cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progress toward a mercury heat engine - Synthesis of a mercury electrolyte

Liqud metal thermal-electric converters (LMTEC's) are being evaluated for terrestrial solar energy conversion applications. It has been determined that to meet current energy cost goals, an efficiency greater than that presently obtainable from Na-LMTEC's is required. One way to increase efficiency is to use Hg as the working fluid. Calculations have shown that the projected efficiency of a Hg-LMTEC solar system is approximately 25% as compared to about 16% for a Na-LMTEC system. The increased efficiency arises from a lower working temperature range (400-600 C vs 800-1000 C) and higher pressure over the liquid metal (several tens of atmosphere vs. about 1 atmosphere). A major technological barrier which must be surmounted is that a suitable Hg(II) conducting electrolyte does not exist. Successful development of a mercury heat engine requires the development of a suitable Hg electrolyte. This paper decribes the necessary properties of such an electrolyte, and our efforts to attain it. We describe ion-exchange experiments on single crystals of Na(I) beta'' - alumina and report some important properties on partially exchanged crystals. Thus far we have replaced approximately 60% of the monovalent ions in the starting crystals after about 300 hours in the exchange media. Electrical properties of themore » partially exchanged crystals are like that of other divalent beta'' - aluminas and the crystals are stable to about 600 C. 8 refs., 4 figs.« less
Vasiček Distribution for Nonuniform Credit Portfolios Losses

Developing a closed-form integral Vasicek representation of loss distribution for non-uniform credit portfolio (i.e. with varying PDs and structured correlations), which i) is non-iterative and computationally fast as opposed to standard Monte-Carlo, and ii) enables efficient analytic estimators of loss profiles via Vasicek-type formula with renormalized parameters.
The Climatology of Hail in North America

The first climatic investigations of hail in North America were by Lemons and Flora during the 1940’s. These were followed by more intensive, state-scale climatic investigations in the 1960’s to meet insurance concerns. Subsequent concerns with hail by the aviation industry and the weather modification community led to the first collection of mesoscale hail data from dense networks and radar studies during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Still Misused After All These Years? A Reevaluation of the Uses of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory of Human Development

A theoretical review published in 2009 revealed that scholars who stated that their research was based on Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development rarely used it appropriately. To what extent has the situation changed since then? We used the same methods to identify relevant articles as had been used in the 2009 article and found 20 publications whose authors explicitly claimed that Bronfenbrenner provided the theoretical foundation for their study. Although 18 of those publications included citations to the mature (mid-1990s) version of Bronfenbrenner's theory, only two appropriately described, tested, and evaluated the four major concepts of Bronfenbrenner's theory—proximal processes, person characteristics, context, and time. Failure either to correctly describe the theory or to critically test its central concepts poses significant problems for the future of family studies and developmental science. We discuss potential ways to improve this situation through metatheoretical, methodological, and pedagogical reflections.
Scientific Reasoning, P -values, and the Court

The courts admit that they lag behind science in determining the scientific merit of a legal argument. However, in the past twenty years they have come to rely on the findings of epidemiology and biostatistics, and the court has allowed judges to see for themselves the merits of the scientific argument before a jury hears it. Many of the rules established by the Supreme Court to guide judges in these preliminary hearings are based on reproducibility, timing, and significance of the association.
Genetic Design via Combinatorial Constraint Specification.

We present a formal language for specifying via constraints a “design space” of DNA constructs composed of genetic parts, and an algorithm for automatically and correctly creating a novel representation of the space of satisfying designs. The language is simple, captures a large class of design spaces, and possesses algorithms for common operations on design spaces. The flexibility of this approach is demonstrated using a 16-gene nitrogen fixation pathway and genetic logic circuits.
Agricultural Land Evaluation Considering the Czech Less Favoured Areas Delineation

This paper analyses the impact of the common European criteria on the Less Favoured Areas (LFA) delineation in the Czech Republic (CR) and compares it with currently used point evaluation system. Further, it compares the advantages and disadvantages of both delineation systems from various points of view and concerning the needs of common agricultural policies.In the Czech Republic, a system of point evaluation of the agricultural land productivity based on the Evaluated soil-ecological units (ESEU) is used for delineation of the other than mountain LFA since 2001. Within the programme period 2014-2020, the European Commission proposes to delineate the other than mountain LFA using a single set of criteria, common for all the member states. Some criteria of the natural handicap proposed by the European Commission (EC) can be derived directly from the ESEU five-cipher code and from the soil maps. The comparison clearly shows that the current Czech system of point evaluation of the productivity of agricultural land can express better the influence of worse soil and climatic conditions on the limitations of the agricultural use of the land than the system proposed by the EC.Additionally, the ESEU point evaluation can express also the effect of simultaneous influence of more factors, which may thus increase or decrease the final ESEU point values. Conversely, it is necessary to remark that the land quality evaluation based on ESEU is rather complicated and not easily understandable for the wide public. Also, it cannot be applied in all the EU countries.
A pilot study of cortical glutathione in youth with depression.

