cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigations on the presence of electrical frequency on the characteristics of energy harvesters under base and galloping excitations

The characteristics and performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters concurrently subjected to galloping and base excitations when using a complex electrical circuit are studied. The considered energy harvester is composed of a bilayered cantilever beam with a square cylindrical structure at its tip. Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, nonlinear quasi-steady hypothesis, and Galerkin method are used to develop a reduced order model of this system. The electrical circuitry of the harvester consists of a load resistance, a capacitance, and an inductance. The impacts of the electrical components of the harvester’s circuitry, the wind speed, and the base excitation frequency and acceleration on the broadband characteristics of the harvester, quenching phenomenon, and appearance of new nonlinear behaviors are deeply investigated and discussed. Different methods were used to characterize the new nonlinear phenomena that took place due to mechanical electrical interaction like the power spectrum and time history. When both coupled frequencies of electrical and mechanical types exist and are far from each other, it is shown that the quenching phenomenon is only related to the coupled frequency of mechanical type. It was also proven that this configuration results on high harvested power with low displacement near the electrical frequency. On the other hand, for a well-defined choice of the electrical components, the results show that a broadband configuration of the harvester can be designed. It is also indicated that the quenching phenomenon interacts with the appearance of hysteresis regions that depends on the value of the base acceleration and initial conditions. Moreover, it was shown that the presence of this inductance may result in broadband system harvesting more power from both galloping and base excitation.
Recent advances in genomic profiling of adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASCP) is a mixed tumor type which contains squamous cell carcinoma and also ductal adenocarcinoma components. Due to the rarity of this malignancy, only very limited genomic profiling has been performed. A recent paper by Fang et al. published in The Journal of Pathology contributed to our knowledge of genomic alterations by performing whole-genome and -exome sequencing of 17 ASCP tumors. They found major genomic similarities to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; however, the p53 pathway was altered in a greater proportion of cases, while a high frequency of 3p loss was a distinct copy number alteration pattern observed in ASCP. Laser capture microdissection revealed that adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma components of ASCP harbor similar genomic variations, indicating that the origin of tumor components is the same or similar. Although the study published by Fang et al. increases our knowledge of this rare mixed tumor type, further investigation, including RNA sequencing, will be needed to fully characterize this malignancy and to aid the development of novel treatment approaches. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Legal Mobilization and Analogical Legal Framing: Feminist Litigators’ Use of Race–Gender Analogies

We investigate how cause lawyers articulate their demands in court. We do so by examining feminist legal briefs submitted in US Supreme Court cases from 1970 to the present, specifically focusing on the use of race-gender analogical legal framing. We explore the frequency and trends in the use of such arguments as well as the forms these arguments take, including how race-gender analogies parallel frame bridging and transformation. Additionally, we also investigate why activists choose to deploy race-gender analogies in their legal framing and discern that different political, legal, and social contexts can produce different uses of the race-gender analogy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cellular Phenotypes in Human iPSC-Derived Neurons from a Genetic Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A deletion or duplication in the 16p11.2 region is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. In addition to clinical characteristics, carriers of the 16p11.2 copy-number variant (CNV) manifest opposing neuroanatomical phenotypes-e.g., macrocephaly in deletion carriers (16pdel) and microcephaly in duplication carriers (16pdup). Using fibroblasts obtained from 16pdel and 16pdup carriers, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiated them into neurons to identify causal cellular mechanisms underlying neurobiological phenotypes. Our study revealed increased soma size and dendrite length in 16pdel neurons and reduced neuronal size and dendrite length in 16pdup neurons. The functional properties of iPSC-derived neurons corroborated aspects of these contrasting morphological differences that may underlie brain size. Interestingly, both 16pdel and 16pdup neurons displayed reduced synaptic density, suggesting that distinct mechanisms may underlie brain size and neuronal connectivity at this locus.
Abstract 109: Statins Have a Dose-dependent Effect on Amputation Risk and Survival in Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Patients

