cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision Analytic Model for Nonstationary Flood Risk Management

Lack of stationarity in long-term climate statistics is an emerging concern in flood control system design. Potential trends in future flood peaks could invalidate historical records as planning guidelines, but future flood trends are uncertain. While infrastructure-based flood management measures such as dams and levees are traditionally employed, options-based measures, in which a small investment is made at the present to secure the option of using and paying for some good or service in the future, could be preferable to expensive flood control infrastructure if an increase in flood peaks is not certain. Furthermore, options-type management strategies are often less ecologically disruptive than infrastructure-based flood control measures. We present a decision analytic model that identifies the combination of infrastructurebased and options-based flood management strategies that minimizes damage and management costs in a floodplain, incorporating nonstationary flood hazard. The model is used to evaluate whether options-based or infrastructure-based flood management options perform best over a variety of trends in flood risk. The decision analytic model is applied to a case study of the Iowa River at Iowa City, Iowa. Existing flood control structures in the area include levees and Coralville Lake, a reservoir operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The decision analytic model is used to choose between combinations of further development of flood control infrastructure and risk sharing with farmers in exchange for flooding fields when needed. The sensitivity of the decision to the strength of trend in flood peaks can be used alongside future flood risk information to aid decision making. 2110 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014: Water without Borders © ASCE 2014
Eosinophils in Helminth Infection: Defenders and Dupes.

Eosinophilia is a central feature of the host response to helminth infection. Larval stages of parasitic worms are killed in vitro by eosinophils in the presence of specific antibodies or complement. These findings established host defense as the paradigm for eosinophil function. Recently, studies in eosinophil-ablated mouse strains have revealed an expanded repertoire of immunoregulatory functions for this cell. Other reports document crucial roles for eosinophils in tissue homeostasis and metabolism, processes that are central to the establishment and maintenance of parasitic worms in their hosts. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the significance of eosinophils at the host–parasite interface, highlighting their distinct functions during primary and secondary exposure.
A re-examination of succinic dehydrogenase activity and its association with cell death in the interdigit of the chick foot.

Massive cell death, which accompanies the freeing of the digits, occurs in the interdigits of the developing chick foot during stages 30-35. The possibility was reexamined that mitochondrial succinic dehydrogenase activity disappears in the interdigital cells of the chick foot 24 h before cell mortality. Using standard histochemical means it was found that succinic dehydrogenase activity was demonstrable in the interdigital cell population up to and including the time when cell death begins. This was confirmed quantitatively employing biochemical methods which indicated that succinic-cytochrome c reductase specific activity was approximately the same in homogenates of digital and interdigital tissues harvested just prior to the death of interdigital cells. Further, NADH-cytochrome c reductase specific activity was comparable in digital and interdigital tissue homogenates. These data make it unlikely that ‘biochemical degeneration’ associated with alterations in aerobic energy metabolism occurs in the interdigital cells before death as has been suggested by other workers previously. The methods used by these authors to demonstrate succinic dehydrogenase were repeated on chick feet in our laboratories and an alternative interpretation of the results is offered.
Policy Implications of the Alternative Interpretation

In chapters 3 to 6 an interpretation of The General Theory has been put forth that rests upon Keynes’s theory of investment and finance. This interpretation is an alternative to today’s conventional wisdom, which holds that the valuable insights of The General Theory have been incorporated into the neoclassical synthesis. However, whereas the neoclassical synthesis leads to propositions that the normal path of a market economy can be characterized as one of full-employment growth, the alternative interpretation leads to propositions that the normal path of a capitalist economy is cyclical; that is, the normal path can be characterized as a succession of system states. Thus, the two interpretations of Keynes lead to substantially different views of the normal functioning of a capitalist economy.
Rethinking 401(K)s

In this Article, I argue that 401(k) plans make for bad public policy. The substantial tax subsidy upon which these plans are founded is allocated inefficiently and inequitably; many who could benefit from 401(k)s lack access to them; and those fortunate enough to participate are left ill-positioned to make wise financial decisions and withstand stock-market turbulence. To cure these ills, I recommend a replacement. This alternative would be similar to the 401(k) setup in that each investor would have a private investment account. But it would differ in three fundamental respects. First, unlike 401(k)s, everyone would have the opportunity to participate. Some individuals would be enrolled in the program by default, but would be free to opt out. Second, rather than provide a tax subsidy, the government would match a certain portion of the savings of lower- and middle-income earners. Third, this plan would include a default investment alternative that would provide participants with the potential for reasonable returns along with significant protection from down-side risk. By broadening access, reconfiguring the government’s financial support, and providing a thoughtful default investment, this reform proposal promises to remedy much of what ails our current approach.
Borrowed Time: Sovereign Finance, Regime Type, and Leader Survival

