cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sorption of radionuclides to building materials and its removal using simple wash solutions

Abstract Decontamination after a nuclear or radiological release requires a detailed understanding of the materials hosting the contamination, the chemistry of the radionuclide, and the chemical properties of the decontamination agent. Urban contamination via a number of radiological release scenarios may require simple decontamination methods that can be deployed for wide-area decontamination. This paper investigates a number of factors of importance for developing such decontamination methods, focusing on cesium. These factors include the influence on decontamination approaches from the cesium deposition conditions, the urban building material composition and, when washing with an ionic solution that is utilized for decontamination, the composition of the wash solutions. In summary, the sorption chemistry of cesium onto urban building materials and roadways has been studied to develop simple decontamination methods that can be deployed for wide-area decontamination efforts. To improve the understanding of the sorption of cesium onto common urban building materials and roadways the desorption of cesium deposited from solution and as a dry powder was tested. Using ammonium (NH 4 + ) salt solutions, we tested the desorption of ionic cesium bound to individual components of concrete and coupons of several common building materials. While the tests on concrete aggregate suggest that a concentration >10 mM NH 4 + does not improve the desorption of cesium, tests on concrete, asphalt, marble, limestone and granite monoliths showed improved decontamination factors when the NH 4 + concentration increased from 0.1 to 0.5 M. We also found that cesium as dry particulate material could be removed quite effectively although the contamination became tenacious upon wetting the surface.
Riboswitch-Mediated Gene Regulation: Novel RNA Architectures Dictate Gene Expression Responses

Riboswitches are RNA elements that act on the mRNA with which they are cotranscribed to modulate expression of that mRNA. These elements are widely found in bacteria, where they have a broad impact on gene expression. The defining feature of riboswitches is that they directly recognize a physiological signal, and the resulting shift in RNA structure affects gene regulation. The majority of riboswitches respond to cellular metabolites, often in a feedback loop to repress synthesis of the enzymes used to produce the metabolite. Related elements respond to the aminoacylation status of a specific tRNA or to a physical parameter, such as temperature or pH. Recent studies have identified new classes of riboswitches and have revealed new insights into the molecular mechanisms of signal recognition and gene regulation. Application of structural and biophysical approaches has complemented previous genetic and biochemical studies, yielding new information about how different riboswitches operate.
Shock Wave Propagation and Dispersion in a Microwave Cavity Discharge

We studied shock wave propagation and dispersion through a transverse electric field cavity microwave discharge. Electrodeless discharges are convenient active plasma media for shock dispersion studies in weakly ionized gas since there are no solid objects in the path of the shock wave that may distort the shock structure. Discharge was generated in a cylindrical cavity powered by one or two magnetrons operating at the commercial S-band frequency. Shock diagnostics include planar laser sheet deflection system, designed to determine radial and axial distribution of shock front velocity, as well as the transversal dispersion effects. Discharge diagnostics included spectroscopic determination of electron density and temperature, electric field, and vibrational and rotational temperatures of the nitrogen molecules. Our measurements indicate a correlation between the distribution of plasma density and the intensity of dispersion and propagation effects in the discharge.
The publications and contributions of Neil E. Salisbury to physical geography

One of the most prominent American geomorphologists, Neil E. Salisbury, passed away in May 2015. This paper examines his legacy in geomorphology over the course of his career, and hopefully will be seen as honoring his memory.
Panic disorder in hispanic patients

Background and objectives This study determined the proportion of community-dwelling Hispanics who present for medical care for their panic attacks and identified factors associated with seeking care. We also compared characteristics of Hispanic subjects with those of non-Hispanic white panic sufferers. Methods In this community-based study, subjects with panic attacks completed a structured interview concerning health care utilization, panic characteristics, coexisting psychiatric problems, and illness attitudes. Hispanics were self-identified and completed the Cuellar acculturation scale for Mexican-Americans. Results Twenty-nine (53.7%) of 54 Hispanic subjects had sought medical care for their panic attacks. Care seeking in non-Hispanic whites was not dependent on these factors. Conclusions Half of the Hispanics with panic attacks seek no medical care for their attacks. Predictors of seeking care among Hispanics in San Antonio included coping style, symptom perceptions, and access to transportation.
Introduction: The Crossroads of Creativity and Ethics

“More creativity!” seems to be the current mantra for success. Institutions, cities, and nations seek globally for people who will” break the mold,”” cultivate disruption,” or” hack the future” to provide competitive advantage and” stay ahead of the curve.” Several higher education institutions have augmented their traditional strengths of general and professional knowledge by promoting the” twenty-first-century skills” of creativity and collaboration.
Improving the effectiveness of time-based display advertising (extended abstract)