Abstract Aim This study used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to measure in vivo brain glutathione (GSH) in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), and explored the relationship between GSH and illness severity and chronicity. Secondarily, associations between GSH and anhedonia, a key symptom of MDD in adolescents, were investigated. Methods Occipital cortex GSH levels were obtained in 19 psychotropic medication-free adolescents with MDD (ages 12–21) and compared to those in eight healthy control adolescents. Correlations between GSH levels and anhedonia severity were examined both in the full participant sample and within the MDD group. Within the MDD group, correlations between GSH levels and illness severity and chronicity were assessed. Results Occipital GSH levels were lower in adolescents with MDD compared to controls, but did not correlate with anhedonia (either within the MDD group or the full sample), MDD severity, or onset. There were also no group differences in levels of total choline, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate – all neurometabolites that were simultaneously detected with 1H MRS. Conclusions Although preliminary, findings add new data to support the role of oxidative stress in MDD and suggest that lower GSH may be a potential marker of MDD early on in the course of illness.
MMP Inhibitor Clinical Trials – The Past, Present, and Future

Various pharmacological inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been tested in phase I, II, and III trials of multiple cancer types and no significant evidence of efficacy has emerged. This overwhelming failure has understandably led to questions regarding MMPs as suitable drug targets in the oncology setting. In this chapter, a synopsis of the various trials and their results is presented along with a discussion of dose-limiting toxicities and the contrasting successful preclinical testing of these agents. Thoughtful application of the lessons learnt from the MMP inhibitor clinical experience should improve the likelihood of successful proteinase inhibitors in the future.
Neural Correlates of Unconsciousness in Large-Scale Brain Networks

The biological basis of consciousness is one of the most challenging and fundamental questions in 21st century science. A related pursuit aims to identify the neural correlates and causes of unconsciousness. We review current trends in the investigation of physiological, pharmacological, and pathological states of unconsciousness at the level of large-scale functional brain networks. We focus on the roles of brain connectivity, repertoire, graph-theoretical techniques, and neural dynamics in understanding the functional brain disconnections and reduced complexity that appear to characterize these states. Persistent questions in the field, such as distinguishing true correlates, linking neural scales, and understanding differential recovery patterns, are also addressed.
Responding to and reimagining resilience in academic libraries

This article briefly introduces library staff to the concept of resilience, beginning with its origins and how it came to academic libraries. The authors posit that the resilience narrative obscures structural issues, particularly those relating to socioeconomic status, and shifts responsibility to library workers who must then overcome barriers to success. The authors challenge the concept of resilience as used in library workplaces, offer potential responses to it from library workers and supervisors, and conclude that applying resilience in and to libraries causes more harm than good.
Basics of Differential Geometry

The material on matrix Lie groups in this chapter is based on notes written by Claire Tomlin, of Stanford University and Yi Ma.
Copper complexes offer a physiological approach to treatment of chronic diseases.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses copper complexes that offer a physiological approach to the treatment of chronic diseases. Copper is recognized as an essential metalloelement just as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, chromium, vanadium, and manganese. Just as essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and essential cofactors (vitamins), essential metalloelements are required for normal metabolic processes but cannot be synthesized de novo, and daily dietary intake and absorption are required. The adult body contains between 1.4 mg (22 pmol) and 2.1 mg (33 pmol) of copper per kilogram of body weight while the infant body contains three times this amount, consistent with the fact that infant metabolic needs are that much greater than those of adults. The essentiality of copper is now understood as being based upon its recognized need for activation of copper-dependent enzymes. Complexed forms of copper also facilitate absorption, tissue distribution, and tissue utilization. In the nondisease state, these forms of copper account for the physiologic regulation of copper-dependent homeostatic processes. Consistent with the newly found role for copper in synthesis of neuroendocrine peptides, the copper complex of histidine has been found to increase the secretion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) from granules of the median eminence.
Introduction to Numerical Methods

This chapter discusses an introduction to numerical methods. Numerical analysis is a rapidly growing field, with new techniques being developed constantly. It is found that when choosing a numerical scheme to approximate the solution to a differential equation, it is useful to balance the roundoff error with the truncation error of the machine being used. A higher order method will not give more accurate answers if the major component of the error is due to roundoff. Similarly, performing calculations in double precision will not give more accurate answers if the major component of the error is due to the discretization scheme. The standard way to determine if a numerical scheme is implemented correctly, and the mesh sizes are small enough to justify the a priori error estimates is to reduce the size of the mesh, and re-run the calculation. The resulting a posteriori error estimates should agree with the a priori error estimates.
RNA sequencing for transcript 5'-end mapping in mycobacteria.

