cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Web-Based Key Character and Classification Instruction for Teaching Undergraduate Students Insect Identification

The purpose of the study was to determine whether undergraduate students receiving web-based instruction based on traditional, key character, or classification instruction differed in their performance of insect identification tasks. All groups showed a significant improvement in insect identifications on pre- and post-two-dimensional picture specimen quizzes. The study also determined student performance on insect identification tasks was not as good as for family-level identification as compared to broader insect orders and arthropod classification identification tasks. Finally, students erred significantly more by misidentification than misspelling specimen names on prepared specimen quizzes. Results of this study support that short web-based insect identification exercises can improve insect identification performance. Also included is a discussion of how these results can be used in teaching and future research on biological identification.
China's Taiwan policy and East Asian security

(1997). China's Taiwan policy and East Asian security. Journal of Contemporary Asia: Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 374-391.
Potential health hazards from burning aircraft composites

Burning of polymer matrix composites in postcrash aircraft fires generates a complex mixture of combustion products comprised of gases, organic vapors, and particulate matter including airborne carbon fibers. There is concern among the fire fighting, investigative, and mishap response communities that an unusual health hazard is posed by this combination of combustion products. This paper presents an overview of the nature and potential hazards of acute exposure to airborne carbon fibers from fire and explosion involving advanced composites materials. Data from fire tests and crash-site investigations suggest that a small fraction of the fibers released in fires are respirable and can be inhaled deep into the lung. Most of the carbon fibers produced in fires are 2-10 times larger than the critical fiber size associated with asbestos toxicity, and their concentration is well below OSHA recommended levels for chronic exposure. At issue however are the toxicological effects of adsorbed combustion products. Chemical extraction shows that a large number of toxic organic compounds are adsorbed on these fibers, several of which are known carcinogens and mutagens in animals. At the present time there is no conclusive evidence linking airborne fibers from burning composites to any unusual health hazard. However, no toxicological studies have been conducted to assess the long-term health effects from exposure to a single high dose of fibrous particulates and any synergistic interactions with the organic chemicals.
Development and characterization of a novel electrochemiluminescent reaction involving cadmium

Electrochemiluminescent reactions involving aqueous metal ions can offer an alternative method for quantitation of dissolved metals. In this case, a flow injection system using 1,10-phenanthroline as an ECL reagent, in conjunction with Cd2+ ions provides sufficient emission for cadmium detection down to 1 ppb. The high throughput of flow injection analysis combined with the relatively simple ECL instrumentation gives a potentially fast and inexpensive method for routine aqueous cadmium determinations. Parameters such as applied potential, buffer composition, flow rate, cell shape and volume, and electrode material were investigated. A survey of possible interferent ions proved the reaction to be fairly selective for the Cd2+ ion. During these studies, a competing ECL reaction involving Zn2+ was discovered. The ECL spectrum was recorded and a mechanism for ECL emission is postulated.
Institution of combined treatment with testosterone and charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid immediately after orchidectomy prevents the postcastration hypersecretion of follicle-stimulating hormone in the hypothalamus-lesioned rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) receiving an invariant intravenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone infusion.

In the male rhesus monkey, the negative feedback regulation of gonadotropin secretion by the gonad involves a specific inhibitory action of a testicular hormone on FSH release at the level of the anterior pituitary gland. Neither circulating testosterone (T) nor estradiol appears to be able to account for the testicular inhibition of FSH in this species. The purpose of the present study was to begin to examine the role of gonadal peptides in this regard. To this end, an episodic pattern of activity in the pituitary-Leydig cell axis was restored in seven hypothalamus-lesioned male rhesus monkeys with a chronic and unchanging intermittent iv infusion of GnRH (0.1 μg/min for 3 min every 3 h). This preparation, known as the hypophysiotropic clamp, has been described in detail previously. Charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid (pFF) was used as the source of gonadal peptides. In five animals, initiation of combined T replacement and pFF treatment (10-15 ml, sc, every 12 h for 8 days) maintained circulatin...
Laser-Induced Heating of a Multilayered Medium Resting on a Half-Space: Part II—Moving Source