CPM or cost per thousand impressions is the prevalent metric used for selling online display ads. In previous work, we have shown that the exposure duration of an ad has strong effects on the likelihood of an ad being remembered [Goldstein et al., 2011], with the first seconds of exposure having the greatest impact on memory. Because an ad pricing metric that is based on both time and impressions should be more exact than one based on impressions alone, the industry has good reasons to move towards time-based advertising. We address the following unanswered question: how should time-based ads be scheduled? We test and present one schedule that leads to greater total recollection, which advertisers want, and increased revenue, which publishers want. First, we find that presenting two short, successive ads results in more total recollection than presenting one longer ad of twice the duration. Second, we show that this effect disappears as the duration of these ads increases. Together, these findings suggest a form of time-based ad pricing that should appeal to advertisers and publishers alike.
Phased arrays in time and space: A review

Phased arrays can be formed by separating elements in time as well as space. In this configuration, surface or target velocities may be observed, rather than the radar backscatter at each position in an image or area. We have used time series data acquisitions using imaging radars to map and measure mm-scale velocities at m-scale resolutions over areas tens of km in size. Our applications are mainly for geophysical use, where our main results to date are in mapping natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanos, groundwater management systems, and ice motion in the polar regions. In all of these the fundamental observable is velocity of the surface, at a precision of mm to cm/yr. The data we use are acquired by spaceborne imaging radar systems, typically by a single satellite operating in a repeat orbit. Repeat times for the systems range from 11 to 46 days, so in many cases we analyze data acquired over months to years, an appropriate time scale for most of the processes we study.
Selective Preliminary Incubation for Gram-Negative Psychrotrophic Bacteria in Milk.

Milk samples containing crystal violet, benzalkonium chloride, crystal violet: benzalkonium chloride, or alkylaryl sulfonate were inoculated with each of Pseudomonas fluorescens , Pseudomonas fragi , Pseudomonas putida , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli , Bacillus cereus , Staphylococcus aureus , and Streptococcus sp. Samples were incubated at 21°C for 18 h, and growth of the bacteria monitored to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the added reagents. Benzalkonium chloride proved to be the preferred inhibitor for selective incubation. It inhibited growth of Bacillus cereus , Staphylococcus aureus , and Streptococcus sp. at initial cell concentrations of 101, 102, and 104 per ml, while allowing uninhibited growth of all Pseudomonas species tested with an average increase of 3 logs. This finding is most important for the selective preliminary incubation necessary prior to milk quality assessment by plating and rapid instrumentation methods.
Homelessness following disability-related discharges from active duty military service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Abstract Background Many dynamics in the relationship among military service-related disabilities, health care benefits, mental health disorders, and post-deployment homelessness among US Veterans are not well understood. Objectives Determine whether Veterans with a disability-related discharge from military service are at higher risk for homelessness, whether Veterans Health Administration (VHA) service-connected disability benefits mitigates that risk, and whether risks associated with discharge type, service-connected disability, or the interaction between them vary as a function of mental health disorders. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 364,997 Veterans with a disability-related or routine discharge and initial VHA encounter between 2005 and 2013. Logistic regression and survival analyses were used to estimate homelessness risk as a function of discharge status, mental health disorders, and receipt of VHA disability benefits. Results Disability-discharged Veterans had higher rates of homelessness compared to routine discharges (15.1 verses 9.1 per 1000 person-years at risk). At the time of the first VHA encounter, mental health disorders were associated with differentially greater risk for homelessness among Veterans with a disability discharge relative to those with a routine discharge. During the first year of VHA service usage, higher levels of disability benefits were protective against homelessness among routinely-discharged Veterans, but not among disability-discharged Veterans. By 5-years, disability discharge was a risk factor for homelessness (AOR = 1.30). Conclusions In the long-term, disability discharge is an independent risk factor for homelessness. While VHA disability benefits help mitigate homelessness risk among routinely-discharged Veterans during the early reintegration period, they may not offer sufficient protection for disability-discharged Veterans.
Phases of Physician Leadership

Physicians have the raw materials for great leadership: high intelligence, drive, and a generalized idealism toward the profession of medicine. The challenge for physicians who aspire to outstanding leadership is to continue to “own” what makes them star performers as individuals, while shifting their focus to others.
Living Without OTAs—Goodbye Columbus: Putting the Jenie Back in the Bottle

A recent Cornell Hospitality Quarterly article highlighted a unique natural experiment where an entire city had all its hotel delisted from all online travel agents for more than 4 years. The artic...
Glucose-dependent growth arrest of leukemia cells by MCT1 inhibition: Feeding Warburg’s sweet tooth and blocking acid export as an anticancer strategy

