cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antithrombogenic characteristics of cathodically polarized copper prostheses.

In previous studies from our laboratories, it was shown that metals and alloys which register negative potentials in blood vs. the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) tend to be antithrombogenic, while those with positive potentials are invariably thrombogenic. Of the metals, only the corrodible ones fall in the first group and the noble ones in the second. Blood compatible metals appear to be essential for some types of medical devices. This paper deals with a novel approach of maintaining an implanted metallic prostheses at a negative potential. A copper vascular prostheses in a dog was made the cathode in a polarizing circuit, which in addition consists of a smal mercury battery, a resistor and an auxiliary electrode. Such experiments were conducted in three animals, and the potentials ranged from −60 to −160 mV/NHE. The three dogs were sacrificed after 6, 8, and 14 days and the tubes were examined. All tubes were free of thrombus deposits; minimal junctional thrombi were found. Two copper tubes with no polarizing circuit and registering positive potentials were occluded after 8 and 14 days, respectively. Histologic and electron-microscopic studies of the thrombus deposits in tubes at spontaneous potentials and of the junctional thrombus deposits in the tube at negative potentials showed similar structures. The present experiments further confirm the view that the potential across the conductive material-blood interface is a more basic parameter than the chemical nature of the surface in determining its blood-compatible characteristic.
Spectral transformations for two-dimensional digital filters

A theory is developed for spectral transformations for two-dimensional digital filters. It is proved that these transformations take the form of stable two-dimensional all-pass functions and that the result of spectral transformation is stable if the original transfer function is stable. Emphasis is placed on formulating the transformations in a way which makes them easy to use for design, and it is shown that twodimensional spectral transformations offer a means of quickly obtaining new designs from previous ones. Included is a discussion of applications such as the design and realization of two-dimensional digital filters with tunable characteristics.
BONE DISEASE IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE; THERAPY WITH l α ‐HYDROXY VITAMIN D3

SUMMARY Results of l α-hydroxy vitamin D3 therapy in twelve children with renal bone disease are described. Nine of the twelve children showed a good response to 0.04–0.08μg/kg/day. Hypercalcaemia was the only side effect and proved easy to manage because of the short half-life of lα-OHD3.
CURRENT UNCERTAINTIES IN ASSESSING AEROSOL EFFECTS ON CLIMATE

▪ Abstract The effect of anthropogenic emissions from activities, such as fossil-fuel, biomass, and biofuel burning; transportation; and land-clearing; have a profound impact on the climate system. The impact of these activities is manifested in observed changes in temperature, precipitation, sea-level rise, melting of glaciers, air quality, health, and agriculture yields, to name a few. The obvious question to ask is the role that these different processes play in affecting climate and what action could one impose to curtail or constrain adverse human impacts on climate. Greenhouse gases have long been studied, as they play a major role in changing climate. But over the past 10–20 years, aerosols have emerged as the other big contenders in climate change studies. This review focuses on the current understanding of the effects of aerosols on climate, with an emphasis on the thermodynamical and indirect aerosol effects. We also examine available measurements that could be used to decipher the aerosol influ...
Analysis of MIMO capacity with interference

System capacity is considered for a group of interfering users employing single-user detection and multiple transmit and receive antennas for flat Rayleigh fading channels with independent fading coefficients for each path. The focus is on the case where there is no channel state information at the transmitter, but channel state information is assumed at the receiver. It is shown that the optimum signaling is sometimes different from cases where the users do not interfere with each other. In particular, the optimum signaling sometimes put all power into a single transmitting antenna, rather than divide power equally between the different antennas. We show that either the optimum interference-free approach, which puts equal power into each antenna, or the approach that puts all power into a single antenna are optimum for the majority of signal and interference powers and we show how to find the regions where each approach is best.
Ammonia-tailoring of GAC to enhance perchlorate removal. I: Characterization of NH3 thermally tailored GACs

A commercially available bituminous granular activated carbon (GAC) was subjected to thermal treatment with ammonia for 60 min at temperatures of 500–800 °C. The effect of this treatment on the physical and chemical characteristics of carbon was studied in detail. Comparison of virgin and NH3-tailored carbons relative to pore volume distribution and argon-BET surface area indicated that ammonia acted as an activating agent under these conditions. Micropore volume increased with increasing treatment temperature up to 700 °C; and then declined at 800 °C. Elemental analysis results showed that nitrogen was incorporated into the carbon matrix during the thermal treatment as proven by an increase in N-content from 0.64% for virgin GAC up to 1.61–1.63% for all the tailored samples. The ammonia treatment caused an increase in positive surface charge density over a broad pH range; and this was reflected in a higher pHpzc and pHIEP. This was attributed to the more basic nature of the carbon surface after its treatment in ammonia.
HIGH-TEMPERATURE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF SAPPHIRE

