cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Movement Disorders: Deep-Brain Stimulation Perspective

The introduction and technical refinements of deep-brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of movement disorders over the past 15 years have resulted in a renaissance in the field of functional neurosurgery. For patients with medically refractory movement disorders, DBS procedures have largely replaced neuroablative techniques in the treatment of patients with movement disorders. This shift away from ablative procedures is multifactorial, but among the more important factors are its proven efficacy, the dramatic reversibility of the effects of neurostimulation, and the perceived minimally invasive nature of DBS compared with destructive procedures. Opposing this trend, however, has been the rise in the past decade in the use of Gamma Knife (GK) and occasionally linear accelerator (linac)-based radiosurgical units to perform thalamotomies and pallidotomies. The benefits of radiosurgical ablations include the fact that it is even less invasive than traditional surgical approaches, thus virtually eliminating the risk of hemorrhage, infection, and hardware-related complications. In addition, Gamma Knife radiosurgery is less time-consuming than microelectrode-guided radiofrequency lesioning and can be performed in patients who are at higher surgical risks for open procedures, such as patients with medical comorbidities or patients who cannot tolerate an awake procedure.
Immunogold Scanning Electron Microscopy Can Reveal the Polysaccharide Architecture of Xylem Cell Walls

Immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) and immunogold transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are the two main techniques commonly used to detect polysaccharides in plant cell walls. Both are important in localizing cell wall polysaccharides, but both have major limitations, such as low resolution in IFM and restricted sample size for immunogold TEM. In this study, we have developed a robust technique that combines immunocytochemistry with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study cell wall polysaccharide architecture in xylem cells at high resolution over large areas of sample. Using multiple cell wall monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), this immunogold SEM technique reliably localized groups of hemicellulosic and pectic polysaccharides in the cell walls of five different xylem structures (vessel elements, fibers, axial and ray parenchyma cells, and tyloses). This demonstrates its important advantages over the other two methods for studying cell wall polysaccharide composition and distribution in these structures. In addition, it can show the three-dimensional distribution of a polysaccharide group in the vessel lateral wall and the polysaccharide components in the cell wall of developing tyloses. This technique, therefore, should be valuable for understanding the cell wall polysaccharide composition, architecture and functions of diverse cell types.
Laser Peripheral Iridoplasty

Argon laser peripheral iridoplasty involves placement of contraction burns within the iris stroma in the far periphery either with or without a laser goniolens to treat appositional angle closure after an laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) has been performed to rule out relative pupillary block. The key to successful Argon laser peripheral iridoplasty (ALPI) involves laser settings of low energy, long duration, and large spot size causing the peripheral iris to contract toward the “slow” contraction burn, relieving angle closure, thereby facilitating access of aqueous to the irido-corneal angle (Surv Ophthalmol 52:279–288, 2007; Glaucoma – the requisites in ophthalmology, St Louis, 2000). During laser application, the endpoint is visible shrinkage of the peripheral iris. The power setting should be adjusted until visible stromal contraction is noted. The foot pedal should be fully depressed for the entire duration during laser delivery avoiding premature applications. Deepening of the AC should be noted in the vicinity of the laser burn. A common cause for failure of ALPI is to treat the mid-peripheral iris instead of the far periphery. Approximately six spots are applied in each quadrant treating the entire circumference. Given the low-energy setting, ALPI results in minimal inflammation that can be treated with a short course of topical steroids. Familiarity with gonioscopy fundamentals including indentation is important for diagnosis and pre-laser planning (University of Iowa Health Care Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, www.gonioscopy.orgg).
Perspectives on the Common Drug Review Process at the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

The Common Drug Review (CDR) is a federal review process that provides funding and adoption recommendations to Canadian provinces and territories on non-oncological drugs. This chapter will begin with providing an introduction to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and its role within the Canadian health-care system and will then describe and provide a commentary on the intricacies of the CDR process. The pathway of the CDR process is then outlined, from manufacturer submission, to the formation and evaluation of that submission by a review team, to the dissemination and publication of final recommendations from a pan-Canadian Drug Expert Committee. In addition to the CDR process pathway, details on key factors considered and desired in HTA submissions are outlined (large disease burden or an unmet need), as well as the recommended methodology manufacturers should consider when conducting clinical trials and cost-effectiveness models. This chapter then discusses CADTH’s performance, as reviewed by other organizations against fellow international HTA agencies. Based on the discussed strengths and limitations, the chapter concludes with providing future direction, encouraging CADTH’s continued focus on improved transparency and responsiveness while also urging them to conduct continued reviews (past the adoption milestone) that manage obsolescence and facilitate evidence translation.
The Role of Classification of Slit Spectrograms

I take it as evident that the aims of stellar classification are the same whether we work by direct photoelectric photometry through filters, by spectrophotometry, or by visual classification of spectrograms. In all cases we are trying to make direct estimates of as many physical properties of the stars as possible, and as nearly as I can judge, no one method has such exclusive advantages that it seems likely to replace all others in the immediate future. The problems are so difficult — so many subtle differences between stars that we once thought of as identical are turning up now — that we must use every effective means of attack. The present challenge is to combine these methods most effectively.
Saying goodbye to glaciers