Abstract This study aims to investigate the utilization of The Warburg Effect, cancer’s “sweet tooth” and natural greed for glucose to enhance the effect of monocarboxylate transporter inhibition on cellular acidification. By simulating hyperglycemia with high glucose we may increase the effectiveness of inhibition of lactate and proton export on the dysregulation of cell pH homeostasis causing cell death or disruption of growth in cancer cells. MCT1 and MCT4 expression was determined in MCF7 and K562 cell lines using RT-PCR. Cell viability, growth, intracellular pH and cell cycle analysis was measured in the cell lines grown in 5 mM and 25 mM glucose containing media in the presence and absence of the MCT1 inhibitor AR-C155858 (1 μM) and the NHE1 inhibitor cariporide (10 μM). The MCT1 inhibitor, AR-C155858 had minimal effect on the viability, growth and intracellular pH of MCT4 expressing MCF7 cells. AR-C155858 had no effect on the viability of the MCT1 expressing K562 cells, but decreased intracellular pH and cell proliferation, by a glucose-dependent mechanism. Inhibition of NHE1 on its own had a no effect on cell growth, but together with AR-C155858 showed an additive effect on inhibition of cell growth. In cancer cells that only express MCT1, increased glucose concentrations in the presence of an MCT1 inhibitor decreased intracellular pH and reduced cell growth by G1 phase cell-cycle arrest. Thus we propose a transient hyperglycemic-clamp in combination with proton export inhibitors be evaluated as an adjunct to cancer treatment in clinical studies.
Community Based Research: Introducing Students to the Lawyer’s Public Citizen Role

Law faculty teach, produce scholarship and may engage in legal practice through clinical supervision or pro bono work. This article argues that by engaging students in community based research, law faculty will not only enhance the quality of justice available in their communities, but will also present law students with a good model of the “public citizen” role that all attorneys are called upon to assume. The article then shares my adventure in community based research with my law school’s pro bono program and community partners as an illustration of the pitfalls and promise of community based research.
Processing and Phase Morphology of Incompatible Polymer Blends

A critical review of experimental research of development of phase morphology in stratified and disperse two phase flow of polymer melts. It is shown that in stratified flow, phase morphology variations are primarily caused by viscosity differences between the two phases. For disperse two phase flow, the phase morphology is strongly influenced by the interfacial tension as well as the viscosity ratio. This appears to be through the capillarity or Taylor number. Large interfacial tensions and Taylor numbers lead to coarse phase morphologies and phase growth under quiescent conditions. Compatibilizing agents may be interpreted in terms of reduction of interfacial tensions. Applications to polymer processing operations and interpretation of rheological properties are described.
Atypical manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may manifest typically with heartburn and regurgitation or atypically as laryngitis, asthma, cough, or noncardiac chest pain. The diagnosis of these atypical manifestations may be difficult for primary care physicians because most patients do not have heartburn or regurgitation. Diagnostic tests have low specificity and it is difficult to establish a cause-and-effect association between GERD and atypical symptoms. Response to aggressive acid suppression is often the most commonly employed initial tool to indicate GERD etiology in a patient with atypical symptoms.
The Lancet Global Health Academic Writing Workshop: Navigating and Getting Noticed in the Scholarly Publishing World

Pre-conference report with key points from the workshop and other resources for assisting global health researchers in preparing for publication in the scientific literature.
Towards higher precision in vocal tract length estimation

Approaches to vocal tract length (VTL) estimation typically differ in how much credibility is allocated to certain formants as predictors of length, but are alike in allocating equal credibility to all vowel spectra. The latter may be problematic, as asymmetries in the phonotactic frequency of certain vowels and measurement errors for higher formants can influence VTL estimates. Herein, an additional parameter is proposed which privileges vowel spectra that approximate a uniform tube. The proposed metric for this proximity is standard variance (σ) in Φ, where Φ=Fn/(2n-1), n represents the integer label of the formant, and σΦ for a uniform tube is 0. The five estimators detailed in Lammert & Narayanan (2015) were tested on the speech of two adult males. Each of the estimators were run using all vowel spectra as well as only those for which σΦ < 50 Hz. Estimates from all vowel spectra had σVTL well above 1 cm, which is undesirably large, given that the adult vocal tract only ranges from 13 to 20 cm. However, estimates from vowel spectra with σΦ < 50Hz had σVTL less than 1 cm. This higher precision is especially striking since spectra with σΦ < 50 Hz constituted a small fraction of the total.
Negative Results on Thyroid Molecular Testing Decrease Rates of Surgery for Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules

Molecular tests and mutational panels such as Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) and ThyroSeq, respectively, have been used to help risk stratify cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with the aim to reduce unnecessary surgeries. We studied the effect of molecular testing on the rate of surgical resection in these nodules. Thyroid nodules with indeterminate (Bethesda III/IV) cytology that underwent molecular testing (GEC or ThyroSeq) at our institution between June 2012 and August 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. We collected demographics, cytology diagnoses, molecular test results, and whether surgical resection was performed. Two hundred eighty-three nodules met inclusion criteria: 202 nodules tested with GEC and 81 tested with ThyroSeq. In the cohort of GEC-tested nodules, 99/202 (49%) yielded “suspicious” and 103/202 (51%) yielded “benign” results, with an overall resection rate of 70/99 (71%) in “suspicious” versus 13/103 (13%) in “benign” nodules. In the cohort of ThyroSeq-tested nodules, 13/81 (16%) of nodules yielded a “high-risk mutation” and 68/81 (84%) of nodules yielded “no high-risk mutation,” with overall resection rates of 11/13 (85%) and 30/68 (44%), respectively. Rates of resection were higher for Bethesda IV than for III nodules, regardless of molecular results. For both GEC and ThyroSeq, molecular test results seemed to correlate with the rate of resection at our institution. Rates of resection for cytologically indeterminate nodules that were “benign” or “no high-risk mutation” appeared to differ from those that were “suspicious” or “high-risk mutation” on molecular panel testing by GEC and ThyroSeq, respectively. Our findings support that molecular test results are impacting management.
Large-Scale Clinical Manufacturing of AAV Vectors for Systemic Muscle Gene Therapy

Gene therapy targeting the muscle using adeno-associated vectors (AAV) has a long track record starting from the first vector design in the 1980s until today where systemic delivery to the muscle mass has become perhaps one of the most sought-after therapy designs. The unparalleled efficacy of AAV vectors to deliver robust and long-term expression of the desired therapeutic gene into the different muscle cell types remains one of the top assets of this viral drug. However, it also created one of its biggest challenges: manufacturing recombinant AAV stocks to scale sufficient to fulfill the needs of preclinical studies and phase I to III clinical trials. Ultimately, commercial manufacturing remains a major hurdle, if not a roadblock, toward its full implementation for clinical uses in humans. Nevertheless, robust processes have recently emerged to produce phase I- to III-enabling, clinical-grade AAV drugs and present with promising paths toward commercial use.
Hydrogen peroxide regulates the PI3K signaling cascade via oxidation of the tumor suppressor PTEN.

3535 We showed previously that broad-spectrum inhibition of matrix metalloprotease (MMP) activity diminishes bone matrix turnover and proliferation of prostate cancer (PC) cells in bone (JNCI 94:17, 2002). Using specific tissue-based enzymatic activity assays, we recently demonstrated an increase in net MMP-9 activity, but not MMP-2 or MT1-MMP activity, in bone tissues colonized by cancer cells in vivo. The MMP-9 protein immunolocalized to prostate cancer cells and osteoclasts (Proc AACR 44:3269A, 2003). Herein, we sought to characterize intracellular signaling pathways that lead to the secretion of MMP-9 by cancer cells exposed to the bone microenvironment. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is known to be activated in variety of cancer cells following interaction with extracellular matrix components and/or autocrine/paracrine growth factors; thus, we analyzed this pathway during co-culture of PC cells with human bone marrow stromal cells or intact bone tissue. Using a variety of methods including confocal analysis, western blot, and gelatin zymography, we showed that (a) secretion of pro-MMP-9 by PC-3 cells is induced by co-culture with bone stromal cells; (b) the Akt pathway is selectively activated in PC-3 cells during co-cultures; (c) secretion of pro-MMP-9 by PC-3 cells is sensitive to the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002; (d) proteolytic activation of latent pro-MMP-9 to active MMP-9 occurs when PC-3 cells are cultured together with intact bone tissue; and (e) the activation of MMP-9 is sensitive to PI3K inhibition by LY294002. Western blot analysis of experimental in vivo PC bone tumor tissue showed activation of Akt and its downstream molecules. These data suggest that activation of tumor cell-associated Akt kinase and downstream molecules in the Akt pathway play a key role in bone stromal-tumor interactions leading to the secretion of MMP-9 by tumor cells. Neutralization strategies involving dominant negative Akt constructs and isoform-specific Akt siRNA are under progress to delineate the mechanisms underlying Akt signaling and MMP-9 expression and activation.
Incorporation of one N-glycosylation-deficient subunit within a tetramer of HCN2 channel is tolerated

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are glycoproteins N-glycosylated at a specific asparagine residue in the S5-S6 linker region. Previous reports suggested that N-glycosylation-deficient HCN2 N380Q (NQ) channels fail to properly target to the plasma membrane and are unable to form functional ion channels. HCN channels are known to homo- and hetero-oligomerize and it is not known whether HCN2-NQ subunits can oligomerize with wild type (wt) N-glycosylated subunits to form a tetrameric assembly. In the present study, homomeric NQ-mutant resulted in no current, cRNA titration experiments controlling the amount of wt-to-NQ injected into Xenopus oocytes indicated that the observed currents were consistent with a model where presence of a single nonglycosylated subunit in a tetrameric oligomer is tolerated forming functional channels. The activation voltage-dependence described by half-activation voltage and slope factor, and the reversal potential of the wt-NQ oligomeric channels were identical to the wt only tetrameric channels. Further incorporation of the nonglycosylated subunit rendered the channels nonconductive or not incorporated into the plasma membrane.
Transnational State-sponsored Cyber Economic Espionage: A Legal Quagmire

