cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demand-Related Tantrums: Conceptualization and Treatment

Tantrums constitute a serious behavior problem frequently manifested by children in educational settings. Three developmentally disabled children were observed during a series of sessions in which the presence or absence of instructional demands was systematically manipulated. Tantrums occurred at a high rate when demands were presented, but rarely occurred in the absence of demands. Further, when a signal was given that demands had terminated, the rate of tantrums immediately dropped. These results were interpreted as consistent with a coercion hypothesis of tantrum control. Specifically, tantrums were conceptualized as a form of escape behavior maintained by negative reinforcement resulting from termination of an aversive stimulus; in this case, demands. A treatment was designed that attempted to reduce the aversiveness of the demand situation by introducing strongly preferred reinforcers to make tantrums nonfunctional. The treatment produced strong, sustained suppression of tantrums and increased level...
Grain Boundary Engineering of Copper Shaped-Charge Liners

Grain boundary engineering technology has been successfully transferred from rolling and forging to back-extrusion, and back- extruded copper shaped-charge liners with engineered microstructures have been produced. The grain-boundary engineered SCLs have special boundary fractions of 0.60 and 0.66, compared to 0.48 in a conventionally processed SCL. It is hoped that these engineered SCLs will perform better through a combination of a delayed onset of plastic instability and an improved resistance to void nucleation and coalescence. Previous work demonstrates that SCL performance is affected by microstructure, and there is significant evidence which shows that microstructure influences both the fracture and constitutive responses of a material. For SCLs, constitutive properties which affect both the strength and stability of a material are important to performance. In the work described here, the focus is on improving stability properties such as strain-hardening rate and strain-rate sensitivity through grain boundary engineering. Initial mechanical tests of grain boundary engineered copper indicate that its yield strength is nearly the same as conventionally processed material, even though the engineered sample has a larger grain size. Yield strength certainly affects the strength of an SCL, but its effect on stability, in terms of delaying the onset of plastic instability in a jet, is still under investigation. Although we can measure constitutive properties such as yield strength and strain to failure in the laboratory, the true effects of grain boundary engineering on SCL performance can only be measured in actual tests of the liners. Therefore, conventionally processed and grain boundary engineered SCLs will be fielded in real shaped-charges.
Neosalpingostomy: comparison of 24- and 72-month follow-up time shows increased pregnancy rate

Seventy-two patients, 54 for 5 years and 18 for 6 years, were evaluated between 1 and 2 years and 5 and 6 years after bilateral neosalpingostomy. A 27.7% intrauterine pregnancy rate was reported in those patients treated between 1976 and 1978, with a 14% ectopic pregnancy rate. The subsequent 5- to 6-year follow-up study revealed an increase in the pregnancy rate to 41.6% and in the ectopic pregnancy rate to 17.1%. The increase in the pregnancy rate may reflect the ability of the fallopian tube for ciliogenesis and intrinsic repair. Thus if patients have not conceived within 2 years of neosalpingostomy for distal tubal obstruction, significant reproductive potential still exists.
A simulation-based and analytic analysis of the off-Hugoniot response of alternative inertial confinement fusion ablator materials

Abstract The attainment of self-propagating fusion burn in an inertial confinement target at the National Ignition Facility will require the use of an ablator with high rocket-efficiency and ablation pressure. The ablation material used during the National Ignition Campaign (Lindl et al. 2014) [1] , a glow-discharge polymer (GDP), does not couple as efficiently as simulations indicated to the multiple-shock inducing radiation drive environment created by laser power profile (Robey et al., 2012). We investigate the performance of two other ablators, boron carbide (B4C) and high-density carbon (HDC) compared to the performance of GDP under the same hohlraum conditions. Ablation performance is determined through measurement of the shock speed produced in planar samples of the ablator material subjected to the identical multiple-shock inducing radiation drive environments that are similar to a generic three-shock ignition drive. Simulations are in better agreement with the off-Hugoniot performance of B4C than either HDC or GDP, and analytic estimations of the ablation pressure indicate that while the pressure produced by B4C and GDP is similar when the ablator is allowed to release, the pressure reached by B4C seems to exceed that of HDC when backed by a Au/quartz layer.
Tsotsi: From Fugard to Film

(2010). Tsotsi: From Fugard to Film. Journal of the African Literature Association: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 122-129.
Abstract CT120: Radiotherapy in pediatric patients with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor of the central nervous system

