cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibration of a Photometric Cloud Condensation Nucleus Counter Designed for Deployment on a Balloon Package

Abstract The importance of atmospheric aerosols in understanding global climate changes has renewed interest in measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). To obtain high-resolution (125 m) vertical profiles of CCN number concentration, a balloon-borne instrument was developed. The instrument deduces the CCN concentration from measurements of laser light scattered by water droplets that condense on CCN within a static thermal-gradient diffusion chamber. The amount of light scattering is linearly proportional to the number of droplets within the diffusion chamber. Correlating the number of droplets within the sample volume with the amount of light scattered by the droplets provides the calibration constant that relates scattered light to CCN concentration. The calibration was tested by comparisons between the CCN counter and a condensation nuclei counter when sampling monodisperse aerosol larger than the CCN counter’s critical activation size. The calibration constant depends on supersaturation, and d...
Conformational Stability of Five-Membered Ring Molecules

Monosubstituted non-planar five-membered ring molecules can have many possible conformations. These include the twisted and half-enveloped forms and, between these two distinct forms, all possible intermediate forms. The energy path between these multiple forms usually does not pass through the planar form, but may in fact follow a lower energy route. The dynamics of the interconversion of these distinct conformational forms has been of considerable interest to both physical and biological chemists for a number of years. Possible ways of treating this dynamic problem utilizing far infrared spectra and ab initio calculations are discussed. The determination of the potential parameters governing the conformational interchange is discussed and the various treatments are described. The experimental and theoretical work on five-membered rings in general are reviewed herein.
Potential Mechanisms of PTA: Oxidative Stress

Oxidative insults to articular cartilage during and after joint injuries have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic arthritis (PTA). Acute oxidant overexposure kills chondrocytes in newly injured cartilage, and chondrocytes under chronic oxidative stress display metabolic abnormalities that interfere with the synthesis and export of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Concomitantly, the ATP that fuels ECM production may become scarcer as cells devote more resources to antioxidant defenses. Collectively these effects are potentially destabilizing to cartilage, but their significance in the complex pathogenesis of PTA is uncertain. Although antioxidants have shown some disease-modifying activity in animal models of PTA, relatively few studies support efficacy in humans, and those studies showing positive results are counterbalanced by others that show no effect. These equivocal findings have raised skepticism in some quarters regarding the future of antioxidants as therapies for osteoarthritis. Meanwhile, however, we have acquired better knowledge of oxidant metabolism in chondrocytes that may allow for the development of more successful interventions. In that regard, recently published work indicates that oxidative stress in chondrocytes arises as a direct consequence of mechanical overloading of cartilage. These data indicate that overloading activates a chondro-specific mechanotransduction pathway that produces intracellular oxidants in response to deformation of the cartilage ECM. The pathway is calibrated such that physiologic loading results in healthy redox balance in chondrocytes, while overloading results in oxidative stress or death. Joint overloading and overuse are major pathogenic factors in OA that were not formerly thought to be subject to pharmacologic intervention, but current knowledge suggests that drugs that inhibit the chondrocyte’s oxidant production pathway can mitigate the harm done by overloading.
Limit Design of Beams and Frames

The paper is concerned with the limit design of statically indeterminate beams or frames under the action of given loads. The limit moments· under which individual sections act as yield hinges are ...
A comparison between flipped and lecture-based instruction in the calculus classroom

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enhance students’ mastery of course material in a second semester calculus course and assess the effectiveness of a traditional “lecture-based” instructional model compared to a modified “flipped classroom” model using a mixed method research design. Design/methodology/approach – Evaluation of effectiveness was measured by having students in all four courses take the same pre-post exams and participate in a survey to assess their opinion of each instructional model. Undergraduate students covered the same content using two different modes of instruction. Findings – Within a comparable group of students, participants in the flipped course had similar content knowledge gains as the lecture-based course. Based on responses obtained in blinded student surveys, the authors found that the use of an online homework system (WebAssign) and in-class quizzes were critical motivating factors that likely contributed to the increase in student performance. The flipped classroom...
Nature of State Think Tank and Strategies China should Take in Constructing It in Social Transition

The development of Chinese think tank started late,especially in the research and construction of state think tank.The construction of state think tank can make up for the deficiencies of the existing think tank,promote the smooth social transition,and propel the effective implementation of the state strategy of collaboration and innovation.A state think tank should take into consideration state development strategies,international context,resources integration,talent pool,and policymaking.The construction of Chinese state think tank should focus on top-level design,resource integration,local research and governance structure.
An Empirical Refutation of ‘Ought’ Implies ‘Can’

Most philosophers assume that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’, and most of them hold that this principle is true not only universally but also analytically or conceptually. Some skeptics deny this principle, although they often admit some related one. In this article, we show how new empirical evidence bolsters the skeptics’ arguments. We then defend the skeptical view against some objections to the empirical evidence and to its effect on the traditional principle. In light of the new evidence, we conclude that philosophers should stop unconditionally assuming that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’.
Early diagnosis of oral cancer.