Direct access storage devices (DASDs) are widely used in the computer industry to store and manage data. In conventional magnetic recording, an induction head flying very close to the disk surface alters the polarization of the magnetic field of the disk surface to erase and or write the information on the disk. However, a new technology known as magneto optical recording or optical recording has considerable promise to increase data densities and reliability of data source. In magneto-optical storage, magnetic fields are altered by a laser source, which heats the magnetic medium beyond its Curie point, a temperature at which the magnetic medium loses its magnetization. This domain with zero magnetization is subsequently reversed by using an induction magnet. All these processes take place when the disk is rotating at a very high speed with respect to the laser source. An optical disk is a multilayered medium consisting of a thick glass disk on which many layers of different materials are sputtered, only one layer of which serves as a magnetic medium. Therefore, in this paper, a problem of laser-induced heating of a multilayered medium resting on a half-space is considered when the laser is translation with respect to it.more » The transient heat conduction equation is solved by employing the Laplace transform in the time domain and the Fourier Transform in the x, y dimension. The resulting ordinary differential equation is solved and the inversion of the Lapplace transform is obtained by a technique developed by Crump. The Fourier inversion is obtained by using a Fast Fourier Transform. The technique developed here is then applied to calculate domain size for recorded bits for a given disk, laser power, source characteristics, and rotational velocity.« less
Short and long-term morbidity of thoracoabdominal incision for nephrectomy: a comparison with the flank approach.

Purpose: A thoracoabdominal incision provides optimal exposure for radical nephrectomy, especially for large tumors. Intuitively it is perceived that the morbidity of a thoracoabdominal incision far exceeds that of a flank incision. We compare the morbidity of thoracoabdominal and flank incisions, which to our knowledge has not been reported previously. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire assessing postoperative pain, use of pain medications and return to activities was sent to the last 100 renal donors who underwent nephrectomy at our institution through the 11th rib (flank incision, group 1) and the last 100 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy through the 8th to 10th rib (thoracoabdominal incision, group 2). A total of 52 group 1 and 42 group 2 questionnaires were returned. Pain was assessed at 4 periods using a visual analog scale. Results: Length of stay was the same in both groups. There were no differences between groups in terms of pain severity on postoperative day 1, on day of discharge home, 1 month postoperatively and at the time of study (p >0.05). There were no significant differences between groups in times following surgery when pain completely disappeared, when pain medications were discontinued, and when the patient returned to daily activities and work (p >0.05). Conclusions: Morbidity was comparable for thoracoabdominal and flank incisions in terms of incisional pain, analgesic requirements after discharge home and return to normal activities.
Differential Activation and Regulation of CXCR1 and CXCR2 by CXCL8 Monomer and Dimer

CXCL8 (also known as IL-8) activates CXCR1 and CXCR2 to mediate neutrophil recruitment and trigger cytotoxic effect at sites of infection. Under physiological conditions, CXCL8 could exist as monomers, dimers, or a mixture of monomers and dimers. Therefore, both forms of CXCL8 could interact with CXCR1 and CXCR2 with different affinities and potencies to mediate different cellular responses. In the present study, we have used a "trapped" nonassociating monomer (L25NMe) and a nondissociating dimer (R26C) to investigate their activities for human neutrophils that express both receptors and for RBL-2H3 cells stably expressing either CXCR1(RBL-CXCR1) or CXCR2 (RBL-CXCR2). The monomer was more active than the dimer for activities such as intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization, phosphoinositide hydrolysis, chemotaxis. and exocytosis. Receptor regulation, however, is distinct for each receptor. The rate of monomer-mediated regulation of CXCR1 is greater for activities such as phosphorylation, desensitization, beta-arrestin translocation, and internalization. In contrast, for CXCR2, both monomeric and dimeric CXCL8 mediate these activities to a similar extent. Interestingly, receptor-mediated signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in response to all three CXCL8 variants was more sustained for CXCR2 relative to CXCR1. Taken together, the results indicate that the CXCL8 monomer and dimer differentially activate and regulate CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors. These distinct properties of the ligand and the receptors play a critical role in orchestrating neutrophil recruitment and eliciting cytotoxic activity during an inflammatory response.
Freedom, damnation, and the power to sin with impunity

I argue that the idea of a freely embraced eternal destiny in hell is deeply incoherent and implies, quite apart from its incoherence, that we are free both to sin with impunity and to defeat God's justice forever.
Lessons for the "devilish statistical obfuscator," or how to argue for a null hypothesis: A guide for students, attorneys, and other professionals

Students, lawyers, and other professionals are sometimes unfamiliar with scientific methodology or the proper use of statistics. Even so, it is likely that they will confront attempts to use social science to prove a null hypothesis, when the data might suggest otherwise if properly handled. As a didactic device, following Erasmus and C. S. Lewis, advice is provided on "how to misuse" social science for one's own purposes, in hopes that future scholars will not be misled by such inappropriate, though not infrequent, practices. Read More: http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/03.11.17.IT.1.2
Leukocyte Transfusions : Function of Transfused Granulocytes from Donors with Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia

The in vivo function of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) leukocytes transfused into infected patients with severe neutropenia was evaluated and the results in four representative patients are reported. The intravascular survival, extravascular migration, and phagocytic capacity of these cells appeared normal in two patients without preformed leukoagglutinins. In two other patients who had only small transient increments in circulating granulocytes and severe transfusion reactions, preformed leukoagglutinins were found. The poor granulocyte recoveries in these patients with antibody could probably be explained by splenic sequestration of the transfused cells. These studies provide evidence supporting the use of CML leukocyte transfusions in patients without preformed leukocyte antibodies.
Excitatory synaptic transmission in cultures of rat olfactory bulb.

