cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minkowski conformal blocks and the Regge limit for Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev-like models

We discuss scattering in a conformal field theory (CFT) via the conformal partial-wave analysis and the Regge limit. The focus of this paper is on understanding an operator product expansion (OPE) with Minkowski conformal blocks. Starting with a t-channel OPE, it leads to an expansion for an s-channel scattering amplitude in terms of t-channel exchanges. By contrasting with Euclidean conformal blocks we see a precise relationship between conformal blocks in the two limits without preforming an explicit analytic continuation. We discuss a generic feature for a CFT correlation function having singular ${F}^{(M)}(u,v)\ensuremath{\sim}{u}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$, $\ensuremath{\delta}g0$, in the limit $u\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ and $v\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$. Here, $\ensuremath{\delta}=({\ensuremath{\ell}}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{-}1)/2$, with ${\ensuremath{\ell}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ serving as an effective spin and it can be determined through an OPE. In particular, it is bounded from above, ${\ensuremath{\ell}}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\le}2$, for all CFTs with a gravity dual, and it can be associated with string modes interpolating the graviton in AdS. This singularity is historically referred to as the Pomeron. This bound is nearly saturated by SYK-like effective $d=1$ CFT, and its stringy and thermal corrections have piqued current interests. Our analysis has been facilitated by dealing with Wightman functions. We provide a direct treatment in diagonalizing dynamical equations via harmonic analysis over physical scattering regions. As an example these methods are applied to the SYK model.
Q&R: A Two-Stage Approach toward Interactive Recommendation

Recommendation systems, prevalent in many applications, aim to surface to users the right content at the right time. Recently, researchers have aspired to develop conversational systems that offer seamless interactions with users, more effectively eliciting user preferences and offering better recommendations. Taking a step towards this goal, this paper explores the two stages of a single round of conversation with a user: which question to ask the user, and how to use their feedback to respond with a more accurate recommendation. Following these two stages, first, we detail an RNN-based model for generating topics a user might be interested in, and then extend a state-of-the-art RNN-based video recommender to incorporate the user's selected topic. We describe our proposed system Q&R, i.e., Question & Recommendation, and the surrogate tasks we utilize to bootstrap data for training our models. We evaluate different components of Q&R on live traffic in various applications within YouTube: User Onboarding, Homepage Recommendation, and Notifications. Our results demonstrate that our approach improves upon state-of-the-art recommendation models, including RNNs, and makes these applications more useful, such as a >1% increase in video notifications opened. Further, our design choices can be useful to practitioners wanting to transition to more conversational recommendation systems.
Neurophysiology of Visceral Pain

Visceral pain differs significantly from the more commonly experienced and better understood somatic pain that arises from cutaneous structures. Whereas somatic pain is generally easy to localize, visceral pain is diffuse in nature, poorly localized and typically referred to cutaneous and/or other somatic structures. Most importantly, visceral pain is not linked to tissue injury, as is cutaneous pain. Indeed, early researchers concluded that injury to visceral organs did not produce pain, advancing the erroneous postulate that the viscera were insensate. While it has long been appreciated that the principal sensations that arise from the viscera are discomfort and pain, we have only recently begun to understand the function of the sensory innervation of the viscera. Because few clinical or basic scientists have focused efforts on the study of visceral pain, knowledge specific to visceral pain (as opposed to cutaneous pain, for which models were readily available) has been slow to accumulate. However, recent developments have led to a better understanding of visceral pain (1).
Electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use in relation to mental health conditions, past-month serious psychological distress and cigarette smoking status, 2017.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Adults with mental health conditions (MHC) exhibit disproportionately high smoking prevalence and experience profound tobacco-related disparities. US nationally representative surveys from 2012 to 2015 found relatively high usage of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; e.g. e-cigarettes) among adults with MHC. However, research has not examined these associations specifically among never smokers. Aims were to examine associations among MHC diagnosis, serious psychological distress (SPD) and ENDS use and to test whether associations varied by cigarette smoking status. DESIGN Cross-sectional US nationally representative survey. SETTING United States, 2017. PARTICIPANTS A total of 5762 adults (52.0% female; 64.8% non-Hispanic white, 11.4% non-Hispanic black, 15.9% Hispanic, 7.9% non-Hispanic other). MEASUREMENTS Outcomes were lifetime, current and current daily ENDS use. Predictors were lifetime MHC, past-month SPD and cigarette smoking status, and covariates were gender, age, race/ethnicity, education and annual household income. FINDINGS lifetime MHC and past-month SPD were each associated with higher likelihood of having ever used ENDS (P ≤ 0.001), currently using ENDS (P ≤ 0.001) and currently using ENDS daily (P < 0.05). There were interactions between MHC and smoking status in predicting ENDS use, such that MHC status predicted higher lifetime and current ENDS use specifically among never and current smokers. Never smokers with MHC had 2.62 higher odds [95% confidence interval, (CI) = 1.54, 4.45] of current ENDS use than those without MHC. Among never smokers, those with MHC indicated higher expectations that ENDS would improve relaxation and concentration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In 2017, US adults with versus without mental health conditions (MHC) were more likely to use electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). In particular, both never and current smokers with MHC reported disproportionately high rates of current ENDS use.
Staphylococcus aureus Adaptation During Infection

