cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 600 GHz planar frequency multiplier feed on a silicon dielectric-filled parabola

A novel all-planar quasi-optical Schottky varactor diode frequency doubler has been fabricated and has produced more than 1 mW of output power at 600 GHz with an approximately 2 percent conversion efficiency. This simple-to-assemble all-planar diode multiplier could replace complicated waveguide blocks commonly used at submillimeter-wave frequencies to provide local oscillator power for terahertz receiver components.
Compensating increases in protein backbone flexibility occur when the Dead ringer AT-rich interaction domain (ARID) binds DNA: A nitrogen-15 relaxation study

AT-rich interaction domains (ARIDs) are found in a large number of eukaryotic transcription factors that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and development. Previously we elucidated how ARIDs recognize DNA by determining the solution structure of the Drosophila melanogaster Dead ringer protein in both its DNA-free and -bound states. In order to quantitatively determine how ARIDs alter their mobility to recognize DNA, we have measured the relaxation parameters of the backbone nitrogen-15 nuclei of Dead ringer in its free and bound forms, and interpreted these data using the model-free approach. We show that Dead ringer undergoes significant changes in its mobility upon binding, with residues in the loop connecting helices H5 and H6 becoming immobilized in the major groove and contacts to the minor groove slowing down the motion of residues at the C terminus. A DNA-induced rotation and displacement of the N-terminal subdomain of the protein increases the mobility of helix H1 located distal to the DNA interface and may partially negate the entropic cost of immobilizing interfacial residues. Elevated motions on the micro- to millisecond timescale in the N-terminal domain prior to DNA binding appear to foreshadow the DNA-induced conformation change.
Block structure chi-(p,q) steganalysis method

In this paper we propose a new approach using a parametric chi-(p,q) statistical decision stego detection technique. The new approach can detect both randomly and sequentially embedded sensitive data. Computer simulations have shown that the presented algorithm has the following advantages: 1) Ability to localize concentrations of hidden information; 2) Ability to perform detection faster than existing methods; 3) Ability to detect images using an adjustable block structure method that takes into account the correlation between adjacent blocks. Comparison with common existing steganalysis methods will also be presented.
“A Thousand Points of Light” Illuminate the Psychology Curriculum: Volunteering as a Learning Experience

Most psychology departments offer field, placements that allow undergraduates to lern practical skills and test career options. The psychology curriculum should encourage community service placements because they are consistent with psychology's values, good for students, a d beneficial to the community. To close the acknowledged gap between good intentions and volunteer action, our department has developed two models of community service: elementary school tutoring within a child psychology course and credit for individual placements in a variety of settings. We describe procedures followed, decisions made, a d lessons learned in setting up these courses. Student testimony about the value of these experiences is offered. Encouraging volunteerism is well worth the effort of psychology departments.
TP53 Mutations in Canine Brain Tumors

The p53 tumor suppressor gene (TP53) is the most frequently altered gene in human cancer. Mutation of the gene has been shown to be an important mechanism of p53 pathway inactivation in a variety of human brain tumors, particularly those of astrocytic origin. Genomic DNA from a series of 37 glial and 51 nonglial canine brain tumors was sequenced to determine the frequency of TP53 gene mutations involving exons 3–9. Exonic mutations were found in 3 of 88 tumors (3.4%) and specifically in 1 of 18 astrocytic tumors (5.5%). This is markedly lower than that reported in comparable human tumors, suggesting that alternative mechanisms of p53 inactivation are likely to be present if p53 function contributes significantly to oncogenesis in canine brain tumors.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor/MAZ-Dependent Induction of Caveolin-1 Regulates Colon Permeability through Suppression of Occludin, Leading to Hypoxia-Induced Inflammation

Caveolae are specialized microdomains on membranes that are critical for signal transduction, cholesterol transport, and endocytosis. Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is a multifunctional protein and a major component of caveolae. Cav1 is directly activated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). HIFs are heterodimers of an oxygen-sensitive α subunit, HIF1α or HIF2α, and a constitutively expressed β subunit, aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT). Whole-genome expression analysis demonstrated that Cav1 is highly induced in mouse models of constitutively activated HIF signaling in the intestine. Interestingly, Cav1 was increased only in the colon and not in the small intestine. Currently, the mechanism and role of HIF induction of CAV1 in the colon are unclear. In mouse models, mice that overexpressed HIF1α or HIF2α specifically in intestinal epithelial cells demonstrated an increase in Cav1 gene expression in the colon but not in the duodenum, jejunum, or ileum. HIF2α activated the Cav1 promoter in a HIF response element-independent manner. myc-associated zinc finger (MAZ) protein was essential for HIF2α activation of the Cav1 promoter. Hypoxic induction of CAV1 in the colon was essential for intestinal barrier integrity by regulating occludin expression. This may provide an additional mechanism by which chronic hypoxia can activate intestinal inflammation.
Views and Reports of the Dakota Sandstone Formation, Mushroom Rock, 1867–2001