Next-generation sequencing technologies facilitate the analysis of multiple important properties of transcriptomes in addition to gene expression levels. Here, we describe a method for mapping RNA 5' ends in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis, which allows the determination of transcription start sites (TSSs), comparative analysis of promoter usage under different conditions, and mapping of endoribonucleolytic cleavage sites. We describe in detail the procedures for constructing RNA sequencing libraries appropriate for RNA 5' end mapping using an Illumina sequencing platform, as well as bioinformatic procedures for data analysis.
Field and Laboratory Studies of Encysted and Trophic Stages of Naked Amoebae: Including a Perspective on Population Life Cycle Dynamics

Naked amoebae are among the most abundant soil protists, especially in highly productive soils. Their capacity to produce cysts during unfavorable growth periods, especially drying, enhances their survivability as resting stages and promotes dispersal by wind and air currents. However, the dynamics of their cycles of encystment and active growth are poorly documented. Using a recently developed culture observation method, including a dried preparation stage to detect encysted amoebae, data are presented on the ratios of active and encysted stages of naked amoebae based on field samples from diverse terrestrial sites differing in plant cover and moisture content during spring and summer months 2008 at a location in northeastern U.S.A. Percentage of encysted amoebae varied between 32% and 100% depending on locale and moisture content. Carbon content of the cysts (estimated from recently excysted individuals) relative to trophic stages varied between 22% and 100% at these same locales. Laboratory experimental studies of winter soil samples, that were cultured at 25oC to promote amoeba community growth, indicated that a dynamic relationship exists between active and encysted stages during proliferation with varying ratios depending on the moisture content and qualities of the soil at the collection site, thus suggesting a revised model as presented here of the encystment-excystment cycle for populations during a growth succession.
ENHANCED GUIDANCE AND CONTROL OF MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIRS

ABSTRACT Conventional motorized wheelchairs use a 4-direction joystick for the control input. The operation of this device to initiate motion of the wheelchair and the necessity for constant monitoring and positioning of the joystick make the use of the conventional wheelchair into a demanding task for the rider. Furthermore, the resulting motion of the wheelchair is composed of intermittent “jerks” during maneuvering due to the starting and stopping accelerations which characterize the use of joystick control. Through experimentation in a simulation environment, we are developing enhancements to the guidance and control of the motorized wheelchair. These enhancements will provide a system of hierarchical control which will combine aspects of intelligent goal selection, optimal and adaptive control, and operator-directed control. The expectation is that this system will result in the improved efficiency and effectiveness in the use of motorized wheelchairs. The simulation environment for research will include a wheelchair model which includes wheelchair dynamics, sensor inputs, joystick inputs, control algorithms, graphical display, and other features. The operator input to the system is made by positioning the joystick. Sensor information about the wheelchair surroundings is supplied from high-frequency sound ranging. Intelligence for the selection of the destination goals and the determination of the appropriate control mode is provided in the control algorithm as a set of rules. Some of the problems to be investigated include: (1) travel down a hallway with obstructions; (2) entry into a doorway from a hallway; (3) entry into an elevator from a hallway; and (4) travel to a desired goal from the current position. This study is different from the trajectory determination problem of finding the path of a robot to travel from point A to point B in two ways. Firstly, this problem requires discrimination between obstructions and destination goals due to the use of the joystick as a possibly ambigious indicator of the desired goal. Secondly, distinction between destination goal selection and operator-directed control by joystick must be made.
Oncogene addiction and non-oncogene addiction in glioblastoma therapy.

