cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Happened to Long-Term Employment? The Role of Worker Power and Environmental Turbulence in Explaining Declines in Worker Tenure

Recent declines in the average length of time that U.S. workers spend with a given employer represent an important change in the nature of the employment relationship, yet it is one whose causes are poorly understood. I explore those causes using Current Population Survey data on the tenure of men aged 30–65, from the years 1979–2008. I argue that long-term employment relationships primarily occur when workers pressure employers to close off employment from market competition, reducing the attractiveness of external mobility relative to internal opportunities and increasing employment security. I then explore how two changes in organizations’ environments—a decline in union strength and increased turbulence from changes in technology and globalization—might have affected workers’ ability to secure such closed employment relationships over the last 30 years. My results support the argument that declines in tenure reflect the reduced power of workers to secure closed employment relationships. Recent declines in tenure have been concentrated in large organizations, and many of those declines are explained by controlling for the changing levels of industry unionization. I find little evidence that foreign competition or technological change affected mobility. The results are robust to measures of changing industry growth rates and within-industry reorganization. Supplementary analyses suggest that layoffs are associated with different industry pressures than tenure and that voluntary mobility may have played an important role in declines in tenure.
Cortical and basal ganglia contributions to habit learning and automaticity

In the 20th century it was thought that novel behaviors are mediated primarily in cortex and that the development of automaticity is a process of transferring control to subcortical structures. However, evidence supports the view that subcortical structures, such as the striatum, make significant contributions to initial learning. More recently, there has been increasing evidence that neurons in the associative striatum are selectively activated during early learning, whereas those in the sensorimotor striatum are more active after automaticity has developed. At the same time, other recent reports indicate that automatic behaviors are striatum- and dopamine-independent, and might be mediated entirely within cortex. Resolving this apparent conflict should be a major goal of future research.
Ureteroscopic surgery: changing times and perspectives

Ureteroscopy developed as an extension of cystoscopic techniques into the upper urinary tract with smaller, rigid, and flexible endoscopes. Smaller working instruments have made therapeutic procedures possible. Ureteroscopy has become the technique of choice to diagnose and treat benign essential hematuria and has a major role in treating ureteropelvic junction obstruction, upper tract neoplasms, and calculi. Finally, there is a need for smaller and more effective endoscopes and working devices.
Political Reaction and Revolutionary Careers: The Jewish Bundists in Defeat, 1907–10

The greatest shocks suffered by revolutionary movements occur in the blossoming of revolution or in its defeat. The experience of the Russian Revolution of 1905-07 and of the period that followed, described by contemporary radical commentators as a "reaction," is a case in point. In a half-dozen years the revolutionaries traveled the road that led from a promising, growing movement to actual revolution in which the parameters of their field of action expanded rapidly and then contracted to an environment of retrenchment and disillusionment. The effects of this experience upon individuals and organizations have not, however, received meaningful attention from historians or social scientists. An understanding of the experience of defeat is as significant as an understanding of the experience of success in the perception of revolutionary movements.
P-type SiGe/Si Superlattice Cooler

Abstract : The fabrication and characterization of single element p-type SiGe/Si superlattice coolers are described. Superlattice structures were used to enhance the device performance by reducing the thermal conductivity between the hot and the cold junctions, and by providing selective emission of hot carriers through thermionic emission. The structure of the samples consisted of a 3 m thick symmetrically strained Si0.7Ge0.3/Si superlattice grown on a buffer layer designed so that the in-plane lattice constant is approximately that of relaxed Si0.9Ge0.1. Cooling up to 2.7 K at 25 C and 7.2 K at 150 C were measured. These p-type coolers can be combined with n-type devices that were demonstrated in our previous work. This is similar to conventional multi element thermoelectric devices, and it will enable us to achieve large cooling capacities with relatively small currents.
MCTA: Target Tracking Algorithm Based on Minimal Contour in Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper proposes a minimal contour tracking algorithm (MCTA) that reduces energy consumption for tracking mobile targets in wireless sensor networks in terms of sensing and communication energy consumption. MCTA conserves energy by letting only a minimum number of sensor nodes participate in communication and perform sensing for target tracking. MCTA uses the minimal tracking area based on the vehicular kinematics. The modeling of target's kinematics allows for pruning out part of the tracking area that cannot be mechanically visited by the mobile target within scheduled time. So, MCTA sends the tracking area information to only the sensor nodes within minimal tracking area and wakes them up. Compared to the legacy scheme which uses circle-based tracking area, our proposed scheme uses less number of sensors for tracking in both communication and sensing without target missing. Through simulation, we show that MCTA outperforms the circle-based scheme with about 60% energy saving under certain ideal situations.
Designs of dual-band Wilkinson power dividers with flexible frequency ratios

This paper presents new designs of Wilkinson power dividers for dual-band operations. Two types of dual-band quarter-wavelength (λ/4) transmission lines are proposed first, where both open- and short-ended stubs are applied. ABCD-matrix is then employed to derive the design equations of these dual-band lines. Based on these equations, it is found that the proposed structures feature a large frequency ratio range (from 2.16 to 4.9). By replacing the conventional λ/4-line with these dual-band lines, the desired dual-band Wilkinson power dividers can be realized. A power divider working at 1.8 / 5.8 GHz is designed using this method. Its measured performance verifies the design concepts.
Increase in end-systolic volume after exercise independently predicts mortality in patients with coronary heart disease: data from the Heart and Soul Study.