Introduction: Statin dose guidelines for PAD patients are based on coronary artery disease and stroke data. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of statin dose (based on 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines) on PAD outcomes of amputation and mortality. Methods: Patients with PAD in the Veterans Affairs database were identified from 2003-2014. The exposure was highest statin dose usage (none, low-moderate and high intensity) around diagnosis of PAD (within 1 year). The outcomes were risk of incident amputation (below knee or above knee) and mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years. The effect of statin dose on the two outcomes was also analyzed using Cox proportional hazards modeling to adjust for covariates. Results: In 208,275 patients with PAD [Males: 98.1%; Mean age: 67.4 yrs (SD 9.9)], 17,643 amputations and 99,951 deaths occurred in a median follow up of 5.2 years. Almost a quarter (27.7%) of patients were not on a statin while 30.4% were on simvastatin 80 mg (no longer recommended due to drug toxicity). The risk of incident amputation declined significantly at the high intensity statin dose as seen in Table 1. In Cox models adjusting for age, gender, race, comorbidities, cholesterol levels and creatinine, the high intensity statins were associated with lower amputation risk and mortality as compared to no statin [HR 0.67; 95% CI (0.63, 0.72) and HR 0.71; 95% CI (0.68, 0.73), respectively]. Low-moderate-dose statins also had significant but smaller reductions in risk of amputation and mortality [HR amputation 0.78 (0.75, 0.82), HR death 0.78 (0.77, 0.80)]. Conclusion: This is one of the largest population based studies to examine the effect of statins on long-term PAD outcomes and the first to explore the dose-dependent effect of statins on amputation and mortality. High intensity statins are associated with a significant reduction in limb loss and mortality in PAD patients followed by a smaller risk reduction by low-moderate intensity statins as compared to no statin therapy.
Foot and Ankle Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis affects 100% of the general population and makes up 10% of runner-related injuries. Pain in the heel after stepping down out of bed or after a period of inactivity is the classic chief complaint. The pain can be characterized as sharp, achy, and burning, with tenderness to palpation along the plantar medial heel. Diagnostic testing would include a physical exam, X-ray, and, for recalcitrant cases, an MRI, ultrasound, or laboratory studies. Plantar fasciitis usually responds to conservative management within a year. Operative management may be considered for those whom conservative treatment has failed.
Identifying Comparative Claim Sentences in Full-Text Scientific Articles

Comparisons play a critical role in scientific communication by allowing an author to situate their work in the context of earlier research problems, experimental approaches, and results. Our goal is to identify comparison claims automatically from full-text scientific articles. In this paper, we introduce a set of semantic and syntactic features that characterize a sentence and then demonstrate how those features can be used in three different classifiers: Naive Bayes (NB), a Support Vector Machine (SVM) and a Bayesian network (BN). Experiments were conducted on 122 full-text toxicology articles containing 14,157 sentences, of which 1,735 (12.25%) were comparisons. Experiments show an F1 score of 0.71, 0.69, and 0.74 on the development set and 0.76, 0.65, and 0.74 on a validation set for the NB, SVM and BN, respectively.
Comparison of methods for meta-dimensional data analysis using in silico and biological data sets

Recent technological innovations have catalyzed the generation of a massive amount of data at various levels of biological regulation, including DNA, RNA and protein. Due to the complex nature of biology, the underlying model may only be discovered by integrating different types of high-throughput data to perform a "meta-dimensional" analysis. For this study, we used simulated gene expression and genotype data to compare three methods that show potential for integrating different types of data in order to generate models that predict a given phenotype: the Analysis Tool for Heritable and Environmental Network Associations (ATHENA), Random Jungle (RJ), and Lasso. Based on our results, we applied RJ and ATHENA sequentially to a biological data set that consisted of genome-wide genotypes and gene expression levels from lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) to predict cytotoxicity. The best model consisted of two SNPs and two gene expression variables with an r-squared value of 0.32.
Radioisotope Direct Charging: Autonomous Wireless Sensors

The lifetime of autonomous wireless sensor microsystems can be increased either by increasing the energy capacity of microbatteries, or by decreasing the power consumption of on-board sensors and wireless transmitters. However, while radioisotope microbatteries do provide higher energy capacity energy sources compared to conventional electrochemical microbatteries, increasing the energy capacity of radioisotope microbatteries requires higher activities of radioisotope fuels. This undesirably raises safety concerns, and often limits the use of such microbatteries to specialized applications that can tolerate the lower radiation safety. Therefore, the application of radioisotopes to realizing zero-power wireless sensors was explored. Previously demonstrated applications utilizing radiation from radioisotopes for low-power sensing include the smoke detectors and electron capture detectors that employ the radiation for ionization of gas molecules. Such applications can function even with <1 millicurie of radioisotope, and consequently are safe enough for widespread deployment.
Biologically Important Thiol-Disulfide Reactions and the Role of Cyst(E)Ine in Proteins: an Evolutionary Perspective

Selected aspects of the reactions of thiols and disulfides are reviewed in an evolutionary context with special emphasis on the implications of the transition from a reducing to an oxidizing atmosphere on the earth. It is argued that thiols were important in prebiotic chemistry and in primitive metabolism but that disulfides, owing to their general instability in a reducing environment, came to be of importance as structural links in proteins only after the transition to an oxidizing atmosphere. The occurrence of glutathione is reviewed and discussed in terms of the role of glutathione in maintaining a reducing intracellular environment. the occurrence of cysteine and cystine in intracellular and extracellular proteins of bacteria and of animals is examined in terms of the redox state of the environment in which the protein functions. Thiol-disulfide changes associated with the dormant state are described and the role of cellular water content in dormancy is discussed. the potential significance of reactions between thiols and products of oxidative metabolism is discussed with special emphasis upon thiol additions to carbonyl and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups and their possible role in steroid-receptor interaction.
Thermodynamic Properties of Si–B Alloys Determined by Solid-State Heterogeneous Phase Equilibrium

