cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The computational rise and fall of fairness

The fair division of indivisible goods has long been an important topic in economics and, more recently, computer science. We investigate the existence of envyfree allocations of indivisible goods, that is, allocations where each player values her own allocated set of goods at least as highly as any other player's allocated set of goods. Under additive valuations, we show that even when the number of goods is larger than the number of agents by a linear fraction, envy-free allocations are unlikely to exist.We then show that when the number of goods is larger by a logarithmic factor, such allocations exist with high probability. We support these results experimentally and show that the asymptotic behavior of the theory holds even when the number of goods and agents is quite small. We demonstrate that there is a sharp phase transition from nonexistence to existence of envy-free allocations, and that on average the computational problem is hardest at that transition.
A computational analysis of the synergistic effect of coagulation inhibitors on the generation of thrombin

The coagulation system (CS) is a complex, inter-connected biological system with major physiological and pathological roles. The CS may be viewed as a complex adaptive system, in which individual components are linked through multiple feedback and feedforward loops. The non-linear relationships between the numerous coagulation factors and the interplay among the elements of the CS render the study of this biology at a molecular and cellular level nearly impossible. We present an Agent Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) approach for simulating these complex interactions. Our ABMS approach utilizes a subset of 52 rules to define the interactions among 33 enzymes and factors of the CS. These rules simulate the interaction of each “agent”, such as substrates, enzymes, and cofactors, on a two-dimensional grid of ~12,000 cells and ~300,000 agents. Our ABMS method successfully reproduces the initiation, propagation, and termination of thrombin formation due to the activation of the extrinsic pathway. Furthermore, the ABMS is able to demonstrate the emergence of a threshold effect for thrombin generation as a result of the synergistic effect of combining anticoagulant systems.
Effects of vacuum filtration parameters on ultrafine coal dewatering

Abstract Coal fines (-0.6 mm) are often cleaned using wet separation processes such as froth flotation. Dewatering of clean coal slurry is essential for marketing the product and reducing the transportation cost. Vacuum filtration is one of the most widely used processes for fine coal dewatering. However, the filter cake often contains more than 20% moisture demanded by the coal industry The present study was undertaken to better understand ultrafine coal (-0-15 mm) dewatering process using vacuum filtration by evaluating several important but often overlooked process parameters. A continuous filter leaf dewatering system and a small-scale drum filter were employed to investigate effects of cake formation time, cake drying time, flocculant conditioning time, feed size distribution, slurry agitation intensity etc. Results have shown that ultrafine coal dewatering performance evaluated by cake moisture, solids throughput etc., is strongly dependent on these parameters. Enhanced ultrafine coal dewatering can...
REFLECTIONS ON ORDERLY AND DISORDERLY ETHNOGRAPHY

This paper discusses the eroding conceptual and geographic distance between research and daily life, between the home and the field. I focus in particular on the important role played by new tools and devices for recording, transforming, keeping and communicating an ever-growing corpus of information, references, images, sounds and ideas. In the process of changing the way we imagine the process of doing ethnography, and the technologies we use to manufacture ethnographies, we have inadvertently become much more like journalists, expatriates and even tourists, which requires us to engage in new kinds of boundary maintenance.
Behavioral Differences Between Near Eastern Neanderthals and the Early Modern Humans from Skhul and Qafzeh: An Assessment Based on Comparative Samples of Holocene Humans

The differences and similarities between Near Eastern Neanderthals and the early modern humans from Skhul and Qafzeh in Israel have long been a point of study and debate. Conclusions about the magnitude and especially the implications of the differences have served as evidence to support or refute competing hypotheses about their cultural and biological differences. Here we revisit the controversy by assessing the midshaft shapes and robusticity of the femur, tibial , humerus, and radius of these Middle Paleolithic samples in comparison to European Neanderthals, Gravettian modern humans, several modern individuals from other late Pleistocene cultures in Europe and Israel, and a diverse set of Holocene humans from around the globe. The results show that the Near Eastern Neanderthals resemble European Neanderthals as well as a diverse array of modern agriculturalists and intensive foragers. In contrast, the people from Skhul and Qafzeh are much more distinct from recent samples but bear a degree of resemblance to Khoesan and Zulu males and females, Amud 1, and Ohalo 2. Additional insights emerge when the upper and lower limb are considered separately, but the result remains that the early moderns rather than Neanderthals seem to have faced an unusual, or at least uncommon, set of mechanical demands in comparison to most of the more recent groups.
Hedging the IRS - A Policy Justification for Excluding Liability and Tax Insurance Proceeds

