cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overmolded plastic pad array carriers (OMPAC): a low cost, high interconnect density IC packaging solution for consumer and industrial electronics

A novel surface mount leadless semiconductor packaging technology, OMPAC, has been developed to meet the requirements of next-generation portable electronic products. Benefits of OMPAC compared to convenient surface mount leaded plastic packages such as plastic leaded chip carriers and quad flat packs, include smaller size, higher package interconnect density, higher test and solder assembly yields due to the use of pre-applied solder bumps, and greater technology extendability in the areas of high-speed integrated circuits, multichip modules and fine pitch soldering. Component-level qualification of OMPAC was successfully completed using industry standard environmental tests. C-mode scanning acoustical microscopy was extensively used to optimize package design and processing. >
Monte Carlo Simulation of Equilibrium Reactions at Vapor−Liquid Interfaces

Chemical reactions are known to behave differently, depending upon their local environment. While the interactions with neighboring molecules may alter both the kinetics of chemical reactions and the overall equilibrium conversion, we have performed simulations of the latter. The particular environment that we address is the vapor-liquid interface, since only a few, limited studies have explored the influence of an interface on equilibrium reaction behavior. Simple dimerization reactions are modeled, as well as more complex multicomponent reactions, using the reactive Monte Carlo (RxMC) simulation technique. We find that the conversion of a reaction can be markedly different at an interface as compared to the bulk vapor and liquid phases, and these trends are analyzed with respect to specific intermolecular interactions. In conjunction, we calculate the surface tension of the reacting fluids at the interface, which is found to have unusual scaling behavior, with respect to the system temperature.
Ten-year experience using antegrade enemas in children.

Objective To describe a single-center, 10-year experience with the use of antegrade enemas. Study design Retrospective analysis of 99 patients treated with antegrade enemas at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Results Study subjects (median age 8 years) were followed for a mean time of 46 months (range 2-125 months) after cecostomy placement. Seventy-one patients had the cecostomy placed percutaneously and 28 by surgery. Thirty-five patients had functional constipation and 64 patients an organic disease (spinal abnormalities, cerebral palsy, imperforate anus, Hirschsprung's disease). While using antegrade enemas, 71% became symptom-free, in 20 subjects symptoms improved, in 2 subjects symptoms did not change, and in 7 subjects symptoms worsened. Poor outcome was associated with surgical placement of the cecostomy ( P P = .02), shorter duration of symptoms ( P = .01), history of Hirschsprung's disease ( P = .05), cerebral palsy ( P = .03), previous abdominal surgery ( P = .001), and abnormal colonic manometry ( P = .004). In 88%, successful irrigation solution included use of a stimulant laxative, and subjects who used a stimulant did significantly better ( P Conclusions Antegrade enemas represent a successful and relatively safe therapeutic option in children with severe defecatory disorders. Prognostic factors are identified.
Generating synopses for document-element search

Scientists often search for document-elements like tables, figures, or algorithm pseudo-codes. Domain scientists and researchers report important data, results and algorithms using these document-elements; readers want to compare the reported results with their findings. Some document-element search engines have been proposed (especially to search for tables and figures) to make this task easier. While searching for document-elements today, the end-user is presented with the caption of the document-element and a sentence in the document text that refers to the document-element. Oftentimes, the caption and the reference text do not contain enough information to interpret the document-element. In this paper, we present the first set of methods to extract this useful information (synopsis) related to document-elements automatically. We also investigate the problem of choosing the optimum synopsis-size that strikes a balance between information content and size of the generated synopses.
Evidence for an Inherited Predisposition to Lumbar Disc Disease

Back pain is the second most common reason for patients to seek medical treatment in the United States1, and the lifetime risk of low back pain is estimated to be 84%2. The socioeconomic impact of low back pain is difficult to overstate as a recent study has shown that the total cost of low back pain in the United States exceeds $100 billion per year3. With low back pain, lumbar disc degeneration is a common finding. Along with disc degeneration, lumbar disc herniation may occur, resulting in back and/or leg pain symptoms. Despite the prevalence of lumbar disc disease, its etiology is not completely understood. Previous studies have suggested a multifactorial etiology including contributions from mechanical stresses to the spine4, age-dependent disc degeneration5, biochemical factors6, and genetics7. Although several studies have suggested a familial predisposition8-10, we are aware of no study that has evaluated the familial clustering of lumbar disc disease on a population-based, multigenerational level. The Utah Population Database allows the combination of a computerized genealogy of the Utah founding pioneers and their descendents with disease diagnosis data. The Utah genealogy database was linked to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center data warehouse, a resource that contains diagnosis and procedure data on patients treated at the University Hospital. The resultant information is a unique and invaluable resource and has been previously used to evaluate familial clustering in other disease processes11-14. The purpose of this study was to define the familial clustering observed among individuals with a diagnosis of, or treated for, lumbar disc herniation or disc degeneration in an inpatient hospital or outpatient clinic setting. We tested the hypothesis of a heritable predisposition to lumbar disc disease, using two well-established methods: the estimation of relative risks in relatives and the Genealogical Index of Familiality (GIF).
Crystallographic Data Collection Using a 0.22% Bandwidth Multilayer

