cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable frequency closed-loop discrete pulse modulation for induction motor control

A variable-frequency closed-loop discrete pulse modulation system for variable-speed induction motor control has been implemented. An important component of this system is the decision tree IPWM (integral pulse width modulation) controller. The decision tree controller was designed to mimic a nonlinear optimization program by its construction from a training set composed of solutions to the optimization problem. The performance of this type of system was tested using a program which simulates the operation of a three-phase induction motor. Simulation results are presented and discussed. >
Gelatinization properties of navy bean starch

Gelatinization properties of navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) starch under different combinations of concentration (6, 8, 10 and 12%) and cooking temperature (75, 85 and 95°C) were studied using a rotational viscometer. The torque response due to swelling and/or breakdown of starch granules approached equilibrium after either a gradual increase or a relatively rapid increase to a peak followed by a decline during cooking. For every condition, the difference between the final torque values obtained for the rapid and the slow heating processes was not significant. In general, the viscosity of the paste increased as the starch concentration and/or cooking temperature increased. However, cooking temperature of 75°C did not cause a significant gelatinization or swelling of starch granules in pastes of 6 or 8% concentration. Maximum final viscosity values were obtained at 85°C for all starch concentrations except for a maximum at 95°C for 6%. Thixotropic breakdown was observed at 10 and 12% concentrations during initial shearing at 85 and 95°C. The threshold concentration for significant viscosity effects in this study was in the range of about 8 to 10% or 95°C. The calculated activation energy (14.5 Kcal.g -1 mole -1 ) of navy bean starch gelatinization was similar to values reported for rough rice and rice starches.
Tracking of multiple objects using optical flow based multiscale elastic matching

A novel hybrid region-based and contour-based multiple object tracking model using optical flow based elastic matching is proposed. The proposed elastic matching model is general in two significant ways. First, it is suitable for tracking of both, rigid and deformable objects. Second, it is suitable for tracking using both, fixed cameras and moving cameras since the model does not rely on background subtraction. The elastic matching algorithm exploits both, the spectral features and contour-based features of the tracked objects, making it more robust and general in the context of object tracking. The proposed elastic matching algorithm uses a multiscale optical flow technique to compute the velocity field. This prevents the multiscale elastic matching algorithm from being trapped in a local optimum unlike conventional elastic matching algorithms that use a heuristic search procedure in the matching process. The proposed elastic matching based tracking framework is combined with Kalman filter in our current experiments. The multiscale elastic matching algorithm is used to compute the velocity field which is then approximated using B-spline surfaces. The control points of the B-spline surfaces are used directly as the tracking variables in a Kalman filtering model. The B-spline approximation of the velocity field is used to update the spectral features of the tracked objects in the Kalman filter model. The dynamic nature of these spectral features are subsequently used to reason about occlusion. Experimental results on tracking of multiple objects in real-time video are presented.
A Fully Programmable Computing Architecture for Medical Ultrasound Machines

Application-specific ICs have been traditionally used to support the high computational and data rate requirements in medical ultrasound systems, particularly in receive beamforming. Utilizing the previously developed efficient front-end algorithms, in this paper, we present a simple programmable computing architecture, consisting of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and a digital signal processor (DSP), to support core ultrasound signal processing. It was found that 97.3% and 51.8% of the FPGA and DSP resources are, respectively, needed to support all the front-end and back-end processing for B-mode imaging with 64 channels and 120 scanlines per frame at 30 frames/s. These results indicate that this programmable architecture can meet the requirements of low- and medium-level ultrasound machines while providing a flexible platform for supporting the development and deployment of new algorithms and emerging clinical applications.
Mapping Cropland in Smallholder-Dominated Savannas: Integrating Remote Sensing Techniques and Probabilistic Modeling

Traditional smallholder farming systems dominate the savanna range countries of sub-Saharan Africa and provide the foundation for the region’s food security. Despite continued expansion of smallholder farming into the surrounding savanna landscapes, food insecurity in the region persists. Central to the monitoring of food security in these countries, and to understanding the processes behind it, are reliable, high-quality datasets of cultivated land. Remote sensing has been frequently used for this purpose but distinguishing crops under certain stages of growth from savanna woodlands has remained a major challenge. Yet, crop production in dryland ecosystems is most vulnerable to seasonal climate variability, amplifying the need for high quality products showing the distribution and extent of cropland. The key objective in this analysis is the development of a classification protocol for African savanna landscapes, emphasizing the delineation of cropland. We integrate remote sensing techniques with probabilistic modeling into an innovative workflow. We present summary results for this methodology applied to a land cover classification of Zambia’s Southern Province. Five primary land cover categories are classified for the study area, producing an overall map accuracy of 88.18%. Omission error within the cropland class is 12.11% and commission error 9.76%.
Export Trading Companies: A Promise Yet Unfulfilled

