cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical properties of hydrogen sulfide‐water mixtures

Calculations concerning the production of heavy water by the hydrogen sulfide dual-temperature exchange process require precise data on the physical properties of dry hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen sulfide-water mixtures for temperatures between 25 and 170°C., and for pressures between 200 and 340 lb./sq.in.abs. However, data on enthalpy of hydrogen sulfide-water mixtures were not found in the literature, and data published on hydrogen sulfide-water compositions at equilibrium were given at such large intervals of temperature and pressure that they could not be interpolated accurately enough by ordinary means. 1Specific volume and enthalpy of dry, superheated hydrogen sulfide vapor, 2Composition of hydrogen sulfide-water vapor and liquid in equilibrium, 3Enthalpy of hydrogen sulfide vapor saturated with water vapor, 4Enthalpy of water liquid saturated with hydrogen sulfide vapor, 5Deuterium distribution constants for vapor-liquid equilibrium. A study was undertaken to express the properties, listed below, with equations suitable for solution on a digital computer and useful in mathematical models of the process. New correlating constants were derived where needed. The equations and typical results are presented in this paper.
Debt Games: Strategic Interaction in International Debt Rescheduling

Preface Overview Part I. Argument: 1. Examining the importance of epochs 2. Debt games and play: toward a model of debt rescheduling 3. A situational theory of payoffs and intervention decisions 4. A theory of situational change Part II. Epoch 1: the 1820s to the 1860s: 5. The intersection of high and low politics: Mexican debt rescheduling, 1824 to 1867 6. Guano makes the world go 'round: Peruvian debt rescheduling, 1823 to 1850s Part III. Epoch 2: the 1860s to the 1910s: 7. From stability to chaos: Mexican debt rescheduling, 1867 to 1914 8. To the victor go the spoils (and headaches): Peruvian debt rescheduling, 1875 to 1900s Part IV. Epoch 3: the 1910s to the 1950s: 9. Riding on the storm: Mexican debt rescheduling, 1916 to 1942 10. Years of false hope: Peruvian debt negotiations, 1930 to 1953 Part V. Epoch 4: the 1970s to the 1990s: 11. The good guys get tired: Mexico in the 1980s 12. The politics of confrontation: Peru in the 1980s and 1990s 13. Collision course: Argentina in the 1980s and 1990s 14. The search for independence: Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s Part VI. Implications: 15. Conclusion Appendix Bibliography.
Commentary on Measuring Disability

This is a commentary on 5 articles in this issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation that report on several related studies of new approaches to measuring disability. The project was grounded in theory, beginning with the development of a conceptual framework enhanced by a literature review and expert consultation within and outside of the Social Security Administration. The investigators then used item response theory to develop test items, which they organized into computer adaptive testing instruments and tested them for their psychometric properties. All in all, it is a groundbreaking set of studies and an enormously valuable contribution to the field. Hopefully it will also be tested as an alternative approach to assessing disability in the Social Security Administration disability benefits programs.
Irbesartan, an angiotensin type 1 receptor inhibitor, regulates markers of inflammation in patients with premature atherosclerosis