Bacteria tune their gene expression, thereby enabling rapid responses to changing environments. When phenotypes produced in response to an environmental stress are inadequate to buffer against that stress, changes that do buffer may become genetically encoded by natural selection. Whole-genome sequencing has opened a new way to investigate the dynamics of genomic adaptation of bacterial pathogens during infection and antimicrobial treatment. This chapter describes how knowledge of adaptive change has advanced our understanding of the mechanisms and principles of antimicrobial resistance and virulence, with special focus on the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. The epidemiological consequences of such adaptations, both within and between hosts, are considered. These changes are often more extreme in opportunistic than in obligate pathogens, suggesting that normally commensal bacteria have evolved to accommodate a high degree of environmental variation through genome plasticity. Also discussed is the possibility that “omics” techniques may be used to predict the progression of bacterial infections and potentially to identiy the best option for achieving clinical cure and for limiting the development of resistance.
Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the de novo stereospecific biosynthesis of 1,2-propanediol through lactic acid.

Abstract 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) is an industrial chemical with a broad range of applications, such as the production of alkyd and unsaturated polyester resins. It is currently produced as a racemic mixture from nonrenewable petroleum-based feedstocks. We have reported a novel artificial pathway for the biosynthesis of 1,2-PDO via lactic acid isomers as the intermediates. The pathway circumvents the cytotoxicity issue caused by methylglyoxal intermediate in the naturally existing pathway. Successful E. coli bioconversion of lactic acid to 1,2-PDO was shown in previous report. Here, we demonstrated the engineering of E. coli host strains for the de novo biosynthesis of 1,2-PDO through this pathway. Under fermenter-controlled conditions, the R-1,2-PDO was produced at 17.3 g/L with a molar yield of 42.2% from glucose, while the S-isomer was produced at 9.3 g/L with a molar yield of 23.2%. The optical purities of the two isomers were 97.5% ee (R) and 99.3% ee (S), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, these are the highest titers of 1,2-PDO biosynthesized by either natural producer or engineered microbial strains that are published in peer-reviewed journals.
Reduction of Acetylated Tetraphenylethylenes: Electrochemical Behavior and Stability of the Related Reduced Anions

The synthesis and characterization of 1-(4-acetylphenyl)-1,2,2-triphenylethylene (2), 1,1-bis(4-acetylphenyl)-2,2-diphenylethylene (3a), trans-1,2-bis(4-acetylphenyl)-1,2-diphenylethylene (3b), cis-1,2-bis(4-acetylphenyl)-1,2-diphenylethylene (3c), 1,1,2-tris(4-acetylphenyl)-2-phenylethylene (4), and 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-acetylphenyl)ethylene (5) are described. The molecular orbital energies, charge densities, and electronic spectra of the neutral and reduced species of 2 and 3a−3c were calculated using INDO/1 parameters for structures that had been optimized geometrically with AM1 parameters. The calculated electronic spectra for the neutral compounds compare favorably with the experimentally observed absorption spectra. Cyclic voltammetry of these compounds in deoxygenated THF containing 0.3 M [n-Bu4N]PF6 showed that 2 and 3a have irreversible one-electron first reduction waves, whereas 3b, 3c, 4, and 5 display quasi-reversible two-electron first reduction waves. Chemical reduction of 2−4 with Na/Hg in TH...
Long-Duration Oral Vancomycin to Treat Clostridioides difficile in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Is Associated With a Low Rate of Recurrence.

OBJECTIVES:Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are susceptible to Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), suffering from greater morbidity and mortality than the general population. Previous studies have proven the efficacy of oral vancomycin therapy in CDI, but there are no definitiv
Exploring vitamin D signalling within skin cancer

Sunlight exposure of the skin is associated with both risks and benefits. On one hand, sunlight ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin cancer through signature DNA mutations. On the other hand, it can be absorbed in the skin by 7-dehydrocholesterol to instigate endogenous synthesis of vitamin D to regulate anticancer effects. Thus, protecting one's skin from sunlight to avoid skin cancer may lead to impaired vitamin D levels arguing for sensible sun exposure practices. To limit cancer, vitamin D metabolites can promote uncharacterized and diverse sets of events such as repair responses to DNA damage, apoptosis of malignant cells, and suppression of immune surveillance, proliferation and angiogenesis. Recent findings also suggest that part of the anticancer effects of vitamin D within squamous cell carcinoma-a type of skin cancer most directly linked to sun exposure-involves the DDIT4-mTOR catabolic signalling pathway to enhance cell autophagy. As mTOR activity and cellular metabolism are modulated as part of the DNA damage response, insights into the means by which mTOR can be controlled by vitamin D to suppress cancer is of molecular and clinical importance. Overall, the research so far suggests that presence of vitamin D through sunlight exposure and supplementation are beneficial for human health in the face of cancer.
Mechanical performance of welds using ASTM A709 grade 50CR steel as base metal