Aims The predictive value of changes in global left ventricular (LV) size after exercise has not been studied. Left ventricular end-systolic volume (ESV) is a relatively load-independent echocardiographic marker of contractility that is easily measured. We investigated the role of the change in ESV at rest and after peak exercise on mortality among patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods and results We performed exercise treadmill testing with stress echocardiography in 934 ambulatory subjects with CHD. End-systolic volume was measured immediately before and after exercise using 2D echocardiography. We defined ESV reversal as an increase in ESV after exercise, and we examined the association of ESV reversal with all-cause mortality during a median follow-up of 3.92 years. Of the 934 participants, 199 (21%) had ESV reversal. At the end of follow-up, mortality was higher among participants with ESV reversal than those without (26 vs. 11%; P < 0.001). After adjustment for clinical covariates, ESV reversal remained predictive of all-cause mortality (HR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4–2.9; P = 0.001). The association of ESV reversal with mortality also persisted after adjustment for exercise-induced wall-motion abnormalities (HR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1–2.3, P = 0.006). To determine if the effect of ESV reversal was independent from other echocardiographic measurements, we created a separate model adjusting for resting LV ejection fraction, ESV, end-diastolic volume, and LV mass. End-systolic volume reversal was the only significant predictor of mortality in this model (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4–3.0, P < 0.001). Conclusion End-systolic volume reversal is a novel parameter that independently predicts mortality in patients with CHD undergoing exercise treadmill echocardiography, even after adjustment for a wide range of clinical, echocardiographic, and treadmill exercise variables. Because measurement of ESV is simple, reproducible, and requires no additional imaging views, identification of ESV reversal during exercise echocardiography can provide useful complementary information for risk stratification.
Software schemes of reconfiguration and recovery in distributed memory multicomputers using the actor model

Ideally, a multicomputer system should cope with a processor failure by reconstructing itself-and the application running on itself-in order to maintain the available computational power of the remaining processors. We discuss the continuance of running applications through permanent processor failures. We take advantage of the characteristics of the actor model of parallel computation and dynamically checkpoint the activity of the application. Consequently, the runtime system is able to continue an application through multiple nonconcurrent processor failures. We have implemented our techniques through modifications of the runtime system of the parallel language Charm on an Intel iPSC/s hypercube. After discussing the theory and implementation, we give measurements of overhead due to fault tolerance for a number of applications and demonstrate continuance of the applications after injection of one or more faults. >
Volume increment in Pinus contorta var. latifolia: the influence of stand development and crown dynamics

Abstract We examined changes in canopy structure in a Pinus contorta var. latifolia chronosequence to determine if the commonly observed decline in current annual stem increment following canopy closure is associated with declining leaf area efficiency, declining stand-level leaf area, or a combination of both. Leaf area index and stem increment for these P. contorta stands peak at approximately 40–45 years of age. The decline in leaf area index following canopy closure is associated with an increase in crown shyness and a reduction in leaf area efficiency. The characteristic pattern of stand growth, with culmination at about the time of canopy closure, is associated with declines in both the amount and efficiency of leaf area.
Preconditioners for Generalized Saddle-Point Problems

\noindent We propose and examine block-diagonal preconditioners and variants of indefinite preconditioners for block two-by-two generalized saddle-point problems. That is, we consider the nonsymmetric, nonsingular case where the (2,2) block is small in norm, and we are particularly concerned with the case where the (1,2) block is different from the transposed (2,1) block. We provide theoretical and experimental analyses of the convergence and eigenvalue distributions of the preconditioned matrices. We also extend the results of [de Sturler and Liesen, SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 26 (2005), pp. 1598-1619] to matrices with nonzero (2,2) block and to the use of approximate Schur complements. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these preconditioners we show convergence results, spectra, and eigenvalue bounds for two model Navier--Stokes problems.
A solid translation engine using ray representation

We describe an extension to the geometric domain of solid modeling to include solids defined by spatial sweeping and Minkowski sums. We develop an efficient, parallel algorithm for the translation of such solid models. An architecture and design of an array processor that implements this algorithm are presented. We discuss some applications of the new computer to solid modeling an CAD/CAM and modeling of large biomolecules (proteins) for rational drug design.
Health indicators: Eliminating bias from convenience sampling estimators