OBJECTIVES This study assessed the role of angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists on inflammatory mechanisms involved in atherogenesis. Specific inflammatory markers included solubilized tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor II (sTNF-αRII), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and superoxide. In addition, the AT1receptor blocker irbesartan was evaluated for its ability to suppress these markers in individuals with atherosclerosis. BACKGROUND Mechanisms involved in the complex process of atherogenesis include alterations in the inflammatory responses. The use of compounds that suppress these responses may reduce the degree of damage seen in atherosclerosis. METHODS With a cross-sectional study design, 33 normotensive patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) were treated with irbesartan for a 24-week period. These patients were compared against a control population with no known coronary atherosclerosis. Marker levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique and lucigenin chemiluminescence assay and statistically evaluated by two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS All patients with coronary artery disease had increased levels of inflammatory molecules over those of control patients. Treatment with irbesartan in these patients significantly reduced levels of inflammatory molecules measured. Soluble VCAM-1 levels were reduced by 36%; soluble TNF-alpha levels were reduced by 54% and superoxide level decreased by 52%. Maximal suppression of inflammatory markers by irbesartan therapy in patients with CAD was seen at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS The effect of irbesartan on each inflammatory marker is significant. Our results show that use of irbesartan may retard the inflammatory process seen in premature forms of atherosclerosis.
Epigenetic control of signaling networks involved in interleukin-18-induced cardiac hypertrophy and its attenuation by pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Background Daily intra-peritoneal injection of IL-18 for one week in Balb/c mice led to the development of severe cardiac hypertrophy that was accompanied by induction of fetal gene expression. Both anatomical and molecular features of cardiac hypertrophy were ameliorated by pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), m-carboxycinnamic acid bis-hydroxamide (CBHA) and trichostatin A (TSA). Materials and methods Treatment of mice with IL-18, with or without CBHA or TSA, caused dynamic remodeling of cardiac chromatin as judged by altered posttranslational modifications of the constituent histones. Administration of either TSA or CBHA in mice, even in the presence of IL-18, induced hyper-acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 demonstrating the unique action of HDAC inhibitors. Epigenetic changes in chromatin architecture were accompanied by reprogramming of cardiac hypertrophy-specific gene expression. Comparative profiles of cardiac gene expression of vehicle-treated mice with animals that received IL-18±CBHA or TSA revealed that 184 genes were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and a subset of 38 genes was oppositely regulated by IL-18 and TSA. In contrast, the hearts of mice treated with IL-18 and/or CBHA elicited 147 DEGs; IL-18 robustly up-regulated 58 genes that were blocked by CBHA or IL-18+CBHA. Results and conclusion Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of DEGs revealed that both HDACIs profoundly impacted a number of intracellular signaling pathways. Global gene expression analyses of H9c2 cardiac myocytes incubated with CBHA or TSA for 6 and 24 hr were also carried out. We observed that the signatures of DEGs evoked by TSA and CBHA after 6 and at 24h treatment were unique. Nevertheless, it appeared that both HDACIs altered the course of PI3KPTEN-Akt/PKB, Ca ++ /calmodulin and p38-ERK-MAPKJNK signaling pathways to regulate gene expression via activation of Ap1, HNF4A, Myc and NFkB. Informed by the putative signaling networks deduced from the DEGs seen in the heart, we investigated the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a key regulator of the PI3K-AKT/PKB-NFkB pathway. Both TSA and CBHA induced robust expression of PTEN mRNA and protein in the heart. Based on these data we conclude that both TSA and CBHA attenuated anatomical and functional manifestations of IL-18-induced cardiac hypertrophy by epigenetic induction of PTEN to selectively block the PI3K-AKT/PKB-NFkB signaling.
A New Species of Threskiornithidae-Like Bird (Aves, Ciconiiformes) from the Green River Formation (Eocene) of Wyoming

ABSTRACT A new avian species from the late early Eocene Fossil Butte Member of the Green River Formation is described based on a nearly complete postcranial skeleton. The new species, Vadaravis brownae, gen. et sp. nov., can be diagnosed by a unique combination of characters, including the following autapomorphies, which are unique among Aves: two (cranial and caudal) small and discrete pneumatopores on the lateral sides of the caudal-most thoracic centra; and a caudoventrally located pisiform process of the carpometacarpus that projects only weakly cranially. Phylogenetic analyses recover Vadaravis as a member of the waterbird assemblage (including, e.g., penguins, storks, pelicans), closely related to taxa traditionally placed within the avian order Ciconiiformes (storks, flamingos, herons, the hamerkop, ibises, and spoonbills). Additional morphological features and a phylogenetic analysis constrained by a recently recovered waterbird topology suggest close affinities between Vadaravis and Threskiornith...
Interactive Data Visualization: New Directions for Accounting Information Systems Research

ABSTRACT: Many companies today utilize interactive data visualization to present accounting information to external users on their investor relations websites and to internal users in applications such as enterprise resource planning, Balanced Scorecard, network security, and fraud detection systems. We develop a taxonomy for examining the current state of interactive data visualization research related to accounting decision making. We organize our review around three themes: the relationship between task characteristics and interactive data visualization techniques, the relationship between decision maker characteristics and interactive data visualization techniques, and the impact of interactive data visualization techniques on decision processes and outcomes. The review categorizes relevant research, describes the research questions addressed, and suggests avenues for further research.
Scale, Place and Social Movements: Strategies of Resistance Along India's Narmada River

This paper focuses on the struggles being waged by the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a rural social movement opposing displacement due to dams along India’s Narmada River. Building a comparison between two major anti-dam struggles within the Andolan, around the Sardar Sarovar and Maheshwar dams, this study seeks to show that multi-sited social movements pursue a variety of scale and place-based strategies and this multiplicity is key to the possibilities for progressive change that they embody. The paper highlights three aspects of the Andolan. First, the Andolan has successfully combined environmental networks and agricultural identities across the space of its struggle. The Andolan became internationally celebrated when its resistance led to the World Bank withdrawing funding for the Sardar Sarovar dam in 1993. This victory was viewed as a consequence of the Andolan’s successful utilization of transnational environmental networks. However, the Andolan has also intervened in agrarian politics within India and this role of the Andolan emerges when the struggle against the Maheshwar dam is considered. Second, this paper examines the role played by the Andolan in building a national movement against displacement. Given that India’s Supreme Court gave permission for the continued construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam in 2000, the power of the state to push through destructive development projects cannot be underestimated. The national level thus remains an important scale for the Andolan’s struggle leading to the formation of social movement networks and the construction of collective identities around experiences of rural and urban displacement. Third, this paper reflects on how common access to the Narmada river also provides a material basis for the formation of a collective identity, one which can be used to address the class divisions that characterize the Andolan’s membership. Overall, the paper aims to contribute to the study of social movements by showing how attachments to multiple geographies ensure that a movement’s potential futures always exceed the nature of its present forms of resistance.
Fishing, fast growth and climate variability increase the risk of collapse

