO, and left 161 people dead and the town devastated. Design-Build for communities in need has been a continuing interest for Drury students. The Solar Decathlon provided a vehicle for student interest and development of Drury’s unique whole-school approach to Design-Build. The team included more than 100 students from 22 majors in such diverse backgrounds as art history, physics, music, communications, and architecture. The project is an excellent example of an interdisciplinary approach to a compelling community issue and the benefits of integrating liberal arts, arts, professional studies, and civic engagement for student success.
Brand management in terrorism: the case of Hezbollah

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the essential brand management strategies used by Hezbollah to expand its popularity base among Muslims. As a form of public communication, brand management consists of ...
Cross-reactive mouse monoclonal antibodies raised against the hemagglutinin of A/Shanghai/1/2013 (H7N9) protect against novel H7 virus isolates in the mouse model

Influenza viruses remain a major global public health risk. In addition to seasonal influenza viruses, epizootic influenza A H7 subtype viruses of both the Asian and North American lineage are of concern due to their pandemic potential. In China, the simultaneous occurrence of H7N9 zoonotic episodes and seasonal influenza virus epidemics could potentially lead to novel reassortant viruses with the ability to efficiently spread among humans. Recently, the H7N9 virus has evolved into two new lineages, the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta clade. This development has also resulted in viruses with a polybasic cleavage site in the hemagglutinin that are highly pathogenic in avian species and have caused human infections. In addition, an outbreak of a highly pathogenic H7N8 strain was reported in the US state of Indiana in 2016. Furthermore, an H7N2 feline virus strain caused an outbreak in cats in an animal shelter in New York City in 2016, resulting in one human zoonotic event. In this study, mouse monoclonal antibodies previously raised against the hemagglutinin of the A/Shanghai/1/2013 (H7N9) virus were tested for their (cross-) reactivity to these novel H7 viruses. Moreover, the functionality of these antibodies was assessed in vitro in hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays. The therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of the broadly reactive antibodies against novel H7 viruses was determined in vivo in mouse passive transfer-viral challenge experiments. Our results provide data about the conservation of critical H7 epitopes and could inform the selection of pre-pandemic H7 vaccine strains.
Hydrophobic Sealing for Integrated Microactuators in Biofluidic Systems

Selective hydrophobic sealing for integrated microactuators in biofludic system is described in this paper. A selectively deposited hydrophobic polymer on the surface of a microchannel keeps a fluid from entering into the channel. Through this hydrophobic channel, an electrostatic microactuators can be coupled to a hydrophilic channel. Integrated microactuatos in biofluidic systems can be used for sinlge molecule detections and manipulations.
Financial Aid and Student Dropout in Higher Education: A Heterogeneous Research Approach

Over the past several decades, a large body of research has studied student outcomes in higher education. Among them, many examined the relationships between financial aid and student dropout behavior. But this line of research focuses primarily on the effects of financial aid in general, paying limited attention to the differences in dropout behavior across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups and how financial aid influences these gaps. In this chapter, I argue that it is important to consider the economic and racial/ ethnic diversity of students when evaluating the effects of financial aid on student dropout. Given the heterogeneous nature of the student population, researchers in higher education need to explore the possible variations in aid effects on dropout risks across different subgroups rather than just specify average effects for the population as a whole. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive conceptual framework and a more appropriate analytic approach are needed. In addition, since St. John et al.’s (2000) extensive review of the economic influence on persistence research, an updated review of this line of research will help us continue to re-conceptualize student departure models from an economic perspective. In this chapter, I develop an alternative approach for investigating the differential effects of financial aid on student departure risks by integrating economic theories with theoretical frameworks from other disciplines. This heterogeneous approach pays particular attention to the role that financial aid plays in reducing dropout risk gaps across income and racial/ ethnic groups. The chapter first describes the importance of examining the variation in the effects of aid on student departure. It then reviews and critiques various theoretical approaches, particularly the economic approach, for examining student dropout risk. Third, although prior empirical studies and methodologies have generally promoted a better understanding of how financial aid affects student departure, they are nevertheless limited. This chapter highlights some of the merits and limitations of prior persistence/dropout literature, and provides a few suggestions for future research. Third, by expanding Heller’s (1997) notion of price-demand, the chapter imports three economic concepts—liquidity constraints, price elasticity, and debt
Biomimetic Scaffolds for Craniofacial Bone Tissue Engineering: Understanding the Role of the Periosteum in Regeneration