Transnational state-sponsored cyber economic espionage poses a threat to the economy of developed countries whose industry is largely reliant on the value of information. In the face of rapid technological development facilitating cyber economic espionage from afar on a massive scale, the law has not developed apace to effectively address this problem. Applicable United States domestic laws have been ineffective in addressing the problem due to lack of enforcement jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, and inability to hold the state sponsor accountable. Customary international law principles offer little help in combatting the issue, as countermeasures are typically unavailable since espionage may not be ongoing by the time a victimized state can confidently attribute it to a state and retortions are a relatively weak response. Although existing treaties have not been effective in addressing this problem, a multilateral global treaty specifically addressing transnational state-sponsored cyber economic espionage may be a promising way forward.
Differential expression of parietal epithelial cell and podocyte extracellular matrix proteins in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy

In healthy glomeruli, parietal epithelial cell (PEC)-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins include laminin-β1, perlecan, and collagen type IV-α2 and podocyte-specific ECM proteins include lam...
Measles transmission during a large outbreak in California.

A large measles outbreak in 2014-2015, linked to Disneyland theme parks, attracted international attention, and led to changes in California vaccine policy. We use dates of symptom onset and known epidemic links for California cases in this outbreak to estimate time-varying transmission in the outbreak, and to estimate generation membership of cases probabilistically. We find that transmission declined significantly during the course of the outbreak (p = 0.012), despite also finding that estimates of transmission rate by day or by generation can overestimate temporal decline. We additionally find that the outbreak size and duration alone are sufficient in this case to distinguish temporal decline from time-invariant transmission (p = 0.014). As use of a single large outbreak can lead to underestimates of immunity, however, we urge caution in interpretation of quantities estimated from this outbreak alone. Further research is needed to distinguish causes of temporal decline in transmission rates.
Predictors of Long-Term Visual Field Fluctuation in Glaucoma Patients.

Purpose To identify predictive factors for visual field (VF) fluctuation in glaucoma patients. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants A total of 1392 eyes (816 patients) with 6 or more VFs and 3 years or more of follow-up. Methods For each eye, the VF mean deviation (MD) and the pointwise sensitivities were regressed against time to model the series trend, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was estimated as a measure of variability. Potential predictors were selected with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and included eye laterality, ethnicity, glaucoma type, intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuation, baseline best corrected-visual acuity, intervening cataract or glaucoma surgery, length of follow-up, frequency of testing, baseline MD, rates of VF progression, and median false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) responses. Main Outcome Measures Predictors of global and pointwise VF long-term fluctuation. Results In the global model, left eye (0.063 dB; P = 0.022), Asian descent (0.265 dB; P = 0.006), larger IOP fluctuation (0.051 dB; P Conclusions This study identified novel predictors of VF fluctuation, and explains nearly 60% of the pointwise variance. In the presence of factors predictive of high fluctuation, increased frequency of testing and better analytics will help to identify VF progression more accurately.
Extracting Mode Converted Guided Wave Response due to Delamination using Embedded Thin Film Sensors

Delamination is the most common type of damage that can occur in a composite structure at a very early stage of its operation. Detection, localization and classification of delamination parameters in composite laminates assist in determining the operating condition of the structure. Such a task, especially involving global localization on the structure and local localization along the thickness of the laminate is difficult using guided waves that are inherently multimodal leading to complicated mixed mode response of transducers. This paper proposes the use of embedded thin film sensors to decouple the response due to each wave mode enabling easy interpretation of the signals for damage detection. Delamination damage has been considered and the strength of reflected guided wave modes has been studied in the purview of delamination localization along with the thickness. The variation of mode conversion strength for fundamental and higher order wave modes further provides additional data to determine the delamination parameters.
Modeling of Cutting Forces in End Milling Operations

ABSTRACT According to previous research of dynamic end milling models, the instantaneous dynamic radii on every cutting position affects the cutting forces directly since the simulated forces are proportional to the chip thickness, and the chip thickness is a function of dynamic radii and feedrate. With the concept of flute engagement introduced, it is important to discuss it with respect to radial and axial depths of cut because the length of the engaged flutes is affected by factors in the axial feed and rotational directions. Radial and axial depths of cut affect the “contact area”, which is the area that a cutter contacts with the workpiece. When radial and axial depths of cut increase, the cutting forces also increase since the engaged flute lengths are increased. Therefore, in order to have a clearer idea of the milling forces, the influences of dynamic radii, cutting feedrate, and radial and axial depths of cut are discussed in this paper.
“I actually finally feel like the cigarettes aren’t controlling me.” – Interviews with participants smoking very low nicotine content cigarettes during a residential study