Abstract Since the Mushroom Rocks first were reported in the scientific and popular literature of the 1860s, they have captured the curiosity and imagination of geologists, travelers, and illustrators. It was a likely landmark of interest as well to indigenous peoples of the region for centuries before. Alexander Gardner made the first photographs there the fall of 1867 in the commission of the Kansas Pacific Railway. Though the years, other photographs and reports record and illustrate changes since that time. These changes are not geologic, although the rocks have clearly been impacted by the many years of visitors. But the landscapes around these outcrops, natural and domestic, flora and fauna, as well as the human inhabitants, have been completely transformed. The reports and photographs of this location provide a record of the changes and the processes, natural and human, which have brought about this transformation.
Antiretroviral Drug Access and Behavior Change

Abstract Assessing the impact of antiretroviral-drug access on future HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa requires identification of the behavioral response. This paper combines geocoded information about the timing of introduction of ARVs in Kenyan health facilities with population surveys to estimate the impact of proximity to ARV providers on adolescent risky sexual behavior. A variety of difference-in-difference strategies yield a range of estimates of behavioral effects on pregnancy rates and self-reported sexual activity among 15-18 year-olds in areas where ARVs were introduced, from small to quite large. A simulation combining estimated behavioral responses with medical evidence regarding HIV transmission suggests increasing ARV access will reduce new HIV infections even with a very large increases in risk-taking.
Single-particle measurements of phase partitioning between primary and secondary organic aerosols

Organic aerosols provide a measure of complexity in the urban atmosphere. This is because the aerosols start as an external mixture, with many populations from varied local sources, that all interact with each other, with background aerosols, and with condensing vapors from secondary organic aerosol formation. The externally mixed particle populations start to evolve immediately after emission because the organic molecules constituting the particles also form thermodynamic mixtures – solutions – in which a large fraction of the constituents are semi-volatile. The external mixtures are thus well out of thermodynamic equilibrium, with very different activities for many constituents, and yet also have the capacity to relax toward equilibrium via gas-phase exchange of semi-volatile vapors. Here we describe experiments employing quantitative single-particle mass spectrometry designed to explore the extent to which various primary organic aerosol particle populations can interact with each other or with secondary organic aerosols representative of background aerosol populations. These methods allow us to determine when these populations will and when they will not mix with each other, and then to constrain the timescales for that mixing.
Fundamental Fairness in Union Regulation of Sports Agents

This Article addresses whether the agent regulations unilaterally adopted by the players associations in the four professional sports leagues afford agents a sufficiently fair enforcement process. This issue involves a complicated interplay of multiple bodies of law that govern the competing interests of unions and agents. On the one hand, the union is the exclusive representative of the players under the National Labor Relations Act and, as a private association, the law affords the union great deference to interpret and enforce its own regulations. On the other hand, when the union accuses an agent of misconduct and seeks to take away the agent's livelihood by suspending or revoking the agent's license, the agent is entitled to a fundamentally fair enforcement and adjudication procedure, one that comports with basic notions of due process and affords the level of fairness contemplated by the Federal Arbitration Act. This Article addresses the proper balance of these competing interests throughout the various stages of the agent regulation process.
Oral synechiae: A case presentation of airway and surgical management

Abstract Oral synechiae is a rare craniofacial condition only described by case reports in the literature. This case report features a 1-day-old female twin who was transferred to our hospital for airway management in the setting of an unspecified intraoral anomaly. The patient was taken emergently to the operating room where awake nasal intubation was performed. Closer oral inspection revealed an oral synechia that was released superiorly with cautery. This case highlights a unique patient with an oral synechia who required prompt airway and surgical management. No previous articles have addressed definitive airway stabilization in cases of oral synechiae.
Bayesian Estimation and Prediction for the Maxwell Failure Distribution Based on Type II Censored Data

We present Bayes estimators, highest posterior density (HPD) intervals, and maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs), for the Maxwell failure distribution based on Type II censored data, i.e. using the first r lifetimes from a group of n components under test. Reliability/Hazard function estimates, Bayes predictive distributions and highest posterior density prediction intervals for a future observation are also considered. Two data examples and a Monte Carlo simulation study are used to illustrate the results and to compare the performances of the different methods.
Determining a Soil Model from Wave Propagation Data

A procedure is being developed for determining a computational soil model from stress measurements obtained during a high-explosive test. Gages at several depths in the soil measure the stress normal and parallel to the direction of propagation. Effects of the finite gage size and its frequency and damping are removed from the stress records. A Lagrangian analysis then provides the stress-strain and pressure-volume paths taken. With these paths, a model for the soil is constructed.
Carotid arterial blood pressure waveform monitoring using a portable ultrasound system