The subject of detection and diagnosis timing for oral cancer has not been adequately studied and no robust conclusions can be reached with the current evidence. A majority of oral cancers are diagnosed in advanced stages (3 and 4) and have relatively poor prognosis. The reasons for this are not always clear but appear to be associated with low education levels about the disease in both populations at risk and primary care practitioners. Sets of heterogeneous data indicate that early diagnosis followed by swift implementation of therapy has superior outcomes and lower morbidity. Improved educational models may benefit future patients as well as the society at large.
Preventing Corporate Fiascos: Corporate Oversight Organization Unit

An Oversight unit as an independent unit exists in government as well as in business and industry (such as GAO or General Accounting Office, SEC or security exchange commission or other regulators). For institutions, it exists narrowly in the form of a Board of Directors for strategic issues, an Accounting Audit (operations), an Ethics Committee, and/or other ad hoc committees when needs arrive (crisis management). We suggest an Oversight unit which is permanent and parallel to the institution’s management-leadership for enhanced corporate governance. It operates as a watchdog with a capability for analysis and evaluation. It is chartered by the Board of Directors. It can access corporate information management and question management-leadership on decisions. It mimics partially the functionality of an immunization system in the human-cell component.
A 0.0021 mm 2 1.82 mW 2.2 GHz PLL Using Time-Based Integral Control in 65 nm CMOS

Modern multicore processors employ multiple phase-locked loops (PLLs) to operate individual cores at a power-optimal frequency. This paper presents techniques to implement such PLLs in a small area. The area occupied by classical charge-pump-based analog PLLs is mostly due to the large loop filter capacitor needed to implement the integral control portion of type-II response. Digital PLLs (DPLL) can eliminate the capacitor by implementing the integral control in digital domain but their jitter performance is degraded by the quantization error introduced by DPLL building blocks such as a time-to-digital converter (TDC). We seek to combine the advantages of analog (no quantization error) and digital (small area) PLLs by implementing the integral control using time-based techniques. To this end, a ring oscillator-based integrator (ROI) is used to implement the integral control. ROI integrates its input and generates an output in the form of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal. While the ROI does not introduce quantization error, controlling the voltage controlled oscillator with the PWM signal introduces undesirable spurious tones. We propose to use a pseudo-differential ROI to mitigate these tones and achieve good jitter performance. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS LP process, the prototype PLL occupies an active area of only 0.0021 mm2 and operates across a supply voltage range of 0.6 V to 1.2 V providing 0.4–2.6 GHz output frequencies. At 2.2 GHz output frequency, the PLL consumes 1.82 mW at 1 V supply voltage, and achieves 3.73 psrms integrated jitter. This translates to an FoMJ of −226.0 dB, which compares favorably with state-of-the-art designs while occupying the smallest reported active area.
Organ response in patients with AL amyloidosis treated with NEOD001, an amyloid-directed monoclonal antibody.

To the Editor: Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disease caused by the tissue deposition of misfolded immunoglobulin light chains (LCs), produced by clonal plasma cells, that potentially cause organ dysfunction and death 1. Plasma cell‐directed (PCD) therapies inhibit abnormal LC production but do not address existing amyloid deposits. Organ responses that may accompany hematologic response (HR; reduction or complete removal of involved free LCs) are often variable and incomplete, creating a significant need for amyloid‐targeted therapies to halt and potentially reverse organ dysfunction.
Lagostomus maximus (Viscacha)

Skin biopsies of one male and one female were kindly supplied by Dr. C. Gray, National Zoological Park, Washington, D. C., USA. One metacentric element has a pronounced secondary constriction with satellites. This marker chromosome is placed as the last autosome. In the female one element is consistently acrocentric, the presumed corresponding pair in the male (before the marker) is submetacentric. No additional animals are available nor are other studies published to indicate whether this is a regular polymorphism.
Development of a near-infrared balloon-borne camera for dayside and sunlit auroral observations

Imaging aurora in daylight is a difficult and challenging task. The brightness of the sunlit atmosphere overwhelms the auroral emissions at visible wavelengths. Modeling of atmospheric brightness suggests that the contrast between auroral brightness and sky brightness makes it possible to image the aurora at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths from sufficient altitudes. Preliminary experiments confirmed that the auroral N2+ Meinel emissions at about 1100 nm are bright enough to be extracted from atmospheric background brightness during daylight at about 40 km of a balloon altitude, which lead to the development of a high-performance NIR InGaAs camera that can be flown on a high-altitude and long-duration balloon. Auroral observations from such a platform are highly accommodated to current space missions (such as THEMIS/ARTEMIS, MMS, Cluster, Geotail, DMSP) and many ground-based measurements and will enhance the science return significantly.
Rupture Resistance: An Archaeology of Pedophilia Crisis Communication