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) of the CNS is a rare, highly malignant tumor of early childhood. Current protocols favor multimodality treatment, but practice guidelines differ with regard to radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes and prognostic factors in pediatric ATRT receiving multimodality treatment including postoperative radiation. Pediatric subjects with CNS ATRT treated at our institution between 2000 and 2014 were evaluated. Kaplan Meier method was used to estimate progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) over time and log-rank tests were used to examine associations of demographic and treatment factors with PFS and OS. 20 pediatric subjects (median age 23.5 months; range 4-99 months) with CNS ATRT treated at our institution between 2000 and 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. All underwent surgical resection, adjuvant radiotherapy, and aggressive multi-agent chemotherapy. PFS at 1-year was 63.3% (95% CI, 38.1% - 80.6%) and 2-years was 46.1% (95% CI, 22.9% - 66.5%). OS at both 1- and 2-years was 73.0% (95% CI, 46.7% - 87.8%). Infratentorial disease, lack of metastatic disease at diagnosis, and gross total tumor resection were identified as beneficial prognostic factors in PFS and OS. Progressive disease after radiation was identified as a poor prognostic factor in OS. Radiation modality (proton versus x-ray) did not affect disease-related outcomes. Modern treatment for ATRT with aggressive multimodality therapy including radiotherapy results in a significant portion of subjects with long-term disease control. Prognosis appears to be improved in subjects with localized, completely resected disease. Citation Format: Melissa Frick, Jane Minturn, Yi-Mei Li, Christine Hill-Kayser. Radiotherapy in pediatric patients with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor of the central nervous system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr CT120.
2014 Epilepsy Benchmarks Area III: Improve Treatment Options for Controlling Seizures and Epilepsy-Related Conditions Without Side Effects.

The goals of Epilepsy Benchmark Area III involve identifying areas that are ripe for progress in terms of controlling seizures and patient symptoms in light of the most recent advances in both basic and clinical research. These goals were developed with an emphasis on potential new therapeutic strategies that will reduce seizure burden and improve quality of life for patients with epilepsy. In particular, we continue to support the proposition that a better understanding of how seizures are initiated, propagated, and terminated in different forms of epilepsy is central to enabling new approaches to treatment, including pharmacological as well as surgical and device-oriented approaches. The stubbornly high rate of treatment-resistant epilepsy-one-third of patients-emphasizes the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies, including pharmacological, procedural, device linked, and genetic. The development of new approaches can be advanced by better animal models of seizure initiation that represent salient features of human epilepsy, as well as humanized models such as induced pluripotent stem cells and organoids. The rapid advances in genetic understanding of a subset of epilepsies provide a path to new and direct patient-relevant cellular and animal models, which could catalyze conceptualization of new treatments that may be broadly applicable across multiple forms of epilepsies beyond those arising from variation in a single gene. Remarkable advances in machine learning algorithms and miniaturization of devices and increases in computational power together provide an enhanced opportunity to detect and mitigate seizures in real time via devices that interrupt electrical activity directly or administer effective pharmaceuticals. Each of these potential areas for advance will be discussed in turn.
Fecal Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in North Dakota Feedlot Cattle in the Fall and Spring

Cattle are an important reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7, which can lead to contamination of food and water, and subsequent human disease. E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle has been reported as seasonal, with more animals shedding during summer and early fall than during winter. North Dakota has relatively cold weather, especially in winter and early spring, compared with many other regions of the United States. The objective was to assess fecal shedding of E. coli O157: H7 in North Dakota feedlot cattle over the fall, winter, and early spring. One hundred forty-four steers were assigned randomly to 24 pens on arrival at the feedlot. Samples of rectal feces were obtained from each steer four times (October and November 2003, and March and April 2004) during finishing. On arrival (October 2003), 2 (1.4%) of 144 cattle were shedding E. coli O157:H7. The shedding increased significantly to 10 (6.9%) of 144 after 28 days (November 2003), to 76 (53%) of 143 at the third sampling (March 2004), and dropped...
Recovering Religion's Prophetic Voice for Business Ethics

This article surveys western business ethics' recent history to show how this ethic has neglected recently its religious traditions and become construed more narrowly as an applied philosophy and social science. It argues that this narrowness has confused business ethics' role in business education and helped to weaken the distinctiveness of certain institutions of higher education. It then suggests ways that western business ethics might become more integrated, interesting, and autonomous as an academic discipline by incorporating its key religious traditions.
Brasil: Acima de Tudo!! The Brazilian Armed Forces: Remodeling for a New Era

