cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CAMP: a standard for managing applications on a PaaS cloud

Cloud Application Management for Platforms (CAMP) is a standard that addresses the problem of portability of artifacts and interoperability of APIs in a Platform as a Service (PaaS) environment. It defines the artifacts and APIs that need to be offered by a PaaS to manage building, running, administering, monitoring and patching of applications in the cloud. This is a collaborative open standard that is being developed in OASIS. One of the goals for this effort is to allow developers, users, and vendors to create tools and services that interact with any conforming PaaS. The interoperability between platform clouds that CAMP offers means that a CAMP client such as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) can target multiple clouds with a single common interface/implementation. In addition to various vendors, OpenStack Solum and Apache Brooklyn have both adopted CAMP and it is central to their design.
An efficient wireless power link for high voltage retinal implant

The design and analysis of a power telemetry system with multiple output voltages is presented in this paper. The system includes a Class E power transmitter, cascaded resonant tank, diode rectifiers, reverse data telemetry and regulators. The power loss associated with voltage conversion is minimized by using a proposed cascaded resonant tank. Reverse telemetry senses the power level fluctuation due to the coil movement and reliably provides minimally required power for the implant. The power telemetry system provides 5 voltage levels (tunable up to plusmn 12 Vplusmn2.5 V and ground), each supported by a dedicated integrated regulator except the ground. The maximum deliverable power is in excess of 100 mW when power coils are separated by 1 cm.
Long-Term Organ Culture of Rat Anterior Pituitary Glands1

An organ culture system for neonatal rat anterior pituitary glands has been developed in which cellular integrity and responsiveness to LH releasing hormone (LHRH) are maintained for at least 4 days. Anterior pituitary glands from Sprague- Dawley rats were cultured individually at 37 C in an atmosphere of 95% O2-5% CO2 in BGJb culture medium, Fitton-Jackson modification. Histological examination of 5-day-old rat pituitary glands cultured for 96 h in control medium revealed no evidence of tissue necrosis. By contrast, 40-day-old rat anterior pituitary glands were centrally necrotic after only 24 h of incubation under the same conditions. The neonatal glands were treated for 24 h with synthetic LHRH, and medium and pituitary LH and FSH concentrations were determined by double antibody radioirnmunoassay. On the first day of culture, LHRH caused a dose-related release of LH with the minimal effective dose between 10−10 and 10−9M. Nearmaximal release appeared to be attained with 10−6M LHRH, which induced a 12-...
Improving service performance through object replication in middleware: a peer-to-peer approach

The scalability of a distributed service can be improved if the number of replicated instances of the service can vary with the load experienced by the system. To ensure that the number and placement of the replicas can be dynamically changed based on network and load conditions, a peer node must know when it should create a new replica and when such a replica can be removed. A scheme that makes such decisions centrally suffers from a number of problems. In this paper, we propose a self-managing replication algorithm for a peer-to-peer system where a peer node makes its decisions based on its locally maintained information. This algorithm offers several benefits. They include being responsive to heterogeneous load and ensuring that each peer node fairly contributes its available resources to meet the needs of the overall system. It is evaluated with simulations of a system that consists of one thousand nodes. Our results show that this self-managing algorithm can maintain a replication degree that adapts to load in the system and achieve a low response time.
Synthesis approach to the determination of optimal waste blends under uncertainty

The generalized approach to the problem of synthesis under uncertainty is to formulate it as a stochastic optimization problem that involves optimization of a probabilistic function obtained by sampling over uncertain variables. The computational burden of this approach can be extreme and depends on the sample size used for characterizing the parametric uncertainties. A new and efficient approach for stochastic process synthesis is presented. The goals are achieved through an improved understanding of the sampling phenomena based on the concepts derived from fractal geometry. A new algorithm for stochastic optimization based on these concepts to accelerate the process of synthesis under uncertainty is presented. Apart from the benchmark HDA synthesis problem, a real-world problem of synthesizing optimal waste blends is analyzed to test the applicability of this novel approach in addressing the general problem of synthesis under uncertainty. The solution of this real-world large-scale synthesis problem is presented under uncertainty through the application of the new stochastic annealing algorithm, which takes into consideration novel sampling methods used in probabilistic analysis of process models.
For Parents Particularly: Consumer Socialization: Children's Saving and Spending

(1994). For Parents Particularly: Consumer Socialization: Children's Saving and Spending. Childhood Education: Vol. 70, No. 4, pp. 244-246.
Evaluation of a laboratory‐generated NOEC for linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in outdoor experimental streams