The role of the periosteum in bone tissue engineering is a new and exciting development. Although its regenerative capacity is known and its role in initiating wound healing is well-documented, a complete understanding of the underlying mechanisms and specific cues that cause healing induction is still unknown. Recently, a number of different studies have begun to explore how stimulating periosteal recruitment is involved in regeneration. In this chapter we review the importance of the periosteum as well as a number of different materials used to activate and initiate the healing process indicative of the periosteum. Our own work has focused on using electrospun chitosan/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds in order to integrate the native periosteal tissue with our material and instigate the healing process in critical size calvarial bone defects. Critical size defects remain elusive and problematic in the clinic to date and tissue engineering is a promising candidate to alleviate such problems. In this chapter we will briefly review our material and its ability to induce osseointegration, osteoinduction and support the formation of new, mineralized tissue in a murine model. This material, along with others, reflect promising and auspicious developments in musculoskeletal tissue engineering and are helping to pave the way in understanding how the periosteum is involved in wound healing.
Fabrication of optically active fiber mats via melt electrospinning

Melt electrospinning is a facile fabrication technique that can be utilized in the creation of microfibers without the use of solvent and with good control over feature placement. The available thermal energy of the melt electrospinning technique is often only utilized in the formation of the polymer melt but can also be used to thermodynamically drive chemical reactions. In this study, hybrid perovskite microcrystallites are synthesized in the polymer melt and electrospun to form composite microfibers. Unique hybrid perovskite microstructures were studied, elucidating mechanisms of formation at work in the polymer melt.
Hydrothermal deformation of Marcellus shale: Effects of subcritical water temperature and holding time on shale porosity and surface morphology

Abstract Low porosity of Marcellus shale often limits the hydrocarbon recovery. To increase shale porosity, hydrothermal deformation (HTD) of Marcellus shale was performed and the effects of subcritical water temperature and reaction time on porosity were evaluated. HTD was performed at 200, 250 and 300 °C for one, three and 6 h of residence time. Low-temperature N2 adsorption was used for porosity measurement. Furthermore, the morphology of raw and HTD shale samples was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction analyzer (XRD). It was observed that shale porosity was significantly enhanced by HTD conditions. For instance, HTD at 300 °C for 6 h of residence time, shale porosity increased more than four times compared to raw shale. This porosity was attributed to leaching of calcite, clay and quartz, which is confirmed by analyzing HTD process liquids by Induced Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES).
Patient2Vec: A Personalized Interpretable Deep Representation of the Longitudinal Electronic Health Record

The wide implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems facilitates the collection of large-scale health data from real clinical settings. Despite the significant increase in adoption of EHR systems, these data remain largely unexplored, but present a rich data source for knowledge discovery from patient health histories in tasks, such as understanding disease correlations and predicting health outcomes. However, the heterogeneity, sparsity, noise, and bias in these data present many complex challenges. This complexity makes it difficult to translate potentially relevant information into machine learning algorithms. In this paper, we propose a computational framework, Patient2Vec , to learn an interpretable deep representation of longitudinal EHR data, which is personalized for each patient. To evaluate this approach, we apply it to the prediction of future hospitalizations using real EHR data and compare its predictive performance with baseline methods. Patient2Vec produces a vector space with meaningful structure, and it achieves an area under curve around 0.799, outperforming baseline methods. In the end, the learned feature importance can be visualized and interpreted at both the individual and population levels to bring clinical insights.
The Use of Negative Acceleration as Accessory Force during Lifting