The fracture toughness of sapphire with crack propagation parallel to the basal plane was measured from 1200° to 1500°C. Fracture surfaces of near c-axis fibers tested in tension were used to determine the values. The toughness was constant and equal to 1.4 ± 0.1 Mpa.m1/2 over the entire temperature range.
Stable hole doping of graphene for low electrical resistance and high optical transparency

We report on the p doping of graphene with the polymer TFSA ((CF3SO2)2NH). Modification of graphene with TFSA decreases the graphene sheet resistance by 70%. Through such modification, we report sheet resistance values as low as 129 � , thus attaining values comparable to those of indium‐tin oxide (ITO), while displaying superior environmental stability and preserving electrical properties over extended time scales. Electrical transport measurements reveal that, after doping, the carrier density of holes increases, consistent with the acceptor nature of TFSA, and the mobility decreases due to enhanced short-range scattering. The Drude formula predicts that competition between these two effects yields an overall increase in conductivity. We confirm changes in the carrier density and Fermi level of graphene through changes in the Raman G and 2D peak positions. Doped graphene samples display high transmittance in the visible and near-infrared spectrum, preserving graphene’s optical properties without any significant reduction in transparency, and are therefore superior to ITO films in the near infrared. The presented results allow integration of doped graphene sheets into optoelectronics, solar cells, and thermoelectric solar cells as well as engineering of the electrical characteristics of various devices by tuning the Fermi level of graphene.
The Effects of Mood and Advertising Context on Ad Memory and Evaluations: The Case of a Competitive and a Non-Competitive Ad Context

Abstract This study examines the joint effects of mood and ad context on ad memory and evaluations. It is argued that mood (negative vs. positive) and ad context (competitive vs. non-competitive) both influence the type of processing (item-specific vs. relational processing) adopted by message recipients. As a result, mood and ad context are expected to interact to influence recall of advertising claims and as well as evaluations of advertising. Results of a controlled experiment provided support for the hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. (Keywords: mood, information processing, memory, item-specific processing, relational processing, affect-as-information)
Overweight in older children and adolescents: treatment or prevention?

In children and adolescents, overweight is defined as a body mass index for age greater than the 95th percentile of a reference population. Between 1980 and 2004 the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents increased from 6% to 19% in the USA.1 Overweight children and adolescents very often become obese adults.2 Obesity seems to have complex and multiple aetiologies and because of this is very difficult to prevent or treat. Since prevention of this disease in this obesogenic environment has proven to be elusive, much focus has revolved around treatment of overweight and obesity for adults and children. This editorial will briefly comment on the use of antiobesity medicines as well as bariatric surgical procedures in older children or adolescents. A recent article by Viner et al 3 reports on rising antiobesity drug prescription rates in older children in the UK over the period between 1999 and 2006, a time in which childhood and adolescent obesity rates skyrocketed all over the world. At the time, the three medications approved for obesity treatment in adults in the UK were the gastric and pancreatic lipase inhibitor orlistat, the serotonin and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor sibutramine, and the selective cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant. In the UK these drugs are not licensed for use in children or adolescents. In the USA, rimonabant did not meet approval requirements by the Food and Drug Administration, and in addition to sibutramine and orlistat, the market includes the older drugs phentermine and diethylproprion, approved in the 1970s for 3-month usage. Orlistat was approved for use in patients aged ⩾12 years and sibutramine for patients aged ⩾16 years. The UK data report that approximately 0.1 in 1000 of those …
Contractures and loss of function in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of contractures in patients with Alzheimer's disease and to assess possible associations between contractures and cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer's disease. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Subjects from an outpatient, university-based, dementia research center, followed, when necessary, into residential home and nursing home settings. PATIENTS: A consecutive sample of 161 patients (48 men, 113 women; mean age 75.3 ± 8.6 years) with a clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease and with deficits in basic activities of daily living or more severe functional impairment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For cognition, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); for functioning, the Functional Assessment Staging Scale (FAST); contracture is defined as a decrease of 50% or more of the normal passive range of motion of the joint. RESULTS: Prevalence of contractures was correlated highly with degree of functional impairment (r = .70, P < .001). More than three quarters of patients who had lost the ability to walk manifested contractures; however, contractures were found in fewer than 11% of all ambulatory patients examined. When present, contractures involved more than one extremity in 97% of cases and involved all four extremities in more than two-thirds of patients. CONCLUSION: Joint contractures are very common in the severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. More than a quarter of a million institutionalized residents in US nursing homes are likely to be afflicted by this potentially painful and disfiguring condition. Possible pathophysiology and contributing factors and possible means of intervention for this major source of disability are discussed.
The role of simulation in the development of task-oriented computer architectures