Laboratory and field studies were conducted with linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) to evaluate the use of laboratory-generated NOECs for protecting aquatic organisms in outdoor experimental streams. Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and freshwater amphipods (Hyalella azteca) were exposed in the laboratory to an environmentally realistic mixture of LAS (average chain length C11 9) for 7 d; fathead minnows were also exposed in a 28-d study. Calculated NOEC values based on survival and growth ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 mg/L for fathead minnows and from 0.6 to 1.4 mg/L for amphipods. Toxicity of LAS in 4-, 7-, and 28-d exposures of fathead minnows was similar because mortality occurred within the initial 24 h of exposure; mortality was more sensitive than growth as a chronic end point. The addition of 5% sewage effluent to well and stream water had little effect on the bioavailability of LAS; however, total organic carbon levels were low (<3 mg/L) in all treatments. A 45-d exposure of three outdoor experimental streams to 0.36 mg/L LAS had no effects on survival of fathead minnows or amphipods, dynamics of benthic invertebrates, growth of periphyton, or processing of detrital leaves. Results indicated that the laboratory-generated NOEC for LAS was protective of experimental stream communities under the studied conditions.
Reply to ‘Meta-analysis procedure for the effect of statin on the recurrence of prostate cancer’ by T. Kawada

ABSTRACT Our meta-analysis is the first to examine the differential effect of statins on prostate cancer biochemical recurrence by primary cancer treatment modality. Extracting information to determine pooled estimates of the outcome variable can be challenging, but we have taken several measures to ensure that our choice of selection criteria does not significantly bias of our findings.
Dietary salt loading exacerbates the increase in sympathetic nerve activity caused by intravenous insulin infusion in rats.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus frequently produce chronic elevations in blood insulin levels. Importantly, hyperinsulinemia stimulates increases in sympathetic nerve activity that may predispose to hypertension, atherosclerosis, and end-organ damage. Because depletion of dietary salt (NaCl) increases angiotensin II levels, which has been shown to enhance sympathetic responses to excitatory stimuli such as thermal stimulation and bicuculline in the hypothalamus, we predicted that insulin-induced elevations in lumbar sympathetic activity would be augmented by low NaCl and suppressed by high dietary NaCl. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into groups receiving low (0.0 mEq/d, n = 10), normal (2.0 mEq/d, n = 10), and high (5.7 mEq/d, n = 10) NaCl for a period of 8 days. After this, the animals were anesthetized for measurement of heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and lumbar sympathetic nerve activity during 110 minutes of intravenous insulin infusion (15 mU/kg per minute) with euglycemic clamp. Insulin administration caused modest blood pressure decreases accompanied by heart rate increases that were similar across the 3 dietary groups. Unexpectedly, sympathetic increases to insulin were lowest in the low-NaCl group (100%-135% ± 24%), moderate in the normal-NaCl group (100%-170% ± 23%), and greatest in the high-NaCl group (100%-252% ± 39%). Dietary NaCl level did not affect baseline blood glucose or insulin sensitivity as assessed by euglycemic clamp. These findings indicate that dietary salt loading exacerbates the lumbar sympathoexcitatory response to intravenous insulin infusion in rats.
Experiments, Intuitions and Images of Philosophy and Science

1. Metaphilosophical disagreement According to Joshua Alexander, philosophers use intuitions routinely as a form of evidence to test philosophical theories but experimental philosophy demonstrates that these intuitions are unreliable and unrepresentative.1 According to Herman Cappelen, philosophers never use intuitions as evidence (despite the vacuous sentential leader �intuitively�) and experimental philosophy lacks a rationale for its much-touted existence.2 That two books are diametrically opposed on methodology in philosophy is not noteworthy. But eyebrows might be raised at such contradictory accounts of the phenomenology of philosophical inquiry. What is it that (analytic) philosophers do? Why is it so difficult to achieve consensus on the professional activities in which we engage? The literature on intuitions and experimental philosophy has exploded over the past decade (see, e.g. Knobe and Nichols 2008; Knobe et al. 2012; Nagel 2007). In appraising themes and arguments from these two volumes, my aim will not be a comprehensive review. Instead, progress can be made indirectly by identifying an image of science that generates the underlying notion of �experiment� assumed in experimental philosophy (and by others). This image operates in a presumed analogy between the role of intuitions in testing philosophical theories and the role of empirical evidence in testing scientific theories. The analogy can be reconceptualized by introducing a distinct notion of experimentation from the sciences, exploratory experimentation, which is not focused on theories or hypothesis testing. One result of this reconceptualization is the exposure of an overlooked methodological similarity between the sciences and philosophy: conceptual explication in response to evidence. I argue that further progress in metaphilosophy can be achieved by exploring analogies with different conceptions of scientific inquiry. 2. Experimental philosophy Let us begin with Alexander. The task is to build philosophical theories through a process of testing them with and conforming them to our intuitions. We ask philosophical �
Effective oversight & development of DFMEAs on large scale, complex systems