Uncertainty as to tax results is an ever present obstacle to business transaction despite the extensive number of Code sections that exist. Private insurance companies have seen an opportunity to enter the market and provide a useful service which can reduce tax uncertainty obstruction to engaging in promising endeavors. Some insurance companies now provide an insurance product to protect the insured against adverse tax consequences from proposed transactions.Ironically, this new insurance product, labeled tax insurance, poses uncertain tax consequences itself. If the adverse tax consequences arise (that is, the taxpayer has additional tax liability) and the insurance company is contractually required to cover that liability, are the insurance proceeds that reimburse the insured for the additional tax liability included in the insured's gross income? If so, the insured might need to purchase additional coverage to pay for the tax incurred on receiving the proceeds.Commentators have concluded that the proceeds are taxable, and insurance companies also appear to adopt that view since tax insurance generally includes gross-up provisions to cover the tax that might be imposed on the disbursement of the proceeds. Contrary to that general opinion, this article argues that the tax insurance proceeds are not includable in the insured's gross income.The proceeds of general liability insurance have not been treated as taxable to the insured when paid to satisfy a liability of the insured. Some commentators have questioned whether there is a justification for that treatment under tax policy. As part of the reasoning that underlies the author's conclusion concerning tax insurance, the article examines that question and develops a novel approach that provides a tax policy justification for excluding those proceeds from the insured's income. The article concludes that the same justification also applies to exclude tax insurance proceeds from the insured's gross income.
Investigation of Some Complexes Formed in Solution By Caffeine: V. Interactions Between Caffeine and p-Aminobenzoic Acid, m-Hydroxybenzoic Acid, Picric Acid, o-Phthalic Acid, Suberic Acid, and Valeric Acid

Additional experimental data on the complexing behavior of caffeine with organic compounds are presented. The relative complexing tendencies and the stoichiometric relationships of caffeine with a number of organic acids have been evaluated. It has been shown by means of phase studies that the stability constants of these complexes are in the order of p-aminobenzoic acid ≈ m-hydroxybenzoic acid > o-phthalic acid > picric acid > suberic acid > valeric acid = 0.
The effect of nitrogen availability and water conditions on competition between a facultative CAM plant and an invasive grass.

Plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) are increasing their abundance in drylands worldwide. The drivers and mechanisms underlying the increased dominance of CAM plants and CAM expression (i.e., nocturnal carboxylation) in facultative CAM plants, however, remain poorly understood. We investigated how nutrient and water availability affected competition between Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (a model facultative CAM species) and the invasive C3 grass Bromus mollis that co-occur in California's coastal grasslands. Specifically we investigated the extent to which water stress, nutrients, and competition affect nocturnal carboxylation in M. crystallinum. High nutrient and low water conditions favored M. crystallinum over B. mollis, in contrast to high water conditions. While low water conditions induced nocturnal carboxylation in 9-week-old individuals of M. crystallinum, in these low water treatments, a 66% reduction in nutrient applied over the entire experiment did not further enhance nocturnal carboxylation. In high water conditions M. crystallinum both alone and in association with B. mollis did not perform nocturnal carboxylation, regardless of the nutrient levels. Thus, nocturnal carboxylation in M. crystallinum was restricted by strong competition with B. mollis in high water conditions. This study provides empirical evidence of the competitive advantage of facultative CAM plants over grasses in drought conditions and of the restricted ability of M. crystallinum to use their photosynthetic plasticity (i.e., ability to switch to CAM behavior) to compete with grasses in well-watered conditions. We suggest that a high drought tolerance could explain the increased dominance of facultative CAM plants in a future environment with increased drought and nitrogen deposition, while the potential of facultative CAM plants such as M. crystallinum to expand to wet environments is expected to be limited.
Path Loss Characteristics in Urban Environments Using Ray-Tracing Methods

Path loss characteristics in four cities (New York, Chicago, Munich, and Salt Lake City) are investigated using ray-tracing methods. These cities represent different sizes, heights of buildings, and surrounding environments (mountains). The mean propagation path loss and the loss exponent (the n values) are represented as a function of length of streets, number of side streets, transmitting antenna heights, as well the presence of unique site topologies such as hills or mountains. It is shown that for these cities and for transmitters much higher than most of the buildings, the n values are similar to those of free-space propagation. For transmitters located at heights lower than most of the buildings and for streets farther away from transmitters, the n values are three times larger than those extracted from the Hata model. As for the effect of mountains or hills, it is shown that their reflections have minimal influences (0.38 dB) except when transmitters are placed on mountains and receivers are near these mountains (3 dB).
Nuclear Data Sheets for A=138

© 2017 Elsevier Inc. Experimental nuclear structure data from various reactions and decays are compiled and evaluated for all known nuclides with mass number A=138 (Sn,Sb,Te,I,Xe,Cs,Ba,La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Pm,Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb). Detailed evaluated nuclear structure information is presented for each reaction and decay and the best values combining all available data are recommended for level energies, half-lives, γ-ray energies and intensities, decay properties (energies, intensities and placement of radiations), and other spectroscopic properties. This work supersedes the previous full evaluation of A=138 by A.A. Sonzogni (2003So13).
Quantitative digital image analysis of Pick’s disease neuropatholgy (P5.012)

OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel high-throughput automated approach to digital image analysis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration histology sections. BACKGROUND: Current semi-quantitative ordinal rating scales for neuropathological burden (i.e. absent, mild, moderate, severe= 0,1,2,3) have limited statistical power for clinicopathalogical studies. Automated digital image analysis of Pick’s disease cortical tissue may provide an advantage over traditional ordinal scales by providing a continuous metric for disease burden. DESIGN/METHODS: Sections from mid-frontal cortex (MFC), superior temporal cortex (STC) and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) were immuno-stained for anti-phosphorylated tau (PHF-1). Digital images were obtained using a slide scanning system with standardized exposure settings. Halo digital image software v1.90 (Indica Labs) was used to develop a tau inclusion detection algorithm. The algorithm was optimized by incremental variation of contrast threshold, optical density and blur radius parameters. Cases were randomly divided into a training set (n=5) and test set (n=6). Auto-counts were compared with manual counts from 10 random 500 µm2 tiles per slide using linear regression to determine the optimal algorithm. The longest intact strip of cortical grey matter (978.3-13035.6 µm) per slide was segmented for analysis. Mean tau inclusion count per mm2 was compared using non-parametric statistics. RESULTS: The optimal algorithm to detect tau-positive inclusions in PiD had high accuracy for manually-detected inclusions in both the training (R2=0.794, p<0.001) and test set cases (R2=0.854, p<0.001). There was a higher inclusion burden per mm2 in MFC (mean=95.2, SD=48.3) and ACG (mean=103.1, SD=76.7) than STC (mean=50.0, SD=35.5; p0. 1). CONCLUSIONS: Pick’s disease may initially involve frontal neocortical and limbic regions and later spread to the superior temporal neocortex. Automated digital image analysis of FTLD histopathology provides a reliable fine-grained quantitative approach for future study. Study Supported by: NIH Grants K23NS088341, AG043503 AG017586, AG032953, AG10124, AG17586. and the Wyncote Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Irwin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Byrne has nothing to disclose. Dr. McMillan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has received personal compensation for activities with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company as a speaker. Dr. Grossman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Trojanowski has received personal compensation for activities with Johnson & Johnson.
Vulnerability of Solar Energy Resources under Climate Variability

Abstract Energy plays a very important role in society. It has been one of the main drivers in the organization of civilization and, before that, in evolution. The availability of relatively inexpensive energy could solve many other problems, for example supplying fresh water through desalination. An economy based on solar energy has been the dream of many for many years. It would be great to only depend on the freely distributed energy of the sun, which is available everywhere. While solar energy might include a wide range of potential energy sources, the solar energy considered here is restricted to solar concentrators, solar photovoltaics, and artificial solar chemical processes. After these are considered, both the related uncertainties and the possible range of climate variability are explored. Characteristics of the various technologies, uncertainties, and potential climate effects are also identified. An analysis explores the solar energy technologies, uncertainties, and vulnerabilities related to climate. Finally, an integrated analysis method of real options analysis provides a potential semiquantitative framework for discussion and interpretation.
Contraception Use in Women with Hypertension

Hypertension is among the most common conditions that affect women of reproductive age. It is also a common complication of pregnancy, and should be treated in pregnant women with blood pressures ≥160/110. For blood pressures 140–159/90–109, no clear data exist to demonstrate benefits of treatment. When treatment is indicated, labetalol and methyldopa are first-line agents.
Medical Records Functions