Abstract ASTM A709 50CR is a lean, ferritic stainless steel that is promising for bridge use in highly corrosive environments. However, there is little data available on its performance as a base metal for welds. Consequently, bridge welding specifications do not include it as an approved base metal within their framework. This study presents experimental work done to characterize the performance of welds involving 50CR. The experimental program is informed by established welding procedure specification (WPS) qualification guidelines, but is not limited to the framework required for qualification. Tensile, bend, and impact tests were conducted to determine relevant mechanical properties and evaluate soundness. Macro-etch and micro-etch photographs were taken to visually examine weldments. Yield and tensile strengths of 50CR exceeded 345 MPa (50 ksi) and 485 MPa (70 ksi), respectively. The weld metal exhibited superior strengths to the base metal. Visual inspection of the welds' macrostructures revealed imperfections that should be addressed through the WPSs. Side-bend tests suggested that these imperfections adversely affected ductility.
Not all paths lead to Rome: Self-employment, wellness beliefs, and well-being

Abstract Entrepreneurship research in recent years has developed a meaningful understanding of well-being among self-employed individuals. Moving from the direct and conditional association between self-employment and well-being, we propose a moderated-mediation model based on the mediating effects of wellness beliefs. Wellness beliefs could be an important channel to explaining variations in subjective well-being among the self-employed. The mediation effects of wellness beliefs are conditional on two main demographic factors—gender and ethnicity—widely studied in the entrepreneurship literature. Based on a sample of 5822 participants (5208 employed and 614 self-employed) from the 2015 National Health Attitude Survey we find that wellness beliefs are an important mediator in realizing higher subjective well-being from self-employment, however, the strength of the mediation does not vary by white vs. non-white, however, there is marginal support for differences in strength of mediation for males relative to females. The effect sizes are small. Our findings unpack the self-employment and well-being association and highlight the important role of wellness beliefs.
Slc6a3-dependent expression of a CAPS-associated Nlrp3 allele results in progressive behavioral abnormalities and neuroinflammation in aging mice

An association between neuroinflammation and age-related neurologic disorders has been established but the molecular mechanisms and cell types involved have not been thoroughly characterized. Activity of the proinflammatory NLRP3 inflammasome is implicated in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and our recent studies in patients suggest that dopaminergic neurons within the degenerating mesencephalon express NLRP3 throughout the progression of PD. Here, we directly test the impact of enhanced inflammasome activity in mesencephalic neurons by characterizing motor function, tissue integrity, and neuroinflammation in aging mice harboring hyperactivating mutations within the endogenous murine Nlrp3 locus, enabled only in cells expressing the dopaminergic neuron-specific Slc6a3 promoter. We compared mice harboring inducible alleles encoding the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome activating mutations Nlrp3A350V and Nlrp3L351P inserted into the endogenous mouse Nlrp3 locus. Tissue specific expression was driven by breeding these animals with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the dopaminergic neuron-specific Slc6a3 promoter. The experimental mice, designed to express hyperactive NLRP3 only when the endogenous mouse Nlrp3 promotor is active in dopaminergic neurons, were analyzed throughout 18 months of aging using longitudinal motor function assessments. Biochemical and histologic analyses of mesencephalic tissues were conducted in 1- and 18-month-old animals. We observed progressive and significant deficits in motor function in animals expressing Nlrp3L351P, compared with animals expressing Nlrp3WT and Nlrp3A350V. Age-dependent neuroinflammatory changes in the mesencephalon were noted in all animals. Analysis of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes in the substantia nigra revealed a significant increase in astrocyte number in animals expressing Nlrp3L351P compared with Nlrp3WT and Nlrp3A350V. Further analysis of Nlrp3L351P striatal tissues indicated genotype specific gliosis, elevated Il1b expression, and both morphologic and gene expression indicators of proinflammatory A1 astrocytes. Dopaminergic neurons have the potential to accumulate NLRP3 inflammasome activators with age, including reactive oxygen species, dopamine metabolites, and misfolded proteins. Results indicate the Nlrp3 locus is active in dopaminergic neurons in aging mice, and that the hyperactive Nlrp3L351P allele can drive neuroinflammatory changes in association with progressive behavioral deficits. Findings suggest neuronal NLRP3 inflammasome activity may contribute to neuroinflammation observed during normal aging and the progression of neurologic disorders.
You Say Tomato, I Say Radish: Can Brief Cognitive Assessments in the U.S. Health Retirement Study Be Harmonized With Its International Partner Studies?

