cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic extraction and capillary gas chromatography determination of nicotine in pharmaceutical formulations

Abstract A simple, rapid and accurate analytical method was developed for the determination of nicotine in pharmaceutical formulations. The method comprises a fast ultrasonic extraction (UE) with heptane as a solvent followed by direct capillary gas chromatography (GC) separation and quantitation. The application of ultrasound significantly accelerated the analyte extraction. For example, in the conventional method each extraction step takes up to 24 h whereas with the ultrasonic extraction method developed it took less than 20 min to achieve the same extraction efficiency. The ultrasonic extracts were directly chromatographed on an Alltech EC™-5 capillary GC column and a base line separation was achieved within 10 min. The consumption of environmental harmful organic solvent in this developed UE-capillary GC method is much lower than in conventional extraction-HPLC methods. The UE developed uses only 1/6 of organic solvent needed in conventional extraction. The subsequent GC analysis does not consume organic solvent as mobile phase while HPLC does. This green analytical method has been successfully applied to determine the nicotine content in both chewing and transdermal systems. Standard calibration curves were linear over the concentration range 1.00–500.0 μg/mL. Within-day and day-to-day relative standard deviations less than 1.9 and 2.0%, respectively.
Commentary: Heart rate and blood pressure: risk factors or risk markers?

In this issue of the Journal, Nagaya and colleagues 1 tested whether resting blood pressure and heart rate are each associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged adults. The novelty of their study is the hypothesis that elevated blood pressure and heart rate are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes. Having failed to reject the null hypothesis of no association, the authors conclude that ‘resting heart rate and BP [blood pressure] ... proportionately raise the risk for development of DM [diabetes mellitus] in middle-aged healthy men and women’. 1 However, it is not clear whether such
Effects of arsenic deactivation on arsenic-implant induced enhanced diffusion in silicon

The enhanced diffusion of boron due to high dose arsenic implantation into silicon is studied as a function of arsenic dose. The behavior of both the type-V and end-of-range loops is investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The role of arsenic deactivation induced interstitials and type-V loops on enhanced diffusion is assessed. Reduction of the boron diffusivity is observed with increasing arsenic dose at three different temperatures. The possible explanations for this reduction are discussed.
Dynamic Modeling in Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Controller Design

In this paper, a dynamic model of the solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power unit is developed for the purpose of designing a controller to regulate fuel flow rate, fuel temperature, air flow rate, and air temperature to maintain the SOFC stack temperature, fuel utilization rate, and voltage within operation limits. A lumped model is used to consider the thermal dynamics and the electro-chemical dynamics inside an SOFC power unit. The fluid dynamics at the fuel and air inlets are considered by using the in-flow ramp-rates. A simulation result has been presented to illustrate the dynamic response of an SOFC stack when changing the electric load and fuel flow rates.
A generalization of the 0-1 principle for sorting

The traditional zero-one principle for sorting networks states that "if a network with n input lines sorts all 2n binary sequences into nondecreasing order, then it will sort any arbitrary sequence of n numbers into nondecreasing order". We generalize this to the situation when a network sorts almost all binary sequences and relate it to the behavior of the sorting network on arbitrary inputs. We also present an application to mesh sorting.
Lithic assemblages from the Chang Tang region, Northern Tibet

Archaeological evidence from the Chang Tang Reserve suggests that humans may have first colonized the Tibetan Plateau during the late Pleistocene. Blade, bladelet and microblade technologies are found as surface assemblages in a variety of contexts above 4500 m elevation. The lack of modern analogues for foraging populations in high-elevation environments brings about a reconsideration of the diversity and organization of Pleistocene hunter-gatherer adaptations.
Performance of a small-size two-stage centrifugal compressor

Modern automotive turbochargers require a wider operating range and higher efficiency in the region of low rotational speed and low flow rate of the compressor. However, it is difficult for a conventional single-stage centrifugal compressor to achieve the desired level of off-design performance while maintaining the performance at the design point. A new concept is needed for compressors for use with turbochargers. In order to overcome these issues, a small-size two-stage centrifugal compressor was designed for automotive turbochargers. It comprises two centrifugal compressor stages mounted on the same shaft in serial and contained within a single compressor housing. In this paper, the results of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses and experiments of the small-size two-stage centrifugal compressor are described.
Inference about Weibull Distribution Using Upper Record Values

This paper studies the frequentist inference about the shape and scale parameters of the two-parameter Weibull distribution using upper record values. The exact sampling distribution of the MLE of the shape parameter is derived. The asymptotic normality of the MLEs of both parameters are obtained. Based on these results this paper proposes various confidence intervals of the two parameters. Assuming one parameter is known certain testing procedures are proposed. Furthermore, approximate prediction interval for the immediately consequent record value is derived too. Conclusions are made based on intensive simulations.
Transverse jet mixing characteristics