To bridge the gap between traditional multilayer and crystal optics a high-resolution multilayer monochromator with a bandwidth of 0.22% has been designed and installed on a bending-magnet beamline (F3) at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) to provide an unfocused monochromatic X-ray beam for protein crystallography experiments. Crystallographic data of excellent quality from a medium-sized protein, Concanavalin A, were collected and processed using standard crystallographic programs. The data were successfully used for a structure solution and refinement. The flux from the multilayer monochromator is enhanced, relative to that from a flat Si(111) monochromator, by a factor of 5; consequently, data collection is faster and/or smaller samples may be used. At the same time, the bandwidth is narrow enough to avoid streaked spots. This experiment suggests that multilayer optics may play a valuable role in satisfying the demands of the structural biology community for rapid X-ray data collection, particularly at under-utilized bending-magnet beamlines.
Consistency in the safety labeling of bioequivalent medications

Purpose Bioequivalent medications are required by the Food and Drug Administration to have identical warnings on their labels. This requirement has both clinical and legal importance, yet has never been validated. We sought to determine the real-world consistency of electronic labeling for bioequivalent drugs from different manufacturers. Methods Using natural language processing, we indexed the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) found in the Adverse Reactions and Post-Marketing sections of 9105 structured product labels. We calculated the standard deviation in ADR labeling for each bioequivalent drug and the percent deviation of each generic label from its corresponding brand. We also analyzed the performance of individual generic manufacturers. For the 25 drugs with the greatest discrepancy in labeled ADRs, we performed manual review to identify causes of inconsistency. Results 68% of multi-manufacturer drugs had discrepancies in ADR labeling. For a given drug, the mean deviation in number of labeled ADRs was 4.4, and the median was 0.8 (IQR 0 to 3.2). The mean range in number of labeled ADRs was 12 +/! 0.9, and the median was 2 (IQR 0 to 9). Overall, 77.9% of generic manufacturers produced labels differing from brand. Causes of inconsistency included missing tables, outdated post-marketing reports, and formatting issues. Conclusions Despite FDA mandate, bioequivalent drugs often differ in their safety labeling. Physicians should be aware of such differences and regulators should consider new strategies for harmonizing bioequivalent labels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words—drug labeling; generic medications; adverse reactions; drug safety; pharmacoepidemiology
Simulation and modeling of the effect of substrate conductivity on coupling inductance

The goal of this work was to extend the FASTHENRY 3-D inductance extraction program to include the finite conductivity of a semiconductor substrate, and then use the modified program to investigate a variety of on-chip inductive effects. In addition, the limitations of a simple two-loop model for estimating coupling inductance is examined.
International Trade, Employment and Earnings: Evidence from US Rural Counties

Leichenko R. and Silva J. (2004) International trade, employment, and earnings: evidence from US rural counties, Reg. Studies 38, 355–374. Rural manufacturers in advanced countries are considered highly vulnerable to competition from international imports. Yet only limited empirical attention has been paid to the effects of trade on rural economies. This paper investigates the effects of international trade on rural manufacturing economies in the US and compares the effects of trade pressures in rural versus urban areas. Our results indicate that lower export prices are associated with increased manufacturing employment and earnings in both rural and urban counties, while lower import prices are associated with reduced rural employment but increased urban employment. Greater export orientation is associated with lower employment and earnings in both rural and urban counties, while import orientation has mixed effects.
Elevation Changes Preceding the San Fernando Earthquake of February 9, 1971

Comparative elevation studies based on levelings in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1968, and 1969 show that the central Transverse Ranges of southern California sustained major elevation changes prior to the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. These changes are referred chiefly to bench mark Tidal 8, San Pedro, as invariant in elevation; they have been almost uniformly positive and generally episodic. Maximum uplift was recorded during the interval 1961–1964; it occurred south of Palmdale, about 28 km east-northeast of the 1971 epicenter, and measured 207 mm. Maximum values of uplift recorded along the main north-south level line through the central Transverse Ranges were 96 mm measured between 1961 and 1968, 13 km southwest of the epicenter, and 129 mm measured between 1964 and 1968, 30 km northwest of the epicenter. Uplift of 78 mm in reference to a control point 40 km northwest of Saugus was recorded 12 km west-northwest of the epicenter during the interval 1968–1969. The crustal movements recognized here are most simply interpreted as the product of continuing north-south contractional strain. Alternatively, the more episodic movements in particular may derive from dilatancy (inelastic volume increases) postulated to occur before earthquakes. Because the uplift near Palmdale has continued more or less independently of that to the south and west, it is probably associated with mechanically separable strain accumulation on the San Andreas fault.
Benefit of limited time sharing in the presence of very large parallel jobs