ABSTRACTThe national attention brought to high-profile sex crimes such as the Penn State scandal of 2011 and the Catholic Church scandal of 2002 has elevated public awareness of what can be appropriately referred to as pedophilia. Perceived as a public health threat, pedophilia has become a priority news item for its lascivious and predatory characteristics that instill fear within a widespread audience. This article conveys three ideas essential to pedophilia crisis communication. First, a brief introduction of pedophilia is offered as a social construct and catalyst for moral panic within organizations and their communities. Second, a review of modern and postmodern crisis frameworks is offered to examine an organizational approach to pedophilia and its Foucauldian conception as a rupturing, discursive formation. Third, a call for organizations to embrace ruptures in their pedophilia crisis response is advanced to align their activities with the prevailing historical moment rather than within metaphysic...
GfxDoctor: A Holistic Graphics Energy Profiler for Mobile Devices

Graphics is one of the major energy drain sources in smartphone apps. To optimize the app graphics energy, however, developers face the challenge of highly complex graphics rendering process, which involves multiple system layers including the app, the framework, the GPU, and the asynchronous interactions among them. Current diagnostic tools can profile the resource usage from certain layers, but fall short in stitching together profiling information across all the layers which is needed to provide developers with the visual effect-energy tradeoff at the app source-code level.In this paper, we design and implement a holistic graphics energy diagnosis tool, GfxDoctor1, that helps developers to systematically diagnose energy inefficiencies in app graphics at the app source-code level, by precisely quantifying (1) the visual effect of each UI update, and (2) the aggregate energy drain spent in traversing the entire frame rendering stack due to each UI update. GfxDoctor overcomes three challenges faced in deriving per-UI-update visual effect and energy accounting, asynchrony across system layers, UI update batching, and "black-box" GPU, with two key techniques -- lightweight view-frame-ID-based information flow tracking, and OpenGL record-and-replay plus frame diffing. We show the effectiveness of GfxDoctor by profiling a randomly sampled set of 30 popular Android apps which reveals three types of graphics energy bugs happening in 8 out of the 30 apps. Removing these bugs reduces the app energy drain by 46% to 90%.
Model Reduction by Term Elimination and Optimal Selection

Abstract Detailed simulation models of large engineered systems are often mathematically and computationally complex, consisting of many partial differential and algebraic equations. The complexity of these models limits their usefulness for real-time optimization and control. Model reduction allows to overcome this limitation, through the generation of simplified system models with outputs acceptably similar to those of the original system or model. The model reduction method developed in this work is based on the generation of a large set of candidate reduced-order models by elimination of terms from the original model, followed by selection of suitable reduced models from the generated set through checking against T-optimality design of experiments criteria. This method enables the selection of reduced models based on their relative performance over the system state space of interest, by determining input trajectories that maximize error in outputs between original and reduced models. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated through application to well-understood models of chemical reactors. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can eliminate insensitive parameters and terms, defining system dynamics that are incongruous within system timescales of interest.
Victimization Recency, Development of Anger, and Violent Offending in Early Adulthood: A Developmental Test of General Strain Theory

This research provides a test of general strain theory examining the relevance of strain recency, the role of victimization history for predicting anger development, and the relevance of an...
Event-related neural oscillation changes following reasoning training in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests cognitive training programs targeting higher-order reasoning may strengthen not only cognitive, but also neural functions in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, research on direct measures of training-induced neural changes, derivable from electroencephalography (EEG), is limited. The current pilot study examined effects of Gist Reasoning training (n = 16) compared to New Learning training (n = 16) in older adults with amnestic MCI on measures of event-related neural oscillations (theta and alpha band power) corresponding to Go/NoGo tasks during basic and superordinate semantic categorization. EEG data were recorded while participants performed the Go/NoGo task pre- and post-training, and power in theta and alpha frequency bands was examined. Both groups were comparable at pre-training on all measures and both groups showed greater event-related theta synchronization post-training. Furthermore, the Gist Reasoning group had enhanced event-related desynchronization in low-frequency alpha band (8–10 Hz) on response inhibition (NoGo) trials and high-frequency alpha band (11–13 Hz) on response execution (Go) trials during superordinate categorization, relative to the New Learning group. These findings suggest that Gist Reasoning training in MCI impacted neural processing linked to strategic processing of Go and NoGo trials during the more complex superordinate categorization task. Targeting higher-order top-down cognitive processing seems to better harness residual neuroplastic potential in MCI. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02588209.
BIOASSAY-GUIDED ISOLATION OF THE MAJOR COMPOUND WITH ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY FROM THE ALGERIAN MEDICINAL PLANT BUBONIUM GRAVEOLENS

