cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combustion of Bio-derived Fuels With Additives and Research on the Losses of Unburned Fuel in Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engines

The paper represents the study of combustion of paraffin and paraffin with aluminum powder in a small-scale Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine (HPRE). This study is a part of the long-term research of specific features of combustion using non-conventional bio-derived hybrid rocket fuels such as paraffin, beeswax, lard, and bio-derived fuels with additives which are non-toxic and non-explosive along with different oxidizers. Such fuels could replace conventional toxic and explosive fuels, and are planned to be used on the NASA sounding rockets. The goal of the research is to study the combustion of bio-derived fuels, obtain regression rates, compare operational parameters of HPREs and investigate losses of melted unburned bio-derived fuels. A small-scale HPRE, test fixture and instrumentation system have been designed, manufactured, assembled and used for the combustion research and analysis. The results of the research were presented at the 50 and 51 AIAA Meeting and Exhibits, and SciTech, 52 Aerospace Sciences Meeting. The following paper summarizes recent research results on the combustion of paraffin and paraffin with aluminum powder, represents new findings, such as regression rate formulas for the combustion of paraffin wax with 10% of aluminum powder obtained for two different grain port diameters, and discusses novel methodology and results for prediction of losses of unburned fuel based on the combustion products exhaust plume temperature measurements and thermodynamic calculations of the combustion of bio-derived fuels.
Retrospective Analysis of Survival in Patients with Acute Erythroid Leukemia (AML-6) Treated with Conventional Chemotherapy Versus Hypomethylating Agents

Abstract Background: AML-M6 is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia associated with poor prognosis. Hypomethylating agents (HMA) have not been extensively studied in patients with AML-6. Objective: To compare HMA therapy to conventional chemotherapy (CT) in patients with AML-6 Method: We reviewed 160 consecutive patients with AML-M6 treated with HMA (n=25) or CT (n=135) between 1980 and 2014. Patient clinical and demographic data were analyzed for contribution to survival and response outcomes. Results: The median patient age for our patients was 62 years (ranges, 16-87 years). Median follow-up was 56 months (range, 2-269 months). Poor cytogenetics, including complex karyotypes and chromosome 7 alteration, were observed in 96 (60%) patients including 62% of patients in the CT arm and 76% of patients in the HMA arm, respectively (p=0.002). Mean blast percentage was 24% (26% for CT patients versus 15% for HMA patients; p=0.001). ECOG Performance status ≥2 was present in 26 (16%) patients (17% of CT patients versus 16% of HMA patients; p=0.59). Patients who received HMA were older (median age 67 vs 59; p Overall, 44% of patients treated with HMA achieved complete remission (CR) versus 66% for those treated with CT (p=0.03). However, there were no significant differences in overall response rate (ORR) for patients treated with CT and HMA (67% vs 56%, respectively; p=0.359). By univariate analysis, variables associated with ORR were age, treatment modality (CT vs HMA), poor cytogenetics, and bone marrow blast percentage. Only poor risk cytogenetics maintained significant impact on multivariate analysis (ORR=0.36 [95% CI: 0.13-0.95]; p=0.039). Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 10 months (range, 8-12) for and 5 months (range, 3-6) respectively for the whole cohort. The 1-year OS and DFS rates were 39% and 27%, respectively. The 8-week mortality rate for patients treated with HMA and CT were 12% and 20%, respectively. In a Cox-regression multivariate model, variables with independent impact on OS were diagnosis prior to 2000 (HR=1.84 [95% CI: 1.12-3.02]; p = 0.016), age > 62 years (HR=2.03 [95% CI: 1.33-3.08]; p=0.001), CR (HR=0.301 [95% CI: 0.18-0.49]; p=0.000), poor cytogenetics (HR=4.85 [95% CI: 2.96-7.96]; p=0.000), and ECOG performance status ≥2 (HR=2.23 [95% CI: 1.21-4.09]; p=0.01). Considering only patients with complex cytogenetics and chromosome 7 abnormalities, there were no differences in median OS between CT and HMA (5 months vs 6 months; p=0.23) Conclusion: Our retrospective analysis found that HMA may be a good alternative to CT for patients with AML-M6. Patients treated with HMA had more favorable 1-year OS and DFS as well as lower 8-week mortality rates. These results were despite the fact that most of the patients treated in our HMA group had generally worse prognosis than those in the CT group. Disclosures Kantarjian: ARIAD: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding.
Diffusive mixing and Tsallis entropy.

Brownian motion, the classical diffusive process, maximizes the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy. The Tsallis q-entropy, which is non-additive, was developed as an alternative to the classical entropy for systems which are non-ergodic. A generalization of Brownian motion is provided that maximizes the Tsallis entropy rather than the Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy. This process is driven by a Brownian measure with a random diffusion coefficient. In addition, the distribution of this coefficient is derived as a function of q for 1 < q < 3. Applications to transport in porous media are considered.
Determination of trace lead in salt by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Objective:To establish an ICP-MS method to determine the trace lead in salt.Methods:209Bi was used as internal standards for eliminating matrix effect and signal drift and the instrument′s parameters were adjusted to good state.External calibration was applied for making calibration curve.Results:The limit of detection for lead in salt was 0.5 μg/L,the relative standard deviation was 1.7%~3.6% and recovery rate was 95%～109%.Conclusion:It was showed that this method was sensitive,rapid with good accuracy,precision and low detection limit.It was a high efficient and feasible method which can be used for detection of lead in salt.
Noninvasive mechanical ventilation with the iron lung.