This paper provides a comprehensive performance evaluation of job scheduling policies for parallel systems on which large jobs require the maximum or close to the maximum resource available on the system. A wide range of policies is evaluated, including nonpreemptive Backfill policies, time-sharing with gang scheduling, and dynamic equi-spatial policies. Through detailed performance analysis, key problems of each class of policies are identified. As a simpler alternative to gang scheduling and equi-spatial, we propose using a short runtime limit (e.g., one hour as opposed to 10's hours) for Backfill policies. Our simulation results show that applying a short runtime limit on jobs that request a sufficiently large number of processors has the potential to significantly improve FCFS-Backfill policies for all job classes in most workloads studied.
Analysis of Wheat Prolamins, the Causative Agents of Celiac Sprue, Using Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS)

Wheat prolamins, commonly known as “gluten”, are a complex mixture of 71–78 proteins, which constitute ~80% of the proteins in the wheat grains and supply 50% of the global dietary protein demand. Prolamins are also responsible for numerous gluten-induced disorders and determine the unique visco-elastic properties of the wheat dough. These properties necessitate the reliable determination of the prolamin composition in wheat grains and their derived products. Therefore, this study examined the impact of HPLC conditions, including column type, column temperature, flow rate, and the gradient of polar and non-polar solvents in the mobile phase, to improve the analytical resolution of prolamins. The following conditions were found optimal for analyses: column temperature 60 °C, flow rate 1.0 mL/min and an elution gradient of 20%–60% of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid + acetonitrile in 60 min. For further improvement of resolution, gliadin and glutenin extracts were analyzed using MALDI-TOF-MS in combination with HPLC fractionation. Two semi-quantitative methods, densitometry of stained polyacrylamide gels and HPLC, were used to determine relative prolamin quantities and the correspondence between the methods was established. The combinatorial gluten analyses approach developed during the present study was used to analyze prolamin profiles of wheat transformants expressing DEMETER silencing artificial microRNA, and the results are discussed.
An information-theoretic framework to aggregate a Markov chain

This paper is concerned with an information-theoretic framework to aggregate a large-scale Markov chain to obtain a reduced order Markov model. The Kullback-Leibler (K-L) divergence rate is employed as a metric to measure the distance between two stationary Markov chains. Model reduction is obtained by considering an optimization problem with respect to this metric. The solution is just the optimal aggregated Markov model. We show that the solution of the bi-partition problem is given by an eigenvalue problem. To construct a reduced order model with m super-states, a recursive algorithm is proposed and illustrated with examples.
Increases in Cognitive and Linguistic Processing Primarily Account for Increases in Speaking Rate With Age

Age-related increases of speaking rate are not fully understood, but have been attributed to gains in biologic factors and learned skills that support speech production. This study investigated developmental changes in speaking rate and articulatory kinematics of participants aged 4 (N = 7), 7 (N = 10), 10 (N = 9), 13 (N = 7), 16 (N = 9) years, and young adults (N = 11) in speaking tasks varying in task demands. Speaking rate increased with age, with decreases in pauses and articulator displacements but not increases in articulator movement speed. Movement speed did not appear to constrain the speaking. Rather, age-related increases in speaking rate are due to gains in cognitive and linguistic processing and speech motor control.
Regulation of extracellular calcium-activated cation currents by cAMP in parathyroid cells.

Parathyroid cells express Ca2+-sensing receptors that couple changes in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o) to increases in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and to the...
Activation of the KATP channel-independent signaling pathway by the nonhydrolyzable analog of leucine, BCH.

Leucine and glutamine were used to elicit biphasic insulin release in rat pancreatic islets. Leucine did not mimic the full biphasic response of glucose. Glutamine was without effect. However, the ...
Limitations of current risk-adjustment models in the era of coronary stenting.

