cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model for the accumulation of radionuclides in oysters and sediments.

THE time variation of the concentration of γ-ray emitting radionuclides has been measured and modelled in a stable population of American oysters (C. virginica), and associated estuarine sediments. Radionuclide concentrations were measured for the natural radionuclides 212Pb and 40K and for the man-made radionuclides 58Co, 60Co, 54Mn, 95Nb, 134Cs and 137Cs using a Ge(Li) detector with a massive lead shield and multichannel analyser. Measured concentrations of the most abundant man-made radionuclides observed in this study (58Co, 60Co, and 54Mn) were compared with concentrations calculated with a mathematical model for the accumulation and loss of these radionuclides by oysters and sediments.
A step toward disentangling the alliance/improvement cycle in family therapy.

The authors focused on 2 unique aspects of the alliance in conjoint therapy: feeling safe in the therapeutic context with other family members and the family’s shared sense of purpose about treatment (i.e., productive within-family collaboration). Low-income, multiproblem families were seen in a community clinic by therapists with varying theoretical orientations and a wide range of experience. Alliance-related behavior was assessed using the System for Observing Family Therapy Alliances (M. L. Friedlander, V. Escudero, & L. Heatherington, 2006). The significant mediated model showed that parent safety contributed to productive family collaboration in the 1st session, which, in turn, predicted global improvement rated after Session 3. Given the heterogeneous sample of clients, therapists, and therapy approaches, findings support the ecological validity of the alliance in family therapy.
Spatial memory impairments following damage to the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus in rhesus monkeys.

The present study assessed whether the mediodorsal nucleus (MD) of the primate thalamus subserves some of the same learning and memory functions mediated by its prefrontal cortical projection areas. Behavioral effects of MD lesions were evaluated in 14 young adult rhesus monkeys, using tests known to be sensitive to damage in different regions of the prefrontal cortex. Performance on a spatial delayed alternation task was significantly (P < 0.01) impaired by MD lesions, and this impairment was significantly correlated (rs = 0.52) with damage to the posterior half of the mediodorsal nucleus. Such damage was also correlated significantly (rs = 0.51) with performance on another spatial memory task, delayed response; monkeys that sustained the largest lesions of the posterior mediodorsal nucleus were significantly (P < 0.05) impaired on this task relative to operated animals suffering the least posterior MD damage. In contrast to their performance on spatial memory tasks, operated animals were not impaired on tests of object reversal or visual pattern discrimination. These results indicate that lesions of the mediodorsal nucleus can elicit a specific syndrome of spatial memory loss qualitatively similar to that observed after damage to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Observational study of cerebral hemodynamics during dopamine treatment in hypotensive ELBW infants on the first day of life.

Observational study of cerebral hemodynamics during dopamine treatment in hypotensive ELBW infants on the first day of life
The effect of soil temperature on survival ofFusarium oxysporum f.melonis (Leach and Currence) Snyder and Hansen

Most of the washed conidia ofFusarium oxysporum f.melonis introduced into either autoclaved or naturally infested soils disappeared after 30 days incubation at temperatures between 5 and 30°C, but more rapid decline in population took place at the higher temperatures and in naturally infested soil. The population of f.melonis after 14 months incubation was greatest at 15 and lowest at 5°C in both autoclaved and nonautoclaved soils. The survival units were chlamydospores associated with the previously invaded organic particles. This association is considered to be an important factor in the organism's survival in soil.
Characterization of the Electronic Excited-State Energetics and Solution Structure of Lanthanide(III) Complexes with the Polypyridine Ligand 6,6'-Bis(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine

Absorption, emission, and excitation spectra for solid-state and solution of Tb(III), Dy(III), and Gd(III) complexes with the polypyridine ligand 6,6′-bis[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-aminomethyl]-2,2′-bipyridine (C36H34N8) are presented. Measurements of excited-state lifetimes and quantum yields in various solvents at room temperature and 77 K are also reported and used to characterize the excited-state energetics of this system. Special attention is given to the characterization of metal-to-ligand energy transfer efficiency and mechanisms. The measurement of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) from the solution of the Dy(III) complex following circularly polarized excitation confirms the chiral structure of the complexes under study. No CPL is present in the luminescence from the Eu(III) or Tb(III) complex because of efficient racemization. The variation of the magnitude of the CPL as a function of temperature from an aqueous solution of DyL is used for the first time to characterize the solution equilibria between different chiral species.
Effects of methylene blue-treated plasma on red cells and stored platelet concentrates.