This study explores the conditional influence of sovereign credit on leader survival. We specifically focus on credit's heterogeneous effect on leadership survival across regimes. We argue that non-democratic leaders are more sensitive to credit access and cost than democratic leadership. We use event history analysis to test the conditional relationship between sovereign credit and leader tenure from 1981 to 2004. Examining both domestic and global determinants of credit access and costs, our findings are consistent with the assertion that non-democratic leadership survival is linked to credit even when addressing issues of endogeneity.
The need for innovation in assessing web content performance: A case study

Best practices provide convenient, but general, guidelines for authoring web content; however, as general guidelines, they cannot possibly provide the best advice for every context. Testing is required to know if their application works in a specific context. However, testing web content is challenging, especially content that does not support the funnel-shaped interactions typically found in commerce-oriented web sites. This paper presents the case of an experiment that tested how varying two common best practices for web content— content minimalism and visual navigational affordances—affected software developers' perceptions and task performance. Applying these best practices improved some metrics as expected, but also reduced or had no measurable effect on others. The experience from this case study revealed opportunities for innovation in web-content authoring: (1) describing best practices to include the contexts in which they are most effective and the factors they might improve, (2) developing methods for modeling audience requirements and goals as they relate to the effective use of information concepts and visual design, and (3) improving the tools and methods used to measure web content and integrate such measurements into the authoring process.
Blunt Traumatic Occlusion of the Common Iliac Artery Repaired With Segmental Excision and Internal Iliac Artery Patch Angioplasty

Common iliac artery (CIA) occlusion as a result of blunt trauma is rare and seldom reported. This has been associated with pelvic fractures and other great vessel lesions. Management options include endovascular covered stent placement, open anatomic repair with autogenous conduit, or open extra-anatomic repair with prosthetic material. We report the case of a middle-aged male with a right CIA injury secondary to blunt trauma who underwent a successful repair using an internal iliac artery patch for injury to a 2 cm segment of CIA with peritoneal contamination. There is no definitively superior method to address CIA injuries in this setting reported in the literature. The use of the internal iliac artery as a patch can be regarded as an additional safe repair option when an autogenous repair is required for a large defect in the CIA as this can enable mobilization of the vessel for primary repair and offer a source for an autogenous patch.
Clinical Impact and Costs of Echocardiographic Screening for Rheumatic Heart Disease

An 18‐year‐old lies in bed in a lower‐income country. He has just experienced an embolic stroke that originated on his infected mechanical mitral prosthesis, placed 2 years prior for severe rheumatic mitral stenosis. This true story is paradigmatic of the burdens created by rheumatic heart
Characteristics and Unmet Clinical Needs Related to Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Advances in biomedical research require animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease. Without such models, progress against human diseases such as cancer is significantly hindered. Here, we present the current landscape on available and emerging hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) animal models. HCC is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with an annual death toll exceeding 745,000. Stunningly, only 15% of HCC patients are candidates for curative therapy, leading 85% of patients to seek palliative therapeutic options. The VX2 rabbit model is considered the most relevant and widely used HCC model; however, more reliable HCC models are critically needed. In general, animal models for biomedical research should (1) mimic the human disease on a molecular basis, (2) derive from a relevant cell line that lends itself to in vitro study, (3) be reliable and predictable, (4) manifest survival differences, (5) allow for accurate treatment assessment, (6) be readily imaged, and (7) occur in similar background settings as the human disease. Over the past decades, numerous small animal models have been utilized for HCC studies; however, the development of new large animal models as qualified alternatives to murine models represents a key technology to advance research into human clinical trials.
Dynamic Response of TI 2 ALC Under Radial Confinement at High Temperature

Experiments were performed to evaluate the dynamic mechanical response of MAX phase material Ti2AlC at high temperature (HT) and under radial confinement. A Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus was employed to conduct experiments at a strain rate of 500 s−1. High speed photography was used to capture the dynamic response of unconfined specimens. An induction coil was used to heat the specimens from 25 to 1000 °C. Nickel–cobalt–ferrous alloy (Kovar) shrink fit sleeves were utilized to produce a mechanical radial pressure of 30–195 MPa. Unconfined room temperature (RT) and HT experiments revealed that Ti2AlC fails in a gradual, brittle manner (also referred to as graceful failure) with a low dependency on temperature up to 800 °C. All experiments conducted with radial confinement produced a fully plastic response without failure. The addition of hydrostatic confinement increased the maximum compressive stress for all temperatures and allowed specimens to reach strains in excess of 8% without failing. Optical and Scanning Election Microscopy (SEM) images were taken of the cross-section of recovered confined specimens. Imaging revealed conical damage patterns on each end of the specimen which facilitate the plastic response.
Microgel-assisted assembly of hierarchical porous reduced graphene oxide for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes

Graphene has emerged as one of the foremost candidates for replacing graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its unique physical and electrochemical properties. Most techniques for synthesis of graphene-based electrode materials utilize graphene oxide (GO). However, restacking of GO sheets during common fabrication processes usually results in significant loss of usable Li-insertion sites, and consequently, a substantial decrease in cycling performance of the electrode. In this work, we demonstrate a facile and scalable approach for fabrication of 3D, hierarchical macro/mesoporous reduced graphene oxide (RGO) anodes for LIBs using a polymer sphere (PS) microgel as a template. The synthesis process involves controlled encapsulation of GO sheets on the surface of thermal degradable PS microgels, followed by shrinkage of PS microgels to generate GO wrinkles. The GO-wrapped cross-linked PS swells to a microgel in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), while it shrinks after replacing the NMP with distilled water. The overall specific surface area of the resulting porous/wrinkled RGO with mesopores and macropores, obtained by annealing the wrinkled GO@shrunk PS, increases from 96 m2 g−1 to 276 m2 g−1; the highly porous structure also shortens the transport length of Li ions. The porous/wrinkled RGO anode material achieves a high reversible capacity and durability (∼720 mA h g−1 at 0.2C after 200 cycles), and a high rate capability (∼160 mA h g−1 at 20C). The electrode performance is comparable to the best RGO anodes. The microgel-assisted method opens up a promising route for potentially controlling the properties of 3D graphene-based electrodes.
The odyssey of becoming: Professional identity and insecurity in the Canadian accounting field

Abstract What does it mean to be a professional in accounting? Drawing on a comprehensive set of empirical materials, this paper provides a rich account of how accountants made sense of their professional identities in the context of the unification of three Canadian accounting associations. In a sharp contrast to what prior studies have examined in terms of knowledge, personal trait, and presentationalism, this paper reveals that professional identity is often construed by accountants in terms of self-privileged standing in perceived social pecking orders (identity ranking) and in terms of professional life journey (identity experiencing). Self-privileged standing is about how one is positioned and compared with others; professional life journey, on the other hand, entails not just the past but also the future and is laden with cognition, meanings, and emotions. These two aspects of professional identity are co-constitutive and feed each other for accountants’ identity work, in which the sense of professional security (or insecurity) plays an important role. This paper in its totality highlights the dynamic, fluid nature of professional identity. But more importantly, this paper points to the problematic hollowing out of the very meaning of the term “professional” in the accounting field.
MASL1 Is a Critical Modifier of Hepcidin Expression Via Smad1/5/8 Phosphorylation in the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) Signaling Pathway

Iron is essential for hemoglobin synthesis during terminal erythropoiesis. Hepcidin is the main regulator of iron homeostasis and is repressed by erythropoiesis. Although several candidates have been proposed to act as hepcidin inhibitors and erythroid regulators such as growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), twisted gastrulation BMP signaling modulator 1 (TWSG1) or erythroferrone (ERFE), their role in hepcidin repression during erythropoiesis is still unclear. We previously demonstrated that malignant fibrous histiocytoma-amplified sequence 1 (MASL1) is important for terminal erythropoiesis. In addition, down-regulation of MASL1 expression in macrophages strongly enhances IL-6 production following LPS or poly IC stimulation. Therefore, we hypothesized that MASL1 could directly (or indirectly) influence hepcidin expression. We found that endogenous MASL1 expression was significantly decreased in CD34 + cells treated with IL-6 compared with EPO-treated CD34 + cells at day 3 (0.35±0.05 fold vs 2.34±0.13 fold, P =0.002) and day 7 (1.03±0.75 fold vs 205.31±10.83 fold, P =0.001) of differentiation. In contrast, endogenous hepcidin expression was markedly increased in CD34 + cells treated with IL-6 compared with EPO-treated CD34 + cells. Interestingly, an increased hepcidin expression was detected in MASL1-knockdown CD34 + cells at day 3 of EPO-induced differentiation when compared with mock (47.47±23.49 fold vs 2.10±2.46 fold, P =0.029) or control lentiviral vector (47.47±23.49 fold vs 2.54±1.29 fold, P =0.029). Of note, ERFE, GDF15 and TWSG1 expression were decreased in MASL1-knockdown CD34 + cells at day 3 of EPO-induced differentiation. In addition, endogenous MASL1 expression is down-regulation after LPS treatment in PMA-induced THP1 cells but IL-6 is enhanced in MASL1-knockdown-PMA-induced THP1 cells after LPS treatment. In human hepatic cells (Huh-7), we found a significant decrease in hepcidin expression in MASL1-overexpressed Huh-7 cells after BMP2 (5.85±0.32 fold vs 9.98±0.97 fold, P =0.028) or BMP6 (10.07±1.35 fold vs 20.3±0.75 fold, P =0.007) stimulation for 24 hrs. Moreover, up-regulation of MASL1 enhanced the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 proteins while inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 proteins in Huh-7 cells after BMP2 or BMP6 stimulation for 1 hr that consequently affect in down-regulation of hepcidin expression. Strikingly, MASL1 overexpressed-Huh7 cells showed moderately decreased nuclear localization of phospho-Smad1/5/8 after BMP2 or BMP6 treatment. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MASL1 is a critical modifier of hepcidin expression potentially via additional mechanisms related to erythropoiesis and body iron homeostasis. Further clarification of these pathways may be the useful in developing novel treatment of anemias or iron disorders. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Eternal inflation: when probabilities fail