To understand the thermodynamic properties of the Si–B binary alloys, experiments were performed to measure the electromotive force (emf) as a function of temperature (823–923 K) using solid-state electrochemical cells that can be represented as $$ {{\left( - \right)\text{Pt,Ar}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left( - \right)\text{Pt,Ar}} {\left\{ {\text{Si}\left\| {\text{CaF}_{2} } \right\|\,\,{{\left\{ {\text{Si}{-}\text{B}\left( {\text{alloy}} \right)} \right\}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left\{ {\text{Si} {-} \text{B}\left( {\text{alloy}} \right)} \right\}} {\text{Ar},\text{Pt}}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\text{Ar},\text{Pt}}}\left( + \right)} \right.}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left\{ {\text{Si}\left\| {\text{CaF}_{2} } \right\|\,\,{{\left\{ {\text{Si} {-} \text{B}\left( {\text{alloy}} \right)} \right\}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left\{ {\text{Si} {-} \text{B}\left( {\text{alloy}} \right)} \right\}} {\text{Ar},\text{Pt}}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\text{Ar},\text{Pt}}}\left( + \right)} \right.}} $$ The activities of Si in Si–B alloys were calculated from the experimental emf data obtaining from the solid-state heterogeneous phase equilibrium. The activities of B in Si–B alloys were determined using the Gibbs-Duhem equation. The integral Gibbs energy of mixing \( (\Delta {\text{G}}^{\text{M}} ) \) of alloys were calculated from the partial Gibbs energies of mixing \( \Delta \overline{\text{G}}^{\text{M}} \) of Si and B and compared with the ideal Gibbs energy of mixing \( (\Delta {\text{G}}^{{{\text{M}}, {\text{ideal}}}} ) \). A significant negative deviation was found for the integral Gibbs energy of mixing \( (\Delta {\text{G}}^{\text{M}} ) \) of alloys from the ideal Gibbs energy of mixing \( (\Delta {\text{G}}^{{{\text{M}}, {\text{ideal}}}} ) \). The minimum integral molar Gibbs energy of mixing \( (\Delta {\text{G}}^{\text{M}} = - 13.08 \,{\text{kJ}}/{\text{mol }}) \) was found at xB = 0.8
K-edge imaging visualization of multi-material decomposition in CT using virtual mono-energetic images

Virtual mono-energetic images (VMI) are derived from dual- and multi-energy CT acquisitions to visualize attenuation tomograms of an object at a specific x-ray energy. Conventional VMI calculation does not involve k-edge imaging for heavier contrast materials, such as gadolinium and bismuth. To achieve results closer to real-world values, we have developed a VMI calculation and visualization tool that includes k-edge imaging. The algorithm is tested on multi-material decomposition of iodine and gadolinium in a virtual phantom. Attenuation values are calculated for varying concentration of iodine and gadolinium in the simulated phantom. A visualization toolkit is developed to perform VMI calculation and displays output images. Attenuation changes based on incident x-ray energies can be tested and observed, and a characteristic jump in attenuation can be observed in VMI at the 50kV energy (k-edge of gadolinium) in vials containing Gd.
LC3-associated endocytosis facilitates β-amyloid clearance and mitigates neurodegeneration in murine Alzheimer’s Disease

Summary The expression of some proteins in the autophagy pathway declines with age, which may impact neurodegeneration in diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease. We have identified a novel non-canonical function of several autophagy proteins in the conjugation of LC3 to Rab5+, clathrin+ endosomes containing β-amyloid in a process of LC3-associated endocytosis (LANDO). We found that LANDO in microglia is a critical regulator of immune-mediated aggregate removal and microglial activation in a murine model of AD. Mice lacking LANDO but not canonical autophagy in the myeloid compartment or specifically in microglia have a robust increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the hippocampus and increased levels of neurotoxic β-amyloid. This inflammation and β-amyloid deposition were associated with reactive microgliosis and tau hyperphosphorylation. LANDO-deficient AD mice displayed accelerated neurodegeneration, impaired neuronal signaling, and memory deficits. Our data support a protective role for LANDO in microglia in neurodegenerative pathologies resulting from β-amyloid deposition.
A framework for examining how diet impacts tumour metabolism

