cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Love, Fear, and Loathing: A Qualitative Examination of Christian Perceptions of Muslims

Uber Jahrhunderte fanden sich sowohl aufseiten der Angehorigen christlicher als auch islamischer Religionen teilweise extreme und feindselige Konzepte und Emotionen, zumeist auf der Grundlage sehr geringer tatsachlicher Informiertheit ubereinander. In den USA hat sich eine grose und breit akzeptierte Umfrage mit den Einstellungen gegenuber Muslim/innen befasst (PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE PRESS 2002), differenziert u.a. nach Religionszugehorigkeit, ethnischer Zugehorigkeit, Geschlecht und anderen demografischen Merkmalen. Eine wesentliche Einschrankung der Befunde ist allerdings, dass in dieser Studie ausschlieslich quantitative Verfahren zum Einsatz kamen, auch wenn qualitative mit Blick auf die interessierenden Fragen eher induziert gewesen waren. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben wir in unserer eigenen Studie innovative qualitative Methoden genutzt, teilweise entlehnt aus der Marktforschung, um die Emotionen von Angehorigen christlicher Religionen gegenuber Muslim/innen zu rekonstruieren. Wir fanden u.a. deutliche Hinweise auf Angst und Neugier aufseiten unserer Untersuchungsteilnehmer/innen, und obwohl viele von ihnen im Rahmen der PEW-Umfrage hohe Informiertheitswerte erhalten hatten, zeigten unsere Analysen, dass das tatsachliche Wissen uber den Islam ausgesprochen gering war. Wir geben in diesem Beitrag auch ausfuhrliche Beispiele zum Verfahren der Metaphern-Elizitierung, das wir verwandt haben, machen Vorschlage zu dessen Einsatz in anderen Zusammenhangen und schliesen mit Hinweisen auf kunftigen Forschungsbedarf zur Frage der wechselseiteigen Einstellungen christlicher und islamischer Religionsangehoriger. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs090118
Why Don't Foreign Firms Cooperate in Antidumping Investigations?: An Empirical Analysis

Foreign firms face punitive antidumping duties if they do not cooperate with the US Department of Commerce (DOC). For example, 37% of all foreign firms involved in antidumping investigations in the US chose faced "facts available" margins for the 1995-2002 period, with average antidumping duties of 31% for cooperating foreign firms, compared to 87% for those who do not. The existing literature has focused on how DOC discretion has led to foreign firm non-cooperation. This paper instead examines individual foreign firm's decisions about whether to cooperate during this same period. We find evidence that non-cooperation is consistent with a model of foreign firms rationally choosing not to cooperate, rather than simply a result of investigating authority bias against imports.
Quantification of Respiratory Laryngeal Morphometry: Comparison of Laryngeal Lumen Angle Estimate Methods

Summary Objectives Evaluate the effects of (1) laryngeal configuration, (2) image barrel distortion, and (3) lens perspective on the accuracy of anterior and posterolateral laryngeal lumen angle morphometric estimates. Study Design Prospective, repeated-measures. Methods Twenty-four (24) excised canine larynges were manipulated across four different length-by-width configurations to evaluate the influence of laryngeal configuration on relative precision of three laryngeal morphometric angle estimate methods. Physical measurements of the laryngeal specimens were compared (statistically and descriptively) with corresponding unadjusted and barrel-distortion corrected laryngoscopic laryngeal images. Additional post hoc analysis involved systematic manipulation of camera lens-to-object perspective (shift, tilt, and distance) using a synthetic object representing the physical laryngeal specimen and simulated image of the laryngoscopic laryngeal images. Morphometric angle estimates between the synthetic object and the simulated images were compared across simulated lens-to-object perspective manipulations to evaluate influences of lens perspective artifacts on laryngeal morphometric estimate precision. Results Statistical analysis showed that laryngeal morphometric angle estimates were impervious to laryngeal configuration manipulations, but were influenced by image barrel-correction methods. Statistically significant differences were found between the unadjusted and barrel-corrected images within the anterior angle method. Simulated camera lens-to-object perspective manipulations showed that tilt and distance have substantial negative influence on laryngeal morphometric estimate precision. Conclusions Laryngeal lumen angles can be used to measure respiratory laryngeal morphometry. However, image-correction algorithms are necessary to correct images and quantify morphometric estimate error caused by camera lens distortion and lens-to-object perspective. Findings provide a platform for future research on quantifying laryngeal morphometry, especially for individuals with laryngeal breathing disorders.
A new imaging method: optofluidic microscopy