Public health practitioners are often called upon to make inference about a health indicator for a population at large when the sole available information are data gathered from a convenience sample, such as data gathered on visitors to a clinic. These data may be of the highest quality and quite extensive, but the biases inherent in a convenience sample preclude the legitimate use of powerful inferential tools that are usually associated with a random sample. In general, we know nothing about those who do not visit the clinic beyond the fact that they do not visit the clinic. An alternative is to take a random sample of the population. However, we show that this solution would be wasteful if it excluded the use of available information. Hence, we present a simple annealing methodology that combines a relatively small, and presumably far less expensive, random sample with the convenience sample. This allows us to not only take advantage of powerful inferential tools, but also provides more accurate information than that available from just using data from the random sample alone.
Establishment of gut fate in the e lineage of C. elegans: The roles of lineage-dependent mechanisms and cell interactions

The gut of C. elegans derives from all the progeny of the E blastomere, a cell of the eight cell stage. Previous work has shown that gut specification requires an induction during the four cell stage (Goldstein, B. (1992) Nature 357, 255-257). Blastomere isolation and recombination experiments were done to determine which parts of the embryo can respond to gut induction. Normally only the posterior side of the EMS blastomere contacts the inducing cell, P2. When P2 was instead placed in a random position on an isolated EMS, gut consistently differentiated from the daughter of EMS contacting P2, indicating that any side of EMS can respond to gut induction. Additionally, moving P2 around to the opposite side of EMS in an otherwise intact embryo caused EMS's two daughter cells to switch lineage timings, and gut to differentiate from the descendents of what normally would be the MS blastomere. The other cells of the four cell stage, ABa, ABp, and P2, did not form gut when placed in contact with the inducer. To determine whether any other inductions are involved in gut specification, timed blastomere isolations were done at the two and eight cell stages. In the absence of cell contact at the two cell stage, segregation of gut fate proceeded normally at both the two and four cell stages. Gut fate also segregated properly in the absence of cell contact at the eight cell stage. A model is presented for the roles of lineage-dependent mechanisms and cell interactions in establishing gut fate in the E lineage.
Phenaphen® /Codeine (Robins)

Acetaminophen is a nonsalicylate analgesic and antipyretic. Codeine is an analgesic and antitussive.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION IMPROVES CARE AND REDUCES REHOSPITALIZATIONS FOR HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

Background HF is a leading cause of hospitalization for adults, with highest readmission rates occurring 30 days post-discharge. Hospitals are instituting evidence-based strategies to improve patient transitions from hospital to home and reduce 30-day all-cause readmissions. Impacting 90-day readmissions poses a greater challenge. Incorporating community partners into care transitions is critical for successful outcomes, particularly considering new bundled payment models. Patients discharging to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) or with home health agency (HHA) services are often more vulnerable and at heightened risk. Objectives Create a collaborative partnership between one medical center and local SNFs and home health agencies (HHA) to improve sustained HF patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions. Methods Monthly multidisciplinary meetings were held with local SNF and HHA participants. Collaborative goals included identifying gaps in patient transitions between care settings and creating an evidence-based community standard for HF patient care. Corollary aims were to align quality care practices, share outcomes data and create solutions for identified barriers to optimal care transitions. Results Comparing baseline data (476 HF discharges) to a year post-implementation of our intervention bundle (412 discharges), overall 30-day readmissions reduced from 19% to 9% while 90-day readmissions improved from 31% to 19%. 30-day rehospitalizations for SNF patients declined from and were decreased for patients who discharged with home health services by 26%. Conclusions Building relationships fostering communication and collaboration among community partners is a key strategy to reduce avoidable rehospitalizations and sustain improved patient outcomes.
Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism, type II. Report of a case with characteristic skeletal features.

Osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism, type II manifests typical skeletal features which have not previously been described in the radio-graphic literature. We present an infant with characteristic findings and discuss related conditions, especially the Seckel syndrome.
Study on the Evolution of the Meso-damage of the Metallic Material Containing the Voids of Heterogeneous Size and Distribution

There are voids in metallic material. They are formed because of inclusions and second-phase particles, and their size and distribution are generally heterogeneous. This paper is aimed at studying the influence of the heterogeneity of the size and distribution of the voids on the evolution of the meso-damage of the metallic material. For this purpose, a three-dimensional cell model is established, and the damage of the metal is calculated by finite element method. The calculated result shows that, the heterogeneity of the voids strengthens the interaction among them and accelerates the growth of them. It also results in the heterogeneity of the damage. Therefore, The heterogeneous voids have more serious damage to the metallic material than homogeneous ones. In additions, it is found that the parameters of q 1 and q 2 in Gurson's modified model are gradually increasing variables instead of constants in the process of the growth of the voids.
Finite Element Simulation Technology in the Engine Block Cutting Milling Application