The performance of U.S. Trading Companies has not lived up to expectations. This article presents a survey of internationally active U.S. manufacturers, banks and export service providers regarding their evaluation of the ETC concept. A gap between the needs of firms and the export assistance services offered to companies was found. The authors conclude that banks are most able to propel the ETC concept to a successful implementation.
Low Ba-induced pacemaker current in well-polarized cat papillary muscle

It has previously been reported that superfusion of normally quiescent mammalian ventricular muscle with low concentrations of Ba (less than 0.3 mM) can induce spontaneous activity with maximum diastolic potentials (MDP) that are similar to the normal resting potential (-80 mV or larger). The mechanism for this activity was studied in cat papillary muscle sucrose-gap preparations under current clamp and voltage-clamp conditions. Hyperpolarizing current pulses decreased or abolished the amplitude of the pacemaker potential in a voltage-dependent manner. When Ba concentration was increased to 2 mM the MDP depolarized by approximately 20 mV. Hyperpolarizing steps under these conditions abolished the diastolic depolarization, also in a voltage-dependent manner. Voltage clamping the preparation at the MDP during superfusion of 0.2 mM Ba revealed a time-dependent, inwardly directed current. Hyperpolarizing voltage-clamp steps from a holding potential of -50 mV showed that this current was maximal at approximately -70 mV and frequently reversed at membrane potentials of approximately -95 to -115 mV. The time course of this current was biexponential, and the time constant of the faster component decreased with larger hyperpolarization. When the same voltage-clamp protocol was repeated in the presence of 2 mM Ba, no time-dependent current change was detected. In four out of five experiments, Cs (2.5 mM) reduced (but never abolished) the amplitude of the low Ba-induced current. Our results do not support the hypothesis that a hyperpolarization-induced current (iF-like current) is responsible for the automaticity in well-polarized ventricular muscle at low Ba concentrations. Instead, our data suggest that this pacemaker activity is the result of a Ba-induced, time-dependent blockade of the inward rectifier potassium current (iK1).
Psychiatric aspects of chronic disease in adolescence.

In adolescents with chronic illnesses, the rate of behavioral disorders is 10% to 20% higher than that in their well peers. Rheumatoid arthritis, chronic renal disease, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and many other chronic illnesses constitute risk factors for behavioral disorders in adolescents. Because they are now living longer, more productive lives, adolescents with chronic illnesses are more often seen by their primary care physicians with behavioral disorders that can interfere with disease control. Risk-taking behaviors, difficulties with parents, noncompliance, depression, and isolation may all be manifestations of behavioral disorders. Parents and siblings may also be at risk for disorder. Particular constellations of family and individual characteristics may be associated with behavior disorder. So that these behaviors may be discovered as early as possible, it is important that the primary care physician conceptualize chronically ill adolescents and their families as "at risk."
Development of accounting standards in selected Middle Eastern countries in comparison to the United States of America

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the development of accounting standards in five diverse Middle Eastern countries with those of the USA. Design/methodology/approach – A comparative analysis of each country with what is obtained in the USA. Findings – While there are some similarities that influence the development of accounting standards in each country, there also exist a variety of differences, particularly in the areas of taxation, use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), religion, population and so on. Research limitations/implications – The findings are limited to the five countries analyzed. Future research may want to expand the number of Middle Eastern countries included in the population studied. Originality/value – The study is original particularly due to the diversity of the countries selected. While the USA is an economically and technologically developed country, almost all of the other countries could be classified as developing. Additionally, the USA is t...
Assessment in Family Science: Lessons Learned from Family and Consumer Sciences Education

When faced with developing and implementing student outcomes assessment plans, family science faculty can turn to an affiliated discipline, Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) education, for pertin...
Assimilation in Hawaii and the Bid for Statehood