In this work, we present a novel optical imaging device that can be directly integrated into a microfluidic network, and can therefore enable on-chip imaging in a microfluidic system. This micro imaging device, termed optofluidic microscope (OFM) is free of bulk optics and is based on a nanohole array defined in a non-transmissive metallic layer that is patterned onto the floor of the microfluidic channel. The operation of the optofluidic microscope is explained in details and its performance is examined with Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) of various genotypes. Images from a large population of worms are efficiently acquired within a short time frame. The quality of the OFM images of C elegans and the morphological characteristics revealed by the images are evaluated. The experimental results support our claim that the methodology described therein can be effective in a powerful tool for fulfilling high-resolution, high-throughput imaging task of the microscopic biological samples.
Is a Reassuring MAG-3 Diuretic Renal Scan Really Reassuring?

Objective: The mercaptoacetyltriglycine-3 (MAG-3) diuretic renal scan is frequently used to diagnose obstruction in children with hydronephrosis. However, it remains unclear whether a reassuring MAG-3 diuretic scan in the presence of high-grade hydronephrosis accurately predicts the absence of obstruction. We sought to determine if a reassuring nuclear scan can accurately identify patients with high-grade hydronephrosis that can be safely observed. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the course of 22 children (25 renal units) ages 0-3 months with significant hydronephrosis (Society of Fetal Urology grade 3-4) detected prenatally. All patients underwent a MAG-3 diuretic nuclear renal scan. Results: Twenty-two patients with 25 renal units were included, 19 with grade 3 and 6 with grade 4 hydronephrosis on ultrasound. Sixteen renal units had a reassuring nuclear scan (T ½ Conclusion: In pediatric patients with persistent antenatally detected hydronephrosis, a reassuring MAG-3 can allow for safe observation in the vast majority. Only one of 24 renal units with follow-up progressed to obstruction. All patients treated without surgery had complete resolution of their hydronephrosis. Observation with serial ultrasounds may be an appropriate alternative to operative management, even in patients with moderate to severe hydronephrosis in the presence of a reassuring or indeterminate MAG-3 diuretic scan.
A Wiki-Based Group Project in an Inorganic Chemistry Foundation Course.

A semester-long group project that utilizes wiki sites to enhance collaboration was developed for a foundation course in inorganic chemistry. Through structured assignments, student groups use metal-based or metal-combating therapeutic agents as a model for applying and understanding course concepts; they also gain proficiency with scientific- and web-based software. Each group displays their assignment products on a cohesive wiki, which serves as a study guide about the assigned therapeutic agent. Students periodically peer review other groups’ wikis to learn how ongoing constructive feedback can improve a final product and to practice effective collaboration. Group presentations covering the wiki content and the therapeutic action of the drug are delivered at the end of the semester. This project could be utilized in other chemistry courses with appropriate topic selection.
ES8-1: Breast Reconstruction with Implants and Post-Mastectomy Irradiation: Algorithm and Outcomes.

Breast reconstruction in the face of radiotherapy proposes a unique set of challenges to the plastic surgeon and often alters the algorithm of the reconstruction. The impact of radiation changes on the alloplastic breast reconstruction is unpredictable. The author will review current approaches to reconstruction of the patient if they are to undergo post-mastectomy radiation. The algorithm for reconstruction and outcomes after radiation will be presented. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr ES8-1.
A Lightweight Security Primitive using Laser-based Fault Injection