Design failure mode and effects analysis (DFMEA) is part of any Design for Reliability (DfR) effort to design, develop, and build a large, technologically-challenging product. As there may be many cross-functional teams working on DFMEA at any point in time, management must provide effective oversight and project management skills to ensure that the final product will not only be on time, but also provide the end user with high quality and reliability. The use of DFMEA methodology is as much an art as a science. Accordingly, management must provide guidelines for DFMEA formats, conventions, and team decision-making. The author shares his insight in this regard, as often times it is difficult to simply, strictly adhere to the automotive DFMEA standards [1,2]. This is particularly true when working on large scale complex systems, where the needs of the organization far exceed the guidelines provided by the standard. Often, there are features of the older and obsolete standard, MIL-STD-1629a [3], which are desirable to use, particularly if they are upgraded to meet DfR approaches. With so many teams working on DFMEA, management has an obligation to manage this effort to ensure that phase-gated design review deadlines are met. To meet this goal, the author shares an empirical technique for tracking DFMEA statistics that can be used to assess project completion goals.
Quasi‐stars and the cosmic evolution of massive black holes

We explore the cosmic evolution of massive black hole (MBH) seeds forming within ‘quasistars’ (QSs), accreting black holes embedded within massive hydrostatic gaseous envelopes. These structures could form if the infall of gas into the center of a halo exceeds about 1 M⊙ yr −1 . The collapsing gas traps its own radiation and forms a radiation pressure-supported supermassive star. When the core of the supermassive star collapses, the resulting system becomes a quasistar. We use a merger-tree approach to estimate the rate at which supermassive stars might form as a function of redshift, and the statistical properties of the resulting QS and seed black hole populations. We relate the triggering of runaway infall to major mergers of gas-rich galaxies, and to a threshold for global gravitational instability, which we link to the angular momentum of the host. This is the main parameter of our models. Once infall is triggered, its rate is determined by the halo potential; the properties of the resulting supermassive star, QS and seed black hole depend on this rate. After the epoch of QSs, we model the growth of MBHs within their hosts in a merger-driven accretion scenario. We compare MBH seeds grown inside quasistars to a seed model that derives from the remnants of the first metal-free stars, and also study the case inwhich both channels of MBH formation operate simultaneously. We find that a limited range of supermassive star/QS/MBH formation efficiencies exists that allows one to reproduce observational constraints. Our models match the density of z = 6 quasars, the cumulative mass density accreted onto MBHs (according to So ltan’s argument), and the current mass density of MBHs. The mass function of QSs peaks at MQS ≃ 10 6 M⊙, and we calculate the number counts for the JWST 2 − 10 �m band. We find that JWST could detect up to several QSs per field at z ≃ 5 − 10.
A mathematical representation for vessel network III

The topographical features of vessel networks can influence the red cell hematocrit, red cell spacing and flow pattern, either directly or indirectly at any level from arteriole to venules. In this article, we continue to treat the mathematical representation for vessel networks. We have treated a vessel segment as a vector quantity and applied this representation to central artery of the gyrus in human brain. The flow mechanism of arteriolar arcades in the bat wing is discussed in this article.
Serotonin Syndrome Associated With MDPV Use: A Case Report

Serotonin syndrome is associated with use of certain street drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy. We describe a case of a woman who developed clinical findings consistent with serotonin syndrome after insufflation of 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a synthetic amphetamine. MDPV belongs to a group of substances called phenylethylamines, which are β-ketone analogs of other drugs of abuse, such as amphetamines and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. She also received fentanyl initially during her hospitalization, which has also been associated with serotonin syndrome. In addition to benzodiazepines and supportive care, she was treated with cyproheptadine for 8 days, with slow resolution of her symptoms.
Determining the Optimal Configuration of Hospital Inpatient Rooms in the Presence of Isolation Patients

We study the optimal configuration of hospital inpatient rooms with private and semiprivate rooms when some of the patients have infectious diseases and need to be isolated. We assume that the demand is random and seasonal. We propose a computationally efficient solution procedure that is based on a stochastic program that uses asymptotic approximations for the system performance under different admission policies and show its accuracy for large systems. Using our model, we study the appropriateness of the recent trends in hospital design calling for 100% private rooms. We show that even with isolation patients such an extreme approach could result in a significant degradation in the access of patients to hospital beds.
Regulation of β4-integrin expression by epigenetic modifications in the mammary gland and during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

The β4 integrin is expressed in epithelial cells, a few other cell types and in some carcinomas. Despite this restricted expression pattern and the functional importance of β4 integrin in epithelial and carcinoma biology, little is known about how its expression is regulated. Here, we assessed the epigenetic regulation of β4 integrin based on the presence of a large CpG island in the β4-integrin gene promoter. We separated basal (β4+) and luminal (β4–) epithelial cells from the mammary glands of K14-eGFP mice and demonstrated that the β4-integrin promoter is unmethylated in basal cells and methylated in luminal cells. We also observed that expression of β4 integrin and E-cadherin is lost during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of mammary gland cells induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), which is coincident with de novo DNA methylation, a decrease in active histone modifications (H3K9Ac and H3K4me3) and an increase in the repressive histone modification H3K27me3. Furthermore, TGFβ withdrawal promotes a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) and triggers the re-expression of β4 integrin and E-cadherin. Intriguingly, demethylation at either promoter is not obligatory for transcriptional reactivation after TGFβ withdrawal. However, both H3K9Ac and H3K4me3 modifications are restored during the MET, and H3K27me3 is reduced, strongly suggesting that reversible histone modifications rather than DNA demethylation are the predominant factors in reactivating expression of these genes. Our data indicate that complex epigenetic modifications contribute to the regulation of the β4 integrin and E-cadherin.
An Exploratory Study of the Interaction Between Language Teaching Methods and Child Characteristics

