cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residual stress relaxation and stiffness in spin-coated polymer films: Characterization by ellipsometry and fluorescence

Abstract Ellipsometry and fluorescence are used via measurements of film thickness and pyrenyl dye emission spectral shape, respectively, to characterize residual stress relaxation in polystyrene (PS) films. In particular, fluorescence of pyrene-labeled PS (MPy-PS) films, with ∼1 mol% pyrene label, provides sensitivity to film stress relaxation and stiffness by the dependence of the ratio of the first to third vibronic peak intensities ( I 1 / I 3 ) of the pyrenyl dye to nanosecond-time-scale molecular caging. Both techniques show that residual stress relaxation occurs over a period of hours despite the PS films being 15–40 °C above the film glass transition temperature ( T g ). Both techniques also show that film T g is unaffected by stress relaxation, even when stress relaxation is accompanied by measurable changes in thickness. Fluorescence shows that stress relaxation time follows an Arrhenius temperature dependence with an activation energy of ∼110 kJ/mol, which is consistent with stress relaxation occurring by β-relaxation. Using a bilayer/fluorescence technique with bulk bilayer films, it was observed by I 1 / I 3 measurements that a 30-nm-thick MPy-PS layer located at a glass substrate interface is stiffer than a 30-nm-thick MPy-PS layer located at a free surface. Over a 20–400 nm thickness range, fluorescence of MPy-PS films show a significant effect of substrate on molecular caging and hence stiffness, with stiffness increasing in the following order: free-standing films (no substrate)
Transport properties of alveolar epithelium measured by molecular hetastarch absorption in isolated rat lungs

To evaluate the transport properties of the alveolar epithelium, we instilled hetastarch (Het; 6%, 10 ml, 1 − 1 × 104kDa) into the trachea of isolated rat lungs and then measured the molecular dist...
Motherhood: Benefit or Burden to Business

This essay is a contribution to an International Study Seminar on the topic of “Women and Work”, convened by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome, Italy, on December 4-5, 2015, to be published with the complete proceedings of the conference. In recent decades, the Catholic Church has come to share the widespread social consensus about the urgent need for the insights of the feminine genius in all sectors of society – in the home as well as the halls of government, schools and universities, and businesses. However, an argument for women in the workplace does not, in itself, furnish a compelling business case for mothers in the workplace. Is there something unique about the gifts, talents, and perspectives of women who are mothers, or something unique about what women who are mothers add to the dynamic of men and women working together? This essay argues that persuasive arguments for accommodating mothers in workplace are crucial for two reasons: First, to ensure that employers who want to achieve gender balance do not follow the lead of companies such as Facebook and Apple, offering incentives for women to remain childless during their most productive years as ‘ideal workers’ rather than accommodating parenting. Second, to ensure the continued presence in workplaces and national and international governing bodies of people with personal stakes in advocating for policies to enable parents to balance their work and their caregiving responsibilities, and in reminding their nations and the world of the reality that the overwhelming proportion of the world’s poverty population is composed of women and children – across the globe, in countries of all stages of development. The essay offers four arguments for the value of mother in the workplace: (1) businesses want women workers, and most women workers want to be mothers; (2) businesses benefit long term from the caregiving work of mothers, and should thus shoulder some of its cost; (3) accommodating motherhood is not, in fact, as much of a burden on businesses as is commonly thought; and (4) mothers offer some unique and valuable skills to the workplace.
Syngas Chemical Looping Process: Design and Construction of a 25 kWth Subpilot Unit

The syngas chemical looping (SCL) process employing the gas–solid counter-current flow pattern demonstrates an innovative approach to generate hydrogen and/or electricity from syngas accompanied with in situ carbon capture. Iron-based oxygen carriers donate oxygen for complete syngas conversion in the reducer. The reduced oxygen carriers are then oxidized by steam and/or air to generate hydrogen and/or heat in the oxidizer and/or the combustor, respectively. Previous studies have reported the performance of the iron-based oxygen carriers, the advantages of a moving bed reducer and oxidizer, and simulation of various parametric effects on the reactor design of the reducer, oxidizer, and combustor for a continuous system. In this study, a 25 kWth subpilot SCL unit was designed based on the simulated criteria and constructed to demonstrate the feasibility of generating high purity hydrogen with in situ carbon capture. Two test runs were presented using 4.5 mm × 2.5–4.5 mm cylindrical oxygen carriers comprisi...
Reduction and oxidation doping kinetics of an electropolymerized donor-acceptor low-bandgap conjugated copolymer.