1. Olfactory bulb neurons were dissociated from neonatal rats and plated at low density on a confluent layer of olfactory bulb astrocytes. Intracellular stimulation of presumptive mitral/tufted (M/...
Implications of weed seedbank dynamics to weed management

The species composition and density of weed seed in the soil vary greatly and are closely linked to the cropping history of the land. Altering tillage practices changes weed seed depth in the soil, which plays a role in weed species shifts and affects efficacy of control practices. Crop rotation and weed control practices also affect the weed seedbank. Information on the influence of cropping practices on the weed seedbank should be a useful tool for integrated weed management. Decision aid models use information on the weed seedbank to estimate weed populations, crop yield loss, and recommend weed control tactics. Understanding the light requirements of weed seed may provide new approaches to weed management. Improving and applying our understanding of weed seedbank dynamics is essential to developing improved weed management systems. The principles of plant ecology must be integrated with the science of weed management to develop strategies that take advantage of basic plant responses in weed management systems for agronomic crops.
The Way They Blow the Horn: Caribbean Dollar Cabs and Subaltern Mobilities

In this article, I map subaltern mobilities: practices of movement that I define as flexible, vernacular, and specific to postcolonial subjects. I do so through a six-month ethnography of “dollar c...
Interactions of Multimodal Ligands with Proteins: Insights into Selectivity Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Fundamental understanding of protein–ligand interactions is important to the development of efficient bioseparations in multimodal chromatography. Here we employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the interactions of three different proteins—ubiquitin, cytochrome C, and α-chymotrypsinogen A, sampling a range of charge from +1e to +9e—with two multimodal chromatographic ligands containing similar chemical moieties—aromatic, carboxyl, and amide—in different structural arrangements. We use a spherical harmonic expansion to analyze ligand and individual moiety density profiles around the proteins. We find that the Capto MMC ligand, which contains an additional aliphatic group, displays stronger interactions than Nuvia CPrime ligand with all three proteins. Studying the ligand densities at the moiety level suggests that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in determining the locations of high ligand densities. Finally, the greater structural flexibility of the Capto MMC ligand compared to...
The NPM/ALK gene fusion in the pathogenesis of anaplastic large cell lymphoma

The cloning of the t(2;5) translocation breakpoints and the identification of the NPM/ALK fusion in Ki-1 ALCL have brought forth from this heterogeneous morphological grouping a subset of cases defined by an aetiological genetic alteration. The analysis of NPM/ALK positive lymphomas as a single clinicopathological entity has already begun to clarify and explain some previous clinical observations in Ki-1 ALCL. It has also confirmed that HD is pathogenetically unrelated to NPM/ALK positive Ki-1 ALCL. This is yet another example of the overall nosological evolution from morphological entities to pathogenetic entities among lymphomas, leukaemias and, more recently, sarcomas. Although much work remains to be done on the mechanism of NPM/ALK lymphomagenesis, rational treatment approaches are now within reach. Such novel approaches could target NPM/ALK at the level of the genomic sequence, transcript, protein or its downstream targets, when the latter are further elucidated. Systems developed to inhibit other fusion transcripts and oncogenic tyrosine kinases can now be applied to NPM/ALK positive lymphomas. Furthermore, the strong and highly selective surface expression of CD30 in Ki-1 ALCL may provide a basis for the targeted delivery of these novel therapeutic agents.
Oral bropirimine immunotherapy of rodent prostate cancer

Objective: Bropirimine is an oral immunostimulant found to have efficacy in human transitional cell carcinoma in situ following the initial discovery of its antitumor activity against the murine bladder cancer MBT-2. To determine if bropirimine might have activity in prostate cancer, it was tested against two rodent prostate cancer cell lines in vivo. Methods: Tumors resulted from subcutaneous injection of PAIII and Dunning MAT-LyLu rodent prostate cancer cells. Bropirimine was given at 250 mg/kg orally on different schedules, and tumor volume and survival were recorded. Results: In the PAIII model, bropirimine prevented growth when given the day of tumor injection, and 95% of advanced tumors regressed completely when start of therapy was delayed. Bropirimine also caused growth inhibition and prolongation of survival in the MAT-LyLu model. Conclusions: Bropirimine immunotherapy is very effective in vivo against the PAIII cell line, and it has significant growth inhibition against the Dunning MAT-LyLu cell line.
Lumbar Puncture and Drainage