The present study examined whether the relative efficacy of two language teaching methods was predicted by pretreatment subject characteristics. Forty handicapped preschoolers were randomly assigned to two language teaching methods (i.e., Milieu Teaching and the Communication Training Program). No main effects of treatment were found. However, seven statistical interactions between pretreatment subject characteristics and language teaching method indicated that lower-functioning children benefitted more from the Milieu method and higher-functioning children benefitted more from the Communication Training Program. The results were discussed in relation to the extant literature reporting subject-by-language-teaching-method interactions. The importance of replicating the present results and specific suggestions for subject selection criteria and pretreatment subject characteristics likely to interact with language teaching methods similar to those used in this study are discussed.
A NEW LEPIDOLITE DEPOSIT IN COLORADO

A newly discovered pegmatite deposit near Ohio City, Colorado, is chiefly lepidolite, massive topaz, beryl, and albite, with some samarskite and columbitc. Three parallel pegmatite dikes, cach about 11 fect thick and 300 feet long, cut black schist. The minerals arc banded parallel to walls, with the following succession from walls to center; fine-grained albite and quartz, large plates of lcpidolite with crystals of topaz and beryl, fine-grained lcpidolitc, and lamellar albite. An estimate of the bulk percentage of the various constituents heads to the belief that at least several thousand tons of each of the commercially vdluahle minerals await mining.
Post-transplant reactions of mycorrhizal and mycorrhiza-free seedlings of Leucaena leucocephala to pH changes in an Oxisol and Ultisol of Hawaii

The extent to which pretransplant colonization of seedlings with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glo- mus aggregatum Schenck and Smith emend. Koske could enhance the post-transplant growth of two cultivars of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (cv. K-8 and cv. K-636) in Al- and Mn-rich acid soils was evaluated in a greenhouse. Arbuscu- lar mycorrhizal colonization measured at the end of the experiment was significantly stimulated by inoculation in both culti- vars at all pH levels tested, although colonization was most stimulated if cv. K-8 was grown in the Al-rich soil at the lowest pH. Symbiotic effectiveness measured as P content of Leucaena pinnules was significantly suppressed in both cultivars if they were grown at the lowest pH. Symbiotic effectiveness measured as pinnule P content and shoot biomass yield was en- hanced in both cultivars by liming. The trends in effectiveness were similar in both cultivars, but cultivar effect was signifi- cant in the Mn-rich Oxisol (Wahaiawa soil) but not in the Al-rich Ultisol (Leilehua soil). The tolerance of the cultivars to acid soil toxicity in the Wahiawa soil varied with the pretransplant mycorrhizal status of their seedlings. The effect of pre- transplant colonization of seedlings was to eliminate the differences in the tolerance of the cultivars to acid soil toxicity. Our data suggest that AMF could offset some of the growth reduction associated with soil acidity and that host genotype could play a role in this regard.
A computer vision based candidate for functional balance test

Balance in humans is a motor skill based on complex multimodal sensing, processing and control. Ability to maintain balance in activities of daily living (ADL) is compromised due to aging, diseases, injuries and environmental factors. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate of the costs of falls among older adults was $34 billion in 2013 and is expected to reach $54.9 billion in 2020. In this paper, we present a brief review of balance impairments followed by subjective and objective tools currently used in clinical settings for human balance assessment. We propose a novel computer vision (CV) based approach as a candidate for functional balance test. The test will take less than a minute to administer and expected to be objective, repeatable and highly discriminative in quantifying ability to maintain posture and balance. We present an informal study with preliminary data from 10 healthy volunteers, and compare performance with a balance assessment system called BTrackS Balance Assessment Board. Our results show high degree of correlation with BTrackS. The proposed system promises to be a good candidate for objective functional balance tests and warrants further investigations to assess validity in clinical settings, including acute care, long term care and assisted living care facilities. Our long term goals include non-intrusive approaches to assess balance competence during ADL in independent living environments.
The kinetics of cultured human glioma cells: autoradiographic studies.