Abstract Background The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering a low-nicotine product standard for cigarettes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore participants’ experiences after 72 hours of exclusively smoking very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes. Methods We conducted a residential study during which participants who smoked cigarettes (N = 16) stayed in a smoking-friendly hotel for 5 days/4 nights. Participants only had access to VLNC cigarettes and were told the cigarettes had 97% less nicotine compared to conventional cigarettes. We conducted individual interviews with participants to assess their initial expectations about VLNC cigarettes, subjective experiences when smoking VLNC cigarettes, opinions regarding a low-nicotine product standard, and predicted use behavior if only VLNC cigarettes were available. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Results Several participants expected, prior to trying VLNC cigarettes, to compensate for the reduced nicotine levels by smoking more cigarettes but were surprised when they did not increase their smoking. A subset of participants reported experiencing minor withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and fatigue. Several participants reported feeling less dependent after exclusively smoking VLNC cigarettes. Most participants said they would smoke VLNC cigarettes if they were the only cigarettes available to purchase. Some also said that smoking VLNC cigarettes could help people taper down or quit smoking. Conclusions Health communication strategies are needed to inform people who smoke about what to expect from a low-nicotine product standard for cigarettes in order to maximize the public health impact of the policy and increase support.
Influences on Women's Care Seeking at Planned Parenthood Health Centers in Two Southern States.

Abstract Introduction In the context of a shifting health care landscape, better understanding of the factors that motivate women to seek services from specialized family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood (PP) can provide insights about potential changes in the role of specialized family planning clinics. Methods We surveyed 725 women seeking services at two PP health centers in Louisiana and Kentucky from March 2016 to May 2017. We examined differences in care-seeking between women who had varying levels of access including those who did and did not have insurance instability or a regular source of care (RSOC) besides the clinic. Results More than 60% of women attending the health centers did not have a regular source of care and nearly 40% experienced instability in insurance. Women who experienced insurance instability and a lack of a regular source of care more frequently sought primary preventive services such as pap tests and well-woman care at PP than women with better access. For women with better access, PP health centers also served important roles for those seeking contraceptive and sexually transmitted infection–related services. The most frequent reasons for choosing the PP were that it was faster to get an appointment, wanting to go to the PP clinic more than other clinics, and the confidentiality of services. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that PP health centers in Southern states still provide vital services for women with and without other sources of care and are critical for women needing access to timely services for preventative and sexually transmitted infection–related care.
The Michigan Tech autonomous winter driving data set: year two

We present results of the second round of data from an autonomous driving surrogate sensor pod mounted to the roof rails of a light duty truck. Coupled to a custom built data acquisition system our team drives a series of predetermined routes during inclement winter weather events. Mostly, high rate snowfall events and blowing snow with low visibility. Since our year 1 effort we have augmented our sensor pod with longer range and higher resolution LiDARs and 360 azimuth cameras. Guest LiDARs in this round of testing focus on improving range and longer wavelengths. We will also discuss data processing and lessons learned from the first year of the experiment.
Hysteresis Current Control & MPPT Approach Applied to a Grid — Connected Solar PV System

This paper discusses two control strategies applied to a grid-connected solar PV system. Taking into account that the proposed conversion chain consists of a photovoltaic generator, an adaptation stage composed of a boost dc/dc converter associated in series with a three phase dc/ac converter and the grid. In particular, the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) approach based on P&O is devoted to the boost converter. However, the hysteresis current control is dedicated to the three phase dc/ac converter. Consequently, so as to achieve a feasibility of these two techniques, the author resorted to the Matlab/Simulink environment to carried out the necessary simulations. In other hand, the experimental results have been carried out with help a Dspace card accompanied with the conversion chain, PV module and the grid.
Holmes Reads Holmes: Reflections on the Real-Life Links Between the Jurist & the Detective in the Library, in the Courtroom, and on the Battlefield: edited by Ross E. Davies and M. H. Hoeflich, Clark, NJ: Talbot Publishing, 2020, ISBN 13: 978-1-61619-6479, $24.95, pp. 84.

Comparative literary immortality is not readily measured. Nobels come and go, as do bestsellers, reprints, paperback reissues, book club adoptions, screen versions, TV adaptations, and the like – a...
Mobility challenges and perceptions of autonomous vehicles for individuals with physical disabilities.