Security and low power are essential requirements for sensor networks. In order to meet these requirements we have proposed a new type of lightweight security primitive using laser- based fault injection. The essential idea is to use lasers to cut the wires in the circuit layouts, thus to intentionally introduce faults in circuits. We have the following key observations: (1) Large VLSI ICs with partial faults can produce highly unpredictable outputs. (2) Faults in different positions in circuits can cause huge difference in outputs alternation. Therefore, we take advantage of the excellent output randomness of the circuit after fault- injection and directly use it as a security primitive. Compared to the traditional security primitive, e.g., PUF, our proposed laser-based security primitive is robust and resiliency against conditions of operations. More importantly, it employs very low power consumption, therefore providing an ideal platform for sensor networks. We compare the fault injection on standard modules, such as adders, multipliers, and XOR networks and further propose the best architecture. Our statistical tests indicate that by using the laser-based fault injection, lightweight security primitives for sensor networks with small footprint and low energy can be created.
Study of toxicological assessment and weight control function of the Compound Konjaku Flour

Objective:To study the sub-acute toxicity,genetic toxicity and weight control function of the Compound Konjaku Flour.Methods: The doses of 2.0 g,4.0 g and 8.0 g/kg body weight of the compound Konjaku Flour were given in the sub-acute toxicity test.Using Ames,mouse sperm abnormality test and mouse micronucleus test to study the inherent toxicity.The doses of 0.40 g,0.80 g,1.2 g/kg were given in weight control function test.Results: The result shows that there is no sub-acute toxicity evidently in the index of each dose group,so as the inherent toxicity.Compared with model group,the body weight and the body fat mass in medium and high dose group rats reduced significantly.Conclusion: Under the experimental conditions,Compound Konjaku Flour has no significant sub-acute toxicity and genetic toxicity but has a function of weight control.
New Qing History: Dispute, Dialog, and Influence

This article studies the New Qing History approach that arose in the US in the 1980s and the ensuing responses to it, and how these responses can be understood in the context of American China stud...
Competition and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to MENA Countries

The underlying study analyzes the impact of competition on economic growth, and tests whether this impact might change according to the technological gap between the observed country and the technological leader country. Using panel data estimation for a sample of 115 countries over the period 1995-2010, and controlling for the MENA countries in the sample, the results suggest that intensive domestic competition, proxied by business freedom, tends to hinder the growth rate of an economy independent of the country's distance from the technological frontier, providing evidence in support to the Schumpeterian argument. However this effect is almost negligible for MENA countries. On the other hand, the impact of competitive pressures from foreign markets, measured by trade freedom, is dependent on the country's technological gap. In particular, the results show that trade freedom has a stronger negative impact on growth as countries move closer to the technological frontier. Such an impact of trade freedom on growth applies to all countries, including MENA ones.
The Partitioning Behavior of Free Amino Acids into Lipid Membranes

In an attempt to better understand how proteins interact with membrane environments, it is useful to determine how individual amino acids interact with and incorporate into lipid bilayers. Previous work has shown how small polarizable molecules and ions affect the interactions between lipid membranes. This process involves a combination of van der Waals attraction, electrostatic repulsion and other interfacial contributions [1, 2]. We use a combination of small angle x-ray scattering, NMR spectroscopy and osmotic stress to study how water soluble amino acids change the interaction between lipid bilayers. Experiments containing various amino acids under a range of osmotic pressures were performed to determine the changes in the equilibrium spacing of multilamellar lipid vesicles (MLVs). NMR measurements of free amino acids in the presence of MLVs allow us to characterize their partitioning behavior. The combination of these techniques gives us a detailed description of how amino acids such as lysine, glycine, alanine, arginine, serine and valine interact with neutral phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers.[1] Koerner et al., Biophys. J. 2011, [2] Johnson et al., Langmuir 2014.
Surgical Treatment for Flexion-Internal Rotation Deformity of the Hip in Cerebral Palsy

Deformities of the hip in cerebral palsy are caused by imbalance of muscle power. The flexion-internal rotation combined adduction deformity is common and causes the crouched position, scissors gait and furthermore hip subluxation.To correct this deformity we tried modified Barr's operation combined with muscle release or osteotomy of the femoral neck.We have found this procedure has the effect of reenforcing the power of abduction and it is beneficial to treat the hip disorder in cerebral palsy.
Assessing Multi-Scale Landscape Connectivity Using Network Analysis