Species around the world have suffered collapses, and a key question is why some populations are more vulnerable than others. Traditional conservation biology and evidence from terrestrial species suggest that slow-growing populations are most at risk, but interactions between climate variability and harvest dynamics may alter or even reverse this pattern. Here, we test this hypothesis globally. We use boosted regression trees to analyse the influences of harvesting, species traits and climate variability on the risk of collapse (decline below a fixed threshold) across 154 marine fish populations around the world. The most important factor explaining collapses was the magnitude of overfishing, while the duration of overfishing best explained long-term depletion. However, fast growth was the next most important risk factor. Fast-growing populations and those in variable environments were especially sensitive to overfishing, and the risk of collapse was more than tripled for fast-growing when compared with slow-growing species that experienced overfishing. We found little evidence that, in the absence of overfishing, climate variability or fast growth rates alone drove population collapse over the last six decades. Expanding efforts to rapidly adjust harvest pressure to account for climate-driven lows in productivity could help to avoid future collapses, particularly among fast-growing species.
Calibration-free visual control using projective invariance

Much of the previous work on hand-eye coordination has emphasized the reconstructive aspects of vision. Recently, techniques that avoid explicit reconstruction by placing visual feedback into a control loop have been developed. When properly defined, these methods lead to calibration insensitive hand-eye coordination. Recent work on projective geometry as applied to vision is used to extend this paradigm in two ways. First, it is shown how results from projective geometry can be used to perform online calibration. Second, results on projective invariance are used to define setpoints for visual control that are independent of viewing location. These ideas are illustrated through a number of examples and have been tested on an implemented system. >
Bridging Stem Cell Research from Humans to Animals

Bridging Stem Cell Research from Humans to Animals Translational stem cell research is a relatively young subspecialty of clinical research in animals. Although the success of therapeutic stem cell therapies in humans was based on research in small animal models, namely mice, development of clinical applications for farm and companion animals has been very limited so far. Because basic mechanisms regulating the physiology and function of stem cells are likely to be highly conserved between humans and animals, current practices and techniques that have been developed for human subjects can now be translated to improve animal welfare.
Functional importance of myocardial relaxation in patients with congestive heart failure

Abstract The factors that determine left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) are not completely understood. While many investigators measure relaxation in patients with heart failure, its relative functional importance remains unclear. The authors studied 22 patients with cardiomyopathy before and after 3 months of therapy with metoprolol or placebo. At catheterization, LVEDP, isovolumic relaxation rates not normalized for load (τ), the slope of the τ-end-systolic pressure relation (R), the constant of chamber stiffness (k), left ventricular ejection fraction, stroke volume, and coronary sinus norepinephrine levels were measured using micromanometer pressure measurements and digital ventriculography. The myocardial respiratory quotient was measured using blood gas analysis of the coronary sinus and left ventricular blood. Univariate analysis demonstrated that changes in LVEDP correlated with changes in relaxation rates, R, and the myocardial respiratory quotient. However, multivariate stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that only changes in R independently correlated with changes in LVEDP. These data suggest that relaxation may play some role in the determination of LVEDP in patients with heart failure. Changes in glycolytic activity may also play a role in the determination of LVEDP in patients with congestive heart failure.
Quickest Detection and Tracking of Spawning Targets Using Monopulse Radar Channel Signals

Recent advances have been reported in detecting and estimating the location of more than one target within a single monopulse radar beam. Successful tracking of those targets has been achieved with the aid of nonlinear filters that approximate the targets' states' conditional pdf, bypassing the measurement extraction stage, and operating directly on the monopulse sum/difference data, i.e., without measurement extraction. The problem of detecting a target spawn will be tackled in this paper. Particle filters will be employed as nonlinear tracking filters to approximate the posterior probability densities of the targets' states under different hypotheses of the number of targets, which in turn can be used to evaluate the likelihood ratio between two different hypotheses at subsequent time steps. Ultimately, a quickest detection procedure based on sequential processing of the likelihood ratios will be used to decide on a change in the underlying target model as an indication of a newly spawning target. Radar signal processing, data association, and target tracking are handled simultaneously.
Signal processing for cochlear prosthesis: a tutorial review