BACKGROUND: Photochemical methods can effectively inactivate extracellular viruses and bacteria found in blood components. Treatment of plasma with methylene blue (MB), a phenothiazine dye, and visible light inactivates enveloped viruses including HIV-1. The effects of MB-treated plasma on cellular components stored in vitro have not been well characterized. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: MB-treated plasma (83 μg MB/250 mL plasma) was added to single-donor platelets, stored AS-1 red cells (RBCs), irradiated RBCs, and frozen-deglycerolized RBCs. In vitro platelet assays performed after 1 and 5 days of storage in MB-treated plasma included pH, pO2, pCO2, HCO3, platelet number, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, osmotic recovery, and CD62 expression. RBC components were examined at specific intervals for leakage of potassium, plasma hemoglobin level, and percentage of hemolysis. Direct antiglobulin tests, osmotic fragilities, and RBC antigen stability tests were also performed on RBCs stored in MB-treated plasma. Components stored with autologous plasma or nontreated allogeneic plasma served as controls. RESULTS: Similar storage-induced changes in pH, glucose, and platelet numbers, as well as increases in lactate dehydrogenase, CD62 expression, and lactate were seen in single-donor platelets stored with MB-treated and control plasma. Platelet morphology scores and osmotic recoveries were not altered. Plasma hemoglobin and potassium and percentage of hemolysis increased equally in the various RBC components stored with MB-treated or nontreated plasma. Osmotic fragility and RBC antigen stability were not appreciably altered by MB-treated plasma. CONCLUSION: Plasma treated by MB photoinactivation can be used for in vitro resuspension and storage of platelets or RBCs, because of the lack of influence of MB-treated plasma on a variety of in vitro platelet and RBC assays.
Lazy Reconfiguration Forest (LRF) - An Approach for Motion Planning with Multiple Tasks in Dynamic Environments

We present a novel algorithm for robot motion planning in dynamic environments. Our approach extends rapidly-exploring random trees (RRTs) in several ways. We assume the need to simultaneously plan and maintain paths for multiple tasks with respect to the current state of a moving robot in a dynamic environment. Our algorithm dynamically maintains a forest of trees by splitting, growing and merging them on the fly to adapt to moving obstacles and robot motion. In order to minimize tree maintenance, we only validate the task paths, rather than the entire forest. The root of the inhabited tree moves with the robot. Dynamic re-planning is integrated with tree and forest maintenance. Coupling the robot motion with the planner enables us to support multiple tasks, for example providing an "escape" path while moving to a goal. The robot is free to move along whichever task path it chooses. We highlight the work by showing fast results in simulated environments with moving obstacles.
Nonlinear optical loop mirror based on standard communication fiber

We numerically analyze the effectiveness of a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) based on standard communication fiber with randomly varying birefringence for demultiplexing streams of picosecond pulses at 100 GHz. A broad switching window of about three pulse full-width at half maximum (FWHM) can be obtained. The device performance is defined by the pulse duration, the dispersion of the fiber, and the fiber length. We show that imperfect averaging of the randomly varying birefringence causes amplitude fluctuations on the NOLM transmission curve. We also show that the Raman self-frequency shift does not affect the NOLM switching characteristics at picosecond pulse durations.
Dynamic context-aware access control for grid applications

The emerging grid infrastructure presents many challenges due to its inherent heterogeneity, multidomain characteristic, and highly dynamic nature. One critical challenge is providing authentication, authorization and access control guarantees. We present the SESAME dynamic context-aware access control mechanism for pervasive grid applications. SESAME complements current authorization mechanisms to dynamically grant and adapt permissions to users based on their current context. The underling dynamic role based access control (DRBAC) model extends the classic role based access control (RBAC). We also present a prototype implementation of SESAME and DRBAC with the Discover computational collaboratory and an experimental evaluation of its overheads.
The agent architecture of the University of Michigan digital library

The University of Michigan Digital Library (UMDL) architecture encapsulates the many functionalities required in a digital library as a population of modular, goal-oriented, specialised 'agents'. These agents participate in markets for exchanging goods and services, and team their abilities to compose complex services. Realising the UMDL agent architecture requires us to provide sound mechanisms to encapsulate functions as agents, protocols to support the evolution of teams and agent interactions through markets, and protocols to enable interoperability among library agents that are teamed. The software-engineering aspects of our effort (the tools, techniques and experiences gained) are the focus of this paper.
Predictors of glass transition in the biodegradable poly‐lactide and poly‐lactide‐co‐glycolide polymers

The biodegradable polylactide (PLA) and polylactide-co-glycolides (PLGAs) are being widely investigated for use as scaffolds in bone and ligament reconstruction. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) for these polymers are generally greater than 37°C, causing PLA and PLGA devices to possess brittle characteristics in physiological conditions. To evaluate the possibility of obtaining PLGA polymers with Tg values below 37°C, we evaluated the determinants of Tg in PLA and PLGA copolymers. The Tg, changes in specific heat capacity (ΔCp), and enthalpic relaxation (ΔHg) in two consecutive heating cycles were correlated with lactide/glycolide content and intrinsic viscosity [η] for PLA, PLGAs 90:10, 75:25, 65:35, and 50:50. A linear correlation was observed between Tg and intrinsic viscosity, with 0.1 dL/g increase in viscosity resulting in an increase in Tg by about 3.55°C. The selection of PLA and PLGA copolymers with [η] values <0.19 dL/g, corresponding to a viscosity average molecular weight of <70 kDa, will obtain PLA/PLGA polymers with Tg values below 37°C. The lowest attainable Tg values were found to be 28–30°C. Intrinsic viscosity also correlated with ΔCp differences between aged and rapidly cooled polymers, and is therefore important in predicting free volume changes within these polymers upon aging. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 1983–1987, 2006
Measurements of mineralization of phytoplankton detritus in an oligotrophic lake1