Landscape connectivity has implications for many ecological processes, including spread of invasive species and conservation of native ones. Because species have different minimum area requirements and different movement abilities, landscape designs suitable for one species (or group of species) may be inappropriate for other species. Methods from network analysis can be used to combine information on landscape pattern and species life history characteristics for species-specific assessments of potential connectivity. The lab is intended to provide students with the following opportunities.
Morphine withdrawal increases brain derived neurotrophic factor precursor

Morphine has been shown to increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain. However, little is known about the effect of morphine withdrawal on BDNF and its precursor protein, or proBDNF, which induces neuronal apoptosis. In this work, we examined whether BDNF and proBDNF levels change in rats chronically injected with escalating doses of morphine and those who undergo spontaneous withdrawal for 60 h. We observed, in the frontal cortex and striatum, that the ratio of BDNF to proBDNF changed depending upon the experimental paradigm. Morphine treatment and morphine withdrawal increased both BDNF and proBDNF levels. However, the increase in proBDNF immunoreactivity in withdrawal rats was more robust than that observed in morphine-treated rats. proBDNF is processed either intracellularly by furin or extracellularly by the tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)/plasminogen system or matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). To examine the mechanisms whereby chronic morphine treatment and morphine withdrawal differentially affects BDNF/proBDNF, the levels MMP-3 and MMP-7, furin, and tPA were analyzed. We found that morphine increases tPA levels, whereas withdrawal causes a decrease. To confirm the involvement of tPA in the morphine-mediated effect on BDNF/proBDNF, we exposed cortical neurons to morphine in the presence of the tPA inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). This inhibitor reversed the morphine-mediated decrease in proBDNF, supporting the hypothesis that morphine increases the availability of BDNF by promoting the extracellular processing of proBDNF by tPA. Because proBDNF could negatively influence synaptic repair, preventing withdrawal is crucial for reducing neurotoxic mechanisms associated with opioid abuse.
Development and application of two semi-automated tools for targeted medical product surveillance in a distributed data network.

An important component of the Food and Drug Administration’s Sentinel Initiative is the active post-market risk identification and analysis (ARIA) system, which utilizes semi-automated, parameterized computer programs to implement propensity-score adjusted and self-controlled risk interval designs to conduct targeted surveillance of medical products in the Sentinel Distributed Database. In this manuscript, we review literature relevant to the development of these programs and describe their application within the Sentinel Initiative. These quality-checked and publicly available tools have been successfully used to conduct rapid, replicable, and targeted safety analyses of several medical products. In addition to speed and reproducibility, use of semi-automated tools allows investigators to focus on decisions regarding key methodological parameters. We also identified challenges associated with the use of these methods in distributed and prospective datasets like the Sentinel Distributed Database, namely uncertainty regarding the optimal approach to estimating propensity scores in dynamic data among data partners of heterogeneous size. Future research should focus on the methodological challenges raised by these applications as well as developing new modular programs for targeted surveillance of medical products.
Towards Fine-grained, Automated Application Compartmentalization

The rise of language-specific, third-party packages simplifies application development. However, relying on untrusted code poses a threat to security and reliability.In this work, we propose exploiting module boundaries --and the general trend towards more and smaller modules --to achieve fine-grained compartmentalization. Automated transformations can hide compartment boundaries and minimize developer effort. Optional policy expressions can decouple security assumptions at development time from requirements during composition and runtime. Using JavaScript's flourishing ecosystem, we discuss a wide range of risks and sketch how the use of language-level solutions coupled systemic mechanisms can protect against them.
Computational model of a direct current glow discharge used as an ambient desorption/ionization source for mass spectrometry