The kinetics of monolayer cell cultures, derived from brain tumors which had been labeled with3H-thymidine just prior to surgical removal, have been investigated. Analysis of autoradiographs indicates that: 1. the distribution of cell types in primary cultures is similar to that of the viable areas of the parent tumorin vivo; 2. the first week of culture constitutes a lag phase; and 3. vigorous proliferation commences during the second week of culture. Double labeling of the tritiated cultures with14C-thymidine indicates that the pulse labeling index (PLI)* of primary cultures during the first week is lower than that of the parent tumor and that the PLI of the culture increases during the second week. In contrast, we found that long-term established cultures in our laboratory have a high PLI during the first few days after passage, quickly reach a maximum, and then drop precipitously 1 week after passage. These latter variations in PLI correspond to the following growth pattern: 1. exponential growth; 2. a stationary phase due to medium exhaustion; or 3. a plateau due to overcrowding. There are indications that some cell types, which have the capacity to divide in the parent tumor, lose this ability after transfer to tissue culture.
Sensitized Photooxidation for Wastewater Disinfection and Detoxification

Ce moyen economique d'epuration permet la reutilisation en Agriculture ou par les municipalites sans mise de fonds importante et sans crainte d'effets secondaires (a la difference de la chloration)
Trends in Undergraduate Economics Degrees, 1991-2012.

The 2007–10 growth spurt (18 percent over three years) in U.S. undergraduate economics degrees came to an abrupt end in 2011 and 2012. Degrees awarded grew less than one percent over the past two years.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia: Update on biology and treatment

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder that follows a characteristic clinical course in which a chronic phase of variable duration precedes an accelerated, and ultimately blastic, phase, which is generally fatal. This disorder results from a clonal expansion of transformed hematopoietic progenitor cells and includes myeloid, monocytic, erythroid, megakaryocytic, and lymphoid lineages. At the molecular level, CML is characterized by the bcr-abl fusion gene, which results from the reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11), creating the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. Chronic myelogenous leukemia was the first human disease for which a specific karyotype abnormality was demonstrated and could be linked to pathogenetic events of leukemogenesis. The outlook for patients with CML has changed dramatically over the last decade. The median survival time of patients has doubled to 5 to 7 years, with up to 50% of patients alive at 5 years. This development is due to refinements in allogeneic stem-cell transplantation and growing expertise in the use of interferon-alfa (Intron A, Roferon-A), a biological agent that has been shown to suppress the leukemic clone and to prolong survival in patients with CML. This review provides a concise update of the biology of CML, as well as current therapeutic options and management strategies.
Cultural Impact on Politeness

In this chapter, I present the findings of the empirical analysis. The empirical analysis is done at two levels — macro- and micro-level — using quantitative and qualitative methods. As discussed earlier, the macro-level analysis is composed of two statistical analyses: one using the total sample, and another using separate analyses for the Korean sample and the American sample. The former provides an empirical test of Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory and model, and the latter examines the role of cultural difference in politeness speech acts in the context of Brown and Levinson’s (1987) theory.
The Moderation Role of Self‐perceived Maternal Empathy in Observed Mother–Child Collaborative Problem Solving

Based on L. S. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, previous scaffolding studies have examined some factors associated with adjustment of parental support during collaborative problem solving. However, a factor that remains unexplored in the literature is the potential relationship between parental empathy and parental support in collaborative problem solving. The present study addresses this question through the observation of 45 preschool children and their mothers cooperating in a problem-solving task with two levels of difficulty. Teachers rated the children's fine motor skills, and sampled mothers reported their empathy levels towards their children. Consistent with the notion of scaffolding, negative correlations were found between observed maternal verbal support (cognitive, autonomy, and emotional) and child age, and between observed maternal cognitive support and teacher reports of child motor skills. An analysis of covariance revealed significant empathy-by-difficulty interactions for physical and cognitive support after controlling for the effect of child motor skills. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the role of child motor skills and the importance of parental empathy in collaborative problem solving. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Null space correction and adaptive model order reduction in multi-frequency Maxwell's problem

A model order reduction method is developed for an operator with a non-empty null-space and applied to numerical solution of a forward multi-frequency eddy current problem using a rational interpolation of the transfer function in the complex plane. The equation is decomposed into the part in the null space of the operator, calculated exactly, and the part orthogonal to it which is approximated on a low-dimensional rational Krylov subspace. For the Maxwell's equations the null space is related to the null space of the curl. The proposed null space correction is related to divergence correction and uses the Helmholtz decomposition. In the case of the finite element discretization with the edge elements, it is accomplished by solving the Poisson equation on the nodal elements of the same grid. To construct the low-dimensional approximation we adaptively choose the interpolating frequencies, defining the rational Krylov subspace, to reduce the maximal approximation error. We prove that in the case of an adaptive choice of shifts, the matrix spanning the approximation subspace can never become rank deficient. The efficiency of the developed approach is demonstrated by applying it to the magnetotelluric problem, which is a geophysical electromagnetic remote sensing method used in mineral, geothermal, and groundwater exploration. Numerical tests show an excellent performance of the proposed methods characterized by a significant reduction of the computational time without a loss of accuracy. The null space correction regularizes the otherwise ill-posed interpolation problem.
Recovery of Low-Ash and Ultrapure Lignins from Alkaline Liquor By-Product Streams

