cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of selected antibiotic resistances in ungrazed native Nebraska prairie soils

The inherent spatial heterogeneity and complexity of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in manure-affected soils makes it difficult to sort out resistance that can be attributed to human antibiotic use from resistance that occurs naturally in the soil. This study characterizes native Nebraska prairie soils that have not been affected by human or food-animal waste products to provide data on background levels of resistance in southeastern Nebraskan soils. Soil samples were collected from 20 sites enumerated on tetracycline and cefotaxime media; screened for tetracycline-, sulfonamide-, β-lactamase-, and macrolide-resistance genes; and characterized for soil physical and chemical parameters. All prairies contained tetracycline- and cefotaxime-resistant bacteria, and 48% of isolates collected were resistant to two or more antibiotics. Most (98%) of the soil samples and all 20 prairies had at least one tetracycline gene. Most frequently detected were (D), (A) (O), (L), and (B). Sulfonamide genes, which are considered a marker of human or animal activity, were detected in 91% of the samples, despite the lack of human inputs at these sites. No correlations were found between either phenotypic or genotypic resistance and soil physical or chemical parameters. Heterogeneity was observed in AR within and between prairies. Therefore, multiple samples are necessary to overcome heterogeneity and to accurately assess AR. Conclusions regarding AR depend on the gene target measured. To determine the impacts of food-animal antibiotic use on resistance, it is essential that background and/or baseline levels be considered, and where appropriate subtracted out, when evaluating AR in agroecosystems.
Wiretapping and the Apex of Police Discretion

Modern criminal procedure decisions often looks to the common law rules of the Framing Era to flesh out the contours of constitutional rules limiting police. This reliance on Framing Era history assumes that the country has more or less maintained a consistent view about the nature of limits on police power. The opposite is actually true. From roughly 1850 to 1920, police were essentially unregulated, powerful and dangerous. The modern rules of criminal procedure were a response to this period of unregulated police, not a recognition of the country's ongoing commitment to the principles of the Framing Era. The high-point of police authority, to which the public and policymakers responded during Prohibition, can be seen in the New York Wiretapping Controversy of 1916. The police asserted that wiretapping should be unregulated because the modern police force was skilled at identifying criminals and sufficiently professional to target only them. This was an argument that the public, willing to place great faith in the police, accepted. Prohibition would destroy this faith and impose the basic scheme of police regulation that remains today.
Vagal sensory neurons are required for lipoprivic but not glucoprivic feeding in rats

This experiment examined the role of subdiaphragmatic vagal sensory neurons in feeding stimulated by pharmacological blockade of fatty-acid oxidation (lipoprivic feeding) and glucose utilization (glucoprivic feeding). Rats prepared by surgical transection of the subdiaphragmatic vagal trunk or aspiration lesion of the vagal sensory terminal fields in the area postrema-nucleus of the solitary tract (AP-NTS) were maintained and tested on a fat-supplemented, high carbohydrate diet. Fatty-acid oxidation was blocked with mercaptoacetate (MA, 400 and 600 mumol/kg ip) and glucose utilization was blocked with 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG, 100 and 200 mg/kg sc). On test days, rats were injected with MA, 2-DG, or saline, and feeding was measured hourly for 6 h beginning immediately after injection. We found that both subdiaphragmatic vagotomy and AP-NTS lesions abolished lipoprivic feeding. In contrast, glucoprivic feeding was abolished by AP-NTS lesions but not by subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. These results indicate that lipoprivic feeding requires intact subdiaphragmatic vagal sensory neurons that terminate in the AP-NTS region. Glucoprivic feeding is not vagally mediated but also requires a neural substate within the AP-NTS region.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation–Induced Resistance Training After SCI: A Review of the Dudley Protocol

Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), often referred to as functional electrical stimulation (FES), has been used to activate paralyzed skeletal muscle in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). The goal of NMES has been to reverse some of the dramatic losses in skeletal muscle mass, to stimulate functional improvements in people with incomplete paralysis, and to produce some of the health benefits associated with exercise. Objective: The purpose of this brief review is to describe a quantifiable resistance training form of NMES developed by Gary A. Dudley. Methods: People with motor complete SCI were first tested to confirm that an NMES-induced muscle contraction of the quadriceps muscle could be achieved. The contraction stimulus consisted of biphasic pulses at 35 Hz performed with increasing current up to what was needed to produce full knee extension. Four sets of 10 knee extensions were elicited, if possible. Training occurred biweekly for 3 to 6 months, with ankle weights being incr...
From object to image to object