Use of the iron lung as a method of ventilatory support is making a comeback. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of continuous negative-pressure ventilation in a patient with neuromuscular disease and severe chest wall deformity. This noninvasive device not only corrected the patient’s ineffective breathing pattern and averted intubation, but its continued home use after discharge improved his overall quality of life.
Can the Bank Change

Since 1991, one division of the Bank has been devoted to ‘sustainable development.’ This division does not plan or approve projects, but it does engage in research. Since in principle the Bank wants all of the development it promotes to be sustainable, the results of this research should affect all the practice of the Bank. Within this division, fresh work is being done on a paradigm that is far superior to those discussed in Chapter 8 — a paradigm of genuinely sustainable development. In this paradigm social and environmental considerations cease to be mere epicycles and play a much larger role.
Efficacy of Staged Excision With Permanent Section Margin Control for Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanoma

Importance Melanoma arising in chronically photodamaged skin, especially on the head and neck, is often characterized by poorly defined clinical margins and unpredictable occult extension. Staged excision techniques have been described to treat these challenging melanomas. Objective To investigate the local recurrence rates and margin to clearance end points using staged excision with comprehensive hematoxylin-eosin–stained permanent section margin control. Design, Setting, and Participants In this observational cohort study performed from October 8, 1997, to December 31, 2006, with a median follow-up of 9.3 years, 806 patients with melanoma on the head and neck, where clinical occult extension is common, were studied at an academic medical center. Interventions Staged excision with comprehensive hematoxylin-eosin–stained permanent section margin control commonly known as the square technique. Main Outcomes and Measures Local recurrence rates and margin to clearance end points. Results A total of 806 patients (276 women [34.2%]; 805 white [99.9%]) with a median age at the time of first staged excision procedure of 65 years (range, 20-94 years) participated in the study. The estimated local recurrence rates were 1.4% at 5 years, 1.8% at 7.5 years, and 2.2% at 10 years. For each 50-mm 2 increase in the size of the clinical lesion, there was a 9% increase in the rate of local recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15; P = .02). The mean (SD) margin from lesion to clearance for melanoma in situ was 9.3 (5.1) mm compared with 13.7 (5.9) mm for invasive melanoma. For melanoma in situ, margins were clear after 5 mm or less in 232 excisions (41.1%) and after 10 mm or less in 420 excisions (74.5%). For invasive melanoma, margins were clear after 5 mm or less in 8 excisions (3.0%) and after 10 mm or less in 141 excisions (52.2%). Conclusions and Relevance Staged excision with comprehensive permanent section margin control of melanomas arising in chronically sun-damaged skin on the head and neck has favorable recurrence rates when melanoma margins are difficult to assess, and recurrence rates are high with traditional techniques.
Critical Race Theory and Intercollegiate Athletics at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Prior to the 1960s, the sustainability of HBCU athletic programs was rooted in their unifying missions and interdependent relationships. However, following widespread assimilation efforts in the post-Civil Rights era, HBCU athletic programs suffered from the pillaging of Black athletic talent from the Black community to major Division I Historically White Colleges and Universities (HWCUs). Previous historical assessments of HBCUs’ athletic programs have confined their analysis to major historical events, the evolution of conference affiliations, and the attendance at various HBCU classic games. In this chapter, the authors utilized critical race theory (CRT) as an analytic tool to outline the multilevel challenges facing HBCU athletic programs within the structural arrangements of the USA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In an effort to improve the plight of HBCU athletic programs, the authors offer Ten Pillars for Active Engagement for Sport Leadership and Administration in Creating Athletic Organizational Success and Sustainability for autonomy governance as well as a secession plan as a pathway for success.
Physiological and Anatomical Factors Determining Fiber Structure and Utility

The yarn and textile industries rely on the cotton plant to produce desirable fibers, which for the purposes of manufacturing are essentially a material with particular physical properties. To some extent, current expectations of the industry and current fiber uses are dictated by what nature and human domestication of cotton gave the 19th and 20th centuries as a starting material. More than five millennia ago, humans realized the potential for spinning and weaving of the natural fibers that presumably aided cottonseed dispersal (Arthur, 1990). Hence, agriculturalists have long selected for higher-yielding, longer, and perhaps even stronger cotton fibers that were better suited for making yarns for cloth. Continuing since the industrial revolution, changes in manufacturing technology, fiber analysis potential, and consumer demands for higher quality end-products have led to more rapid improvement in the basic properties of the fiber (or combinations of desirable properties) through the efforts of cotton breeders. Fiber improvement is likely to accelerate in an increasingly sophisticated cotton industry and market that demands and rewards particular fiber properties. For example, cotton fiber strength has improved greatly in just the past decade after increasing use of cheaper rotor spinning put an increasing premium on strength to maintain high-quality yarn production, and automated HVI testing allowed strength to be monitored and at least partially factored into pricing at the gin (Chewning, 1992; Sasser, 1992; Lewis and Benedict, 1994). Also, genetic engineering offers the prospect of expanding the rather narrow potential of the domesticated cotton genomes (Wendel et al., 1992) by allowing targeted improvement in traditional fiber properties and addition of completely novel properties to fibers through changes in genetic composition or regulation (John, 1994).
The Effect of Increased Audit Disclosure on Managers' Real Operating Decisions: Evidence from Disclosing Critical Audit Matters