Although a number of treatment methods can be used to separate cellulose and lignin components from biomass, aqueous alkaline treatment methods are dominant. Typically, the cellulose is precipitated from solution, and the lignin ends up in the highly alkaline liquor by-product stream. Today the vast majority of this lignin is burned in situ as a fuel; however, it potentially has far more value as a renewable biopolymer. Here, two new technologies are presented for recovering lignin from alkaline liquor streams generated either from a pulp-and-paper mill or a lignocellulosic biofuels refinery. With SLRPTM technology, the lignin precipitation step is carried out at above-ambient conditions such that a liquid (and not a solid) lignin phase is formed. Thus, the SLRP process for producing low-ash (1–2 %) lignin is continuous, not batch. Furthermore, the “liquid-lignin” phase can be readily fractionated by pH into fractions having different bulk and molecular properties. The ALPHA process was developed with the express purpose of taking low-ash lignins produced from alkaline-liquor by-product streams to the “ultrapure” state. The technology uses adjustable mixtures of biorenewable acetic acid and water to create a unique liquid–liquid solvent system that can be used to simultaneously fractionate, purify, and solvate lignins. Metals contents in ALPHA lignins well below 100 ppm are readily achieved in fractions of both low and high molecular weight.
Cracker Jacks: “Finding the Prize” Inside Each Adolescent Learner

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this manuscript is to highlight several practical classroom examples of asset-driven acts of reciprocal care and content-driven community builders and icebreakers that highlight ways to “find the prize” inside each student by fostering an adolescent-centered community of care that is committed to both relationships and academics.
ATNT-03FIRST IN HUMAN STUDY OF RHENIUM NANOLIPOSOMES FOR INTRATUMORAL THERAPY OF GLIOMA

BACKGROUND: Using a special methodology for radiolabeling lipid nanoparticles with therapeutic radionuclides, we have developed 186Re-nanoliposomes (186RNL). The liposomes, not unlike the membranes of human cells, are composed of a bilayer of distearoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, and confer drug delivery control on beta emitting 186Re. This then permits the delivery of 186Re radiation of high specific activity which is retained within the tumor. METHODS: A phase 1 dose escalation study of 186RNL in recurrent glioma utilizing a standard 3 + 3 design was undertaken to determine the maximum tolerated dose of 186RNL by convection enhanced delivery following stereotactic biopsy. 186RNL is administered by the use of the SmartFlow Flex catheter (BrainLab) by convection enhanced delivery intra-tumorally. Catheter placement is guided using iPlan Flow and the Varioguide systems (BrainLab). Following catheter placement, patients are taken to a nuclear medicine suite where direct visualization of 186RNL infusion is followed under whole body planar imaging and SPECT/CT. Repeat imaging is performed immediately following, and at 1, 5, and 8 days after administration to obtain radiation dosimetry and distribution. RESULTS: Three patients have been treated to date with 1mCi to achieve a treatment field volume of 5mL. Catheter placement for all 3 cases has closely matched the stereotactic plan based upon MRI fusion with SPECT/CT. No treatment related adverse effects have been observed to date despite absorbed doses up to 140Gy (37 MBq). For patient 01, loco-regional retention was 76.8% of administered radioactivity on average from time 0 to 72 hours. During the 120 hour monitoring period, there was a trend toward slow loco-regional dispersion of radioactivity, which is indicated by larger extended radioactivity distribution volumes increasing from 19mL at 40 minutes to 31mL at 120 hours. CONCLUSION: Initial results of 186RNL delivery by CED are promising and the study will continue until an MTD is reached.
Utilization and impact of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in surgically resected stages I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

7538 Background: Clinical trials demonstrating improved survival with AC for stages I-III NSCLC are limited in their applicability to broader populations. We sought to describe the pattern of AC use and its correlation with survival in the population-based VA system. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pts with stages I-III NSCLC in the VA Central Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics were used to examine patterns of AC use over an 8 yr period and to obtain survival rates associated with use of AC. Chi-square was used to compare distributions. Results: Among 28,173 pts with stages I-III NSCLC in 2001-2008, 10,043 had surgical resection. The proportion receiving AC was 9% (stage I), 34% (II), and 40% (III). Receipt of AC increased for each stage, with the greatest increase observed in stage II (2001-03: 12%; 2004-05: 41%; 2006-08: 50%). About 90% received a platinum agent; among these carboplatin was most common (77%) but by 2008 43% received cisplatin. For stages II and III in 2001-2003, t...
Effects of overground locomotor training on the ventilatory response to volitional treadmill walking in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury: a pilot study