The way cancer cells utilize nutrients to support their growth and proliferation is determined by cancer cell-intrinsic and cancer cell-extrinsic factors, including interactions with the environment. These interactions can define therapeutic vulnerabilities and impact the effectiveness of cancer therapy. Diet-mediated changes in whole-body metabolism and systemic nutrient availability can affect the environment that cancer cells are exposed to within tumours, and a better understanding of how diet modulates nutrient availability and utilization by cancer cells is needed. How diet impacts cancer outcomes is also of great interest to patients, yet clear evidence for how diet interacts with therapy and impacts tumour growth is lacking. Here we propose an experimental framework to probe the connections between diet and cancer metabolism. We examine how dietary factors may affect tumour growth by altering the access to and utilization of nutrients by cancer cells. Our growing understanding of how certain cancer types respond to various diets, how diet impacts cancer cell metabolism to mediate these responses and whether dietary interventions may constitute new therapeutic opportunities will begin to provide guidance on how best to use diet and nutrition to manage cancer in patients.
Abstract 61: Invisible Symptoms Post-Thrombectomy: Evaluating Psychosocial in Addition to Functional Outcomes

Background and Purpose: With increased volume of both young adult stroke patients and mechanical thrombectomy for reversal of LVO, young adult stroke survivors (YASS) are increasingly discharged di...
Determining eLearning Preferences to Inform Beverage Policy Training for Early Care and Education Teachers

Abstract Objective To determine the eLearning preferences of early care and education (ECE) teachers for an effective beverage policy training. Methods Mixed methods study conducted with ECE directors and teachers in 6 regions throughout Georgia. Researchers used an eLearning survey (n = 646) along with focus groups (n = 6) and interviews (n = 24) to determine eLearning preferences and preferred eLearning format. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used for data analysis. Results Most ECE teachers in Georgia (85%) have never had a beverage policy training. Participants (48%) reported they would definitely use the Internet for training. Qualitative analysis revealed key themes; training should be engaging, concise, hold the trainees accountable, and be interactive. Interactive video is the preferred eLearning format. Conclusions and Implications Interventions that promote national beverage recommended in the ECE setting are critically needed. Study findings may inform other states about the feasibility of using eLearning to provide beverage policy training for ECE providers in other states.
Chapter 11.2 – Grassland Degradation

Grassland biomes occur naturally worldwide with an estimated 1.5 million square kilometers in North America alone. The three grassland types occurring in North American are tall, mixed and short grass prairies, each of which provide valuable ecosystem services to humans. Ecological services provided by grasslands include but are not limited to, carbon storage, habitat for pollinators, and forage for livestock and wild herbivores. While once prevalent, grassland ecosystems have and continue to be degraded throughout much of North America. The degradation of grasslands is affecting their ability to function properly and is hindering the ability of grasslands to provide the full suite of ecological services they could offer. Causes of degradation are many and may vary by region. Much of the tall grass prairie has been plowed for crop production. In the mixed grass prairie, recent technological innovations in oil production (fracking) has increased oil production but has also resulted in degradation of the grassland environment in multiple ways including habitat fragmentation. All three grassland types have suffered from livestock overgrazing and the disappearance of fire from the landscape. The true value of ecological services provided by grasslands is unknown; however, many of those provided may be critical for the long-term survival and health of humans. With the number of intact grasslands continuing to decline in North America in coincident with their degradation, care needs to be taken when developing effective management plans and government policy for grassland preservation.
Parallel global profiling of plant TOR dynamics reveals a conserved role for LARP1 in protein translation

TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) is a deeply conserved protein kinase that coordinates eukaryotic metabolism with nutrient availability. In mammals, TOR specifically promotes translation of ribosomal protein mRNAs when amino acids are available to support protein synthesis. The mechanisms controlling translation downstream from TOR remain contested, however, and are largely unexplored in plants. Here, we took parallel global profiling approaches to define the in planta TOR-regulated transcriptome, translatome, proteome, and phosphoproteome. We found that TOR regulates ribosome biogenesis in plants at multiple levels, but through mechanisms that do not directly depend on the canonical 5′ oligopyrimidine tract motif (5′TOP) found in mammalian ribosomal protein mRNAs. To investigate this further, we focused on a putative TOR substrate identified in our phosphoproteome: LARP1, a eukaryotic RNA-binding protein that is proposed to mediate TOR translational control of 5′TOP mRNAs in humans and that has gained increased interest because it associates with SARS-CoV-2. By conducting parallel global profiling experiments with larp1 mutants, we discovered that the TOR-LARP1 signaling axis controls 5′TOP mRNA translation in plants and defined a set of conserved eukaryotic 5′TOP mRNAs that encode cyclins, importins/karyopherins, translation elongation factors, and TCTP1, among others. We then identified novel, plant-specific 5′TOP mRNAs involved in critical biological processes, including ribosome biogenesis, chromatin remodeling, and auxin signaling. Our study illuminates the ancestral roles of the TOR-LARP1-5′TOP metabolic regulatory network and provides evolutionary context for ongoing debates about the molecular function of LARP1 in eukaryotic cells.
Black K-Pop: Racial Surplus and Global Consumption

How can we account for the ideological stakes when the bodies of K-pop performers vicariously play out features of blackness? On the one hand, the performance of racial variants by K-pop idols and ...
Social Class Does Not Predict Reading Success, But Language and Metalinguistic Skills Do