Rates of mineralization (decomposition) were determined by monitoring (/sup 14/C)CO/sub 2/ evolved from microbial respiration of naturally occurring particulate and dissolved phytoplankton material labeled with /sup 14/C. Added substrate concentrations approximated in situ levels. The design of the incubation bottle and (/sup 14/C)CO/sub 2/ trapping system provided a method for measuring mineralization rates in intact microbial communities under in situ temperatures and dissolved gas concentrations without extreme experimental manipulations. In short term incubations, bacteria appear to be the major agents of phytoplankton decomposition.
Microbiome Assembly across Multiple Body Sites in Low-Birthweight Infants

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the composition and richness of bacterial communities associated with low- birthweight (LBW) infants in relation to host body site, individual, and age. Bacterial 16S rRNA genes from saliva samples, skin swabs, and stool samples collected on postnatal days 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, and 21 from six LBW (five premature) infants were ampli- fied, pyrosequenced, and analyzed within a comparative framework that included analogous data from normal-birthweight (NBW) infants and healthy adults. We found that body site was the primary determinant of bacterial community composition in the LBW infants. However, site specificity depended on postnatal age: saliva and stool compositions diverged over time but were not significantly different until the babies were 15 days old. This divergence was primarily driven by progressive temporal turn- over in the distal gut, which proceeded at a rate similar to that of age-matched NBW infants. Neonatal skin was the most adult- like in microbiota composition, while saliva and stool remained the least so. Compositional variation among infants was marked and depended on body site and age. Only the smallest, most premature infant received antibiotics during the study period; this heralded a coexpansion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a novel Mycoplasma sp. in the oral cavity of this vaginally delivered, intubated patient. We conclude that concurrent molecular surveillance of multiple body sites in LBW neonates reveals a delayed compositional differentiation of the oral cavity and distal gut microbiota and, in the case of one infant, an abundant, unculti- vated oralMycoplasma sp., recently detected in human vaginal samples. IMPORTANCE Complications of premature birth are the most common cause of neonatal mortality. Colonization by the indige- nous microbiota, which begins at delivery, may predispose some high-risk newborns to invasive infection or necrotizing entero- colitis (NEC), and protect others, yet neonatal microbiome dynamics are poorly understood. Here, we present thefirst cultivation-independent time series tracking microbiota assembly across multiple body sites in a synchronous cohort of hospi- talized low-birthweight (LBW) neonates. We take advantage of archived samples and publically available sequence data and compare our LBW infantfindings to those from normal-birthweight (NBW) infants and healthy adults. Our results suggest po- tential windows of opportunity for the dispersal of microbes within and between hosts and support recentfindings of substantial baseline spatiotemporal variation in microbiota composition among high-risk newborns.
Automatically generating algebra problems

We propose computer-assisted techniques for helping with pedagogy in Algebra. In particular, given a proof problem p (of the form Left-hand-side-term = Righthand-side-term), we show how to automatically generate problems that are similar to p. We believe that such a tool can be used by teachers in making examinations where they need to test students on problems similar to what they taught in class, and by students in generating practice problems tailored to their specific needs. Our first insight is that we can generalize p syntactically to a query Q that implicitly represents a set of problems [[Q]] (which includes p). Our second insight is that we can explore the space of problems [[Q]] automatically, use classical results from polynomial identity testing to generate only those problems in [[Q]] that are correct, and then use pruning techniques to generate only unique and interesting problems. Our third insight is that with a small amount of manual tuning on the query Q, the user can interactively guide the computer to generate problems of interest to her.We present the technical details of the above mentioned steps, and also describe a tool where these steps have been implemented. We also present an empirical evaluation on a wide variety of problems from various sub-fields of algebra including polynomials, trigonometry, calculus, determinants etc. Our tool is able to generate a rich corpus of similar problems from each given problem; while some of these similar problems were already present in the textbook, several were new!.
Narrative Review: A Rational Approach to Starting Insulin Therapy