Abstract Background Several risk-adjustment models have been developed to compare outcomes of conventional coronary angioplasty across physicians and institutions. Yet the accuracy of these models in contemporary interventional practice—characterized by the widespread use of stents and novel adjuvant pharmacotherapies—has not been sufficiently studied. Methods The principal published predictive models for inhospital mortality after angioplasty were validated in 11,681 patients undergoing coronary stenting and 6475 patients undergoing balloon-only procedures in the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions registry from July 1996 to December 1998. We examined the 2 components of model accuracy: discrimination, as determined by the c-index; and calibration, as measured by the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic and predicted-versus-observed probability plots. Results The discriminative properties of the models were preserved in the validation cohort and did not differ statistically from one another (c-indexes 0.85-0.89). Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics, however, showed poor fit ( P Conclusions Predictive models developed in the era of conventional angioplasty cannot be applied directly to current interventional practice. Although recalibration restores model fit, application of different recalibrated models yields inconsistent assessment of laboratory performance. Development of new, widely generalizable models is warranted, but such models will require continued reassessment as medical technology evolves and practice patterns change. (Am Heart J 2003;145:683-92.)
EQUALITY VERSUS PRIORITY: A MISLEADING DISTINCTION

The question for those who are concerned with inequalities is not whether to be an egalitarian or a prioritarian. That choice is mislabelled and misconceived. The relevant question is why distributive inequalities are of more than merely instrumental importance with respect to unrelated goals, such as maximizing well-being. The answer is that lessening inequalities in well-being serves a fundamental commitment to equality of moral status. Depending on the circumstances and what is to be distributed, the underlying concern with equality of moral status (coupled with non-distributional concerns about deprivation) might make one resemble a prioritarian, a non-prioritarian egalitarian, or neither.
Revisiting the ideological congruence controversy

One of the limits of previous studies using respondents’ self-placements and subjective party placements to examine levels of citizen-government congruence is that they were limited to the post-1995 period. This article extends the number of elections where it is possible to examine levels of citizen-government ideological congruence with a survey-based approach. In particular, a unique dataset has been collected that combines data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and several national election studies. The results confirm recent studies that show that levels of citizen-government ideological congruence are similar under majoritarian and proportional representation (PR) systems. Such studies, however, did not provide evidence that congruence is maintained over the course of a government's mandate. This article introduces, therefore, two measures of citizen-government congruence that address this issue and that may revive the debate about which electoral systems strengthen the citizen-government connection: citizen-government congruence at the end of government mandates and change in congruence between elections. The results indicate that governments stay closer to the median citizens between elections under PR systems than under majoritarian systems. It is found, however, that this decrease in congruence in majoritarian systems is not detrimental to the point of observing smaller levels of congruence at the end of government mandates under majoritarian systems than under PR systems.
Synthetic Procedures for Preparing Cross-Linkable Acrylic Comb-Like Copolymers Via Macromonomers

A versatile procedure was developed for synthesis of acrylic comb-like copolymers in three steps: (1) Hydroxyl terminated oligomers were synthesized from methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate and glycidyl acrylate by free-radical initiated addition polymerization using a functional chain transfer agent, 2-mercaptoethanol, and very low initiator levels. (2) The oligomers were converted to macromonomers by reaction with isocyanatoethyl methacrylate. (3) The macromonomers were polymerized by free-radical initiation. Conditions during the first stage must be carefully selected to minimize formation of difunctional material which could cause gelation in the third stage. A variety of structures can be made such as comb-like copolymers with homopolymer tines or comb-like homopolymers with copolymer tines. Functional groups can be introduced by copolymerizing glycidyl acrylate into the macromonomer. Assignment of comb-like structures is not rigorously proven but is strongly supported by the synthetic route and by DSC, FT-IR and chromatographic data.
Ontogeny of Hyalopsora polypodii Urediospores

Hyalopsora polypodii penetrates Cystopteris fragilis directly through a stornate without the formation of an appressorium or subsequent development of a substomatal vesicle. Urediospores of H. poly...
Thermal conductivity of gases. III. Some values of thermal conductivities of argon, helium, and nitrogen from 0 C to 75 C at pressures of 1 x 10^5 to 2.5 x 10^7 pascals

Accurate measurements of the thermal conductivities of Ar and He agree with the theoretical value of 2.5 ϕηcv (η = viscosity, cv = specific heat capacity at constant volume ϕ is a number slightly greater than 1 depending upon the intermolecular potential). Measurements of the thermal conductivities of N2 at 9.6 and 75 °C as a function of pressure up to 2.53 × 107 Pa help to appraise the validity of other measurements of the thermal conductivities of dense gases. The excess conductivity of nitrogen (the additional conductivity resulting from pressure) is shown to be a function of only the density of the nitrogen from 0 to 700 °C and pressures up to 1.3 × 108 Pa.
Clinical prediction of the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