Images are mental representations accommodated by grammatical structures. These structures order sensori-input of information as well as provide for articulated ways of expressing motor sequences associated with images. The psychological process of perception is reflected in the development of paradigmatic structures. The psychological process of action (behavior and its mental representations) is reflected in the development of syntagmatic structures. Forming and expressing imagery requires both paradigmatic and syntagmatic structuring. The former relates to logical issues of identity of objects and to the formation of concepts. The latter relates to the solution of psycho-logical questions of causality through articulation of grammatical roles in sentences. Two issues affecting the formation of a model to account for imagery are examined: (1) The tendency to explain imagery as a result of motor sequences and to utilize performance grammar. (2) The impact of ontogenesis on social processes affecting the logical and psycho-logical concerns facing the person at different stages of development. The grammar of imagery is seen as broader than one of performance. The epistemology of imagemaking does not reflect a linear ontogenetic development which precludes attention to problems of creating the logical structures of an object.
Introduction A Design Encounter with Thing Theory

ABSTRACTBill Brown's seminal essay “Thing Theory” in the special issue of Critical Inquiry (2001) spurred a new fascination with materiality across the academy and served as an explicit invitation to examine things themselves, “before ideas, before theory, before the word” (2001: 16). Brown's essay pushed things to the fore, emphasizing their role in shaping human subjects while being shaped by them. Building on the underlying premise that things are of value, and therefore it is essential for design to wrestle with thing theory, this special issue of Design and Culture sets out to explore the significance of such a theory for the disciplines of design. Can thing theory help shape new research horizons for design studies, and in turn, if the primary task of design is shaping things, can design help (re)shape thing theory?
CROSS-MODAL EXPONENTS FOR THE DISUTILITY OF MONEY: DO THEY VARY WITH AVAILABLE SPENDING MONEY? '

The exponent (b) in Stevens' law (R = asb) , which is stable in various sensory continua (3), would have theoretical and practical applications if obtained for the perceived d i su t i ty of monetary losses, but only a few studies have measured it. Using magnitude estimation, Galanter reported exponents of .54 (1) and .64 (2) for the disutility of dollar losses. Because magnitude estimations, being numbers, might be affected by the numerical dollar amounts being judged, we undertook cross-modal matching instead. Twenty-six subjects indicated the disutiity or unhappiness rhey would feel when losing each of 12 dollar amounts, ranging from $1.50 to $5000, by producing string lengths that matched those experienced disutilities. Previously, subjects reported their monthly budgets and cut a length of string to represent that amount; this served as a standard for subsequent crossmodal judgments. Cross-modal matching served to judge dollar losses without directly relying on numbers and produced data that follow Stevens' law: correlations between dollar amounts and each subject's estimates ranged from .91 to .77. Exponents derived by the least squares method from each subject's two judgments of each dollar loss, ranged from .16 to .65 with a mean of .44 (SD = .14), a value below that previously reported (1, 2 ) Since the exponent for length is approximately 1 (3), the predicted cross-modal exponent for length judgments of the disutllity of dollar losses is similar to that obtained with magnitude estimates (3). Our exponent might have been lower because the method was different or the stimulus range larger (4). Individual subjects' exponents did not reflect variations in income or in reported spending behavior. Neither monthly budget amounts nor string-length standards that represented them correlated with exponents (budget: r2, = .15, p>.05, and v z = .07; string lengths: r2, = .39, p > .05, and v2 = .26). Estimates of money amounts subjects would willingly spend on different items, obtained at the end of the experiment, also &d not correlate with exponents (r2, = .22, o> .05. and n2 = .08). The exponent of Stevens' law, derived from cross-modal matches, provides a description of the perceived disutility of dollar losses. The exponent appears to be independent of amount of money available to the subject and of reported spending behaviors.
Methods for the isolation and characterization of constituents of natural products

Abstract Preparation of a new acid chloride, pyruvyl chloride 2,6-dinitrophenylhydrazone, and esters of it with primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols is described. The esters form readily in benzene solution in the presence of triethylenediamine in good yield within 20 minutes at room temperature. The derivatives are bright yellow to yellow-orange, have sharp and relatively high-melting points, and have an absorption maximum near 400 mμ in benzene. The esters have a molar extinction coefficient near 5950 in benzene. They possess properties which lend themselves well to direct isolation from lipids. Reference to certain products or companies does not imply an endorsement by the Department over others not mentioned.
Studies in char gasification-II. The Davidson-Harrison two phase model of fluidization

Abstract The lumped model developed in the earlier paper, for fluidized bed steam-oxygen-char gasification is modified by taking into consideration the bubbling nature of the fluid flow. The bubbles were assumed to be uniform in size and the computations were carried out treating the bubble size as a parameter. It was found that the char conversion as well as the methane mole fraction in the product gases decreases when the bubble size is increased.
Nosocomial infections caused by Burkholderia cepaciainfections