The history of the Brazilian military has been marked by repeated “reforms” and up-dating efforts to keep abreast of developments abroad.Since World War II such efforts were often weakened, delayed, and reduced by involvement in politics, lack of congressional support, and financial instability.The deep-sea oil discoveries were touted as the beginning of a new era of prosperity that would finally allow growth and modernization of the armed forces.The fall in oil prices likely have made that more of a dream than reality, but even so the armed forces have been moving ahead.Their schools, academies, and institutes are establishing more open relationships with the republic’s universities.The older army institutions, the Escola Preparatoria de Cadetes do Exercito and the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras, have reshaped their programs of study and training.In the process their recruitment pattern has changed in ways that may make the officer corps less diverse.The Navy and the Air Force academies seem committed to keeping their programs as they have been.Those services, by their nature, are more technologically oriented than the army, but the army too is more computerized than a decade ago.Brazil is tightening its control of its Amazonian lands, air space, water ways, and ocean.Indeed it is shifting its military focus from the south to the far north and west.Internationally it has adopted U.N. peace-keeping as a consistent part of its set of military missions, the ongoing Haitian assignment being the most ambitious of several in recent decades.It is also accepting some South Americans and Africans as cadets at Agulhas Negras.Given the country’s population the armed forces are small.To expand their size the laws and practices of recruitment would have to change, which seems unlikely.The paper examines Brazil’s current military situation setting it against the history of its evolution.
Cross Talk Between Noncoding RNAs and DNA Methylation and Demethylation in Cancer

Abstract Since the 1990s, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as important players in cancer. ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs, play diverse roles in cancer formation and progression. ncRNAs exert their biological functions through various mechanisms, including regulation of gene expression by affecting mRNA stability, protein synthesis, and modulation of chromatin structure by acting in concert with various epigenetic mechanisms. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification involved in the regulation of gene expression and chromatin structure. Aberrant DNA methylation is a common feature of cancer cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that ncRNAs and DNA methylation are functionally and mechanistically linked. In this chapter, we discuss advances in understanding the complex cross talk between ncRNAs and DNA methylation and demethylation in cancer, including the role of DNA methylation in the dysregulation of ncRNA expression and the diverse mechanisms by which ncRNAs modulate DNA methylation and demethylation.
Level basin design based on cutoff criteria

This paper describes a new procedure for the design of level-basin irrigation systems which is based on the irrigator's cutoff criteria. Design with this procedure, hopefully, will be more transferable to users and will allow basin designs to be adopted to local practices. Comparisons are made to existing design procedures, and it is shown that many of them can be expressed in terms of this new procedure, available in the form of a computer program. A sensitivity analysis was used to confirm the desirability of these new guidelines on design. The sensitivity analysis also showed that the cutoff distance can be adjusted to account for changes in vegetative roughness.
Choices, Compromises, and Controversies in Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty Modifiable Risk Factors: What You Need to Know.

Abstract Background Total joint arthroplasty has historically been very successful for most patients, yet some still incur a complication. In an era of value-based care, certain efforts need to be taken to optimize patients' risk profile before surgery to decrease the chances of readmission or surgical complication. Methods We reviewed 10 key medical conditions and lifestyle factors that surgeons should improve before pursuing total joint arthroplasty and provide a summary of the available literature to guide certain optimization thresholds. Results With careful attention to and the creation of a preoperative checklist, surgeons can identify key domains, including morbid obesity, malnutrition, diabetes, smoking, opioid use, poor dentition, cardiovascular disease, preoperative anemia, staphylococcus colonization, and psychological disorders and intervene based on an individual's areas of deficiencies. Conclusion By following stringent protocols and rescheduling surgery until optimization has occurred, we can work to provide patients the best chance for a successful outcome with an elective hip or knee arthroplasty.
Fetal loss associated with palpation per rectum to diagnose pregnancy in cows.

A prospective observational study was performed to determine whether palpation per rectum of cows in the first 6 weeks of gestation to diagnose pregnancy contributed to fetal attrition. Pregnancy diagnoses were made by private practitioners as part of their routine herd-health service on 9 dairies in the San Joaquin Valley of California. To determine whether there was an association between abortion and fetal age at time of palpation, the probability of abortion was tested as a function of fetal age at palpation, controlling for possible modifying and confounding effects of herd, age at conception, gravidity, parity, and number of days-in-lactation at conception. Results of logistic regression analyses for 19,411 pregnancies followed for up to 90 days after palpation indicated that, during the 28- to 42-day period, palpation of fetuses earlier in the period was associated with a significantly (P 42 days of age was not found. Results were suggestive that, given conditions and techniques typical of private practice, fetal death may not be a usual manifestation of early palpation of cows to diagnose pregnancy, rather, that there may be a slight increase in risk of fetal death as the fetal age at palpation increases from 28 to 42 days.
Increasing yields of extracellular enzymes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current rationales and methodologies employed to increase the extracellular enzyme yields. The four aspects considered are strain selection, environmental control, genetic regulatory controls, genetic recombination, and gene amplification techniques. Two practical approaches should be emphasized with regard to strain selection: effectiveness of the screening assay, and selection of economic high-yielding strains. The limits of the screening assay should be defined and correlated with the chances of success in screening. The selected high yielding strains should possess the rapid growth rate of the parent strain in order to ensure high productivity. The screening for hyperproducing mutants allow for large-scale general selection of strains (106 colonies per screen), of which a high proportion (70%) are mutants. The potential of more rapid strain development programs is now possible based on mutants that are resistant to environmental stress (temperature), catabolic repression, and feedback inhibition. Many environmental parameters influence the yield of an extracellular enzyme, such as, pH, temperature, aeration, and ionic strength.
Chapter 2 The token ring