In eternally inflating cosmology, infinitely many pocket universes are seeded. Attempts to show that universes like our observable universe are probable amongst them have failed, since no unique probability measure is recoverable. This lack of definite probabilities is taken to reveal a complete predictive failure. Inductive inference over the pocket universes, it would seem, is impossible. I argue that this conclusion of impossibility mistakes the nature of the problem. It confuses the case in which no inductive inference is possible, with another in which a weaker inductive logic applies. The alternative, applicable inductive logic is determined by background conditions and is the same, non-probabilistic logic as applies to an infinite lottery. This inductive logic does not preclude all predictions, but does affirm that predictions useful to deciding for or against eternal inflation are precluded.
Noninvasive estimation of the end systolic pressure-volume relationship using impedance cardiography.

PURPOSE Traditional measures of cardiac contractility such as dp/dt and ejection fraction has been noted to be sensitive to preload and afterload conditions. The end systolic pressure-volume relationship of the left ventricle (ESPVR, Suga Index or Emax) has been found to be the best load independent measure of the cardiac contractile state. However, determination of the ESPVR requires very highly invasive procedures. Impedance cardiography (IC) is a reliable noninvasive method for calculating stroke volume and may also be useful for estimating the end systolic volume. METHODS An equation was derived using the systolic time intervals (PEP = pre-ejection period, LVET = left ventricular ejection time) and determined stroke volume (SV) as calculated from the impedance cardiograph to estimate the end systolic volume of the left ventricle. Likewise, and systolic pressure (ESP) was estimated from brachial cuff pressures using a previously published method. The resulting ESPVR was then calculated from tracings recorded in healthy normal subjects and compared to those obtained from patients in decompensated congestive heart failure (ejection fraction < 30% by echocardiogram) using the standard t test (p < 0.05). RESULTS Using the derived equation (ESPVR = ESP/(SV/(1.125-1.25(PEP/LVET)) - SV), the ESPVR for the normal group of 6 averaged 2.72 +/- 0.71 and was significantly different from the 1.04 +/- 0.45 found in 6 patients with known systolic dysfunction. In a further test of the method, 15 patients who received concurrent echocardiographic and IC evaluations were found to have calculated ESPVR values that significantly correlated with determined ejection fractions (r = 0.83, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS A noninvasive method for estimating the ESPVR that differentiates the myocardial contractile state in the clinically setting was derived using parameters obtained from IC. While further studies are needed to correlate this new equation with invasive measurements, this method has the potential for easily estimating load independent contractility in patients with cardiac dysfunction.
Acute Lyme Neuroborreliosis (LNB) Presenting as Painful Lumbosacral Myeloradiculopathy (P06.191)

OBJECTIVE: Discuss clinical and radiological manifestations of acute LNB. BACKGROUND: LNB may appear during early or late-stage systemic involvement. Prompt clinical diagnosis and treatment reduces long-term morbidity. Early systemic inflammatory and immunological markers are unpredictable and misleading. Authors describe clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of early-disseminated Lyme disease with neurological involvement. DESIGN/METHODS: A 46-year-old patient presented with new onset right facial weakness. Patient had presented with painful lumbosacral myeloradiculopathic symptoms, fever, neck pain, 7-cm-oval-erythematous lesion in right groin 10 days earlier and was receiving prednisone. Patient was afebrile without skin lesions, reported tick removal 2 years prior but not recently. Examination was remarkable for right Bell9s palsy and hyperreflexia without limb weakness or sphincter involvement. MRI-brain was normal, MRI-spine showed T2-hyperintensity within spinal cord extending from T-8 to conus medullaris without abnormal enhancement. Diagnostic spinal-tap revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis (WBC: 491), high protein (183), IgG index (0.99), >5 well-defined γ-restriction bands; negative Lyme disease DNA PCR, viral, fungal, and bacterial studies, and normal angiotensin converting enzyme levels. NMO antibodies were negative. Lyme disease serology showed positive IgG and IgM antibodies with IgM antibody index of 7.21 and IgG/IgM antibody index of 12.0. RESULTS: Diagnosis of acute LNB was considered, patient was given 2-gram intravenous ceftriaxone daily for 28-days, which resolved symptoms. Neurological examination normalized by the end of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Though there were no Lyme DNA or antibodies identified in CSF, negative-history of prior neuroborreliosis, positive serum anti- Borrelia antibody index and absence of other etiological explanations for symptoms but a favorable outcome after antibiotic treatment confirmed that the patient had LNB. Unpredictable inflammatory and immunological response to B. burgdorferi makes a quick and practical bedside diagnosis and management of neuroborreliosis difficult for clinicians: controversies exist despite top quality clinical research in this field. This case report illustrates a clinician9s approach towards the management of acute neuroborreliosis. Disclosure: Dr. Kimbason has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mittal has nothing to disclose.
MNDO MOLECULAR ORBITAL ANALYSES OF MODELS FOR PROANTHOCYANIDIN-METHYLOLPHENOL REACTIONS