This experimental study explores and quantifies mixing characteristics associated with a gaseous round jet injected perpendicularly into cross-flow for a range of flow and injection conditions. The study utilizes acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging to determine mixing metrics in both centreplane and cross-sectional planes of the jet, for a range of jet-to-cross-flow momentum flux ratios ( ), density ratios ( ) and injector configurations (flush nozzle, flush pipe and elevated nozzle), all at a fixed jet Reynolds number of 1900. For the majority of conditions explored, there is a direct correspondence between the nature of the jet’s upstream shear layer instabilities and structure, as documented in detail in Getsinger et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 760, 2014, pp. 342–367), and the jet’s mixing characteristics, consistent with diffusion-dominated processes, but with a few notable exceptions. When quantified as a function of distance along the jet trajectory, mixing metrics for jets in cross-flow with an absolutely unstable upstream shear layer and relatively symmetric counter-rotating vortex pair cross-sectional structure tend to show better local molecular mixing than for jets with convectively unstable upstream shear layers and generally asymmetric cross-sectional structures. Yet the spatial evolution of mixing with downstream distance can be greater for a few specific convectively unstable conditions, apparently associated with the initiation and nature of shear layer rollup as a trigger for improved mixing. A notable exception to these trends concerns conditions where the equidensity jet in cross-flow has an upstream shear layer that is already absolutely unstable, and the jet density is then reduced in comparison with that of the cross-flow. Here, density ratios below unity tend to mix less well than for equidensity conditions, demonstrated to result from differences in the nature of higher-density cross-flow entrainment into lower-density shear layer vortices.
Poverty and Homicide in Detroit, 1926-1978.

The effect of poverty on crime is a controversial issue, mostly because past research has produced only weak evidence of a relationship between economic hardship and crime rates. A review of the literature suggests, however, that time-series data have not been fully exploited in studies of the poverty-crime relationship. This paper helps fill that gap by presenting a regression equation that links poverty and the homicide rate in Detroit from 1926 to 1978. The equation uses a measure based on the infant mortality rate in order to avoid problems associated with monetary indicators of poverty, and it allows for lagged effects across time. The results strongly support the idea that increases in the level of poverty lead to increases in homicide rates. Language: en
Importance of optimization of OS-EM reconstruction for improved dose volume histogram estimates in radionuclide therapy dosimetry

580 Objectives Dose-volume histograms are useful for computing tumor control and normal tissue complication probabilities. Dose distribution estimates are based on activity distribution estimates obtained from emission computed tomography(ECT) imaging, which are degraded by noise and limited spatial resolution. The goal of this work was to investigate the effect of these degrading factors and SPECT reconstruction parameters on the reliability of dose-volume histograms estimates. Methods We used the 3D NCAT phantom to model patient anatomy and organ activities based on In-111 Zevalin and In111-DTPA-octreotide patient scans. Projection data at 5 time points were generated using Monte Carlo simulation. Images were reconstructed using OS-EM with model-based compensation. Up to 150 iterations and Gaussian post-reconstruction filtering with 14 different FWHMs were used. Dose-rate volume histograms were computed and compared to the ones obtained from the true activity distribution.The mean squared error (MSE) over 50 Poisson noise realizations averaged over histogram bins served as a figure of merit. Results The parameters required to obtain the optimal histogram estimates were organ and time specific. For large organs like the liver, noise was the major limiting factor: fewer iterations and moderate FWHMs gave the minimum MSE. For small organs like kidney, both noise and partial volume effect (PVE) degraded the histograms,thus requiring larger numbers of iterations and smaller FWHMs. These results were quite different than previous results for organ total activity estimation, where 50 or more iterations and no filtering were optimal. Conclusions Careful attention to the number of iterations and post-reconstruction filtering is important in order to obtain high quality dose-volume histograms, but optimal parameters are noise-level and object dependent. Development of more advanced techniques for noise regularization and PVE compensation is important for 3D dosimetry
After the Berlin Wall: hip-hop and the politics of German reunification

This essay examines they ways in which German reunification in 1990 signaled the emergence of a ‘new’ Germany through the policing of spatial and racial borders that constitute the ‘nation’. Marked by increased violence against racialized ‘others’, reunification made visible the ways that national belonging was predicated on the construction and exclusion of ‘strangers’. Articulating the Black German experience of being a ‘stranger in my own country’, the musical collective Brothers Keepers uses hip-hop to connect their struggles to that of others in the African diaspora while critiquing the violence that attends to the (re)making of a nation.
Vertical spindle surface grinding of AISI 1020 and A36 steels using duplex grade vitrified abrasive segments