Architecture, performance, transmission system, and wiring strategy of a token-ring local-area network implemented at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratury are described. In the design of the system, particular emphasis was placed on high reliability, availability, and serviceability. To ensure robustness of the token-access protocol, we employ the concept of a monitor function which is responsible for fast recovery from access-related errors. Our protocol supports asynchronous transmission of data frames concurrently with full-duplex synchronous channels, e.g., for voice services or other applications requiring guaranteed delay. The delay-throughput performance of the token ring is shown to depend very little on data rate and distance. The transmission system of the ring is fully bit synchronous and allows insertion/removal of stations in/from the ring at any time. A mixed ring/star wiring strategy is used which provides the means for both fault detection and isolation, and system reconfiguration, and allows systematic wiring of a building.
Investigating the Influence of Social Media Consumption on Punitive Attitudes Among a Sample of U.S. University Students

Prior research suggests that media consumption influences attitudes toward punitiveness. Traditionally, prior efforts have generally examined television news and crime-related programming. However, less is known whether more contemporary forms of media consumption, such as social media, are related to punitive attitudes. Using a multisite sample of more than 900 mostly young adults, the current study examines (a) the relationship between four types of social media consumption (overall, general news, crime-specific content, and punishment-specific content) on penal attitudes and (b) whether these relationships vary based on key characteristics. Results reveal that individuals who consume punishment-specific content on social media are significantly more likely to have stronger attitudes regarding the use of punishment and this relationship varies by fear of crime. Findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Creating Student-Scholar-Activists: Discourse Instruction and Social Justice in Political Science Classrooms

This article advocates the use of discourse instruction as a means of integrating issues of social justice into the classroom and transcending the debate over politicization in academia. The field ...
The Strategic Pursuit of Black Homophily on a Predominantly White Campus

The process of Black homophily (finding Black others) is complex. Yet few have researched how and why Black friendships form. For many of the informants at a selective West Coast university, finding Black friends was fraught with obstacles and required strategy. Some manipulated their campus placements and time commitments to access predominantly Black spaces at the expense of cross-racial relationships. Others were less motivated to form Black friendships. Social network research within higher education rarely explores same-race network formation and often struggles to tease out the role of agency versus structure. Through 42 interviews with students and administrators and campus observations over three years, this study sheds light on how and why these relationships form and provides insight into the role of choice in Black homophilous friendship formation.
Ab Initio Studies of Exciton Interactions of Cy5 Dyes

The excited state properties of cyanine dyes and the orientations of their aggregates were studied using density functional theory (DFT). The effects of exchange-correlation functional and solvent model on the absorption spectrum of Cy5 was investigated. Using the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set and B3LYP exchange-correlation functional with IEF-PCM (water) solvent, the predicted spectrum achieved a maximum absorbance within 0.007 eV of experiment. An in-house program based on the theoretical model of Kuhn, Renger, and May (KRM), which predicts the orientation of dyes within an aggregate from its absorbance and circular dichroism (CD) spectra or vice versa, was used to investigate the orientation of an experimentally observed dimer. The absorbance spectrum predicted using the KRM model of the dimer structure optimized with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set, ωB97XD exchange-correlation functional, and IEF-PCM solvent agrees with experimental data.
Perceptions of Anal Intercourse Among Heterosexual Women: A Pilot Qualitative Study.