We investigate whether and how a "critical audit matter" (CAM) disclosure affects managers' real operating decisions in two contexts (issuing a loan that decreases versus increases the average risk...
Responses of pregnant ewes and young lambs to ovalbumin immunization, antiovalbumin antibody transfer to lambs, and temporal changes in antiovalbumin antibody.

Factors affecting the decay of maternally derived IgG and ability of neonatal lambs to produce protective amounts of their own IgG are not well understood. Thus, we conducted 3 experiments to quantify the 1) response of pregnant ewes to ovalbumin immunization, 2) antiovalbumin antibody (OV-IgG) transfer to lambs, 3) changes over time in OV-IgG in lambs, and 4) response of young lambs to ovalbumin immunization. In Exp. 1, ewes (n = 10/group) either received control (adjuvant + saline) or ovalbumin (ovalbumin + adjuvant + saline) injections at ≈ 42 and 14 d prepartum. Ovalbumin increased (P < 0.001) ewe serum and colostrum OV-IgG. Serum OV-IgG was greater (P < 0.0001) in lambs from ovalbumin-treated than in lambs from control ewes. In Exp. 2, lambs (n = 20/group), which were from ewes that had received ovalbumin prepartum, were given either control or ovalbumin injections on d 1 and 15 of age. From d 1 to 15, maternally derived OV-IgG was less (P < 0.04) in ovalbumin-treated than in control lambs. After d 15, OV-IgG was greater (P < 0.001) in ovalbumin-treated than in control lambs. In Exp. 3, lambs (n = 20/group), which were from ewes naive to ovalbumin, received 1 of 4 treatments: 1) d-1 + d-15 control injections; 2) d-1 + d-15 ovalbumin; 3) d-28 + d-42 control; and 4) d-28 + d-42 ovalbumin. In d-1 + d-15 ovalbumin lambs, OV-IgG increased (P < 0.001) from d 7 to 21 after treatment and then decreased (P < 0.004) after d 28. In d-28 + d-42 ovalbumin lambs, OV-IgG increased (P < 0.001) steadily until d 21 after treatment and then stabilized after d 21. At ≈ 159 d of age, lambs in each group received injections consistent with their original type. After the d-159 treatment, ovalbumin injection increased (P < 0.0001) OV-IgG, and the injection type × time interaction was significant (P < 0.0001). In d-28 + d-42 ovalbumin lambs, OV-IgG just before the d-159 injections was greater (P < 0.006) than that in the other groups. In this study, late pregnant ewes produced OV-IgG after ovalbumin injections and then transferred OV-IgG to lambs via colostrum. Ovalbumin treatment of young lambs reduced circulating maternally derived OV-IgG, but it also induced an immune response in the lambs. Overall, our results support recommendations to vaccinate ewes against common pathogens during late pregnancy and to ensure that lambs receive adequate colostrum soon after birth.
Lipid Phases Eye View to Lipofection. Cationic Phosphatidylcholine Derivatives as Efficient DNA Carriers for Gene Delivery

Efficient delivery of genetic material to cells is needed for tasks of utmost importance in laboratory and clinic, such as gene transfection and gene silencing. Synthetic cationic lipids can be used as delivery vehicles for nucleic acids and are now considered the most promising non-viral gene carriers. They form complexes (lipoplexes) with the polyanionic nucleic acids. A critical obstacle for clinical application of the lipid-mediated DNA delivery (lipofection) is its unsatisfactory efficiency for many cell types. Understanding the mechanism of lipid-mediated DNA delivery is essential for their successful application, as well as for rational design and synthesis of novel cationic lipoid compounds for enhanced gene delivery. According to the current understanding, the critical factor in lipid-mediated transfection is the structural evolution of lipoplexes within the cell, upon interacting and mixing with cellular lipids. In particular, recent studies with cationic phosphatidylcholine derivatives showed t...
Teaching Economic Inequality and Capitalism in Contemporary America Using Resources from the Federal Government

In this chapter, I provide insights into the ways instructors can use federal government resources to investigate economic inequality and capitalism in contemporary America. I provide a method for finding sources and mention specifically those data sets useful for understanding immigration, income, poverty, work, unemployment, jobs, higher education, debt levels, and health care. At the end, I suggest ways for instructors and students to access qualitative information as well as quantitative data.
Global Feedback Linearizability of Locally Linearizable Systems