The MNDO molecular orbital method has been applied to molecular structures that model or react with proanthocyanidins. Atom net charge distribution, structural parameters, heats of formation, and ionization potentials are evaluated for: (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, catechol, resorcinol, phloroglucinol, o- and p-methylolphenol, and o-and p-benzoquinone methide in an investigation of chemical reactivity under different pH conditions. Other MO calculations are reviewed, and the optimized MNDO MO parameters are compared with existing literature data. The total net and HOMO electronic charge distribution is evaluated in terms of nucleophilicity and chemical reactivity. The HOMO frontier orbitals in polyhydroxybenzene and the LUMO orbitals in the benzoquinone methides play an important role in chemical reactivity.
Oligometastatic breast cancer treated with hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy: Some patients survive longer than a decade.

Abstract Background The clinical state of oligometastases describes metastases limited in number and extent, amenable to metastasis-directed therapy. We sought to analyze long-term outcomes and characterize potential prognostic factors, in women with breast cancer (BC) oligometastases treated with hypofractionated stereotactic radiation (HSRT) therapy on a prospective phase II protocol. Methods Forty-eight women with 1–5 extracranial BC oligometastases received HSRT to all radiographically apparent sites of disease. Various dose-fractionation schedules were used. Most (n = 27) received 10 daily fractions, typically ≥50 Gy (n = 17). Results BC patients with bone-only oligometastases (BO, n = 12) vs. all other patients (non-BO; n = 36) were significantly younger, more likely to present with oligometastases at the time of primary BC diagnosis (i.e., synchronous), and significantly more likely to have had hormone receptor-positive disease. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates after HSRT were 83% and 75%, respectively, for BO patients vs. 31% and 17%, respectively, for non-BO patients (p = 0.002). BO patients experienced a significantly (p = 0.018) greater freedom from widespread metastases (FFWM). Among non-BO patients, net oligometastatic GTV >25 cc (reflecting disease burden) was a significant factor for freedom from local recurrence (p = 0.047) and FFWM (p = 0.028). The number of oligometastatic lesions (p = 0.007) and organs (p = 0.001) involved were also significant factors for FFWM in non-BO patients. Conclusions Some patients with BC oligometastases treated with HSRT can survive >10 years. Tumor burden (volume and number of lesions) appears to impact risk of recurrence. Further research is needed to help better identify BC patients most likely to benefit from metastasis-directed radiotherapy.
A Noise Circulating Oscillator

This paper presents a noise circulating cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) topology with a transformer-based tank. The introduced noise circulating active core greatly suppresses the effective noise power from the active devices while offering the same amount of negative resistance compared to conventional cross-coupled VCO topologies. The mechanism of noise circulation is investigated with theoretical analysis and further verified by simulation. Due to the broadband nature of the noise circulating technique, the resulting VCO phase noise in both 1/ $f^{2}$ and 1/ $f^{3}$ regions is greatly improved over a wide frequency tuning range. A prototype VCO at 2.35 GHz is implemented in a standard 130-nm bulk CMOS process with 0.36-mm2 core area. It draws 2.15 mA from a 1.2-V supply. The measured figure-of-merit (FoM) is 193.1/195.0/195.6 dBc/Hz at 100k/1M/10MHz offsets with a 1/ $f^{3}$ phase noise corner of only 50 kHz. The VCO design consistently achieves >192.8 dBc/Hz FoM at 100k/1M/10MHz offsets and $f^{3}$ phase noise corner over its entire 18.6% frequency tuning range (2.05 − 2.47 GHz). It also exhibits low supply frequency pushing of −25 and −13 MHz/V at the highest and lowest frequencies, respectively.
Remote sensing pipeline for tree segmentation and classification in a mixed softwood and hardwood system

The National Institute of Standards and Technology data science evaluation plant identification challenge is a new periodic competition focused on improving and generalizing remote sensing processing methods for forest landscapes. I created a pipeline to perform three remote sensing tasks. First, a marker-controlled watershed segmentation thresholded by vegetation index and height was performed to identify individual tree crowns within the canopy height model. Second, remote sensing data for segmented crowns was aligned with ground measurements by choosing the set of pairings which minimized error in position and in crown area as predicted by stem height. Third, species classification was performed by reducing the dataset's dimensionality through principle component analysis and then constructing a set of maximum likelihood classifiers to estimate species likelihoods for each tree. Of the three algorithms, the classification routine exhibited the strongest relative performance, with the segmentation algorithm performing the least well.
Peter McLaren’s response to Michael Peters

As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Econo...
Teacher perceptions of state standards and climate change pedagogy: opportunities and barriers for implementing consensus-informed instruction on climate change