Tailoring insulin therapy to the blood glucose profiles of patients with diabetes is indisputably a rational strategy. Yet, with the advent of various insulin preparations, the pharmaceutical industry aggressively promotes products to fit the needs of most, if not all, patients with diabetes. Of note, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial investigators used several different insulin regimens to achieve blood glucose control in patients with type 1 diabetes (1), a population generally more homogeneous in terms of underlying pathophysiologic characteristics than those with type 2 diabetes. Thus, the need for an individualized approach to insulin therapy in patients with diabetes cannot be overemphasized. Nevertheless, certain subgroups of patients with diabetes can be differentiated from each other according to the pattern of blood glucose changes during the day. Therefore, profiling these groups may help practitioners rationally choose a particular insulin regimen. The insulin regimen should subsequently be modified on the basis of the individual’s response to therapy. We describe 3 common blood glucose profiles that represent typical patterns among patients with diabetes. On the basis of the blood glucose profile, we suggest an initial insulin regimen that would then be modified according to individual responsiveness. To prime the discussion, we briefly review the pharmacologic characteristics of currently available insulin products. This review is based on previously published manuscripts that were identified through a MEDLINE search
Internal Audit Issues Facing Corporate Audit Committees

The paper reviews and analyzes professional audit standards, audit committee charters, and research findings pertaining to audit committee oversight of internal auditing and assistance obtained from internal auditing. Issues examined are the development of internal audit charters, authorizing the acquisition of internal resources, reviewing and approving internal audit plans, making personnel decisions concerning the chief internal auditor, holding meetings with the chief internal auditor, and requesting special investigations from internal auditing.
Aspects in Complex Hyperbolicity

The purpose of this article is explain some aspects in complex hyperbolicity, through discussions of examples. We would focus our discussions on some recent results of Wing-Keung To and myself on Kobayashi hyperbolicity of some moduli space of polarized varieties, but would also mention some related results in complex hyperbolicity, as well as some examples for arithmetic problems related to hyperbolicity.
A New Public Philosophy for a New Railroad Era

This article begins an effort to demonstrate the relevance of the Refounding perspective to a new generation of public administrators, using railroad policy as an example. After introducing the Blacksburg Manifesto and the public philosophy that forms the normative grounding of the Refounding project, the article uses railroad administration, with its characteristics of corporatism and pluralism, to highlight the dominant Hamiltonian-Madisonian philosophy of public administration. Short-line railroads are discussed as an example of an alternative Jeffersonian public philosophy. The article concludes with thoughts on what a balanced normative grounding for railroad administration could look like and a call for further revitalization of the Refounding project.
The Blue Monday Hypothesis: Evidence About and Based on Fama-French Factors

This study provides empirical evidence on the Blue Monday hypothesis that a sizeable proportion of investors tend to be inherently pessimistic on Mondays relative to other days and this contributes to the famous Monday effect in stock returns. For the period 1971-2002, returns on most indices that track important segments of the Dow and Nasdaq stocks (Dow: industrial, transportation, and utility; Nasdaq: composite, industrial, bank, insurance, other financial, transportation, telecommunications, utility, biotech, and computers) exhibit a Monday effect. The strength of the Monday effect (Monday return minus the average return on other weekdays) is positively correlated over time between the various segments tracked by the indices. While Rm-Rf, and SMB exhibit a Monday pattern (i.e., Monday returns being lower than some of the other days), HML exhibits a reverse Monday pattern (i.e., Monday returns being higher than some of the other weekdays). This Monday pattern in Fama-French factors, however, does not fully account for the Monday effect in excess returns on various Dow and Nasdaq indices (index return minus Rf) because in the regression of index excess returns against the three Fama-French factors the intercepts and/or the residuals continue to exhibit a Monday pattern. Furthermore, the r-squared values in these regressions are higher on Mondays than on non-Mondays. The study argues that these findings are consistent with the Blue Monday hypothesis.
Doctrine and violence: The impact of combatant training on civilian killings

ABSTRACTMilitary theorists and practitioners have long argued that training shapes how combatants treat civilians during war. Yet there is little systematic evidence regarding the impact of training on wartime behavior, and almost none for non-state armed groups, despite the fact that such groups intensively train their fighters in order to shape their behavior towards civilian populations. This article argues that among insurgent groups that emphasize the strategic and tactical importance of restraint towards civilian populations, political training can reduce civilian killings. We test the observable implications of our theory in the case of Colombia, using survey data on former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) insurgents and sub-national data on civilian killings. We find support for our hypothesis, with results that are robust to a range of model specifications and controls, including alternate sources of combatant discipline and obedience, such as military training and punishment.
Heterotopic ossificans in chronic venous insufficiency: a new consideration for clinical, aetiology, anatomy and pathophysiology staging

Objectives:Heterotopic ossification is defined as the abnormal formation of true bone within extraskeletal soft tissues. It may be associated with a variety of clinical conditions, but is most freq...
Incorporatsion of 14C-docosahexaenoic acid into lipids of rats.