This work presents a non-invasive arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveform monitoring technique using ultrasound. A portable ultrasound system to excite ultrasound transducers and acquire data is designed with off-the-shelf components. The insonation angles are identified using a vector Doppler technique based on the cosine dependency of the Doppler signals. The pulse pressure of an estimated waveform at the left common carotid artery is compared to the standard sphygmomanometer measurement in a clinical test. The estimated carotid ABP waveform shows excellent agreement to the finger ABP waveform with expected discrepancy of the systolic peak shape due to different measurement sites. The proposed method also tracks slow blood pressure fluctuations. This validation on human subjects shows potential for a noninvasive blood pressure waveform monitoring device at central arterial sites.
Network Apocalypsis: Revealing and Reveling at a New Age Festival

This article analyzes the Synthesis 2012 festival, which coincided with the end of the Mayan calendar in December 2012. The festival was held in and around the village of Piste in Yucatan, Mexico, and broadcast live via a web-based video stream. We gathered ethnographic data about the event both onsite and via the Internet. Presenting and analyzing that data here, we consider the way that these two different modes of access to the ethnographic event(s) reveal and obscure different dimensions of participants’ presence at the festival.
The Impact of Renal Impairment on Short-term Morbidity Risk Following Lumbar Spine Surgeries.

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. OBJECTIVE To determine a cutoff below which worsening renal function is associated with increased risk of morbidity and to determine the types and magnitude of morbidity associated with renal impairment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Renal impairment is associated with an increased risk of morbidity after lumbar spine surgery. However, the degree to which increasing levels of renal dysfunction are associated with morbidity has not been well defined. METHODS A large, multicenter, clinical registry was queried for all adult patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery in 2012, and 13,576 cases were identified. An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated for each patient. Propensity scores were used to match patients on the basis of preoperative comorbidities and the procedure-type performed. The incidence of 30-day morbidity was then compared between patients with no or mild renal impairment (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m) and those with moderate or severe disease (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m). Separately, the morbidity risk associated with eGFR was analyzed as a continuous variable. RESULTS The risk of morbidity increased with worsening eGFR in an inverse-logarithmic fashion (R = 0.84), and the magnitude of risk increased substantially for eGFR below 60 mL/min/1.73 m (odds ratio of ≥1.8). There was a 26% relative increase in morbidity for patients with moderate to severe renal impairment, as compared with the propensity score-matched cohort of patients with no or mild disease (5% absolute increase, 24% vs. 19%, P = 0.004). Wound complications (3% vs. 2.1%), reoperation rates (4.6% vs. 3.3%), and need for blood transfusions (16.3% vs. 12.8%) trended higher in patients with moderate or severe disease, but only the need for blood transfusion reached significance. Patients with preoperative moderate or serve renal impairment were 10 times more likely to develop acute renal failure postoperatively (0.6% vs. 0.06%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION Thirty-day morbidity risk after lumbar spine surgery is strongly associated with renal impairment. These data may be useful for preoperative patient counseling, and surgeons should consider the relative magnitude of risks and benefits before operating on a patient with severe renal disease, particularly in elective cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Micro-Impact Technique and its Applications

A micro-impact tester has been designed and built by using a piezoelectric impact hammer as an impactor driver. During the course of an impact process, force interactions between the impactor and target surfaces were monitored continuously by a miniaturized piezoelectric loadcell embedded in the flying head assembly. After having fully characterized an impact system, the trajectory of the impactor can be calculated by using the corresponding pre-recorded impact force interaction in the simulation program. The contact and returning velocities, kinetic energy loss of the impactor and the impact penetration curve are the key information obtained from the simulation. Furthermore, the impact morphology can reveal failure mechanisms of materials by providing details such as indent shapes, coating fragments, chipping, crack type and size, and other such information which are useful in assessing the fracture toughness of testing materials. The micro-impact testing was carried out in the contact velocity ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 m/sec. Three types of materials such as metal, glass and amorphous carbon were used in studying their distinct mechanical behavior under high rate indentations. The correlations between the impact conditions, energy losses, impact morphologies and material responses are illustrated and discussed.
Extracellular deposition of eosinophil granule major basic protein in lymph nodes of patients with Hodgkin's disease.