Cochlear implants has been very successful in restoring partial hearing to profoundly deaf people. The success of cochlear implants can be attributed to the combined efforts of scientists from various disciplines including bioengineering, speech science and signal processing. This paper presents an overview of various signal processing techniques that have been used for cochlear prosthesis over the years.
Bayesian Dose-Finding in Two Treatment Cycles Based on the Joint Utility of Efficacy and Toxicity

This article proposes a phase I/II clinical trial design for adaptively and dynamically optimizing each patient’s dose in each of two cycles of therapy based on the joint binary efficacy and toxicity outcomes in each cycle. A dose-outcome model is assumed that includes a Bayesian hierarchical latent variable structure to induce association among the outcomes and also facilitate posterior computation. Doses are chosen in each cycle based on posteriors of a model-based objective function, similar to a reinforcement learning or Q-learning function, defined in terms of numerical utilities of the joint outcomes in each cycle. For each patient, the procedure outputs a sequence of two actions, one for each cycle, with each action being the decision to either treat the patient at a chosen dose or not to treat. The cycle 2 action depends on the individual patient’s cycle 1 dose and outcomes. In addition, decisions are based on posterior inference using other patients’ data, and therefore, the proposed method is ad...
Abstract B33: PKC resistance in uveal melanoma is mediated by activation of AKT and reversed by BYL719, the PI3Kα inhibitor

Uveal melanoma is the one of most common intraocular malignancies of the adult eye. Recently, Protein Kinase C (PKC) inhibitors have been used, as single agent and in combination, to treat GNAQ/GNA11-mutant uveal melanoma. However, patients may develop resistance to drug therapy. We have studied mechanisms of PKC resistance in uveal melanoma by exposing GNAQ/GNA11 mutant cell lines (92.1, Omm1.3 and Omm1) to increasing concentrations of the PKC inhibitor AEB071 for extended periods of time. Cell survival, as measured by cell proliferation assays, indicates IC50s of > 5μM, ten times higher than the sensitive parental cells. Western blot analysis indicates increased expression of p-MARCKS (the PKC substrate), p-ERK and p-AKT in the resistant cells. When treated with AEB071, there was no evidence of PKC enzyme inhibition and no suppression of p-MARCKS, p-ERK or p-AKT. Though resistant to AEB071, treatment of the resistant cells with BYL719, a PI3Kα inhibitor, shows inhibition of cell growth (IC50s between 1 and 2 μM) with inhibition of p-AKT similar to that of the parental cells. Furthermore, this effect on growth inhibition can be enhanced by combining AEB071 with BYL719 resulting in inhibition of p-ERK, p-S6 and p-AKT despite persistent activation of p-MARCKS. Analysis of p-glycoprotein (MDR) in the PKC resistant cell lines showed no differences when compared to the parental cell lines, suggesting that this effect is not due to differences in drug accumulation. These studies support the combination of AEB071 and BYL719 as a means to maintain sensitization to PKC inhibitor therapy despite the onset of drug resistance. A clinical trial with AEB071 and BYL719 will be initiated shortly. Citation Format: Elgilda Musi, Grazia Ambrosini, Gary K. Schwartz. PKC resistance in uveal melanoma is mediated by activation of AKT and reversed by BYL719, the PI3Kα inhibitor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr B33.
The immune system and complementary and alternative medicine.

Some may wonder why a comparative immunologist would knock on the door of the controversial field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The field is replete with problems associated with beliefs, disbeliefs, shaky concepts and ill-defined experimental approaches at solving fundamental questions. Yet there is a measure of order in that miniscule, infinitesimal corner of phenomena that begs for clarification and solid attempts to create order from the chaos. Such was the world of comparative immunology in the early 60s when the parent field of immunology was budding into the giant sequoia of a discipline that it is today. There was essentially one model the eternal mouse whose spleen seemed to provide the essence of immunology! How did it all get started and how did that somewhat fortuitous birth provide succor for a field that could approach CAM. Entering CAM with an evidence-based approach was therefore as much of a fruitful and fulfilling challenge as trying to probe convincingly the existence of innate immunity in earthworms (1,2).
Evidence of Chiral Order in the Charge-Ordered Phase of Superconducting La(1.875)Ba(0.125)Cuo(4) Single Crystals Using Polar Kerr-Effect Measurements

High resolution polar Kerr effect measurements were performed on La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 single crystals revealing that a finite Kerr signal is measured below an onset temperature TK that coincides with the charge ordering transition temperature TCO. We further show that the sign of the Kerr signal cannot be trained with the magnetic field, is found to be the same on opposite sides of the same crystal, and is odd with respect to strain in the diagonal direction of the unit cell. These observations are consistent with a chiral "gyrotropic" order above Tc for La1.875Ba0.125CuO4; similarities to other cuprates suggest that it is a universal property in the pseudogap regime.
Timing of Post-Treatment Imaging After Definitive Chemoradiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: Impact on Predictive Value and Clinical Utility