Summary14C-docosahexaenoic acid, prepared by administration of 14C1-linolenic acid to essential fatty acid-deficient rats, was isolated from liver phospholipids and converted to methyl docosahexaenoate, sp act 8 X 105 dpm/mg, purity about 90%. This was converted to the free acid and injected into rats. 14C-docosahexaenoic acid was incorporated mainly into carcass and liver. In liver, radioactivity appeared most rapidly in PE and later in PC. This behavior is unlike the incorporations of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n9, 18:2n6, or 20:4n6, which are all incorporated most quickly into PC. Most of the radioactivity was recovered as 22:6n3, although considerable activity was present in C-16 and C-18 chains.
Аналог теоремы Валирона—Гольдберга при ограничении на усреднённую считающую функцию множества корней

В стaтЬe дaнa в oпpeдeлённoм смыслe oптимaльпaя aсимптoтичeскaя оцenнka свepxy лoгapифмa мaксимyмa мoдуля цeлoй фупкции нeцeлoгo пopяdкa чepe3 мaжopaнтy yсpeднёнoй считaющeй фупкции eё кopпeй.
Wage Elasticity and the Short-Run Productivity Puzzle

Perfect competition implies stage two production for labor, where increased employment lowers productivity and decreased employment increases productivity. In contrast, empirical studies of individual firms and macroeconomic studies of the business cycle have document pro-cyclical productivity. This paper explains this productivity puzzle. Specifically, it is shown that recent estimates of the wage elasticity of labor supply to a firm (Manning, 2003, Booth and Katic, 2010, Depew and Sorensen, 2013, and others) are consistent with stage one production for labor with pro-cyclical productivity. It is also shown that in a two resource economy, pro-cyclical productivity implies stage three production for capital and a negative marginal product of capital. It is argued that both stage one production for labor and stage three production for capital have important policy implications.
Retrospective investigation on food poisoning in army

[Objective]To analyze the law of food poisoning in army,to formulate the scientific prevention and control measures.[Methods]The data of food poisoning cases occurred in a troop during 2001-2010 were analyzed by retrospective epidemiological method.[Results]There were 12 food poisoning incidents involving 251 people during ten years.The bacterial food poisoning accounted for 50%.66.7% of food poisoning occurred in company cafeteria and 75.0% occurred in quarter 2 and 3.[Conclusion]According to the characteristics of food poisoning,the health surveillance and education of food knowledge should be strengthened.
Condition of Two-week Prevalence Rate of Urban and Rural Residents in Weihai City

Objective To observe and analyze the condition of the two-week prevalence rate of urban and rural residents in Weihai city, to provide evidences for constituting corresponding hygienic policy for the government. Methods The objects who were selected with multistage cluster random sampling were investigated by questionnaires and the results were analyzed. Results The two-week prevalence rates of urban and rural residents in Weihai city were 73.3 and 109.4, respectively. The respiratory system diseases were the main diseases that influenced the two-week prevalence rate. The two-week prevalence rate of male was 83.7 and 118.7% of female; the two-week prevalence of urban residents who had free medicare was 180.6 and the rate was lower than 80 in that who had other forms of medicare; the education degree was the important factor which could influence the two-week prevalence rate. Conclusions The correlative index of Two-week prevalence rate of urban and rural residents is lower than the average level of country, the two-week prevalence rate of male and female in rural area is obvious higher than that of urban; the difference of two-week prevalence rate is obvious in residents who have different forms of medicare; the higher education degree people have, the less disease they suffer.
The Efficiency Calibration Methods in Measuring Environmental Samples by HPGe Gamma Spectrometer

The poor measurement accuracy of238 U and235U which emit low- energy gamma rays( 200 ke V)are existed in natural radioactive nuclide analysis in environmental samples using gamma spectrometer. In this paper,the accuracy of the obtained experimental results were improved significantly with the maximum relative error 8. 0% by using strong flexibility,wide applicable source- less efficiency calibration method,and considering the influence of various factors such as the absorption attenuation,the background deduct of characteristic peak and the geometry size of sample box.
Theories, theories everywhere

A general theory of software engineering has that there are two logical parts: design and evaluation, D and E, each of which as a theory T. The interesting question is "what is the relationship between these two theories in D and E". I first delineate a rich variety of theories related to D and E and consider these to be sub-theories critical to understanding the relationships between the theories in D and E. I then delineate these relationships in terms of different types of empirical evaluations. Doing so explains why empirical evaluations are a dominant part of software engineering projects and why these evaluations are so complex.
Children of Incarcerated Mothers

We review the literature on children whose mothers are incarcerated in jails or prisons. These children typically experience a great many risk factors besides their mothers' incarceration, including poverty, drug and alcohol problems in their families, community violence, and multiple changes in caregivers. Children's lives are greatly disrupted when mothers are arrested, and most children show emotional and behavioral problems. The impact this has depends on the age of the child, the alternate caregiving arrangements, and the course of the mother's incarceration. Children of incarcerated mothers experience internalizing (fear, withdrawal, depression, emotional disturbance) and externalizing (anger, fighting, stealing, substance abuse) problems, as well as heightened rates of school failure and eventual criminal activity and incarceration. Research in this area is scarce and often of poor quality. A research agenda which is guided by a transactional, ecological, and developmental model, and which examines children's well-being over the course of the mothers' incarceration is suggested.
Feedlot performance, blood metabolic profile and calcium status of steers fed high concentrate diets containing several levels of calcium.