OBJECTIVE To retrospectively analyze the distribution of Burkholderia cepaciainfections in the hospital from Jan 2010to Dec 2011and analyze the drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics so as to reasonably use antibiotics.METHODS The microbial identification was performed with phoenix-100 automatic analyzer of BD,and the drug susceptibility testing was carried out by using K-B method,then the relevant data were statistically analyzed by using WHONET5 statistical software.RESULTS A total of 331 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from hospitalized patients in the hospital from Jan 2010 to Dec 2011,82.18% of which were isolated from the sputum specimens,12.08% from blood specimens,1.51% from catheter tip;94.26% of the B.cepaciastrains were isolated from the ICU.The drug resistance rates of the B.cepaciato chloramphenicol,minocycline,ceftazidime,and meropenem varied between 6.95% and 9.06%;the drug resistance rates to cefperazone-sulbactam,piperacillin/tazobactam,levofloxacin,piperacillin,cefepime,and imipenem varied between 53.17% and 100.00%.CONCLUSIONThe B.cepaciastrains are highly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics,aminoglycoside antibiotics,and quinolone antibiotics,with low drug resistance to meropenem,ceftazidime,and chloramphenicol,which can be used as the preferred antibiotics for the treatment of the B.cepacia infections.
Research on Firm Product Innovation Based on Knowledge Integration

Dispersion,tacitness and complexity are primary characteristics of Knowledge in firm product innovation under hyper-competition circumstance.The knowledge of product innovation today goes beyond what a single firm can afford.The firms should have knowledge disposing competency with two dimensions: the ability to import external knowledge and the ability to synthesize internal knowledge.Knowledge of product innovation should not be treated as organization boundary but as an integrated system.So product innovation is the course of integrating the different organization knowledge to produce new knowledge.The essence of product innovation is to integrate a series of knowledge and other resource.So this paper develops a new paradigm of firm product innovation based on knowledge integration which includes integration capabilities, integration approaches,inner integration and external integration.The product innovation of modern firm should transfer component knowledge from different locations,specialties and states into architectural knowledge,so as to form knowledge infrastructure of product innovation.
Study on determination of comprehensive evaluation index weight in irrigation district's water saving and improvement

In order to obtain scientific and reasonable index weight and get ideal result of comprehensive evaluation in irrigation districts' water saving and improvement,the principle of comprehensive weight combination methods is described on the basis of the sum of squares of deviations and the game theory,and two kinds of comprehensive weight combination methods are applied to comprehensive evaluation of Luohuiqu and other three irrigation districts' water saving and improvement in Guanzhong area.The results show that two kinds of weight's vector have different size order,but the order of evaluation value of four irrigation districts calculated by using two kinds of weight are same.The results of further analysis show that the guiding ideology of comprehensive weight combination methods based on the sum of squares of deviations and the game theory is different,but both of their principles are scientific.In determining the index weights of an irrigation district's evaluation,if one wants to make irrigation districts' evaluation results have fully scatter degree,he should select the comprehensive weight combination method based on the sum of squares of deviations;If he wants to preserve information of all objective and subjective indexs' weights as possible,he should select the comprehensive weight combination method based on the game theory.
Decision Making Tools: Sensitivity Analysis for the Constant Sum Pair-wise Comparison Method

Every hierarchical decision modeling process starts with quantifying the contributions of decision elements through pair-wise comparisons. As subjective values, the pair-wise comparison judgments are seldom provided at a 100 % confidence level and are subject to variations. To increase the model’s validity and ensure requisite decision making, it is important to know how sensitive the model result is to these inputs. In this chapter, a sensitivity analysis algorithm is developed to test a hierarchical decision model’s robustness to the pair-wise comparison judgment inputs acquired from the constant sum method. It defines the allowable region of perturbation(s) induced to a judgment matrix at any level of a decision hierarchy to keep the current ranking of decision alternatives unchanged. An example will be presented to demonstrate the application of this algorithm in technology selection.
Sex-dependent alteration of cardiac cytochrome P450 gene expression by doxorubicin in C57Bl/6 mice

There is inconclusive evidence about the role of sex as a risk factor for doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. Recent experimental studies have shown that adult female rats are protected against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. However, the mechanisms of this sexual dimorphism are not fully elucidated. We have previously demonstrated that DOX alters the expression of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the hearts of male rats. Nevertheless, the sex-dependent effect of DOX on the expression of CYP enzymes is still not known. Therefore, in the present study, we determined the effect of acute DOX exposure on the expression of CYP genes in the hearts of both male and female C57Bl/6 mice. Acute DOX cardiotoxicity was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg DOX in male and female adult C57Bl/6 mice. Cardiac function was assessed 5 days after DOX exposure by trans-thoracic echocardiography. Mice were euthanized 1 day or 6 days after DOX or saline injection. Thereafter, the hearts were harvested and weighed. Heart sections were evaluated for pathological lesions. Total RNA was extracted and expression of natriuretic peptides, inflammatory and apoptotic markers, and CYP genes was measured by real-time PCR. Adult female C57Bl/6 mice were protected from acute DOX-induced cardiotoxicity as they show milder pathological lesions, less inflammation, and faster recovery from DOX-induced apoptosis and DOX-mediated inhibition of beta-type natriuretic peptide. Acute DOX exposure altered the gene expression of multiple CYP genes in a sex-dependent manner. In 24 h, DOX exposure caused male-specific induction of Cyp1b1 and female-specific induction of Cyp2c29 and Cyp2e1. Acute DOX exposure causes sex-dependent alteration of cardiac CYP gene expression. Since cardiac CYP enzymes metabolize several endogenous compounds to biologically active metabolites, sex-dependent alteration of CYP genes may play a role in the sexual dimorphism of acute DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.
Teaching Big Data and Cloud Computing with a Physical Cluster