ONE of the most significant bills on the agenda of the 81st Congress was H. R. 49. As introduced by Hawaii's Delegate Joseph R. Farrington, this bill had as its objective the admission of the Hawaiian Islands into the American Union as a state "on an equal footing with the original states." Its opposition in the Senate was a disappointment to more than four hundred thousand loyal Americans in Hawaii and a countless number of well-wishers in the continental United States, both inside and outside the Senate. This disappointment was especially painful because it came after many Federal Government and Congressional investigators had made favorable reports and after the House of Representatives had passed the bill by more than a two-thirds majority. What could be the basis for the opposition to H. R. 49 in the Senate? It may be recalled that the bill, as passed by the House, was referred to the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. After several months of deliberation, nine of the thirteen members of the Committee made public a 5,000-word report. This majority report gives unequivocal testimony that the people of Hawaii are ready for statehood and recommends that the Senate approve the bill as amended by the Committee. At the same time, Senator Hugh Butler issued a one-man report in which he expressed his fear that the granting of statehood to Hawaii would "create a grave danger to our national security."' The other three members voiced no opinion. In his report, Senator Hugh Butler admits that "there is no reason why a man of Japanese or other Oriental extraction should not be as loyal a citizen or as good an American as a man of any other extraction." But, all the same, he is opposed to statehood because "in Hawaii ... the various groups of recent arrivals with Oriental traditions predominate and set the tone of the entire culture." The racial basis of this opposition is clearly borne out when the Senator from Nebraska contends: "If Hawaii had been settled and primarily populated by Americans from the Mainland, there might be no great problem about admitting it as a state. Unfortunately, that was not the case." With the testimony of the majority report as unequivocal as it is, there is no doubt that, sooner or later, Congress will act in Hawaii's favor. But in view of the implied charge of predominance of Oriental culture and the confusing effect this charge might have upon the American public, a comprehensive survey of the process of assimilation in the Islands is of timely significance. To understand such a process, it is necessary to sketch the geographic setting of Hawaii and its "indigenous" population and to examine the economic, political, and social forces which, in the course of a little more than one century, have combined to develop the Islands into one of the most successful focuses of human migrations in the world. Geographically, Hawaii is an archipelago of considerable size. It is composed of the eight inhabited islands of Hawaii (the "Big Island"), Maui, Ka-
Mapping Paris: Social and Artistic Networks, 1855–1889

Abstract Mapping Paris: Social and Artistic Networks, 1855–1889 charts and analyzes 19th-century social networks in order to map the artistic collaborations taking place in Paris between the Universal Expositions of 1855 and 1889. In doing so, it allows scholars to view the data in novel ways and to foster considerations of aesthetic dialogue through crossed paths, acquaintances, friendships, conversations and collaborations in the social condenser of Paris. This article focuses on situating the project on its theoretical foundations, considers some of the research questions that can be investigated through such a methodological tool and contemplates the implications on the discipline of art history.
Bean Leaf Beetle : Diurnal Population Fluctuations

Adult bean leaf beetle diurnal cycle of distribution on soybean plants was studied by sweepnet and whole plant sampling. Catches of beetles were lowest between 1100 and 1300 h and highest after 1500 h with some changes as the season progressed. The diurnal population sampling fluctuations could not be related to any distinct change in the vertical distribution of either sex of teneral or mature beetles on the plant. The effect of bean leaf beetle diurnal population fluctuations on sampling is also discussed.
Anglophone Cameroon literature 1959–90: A brief overview

This article examines modern Anglophone Cameroon literature from 1959 to 1990. The article argues that like most literature emanating from the continent a proper understanding of Anglophone Cameroon literature must be predicated on an analysis of its specific socio-historical determinants. A careful analysis of the corpus of Anglophone Cameroon literature from its inception to the 1990s reveals two broad phases. The first phase covers the period from 1959 to about 1984. In the Republic of Cameroon, this period begins shortly before ‘the end’ of colonialism to the rise of Paul Biya as the second president of Cameroon. The writers during this period like their counterparts elsewhere in Africa, critique the ‘othering’ of formerly colonized people in texts written by the colonizers. To counteract this marginalization, and as a vital part of the process of decolonization, these texts seek to give voice to the ‘subaltern’ in order to expose the misrepresentation and ‘negativization’ so rampant in colonial writings. The second phase of Anglophone Cameroon literature started in the mid-eighties and reached its apex in the 1990s. The literature of this period is an imaginative response to the political, social, and economic climate of this time. The article concludes that the 1980s and 1990s were pivotal decades for Anglophone Cameroon literature. The lack of publishing opportunities abroad and at home led authors to be very industrious and ingenuous. They tailored their literary style and genre to the taste of their home audience. The result was an engaging literature that responded directly to the political, social and economic climate of the time.
Radio Frequency Identification and Its Application on Drug Authentication and Track

Radio frequency identification(RFID) is a new kind of auto-identification technology which combines product authentication,electronic track and trace technology together.This paper mainly introduces its application on the drug supply chain in USA,including proposing some problem analyses and promising solutions for its feasibility studies and pilot programs.These informations can be of good references for future application of RFID in China.
Determination for 16 rare-earth elements in root-vagetableby ICP-MS

Objective:A method was established for the determination of 16 rare earth elements in root-vagetables.Methods: Using nitric acid-hydroperoxide,samples were dispeled by microwave-assisted digest-ion system,unprocessing by separated or enrichment,determined by ICP-MS.Results: Suppose that 1.00gram sample to 10 milliliter,the detection limit was Sc:1.65 μg/kg,Y:0.15 μg/kg,La:1.05 μg/kg,Ce:0.60 μg/kg,Pr:0.08 μg/kg,Nd:0.30 μg/kg,Sm:0.08 μg/kg,Eu:0.08 μg/kg,Gd:0.08 μg/kg,Tb:0.05 μg/kg,Dy:0.08 μg/kg,Ho:0.05 μg/kg,Er:0.08 μg/kg,Tm:0.05 μg/kg,Yb:0.08 μg/kg,Lu:0.05 μg/kg and RSD%≤5.0% with the recoverge of 87.8%～115%.Coclusion: The method had the advantage of high sensitivity,easy operated and which had been applied to thedetermination of rare earth elements in root-vagetable with satisfactory results.
The APOBEC Protein Family: United by Structure, Divergent in Function

The APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide-like) family of proteins have diverse and important functions in human health and disease. These proteins have an intrinsic ability to bind to both RNA and single-stranded (ss) DNA. Both function and tissue-specific expression varies widely for each APOBEC protein. We are beginning to understand that the activity of APOBEC proteins is regulated through genetic alterations, changes in their transcription and mRNA processing, and through their interactions with other macromolecules in the cell. Loss of cellular control of APOBEC activities leads to DNA hypermutation and promiscuous RNA editing associated with the development of cancer or viral drug resistance, underscoring the importance of understanding how APOBEC proteins are regulated.
Birds of a feather: intra-industry spillover of the Target customer data breach and the shielding role of IT, marketing, and CSR

The authors develop a conceptual framework for conditions under which news of a major customer data breach at a U.S. retail firm is likely to decrease other U.S. retailers’ shareholder value. Using the massive data breach at Target Corporation as their empirical context, and an event study of 168 publicly listed U.S. retailers as their methodology, the authors find considerable support for their framework. Results indicate that the Target data breach resulted in negative abnormal returns for other U.S. retailers, and that the strength of this contagion effect was moderated by factors related to retailers’ (a) size and product market similarity with Target, (b) governance-related tie-strength with Target, (c) information technology-related ability to prevent a similar breach, (d) marketing ability to respond effectively in the aftermath of a similar breach, and (e) corporate social responsibility. The authors show that although a major retail data breach may result in an intra-industry spillover, managers can use factors related to information technology, marketing, and corporate social responsibility to help insulate their firms from this contagion effect.
Genetic impairments in folate enzymes increase dependence on dietary choline for phosphatidylcholine production at the expense of betaine synthesis

Although single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in folate-mediated pathways predict susceptibility to choline deficiency during severe choline deprivation, it is unknown if effects persist at recommended intakes. Thus, we used stable isotope liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methodology to examine the impact of candidate SNPs on choline metabolism in a long-term, randomized, controlled feeding trial among pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant (NP) women consuming 480 or 930 mg/d choline (22% as choline-d9, with d9 indicating a deuterated trimethyl amine group) and meeting folate-intake recommendations. Variants impairing folate metabolism, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801133, methionine synthase (MTR) rs1805087 [wild-type (WT)], MTR reductase (MTRR) rs1801394, and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (MTHFD1) rs2236225, influenced choline dynamics, frequently through interactions with reproductive state and choline intake, with fewer genotypic alterations observed among pregnant women. Women with these variants partitioned more dietary choline toward phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis via the cytidine diphosphate (CDP)-choline pathway at the expense of betaine synthesis even when use of betaine as a methyl donor was increased. Choline intakes of 930 mg/d restored partitioning of dietary choline between betaine and CDP-PC among NP (MTHFR rs1801133 and MTR rs1805087 WT) and lactating (MTHFD1 rs2236225) women with risk genotypes. Overall, our findings indicate that loss-of-function variants in folate-metabolizing enzymes strain cellular PC production, possibly via impaired folate-dependent phosphatidylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PEMT)-PC synthesis, and suggest that women with these risk genotypes may benefit from choline intakes exceeding current recommendations.-Ganz, A. B., Shields, K., Fomin, V. G., Lopez, Y. S., Mohan, S., Lovesky, J., Chuang, J. C., Ganti, A., Carrier, B., Yan, J., Taeswuan, S., Cohen, V. V., Swersky, C. C., Stover, J. A., Vitiello, G. A., Malysheva, O. V., Mudrak, E., Caudill, M. A. Genetic impairments in folate enzymes increase dependence on dietary choline for phosphatidylcholine production at the expense of betaine synthesis.
Silibinin in Skin Health: Efficacy and Mechanism of Action