SUMMARY The use of clinical, physiologic, and laboratory parameters in the prediction or early detection of ARDS has been reviewed. From both a clinical and research standpoint, the ability to identify patients at risk is extremely important. The selection of patients according to predisposing clinical events has been the most successful thus far. The use of physiologic variables and gauges of injury severity have been of limited value, particularly for assessing ARDS risk in the individual patient. Only a handful of the proposed mediators or markers of acute lung injury have been studied prospectively in patients at risk. Of these, factor VIII antigen, lactoferrin, and phospholipase A2 appear the most promising as laboratory tests for selecting patients at risk. In the future it may be possible by using sophisticated statistical analysis techniques to combine important clinical, physiologic, and laboratory information into a numerical ARDS risk index, essentially assigning a probability of ARDS in individual patients.
Using a Compliant, Unactuated Tail to Manipulate Objects

We demonstrate manipulation of objects using the dynamics of a rope-like structure attached to a mobile robot as a passive tail. Three challenges arise in modeling and planning: the physics involved is nontrivial, the tail is underactuated, and motions of the object are nondeterministic. For such systems, some actions are well characterized by a simplified motion model (e.g., for dragging objects), but we resort to data-driven methods for others (e.g., striking motions). A sampling-based motion planner, adapted to deal with nondeterministic object motions, is used to optimize motion sequences based on a specified preference over a set of objectives, such as execution time, navigation cost, or collision likelihood. Experiments show that a robot with a passive tail can manipulate cylindrical objects with (quasi-static) dragging, dynamic striking motions, and combinations thereof. The method produces solutions that suit diverse preferences effectively, and we analyze the complementary nature of dynamic and quasi-static motions, showing that there exist regimes where transitions between the two are indeed desirable, as reflected in the plans produced.
Differential Disruption of Nucleocytoplasmic Trafficking Pathways by Rhinovirus 2A Proteases

The RNA rhinoviruses (RV) encode 2A proteases (2Apro) that contribute essential polyprotein processing and host cell shutoff functions during infection, including the cleavage of Phe/Gly-containing nucleoporin proteins (Nups) within nuclear pore complexes (NPC). Within the 3 RV species, multiple divergent genotypes encode diverse 2Apro sequences that act differentially on specific Nups. Since only subsets of Phe/Gly motifs, particularly those within Nup62, Nup98, and Nup153, are recognized by transport receptors (karyopherins) when trafficking large molecular cargos through the NPC, the processing preferences of individual 2Apro predict RV genotype-specific targeting of NPC pathways and cargos. To test this idea, transformed HeLa cell lines were created with fluorescent cargos (mCherry) for the importin α/β, transportin 1, and transportin 3 import pathways and the Crm1-mediated export pathway. Live-cell imaging of single cells expressing recombinant RV 2Apro (A16, A45, B04, B14, B52, C02, and C15) showed disruption of each pathway with measurably different efficiencies and reaction rates. The B04 and B52 proteases preferentially targeted Nups in the import pathways, while B04 and C15 proteases were more effective against the export pathway. Virus-type-specific trends were also observed during infection of cells with A16, B04, B14, and B52 viruses or their chimeras, as measured by NF-κB (p65/Rel) translocation into the nucleus and the rates of virus-associated cytopathic effects. This study provides new tools for evaluating the host cell response to RV infections in real time and suggests that differential 2Apro activities explain, in part, strain-dependent host responses and diverse RV disease phenotypes.IMPORTANCE Genetic variation among human rhinovirus types includes unexpected diversity in the genes encoding viral proteases (2Apro) that help these viruses achieve antihost responses. When the enzyme activities of 7 different 2Apro were measured comparatively in transformed cells programed with fluorescent reporter systems and by quantitative cell imaging, the cellular substrates, particularly in the nuclear pore complex, used by these proteases were indeed attacked at different rates and with different affinities. The importance of this finding is that it provides a mechanistic explanation for how different types (strains) of rhinoviruses may elicit different cell responses that directly or indirectly lead to distinct disease phenotypes.
Type I Interferons as Regulators of Lung Inflammation.