This paper introduces the characteristic of finite element simulation of the cutting,the finite element simulation of the cutting method were described in detail.Finite Element Analysis software advantage as a tool analysis the cutting situation of cylinder block end face and test in block line.The production proved that the method can improve tool life,improve and reduce cycle time,achieve good production efficiency.
The effect of community health services on children intelligence development

Objective To research the promoting action of community health service on children intelligence development. MethodsA total of 683 parents of children aged 4 from four kindergartens were investigated by using questionnaires.138 four-year-old children from one kindergarten were tested for their intelligence with H-NTLA.82 children tested by learning aptitude in 1994 were regarded as control group. ResultsCommunity health services could increase the rate of parenting education.The number of children educated since born was obviously higher than that of control group(P0.01),while the number of non-educated was significantly lower(P0.01).Children who were educated since born had the highest IQ,which was quite different from children educated at aged 1,aged 2,and those never educated.(P0.05,P0.01) Conclusions Parenting education should be carried out in community,gradually going into every family.
rvical Intraepitheial Neoplasia and HPV Infection:Report of 331 Cases

abstract investigate 331 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) by colposcopical and pathological observation. We found that the infection rate of CIN combination with human papillomavirus infection (HPV) was 62.58%, and the infection rate of cervical inflammation combination with HPV was 28. 57%. There was significant difference between two groups. The infection rate of CIN combination with HPV in 19-29 years of age was significant higher than in 30-69 years of age. The results shown that HPV infection can promote formation of CIN. Patients with cervical cancer became younger because of HPV infection. To detect HPV infection and treat early CIN might reduce the incidence of cervical cancer.
Effect of antibody binding and agglutination on human platelet glycolysis: comparison with thrombon and epinephrine.

Freshly collected human platelets were washed in a modified human Ringer solution, pH 7.1, and aerobically incubated in the same media for 1 hour in the presence or absence of glucose. The effect of rabbit antihuman platelet antibody or univalent rabbit antihuman platelet antibody fragments (Fab) on platelet glycolysis was determined. Although ATP expenditure and glycogenolytic depletion were noted following platelet agglutination by antibody, these changes were not considered to be of major importance in the in vivo destruction of platelets. Univalent fragments were shown to bind to platelets without causing platelet agglutination or any detectable change in the glycolytic parameters. In contrast, intact platelet antibody resulted in platelet agglutination which was associated with an increase in lactate production and a decrease in ATP levels when platelets were incubated in the absence of glucose. Glucose-6-P levels did not change. When platelets were incubated in the presence of glucose, glucose uptake increased, ATP levels declined and glucose-6-P levels were unchanged. However, the increased glucose uptake was not accompanied by a parallel increase in lactate production as in the case with thrombin or epinephrine-induced agglutination of platelets. It is postulated that platelet antibody activates a glucose-requiring nonglycolytic pathway, perhaps the hexosemonophosphate shunt or the Krebs’ cycle.
Arrayed waveguide grating near 760 nm wavelength for integrated spectral beam combining applications

An arrayed waveguide grating operating near 760 nm is demonstrated with 0.1 dB insertion loss and –23 dB crosstalk. This device is compatible with a heterogeneously integrated ultra-broadband spectral beam combiner.
Bohr’s Atomic Model

Niels Henrick David Bohr (1885–1962) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He received his Ph.D. from Copenhagen University in 1911. Afterwards, he moved to England, where he studied under J.J. Thomson in Cambridge and under Ernest Rutherford in Manchester. Bohr’s model of the atom, based on Rutherford’s planetary model, was published in 1913. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1922 “for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them.” He went on to serve as a professor at the University of Copenhagen and then as the director of the newly founded Institute of Theoretical Physics. He also served a minor role in the Manhattan project during World War II, after which he became a leading advocate for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Among his most famous writings are a series of philosophical essays in which he clarified the meaning and the significance of the new atomic theory.
Case–Control Study of Impairments Associated with Recovery from “Pusher Syndrome” after Stroke: Logistic Regression Analyses

Background Comparing cohorts with similar functional and motor status at admission to inpatient rehabilitation may delineate demographics or impairments associated with recovery from lateropulsion, also known as "pusher syndrome," after stroke based on lesion side. The aim of this case–control study was to determine how demographics and severity of stroke impairments at admission to inpatient rehabilitation distinguish patients who recover from lateropulsion from those who do not. Methods Patients with admission motor Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores less than 31 and contralesional lower extremity Fugl-Meyer motor scores less than 19 out of 34 were included. Burke Lateropulsion Scales score of 2 or higher at the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation indicated persistent lateropulsion; a score of 0 or 1 indicated resolved lateropulsion. Logistic regression tests included age, gender, admission Motricity Index score, limb placement error, and cognitive FIM score. χ 2 analyses compared groups for neglect. Results For patients with left brain lesion, older age and worse admission motor status distinguished those with persistent lateropulsion at discharge. For right brain lesion, related factors were older age, greater admission limb placement error, and lower cognitive FIM scores. Visuospatial neglect did not influence recovery from lateropulsion. Conclusions Older age and severe impairments were associated with delayed recovery from lateropulsion in a manner specific to lesion side in a sample with motor and functional deficits. The study provides evidence that lesion side and admission characteristics are useful in early decision making for the duration of rehabilitation, selection of interventions, and discharge planning.
Status Exchange in Intermarriage Among Hawaiians, Japanese, Filipinos and Caucasians in Hawaii: 1983-1994