The studies described in this paper focus on the wear behavior of duplex grade abrasive segments grinding AISI 1020 and A36 steels on a vertical spindle surface grinding machine (VSSG). The study focuses on the behavior of the abrasive segment and how it contributes to significant changes in the grinding ratio and the type of wear that is occurring under grinding conditions where short chips are generated (roughness ratio, λ > 1) and accumulate in the graded structure of the abrasive segment. The paper discusses the kinematics of the VSSG process, the mechanisms of wear in abrasive and bonded grains, the VSSG experiments performed, and the results generated in terms of segment wear and the resulting roughness of the ground surfaces. The analysis of the results concludes by stating that duplex graded segments are useful in controlling the phenomena of “chip crowding,” although this may lead to “parasitic wear” to take place that may negatively affect segment performance in VSSG operations. In this respect, the paper addresses the type of abrasive grain to be used during VSSG operations. The studies described in this paper may be useful to manufacturing engineers who use VSSG operations and are responsible for their development.
Structural dynamics of a methionine γ-lyase for calicheamicin biosynthesis: Rotation of the conserved tyrosine stacking with pyridoxal phosphate

CalE6 from Micromonospora echinospora is a (pyridoxal 5′ phosphate) PLP-dependent methionine γ-lyase involved in the biosynthesis of calicheamicins. We report the crystal structure of a CalE6 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid complex showing ligand-induced rotation of Tyr100, which stacks with PLP, resembling the corresponding tyrosine rotation of true catalytic intermediates of CalE6 homologs. Elastic network modeling and crystallographic ensemble refinement reveal mobility of the N-terminal loop, which involves both tetrameric assembly and PLP binding. Modeling and comparative structural analysis of PLP-dependent enzymes involved in Cys/Met metabolism shine light on the functional implications of the intrinsic dynamic properties of CalE6 in catalysis and holoenzyme maturation.
Reduction of Detected Number of Pan- Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii in Pediatric ICU Patients

Objective To reduce the positive number of pan- resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in pediatric ICU patients.Method QC group activities.Result The detected number of pan- resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in pediatric ICU patients reduced from 13 to 2 after the activity which reached the target.Conclusion QC group activities not only won a battle of microorganisms,but also won the confidence of medical staff.
Risk Factors for Hearing Loss in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

Background Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at increased risk for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) due, at least in part, to the ototoxic side effects of routine CF therapies. However, the prevalence of SNHL and additional factors contributing to the development of SNHL are unknown. Purpose To identify risk factors associated with the development of SNHL in a large cohort of CF patients who had been referred for audiometric testing. Research design A retrospective study of audiometric results and medication information in a cohort of patients with CF. Study sample Records of 178 CF patients seen at Boston Children's Hospital for audiometric testing from 2007 to 2010 were reviewed. Mean age of patients was 18 yr (standard deviation = 10 yr), and 98 (55%) of the patients were female. Data collection and analysis Audiometric results, medications, and hospitalizations were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SNHL and the number of hospitalizations and chronic antibiotic use in the year prior to the patients' audiometry. Results In this sample, 37/178 (21%) patients had SNHL. Twenty-nine (78%) of the 37 patients had bilateral SNHL and 8 (22%) had unilateral SNHL. Across all age groups, the majority of patients had a bilateral hearing loss (HL). A multivariable model showed that older age and more frequent hospitalizations were associated with SNHL. The number of courses of chronic antibiotics in the year prior to audiometric testing was not correlated with rate of HL. Conclusions This study suggests that age and frequency of hospitalizations are key predictors of HL development. Increased awareness and regular screening for SNHL should be included in the routine care of CF patients, particularly those at the highest risk.
Identification of two mechanisms for current production in a biharmonic flashing electron ratchet

Ratchets rectify the motion of randomly moving particles, which are driven by isotropic sources of energy such as thermal and chemical energy, without applying a net, time-averaged force between source and drain. This paper describes the behavior of a damped electron, modeled by a quantum Lindblad master equation, within a flashing ratchet (a one-dimensional potential that oscillates between a flat surface and a periodic asymmetric surface). By examining the complete space of all biharmonic potential shapes and a large range of oscillation frequencies, two modes of ratchet operation, differentiated by their oscillation frequencies (relative to the rate of electron relaxation), are identified. Slow-oscillating, strong friction ratchets operate by a classical, overdamped mechanism. In fast-oscillating, weak friction ratchets, current is primarily produced when the frequency of the oscillating potential is resonant with the beating of the electron wave function in the potential well. The shape of the ratchet potential determines the direction of the current (and, in some cases, straightforwardly accounts for current reversals), but the maximum achievable current at any shape is controlled by the degree of friction applied to the electron.
A microbial perspective of human developmental biology

When most people think of human development, they tend to consider only human cells and organs. Yet there is another facet that involves human-associated microbial communities. A microbial perspective of human development provides opportunities to refine our definitions of healthy prenatal and postnatal growth and to develop innovative strategies for disease prevention and treatment. Given the dramatic changes in lifestyles and disease patterns that are occurring with globalization, we issue a call for the establishment of 'human microbial observatories' designed to examine microbial community development in birth cohorts representing populations with diverse anthropological characteristics, including those undergoing rapid change.
Nutritional status and intestinal function among rural populations of the West Indies. II. Barrio Nuevo, Puerto Rico.