The public education system can play a pivotal role in creating an electorate that is well informed of the consensus around climate change and its anthropogenic causes. In particular, more states have education standards that specifically address climate change today than ever before. However, previous research raises concerns about the discretion teachers have in if and how particular types of content are presented. The effectiveness of new state standards and the extent to which such state-level standards are coopted by teacher discretion has received minimal attention. Therefore, using a nationally representative sample of 1500 middle school and high school science teachers, this research examines the effectiveness of such state-level standards and the extent to which teacher ideology and knowledge mediate the relationship between standards and actual use of a consensus-informed approach to teaching climate science. Results show that teachers in states with any type of standards around climate change spend significantly more time on the topic in the classroom. However, teachers in states that have standards that require teachers to present “both sides” of climate change are significantly less likely to use a consensus-informed approach. While teacher characteristics (knowledge and ideology) can weaken their effect, standards continue to be important predictors of the time spent on climate change in the classroom and how content is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of climate science standards.
Is indenyl a stronger or weaker electron donor ligand than cyclopentadienyl? Opposing effects of indenyl electron density and ring slipping on electrochemical potentials

Complexes of the type RCp2Ti(C2Fc)2 (where RCp = cyclopentadienyl or a substituted cyclopentadienyl) have high molar absorptivity FeII to TiIV metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) absorptions and ...
Ixekizumab and herpes zoster in an erythrodermic patient.

Ixekizumab is an injectable monoclonal antibody against IL-17A approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis...
A Limited Portrayal: Depictions of the American Civil Rights Movement in Award-Winning Children's Picture Books.

This article explores depictions of the American Civil Rights Movement in award-winning children’s picture books published between 2010 and 2018. Specifically, we focused on 25 books chosen by the ...
Effects of loblolly pine extract, primary and quaternary alkyl ammonium chlorides combined with burgundy oil from eastern red cedar against subterranean termites and wood-decay fungi

Burgundy oil (BO) from Eastern red cedar provides resistance against termites and wood-decay fungi and is enhanced when combined with an amylose inclusion complex (AIC) containing hexadecylammonium chloride (HAC). Indirect evidence also indicated that a methanol Loblolly pine extract (LPE) was inhibitory against termites. This study compared the effects of HAC and didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) combined with LPE and BO on termites and wood-decay fungi. Southern pine was treated by vacuum/pressure impregnation and resistance evaluated after exposure to termites and decay fungi. The combination of BO and either HAC/AIC or DDAC/AIC reduced wood mass losses by termites, increased termite mortality, and inhibited all wood-decay fungi. The HAC/AIC and DDAC/AIC resulted in equivalent mass losses by termites and termite mortalities. The DDAC was slightly more inhibitory than the HAC against wood-decay fungi. Given the slight advantage of DDAC over HAC and because DDAC is currently used to preserve wood, DDAC might be preferred over HAC. The LPE had a very minor effect on mass loss by termites, termite mortality, and only a slight inhibitory effect on G. trabeum and T. versicolor, while R. placenta and I. lacteus were unaffected. Higher concentrations of DDAC and/or LPE might improve protection against termites and wood-decay fungi.
Diabetes mellitus and its association with infection and osteonecrosis of the jaw

Abstract There is a long standing and well established link between diabetes and infection. Patients with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing infection but also have a more difficult time clearing infections once they’ve been established as a result of their relative immunosuppression. This idea remains true throughout the body but is especially pertinent in areas of vulnerability such as open wounds and non-healing ulcers. The jaws are unique in that they have an intimate relationship with a non-sterile environment, the oral cavity. The teeth and periodontium, in states of infection and inflammation, serve as a direct connection to the jaws and can act as a conduit for the initiation and propagation of infection. This chapter will discuss the relationship between diabetes and infection focusing on infections and inflammatory conditions of the jaws, namely osteomyelitis and medication related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ).
Brotherhood and sexism as manhood acts for trans men in the Southeastern United States

While several studies have explored manhood acts and compensatory manhood acts in cisgender men, few have examined them in the trans community. This research fills gaps in the literature by examini...
Women's Health Information Survey: Common Health Concerns and Trusted Sources of Health Information Among Different Populations of Female Patients

Background: Women are more likely to search for information on behalf of both themselves and others, thus making them a valuable target for health information research. The purpose of this project was to identify and compare the most important medical concerns and sources of health information trusted by women in relationship to demographic differences in two different clinical settings within the same geographic area (Mayo Clinic Department of Family Medicine and Beaches Community Health care-a Sulzbacher Center Clinic). Methods: A novel survey tool was developed to obtain information regarding the age, race, and socioeconomic demographics of patients as well as the patients' personal significant medical concerns and trusted sources of health information. Results: Despite the huge development of health care information delivery through online resources, in our study, the majority of patients from both clinics still used and viewed their primary care provider as the most trusted source of health information. The health concerns most reported by both populations included cardiac health, breast and other cancers, and obesity; meanwhile, mental health was significantly more reported by patients from the free clinic. Conclusions: Education level may be an important factor of the awareness and ultimate treatment and prevention of these prevalent diseases. Furthermore, our study results may help improve patient satisfaction, knowledge, and health outcomes.
Kant on Freedom, Law, and Happiness