Glioblastoma is the most common form of primary brain tumor. The incidence of this tumor is fairly low, with 2–3 cases per 100 000 people in Europe and North America. It is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Without treatment, the median survival is approximately 3 months. The current standard of treatment involves maximal surgical resection followed by concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy with the DNA alkylating agent, temozolomide. With this regimen, the median survival is approximately 14 months. For nearly all affected, the treatments available remain palliative.
Stakeholders Connecting the Curricular Guidelines to the Code

It goes without saying that successful IT projects bring innovation and creativity to fruition. If we and our students are enabling this, it is our responsibility to understand for whom we are applying our creativity and how we can engage with them to understand and account for their needs, preferences and circumstances. This paper will highlight an apparent gap between our role as professionals and how we are framing our students' studies. Stakeholders are central to what IT professionals do, and how they do it, but that is not altogether apparent from our curricular guidelines and might not be apparent in our courses.
Parametric modeling of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from photovoltaic power

Abstract From 2007 to 2017, global installed solar photovoltaic power capacity grew by a factor of 50. Practices that were minor, including solar tracking, inverter overloading, and Chinese module manufacturing, became mainstream. Countries including the US and India installed large amounts of solar in warm regions with mean temperatures above 20 °C. The impacts of these developments on greenhouse gas emissions from photovoltaic power have not been analyzed by life cycle assessment in depth. This study helps to fill that gap. A modeling tool is built that integrates photovoltaic life cycle inventories, background emission factors, known physical correlations, and modern photovoltaic performance modeling, including temperature-dependent performance ratios. Using this tool, four novel findings are produced on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from photovoltaic power, referred to here as carbon intensity. Firstly, reversible temperature effects on modules raise the carbon intensity of silicon photovoltaic power installed in warm regions, including by 10% in the southwestern US and 13% in western India. All temperature effects raise silicon photovoltaic carbon intensity by ∼23% in southern India (from 35 to 43 gCO2e/kWh). Secondly, emission impacts of tracking, relative to stationary mounting, depend on installation location and module type. For multi-crystalline silicon and cadmium telluride modules, respectively, adding tracking changes carbon intensity by −11% and −3% in the southwestern US, and by −4% and +5% in eastern Australia. This dependence on location and module type, and the novel result that tracking can increase emissions intensity, is explained by interactions between tracking energy gain, tracker production emissions, and module production emissions. Thirdly, Chinese manufacturing of multi-crystalline silicon modules emits ∼25% more greenhouse gases than European manufacturing, due not only to higher carbon intensity of upstream electricity, as previously reported, but also to more electricity and fuel input per module produced. Fourthly, inverter overloading as practiced slightly diminishes photovoltaic carbon intensity, by less than 2 gCO2e/kWh. Finally, mainstream photovoltaic power in all its forms has significantly lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions than fossil power.
A Scoping Review of Contemporary Social Work Practice With Veterans

Objective:Social work served U.S. veterans and service members throughout its history as a profession. Social workers continue to support the physical and psychological health of veterans in both t...
Vocabulary size and structure affects real-time lexical recognition in 18-month-olds.

The mature lexicon encodes semantic relations between words, and these connections can alternately facilitate and interfere with language processing. We explore the emergence of these processing dynamics in 18-month-olds (N = 79) using a novel approach that calculates individualized semantic structure at multiple granularities in participants’ productive vocabularies. Participants completed two interleaved eye-tracked word recognition tasks involving semantically unrelated and related picture contexts, which sought to measure the impact of lexical facilitation and interference on processing, respectively. Semantic structure and vocabulary size differentially impacted processing in each task. Category level structure facilitated word recognition in 18-month-olds with smaller productive vocabularies, while overall lexical connectivity interfered with word recognition for toddlers with relatively larger vocabularies. The results suggest that, while semantic structure at multiple granularities is measurable even in small lexicons, mechanisms of semantic interference and facilitation are driven by the development of structure at different granularities. We consider these findings in light of accounts of adult word recognition that posits that different levels of structure index strong and weak activation from nearby and distant semantic neighbors. We also consider further directions for developmental change in these patterns.
The public’s health and the social meaning of guns

Guns have long affected the health of the American population. The preponderance of evidence showing that guns harm the public’s health suggests that regulating civilian access to guns should be universally embraced. Yet, action on guns has been vanishingly small. Why? At core, the inaction reflects a clash between our knowledge and our values. Despite the compelling public health argument for better gun control, we have not been able to grapple with the social meaning of guns, which informs the values that shape the public conversation. Doing so will require public health to engage in transdisciplinary work that pushes the field’s boundaries.
Prescription Benzodiazepine Use in Privately Insured U.S. Children and Adolescents.