Objective: The objective of this research was to isolate and identify the major compound from the antioxidant extract obtained from the leaves of Bubonium graveolens.Methods: A bioguided fractionation was done to isolate and identify the major compound responsible of the antioxidant activity. The chemical structure of the isolated natural compound was established by spectroscopic means including UV, Fourier transform infrared, 1H NMR, and13C NMR. The purified compound was accurately tested for its antioxidant activity by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay at 517 nm.Results: The major compound named myricetin 3â€²-O-rhamnoside was isolated for the 1st time from the leaves of B. graveolens a medicinal specie of Algerian Sahara belonging to the Asteraceae family. The study showed that the myricetin 3E¹-O-rhamnoside has an antioxidant potential 59% when compared with standard ascorbic acid with an IC 50=0.916 mg/ml.Conclusion: In the present work, it was possible to isolate and identify for the 1st time the major compound from the antioxidant fraction of B. graveolens.
Renal Clearance in Newborns and Infants: Predictive Performance of Population-Based Modeling for Drug Development.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of population models to predict renal clearance in newborns and infants. Pharmacokinetic (PK) data from eight drugs in 788 newborns and infants were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the population models based on postmenstrual age (PMA), postnatal age, gestational age, and body weight. For the PMA model, the average fold error for clearance (CL)predicted /CLobserved was within a twofold range for each drug in all subgroups. For drugs with > 90% renal elimination, the prediction bias ranged from 0.7-1.3. For drugs with 60-80% renal elimination, the prediction bias ranged 0.6-2.0. Our results suggest that PMA-based sigmoidal maximum effect (Emax ) model, in combination with bodyweight-based scaling and kidney function assessment, can be used in population PK (PopPK) modeling for drugs that are primarily eliminated via renal pathway to inform initial dose selection for newborns and infants with normal renal function in clinical trials.
Effect of 3D Roughness Patch on Instability Amplification in a Supersonic Boundary Layer

Surface roughness is known to have a substantial impact on the aerothermodynamic loading of high-speed vehicles, particularly via its influence on the laminar-turbulent transition process within the boundary layer. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effects of a distributed region of densely packed, sinusoidal shape roughness elements on a Mach 3.5 flat plate boundary layer for flow conditions corresponding to the planned conditions of an upcoming experiment in the Mach 3.5 Supersonic Low Disturbance Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center. Analysis of convective instabilities in the wake of the roughness patch was reported in a previous paper and the current work extends that analysis to instability amplification across the length of the roughness patch. Quasiparallel stability analysis of the modified boundary layer flow over the patch indicates two dominant families of unstable disturbances, namely, a group of high frequency modes that amplify in localized regions along the roughness patch and another group of low frequency modes that have smaller peak amplification rates but amplify steadily both above the roughness patch and in the wake region behind it. The results suggest that the amplification factors associated with the high-frequency modes are sufficiently low, at least for the roughness patches considered in this paper, so that these modes are unlikely to have a major influence on the transition process. The amplification of the low-frequency modes within the region of the roughness patch is further quantified via direct numerical simulations. Results confirm the strongly destabilizing influence of the roughness patch on the first mode instabilities, yielding an N-factor increment of ΔN ≈ 3.6 for a roughness patch length of eight wavelengths.
Next-generation sequencing-defined minimal residual disease before stem cell transplantation predicts acute myeloid leukemia relapse

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the assessment of post-treatment minimal residual disease (MRD) may inform a more effective management approach. We investigated the prognostic utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based MRD detection undertaken before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Forty-two AML subjects underwent serial disease monitoring both by standard methods, and a targeted 42-gene NGS assay, able to detect leukemia-specific mutant alleles (with >0.5% VAF) (mean 5.1 samples per subject). The prognostic relevance of any persisting diagnostic mutation before transplant (≤27 days) was assessed during 22.1 months (median) of post-transplant follow-up. The sensitivity of the NGS assay (27 MRD-positive subjects) exceeded that of the non-molecular methods (morphology, FISH, and flow cytometry) (11 positive subjects). Only one of the 13 subjects who relapsed after HSCT was NGS MRD-negative (92% assay sensitivity). The cumulative incidence of post-transplant leukemic relapse was significantly higher in the pre-transplant NGS MRD-positive (vs MRD-negative) subjects (P = .014). After adjusting for TP53 mutation and transplant conditioning regimen, NGS MRD-positivity retained independent prognostic significance for leukemic relapse (subdistribution hazard ratio = 7.3; P = .05). The pre-transplant NGS MRD-positive subjects also had significantly shortened progression-free survival (P = .038), and marginally shortened overall survival (P = .068). In patients with AML undergoing HSCT, the pre-transplant persistence of NGS-defined MRD imparts a significant, sensitive, strong, and independent increased risk for subsequent leukemic relapse and death. Given that NGS can simultaneously detect multiple leukemia-associated mutations, it can be used in the majority of AML patients to monitor disease burdens and inform treatment decisions.
Preemergence herbicide delays the critical time of weed removal in popcorn