Cloud Computing and Big Data continue to be disruptive forces in computing and have made inroads in the Computer Science curriculum, with courses in Cloud Computing and Big Data being routinely offered at the graduate and undergraduate level. One major challenge in offering courses in Big Data and Cloud Computing is resources. The question is how to provide students with authentic experiences making use of current Cloud and Big Data resources and tools and do so in a cost effective manner. Historically, three options, namely physical clusters, virtual clusters and cloud-based clusters, have been used to support Big Data and Cloud Computing courses. Virtual clusters and cloud-based options are those that institutions have typically adopted and many arguments in favor of these options exist in the literature, citing cost and performance. Here we argue that teaching Big Data and Cloud Computing courses can be done making use of a physical cluster and that many of the existing arguments fail to take into account many important factors in their calculations. These factors include the flexibility and control of a physical cluster in responding to changes in industry, the ability to work with much larger datasets, and the synergy and broad applicability of an appropriately equipped physical cluster for courses such as Cloud Computing, Big Data and Data Mining. We present three possible configurations of a physical cluster which span the spectrum in terms of cost and provide cost comparisons of these configurations against virtual and cloud-based options, taking into account the unique requirements of an academic setting. While limitations do exist with a physical cluster and it is not an option for all situations, our analysis and experience indicates that there is great value in using a physical cluster to support teaching Cloud Computing and Big Data courses and it should not be dismissed.
Electrochemomechanical degradation of high-capacity battery electrode materials

Abstract Enormous efforts have been undertaken to develop rechargeable batteries with new electrode materials that not only have superior energy and power densities, but also are resistant to electrochemomechanical degradation despite huge volume changes. This review surveys recent progress in the experimental and modeling studies on the electrochemomechanical phenomena in high-capacity electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. We highlight the integration of electrochemical and mechanical characterizations, in-situ transmission electron microscopy, multiscale modeling, and other techniques in understanding the strong mechanics-electrochemistry coupling during charge-discharge cycling. While anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the primary focus of this review, high-capacity electrode materials for sodium ion batteries (NIBs) are also briefly reviewed for comparison. Following the mechanistic studies, design strategies including nanostructuring, nanoporosity, surface coating, and compositing for mitigation of the electrochemomechanical degradation and promotion of self-healing of high-capacity electrodes are discussed.
Predictors of Consent in a Randomized Field Study in Child Welfare.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are often viewed as the “gold standard” for proving the efficacy and effectiveness of new interventions. However, some are skeptical of the generalizability of the findings that RCTs produce. The characteristics of those willing to participate in research studies have the potential to affect the generalizability of its findings. This study examined factors that could influence consent among families recruited to participate in a randomized field trial in a real-world child welfare setting. Methods: This study tested the Parent Management Training Oregon Model for children in foster care with serious emotional disturbance. It employed a post-randomization consent design, whereby the entire sample of eligible participants, not just those who are willing to consent to randomization, are included in the sample. Initial eligibility assessment data and data from the federally mandated reporting system for public child welfare agencies provided the pool of pot...
Exercise reverses pain-related weight asymmetry and differentially modulates trabecular bone microarchitecture in a rat model of osteoarthritis.

Abstract There is great interest in developing and utilizing non-pharmacological/non-invasive forms of therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) pain including exercise and other physical fitness regimens. Aims The present experiments determined the effects of prior wheel running on OA-induced weight asymmetry and trabecular bone microarchitecture. Main methods Wheel running included 7 or 21 days of prior voluntary access to wheels followed by OA induction, followed by 21 days post-OA access to wheels. OA was induced with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA), and weight asymmetry was measured using a hind limb weight bearing apparatus. Bone microarchitecture was characterized using ex vivo μCT. Key findings Relative to saline controls, MIA (3.2 mg/25 μl) produced significant weight asymmetry measured on post-days (PDs) 3, 7, 14, 21 in sedentary rats. Seven days of prior running failed to alter MIA-induced weight asymmetry. In contrast, 21 days of prior running resulted in complete reversal of MIA-induced weight asymmetry on all days tested. As a comparator, the opioid agonist morphine (3.2–10 mg/kg) dose-dependently reversed weight asymmetry on PDs 3, 7, 14, but was ineffective in later-stage (PD 21) OA. In runners, Cohen's d (effect sizes) for OA vs. controls indicated large increases in bone volume fraction, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, and connective density in lateral compartment, and large decreases in the same parameters in medial compartment. In contrast, effect sizes were small to moderate for sedentary OA vs. controls. Significance Results indicate that voluntary exercise may protect against OA pain, the effect varies as a function of prior exercise duration, and is associated with distinct trabecular bone modifications.
A reliable approach to prepare brittle semiconducting materials for cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.