Materials/Methods: The records of patients treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham between 1996 and 2009 who received CRT for LAHNC were reviewed. After excluding nasopharyngeal, sino-nasal, unknown primary carcinomas, patients \18 years of age, and those without evaluable post-treatment imaging, 210 patients were available for analysis. Post-treatment imaging (CT or MRI of the head and neck, or PET-CT) was assessed for rCR vs. non-rCR (NCR) using RECIST criteria. The TTI after CRT and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and NPVof post-treatment imaging with regard to ultimate locoregional control (LRC) were recorded. Imaging concordance with site of first locoregional failure (LRF) was also evaluated. An independent samples t-test was used to assess the TTI for association with these parameters. Additional chi-squared analysis was also performed to assess multiple TTI cutoffs and ranges for predictive value.
Extracorporeal Circulatory Approaches to Treat Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

The early history of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for adult patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) evolved slowly over decades, a consequence of extracorporeal technology with high risk and unclear benefit. However, advances in component technology, accumulating evidence, and growing experience in recent years have resulted in a resurgence of interest in ECMO. Extracorporeal support, though currently lacking high-level evidence, has the potential to improve outcomes, including survival, in ARDS. In the near future, novel extracorporeal management strategies may, in fact, lead to a new paradigm in the approach to certain patients with ARDS.
Data Mining Methods for Modeling Gene Expression Regulation and Their Applications

This paper demonstrates machine learning and data mining methods that can be developed and applied to analyzing large quantities of genomic information and gene expression data for characterizing and modeling gene expression regulation. In particular, there will be a discussion on some of the methods that have been developed for modeling gene expression regulation underlying abiotic stress (e.g., drought, low temperature and salinity) tolerance, for identifying gene responsive to particular environmental stress conditions, and for characterizing the functions of microRNA genes for stress regulation in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Attributions of Responsibility and Persuasion: Increasing Mammography Utilization Among Women Over 40 With an Internally Oriented Message

One hundred ninety-seven women over 40 years old and not adhering to national guidelines for screening mammography viewed persuasive messages varying in attributional emphasis (internal, external, or information-only). Internal attributions of responsibility for health-promoting behavior were expected to motivate the greatest change in women's attitudes and behaviors in relation to breast cancer and mammography. Attitudes about breast cancer and mammography were measured immediately and 6 months after the presentation. Twelve months later, women who viewed the internal message were more likely to have obtained a screening mammogram than women assigned to the other 2 conditions. The attributions of responsibility encouraged by the persuasive messages were associated with whether viewing the presentation led to behavior change.
Reinforcement learning from simultaneous human and MDP reward

As computational agents are increasingly used beyond research labs, their success will depend on their ability to learn new skills and adapt to their dynamic, complex environments. If human users---without programming skills---can transfer their task knowledge to agents, learning can accelerate dramatically, reducing costly trials. The tamer framework guides the design of agents whose behavior can be shaped through signals of approval and disapproval, a natural form of human feedback. More recently, tamer+rl was introduced to enable human feedback to augment a traditional reinforcement learning (RL) agent that learns from a Markov decision process's (MDP) reward signal. We address limitations of prior work on tamer and tamer+rl, contributing in two critical directions. First, the four successful techniques for combining human reward with RL from prior tamer+rl work are tested on a second task, and these techniques' sensitivities to parameter changes are analyzed. Together, these examinations yield more general and prescriptive conclusions to guide others who wish to incorporate human knowledge into an RL algorithm. Second, tamer+rl has thus far been limited to a sequential setting, in which training occurs before learning from MDP reward. In this paper, we introduce a novel algorithm that shares the same spirit as tamer+rl but learns simultaneously from both reward sources, enabling the human feedback to come at any time during the reinforcement learning process. We call this algorithm simultaneous tamer+rl. To enable simultaneous learning, we introduce a new technique that appropriately determines the magnitude of the human model's influence on the RL algorithm throughout time and state-action space.
Lack of Interaction Between Dietary Threonine and Eimeria acervulina in Chicks

Abstract The production function of interest (e.g., feed cost/unit of body weight or feed cost/unit of meat) typically dictates nutrient levels of amino acids in broiler diets. Hence, broiler companies maximizing saleable white meat may have higher nutrient minimums for the most limiting amino acids than companies focusing on live body weight. Knowledge of gastrointestinal development and function, as affected by dietary amino acids, is increasing, but this knowledge is typically not considered when setting amino acid minimums in least-cost formulation. Because the gastrointestinal tract has been shown to have a high metabolic need for Thr, two experiments were conducted to determine if growth responses of broilers to dietary Thr are affected by Eimeria acervulina infection. In both experiments, Ross × Ross 308 male broiler chicks received diets containing 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8% total dietary Thr with and without E. acervulina infection. Positive and negative main effect growth responses occurred for increasing dietary Thr and administration of E. acervulina innoculum, respectively. Treatment interactions, however, did not occur. These results indicate that broiler chick Thr needs are not increased by a mild E. acervulina infection.
The ablation of graphitic materials in the sublimation regime