Dietary intake, nutritional status, and intestinal structure and function were evaluated in 96 representative adult residents of a rural barrio in Puerto Rico. Deficiencies noted included mild anemia in 4, reduced serum concentrations of iron in 10, folate in 6, vitamin B12 in 1, albumin in 4, carotene in 6, and cholesterol in 7. Thirty-two persons had a single abnormal determination, and 11 had multiple abnormal determinations of intestinal function. These included xylose in 24, folic acid in 1, fat in 4, nitrogen in 1, and vitamin B12 in 28. Intestinal morphology was normal in 17 and showed mild changes in 48, moderate changes in 24, and severe abnormalities in 4. The incidence of certain intestinal abnormalities present during the winter months was double that noted during the summer. In 2 cases, malabsorption was clearly responsible for the development of nutritional deficiencies, but vitamin B12 deficiency was present in only 1 of the 28 subjects with malabsorption of this vitamin and xylose absorption was reduced in only 7 of the 21 persons who had a deficiency of either folate, albumin, carotene, or cholesterol. These observations indicate that the mildly compromised intestinal function found present in nearly one-half of the subjects evaluated does not, in most instances, result in the development of deficiency states in the presence of an adequate dietary intake.
Mnemonic contributions of hippocampal place cells

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the role of the hippocampus in learning and memory processes. The study was initiated in 1957, after a report showed remarkably severe amnesia in a patient resulting from the surgical removal of the hippocampal formation and a large amount of the adjacent tissue in the medial temporal lobes. This led to the universal consensus that the hippocampus is involved in learning and memory. The unique contribution of hippocampus in learning includes its role in spatial processing, working memory, relational learning, episodic memory, context processing, declarative memory, and the encoding of experiences in general. This chapter evaluates the potential relationship between neural representation by individual hippocampal neurons and learning and memory. The most commonly reported behavioral correlate of hippocampal output neurons (pyramidal cells) is location-selective firing, referred to as place fields. The chapter provides evidence that demonstrates the sensory and movement responsiveness of place fields. It also presents a context discrimination hypothesis to evaluate the role that place fields may play in hippocampal-dependent mnemonic functions.
A Solution Alternative to Achieve Parcel Connectivity in the Dynamic Reserve Design Problem

The conservation reserve design problem is a challenge to solve because of the spatial and temporal nature of the problem, uncertainties in the decision process, and possibly alternative conservation actions for any given land parcel. We outline a solution to one formulation of the problem that results in a connected reserve that evolves under changing states of the system. Conservation reserve design is the problem of selecting parcels of land such that the assembled set maximizes some criterion pertaining to the conservation of species or natural communities (Williams, ReVelle, and Levin 2005). The problem is characterized by some common features that make its solution computationally challenging. First, the problem is spatially defined, where the decision criterion may be just as sensitive to where parcels occur on the landscape as to how much land area is selected. Second, sources of uncertainty -for example, stochasticity in land prices or acquisition budgets, errors in assessing land quality, and uncertainty about urbanization trends, market dynamics, and habitat requirements of the focal resource- are always present and expose the decision maker to risk. Third, selections are almost always carried out over time, implying that an optimal sequence of actions cannot be made without an understanding of the dynamics of land availability and budget resources. Fourth, the decision maker may have alternatives other than land purchase (e.g., conservation easements, incentives for landowner behavior) that induce tradeoffs in costs and benefits. We are working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to develop a decision framework for reserve actions intended to conserve the statewide population of the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The tortoise, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, has declined over its southeastern U.S. range. Its habitat requirements include sandy soils that permit the tortoise to dig its characteristic burrows, a sparse forest overstory Copyright c 2015, Association for the Advancement of Artificial
Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial.