Lumbar puncture is a common procedure performed in critical care, emergency care, and other settings in the evaluation and treatment of patients with both acute and chronic neurologic conditions. While the procedure itself can be performed quickly and safely, it is essential that the clinician understand the indications, contraindications, and potential complications of lumbar puncture. Confidence in successful completion of the procedure can be maximized with enhanced understanding of the spinal anatomy, comfort in the procedural technique, and repetitive exposure to the procedure itself. The information obtained from lumbar puncture provides a direct window into the inner condition of the neurologic system and is a must-have skill in the repertoire of the critical care and emergency care clinician.
Redox signaling mediated by the gut microbiota

The microbiota that inhabits the mammalian intestine can influence a range of physiological functions, including the modulation of immune responses, enhancement epithelial barrier function, and the stimulation of cell proliferation. While the mechanisms by which commensal prokaryotes stimulate immune signaling networks are well-characterized, less is known about the mechanistic control over homeostatic pathways within tissues. Recent reports by our research group have demonstrated that contact between the gut epithelia and some groups of enteric commensal bacteria prompts the rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within host cells. Whereas the bacterial-induced production of ROS in phagocytes in response to ligand binding to Formyl Peptide Receptors (FPRs) and ensuing activation of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) is a well-defined mechanism, ROS generated by other cell types such as intestinal epithelia in response to microbial signals via FPRs and the NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1) is less appreciated. Importantly, enzymatically generated ROS have been shown to function as second messengers in many signal transduction pathways via the transient oxidative activity on sensor proteins bearing oxidant-sensitive thiol groups. Examples of redox sensitive proteins include tyrosine phosphatases that serve as regulators of MAPK pathways, focal adhesion kinase, as well as components involved NF-kB activation. Here, we review the leading edge discoveries gleaned from investigations that focus on microbial-induced generation of ROS and their functional effects on host physiology. These studies identify the functional molecular elements and mechanistic events that mediate the established effects of the normal microbiota on intestinal physiology.
Inhalable Ipratropium Bromide Particle Engineering with Multicriteria Optimization.

Spray-dried ipratropium bromide (IPB) microspheres for oral inhalation were engineered using Quality by Design. The interrogation of material properties, process parameters, and critical product quality attributes interplay enabled rational product design. A 27–3 screening design exhibited the Maillard reaction between L-leucine (LL) and lactose at studied outlet temperatures (OT) >130°C. A response surface custom design was used in conjunction with multicriteria optimization to determine the operating design space to achieve inhalable microparticles. Statistically significant predictive models were developed for volume median diameter (p = 0.0001, adjusted R 2 = 0.9938), span (p = 0.0278, adjusted R 2 = 0.7912), yield (p = 0.0020, adjusted R 2 = 0.9320), and OT (p = 0.0082, adjusted R 2 = 0.8768). An independent verification batch confirmed the model’s predictive capability. The prediction and actual values were in good agreement. Particle size and span were 3.32 ± 0.09 μm and 1.71 ± 0.18, which were 4.7 and 5.3% higher than the predicted values. The process yield was 50.3%, compared to the predicted value of 65.3%. The OT was 100°C versus the predicted value of 105°C. The label strength of IPB microparticles was 99.0 to 105.9% w/w suggesting that enrichment occurred during the spray-drying process. The present study can be utilized to initiate the design of the first commercial IPB dry powder inhaler.
Classical-quantum sensors keep better time

The key task in metrology is to determine physical parameters as precisely as possible given certain resources, and few problems are as important as keeping time. The history of science is closely connected with the development of the accuracy of our clocks, right up to our current standards of time: The second is defined by the frequency of an electronic transition of a cesium atom. On pages 837 and 832 of this issue, Boss et al. ( 1 ) and Schmitt et al. ( 2 ) report the independent development of nearly identical methods to greatly improve existing frequency measurements. They measured oscillating magnetic fields driven by a clock by using repeated measurements of the spin state of a nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond. It is one of those surprisingly common events in science when different research groups hit on the same idea at nearly the same time, sometimes called “multiple independent discovery.”
Microstructural control of FeCrAl alloys using Mo and Nb additions

Abstract The effects of Mo and Nb additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two FeCrAl alloys were studied. Fine and uniform recrystallized grain structures (~ 20–30 μm) were achieved in both alloys through suitable annealing after warm-rolling. The formation of Fe2Nb-type Laves phase precipitates in the Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy effectively stabilized the deformed and recrystallized microstructures. The Mo-containing FeCrAl alloy exhibited strong γ texture fiber after annealing at 650–900 °C, whereas the annealed Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy had much weaker texture. Both strength and ductility decreased as the grain size increased in both alloys.
Does brand partnership create a happy marriage? The role of brand value on brand alliance outcomes of partners