With the recent improvements in the technology of inlegrated circuits there has been increasing interest in task-oriented computer architectures. At Carnegie-Mellon University we have built a multi-microprocessor architecture tailored to the execution of the Harpy speech understanding system (Harpy Machine). While doing this, we have been confronted with the non-trivial problem of developing software for a lask-oriented multiprocessor. This paper is concerned with one approach to the problem of software development: the use of an ad-hoc simulator as a cheap software development tool (as opposed to the typical use of a simulator as a design evaluation tool). The experience made with the simulator in the development of the software for the Harpy Machine is also discussed.
Oxidant Signaling in Vascular Cell Growth, Death, and Survival A Review of the Roles of Reactive Oxygen Species in Smooth Muscle and Endothelial Cell Mitogenic and Apoptotic Signaling

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been traditionally regarded as toxic byproducts of aerobic metabolism. However, ROS can also act as intracellular signaling molecules in vascular cells. ROS can mediate phenotypes in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells that may be considered both physiological and pathophysiological. Among these are growth, apoptosis, and survival. The specific response elicited by reactive oxygen intermediaries is determined by their specific intracellular target(s). This, in turn, is dependent on the species of oxidant(s) produced, the source and therefore subcellular localization of the oxidant(s), the kinetics of production, and the quantities produced. A fuller understanding of how ROS regulate mitogenesis and apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells will permit the development of novel strategies to modify or prevent vascular diseases in which these phenotypes predominate.
Self-identifying sensor data

Public-use sensor datasets are a useful scientific resource with the unfortunate feature that their provenance is easily disconnected from their content. To address this we introduce a technique to directly associate provenance information with sensor datasets. Our technique is similar to traditional watermarking but is intended for application to unstructured datasets. Our approach is potentially imperceptible given sufficient margins of error in datasets, and is robust to a number of benign but likely transformations including truncation, rounding, bit-flipping, sampling, and reordering. We provide algorithms for both one-bit and blind mark checking. Our algorithms are probabilistic in nature and are characterized by a combinatorial analysis.
Bicultural Identity and Language Attitudes Perspectives of Four Latina Teachers

This study is informed by a critical perspective that addresses issues of bicultural development and linguistic attitudes within a context of existing societal power relations. Interviews were cond...
Uptake and translocation of Ti from nanoparticles in crops and wetland plants.

Bioavailability of engineered metal nanoparticles affects uptake in plants, impacts on ecosystems, and phytoremediation. We studied uptake and translocation of Ti in plants when the main source of this metal was TiO2 nanoparticles. Two crops (Phaseolus vulgaris (bean) and Triticum aestivum (wheat)), a wetland species (Rumex crispus, curly dock), and the floating aquatic plant (Elodea canadensis, Canadian waterweed), were grown in nutrient solutions with TiO2 nanoparticles (0, 6, 18 mmol Ti L−1 for P. vulgaris, T. aestivum, and R. crispus; and 0 and 12 mmol Ti L−1 for E. canadensis). Also examined in E. canadensis was the influence of TiO2 nanoparticles upon the uptake of Fe, Mn, and Mg, and the influence of P on Ti uptake. For the rooted plants, exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles did not affect biomass production, but significantly increased root Ti sorption and uptake. R. crispus showed translocation of Ti into the shoots. E. canadensis also showed significant uptake of Ti, P in the nutrient solution signifi...
Establishing Storm-Water BMP Evaluation Metrics Based upon Ambient Water Quality Associated with Benthic Macroinvertebrate Populations

Storm-water experts agree that the currently used best management practice (BMP) percent removal methodology metric has many flaws, and some have suggested using a BMP effluent concentration metric. This case study examines establishing an effluent target concentration for BMPs that relates to the health of macroinvertebrates in the receiving water. In North Carolina, 193 ambient water quality monitoring stations were paired with benthic macroinvertebrate health ratings collected in very close proximity. Water quality for the sites ranged from excellent to poor and was divided into three distinct ecoregions: Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal. Statistically significant relationships were found in one or more ecoregions for dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, NH3 , NO2−3 − N , total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). BMPs can then be selected and designed to meet these target effluent concentrations. Based upon this research, a development, and therefore set of BMPs, in Piedmont ...
Image analysis and application systems in quality evaluation and prediction for meat and live meat animals

Image analysis approaches, both in frequency domain and in intensity domain, were used to extract tissue features for the evaluation and prediction of intramuscular fat (marbling) for live meat animals and carcasses. The validation testing of these models showed very good prediction accuracy. The root mean square errors are 1.10 to 1.14 for live animals and .93 to 1.12 for carcasses on 64 to 70 percent of the population. About 83 to 90 percent of the predicted residual errors were less than 1.5%. A software package-Quality Evaluation and Prediction-and on-line application systems are developed to transfer the research results into practical on-line applications. The results indicate that the image analysis technologies, the QEP software package, and the on-line application systems are valuable tools in meat quality evaluation and prediction for livestock producers and meat industries. >
Specific binding of host cell proteins to the 3'-terminal stem-loop structure of rubella virus negative-strand RNA.