Kant is often portrayed as the author of a rigid system of ethics in which adherence to a formal and universal principle of morality - the famous categorical imperative - is an end itself, and any concern for human goals and happiness a strictly secondary and subordinate matter. Such a theory seems to suit perfectly rational beings but not human beings. The twelve essays in this collection by one of the world's preeminent Kant scholars argue for a radically different account of Kant's ethics. They explore an interpretation of the moral philosophy according to which freedom is the fundamental end of human action, but an end that can only be preserved and promoted by adherence to moral law. By radically revising the traditional interpretation of Kant's moral and political philosophy and by showing how Kant's coherent liberalism can guide us in current debates, Paul Guyer will find an audience across moral and political philosophy, intellectual history, and political science.
A History of Islam in America: From the New World to the New World Order

Introduction 1. Islam in the 'New World': the historical setting 2. Islamic beliefs and practice in colonial and antebellum America 3. Conflating race, religion and progress: social change, national identity, and Islam in the post-Civil War era 4. Race, ethnicity, religion and citizenship: Muslim immigration at the turn of the twentieth century 5. Rooting Islam in America: community and institution building in the interwar period 6. Islam and American civil religion in the aftermath of World War II 7. A new religious America and post-colonial Muslim world: American Muslim institution building and activism, 1960s-80s 8. Between experience and politics: American Muslims and the 'new world order', 1989-2008 Epilogue.
Capillary pressure overshoot as a function of imbibition flux and initial water content

[1] Infiltration into well-sorted sands can show an anomalous behavior called saturation overshoot where the saturation at the infiltrating front is higher than the saturation behind the front for certain fluxes and initial water contents. Similarly, capillary pressure overshoot is defined as when the capillary pressure is greater behind the front than it is at the front, which is contrary to normal infiltration. In this paper, pressure profiles are reported for water infiltrating into sand for a range of fluxes and initial water content. Capillary pressure overshoot is observed for sands with an initial water saturation of 0.06 and less, while no overshoot is observed for greater initial saturations. Capillary pressure overshoot does not show much dependence on flux, but the capillary pressure at the front does decrease with increasing flux. These results are combined with the previous saturation measurements, and it is found that the capillary pressure-saturation imbibition curve is not dependent on the velocity of the front. The implications of the results on the stability of three-dimensional flows are discussed.
Genomic organization, chromatin structure, and transcriptional regulation of the murine Alpha Hemoglobin Stabilizing Protein (AHSP) gene

Alpha Hemoglobin Stabilizing Protein (AHSP, Eraf) is an abundant erythroid protein that binds and stabilizes alpha globin and alpha hemoglobin (Hb). In mice, loss of AHSP causes hemolytic anemia, with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species and Hb precipitation in erythrocytes. Loss of AHSP exacerbates beta thalassemia phenotypes in mice, presumably by enhancing the toxicity of excessive free alpha Hb. Based on these findings, AHSP is a candidate modifier gene for beta thalassemia in humans. No mutations in the AHSP coding region have been identified in patients to date. However, several groups reported an inverse correlation between beta thalassemia severity and erythroid AHSP expression levels, raising the possibility that AHSP is a quantitative trait modifier of beta thalassemia. To address this possibility, it is important to define the mechanisms that control expression of the AHSP gene. Transcripts of murine Ahsp are inducible by GATA-1. The goals of the current studies are to investigate the mechanisms of this induction and to define the DNA domain that regulates the locus. Using phylogenetic comparisons, we identified a hotspot for mammalian chromosomal rearrangement just downstream of the Ahsp gene. This hotspot is located at the end of a syntenic block of approximately 350 kb that is conserved in mammals and likely marks the 3′ end of the gene regulatory domain. We focused our initial functional studies on a 7 kb genomic region bounded at the 5′ (centromeric) end of Ahsp by the nearest adjacent gene, an EST expressed in multiple tissues, and at the 3′ (telomeric) end by the rearrangement hotspot. In transient transfection assays, the Ahsp promoter region conferred erythroid-specific expression to a linked reporter gene. In heterologous cells, GATA-1 transactivated the Ahsp promoter in a dose-dependent fashion. To examine GATA-1 binding and its subsequent effects on the Ahsp gene in vivo, we used G1E-ER4 cells, a GATA-1 null erythroblast line that undergoes terminal erythroid maturation after activation of an estradiol-inducible form of GATA-1. We made several findings with regards to the role of GATA-1 in Ahsp gene regulation. First, GATA-1 and its cofactor, Friend of GATA-1 (FOG-1), bind directly to the Ahsp locus at regions that contain conserved GATA consensus motifs and are predicted to be important erythroid regulatory elements by our bioinformatic studies. Second, GATA-1 induces epigenetic changes in chromatin structure that are associated with gene activation, including formation of a DNase I hypersensitive site, hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4, and methylation of histone H3 lysine-4. Together, these findings begin to establish the DNA region and mechanisms that control Ahsp transcription, allowing for further studies to map the cis elements responsible for population variations in gene expression.
Elements of a new electrical engineering curriculum at Illinois: a shift from circuits to signal processing