The electrochemical synthesis of a new dithienylcyclopentadienone-derivative/3-methylthiopene copolymer was performed by cyclic voltammetry. The obtained material shows redox processes very close t...
Music Notation, But Not Action on a Keyboard, Influences Pianists' Judgments of Ambiguous Melodies

Pitch Increases from Left to Right on Piano keyboards. When pianists press keys on a keyboard to hear two successive octave-ambiguous tones spanning a tritone (half-octave interval), they tend to report hearing the tritone go in the direction consistent with their key presses (Repp & Knoblich, 2009). This finding has been interpreted as an effect of action on perceptual judgment. Using a modified design, the present study separated the effect of the action itself from that of the visual stimuli that prompt the action. Twelve expert pianists reported their perception of octave-ambiguous three-note melodies ending with tritones in two conditions: In the active condition, they saw a notated melody and played it on a keyboard to hear it, while in the passive condition they viewed the notation while the melody was played to them. Participants tended to report hearing the tritone as it appeared in the notation, but action had no additional effect. We discuss whether the "action direction effect" described by Repp and Knoblich may have been caused by the visual action prompts, not by the action itself.
Monothermal Caloric Screening Test Accuracy A Systematic Review

ObjectiveTo minimize discomfort, time, and costs, vestibular laboratories may perform monothermal caloric irrigations and discontinue testing if responses are symmetric. This systematic review aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the monothermal caloric screening test (MCST) for unilateral vestibular dysfunction compared with bithermal caloric testing (BCT).Data SourcesOvid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, and manual bibliographic searches.Review MethodsInclusion criteria specified concurrent MCST and BCT performance and reporting of test measures (monothermal caloric asymmetry, unilateral weakness). The primary outcomes were between-measure correlation, sensitivity, and specificity. Meta-analysis was performed with hierarchical bivariate and univariate random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic.ResultsFifteen studies (n = 5572 participants) met inclusion criteria. Thresholds varied between studies. Asymmetries calculated by MCST and BCT were strongly correl...
‘Survival gene’ Bcl-xl potentiates DNA-raised antitumor immunity

T-cell priming is strongly affected by the longevity of antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs), which are typically short-lived in lymphoid tissues. ‘Survival gene’ Bcl-xl is critical for the lifespan of DCs in vivo. Here, we showed that in vivo coadministration of Bcl-xl under control of the DC-specific promoter (CD11c-Bcl-xl) and TRP2hsp70 DNA prolonged T-cell stimulation by DCs and augmented TRP2-specific-IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T-cell responses. Consistent with these findings, enhanced protection and significant therapeutic immunity to B16 melanoma was generated by this coimmunization strategy, which also augmented therapeutic immunity to GL-26 tumor. In this B16 melanoma model, results from animal experiments with depletion of immune cells indicate that CD8+ T cells and NK cells are important in the antitumor immunity induced by this coimmunization strategy. These observations suggest that ‘survival gene’ Bcl-xl potentiates the magnitude of antigen-specific-CD8+ T-cell responses and the efficacy of antitumor immunity induced by DNA vaccine, and is relevant for the design of in vivo targeted DC-based vaccine strategies to improve immunity against cancer.
Restoring the Deterrence Function of Tort Law

"Simply put, the Deterrence Purpose of Tort Law is the basis upon which the jury can prevent danger from reoccurring and protect their community."
Quasi-Subject Commodities - Labour, Minimalism, and the Social Life of Things

Commodities play an integral role in the creation and maintenance of personas - to such a degree that they begin to take on characteristics of labor, provenance, and politics, such as distressed clothing or fair trade labels. This essay proposes that we have begun to freight our commodities with their own personas and imagined subjecthoods, and that this shift is foreshadowed in the transformation of artistic practices in the late twentieth century. Two theories on the status of contemporary artworks have come to recent prominence - David Joselit’s “Painting Beside Itself,” which argues that artworks need image not just their status as commodities but rather their circulation and [social] networks, and Isabelle Graw’s claim that artworks are being reconsidered as imaginary “quasi-subjects.” Thus, artworks are being equated with persons, not by their looks but by their actions. This new apprehension of objects finds its own roots in American sculptural debates of minimalism in the late 1960’s, where theorists resorted to ascribing subjectivities to objects to account for the relentless anthropomorphism of even those works which attempted to fully excise the human form. Proponents of “quasi-subjecthood” argue from two tacks: the object either is a subject of its own, or is propped on the “ghostly presence” of its maker. I believe this indicates two predominant characterizations of commodities: full subjects, or signs of an absent maker. Both arguments flirt with a fetishism that, in giving personas and personalities to objects, threatens to erase the social conditions in which each object is made. However, there may be a way in which these imaginaries can be harnessed as prosthetics for our communities. This essay explores possible avenues for artists and critics to create ethical objects for societies of art.
Assessment of the DNA adduction and pharmacokinetics of PhIP and MeIOx in rodents at doses approximating human exposure using the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and 32P-postlabeling.