Abstract Introduction More than one-third of women in the U.S. have engaged in heterosexual anal intercourse (HAI), but little is known regarding women’s perceptions of HAI and motivations for engaging in this sexual behavior. Aim This study aimed to explore U.S. women’s motivations for engaging in HAI and to investigate how they navigate HAI in the context of sexual relationships. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 women, ages 18–50 years old, who had engaged in anal intercourse with a male partner within the past 3 months. The interview guide was developed utilizing a conceptual framework based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Main Outcome Measure Thematic content analysis was performed, and salient themes were identified. Results Salient themes were identified in all key components of the construct, including attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Women’s intent to engage in HAI was influenced by their attitudes toward HAI and level of control and trust with their partners. Primary motivators were partner and personal pleasure and sexual curiosity and experimentation. Conclusion The Theory of Planned Behavior construct was well suited to explore factors influencing women’s intent to engage in HAI. Most women perceive negative societal norms toward HAI. Although this does not appear to affect intention to engage in HAI, it does affect disclosure of this sexual activity with friends and healthcare providers. It is important for healthcare providers to provide open, non-judgmental counseling regarding HAI to decrease stigma, enhance communication, and improve sexual health. Benson LS, Gilmore KC, Micks EA, et al. Perceptions of Anal Intercourse Among Heterosexual Women: A Pilot Qualitative Study. Sex Med 2019;7:198–206.
The effect of unethical behavior and learning on strategic supplier selection

Abstract The unethical behavior of suppliers, such as the use of child labor or the use of unsafe processes, is becoming an increasingly common problem in many industries. Despite lower sourcing costs, such social irresponsibility can have a severe negative effect on firms because of growing awareness and punishment from consumers toward unethical practices. To study how ethical behavior of suppliers and supplier learning affect a firm׳s sourcing strategy, we analyze a buying firm׳s strategic sourcing decision on supplier selection between unethical and ethical suppliers by considering the risk likelihood and the impact to the firm of unethical events, and the supplier learning. We show that supplier learning matters and that the benefit of high learning rates may outweigh the concerns of unethical behavior or high ethical sourcing cost and so, long-term contracts are optimal. We also show that the firm may prefer a selection policy contingent on the realization of unethical events only when risk is low or impact is high. In addition, we show that a changing environment may cause the firm to take a more proactive sourcing strategy by adopting short-term switching policies.
Compact Continuous Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring using Bluetooth

A working prototype of a compact wearable affordable continuous non-invasive blood glucose measurement system based on the electromagnetic properties of glucose in blood has been implemented and demonstrated in-vivo with a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based microcontroller kit. When the transmitted BLE signal is passed through the human tissue (fingertip), the proposed non-invasive measurement system uses the power level of the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the received BLE signal to identify the blood glucose level. The novel measurement technique for the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring using RSSI of the BLE signal, allows the prototype to be used in wearable form factor while making it affordable and reliable, something not reported in the past. Oral Glucose Tolerant Test (OGTT) have been performed on fasting human subjects by the intake of 50gm glucose solution. Concurrent measurements of the proposed non-invasive techniques and conventional invasive blood pricking were executed for correlation. The temporal trend observed on OGTT protocol from the proposed non-invasive measurement and the invasing blood pricking strongly correlates, validating the clinical significance of the proposed affordable and wearable prototype.
Viva La Razabilly: The Cultural Politics of Latinx Rockabilly

The contemporary rockabilly subculture is often thought to primarily reflect, embody, and celebrate the white Southern American culture that gave rise to the music and fashion in the 1950s. Accordingly, some have suggested that the active participation of Latinxs seems perplexing. This article draws on ten years of ethnographic research to explore why Latinxs do not view their enthusiasm for Southern-born rockabilly music and culture as an incongruity. This essay first considers why rockabilly resonates with Latinx participants, underscoring and documenting its relevance across several generations, then examines how Latinxs have uniquely engaged with and customized the subculture in ways that reflect their bicultural heritage and experiences. This work draws ethnomusicological attention to the reasons Latinxs have identified with rockabilly culture and the ways they have contributed to it, contesting assumptions of the characteristic “whiteness” of this subculture. The documentation, acceptance, and acknowledgment of Latinx involvement in rockabilly is not without political significance, particularly given the subculture9s historical incorporation of Confederate imagery. The growth, strength, and recognition of Latinx rockabilly represent a meaningful rewriting of the genre9s racial politics, highlighting the historical involvement of non-Anglos in the scene and encouraging diverse participation today.
Tourist attractiveness: measuring residents’ perception of tourists

To date, tourism research has primarily explored resident perception and attitude in terms of tourism impact and development. Comparatively, resident perception of tourists themselves has attracted...
P170 Development and Validation of a Survey to Assess Diabetes Knowledge and Attitudes in Middle School Students