Understanding the critical time of weed removal (CTWR) is necessary for designing effective weed management programs in popcorn production that do not result in yield reduction. The objective of this study was to determine the CTWR in popcorn with and without a premix of atrazine and S-metolachlor applied PRE. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center, NE in 2017 and 2018. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with PRE herbicide as the main plot and weed removal timing as the subplot. Main plots included no herbicide or atrazine/S-metolachlor applied PRE. Subplot treatments included a weed-free control, a non-treated control, and weed removal timing at V3, V6, V9, V15, and R1 popcorn growth stages and then kept weed free throughout the season. A four-parameter log-logistic function was fitted to percentage popcorn yield loss and growing degree days separately to each main plot. The number of growing degree days, when 5% yield loss was achieved, was extracted from the model and compared between main plots. The CTWR was from the V4 to V5 popcorn growth stage in absence of PRE herbicide. With atrazine/S-metolachlor applied PRE, the CTWR was delayed until V10 to V15. It is concluded that, to avoid yield loss, weeds must be controlled before the V4 popcorn growth stage when no PRE herbicide is applied, and PRE herbicide, such as atrazine/S-metolachlor in this study, can delay the CTWR until the V10 growth stage.
Head movements in low and high gravitoinertial force environments elicit motion sickness: implications for space motion sickness.

Astronauts report that head movements in flight tend to bring on symptoms of space motion sickness (SMS). The effects of head movements in pitch, yaw, and roll (made both with normal vision and with eyes occluded) on susceptibility to motion sickness in the zero G phase of parabolic flight maneuvers were evaluated. The findings are clear-cut: pitch head movements are most provocative, yaw least provocative, and roll intermediate. These experiments suggest that SMS is not a unique nosological entity, but is the consequence of exposure to nonterrestrial force levels. Head movements during departures in either direction from 1 G elicit symptoms.
Clinical and Biochemical Features of Pheochromocytoma Characteristic of Von Hippel–Lindau Syndrome

Approximately 30% of patients with apparent sporadic pheochromocytoma (Pheo) may later prove to have an inherited predisposition syndrome, most commonly Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease. Our aim was to compare the clinical and biochemical features of Pheo in VHL to those in sporadic disease to identify differences that may be used to guide management and surveillance of Pheo in VHL patients. Data of all patients who had adrenalectomy for histologic Pheo from 2000 to 2018 (QIIRB1749) were retrospectively reviewed. VHL patients were diagnosed by standard clinical criteria and/or genetic testing. Patients were classified as having sporadic Pheo (sPheo) if they had no family/personal history consistent with an associated genetic disorder and/or had negative testing for VHL, MAX, MEN1, NF1, RET and SDHAF2/B/C/D/A mutations. Of 175 patients, 38 (22%) had VHL and 137 (78%) had sPheo including 27 (20%) with negative genetic testing. Compared to sPheo, VHL Pheo patients were younger (mean 25.9 vs. 51.2 years, p 1 adrenal Pheo) (16% vs. 0%, p 6 months from initial resection was common in VHL (40% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), median time to recurrence 15 years, (range 1–38 years). Compared to those with sporadic Pheo, patients with VHL are more likely to be young, asymptomatic and normotensive and to have small, multifocal, normetanephrine-secreting tumors. Because recurrence is common in VHL and arises up to 38 years later, continued surveillance is advised.
Mobile technology intervention for weight loss in rural men: protocol for a pilot pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Introduction Men who are overweight or obese in the rural Midwestern USA are an unrepresented, at-risk group exhibiting rising rates of cardiovascular disease, poor access to preventive care and poor lifestyle behaviours that contribute to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Self-monitoring of eating and activity has demonstrated efficacy for weight loss. Use of mobile technologies for self-monitoring eating and activity may address rural men’s access disparities to preventive health resources and support weight loss. Our pilot trial will assess the feasibility and acceptability of two mobile applications for weight loss in rural men to inform a future, full-scale trial. Methods and analysis A 6-month randomised controlled trial with contextual evaluation will randomise 80 men using a 1:1 ratio to either a Mobile Technology Plus (MT+) intervention or a basic Mobile Technology (MT) intervention in rural, midlife men (aged 40–69 years). The MT+ intervention consists of a smartphone self-monitoring application enhanced with discussion group (Lose-It premium), short message service text-based support and Wi-Fi scale. The MT group will receive only a self-monitoring application (Lose-It basic). Feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated using number of men recruited and retained, and evaluative focus group feedback. We seek to determine point estimates and variability of outcome measures of weight loss (kg and % body weight) and improved dietary and physical activity behaviours (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption surveys, data from Lose-It! application (kcal/day, steps/day)). Community capacity will be assessed using standard best practice methods. Descriptive content analysis will evaluate intervention acceptability and contextual sensitivity. Ethics and dissemination This protocol was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB# 594–17-EP). Dissemination of findings will occur through ClinicalTrials.gov and publish pilot data to inform the design of a larger clinical trial. Trial registration number NCT03329079; preresults. Protocol V.10, study completion date 31 August 2020. Roles and responsibilities funder: NIH/NINR Health Disparities Section 1R15NR017522-01.
A Comparative Analysis of the Attitudes toward the U.S.-Mexico Border Policy: Evaluating Perspectives on Border Security and Building a Wall in the Rio Grande Valley, National Hispanic and General U.S. Populations