At the 59 end of the rubella virus genomic RNA, there are sequences that can form a potentially stable stem-loop (SL) structure. The complementary negative-strand equivalent of the 59-end SL structure of positive-strand rubella virus RNA [59 (+) SL structure] is thought to serve as a promoter for the initiation of positive-strand synthesis. We screened the negative-strand equivalent of the 59 (+) SL structure (64 nucleotides) and the adjacent region of the negative-strand RNA for their ability to bind to host cell proteins. Specific binding to the 64-nucleotide-long potential SL structure of three cytosolic proteins with relative molecular masses of 97, 79, and 56 kDa was observed by UV-induced covalent cross-linking. There was a significant increase in the binding of the 97-kDa protein from cells upon infection with rubella virus. Altering the SL structure by deleting sequences in either one of the two potential loops abolished the binding interaction. The 56-kDa protein also appeared to bind specifically to an SL derived from the 39 end of positive-strand RNA. The 39-terminal structure of rubella virus negative-strand RNA shared the same protein-binding activity with similar structures in alphaviruses, such as Sindbis virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus. A possible role for the host proteins in the replication of rubella virus and alphaviruses is discussed. Images
Brook Trout Production Dynamics in the Streams of a Low Fertility Newfoundland Watershed

Abstract Production of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis ranged from 99 to 651 g · 100 m−2 · year−1 among headwater streams of the Copper Lake watershed in insular Newfoundland. Ratios of annual production to mean annual biomass (P/B) ranged from 0.9 to 1.5 among the same streams. Empirical models developed from stream salmonid populations in the United States successfully predicted modal production based on water alkalinity and P/B ratios based on age-class structure of the populations. Differences in production among streams were consistent with previous work in low-fertility headwater systems, which suggests habitat attributes of the stream define salmonid production within the range dictated by the water fertility. The most important of these attributes in this study was food abundance. Substrate composition and habitat complexity may have played secondary roles in determining production in the most productive stream.
Sediment Resuspension and Mixing by Resonantly Generated Internal Solitary Waves

The observation of internal solitary waves (ISWs) propagating upstream along a strongly stratified bottom layer on the California shelf is reported. An increased concentration of particulates in the water column accompanies the passage of these ISW packets. The estimated local Richardson number in the bottom vicinity is around 1/4, and a vertical coefficient of eddy diffusivity of order 1022 m2 s21 is associated with the upstream propagating leading ISW. The leading ISW gave rise to reversed flow in an 8-m layer above the bottom. It is argued that the upstream propagating ISWs were generated by resonant flow over bottom topography. Internal waves generated in this way seem to be frequent in the record of a month-long experiment. Model results suggest that the ISWs can carry up to 73% of such generated long wave energy. The ocean conditions at the site are similar to those of other coastal sites, which suggests that the phenomenon described here may be common.
Factors in the acquisition of Spanish pronunciation

L'A. determine les facteurs qui entrent en jeu dans la progression de la performance - en ce qui concerne l'articulation phonetique - chez des etudiants apprenant l'espagnol en milieu universitaire. Il examine ainsi le role de la tâche linguistique a realiser : formelle vs. informelle, du temps passe a l'etude formelle de l'espagnol, de la duree de residence dans un environnement hispanophone, de l'âge de la premiere mise en contact avec la langue, de l'attitude a l'egard de la prononciation. Il examine egalement les elements que partage la prononciation avec la musique, tels que le rythme et l'intonation
3-Hydroxypyrimidine-2,4-diones as Selective Active Site Inhibitors of HIV Reverse Transcriptase-Associated RNase H: Design, Synthesis, and Biochemical Evaluations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (RT) associated ribonuclease H (RNase H) remains an unvalidated antiviral target. A major challenge of specifically targeting HIV RNase H arises from the general lack of selectivity over RT polymerase (pol) and integrase (IN) strand transfer (ST) inhibitions. We report herein the synthesis and biochemical evaluations of three novel 3-hydroxypyrimidine-2,4-dione (HPD) subtypes carefully designed to achieve selective RNase H inhibition. Biochemical studies showed the two subtypes with an N-1 methyl group (9 and 10) inhibited RNase H in low micromolar range without significantly inhibiting RT polymerase, whereas the N-1 unsubstituted subtype 11 inhibited RNase H in submicromolar range and RT polymerase in low micromolar range. Subtype 11 also exhibited substantially reduced inhibition in the HIV-1 INST assay and no significant cytotoxicity in the cell viability assay, suggesting that it may be amenable to further structure-activity relationship (SAR) for identifying RNase H inhibitors with antiviral activity.
IMCT-18PD-1 INHIBITORS FOR RECURENT HIGH GRADE GLIOMA (HGG)