Summary Here, we present a sample preparation approach that simplifies the thinning of very brittle wide bandgap semiconducting materials in cross-section geometry for (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. Using AlN thin films grown on sapphire and AlN substrates as case studies, we demonstrate that high-quality samples can be routinely prepared while greatly reducing the preparation time and consumables cost. The approach removes the sample preparation barrier to studying a wide variety of materials by electron microscopy.
Merging Mormon women & women of Genesis: Hannah Tapfield King’s Women of the Scriptures

When Hannah Tapfield King published Women of the Scriptures (1878) her work became part of the growing body of women’s biblical interpretation—most often written as character studies—in nineteenth-...
Same Migrants, Two Business Models: Culture-Centered and Non-Traditional Businesses Established by Ethiopians and Eritreans in Washington DC

This chapter compares and contrasts the characteristics of two types of businesses developed by Ethiopians and Eritreans in Washington DC: (1) the culture-centered businesses, which mainly sell traditional food items in restaurants, cafes, grocery stores and convenience stores clustered predominantly in U Street and Adams Morgan, and (2) the non-traditional businesses, which offer a range of services not based on identity (such as transportation, franchises, real estate agencies and the like), and which are not clustered on specific areas of Washington DC, but scattered throughout the district. Using a trans-national migration theoretical framework, Idris highlights the differences between these two types of businesses. The chapter also reviews the strengths and weaknesses of each business model, and the different purposes they serve for the migrants who establish them and their customers.
Diffusion-Exchange Weighted Imaging

A method has been developed whereby diffusion and exchange in micro cellular structures in the human brain are correlated to produce a new type of image contrast leading to determination of water exchange rates in vivo. The diffusion method relies on differential apparent diffusion coefficients as detectable nuclei exchange between adjacent compartments marked with different apparent diffusion coefficient values (e.g. intra- and extra-cellular compartments). A new pulse sequence was developed, and used to calculate water intra/extra mean residence times in brain, and the signal dependence on various experimental parameters was analysed. The method was tested in vivo at 3T field strength and produced 160 ms and 550 ms for extra-cellular and intra-cellular mean residence times, respectively.
IN VITRO SELECTION OF AN ATTENUATED VARIANT OF SINDBIS VIRUS

ABSTRACT Attenuated virus strains have been derived by an empirical process guided by the observation that blind serial passage in heterologous tissue culture selectively enriches for mutants with decreased pathogenicity for the animal host. We have superimposed a selective pressure for rapid growth in tissue culture upon this process. Sindbis virus (SB) was passaged serially in BHK cells by harvesting only the virus released within the first two hours following the end of the latent period. An attenuated variant (SB-RL) was cloned from the eleventh such passage. We recently have isolated attenuated clones from the fifth rapid growth passage. One hundred percent mortality was observed in litters of one day old mice injected s.c. with 25 or more PFU of SB. In SB-RL infected litters, the survival rate decreased from 60 to 30% with doses ranging from 2.5 to 2.5×106 PFU/mouse. The mean day of death in SB-RL infected litters was extended significantly compared to litters inoculated with SB. SB-RL was found to protect mice from challenge with SB. In tissue culture, SB-RL was characterized by a significant reduction in latent period and an increased rate of penetration. These characteristics were expressed only in the BHK cell line used for the original selection, but not in other cell lines. SB-RL also produced higher virus titers and exhibited an increased rate of RNA synthesis. However, the expression of these characteristics was independent of cell type. SB-RL produced small plaques in all cell lines tested but was not temperature sensitive. The RNA's of SB-RL and SB appeared identical in RNase T1 fingerprints (D. W. Trent, personal communication), and the virion polypeptides were indistinguishable by SDS-PAGE. However, SB-RL could be distinguished from SB on the basis of antibody neutralization, suggesting an alteration in the E2 glycoprotein.
Verifiable Object-Oriented Transactions