Global glacier volume is shrinking. This loss of Earth's land ice is of international concern. Rising seas, to which melting ice is a key contributor, are expected to displace millions of people within the lifetime of many of today's children. But the problems of glacier loss do not stop at sea level rise; glaciers are also crucial water sources, integral parts of Earth's air and water circulation systems, nutrient and shelter suppliers for flora and fauna, and unique landscapes for contemplation or exploration.
Impact of measurement selection on load model parameter estimation

Measurement-based load model parameter estimation uses measurements from a disturbance on the grid. Those measurements can include voltage and/or real and reactive power. In this paper, we show that the type of measurements used directly impacts the accuracy of parameter estimation. We look at four scenarios. With wide-area deployment of voltage sensors, such as PMUs, the resulting parameter estimation is very accurate at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), but is very poor at low SNRs, because voltage has low sensitivity to the parameters. With only local deployment of complex power sensors, the estimate is worse than the first scenario at all SNRs. However, with wide-area deployment of complex power sensors, the estimate becomes very robust to low SNR, because complex power has much higher sensitivity to the parameters. Combining wide-area voltage and power measurements produces the best results.
Ceftriaxone reduces L-dopa–induced dyskinesia severity in 6-hydroxydopamine parkinson's disease model

Background: Increased extracellular glutamate may contribute to l-dopa induced dyskinesia, a debilitating side effect faced by Parkinson's disease patients 5 to 10 years after l-dopa treatment. Therapeutic strategies targeting postsynaptic glutamate receptors to mitigate dyskinesia may have limited success because of significant side effects. Increasing glutamate uptake may be another approach to attenuate excess glutamatergic neurotransmission to mitigate dyskinesia severity or prolong the time prior to onset. Initiation of a ceftriaxone regimen at the time of nigrostriatal lesion can attenuate tyrosine hydroxylase loss in conjunction with increased glutamate uptake and glutamate transporter GLT-1 expression in a rat 6-hydroxydopamine model. In this article, we examined if a ceftriaxone regimen initiated 1 week after nigrostriatal lesion, but prior to l-dopa, could reduce l-dopa–induced dyskinesia in an established dyskinesia model. Methods: Ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, once daily, 7 consecutive days) was initiated 7 days post-6-hydroxydopamine lesion (days 7-13) and continued every other week (days 21-27, 35-39) until the end of the study (day 39 postlesion, 20 days of l-dopa). Results: Ceftriaxone significantly reduced abnormal involuntary movements at 5 time points examined during chronic l-dopa treatment. Partial recovery of motor impairment from nigrostriatal lesion by l-dopa was unaffected by ceftriaxone. The ceftriaxone-treated l-dopa group had significantly increased striatal GLT-1 expression and glutamate uptake. Striatal tyrosine hydroxylase loss in this group was not significantly different when compared with the l-dopa alone group. Conclusions: Initiation of ceftriaxone after nigrostriatal lesion, but prior to and during l-dopa, may reduce dyskinesia severity without affecting l-dopa efficacy or the reduction of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase loss. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Improvements on lower bounds for the blow-up time under local nonlinear Neumann conditions

Abstract This paper studies the heat equation u t = Δ u in a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R n ( n ≥ 2 ) with positive initial data and a local nonlinear Neumann boundary condition: the normal derivative ∂ u / ∂ n = u q on partial boundary Γ 1 ⊆ ∂ Ω for some q > 1 , while ∂ u / ∂ n = 0 on the other part. We investigate the lower bound of the blow-up time T ⁎ of u in several aspects. First, T ⁎ is proved to be at least of order ( q − 1 ) − 1 as q → 1 + . Since the existing upper bound is of order ( q − 1 ) − 1 , this result is sharp. Secondly, if Ω is convex and | Γ 1 | denotes the surface area of Γ 1 , then T ⁎ is shown to be at least of order | Γ 1 | − 1 n − 1 for n ≥ 3 and | Γ 1 | − 1 / ln ⁡ ( | Γ 1 | − 1 ) for n = 2 as | Γ 1 | → 0 , while the previous result is | Γ 1 | − α for any α 1 n − 1 . Finally, we generalize the results for convex domains to the domains with only local convexity near Γ 1 .
Fragmentation of biliary calculi with tunable dye lasers.