The patient medical record at LDS Hospital is the traditional paper-based medical record. Patient data maintained on the HELP system complement rather than replace the traditional record. Certain routine medical reports (e.g., blood gas data, respiratory care charting, radiology reports, etc.) consist of data contained entirely within the HELP database and are printed by HELP for inclusion in the permanent medical record.
An Analysis on Clinical Outcomes and Diuretic Requirements Following Initiation of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background A post-hoc analysis of the PARADIGM-HF clinical trial demonstrated treatment with sacubitril/valsartan resulted in a significant reduction in patients with worsening NYHA functional class, as compared to enalapril. Additional post-hoc analyses have revealed a reduction in intensification in outpatient diuretics, as well as a reduction in overall daily diuretic requirements, for patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan verses enalapril. Real world evidence is limited in analyzing patient experiences surrounding improvement in HF symptoms and diuretic usage. Methods This analysis was a retrospective chart review of patients consecutively prescribed sacubitril/valsartan at the Jefferson Heart Institute from January 1, 2016 until January 31, 2017. Patient clinical outcomes and diuretic requirements were analyzed for 3 months following maintenance on any dose of sacubitril/valsartan for four weeks. Chart examinations reviewed documentation for improvements in heart failure (HF) symptoms, NYHA functional class, and LVEF, as well as changes in concomitant HF medications. Safety endpoints included symptomatic hypotension and an elevation in serum creatinine and/or potassium. Results A total of 42 patients were included in the analysis. Thirty-six patients (85.7%) were titrated from their initial starting dose, although only 28 patients (66.7%) reached the targeted dose of 97/103mg twice daily. Fifty-seven percent of the patients (24/42) reported improvements in their HF-related symptoms, while 38.1% (16/42) of the patients demonstrated improvement NYHA functional classification. Thirty-six patients were concomitantly receiving loop diuretics during the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan, of whom 6 (16.7%) and 14 patients (38.9%) required discontinuation and dose reductions of loop diuretics, respectively. Twenty-two patients had a repeat ECHO after sacubitril/valsartan was initiated, fourteen of whom (63.6%) showed improvements in their LVEF. Two patients required discontinuation of therapy due to an adverse reaction; however, no other discontinuations were required from symptomatic hypotension, hyperkalemia or renal impairment. Sixteen patients (38%) experienced symptomatic hypotension, and 50% of those patients were not titrated to the target dose. Conclusion Treatment with sacubitril/valsartan resulted in an improvement in patient-reported HF symptoms, NYHA functional class and LVEF. Although the majority of patients were maintained on diuretics post initiation of sacubitril/valsartan, daily dose reductions were observed. Patients did not require discontinuation of therapy as a result of symptomatic hypotension, hyperkalemia and/or renal impairment. Despite a small sample size, this retrospective analysis serves as an example of real world experience with initiating sacubitril/valsartan in patients with chronic HFrEF.
Spillover Effects of Broadband in Schools and the Critical Role of Children

Does providing broadband Internet to schools increase home Internet penetration? We develop a structural model that provides insight on how Internet use at school affects home Internet penetration and how Internet penetration affects school Internet use. We assess the magnitude of this effect using household level data on home Internet penetration and Internet traffic in all schools in Portugal. We address endogeneity issues by using two sets of instruments for schools' broadband use. Both approaches yield similar results providing us confidence in the results obtained. We find that school broadband use contributes directly for a higher adoption rate in households with children. During 2008 and 2009 school Internet use increased the probability of adopting Internet by 20% in households with children, which represents an increase of 5% in the total population. We have found no evidence of a statistically significant effect at the municipality level.
Immunopathogenesis and biomarkers of recurrent atrial fibrillation following ablation therapy in patients with preexisting atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Recurrent atrial fibrillation (RAF) following ablation therapy occurs in about 50% of patients. The pathogenesis of RAF is unknown, but is believed to be driven by atrial remo...
Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation as a Potentially Effective Treatment for Painful Hereditary and Idiopathic Axonal Polyneuropathy: A Retrospective Case Series.

Objectives Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation has been demonstrated to be effective in treating painful diabetic polyneuropathy in a small case series. However, diabetic polyneuropathy only accounts for 41% of all polyneuropathies and the efficacy of DRG on other types of polyneuropathy is unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of DRG stimulation in treating painful hereditary and idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy. Materials and methods This is a monocentric retrospective case series. Two subjects with painful hereditary axonal polyneuropathy and two subjects with painful chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy who underwent DRG stimulation trials were included in this study. All subjects were evaluated independently by neuromuscular neurologists with eletrophysiological studies and genetic testing. Permanent DRG stimulator was implanted if significant pain relief (>50%) was achieved over the trial period. Pain level were evaluated at baseline, during the trial, after the permanent implantation and at one, three, and six months. Results Pain was significantly reduced after the DRG stimulator trial with an average VAS reduction of 6.00 ± 2.83, or 65 ± 26.77% (p = 0.024). Three subjects subsequently underwent permanent DRG stimulator implantation. Pain remained significantly reduced after the permanent implantation. The average VAS reduction was 6.33 ± 2.31, or 67.5 ± 20.46% after permanent DRG implantation (p = 0.042), 7.67 ± 2.31, or 80.83 ± 15.88% at one month (p = 0.029), and 7.00 ± 2.00 or 74.17 ± 14.21% at three and six months (p = 0.026). No complications were observed. Conclusion This small retrospective study suggests that DRG stimulation may be a safe and effective treatment for painful hereditary and idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy.
OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA AND ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME: COULD ISCHEMIC PRECONDITIONING IMPACT CORONARY COLLATERALS?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with adverse long-term cardiovascular outcomes. Recent investigations have suggested ischemic preconditioning may lead to increased coronary collateral vessel (CCV) development. Ninety-one patients without current treatment for OSA presented with
Pituitary Response to Traumatic Brain Injury