Cancer patients often develop chronic, clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Previous studies suggest that psilocybin may decrease depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Th...
On the Origin of Covalent Bonding in Heavy Actinides

Recent reports have suggested the late actinides participate in more covalent interactions than the earlier actinides, yet the origin of this shift in chemistry is not understood. This report considers the chemistry of actinide dipicolinate complexes to identify why covalent interactions become more prominent for heavy actinides. A modest increase in measured actinide:dipicolinate stability constants is coincident with a significant increase in An 5f energy degeneracy with the dipicolinate molecular orbitals for Bk and Cf relative to Am and Cm. While the interactions in the actinide-dipicolinate complex are largely ionic, the decrease in 5f orbital energy across the series manifests in orbital-mixing and, hence, covalency driven by energy degeneracy. This observation suggests the origin of covalency in heavy actinide interactions stems from the degeneracy of 5f orbitals with ligand molecular orbitals rather than spatial orbital overlap. These findings suggest that the limiting radial extension of the 5f orbitals later in the actinide series could make the heavy actinides ideal elements to probe and tune effects of energy degeneracy driven covalency.
Treatment of Male Breast Cancer by Dual Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Blockade and Response Prediction Using Novel Optical Tomography Imaging: A Case Report

Male breast cancer, although rare, is on the rise. Prospective clinical trials are unlikely and current management mirrors that of post-menopausal women. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is widely used and pathologic complete response (pCR) predicts long-term survival. The addition of dual HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) blockade has shown the highest pCR rates; however, there is no published data of this approach in men. Also, newer monitoring tools are necessary during a neoadjuvant therapy to help personalize treatment. Here, we describe the case of a 64-year-old man with Stage IIB (tumor size 2 to 5 cm with involvement of axillary lymph nodes), high-grade estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma with a germline breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) mutation who was treated in a neoadjuvant fashion with dual HER2 blockade and platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. A novel predictive tool, ultrasound-localized diffuse optical tomography, was used to monitor his progress during treatment.
Intrinsic physiology of inhibitory neurons changes over auditory development.

This article is the first to examine heterogeneity of neuronal physiology in the inhibitory nucleus of the avian auditory system and demonstrate that tonic firing here emerges over development. By ...
Caesarean Delivery Surgical Site Infection: What are Expected Rates and Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors?

Abstract Objective This study sought to determine baseline Caesarean delivery (CD) surgical site infection (SSI) rates in various patient subgroups and to identify potentially modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for SSI. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a multicentre CD registry. Women who underwent CD were divided into SSI versus no SSI. SSI was defined as an infection that occurred in the part of the body where the surgery took place, within 30 days of surgery. Clinical characteristics and potential risk factors were compared between groups. Results Of 57 182 women, 3696 (6.5%) had SSI. SSI rates were higher in primary versus repeat CD (9.7% vs. 4.2%; P 0.001), and in CD after labour vs. no labour (9.5% vs. 3.8%; P 0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors, low transverse CD (adjusted OR [aOR] 0.7 [0.6–0.9]), CD performed between 7 pm and 7 am (aOR 0.9 [0.83–0.98]), primary CD (aOR 0.5 [0.5–0.6]), and intrapartum antibiotics (aOR 0.3 [0.1–0.4]) were associated with a decreased in the rate of SSI. Black race (aOR 1.9 [1.7–2.1]), tobacco use (aOR 1.4 [1.2–1.6]), increasing American Society of Anesthesiologists category (aOR 1.3 [1.1–1.6]), vertical skin incision (aOR 1.2 [1.1–1.3], emergency CD (aOR 1.3 [1.1–1.5]), and postpartum transfusion (aOR 2.7 [2.1–3.6]) were associated with an increase in the rate of SSI. Conclusion This study estimates the CD SSI rates in different subgroups and serves as a baseline for future trials designed to develop preventive guidelines and protocols.
Survival function analysis of planet size distribution with Gaia Data Release 2 updates

Applying the survival function analysis to the planet radius distribution of the Kepler confirmed/candidate planets, we have identified two natural divisions of planet radius at 4 Earth radii and 10 Earth radii. These divisions place constraints on planet formation and interior structure model. The division at 4 Earth radii separates small exoplanets from large exoplanets above. When combined with the recently-discovered radius gap at 2 Earth radii, it supports the treatment of planets 2-4 Earth radii as a separate group, likely water worlds. For planets around solar-type FGK main-sequence stars, we argue that 2 Earth radii is the separation between water-poor and water-rich planets, and 4 Earth radii is the separation between gas-poor and gas-rich planets. We confirm that the slope of survival function in between 4 and 10 Earth radii to be shallower compared to either ends, indicating a relative paucity of planets in between 4-10 Earth radii, namely, the sub-Saturnian desert there. We name them transitional planets, as they form a bridge between the gas-poor small planets and gas giants. Accordingly, we propose the following classification scheme: ( 10 Earth radii) gas giants.
Antitrust Beyond Competition: Market Failures, Total Welfare, and the Challenge of Intra-Market Second-Best Tradeoffs