Introduction Although there has been substantial emphasis on the neuromuscular and cardiovascular adaptations following rehabilitation, pulmonary adaptations in individuals with incomplete SCI (iSCI) in response to locomotor training have been less frequently studied. In healthy individuals, effective transition from rest to work is accomplished by a hyperpneic response, which exhibits an exponential curve with three phases. However, the degree to which our current understanding of exercise hyperpnea can be applied to individuals with iSCI is unknown. The purpose of this case series was to characterize exercise hyperpnea during a rest to constant work rate (CWR) transition before and after 12-15 weeks of overground locomotor training (OLT). Case presentation Six subjects with cervical motor incomplete spinal cord injury participated in 12-15 weeks of OLT. Subjects were trained in 90-min sessions twice a week. All training activities were weight-bearing and under volitional control without the assistance of body-weight support harnesses, robotic devices or electrical stimulation. Six minutes of CWR treadmill walking was performed at self-selected pace with cardiorespiratory analysis throughout the tests before and after OLT. Averaged group data for tidal volume, breathing frequency or VE showed no difference before and after training. VE variability was decreased by 46.7% after OLT. Discussion CWR VE from rest to work was linear throughout the transition. Following OLT, there was a substantial reduction in VE variability. Future research should investigate the lack of a phasic ventilatory response to exercise, as well as potential mechanisms of ventilatory variability and its implications for functional performance.
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Among Child Welfare–Involved Youth: An Exploratory Study of Correlates:

Our research team used the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II to explore relationships between demographic factors, domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) status, and several psychosocial dependent variables for children and youth in the child welfare system who affirm that they have been paid for sex within the past 6 months. The sample included a total of 814 children and youth, 38 of whom reported DMST victimization. Results revealed that youth with a history of DMST victimization were more likely than their nonexploited peers to report runaway behavior, demonstrate externalizing behaviors, and test in the clinical range for a substance abuse problem. Research and practice implications are discussed.
Global deterministic and stochastic optimization in a service oriented architecture

Service ORiented Computing EnviRonment (SORCER) is a Java-based network-centric computing platform. SORCER provides a service oriented architecture, which enables the implementation of parallel algorithms in a dynamic distributed computing environment. SORCER is often used for multidisciplinary aircraft design analysis and optimization. However, the current approach often assigns intense optimization algorithms to run entirely on single overloaded nodes, rather than evenly distributing the workload. The goal of this work is to provide lower-level optimization algorithms as integrated SORCER services and study the overhead of doing so. VTDIRECT95, a Fortran 95 implementation of D. R. Jones' algorithm DIRECT, is a highly parallelizable derivative-free deterministic global optimization algorithm. QNSTOP is a parallel quasi-Newton algorithm for stochastic optimization problems. The potential benefit of integrating VTDIRECT95 and QNSTOP into the SORCER framework is to provide dynamic load balancing among computational resources at the optimization level, resulting in a dynamically scalable process.
A “Chameleonic” Identity: Foreign-Born Doctoral Students in U.S. Counselor Education

This study explored the interplay between a multidimensional model of acculturation and professional identity development among eight foreign-born doctoral students in U.S. counselor education. Themes generated through an interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed that the participants, while trying to adapt to the Euro-American cultural context of their counselor programs, experienced a sense of conflict, loss, and grief, resulting in what they called a “chameleonic” professional identity. Findings illustrated that for international counseling students, professional identity development is an arduous and complex process deeply intertwined with their acculturation experiences. Implications for counselor programs and future research are further discussed.
Monte Carlo Modeling of Light Transport in Tissues

Monte Carlo simulations of photon propagation offer a flexible yet rigorous approach toward photon transport in turbid tissues. This method simulates the “random walk” of photons in a medium that contains absorption and scattering. The method is based on a set of rules that govern the movement of a photon in tissue. The two key decisions are (1) the mean free path for a scattering or absorption event, and (2) the scattering angle. Figure 4.1 illustrates a scattering event. At boundaries, a photon is reflected or moves across the boundary. The rules of photon propagation are expressed as probability distributions for the incremental steps of photon movement between sites of photon—tissue interaction, for the angles of deflection in a photon’s trajectory when a scattering event occurs, and for the probability of transmittance or reflectance at boundaries. Monte Carlo light propagation is rigorous yet very descriptive. However, this method is basically statistical in nature and requires a computer to calculate the propagation of a large number of photons. To illustrate how photons propagate inside tissues, a few photon paths are shown in Fig. 4.2.
Association of Criminal Statutes for Opioid Use Disorder With Prevalence and Treatment Among Pregnant Women With Commercial Insurance in the United States.