Estimating the cancer risk posed by heterocyclic amines depends on measuring how chemical dose influences measurable indicators of cancer progression. This data ideally should encompass the range of actual human exposure, at the low dose end, and laboratory animal studies, at the high dose end. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been used to measure the absorption, fate, and DNA adduct dosimetry of the heterocyclic amines PhIP and MeIQx at doses equivalent to human consumption following single-dose administration and chronic daily dosing. AMS is a nuclear physics technique which specifically counts nuclei of cosmogenic isotopes, rather than relying on decay. For tracing 14C, sensitivity is increased 10(6)-fold relative to decay counting. We have found that tissue clearance rates for [2-(14)C]-PhIP are rapid (t1/2 = 1 h) at low dose (41 ng/kg), with most of the radiocarbon distributed to the liver and G.I. tract. MeIQx-DNA adduct levels decrease linearly with dose (5 mg/kg-500 ng/kg) in single dose exposures. Likewise, the biologically available dose of [2-(14)C]-MeIQx decreases linearly with decreasing dose (5 mg/kg-1 ng/kg). On chronic daily dosing, it takes 40 days for adducts to reach steady-state in tissues and adduct levels appear to decrease linearly with decreasing dose, except possibly at very low doses. DNA binding of PhIP involves both sulfation or acetylation of the N-hydroxylated PhIP. Quantitatively, sulfation appears to be an important pathway for PhIp activation in rodent tissue cytosols while acetylation appears quantitatively more important in human tissue cytosols. The greatest activity is in liver and intestinal tissues for both pathways. The specific DNA adducts formed in vivo and in vitro from exposure to PhIP and MeIQx are likely guanine adducts. These data suggest that DNA adduct dosimetry responds linearly with dose but may become sub-linear at very low doses for chronic exposure and that factors other than DNA adduction may be critical to explain these heterocyclic amines' tumorigenicity.
Suicidal ideation in pregnancy: an epidemiologic review

Suicidal behaviors are the leading causes of injury and death worldwide, and are leading causes of maternal deaths in some countries. One of the strongest risk factors, suicidal ideation, is considered a harbinger and distal predictor of later suicide attempt and completion, and also presents an opportunity for interventions prior to physical self-harm. The purpose of this systematic epidemiologic review is to synthesize available research on antepartum suicidal ideation. Original publications were identified through searches of the electronic databases using the search terms pregnancy, pregnant women, suicidal ideation, and pregnan* and suicid* as root searches. We also reviewed references of published articles. We identified a total of 2626 articles through the electronic database search. After irrelevant and redundant articles were excluded, 57 articles were selected. The selected articles were original articles that focused on pregnancy and suicidal ideation. Of the 57 included articles, 20 reported prevalence, 26 reported risk factors, 21 reported consequences of antepartum suicidal ideation, and 5 reported on screening measures. Available evidence indicates that pregnant women are more likely than the general population to endorse suicidal ideation. Additionally, a number of risk factors for antepartum suicidal ideation were identified including intimate partner violence, <12-year education, and major depressive disorder. There is a need for enhanced screening for antepartum suicidal ideation. The few screening instruments that exist are limited as they were primarily developed to measure antepartum and postpartum depression. Given a substantial proportion of women with suicidal ideation that does not meet clinical thresholds of depression and given the stress-diathesis model that shows susceptibility to suicidal behavior independent of depressive disorders, innovative approaches to improve screening and detection of antepartum suicidal ideation are urgently needed.
Towards More Effective Cyber Operator Interfaces Through Semantic Modeling of User Context

Cyber operators frequently need to quickly process large amounts of data that are generated by various network monitoring systems or applications, and they need to rapidly make complex decisions. We posit that dynamically tailoring the user experience to the cyber operator’s context would significantly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their ability to respond and take action. Tailoring can take the form of filtering to present the information most relevant to the situation, or automating tasks that are most beneficial in the current context. SRI’s bright ( www.sri.com/bright) approach records the action and gaze details of cyber operator interactions across several cyber security applications. Analysis of the collected data will provide insight into the current interests of cyber operators, and form the basis for future methods and mechanisms for adapting the user experience.
‘One senses danger from all sides, especially from fanatical civilians’: The 121st Infantry Division and Partisan War, June 1941–April 1942

On the second day of Operation Barbarossa, Lieutenant E. of the 121st nfantry Division raged against apparent irregular forces who ‘seemingly shot out of every house’ in the Lithuanian village of Vilkoviszki. Members of his 405th Infantry Regiment responded in the heavy-handed manner called for by Nazi doctrine: ‘As every house which the devious guerrillas shot from was set on fire, nearly the entire town was burning by evening’.1 In many ways, this diary passage encapsulates what has become the dominant image of the Wehrmacht in the recent historiography: a brutal force, employing the utmost in violence to sweep away all real and imagined resistance.2 And though elements of this image certainly ring true, closer analysis also reveals a wider range of attitudes and behaviours that fail to correspond to this picture of a marauding Wehrmacht. The following examination of the 121st Infantry Division during the period from the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union to the end of the ‘Winter Crisis’ in April 1942 highlights the various ways in which the division both at the institutional and individual levels dealt with the partisan threat during the first stage of the Soviet-German War.
Recommender Systems with Personality

We believe that in the future, the most common form of recommender systems will be present in a personal assistant. We claim that such an intelligent agent must be personal, i.e., know its user's preferences and recommend relevant content, a dynamic learner, instructable, supportive and affable. We describe the current state of the art and the challenges which should be addressed in each of these agent properties and provide examples of how we expect future personal agents to convey these properties.
Are small cities online? Content, ranking, and variation of U.S. municipal websites