Treatment options for recurrent high grade gliomas (HGG) are limited. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 are expressed in tumor lymphocytes and glioma cells and negatively regulate T-cell responses. PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors are under investigation in the treatment of various malignancies, and pembrolizumab and nivolumab are available for off-label use. We retrospectively reviewed records of patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors off-label for recurrent HGG and explored safety and efficacy. There were 12 patients (7 men), median age 54 (range 18-69). Diagnoses included anaplastic astrocytoma (AA, 2) or glioblastoma (GBM, 10). All patients received prior radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ). PD-1 directed therapy with pembrolizumab 2mg/kg every 3 weeks (11) or nivolumab 3m/kg every 2 weeks (1) was administered for 2nd (3), 3rd (4), or 4th (5) recurrence. All patients received concurrent therapy with pembrolizumab or nivolumab. Combinations included bevacizumab (bev, 3), bev + nitrosoureas (2), and bev + RT, bev + TMZ + RT, bev + hydroxyurea + RT, bev + imatinib, bev + Novo-TTF, RT alone, and TMZ alone (1 each). Five patients were receiving corticosteroids (dexamethasone, 1.0-8.0mg/day) at the initiation of PD-1 directed therapy. Toxicities known to be associated with PD-1 inhibitors including transaminitis (3), hypothyroidism (2), hyperthyroidism (1) and hyponatremia (1) were observed. One patient discontinued therapy due to toxicity. No toxicities unique to patients with central nervous system malignancies were seen. Best observed responses by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria include partial response (2), stable disease (4) and progressive disease (6). Three patients with initial progressive disease may have had pseudoprogression, as follow-up imaging revealed stabilization, response, or unknown (1 each). Responders remain controlled with follow-up from 1.9-7.1 months. Survival data is immature and will be presented. PD-1 inhibitors can be administered safely to patients with HGG concurrently with other therapies including re-irradiation.
Value of the Lost Art of a Good History and Physical Exam.

In my nearly 40 years of involvement, the medical field has seen incredible advances in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. This includes exquisitely sensitive imaging and laboratory testing, which open a wide array of access points for disease identification and appropriate management. As these advanced and expensive technologies have evolved and become more available, however, I have noted a significant trend away from bedside basics. In this ensuing discussion, I would like to point out how the bedside basics, with which we all initially were taught, i.e., taking a good history and performing a good physical exam, can lead one to the correct diagnosis.
Analysis Method for Reliability of Power Grid with Distributed Generation

Insertion of distributed generation into power grid may change reliability calculation model and estimation method of original distribution system.Therefore,this paper proposes one calculation method for distribution system reliability considering of distributed generation.This method is an improvement based on minimum cutest of traditional distribution network which fully considers distributed generation and characteristic of reliability model of components of distribution network.Meanwhile,this method takes into account of role of distributed generation when distribution system is out of order and strategy of transformation of distributed generation to on-load.By analysis on IEEE-RBTS simulation example,it verifies effectiveness of this method.
Physiology: Pancreatic β-cell heterogeneity revisited.

Two analyses of insulin-producing β-cells reveal differences in what has long been considered a homogeneous population. These differences might reflect changes during maturation or ageing, or distinct cell lineages. See Letter p.430 Pancreatic β-cells are functionally heterogeneous, and differences in their characteristics may be important in the context of insulin-dependent diabetes. Heiko Lickert and colleagues have found a marker, the Fltp reporter gene, that is expressed in mature β-cell populations but not in proliferative β-cells. Fltp expression is triggered by Wnt signalling and polarization of β-cells as they organize into three-dimensional islets and the authors show that this change in architecture is sufficient to induce mouse and human β-cell maturation.
Stresses developed during clinical debonding of stainless steel orthodontic brackets

The purpose of this project was to use finite element modeling to calculate and compare the peak stresses generated during clinical debonding of resin bonded brackets. Five debonding techniques were considered: tension, shear-peel, torsion loads on the bracket, wedging of the cement margin, and bracket temperature increase. The data is presented in terms of the relative potentials of the methods for causing enamel fracture. That is, in this idealized model, it was assumed that enamel failures were governed by maximum principal or shear stress. Therefore, all debonding loads and calculated stresses were scaled to correspond to unit peak principal stress or unit peak shear stress in enamel. Furthermore, it was assumed that cement cohesive failure was also governed by maximum principal or maximum shear stress and that adhesive failures were caused by interface normal or shear stress. Thus, for example, it was found that for 1.0 MPa of peak shear stress in enamel, tension and shear-peel debonding generate, respectively, 1.34 and 0.96 MPa of peak normal (tensile) stress in the cement at the enamel-cement interface. The interpretation of this information is that tension debonding is less likely to cause enamel damage than shear-peel loading if it is assumed that (1) the enamel would fail due to the high shear stress, and (2) the joint would fail at the enamel-cement interface because its normal stress limit has been exceeded.
Mercury Isotopes for Efficient UV Lamps and Fluorescent Lighting