Recently, there has been a surge of national attention toward the U.S.-Mexican border in South Texas, known as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Despite the attention and potential impact, which the wal...
5.7 – The Stable Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric CO2

About half of the CO2 emitted by fossil fuel combustion currently remains in the atmosphere. The other half is removed by CO2 uptake on land and in the ocean. Prediction of future CO2 concentrations relies critically on the understanding of these sources and sinks and their potential variability over time. While such understanding requires quantification of individual carbon fluxes, the means to achieve this in direct measurements are very limited. The isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 provides a powerful and indispensable tool in that respect. This chapter reviews the methodological and observational basis underlying the use of the isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 in tracing and interpreting the changes in sources and sinks of CO2 over seasonal, annual, and longer timescales, as well as over different spatial scales. The processes influencing the isotopic ‘signatures’ associated with specific processes in the contemporary carbon cycle and the usefulness of such signals are discussed. For example: How can annual-scale variations in 13C observations be used to partition CO2 uptake between land and ocean? Why does the decreasing trend in the 13C of atmospheric CO2 over the past 150 years (due to the addition of 13C-depleted CO2 to the atmosphere through fossil fuel combustion) provide an indicator of the carbon turnover rate in the biosphere? Why does the 18O in atmospheric CO2 reflect variability in the plant versus soil fluxes within the land biosphere? Finally, the new frontiers in the application of isotopic analysis of atmospheric CO2, such as the use of laser spectroscopy, our ability to identify variations in the rare, isotopically doubly labeled CO2 molecules (e.g., containing both 13C and 18O), and the measurement of the 17O anomaly in CO2, are explored.
IoT-Based Real-Time Monitoring System for Epidemic Diseases Patients: Design and Evaluation

Epidemic diseases patients need constant monitoring of their health, whether in the hospital or at home, and this requires great costs. The employment of information and communication technologies and artificial intelligence concepts helps reduce these costs. This paper introduces a real-time monitoring system for monitoring pneumonia patients that will allow doctors to monitor the health of their patients remotely through smartphones or internet-connected devices. To verify the proper functioning of this system, a real-time monitoring device was developed. A secure mechanism is designed to establish a wireless connection to the monitoring unit.
The Short and Medium Term Well-Being Effects of the Minimum Wage

The psychic effects of the minimum wage are unknown. I estimate traditional and contiguous counties difference-in-difference models to measure the well-being effects of the minimum wage. In the short-term, I observe that a one-dollar minimum wage increase produces a robust transitory well-being loss of approximately .006 percentage points for young individuals. In the medium-term, I find some evidence of positive well-being gains of .006 to .015 standard deviations for all adults, but these estimates are sensitive to the research design. These findings provide an additional approach to evaluate the welfare effects of the minimum wage.
Low-Coordinate Iron Chalcogenolates and Their Complexes with Diethyl Ether and Ammonia.

Treatment of Fe{N(SiMe3)2}2 with 2 equiv of the appropriate phenol or thiol affords the dimers {Fe(OC6H2-2,6-But2-4-Me)2}2 (1) and {Fe(OC6H3-2,6-But2)2}2 (2) or the monomeric Fe{SC6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2}2 (3) in moderate to excellent yields. Recrystallization of 1 and 2 from diethyl ether gives the corresponding three-coordinate ether complexes Fe(OC6H3-2,6-But2-4-Me)2(OEt2) (4) and Fe(OC6H3-2,6-But2)2(OEt2) (5). In contrast, no diethyl ether complex is formed by the dithiolate 3. The 1H NMR spectra of 4 and 5 show equilibria between the ether complexes and the base-free dimers. A comparison of these spectra with those of the dimeric 1 and 2 allows an unambiguous assignment of the paramagnetically shifted signals. Treatment of 1 with excess ammonia gives the tetrahedral diammine Fe(OC6H2-2,6-But2-4-Me)2(NH3)2 (6). Ammonia is strongly coordinated in 6, with no apparent loss of ammine ligand either in solution or upon heating under low pressure. In contrast, significantly weaker ammonia coordination is observed when dithiolate 3 is treated with excess ammonia, which gives the diammine Fe{SC6H3-2,6-(2,6-Pri2-C6H3)2}2(NH3)2 (7). Complex 7 readily loses ammonia either in solution or under reduced pressure to give the monoammine complex Fe{SC6H3-2,6-(2,6-Pri2-C6H3)2}2(NH3) (8). The weak binding of ammonia by iron thiolate 7 reflects the likely behavior of the proposed iron-sulfur active site in nitrogenases, where release of ammonia is required to close the catalytic cycle.
Cognitive orientation to daily occupation group in the adult day rehabilitation setting: A feasibility study:

IntroductionThe Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) ApproachTM is a leading approach in occupational therapy. Implementing the CO-OP ApproachTM in a group format in day ...
Microfluidic Device Security