Objectives To characterize the extent to which brief cognitive assessments administered in the population-representative US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its International Partner Studies can be considered to be measuring a single, unidimensional latent cognitive function construct. Method Cognitive function assessments were administered in face-to-face interviews in 12 studies in 26 countries (N=155,690), including the US HRS and selected International Partner Studies. We used the time point of first cognitive assessment for each study to minimize differential practice effects across studies, and documented cognitive test item coverage across studies. Using confirmatory factor analysis models, we estimated single factor general cognitive function models, and bifactor models representing memory-specific and non-memory-specific cognitive domains for each study. We evaluated model fits and factor loadings across studies. Results Despite relatively sparse and inconsistent cognitive item coverage across studies, all studies had some cognitive test items in common with other studies. In all studies, the bifactor models with a memory-specific domain fit better than single factor general cognitive function models. The data fit the models at reasonable thresholds for single factor models in six of the 12 studies, and for the bifactor models in all 12 of the 12 studies. Discussion The cognitive assessments in the US HRS and its International Partner Studies reflect comparable underlying cognitive constructs. We discuss the assumptions underlying our methods, present alternatives, and future directions for cross-national harmonization of cognitive aging data.
Expanding the Paradigm in Business Law Curriculum: Bridging the Access to Justice Gap for Small Businesses Starts in the Classroom

The phrase “access to justice” general denotes providing fair, equitable, low cost, and quality legal services for all individuals regardless of gender, socio-economic status, race, color, language or religion. The conversation around access to justice has been going on for decades within the legal community and seems to mostly be focused primarily on individuals accessing the legal system. Whether it be a discussion as to how to provide free attorneys, lower the costs of filing a legal document, finding ways to provide services in multiple languages or even transportation to the court houses, the parameters have always focused on this issue singularly. Where the focus is lacking is on small, micro or nano businesses who also have trouble accessing the court system, mostly because of inexperience, fear or lack of knowledge as to whether the issue they are facing is “legal” or not, and the seemingly intimidating barrier of hiring an attorney. As a former legal practitioner, one who has studied and practiced in areas that focus on access to justice, as well as a former law school professor and a current community college faculty member, I want to use my experience to consider how access to justice concerns can be addressed outside of narrow, typical definition, and actually address access to justice concerns for other groups that have been left out of the conversation, such as small, micro or nano businesses. I found that access to justice can be addressed in the classroom, particularly through the Business Law curriculum. This article provides the means and mechanisms for implementing practical training in a Business Law class that will assist future business leaders on how to confidentially break down some of the barriers that research has shown create access to justice issues for those businesses: knowing when or if an attorney is needed for a legal issue, how a particular legal issue many need to be addressed, empowerment in the attorney-hiring process and a centralized focus on key contractual clauses.
Benchmark Method for Cost Computations Across Health Care Systems: Cost of Care per Patient per Day in Breast Cancer Care.

PURPOSE:To estimate the value of cancer care and to compare value among episodes of care, a transparent, reproducible, and standardized cost computation methodology is needed. Charges, claims, and ...
Social Mindfulness Adoption and Functional Use in a Classroom Context: A Qualitative Exploration

Mindfulness has been adopted for leadership development from a personal self perspective in an instrumental fashion. This paper advocates for an implementation of social mindfulness without bypassi...
One Decade of the Data Fusion Information Group (DFIG) Model

The revision of the Joint Directors of the Laboratories (JDL) Information Fusion model in 2004 discussed information processing, incorporated the analyst, and was coined the Data Fusion Information Group (DFIG) model. Since that time, developments in information technology (e.g., cloud computing, applications, and multimedia) have altered the role of the analyst. Data production has outpaced the analyst; however the analyst still has the role of data refinement and information reporting. In this paper, we highlight three examples being addressed by the DFIG model. One example is the role of the analyst to provide semantic queries (through an ontology) so that vast amount of data available can be indexed, accessed, retrieved, and processed. The second idea is reporting which requires the analyst to collect the data into a condensed and meaningful form through information management. The last example is the interpretation of the resolved information from data that must include contextual information not inherent in the data itself. Through a literature review, the DFIG developments in the last decade demonstrate the usability of the DFIG model to bring together the user (analyst or operator) and the machine (information fusion or manager) in a systems design.
Comment: Historical Concreteness in Family/Society Studies: Response to “Family, Class and School: The Capitalist Evolution”

There are at least two senses of historical concreteness when one is engaged in studies of the family in relation to the individuals who typically comprise it and to the society in which the family is found. The first sense is a rather obvious sense and has to do with a clear specification of what historical milieu it is in which the family to be studied is found. It is clear that it is not possible, in any but the vaguest terms, to propose to talk about “the family.” The family is not something which has a single structure or significance over historical time, nor even within one specific historical epoch and within one specific society in that epoch. The structure and significance of the family always to some degree differs from epoch to epoch and from socio-economic class to socio-economic class. The family of a patrician in ancient Rome and of a street-beggar in that same time and place, and, in contrast to each of these, the family of the bourgeois in suburbia and the family in a black ghetto in the inner city are all markedly different one from the other. There is not even one sort of “nuclear” family or one sort of “extended” family to which one can point and say that that is the paradigm of a family. Whether or not the family can be described as a “haven” or in any other way depends upon which kind of family and in which time and place that family exists.
Safe, Legal, Rare? Physician-Assisted Suicide and Cultural Change in the Future