Mercury-discharge lamp technology is the basis for fluorescent lighting and UV lamps for water purification. We showed that by modifying the ratios of the seven stable isotopes of mercury from their natural relative abundances, lamp efficiencies can be improved by over 20%. In parallel, recent methods of isotope separation can make the cost of the optimized isotopic mixtures economically competitive. We review these recent developments and discuss implications for future lighting and UV lamp technologies.
Hyper-Achievement, Perfection, and College Student Resilience

AbstractOver the past decade, there has been considerable attention given to college students’ experience of pressure to pursue perfection through hyper-achievement and the psychological and emotional toll this process takes on them. The popular press has highlighted this phenomenon and raised specific questions about some of the related consequences like the need for more mental health services on college campuses, the increased risk of substance abuse problems, and the increased risk of suicide among students. This attention raises questions about how we develop and reinforce the desired academic skills in students without risking the many potential negative psychological and emotional consequences. This article examines these dynamics and describes the SAVES model of resilience cultivation as an antidote to hyper-achievement and perfection. This model is an acronym that stands for the following: S—Social connectedness, A—Attitude, V—Values, E—Emotional acceptance, S—Silliness/humor.
The stability of individual patterns of autonomic responses to motion sickness stimulation.

As part of a program to develop a treatment for motion sickness based on self-regulation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, this study examined the stability of an individual's pattern of ANS responses to motion sickness stimulation on repeated occasions. Motion sickness symptoms were induced in 58 people during two rotating chair test. Physiological responses measured were heart rate, finger pulse volume, respiration rate, and skin conductance. Using standard scores, stability of responses of specific magnitudes across both tests is as examined. Correlational analyses, analysis of variance, and a components of variance analysis all revealed marked, but quite stable, individual differences in ANS responses to both mild and severe motion sickness. These findings confirm the prior observation that people are sufficiently unique in their ANS responses to motion sickness provocation to make it nesessary to individually tailor self-regulation training. Further, these data support the contention that individual ANS patterns are sufficiently consistent from test to test so as to serve as an objective indicator of individual motion sickness malaise levels.
Impact of Redesigned Anatomy Problem-Based Learning Curriculum on Student Satisfaction

Problem-based learning (PBL) was developed by McMaster University (MMU) in response to students’ concerns about conventional lecture-based pedagogy. Tulane University School of Medicine (TU) supplemented its traditional lecture and dissection-based curriculum for Gross and Developmental Anatomy with the addition of PBL in 2007. In 2016, TU restructured the PBL modules to resemble the structure of MMU’s PBL. TU eliminated the lecture portion of the old PBLs to enhance interactive self-directed learning, and divided the class into smaller groups to facilitate more student interaction. It was hypothesized that this would increase students’ confidence in their problem-solving skills and enhance overall satisfaction with the PBL portion of the curriculum despite an increase in pre-class workload. Two-hundred first-year medical students were given anonymous surveys after each of the three PBL sessions to assess the students’ overall satisfaction with the PBL. A traditional Likert scale was used and written comments were collected. The TU students valued the revised PBL as a learning tool; specifically, the benefit of pre-class research, small group discussion, close faculty interactions, and clinical application of lecture material. Data collected demonstrated that 89% of students were satisfied with this part of their curricula for each respective PBL, despite the shift of initiative onto the students for self-directed learning in the new PBLs. The education of medical students supplemented by PBLs continues to be a useful tool and can be considered as a positive addition to a Gross and Developmental Anatomy course.
Mfd translocase is necessary and sufficient for transcription-coupled repair in Escherichia coli

Nucleotide excision repair in Escherichia coli is stimulated by transcription, specifically in the transcribed strand. Previously, it was shown that this transcription-coupled repair (TCR) is mediated by the Mfd translocase. Recently, it was proposed that in fact the majority of TCR in E. coli is catalyzed by a second pathway ("backtracking-mediated TCR") that is dependent on the UvrD helicase and the guanosine pentaphosphate (ppGpp) alarmone/stringent response regulator. Recently, we reported that as measured by the excision repair-sequencing (XR-seq), UvrD plays no role in TCR genome-wide. Here, we tested the role of ppGpp and UvrD in TCR genome-wide and in the lacZ operon using the XR-seq method, which directly measures repair. We found that the mfd mutation abolishes TCR genome-wide and in the lacZ operon. In contrast, the relA-spoT- mutant deficient in ppGpp synthesis carries out normal TCR. We conclude that UvrD and ppGpp play no role in TCR in E. coli.
Recent progress and prospects for advancing arachnid genomics