Unlike the existing object-oriented and other database technologies, database schemas in the technology developed in this research are equipped with very general integrity constraints specified in a declarative, logic-based fashion. These declarative specifications are expressed in object-oriented assertion languages and they apply to transactions that are implemented in a full-fledged, mainstream object-oriented programming language. The model of transactions is based on more advanced features of object-oriented type systems, the ownership model, and very general constraints. The main distinction in comparison with other database technologies is that transactions can be verified to satisfy the schema integrity constraints. The two main contributions of this paper are object-oriented schemas equipped with integrity constraints and static verification of transactions with respect to the integrity constraints. Solutions to these open problems have been out of reach so far. Furthermore, transaction verification is not only largely static, but it is also automatic, so that the subtleties of the underlying verification technology are hidden from the users. In addition to static verification, the technology offers dynamic enforcement of the integrity constraints when necessary. The overall outcome is a significant increase in data integrity along with run-time efficiency and reliability of transactions.
PROCESSING–PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS IN WHEAT PROTEIN–UNVULCANIZED ISOPRENE RUBBER COMPOSITES

ABSTRACT An optimized set of processing parameters was determined for trypsin hydrolyzed gliadin protein (THGd, from wheat) and unvulcanized synthetic isoprene rubber (IR) composite compounds. The ...
Multi-Thread Implementation of Tool Tip Tracking for Laparoscopic Surgical Box-Trainer Intelligent Performance Assessment System

Laparoscopic surgeons should pass a set of tests on a Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) Trainer device. By using the current FLS Trainer no significant qualitative and quantitative information on the trainee’s performance is measured and recorded electronically. There is an on-going research collaboration between the ECE Department and the Department of Surgery to develop an intelligent box-trainer device which includes sensors and several high definition digital video cameras along with a fuzzy logic-based performance assessment system. This paper reports on the tool-tip tracking and associated assessment aspect of the project. The significance of this research is to create an intelligent performance assessment system that is much more objective than the ones which are currently being used. Using fuzzy logic to capture expert knowledge for performance assessment is a new approach in this area.
When ICD Lead Failure Complicates Ventricular Arrhythmia Treatment

A 62-year-old woman presented with intractable VT/VF precipitated by PVCs. Extreme externalization of multiple conductors of a Riata® ICD lead were thought to be precipitating the ventricular arrhythmias. The conductors were percutaneously removed as to avoid complete lead extraction.
The Astrophysical Multi-messenger Observatory Network

Miguel Mostafa describes the Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network (AMON), an online network that enables real-time coincidence searches using data from the leading multimessenger observatories and astronomical facilities.
Solvent-Responsive and Reversible Structural Coloration in Nanostructured Block Polymer Films

Structural coloration, the vibrant colors in many biological systems, results from periodically ordered nanostructures, giving rise to a photonic band gap in which specific wavelengths are either reflected or transmitted. In many of the current materials, structural coloration is a result of the static morphology, and modifications of the materials are directed toward tuning the reflected wavelength. Recently, excitement in the ability to create materials exhibiting responsive and reversible structural coloration for manipulating light at the nanoscale has been motivated by biological systems that utilize changes in coloration for camouflage or communication between other animals. Here, we establish the effect of solvent swelling and deswelling on the photonic band gap of nanostructured films containing a lamellar-forming diblock copolymer, poly­(1,2-butadiene)-block-poly­(ethylene oxide) (1,2PBD-PEO). The large chemical incompatibility between 1,2PBD and PEO domains (resulting in a high-χ system) allows to strategically and independently swell either one or both domains while maintaining the same lamellar morphology. The influence of solvent, leading to wavelength-specific reflection, entails changes in both the domain spacing and refractive index. A good solvent for both 1,2PBD and PEO domains, such as tetrahydrofuran, leads to a prominent increase in the domain spacing, and as a result, a shifting of the reflected light to green from an initially colorless and translucent film. For selective solvents such as water and hexane, only one domain swells (PEO or 1,2PBD domain, respectively), resulting in asymmetric changes in domain spacing. Additionally, the existence of PEO crystals plays an essential role in the ability of solvents to swell polymer domains. The structural and refractive index transformations on swelling with solvents leading to changes in the reflected wavelength and intensity are found to be reversible on the evaporation of solvents, enabling cyclic swelling and deswelling of the nanostructure. The work presented here highlights the necessary parameters for tuning the photonic band gap properties in self-assembled polymer materials using a combination of solvent quality (e.g., degree of polymer domain swelling) and variations in the effective refractive indices between domains.
Assessing Student Learning in a Rapidly Changing Environment: Laboratories and Exams

The purpose of this communication is to describe and document the challenges of delivering a general chemistry laboratory experience to students and of moving toward multiple small assessments and away from high-stakes examinations. By leveraging of activities that were already in place prior to the pivot to online learning, namely, an electronic laboratory notebook through bluedoorlabs and assessments that emphasized student reasoning, these challenges were addressed. Herein our approach to providing a meaningful laboratory experience and lower-stakes assessments is described. On the basis of our experiences in Spring 2020, we look forward to the fall semester, where the university is committed to reopening in a dedensified fashion with students in classrooms and laboratories.
Symptoms of pediatric feeding disorders among individuals with 3q29 deletion syndrome