Research on the relationship between metalinguistic awareness and reading has clearly shown that children who are more skilled in manipulating structural features of language, and especially phonemes, are more likely to read well than their less metalinguistically adept peers. In spite of the demonstrated connections between metalinguistic skills and reading achievement, few studies have explored the relationships between metalinguistic awareness and literacy in children younger than age 5, in part because it is difficult to design tasks that measure metalinguistic skills but are appropriate for young children. Even the longitudinal work showing connections between metalinguistic expertise and eventual literacy has followed children only from kindergarten into first and/or second grade. Such work demonstrates the importance of later developing metalinguistic skills in learning to read, but it does not help us to identify those early metalinguistic skills that may increase literacy if fostered during the preschool years.
Inequality on the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America Measured by House-Floor Area and Storage Capacity

Recent large-scale comparative archaeological studies of wealth differences have used Gini coefficients to assess inequality, employing house-floor area as a standardised, cross-cultural proxy for wealth. Two such studies have found that storage capacity produces higher Gini coefficients than floor area, suggesting that the latter measures household wealth, while the former reflects anticipated income. Here, the authors test these relationships using the floor area and storage capacity of excavated houses on the Lower Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. The results, which reflect those from previous studies, support the cross-cultural nature of the pattern, and show that storage capacity reflects food-surplus deployment strategies rather than anticipated household income.
Rare, but Valuable: Understanding Data-centered Talk in News Website Comment Sections

News websites can facilitate global discussions about civic issues, but the financial cost and burden of moderating these forums has forced many to disable their commenting systems. In this paper, we consider the role that data visualizations play in online discussion around a civic issue, through an analysis of how people talk about climate change data in the comment threads at three news websites (i.e., Breitbart news, the Guardian, the New York Times). We find that out of 6,525 comments, only 2.4% reference data visualizations in the articles. While rare, the paper presents illustrative examples of how people refer to data---their collection, analysis, and visual representation---to engage with an article's narrative. Using text classification techniques we identify several features related to the content of comments that contain data-centered talk, such as article cosine similarity, hyperlinks, and comparison terms. Finally, we discuss potential ways that newsrooms might apply this analysis to promote data literacy, data science, and to foster community around shared experiences.
Evaluation of the Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness 3rd- to 6th-Grade Curriculum--Changes in Obesity-Related Behaviors.

BACKGROUND Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness (CHFFF) is aimed at 3rd to 6th graders, and uses experiential learning, food preparation, active games, goal setting, and a family newsletter to target behaviors shown to decrease childhood obesity and chronic disease risk. This study aimed to evaluate CHFFF as intended in low-income settings. METHODS A quasi-experimental design with delayed intervention was used. CHFFF participants in 27 after-school and 28 in-school groups in 5 New York counties in 2014 to 2015 completed a self-report survey at initial enrollment, after a no-intervention control period, and after receiving CHFFF. Statistical analyses were based on 561 3rd to 6th graders who completed all 3 surveys and participated in at least 4 of the 6 lessons. RESULTS Compared to their control period, after receiving CHFFF, youth significantly improved in the following multi-item dietary scores: overall dietary intake (p < .001), vegetable intake (p < .001), fruit intake (p < .01), soda/fast food intake (p < .05) and intent to consume soda/fast food (p < .001). Youth also reported reading Nutrition Facts labels and sharing about healthy eating with their family more often (both p < .001), and greater likelihood of having tried a new food (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Results provide evidence for the effectiveness of this curriculum in improving self-reported child diet and related behaviors.
An inexpensive yet realistic model for teaching vasectomy.

Purpose Teaching the no-scalpel vasectomy is important, since vasectomy is a safe, simple, and cost-effective method of contraception. This minimally invasive vasectomy technique involves delivering the vas through the skin with specialized tools. This technique is associated with fewer complications than the traditional incisional vasectomy (1). One of the most challenging steps is the delivery of the vas through a small puncture in the scrotal skin, and there is a need for a realistic and inexpensive scrotal model for beginning learners to practice this step. Materials and Methods After careful observation using several scrotal models while teaching residents and senior trainees, we developed a simplified scrotal model that uses only three components–bicycle inner tube, latex tubing, and a Penrose drain. Results This model is remarkably realistic and allows learners to practice a challenging step in the no-scalpel vasectomy. The low cost and simple construction of the model allows wide dissemination of training in this important technique. Conclusions We propose a simple, inexpensive model that will enable learners to master the hand movements involved in delivering the vas through the skin while mitigating the risks of learning on patients.
Market Size and Product Composition: Evidence from Hollywood