Publisher Summary Silibinin, a flavolignan, is one of the active ingredients of milk thistle extract, which is rich in a complex mixture of flavonoids such as silydianin, silychristin, isosilybin, and dehydrosilybin. Based on numerous studies, it seems that silibinin can be effectively used in improving skin health in general, and reduction of skin cancer risk in particular. More interestingly, silibinin has shown efficacy against UV-induced skin damage when applied topically, as well as when supplemented in the diet in various preclinical models. Thus, it has a strong potential to be developed as a chemopreventive agent against skin cancer and photoaging and is already being marketed in improved bioavailable forms. The important role for silibinin in managing skin health along with the chemoprevention of skin cancer is discussed in detail in this chapter. Silibinin has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of human colon cancer cells via the inhibition of cell cycle progression by modulating the levels of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. Phytochemicals play an important role in skin health and chemoprevention of skin cancer. This chapter also discuses the mechanisms of silibinin action that include anti-inflammatory action, antiproliferative action, pro- or antiapoptotic action, modulation of aberrant mitogenic signaling, antiangiogenic action, and repair of UV-induced DNA damage.
That noun phrase may be beneficial and this may not be: discourse cohesion in reading and writing

This paper examines the effects of attended and unattended demonstratives on text processing, comprehension, and writing quality in two studies. In the first study, participants (n = 45) read 64 mini-stories in a self-paced reading task and identified the main referent in the clauses. The sentences varied in the type of demonstratives (i.e., this, that, these, and those) contained in the sentences and whether the referent was followed by a demonstrative determiner and noun (i.e., an attended demonstrative) or a demonstrative pronoun (i.e., an unattended demonstrative). In the second study, 173 persuasive essays written by high school students were rated by expert judges on overall writing quality using a standardized rubric. Expert coders manually counted the number and types of demonstratives (attended and unattended demonstratives) in each essay. These counts were used to predict the human scores of essay quality. The findings demonstrate that the use of unattended demonstratives as anaphoric references is disadvantageous to both reading time and referent identification. However, these disadvantages become advantages in terms of essay quality likely because linguistic complexity is a strong indicator of high proficiency writing. From a text processing and comprehension viewpoint, the findings indicate, then, that anaphoric reference is not always beneficial and does not always create a more cohesive text. In contrast, from a writing context, the use of unattended demonstratives leads to a more linguistically complex text, which generally equates to a higher quality text.
Paroxysmal Dystonic Choreoathetosis

The clinical characteristics of paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis (PDC) in 20 affected members of a large British family are reported from the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, and the MR Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Managerial Development Programs for Executive Directors and Accountability Practices in Nonprofit Organizations

Facing the potential leadership deficit and mounting pressures for performance and accountability, government and nonprofit organizations have become more interested in providing training and development programs for their executives. However, existing research falls short in explaining the utility of managerial development programs in achieving performance and accountability in public and nonprofit contexts. This study examines how executives’ participation in various managerial development programs is associated with the adoption of organizational practices for financial, client-service, and performance accountability, using a survey of nonprofit human services organizations. The results reveal that organizations whose executives participated in managerial development programs are more likely to have such practices. In particular, the results show that participation in general management and administration training and regular mentoring is positively associated with accountability practices in all three...
Derived Functors and Intertwining Operators for Principal Series Representations of \(SL_2({\pmb {\mathbb {R}}})\)

We consider the principal series representations \(I_\nu \) induced from a character \(\nu \) of the upper triangular matrices B and its realization on the Frechet space of \(C^\infty \)-sections of a line bundle over G / B. Its continuous dual is denoted by \(I_\nu ^*\). Let \(N \subset B\) be the nilpotent subgroup whose diagonal entries are 1 and denote by \({\mathfrak n }\) its Lie algebra. We determine \(H^0({\mathfrak n }, I_\nu ^*) \) and \(H^1({\mathfrak n },I_\nu ^*)\) and conclude that space of the intertwining operators \(T:I_\nu \rightarrow I_{-\nu }\) is 2 dimensional for some integral parameter, otherwise it is one dimensional. The intertwining operators are identified with distributions. We show that for certain parameters the support of this distribution is a point, i.e. that the intertwining operator is a differential intertwining operator.
Can Christian Democracy Be America's Next European Import?

ABSTRACTThe confluence of the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision on gay marriage and the unusual nature of the 2016 U.S. presidential election presents American Christians with significant political questions. Obergefell's elevation of gay marriage to the status of a constitutional civil right put U.S. law and Christian orthdoxy at loggerheads, thereby raising serious issues with regard to the continued ability of religious organizations to participate in the not-for-profit sector and in higher education. At the same time, the nationalistic turn of the the Republican party under Donald Trump generated dissonance with Christian views of human solidarity. The new situation seems to shift the landscape of American politics and raises the possibility of new alternatives. Contributors to this symposium were asked to evaluate the prospects for an Americanized version of European Christian Democracy. While they generated a diversity of opinion about Christian Democracy, the group pragmatically recognized the ma...
Exploring Use of the Coordinate Response Measure in a Multitalker Babble Paradigm.