Functional diversification is expected to drive the growth of hardware computing beyond the end of Moore’s law. Medical application is expected to be a system driver of such diversification. Microfluidic technologies enable miniaturization of laboratory-based biochemical protocols. A microfluidic biochip or lab-on-a-chip (LoC) performs biochemical reactions by consuming nano-/pico-liter volume of reagents. These platforms use less volume of samples and reagents and provide quicker results than the traditional lab. Also, these platforms enable automation that reduces the reliance on high-skilled personnel. Digital microfluidic biochip (DMFB) and continuous flow-based microfluidic biochip (CFMB) are examples of such biochip platforms. CFMBs manipulate fluid flow through a network of micro-channel by actuating pressure-driven micro-valves. DMFB offers a programmable fluidic platform in which discrete fluid droplets can be manipulated through electrical actuations.
Improved ceramic heat exchange material

Improved corrosion resistant ceramic materials that are suitable for use as regenerative heat exchangers for vehicular gas turbines is reported. Two glass-ceramic materials, C-144 and C-145, have superior durability towards sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate compared to lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) Corning heat exchange material 9455. Material C-144 is a leached LAS material whose major crystalline phase is silica keatite plus mullite, and C-145 is a LAS keatite solid solution (S.S.) material. In comparison to material 9455, material C-144 is two orders of magnitude better in dimensional stability to sulfuric acid at 300 C, and one order of magnitude better in stability to sodium sulfate at 1000 C. Material C-145 is initially two times better in stability to sulfuric acid, and about one order of magnitude better in stability to sodium sulfate. Both C-144 and C-145 have less than 300 ppm delta L/L thermal expansion from ambient to 1000 C, and good dimensional stability of less than approximately 100 ppm delta L/L after exposure to 1000 C for 100 hours. The glass-ceramic fabrication process produced a hexagonal honeycomb matrix having an 85% open frontal area, 50 micrometer wall thickness, and less than 5% porosity.
The Fischer cyanohydrin synthesis and the configurations of higher-carbon sugars and alcohols.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Fischer cyanohydrin synthesis and configurations of higher-carbon sugars and alcohol. The synthesis of α-hydroxy acids from the carbonyl compounds of the cyanohydrin is an early discovery in organic chemistry. Fischer discovered that the lactones of the acids of the sugar group can be reduced by sodium amalgam to yield the corresponding carbonyl compound, an aldose. Fischer and Passmore discovered that the phenylhydrazides of the aldonic acids crystallize well, a development that proved of fundamental importance for the isolation and purification of such acids. The theory predicts that two diastereoisomers result from the addition of hydrocyanic acid to a reducing sugar.
Glutamate and schizophrenia: phencyclidine, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, and dopamine-glutamate interactions.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that affects up to 1% of the population worldwide. As of yet, neurochemical mechanisms underlying schizophrenia remain unknown. To date, the most widely considered neurochemical hypothesis of schizophrenia is the dopamine hypothesis, which postulates that symptoms of schizophrenia may result from excess dopaminergic neurotransmission particularly in striatal brain regions, along with dopaminergic deficits in prefrontal brain regions. Alternative neurochemical models of schizophrenia, however, have been proposed involving glutamatergic mechanisms in general and N ‐methyl‐ d ‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors in particular. A potential role for glutamatergic mechanisms in schizophrenia was first proposed ∼15 years ago based on the observation that the psychotomimetic agents phencyclidine (PCP) and ketamine induce psychotic symptoms and neurocognitive disturbances similar to those of schizophrenia by blocking neurotransmission at NMDA‐type glutamate receptors. Since that time, significant additional evidence has accumulated supporting a role for NMDA hypofunction in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Clinical challenge studies with PCP and ketamine have confirmed the close resemblance between NMDA antagonist‐induced symptoms and neurocognitive deficits and those observed in schizophrenia, and suggest that NMDA dysfunction may lead to secondary dopaminergic dysregulation in striatal and prefrontal brain regions. As compared to dopaminergic agents, NMDA antagonists induce negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as positive symptoms. Treatment studies with NMDA modulators, such as glycine, d ‐serine, and glycine transport inhibitors (GTIs), have yielded encouraging findings, although results remain controversial. Finally, genetic linkage and in vivo neurochemical studies in schizophrenia highlight potential etiological mechanisms giving rise to glutamatergic/NMDA dysfunction in schizophrenia.
H.264 coding artifacts and their relation to perceived annoyance

In this study we investigate coding artifacts in H.264 baseline profile. A psychophysical experiment was conducted that collected data about the subjectively perceived annoyance of short video sequences as well as the perceived strength of three coding artifacts. The data provided by 52 subjects is analyzed with respect to bitrate and intra period of the encoded sequences. A new data analysis method is presented which is based on a granular data representation and enables the detection of multidimensional functional dependencies in data sets. This method is employed to establish a model for the perceived annoyance as a function of artifact strength.
Reatroviral Infection and Haemopoiesis