Cultural change is well recognized in the recent history of death and dying. In the wake of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s 1969 work On Death and Dying, not only has it become socially acceptable to talk about death and dying with someone who is terminally ill, but, as traditional religious and legal strictures loosen, it is becoming possible for a person facing death to consider what role he or she wants to play in the forthcoming death. The United States has seen rapid evolution in attitudes and practices about death and dying over the last several decades, beginning with the early legal recognition in the California Natural Death Act (1976) of a patient’s right to refuse life-prolonging treatment in the face of terminal illness, expanding in increased public awareness of issues of personal autonomy in dying, raised by Derek Humphrey’s how-to book of lethal drug dosages, Final Exit, and blossoming in new sensitivity to physician roles in aiding dying, both in the maverick social activism of Dr. Jack Kevorkian and a New York grand jury’s refusal to indict the respected physician Timothy Quill. This process of cultural evolution has reached legal recognition: in 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court jointly decided the cases Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill, and while it held that physician-assisted suicide is not a constitutional right, it also left states free to make their own laws in this matter. Indeed, Oregon has made it legal for a physician to provide a terminally ill patient who requests it with a prescription for a lethal drug, thus bringing above ground the practical manifestation of a long process of cultural change.
NOAA's Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS ® )

NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) has developed the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) to meet the specific needs of the local maritime community by measuring, integrating, and disseminating observations of water levels, currents, salinity, wind, and bridge clearance, all of which help mariners successfully guide ships into and out of the Nation's seaports. In several locations, PORTS® also provides forecast model guidance which supports informed decision-making in advance of transit scheduling and loading operations. There are twenty PORTS® supporting 50 seaports nationally; eight of these PORTS® are in the Gulf of Mexico. Using PORTS® information in conjunction with NOAA Nautical Charts and US Coast Guard (USCG) Navigational Aids has proven to reduce groundings by as much as 50 percent (%). Future enhancements include integrating PORTS® data with other operational data disseminated via the USCG Automated Identification System (AIS), the integration of wave information, as well as a customizable PORTS® display system that creates personalized and preferred views of data products on the web.
Kinetic models for plasma transport in the Hall effect thrusters

Summary form only given, as follows. The specifics of plasma transport phenomena in the Hall effect thrusters were a subject of many experimental and numerical studies. We present and discuss results from two different kinetic PIC models. The first one is a model of plasma flow in the SPT-type thruster in the idealized planar approximation. The system is periodic in the transverse coordinate to resemble the azimuthal dimension. We study excitation of collective plasma modes that might be responsible for high-frequency oscillations at 0.1-10 MHz, and anomalous transport observed in the experiment. We also anticipate strong resonance effects for the cases when plasma Debye length is close to the electron gyroradius in the internal magnetic field of a Hall thruster. The second model is a further development of the fully kinetic model for plasma and neutral gas in the 2D3V axisymmetrical approximation. A previously developed computational method is applied to the realistic P-5 thruster geometry. We add new elementary plasma-chemistry reaction and modify boundary conditions to capture self-consistent dynamics of high ionization states of xenon atoms. We study thruster performance at wide range of applied voltages and make comparison to the experimental data.
Nonlinear decision feedback equalization using RCPL network

In this paper, we introduce a nonlinear decision feedback equalizer (DFE) structure which decomposes the nonlinear equalization problem into feedback and feedforward parts, thus allows flexibility in the choice of suitable structures for a given problem and improves on the performance of the conventional DFE and the nonlinear equalizer proposed in [1]. We show that the given general structure for this DFE can be represented by a recurrent canonical piecewise linear (RCPL) network [2] and that it satisfies the dynamic properties given in [3].
Drug Encapsulated Aerosolized Microspheres as a Biodegradable, Intelligent Glioma Therapy

The grim prognosis for patients diagnosed with malignant gliomas necessitates the development of new therapeutic strategies for localized and sustained drug delivery to combat tumor drug resistance and regrowth. Here we introduce drug encapsulated aerosolized microspheres as a biodegradable, intelligent glioma therapy (DREAM BIG therapy). DREAM BIG therapy is envisioned to deliver three chemotherapeutics, temporally staged over one year, via a bioadhesive, biodegradable spray directly to the brain surgical site after tumor excision. In this proof-of-principle article exploring key components of the DREAM BIG therapy prototype, rhodamine B (RB) encapsulated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) encapsulated poly(lactic acid) microspheres were formulated and characterized. The encapsulation efficiency of RB and IgG and the release kinetics of the model drugs from the microspheres were elucidated in addition to the release kinetics of RB from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres formulated in a degradable poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) solution. The successful aerosolized application onto brain tissue ex-vivo demonstrated the conformal adhesion of the RB encapsulated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres to the convoluted brain surface mediated by the thermoresponsive carrier, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). These preliminary results suggest the potential of the DREAM BIG therapy for future use with multiple chemotherapeutics and microsphere types to combat gliomas at a localized site.
A CMOS power amplifier for full-band UWB transmitters