Abstract Background Individuals with physical disabilities face many challenges, especially with mobility. Transportation plays a key role in an individual's health as it provides the access to critical services such as medical visits. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) can be one possible solution to increase transportation accessibility. However, there is currently limited information detailing the obstacles individuals with disabilities face when it comes to mobility, or research regarding perceptions of this population toward autonomous vehicles. Objective The goals of this study were twofold: 1) to identify the accessibility needs associated with transportation for individuals with a physical disability and 2) to understand the initial perceptions of this population towards autonomous vehicles to meet these needs. Methods A survey with multiple choice and short-answer questions was developed to gather data on transportation issues and experiences from individuals with physical disabilities. This survey was distributed to disability networks. Results Our results illustrate the many challenges that individuals with physical disabilities experience related to transportation, such as cost, time for planning, and convenience of use. We also found that individuals with physical disabilities had an overall positive attitude towards AVs and would be willing to pay the same price as private transportation or possibly more to use AVs if it had the proper accessibility and safety features. Conclusions Overall, this work can be used to inform decisions surrounding accessibility of current transportation as well as guide the planning and design of autonomous vehicles for a population with physical disabilities.
Evidence for Signaling: Parsing Out Parents' Naming Motivations with Presidential Data

Parents may use their child-naming rights to signal information about social class, intelligence, creativity, political persuasion, religion, or numerous other characteristics to family, friends, or even the child's future peers, employers or spouse. This signaling may reflect parents' status-seeking and concerns for their child's well-being. However, empirically testing for such signaling is problematic because what looks like signaling may actually be parents simply choosing names they like or are more aware of due to recent popularity. Disentangling signaling from simple awareness is difficult because we never know what signal parents are trying to send. Because of parental heterogeneity, different parents attempting to signal may even give or not give the same name. To investigate name signaling we need to observe behavior as the commonly recognized public value of a name changes. I use changes in presidents and their approval ratings to proxy for how the public perceives the value of that president's name. I find that simply being in office greatly reduces the number of times the president's name is given but this fluctuates substantially with his approval rating. This causal effect of changes in the perceived value of a name on parents' naming behavior strongly supports the signaling hypothesis.
Long-term shifts in anthropogenic subsidies to gulls and implications for an imperiled fish

Abstract Over the last century, human activities have altered coastal ecosystems by fishing through the marine food web and increasing anthropogenic resources (e.g. landfills), both of which may alter native predator–prey interactions. We conducted a 100-year retrospective stable isotope analysis to investigate temporal shifts in relative resource use and individual variation of a generalist seabird (Western Gull, Larus occidentalis ) and the implications of gulls' shifting resource use on one of their native prey—threatened steelhead populations ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ). We applied a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) to historical (early 1900s) and modern (early 2000s) populations of generalist gulls and compared changes in resource use to a piscivorous seabird population (Brandt's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus ) in Monterey Bay (California, USA). δ 15 N significantly declined for both seabird species, suggesting shifts to lower trophic-level marine prey in the last 100 years. The shift in δ 15 N was significantly larger for Western Gulls, suggesting a shift in gull resource use to prey not in the marine environment. Mixing models suggest anthropogenic resources (e.g., landfills) comprise the majority of modern gull diet (0.31; 0.18–0.44 95% CI), whereas it contributed relatively little to gull diet in the early 1900s (0.10; 0.01–0.26 CI). Furthermore, we found although steelhead contribute relatively less to overall modern gull diet, increasing gull populations and simultaneous steelhead population decline likely results in increased per capita predation risk to modern steelhead populations—our best estimate is that modern predation risk is ~ 2.4 times higher than historically, but this estimate depends on parameter values and overlaps with zero. This study highlights the impact of human activities on coastal predators and the potential consequences for native imperiled prey.
The telomere and telomerase: how do they interact?

The tandemly repeated DNA sequence of telomeres is typically specified by the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase. Telomerase copies part of its intrinsic RNA moiety to make one strand of the telomeric repeat DNA. Recent work has led to the concept of a telomere homeostasis system. We have been studying two key physical components of this system: the telomere itself and telomerase. Mutating the template sequence of telomerase RNA caused various phenotypes: (1) mutating specific residues in the ciliate Tetrahymena and two yeasts showed that they are required for critical aspects of telomerase action; (2) certain mutated telomeric sequences caused a previously unreported phenotype, i.e. a strong anaphase block in Tetrahymena micronuclei; and (3) certain template mutations in the telomerase RNA gene of the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis led to unregulated telomere elongation, which in some cases was directly related to loss of binding to K. lactis Rap1p. Using K. lactis carrying alterations in the genes for Rap1p and other silencing components, we proposed a general model for telomere length homeostasis: namely, that the structure and DNA length of the DNA-protein complex that comprises the telomere are key determinants of telomerase access, and hence the frequency of action of telomerase, at the telomere.
The Evolution of Polyandry in Shorebirds