Abstract The feasibility of using lasers to fragment biliary calculi was examined in vitro. Flashlamp-pumped tunable dye lasers were coupled to small-diameter flexible quartz fibers that were placed in direct contact with biliary calculi. The minimum laser energy necessary to damage a calculus was measured for wavelengths between 450 and 700 nm and for pulse durations between 0.8 and 360 μs. This threshold energy increased with increasing wavelength but was not significantly affected by pulse duration. Cholesterol stones had uniformly higher thresholds than pigmented ones. When a repetitively pulsed laser was used, complete fragmentation required fewer than 500 pulses and fragments were predominantly
Widespread somatic loss of heterozygosity as a possible marker of disease aggressiveness in metastatic well differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

275Background: To assess the utility of molecular profiling to predict tumor biology, we performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) of metastatic well differentiated (WD) pancreatic neuroendocrine ...
The Politics of Voice in Tween Girls' Music Criticism

The tween girl music fan is often constructed as the antithesis of the normative critic; she is imagined to be naive, hysterical, or driven by repressed sexuality. This essay argues that girls employ unique forms of collaborative and embodied criticism, and that their engagement with popular music is one of the primary ways they translate their sensory perception of the world into social and political meaning. Using their aesthetic judgments about the musical voice as one example of this process shows how girls understand the politics of gender through sonic regimes and how music allows them to imagine an intimate public of girlhood.
Breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 in severely non-uniform electric fields at low temperatures

SF6 has good electrical insulating properties, which is widely used as an insulating medium of GIS, GIL and other electrical equipment. However, the reliability of electrical equipments´ insulated gas is greatly challenged in cold areas, since SF6 more readily liquefies. To solve the problem, SF6 can be mixed with N2 to maintain the insulating properties, and reduce its liquefaction temperature. Such practice has certain application prospect. In this paper, a breakdown experimental platform was built to study the insulating property of SF6/N2 at low temperature, wherein the temperature of the platform can be adjusted. A severely non-uniform electric field was generated by a rod-plate electrode. The breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 with different mixing proportions at low pressures and low temperatures were measured. The result showed that the mixed gas was not liquefied within the temperature range. Temperature had insignificant influence on the insulating property thereof. The result in the paper has certain guiding significance for applying SF6/N2 mixed gas in high latitude areas.
Electricity in Africa: The Politics of Transformation in Uganda by Christopher D. Gore

Gore, Christopher D. Electricity in Africa: The Politics of Transformation in Uganda . Suffolk, UK: James Currey Ltd., 2017.
Initial experience with transcatheter pacemaker implantation for adults with congenital heart disease.

Background Transvenous pacemaker systems have significant advantages over epicardial systems in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Frequently though, unique anatomic challenges preclude the use of transvenous leads. Although originally developed for patient with normal anatomy, leadless pacemaker systems have enormous potential in the CHD population. Objective To describe an initial experience with leadless pacemaker implantation in adult patients with CHD who were not the candidates for traditional transvenous pacing. Methods This was a retrospective review of the experience with Micra Transcatheter Pacing System implantation in adult patients with CHD. Patient demographics, clinical history, pacing indications, procedural details, clinical outcomes, and pacing characteristics at follow-up are reported. Results Three patients with intracardiac shunts or tricuspid valve disorders who underwent leadless pacemaker placement are described. Pacing indications included sinus node dysfunction in two and permanent atrial fibrillation with atrioventricular (AV) block in one. There were no procedural or thromboembolic complications over the follow-up period. Pacing characteristics were acceptable and ventricular pacing burden remained low except for the single patient with AV block. Conclusions Leadless pacemaker systems are a viable pacing option for appropriately selected adult patients with CHD when transvenous pacing is not a suitable option.
Bounded Asymmetry in Road Networks

Road networks are a classical stage for applications in network science and graph theory. Meanwhile, many combinatorial problems that arise in road networks are computationally intractable. Thus, an attractive way of tackling them is through efficient heuristics with provable performance guarantees, better known as approximation algorithms. This motivates the intersection of algorithm design with the aforementioned fields. Specifically, identifying measures that characterize graphs and exploiting them in the design of algorithms may yield practical heuristics with rigorous mathematical justification. Herein, we propose a new graph measure, namely the asymmetry factor ΔG of a directed graph G, with immediate algorithmic results via a symmetrization procedure and the black box use of approximation algorithms for symmetric graphs. Crucially, we analyze the asymmetry factors of the road networks from a diverse set of twelve cities, providing empirical evidence that road networks exhibit low bounded asymmetry and thereby justifying the practical use of algorithms for symmetric graphs.
Directed abstraction during initial skill learning promotes performance and lasting self-concept change

ABSTRACTLearning a new skill is often characterized by discouraging setbacks. We administered a directed abstraction writing exercise to encourage participants struggling to learn a programming lan...
Telehealth for rural diverse populations: telebehavioral and cultural competencies, clinical outcomes and administrative approaches