Introduction Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed in the U.S. but entail safety concerns, including dependency. In pediatrics, many indications lack trial data. Authors aimed to describe youth initiating prescription benzodiazepine treatment, identify potential indications and prescribing concerns, estimate the duration of treatment by potential indication, and identify factors that predict long-term use. Methods The study cohort included children (aged 3–12 years) and adolescents (aged 13–17 years) initiating prescription benzodiazepine treatment (≥3 days’ supply) from January 2010 to September 2015 in a U.S. commercial claims database. Potential indications included selected ICD-9-CM diagnoses (≤30 days prior). Long-term (≥6 months) benzodiazepine treatment was estimated with Kaplan–Meier estimation and modified Poisson regression identified independent predictors of long-term benzodiazepine treatment (analysis completed in 2018). Results Of 24,504 children and 61,046 adolescents initiating benzodiazepines, 62% of the children and 68% of the adolescents had a potential indication. Anxiety disorders were the most common indication, with mental health indications more common among adolescents (45%) than children (23%) and epilepsy and movement disorders higher in children. Recent opioid prescriptions were common before benzodiazepine initiation (children, 22%; adolescents, 21%). Six percent of the initiators became long-term benzodiazepine users. Potential indication, provider contact, psychotropic medication, and chronic conditions independently predicted long-term benzodiazepine treatment in adolescents and children. Conclusions U.S. children and adolescents are prescribed benzodiazepines for various mental health and other medical conditions, many lacking evidence of pediatric efficacy. Long-term benzodiazepine treatment, concurrent opioid prescriptions, psychotropic use, and prior substance use disorder diagnoses suggest safety risks among some youth prescribed benzodiazepines.
Thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphragmatic herniain neonates and infants

Objective To study the feasibility of thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)in neonates and infants.Methods Eight neonates aged1to23 days and one infant aged3 months (seven males and onefemale),underwent thoracoscopic repair of CDHunder general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation.The diagnosis was made based onchest radiograph.The herniated contentswere reduced and the hernia defect was repaired using interrupted sutures via three-port method.Results Thoracoscopicrepair were completed without intra-operative and post-operative complication in all patients.The operative time ranged from 52-121minutes.There was minimal amount of bleeding(5-10mls).No recurrence was detected during follow-up.Conclusions Thoracoscopic repair ofcongenital diaphragmatic herniais asafe and effcctiveapproach,This approach has the advantages ofreduced trauma and physiological disturbance of surgery,excellent visualisation and improved cosmesis. Key words: Hernia, diaphragmatic; Surgical procedures, thoracoscopic; Neonate
A model comparing the value of broad next-gen sequencing (NGS)-based testing to single gene testing (SGT) in patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the United States.

9529Background: Patients (pts) with nonsquamous (ns) NSCLC should be tested for actionable driver oncogenes (ADOs), and highly effective treatments (tx) may be available for these pts. Although EGF...
A bivariate view of Kohn-Sham iteration and the case for potential mixing

A bivariate perspective on Kohn-Sham density functional theory is proposed, treating potential and density as simultaneous independent variables, and used to make fruitful connection between Lieb's rigorous foundational framework and practical Kohn-Sham computation. Support is found for potential-mixing schemes, but not for more standard density-mixing. Under presumably-generic conditions, total energy can be lowered from one iteration to the next. Density, intrinsic and total energy are analytic functions of the noninteracting potential on the open set of potentials having a single isolated ground spin-multiplet.
Altered Gemcitabine and Nab-paclitaxel Scheduling Improves Therapeutic Efficacy Compared with Standard Concurrent Treatment in Preclinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose: Concurrent gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel treatment is one of the preferred chemotherapy regimens for metastatic and locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Previous studies demonstrate that caveolin-1 (Cav-1) expression is critical for nab-paclitaxel uptake into tumors and correlates with response. Gemcitabine increases nab-paclitaxel uptake by increasing Cav-1 expression. Thus, we hypothesized that pretreatment with gemcitabine would further enhance the sensitivity of PDAC to nab-paclitaxel by increasing Cav-1 expression and nab-paclitaxel uptake. Experimental Design: We investigated the sensitivity of different gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel treatment regimens in a panel of PDAC cell lines and orthotopic xenograft models. The sensitivity of different treatment regimens was compared with the standard concurrent treatment. Results: Pretreatment with gemcitabine before nab-paclitaxel increased Cav-1 and albumin uptake and significantly decreased proliferation and clonogenicity compared with concurrent treatment, which correlated with increased levels of apoptosis. Cav-1 silencing reduced the uptake of albumin, and therapeutic advantage was observed when cells were pretreated with gemcitabine prior to nab-paclitaxel. In addition, we observed that pretreatment with gemcitabine resulted in partial synchronization of cells in the G2–M-phase at the time of nab-paclitaxel treatment, providing another mechanism for the benefit of altered scheduling. In heterotopic and orthotopic xenograft models, the altered schedule of gemcitabine prior to nab-paclitaxel significantly delayed tumor growth compared with concurrent delivery without added toxicity. Conclusions: Pretreatment with gemcitabine significantly increased nab-paclitaxel uptake and correlated with an increased treatment efficacy and survival benefit in preclinical models, compared with standard concurrent treatment. These results justify preclinical and clinical testing of this altered scheduling combination.
Time-resolved photoluminescence characterization of polycrystalline thin-film solar cells