Objectives. Injury associated with lifting, especially low back injury, is a big problem in industry that accounts for loss of work and high medical expenses. Studies of biomechanics of lifting provide a basis for optimization of lifting. The aim of the study was to further investigate the role of the upward force due to negative acceleration during a lift. Methods. Nine healthy subjects lifted an empty box and a box with additional load of 10, 20, and 25 lb. Kinematic data were recorded during the lifts and accelerations were calculated, and angular positions of the trunk and knee were obtained during the lifting when negative accelerations were used. Results. Negative acceleration assisted the quadriceps when the thighs were at approximately 90° and the hips when the trunk was rotating toward standing position. Negative acceleration was present during lifts of different loads. Conclusion. The outcome of the study suggests that enhancing the use of negative acceleration could be a strategy to improve the quality of lifting and minimize a probability of low back injury.
SparSDR: Sparsity-proportional Backhaul and Compute for SDRs

We present SparSDR, a resource-efficient architecture for softwaredefined radios whose backhaul bandwidth and compute power requirements scale in inverse proportion to the sparsity (in time and frequency) of the signals received. SparSDR requires dramatically fewer resources than existing approaches to process many popular protocols while retaining both flexibility and fidelity. We demonstrate that our approach has negligible impact on signal quality, receiver sensitivity, and processing latency. The SparSDR architecture makes it possible to capture signals across bandwidths far wider than the capacity of a radio's backhaul through the addition of lightweight frontend processing and corresponding backend reconstruction to restore the signals to their original sample rate. We employ SparSDR to develop two wideband applications running on a USRP N210 and a Raspberry Pi 3+: an IoT sniffer that scans 100 MHz of bandwidth and decodes received BLE packets, and a wideband Cloud SDR receiver that requires only residential-class Internet uplink capacity. We show that our SparSDR implementation fits in the constrained resources of popular low-cost SDR platforms, such as the AD Pluto.
A Successful Walk-In Psychiatric Model for Integrated Care.

Purpose: Accommodating walk-in psychiatry visits in primary care can improve access to psychiatric care for patients from historically underserved groups. We sought to determine whether a walk-in psychiatry model embedded within an integrated care practice could be sustained over time, and to characterize the patients who accessed care through it. Methods: We reviewed electronic health records linked to 811 psychiatry encounters in an integrated care practice between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2017. Primary outcomes were the initial and return psychiatry encounters per month. Secondary outcomes were the demographics and diagnoses of patients who accessed their initial visits through walk-in sessions and scheduled appointments. Results: 490 initial psychiatry evaluations and 321 return encounters took place over the 2-year study period. The volume of initial psychiatry evaluations per month did not significantly change, but the volume of psychiatry follow-up encounters significantly increased after the walk-in session expanded. Medicaid recipients (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.0); individuals without a college degree (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5); individuals who were single, divorced, or separated (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5); and individuals who identified as Black or Hispanic (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.7 to 3.6) were more likely to access an initial psychiatry evaluation through a walk-in session as opposed to a scheduled appointment. Conclusions: Providing psychiatric care on a walk-in basis in integrated care is sustainable. Patients from historically underserved groups may access psychiatric care disproportionately through a walk-in option when it is available.
Making CS Learning Visible: Case Studies on How Visibility of Student Work Supports a Community of Learners in CS Classrooms

Modern learning theories emphasize the critical social aspect of learning. Computer science (CS) classrooms often have "defensive climates'' that inhibit social learning and prevent the development of a community of learners. We believe that we can improve the social context of computer science learning by expanding CS learning beyond the single student in front of a display screen. Our theory is that the single student and single display inhibits collaboration and collaborative awareness of student work. In this paper, we present two case studies where we explored ways to make student work visible to peers. The first case study involved using a studio model for learning enabled by projection-based Augmented Reality (AR), and the second case study involves using a maker-oriented curriculum to make student work visible. Findings suggest the visibility of student work in CS classrooms helped support a community of learners: students collaborated, used each other as sources of inspiration, and felt more comfortable asking for help.
The effect of luminescent coupling on modulated photocurrent measurements in multijunction solar cells