Immune responses to lung infections must be tightly regulated in order to permit pathogen eradication while maintaining organ function. Exuberant or dysregulated inflammation can impair gas exchange and underlies many instances of lung disease. An important driver of inflammation in the lung is the interferon (IFN) response. Type I IFNs are anti-viral cytokines that induce a large range of proteins that impair viral replication in infected cells. This cell-intrinsic action plays a crucial role in protecting the lungs from spread of respiratory viruses. However, type I IFNs have also recently been found to be central to the initiation of lung inflammatory responses, by inducing recruitment and activation of immune cells. This helps control virus burden but can cause detrimental immunopathology and contribute to disease severity. Furthermore, there is now increasing evidence that type I IFNs are not only induced after viral infections but also after infection with bacteria and fungi. The pro-inflammatory function of type I IFNs in the lung opens up the possibility of immune modulation directed against this anti-viral cytokine family. In this review, the initiation and signaling of type I IFNs as well as their role in driving and maintaining lung inflammation will be discussed.
Relativistic Two-Body Wave Equation and Meson Spectrum

The meson spectrum is studied with use of an equal-time relativistic two-body equation with electrostatic confinement potentials. A normalizability condition excludes all but a bag solution which gives a spectral pattern in between the SU(6) and the chiral SU(3) \ensuremath{\bigotimes} SU(3) limits. Orbital mixing creates a pair of $^{3}S_{1}+^{3}D_{1}$ states sandwiching the $^{1}P_{1}$ level. $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and $\frac{\ensuremath{\psi}}{J}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ pairs fit this picture very well.
The survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the presence of Penicillium expansum and Glomerella cingulata in wounds on apple surfaces

The survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the presence of one of two plant pathogens, Penicillium expansum and Glomerella cingulata, in wounds on apples was observed during 14 days storage at room temperature (RT) and at 4°C. The aim of this work was to determine if changes in apple physiology caused by the proliferation of fungal decay organisms would foster the survival of E. coli O157:H7. Trials were performed where (A) plant pathogens (4 log10 spores) were added to apple wounds 4 days before the wounds were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 (3 log10 CFU g−1 apple) (both RT and 4°C storage), (B) plant pathogens and E. coli O157:H7 were added on the same day (both RT and 4°C storage), and (C) E. coli O157:H7 was added 2 days (RT storage) and 4 days (4°C storage) before plant pathogens. In all trials E. coli O157:H7 levels generally declined to <1 log10 at 4°C storage, and in the presence of P. expansum at 4°C or RT. However, in the presence of G. cingulata at RT E. coli O157:H7 numbers increased from 3....
Islamic Capitalism and Its Discontents

The seventh chapter investigates the critical attitudes toward the Islamic capitalism and neo-Islamic bourgeoisie. The main argument of this chapter is that especially, new generation’s uncritical integration into the capitalistic lifestyles and consumerism caused dissent and stratification among Muslims, including a group called “Anti-Capitalist Muslims.” It seems that the future of the neo-Islamic bourgeoisie will be somehow shaped by the dialectical discussions between the proponents and opponents of the new lifestyles.
The Belt and Road Initiative in quest for a dispute resolution mechanism

ABSTRACTThe Belt and Road Initiative (B&R), since its unveiling by China in 2013, has attracted much attention in the international community. As the B&R involves extensive government to government, enterprise to government and enterprise to enterprise relations and transactions, disputes are unavoidable. This article examines the existing mechanisms for resolving such disputes by pointing out their shortcomings and rooms for improvement. It then appraises an alternative dispute resolution mechanism proposed in a Blue Book by the International Academy for the Belt and Road.
Quantitative analysis of contents and volatile emissions from α-copaene and quercivorol lures, and longevity for attraction of Euwallacea nr. fornicatus in Florida

Ambrosia beetles in the cryptic species complex Euwallacea nr. fornicatus vector a fungal pathogen responsible for Fusarium dieback, a disease that impacts avocado (Persea americana), woody ornamentals, and numerous native trees in the USA (California, Florida), Israel, and other countries. Currently, these pests are detected with quercivorol lures (containing p-menth-2-en-1-ol isomers), but recent research identified an essential oil enriched in (-)-α-copaene as a new attractant. In this study, lure longevity and efficacy were assessed in three 12-week field tests conducted in Florida by deploying traps baited with quercivorol, α-copaene, and a combination of the two. A fourth test compared different formulations of quercivorol. Concurrent with field experiments, gas chromatographic analyses were conducted to quantify initial lure contents as well as volatile emissions from lures field-aged for 12 weeks. In all tests, the lure combination captured significantly more E. nr. fornicatus than the individual lures; and in two trials, synergistic attraction was observed. Field life of the combination lure was 12 weeks; longevity of single lures varied from 9 to 12 weeks. Twelve terpenoids were detected from the α-copaene-enriched oil, suggesting there may be additional attractants. Analysis of the quercivorol lure showed it contained 88% trans- and 9% cis-p-menth-2-en-1-ol. Results indicate that the combination of quercivorol and α-copaene provides a long-lasting, effective lure for early detection of E. nr. fornicatus in Florida. Further research is needed to determine which isomer of p-menth-2-en-1-ol is attractive to Florida E. nr. fornicatus, and if other members of the species complex are attracted to (-)-α-copaene.
Transcript-indexed ATAC-seq for precision immune profiling.