There is robust evidence supporting pituitary dysfunction after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults. Traumatic injury to the pituitary gland and hypothalamus with subsequent hormonal abnormalities has a multifaceted pathophysiology. While TBI is among the most common health problems of childhood, the evidence for endocrinopathies has been limited until recently. In this chapter, we provide a review of the available studies regarding pituitary function following TBI. The body of literature is complicated by multiple approaches to diagnostic testing, heterogeneity in the patient population, and the severity of brain injury. There are several papers which report no pituitary deficits, likely reflecting a lower incidence of disease in the pediatric population as compared with adults. Given the significant burden of pediatric TBI, accurate and cost-effective endocrine screening recommendations are crucial. We conclude that more investigation into consistent and accurate diagnostic testing is needed. Additionally, long-term data is needed regarding the outcomes of hormone replacement in the multitude of TBI-induced pituitary deficits.
Secondary Cutaneous Involvement by Systemic/Nodal Lymphomas

Secondary cutaneous involvement by systemic/nodal lymphomas is not rare and may be the presenting sign of the underlying disease. A wide variety of entities may affect the skin secondarily. In addition to immunophenotyping, careful correlation with clinical findings and staging results are critical for proper classification.
Floer Cohomology of Certain pseudo-Anosov Maps

Floer cohomology is computed for certain elements of the mapping class group of a surface $\Sigma$ of genus $g>1$ which are compositions of positive and negative dehn twists along some loops in $\Sigma$. The computations cover a certain class of pseudo-Anasov maps.
In Vivo Imaging of Cerebrospinal Fluid Transport through the Intact Mouse Skull using Fluorescence Macroscopy

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in rodents has largely been studied using ex vivo quantification of tracers. Techniques such as two-photon microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have enabled in vivo quantification of CSF flow but they are limited by reduced imaging volumes and low spatial resolution, respectively. Recent work has found that CSF enters the brain parenchyma through a network of perivascular spaces surrounding the pial and penetrating arteries of the rodent cortex. This perivascular entry of CSF is a primary driver of the glymphatic system, a pathway implicated in the clearance of toxic metabolic solutes (e.g., amyloid-β). Here, we illustrate a new macroscopic imaging technique that allows real-time, mesoscopic imaging of fluorescent CSF tracers through the intact skull of live mice. This minimally-invasive method facilitates a multitude of experimental designs and enables single or repeated testing of CSF dynamics. Macroscopes have high spatial and temporal resolution and their large gantry and working distance allow for imaging while performing tasks on behavioral devices. This imaging approach has been validated using two-photon imaging and fluorescence measurements obtained from this technique strongly correlate with ex vivo fluorescence and quantification of radio-labeled tracers. In this protocol, we describe how transcranial macroscopic imaging can be used to evaluate glymphatic transport in live mice, offering an accessible alternative to more costly imaging modalities.
Don’t @ Me: Experimentally Reducing Partisan Incivility on Twitter

I conduct an experiment which examines the impact of moral suasion on partisans engaged in uncivil arguments. Partisans often respond in vitriolic ways to politicians they disagree with, and this can engender hateful responses from partisans from the other side. This phenomenon was especially common during the contentious 2016 US Presidential Election. Using Twitter accounts that I controlled, I sanctioned people engaged partisan incivility in October 2016. I found that messages containing moral suasion were more effective at reducing incivility than were messages with no moral content in the first week post-treatment. There were no significant treatment effects in the first day post-treatment, emphasizing the need for research designs that measure effect duration. The type of moral suasion employed, however, did not have the expected differential effect on either Republicans or Democrats. These effects were significantly moderated by the anonymity of the subjects.
Reasons for the Underutilization of Generic Drugs by US Ophthalmologists: A Survey

Cross-sectional survey of 92 board-certified practicing Midwestern ophthalmologists to determine why prescribing habits favor brand-name drugs over generics and to identify approaches for increasing generic drug utilization. A survey was sent to members of state ophthalmology societies, private practice groups, and individual ophthalmologists to evaluate basic demographic/practice information, knowledge and opinions on generic drugs, frequency of drug representative visits, understanding of the Food and Drug Administration’s process of evaluating generics, knowledge of patients’ financial status and preferences, and action items that would increase generic utilization. Three factors increase the likelihood of ophthalmologists switching patients to generic drugs: increased knowledge of (1) generic options, (2) price differences between brand-names and generics, and ((3) patient preference for generics. The following four factors decrease the likelihood of ophthalmologists switching patients to generic drugs: (1) increased disease severity, (2) feeling that patient outcomes may be affected by choice of brand-name versus generic, (3) personal preference for taking a brand-name drug over a generic for their own hypothetical eye disease even if both were free, and (4) increased personal preference for taking a brand-name drug for their hypothetical eye disease. Ophthalmologists should continue to update themselves on generic medication options, become familiar with the price difference of generics versus brand-name drugs for commonly prescribed medications, and seek patients’ opinions on generics and correct them when possible to increase generic utilization. In addition, studies evaluating the clinical equivalence of generic drugs relative to brand-name drugs should be performed and may help increase generic utilization.
Additional criteria for MILD coal combustion