Arachnids exhibit tremendous species richness and adaptations of biomedical, industrial, and agricultural importance. Yet genomic resources for arachnids are limited, with the first few spider and scorpion genomes becoming accessible in the last four years. We review key insights from these genome projects, and recommend additional genomes for sequencing, emphasizing taxa of greatest value to the scientific community. We suggest greater sampling of spiders whose genomes are understudied but hold important protein recipes for silk and venom production. We further recommend arachnid genomes to address significant evolutionary topics, including the phenotypic impact of genome duplications. A barrier to high-quality arachnid genomes are assemblies based solely on short-read data, which may be overcome by long-range sequencing and other emerging methods.
Empirical Work on Auctions of Multiple Objects

Abundant data has led to new opportunities for empirical auctions research in recent years, with much of the newest work on auctions of multiple objects, including: (1) auctions of ranked objects (such as sponsored search ads), (2) auctions of identical objects (such as Treasury bonds), and (3) auctions of dissimilar objects (such as FCC spectrum licenses). This paper surveys recent developments in the empirical analysis of such auctions.
Computer Processing of Thermographic Images

The organization of system components for acquiring the thermographie images for processing by digital techniques is not unique. Numerous system architectures may be constructed and investigators will develop their own varied approaches to the issue. One general architecture is given in Figure 1, and will serve to orient the reader to several important topics.
Effects of a web-based pre-enrollment alcohol brief motivational intervention on college student retention and alcohol-related violations.

Objective: To determine whether completing a pre-enrollment Web-based alcohol brief motivational intervention (BMI) increased student retention and reduced student alcohol-related violations. Parti...
Health promotion beliefs and practices of fourth-year medical students.

Little is known about medical student beliefs about health promotion issues or about their prevention practices with patients. We administered a questionnaire about health promotion beliefs and practices to fourth-year medical students in a required course, “Preventive Medicine in Clinical Practice,” at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. During a three-year period we surveyed 343 students. A majority of students believed that most of 23 health behaviors were of some importance to health promotion, and their responses were similar to those of practicing physicians in prior studies. Most students reported that they assessed preventive practices in their patients but did not feel well prepared to counsel patients about health issues. Students reported they were currently unsuccessful in modifying patient health behaviors and expressed limited optimism about future success in helping patients change health promotion behaviors with further training and support. There were no differences between students entering primary care specialties and other students. Information about medical student health promotion and disease prevention beliefs and practices can be applied in curriculum development.
First fired, first hired? Business cycles and immigrant labor market transitions

Using individual-level Current Population Survey (CPS) data matched across adjacent months from 1996 to 2013, this paper examines immigrant-native differentials in labor market transitions to changes in the business cycle. The paper captures economic fluctuations by measuring deviations in local demand from national economic circumstances and examines monthly transitions among employment, unemployment, and nonparticipation. Immigrants are found to be first fired and first hired over the business cycle, and the aggregate unemployment gap is caused by immigrants’ higher rates in the unemployment entry flow. Although to some extent the gap can be explained by variation in the immigrant-native’s exposure to cycles across industry and occupation, the first fired and first hired pattern still holds. Tests for heterogeneity show that low-skilled immigrants are more vulnerable to the business cycle. Tests of the structural changes from the 2007–2009 Great Recession show that since its start, there was a secular shift in the transition probabilities that would affect all workers negatively, but cyclical volatility was mitigated for immigrants in the post-Great Recession period. JEL Classification: J15, J21, J23, J61, J63, J64
Temporal Creation and Cosmological Arguments in Early-Modern Calvinism

This study examines the varieties of cosmological arguments deployed in the natural theologies of early-modern Calvinism. Some of the first Reformed forays into theistic proofs make use of Thomist ...
Global stability of a multipatch disease epidemics model

Abstract A model of waterborne disease epidemics in a multipatch network is studied. The model considers the dynamics of susceptible, asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, as well as the dynamics of bacteria at interacting nodes or patches. Humans can move between patches carrying the disease to any patch in a region of n communities (patches). Using either matrix or graph-theoretic methods and some combinatorial identities, appropriate Lyapunov functions are constructed to prove global stability properties of both the disease-free and the endemic equilibrium.
Russian Oil and Gas Sector in 2016

The oil and gas sector is among principal sectors of the Russian economy and is the driving force in shaping the state budget revenues and the trade balance. In 2016, Russia’s crude oil production hit an all-time peak since 1990, and crude oil exports were close to an all-time high. Under the so-called tax maneuver in force in the oil industry, refining depth went up noticeably, production and export of fuel oil moved down and export of crude oil, a highly lucrative source of the budget revenues, increased.
Kinodynamic planning for spherical tensegrity locomotion with effective gait primitives

Tensegrity-based robots can achieve locomotion through shape deformation and compliance. They are highly adaptable to their surroundings, and are lightweight, low cost, and physically robust. Their...
Predictors of Overtesting in Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis.