Intermarriage is one of the most salient demographic features of Hawaii. Between 1983 and 1994, 46% of all marriages contracted in Hawaii were racially exogamous. Over 80% of these intermarriages w...
Postcolonial Palimpsests: Entwined Colonialisms and the Conflicted Representation of Charles Bon in William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!

This article argues that Charles Bon in William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! (1936) is the embodiment of a fluidity that confronts the efforts to preserve the hierarchies of race, gender, class, and sexuality on which colonialism and neocolonialism depend for coherence and meaning. The biracial, sexually fluid figure of Charles Bon and his contradictory depiction by competing narrators of his tale reveal entwined colonialisms in the US South that complicate the divide between the colonial and neocolonial periods employed in linear surface narratives: Bon is portrayed as living multiple stories of colonialism simultaneously in the novel. With an awareness of the narrators’ divergent colonial mindsets, we can begin to see the ways in which Faulkner uses Bon’s metissage, or blending of cultural, racial, and sexual categories, to confront the resilient colonial mentalities that persist in the twentieth-century American South through imagining an alternative: the acceptance of this fluidity.
Effect of aspirin on models of retinal pigment epithelium pathology.

Background To characterize the effect of aspirin (ASA) in mouse models of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and retinal degeneration. Methods In vivo: Male C57BL/6 mice were given ASA in food or regular rodent diet. CNV was induced by argon laser photocoagulation. Subretinal injections of polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) were administered to induce retinal degeneration. CNV size, laser spot area and mean intensity of VEGF in the laser injured zones were measured. In the PEG injected eyes the thickness of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid was measured. In vitro: Human ARPE-19 cells were treated with 0.5 or 2.0 mM/L of ASA for 72 h. ELISA was used to measure the concentration of VEGF and CCL-2 in the supernatants. Additionally, damaged RPE monolayer was treated with ASA (0.5 or 2.0 mM/L) and vehicle separately. Size of damaged area was measured. ELISA was used to measure secretion of VEGF-A and CCL-2 by damaged cells after 24 h. Results No statistically significant effect of ASA on CNV size, laser spot size or VEGF expression was noted in CNV model. In the PEG model, ASA did not have any effect on RPE and choroid thickness; however, a significant increase in RPE atrophy was observed (P = 0.02 + 38%). In addition, ASA had a significant effect on the ability of the RPE cells to regenerate and become confluent after mechanical damage. Conclusions ASA at doses consumed clinically for various medical causes may not worsen CNV in human subjects. However, ASA may increase RPE atrophy when consumed over long periods of time.
A Novel Speckle-Free Digital Image Correlation Method for In Situ Warpage Characterization

Conventional reflow method in a convection oven is the principal step during the package assembly process in order to guarantee high productivity and make full use of the self-alignment. The package behavior, especially warpage, has significant effects on assuring package assembly reliability during the reflow process. In recent decades, several techniques, like Shadow Moire or 3-D digital image correlation (DIC), have been developed to assist industry in characterizing warpage. The requirement of artificial speckles on the specimen surface inevitably reduces the measurement accuracy and contaminates the specimen. To improve the accuracy and keep the specimen clean, a novel in situ warpage measurement method without surface treatment is developed, and its result is demonstrated. The specimen can be reapplied to the manufacturing process after the measurement, and one sample can be assessed consistently at different assembly process steps instead of wasting samples at each assembly stage.
Chemoprevention: Progress And Opportunity

A generally accepted definition of chemoprevention is the administration of purified chemical agents for the prevention of clinical cancer. This concept is commonly thought to have emerged a little over two decades ago and is attributed to cancer biologists who were elucidating the role of various natural substances and pharmacologic agents on the stepwise progression of cancer.26 However, a brief review of public health and medical advances over the twentieth century will reveal that the concept and application of chemoprevention for various disease processes evolved directly from the great successes of nutritional scientists in the early decades of this century. Regardless of the conceptual origins of cancer chemoprevention, the progress in identifying agents, testing them in preclinical models, followed by human intervention studies, has rapidly accelerated in recent years. The century ends with the success of the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) illustrating the ability of the anti-estrogen Tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer in a cohort of women at high-risk.10 Indeed, it is our opinion that chemoprevention, tobacco control, and the application of early detection strategies provide the opportunity to reduce cancer mortality by at least 50% within a generation.11 The objective of this review is to provide the broad audience of cancer prevention investigators with a brief overview of the progress and future promise of cancer chemoprevention.
On-Chip Detection of Gel Transition Temperature using a Novel Micro-Thermomechanical Method