A large variety of graphitic materials have been tested in an arc heated air stream at a surface pressure of 4.3 atm and a nominal surface temperature of 3925 K. Included were commercial and developmental grades of artificial graphites, both two and three dimensional carbon-carbon composites, composites seeded with refractory compounds, and several special materials such as pyrolytic graphite, mesophase graphite, glassy carbon, and natural graphite. ATJ graphite was used as a control material. Except for the seeded materials which had poor performance, the mass loss rate for all the man-made graphitic materials fell within the range of 17 per cent less to 30 per cent more than the rate for ATJ. Thus it is concluded that wide variations in constituents, processing, fabrication and structure have relatively little effect on the ablation performance of graphitic materials, at least under the conditions of the present tests. Particulate mass loss was observed for all the materials tested and is the dominant mechanism for mass removal at the present test conditions. It is suggested that this mechanism results from physical failure, primarily by compressive thermal stress.
Photochemical Studies Using Organic-Inorganic Sol-Gel Materials

The flexible solution chemistry of the sol-gel process has been used to encapsulate a wide variety of organic, organometallic, and biomolecules in inorganic solids. This paper reviews different types of photochemical reactions which we have used to produce specific products or to generate oxygen within sol-gel matrices. By controlling synthesis conditions, the molecules can be made to exhibit desired reactivities when trapped in the sol-gel matrix. Three different examples of photochemical reactions are presented in this paper. An organometallic gold precursor compound, dimethyl (hexafluoroacetylacetonato)gold, dissolved in a silicate sol is used to produce gold nanoparticles of desired sizes. The second example is based on sol-gel encapsulated photochromic (and thermochromic) spiropyran, that converts to a colored form using thermal energy or UV radiation. The synthesis strategies for selectively isolating the colored or the colorless form in sol-gel materials are presented. Materials of these types may be useful in writeonce- read-many (WORM) optical data storage applications. The third example involves sol-gel matrices doped with a biosystem, the green plant photosystem H (PS II). The resulting aged gels and xerogels are photoactive and are capable of photooxidizing water. Oxygen illumination was measured under white light and there is an indication that PS II particles are stabilized by the encapsulation process.
The Price of Non-reductive Moral Realism

Non-reductive moral realism is the view that there are moral properties which cannot be reduced to natural properties. If moral properties exist, it is plausible that they strongly supervene on non-moral properties- more specifically, on mental, social, and biological properties. There may also be good reasons for thinking that moral properties are irreducible. However, strong supervenience and irreducibility seem incompatible. Strong supervenience entails that there is an enormous number of modal truths (specifically, truths about exactly which non-moral properties necessitate which moral properties); and all these modal truths must be explained. If these modal truths can all be explained, then it must be a fundamental truth about the essence of each moral property that the moral property is necessarily equivalent to some property that can be specified purely in mental, social and biological terms; and this fundamental truth appears to be a reduction of the moral property in question. The best way to resist this argument is by resorting to the claim that mental and social properties are not, strictly speaking, natural properties, but are instead properties that can only be analysed in partly normative terms. Acceptance of that claim is the price of non-reductive moral realism.
Is a reduction in distance to nearest supermarket associated with BMI change among type 2 diabetes patients

We examined whether residing within 2 miles of a new supermarket opening was longitudinally associated with a change in body mass index (BMI). We identified 12 new supermarkets that opened between 2009 and 2010 in 8 neighborhoods. Using the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Diabetes Registry, we identified members with type 2 diabetes residing continuously in any of these neighborhoods 12 months prior to the first supermarket opening until 10 months following the opening of the last supermarket. Exposure was defined as a reduction (yes/no) in travel distance to the nearest supermarket as a result of a new supermarket opening. First difference regression models were used to estimate the impact of reduced supermarket distance on BMI, adjusting for longitudinal changes in patient and neighborhood characteristics. Among patients in the exposed group, new supermarket openings reduced travel distance to the nearest supermarket by 0.7 miles on average. However, reduced distance to nearest supermarket was not associated with BMI changes. Overall, we found no evidence that reduced supermarket distance was associated with reduced levels of obesity for residents with type 2 diabetes.
Water in Islam