Luminescent coupling in multijunction solar cells has a major impact on device response, and its impact on current-voltage and quantum efficiency measurements is well established. However, the role of luminescent coupling in more advanced characterization techniques such as modulated photocurrent spectroscopy is virtually unknown. Here, we present measurements of the frequency-dependent photocurrent of a triple junction solar cell with significant coupling between adjacent junctions. We develop an equivalent circuit model that includes luminescent coupling which shows good agreement with the measured frequency response. The model also shows how the system response can elucidate the type of charge carrier recombination in these III-V semiconductor materials.Luminescent coupling in multijunction solar cells has a major impact on device response, and its impact on current-voltage and quantum efficiency measurements is well established. However, the role of luminescent coupling in more advanced characterization techniques such as modulated photocurrent spectroscopy is virtually unknown. Here, we present measurements of the frequency-dependent photocurrent of a triple junction solar cell with significant coupling between adjacent junctions. We develop an equivalent circuit model that includes luminescent coupling which shows good agreement with the measured frequency response. The model also shows how the system response can elucidate the type of charge carrier recombination in these III-V semiconductor materials.
Pilot study of global endocrine disrupting activity in Iowa public drinking water utilities using cell-based assays.

Abstract Some anthropogenic substances in drinking water are known or suspected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), but EDCs are not routinely measured. We conducted a pilot study of 10 public drinking water utilities in Iowa, where common contaminants (e.g., pesticides) are suspected EDCs. Raw (untreated) and finished (treated) drinking water samples were collected in spring and fall and concentrated using solid phase extraction. We assessed multiple endocrine disrupting activities using novel mammalian cell-based assays that express nuclear steroid receptors (aryl hydrocarbon [AhR], androgenic [AR], thyroid [TR], estrogenic [ER] and glucocorticoid [GR]). We quantified each receptor's activation relative to negative controls and compared activity by season and utility/sample characteristics. Among 62 samples, 69% had AhR, 52% AR, 3% TR, 2% ER, and 0% GR activity. AhR and AR activities were detected more frequently in spring (p =0 .002 and
Nanoscale Elemental Mapping of Intact Solid–Liquid Interfaces and Reactive Materials in Energy Devices Enabled by Cryo-FIB/SEM

Many modern energy devices rely on solid–liquid interfaces, highly reactive materials, or both, for their operation and performance. The difficulty of characterizing such materials means these devi...
Adhesive Shear Strength of Ice from Nanostructured Graphite Surfaces by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The issue of ice accumulation at low-temperature circumstances causes multiple problems and serious damages in many civil infrastructures which substantially influence human daily life. However, despite the significant consideration in manufacturing anti-icing or icephobic surfaces, it is still demanding to design surfaces with well ice-repellent properties. Here in this study, we used all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate ice shearing mechanism on atomistically smooth and nanotexture graphite substrates. We find that ice shearing strength strongly depends on ice temperature, the lattice structure of the surface substrate, the size of the surface nanotexture structure, and the depth of interdigitated water molecules. Our results indicate nanoscale surface roughness and depth of interdigitated water molecules tend to increase ice shear failure stress and for corrugated substrates, this is further raised with increasing the depth of interdigitated water molecules which is a result of strain being distributed well into the ice cube away from the interface. These results supply an in-depth understanding of the effect of surface nanotexture on ice shearing mechanism that provides useful information in designing anti-icing surfaces and provide for the first-time theoretical references in understanding the effect of surface nanotexture structure and depth of interlocked water on adhesive ice shear strength on nanotextured surfaces. Keywords: Ice, Graphene, Shear strength, Molecular dynamics simulation
Deliberative Democracy, Truth, and Holmesian Social Darwinism