Two feeding trials with Hereford X Angus steers were conducted to evaluate effects of dietary Ca level in high concentrate diets on feedlot performance, carcass traits, blood metabolic profile and Ca status. Dietary treatments of .3, .6, .9 and 1.2% Ca (10 steers treatment-1 X trial-1) were fed for 90 (Trial 1) and 114 d (Trial 2). Ground limestone was the source of supplemental Ca. Blood samples were collected weekly throughout Trial 1 and for the first 7 wk of Trial 2. In both trials .3% Ca resulted in lighter weight (P less than .10) carcasses and lower (P less than .05) blood pH and HCO-3 than the rest of the Ca levels during the first 7 wk of feeding the high concentrate diets. Average daily gain increased linearly (P less than .10) in response to increased dietary Ca level in Trial 1, but not in Trial 2. There were no significant differences among treatments in feed intake, carcass quality traits, bone ash, bone Ca, or overall characteristics in the blood metabolic profile including total serum or plasma Ca and plasma ionizable Ca. Increasing dietary Ca to .6% or more resulted in improved blood acid-base status during the initial weeks of feeding high concentrate diets, which is associated with heavier carcasses and a trend towards more rapid weight gain. I interpret these data to suggest that the Ca requirement for steers fed high concentrate diets is greater than .3%, but no greater than .6% for maximal feedlot performance.
Graphene Quantum Dot - Titania Nanoparticle Composite for Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) of different sizes were synthesized by the top-down approach, using charcoal as the precursor material. Size and absorption characteristics of synthesized GQDs were analyzed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL), and UV-vis Spectroscopy. The results showed that GQDs with an average height of 8.5 nm, synthesized at a relatively lower temperature of 85°C, exhibited higher UV and visible light absorption. GQD concentration was varied to form 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 wt.% GQD-titania (TiO2) nano composites. Surface morphology of the composite was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Photocatalytic activity of the samples was assessed from methylene blue dye degradation in UV irradiation at 340nm. A distinguishable trend for pure TiO2 and composites at various concentrations were observed.
Scaling and automation of a high-throughput single-cell-derived tumor sphere assay chip.

Recent research suggests that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are the key subpopulation for tumor relapse and metastasis. Due to cancer plasticity in surface antigen and enzymatic activity markers, functional tumorsphere assays are promising alternatives for CSC identification. To reliably quantify rare CSCs (1–5%), thousands of single-cell suspension cultures are required. While microfluidics is a powerful tool in handling single cells, previous works provide limited throughput and lack automatic data analysis capability required for high-throughput studies. In this study, we present the scaling and automation of high-throughput single-cell-derived tumor sphere assay chips, facilitating the tracking of up to ∼10 000 cells on a chip with ∼76.5% capture rate. The presented cell capture scheme guarantees sampling a representative population from the bulk cells. To analyze thousands of single-cells with a variety of fluorescent intensities, a highly adaptable analysis program was developed for cell/sphere counting and size measurement. Using a Pluronic® F108 (poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)) coating on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a suspension culture environment was created to test a controversial hypothesis: whether larger or smaller cells are more stem-like defined by the capability to form single-cell-derived spheres. Different cell lines showed different correlations between sphere formation rate and initial cell size, suggesting heterogeneity in pathway regulation among breast cancer cell lines. More interestingly, by monitoring hundreds of spheres, we identified heterogeneity in sphere growth dynamics, indicating the cellular heterogeneity even within CSCs. These preliminary results highlight the power of unprecedented high-throughput and automation in CSC studies.
Post Situ neutron and gamma radiation damage tests on different quartz types

Post-Situ neutron and gamma radiation damage studies performed on seven types of quartz fibers are reported. All fibers contained quartz cores, some of which were UV enhanced. The fiber cladding was either polymer or quartz, while the buffer was either polymide or acrylite. Previous studies with electron and proton irradiation on numerous types of quartz fibers have shown different optical degradation levels. However, neutron and gamma irradiation has not been investigated for similar quartz fibers before. After 17.6 × 104 Gray of neutron and 73.5 × 104 Gray of gamma radiation, wavelength specific damage to each type of fibers was determined. It is seen that the FBP type quartz fiber by Polymicro shows the least damage due to neutron and gamma radiations.
Genome Sequences of Nine Gram-Negative Vaginal Bacterial Isolates