We present the development of a CMOS power amplifier covering full-band of emerging ultra wideband (UWB) applications. The UWB amplifier is designed using a combined high-pass and low-pass artificial transmission line architecture to achieve high output power and spectrum pre-shaping for UWB signals. The amplifier is implemented in 180 nm RF CMOS technology and achieves a measured transducer gain of 10.46 dB with corner frequencies at 3 GHz and 12.6 GHz. The measured return loss is less than -10 dB through the whole UWB bandwidth. The measured output power at 1 dB compression point (P1dB) is above 5.6 dBm from 3 to 10 GHz. The measured output-referred third-order intercept point is more than 16.6 dBm. The group delay dispersion is near zero within the passband, and the time domain pulse measurements indicate that the faithful signal reproduction can be achieved for wideband signals.
More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory, by Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert

In their book, Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships, Dr. Meg (John) Barker (2013) makes the case that we are in a state of great flux, transition, and uncertaint...
Donor surfactant protein D (SP-D) polymorphisms are associated with lung transplant outcome

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) is the major factor limiting long-term success of lung transplantation. Polymorphisms of surfactant protein D (SP-D), an important molecule within lung innate immunity, have been associated with various lung diseases. We investigated the association between donor lung SP-D polymorphisms and posttransplant CLAD and survival in 191 lung transplant recipients consecutively transplanted. Recipients were prospectively followed with routine pulmonary function tests. Donor DNA was assayed by pyrosequencing for SP-D polymorphisms of two single-nucleotide variations altering amino acids in the mature protein N-terminal domain codon 11 (Met11Thr), and in codon 160 (Ala160Thr) of the C-terminal domain. CLAD was diagnosed in 88/191 patients, and 60/191 patients have died. Recipients of allografts that expressed the homozygous Met11Met variant of aa11 had significantly greater freedom from CLAD development and better survival compared to those with the homozygous Thr11Th variant of aa11. No significant association was noted for SP-D variants of aa160. Lung allografts with the SP-D polymorphic variant Thr11Th of aa11 are associated with development of CLAD and reduced survival. The observed genetic differences of the donor lung, potentially with their effects on innate immunity, may influence the clinical outcomes after lung transplantation.
Gallbladder volume and emptying in insulin-requiring male diabetics

Gallbladder function was evaluated in 27 healthy male volunteers and 47 male insulin-requiring diabetics from a diabetic clinic. Three groups of patients were studied: 18 patients without neuropathy or retinopathy (A); 17 patients with evidence of peripheral neuropathy (B); and 12 patients with evidence of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy (C). Eleven patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms (three in group B, eight in group C). Thirty minutes after a standard breakfast, fasting gallbladder volumes and gallbladder emptying rates were measured using a real-time mechanical sector ultrasound scanner. Fasting gallbladder volume in diabetic patients was similar to controls (24.9 +/- 2.7 N; 28.9 +/- 3.9 A; 23.7 +/- 2.2 B; 16.7 +/- 3.4 C ml mean +/- SEM). Postprandial gallbladder emptying was not significantly different in any groups (47.4 +/- 5.1% N; 43.2 +/- 7.7% A; 50.7 +/- 7.7% B; 46.8 +/- 11.1% C). Seven diabetics and two controls had poor gallbladder emptying. One screened patient had cholecystectomy, three patients had stones, and two had sludge with a thickened gallbladder wall for a total of 12.5% gallbladder disease. These data suggest that gallbladder dysfunction in male insulin-requiring diabetics is rare.
Parent Participation in Care: Bridging the Gap in the Pediatric ICU

Abstract Family-centered care is emerging as a driving philosophy in all aspects of health care. Active participation of parents in the care of their child in the hospital setting is becoming one of the central concepts of this philosophy. Studies demonstrate the benefits for children, parents, and families. Although research supports the need for increased parent participation during a child's hospital stay, integrating research findings and changing practices of health care professionals may not be easy. Pediatric nurses, especially those working in critical care environments, may have difficulty integrating this philosophy into their care. Realizing the numerous benefits that exist, health care providers would be prudent to embrace the concept of parent participation in care. This article reviews the emergence of parent participation, what it encompasses, its benefits, and the challenges of implementation. Several strategies are examined as a basis to find ways in which the concept of parent participation can become a daily reality in the pediatric intensive care unit. Only after gathering a full understanding of the nature of parent participation in care can we begin to develop individualized strategies and approaches for incorporating these interventions into our practices and thus provide children with true family-centered care.
Passive acoustic tracking for cueing a multistatic active acoustic tracking system