The existence of polyandry has posed a difficult problem for theories attempting to account for the evolution of mating systems. The theory of sexual selection predicts competition among males, greater female than male parental investment, and more sexual promiscuity on the part of males than females (Darwin, 1871; Fisher, 1930; Orians, 1969; Trivers, 1972; Emlen and Oring, 1977). Polyandrous mating systems, particularly in extreme cases such as the Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) (Jenni and Collier, 1972), seem to violate each of these predictions. Females are larger and more aggressive than males, parental care is performed only by males, and females copulate with several males whereas each male copulates with only one female.
Single-phase and multi-phase fluid flow through an artificially induced, CT-scanned fracture

Single- and multi-phase flow through rock fractures occurs in various situations, such as transport of dissolved contaminants through geological strata, migration of dense non-aqueous phase liquids through fractured rocks, sequestration of carbon dioxide in brine-saturated strata, and oil recovery. The presence of fractures in a reservoir plays a major role in the fluid flow patterns and the fluids transport. In this study the Brazilian test technique was employed to induce an extensional fracture with dimensions of about 9.2 (cm)× 2.7 (cm)×0.77 (cm) in a layered Berea (calcite-cemented) sandstone sample. High-resolution X-ray micro-tomography (CT) imaging was used to determine the geometry of the fracture. A post-processing code was developed and used to computationally model the fracture geometry; Gambit was then used to generate an unstructured grid of about 1,000,000 cells. Single-phase and two-phase flow through the fracture were studied using FLUENT. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) model was employed for the case of two-phase flow. Flow patterns through the induced fracture were analyzed. In geological flow simulations, flow through fractures is often assumed to occur between parallel plates. The combination of CT imaging of real fractures and computational fluid dynamic simulations may contribute to a more realistic and accurate description of flow through fractured rocks.
ESSENTIAL LAMINATIONS IN I-BUNDLES

We show that, with a few familiar exceptions, every essential lamination in an interval-bundle over a closed surface can be isotoped to lie everywhere transverse to the I-fibers of the bundle.
Underpricing and Reputation Acquisition in the Corporate Bond Market

This paper examines the role of reputation in the corporate bond market as a substitute for underpricing. We find that underpricing occurs with seasoned debt issuers as well as debt IPOs and it is highest among riskier, unknown firms. In addition, firms with no prior banking elationship have more underpricing, while firms that have been in the bond market for many years have less. These results suggest that reputation acquisition is an important feature of corporate debt markets. For firms that are not well known in the bond market, our results indicate that underpricing arises as part of the bookbuilding process, when investment banks gather information about the bond offering.
Application of rate and state friction formalism and flash melting to thin permanent slip zones of major faults

Strain within certain major exhumed fault zones concentrated within a ∼1 mm wide permanent slip zone. A surrounding 10 mm thick fault core is strongly damaged. Concentration of seismic strain rate within a very thin zone is expected both for rate and state friction and weakening of the slip zone by flash melting at real contacts. In both cases, the material at the rupture tip begins with a strength that is far above that for steady state sliding. The permanent slip zone is slightly weaker than its surroundings and begins to slip with a strain rate faster than the surrounding core. Damage from strain thus weakens the sliding zone more than the fault core further concentrating strain rate toward a minimum thickness that depends on the finite size of grains. Flash heating involves a weakening velocity that is the product of a material property, the weakening strain rate, and the slip zone thickness. There is a minimum strength associated with a sliding velocity ∼15 m s−1, where stresses at the crack tip just exceed the elastic limit. Higher sliding velocities imply large inelastic strains near the rupture tip that would add to macroscopic friction. Lower sliding velocities imply higher coefficients of friction, as flash weakening is velocity weakening. The width of the PSZ should organize to a finite value so its weakening velocity is that needed to give the sliding velocity for minimum strength.
Scheduling of Flow-Shop, Job-Shop, and Combined Scheduling Problems using MOEAs with Fixed and Variable Length Chromosomes

This chapter introduces the novel multi-component schedul- ing problem, which is a combination of the generic flow-shop and job-shop (or open-shop) problems. This chapter first presents an overview of five common scheduling models and examples of how they are solved. A de- scription of som eo f themost common chromosome representations and genetic operators is also presented. The chapter also discusses som eo f the real-world problem st hat can bemodelled using the proposed multi- component scheduling model. In particular, the multi-component engine maintenance scheduling problem is presented and solved using a multi- objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) called GENMOP. A variable length chromosome is used by the MOEA in order to address problem specific and generic characteristics. The experimental results compare favorably to baseline values, indicating that GENMOP can effectively solve multi-component scheduling problems. Overall, this chapter intro- duces a new category of scheduling problem st hat is quite co mmon in real world problems and presents an example of the problem .B y intro- ducing this new category, which can have peculiarities that differ from other scheduling categories, researchers can build upon work done by others in this field.