In this paper some photoluminescence (PL) approaches to characterize thin film solar cells with emphasis on time-resolved methods. Spectral PL analysis is complementary and was recently reviewed. Since TRPL is not very commonly used in PV characterization. consider interface and bulk recombination in the test structures and in devices . Briefly describe charge -carrier transport and recombination microscopy. Finally summarize and compare some CdTe, CdSeTe, CIGS, kesterite, and perovskite EO characteristics.
Flexural Response of Degraded Polyurethane Foam Core Sandwich Beam with Initial Crack between Facesheet and Core.

Structural systems developed from novel materials that are more durable and less prone to maintenance during the service lifetime are in great demand. Due to many advantages such as being lightweight as well as having high strength, corrosion resistance, and durability, the sandwich composites structures, in particular, have attracted attention as favorable materials for speedy and durable structural constructions. In the present research, an experimental investigation is carried out to investigate the flexural response of sandwich beams with a pre-cracked core-upper facesheet interface located at one end of the beam. During the development of the sandwich beams, an initial pre-cracked debond was created between the core and facesheet by placing a Teflon sheet at the interface. Both three-point and four-point flexural tests were conducted to characterize the flexural behavior of the sandwich beams. The effects of the loading rate, core thickness, and placement of the initial interfacial crack under a compressive or tensile stress state on the response and failure mechanism of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)/Polyurethane (PU) foam sandwich beams were investigated. It was found that the crack tip of the initial debonding between the upper facesheet and the core served as a damage initiation trigger followed by the fracture failure of the core due to the growth of the initial crack into the core in an out-of-plane mode. Finally, this leads to facesheet damage and rupture under flexural loadings. An increase in the core thickness resulted in a higher peak load, but the failure of the sandwich beam was observed to occur at significantly lower displacement values. It was found that the behavior of sandwich beams with higher core thickness was loading rate-sensitive, resulting in stiffer response as the loading rate was increased from 0.05 to 1.5 mm/s. This change in stiffness (10–15%) could be related to the squeezing of all pore space, resulting in the collapse of cell walls and thereby making the cell behave as a solid material. As a result, the occurrence of the densification phase in thick core beams occurs at a faster rate, which in turn makes the thick cored sandwich beams exhibit loading rate-sensitive behavior.
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Large Secondary Alkoxy Radicals: Part II. Rotational and Fine Structure.

Selected vibronic bands of the B ← X laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectra of jet-cooled 2-pentoxy and 2-hexoxy, including the origin and CO-stretch bands, have been measured with rotational resolution and analyzed using (1) an effective Hamiltonian that comprises a rotational part and a spin-rotation (SR) part (the "isolated-states model") and (2) a recently developed Hamiltonian in which the nearly degenerate A and X states are treated together (the "coupled-states model") (see Liu, J., J. Chem. Phys. 2018, 148, 124112). The observed rotational and fine structures of the strongest vibronic bands have first been simulated using a genetic algorithm with the isolated-states model. The parameters for the simulation include rotational constants for both the X and B states, which can be calculated from the electronic structure theory, as well as the electronic SR constants of the X state and the transition dipole moments (TDMs), both of which are predicted based on their transferability in an "orbital-fixed coordinate system" using iso-propoxy as the reference molecule. Quantum chemistry calculations suggest that the lowest two electronic (X and A) states of secondary alkoxy radicals have small energy separations on the order of 100 cm-1 (see Part I of this series: J. Phys. Chem. A 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c10662). The electron configurations of these two nearly degenerate states have been determined by comparing the experimentally determined rotational constants and the TDMs to the ones predicted for the X and A states. The experimental LIF spectra were also simulated with the coupled-states model, in which the effective spin-orbit (SO) constants (aζed) and the SO-free separation between the A and the X states (ΔE0) have been determined. Molecular constants derived from fitting the rotational and fine structures of the experimental LIF spectra enabled unambiguous assignment of the observed vibronic bands to specific conformers of 2-pentoxy and 2-hexoxy as reported in Part I.
Streamlined Multimodal DESI and MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging on a Singular Dual-Source FT-ICR Mass Spectrometer