Abstract In this paper, we investigate an under-researched issue by examining the financial performances of both partner firms in a brand alliance. We find that a participating firm's brand value and other brand characteristics are associated with not only its own financial performance but also its partner's financial gains from the collaboration. Our results show that the participating firm gains higher stock returns when its partner's brand value is higher. However, brand value differential reduces the positive effect of brand value on the partner firm's financial performance. In addition, the primary partner's brand alliance experience helps increase the positive effect of primary partner's brand value on the stock returns of the secondary partner. The secondary partner's brand exploitation attenuates the positive effect of secondary partner's brand value on the stock returns of the primary brand firm.
In vivo manipulation of HIF-1α expression during glioma genesis

Hypoxia has long been recognized as a driving force of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance, and the transcription factor HIF-1α is believed to play a crucial role in these processes. Here we describe an efficient RCAS/Nes-TVA system that allows for in vivo manipulation of HIF-1α expression in the mouse neural progenitor cells. Simple production of the recombinant avian virus RCAS enables quick delivery of gene of interest through injection into the neural progenitors of transgenic mice expressing the viral cognate receptor TVA under the nestin promoter. By crossing with various commercially available genetically engineered mouse strains, a repertoire of mouse models can be created to study gene-specific effects on glioma genesis. This chapter provides details of plasmid construction, viral production, and intracranial delivery of transgenes, a methodology that can be easily adapted to a specific purpose.
Poor Families in America's Health Care Crisis: State Differences in Health Care Policies and Coverage

San Antonio San Antonio is a very “Mexican” city. Over half of its population is Hispanic, 70 percent of whom are of Mexican origin (Guzman 2001). Like many other cities in the American Southwest, it sprawls over an immense area, and even in the barrio the presence of many undeveloped areas gives it a feeling of openness. In latitude, the city is North African, and the days are long even in winter. The climate is temperate to hot, and when the rare snow falls, children younger than five or six are usually seeing it for the first time. The city's tourism industry, which is an important source of its income, capitalizes upon its visible Mexican heritage. The city's Mexican heritage can be seen in popular tourist sites such as the Alamo, cultural museums, native marketplaces, and theme parks that focus on Texas history. Until Texas claimed its independence in the early nineteenth century, it was part of Mexico. The Alamo, an old Spanish mission that occupies a prominent place in the center of town, is known to all Americans as a legend that serves as the shrine of Texas liberty for the Anglo population. For many Mexican-origin Americans, however, it represents something quite different. For them the Mexican victory at the Alamo was short-lived and represents the beginning of an ultimate defeat and the start of a period during which the Mexican population was relegated to the rank of second-class citizens.
Current State of the Art of Newborn Screening for Lysosomal Storage Disorders

Prospective full-population newborn screening for multiple lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) is currently practiced in a few NBS programs, and several others are actively pursuing this course of action. Two platforms suitable for multiple LSD screening-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and digital microfluidic fluorometry (DMF)-are now commercially available with reagent kits. In this article, we review the methods currently used for prospective NBS for LSDs and objectively compare their workflows and the results from two programs in the United States that screen for the same four LSDs, one using MS/MS and the other DMF. The results show that the DMF platform workflow is simpler and generates results faster than MS/MS, enabling results reporting on the same day as specimen analysis. Furthermore, the performance metrics for both platforms while not identical, are broadly similar and do not indicate the superior performance of one method over the other. Results show a preponderance of inconclusive results for Pompe and Fabry diseases and for Hurler syndrome, due to genetic heterogeneity and other factors that can lead to low enzyme activities, regardless of the screening method. We conclude that either platform is a good choice but caution that post-analytical tools will need to be applied to improve the positive predictive value for these conditions.
Susceptibility to thrombosis in normal young, aging, cortisone-treated, heparinized and x-irradiated hamsters as tested by topical application of thrombin.

1. Thrombin applied topically to the everted cheek pouch of the hamster produced platelet and not red thrombi in exposed, uninjured blood vessels with circulating blood. Red thrombi were produced in stagnant blood. Thrombus formation occurred in the venules for the most part and seldom in arterioles or capillaries. 2. An in vivo test for platelet thrombus susceptibility, based on the thrombin reaction and the resistance of the hamster to thrombosis, has been described. 3. Thrombus susceptibility, measured by the thrombin test, increased with age and during cortisone treatment, and decreased after heparin injection and following large doses of whole body x-irradiation. 4. The thrombin susceptibility test could be correlated with the platelet count in x-irradiated hamsters, showing a relatively critical minimum concentration of blood platelets (100,000/cu.mm.) required for platelet thrombosis. 5. The relationship of platelet concentration to platelet thrombus formation and predisposition to hemorrhage has been discussed.
Implementation and effect of concussion education in collegiate women’s ice hockey