Lymph nodes from each of the four histologic types of Hodgkin9s disease were examined for the presence of eosinophils and for eosinophil degranulation by immunofluorescent localization of eosinophil granule major basic protein (MBP). Eosinophil degranulation shown by MBP deposition outside of eosinophils was found in six of eight nodes from patients with nodular sclerosing disease and in two of eight nodes from patients with lymphocyte depletion-type disease. Three nodes of the mixed cellularity type, one node of the lymphocyte predominance type, and one lymph node of the lymphocyte depletion type showed one or two small foci of extracellular MBP deposition. Lymph nodes from patients without Hodgkin9s disease showed no extracellular deposition of MBP. Large numbers of eosinophils were found in seven of eight nodes of the nodular sclerosing variant, but were less frequently seen among the other types of Hodgkin9s disease. The presence of extracellular MBP in lymph nodes of patients with Hodgkin9s disease indicates that eosinophil degranulation commonly occurs and suggests that the released eosinophil granule proteins may participate in the inflammatory reaction in this disorder more extensively than is presently appreciated.
Proportionality of the Mn2+ g shift to the magnetization of the Ni2+ host lattice in the electron paramagnetic resonance of Mn2+-doped NiK2(SO4)2

It is shown that the g shift of ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ in the paramagnetic lattice of ${\mathrm{NiK}}_{2}$(${\mathrm{SO}}_{4}$${)}_{2}$\ensuremath{\cdot}${6\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O with respect to that in the isostructural diamagnetic lattice of ${\mathrm{ZnK}}_{2}$(${\mathrm{SO}}_{4}$${)}_{2}$\ensuremath{\cdot}${6\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O, as determined from X-band EPR data at liquid-helium temperatures, is proportional to the magnetization of the ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{2+}$ host lattice. This magnetization has been used to estimate the ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$-${\mathrm{Ni}}^{2+}$ exchange interaction, using the molecular-field approximation, to be 0.283\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008 GHz.
Universalism vs. Relativism

In Chapter 1 we encountered an objection to the UDHR raised by the American Anthropological Association. The anthropologists insisted that “standards and values are relative to the culture from which they derive,” and took this fact to “detract from the applicability of any Declaration of Human Rights to mankind as a whole.” Chapter 1 interrogated the idea of human rights without addressing the subject of universalism vs. relativism of values. This chapter now does so. However, we do not discuss that subject in abstraction from the idea of human rights. At this stage in history, the UDHR is the most promising moral blueprint for the future of humanity. It behooves us, therefore, to focus our exploration of relativism on that idea. At the same time, the growing global consensus for human rights also means the UDHR stands in strong need for philosophical scrutiny. To be clear, strictly speaking we have formulated a response to the charge of relativism: if the account of human rights in Chapter 1 is persuasive, it establishes the existence of universal values. However, since this matter is so important we should explore the issue explicitly.
One brain, many genomes.

We each begin life as a single cell harboring a single genome, which—over the course of development—gives rise to the trillions of cells that make up the body. From skin cells to heart cells to neurons of the brain, each bears a copy of the original cell's genome. But as anyone who has used a copy machine or played the childhood game of “telephone” knows, copies are never perfect. Every cell in an individual actually has a unique genome, an imperfect copy of its cellular ancestor differentiated by inevitable somatic mutations arising from errors in DNA replication and other mutagenic forces ( 1 ). Somatic mutation is the fundamental process leading to all genetic diseases, including cancer; every inherited genetic disease also has its origins in such mutation events that occurred in an ancestor's germline cells. Yet how many and what kinds of somatic mutations accumulate in our cells as we develop and age has long been unknown and a blind spot in our understanding of the origins of genetic disease.
Ross Ice Shelf Thickness, Radio-frequency Attenuation and Reflectivity: Implications for the ARIANNA UHE Neutrino Detector

The ARIANNA high energy neutrino detector is planned to be deployed on the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf to search for astrophysical neutrinos. Collisions with nuclei in the ice generate showers of particles that emit short pulses of radiation, created by the Askaryan mechanism, in the frequency range of 100 MHz to 1 GHz. The ARIANNA site is located about 65 miles from McMurdo Station, the main hub of US Antarctic operations, and is protected from ambient RF interference by a geologic formation known as Minna Bluff. In this work, we report preliminary results for the frequency interval 90-180 MHz from site studies of the field attenuation length (averaged over depth), and reflection and polarization properties of the saltwater-ice boundary.
Evaluation of logistic regression models and effect of covariates for case–control study in RNA-Seq analysis