Should antitrust law ever sanction the accumulation of market power or permit other restraints of trade if such conduct would increase social welfare? This is the challenge raised by intramarket second-best tradeoffs. In the presence of multiple market failures, it is conceivable that mergers or other restraints traditionally viewed as anti-competitive may be welfare-enhancing. A social planner, given the mandate of maximizing total welfare, would permit such restraints. Could an antitrust judge come to the same result under a defensible application (or extension) of existing legal doctrine? This question highlights the tensions between an antitrust policy dedicated to preserving "competition" and an antitrust policy dedicated to maximizing total welfare. This Article argues (1) that antitrust law should recognize a defense for private acts that restrain "competition" under the traditional antitrust analysis but advance total welfare, (2) that courts are competent to administer this defense, and (3) that the framework of existing antitrust statutes permits courts to recognize this defense. I suggest that to rebut a finding of illegality based upon a traditional presumption of anticompetitive effects, defendants should have to establish (1) that the challenged conduct is responsive to an identifiable market failure; (2) that the conduct produces a net increase in total welfare (static efficiency); (3) that the conduct will not substantially impair subsequent efforts to address the underlying market failure (dynamic efficiency); and (4) that there is not a less restrictive course of action consistent with the antitrust laws that could achieve the same static efficiency gain. This defense presupposes a total welfare standard of analysis. Part I examines the theory of intramarket second-best analysis and outlines the parameters of the proposed defense. Part II examines the technical viability of the affirmative defense. Part III explores whether second-best tradeoffs and the total welfare standard underlying them can be reconciled with contemporary understandings of antitrust law and the institutional role of the courts.
The Threat from Viruses

Infectious disease represent the most significant threat to human health. Significant geologic cataclysmic events have caused the extinction of countless species, but these “Wrath of God” events predate the emergence of Homo sapiens. Pandemic infections have accompanied the rise of human civilization frequently re-occurring leaving a lasting imprint on human history punctuated by profound loss of life. Emerging infections become endemic and are here to stay marking their presence with an annual death toll. Each decade brings a new onslaught of emerging infectious agents. We are surprised again and again but are never prepared. The long-term consequences often remain unrecognized and are always inconvenient including cancer, cardiovascular disease and immune associated diseases that threaten our health. Reliance on clusters of clinical symptoms in the face of diverse and non-descriptive viral infection symptoms is a foolhardy form of crisis management. Viral success is based on rapid replication resulting in large numbers. Single-stranded RNA viruses with their high replication error rate represent a paradigm for resilience.
Do Remittances Promote Financial Inclusion

Overcoming the limited access to formal financial services continues to be one of the most challenging tasks facing many developing countries. Recently, it has been argued by some authors that the rise in personal remittance inflows to these countries could be leveraged for more inclusive finance. In this essay, we examine whether remittances have provided additional avenues for policymakers to promote financial inclusion. Although some case studies have explored the potential link between remittances and households’ demand for financial services, no cross-country analysis has yet been carried out for empirical tests. We use data from the World Bank Global Findex database (Demirguc-Kunt et al., The Global Findex Database 2011: measuring financial inclusion and the Fintech revolution. The World Bank, Washington, 2011) on financial inclusion for 107 remittance-receiving countries to examine whether remittances contribute to inclusive finance. Contrary to the findings from earlier case studies, our results show that remittance inflows have a significant negative impact on financial inclusion by reducing the demand for deposit accounts from formal financial institutions. However, our results are consistent with the earlier findings that remittances do not have a significant and robust impact on the demand for credit instruments from formal institutions. These results continue to hold when the data are disaggregated for the rural sector. More importantly, the partial effects of remittances are found to be non-linear across countries.
Fabrication of infrared hexagonal microlens array by novel diamond turning method and precision glass molding

Single-point diamond turning assisted with slow/fast tool servo is a viable technique for complex microlens arrays manufacturing. However, there are still challenges one must overcome when efficiently fabricating microlens arrays with discontinuous features. In this study, a novel slow-tool-servo diamond turning method, termed toroid-surface-based slow tool servo turning method, was proposed for generation of discontinuously structured microlens arrays. A discussion on the advantages for processing discontinuous features was presented and a hexagonal spherical microlens array over a large area was fabricated using the proposed method. This toolpath generation strategy, combined with a segmented turning approach, was adopted with consideration of both the geometry of the diamond tool and the profile of the microlens array. The surface roughness, form accuracy and geometry periodicity, were investigated. Results indicated that the entire microlens array has high homogeneous quality for optical elements. The fabricated microlens array was further utilized as a mold insert in a precision chalcogenide glass molding process. Compared with conventional fabrication methods, this novel technique method can be successfully implemented to fabricate various discontinuous microlens arrays with high accuracy and great efficiency.
Analysis of Basic Concepts