Abstract Information and communication technologies (ICTs) promise to increase government transparency, accountability, and civic engagement by providing information about government activities and enabling electronic interaction with community members. Drawing from a content analysis of 500 U.S. city websites from two points in time, we examine the prevalence and growth of ICTs used b y municipalities ranging in population from 25,000 to 250,000 from 2010 to 2014. We present the results of the content analysis, outlining the prevalence of five categories of ICTs – information tools, e-services, utility, transparency, and civic engagement features - and investigating how type of ICT adoption is related to city size, form of government, and technical capacity. We then rank the 500 cities based on 27 ICT features and note how those rankings have changed over the four-year period. We conclude with a discussion of municipal use of ICTs and what this means for governments and the communities they serve.
The Paradoxical Hemorrhagic and Thrombotic Nature of the Fibrinogen Aα R16C Mutation.

The Aα R16C mutation is a common cause of dysfibrinogenemia, but the complete implications of this mutation on the process of hemostasis have not been fully characterized. Because of its critical position at the fibrinopeptide A cleavage site, this mutation leads to delayed fibrinopeptide release and subsequent delayed fibrin polymerization. The point mutation responsible for this dysfibrinogen leads to a clinical paradox, however, with both hemorrhage and thrombosis as reported complications. Of previously identified patients with this dysfibrinogen, approximately 30% have experienced bleeding and 15% thrombosis, with the remainder asymptomatic. In this report, the biochemical properties of Aα R16C dysfibrinogens that contribute to either hemorrhage or thrombosis are characterized. Blood samples were obtained from two young siblings who presented with excessive trauma-induced bleeding. Functional fibrinogen levels were 46–55 mg/dL and fibrinogen antigen levels were 427–429 mg/dL, consistent with the diagnosis of dysfibrinogenemia (Fibrinogen Hershey III). DNA sequencing demonstrated both siblings to be heterozygous for the Aα R16C mutation. Fibrinogen was then purified from plasma by classical glycine precipitation. In order to determine if this dysfibrinogen has altered rates of factor XIIIa cross-linking, cross-linking kinetics were assessed by incubating normal or mutant fibrinogen with factor XIII and thrombin and quantifying band intensity at successive timepoints for the resultant γ-γ dimers and α multimers by SDS-PAGE. Analysis of factor XIIIa cross-linking showed a significant decrease in the amount of γ-γ dimer formation when compared to normal fibrinogen (p 1/2 of 51 ± 3 minutes (mean ± SEM) compared to 38 ± 0.2 minutes for normal fibrinogen. Similar results were obtained for the second sibling. The decreased rate of fibrinolysis could explain the paradoxical thrombotic phenotype sometimes seen with this dysfibrinogen. Thus the dual nature of the Aα R16C mutation is demonstrated by the simultaneous presence of deficient fibrinolysis and deficient fibrin cross-linking. Slower clot formation results from the delays in fibrinopeptide cleavage and fibrin polymerization. The delay in fibrinolysis, however, represents a hypercoagulable state leading to potential thrombosis. For this particular dysfibrinogen, the balance of procoagulant versus fibrinolytic factors may be most important in determining its clinical phenotype.
Photoluminescence Studies of Mid-infrared InAs/AlAs Quantum Dot Cascade Laser Structures

We present the optical characterization of quantum dot cascade laser (QDCL) structures using photoluminescence. In this work, two InAs/AlAs quantum dot structures are investigated with different GaAs QW thicknesses. Low temperature photoluminescence measurements show peaks at 1.03 eV, 1.28 eV, and 1.51 eV for QDCL1, and 1.07 eV, 1.27 eV, and 1.47 eV for sample QDCL2, corresponding to ee-hh transition in both QD and QW. A three dimensional QD-QW model in Nextnano is developed to simulate the energy states, wave functions, and transition rates between conduction and valence bands using a typical QD size obtained from atomic force microscope measurements. The simulation results agree well with the experimental data. This allows us not only to understand the optical characteristics of the QD-QW structure, but also to optimize the QDCL structure design.
Digital Image Processing: A Primer for JVIR Authors and Readers: Part 2: Digital Image Acquisition

This is the final installment of a three-part series on digital image processing intended to prepare authors for online submission of manuscripts. In the first two articles of the series, the fundamentals of digital image architecture were reviewed and methods of importing images to the computer desktop were described. In this article, techniques are presented for editing images in preparation for online submission. A step-by-step guide to basic editing with use of Adobe Photoshop is provided and the ethical implications of this activity are explored.
Improving sensitivity in acoustoelectric imaging with coded excitation and optimized inverse filter

Acoustoelectric imaging (AEI) is based on the interaction between a pressure wave and tissue resistivity to map electrical current at high spatial resolution. This approach overcomes limitations with conventional bioelectrical imaging, which typically suffers from poor resolution due to the ambiguous conductivity distribution between the current sources and detection electrodes. As we have shown in a variety of preparations, including the live rabbit heart, the magnitude of the AE signal at physiological current is weak (∼1 μV). In this study, we examine the role of the pulse waveform in amplifying the AE signal and improving the signal-to-noise ratio for imaging. Using both simulation and bench-top experiment with a standard broadband ultrasound transducer, we analyze the effects of nonlinear coded excitation with optimized compression. Compared to a short linear frequency modulated pulse (chirp), the nonlinear chirp with optimized inverse filtering can improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR) under certain conditions by >6 dB while preserving high spatial resolution.
Diurnal Variation of Optical Coherence Tomography Measurements of Static and Dynamic Anterior Segment Parameters.