The study of biological specimens by mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has had a profound influence in the various forms of spatial-omics over the past two decades including applications for the identification of clinical biomarker analysis; the metabolic fingerprinting of disease states; treatment with therapeutics; and the profiling of lipids, peptides and proteins. No singular approach is able to globally map all biomolecular classes simultaneously. This led to the development of many complementary multimodal imaging approaches to solve analytical problems: fusing multiple ionization techniques, imaging microscopy or spectroscopy, or local extractions into robust multimodal imaging methods. However, each fusion typically requires the melding of analytical information from multiple commercial platforms, and the tandem utilization of multiple commercial or third-party software platforms-even in some cases requiring computer coding. Herein, we report the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in tandem with desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging in the positive ion mode on a singular commercial orthogonal dual-source Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) instrument for the complementary detection of multiple analyte classes by MSI from tissue. The DESI source was 3D printed and the commercial Bruker Daltonics software suite was used to generate mass spectrometry images in tandem with the commercial MALDI source. This approach allows for the generation of multiple modes of mass spectrometry images without the need for third-party software and a customizable platform for ambient ionization imaging. Highlighted is the streamlined workflow needed to obtain phospholipid profiles, as well as increased depth of coverage of both annotated phospholipid, cardiolipin, and ganglioside species from rat brain with both high spatial and mass resolution.
Religion in Judicial Decision-Making

Empirical studies of judicial behavior are becoming increasingly common. These studies typically draw upon large databases of opinions, and employ quantitative analytic techniques to measure the influence of various factors in judicial decision-making. Some of the existing literature examines the influence of ideology on judicial decision-making in general and on religion cases in particular. The present Article makes a novel contribution to that literature by exploring a related but distinct issue: rather than analyzing religion as a category of cases that is subject to ideological influence, we focus on religion as a category of ideology that has the potential to exert its own influence. Several key elements distinguish our approach. First, we seek to measure the role of religion in a broad range of cases in which various forms of ideological influence might be expected to manifest themselves. Second, whereas some studies have included religion among other variables when examining the role of political ideology in decision-making, our emphasis is on the role of religion as such. We accordingly offer a much more detailed discussion of the relationships among religious identification, political ideology, and outcomes. Finally, we marshal more sophisticated methodologies to understand the empirical patterns in the data. We are therefore able to provide more nuanced insight into the nature of the effects of political ideology and religion on voting behavior of judges. Our main finding is that both religion and political ideology have an impact on judicial decision-making—particularly in cases in which fundamental moral values are at issue.
Crystal structure of 2-(2,6-diiso-propyl-phen-yl)-N,N-diethyl-3,3-dimethyl-2-aza-spiro-[4.5]decan-1-amine: a di-ethyl-amine adduct of a cyclic(alk-yl)(amino)-carbene (CAAC).

The structure of the title compound, C27H46N2, at 93 K has monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry. The title compound was prepared by treatment of 2-(2,6-diiso­propyl­phenyl)-3,3-dimethyl-2-aza­spiro­[4.5]dec-1-en-2-ium hydrogen dichloride with two equivalents of lithium di­ethyl­amide. Characterization of the title compound by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy is presented. Formation of the di­ethyl­amine adduct of the cyclic(alk­yl)(amino)­carbene (CAAC) was unexpected, as deprotonation using lithium diiso­propyl­amide results in free CAAC formation.
SU‐E‐T‐161: Characterization and Validation of CT Simulator Hounsfield Units to Relative Stopping Power Values for Proton Treatment Planning

Purpose: To develop a calibration curve that includes and minimizes the variations of Hounsfield Unit (HU) from a CT scanner to Relative Stopping Power (RSP) of tissues along the proton beam path. The variations are due to scanner and proton energy, technique, phantom size and placement, and tissue arrangement. Methods: A CIRS 062 M phantom with 10 plugs of known relative electron density (RED) was scanned through a 16 slice GE Discovery CT Simulator scanner. Three setup combinations of plug distributions and techniques clinically implemented for five treatment regions were scanned with energies of 100, 120, and 140 kV. Volumetric HU values were measured for each plug and scan. The RSP values derived through the Bethe-Bloch formula are currently being verified with parallel-plate ionization chamber measurements in water using 80, 150, and 225 MeV proton beam. Typical treatment plans for treatment regions of brain, head-&-neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis are being planned and dose delivered will be compared with film and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) measurements. Results: Percentage variations were determined for each variable. For tissues close to water, variations were <1% from any given parameter. Tissues far from water equivalence (lung and bone) showed the greatest sensitivity to change (7.4% maximum) with scanner energy and up to 5.3% with positioning of the phantom. No major variations were observed for proton energies within the treatment range. Conclusion: When deriving a calibration curve, attention should be placed to low and high HU values. A thorough verification process of calculated vs. water-phantom measured RSP values at different proton energies, followed by dose validation of planned vs. measured doses in phantom with film and OSL detectors are currently being undertaken.
Fungal aeroallergen challenge results in increased granulocytic inflammation in Jh-/- mice in a murine model of allergic airway disease (HYP7P.280)