Abstract We proposed a theoretical basis for Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) coal combustion based on the turbulent scalar energy spectra. This is motivated by the hypothesis that smallest scalar mixing length scales should be on the order of the particle size or smaller to ensure that mixing can occur to prevent formation of diffusion flames. Our proposed criterion is evaluated using several experimental datasets from the literature for coal combustion in both MILD and traditional combustion regimes. The experimental results confirm that the smallest mixing length scales should be of the order of or smaller than the particle diameter, ηmix⪅dp, to breakup the heat and mass transfer boundary layers around particles in MILD coal combustion. Results indicate that poor mixing of species with small Schmidt numbers around small particles leads to the high luminous intensity in the reactor. The effects of inlet velocity and jet diameter on the mixing length scales are analyzed. Higher inlet velocity and smaller jet diameter are expected to reach MILD regime. The proposed criterion can be used to guide experimental design to achieve MILD conditions for coal combustion.
Deletion of beaded filament proteins or the C-terminal end of Aquaporin 0 causes analogous abnormal distortion aberrations in mouse lens.

Abstract Lens-specific beaded filament (BF) proteins CP49 and filensin interact with the C-terminus of the water channel protein Aquaporin 0 (AQP0). Previously we have reported that a C-terminally end-deleted AQP0-expressing transgenic mouse model AQP0ΔC/ΔC developed abnormal optical aberrations in the lens. This investigation was undertaken to find out whether the total loss of the BF structural proteins alter the optical properties of the lens and cause optical aberrations similar to those in AQP0ΔC/ΔC lenses; also, to map the changes in the optical quality as a function of age in the single or double BF protein knockouts as well as to assess whether there is any significant change in the water channel function of AQP0 in these knockouts. A double knockout mouse (2xKO) model for CP49 and filensin was developed by crossing CP49-KO and filensin-KO mice. Wild type, CP49-KO, filensin-KO, and 2xKO lenses at different ages, and AQP0ΔC/ΔC lenses at postnatal day-17 were imaged through the optical axis and compared for optical quality and focusing property. All three knockout models showed loss of transparency, and development of abnormal optical distortion aberration similar to that in AQP0ΔC/ΔC. Copper grid focusing by the lenses at 6, 9 and 12 months of age showed an increase in aberrations as age advanced. With progression in age, the grid images produced by the lenses of all KO models showed a transition from a positive barrel distortion aberration to a pincushion distortion aberration with the formation of three distinct aberration zones similar to those produced by AQP0ΔC/ΔC lenses. Water permeability of fiber cell membrane vesicles prepared from CP49-KO, filensin-KO and 2xKO models, measured using the osmotic shrinking method, remained similar to that of the wild type without any statistically significant alteration (P > 0.05). Western blotting and quantification revealed the expression of comparable quantities of AQP0 in all three BF protein KOs. Our study reveals that loss of single or both beaded filament proteins significantly affect lens refractive index gradient, transparency and focusing ability in an age-dependent manner and the interaction of BF proteins with AQP0 is critical for the proper functioning of the lens. The presence of BF proteins is necessary to prevent abnormal optical aberrations and maintain homeostasis in the aging lens.
Intersection of social vulnerability and residential diversity: Postoperative outcomes following resection of lung and colon cancer.

Introduction While the impact of demographic factors on postoperative outcomes has been examined, little is known about the intersection between social vulnerability and residential diversity on postoperative outcomes following cancer surgery. Methods Individuals who underwent a lung or colon resection for cancer were identified in the 2016-2017 Medicare database. Data were merged with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social vulnerability index and a residential diversity index was calculated. Logistic regression models were utilized to estimate the probability of postoperative outcomes. Results Among 55 742 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent lung (39.4%) or colon (60.6%) resection, most were male (46.6%), White (90.2%) and had a mean age of 75.3 years. After adjustment for competing risk factors, both social vulnerability and residential diversity were associated with mortality and other postoperative outcomes. In assessing the intersection of social vulnerability and residential diversity, synergistic effects were noted as patients from counties with low social vulnerability and high residential diversity had the lowest probability of 30-day mortality (3.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0-3.5) while patients from counties with high social vulnerability and low diversity had a higher probability of 30-day postoperative death (5.2%, 95% CI: 4.6-5.8; odds ratio: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Conclusion Social vulnerability and residential diversity were independently associated with postoperative outcomes. The intersection of these two social health determinants demonstrated a synergistic effect on the risk of adverse outcomes following lung and colon cancer surgery.
Inactivation of multidrug-resistant bacteria and bacterial spores and generation of high-potency bacterial vaccines using ultrashort pulsed lasers