We present a new thermomechanical method and a platform to measure the phase transition temperature at microscale. A thin film metal sensor on a membrane simultaneously measures both temperature and mechanical strain of the sample during heating and cooling cycles. This thermomechanical principle of operation is described in detail. Physical hydrogel samples are prepared as a disc-shaped gels (200 μm thick and 1 mm diameter) and placed between an on-chip heater and sensor devices. The sol-gel transition temperature of gelatin solution at various concentrations, used as a model physical hydrogel, shows less than 3% deviation from in-depth rheological results. The developed thermomechanical methodology is promising for precise characterization of phase transition temperature of thermogels at microscale.
When to Release Feedback in a Dynamic Tournament

We study dynamic tournaments in which time is modeled explicitly, as opposed to with the abstract notion of “periods.” By doing so, we characterize the effects of the ex ante designated timing of an interim progress report. Whether or not a policy of reporting increases total expected effort does not depend on the release time of the report; however, the magnitude of the effect does. We demonstrate that total expected effort is single peaked or single troughed in the report’s release time depending on parameters, with the peak/tough located at a time strictly more than halfway through the tournament. However, a policy of releasing information always harms the expected utility of the tournament’s participants. Implications for tournament design are discussed.
Liquid crystal nanoparticles for delivery of photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy

The main principle of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is to kill malignant cells by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PDT appeared highly effective when ROS can be produced in subcellular location such as plasma membrane. The plasma membrane maintains the structural integrity of the cell and regulates multiple important cellular processes, such as endocytosis, trafficking, and apoptotic pathways, could be one of the best points to kill the cancer cells. Previously, we have developed a plasma membrane-targeted liquid crystal nanoparticle (LCNP) formulation that can be loaded with dyes or drugs. Here we highlight the utility of this LCNP for membrane targeted delivery and imaging for a photosensitizer (PS) for PDT applications.
Diasporic Flânerie: From Armenian Ruinenlust to Armenia’s Walkscapes

This chapter shows how Walter Benjamin’s 1929 critique of the nationalistic obsession with ruins can unsettle an especially powerful element of the Armenian diaspora’s discourse on genocide: what in German is called Ruinenlust, or the melancholic love of ruins and the manic efforts to recognize, restore, and repair them. The diaspora’s fascination with the ruins of Armenian culture’s distant past scattered throughout Turkey, Armenia, and the wider Mediterranean world carries a capacious presumption about Being in the wake of a catastrophic history: that one can only be fully human once what was shattered by genocide is made whole. One can see this fascination in Armenian cultural representations from the elite to the kitsch as well as in well-funded international efforts aimed at generating cultural tourism. In turn, the chapter shows how Karen Andreassian’s experimental, web-based artwork “Ontological Walkscapes” enacts the Benjaminian critique, taking the viewer into the ruins of Soviet Armenia’s brutalist public spaces, where the romantic ideal of Ruinenlust is replaced by a cinematic stroll through neglected concrete spaces that have been repurposed by activists opposing the Armenian state’s authoritarian rule.
Updates to the Management of Kidney Cancer

Several updates were made to the 2018 NCCN Guidelines for Kidney Cancer. Adjuvant sunitinib is the first adjuvant therapy to be endorsed by the panel for patients with stage II and III clear cell histology renal cell carcinoma (RCC; category 2B). A promising new treatment-ipilimumab plus nivolumab for patients at intermediate and poor risk in the frontline setting-was added to the guidelines as well. Cabozantinib was added as a first-line option for poor- and intermediate-risk patients with advanced RCC.
The Politics of Firearm Safety: An Emerging New Balance of Power.

An editorial is presented which addresses the political aspects of firearm safety in America as of 2018, and it mentions a balance of power, as well as several other articles which appear in the same issue of the journal and deal with topics such as gun violence prevention. Organizations that are seeking the enactment of firearm safety legislation are examined, along with the National Rifle Association of America, student activism, and changes to the gun-owning population in the U.S.
Normal Aging and the Esophagus

While changes in normal esophageal function have long been attributed to the aging process, the evidence supporting these changes is mixed. The term presbyesophagus was coined to describe changes in esophageal function with aging. However, studies to date show little evidence for an effect of aging on lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function while changes noted in esophageal motor function with aging are inconsistent. There is, however, good evidence that normal aging does impair esophageal sensory function and results in a stiffer esophageal wall.
Indirect Losses from Natural Disasters: Measurement and Myth