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether collegiate women's ice hockey players are receiving pre-season concussion education and evaluate the nature and delivery of this education. Secondarily, we aimed to assess whether players who recall receiving this education have greater knowledge about concussion or are more likely to have reported suspected concussions than their peers.Methods: An anonymous survey was completed by 459 NCAA women's ice hockey players. Players self-reported receipt of pre-season concussion education, year in school, division of competition, player position, and average length of ice hockey career. Players also completed scales assessing concussion knowledge, attitudes and prior reporting behavior for suspected concussions.Results: 65.3% of athletes affirmed that they received pre-season concussion education. Lecture by an athletic trainer was the most common modality. There were no differences in concussion knowledge or attitudes by concussion education status, NCAA division of competition, or year in school. Players with higher knowledge scores were more likely than their peers to have experienced a suspected concussion and to have not reported it (p = 0.056).Conclusions: Not all NCAA women's ice hockey players are receiving (or recall receiving) mandated concussion education from their institution. The inverse association between concussion knowledge and concussion reporting behavior, while not statistically significant, is concerning and warrants further study. More work is needed to develop educational materials about concussion that are acceptable and memorable to this population, and that help increase concussion care-seeking behaviors.
Promoting access to health information

Describe the design of a health information and technology educational intervention that promotes health information sharing and technology use for older adult African Americans to support access to health information. The paper aims to discuss this issue.,The study team developed a novel method to design the intervention. It drew upon three approaches: intergenerational technology transfer, participatory design and community-based participatory research.,Older adult African Americans (55+) with diabetes and young adults (18–54) connected to them via familial or naturally occurring social networks designed the intervention, which was conducted in the two study sites in Michigan, USA. In total, 29 participants helped design the intervention. Four themes emerged concerning factors that promote intergenerational information exchange in the context of technology and health. First, focus on one technology skill. Second, working together in small groups is preferred. Third, patience is essential. Last, physical capabilities (i.e., eyesight, operating on relatively small screens) and literacy levels should be considered.,This novel method of having participants from the sample population select the health information materials and technology exercises serves as a guide for implementing health information and education interventions aimed at technology use to support self-management for vulnerable patient populations.
Developing construction hazard recognition skill: leveraging safety climate and social network safety communication patterns

Poor hazard recognition skill is a widespread issue in the construction industry. Therefore, an understanding of factors that influence the development of hazard recognition skill among workers is ...
Generalized Convex Hull Pricing for the AC Optimal Power Flow Problem

We study an abstract myopic electricity market subject to general nonconvex power flow models and convex generator models (without discrete commitment variables) in a setting where there may be no market equilibrium that guarantees revenue adequacy of the independent system operator. A generalized version of convex hull prices (CHPs) are proposed and are defined to solve a novel multiobjective minimum uplift problem that captures the tradeoff between generator side-payments and potential congestion revenue shortfall (PCRS). A convex primal counterpart of this multiobjective minimum uplift problem, called the primal CHP problem , is formulated in terms of the convex hull of the set of feasible net power injections. Indeed the term convex hull price derives from the result that the CHPs are equivalent to the optimal Lagrange multipliers of the primal CHP problem . However, depending on the chosen model of the transmission network, the convex hull of the feasible set of net power injections may be intractable to evaluate. In this case, CHPs are approximated using state-of-the-art convex relaxations that are efficiently solvable. This is the first proposed method of approximating CHPs in polynomial-time that is general enough to accommodate the nonlinear transmission constraints in the AC optimal power flow (OPF) problem. In our abstract myopic market setting, we show that tight relaxations of the AC OPF problem can be used to effectively approximate CHPs that decrease potential congestion revenue shortfall significantly with little effect to side-payments.
Epidemiology of Sleep Disorders in Women

Sleep disorders are prevalent in women and are characterized by unique clinical presentations that vary throughout different stages of a woman’s life. Sleep disordered breathing is not uncommon in women with increased prevalence during pregnancy and post menopause. Insomnia is also a common sleep disorder with female preponderance even in the preadolescent years. In addition, Restless Legs Syndrome occurs with increased frequency during pregnancy and is associated with increased risk for the chronic idiopathic form. In contrary to common belief, REM Behavior Disorder parasomnia is as common in women as in men. This chapter discusses the epidemiology of sleep disorders in women with focus on sleep disordered breathing, insomnia and restless leg syndrome.
Evaluating the care provision of a community-based serious-illness care program via chart measures