T cells create vast amounts of diversity in the genes that encode their T cell receptors (TCRs), which enables individual clones to recognize specific peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) ligands. Here we combined sequencing of the TCR-encoding genes with assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) analysis at the single-cell level to provide information on the TCR specificity and epigenomic state of individual T cells. By using this approach, termed transcript-indexed ATAC-seq (T-ATAC-seq), we identified epigenomic signatures in immortalized leukemic T cells, primary human T cells from healthy volunteers and primary leukemic T cells from patient samples. In peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from healthy individuals, we identified cis and trans regulators of naive and memory T cell states and found substantial heterogeneity in surface-marker-defined T cell populations. In patients with a leukemic form of cutaneous T cell lymphoma, T-ATAC-seq enabled identification of leukemic and nonleukemic regulatory pathways in T cells from the same individual by allowing separation of the signals that arose from the malignant clone from the background T cell noise. Thus, T-ATAC-seq is a new tool that enables analysis of epigenomic landscapes in clonal T cells and should be valuable for studies of T cell malignancy, immunity and immunotherapy. A new technique enabling single-cell analysis of T cell receptor identity and epigenomic state uncovers heterogeneity in normal and leukemic T cells.
Are PhDs More Qualified to Teach than Non-PhDs? A Look at Some Ethical and Economic Issues

There is a presumption that PhDs are more desirable to have in the classroom than non-PhDs. They are chosen over non-PhDs for job interviews, they are paid more and they have a higher probability of receiving tenure. This article applies economic analysis to the issue and challenges the assumption that PhDs are more qualified to teach than non-PhDs. The author also applies ethical theory to the question of whether PhDs should be preferred over non-PhDs in employment situations.
Protease-Activated Receptors

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a unique class of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) due to their unusual tethered-ligand mechanism of activation. We summarize the distinct roles of the thrombin receptors PAR1, PAR3, and PAR4 in platelet biology, and the synergy between PAR1 and PAR4 in platelet activation. The relationship of PAR1 and PAR4 signaling with the ADP autocrine pathway and platelet prothrombinase activities, and the recent discovery that matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP1) acts as a biased agonist of PAR1 are also discussed. Given the importance of PAR1 in platelet activation during arterial thrombosis, several drugs that specifically target PAR1 are currently under evaluation as a potential treatment of patients suffering from severe coronary artery disease (CAD). Unlike anticoagulants, PAR1 inhibitors block downstream of PAR1 without directly impacting thrombin-induced fibrin polymerization. Whether PAR1 blockade improves outcomes without unduly effecting hemostasis with different mediation strategies, or in various patient populations with coronary artery disease, requires further study.
Improvement of Short-Circuit Current Density in GaInP Solar Cells Grown by Dynamic Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

We demonstrate GaInP solar cells grown by dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy with improved efficiency through elimination of nonradiative recombination centers. We redesigned our reactor to eliminate unintentional impurities, which led to a reduction of nearly 30× in dark current. This improvement led to a significantly improved open-circuit voltage of 1.41 V and a band gap-voltage offset of 0.47 V in a device with a rear reflector, achieved without front surface passivation. We demonstrate that the limiting factor toward achieving higher efficiency is control over the emitter thickness. Recombination is high in the unpassivated emitter, but losses can be minimized by designing it to be thin. We show that Se diffusion from the GaAs contact layer into the base is responsible for unintentional thickening of the emitter. Use of reduced contact doping reduces the penetration of Se into the p-GaInP base layer. With improved control of Se diffusion, we achieve 13.0 mA/cm2 and 15.2% certified efficiency in a single-junction GaInP cell structure that is optically equivalent to the top cell in a GaInP/GaAs tandem.
Phenomenology as a Path to English as a Second Language (ESL) Praxis, Curriculum and Theory-Making

This chapter reports the findings of a study that examined the experience of 15 English as a Second Language (ESL) students studying in an Intensive English Program (IEP) hosted at an accredited institution of higher education. The research premise was that phenomenology – for its emphasis on making essential meaning out of lived experience (van Manen M: Researching lived experience. Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, 1990) – could serve as a theoretical framework to investigate how ESL students constructed their experience, and how these results could be used to inform ESL instructional, curricular, and theoretical practices in a fresh, new way within the larger task of rethinking diversity in the 21st century. The research employed qualitative data collection methods to include interviews, observations, artifact collection, and journaling. It was found that ESL students constructed their IEP experience along a continuum from linguistic, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and communal to active domains. When considered in light of educator preparation and ESL pedagogy, students’ voices pointed to the necessity of re-integrating pedagogical critical reflection, a love ethic, pedagogy of relations, and of presentness back into ESL daily instruction. Phenomenology, as a research procedure, breathed life and spirit anew into ESL students’ experience, thus humanizing the ESL educational experience – a provocative curricular and theoretical promise.
Development of a microdevice-based human mesenchymal stem cell-mediated drug delivery system