Objective: To evaluate symptoms of pediatric feeding disorders in a sample of individuals with 3q29 Deletion Syndrome. Previous research has found that individuals with 3q29 deletion syndrome (3q29Del) may experience elevated feeding concerns in early childhood; however, the specificity of these feeding concerns in this pediatric population is not well understood. Methods: We compared individuals with 3q29Del (n = 60) to matched controls (n = 59) using an 11-item survey that assessed commonly reported symptoms associated with pediatric feeding disorders. An exploratory analysis also examined individuals with 3q29Del with and without a comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Results: Caregivers of 3q29Del cases reported higher incidences of feeding concerns on all 11 items included in the survey. This included statistically significant differences in food refusal behaviors, rejection of one or more food group, and a history of failure to thrive. Parents of children with comorbid autism were more likely to report concerns regarding rejection of one or more food group compared to children with 3q29Del without autism. Conclusions: Results suggest individuals with 3q29Del experience increased symptoms of pediatric feeding disorders. Future research should include a more thorough multidisciplinary evaluation to further document the severity and identify optimal remediation strategies.
A new NLRP5 mutation causes female infertility and total fertilization failure

The genetic reasons of total fertilization failure (TFF), especially regarding suspected oocyte-related factors, are largely unknown. Only PLCZ1, TLE6 and WEE2 mutations have been shown to result i...
Multiband light-curve analysis of the 40.5-min period eclipsing double-degenerate binary SDSS J082239.54+304857.19

We present the Apache Point Observatory BG40 broadband and simultaneous Gemini $r$-band and $i$-band high-speed follow-up photometry observations and analysis of the 40.5 minute period eclipsing detached double-degenerate binary SDSS J082239.54$+$304857.19. Our APO data spans over 318 days and includes 13 primary eclipses, from which we precisely measure the system's orbital period and improve the time of mid-eclipse measurement. We fit the light curves for each filter individually and show that this system contains a low-mass DA white dwarf with radius $R_A=0.031\pm0.006~{\rm R_\odot}$ and a $R_B=0.013\pm0.005~{\rm R_\odot}$ companion at an inclination of $i=87.7\pm0.2^\circ$. We use the best-fitting eclipsing light curve model to estimate the temperature of the secondary star as $T_{\rm eff}=5200\pm100~{\rm K}$. Finally, while we do not record significant offsets to the expected time of mid-eclipse caused by the emission of gravitational waves with our 1-year baseline, we show that a $3\sigma$ significant measurement of the orbital decay due to gravitational waves will be possible in 2023, at which point the eclipse will occur about $8$ seconds earlier than expected.
Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes in CKD: Findings From the CRIC Study

Rationale & Objective Cardiovascular events are less common in women than men in general populations; however, studies in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are less conclusive. We evaluated sex-related differences in cardiovascular events and death in adults with CKD. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 1,778 women and 2,161 men enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC). Exposure Sex (women vs men). Outcome Atherosclerotic composite outcome (myocardial infarction, stroke, or peripheral artery disease), incident heart failure, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death. Analytical Approach Cox proportional hazards regression. Results During a median follow-up period of 9.6 years, we observed 698 atherosclerotic events (women, 264; men, 434), 762 heart failure events (women, 331; men, 431), 435 cardiovascular deaths (women, 163; men, 274), and 1,158 deaths from any cause (women, 449; men, 709). In analyses adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, and metabolic parameters, women had a lower risk of atherosclerotic events (HR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.57-0.88]), heart failure (HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.62-0.93]), cardiovascular death (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.42-0.72]), and death from any cause (HR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.49-0.69]) compared with men. These associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for cardiac and inflammation biomarkers. Limitations Assessment of sex hormones, which may play a role in cardiovascular risk, was not included. Conclusions In a large, diverse cohort of adults with CKD, compared with men, women had lower risks of cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, and mortality from any cause. These differences were not explained by measured cardiovascular risk factors.
Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Greece

Slavery in ancient Greece was commonplace. In this book Sara Forsdyke uncovers the wide range of experiences of slaves and focuses on their own perspectives, rather than those of their owners, giving a voice to a group that is often rendered silent by the historical record. By reading ancient sources 'against the grain,' and through careful deployment of comparative evidence from more recent slave-owning societies, she demonstrates that slaves engaged in a variety of strategies to deal with their conditions of enslavement, ranging from calculated accommodation to full-scale rebellion. Along the way, she establishes that slaves made a vital contribution to almost all aspects of Greek society. Above all, despite their often brutal treatment, they sometimes displayed great ingenuity in exploiting the tensions and contradictions within the system of slavery.
Gender and Sexuality as Methodological Confounds in the Study of Transgender Prisoners