Next generation sequencing provides a count of RNA molecules in the form of short reads, yielding discrete, often highly non-normally distributed gene expression measurements. Although Negative Binomial (NB) regression has been generally accepted in the analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, its appropriateness has not been exhaustively evaluated. We explore logistic regression as an alternative method for RNA-Seq studies designed to compare cases and controls, where disease status is modeled as a function of RNA-Seq reads using simulated and Huntington disease data. We evaluate the effect of adjusting for covariates that have an unknown relationship with gene expression. Finally, we incorporate the data adaptive method in order to compare false positive rates. When the sample size is small or the expression levels of a gene are highly dispersed, the NB regression shows inflated Type-I error rates but the Classical logistic and Bayes logistic (BL) regressions are conservative. Firth’s logistic (FL) regression performs well or is slightly conservative. Large sample size and low dispersion generally make Type-I error rates of all methods close to nominal alpha levels of 0.05 and 0.01. However, Type-I error rates are controlled after applying the data adaptive method. The NB, BL, and FL regressions gain increased power with large sample size, large log2 fold-change, and low dispersion. The FL regression has comparable power to NB regression. We conclude that implementing the data adaptive method appropriately controls Type-I error rates in RNA-Seq analysis. Firth’s logistic regression provides a concise statistical inference process and reduces spurious associations from inaccurately estimated dispersion parameters in the negative binomial framework.
High Expression of Granzymes and Perforin along with Increased T cell Cycling In Vivo Predicts the Development of Opportunistic Infections (OI) Following Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation (UCBT).

Introduction : Unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation (UUCBT) is a viable option for those who lack HLA-matched sibling donors. However, opportunistic infections (OI) occurring in the first 100 days, remain the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Viral infections are the primary cause of OI death. As previously shown, cord blood T cells have significantly less preformed effector molecules available intracellularly to kill virally infected cells via the perforin-granzyme pathway than adult PB T cells. Since several virally infected patients control their infections in the absence of specific antiviral therapy ( e.g adenoviral enteris, polyoma cystitis) we postulated that the T cell compartment of those UUCBT recipients who experience early viral infections maty upregulate expression of the perforin exocytosis pathway. In parallel the impact of viral infection on T cell turnover would also be appreciable. Here we report on 19 prospectively studied pediatric patients, all full donor chimera, following myeloablative therapy. Methods : On day +50 we determined by 4-color FACS the expression of intracellular Granzyme, A, B, along with perforin. To monitor T cell turnover proliferating cells were identified by monitoring for the KI-67 nuclear antigen. The expression of the antiapoptosis gene BCL-2 was similarly monitored in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We analyzed their association with the development of de novo OI up to day +100 employing Student’s t-test. Results : Mean age of patients was 6.2 years. 10 of 19 patients developed OI (adenovirus x 4, CMV x 7, EBVx1, parainfluenza x 1) with 5/10 patients experiencing more than one viral infections simultaneously) at a median of 29 days after UUCBT. Of those with OI 6/10 died due to their infections while 8/9 without OI are alive at a median of 15.8 months after UUCBT with one death due to leukemic relapse. Table I presents the correlation between the tested parameters with the development of OI. Patients experiencing viral infections had significantly higher % of their T cells in particular CD8+ T cells equipped with effectors of cytotoxicity and were proliferating in higher percentage compared to those with no active infections. However, the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 expression was significantly lower in patients experiencing OI that may lead to their shorter life span and overall T cell lymphopenia observed in OI patietns that we have previously detected in a larger cohort of 102 patients (ASBMT 2004 abstract#48). Conclusion: Correlating with active viral infections significant maturation of cord blood T cells is evident as early as 50 days after UUCBT towards acquiring effector molecules of the perforin pathway. Enhanced T cell proliferation is counteracted by reduced expression of BCL-2 that may lead to the lymphopenia in patients with OI. Future strategies aiming to enhance the longevity of antiviral T cells may protect from death due to viral infections. Univariate analysis
Enzyme-Catalyzed Intramolecular Enantioselective Hydroalkoxylation.

Hydroalkoxylation is a powerful and efficient method of forming C–O bonds and cyclic ethers in synthetic chemistry. In studying the biosynthesis of the fungal natural product herqueinone, we identified an enzyme that can perform an intramolecular enantioselective hydroalkoxylation reaction. PhnH catalyzes the addition of a phenol to the terminal olefin of a reverse prenyl group to give a dihydrobenzofuran product. The enzyme accelerates the reaction by 3 × 105-fold compared to the uncatalyzed reaction. PhnH belongs to a superfamily of proteins with a domain of unknown function (DUF3237), of which no member has a previously verified function. The discovery of PhnH demonstrates that enzymes can be used to promote the enantioselective hydroalkoxylation reaction and form cyclic ethers.
Examining Community Resilience to Assist in Sustainable Tourism Development Planning in Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, Vietnam

Generally, it is assumed that the well-being of rural communities is linked to their level of resilience. However, despite the importance of community resilience, and its potential to underpin long...
The Transition From Relation-Based to Rule-Based Governance in East Asia

The expansion of the scale and scope of the market will eventually force relation-based societies to adopt more public rules. This chapter presents the evidence of the transition from relation-based to rule-based governance in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China, and discusses the challenges of the transition facing the East Asian societies and their governments, and how multinational corporations doing business in East Asia should cope with the transition.
Performance of Corn Stoves