This paper is dedicated to Wilfred Kaplan and to Georges Reeb as a token of my admiration and friendship.
Clonal Lines of Glial Cells

Extrapolations from gross brain biochemical studies to nervous system function at the cellular level have been extremely difficult because of the complex interrelationships among a variety of neuronal and glial cell types. As a result, numerous attempts have been made to separate the cell types prior to biochemical analysis. For example, Lowry (1953), Hyden (1959), and Hamberger (1963) have hand-dissected glia from neurons in order to study their metabolic relationships, and Roots and Johnston (1965) have used a “sieving-fishing” method for their studies. However, although useful cell separations can be achieved this way, the yields are necessarily low. More recently, a variety of gradient centrifugation methods producing larger quantities of cells have been developed for preparing brain fractions enriched for neurons (Bocci, 1966; Satake and Abe, 1966; Satake et al., 1968; Flangas and Bowman, 1968; Sellinger et al., 1971), glia (Korey et al., 1958; Fewster et al., 1967), or both (Rose, 1967, 1969; Rose and Sinha, 1969; Freysz et al., 1968; Blomstrand and Hamberger, 1969; Norton and Poduslo, 1970). However, although these preparations have yielded valuable biochemical information, the enrichments are only partial and the cell viability is uncertain, thus precluding many important experiments.
Alignment Effects and Allocentric-Headings within a Relative Heading Task

Human navigational abilities likely depend on the accuracy of coding one’s location and facing direction, either real or imagined. The ability to compare one’s current facing direction to a photograph’s facing direction was assessed using the Allocentric-Heading Recall task (Sholl et al., 2006). The angular difference between the facing directions (or allocentric-headings) produced an alignment effect, such that trials were easiest when the facing directions were aligned but hardest when contra-aligned. In the present study, a Relative Heading task was used to determine if the original alignment effect was due to the comparison of allocentric-headings or was due to interference from sensorimotor cues. To accomplish this, participants compared text or photographed headings and responded with a directional button-press. Failure to replicate the alignment effect suggested that inference from sensorimotor cues contributed to the original effect. Thus, directional comparisons are impacted by an individual’s location and heading within an environment.
Resveratrol administration increases phagocytosis, decreases oxidative burst, and promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine production in healthy dogs.

Abstract Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is safe to administer to dogs and has immunomodulating properties. Canine in vitro work indicated that resveratrol spared polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) phagocytosis but reduced the robustness of PMN oxidative burst and resulted in a pro-inflammatory leukocyte cytokine profile. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term effect of resveratrol on the healthy canine innate immune system in vivo. The hypothesis was that resveratrol would spare phagocytosis, depress the vigor of PMN oxidative burst, and result in a proinflammatory stimulated leukocyte cytokine profile in vivo. In an open-label study, whole blood was collected from 12 healthy, adult client-owned dogs on day 0 and 3. Six dogs received resveratrol, 200 mg kg−1, orally once daily for three days and six dogs served as controls with no supplement administered. Phagocytosis, oxidative burst and pathogen associated molecular pathogen stimulated leukocyte production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 were measured. Results between days 0 and 3 were compared using two way repeated measures analysis of variance and Fisher least significant difference method. A P -value of
Ammonia flux measurements above a corn canopy using relaxed eddy accumulation and a flux gradient system

Abstract Studies of NH3 flux over agricultural ecosystems in the USA are limited by low temporal resolution (typically hours or days) and sparse spatial coverage, with no studies over corn in the Midwest USA. We report on NH3 flux measurements over a corn canopy in Central Illinois, USA, using the relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) and flux gradient (FG) methods, providing measurements at 4 h and 0.5 h intervals, respectively. The REA and FG systems were operated for the duration of the 2014 corn-growing season. Flux-footprint analysis was used to select data from both systems, resulting in 82 concurrent measurements. Mean NH3 flux of concurrent measurements was 205 ± 300 ng m−2 s−1 from REA and 110 ± 256 ng m−2 s−1 from FG for all concurrent samples. Results from both methods were not significantly different at a 95% confidence level for all concurrent measurements. The FG system resolved NH3 emission peaks at 0.5 h averaging time that were otherwise un-observed with 4 h REA averaging. Two early-season peak emission periods were identified (DOY 130-132 and 140-143), where the timing and intensity of such emissions were attributed to a combination of urease inhibitor, applied as a field-management decision, and localized soil temperature and precipitation. Given the dependence of NH3 fluxes on multiple parameters, this study further highlights the need for increased spatial coverage and high temporal resolution (e.g.,
Role of texture analysis in breast MRI as a cancer biomarker: A review

Breast cancer is a known heterogeneous disease. Current clinically utilized histopathologic biomarkers may undersample tumor heterogeneity, resulting in higher rates of misdiagnosis for breast cancer. MRI can provide a whole-tumor sampling of disease burden and is widely utilized in clinical care. Texture analysis can provide a localized description of breast cancer, with particular emphasis on quantifying breast lesion heterogeneity. The object of this review is to provide an overview of texture analysis applications towards breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response evaluation and review the role of image-based texture features as noninvasive prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Level of Evidence: 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:927-938.
The Syracuse model for course and curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation

The procedure described in this article evolved from a design first implemented by the author in the mid-1960s. Extensive use over the years has led to development of the more generic and workable model discussed here. The model has been used successfully for workshops, course and curriculum design in institutions of varying sizes, and in most disciplines. While most instructional design models overlap to some degree, five factors make the Syracuse model somewhat unique: it is politically sensitive; it tests assumptions; it does not predetermine solutions; it is inexpensive to use; and program implementation can be fairly rapid. In addition, unlike most models, it tests faculty assumptions about both the content and the sequence of the instructional program.
Real-Time Rendering with Lighting Grid Hierarchy

We present an extension of the lighting grid hierarchy method for real-time rendering with many lights on the GPU. We describe efficient methods for parallel construction of the lighting grid hierarchy and using it with deferred rending. We also present a method for estimating shadows from many lights with a small number of shadow samples using the ray tracing API on the GPU. We show how our approach can be used for real-time global illumination computation with virtual point lights.
Reaction mechanisms: pericyclic reactions

This report surveys the 2010 literature on mechanisms of pericyclic reactions. Among the newer concepts highlighted in this year's studies are the distortion-interaction model of reactivity, the importance of CH-π interactions in controlling selectivity, and the catalysis of pericyclic reactions by transition metals and organocatalysts. This year, a substantial number of (4+3) cycloadditions and dyotropic rearrangements were examined; these reactions have received limited attention in the past.
Mellin Transforms: Boutet de Monvel’s Proof

In this chapter, we’ll see that Mellin transforms are a natural approach to proving the hard part of Loewner’s theorem. We’ve already seen several reformulations of the integral representation for matrix monotone functions on (0, ∞).
Learning to yield: body psychotherapy and complex posttraumatic stress disorder

ABSTRACTHistorically, the symptoms of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) have been difficult to treat. Due to the complex and varied manifestation of C-PTSD, treatment of symptoms is no...
Inferring Termite Colony Size Using Wood Consumption in Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) in Laboratory-Rearing Conditions

Termite colony size can influence its foraging activity, reproductive maturity, and, for pest species, potential for structural damage. Estimating colony size of subterranean termite species in field conditions has been challenging owing to their extensive foraging territory and their cryptic nesting habit and has primarily relied on mark-recapture methods. With laboratory-reared colonies in individual containers, determining colony size can be achieved by processing all termites from the nest material, which can be labor intensive and partially destructive. However, with the recent rise in the need of large laboratory colonies for use in colony-wide experimental protocols, there was an imperative to develop a procedure to estimate initial colony sizes without imposing a major stress on colonies before an experiment. In this study, the average daily wood consumption of whole colonies was used to infer the colony size of two Coptotermes, Wasmann (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) species and their hybrids in laboratory-rearing conditions. Correlations between the daily wood consumption and several demographic variables within colonies were established. Linear models varied across all species mating types with R2 values greater than 0.8 for all demographic variables. For colonies from all mating combinations, Pearson's correlation coefficient values were greater than 0.94 between their daily wood consumption and both the number of workers and total number of termites, and greater than 0.91 between daily wood consumption and colony mass. Therefore, in colonies with fixed laboratory conditions, their average daily wood consumption determination, which is nondestructive on colonies, can be used to infer colony size of subterranean termites.
Inside ILSI: How Coca-Cola, Working through Its Scientific Nonprofit, Created a Global Science of Exercise for Obesity and Got It Embedded in Chinese Policy (1995–2015)

CONTEXT Industry influence on health science and policy is a critical issue of our day. In 2015 the New York Times revealed that Coca-Cola paid scientists to form a Global Energy Balance Network promoting the notion that exercise, not dietary restraint, is the solution to the obesity epidemic-a claim few accept. This article examines the organizational dynamics and policy process behind Coke's efforts to sway obesity policy-globally and in China, a critical market-during 1995-2015. METHODS In-depth, qualitative research during 2013-18 involved 10 weeks of fieldwork in Beijing, interviews with 25 leading experts, analysis of newsletters documenting all major obesity-related activities in China, interviews with 10 Euro-American experts, and extensive internet research on all major actors. FINDINGS This article tells two intertwined stories (institutional dynamics, science making and policy making) at global and local-Chinese levels. Coke succeeded in redirecting China's obesity science and policy to emphasize physical activity. Key to its success was the industry-funded global nonprofit International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). Beneath ILSI's public narrative of unbiased science and no policy advocacy lay a maze of hidden channels companies used to advance their interests. Working through those channels, Coca-Cola influenced China's science making and policy making during every phase in the policy process, from framing the issues to drafting official policy. CONCLUSIONS Though China is exceptional, ILSI promoted exercise globally, suggesting potentially significant impacts in other ILSI-branch countries.
Atomic spectra in a six-level scheme for electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting in Rydberg atoms