In the summer of 2007, Alexis Giraldo, a transgender parolee who served over 2 years in California prisons, sued the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and individual prison staff members who allegedly allowed her to be serially raped by her male cellmates while in Folsom State Prison. After successfully navigating a complex and exhausting extralegal and legal complaint process, Giraldo, a young Puerto Rican transgender woman—a biological male who identifies and presents as female—had her day in court. During the 2-week trial in San Francisco Superior Court, the plaintiff and her attorney communicated to the jury, the witnesses in the courtroom, and the press how she was placed in a men’s prison without regard for the obvious risk of sexual assault from the male prisoners she was housed with, endured daily beatings and brutal sexual assaults by her cellmate, begged for help from prison staff and was told to “be tough and strong,” reported the injuries to doctors and therapists, and officially documented her situation and experiences.
Obligation of Compliance for Member and Nonmember States under the United Nations

Article 103 of the Charter of the United Nations is emphatic in declaring that the obligations under the Charter shall take precedence over all other obligations which member nations have undertaken, or will have undertaken, and that all obligations contrary to the Charter principles shall not be entertained. Hence the superiority of the Charter as a law-making treaty accepted by virtually all states in the international community seems undeniable.
Abstract 15934: Refractory Cardiogenic Shock in a Patient With Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy and Mitral Regurgitation Necessitating Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Use

Introduction: Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a genetic disease due to a mutation in cardiac muscle protein resulting in left ventricular wall and septal hypertrophy. The presence of systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve leads to dynamic left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. With increasing SAM of the anterior mitral leaflet there is resultant loss of coaptation leading to mitral regurgitation (MR). MR has been associated with HOCM but severe MR physiology causing refractory cardiogenic shock and requiring the use of afterload reduction through intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is rare and seems paradoxical to the conventional therapy for HOCM. Case summary: This is a case of 71year old female with HOCM, presenting with worsening shortness of breath. She had pulmonary vascular congestion on Chest X-ray and her Transthoracic Echocardiography demonstrated significant LVOT obstruction with moderate MR. She was being evaluated for myomectomy while being treated medically with beta blocker therapy for HOCM. She decompensated with acute respiratory failure from pulmonary edema, her blood pressure and oxygen saturation dropped. She was intubated. Swan- ganz catheter reading suggested wedge pressures of 22 and elevated pulmonary pressures. MvO2 was 32% and this was suggestive of cardiogenic shock. The Trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed normal EF with severe concentric LVH and a moderate to severe (3+) MR due to restricted leaflet motion with regurgitant orifice area being 2.5cm2. At that point her MR was the dominant physiology behind her acute decompensation and cardiogenic shock and hence an IABP was placed for reducing afterload that helped in stabilizing her. Subsequently her wedge pressure and MvO2 improved, she was weaned off the IABP and extubated. The patient is being evaluated for myomectomy and mitral valve repair. Conclusion: This case illustrates complex hemodynamics and a challenging management due to competing MR and HOCM physiologies, too much central volume to offset HOCM may worsen MR and pulmonary edema while too much afterload reduction might worsen the HOCM. The use of IABP in a HOCM patient though seems paradoxical but was necessary in this setting to deal with complex physiologies.
An efficient software radio implementation of the UMTS turbo codec

This paper addresses some critical implementation issues involved in the development of a turbo decoder, using the UMTS specification as a concrete example. The assumption is that the decoder is to be implemented in software rather than hardware, and thus a variable number of decoder iterations is not only possible, but desirable. Three twists on the decoding algorithm am proposed: (1) a linear approximation of the correction function used by the max* operator which reduces complexity with only a negligible loss in BER performance; (2) a method for normalizing the backward recursion which yields a 12.5% savings in memory usage; and (3) a simple method for halting the decoder iterations based only on the log-likelihood ratios.
Redundancy, pause distributions and thought disorder in schizophrenia.

Recent studies have indicated that schizophrenics with current evidence of formal thought disorder (FTD) can be distinguished from schizophrenics without such disorder on measures of ability to use...
xBook: redesigning privacy control in social networking platforms

Social networking websites have recently evolved from being service providers to platforms for running third party applications. Users have typically trusted the social networking sites with personal data, and assume that their privacy preferences are correctly enforced. However, they are now being asked to trust each third-party application they use in a similar manner. This has left the users' private information vulnerable to accidental or malicious leaks by these applications. In this work, we present a novel framework for building privacy-preserving social networking applications that retains the functionality offered by the current social networks. We use information flow models to control what untrusted applications can do with the information they receive. We show the viability of our design by means of a platform prototype. The usability of the platform is further evaluated by developing sample applications using the platform APIs. We also discuss both security and nonsecurity challenges in designing and implementing such a framework.