The position of water in Islam is foremost, in large part because of its scarcity in so many Muslim countries. Sharia law actually began in pre-Islamic time in relation to water. Issues of Islamic law and equity include rights of thirst and of irrigation, as well as protection of the environment, and water rights under Islam. Water conservation is seen as essential and educating about water through the mosques has been a new effort in some places in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Water-resource management has included a new subdivision into certain geographic/geological zonal characteristics that enable better understandings, among which the water-stressed zone of physical scarcity applies best to Afghanistan, but also to a certain extent to Pakistan and Tajikistan. Other water-related subdivision zones that also apply are the tension-driven zonation and water disaster-prone zonation , which also occur predominantly in these countries. The impact of Islam on problematic water issues of the present day has been somewhat limited and new research and other scholarly efforts are indicated as advisable to take maximum advantage of useful religious viewpoints to improve problematic societal actions. New linkages established between the discoveries of modern science, and the very wise environmental strictures of ancient Islam would be a real boon.
Klippel-Trenaunay and Sturge-Weber Syndromes with Renal Hemangioma and Double Inferior Vena Cava

AbstractWe describe a 3½-year-old boy with the Klippel-Trenaunay and Sturge-Weber syndromes. The child had congenital superficial capillary hemangiomas, congenital glaucoma and mild hydrocephalus. During the first year of life he experienced intermittent hematuria. When he was 3 years old he presented with seizures and left hemihypertrophy first was noted. Several months later radiological examination of a large abdominal mass demonstrated its origin to be in the right kidney. Radical nephrectomy documented the presence of renal hemangioma with complicating perirenal hematoma. A double inferior vena cava was another unexpected surgical finding that complicated the course of this patient. All of these unusual features in these rare syndromes with their clinical, pathogenetic and therapeutic implications are discussed. The differential diagnosis of renal masses in these syndromes also is presented.
Parents’ and teachers’ reflections on the process of daily transitions in an infant and toddler laboratory school

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study considered values, beliefs, perspectives, and meanings of 7 parents and 3 teachers within the context of daily home-to-child care transitions in one infant-toddler center in an early childhood laboratory school. Sociocultural and attachment theories anchored the study and the developmental niche framework informed methodology. The study gave voice to parents of infants and toddlers and teachers involved in transitions rituals, an approach few studies in the U.S. have taken to date. Naturalistic observations, videotaped transitions, and video-stimulated recall interviews (VSRI) were used with participants. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method, creating vignettes, and ensuring trustworthiness through thick descriptions, triangulation of data, and reflective journaling. Findings include: (a) parents and teachers partnered to create and implement individualized strategies to facilitate transitions, (b) parents and teachers had different perspectives and assigned ...
Laboratory and Clinical Monitoring of Direct Acting Oral Anticoagulants: What Clinicians Need to Know

The direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, have favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and equal or superior efficacy and an improved safety profile compared with warfarin. Noted shortcomings with DOACs are shorter half-lives requiring stricter adherence, lack of standardized laboratory monitoring, lack of anticoagulation reversal agents, and loss of routine coagulation monitoring leading to fewer patient-clinician interactions. This review addresses many of these limitations including monitoring of DOACs for efficacy and toxicity, an assessment of selected qualitative and quantitative tests, and development of monitoring strategies for special populations. Coagulation monitoring is generally recommended only in overdose situations, but once standardized assays are readily available, they could be helpful to ensure efficacy, assess bleeding, and aid in drug selection in a number of other patient scenarios. Coagulation tests that may provide qualitative assessment include activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and thrombin time. Methods with potential utility for quantitative assessment of DOACs include plasma drug concentrations, ecarin clotting time, dilute thrombin time, and anti-factor Xa concentrations. Noncoagulation laboratory monitoring should include serum creatinine, liver function tests, and complete blood counts. Clinical monitoring of the DOAC-treated patient should include routine assessment of adherence, bleeding risks, and drug interactions. Frequency of monitoring should be 1-3 months after initiation and then at least every 6 months, with more frequent follow-up (i.e., 3 months) based on patient specific characteristics such as age, renal impairment, hepatic impairment, and concomitant drug therapy. The authors provide a practical tool to assist in DOAC monitoring and recommend that pharmacists collaborate with physicians in selecting appropriate patients and tailoring patient-specific monitoring plans.
Sarduy’s Colibrí and the search for discursive foundations in the regional novel

ABSTRACTThis essay will examine Sarduy’s novel Colibri as an attempt at reinterpreting classics of the Latin American regional novel such as Jose Eustasio Rivera’s La Voragine and Romulo Gallegos’ Dona Barbara. Sarduy radically reexamines those earlier novels and finds that they already contain generic, racial, and sexual tensions that link them more directly to Boom narrative. He recognizes that these archetypes of the autochthonous modality already contain themes similar to those that will be foregrounded later in contemporary Latin American literature and, therefore, vindicates the regional novel’s significance despite its traditional role as the Boom’s imperfect, abandoned ancestor within the Latin American canon. Sarduy uncovers the mediated discourses of which the novela de la tierra is composed by exploding its superficial binaries, its supposed logic of purity, and revealing a veiled mestizaje.
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