Justice Holmes’s “marketplace of ideas” analogy often characterizes First Amendment free speech cases. This article examines the Social Darwinistic roots of the analogy and suggests that First Amendment jurisprudence need not depend on a libertarian approach to protect freedom of speech. Although the marketplace philosophy assumes that open and uninhibited speech will enhance public dialogue, it fails to safeguard the equal rights essential to democracy. Tracing the historical link between hate speech and violence, it argues for a contextual approach to free speech theory that analyzes, among other factors, the statement’s circumstances, the speaker’s interests, and public concerns for representative governance that protects equality, liberty, and general welfare. Limiting harmful speech is possible without violating the First Amendment through balancing the speaker’s rights against countervailing policy interests, means/ends fit, and alternative avenues of communication.
Evaluation of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Combination With Multiple Daily Insulin Injections for Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective:To assess the available literature evaluating the efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) with multiple daily insulin injections (MDII).Data Sources:A...
THE LONG-RANGE INTERACTION IN MASSLESS (λΦ4)4 THEORY

Does massless (λΦ4)4 theory exhibit spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB)? The raw one-loop result implies that it does, but the "RG-improved" result implies the opposite. We argue that the appropriate "low-energy effective theory" is a nonlocal field theory involving an attractive, long-range interaction Φ2(x)Φ2(y)/|x-y|4. RG improvement then requires running couplings for both this interaction and the original pointlike interaction. A crude calculation in this framework yields SSB even after "RG improvement" and closely agrees with the raw one-loop result.
Alive in the Reading: Nayaran and Chekhov

Kirin Nayaran's Alive in the Writing: Crafting Ethnography in the Company of Chekhov is a five-section book about finding "company amid the often isolating and difficult aspects of writing" (p. xiii). As an English Literature major, I recall the basic tenets of story-writing: plot, setting, and characterization. Narayan's chapters offer a kinder entry. "Story and Theory" invoke Anton Chekhov as an ethnographic companion offering expertise about the essentials of writing a good story. "Place," "Person," and "Voice" take the innocent writer further in to the power of writing, until "Self" provides a denouement of sorts, when the reader finally realizes that learning to write with Narayan, Chekhov, and a host of others was actually a foray into ethnography itself. This book is at once an insightful textbook, an inspiring read, and an ethnographic experience. Keywords: Ethnography, Writing,
There is No More Safety in Numbers: A New Conception of Mathematics Teaching

During the last half century profound changes in the way knowledge is conceptualized and evaluated have taken place. Work in the philosophy of science and in the psychological and sociological understandings of cognition itself have led to a basic reappraisal of scientific knowledge. Such a reappraisal could not but have repercussions in the field of education, even mathematics education. In this chapter I am reviewing general philosophical reasons that impinge on our conceptions of teaching and learning, as well as some changes of attitude that have already manifested themselves and others that are still in the making. Although I begin with considerations that are specific to the teaching of mathematics and end with an example that is more amply described in another chapter of this volume, my main focus is on the critical interaction between teacher and student and the school as the ambience where this transaction takes place. We used to feel very confident about mathematics education. We knew what to teach, how to teach it, and why we should do so. Or we thought we did. Things are less certain today as the ground beneath the feet of all educators seems to move. Intellectual upheaval has not commonly been the lot of educators. Even if it had been, they could hardly have been prepared for what they are now experiencing. The certainties of the past rested on three very grand sets of assumptions, commonly known as theories. The first addressed the “what to teach?” question. Mathematics was seen as a “discipline” and, in virtue of this, had an internal “logic” of its own, its own particular content, and boundaries which divided it from other disciplines. To be doing or teaching mathematics was not to be doing or teaching anything else. The content of such doing or teaching was determined not by individuals, nor in any ordinary sense by institutions, but rather by the discipline itself. Arguments of this kind have been mounted in various forms over the centuries; the most potent contemporary advocate of this view has been Paul Hirst who argues that the disciplines are distinguished from one another by their distinctive use of “categoreal” concepts. Given this, he argues that, It is these categoreal concepts that provide the form of experience in the different modes. Our understanding of the physical world, for instance, involves such categoreal concepts as those of space, time, and cause. Concepts such as those of acid, electron, and velocity, all
Goodness and Justice