We present a computational simulation of a helium DC glow discharge used as an ambient desorption/ionization source for mass spectrometry. Both the fluid dynamics of the flowing gases and the kinetics of the chemical reactions are modeled. The simulation incorporates measured absolute number densities of helium metastable atoms obtained using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The results indicate that the formation of protonated water cluster ions, (H2O)nH+, begins shortly downstream from the high voltage pin electrode in the active discharge region. The (H2O)nH+ ions grow in size as they flow with the helium. Several key parameters were changed to observe their effect on the formation of (H2O)nH+ ions, including the concentration of nitrogen and water impurities in the helium plasma gas, the relative humidity of the air around the discharge tube, and the air pressure. Changing impurity levels in the plasma gas had the largest effect on the formation of water clusters. Changes in ambient humidity levels affected the size of the (H2O)nH+ ions, but not the overall number of ions. Changes in air pressure did not have a significant effect.
Glucose Metabolism and Hormonal Regulation

Abstract Glucose is a central molecule in metabolism. Its concentration in the blood is tightly regulated. A decrease in blood glucose can lead to unconsciousness, as glucose is normally the required fuel of the brain and nervous system. Prolonged elevation of blood glucose, as in diabetes, leads to vascular damage. This article discusses the major pathways of glucose metabolism and their regulation: glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis and breakdown, the pentose phosphate pathway, and how glucose metabolism is coupled to insulin release.
Trends in Automation and Control

The amount of Automation in citrus processing and packaging is increasing dramatically. At the same time, technology is changing very rapidly. Communication networks, Control Architecture and software tools dominate these technology changes.When done properly, new control technology can improve application performance as well as provide the critical view of what is happening on the production floor.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME
Cigarette craving and stressful social interactions: The roles of state and trait social anxiety and smoking to cope

Abstract Background Previous research indicates that social anxiety (SA) is a risk factor for the maintenance and relapse of smoking behaviors. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. The current study tested the effects of state and trait levels of SA as well as smoking to cope with symptoms of SA on craving during a social stressor task in abstinent conditions. Methods Participants (n = 60) were daily smokers, aged 18–30. Participants attended two sessions: a baseline session and a second session, wherein they engaged in a social stressor task while deprived from nicotine for 24 h. Subjective ratings of cigarette craving and state levels of SA were assessed six times throughout the task. Data were analyzed via multilevel modeling. Results Both trait SA and some forms of smoking to cope with symptoms of SA were more likely to predict increased craving during times of high, relative to low, social stress. Further, individuals with higher state SA, greater smoking to cope behaviors, and those who experience greater relief of social distress by smoking experienced greater craving throughout the task. These effects remained after controlling for nicotine dependence, withdrawal symptoms, depression, and other symptoms of anxiety and stress. Smoking to cope with symptoms of SA did not moderate the relationship between state SA and craving. Conclusions Smokers high in SA (state and trait) and smoking to cope with symptoms of SA may be at risk for continued smoking and relapse because of the intensity of cravings they experience during stressful social situations.
Connecting the dots between caregiver expectations and perceptions during the hospice care continuum: Lessons for interdisciplinary teams

This research study explores hospice caregivers’ perceptions of service quality during end-of-life care. More strictly, this study measures how service dimensions of the SERVQUAL Analysis, (1) reli...
The Recent History of the Australian Loan Council 1

The Australian Loan Council is a unique body. Established in 1928-9 as a part of the Financial Agreement, after the opinion had become widespread that the credit of the whole of Australia, under existing conditions, could never be much higher than that of its weakest state, the Loan Council was given full legislative and constitutional status as the body which was to handle all borrowing by Commonwealth and state governments, except borrowing for temporary purposes or by the Commonwealth for purposes of defence. Against its decisions there is no appeal because the Council is not directly responsible to any one Parliament or electorate. “If,” as Mr. Forgan Smith of Queensland has complained, “any Premier agrees [at a meeting of the Loan Council] to a line of policy from which his State Parliament dissents, all that this Parliament can do is, by means of a vote of no confidence, to remove him from office. Nevertheless the decision of the Loan Council would stand.” It is more than probable that nobody foresaw the extent to which, in the depression, the Loan Council might “be made the instrument of forcing upon the Commonwealth and the States a common policy involving the very details of their internal administration.” Reduction of deficits . The first evidence of the powers of the Loan Council came in April, 1931, when Australia was fumbling for a proper policy to stem depression. On the initiative of the Council the so-called Copland Committee was appointed and on the basis of the report of this Committee the “Premiers' plan” was drawn up, which aimed, through a variety of measures, at a prompt balancing of budgets. These were long steps forward, but the question as to what could be done to keep governments in line still had to be answered, and here again the Loan Council had an important role. Early in 1932 New South Wales defaulted on its debt, and then approached the Loan Council for additional authority to borrow.
Excremental Subjectivity: Presence, Absence, and Feces in Mary Kelly's Post-Partum Document