PURPOSE:To examine the diurnal variation of static and dynamic anterior segment parameters in young, healthy eyes by comparing anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) measurements obtained in the morning and evening and also in the light and dark. METHODS:Twenty-two subjects ranging from 19 to 47 years of age with no past ocular history were selected. Imaging was performed with the Tomey CASIA2 AS-OCT device in 2 fixed lighting environments, light and dark, between the hours of 08:30 to 10:00 and 17:30 to 19:00. Four AS-OCT images were analyzed per eye. Pupil diameter (PD), iris area (IA), iris curvature (IC), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens vault (LV), anterior chamber width (ACW), anterior chamber area (ACA), angle opening distance (AOD), angle recess area (ARA), trabecular iris space area (TISA), and trabecular iris angle (TIA) were measured. RESULTS:Pupil diameter was similar between the AM and PM groups in the light (P=0.89) and dark (P=0.51). There was no significant difference between AM and PM measurement values for any of the static or dynamic parameters in the light (P>0.39) and dark (P>0.31). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) demonstrated excellent agreement between AM and PM measurement values in the light (ICC>0.81) and dark (ICC>0.93). In addition, there was no significant difference between AM and PM angle opening distance at 500 µm measurement values in the light (P>0.34) and dark (P>0.40) when each of 8 angle sectors was analyzed individually. CONCLUSIONS:No significant diurnal variation of static or dynamic anterior segment parameter measurements was detected in the light and dark. Diurnal variation of these parameters does not regularly occur in young, healthy eyes.
Modeling and maximizing influence diffusion in social networks for viral marketing.

Modeling influence diffusion in social networks is an important challenge. We investigate influence-diffusion modeling and maximization in the setting of viral marketing, in which a node’s influence is measured by the number of nodes it can activate to adopt a new technology or purchase a new product. One of the fundamental problems in viral marketing is to find a small set of initial adopters who can trigger the most further adoptions through word-of-mouth-based influence propagation in the network. We propose a novel multiple-path asynchronous threshold (MAT) model, in which we quantify influence and track its diffusion and aggregation. Our MAT model captures not only direct influence from neighboring influencers but also indirect influence passed along by messengers. Moreover, our MAT framework models influence attenuation along diffusion paths, temporal influence decay, and individual diffusion dynamics. Our work is an important step toward a more realistic diffusion model. Further, we develop an effective and efficient heuristic to tackle the influence-maximization problem. Our experiments on four real-life networks demonstrate its excellent performance in terms of both influence spread and time efficiency. Our work provides preliminary but significant insights and implications for diffusion research and marketing practice.
Simultaneously educating students about the impact of cell phone usage while creating a metric to predict their performance

The high usage of cell phones amongst students attending college appears to be impacting their attention spans and performance. Rather than admonishing students for the usage of cell phones in class, we explore a different approach. The intervention explored in this paper consists of assigning the students a recent article about the effect of cell phones on productivity and asking the students to complete a short reflection essay on this article. The study was conducted on 40 undergraduate students in a course on Assembly Language Programming in Fall 2017. The results of this intervention indicate that students are not aware of the recent research in the relationships between cell phone usage and productivity. A survey gauged the impact of this article on the students. Nearly 97% of the respondents reported that their awareness of the negative impact of cell phone usage on productivity increased. 78% of the respondents indicated that they were able to apply this awareness advantageously to become more productive in other courses. In addition to observing this positive change in student behavior, we computed a simple metric from the reflection essay submitted by the students. The metric, consisting of the word count of this essay had a correlation of 0.38 (p = 0.026) with the final grade for the course. This metric was computed within the first week of the course, and has reasonable predictive power to identify students who may need extra attention. This has the potential to improve student retention.
Regularization methods for solving third-order volterra filter with improved convergence speed: In-vivo application

The differential diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (iPD) from atypical parkinsonian syndromes can be very difficult at the early stages of these diseases. Trancranial Ultrasound Imaging (TCUI) of the Substantia Nigra (SN) is one method that has been shown to aide in this early differential diagnosis. TCUI is done to detect hyperechogenicity in the SN, which is defined as an echogenic area above a threshold size of 0.2 cm2. Because B-mode ultrasound images are often noisy, determining the size of the echogenic area can be difficult. Harmonic imaging using a Third-Order Volterra (ToVF) filter is one solution that has been successful in filtering out the noise in these images, allowing a more reliable diagnosis. In this paper, we show that regularization methods such as Truncated Singular Value Decomposition (TSVD) and Tikhonov method can be used to solve for the Volterra Filter's coefficient much more quickly than least mean square (LMS) methods studied previously without sacrificing image quality. This finding has implications in terms of the Volterra Filter's viability for use in real-time harmonic imaging applications.
Thoughts on Science Education During the After-School Hours: A Commentry on Part III