We investigate electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes splitting in Rydberg rubidium atoms for a six-level excitation scheme. In this six-level system, one radio-frequency field simultaneously couples to two high-laying Rydberg states and results in interesting atomic spectra observed in the EIT lines. We present experimental results for several excitation parameters. We also present two theoretical models for this atomic system, where these two models capture different aspects of the observed spectra. One is a six-level model used to predict dominant spectral features and the other a more complex eight-level model used to predict the full characteristics of this system. Both models shows very good agreement with the experimental data.
Transgender patients’ satisfaction with their mental health providers prior to gender affirming surgery

Given the World Professional Association for Transgender Health guidelines requiring patients to present letters from mental health professionals prior to gender affirming surgery (GAS), this study...
Mapping Support for a Revolution: Evidence from Ukraine

Using a unique and previously untapped dataset of telegrams sent to student hunger strikers in Soviet Ukraine, this article examines spatial dispersion of civil resistance in a repressive political...
Media-Based Modulation with Reconfigurable Intelligent Metasurfaces: Design and Performance

With increasing global wireless connectivity in spectrum-limited congested urban environments, next-generation wireless networks require communications systems that achieve high spectral efficiency at low RF costs. In this context, media-based modulation (MBM) is a recently proposed form of index modulation with data rate, error performance, and hardware benefits. The MBM is a channel modulation technique that employs radiation pattern states of a reconfigurable antenna to encode the information bits. In this paper, we introduce large intelligent reconfigurable metasurface (R-MTS) to implement MBM in beyond fifth-generation (5G) systems. We present a system model for R-MTS-based MBM and design such a surface to demonstrate radiation pattern diversity in a realistic 5G communications system. Our numerical experiments show superior performance of R-MTS MBM in terms of bit error rate (BER) performance over traditional M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) techniques.
The aversion positivity: Mediofrontal cortical potentials reflect parametric aversive prediction errors and drive behavioral modification following negative reinforcement.

Abstract Reinforcement learning capitalizes on prediction errors (PEs), representing the deviation of received outcomes from expected outcomes. Mediofrontal event-related potentials (ERPs), in particular the feedback-related negativity (FRN)/reward positivity (RewP), are related to PE signaling, but there is disagreement as to whether the FRN/RewP encode signed or unsigned PEs. PE encoding can potentially be dissected by time-frequency analysis, as frontal theta [4–8 Hz] might represent poor outcomes, while central delta [1–3 Hz] might instead represent rewarding outcomes. However, cortical PE signaling in negative reinforcement is still poorly understood, and the role of cortical PE representations in behavioral reinforcement learning following negative reinforcement is relatively unexplored. We recorded EEG while participants completed a task with matched positive and negative reinforcement outcome modalities, with parametrically manipulated single-trial outcomes producing positive and negative PEs. We first demonstrated that PEs systematically influence future behavior in both positive and negative reinforcement conditions. In negative reinforcement conditions, mediofrontal ERPs positively signaled unsigned PEs in a time window encompassing the P2 potential, and negatively signaled signed PEs for a time window encompassing the FRN/RewP and frontal P3 (an “aversion positivity”). Central delta power increased parametrically with increasingly aversive outcomes, contributing to the “aversion positivity”. Finally, negative reinforcement ERPs correlated with RTs on the following trial, suggesting cortical PEs guide behavioral adaptations. Positive reinforcement PEs did not influence ERP or time-frequency activity, despite significant behavioral effects. These results demonstrate that mediofrontal PE signals are a mechanism underlying negative reinforcement learning, and that delta power increases for aversive outcomes might contribute to the “aversion positivity.”
Acute cholecystitis: diagnostic value of dual-energy CT-derived iodine map and low-keV virtual monoenergetic images

To compare conventional and dual-energy CT (DECT) for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and gangrene. Fifty-seven consecutive adult patients with abdominal pain who underwent IV contrast-enhanced abdominal DECT on a dual-layer (dlDECT) or rapid-switching (rsDECT) scanner from September, 2018 to April, 2021 with cholecystectomy and pathology-confirmed cholecystitis were retrospectively reviewed, and compared with 57 consecutive adult patients without cholecystitis from the same interval scanned with DECT. Images were reviewed independently by two abdominal radiologists with 12 and 16 years of experience in two sessions 4 weeks apart, blinded to clinical data. Initially, only blended reconstructions (simulating conventional single-energy CT images) were reviewed (CT). Subsequently, CT and DECT reconstructions including low-keV virtual monoenergetic images and iodine maps were reviewed. Gallbladder fossa hyperemia, pericholecystic fluid, subjective presence of gangrene, heterogeneous wall enhancement, sloughed membranes, intramural air, abscess, overall impression of the presence of acute cholecystitis, and intramural iodine density were assessed. Gallbladder fossa hyperemia was detected with increased sensitivity on DECT (R1, 61.4%; R2, 75.4%) vs. CT (R1, 22.8%; R2, 15.8%). DECT showed increased sensitivity for gangrene (R1, 24.6%; R2, 38.6%) vs. CT (R1, 5.3%; R2, 14%), heterogeneous wall enhancement (DECT: R1, 33.3%; R2, 63.2% vs. CT: R1, 7%; R2, 31.6%), and cholecystitis (DECT: R1, 86%; R2, 89.5% vs. CT: R1, 77.2%; R2, 70.2%). In addition, DECT was more sensitive for the detection of acute cholecystitis (R1, 86%; R2, 89.5%) vs. CT (R1, 77.2%; R2, 70.2%). Iodine density threshold of 1.2 mg/ml, 0.8 mg/mL, and 0.5 mg/mL showed specificity for gangrenous cholecystitis of 78.26%, 86.96%, and 95.65%, respectively, using the rsDECT platform. DECT showed improved sensitivity compared to conventional CT for detection of acute cholecystitis. Iodine density measurements may be helpful to diagnose gangrene.
Theoretical Minimum Thermal Load in Buildings