Human retroviruses have been recognized for the last decade as pathogens for malignant or immunodeficient disease states. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the causal agent for the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Impaired haemopoiesis is common after HIV infection. The pathophysiology of this is not yet fully understood, but may involve direct retroviral infection of progenitors and/or elaboration of suppressor substances by accessory cells in the bone marrow microenvironment. Haemopoietic growth factors have been particularly useful in reconstituting myelopoiesis and erythropoiesis in HIV-infected patients with impaired bone marrow function.
Ontological (empirical) foundations of sociological economics: Forms of the social co‐determination of the economy

The paper argues in favor of reestablishing sociological or social economics as a legitimate discipline of economic science. Conspires toward undertaking analyses of the social co‐determination of economic behaviors, variables and systems. Suggests the need for incorporation of sociological/social economics in the existing semi‐official (JEL) taxonomy of economic fields and subjects. The argument for sociological economics can be made on two grounds: ontological or empirical‐historical and epistemological or theoretical‐methodological ones. The article bases the argument for sociological economics on the former, i.e., the empirical‐historical social co‐determination of the economy. The relations of sociological economics to sociology of economics are specified and the implications of sociological/social economics for modern economic science are also discussed.
Radiofrequency energy–induced heating of bovine capsular tissue: Temperature changes produced by bipolar versus monopolar electrodes

Abstract Purpose: To determine temperature changes associated with radiofrequency (RF) energy–induced heating of bovine capsular tissue using a bipolar RF electrode versus a temperature-controlled, monopolar RF electrode. Type of Study: In vitro laboratory investigation using bovine capsular tissue. Methods: Samples of bovine tissue were placed in a saline bath (37°C) and RF energy was applied using bipolar and monopolar RF electrodes at manufacturer-recommended settings for tissue shrinkage. Fluoroptic thermometry was used to record temperatures on the tissue surface and at depths of 1 mm and 2 mm during continuous delivery of RF energy at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 second time increments. Results: The highest mean temperatures were recorded on the tissue surface, as follows (mean ± SD; * P R =.926) between mean surface temperatures versus time. The temperature-controlled, monopolar RF electrode did not appear to properly regulate the delivery of RF energy to maintain tissue temperatures at the selected level (i.e., 65°C). The bipolar RF electrode produced a smaller temperature gradient (average difference, 9.2°C) at the 1-mm tissue depth compared with the monopolar RF electrode (average difference, 14.6°C). Temperature profiles at the 2-mm tissue depth were comparable for both types of RF electrodes. Conclusions: These data provide basic information pertaining to the temperature profiles produced by bipolar and monopolar RF electrodes applied to collagen-based tissue. Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 17, No 2 (February), 2001: pp 124–131
Isoleucine and Valine Metabolism in Escherichia coli XVIII. Induction of Acetohydroxy Acid Isomeroreductase

The regulation by substrate induction of the acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase was studied in Escherichia coli. Induction was inhibited by chloramphenicol and rifampin. The addition of rifampin resulted in a decay of the capacity to form isomeroreductase. This was attributed to the breakdown of the isomeroreductase messenger, which had a half-life of about 45 sec at 37 C. Induction of isomeroreductase was enhanced by including glucose in the medium. This effect was shown to be due in part to the lowering of the pH of the medium, which presumably made inducer entry more rapid.
Configurable direct-conversion / superheterodyne baseband down-link channel for W-CDMA applications

A configurable W-CDMA baseband down-link (BDL) channel suitable to be used with both direct conversion (DIR) and superheterodyne (SHT) architectures has been integrated in a double-poly 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. The BDL is an analog signal processor consisting of calibrated active-RC filters and oversampled 6-bit analog-to-digital pipeline converters, which sufficiently suppresses the adjacent channel and other interferers before digital signal-processing on an external DSP. The designed BDL channel achieves 38.4 dB SNDR, 43 dB SFDR in DIR mode and 38.3 dB SNDR, 42.8 dB SFDR in SHT mode with an overall power consumption of only 49 mW/58 mW (DIR/SHT) from a single 2.8 V power supply. A low power consumption mode allows to further reduce these values down to 41 mW/50 mW (DIR/SHT) without significant detrimental effects to BDL performance.
Craniofacial and Maxillofacial Implants

Osseointegrated implants have assisted the craniofacial and maxillofacial patient tremendously. Whether it be for a facial prosthetic reconstruction or an intraoral prosthetic reconstruction, the advent of endosteal implants has enhanced the maxillofacial prosthodontist’s ability to reconstruct tissues that were lost to either cancer, trauma, or an acquired congenital defect. These restorations can improve the quality of lives of patients and give patients the ability to speak, masticate, and swallow (Beumer et al. 2010). They allow the ability to restore the patients’ appearance so that they feel comfortable going out in society. However, the long-term stability of craniofacial or maxillofacial implants has been less favorable than that of the conventional dental implant. This chapter discusses the specific features of craniofacial and maxillofacial implants to elucidate the factors relevant to the success and long-term stability of implant osseointegration.