Although quality-of-care domains for home-based primary and palliative programs have been proposed, they have had limited testing in practice. Our aim was to evaluate the care provision in a community-based serious-illness care program, a combined home-based primary and palliative care model. Retrospective chart review of patients in an academic community-based serious-illness care program in central North Carolina from August 2014 to March 2016 (n = 159). Chart review included demographics, health status, and operationalized measures of seven quality-of-care domains: medical assessment, care coordination, safety, quality of life, provider competency, goal attainment, and access. Patients were mostly women (56%) with an average age of 70 years. Patients were multi-morbid (53% ≥3 comorbidities), functionally impaired (45% had impairment in ≥2 activities of daily living) and 32% had dementia. During the study period, 31% of patients died. Chart review found high rates assessment of functional status (97%), falls (98%), and medication safety (96%). Rates of pain assessment (70%), advance directive discussions (65%), influenza vaccination (59%), and depression assessment (54% of those with a diagnosis of depression) were lower. Cognitive barriers, spiritual needs, and behavioral issues were assessed infrequently (35, 22, 21%, respectively). This study is one of the first to operationalize and examine quality-of-care measures for a community-based serious-illness care program, an emerging model for vulnerable adults. Our operationalization should not constitute validation of these measures and revealed areas for improvement; however, the community-based serious-illness care program performed well in several key quality-of-care domains. Future work is needed to validate these measures.
Information-based uncertainty decomposition in dual-channel microwave remote sensing of soil moisture

Abstract. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) mission characterizes global spatiotemporal patterns in surface soil moisture using dual L-band microwave retrievals of horizontal ( TBh ) and vertical ( TBv ) polarized microwave brightness temperatures through a modeled mechanistic relationship between vegetation opacity, surface scattering albedo, and soil effective temperature ( Teff ). Although this model has been validated against in situ soil moisture, there is a lack of systematic characterization of where and why SMAP estimates deviate from the in situ observations. Here, we assess how the information content of in situ soil moisture observations from the US Climate Reference Network contrasts with (1) the information contained within raw SMAP observations (i.e., “informational random uncertainty”) derived from TBh , TBv , and Teff themselves and with (2) the information contained in SMAP's dual-channel algorithm (DCA) soil moisture estimates (i.e., “informational model uncertainty”) derived from the model's inherent structure and parameterizations. The results show that, on average, 80 % of the information in the in situ soil moisture is unexplained by SMAP DCA soil moisture estimates. Loss of information in the DCA modeling process contributes 35 % of the unexplained information, while the remainder is induced by a lack of additional explanatory power within TBh , TBv , and Teff . Overall, retrieval quality of SMAP DCA soil moisture, denoted as the Pearson correlation coefficient between SMAP DCA soil moisture and in situ soil moisture, is negatively correlated with the informational uncertainties, with slight differences across different land covers. The informational model uncertainty (Pearson correlation of −0.59 ) was found to be more influential than the informational random uncertainty (Pearson correlation of −0.34 ), suggesting that the poor performance of SMAP DCA at some locations is driven by model parameterization and/or structure and not underlying satellite measurements of TBh and TBv . A decomposition of mutual information between TBh , TBv , and DCA soil moisture shows that on average 58 % of information provided by TBh and TBv to DCA estimates is redundant. The amount of information redundantly and synergistically provided by TBh and TBv was found to be closely related (Pearson correlations of 0.79 and −0.82 , respectively) to the retrieval quality of SMAP DCA. TBh and TBv tend to contribute large redundant information to DCA estimates under surfaces or conditions where DCA makes better retrievals. This study provides a baseline approach that can also be applied to evaluate other remote sensing models and understand informational loss as satellite retrievals are translated to end-user products.
Antinociception produced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in female vs male rats.

The primary aim of this study was to examine sex differences in acute antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in rats. Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) was administered to adult Sprague–Dawley rats to induce pain and inflammation in one hindpaw; 2.5 h later, vehicle or a single dose of the NSAIDs ibuprofen (1.0–32 mg/kg) or ketoprofen (0.1–10 mg/kg), or the COX-2-preferring inhibitor celecoxib (1.0–10 mg/kg) was injected i.p. Mechanical allodynia, heat hyperalgesia, biased weight-bearing, and hindpaw thickness were assessed 0.5–24 h after drug injection. Ibuprofen and ketoprofen were more potent or efficacious in females than males in reducing mechanical allodynia and increasing weight-bearing on the CFA-injected paw, and celecoxib was longer-acting in females than males on these endpoints. In contrast, ketoprofen and celecoxib were more potent or efficacious in males than females in reducing hindpaw edema. When administered 3 days rather than 2.5 h after CFA, ketoprofen (3.2–32 mg/kg) was minimally effective in attenuating mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia, and did not restore weight-bearing or significantly decrease hindpaw edema, with no sex differences in any effect. Neither celecoxib nor ketoprofen effects were significantly attenuated by cannabinoid receptor 1 or 2 (CB1 or CB2) antagonists in either sex. These results suggest that common NSAIDs administered shortly after induction of inflammation are more effective in females than males in regard to their antinociceptive effects, whereas their anti-inflammatory effects tend to favor males; effect sizes indicate that sex differences in NSAID effect may be functionally important in some cases.
The Challenges and Implications of Fiscal Health