They came by land and sea, wave after wave of refugees washing up on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, searching for security and a stable livelihood. One can be forgiven for thinking first ...
Rapid and ultrasensitive detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals using a nanosensor-enabled cell-based platform

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interact with estrogen receptors (ERs), causing a broad range of adverse health effects. Current assays for EDC activity are slow and often lack sensitivity. We report here an ultra-sensitive nanosensor that can detect estrogenic cellular changes in ER(+) MCF-7 cells rapidly (minutes) at several orders of magnitude lower than the generally used assays. Notably, the sensor responses at these ultra-low EDC levels correlated with an increased synthesis phase (S-phase) cell population of EDC-treated cells. The nanosensor was also able to detect binary EDC mixture effects, with synergism observed for bisphenol A (BPA) – 17β-estradiol (E2), and antagonism for dicyclohexylphthalate (DCHP) – E2 and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) – E2.
Self-reported history of seizure and baseline neurocognitive test performance in student-athletes: an initial investigation.

ABSTRACTObjectives: Baseline neurocognitive assessment data can be critical in return to play (RTP) decision-making following a sport-related concussion (SRC). The literature indicates that many modifying factors of SRC have been studied empirically; however, there has been little investigation into the effect of a self-reported history of seizure(s) on baseline neurocognitive test data. The objective of this investigation was to determine whether a self-reported history of seizure(s) is associated with differences in baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) performance.Methods: A retrospective analysis of 18,245 adolescent and young adult athletes’ ImPACT scores was performed. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 7,391 participants were dichotomized into groups based on the presence or absence of a self-reported history of seizure. Participants reporting a history of seizure (n = 60) were matched on multiple variables in a 1:3 ratio with controls (n =...
Experiences of Women Coping With Catcalling Experiences in New York City: A Pilot Study

Awareness of sexual harassment in various forms continues to increase. However, literature on street harassment, such as catcalling, is less explored. A constructivist grounded theory and narrative...
The First Step Away from Linear Regression

This paper is aimed at suggesting an alternative approach to a rolling window Linear Regression. Typically, while doing time series regressions, running an ordinary least square regression is too restrictive. This can happen if we believe that over time our regression coefficients change due to structural reasons. A usual approach is to employ a rolling regression, however this amounts to discarding information in the past. A cleaner approach is to use a state space model and fit it's parameters using Maximum Likelihood Estimation.
How education researchers have colluded in the rise of neoliberalism: what should the role of academics be in these Trumpian times?

AbstractThe Trump administration represents less a break from the Bush and Obama administration education reforms than an expansion of those reforms. I argue that academics have been complicit in these reforms through the depolitization and privatization of their scholarship and their adherence to a technological framework of knowledge production, dissemination, and utilization. I call for education professionals in universities and schools to build alliances to co-generate knowledge, find ways to place it at the service of the common good and advocate for more equitable public schools.
Decentralized Control Strategy for AC-Stacked PV Inverter Architecture Under Grid Background Harmonics

Grid background harmonics cause harmonic distortion on the output current of grid-tied inverters, and they require the inverter to have harmonic mitigation control. The main object of this paper is to propose a decentralized control strategy for mitigation of the impact of distorted grid on ac-stacked photovoltaic inverter architecture. Two control schemes for this architecture are proposed and analyzed in this paper to mitigate the harmonic current caused by distorted grid voltage without any handshaking among the inverter members and supervisory control center. The proposed control method improves the reliability of the architecture by increasing the operating margin and it improves the power quality by reducing the harmonic content of the output current. The proposed methods are analyzed by frequency analysis and grid disturbance impedance analysis. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme has been demonstrated and verified through a control-hardware-in-the-loop experiment.
Terrorism and Freedom of Expression: An Econometric Analysis

We apply empirical methods to examine the relationship between the frequency of terrorist incidences and freedom of expression, which we measure using Freedom House's Freedom of the Press report, and access to landline telephones, mobile phones, and the Internet. Using standard ordinary least squares econometric methods, we ultimately find that greater mobile phone access tends to increase the frequency of terrorist incidences at a diminishing rate and that greater Internet access tends to decrease the frequency of terrorist incidences at a diminishing rate. On average, the frequency of terrorist incidences is highest when societies have access to 137.89 mobile phone subscriptions for each 100 people, and lowest when the percentage of people with Internet access is at 64.79%. Based on our results, we cannot conclude that either freedom of the press or landline telephone access have any statistically significant influence on the frequency of terrorist incidences.