Background Limited surveys are available to assess diabetes prevention programs for young adolescents. Objective The objective of this study was to develop and validate a survey to assess diabetes knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in middle school students. Study Design, Setting, Participants A 40-item survey was developed and validated in a convenience sample of middle school students in Utah. A panel of experts (n = 6) consisting of dietitians, diabetes educators, and 1 health teacher rated survey items using the Survey Validation Rubric for Expert Panel (VREP) approach. The instrument's Content Validity Index (CVI) was calculated. After pre-testing (n = 245) and pilot testing (n = 61), questionnaire items were excluded based on the correct response rate, Cronbach α, and item-to-total correlation. The resulting 25-item questionnaire was completed by 277 Middle School students (mean age of 13.2 ± 0.4 years). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to identify potential factors within the survey, and subsequent calculation of Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the potential factors. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and scree plot analysis were performed to measure sample adequacy and to verify the number of extracted factors, respectively. Results Based on the expert's responses, the overall Content Validity Index (CVI) for the survey items was 0.95. The Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.7 for the knowledge and 0.72 for the attitudes and beliefs subscales, which demonstrated good internal consistency for both subscales. The sample was adequate (KMO > 0.7), and the data were suitable for factor analysis (Bartlett's test of Sphericity χ2 = 532.94, P Conclusions This survey demonstrates satisfactory internal consistency, construct validity, test-retest reliability, and factor structure. Results suggest nutrition educators can use this instrument to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in middle school students.
A Fractional Order Approach for Modeling Nonlinear Behavior in Boost DC-DC Converters with CPL

The increasing use of renewable energy has resulted in the need for improved boost dc-dc converters. This type of power electronics-based equipment is needed to interface the dc voltages normally encountered with solar arrays and battery systems to voltage levels suitable for connecting three-phase inverters to distribution-level networks. As solar power levels continue to increase, the corresponding boost converter power levels also need to increase. Consequently, higher levels of boost ratios are needed in order to connect low voltage circuits (less than 1000 V) to medium voltage levels in the range of 13 kV to 34 kV. With boost ratios now exceeding a factor of 10, the inherent nonlinearities of boost converter circuits become more prominent and thereby lead to stability concerns under variable load conditions. This paper presents a new method for analyzing boost converters using fractional order calculus. This results in Laplace-domain transfer functions with non-integer order powers. This provides control systems designers the ability to analyze converter frequency response with Bode plots that have pole-zero contributions other than +/- 20 dB/decade. This paper details a systematic method of deriving the optimal fit of actual boost converter operation by use of a modified describing function technique that is often used in nonlinear systems analysis. Results are presented by comparing a conventional linearization technique (i.e., integer-order transfer functions) to the describing-function derived fractional order transfer function. The benefits of this approach in achieving improved stability margins with high-ratio boost converters is presented.
Converting the Imagination through Visual Images in Ecological Religious Education

Global ecological crisis calls for humanity's “ecological conversion,” as well as deconversion from consumerism as a faith system. Conversion involves the imagination, which suggests an important r...
Spatial Determinants of Entrepreneurship in India

We analyze the spatial determinants of entrepreneurship in India in the manufacturing and services sectors. Among general district traits, quality of physical infrastructure and workforce education are the strongest predictors of entry, with labor laws and household banking quality also playing important roles. Looking at the district-industry level, we find extensive evidence of agglomeration economies among manufacturing industries. In particular, supportive incumbent industrial structures for input and output markets are strongly linked to higher establishment entry rates. We also find substantial evidence for the Chinitz effect where small local incumbent suppliers encourage entry. The importance of agglomeration economies for entry hold when considering changes in India's incumbent industry structures from 1989, determined before large-scale deregulation began, to 2005.
Safety and efficacy outcomes in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-treated metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) patients (pts) requiring treatment interruption (TI) due to immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

411Background: Most patients (pts) with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) will receive immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) at some point during treatment. As such, understanding of immune-mediat...
The Feasibility of Targeting Chaotic Regions in the GNSS Regime

Medium Earth orbit is subject to destabilizing resonances due to third body effects from the Moon and Sun. This behavior can be leveraged for debris mitigation in this regime. This paper will explore how feasible this technique is and whether satellites could be targeted into such impact trajectories at their end-of-life. In the paper, six targets are examined in detail to determine what level of uncertainty in targeting these satellites will achieve a reentry trajectory some decades in the future. This study will also characterize the sensitivity to initial conditions for this orbital regime and the feasibility of leveraging these naturally occurring dynamics.
Impact of gestational electronic cigarette vaping on amino acid signature profile in the pregnant mother and the fetus.