The vagina is home to a wide variety of bacteria that have great potential to impact human health. Here, we announce reference strains (now available through BEI Resources) and draft genome sequences for 9 Gram-negative vaginal isolates from the taxa Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Fusobacterium, Proteus, and Prevotella.
Using Vivado-HLS for Structural Design: a NoC Case Study (Abstract Only)

There have been ample successful examples of applying Xilinx Vivado's "function-to-module" high-level synthesis (HLS) where the subject is algorithmic in nature. In this work, we carried out a design study to assess the effectiveness of applying Vivado-HLS in structural design. We employed Vivado-HLS to synthesize C functions corresponding to standalone network-on-chip (NoC) routers as well as complete multi-endpoint NoCs. Interestingly, we find that describing a complete NoC comprising router submodules faces fundamental difficulties not present in describing the routers as standalone modules. Ultimately, we succeeded in using Vivado-HLS to produce router and NoC modules that are exact cycle- and bit-accurate replacements of our reference RTL-based router and NoC modules. Furthermore, the routers and NoCs resulting from HLS and RTL are comparable in resource utilization and critical path delay. Our experience subjectively suggests that HLS is able to simplify the design effort even though much of the structural details had to be provided in the HLS description through a combination of coding discipline and explicit pragmas. The C++ source code and a more extensive description of this work can be found at http://www.ece.cmu.edu/calcm/connect_hls.
Comparison of California Bearing Ratio and Pin Puncture Strength Testing Used in the Evaluation of Geotextiles

Geotextiles are commonly used in pavements, earth retaining structures, and landfills, as well as in other geotechnical applications. The puncture strength test evaluates the ability of geotextiles to withstand stresses and loads during construction, which are among the severe conditions that geotextiles can experience. ASTM has recently replaced the standard pin puncture strength test, D4833, with the California bearing ratio (CBR) puncture strength test, D6241. However, many state departments of transportation and the FHWA still refer to ASTM D4833. Other state departments of transportation refer to ASTM D4833 and to D6241 or provide a list of alternative test methods to be considered in place of either of these tests. The objective of this research was to correlate the CBR and pin puncture strengths for various categories of geotextiles, regardless of weave type and mass per unit area. Five types of polypropylene geotextiles, three nonwoven and two woven, were subjected to testing in accordance with AS...
Culture and Motivation: A Socio-Ecological Approach

Abstract In this chapter, we focus on how culture influences motivational processes and why cultural differences in motivation emerge. We first trace cultural research on motivation since the early 20th century and highlight important studies exploring cultural differences in motivation such as approach/avoidance, uniqueness/conformity, and choice. Next, we introduce a socio-ecological approach as a useful framework to explain observed cultural differences in motivation. We provide evidence that cultural differences in motivation could be explained by different social ecologies including residential mobility, population density, and economic and environmental threats. Finally, we discuss the implications of the socio-ecological approach and potential future agendas of cultural research on motivation.
The Responsibilities and Role of Business in Relation to Society: Back to Basics?

In this address, I outline a “back to basics” approach to specifying the responsibilities and role of business in relation to society. Three “basics” comprise the approach. The first is arguing that basic principles of ordinary morality, such as a duty not to harm, provide an adequate basis for specifying the responsibilities of business managers. The second is framing the role of business in society by looking to the values realized by the basic building blocks of contemporary economic activity, i.e., markets and firms. The third is making explicit the basic institutions that structure the background against which business operates. The aim is to develop a plausible framework for managerial decision making that respects the fact of value pluralism in a global economy and that fosters meaningful criticism of current business practices while remaining sufficiently grounded in contemporary circumstances so as to be relevant for managers.
Abstract 37: Association between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Subfractions and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness

Background Recent trials have challenged the protective effect of HDL in atherosclerosis, implicating the need to shift the focus from total HDL concentration to its function and major subfractions. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relation between HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), an early indicator of atherosclerosis and surrogate marker of ischemic stroke. Methods In NOMAS, a prospective population-based study of the incidence and risk factors of stroke, we evaluated 1041 participants (mean age 68±9 years; 38% men; 62% Hispanic, 19% black, 17% white) with available data on HDL subfractions and carotid IMT assessed by a high-resolution 2D carotid ultrasound. Carotid IMT was a composite measure of the mean IMT in all carotid artery segments. The cross-sectional association between HDL-subfractions and IMT was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results We mean±SD of total HDL was 46.15±14.25 mg/dl (median = 44.00), HDL2 14.59±8.29 mg/dl (median = 13.00), HDL3 31.06±8.32 mg/dl (median = 32.00). The mean IMT was 0.90±0.08 mm. After controlling for demographics, LDL, triglycerides, and cholesterol-lowering medication, a strong association was observed between total HDL (per SD, beta=-0.008, p= 0.01), HDL2 (per SD, beta=-0.006, p=0.03) and HDL3 (per SD, beta=-0.007 p=0.01) in relation to IMT. A significant interaction was observed between diabetes (vs. non-diabetes) and HDL2 in relation to IMT (p=0.01; -0.018mm). Conclusion The observed strong independent inverse associations between HDL, HDL2 and HDL3 and carotid IMT. HDL2 was only significantly associated with IMT among individuals with diabetes. These observations show novel evidence for a potential role of HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions, providing the opportunity to develop novel HDL-targeted therapies for the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Relaxin and Genealogy