In Goodness and Justice, Joseph Mendola defends three related views in normative ethics: a novel form of consequentialism, a Bentham-style hedonism about “basic” value, and a maximin principle about the value of a world. In defending these views he draws on his views in metaethics, action theory, and the philosophy of mind. It is an ambitious and wide-ranging book. I begin with a quick explanation of Mendola’s views, and then raise some problems.
Lógica, deber, virtud

Deonticlogic, "the logic of ethics," can apply to various moral theories. for example, those based on the concepts of virtue or on duty. A scholastic-style "square of opposition" isuseful in displaying logical relationships among moral notions or"operators" such as ought and may. The system may be constructed with a single operator and the nothers may be added to parallel other expressions in ordinary language. Two principies are given to explain super erogation, the case of good but non obligatory acts or habits and to suggest a basic logic of virtue.
Best management practices for forest bioenergy programs

Forest ecosystems produce the best quality and most consistent supplies of water for human use. The increase in the use of woody biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy production has raised questions about potential impacts on water quality. Best management practices (BMPs) have been developed and implemented since the early 1970s to ensure that forest harvesting can be conducted with minimum impact on water quality. Although BMPs were originally designed to minimize water quality impacts, they can be used for a variety of environmental concerns. The use of BMPs is widespread in developed countries and it varies from mandatory to voluntary. In many countries BMPs are incorporated in ‘Codes of Forest Practice’ that guide forest managers through the complete bioenergy life cycle. The development and application of BMPs is not a static process, but one that relies on a continual cycle of application, assessment and monitoring, and refinement. Although some countries have “national standards,“ the complex matrix of forest ecosystems, climates, soils and topography, and harvesting systems requires ongoing assessment, monitoring, and refinement to craft BMPs to best suit local conditions. Research and development studies play a key part in the refinement and communication of improved BMPs. They are also crucial in validating the effectiveness of BMPs. This is especially important where local environmental conditions or operational standards are unique. BMPs ensure that forest bioenergy programs can be a sustainable part of forest management and renewable energy production.
Electrical conductivity in a one-dimensional aperiodic solid

Abstract Although there has been much interest in the energy bands and the localization of electronic states in one-dimensional systems, and although there has been some discussion of the relation between characteristic momentum and conductivity, there has as yet appeared no direct calculation of the electrical conductivity. We present here the first direct numerical computation of the (frequency dependent) electrical conductivity of one electron in an aperiodic one-dimensional chain of delta-function potentials. Results are obtained for chains of various lengths and various degrees of disorder. They show that although the ground state binding energy and the density of states converge rapidly to an ensemble average for long chains, the conductivity spectrum varies with the particular chain chosen and does not converge to the ensemble average. This disagrees with the popular view of low frequency conductivity in amorphous solids, but is generally in accord with the recent theoretical work of Landauer.
1-Butanol ignition delay times at low temperatures: An application of the constrained-reaction-volume strategy