Purpose Three experiments examined the use of competing coordinate response measure (CRM) sentences as a multitalker babble. Method In Experiment I, young adults with normal hearing listened to a C...
Making learning visible: Developing preservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and teaching efficacy beliefs in environmental education

Recognizing that teaching efficacy beliefs influence pedagogical content knowledge, this study assesses the impact of a general methods course on preservice teachers' efficacy beliefs and instructi...
Modified carbons for enhanced nucleophilic substitution reactions of adsorbed methyl bromide

Abstract Activated carbons are highly-effective adsorbents for the passive removal of organic pollutants from aqueous and gaseous phases. However, the pollutant remains chemically unchanged and poorly available to dissolved reagents. In this study, we developed quaternary ammonium (QA)-modified carbon adsorbent-catalysts that can catalyze direct reactions between adsorbed molecules and anionic reagents, thereby permitting a trap-and-degrade strategy. The concept was applied to base hydrolysis of methyl bromide (CH3Br, MeBr), a quarantine and pre-shipment fumigant of concern as an ozone-depleting gas. Modifications of the carbons included irreversible adsorption of the cationic polyelectrolyte, poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), and covalent grafting of QA groups via precursors (Quat188 and Quab360). In mixtures of the carbon in 1 M NaOH at 55 °C under conditions where hydrolysis in the aqueous phase was negligible, first-order rate constants were increased by up to a factor of 7.4 compared to the unmodified carbon. Combined PDADMAC/Quat188 modification was superior to the corresponding individual modification. Rate acceleration was due to attraction of hydroxide ions to the newly-created anion exchange sites. This is supported by effects of QA modification on anion exchange capacity, point of zero charge, and isoelectric point, as well as by the results of competition experiments with otherwise-inert monovalent anions. The modified catalysts are robust for at least five hydrolysis cycles. QA modification also greatly enhances hydrolysis at unadjusted pH (8.6–10.2) and nucleophilic reaction by thiosulfate. QA modification of carbons is a promising approach for in situ trapping and degrading MeBr or other hydrophobic compounds that are reactive toward anionic reagents.
High-resolution, flexible, and transparent nanopore thin film sensor enabled by cascaded Fabry-Perot effect.

This Letter reports a method to significantly improve the optical resolution of the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanopore thin film sensor based on multi-cavity Fabry–Perot interference. The newly designed sensor is fabricated by bonding a layer of transparent polymer thin film (pTF), which is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), to a transparent AAO thin film to form a flexible pTF-nanopore sensor. In comparison with the AAO nanopore thin film sensor, the pTF-nanopore sensor shows a much-improved quality (Q) factor and optical resolution. Typical thicknesses of a PDMS layer and an AAO layer of the pTF-nanopore sensor are 80 μm and 2 μm, respectively. The pTF-nanopore sensor used for angle detection shows a sensitivity of 0.4 nm/deg with a resolution of 0.2 deg. The pTF-nanopore sensor can also be used for temperature monitoring with a sensitivity of 0.2 nm/°C and a resolution of 1°C.
Evaluation of nickel deposition by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to characterize the deposition of nickel from unbuffered acid sulfate electrolytes, from which a wide range of deposit morphologies and current efficiencies are possible. The operating parameters were in the range of 40 to 60 g L−1 Ni2+, 40 to 60 °C, and the pH from 2.0 to 3.5. The resulting impedance spectra for nickel deposition at 20 mA cm−2 consisted of one or two characteristic loops whose frequency and capacitance were dependent upon the electrowinning conditions and indicative of the resultant deposit morphology. A single high frequency capacitive loop, on the order of 1 kHz, correlated to good quality deposits which were flat, smooth and ductile. The presence of a low frequency loop, on the order of a few hertz, indicated a degraded deposit morphology which showed localized dark, glassy areas and were cracked, curled and brittle. The second loop may be associated with a diffusion controlled component in the reaction mechanism. Deposits of intermediate quality had impedance spectra consisting of both type loops. No apparent trend between the impedance spectra and the deposit current efficiency was determined, but a correlation with deposit quality was clearly established.
Anesthetic Issues for Orthopedic Surgery in Patients with Rheumatoid Diseases

Patients with rheumatoid diseases present complex management issues in the perioperative period because of the pathophysiologic consequences of these diseases and other comorbidities. The anesthesia team is being increasingly required to determine the suitability of patients for operative procedures. Extremes of age, surgical complexity, and coexisting illness place surgeons in the position of seeking “medical clearance” from the anesthesia team for an increasing number of patients, emergent and elective. A systematic approach to optimizing these patients would appear rational.
Manipulating Chromatin Structure to Study the Interaction of Transcription Factors with Nucleosomes In Vitro and In Vivo

Publisher Summary The packaging of DNA into nucleosomes in eukaryotic cells raises the question of how proteins, such as transcription factors, gain access to their sites in chromatin. A central difficulty is obtaining templates that are homogeneous with respect to having a transcription factor-binding site within a nucleosome; this dilemma has been resolved by manipulating chromatin structure, either by removing templates having non-nucleosomal sites or by using nucleosome-positioning signals to make “designer chromatin.” Experimental results are presented, which indicate a hierarchy with respect to transcription factors and chromatin. Parameters, which may govern whether a transacting factor will be occluded from its site by histones or will successfully compete against the histones for its binding site, include the strength and stability with which a factor binds to its site, and the type of DNA-binding domain which it uses.
I'd like to write something that comes from things the way wine comes from grapes