For someone who has long been interested in after-school educational activities as a promising supplement to formal, in-school education, the papers in this section provide rich opportunities to think about the promise and the problems that such programs offer to those concerned with the infusion of science into the learning and development of their participants.
THE POTENTIAL OF H2 PRODUCTION BY PHOTOSYNTHETIC PREPARATIONS FROM CHLOROPLASTS AND CYANOBACTERIA

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the potential of H2 production by photosynthetic preparations from chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. From the results obtained from studies, it is concluded that the heterocysts of the cyanobacteria, N. muscorum, and A. cylindrica contain an active reversible hydrogenase. Because the consumption is greater than H2 production in heterocysts, this system may serve to regulate the channeling of electrons from molecular H2 to nitrogenase in these cells. Heterocysts are relatively poorly permeable to external reductants; thus, gaseous H2 is the hydrogen donor par excellence, providing a readily permeable form of reducing power. Both hydrogenase and nitrogenase are present in heterocysts. Nitrogenase catalyzes N2 fixation to NH and H2 evolution that decreases the yield of N2 fixation. In the absence of artificial mediators like methylviologen, the hydrogenase of heterocysts would function unidirectionally, that is, H2 uptake. Thus, H2 uptake by hydrogenase in heterocysts could be important in augmenting the rate and efficiency of N2 fixation in the cyanobacteria by establishing a mechanism for recycling reducing power in the form of H2 lost by the leak in nitrogenase.
Internalizing Case-Relative Truth in CIFOL+

CIFOL is defined in Belnap and Muller 2013 (J Phil Logic 2013) as the first-order fragment of Aldo Bressan’s higher-order modal typed calculus \(MC^\nu \). Bressan based his calculus on Carnap’s “method of extension and intension”: In CIFOL, truth is relative to “cases,” where cases play the formal role of “worlds” (but with less pretension). CIFOL\(+\) results by following Bressan in adding term-constants t for the true and f for the false, and a single predicate constant, \(P_0\), which together with a couple of simple axioms enable the representation of “sentence \(\Phi \) is true in case \(x\)” by means of a defined expression, \(T(\Phi , x)\), where \(\Phi \) is the sentence of CIFOL\(+\) in question and where \(x\) ranges over a defined family of “elementary cases.” (Whereas being a case is defined in the semantic metalanguage, elementary cases are squarely in the (first order) domain of CIFOL\(+\).) A suitable suite of axioms guarantees that one can prove (in CIFOL\(+\)) that there is exactly one elementary case, \(x\), such that \(x\) happens (i.e., such that \(x=\mathbf t \)), a fact that underlies the equivalence of \(\square (x=\mathbf t \rightarrow \Phi )\) and \(\lozenge (x=\mathbf t \,\,\wedge \,\,\Phi )\). (Proofs are surprisingly intricate for first order modal logic.) One can then go on to show that \(T(\Phi , x)\) is well-behaved in terms of its relation to the connectives of CIFOL\(+\), a result required for ensuring that \(T(\Phi , x)\) is properly read as “that \(\Phi \) is true in elementary case \(x\).”
Strain Evaluation in TAVR—Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been a paradigm shift for the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Subclinical cardiac changes in myocardial deformation, not reflected by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), are often present and can be measured by strain imaging. This manuscript will review the current literature and discuss the importance of strain evaluation in TAVR patients. Strain measurement, especially global longitudinal strain (GLS), has been shown to be associated with outcomes in patients with AS. In addition, GLS assessment prior to and after TAVR appears to correlate with LV functional recovery, symptoms, and the prognosis in these patients; however, evidence is limited to small studies. With a better understanding of strain evaluation in TAVR patients, this important imaging modality could emerge as a powerful bedside tool to aid in determining the timing of intervention and further improving outcomes.
A Chemical Approach to Optimizing Bioactive Glass Dental Composites