Abstract Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a form of tobacco product that has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Despite the known health consequences of tobacco product exposure during pregnancy, a substantial number of daily smokers will continue to smoke during pregnancy. Our current knowledge on the effects of e-cig aerosol exposure during pregnancy is limited to a small number of animal studies, which have identified several e-cig aerosol-induced disruptions to the physiology of normal development. Methods To further assess the impact of prenatal e-cig aerosol exposure on maternal and fetal health, we examined the amino acid signature profiles in maternal and fetal plasma, as well as in the fetal lungs, a sensitive target organ for prenatal tobacco product exposure. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups and were exposed to either e-cig aerosols containing nicotine, e-cig aerosols without nicotine, or room air. Dams were exposed utilizing a state-of-the-art custom engineered e-cig vaping system that is compatible with commercially available e-cig atomizers and enables a translational inhalation delivery method comparable to human vaping. Results We determined that gestational exposure to e-cig aerosols results in significant alterations to the amino acid profile in the maternal and fetal compartments, including the fetal lungs. The data shows a targeted disruption to the nitric oxide pathway, branched-chain amino acid metabolism, fetal protein synthesis, and urea cycle. Conclusion The data presented herein provides additional support that gestational e-cig aerosol exposure can impact crucial biological processes and exemplifies the need for extensive research on exposure to e-cig aerosols.
A XANES study of lithium polysulfide solids: a first-principles study

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is used for capturing the reaction mechanisms at the molecular level via the determination of local electronic configurations inside Li–S batteries. In this paper, a comprehensive investigation of the S K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) of a series of stoichiometric lithium polysulfide solids was performed, assuming that these polysulfide solids are formed during the battery cycling process. The results based on density functional theory show that the pre-edge peak in the S K-edge XANES spectra is not a common feature in the solid phase in contrast to the case of pristine polysulfide molecules where the pre-edge peak constitutes a unique signature when dissolved in liquid electrolytes. A general redshift in the S K-edge XANES peak is found when a Li vacancy is introduced in these lithium polysulfide solids. Furthermore, the first peak positions of the S K-edge XANES spectra of the lithium polysulfide solids appear within a small range (2471–2473 eV) overlapping with the white line of the α-S8 bulk (∼2472 eV). Therefore, the results suggest that the use of additional characterization methods might be necessary for accurately identifying the elusive solid phase lithium polysulfides in Li–S batteries instead of relying only on S K-edge XANES spectroscopy.
Breastfeeding infants receive neutralizing antibodies and cytokines from mothers immunized with a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

Abstract Objective To evaluate the immune response to COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines present in breastmilk and the transfer of the immune response to the breastfeeding child. Methods A prospective cohort study enrolled 30 lactating women who received an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine between January and April 2021. Women provided serial milk samples, which included milk expressed before vaccination, milk expressed across 2-3 weeks after the first dose, and milk expressed across 3 weeks after the second dose. Women also were asked to provide their blood, spotted on cards (dried blood spots; DBS) 19 days after the first dose and 21 days after the second dose. Stool samples from the breastfed infants were collected 21 days after mothers received their second dose. Pre-pandemic samples of milk, DBS cards, and infant stool from prior studies were also utilized. Milk and infant stool samples were tested by ELISA for receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific IgA and IgG. Milk samples were tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies against the spike and four variants of concern (VOCs): D614G, B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), and P.1 (gamma). Milk samples were also tested by electrochemiluminescence assay for levels of 10 cytokines. Results Milk from COVID-19-immunized women neutralized the spike and four VOCs and this response is primarily IgG-driven. The immune response in milk also included significantly elevated levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The immune response to maternal vaccination was reflected in breastfed babies; anti-RBD IgG and anti-RBD IgA was detected in 33% and 30% of infant stool samples, respectively. Levels of anti-RBD antibodies in infant stool correlated with maternal vaccine side-effects. Conclusion Humoral and cellular immune responses to mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination are present in the breastmilk of most women. The milk anti-RBD antibodies can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 spike and VOCs. Importantly, we describe for the first time the transfer of anti-RBD antibodies to breastfed infants, with the potential to confer passive immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
Exploring the sociomaterial dynamics of home food gardening in a Black-majority, low-income neighbourhood in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

Appreciation for the contributions of urban home food gardens to social-ecological resilience, food security, and human health is growing, most recently as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the...
Mitosis and Cytokinesis

Publisher Summary Studies of cell division in Chlamydomonas basically employ two types of approaches, often, in combination: microscopy and genetics. In this chapter, the authors survey the existing literature on Chlamydomonas cell division, with a focus on the mechanisms of mitosis and cytokinesis. The reader will notice that the powerful genomic and genetic approaches now available, combined with the relatively primitive state of our current knowledge, means that there is a wealth of opportunities for future study in this area. We consider the details of mitosis and cytokinesis that lead to the generation of a new set of daughter cells. Chlamydomonas promises to play a unique role in our future understanding of cell division. Chlamydomonas provides many of the same genetic advantages as budding yeast for studying basic cell biology, but in Chlamydomonas, the processes of mitosis and cytokinesis are far more similar to those seen in animal cells than are the corresponding processes in yeast. In particular, Chlamydomonas allows us to take a yeast-like forward genetic approach to understanding the roles of centrioles in mitosis, the connection between flagellar resorption and cell division, and the interplay of actin and microtubules during cytokinesis.
Isolation, characterization, and propagation of rat conjunctival goblet cells in vitro.