Rural health care settings are challenged to provide timely and evidence-based care, particularly for culturally diverse patients with behavioral health disorders. Telepsychiatry and telebehavioral health improve access to care and leverage scarce resources. This scoping review from January 2000 - July 2019 was conducted to see if the literature had data for two related the research questions, "What are the components of culturally competent, telepsychiatric clinical care, and what approaches have clinicians and systems taken to implement and evaluate it?" The review focused on key words in four concept areas: (I) competencies; (II) telehealth in the form of telepsychiatry, telebehavioral or telemental health; (III) culture; and (IV) health. It was done in accordance with the six-stage scoping review process in PubMed/Medline and other databases. The screeners reviewed the full-text articles for final inclusion based on inclusion (mesh of the key words) and exclusion (e.g., need for only, skills abstractly discussed) criteria. From a total of 1,118 papers, the authors found 44 eligible for full text review and found 7 papers directly relevant to the concepts. Few studies specifically discuss skills and competencies of both telehealth and cultural factors. Many organizations are attending to cultural competencies and approaches to care, but there are no specific competencies that integrate telepsychiatry or telebehavioral health with culture. Existing telepsychiatric (i.e., video, social media, mobile health) and one set telebehavioral health competencies included cultural component, including use of interpreters and language matters. Administrative adjustments are suggested to promote culturally competent care by telehealth via clinical, educational, quality improvement, program/system evaluation, and other (e.g., finance and reimbursement) interventions. More structured research is needed on development, implementation and evaluation of combined competencies in rural settings.
Kinetic beaming in radiative relativistic magnetic reconnection: a mechanism for rapid gamma-ray flares in jets

Rapid gamma-ray flares pose an astrophysical puzzle, requiring mechanisms both to accelerate energetic particles and to produce fast observed variability. These dual requirements may be satisfied by collisionless relativistic magnetic reconnection. On the one hand, relativistic reconnection can energize gamma-ray emitting electrons. On the other, as previous kinetic simulations have shown, the reconnection acceleration mechanism preferentially focuses high-energy particles -- and their emitted photons -- into beams, which may create rapid blips in flux as they cross a telescope's line of sight. Using a series of 2D pair-plasma particle-in-cell simulations, we explicitly demonstrate the critical role played by radiative cooling in mediating the observable signatures of this `kinetic beaming' effect. Only in our efficiently cooled simulations do we measure kinetic beaming beyond one light crossing time of the reconnection layer. We find a correlation between the cooling strength and the photon energy range across which persistent kinetic beaming occurs: stronger cooling coincides with a wider range of beamed photon energies. We also apply our results to rapid gamma-ray flares in flat-spectrum radio quasars, suggesting that a paradigm of radiatively efficient kinetic beaming constrains relevant emission models. In particular, beaming-produced variability may be more easily realized in two-zone (e.g. spine-sheath) set-ups, with Compton seed photons originating in the jet itself, rather than in one-zone external Compton scenarios.
EMSpice: Physics-Based Electromigration Check Using Coupled Electronic and Stress Simulation

In this article, a novel full-chip EM simulation tool, called EMSpice simulator is proposed. The new method starts from first principles and simultaneously considers two major interplaying physics effects in EM failure process: the hydrostatic stress and electronic current/voltage in a power grid network. The new tool starts by reading the power grid layout information from Synopsys IC Compiler. It then removes immortal interconnect wires by considering both nucleation phase immortality and incubation phase immortality for multi-segment interconnects. Thereafter, a finite difference time domain (FDTD) solver is employed for stress analysis for every mortal interconnect tree for both nucleation and post-voiding phases. At the whole power grid circuit level, the EM analysis is coupled with IR drop analysis of a whole power grid network at each time step so that we can consider the interaction among stress, void growth, resistance change and IR drop in a single simulation framework. Accuracy of EMSpice is validated by comparing with a published EM simulator, XSim, for nucleation phase, and finite element method based COMSOL for post-voiding phase. The comparison results show that EMSpice agrees well with both methods with. Experimental results on two practical processor chip designs show that the proposed coupled EM-IR drop analysis method can further reduce the overly conservative EM-aware power grid design as the number of the failed trees found by EMSpice simulator is up to 76.7% less than the Black’s method and 66.7% less than a recently proposed full-chip EM analysis method respectively. Furthermore EMSpice simulator is the least conservative one for lifetime estimation of individual tree wires among the three methods.
Development of Speech Intelligibility Between 30 and 47 Months in Typically Developing Children: A Cross-Sectional Study of Growth.

Purpose We sought to establish normative growth curves for intelligibility development for the speech of typically developing children as revealed by objectively based orthographic transcription of elicited single-word and multiword utterances by naive listeners. We also examined sex differences, and we compared differences between single-word and multiword intelligibility growth. Method One hundred sixty-four typically developing children (92 girls, 72 boys) contributed speech samples for this study. Children were between the ages of 30 and 47 months, and analyses examined 1-month age increments between these ages. Two different naive listeners heard each child and made orthographic transcriptions of child-produced words and sentences (n = 328 listeners). Average intelligibility scores for single-word productions and multiword productions were modeled using linear regression, which estimated normal-model quantile age trajectories for single- and multiword utterances. Results We present growth curves showing steady linear change over time in 1-month increments from 30 to 47 months for 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. Results showed that boys did not differ from girls and that, prior to 35 months of age, single words were more intelligible than multiword productions. Starting at 41 months of age, the reverse was true. Multiword intelligibility grew at a faster rate than single-word intelligibility. Conclusions Children make steady progress in intelligibility development through 47 months, and only a small number of children approach 100% intelligibility by this age. Intelligibility continues to develop past the fourth year of life. There is considerable variability among children with regard to intelligibility development. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12330956.
Establishment of a per oral endoscopic myotomy program at a rural tertiary care center.