Cell-mediated drug delivery systems utilize living cells as vehicles to achieve controlled delivery of drugs. One of the systems features integrating cells with disk-shaped microparticles termed microdevices into cell-microdevice complexes that possess some unique advantages over their counterparts. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been extensively studied as therapeutic cells and used as carrier cells for drug-loaded nanoparticles or other functional nanoparticles. This article presents the development of a microdevice-based hMSC-mediated drug delivery system for the first time. This study revealed that the microdevices could be attached to the hMSCs in a controlled and versatile manner; the produced hMSC-microdevice complexes were stable over cultivation and trypsinization, and the microdevice attachment did not affect the viability and proliferation of the hMSCs. Moreover, cultured microdevice-bound hMSCs retained their abilities to migrate on a flat surface, form a spheroid, and actively dissociate from the spheroid. These results indicate that this microdevice-based hMSC-mediated system promises to be further developed into a clinically viable drug delivery system.
Gold-Catalyzed Rearrangement of Propargyl Alcohols Using Coupling Constants To Determine Isomeric Ratios

Gold is an increasingly prominent transition metal in organic synthesis. The air-stable, water-insensitive cationic gold(I) catalysts enable varieties of synthetic transformations with a simple reaction setup. However, this increased importance has not coincided with an increase in the application of gold in second-year organic chemistry courses. An experiment is described that includes a gold-catalyzed rearrangement of propargyl alcohols targeted at second-year organic chemistry students. The reaction produces a mixture of E and Z isomers of an enone product that students analyze by 1H NMR spectroscopy to determine the major product.
Alternating minimization for dictionary learning: Local Convergence Guarantees

We present theoretical guarantees for an alternating minimization algorithm for the dictionary learning/sparse coding problem. The dictionary learning problem is to factorize vector samples $y^{1},y^{2},\ldots, y^{n}$ into an appropriate basis (dictionary) $A^*$ and sparse vectors $x^{1*},\ldots,x^{n*}$. Our algorithm is a simple alternating minimization procedure that switches between $\ell_1$ minimization and gradient descent in alternate steps. Dictionary learning and specifically alternating minimization algorithms for dictionary learning are well studied both theoretically and empirically. However, in contrast to previous theoretical analyses for this problem, we replace a condition on the operator norm (that is, the largest magnitude singular value) of the true underlying dictionary $A^*$ with a condition on the matrix infinity norm (that is, the largest magnitude term). Our guarantees are under a reasonable generative model that allows for dictionaries with growing operator norms, and can handle an arbitrary level of overcompleteness, while having sparsity that is information theoretically optimal. We also establish upper bounds on the sample complexity of our algorithm.
A crossover trial comparing contamination of healthcare personnel during removal of a standard gown versus a modified gown with increased skin coverage at the hands and wrists

In a crossover trial, a gown designed to increase skin coverage at the hands and wrists significantly reduced contamination of personnel during personal protective equipment (PPE) removal, and education on donning and doffing technique further reduced contamination. Simple modifications of PPE and education can reduce contamination during PPE removal.
Comparison of Orbital Volume in Young Versus Senescent Human Skulls.

PURPOSE To compare bony orbital volumes in young skulls with those of older skulls to elucidate aging-associated changes of the orbit. METHODS One hundred Caucasian male skulls from the Hamann-Todd collection of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History were studied. There were 50 young skulls (age range, 19-33 years) and 50 senescent skulls (age range, 79-96 years). Volcanic sand was used to fill each orbit in an identical fashion and weighed as a proxy for volume. Digital calipers were used to perform linear measurements of the orbit. The relationship between orbit measures and skull size was assessed using Pearson's correlations and 95% CI, and statistical models to compare age groups adjusted for skull size. RESULTS The volume of the orbits (P < 0.001), the horizontal diameter of the orbit (P = 0.015), and the orbital depth (P < 0.001) were significantly larger in the senescent group of skulls after adjusting for skull surface area. No significant differences were found in the vertical diameters of the orbit between the 2 groups. Skull size did not statistically differ between the age groups. CONCLUSIONS Increases in the depth and horizontal dimensions of the orbit lead to increasing bony orbital volume with increasing age. These changes in size and shape of the orbit with age may contribute to phenotypic changes of aging and may affect disease processes and management.