Summary Building cooling and heating accounts for a large portion of total global energy use and requires commensurate amounts of resources, which contribute significantly to global warming. Traditionally, addressing this issue has meant improving the efficiency of equipment supplying the thermal energy, reducing envelope heat transfer, and reducing air infiltration. However, this approach is already reaching practical limits. In this perspective, we explore (1) how to reduce thermal load in buildings theoretically and (2) how to achieve that reduction and dramatically lower the energy required to support building loads practically. First, we discuss our framework developed for calculating the theoretical minimum thermal load (TMTL) in buildings. Our analysis shows that current thermal loads in buildings are more than an order of magnitude higher than the TMTL. We also introduce an approximate formula to calculate energy savings from zonal control of thermal load, which shows that the majority of zonal control benefits can be achieved with fewer than 10 zones. Then, we discuss pros and cons of various approaches and strategies to achieve the TMTL. We conclude our perspective with some longer-term R&D ideas, such as thermally adaptive clothing and thermal storage to help approach the TMTL, while providing the additional benefit of interacting with the renewable grid of the future.
Setting the Stage for Youth-Led Devised Theatre for Social Change: Reflective Collaborative Inquiry on “Act Out Justice”

This study analyzes “Act Out Justice” (AOJ), a youth theatre for social change initiative of Orlando Repertory Theatre and the University of Central Florida. Employing AOJ’s model of reflective col...
The Large Deviation Theory of Importance Sampling Estimators

In this section we first prove a very general theorem regarding the variance rate of importance sampling estimators. At first sight the setting may appear to be fairly abstract but we argue that the level of generality presented here will pay dividends later on. We encourage the reader to follow the problem setup given here with some care and then compare it with the first example given below to see how this framework is actually used.
Abstract 1790: Caloric restriction can increase the efficacy of radiation in both hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant prostate cancers by downregulating the IGF-1R pathway

Locally advanced prostate cancers (LAPC) are aggressive, have poor prognosis, and are associated with high recurrence rates and conversion to castrate resistance. The molecular underpinnings of LAPC are being investigated to identify novel therapeutics. Animal models have shown that caloric restriction (CR) can potentially prevent the initiation of prostate cancer. We propose that CR may be used as a novel therapeutic intervention to enhance outcomes of radiation treatment by altering the molecular profile of prostate tumors. To assess the effect of CR with radiation in vivo, eighty 6 week old male nude mice were injected with LNCaP (hormone sensitive) or PC3 (hormone refractory) tumor cells. Once tumors were palpable, mice were randomized to be treated with one of 4 conditions: ad libitum (AL) diet, 8Gy of radiation (RT), 30% reduction in caloric intake (CR), or CR+RT. CR was associated with significant reduction in tumors. After PC3 tumor injection, compared with AL, the mice had a 22% reduction in tumor size with radiation, 77% with CR (p For the first time, we have shown that the efficacy of radiation can be increased by decreasing calories by 30% in both hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory prostate cancer models. Future clinical trials for both hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant prostate cancers should consider the innovative use of CR to augment standard cancer therapy as it has the potential to change the biology of tumors and enhance the opportunity for clinical benefit. Citation Format: Sunny Y. Han, Tu D. Dan, Tiziana De Angelis, John Y. Han, Mak Sarich, Peter Carroll, Karen Knudsen, Adam Dicker, Nicole L. Simone. Caloric restriction can increase the efficacy of radiation in both hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant prostate cancers by downregulating the IGF-1R pathway. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1790. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1790
Properties determined by the Ihara zeta function of a Graph

In this paper, we show how to determine several properties of a finite graph $G$ from its Ihara zeta function $Z_{G}(u)$. If $G$ is connected and has minimal degree at least 2, we show how to calculate the number of vertices of $G$. To do so we use a result of Bass, and in the case that $G$ is nonbipartite, we give an elementary proof of Bass' result. We further show how to determine whether $G$ is regular, and if so, its regularity and spectrum. On the other hand, we extend work of Czarneski to give several infinite families of pairs of non-isomorphic non-regular graphs with the same Ihara zeta function. These examples demonstrate that several properties of graphs, including vertex and component numbers, are not determined by the Ihara zeta function. We end with Hashimoto's edge matrix T. We show that any graph $G$ with no isolated vertices can be recovered from its $T$ matrix. Since graphs with the same Ihara zeta function are exactly those with isospectral T matrices, this relates again to the question of what information about $G$ can be recovered from its Ihara zeta function.
Epistemic Racism/Sexism, Westernized Universities and the Four Genocides/Epistemicides of the Long Sixteenth Century