This study’s purpose is to determine the application and effectiveness of a POEM program in the rural healthcare setting. Achalasia has a substantial impact on the lives of afflicted patients. Traditionally, a Heller myotomy with fundoplication has been the standard of care for treatment. In 2008, the first per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) was performed in Japan. Since 2017, our rural healthcare institution has performed approximately 60 POEMs. An IRB approved, single-institution retrospective review of patient outcomes after POEM was performed along with prospective analysis of post-operative surveys. An institutional cost analysis was also performed. Demographic and qualitative variables were measured and included PPI use, a Likert scale of 0–5 for progressively worsening symptoms of heartburn, dysphagia, and regurgitation. In addition, we included a Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale. The number of myotomy operations increased from 4.5 per year to 28.8 per year after initiation of the POEM program. Mean Likert scale scores were 0.91, 0.73, and 1 for heartburn, dysphagia, and regurgitation, respectively. 72.5% percent of patients were satisfied with their present condition. 87.5% of patients reported minimal or no dysphagia on the Dysphagia Severity Scale. Intraoperative costs were $2477 for laparoscopic myotomy and $1650 for POEM. The capital expense of the equipment required to perform POEM was $110,232. Average contribution margin per case was $6024. The procedure pays off capital outlay upon completion of the 19th case. This study shows that patients have excellent symptom control after POEM. When compared to the institution’s laparoscopic myotomy volume, POEM far surpasses in terms of operative volume and monetary benefit. Examination of these data shows that a rural hospital can successfully employ a state-of-the-art intervention when there is a population in need and an infrastructure in place.
Latent Structure of a Brief Clinical Battery of Neuropsychological Tests Administered In-Home Via Telephone

OBJECTIVE To examine the factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a battery of clinical neuropsychological tests administered in-home and via telephone. METHOD Participants included 280 healthy adults who completed a 35-40 min battery consisting of seven auditory-verbal neuropsychological tests (i.e., 10 variables) that included digit span, list learning and memory, prospective memory, verbal fluency, and oral trail making. RESULTS After removing oral trail making part A, a three-factor model comprised of executive functions, memory and attention demonstrated the best fit to the data. Nevertheless, the shared variance between the nine remaining neuropsychological variables was also adequately explained by a single-factor model and a two-factor model comprised of executive functions and memory. Factor scores were variably associated with education, race/ethnicity, and IQ, but not with sex or age. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and factor structure and sociodemographic correlates of a brief telephone-based screening neuropsychological battery comprised mostly of commonly administered clinical measures. Future studies are needed to determine the test-retest reliability, sensitivity, and ecological relevance of this battery, as well as equivalency to in-person assessment.
Addressing challenging behaviors in challenging environments: Findings from Ohio's early childhood mental health consultation system

Early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) has been promoted by the federal government as a promising model for reducing early childhood expulsions and suspensions and is now implemented by numerous states. Despite growing ECMHC proliferation, this study is only the second randomized controlled trial of ECMHC, extending the methodologies of the first to include assessment of effects on random peers. Classrooms were assigned randomly to treatment or waitlist-control condition (n = 51 classrooms, 57 preschool teachers, and 190 preschoolers). Evaluation measures were collected at both pretreatment and posttreatment, following approximately six consultation visits. Classroom and teacher outcomes were evaluated with ordinary least squares regressions, while hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate child-level outcomes, accounting for the nested study design. Treatment children (both the target children who prompted the referral for ECMHC and random peers) evidenced significant improvements in social and emotional skills. Promising trend findings were noted for child behavior problem reduction and teacher pedagogical approach and locus of control. No significant effects were found on likelihood of expulsion and classroom mental health climate. This is the first ECMHC to demonstrate effects on nontarget peers in a rigorous randomized controlled trial. Programmatic and methodologic limitations and implications are discussed.
Resource Sharing Resources during a Pandemic: A Review

Resource sharing professionals working in interlibrary loan, document delivery, and electronic reserves have created a plethora of reference resources available to fellow professionals since the ea...
Investigating Creative and Critical Engagement with Computing in the Hour of Code (Practical Report)