The chemical microenvironment surrounding dental composites plays a crucial role in controlling the bacteria grown on these specialized surfaces. In this study, we report a scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)-based analytic technique to design and optimize metal ion-releasing bioactive glass (BAG) composites, which showed a significant reduction in biofilm growth. SECM allows positioning of the probe without touching the substrate while mapping the chemical parameters in 3-dimensional space above the substrate. Using SECM and a solid-state H+ and Ca2+ ion-selective microprobe, we determined that the local Ca2+ concentration released by different composites was 10 to 224 µM for a BAG particle size of <5 to 150 µm in the presence of artificial saliva at pH 4.5. The local pH was constant above the composites in the same saliva solution. The released amount of Ca2+ was determined to be maximal for particles <38 µm and a BAG volume fraction of 0.32. This optimized BAG-resin composite also showed significant inhibition of biofilm growth (24 ± 5 µm) in comparison with resin-only composites (53 ± 6 µm) after Streptococcus mutans bacteria were grown for 3 d in a basal medium mucin solution. Biofilm morphology and its subsequent volume, as determined by the SECM imaging technique, was (0.59 ± 0.38) × 107 µm3 for BAG-resin composites and (1.29 ± 0.53) × 107 µm3 for resin-only composites. This study thus lays the foundation for a new analytic technique for designing dental composites that are based on the chemical microenvironment created by biomaterials to which bacteria have been exposed.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELING IN PATIENTS WITH AORTIC REGURGITATION: IS THERE A NEED FOR GENDER SPECIFIC THRESHOLDS FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION?

Prior studies have shown that a lower proportion of women with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) are referred for surgery for LV dilation and are more likely to be symptomatic. We sought to compare echo and cMRI measurements of LV dimensions and AR severity, and to determine whether there are
Improving fetal congenital heart disease screening using a checklist‐based approach

To determine if using a checklist of specific ultrasound image criteria to screen the fetal heart improves the cardiac exam completion rate, defined as the ability to classify the heart as normal or abnormal. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with singleton pregnancies who underwent a fetal anatomy survey between 18 and 28 weeks' gestation. A checklist was used from 1 September 2015 to 31 March 2016 to categorize exams as complete-normal, complete-abnormal, or incomplete. Performance was compared with a 7-month period prior to checklist introduction (1 December 2014 to 30 June 2015). Checklist utilization improved the cardiac exam completion rate by 8.9%. With the checklist, 1083 of 1202 exams (90.1%) were completed compared to 987 of 1193 (82.7%) pre-checklist, P < .001. We did not detect a change in cases classified as abnormal and referred for echocardiography: 25 (2.1%) with the checklist and 16 (1.3%) pre-checklist, P = .16. We did not detect more congenital heart disease (CHD), 12 (1.0%) with checklist screening, 5 (0.4%) pre-checklist, P = .14. Critical CHD was not missed in either group. Using the checklist improved the cardiac exam completion rate. There was no change in congenital heart disease detection.
Parthenogenetic activation of rhesus monkey follicular oocytes in vitro

Rhesus monkey follicular oocytes obtained from gonadotropin-injected animals were treated with hyaluronidase and cultured in Whitten9s medium. Of 74 oocytes beyond germinal vesicle stage, 57 were activated. Twenty-one of the activated oocytes cleaved one to three times. Behavior in culture and the values of relative Feulgen-DNA content in nuclei of six normally cleaved 6- to 10-cell parthenogenones showed that four resulted from the activation of primary oocytes, one from a secondary oocyte, and one from a primary polyploid oocyte. One parthenogenone with four pronuclei, and two with a single pronucleus (without extrusion of the first and second polar bodies in either case) were also observed.
The Fact of Unreasonable Pluralism

Proponents of political liberalism standardly assume that the citizens of an ideal liberal society would be overwhelmingly reasonable. I argue that this assumption violates political liberalism's own constraints of realism—constraints that are necessary to frame the central problem that political liberalism aims to solve, that is, the problem of reasonable pluralism. To be consistent with these constraints, political liberalism must recognize that, as with reasonable pluralism, widespread support for unreasonable moral and political views is an inevitable feature of any liberal society. I call this the fact of unreasonable pluralism. This fact threatens Rawlsian political liberalism's account of stability because an overlapping consensus cannot stably order a society pervaded by unreasonable views. My argument also raises questions about the coherence of Rawls's conception of ideal theory.
The role of Latino masculine values in Mexican adolescent sexuality.

Objectives This study broadens the field of quantitative research on culture-specific values and Mexican adolescent sexual behavior from an ecological perspective. We examined how general values such as machismo and caballerismo, and sexual values such as the importance of male virginity are associated with Mexican adolescent normative sexual behaviors and intentions. We also examined the role of gender, age, and school type in these associations. Method We administered measures of caballerismo, machismo, importance of male virginity, sexual intentions, and sexual behaviors to a sample of 539 Mexican adolescents, aged 12 to 15. Results The results indicated that adolescents who endorsed the machismo value more had greater intentions to have sex, and were more likely to receive oral sex. Adolescents who endorsed less caballerismo had greater intentions to have sex when they were not sexually active. Additionally, adolescents who reported lower importance of male virginity had greater intentions to have sex and a higher likelihood of having vaginal sex. Gender, age, and school context moderated a few associations. For example, older adolescents (but not younger) who endorsed more caballerismo reported lower intentions to have sex. Conclusions The current study expands the understanding of how general and sexual culture-specific values are associated with the sexual intentions and behaviors of Mexican adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Chapter 1 – A Bit of History

This very short chapter gives brief biographies of two people who made seminal contributions to the mathematical theory that underlies this book. George Boole (1815–1864) was a pioneer in the application of mathematical ideas to logic. His work is memorialized by the attachment of his name to Boolean functions and Boolean algebra. Claude Shannon (1916–2001) was a talented electrical engineer and mathematician whose Master's thesis revolutionized the theory of switching circuits by applying Boolean algebra to analyze circuit design. Beginning during World War II, he worked as a researcher at AT&T Bell Labs for over thirty years. Early in his tenure there he wrote two classic papers which initiated the subjects of information theory and modern cryptography, but security concerns kept them from being published until 1948–49.
Seizure-like presentation in OHCA creates barriers to dispatch recognition of cardiac arrest.