This chapter has been inspired by Enrique Dussel’s critique to Cartesian philosophy and his World-Historical work on the conquest of the Americas in the long sixteenth century.1 It aims at adding another dimension to his many contributions by looking at the Conquest of the Americas in relation to three other world-historical processes, namely the Conquest of Al-Andalus, the enslavement of Africans in the Americas and the killing of millions of women burned alive in Europe accused of being witches, in relation to knowledge structures.2 As Dussel focused on the genocidal logic of the Conquest of the Americas, this chapter draws on the implications of the four genocides of the sixteenth century to what Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2010) calls ‘epistemicide’, that is, the destruction of knowledges that was tied to the destruction of peoples. The focus is fundamentally on the emergence of modern/ colonial structures of knowledge as the foundational Epistemology of Westernized universities and its implications for the decolonization of knowledge.
A 12.7 Mchip/s all-digital BPSK direct sequence spread-spectrum IF transceiver in 1.2 /spl mu/m CMOS

Spread spectrum transmission, with its code division multiple access capability, meets the stringent requirements in high-capacity wireless communication systems that must also be robust to multipath fading. A key component in the spread-spectrum radio is the transceiver. For integration into portable products such as notebook computers, it is desirable to have an integrated single-chip transceiver. The SSRX chip receiver presented in this paper is designed for low SNR loss by using a coherent architecture, allowing applications ranging from voice to data transmission. The three components in the coherent architecture are the Costas loop, the PN-acquisition loop, and the clock recovery loop. To maintain system stability, the loop bandwidths are chosen through simulation and each loop is isolated from the others during acquisition through a control sequence provided by a finite-state machine. >
Some impacts of restricting nuclear energy availability

Although the present average costs of generating electricity from nuclear reactors are less than the average cost of power from fossil fuel plants, the pressures for additional regulatory controls on nuclear power plants raise the possibility that nuclear power might become unavailable as an energy alternative. With the help of a model of U.S. interfuel competition developed at SRI, some of the implications of various alternative assumptions about the future availability of nuclear power are examined. The economic costs of a nuclear moratorium are evaluated for two different forecasts of energy demand growth. Although the loss of the nuclear option is offset by a substantial increase in eastern and western coal production, the net cost of this replacement-over 20 billion dollars annually by 2000-is substantial.
Fatty acid desaturase 3 null mouse biochemical phenotype (246.5)

Introduction. We report here generation of the first Fads3 knockout (KO) mouse and initial observations about its biochemical phenotype. Fatty acid desaturase 3 (FADS3) is a member of the FADS gene...
14 – Dynamic Analysis of Constrained, Combined, and Stepped Beams

A constrained beam is a uniform Euler–Bernoulli beam with p sets of attached springs, lumped masses, and dampers (SMD), where x i , k i , m i , and c i are the location, the spring, mass, and the damping coefficients of the i th SMD set, respectively. The chapter offers a toolbox of MATLAB functions for the modeling and dynamic analysis of constrained beams. The solution by the toolbox follows two steps—setting up system parameters and boundary conditions; and computing and displaying the system response. In the design of a beam structure, it is often of interest to examine the variation of its eigenvalues subjected to the change in a parameter of an attached SMD set, such as the natural frequencies of the beam structure vary when the spring coefficient k changes. When the coefficient of an attached spring goes to infinite, that spring behaves like a hinge or a pin. This feature can be used in the modeling and analysis of multispan beam structures.
Low-power GPS receiver design

This paper describes the design of a low-power global positioning system (GPS) receiver implemented in CMOS technology. The primary GPS ranging signal is broadcast at a frequency of 1.575 GHz, modulated by a pseudo-noise sequence at a chip rate of 1 MHz. The design of this low-power GPS receiver emphasizes the circuit techniques and architectural trade-offs employed in minimizing the energy needed for each position estimate.
Electrochemical grafting of an aryl fluorosulfonimide electrolyte onto glassy carbon.

Robust bonded layers of an aromatic fluorosulfonimide electrolyte were created on glassy carbon disk and plate electrodes by electroreduction of a new fluorosulfonimide aryl diazonium zwitterion. Formation of the bonded layer was confirmed by XPS of the modified surfaces and also by the effect of the bound layer on reduction/oxidation of redox-active probe molecules. Surface coverage in the monolayer range was achieved. Counterions for as-formed layers were initially tetra-alkylammonium ions from the coating electrolyte but could subsequently be exchanged for other cations by exposure to salt solutions. The bonded layers are very stable with respect to treatment with solvents (water and/or acetonitrile), dry heat (120 °C), and hot acid (triflic acid, 80 °C, neat and containing 50 wt % water); however, they are unstable with respect to electro-oxidative scanning in aqueous electrolyte solutions.