The Hour of Code provides brief stand-alone activities to introduce K-12 learners to computing concepts and applications. While these activities have successfully reached hundreds of millions of students around the globe, there are calls for more creative and critical engagement with computing. In this paper, we examine the creative and critical content of 316 Hour of Code activities offered to middle school and high school students as part of the official 2020 Computer Science Education Week. Our content analysis revealed that only 13% Hour of Code activities promoted creative engagement while only 1% of Hour of Code activities focused on critical engagement, offering discussion guides at best. In the discussion we provide recommendations for designing for more critical and creative engagement with computing in future Hour of Code or similar hour-long activities.
When a Statute Comes with a User Manual: Reconciling Textualism and Uniform Acts

This Article develops an interpretive theory for statutes that originate as Uniform Acts promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission. Although overlooked in the literature on statutory interpretation, state-enacted Uniform Acts are ubiquitous. They shape our life cycles—governing birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, and death—and structure trillions of dollars in daily commercial transactions. Largely focusing on textualism, today’s dominant form of statutory interpretation, we focus on the interpretive consequences of two unusual features of state-enacted Uniform Acts. First, the text of every Uniform Act directs courts to interpret it to “promote uniformity.” Second, each provision is ac-companied by an official explanatory comment, analogous to a user manual for interpreters. We argue that, in light of these features, foundational textualist principles obligate courts to consider legislative intent as expressed in the official comments—a form of what textualists would otherwise dismiss as legislative history—when they interpret a statute originating as a Uniform Act. More specifically, the Article explores what we call the “directives” and “signals” that state legislatures send when they enact a Uniform Act. As en-acted statutory text, the promote-uniformity clause directs courts to treat the official comments as persuasive authorities on the statute’s meaning. Moreover, even if a legislature enacts only a portion of a Uniform Act, the legislature signals that courts should treat the comments as persuasive authorities by virtue of the choice to incorporate language from a Uniform Act rather than some alternative text. Moving from theory to practice, we develop a canon of construction for interpreting this significant but understudied species of positive law. We also present a series of puzzles and complications arising from “hybrid” enactments of bespoke and Uniform statutory language. More generally, by colliding textualist theory with the two-step political economy of state-enacted Uniform Acts, the Article broadens our understanding of textualism and adapts it to this critical but overlooked category of statute.
Dhaka’s Changing Landscape: Prospects for Economic Development, Social Change, and Shared Prosperity: Rita Afsar and Mahabub Hossain (2020). Oxford University Press, 364 pages, $80 (hardcover)

Many cities in the Global South experienced an unprecedented growth and expansion in recent decades. This growth has provided opportunities to millions of people but sometimes fails to address grow...
In-Line Elasticity Measurement for Molten Polymers

A new Melt Stressmeter has been constructed. This is a slitdie apparatus, having two flush-mounted and one slot-mounted pressure transducer, which yields values for hole pressure P, extrapolated exit pressure Pxt, wall shear stress σ, and wall shear rate s. For comparison, values of the first normal stress differente N1 and shear stress σ were measured using two Weissenberg Rheogoniometers. For two low-density polyethylenes at 150°C, the hole pressure measures elasticity; the exit pressure does not.
Intergroup Conflicts and Their Resolution : A Social Psychological Perspective

D. Bar-Tal, Introduction: Conflicts and Social Psychology. D.K. Coutant, S. Worchel, M. Hanza, Pigs, Slingshots, and Other Foundations of Intergroup Conflict. R.J. Fisher, H. Kelman, Perceptions in Conflicts. E. Halperin, K. Sharvit, J.J. Gross, Emotion and Emotion Regulation in Intergroup Conflict: An Appraisal Based Framework. D.R. Paez, J.H. Liu, Collective Memory of Conflicts. M.B. Brewer, Identity and Conflict. M. Krochik, J.T. Jost, Ideological Conflict and Polarization: A Social Psychological Perspective. G. Elcheroth, D. Spini, Political Violence, Intergroup Conflict, and Ethnic Categories. A. Kruglanski, K. Sharvit, S. Fishman, Workings of the Terrorist Mind: Its Individual, Group and Organizational Psychologies. D. Bar-Tal, E. Halperin, Socio-Psychological Barriers to Conflict Resolution. J. Reykowski, A. Cislak, Socio-Psychological Approaches to Conflict Resolution, D.G. Pruitt, Negotiation and Mediation in Intergroup Conflict. N.N. Rouhana, Social Psychology and Reconciliation: Contributions and Pitfalls. K. Boehnke, H. Schmidtke, M. Shani, Peace Making: Socio-Psychological Approaches. D. Bar-Tal, Conclusion -To Open the Closet.
Wavepacket Dynamics via Femtosecond Time-Resolved Photoelectron and Photoionization Spectroscopy

Wavepacket dynamics in small molecules are studied via both ZEKE photoelectron and ion spectroscopy; relative merits are discussed. High resolution molecular fractional revivals and non-adiabatic wavepacket dynamics are reported.
Jurisdictional Resequencing and Restraint