This paper examines how outside and inside competition affect the number and composition of product offerings. The question is addressed using the example of the U.S. motion picture industry, which has experienced declining attendance in the past decade due to outside competition from streaming services and smart phone applications. Using data on 1,486 releases between 2009 and 2018, we estimate a structural model of endogenous product choice in which studios allocate a fixed budget to low-, medium-, and high-budget movie projects each year. Counterfactual estimates using our parameter estimates indicate that an increase in the value of the outside option leads to a significant reduction in the number of medium-budget movies but little change in the number of low- and high-budget movies. Additional counterfactual exercises that simulate a change to the level of competition inside the market, such as a merger between two studios or the entry of a new studio, confirm the existence of an inverse relationship between competition and the number of medium-budget movies.
Perceived attachment to God relates to body appreciation: mediating roles of self-compassion, sanctification of the body, and contingencies of self-worth

Various studies demonstrate links between attachment to God and body image, though few consider secure attachment to God or positive body image specifically. Further, little is known about explanat...
Functional Nanoimprinted Plasmonic Crystals for Chemical Sensing and Imaging

We describe here nanoimprinted plasmonic crystals composed of highly uniform subwavelength metal nanohole and nanopost arrays and their application in surface-enhanced sensing and imaging. Soft nanoimprint lithography is a versatile, cost-effective method to precisely replicate these structures with well-characterized optical properties. These plasmonic crystals support multiple surface plasmon modes controlled by the design rules of the nanostructures, allowing us to optimize the devices for operation in a particular wavelength range. We have demonstrated the ability to spectroscopically measure bulk refractive index changes and mechanical deformation of hydrogels resulting from pH changes, thin film imaging with sensitivities down to submonolayer levels using a common optical microscope, and Raman signal enhancement using a single common device framework. These plasmonic crystals have the potential to overcome many of the technological limitations that have limited the widespread application and integration of surface-enhanced analytical techniques.
The paleontology of intergene retrotransposons of maize

Retrotransposons, transposable elements related to animal retroviruses, are found in all eukaryotes investigated and make up the majority of many plant genomes. Their ubiquity points to their importance, especially in their contribution to the large-scale structure of complex genomes. The nature and frequency of retro-element appearance, activation and amplification are poorly understood in all higher eukaryotes. Here we employ a novel approach to determine the insertion dates for 17 of 23 retrotransposons found near the maize adh1 gene, and two others from unlinked sites in the maize genome, by comparison of long terminal repeat (LTR) divergences with the sequence divergence between adh1 in maize and sorghum. All retrotransposons examined have inserted within the last six million years, most in the last three million years. The structure of the adh1 region appears to be standard relative to the other gene-containing regions of the maize genome, thus suggesting that retrotransposon insertions have increased the size of the maize genome from approximately 1200 Mb to 2400 Mb in the last three million years. Furthermore, the results indicate an increased mutation rate in retrotransposons compared with genes.
Ability of a global three‐dimensional model to locate regional events

[1] We assess the ability of a global three-dimensional (3D) seismic model of the crust and upper mantle (CUB2.0) to locate seismic events using regional travel time data alone (epicentral distances <20°). Assessments are based on a “ground truth” (GT) database, comprising nearly 1000 uncommonly well-located events which occur in 23 event clusters across Eurasia and North Africa, groomed P and Pn arrival time data observed at regional distances from individual events, and ∼1000 empirical phase path anomalies produced from event clusters. Evidence is presented that supports the conversion of the shear velocities (vs) in CUB2.0 to compressional velocities (vp) in the upper mantle using the thermoelastic properties of an assumed mantle composition rather than traditional empirical scaling relationships. Two principal results are presented. First, this 3D vp model fits the empirical P and Pn phase path anomalies very well in both pattern and absolute level. Second, location assessments demonstrate that intrinsic regional location accuracy is ∼5 km using the 3D vp model and ∼10 km using the 1D model AK135. These findings highlight the importance of GT databases in assessing regional travel time models and establish that a global 3D vs model, together with vp inferred from it, provides a solid basis on which to build improvements in regional location capabilities.
Political Constructivism and the Limits of Political Philosophy

A major theme of G.A. Cohen’s case against Rawls is the intuitively compelling thought that we should not (indeed we cannot) bend justice to accommodate human foibles, social limitations or historical accidents. Justice stands as an abstract and fundamental ideal that is universal, inflexible, comprehensive, and not subject to empirical confirmation or constraint. Rawls, on the other hand, thinks that the most basic principles of political justice for the basic structures of a closed, well-ordered society existing under reasonably favorable conditions must take into account a whole host of facts. As someone who worked closely with Cohen, but who has deep Rawlsian roots, I am delighted to highlight some of the main controversies between these excellent philosophers, emphasize some overlap between them, and raise some reservations I have about Cohen’s criticisms of Rawls that I hope will improve our understanding of values that both saw as so profoundly important for theory and practice.
Optimization of the gull wing lead