Fields of distributed passive and multistatic active sonar sensors provide surveillance capabilities against quiet submarine threats in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) scenarios. The joint cooperative use of passive and active sonar offers synergistic and complimentary acoustic performance as well as operational advantages. However, a significant challenge of heterogeneous, multi-sensor systems is the successful fusion of information from the various sensors to enable robust target detection, classification, localization, and tracking. This paper describes the formation of a passive acoustic track that may be used to cue an active multistatic acoustic tracking system. A cue from a passive acoustic track reduces the false track rate in the active tracker by focusing the search area and selectively initiating active tracks. The passive track is assumed to originate from a fixed passive acoustic horizontal line array (HLA) which is unable to determine target range or resolve the familiar left-right ambiguity. However, passive systems can predict Closest-Point-of-Approach (CPA) events. For each CPA event, a cue can be forwarded to the active system for multistatic active track initiation. This paper presents a minimal parametric representation for a passive acoustic track. It also describes an algorithm for obtaining initial estimates of parameters that can be used to initiate the passive track more effectively. A performance evaluation is given. This paper also describes the conversion of the passive track to pseudo-coordinates that are convenient for use with a multistatic tracking system. Lastly, a method for measuring passive track quality is described which determines if track quality is sufficient to justify cueing the active multistatic system.
The novel role of neutrophil gelatinase-B associated lipocalin (NGAL)/Lipocalin-2 as a biomarker for lupus nephritis

Lupus nephritis, a potentially devastating outcome of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), poses a real challenge in the management of SLE patients because of the difficulty in diagnosing its onset and identifying relapses before serious renal damage has ensued. Neutrophil gelatinase-B associated lipocalin (NGAL)/Lipocalin-2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several disease states in different organ systems, and especially in kidney diseases. Lipocalin-2 may play a protective role in the context of renal insults through the induction or prevention of apoptosis by an iron-transport dependent mechanism. Clinically, urinary Lipocalin-2 significantly correlates with measures of lupus nephritis disease activity, and may be an important and convenient marker for relapses.
Kepone effects on larval development of mud-crab and blue-crab

Laboratory experiments wer conducted to determine the effects of Kepone on the larval development of the mud-crab,Rhithropanopeus harrisii, and the commercial blue crab,Callinectes sapidus, from the time of hatching until the 1st crab stage was reached.
The education of Black males in a ‘post‐racial’ world

1. The Education of Black Males in a 'Post-Racial' World Anthony L. Brown and Jamel K. Donnor 2. Boyz to Men? Teaching to Restore Black Boys' Childhood Gloria Ladson-Billings 3. Toward a New Narrative on Black Males, Education, and Public Policy Anthony L. Brown and Jamel K. Donnor 4. Escaping Devil's Island: Confronting Racism, Learning History Carl Grant 5. From Visuals to Vision: Using GIS to Inform Civic Dialogue about African American Males William F. Tate IV and Mark Hogrebe 6. Sociocultural Knowledge, and Visual Re(-)presentations of Black Masculinity and Community: Reading The Wire for Critical Multicultural Teacher Education Keffrelyn D. Brown and Amelia M. Kraehe 7. Living the Dream or Awakening from the Nightmare: Race and Athletic Identity Louis Harrison, Gary Sailes, Willy K. Rotich and Albert Bimper 8. Research Concerns, Cautions & Considerations on Black males in a 'Post Racial' Society Tyrone Howard and Terry Flennaugh 9. New Possibilities: (Re)Engaging Black Male Youth Within Community Based Educational Spaces Bianca J. Baldrige, Marc Lamont Hill, and James Earl Davis
Homing performance of anosmic pigeons

Two homing experiments were conducted with control pigeons and pigeons whose nares were obstructed. Anosmia reduced return success and extended flight times. Familiarity with the route cancelled much of the difference between groups. Olfaction does appear to be a sense mode useful to homing pigeons.
Assessing fuel-cell coolant flow fields with numerical models and infrared thermography

Abstract Proper thermal management is important to the successful operation and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems. In liquid cooled fuel cell systems, the planar temperature distribution of the cell is largely controlled by the coolant flow field (CFF) design inside bipolar plates (BPPs). We characterize the temperature distribution of the coolant in two different CFF designs made out of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy by using infrared (IR) thermography and a coupled heat-transfer numerical model. Numerical models show that the two CFFs have nearly equivalent global heat transfer characteristics and temperature distributions but very different coolant flow characteristics; one design has uneven flow through parallel cooling channels and the other design has even flow through parallel cooling channels. These two designs are used to probe the capability of IR thermography to resolve subtle differences in temperature distribution in the CFFs. We find that the temperature distribution in CFFs measured using IR thermography matches the predicted numerical model results. We conclude that IR thermograph is a useful tool for characterizing CFFs because it can visualize local temperature differences caused by trapped bubbles in addition to the overall in-plane temperature distribution.
Short Telomeres in Yeast Are Highly Recombinogenic