A new undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering has been approved by the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. Major changes have been incorporated, including a redistribution of the circuits and signal processing topics within the curriculum. This paper gives an overview of the new curriculum and provides some of the rationale for the changes.
The Foundation Period in the History of Group Theory

(1913). The Foundation Period in the History of Group Theory. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 141-148.
VLSI processor design of real-time data compression for high-resolution imaging radar

For the high-resolution imaging radar systems, real-time data compression of raw imaging data is required to accomplish the science requirements and satisfy the given communication and storage constraints. The Block Adaptive Quantizer (BAQ) algorithm and its associated VLSI processor design have been developed to provide a real-time data compressor for high-resolution imaging radar systems. >
Observations of Potential Evapo-Transpiration

THE Nature Conservancy started at the end of 1955 to measure potential evapo-transpiration using the methods devised by C. W. Thornthwaite and his associates1. These studies are continuing; but since the first year's results for Achnagoichan in Rothie-murchus, within the Cairngorms Nature Reserve, are of special topical interest, it is worth referring to them briefly at this stage.
To Err is Social: Network Prominence and Its Effects on Self-Estimation

In studying professional productivity, researchers find that actors do not always accurately perceive their productivity levels. Yet the literature does not provide an adequate explanation as to why these errors occur. This study examines the effects of network prominence on the self-estimation of productivity. I contend that network prominence is indicated through a variety of dimensions—visibility, connectedness, and professional affiliation—each of which has varying influence on the self-estimation process. This influence is best understood by exploring actors' internal vs. external attributions of prominence. Specifically, when actors attribute their prominence to internal efforts, they will tend to overestimate their productivity. Conversely, when actors attribute their network prominence to external circumstances, they will underestimate their productivity. The distinction between internal and external attributions of prominence relies, in large part, on the process of social comparison.
THE HOST CELL RESPONSE IN THE LOCAL GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST REACTION INDUCED IN THE KIDNEYS OF F1 RATS BY PARENTAL THORACIC DUCT LYMPHOCYTES

Radioautographs of infiltrative cells in the kidneys of (Lewis x BN)F1 rats labeled with tritiated thymidine (TdR3H) before the subcapsular injection of parental (Lewis) thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) showed a predominantly host-proliferative response by 4 days after grafting. The immediate renal incorporation of TdR3H was used to measure the local graft-vs.-host (GVH) reactions. Substantial reactions could still be induced in the face of the considerable degree of leukopenia after 400 R whole body γ-irradiation. These results suggest that radioresistant cells are capable of carrying on the appropriate host activities and that the weakness of GVH reactions induced after higher doses of irradiation may be due to impairment of the mitotic mechanism of host cells. The importance of circulating leukocytes as a source of immunogenic stimulation was nevertheless substantiated by inducing local GVH reactions with Lew TDL in chimeric parental-type rats that had been repopulated with F1 bone marrow. This result also emphasizes the nonspecific nature of tissue destruction in the renal GVH reaction in confirmation of Elkins. In this and other situations in which B cells were the predominant F1 type elements available for interaction with parental-type TDL the reactions were nearly equivalent or equivalent to those in the appropriate controls. Typical local GVH reactions could be induced in heavily irradiated hosts by an inoculum of combined parental and F1-type TDL in the apparent absence of mononuclear phagocytes. The possible relationship between the activation of host lymphocytes, the involvement of B cells, and the nonspecific nature of tissue damage in the renal GVH is discussed.
Ornithine decarboxylase: a biochemical marker of repair in damaged tissue.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to: (a) determine the temporal pattern of expression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an established marker of cells engaged in proliferation and differentiation, during repair of traumatized skeletal muscle, and (b) evaluate ODC as a biochemical marker for indexing the extent and rate of repair of traumatized skeletal muscle in response to therapeutic agents. Adult female Wistar rats weighing 240 to 280 grams were anesthetized and injected with 100 ul of 2% lidocaine into the right or left anterior tibialis muscle to induce a localized injury. The animals were treated 1 hour post-injection and every 12 hours for five minutes up to the time of sacrifice using ultrasonic irradiation at 1.5 watts/cm 2 , sham-irradiation, or no treatment. An analysis of variance for repeated measures and a Tukey's post hoc test were used to determine the significance of treatment effects. Animals irradiated with ultrasound demonstrated an accelerated pattern of change in ODC activity at 24 hours (P