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is well known for her restrained jurisprudence, and yet one line of her opinions has been criticized as “substantially illegitimate.” Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co. and Sinochem International Co. v. Malaysia International Shipping Corp. both involve “jurisdictional resequencing,” which in certain circumstances permits a federal court to decide a threshold jurisdictional question, such as forum non conveniens, before it resolves the question of subject-matter jurisdiction. Because jurisdictional resequencing allows courts to decide questions when they may in fact lack subject-matter jurisdiction, at least one critic has said this doctrine is “close to the line that separates valid authority from unprincipled usurpation.” In this Article, I argue that, contrary to this criticism, both Ruhrgas and Sinochem demonstrate Justice Ginsburg's restrained decision-making. In particular, both decisions reflect her view that the federal courts, as the undemocratic institutions in our government, should be careful to exercise their power when it might trench on the powers of the elected branches. By avoiding complex questions of subject-matter jurisdiction – control of which, apart from constitutional constraints, is given to Congress – the courts avoid questions about the margins of their power, precisely the kinds of questions that might involve judicial overreaching.
Binding of cholera toxin to Giardia lamblia.

Binding of cholera toxin to Giardia lamblia was demonstrated by two slightly different methods: an immunofluorescence technique using antibody to cholera toxin and anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate, and a one-step fluorescence method in which G. lamblia was incubated with the B subunit of cholera toxin conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate. Images
Directed flood-routing framework for wireless sensor networks

The directed flood-routing framework (DFRF) for wireless sensor networks is introduced in this paper that allows the modeling and rapid development of application specific routing protocols based on directed flooding. Flood-routing protocols are probabilistic methods that make only the best effort to route data packets. The presented family of protocols can route regular sized data packets via broadcast messages according to customizable, state machine based routing policies that govern the way intermediate nodes rebroadcast messages. The framework supports automatic data packet aggregation, and allows in-network data packet filtering and alteration.
Accuracy of self-reports of food intake in obese and normal-weight individuals: effects of parental obesity on reports of children’s dietary intake

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the accuracy of dietary-intake information of normal-weight vs overweight parents in their reports of their children's food intake. Subjects were 36 families with either normal-weight (n = 20) or overweight (n = 16) children aged 4-9 y. Unobtrusive observers recorded the types and amounts of food eaten by the children at one meal. The next day families were visited in their homes and were asked to provide dietary-intake information from the previous day on their child. Results indicated that parental reports of the dietary intake of their children correlated significantly with the observers' measures of food intake. Neither the father's, the mother's, nor the family's obesity status had an effect on the accuracy of recalled information. The results indicated that the lack of differences consistently observed in dietary intake between obese and normal-weight children could not be explained by differential accuracy of recalled dietary information.
XAFS study of Cu model compounds and Cu2+ sorption products on amorphous SiO2, γ-Al2O3, and anatase

The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of substrate type on the coordination environments of Cu{sup 2+} adsorbed on amorphous SiO{sub 2}, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and anatase at a surface coverage of approximately 1 {mu}mol/m{sup 2}. The authors also collected X-ray absorption fine structure (SAFS) data for several Cu{sup 2+}-containing model compounds, including tenorite, spertinite, dioptase, shattuckite, chrysocolla, and Cu{sup 2+} acetate monohydrate, for comparison with the sorption sample data. Detailed analysis of these model compounds indicates that the bonding of second neighbors surrounding a central Cu absorber determines whether these second neighbors can be detected by XAFS. The XAFS results of Cu{sup 2+} sorption samples are consistent with the presence of Jahn-Teller distorted Cu{sup 2+}(O,OH){sub 6} octahedra, with four equatorial Cu-O bonds (1.95 {angstrom}) and two longer axial bonds; the axial Cu-O bonds are difficult to characterize quantitatively by XAFS spectroscopy. Cu{sup 2+} sorbed on amorphous SiO{sub 2} was found to have Cu second and third neighbors at 2.95 {angstrom}m 3,39 {angstrom}, and 5.72 {angstrom}, but no Cu-Si correlation was detected for these sorption products associated with amorphous SiO{sub 2}. Based on XAFS and wet chemical results, it seems likely that a Cu(OH){sub 2} precipitatemore » has formed in the Cu{sup 2+}/amorphous SiO{sub 2} system. Cu{sup 2+} sorbed on {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} is present as a mixture of monomeric, dimeric, and perhaps a small number of oligometric hydroxo-bridged Cu(O,OH){sub 6} species with a Cu-Cu distance of approximately 2.95 {angstrom}. Sorbed Cu{sup 2+} on anatase is present predominantly as hydroxo-bridged Cu dimers. At similar sorption densities, Cu{sup 2+} cluster sizes on amorphous SiO{sub 2} are significantly larger than those on {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} or anatase, indicating that the substrate has an important effect on the type of Cu{sup 2+} sorption complex or precipitates formed.« less
Larvivorous fishes fail to control mosquitoes in experimental rice plots