Abstract Ignition delay times behind reflected shock waves are strongly sensitive to variations in temperature and pressure, yet most current models of reaction kinetics do not properly account for the variations that are often present in shock tube experiments. Particularly at low reaction temperatures with relatively long ignition delay times, substantial increases in pressure and temperature can occur behind the reflected shock even before the main ignition event, and these changes in thermodynamic conditions of the ignition process have proved difficult to interpret and model. To obviate such pressure increases, we applied a new driven-gas loading method that constrains the volume of reactive gases, thereby producing near-constant-pressure test conditions for reflected shock measurements. Using both conventional operation and this new constrained-reaction-volume (CRV) method, we have collected ignition delay times for 1-butanol/O2/N2 mixtures over temperatures between 716 and 1121 K and nominal pressures of 20 and 40 atm for equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. The equivalence ratio dependence of 1-butanol ignition delay time was found to be negative when the oxygen concentration was fixed, but positive when the fuel concentration was held constant. Ignition delay times with strong pre-ignition pressure increases in conventional-filling experiments were found to be significantly shorter than those where these pressure increases were mitigated using the CRV strategy. The near-constant-pressure ignition delay times provide a new database for low-temperature 1-butanol mechanism development independent of non-idealities caused by either shock attenuation or pre-ignition perturbations. Comparisons of these near-constant-pressure measurements with predictions using several reaction mechanisms available in the literature were performed. To our knowledge this work is first of its kind that systematically provides accurate near-constant-enthalpy and -pressure target data for chemical kinetic modeling of undiluted fuel/air mixtures at engine relevant conditions.
How is the Beads Task related to intolerance of uncertainty in anxiety disorders

Abstract Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a cognitive bias associated with anxiety disorders that has only been reliably measured using self-report instruments. The current study investigated relationships between a probabilistic inference task – the Beads Task – and self-report IU. Individuals with anxiety disorders (ANX) and non-anxious controls (NAC) completed self-report measures as well as the Beads Task at three levels of difficulty. The Beads Task successfully induced task-related uncertainty as the decision became more difficult. While the two groups did not differ on the observable performance related measures, the ANX group was significantly more distressed during the task than were the NACs. Moreover, among the ANX group, self-reported IU was correlated with draws to decision and distress during the task. The Beads Task appears to provoke distress associated with uncertainty for anxious individuals, rather than altering their behavioral responses; thus, clinical implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Flat-field grating spectrometer for high-resolution soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet measurements on an electron beam ion trap

A R=44.3 m grazing-incidence grating spectrometer has been implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps for high-resolution measurements in the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet region spanning from below 10 up to 50 A. The instrument uses a grating with variable line spacing (about 2400 l/mm for a flat field of view. Spectra are recorded with a back-illuminated charge-coupled device detector. The new instrument greatly improves upon the resolution achieved with existing grating spectrometers and complements crystal spectrometers at the shorter wavelengths both in terms of wavelength coverage and polarization independent reflectivity response.
Autre temps, autres mœurs : altérité et identité dans le Supplément au voyage de Bougainville

Les questions de l’alterite et de l’identite servent a encadrer le discours critique dans le Supplement au voyage de Bougainville. Tentant de se moquer de certains preceptes de la societe europeenne, Diderot evoque chez le lecteur une prise de conscience culturelle qui, au debut du texte, signale la superiorite morale d’un « autre » culturel et intellectuel. On se proposera ici d’appliquer le concept de l’alterite, a savoir, de la « difference » ou de « l’etrangete » sur le plan formel et thematique pour mieux comprendre la strategie rhetorique et textuelle du philosophe. Du point de vue formel, le dialogue fournit un moyen interrogatif et dynamique de mettre a defi les notions du « moi » europeen, alors que la thematique du voyage sert de metaphore pour la decouverte de l’identite individuelle et collective. En approchant l’ouvrage par le biais de l’alterite, nous chercherons a appliquer diverses definitions de ce concept afin de mettre en lumiere les diverses interpretations du texte sur la nature humaine, la sexualite, et les femmes. Ce faisant, nous offrirons une lecture qui tient compte de la subtilite qu’emploie Diderot en illustrant les themes de la tolerance, de l’intolerance, et de l’oppression. Alors que le portrait du rapport Europeen/Tahitien repose sur une certaine finesse d’esprit, on remarque aussi que Diderot met en evidence chez les deux communautes une volonte de dominer l’autre. L’Europeen veut dominer par sa puissance economique et militaire, tandis que le Tahitien cherche a affirmer son pouvoir par la parole. Ce qui en resulte dans les deux cas est un triomphe de l’identite, mais aux depens d’une juste appreciation de l’alterite de l’autre.
Computed Structure of Low Strain Rate Partially Premixed CH4/Air Counterflow Flames: Implications for NO Formation.