Early studies of indirect loss framed the problem narrowly and focused on secondary ripple effects triggered by supply bottlenecks, i. e., the shortages that cause undamaged producers and service providers to shut down (Cochrane, 1974). Since then, the concept has been refined and the analytical tools for estimating such losses have advanced markedly (RMS, 1996; Rose et al., 1995). Yet despite such advancements, indirect loss remains a somewhat amorphous concept. In contrast to what was once believed, it does not readily yield simple rules of thumb, e. g., “indirect loss is equivalent in magnitude to direct loss.” In fact, it has since been learned that indirect loss can vary dramatically, and under some circumstances may even prove to be negative implying regional net gains (negative losses). This Chapter provides: a conceptual framework for analyzing indirect loss, a brief description of an algorithm for calculating such loss, a discussion of the range of post disaster outcomes that might be expected, and a brief review of the evidence. These elements are then used to evaluate claims various agencies have made regarding the economic fallout from the World Trade Center attack.
Schätzung der Zahl der Personen Deutschen Blutes in der Bevölkerung der Vereinigten Staaten

Die Frage, wieviel deutsches Blut sich in der Bevolkerung der Vereinigten Staaten findet, ist niemals in vollig befriedigender Weise gelost worden. Den eingehendsten Versuch einer Losung verdanken wir Emil Mannhardt.1 Seine Arbeit wurde von Richard Bockh,2 dem bedeutenden Statistiker an der Berliner Universitat, gepruft, der mancherlei Fehler in Mannhardts Methode aufdeckte und deren Ergebnis widerlegte, das namlich die Zahl der Personen deutschen Blutes in der Bevolkerung der Vereinigten Staaten auf mindestens 25 000 000 zu schatzen sei. Nichtsdestoweniger ist Mannhardts Arbeit ein anregendes Werk und verdient bei der Wichtigkeit des Gegenstandes eine gewisse Beachtung als der bahnbrechende Versuch, auf statistischem Wege zu einer numerischen Schatzung der Personen deutschen Blutes in den Vereinigten Staaten zu gelangen. Nach Bockhs Ansicht, die sich allerdings auch nicht auf sichere Beweise stutzt, uberschreitet die deutsche Bevolkerung aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach nicht die Zahl von 18000000. Bei der Bedeutung Bockhs als Autoritat in statistischen Fragen ist seine Schatzung von grosem Wert. Unter Zugrundelegung dieser fruheren Arbeiten, sowie mehrerer sorgfaltiger Werke erster amerikanischer Statistiker, die sich mit der schwierigen Frage der Zusammensetzung der amerikanischen Bevolkerung abgegeben haben, wird auf den folgenden Seiten der Versuch gemacht werden, einem genauen Ergebnis naher zu kommen.
Brain abnormalities in aged monkeys: a model sharing features with Alzheimer’s disease

Macaques develop age-associated cognitive/memory impairments as well as brain abnormalities (particularly senile plaques) similar to those occurring in the brains of older humans and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Some of these abnormalities can be clarified by investigations of aged nonhuman primates. Brain tissues from animals (ranging in age from 4–35 years) were examined by RNA blotting techniques, in situ hybridization, immunoblotting, and immunocytochemistry. These approaches allowed analysis of the evolution of some of the structural/chemical alterations (formation of neurites, amyloid deposition, and neurofibrillary tangles [NFT]) that occur in these animals. These investigations have relevance for understanding some of the behavioral, neuropathological, and neurochemical abnormalities that occur in older humans and in individuals with AD.
Finding the Oldest Person

There are N people. Each person’s age is independently and uniformly distributed over [0, 1]. You want to find who the oldest person is (not the person’s age) with the minimum expected number of questions when the questions are structured as follows.
Wireless Passive Monitoring of Electrocardiogram in Firefighters

Firefighters, although equipped with specialized protective garment, are in danger not only during but also after incidents. This calls for a dire need to monitor firefighters' survival signs such as body temperature and heart rate. Here, we develop a novel electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system consisting of non-contact electrode (NCE) bio-potential sensors and an inductive link for both wireless power transfer (WPT) and data communication. Various experiments were thoroughly conducted to characterize the efficiency of WPT and ECG signal quality in practical scenarios. Our method can also be implemented to provide monitoring of other physiological parameters, such as motion and body temperature, thus holding promise to promote safety of firemen.
We Belong to ''obody's Children

This essay responds to Prof. Bartholet's lecture from the perspective that "it takes a village to raise a child."
Controlling Cell-Free Gene Expression Behavior by Tuning Membrane Transport Properties

Summary Controlled transport of molecules across boundaries for energy exchange, sensing, and communication is an essential step toward cell-like synthetic systems. This communication between the gene expression compartment and the external environment requires reaction chambers that are permeable to molecular species that influence expression. In lipid vesicle reaction chambers, species that support expression – from small ions to amino acids – may diffuse across membranes and amplify protein production. However, vesicle-to-vesicle variation in membrane permeability may lead to low total expression and high variability in this expression. We demonstrate a simple optical treatment method that greatly reduces the variability in membrane permeability. When transport across the membrane was essential for expression, this optical treatment increased mean expression level by ~6-fold and reduced expression variability by nearly two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate membrane engineering may enable essential steps toward cell-like synthetic systems. The experimental platform described here provides a means of understanding controlled transport motifs in individual cells and groups of cells working cooperatively through cell-to-cell molecular signaling.
Cotton tolerance to halauxifen-methyl applied preplant