Purpose To isolate, culture, and characterize goblet cells from the conjunctiva of rats. Methods Conjunctival tissue was surgically removed from Sprague-Dawley rats. Goblet cells were then isolated from the nictitating membrane and fornix using explant cultures. Cells derived from the explants were grown and propagated in RPMI medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. They were characterized using an enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) with the lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1 (UEA-1), Western blot analysis, PCR, light and electron microscopy, specialized histochemistry and indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Goblet cells were successfully isolated from conjunctival explants by scraping nongoblet cells from the culture vessel. To date, cultures have been passaged a minimum of three times without the loss of their specific cellular markers. Cells identified as goblet cells fulfilled the following criteria: positive staining for alcian blue/periodic acid Schiff reagent, cytokeratin (CK)-7, the lectins UEA-I and Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), MUC5AC, and M(3) muscarinic receptor; detection of MUC5AC mRNA using RT-PCR; and negative staining for CK-4, M(1) muscarinic receptor, and Banderia simplicifolia lectin. The authors also measured, using the ELLA, substantial amounts of UEA-I-detectable high-molecular-weight glycoproteins and MUC5AC released into the medium. Conclusions Cultured goblet cells retain many characteristics of goblet cells in vivo and thus may serve as a useful tool in delineating the pathobiology of the ocular surface.
Decision tree induction for identifying trends in line graphs

Information graphics (such as bar charts and line graphs) in popular media generally convey a message. This paper presents our approach to a significant problem in extending our message recognition system to line graphs - namely, the segmentation of the graph into a sequence of visually distinguishable trends. We use decision tree induction on attributes derived from statistical tests and features of the graphic. This work is part of a long-term project to summarize multimodal documents and to make them accessible to blind individuals.
Irrational War and Constitutional Design: A Reply to Professors Nzelibe and Yoo

In a recent essay entitled Rational War and Constitutional Design, Professors Jide Nzelibe and John Yoo develop a functional account of the constitutional allocation of war powers. They argue that a rational constitutional structure of war-making would balance democratic representation in the domestic sphere with an ability to signal information to other actors on the international plane. Drawing together principal-agent theory, institutional analysis and the literature on international crisis bargaining, they purport to show that an executive-centered system of war powers is superior to one with extensive legislative involvement. In this reply, we show that legislative involvement in decisions to go to war does as well or better in promoting democratic accountability and in signaling information to a foreign adversary. We also note that key assumptions about similarities between rogue states and terrorists are misguided and may lead to poor policy choices. We conclude that a proper reading of the empirical literature does not support Nzelibe and Yoo's position.
NF-κB in cancer: a marked target

The imbalance between proliferation and programmed cell death (apoptosis) is one of the critical cellular events that lead to oncogenesis. While there is no doubt that uncontrolled cell proliferation is essential for the development of cancer, deregulation of apoptosis may play an equally important role in this process. Inhibition of apoptosis prevents the death of tumor cells with DNA damage either associated with carcinogenic initiation or cancer therapy. The transcription factor NF-kappaB is a key regulator in oncogenesis. By promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis, NF-kappaB tips the balance between proliferation and apoptosis toward malignant growth in tumor cells.
Determination of a small-signal model for ion-implanted microwave transistors

Most microwave transistor models are useful within specific frequency ranges; outside those ranges, they become inaccurate essentially because of the distributed nature of the active base resistance which is modeled as a lumped element. In this paper, a quantitative study of the two-dimensional current flow in the active region of an ion-implanted device leads to the synthesis of a small-signal model, emphasizing its relations to the distributed parameters defined. Methods for extracting those parameters are proposed via expressions that relate them to electrical measurements at the terminals. A final section deals with the analysis of experimental data to verify the validity of a distributed equivalent circuit at frequencies up to 10 GHz.
Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in renal transplant patients

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a syndrome with distinct clinical, radiological, and histological features. The radiographic changes of BOOP vary from multiple patchy, alveolar, or ground-glass infiltrates to diffuse reticulonodular opacities. The most frequently observed CT features are areas of lung consolidation and ground-glass opacity often with a subpleural distribution and small nodules; in addition, bronchial wall thickening and bronchodilatation can be seen. The exact pathogenesis of BOOP after organ transplantation remains to be clarified. Some researchers have suggested that BOOP is a non-specific reaction to injury; rejection is the most common injury in lung and kidney transplant recipients.