Abstract We report that recombination rates specifically increase by up to 10 3 near shortened telomeres in K. lactis cells. This occurs in cells lacking telomerase that undergo growth senescence as well as in cells with stably shortened telomeres that cause little effect on cell growth. The high rates of gene conversion allowed a subtelomeric marker, initially present at a single telomere, to efficiently spread to most or all other telomeres in the cell. We propose that short telomeres in K. lactis are not fully competent at capping chromosome ends and hence are occasionally processed by proteins that normally act to repair broken DNA ends through recombination. This helps explain how recombination can be frequent enough to permit maintenance of telomeres in yeast cells lacking telomerase.
Weaving Chains of Affect and Cognition: A Young Child's Understanding of CD-ROM Talking Books

This qualitative case study employed Wittrock's Generative Learning Model to examine in-depth one kindergarten child's comprehension when reading considerate and inconsiderate CD-ROM talking books in a classroom computer center. A CD-ROM talking book consists of a story told through multimedia modes of information that has been digitized on a CD. Considerate CD-ROM talking books are those that include multimedia effects that are congruent with and integral to the story. Inconsiderate CD-ROM talking books are those that include multimedia effects that are incongruent with or incidental to the story. Findings indicate that considerate CD-ROM talking books supported the child's understanding and retelling of the story and involved meaning-making processes that wove together affective responses, cognitive processes, and metacognitive activity; however, inconsiderate CD-ROM talking books resulted in the child's inability to retell the story in a cohesive way and fostered passive viewing. Implications for resea...
Increased survival with methylprednisolone treatment in canine endotoxin shock

Abstract The use of corticosteroids has been intensively studied for the treatment of endotoxin shock; however, there still remains much controversy over their use. This study was designed to determine the therapeutic value of treatment with methylprednisolone sodium succinate in the awake and anesthetized canine receiving LD 100 of Escherichia coli endotoxin by either intravenous slow infusion or bolus injection. Methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) was administered initially at 15 min following the onset of endotoxin infusion and then at 90 min given a maintenance infusion of 15 mg/kg for 120 min. It was found that treatment with methylprednisolone significantly increased survival rate (83%) in dogs receiving LD 100 E. coli endotoxin by slow infusion in either the awake or anesthetized state. Both the 5-hr infusion and bolus injection of endotoxin produced a 100% mortality if steroid was not administered. Treatment with methylprednisolone did not alter the 100% mortality in the canine bolus-injected endotoxin shock model. Survival was associated with a normoglycemia and stabilized hematocrit, while death was accompanied by hypoglycemia and severe hemoconcentration.
Location of zeros of polynomials

In this paper, we obtain a result concerning the location of zeros of a polynomial p(z)=a"0+a"1z+a"2z^2+...+a"nz^n, where a"i's are complex coefficients and z is a complex variable. This result sharpens Cauchy's result, along with some of the other known results which were based on the classical Cauchy's work. Moreover, a MATLAB code is developed to construct polynomials, and compare the bounds obtained by our result with these known results.
Beam halo studies using a three-dimensional particle-core model

In this paper we present a study of beam halo based on a three-dimensional particle-core model of an ellipsoidal bunched beam in a constant focusing channel including the effects of nonlinear rf focusing. For an initially mismatched beam, three linear envelope modes---a high frequency mode, a low frequency mode, and a quadrupole mode---are identified for an azimuthally symmetric bunched beam. The high frequency mode has three components all in phase; the low frequency mode has the transverse components in phase and the longitudinal component 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} out of phase; the quadrupole mode has no longitudinal component, and the two transverse components in the mode are 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} out of phase. We also study the case of an ellipsoidal bunched beam without azimuthal symmetry and find that the high frequency mode and the low frequency mode are still present but the quadrupole mode is replaced by a new mode with transverse components 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} out of phase and a nonzero longitudinal component. Previous studies, which generally addressed the situation where the longitudinal-to-transverse focusing strength is roughly 0.6 or less, conclude that the oscillation of the high frequency mode is predominantly transverse, and that of the low frequency mode is predominantly longitudinal. In this paper we present a systematic study of the features of the modes as a function of the longitudinal-to-transverse focusing strength ratio. We find that, when the ratio is greater than unity, the high frequency mode may contain a significant longitudinal component. Thus, excitation of the high frequency mode in this situation can be responsible for the formation of longitudinal beam halo. Furthermore, while previous studies have observed halo amplitudes roughly 2--3 times the matched beam edge, for the present parameters we observe much larger amplitudes (5 times or more). This is due to the fact that the longitudinal-to-transverse focusing ratio used here is greater than that of previous studies. The finding of large transverse halo amplitude can have significant impact on the design of high-intensity ion accelerators where the longitudinal-to-transverse focusing ratio is slightly greater than unity in some parts of the linac.