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) represent a continuing healthcare crisis with no definitive solution to date. An alternative to antibiotics is the development of therapies and vaccines using biocompatible physical methods such as ultrashort pulsed (USP) lasers, which have previously been shown to inactivate pathogens while minimizing collateral damage to human cells, blood proteins, and vaccine antigens. Here we demonstrate that visible USP laser treatment results in bactericidal effect (≥ 3-log load reduction) against clinically significant MDROs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli. Bacillus cereus endospores, which are highly resistant to conventional chemical and physical treatments, were also shown to be effectively inactivated by USP laser treatment, resulting in sporicidal (≥ 3-log load reduction) activity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that administration of USP laser-inactivated E. coli whole-cell vaccines at dosages as low as 105 cfu equivalents without adjuvant was able to protect 100% of mice against subsequent lethal challenge. Our findings open the possibility for application of USP lasers in disinfection of hospital environments, therapy of drug-resistant bacterial infections in skin or bloodstream via pheresis modalities, and in the production of potent bacterial vaccines. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Amino Acid Analog Resistance in the Species of Soybean and Tobacco

Interest for isolating plant cell culture mutants has been increasing. Many cell lines with resistance to growth inhibition by amino acid analogs are now reported. Often they produce higher than normal amounts of the corresponding natural amino acids, and, hence, growth in specific amino acid analog is used as a selection tool (1). Several mechanisms can give rise to analog resistance, but most recovered variants appear to possess altered amino acid levels caused by changes in regulatory enzymes resulting in relaxed feed back control (1, 2). We attempted to select several amino acid analog resistant cell lines from plant suspenion cultures and a few of them derived from soybean and tobacco cell suspension are characterized. We present in this communication a brief report of our study.
Demand for Credit, International Financial Legitimacy, and Vulnerability to Crises: Regulatory Change and the Social Origins of Iceland’s Collapse

By analyzing how credit in Iceland expanded to culminate in the country's 2008 financial collapse, this article advances theories about financial crises, regulatory change, and the role of credit. It also complicates popular accounts of Iceland's collapse that focus on the actions of unrestrained bankers by examining the larger context that facilitated these banking practices. After financial liberalization, Icelandic businesses and households had strong demand for credit as a result of: (i) the institutional meaning of credit, (ii) an emergent growth strategy of aggressive international expansion, and (iii) increasing consumption. Incorporating business demand for credit extends demand-side theory of crises and shows how dominant strategy and shared government and business orientation toward opportunity shaped credit expansion. Credit-based consumption also stabilized social relations despite increasing inequality. Notwithstanding warnings of risk, regulation did not restrain risky leverage. International market reactions reinforced beliefs about Icelandic success to limit regulatory reach, as Iceland's international financial legitimacy produced market-based measures that leaders interpreted as signals of economic success.
J-integral estimates for cracks in infinite bodies

An analysis and discussion is presented of existing estimates of the J-integral for cracks in infinite bodies. Equations are presented which provide convenient estimates for Ramberg-Osgood type elasto-plastic materials containing cracks and subjected to multiaxial loading. The relationship between J and the strain normal to the crack is noted to be only weakly dependent on state of stress. But the relationship between J and the stress normal to the crack is strongly dependent on state of stress. A plastic zone correction term often employed is found to be arbitrary, and its magnitude is seldom significant.
The Northern York County Police consolidation experience: An analysis of the consolidation of police services in eight Pennsylvania rural communities

Employs a quasi‐experimental design to assess the operational costs and benefits of a consolidated department. Northern York County Police Department, the experimental group, was consolidated in 1972. Uses a comparison group consisting of eight police departments in a contiguous county in rural Pennsylvania to compare the outcome variables. Finds that whereas reducing costs may be the expected benefit of consolidation other benefits such as more opportunity for training and the use of specialized units were evident.
Questions about accountability and illegality of virtual rape

Virtual rape is not a new phenomenon in virtual communities, as Julian Dibbell’s 1993 article pointed out, but it is beginning to gain attention in some scholarly circles. Of the articles specifically covering virtual rape, most focus on whether or not virtual rape is “real” while some attempt to isolate its social construction. Only one scholar to date has argued the legality of the offense, but limited the discussion only to consensual virtual rape. With this in mind, this thesis is focused on defining non-consensual virtual rape, comparing and contrasting it to other types of online deviance such as cyberstalking, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, flaming, etc., contextualizing the distinction between rape and virtual rape, and applying First Amendment dialogues and arguments to determine its current legality in the United States. Since virtual rape is considered speech or expression, this thesis concludes that it is currently protected by the First Amendment, but that with proper “digital DNA” as evidence, victims may seek retribution in civil court against the aggressor and possibly against the owner of the virtual environment in which the virtual rape occurred.
Hypotensive peptides: bradykinin, kallidin, and eledoisin.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hypotensive peptides. It deals with hypotensive peptides and with eiizynies which liberate them. Two groups of peptides are included: one belongs to kinins, the bradykinin-kallidin-type peptides, the other consists of eledoisin and its derivatives. The cardiovascular effect is but one of the coninion features between these groups. Although eledoisin-type peptides have riot yet been found in the mammalian body, these inaterials have been tested frequently on experimental animals and clinical subjects. The precursor of bradykinin and kallidin occurs in abundance in blood plasma. The progress made toward the understanding of the structure, action, and fate of kinins and eledoisin is quite impressive, especially if one considers the number of vasoactive substances which have appeared under various names in the literature since the turn of the century but never have been characterized.
Rare-earth energy levels in Nd2CuO4, Pr2CuO4, and the electron superconductor Pr1.85Ce0.15CuO4.