Importance Inadequate treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnant women increases the risk of life-threatening consequences on maternal and fetal outcomes. Untreated OUD during pregnancy is associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes among newborns. Objective To examine the variation in the prevalence of OUD and the use of medication-assisted treatment among commercially insured pregnant women according to region and state legislature. Design, Setting, and Participants Cohort study in which the patient cohort used was derived from a 10% random sample of enrollees within the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus adjudicated claims and enrollment database from 2007 to 2015. The database consists of a 10% random sample of private health insurance recipients in the United States and contains claims and enrollment data that are representative of the commercially insured US population. The cohort comprised women (n = 110 285) between 18 and 45 years of age with a code indicating a delivery and continuous insurance enrollment 9 months before and 12 months after delivery. Data analysis was performed from December 2017 to May 2018. Exposures Based on their state of residence, the women were classified into 4 different regions: South, Midwest, West, and Northeast. Those residing in states with statutes that imposed civil or criminal penalties for OUD diagnosis during pregnancy were placed in a separate population from those residing in states without these statutes. Main Outcomes and Measures Diagnosis of OUD in the 9 months before delivery and the receipt of medication-assisted treatment in the 9 months before or 12 months after delivery. Results The 110 285 pregnant women included in the analysis had a mean (SD) age of 30.26 (5.59) years, with most (67 771 [61.5%]) falling within the 26- to 35-year age range. Of this cohort, 277 women (0.25%) had a diagnosis of OUD and 312 (0.28%) received treatment. Among the 277 women with OUD, 127 (45.9%) received treatment. The prevalence of an OUD diagnosis and receipt of treatment within regions was statistically significant (OUD diagnosis by region: Midwest, 0.05%; North, 0.09%; South, 0.06%; West, 0.06%; χ23 = 45.1148 [P Conclusions and Relevance These results appeared to show significant variations in the patterns of OUD diagnosis and receipt of medication-assisted treatment among pregnant women, suggesting the need to further explore the source of these variations.
Wayward Elites: From Social Reproduction to Social Restoration in a Therapeutic Boarding School:

In the past few decades, a multi-billion-dollar “therapeutic boarding school” industry has emerged largely for America’s troubled upper-class youth. This article examines the experiences of privile...
The impact of occupational needs for education on education aspirations: a hybrid fixed effects model with lagged endogenous variables

The notion that students’ aspirations are changeable with age is especially important in education aspirations studies. Researchers have acknowledged that individuals’ aspirations are changeable and the stability of their aspirations is important for reaching their goals. Despite the finding that the misaligned educational and occupational aspirations contribute to long-term adversities, the effect of occupational needs for education on education aspirations has not been estimated in past studies. Using a national representative sample and a hybrid fixed effects model with lagged endogenous variables, this paper investigated the time-varying effect of occupational needs for education on education aspirations over time in combination with observed time-invariant variables such as demographics, self-efficacy, and academic performance. The occupational needs for education turned out to have the strongest impact on all waves of the education aspirations compared to all other predictors. Ethnic group differences are identified in their impact on education aspirations over time. The lasting effects of socioeconomic status and grade point average on education aspirations over time are identified as well. However, there is no lagged effect of education aspirations over time. Several implications and recommendations are offered as the result of the study.
Comparisons of Measures of Covariation and Conceptual Similarity

Although research in the areas of human covariation assessment and perception of conceptual similarity has occasionally overlapped, these two streams have never been connected empirically. In this study, measures of covariation and conceptual similarity are compared on discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and nomological validity. Two sets of stimuli are used, automobiles and caricatures of college students. The results suggest the measures do not achieve discriminant validity, although conceptual similarity achieves higher reliability. The differences in nomological validity were not significant. The lack of discriminant validity suggests that findings reported in the literature using conceptual similarity measures should provide useful evidence for those using covariation measures, and visaversa.
Tuning the optical isotropic point of mixed crystals of ethylenediammonium sulfate/selenate

In anisotropic crystals, optical isotropic points are wavelengths where linear birefringence disappears because the refractive indices for both eigenmodes are accidentally equivalent. Here, the optical isotropic point of ethylene-diammonium selenate (EDSe) is tuned by generating a solid-solution series of EDSe doped with sulfate. Mueller matrix polarimetry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction are used to correlate changes in linear birefringence with the crystal composition of EDS x Se1-x . A scheme for using mixed crystals with isotropic points as tunable birefringent optical bandpass filters is proposed and their performance is modeled.
Comparison of Constitutive Promoters for Sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Transformation

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] transformation using microprojectile bombardment was achieved in 1993. Since then there have been very few additional reports on the topic. To develop a reliable method for foreign gene introduction, a promoter sequence capable of expression in the recipient cells is a critical requirement. Transient expression of the dual 35S cauliflower mosaic virus, rice actin-1, maize alcohol dehydrogenase-1, and maize ubiquitin-1 promoters driving the GUS (β-glucuronidase) gene in sorghum were compared. Transient β-glucuronidase activity in embryonic tissue was very low. It was concluded that there would be a significant benefit in investigating and isolating new constitutive promoter sequences potentially resulting in a higher level of transient expression in sorghum.