The individual and interactive effects of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis Baird and Girard) and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque) populations on densities of mosquito immatures and other aquatic fauna were assessed in experimental rice plots over a 12 week period. Mosquitofish, stocked at a much higher rate (2318 per ha) than is usually used in commercial rice fields, increased 88-fold in numbers per minnow trap over a ten week period. Adult green sunfish (7–10 cm TL), stocked at the same rate as mosquitofish, reproduced in the rice plots, but reproductive success was strongly associated with plot depth. Mosquitofish numbers were significantly lower in plots stocked with green sunfish early in the season but this difference soon disappeared.
The large intracellular loop of hZIP4 is an intrinsically disordered zinc binding domain

The human (h) ZIP4 transporter is a plasma membrane protein which functions to increase the cytosolic concentration of zinc. hZIP4 transports zinc into intestinal cells and therefore has a central role in the absorption of dietary zinc. hZIP4 has eight transmembrane domains and encodes a large intracellular loop between transmembrane domains III and IV, M3M4. Previously, it has been postulated that this domain regulates hZIP4 levels in the plasma membrane in a zinc-dependent manner. The objective of this research was to examine the zinc binding properties of the large intracellular loop of hZIP4. Therefore, we have recombinantly expressed and purified M3M4 and showed that this domain binds two zinc ions. Using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, metal binding affinity assays, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the two Zn2+ ions bind sequentially, with the first Zn2+ binding to a CysHis3 site with a nanomolar binding affinity, and the second Zn2+ binding to a His4 site with a weaker affinity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the M3M4 domain is intrinsically disordered, with only a small structural change induced upon Zn2+ coordination. Our data supports a model in which the intracellular M3M4 domain senses high cytosolic Zn2+ concentrations and regulates the plasma membrane levels of the hZIP4 transporter in response to Zn2+ binding.
Asexual fragmentation, genotype success, and population dynamics of erect branching sponges

Abstract Three common species of erect branching sponges on Caribbean coral reefs propagate almost exclusively by asexual fragmentation. Fragments are generated frequently, are able to disperse before establishing themselves as independent individuals, survive well, and are responsible for virtually all successful recruitment into their populations. With respect to numbers of individuals, populations are dominated by smaller size classes, reflecting continuous generation of small individuals by fragmentation of large individuals. Because specific growth rates of these sponges decrease with increasing size, fragmentation is predicted to be the preferred strategy for increasing representation of a genotype in the population as long as mortality associated with fragmentation is not high. Fragment dispersal obviates several of the usual constraints on frequency of a genotype in a population by ensuring local genotypic heterogeneity in spite of low overall genotypic diversity in the populations.
Evaluating risk communication: examining target audience perceptions about four presentation formats for fish consumption health advisory information

Information format can influence the extent to which target audiences understand and respond to risk-related information. This study examined four elements of risk information presentation format. Using printed materials, we examined target audience perceptions about: (a) reading level; (b) use of diagrams vs. text; (c) commanding versus cajoling tone; and (d) use of qualitative vs. quantitative information presented in a risk ladder. We used the risk communication topic of human health concerns related to eating noncommercial Great Lakes fish affected by chemical contaminants. Results from the comparisons of specific communication formats indicated that multiple formats are required to meet the needs of a significant percent of anglers for three of the four format types examined. Advisory text should be reviewed to ensure the reading level is geared to abilities of the target audience. For many audiences, a combination of qualitative and quantitative information, and a combination of diagrams and text may be most effective. For most audiences, a cajoling rather than commanding tone better provides them with the information they need to make a decision about fish consumption. Segmenting audiences regarding information needs and communication formats may help clarify which approaches to take with each audience.
Alteration of pectoral fin nerves following ablation of fin buds and by ectopic fin buds in the Japanese medaka fish

The role of the pectoral fin bud for outgrowth by fin axons was assessed by ablation of pectoral fin buds and by transplantation of fin buds to ectopic sites in the embryos of the Japanese medaka fish (&&as latipes). Normally nerves from segments 1-4 (Sl-4) and less frequently the S5 nerve converged at the base of the fin bud by extending toward the fin bud on the ventral surface of the axial muscles (H. Okamoto and J. Y. Kuwada, 1991, Dev. BioL 146). Following ablation of the fin bud before motor growth cones have begun to extend laterally, nerves in Sl-5 followed a trajectory down the middle of each segment parallel to the borders of the metamerically arranged axial muscles rather than converging. This trajectory was similar to that of more posterior segmental nerves which do not converge toward the fin bud. When fin buds were transplanted to more posterior segments, nerves from Sl-5 often changed their trajectories and extended to the base of ectopic buds. Furthermore, motor nerves from segments posterior to S5, which normally do not innervate the fin bud, also extended to the ectopic fin bud. When faced with both the host and ectopic fin bud, motor nerves extended to either fin bud or branched and extended to both fin buds. These results demonstrate that the early fin bud is necessary for correct outgrowth of fin nerves and suggest that the fin bud normally attracts fin nerves to its base. One possible mechanism for the attraction of motor growth cones by the fin bud is a long distance cue emitted by the fin bud. a 1991 Academic PRSS, IIIC.