Relaxin has been a fascinating molecule for the protein chemists, biologists and for a group of adventurous physicians. Protein designers will be more cautious after learning from relaxin that as little as a methyl group, more or less clear across the molecule away from the binding-site can reduce activity by an order of magnitude. In the context of molecular genealogy, relaxin would have induced humility also in practitioners of this art were they not protected by a lack of receptors. The message nonetheless is that the construed animal genealogy as it is practiced today does not find support in molecular structures as the theory requires.
ENZ conducting oxide broadband perfect absorbers with deep sub-wavelength thicknesses

Absorption due to bound and radiative modes in ultrathin epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) conducting oxide multilayers is computed. Multilayers with 11-nm-thin ENZ absorb >95% of light in 1–1.5 μm wavelength range by exciting ENZ bound or leaky modes.
How to Measure Student Success? Toward Consideration of Student Resilience as a Metric of Success in Institutional Accountability Frameworks

ABSTRACTRates of student success—four-year transfer, degree, and certificate completion—are frequently discussed. Less frequent, however, are opportunities to reflect on how these outcomes are measured. In this paper, I reflect on how rates of success—specifically for men of color—are calculated based on two California institutional accountability frameworks. First, I compared measures of success for men of color using the methodologies outlined by each framework. Secondly, I explored enrollment data of men of color who did not transfer or complete a degree or certificate after six years, those who would not be counted by either framework. Findings indicate that some students who did not complete or transfer after six years were enrolled for several consecutive terms, demonstrating what I posit is an indicator of student resilience.
The Hearsay Rule, the Confrontation Clause, and Reversible Error in Criminal Cases

In paradigmatic terms, the problem with which this article is concerned is as follows: the prosecution in a criminal trial offers evidence of a hearsay statement by a non-testifying declarant that does not fit within any exception to the hearsay rule; defense counsel objects solely on hearsay grounds; the trial court erroneously admits the evidence; and the defendant is convicted. By its terms, this situation plainly involves trial-court error that the defendant may present on appeal. But what standard should govern whether the error is reversible?This article illustrates the practical significance of this question using a hypothetical criminal case in which a hearsay statement as described above is admitted in court. Defense counsel objects to this testimony on hearsay grounds, but does not mention the Confrontation Clause. The trial court overrules the objection, and the defendant is convicted. On appeal, the defendant argues that the admission of the testimony in question violated both the hearsay rule and the Confrontation Clause. This argument raises a number of questions on appeal: (1) was there a violation of the hearsay rule; (2) should the court consider the Confrontation Clause argument; (3) was there a Confrontation Clause violation; and (4) what is the proper standard for determining whether any error is reversible? This article addresses these questions and suggests that until it becomes clear that the courts will agree with the proposed answer to the fourth question, competent defense counsel should never object on hearsay grounds without also objecting on Confrontation Clause grounds.
Nebivolol/Valsartan: A Novel Antihypertensive Fixed-Dose Combination Tablet.

Data Sources: A PubMed (1966 to October 2018) search was conducted using the following keywords: nebivolol, valsartan, and hypertension (HTN). Additional sources were identified by references. Stud...
Co-morbidity of type 1 diabetes and endometriosis: bringing a new paradigm into focus

Type 1 diabetes mellitus and endometriosis separately affect millions of women worldwide. Reproductive-age women diagnosed with type 1 diabetes may also suffer from endometriosis, but the asymptomatic pre-clinical period of highly variable duration for each condition can lead to challenges in the timely recognition of co-morbid disease onset and misdiagnosis. While knowledge of the pathogenesis of each condition has grown substantially, co-morbid endometriosis and type 1 diabetes has not been widely considered and much less addressed. This review discusses the molecular rationale for the likelihood of their co-existence, and prospects for improvements in therapeutic strategies and reduced complications, if this paradigm is included as a significant variable in disease management.
The social side of teacher turnover: Closeness and trust among general and special education teachers in the United States

Abstract Social conditions in schools can influence teacher turnover. In this study, we use longitudinal data from 47 general and special education teachers in the same mid-sized district in the Midwestern United States, and employ survival analysis to identify the social conditions that predict turnover in teachers’ first five years on the job. Findings reveal that the quality of teachers’ relationships mattered more than the quantity of their social ties. Specifically, teachers reporting higher levels of relational trust were significantly less likely to leave or move, while social network closeness did not significantly predict leaving or moving. Further, our findings that special education teachers were particularly susceptible to leaving or moving compared to their general education colleagues.