Summary form only given. The long-term reliability of fine-pitch gull wing leads was investigated in a temperature cycling environment of -40 degrees C to 125 degrees C. The test vehicle was a 208-lead fine pitch quad flat pack (FQFP) plastic package, with lead pitch of 0.5 mm. The leads were specially prepared in the following configuration: two different foot lengths, 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm; two different foot angles, 2 degrees and 14 degrees ; two different lower bend radii, 14 mils and 21 mils; two different solder compositions, 63/37 Sn/Pb and 62/36/2 Sn/Pb/Ag; coplanarity for all leads of 1.4 mils or less; coplanarity of all eight corner leads deformed in the range of 1.5 to 2.9 mils; and coplanarity of all eight corner leads deformed in the range of 3.0 to 4.4 mils. A Taguchi experiment design with an L8 orthogonal array was employed in this investigation. >
Estimating rock compressive strength from Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) grinds

[1] Each Mars Exploration Rover carries a Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) whose intended use was to abrade the outer surfaces of rocks to expose more pristine material. Motor currents drawn by the RAT motors are related to the strength and hardness of rock surfaces undergoing abrasion, and these data can be used to infer more about a target rock's physical properties. However, no calibration of the RAT exists. Here, we attempt to derive an empirical correlation using an assemblage of terrestrial rocks and apply this correlation to data returned by the rover Spirit. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between rock strength and RAT grind energy for rocks with compressive strengths less than about 150 MPa, a category that includes all but the strongest intact rocks. Applying this correlation to rocks abraded by Spirit's RAT, the results indicate a large divide in strength between more competent basaltic rocks encountered in the plains of Gusev crater (Adirondack-class rocks) and the weaker variety of rock types measured in the Columbia Hills. Adirondack-class rocks have estimated compressive strengths in the range of 70–130 MPa and are significantly less strong than fresh terrestrial basalts; this may be indicative of a degree of weathering-induced weakening. Rock types in the Columbia Hills (Wishstone, Watchtower, Clovis, and Peace class) all have compressive strengths <50 MPa and are consistent with impactites or volcanoclastic materials. In general, when considered alongside chemical, spectral, and rock textural data, these inferred compressive strength results help inform our understanding of rock origins and modification history.
Tubal sterilization; a review of 1,169 cases

Abstract During recent years 12 patients who had been sterilized at the University of Iowa Hospitals by the Madlener technique are known to have become pregnant. These failures stimulated this study in which the records of all patients sterilized were reviewed in regard to indications, the various techniques employed, the morbidity, and the end results of operation. An attempt was made to follow each patient by personal interview or letter, and was successful in 68 per cent. The remaining 32 per cent were considered to have been successful since failures of this nature usually are brought to the attention of the institution or surgeon.
Internet portal use in an academic multiple sclerosis center.

Objective To evaluate the use of a secure internet portal in an academic Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center. Materials and methods Retrospective case–control chart review of 240 patients during the years 2008 and 2009. Patient demographic and clinical information was extracted from our online medical records, and portal use metrics were provided by Information Systems. Descriptive statistics were utilized to explore characteristics of portal users, how the portal is used, and what associations exist between medical resource utilization and active portal use. Logistic regression identified independent patient predictors and barriers to portal use. Results Portal users tended to be young professionals with minimal physical disability. The most frequently used portal feature was secure patient–physician messaging. Message content largely consisted of requests for medications or refills in addition to self-reported side effects. Independent predictors and barriers of portal use include the number of medications prescribed by our staff (OR 1.69, p<0.0001), Caucasian ethnicity (OR 5.04, p=0.007), arm and hand disability (OR 0.23, p=0.01), and impaired vision (OR 0.31, p=0.01). Discussion MS patients use the internet in a greater proportion than the general US population, yet physical disability limits their access. Technological adaptations such as voice-activated commands and easy font-size adjustment may help patients overcome these barriers. Conclusion Future research should explore the influence of portal technology on healthcare resource utilization and cost. Additional emedicine applications could be linked to the patient portal for disease monitoring and prospective investigation.
A Review Of: “Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris”

Jean-Pierre Melville died in 1973, leaving behind him a legacy of thirteen feature films. Thanks to extremely mixed critical reception, much of his work disappeared for decades, only to be recently...
Effect of dietary treatment with n‐propyl gallate or vitamin E on the survival of mice exposed to phosgene