Auxin herbicides are used in combinations to control glyphosate-resistant horseweed preplant burndown. Herbicide labels for 2,4-D–containing products require a 30-d rotation interval for planting cotton cultivars not resistant to 2,4-D. Dicamba labels require an accumulation of 2.5 cm of rain plus 21 d per 280 g ae ha-1 rotation interval for planting cotton cultivars not resistant to dicamba. Previous research has shown that cotton injury caused by dicamba applied 14 d before planting was transient with little effect on cotton yield, whereas 2,4-D has little effect on cotton when applied 7 d prior to planting. Injury caused by dicamba and 2,4-D is inversely related to rainfall received between herbicide application and cotton planting. Experiments were conducted to evaluate cotton tolerance to halauxifen-methyl, a new Group 4 herbicide, applied at intervals shorter than labeled requirements. Experiments were established near Painter and Suffolk, VA, and Belvidere, Clayton, Eure, Lewiston, and Rocky Mount, NC, during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. Herbicide treatments included halauxifen, dicamba, and 2,4-D applied 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 wk before planting (WBP). Visible estimates of cotton growth reduction and total injury were collected 1, 2, and 4 wk after cotton emergence (WAE). Cotton stand and percentage of plants with distorted leaves were recorded 2 and 4 WAE. Cotton plant heights were recorded 4 and 8 WAE. Halauxifen was less injurious (9%) than dicamba (26%) or 2,4-D (21%) 2 WAE when herbicides were applied 0 WBP. Cotton stand reduction 2 WAE by halauxifen was less than 2,4-D and dicamba when applied 0 WBP. Injury observed from herbicides applied 1, 2, 3, and 4 WBP was minor, and no significant differences in cotton stand were observed. Early-season cotton injury was transient, and seed cotton yield was unaffected by any treatment.Nomenclature: 2,4-D; dicamba; glyphosate; halauxifen-methyl; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.; horseweed, Conyza canadensis L. Cronq.
Guns in the Private Square

The regulation of guns has been one of the most hotly debated public policy issues in the United States throughout the country’s history. But, up until recently, it has always been just that — a debate about public policy. Two recent developments have changed the landscape and moved the debate about publicly carrying firearms from the realm of public policy, to the realm of private decision-making and private law. First, laws related to publicly carrying firearms have been dramatically loosened throughout the United States to the point that, in the vast majority of states, anyone who is legally allowed to carry a firearm is also eligible to legally carry a gun in public. Second, truly public spaces — spaces owned by state and local governments and open to all — have shrunk considerably and been replaced by spaces that are owned by private businesses but open to the public such as big box stores, shopping malls, building plazas, and even sidewalks. The upshot of these two trends is that the decisions businesses make about whether to allow guns on their property will have a large impact on the degree to which the general public is exposed to guns when going about their daily lives. This Article argues that businesses can be held accountable for the consequences of these decisions through tort liability. Specifically, most businesses should be subject to premises liability if they do not have an explicit and clearly communicated policy prohibiting customers from bringing guns into their stores when the failure to have such a policy causes a customer’s injury. The Article explains that assigning such liability will not interfere with the goals of permissive concealed carry laws or the rights protected by the Second Amendment. Indeed, such liability would not even force businesses to ban guns, instead it would only force businesses to internalize the costs of those decisions. The Article concludes by situating the controversy over guns in private businesses within a larger trend of the privatization of the gun debate.
On the Relationship Between Menière's Disease and Endolymphatic Hydrops.

: The relationship between Meniere's disease and endolymphatic hydrops is ambiguous. On the one hand, the existence of cases of endolymphatic hydrops lacking the classic symptoms of Meniere's disease has prompted the assertion that endolymphatic hydrops alone is insufficient to cause symptoms and drives the hypothesis that endolymphatic hydrops is a mere epiphenomenon. Yet, on the other hand, there is considerable evidence suggesting a relationship between the mechanical pressure effects of endolymphatic hydrops and resultant disordered auditory physiology and symptomatology. A critical appraisal of this topic is undertaken, including a review of key histopathologic data chiefly responsible for the epiphenomenon hypothesis. Overall, a case is made that A) the preponderance of available evidence suggests endolymphatic hydrops is likely responsible for some of the auditory symptoms of Meniere's disease, particularly those that can be modulated by mechanical manipulation of the basilar membrane and cochlear microphonic; B) Meniere's disease can be reasonably considered part of a larger spectrum of hydropic inner ear disease that also includes some cases that lack vertigo. C) The relationship with endolymphatic hydrops sufficiently robust to consider its presence a hallmark defining feature of Meniere's disease and a sensible target for diagnostic detection.