ABSTRACTIt was strange how we bonded in that week-long seminar. It was midsummer at the New School in NYC. Our topic? Walter Benjamin as Writer. At the end of that week we sat under twinkling light...
6 Demography of Race and Ethnicity

One of the most permanent features of the United States is racial and ethnic stratification. Race and ethnicity are important dimensions in understanding the demography of the United States, for racial and ethnic groups vary tremendously with respect to population composition, population processes, and their life chances and access to opportunity structures. This chapter focuses on the demography of racial and ethnic groups and consists of four main sections. First, the conceptualization, substantive concerns, and relevance of race and ethnicity to demography are examined. Second, we provide an overview of theoretical perspectives that have been used to understand racial and ethnic groups. Third, the methodological issues related to the study of race and ethnicity are discussed along with key empirical findings. Finally, directions for future research are discussed, and a few research areas that merit attention are highlighted.
High-Intensity Interval Training Is Feasible in Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer.

ABSTRACTPurposeThis trial aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in postmenopausal, overweight/obese women at high risk of invasive breast cancer and to explore HIIT on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) compare
What Was College Like for You?: Ethnography as a Teaching Tool.

The purpose of this learning activity was to teach undergraduate students about recreation and leisure experiences of the older members of the Lumbee Tribe who attended the local university. This a...
Echocardiographic assessment of right heart size and function in dogs with pulmonary valve stenosis.

Abstract Introduction/Objectives We sought to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of right heart remodeling and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in dogs with pulmonary valve stenosis (PS). We also sought to evaluate repeatability of several measurements of severity of PS, right heart size, and RV function in dogs with PS. Animals, materials and methods Several indices of right atrial (RA) size and RV size and function were prospectively evaluated in 48 dogs with PS. Regression analysis was used to determine if indices of right heart size and function were independently associated with maximum transpulmonary pressure gradient (max PG) and adverse clinical findings (exercise intolerance, syncope, or right heart failure). Eight dogs underwent a second echocardiogram performed by the same operator to assess repeatability of the echocardiographic indices, which was quantified by coefficient of variation (CV) and repeatability coefficient. Results Increased RA size (81%), increased RV wall thickness (83%), and decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE [81%]) were common. Right atrial size, end-diastolic RV area, and RV wall thickness were independently associated with max PG. Decreased TAPSE was independently associated with adverse clinical findings. All indices except RA area (18.6%) and RV systolic velocity (20.7%) had CVs Conclusions Right heart remodeling and RV dysfunction are common in dogs with PS and are associated with echocardiographic and clinical severity. Results support the quantitative assessment of right heart size and function in dogs with PS.
“Scenes of Subjection” in Public Education: Thinking Intersectionally as If Disability Matters

In this presentation I trouble the ways that critical scholars of difference turn away from the spectral presence of disability in search of more empowering narratives. The alternative narratives t...
Postablation Modulation after Single High-Dose Radiation Therapy Improves Tumor Control via Enhanced Immunomodulation.

Purpose: Radiotherapy (RT) is frequently used for local control of solid tumors using equal dose per fraction. Recently, single high-dose radiation has been used for ablation of solid tumors. In this report, we provide a novel immunological basis for radiation dose fractionation consisting of a single high-dose radiotherapy, followed by postablation modulation (PAM) with four daily low-dose fractions (22 Gy + 0.5 Gy × 4) to reprogram the tumor microenvironment by diminishing immune suppression, enabling infiltration of effector cells and increasing efficacy of tumor control. Experimental Design: Palpable 3LL and 4T1 tumors in C57Bl/6 and Balb/c mice were irradiated with the Small-Animal Radiation Research Platform irradiator, and tumor growth and survival were monitored. Immunomodulation of tumor and immune cells in vitro and in vivo characterization of tumor-infiltrating immune effector cells were performed by FACS. For systemic application of PAM-RT, whole-lung irradiation was administered in 4T1-bearing Balb/c mice. Results: We report significant tumor growth delays and increased survival in 3LL tumor–bearing mice with PAM. Primary tumor PAM-RT increased infiltration of immune effector cells and decreased Treg in irradiated tumors and secondary lymphoid organs. In a model of murine metastatic breast cancer (4T1), we demonstrated that systemic PAM-RT to the whole lung, 12 days after primary tumor ablative radiotherapy, increased survival with suppression of pulmonary metastases. Conclusions: We provide a novel immunologic basis for radiation dose fractionation consisting of a single high dose of radiotherapy followed by daily low-dose PAM-RT fractionation to improve the immunogenic potential of ablative radiotherapy.
K+ Accumulation and Its Physiological Regulatory Role in Heart Muscle