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of using corn burning heating appliances as an alternative to more traditional natural gas or electric heat. Two models of different sizes and outputs were purchased for the test. The appliances were operated through the winter and into the spring to evaluation their performance. The equipment was operated following the manufacturer’s suggestion. Parameters such as gas composition, ash production and temperature profiles were obtained in order to quantitatively describe the performance of the appliances. While many natural gas furnaces available to consumers these days reach efficiencies of greater than 95%, solid-fuel appliances remain significantly lower. Observed efficiencies ranged from 10% to 50%, depending on fuel source, method of combustion, and design. Because of the fledgling nature of this industry, performance is not as high as well developed technology, such as gas furnaces, can achieve. However, with enough sustained interest in alternative energy, the application of burning corn for heat shows promise.
Chapter 12 Fluid-driven Cyclic Propagation of a Joint in the Ithaca Siltstone, Appalachian Basin, New York

Abstract Crack-seal veins, millifractures, and joints with rhythmic c-type plume patterns are common examples of cyclic crack propagation in rocks. Although in some cases cyclic propagation could result from periodic external forcing by far-field stress changes or fluid-pressure pulsation, the regularity and rhythmic nature of several types of fractures suggest that cyclic propagation also arises from dynamic instability of the fracture-fluid-rock system. A 40-90-m-long cross-fold joint that propagated within a single bed of the Devonian Ithaca Siltstone near Watkins Glen, New York has a plumose surface morphology with multiple arrest lines indicating that cracking occurred in increments rather than in one smooth rupture. The crack increments increase in overall length in the propagation direction over the final 28-m portion of the exposed end of the study joint with the largest increments increasing in length from 0.6 m to 1.0 m. At least three conceptual models based on linear elastic fracture mechanics and fluid flow along joints can be imagined to explain incremental crack growth under conditions of constant stress and pore pressure: the compressibility-limited propagation model; the flow-limited propagation model; and the infiltration-limited propagation model. This surface morphology of the study joint provides constraints on the propagation process so that the growth of the joint may be analyzed in terms of these three models. Based on quantitative evaluation of the cracking process, compressibility-limited propagation is favored and the driving fluid is identified as a gas rather than a brine. The gas is identified as a natural gas on the basis of geological constraints.
Imaging for Parathyroid Surgery

Imaging in parathyroid disease is aimed at localizing enlarged parathyroid glands after a biochemical diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism has been made. By precisely identifying the number and location of abnormal parathyroid glands, minimally invasive surgical parathyroidectomy approaches can be considered and planned. The advantages and limitations of currently available imaging methods, including sestamibi nuclear scanning, ultrasonography, CT, MRI, invasive studies, and combinations of all of these, are discussed in this chapter.
The Moderating Effects of Accountability on the Conscientiousness-Performance Relationship

The interaction of Conscientiousness and accountability was investigated in the context of performance outcomes using a cognitive performance task, and this interaction was found to be statistically significant. In a laboratory experiment with 95 student-participants, under conditions of accountability, more conscientious individuals performed at higher levels than less conscientious people in support of the hypothesis. Under conditions of no external accountability, the relationship between Conscientiousness and performance was not significant. No main effects were found.
Ectopic ureteroceles: surgical management with preservation of continence--review of 60 cases.

AbstractDuring the last 19 years we treated 60 children with ectopic ureteroceles. There was a 4 to 1 female-to-male predominance. Of the patients 47 per cent presented before age 6 months, 66 per cent were diagnosed after a urinary tract infection and 6 were identified antenatally. Based upon a review of the literature and our data, we believe that “total correction” (a single operation designed to correct abnormalities of the upper and lower urinary tract) is superior in most instances to an approach in which just the upper urinary tract pathological condition is treated. Only 4 (14 per cent) of 28 patients in whom “total correction” was used required a second operation (all because of persistent reflux) while 14 of 19 patients (74 per cent) treated with an upper urinary tract procedure intended as definitive therapy have either undergone further surgery or have a residual abnormality that may require further surgery. Marsupialization rather than enucleation of the ectopic ureterocele is effective and s...
Experimental effects of exercise on memory function among mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the experimental effects of exercise on memory function among adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Methods: A systematic review and met...
Merged Haptic Sensation in the Hand during Concurrent Non-Invasive Proximal Nerve Stimulation