B lymphocytes are well recognized in the development of IgE responses, which exacerbates asthma symptoms, but may also be important as a protective response against inhaled fungi. Further, these lymphocytes may play a direct role in the maintenance of airway wall fibrosis. Jh-/- mice have been used extensively to study the role of B lymphocytes in immune responses. These mice lack the Jh gene, which codes for the antibody heavy chain and is thought to be critical for B cell survival and function. In this study, we examined the role of B lymphocytes using a murine fungal aeroallergen model to mimic human fungal allergic airway disease. We compared disease progression in the BALB/c and Jh-/- mice and found no differences in airway hyperresponsiveness, collagen deposition, or overall pulmonary inflammation. However, the Jh-/- mice had a significantly higher number of neutrophils and eosinophils when compared to the BALB/c mice. IL-17A and IL-6 cytokines, which play a role in driving eosinophilia and neutrophilia, were also significantly higher in the Jh-/- mice after fungal challenge. We plan to characterize temporal activation and the relative contribution of these B lymphocytes in the maintenance of Tregs and Th17 lymphocytes within the pulmonary compartment. These studies will help expand our knowledge of how B lymphocytes regulate T lymphocyte responses in allergic asthma.
Attitude, Achievement, and Gender in a Middle School Science-based Ludic Simulation for Learning

This study examined the learning experiences of 478 middle school science students using a problem-based ludic simulation over a 3-week period to learn space science. Findings from both quantitative and qualitative data revealed that use of the simulation supported student learning and that knowledge gains helped reduce gender-based achievement gaps between boys and girls in the subject matter. Student attitude was additionally linked to learning success while using the simulation. These findings suggest that student engagement and self-recognition of progress and learning are important design factors when developing problem-based learning experiences.
Extremal configurations of manipulators with revolute joints

We present a complete theoretical solution for the determination of the maximum distance between a point on the first link and a point on the last link of a serial manipulator with revolute joints. The known necessary condition for critical configurations is developed into a simple necessary and sufficient criterion for the global maximum. We use Morse-Bott theory for the squared distance function and establish at the same time a formula for the Euler characteristic of the inverse kinematics solution space in terms of indices of critical configurations. For manipulators with coplanar consecutive joints this approach identifies all extremal configurations. Our proofs work in arbitrary dimension d.
Free Speech Faces Hostile Environment: An Aggressive Hunt for Sex Harassment Leaves Plenty of Wreckage

Take the case of James Maas, who has been teaching at Cornell University for more than 30 years and whose Psychology 101 is perhaps the largest undergraduate course in the country (attracting about 1,000 students every semester). He was won numerous teaching awards. In 1994, Mr. Maas was called before Cornell's "Professional Ethics Committee" to defend himself against charges of sexual harassment. The allegations centered around his "overly friendly and affectionate behavior" - which, it turns out, were hugs and occasional social kisses, most often in front of class or family.The most notable example of a professor who stood his ground against sexual-harassment charges is J. Donald Silva, a tenured member of the English faculty at the University of New Hampshire. A student in his technical writing course had asked for an example of a "working definition." Mr. Silva offered a word-picture that he had used many times before. "Belly dancing," he said, is "like a plate of Jell-O with a vibrator underneath." Within days the professor stood accused of sexual harassment. Shortly thereafter he was suspended from his job, ordered to pay the university $2,000 for a replacement teacher, and directed to undergo psychological counseling with a university-approved therapist.The current PC climate has also served to chill campus civility and chivalry. There once was a time when hugging and kissing - the polite embrace or peck-on-the-cheek - was as much a matter of civility as the tip of a gentleman's hat. Now any such behavior, especially when it happens on campus, could well stir up litigious visions of a hostile environment, if not outright charges of sexual harassment.