Electrophysiological as well as direct measurements of K+ activity in heart muscle in the last decade suggest that ionic accumulation or depletion occurs under a variety of experimental conditions in the extracellular space (Niedergierke and Orkand, 1966; Kline and Morad, 1976; Kunze, 1977; Baumgarten and Isenberg, 1977; Martin and Morad, 1978; Morad, 1980). Although most of the quantitative data for ionic accumulation or depletion is obtained for K+, direct and indirect experimental evidence is accumulating to suggest that significant intracellular accumulations of Na+ and Ca2+ may also occur under a variety of experimental conditions (Deitmer and Ellis, 1978; Glitsch, 1972; Thomas, 1972; Langer, 1968). It is in fact, increasingly popular to suggest that intracellular or extracellular ionic accumulations play important local regulatory roles in controlling the electrical and mechanical events of the heart muscle under a variety of physiological and pharmacological interventions. For instance the ionotropic events associated with increased frequency of stimulations or exposure to cardiac glycosides, or variation in [Na]0 or [K]0 are suggested to be associated with alterations of [Na]i and [Ca]i which leads to the altered contractile state (Langer, 1973; Glitsch, Reuter and Scholz, 1970; Eisner and Lederer, 1979).
The effects of drinking water service fragmentation on drought-related water security

Drought is a critical stressor that contributes to water insecurity. In the United States, an important pathway by which drought affects households' access to clean, reliable drinking water for basic needs is through the organization and activities of community water systems. Research on the local political economy of drinking water provision reveals the constraints on community water systems that affect their performance when confronting drought hazards. Fragmentation in responsibility for drinking water contributes to disparities in drought vulnerability, preparation, and response across households and across communities. The nature and extent of these disparities require further investigation to identify strategies for expanding water security in the face of drought and other water hazards.
First report from North America of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Abstract Microplastics' (MPs) abundance, small size, and global distribution render them bioavailable to a variety of organisms directly or by trophic transfer, yet examinations in marine apex predators are currently limited. The present study investigated the occurrence of MPs sized 125 μm–5 mm in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in South Carolina, USA from 2017 to 2018. MPs, mostly fibers, were detected in all GITs (n = 7) of stranded bottlenose dolphins. Total suspected MPs ranged between 123 and 422 particles/individual, a high range among international studies. Comparison to other studies likely reflects differences in both methods and location. This is the first study from North America to quantify MPs in a small coastal cetacean outside Arctic waters and the first specifically in bottlenose dolphins (southeastern United States). Findings and methodology from this investigation can aid future studies examining MP in marine apex predators.
Regulating 3D-Printed Guns Post-Heller: Why Two Steps Are Better Than One:

This article describes why a constitutional test that relies exclusively on history and tradition for deciding modern firearm regulations is woefully inadequate when applied to modern technologies....
Tracing a selfie: Teaching word formation processes using relevant examples from popular culture

Abstract This teaching report focuses on effectiveness of teaching pedagogies of the word formation process to Navajo students at a two-year college in the American Southwest. The activities used to teach the concepts of word formation are illustrated/described. The purpose of using authentic examples including songs from popular culture is to make students aware that these linguistic concepts are related to their everyday lives and in the hope that they can utilize these concepts and integrate real-life examples in their future teaching career. A feedback form was administered to collect the students’ views toward the pedagogies including activities in an introductory Linguistics class.
Substance use, current criminal justice involvement, and lifetime suicidal thoughts and behaviors history: the moderating role of thwarted belonging

OBJECTIVE Criminal justice involvement, substance use, and suicide pose significant public health concerns; however, the unique and synergistic effects of these experiences among high-risk individuals remain understudied. We hypothesized positive main effects for alcohol-related severity, drug-related severity, current criminal justice involvement, and thwarted belonging (TB) on suicide ideation history (SIH) and suicide attempt history (SAH) and that TB would moderate these associations. METHOD We report on cross-sectional analyses of self-report assessments completed by 824 adult residential substance use patients. RESULTS Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that as alcohol- and drug-related severity increases, the probability of SIH and SAH increases; however, TB was only associated with a higher SIH probability. Significant two-way interactions (current criminal justice involvement*TB; alcohol-related severity*TB) indicated that (1) those high in TB with current criminal justice involvement were more likely to report a SIH than those without current criminal justice involvement; and (2) those low in TB and alcohol-related severity had the lowest SAH probability, whereas those low in TB and high in alcohol-related severity had the highest SAH probability. CONCLUSION The unique and combined effects of interpersonal and contextual risk factors may improve suicide risk conceptualization and assessment, and allow for tailored treatments for this high-risk population.