Phosgene, widely used in industrial processes, can cause life-threatening pulmonary edema and acute lung injury. One mechanism of protection against phosgene-induced lung injury may involve the use of antioxidants. The present study focused on dietary supplementation in mice using n-propyl gallate (nPG)--a gallate acid ester compound used in food preservation--and vitamin E. Five groups of male mice were studied: group 1, control-fed with Purina rodent chow 5002; group 2, fed 0.75% nPG (w/w) in 5002; group 3, fed 1.5% nPG (w/w) in 5002; group 4 fed 1% (w/w) vitamin E in 5002; and group 5, fed 2% (w/w) vitamin E also in 5002. Mice were fed for 23 days. On day 23 mice were exposed to 32 mg m-3 (8 ppm) phosgene for 20 min (640 mg. min m-3) in a whole-body exposure chamber. Survival rates were determined at 12 and 24 h. In mice that died within 12 h, the lungs were removed and lung wet weights, dry weights, wet/dry weight ratios, lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) were assessed. Vitamin E had no positive effect on any outcome measured. There was no significant difference between 1.5% nPG and any parameter measured or survival rate compared with 5002 + phosgene. However, dietary treatment with 0.75% nPG significantly increased survival rate (P </= 0.002) and lowered TBARS (P </= 0.05) compared with 5002 + phosgene at 12 h after exposure. Mice fed 0.75% nPG had a lower wet/dry wt ratio compared with those fed 1.5% nPG and a significantly increased lung tissue GSH 36%, compared with the 5002 + phosgene group. In conclusion, dietary treatment with a low level of the antioxidant nPG protected mice by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing lung tissue GSH. The higher level of nPG and both levels of vitamin E diets were ineffective, suggesting that a ceiling threshold level of antioxidants in lung tissue is required for survival against phosgene-induced lung injury. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mitosis: towards a molecular understanding of chromosome behavior.

The past year has seen important contributions made to resolving how chromosomes attach to and move on the mitotic spindle of animal cells. These include the findings that: kinetochore microtubules are derived from the asters (i.e. centrosomes); poleward chromosome motion need not be coupled to kinetochore microtubules disassembly; the motor for poleward chromosome motion is associated with the kinetochore; and immunological evidence that this motor is cytoplasmic dynein.
A Geometrical Solution Procedure for a Rectilinear Distance Minimax Location Problem1

Abstract A minimax location problem is considered which involves finding the location of a facility in the plane so that the maximum rectilinear distance between the facility and an arbitrary, but fixed, nonempty and bounded set in the plane will be minimized. A geometrical procedure is developed for finding all solutions to the problem. The derivation of the solution procedure, which is based on the fact that the minimax problem is equivalent to the problem of enclosing the representation of the set after a 45 degree rotation within a smallest square, is believed to be a particularly intuitive one.
Conditioning of brain stimulation-induced presleep behavior

Experiments were conducted on three chronic unanesthetized, undrugged cats. Electrical stimulation of the basal forebrain area (BFA) resulted in presleep behavior (i.e., the cats would sit or lie down, and EEG spindles would arise). After several sessions (conducted twice a week), two of these cats began to exhibit presleep behavior almost immediately after entering the experimental compartment, even before the application of BFA stimulation. The third cat often ate some food (which was always present in the compartment) before showing presleep behavior. When stimulation was withheld during an extinction procedure, the cats still exhibited presleep behavior in the absence of stimulation during several sessions. We conclude that repeated BFA stimulation led to conditioning of the stimulation effects, that is, the presleep behavior that was evoked by the environmental situation alone, without BFA stimulation or any other intermittent stimulus.
Media for in vivo nitrate reductase assay of plant tissues

Abstract The in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activities of leaf sections of lambs-quarters ( Chenopodium album ), tomato, wheat, pea, maize and pigweed were greatly stimulated by the inclusion of various surfactants in the assay medium. 1-Propanol caused only slight stimulation. The corresponding activities of root tissue were greatly enhanced by 1-propanol, and slightly inhibited by surfactants. Studies of the time course of root NR assays showed that, in the absence of exogenous nitrate, propanol addition resulted in an abrupt increase in reaction rate from a previous low level; and that, at suitable concentrations of propanol, peaks of activity were found at two successive times. These results suggest that the stimulating effect of propanol is due to its promotion of the transfer of nitrate substrate from a vacuolar storage pool to an active cytoplasmic pool accessible to the enzyme. Stimulation of activity by Tergitol NPX in lambs-quarters leaf disc assays was more gradual, and two peaks could not be shown, but the mechanism of stimulation may well be the same. If these explanations are correct, it would follow that there are significant differences in the properties of roof and leaf vacuolar membranes.
Parallel Multispecies Genetic Algorithm for Physics and Parameter Estimation in Structural Dynamics

The distinction between model structure verification and model updating is logically clear. In the former, one adjusts the physics to better match experimental data; in the latter the physical parameters of the model are adjusted. The current state of the practice is to iterate back and forth between both problems until reasonable agreement with experimental data is obtained. In this work, the selection of model physics from a predefined set and the simultaneous updating of the corresponding physical parameters are investigated in an unified computational framework. A newly developed parallel (computational efficiency) multispecies (physics models) genetic algorithm is proposed and evaluated. The genetic algorithm “evolves” both model physics and parameters to improve the correlation of analytical models and corresponding test data. Two new genetic operators are developed. The first is a crossover function, which enables the sharing of the genes between two species. The second is a transmutation operator, which allows a species member to transform into a different species. The proposed algorithms are demonstrated and evaluated using three different “numerical” experiments.