The concepts of abstraction and configuration, in the last analysis, are the fundamental concepts in the psychology of perception and thinking. We have examined the concept of “gestalten” and their “structuring” in the context of gestalt psychology, the concept of “operations” and their “interiorization” in the context of genetic psychology, and the concept of “psychological patterns” and their “formation” in the context of functional psychology. From the theoretical standpoint, as we have noted before, these varied conceptions involve a common process, abstraction, and result in a common product, configuration. We shall then, in this chapter, undertake a logical analysis of these basic conceptions.
Advanced Oxidation Process for DNAN Using UV/H2O2

Abstract 2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN) is an important component of insensitive munitions that is anticipated to replace 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in munitions formulations. Photocatalyzed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation experiments and chemical analyses were conducted to study the effect of initial pH and H2O2 dosage on the kinetics of DNAN decomposition and the reaction pathways. The results show that DNAN degradation followed zero-order kinetics when a 250 ppm DNAN solution was treated with ultraviolet (UV) light and 1500–4500 ppm H2O2 in an initial pH range of 4–7. However, when the H2O2 concentration was 750 ppm, DNAN degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The results indicate that DNAN can easily be oxidized by UV/H2O2 treatment. When the H2O2 dosage was 1500 ppm and the initial pH was 7, DNAN was reduced from 250 ppm to less than 1 ppm in 3 h. However, the total organic carbon (TOC) and total carbon (TC) concentrations were reduced slowly from 100 to less than 70 ppm carbon (C) in 3 h, and decreased to about 5 ppm after 9 h of treatment, suggesting the formation of other organic compounds. Those reaction intermediates were oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2) at a slower rate than the oxidation of DNAN. CO2 was emitted from the solution because the solution pH decreased rapidly to about 3 during the UV/H2O2 oxidation. Most of the nitrogen in DNAN was converted to nitrate by UV/H2O2 oxidation after 9 h of treatment. The research results indicate that UV/H2O2 oxidation is a promising technique for the treatment of DNAN in wastewater.
Chapter 2 – An Overview of Protein Crystallography

Publisher Summary Knowing the richness and limitations of models requires an understanding of the relationship between data and structure, and this chapter gives an overview of this relationship. It presents a simplified overview of how researchers use the technique of X-ray crystallography to obtain models of macromolecules. However, the concepts described apply to all macromolecules and macromolecules assemblies that possess ordered structures, including carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and nucleoprotein complexes, such as ribosomes and whole viruses. The chapter deals with obtaining an image of a microscopic object; obtaining images of molecules; a thumbnail sketch of protein crystallography; crystals—the nature of crystals and growing crystals; collecting X-ray data; diffraction—simple objects, arrays of simple objects, intensities of reflections, arrays of complex objects, and three-dimensional arrays; coordinate systems in crystallography; a brief description of the mathematics of crystallography—wave equations, complicated periodic functions, structure factors, electron-density maps, electron density from structure factors, electron density from measured reflections, and obtaining a model. The main aim of the chapter is to present information—strength and weakness—of X-ray crystallography.
Preventing Summer Reading Slide: Examining the Effects of Two Computer-Assisted Reading Programs:

Students who display reading difficulties/disabilities at the end of third grade are less likely to succeed in content areas and graduate from high school than their reading-proficient peers. Liter...
Credit Valuation Adjustment in Credit Risk with Simultaneous Defaults Possibility

In a series of recent papers, Damiano Brigo, Andrea Pallavicini, and co-authors have shown that the value of a contract in a Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) setting, being the sum of the cash flows, can be represented as a solution of a decoupled forward-backward stochastic differential equation (FBSDE). CVA is the difference between the risk-free portfolio value and the true portfolio value that takes into account the possibility of a counter party's default. In other words, CVA is the market value of counter party credit risk. This has achieved noteworthy importance after the 2008 financial debacle, where counter party risk played an under-modeled but huge risk. In their analysis, Brigo et al make the classical assumption of conditional independence of the default times, given the risk free market filtration. This does not allow for the increasingly likely case of simultaneous defaults. We weaken their assumption, replacing it with a martingale orthogonality condition. This in turn changes the form of the BSDE that arises from the model.
Relating Individual Differences in Reading Skill to Neural Indices of Proactive Control and Online Filtering During a Working Memory Task

Individual differences in reading skill have frequently been related to variability in working memory capacity; however, it is unclear what drives this relation. The present study investigated two ...
Prevalence and Potential Consequences of Exposure to Conflicting Information about Mammography: Results from Nationally-Representative Survey of U.S. Adults