Results from computations of low strain rate, partially premixed methane/air counterflow flames are reported. The Oppdif computer code was used with GRI-Mech 2.11 to obtain the results. When the fuel-side equivalence ratio (ΦB) is above 2.5, the present flame structure can be described as a CH4/air premixed flame merged with a CO/H2/air nonpremixed flame. When ΦB is below 2.5, the two flame zones exist on opposite sides of the stagnation plane, and the CO/H2/air nonpremixed flame is characterized by hydrocarbon concentration peaks on its fuel-side edge. Broad NO destruction regions, caused primarily by CHi + NO reactions, exist between the resulting double hydrocarbon concentration peaks. The fuel-side equivalence ratio is the most important indicator of how rapidly NO is destroyed relative to how rapidly it is formed, and NO destruction reactions are more important in pure diffusion flames than in partially premixed flames for the present low strain rate computations.
The inflammatory theory of asthma.

In summary, these observations suggest a model for asthma which is summarized in Table III. Initially, mast cells and possibly other bronchial cells, e.g., alveolar macrophages, are activated either in an IgE-dependent or, in intrinsic asthma, in an IgE-independent fashion. These cells release two sets of mediators which may be either preformed or newly synthesized. One set of mediators is responsible for the immediate bronchospastic response. This bronchospasm is transient, readily reversible, and not associated with either airway inflammation or bronchial hyperreactivity. The second set of mediators, however, promote chemotaxis and activation of neutrophils and eosinophils. The subsequent bronchial inflammation causes damage and desquamation of the respiratory epithelium. The increased exposure of irritant receptors results in hyperreactive airways. In addition, these inflammatory cells induce mast cell degranulation and recurrent bronchospasm. Thus, after the initial exposure to allergen, a vicious cycle of inflammation, hyperreactivity and recurrent mast cell degranulation develops, ultimately leading to the pathological picture of chronic asthma.
Family ties of gated pores: evolution of the sensor module

The six-transmembrane channels are thought to be composed of two modules: pore and sensor. Whereas the modular design of the pore has been established, the modularity of the sensor remains hypothetical. As a first step toward establishing the modularity of this region, we searched for genes where the sensor is found independent of the pore and have identified new members of the sensor superfamily. Analysis of these sensors reveals a motif shared among not only these newly discovered members and voltage-gated, transient receptor potential, and polycystin channel sensors, but also MscL, a bacterial mechanosensitive channel. Mutational analyses presented here and in previous studies demonstrate that highly conserved residues within this motif are required for normal channel activity; mutations of residues within this motif in different subfamilies lead to consistent channel phenotypes. Previous studies have demonstrated that peptides containing this motif and the adjacent conserved transmembrane domain elicit channel activities when reconstituted into lipid membranes. These data provide evidence for the modularity of the sensor, imply a model for its evolution, suggest a common origin for mechano- and voltage-sensing, and may offer a glimpse of the properties of the first sensor/channel.
Stratigraphic, Morphologic, and Pedologic Evidence of Large Floods in Humid Environments

Because of the difficulties faced by engineers, planners, and geomorphologists involved in the prediction of very large floods, the use of stratigraphic, morphologic, and pedalogic evidence for recognition of large floods in humid environments is helpful. Coarse gravel lenses in fine-grained alluvium, inverse grading, and clay balls are stratigraphic records of large floods, best preserved in valley reaches with wide cross sections. Alluvial fans and stepped or benched flood plains are landforms observed to form in lowlands following catastrophic floods. Mappable alluvial soils delineate only areas affected by moderate floods with recurrence intervals of less than 50 yr.