Abstract Purpose Early recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) by 9-1-1 dispatchers is a critical first step along the resuscitation pathway. Barriers to recognition may lead to adverse outcomes among patients. This study aims to determine the impact of seizure-like activity among OHCA patients during 9-1-1 calls. Methods We evaluated a retrospective cohort study of all adult, non-traumatic OHCAs that occurred prior to emergency medical services (EMS) arrival on scene in a major metropolitan area from 2014–2018. Dispatch recordings were reviewed to determine if seizure-like activity was reported by the caller using key descriptor phrases such as “seizing,” “shaking,” or “convulsing.” We compared patient demographics, arrest factors, and hospital outcomes using a regional OHCA quality improvement database. Results Among 3502 OHCAs meeting our inclusion criteria, 149 (4.3%) contained seizure-like activity. When compared to patients without seizure-like activity (3353; 95.7%), patients presenting with seizure-like activity were younger (54 vs. 66 years old; p Conclusions Reported seizure-like activity among patients in cardiac arrest poses a barrier to recognition of cardiac arrests by dispatchers leading to delays in resuscitation instructions.
Smooth Muscle Conditions of the Chest: A Clinical, Radiologic, and Pathologic Review

Smooth muscle conditions of the chest have diverse clinical and imaging manifestations and may involve nearly every thoracic structure. Differentiation among these conditions requires the integration of clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic data. Histologic examination in conjunction with immunohistochemistry is essential for differentiation from other spindle cell neoplastic mimics. Familiarity with these entities will ensure the inclusion of smooth muscle conditions in the differential diagnosis of thoracic soft tissue lesions and potentially guide the clinician in appropriate management. We review the clinical, imaging, and histopathologic features of thoracic smooth muscle-related conditions organized by the anatomic structures affected.
Characteristics and Academic Productivity Among Pediatric Plastic Surgeons in the United States.

Background:The characteristics that predispose plastic surgeons to a career in pediatric plastic surgery remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of curren...
Health and Health Service Needs: Comparison of Older and Younger Women with Criminal-Legal Involvement in Three Cities.

Objectives: We profiled the health and health services needs of a sample of older adult women (age 50+) with criminal–legal system (CLS) involvement and compared them with younger women (age 18–49)...
Remote delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy to patients with functional neurological disorders: Promise and challenges.

Abstract Functional neurological disorders (FND) are an important source of healthcare utilization and morbidity. While there are no formal guidelines for treating these disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is emerging as a safe and effective treatment. Currently, there is a global shortage of CBT providers, with only a small subset trained in and comfortable with treating patients with FND. We highlight four types of remote CBT delivery to patients with FND to alleviate the access obstacle: workbooks, internet-guided CBT, app-based CBT, and teletherapy. CBT workbooks and teletherapy have been studied in FND, with preliminary studies suggesting efficacy; internet-guided CBT and app-based CBT have not but have been effectively used in patients with psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders. As these disorders are often comorbid and share overlapping neurobiology with FND, internet-guided CBT and app-based CBT represent promising delivery options of CBT for FND. Although remotely-delivered CBT is unlikely to replace in-person CBT and there are technical and logistical challenges to overcome prior to widespread deployment, it holds promise as an adjunct treatment when in-person CBT is inaccessible. We propose a rational approach to future allocation of remote CBT treatment options and highlight important research gaps to bridge beforehand.
The Banking Sector: The Year's Contradictory Results

The Russian banking sector remains unstable. In 2017, renewal of growth in bank assets and individual segments of the lending market was accompanied by falling profits and large volumes of substandard assets being identified with large banks undergoing financial restructuring.
Knowing Me, Knowing You: An Experiment on Mutual Payoff Information and Strategic Uncertainty

We use a laboratory experiment to study how mutual payoff information affects play in strategic settings. Subjects play the Prisoner's Dilemma or Stag Hunt game against randomly re-matched opponents under two information treatments. In our partial-information treatment subjects are shown only their own payoffs, while in our full-information treatment they are shown both their own and their opponent's payoffs. In both treatments, they receive feedback on their opponent's action after each round. We find that mutual payoff information has a substantial effect on the equilibrium reached in the Stag Hunt and convergence in both games. Using a belief-learning model and simulations of play, we provide evidence that this effect is driven not only by initial play but also by the way subjects learn. We propose that strategic uncertainty is a probable channel driving these effects.