The magnetic excitation spectra of the electron superconductor Pr[sub 1.85]Ce[sub 0.15]CuO[sub 4] and related parent compounds Pr[sub 2]CuO[sub 4] and Nd[sub 2]CuO[sub 4] have been determined by inelastic neutron scattering. We observe crystal-field transitions up to about 100 meV within the Pr[sup 3+] [sup 3][ital H][sub 4] and Nd[sup 3+] [ital I][sub 9/2] Russell-Saunders ground multiplets in these materials. We find that a crystal-field treatment of the Pr[sup 3+] and Nd[sup 3+] ions can adequately explain the observed excitation spectra for both Pr[sub 2]CuO[sub 4] and Nd[sub 2]CuO[sub 4]. The obtained crystal-field parameters are close to values estimated from a superposition-model calculation and Moessbauer data. The Pr[sup 3+] and Nd[sup 3+] wave functions are found to have significant ([approx]20%) admixture of some states belonging to higher [ital J] multiplets. The calculated contributions to the susceptibility of Pr[sub 2]CuO[sub 4] and Nd[sub 2]CuO[sub 4] from the crystal-field states agree well with experiments. The observed crystal-field transitions in the superconductor Pr[sub 1.85]Ce[sub 0.15]CuO[sub 4] shift to slightly lower energies and are broadened significantly relative to the present compound due to chemical disorder from Ce doping.
Race to the Bottom

The defensive patent arms race, and companies’ consequent focus on quantity rather than quality as they build their portfolios, causes them and others many problems. This article in Intellectual Asset Magazine exposes the role that practicing companies themselves and their patenting practices have had in keeping patent quality low, the backlog long, and patent trolls well-stocked with patents. It discusses various methods for fostering patent peace including by outlawing certain types of "arms" (a software patent ban), making patents harder to obtain or hold onto (i.e. by increasing registration/maintenance fees), and making patents less nuclear (e.g. by introducing an independent invention defense).
Children's memory for trauma and positive experiences

Characteristics of children's memory for a trauma and for a positive event were compared and relationships of memory characteristics to trauma symptoms examined in 30 children who experienced a traumatic event. Results revealed that memories for trauma tended to have less sensory detail and coherence, yet have more meaning and impact than did memories for positive experiences. Sexual traumas, offender relationship, and perceived life threat were associated with memory characteristics. Few relationships between memory characteristics and trauma symptoms were found. Therapist ratings of child memory characteristics were correlated with some child trauma memory characteristic reports. These results are consistent with other studies. Possible explanations include divided attention during the traumatic event and cognitive avoidance occurring after the event.
Modeling the Electrokinetic Decontamination of Concrete

Abstract The decontamination of concrete is a major concern in many Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. Numerous techniques (abrasive methods, manual methods, ultrasonics, concrete surface layer removal, chemical extraction methods, etc.) have been used to remove radioactive contamination from the surface of concrete. Recently, processes that are based on electrokinetic phenomena have been developed to decontaminate concrete. Electrokinetic decontamination has been shown to remove from 70 to over 90% of the surface radioactivity. To evaluate and improve the electrokinetic processes, a model has been developed to simulate the transport of ionic radionuclei constituents through the pores of concrete and into the anolyte and catholyte. The model takes into account the adsorption and desorption kinetics of the radionuclei from the pore walls, and ion transport by electro-osmosis, electromigration, and diffusion. A numerical technique, orthogonal collocation, is used to simultaneously solve the governing co...
POLARIZATION ANALYSIS OF THERMAL-NEUTRON SCATTERING.

A triple-axis neutron spectrometer with polarization-sensitive crystals on both the first and third axes is described. The calculation of polarized-neutron scattering cross sections is presented in a form particularly suited to apply to this instrument. Experimental results on nuclear incoherent scattering, paramagnetic scattering, Bragg scattering, and spin-wave scattering are presented to illustrate the possible applications of neutron-polarization analysis.