The condition of a local government’s fiscal health presents challenges to those working for the government, but also to those who rely upon the goods and services that it provides. Significant attention is has been paid to improving our understanding of fiscal health to improve the decision-making process of administrators. Unfortunately, little consensus has emerged concerning how it is defined and how it is measured. How we view the defining terms and resulting measurement, however, has differing legal implications related to a government’s bankruptcy or the imposition of an emergency manager by the state. Our understanding of fiscal health can also affect the recognition of a government’s liability. This article seeks to bring some understanding to the fiscal health of local governments. This is accomplished by defining fiscal health, providing an overview of how the health is measured, and discussing the legal implications that emerge as a result.
Skew Surge and Storm Tides of Tropical Cyclones in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays for 1980–2019

Coastal flooding poses the greatest threat to human life and is often the most common source of damage from coastal storms. From 1980 to 2020, the top 6, and 17 of the top 25, costliest natural disasters in the U.S. were caused by coastal storms, most of these tropical systems. The Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, two of the largest and most densely populated estuaries in the U.S. located in the Mid-Atlantic coastal region, have been significantly impacted by strong tropical cyclones in recent decades, notably Hurricanes Isabel (2003), Irene (2011), and Sandy (2012). Current scenarios of future climate project an increase in major hurricanes and the continued rise of sea levels, amplifying coastal flooding threat. We look at all North Atlantic tropical cyclones (TC) in the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) database that came within 750 km of the Delmarva Peninsula from 1980 to 2019. For each TC, skew surge and storm tide are computed at 12 NOAA tide gauges throughout the two bays. Spatial variability of the detrended and normalized skew surge is investigated through cross-correlations, regional storm rankings, and comparison to storm tracks. We find Hurricanes Sandy (2012) and Isabel (2003) had the largest surge impact on the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay, respectively. Surge response to TCs in upper and lower bay regions are more similar across bays than to the opposing region in their own bay. TCs that impacted lower bay more than upper bay regions tended to stay offshore east of Delmarva, whereas TCs that impacted upper bay regions tended to stay to the west of Delmarva. Although tropical cyclones are multi-hazard weather events, there continues to be a need to improve storm surge forecasting and implement strategies to minimize the damage of coastal flooding. Results from this analysis can provide insight on the potential regional impacts of coastal flooding from tropical cyclones in the Mid-Atlantic.
Evidence of a Strong N V/C IV Correlation between Emission and Absorption Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei

The narrow absorption lines (NALs) that are seen in the rest-frame ultraviolet near the systemic redshift of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are not always intrinsic to the near-nuclear region but may originate in the host galaxy or in neighboring galaxies intervening along the line of sight. A variety of criteria have been sought—and several identified—as evidence of an intrinsic origin. We have measured both emission and absorption lines in a Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph sample of objects with both C IV and N V NALs within ±5000 km s-1 of the systemic redshift. We find a strong (>99.5% confidence) linear correlation between the N V/C IV ratio in broad emission lines and that in NALs. A control sample of AGNs with NALs separated by larger velocities shows no such correlation. Our finding thus identifies an additional test for the intrinsic nature of NALs in any given object. The correlation shows that the chemical-enrichment histories and/or ionization parameters of the NAL clouds are closely related to those of clouds that produce the broad emission lines.
Religious and Spiritual Experiences: Spirituality and the brain: a revolutionary scientific approach to religious and spiritual experiences

INTRODUCTION The fact that the brain mediates RSEs is an unwelcome discovery for some religious people, particularly if they sense that the materiality of the brain somehow taints the spiritual perfection of such experiences. Others feel sure that the neural embodiment of RSEs should yield evidence that the neurosciences confirm their religious beliefs. For yet others, both religious and anti-religious, neural mediation is exciting because it opens up lines of inquiry into the causal conditions and functions of religious behavior, belief, and experience that formerly seemed non-existent. I count myself in this last, religiously mixed group of intellectuals. We support the neurological study of RSEs not because of any expectation that such research by itself can settle questions about the truth or falsity of religious beliefs, or about the value and liabilities of RSEs, but because of the potential of the neurosciences to illumine the functions and causal conditions of RSEs. While this book presumes that the human brain mediates RSEs, it is important not to take this completely for granted. Exhaustive neural mediation is a minority view in the history of thought and across cultures at the current time, despite its widespread acceptance among Western philosophers. We need to ask about the reasons to believe the hypothesis that RSEs are exhaustively neurally embodied. What is the philosophical significance of this idea? And precisely how can we mount fruitful research into the neural expression of RSEs? These are the questions to be examined in this chapter.