Background The benefits of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis must be weighed against its risks, radiation-induced malignancy, and contrast-induced nephropathy. Appropriate use of CTPA can be assessed by monitoring yield, the percentage of tests positive for PE. We identify factors that are associated low CTPA yield, which may predict overtesting. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of six emergency departments between June 2014 and February 2017. The electronic health record was queried for CTPAs ordered for adult patients in the emergency department. We assessed the following patient factors: age, gender, body mass index, number of comorbidities, race, and ethnicity, provider factors: type (resident, fellow, attending, physician assistant) and environment factors: test time of day, season of visit, and crowdedness of the department. Results A total of 14,782 CTPAs were reviewed, of which 1366 were found to be positive for PE, resulting in an overall CTPA yield of 9.24%. Provider type was not associated with a difference in yield. Testing was less likely to be positive in younger patients, females, those with lower body mass indexes and those identifying as Asian or Hispanic. Testing was also less likely to be positive when ordered during the overnight shift and during the winter and spring seasons. Conclusion Our study identified several patient and environmental factors associated with low CTPA yield suggesting potential targets for overtesting. Targeting education and clinical decision support to assist providers in these circumstances may meaningfully improve yields.
Taxonomic Review of the Australian Genus Pediomorphus Chaudoir, 1878 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Abacetini)

The Australian genus Pediomorphus Chaudoir, 1878 is reviewed and eight new species are described: Pediomorphus maximus Will, new species and Pediomorphus crenulatus Will, new species from New South Wales; Pediomorphus minor Will, new species from South Australia; Pediomorphus punctatus Will, new species from Northern Territory; Pediomorphus storeyi Will, new species from Queensland; Pediomorphus semilaevis Will, new species from Northern Territory and Queensland; Pediomorphus robustus Will, new species from Queensland and Western Australia; and Pediomorphus obtusus Will, new species from Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. A key to the 13 species of the genus is provided.
Allergic Immune Diseases and the Risk of Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for Acute Infection.

OBJECTIVES The immune response during sepsis remains poorly understood and is likely influenced by the host's preexisting immunologic comorbidities. Although more than 20% of the U.S. population has an allergic-atopic disease, the type 2 immune response that is overactive in these diseases can also mediate beneficial pro-resolving, tissue-repair functions. Thus, the presence of allergic immunologic comorbidities may be advantageous for patients suffering from sepsis. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that comorbid type 2 immune diseases confer protection against morbidity and mortality due to acute infection. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with an acute infection between November 2008 and January 2016 using electronic health record data. SETTING Single tertiary-care academic medical center. PATIENTS Admissions to the hospital through the emergency department with likely infection at the time of admission who may or may not have had a type 2 immune-mediated disease, defined as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, or food allergy, as determined by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of 10,789 admissions for infection, 2,578 (24%) had a type 2 disease; these patients were more likely to be female, black, and younger than patients without type 2 diseases. In unadjusted analyses, type 2 patients had decreased odds of dying during the hospitalization (0.47; 95% CI, 0.38-0.59, p < 0.001), while having more than one type 2 disease conferred a dose-dependent reduction in the risk of mortality (p < 0.001). When adjusting for demographics, medications, types of infection, and illness severity, the presence of a type 2 disease remained protective (odds ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.43-0.70; p < 0.001). Similar results were found using a propensity score analysis (odds ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.71; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with type 2 diseases admitted with acute infections have reduced mortality, implying that the type 2 immune response is protective in sepsis.
Trends in Buprenorphine Treatment in the United States, 2009-2018

This study assessed the number of individuals receiving treatment for opioid use disorder in the United States by age group and sex using a national prescription database to compare between the number of buprenorphine prescriptions filled and the number of US opioid-related overdose deaths.
Precision control of intrabodies in live cells

New methods from the Heo and Johnsson labs enable light- and drug-inducible control of intrabody binding in cells.
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Latinx Historical Archaeologies of the American Southwest

While archaeological research that emphasizes Latinx experiences in American history is still far less predominant than archaeologies of other ethnic groups, such as Overseas Chinese or African-Ame...
Influence, Ideology, and Corruption

We have seen how ideology has been used by dictatorships to cover brutality and terror. But what about democracy? Can ideology be used for bad, as well as good, in a democracy? As we saw in the historical example of the Financial Crisis of 2007–2008, even democracies must always guard against abuse, fraud, and corruption. How could this have happened? What precisely were the mechanisms of influence and corruption which enabled such a massive fraud in a self-organizing market system? From economic theory, such markets (i.e., the financial market) should have been perfect markets, operating efficiently and honestly. But they did not. How was personal influence used in the operations of the financial system to cover fraud? Let us next look at how ideology can be used in a democracy not for good government but as a cover to corruption.