When individuals interact with the environment, sensory feedback is a critical aspect of the experience. Individuals using prosthesis often have difficulty controlling their device, partly due to a lack of sensory information. Transcutaneous nerve stimulation has the potential to elicit focal haptic sensation when controlled electrical current was delivered to a pair of electrodes in proximity to the nerve. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate how different elicited focal haptic sensation were altered, when multiple concurrent electrical stimuli were delivered to different portions of the median and ulnar nerve bundles. The delay between the individual stimulation during concurrent stimuli was also varied to identify if this parameter could alter the resulting sensation region. Lastly, the stability/repeatability of the perceived sensation during concurrent stimuli was determined. Our preliminary results showed that the spatial distribution of the haptic sensation was largely a direct summation/merge of the sensation regions from the individual nerve stimulation when comparing the regions to that of the concurrent double stimulation. Our results also showed that merged sensation region was not sensitive to different time delays the two concurrent stimuli. Lastly, the sensation regions remained stable and showed repeatable sensation in the hand even with 20–60 minutes between repeated stimulations.
Management of Post-transplant Hyperparathyroidism and Bone Disease

Significant advances in immunosuppressive therapies have been made in renal transplantation, leading to increased allograft and patient survival. Despite improvement in overall patient survival, patients continue to require management of persistent post-transplant hyperparathyroidism. Medications that treat persistent hyperparathyroidism include vitamin D, vitamin D analogues, and calcimimetics. Medication side effects such as hypocalcemia or hypercalcemia, and adynamic bone disease, may lead to a decrease in the drugs. When medical management fails to control persistent post-transplant hyperparathyroidism, treatment is a parathyroidectomy. Surgical techniques are not uniform between centers and surgeons. Undergoing the surgery may include a subtotal technique or a technique including total parathyroid gland resection with partial heterotopic gland reimplantation. In addition, there are possible post-surgical complications. The ideal treatment for persistent post-transplant hyperparathyroidism is the treatment and prevention of the condition while patients are being managed for their late-stage chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.
Finite Dimensional Estimation Algebras in Nonlinear Filtering

The lectures by Brockett, Mitter, and others at this conference outline a novel approach, inspired by geometric control and quantum field ideas, to nonlinear filtering. Among the intriguing possibilities of the new theory are methods for finding filtering problems with finite—dimensionally computable solutions. Our talk reports preliminary work done on this issue.
Measurement of the Earth's Rotation Using a Chip-Based Brillouin Laser Gyroscope

We report a chip-based Brillouin laser gyroscope with 0.068° / h angular random walk and 3.6° /h bias stability. The device can resolve sinusoidal rotations with amplitude as low as 5° /h and is also used to measure the Earth's rotation. © 2019 The Author(s)
Film review: Top secret rosies

Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of World War II is a documentary that focuses on four women who worked as “human computers”, computing individual ballistic trajectories for the Army at the University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering. These trajectories were then compiled into tables at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). Three men are also featured: two who were members of the Army Air Corps and one, Joseph Chapline, who worked with John Mauchly at the university. Several historians also appear giving commentary. The film gives a flavor of the wartime experiences of the seven principal interviewees and explores how they felt about their work. We learn from the women something of what it was like to work on the tables, and we learn from the men in the planes something of what it was like to use the tables for dropping bombs. We also learn that some of the calculations were done by hand, some were done using calculating machines, and some were done using the university’s differential analyzer, an analog electromechanical computing machine used to solve differential equations. Unfortunately, but understandably, we do not learn precisely what went into creating the tables or what sort of calculations the women were doing. Other technical details that would interest mathematicians are also not included. Nonetheless, the film is interesting and informative. It is particularly suitable for an audience that might not be aware of the pervasiveness of mathematics, in military applications and elsewhere. However, by mislabeling the women in the film as mathematicians, it does somewhat distort the role of women in the mathematical sciences in the midtwentieth century. Furthermore, while Top Secret Rosies shows a piece of history not usually seen, it does not show anything of the history of mathematics or the history of women in mathematics, as is claimed in some reviews of the film. The title of the film is clearly meant to evoke a comparison with “Rosie the Riveter”, a World War II symbol of women who worked in shipyards and aircraft factories and did other jobs previously done mainly by men. This comparison is not really appropriate since it was not unusual for women to do computations before the war. Furthermore, in the 1930s about 15 percent of all the American Ph.D.’s in mathematics were granted to women, and there were at least two hundred American women with Ph.D.’s in mathematics at the start of World War II.1 Many of these women, most notably Reviewed by Judy Green
Abstract P185: The Effect of Anti-Interleukin-17A Biologic Therapies on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Psoriasis

We and others have demonstrated that interleukin-17A (IL-17A) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Patients with psoriasis, an IL-17A mediated autoi...
Leveraging Microaggressions in the Classroom as Teachable Moments: Engaging in Difficult Conversations as a Starting Point for Change

In this article, the author examines current tensions and controversies on college and university campuses regarding microaggressions. She provides an overview of the construct and impact of microaggressions and the positions on both sides of the issue. She asserts that even with the creation of safe spaces and raising awareness about the damage microaggressions can inflict, there is no way to eliminate or ban microaggressions and that doing so would not address the underlying beliefs and biases that result in microaggressions. Instead, she argues that we need to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations that tackle microaggressions and the underlying beliefs head on. Doing so creates opportunities for learning and change in the classroom. The author provides multiple classroom vignettes, both from her own experience and those of other educators, about what this process looks like. She concludes by offering guidelines and recommendations for fostering these difficult and uncomfortable conversations in your own classroom.
Who Do Multiracials Consider Part of Their Racial In-Group?:

We propose that Multiracials have flexible racial in-groups in that Multiracials can potentially consider members from three target racial groups as in-group members: same-race Multiracials, racial...
Kasai Portoenterostomy (Open and MIS Approaches)

This chapter describes open and laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy as performed by the following approaches: cholangiogram and exploration of extrahepatic bile system for congenital atresia, resection of extrahepatic bile ducts and fibrous cone at porta hepatis, and creation of Roux-en-Y jejuno-jejunostomy with portoenterostomy. The text includes an introduction that outlines the indications, risks, alternatives, essential steps, needed equipment, and variations in technique for the procedure in question. This is followed by a template operative dictation that provides the reader with an operative report, such as that found in a patient chart or electronic medical record. A description is provided of the critical concepts and different techniques for this procedure.
Recognizing Submerged Materials with Fluorescence Lidar without Knowledge of Environmental Conditions

This work presents a submerged object recognition method with fluorescence LIDAR that can be applied when no a priori information about environmental conditions is available. Whereas conventional methods require the availability of either LIDAR measurements of water samples or accurate knowledge about environmental conditions, the approach investigated here remove such assumptions. Experimental results on real data acquired in laboratory show the potential of the approach.
Neuroanesthetic Considerations for Patients Undergoing Posterior Fossa and Craniovertebral Junction Surgery

The posterior fossa and craniovertebral junction are well known to surgeons as neuroanatomically critical locations with a myriad of complex and sensitive structures packed into a small area. It is often said that benign lesions in this part of the brain are in a malignant location. Anesthesia for such surgeries is also appropriately recognized as complex and presents unique challenges for the anesthesiologist as well. The choice of anesthesia technique and agents based on the neurophysiologic monitoring anticipated, induction and intubation challenges, unique patient positioning requirements, as well as postoperative airway decisions pertaining to adequacy of gag and swallow reflexes, all lend to the special challenges. For this reason, a thorough conversation should be had prior to the induction of anesthesia between the surgeon, neurophysiologic monitoring personnel and anesthesiologist as to the particulars of the case at hand.
Contemporary Understanding of Ebola and Zika Virus in Pregnancy

Understanding the pathophysiology, management, and prevention of emerging infectious diseases among pregnant women is imperative to achieve a successful response from the medical community. Ebola and Zika viruses represent infections with profound public health implications. In particular, Ebola virus is associated with high case fatality and pregnancy and neonatal loss rates, while Zika virus has been associated with multiple congenital anomalies; these features present critical clinical dilemmas for management of pregnant and reproductive aged women. The objective of this article is to summarize key background information and best practices for management of Ebola and Zika virus in pregnancy.
Voltammetric pH Measurements in Unadulterated Foodstuffs, Urine, and Serum with 3D-Printed Graphene/Poly(Lactic Acid) Electrodes

The pH of a system is a critical descriptor of its chemistry-impacting reaction rates, solubility, chemical speciation, and homeostasis. As a result, pH is one of the most commonly measured parameters in food safety, clinical, and environmental laboratories. Glass pH probes are the gold standard for pH measurements but suffer drawbacks including frequent recalibration, wet storage of the glass membrane, difficulty in miniaturization, and interferences from alkali metals. In this work, we describe a voltammetric pH sensor that uses a three-dimensional (3D)-printed graphene/poly(lactic acid) filament electrode that is pretreated to introduce quinone functional groups to the graphene surface. After thoroughly characterizing the pretreatment parameters using outer-sphere and inner-sphere redox couples, we measured pH by reducing the surface-bound quinones, which undergo a pH-dependent 2e-/2H+ reduction. The position of the redox peak was found to shift -60 ± 2 mV pH-1 at 25 °C, which is in excellent agreement with the theoretical value predicted by the Nernst Equation (-59.2 mV pH-1). Importantly, the sensors did not require the removal of dissolved oxygen prior to successful pH measurements. We investigated the impact of common interfering species (Pb2+ and Cu2+) and found that there was no impact on the measured pH. We subsequently challenged the sensors to measure the pH of unadulterated complex samples, including cola, vinegar, an antacid tablet slurry, serum, and urine, and obtained excellent agreement compared to a glass pH electrode. In addition to the positive analytical characteristics, the sensors are extremely cheap and easy to fabricate, making them highly accessible to a wide range of researchers. These results pave the way for customizable pH sensors that can be fabricated in (nearly) any geometry for targeted applications using 3D printing.