As scientific evidence evolves and clinical guidelines change, a certain amount of conflicting health information in the news media is to be expected. However, research is needed to better understand the public's level of exposure to conflicting health information and the possible consequences of such exposure. This study quantifies levels of public exposure to one paradigmatic case: conflicting information about breast cancer screening for women in their 40s. Using a nationally-representative survey of U.S. adults aged 18-59 in 2016, we implemented four distinct types of measures of exposure to conflicting mammography information: an ecological measure based on keyword counts of local news closed-captioning, an inferred exposure measure based on a series of knowledge questions, a thought-listing exercise where respondents described their perceptions of mammography without prompting, and an explicit measure of self-assessed exposure to conflict. We examined the relationship between these exposure measures and four outcomes: confusion about mammography, backlash toward mammography recommendations, and confusion and backlash about health information more generally. We found moderate amounts of exposure to conflicting information about mammography, more among women than men. Exposure to conflicting information - across multiple measures - was associated with more confusion about mammography, more mammography-related backlash, and general health information backlash, but not general confusion about health information. These observational findings corroborate experimental-based findings that suggest potentially undesirable effects of exposure to conflicting health information. More research is needed to better understand how to mitigate these possible outcomes, in the context of a media landscape that proliferates exposure to multiple scientific perspectives.
Introduction: History of Geriatric Hip Fracture Treatment

While fractures of the hip have affected elderly patients since time immemorial, advances in the mid-twentieth century rapidly changed the landscape of fracture treatment. Emergence of safe operative modalities, advances in implant design and machining, and recognition of metabolic bone disease and the importance of perioperative medical optimization fundamentally changed our management approach. By contextualizing the history of care, we may better appreciate the current treatment of the geriatric patient with a hip fracture.
Automatic Detection and Segmentation of Barchan Dunes on Mars and Earth Using a Convolutional Neural Network

The morphology of isolated barchan dunes on Mars and Earth may shed light on the dynamic conditions that form them, their migration direction and the physical properties of the sediments composing them. Prior to this study, dune fields have been largely analyzed manually from aerial and satellite imagery, as automatic detection techniques are often not sufficiently accurate in outlining dunes. Here, we employ an instance segmentation neural network to detect and outline isolated barchan dunes on Mars and Earth. We train and test the model on martian targets using Mars reconnaissance orbiter (MRO) context camera (CTX) images, and find it sufficiently accurate (mAP=77% on the test dataset) to characterize dune field dynamics. Using our trained model, we detect and map the global distribution of barchan dunes relative to previously mapped dune fields, and find that barchan dunes are more abundant in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere. These contrasting abundances of barchans may reflect latitudinally dependent wind regimes, sediment supply, or sediment availability.
Effect of graphitic anode surface functionalization on the structure and dynamics of electrolytes at the interface

Surface termination on a graphitic surface and the type of electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) play an important part in determining the structure, composition, and thus, the quality of the emergent solid electrolyte interphase. In this paper, we analyze the structure and dynamics of electrolyte molecules in multi-component electrolyte with varying species compositions combinatorially paired with four different graphitic surfaces terminated with hydrogen, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl to explore the interplay between surface chemistry and electrolyte dynamics at electrode/electrolyte interfaces. Addition of dimethyl carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate brought substantial changes in the ethylene carbonate (EC) and LiPF6 surface population density for hydroxyl and carbonyl surfaces. Strong density oscillation and drastic slowing of the dynamics of the electrolyte molecules at the interface are reported for all the systems. While these observations are universal, carboxyl surfaces have the strongest local and long-range effects. Characterization of the average dipole direction at the interface shows strong orientational preferences of ethylene carbonate molecules. EC molecules are preferred to be oriented either almost parallel or perpendicular to the hydroxyl surface, are tilted between parallel and perpendicular with a higher angle of incidence of the dipole vs surface normal on the carbonyl surface than on the hydroxyl surface, and are oriented perpendicularly against the carboxyl surface. These differences highlight the significant effect of graphite surface termination on the dynamics of the electrolytes and provide insight into the complex interplays between electrolyte species and graphite anode in LIBs.
Cancer Prevention by Different Forms of Tocopherols

Many epidemiological studies have suggested that a low vitamin E nutritional status is associated with increased cancer risk. However, several recent large-scale human trials with high doses of α-tocopherol (α-T) have produced disappointing results. This points out the need for a better understanding of the biological activities of the different forms of tocopherols. Using a naturally occurring tocopherol mixture (γ-TmT) that is rich in γ-T, we demonstrated the inhibition of chemically induced lung, colon, and mammary cancer formation as well as the growth of xenograft tumors derived from human lung and prostate cancer cells. This broad anticancer activity of γ-TmT has been attributed mainly to the trapping of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and the inhibition of estrogen signaling have also been observed in the inhibition of mammary cancer development. δ-T has been shown to be more active than γ-T in inhibiting the growth of human lung cancer cells in a xenograft tumor model and the development of aberrant crypt foci in azoxymethane-treated rats, whereas α-T is not effective in these models. The higher inhibitory activities of δ-T and γ-T (than α-T) are proposed to be due to their trapping of reactive nitrogen species and their capacity to generate side-chain degradation products, which retain the intact chromanol ring structure and could have cancer preventive activities.