A series of six “documents” that include a child’s clothing, scribblings, utterances, and shit-stained diapers, Mary Kelly’s Post-Partum Document (1972-1979) has long been considered an exemplary work about motherhood. The documentary and psychoanalytic process by which Kelly explores the changing nature of a mother’s relationship to her child varies between the objective and subjective. This article explores Documentation I: Analysed Faecal Stains and Feeding Charts of the Post-Partum Document —a section in which Kelly documents the weaning process by recording the foods introduced and the nature of the child’s bowel movements. Through close analysis, and in relation to psychoanalytic and childrearing literature, this article argues that these stained diaper liners act as indices of the child’s presence and absence, thus becoming what Jacques Lacan would term, an objet petit a for the mother. Close examination of these liners reveals the slippage between what is present, implied, and absent. Through Documentation I , Kelly provides evidence for the ambiguous and amorphous process of weaning, thus exposing maternal anxieties.
Open Interiority: Emily Dickinson, Augustine, and the Spatial Self

Ourself behind ourself, concealed——Emily Dickinson; F407 (1862)The paradoxes, doubling, and fragmentation of the self in Emily Dickinson’s poetry have given rise to significant debate within Dickin...
Uptake and intracellular fate of [14C]sucrose-insulin in perfused rat livers

Insulin was covalently linked to [14C]sucrose by means of cyanuric chloride to provide a label that would remain entrapped within the vacuolar system. The uptake of the conjugate by the perfused rat liver was rapid (half-life = 2.9 min), competitively inhibited by native insulin, and abolished by alkali denaturation. As assessed by its distribution on self-generating gradients of colloidal silica-povidone, label in lysosome-enriched samples of liver taken at different times after the addition of the conjugate moved progressively during 15 min from the plasma membrane into an intermediate peak and then to dense lysosomal fractions. After 30-60 min, the label had equilibrated throughout the lysosomal-vacuolar system. The initial movement from the plasma membrane to the intermediate peak occurred between 2 and 5 min. Because label in the peak could be physically separated from the lysosomal marker, beta-acetylglucosaminidase, by dispersing the sample through the gradient mixture before centrifugation rather than layering it, we concluded that the intermediate particles in question were not lysosomal in nature. On gel-filtration chromatography, label extracted from the intermediate peak did not move with insulin but rather as a broad band of lower molecular weight products, suggesting that insulin is subject to early proteolytic attack within a nonlysosomal compartment.
The pancreas in infants and children.

With the probable exception of alcoholic pancreatitis, all the lesions of the pancreas seen in adults also occur in infants and children. However, their frequency, mode of clinical presentation, and treatment are substantially different in children, as are their clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis.
Kinase-dependent structural role of DNA-PKcs during immunoglobulin class switch recombination.

The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is a classical nonhomologous end-joining (cNHEJ) factor. Loss of DNA-PKcs diminished mature B cell class switch recombination (CSR) to other isotypes, but not IgG1. Here, we show that expression of the kinase-dead DNA-PKcs (DNA-PKcsKD/KD) severely compromises CSR to IgG1. High-throughput sequencing analyses of CSR junctions reveal frequent accumulation of nonproductive interchromosomal translocations, inversions, and extensive end resection in DNA-PKcsKD/KD, but not DNA-PKcs−/−, B cells. Meanwhile, the residual joints from DNA-PKcsKD/KD cells and the efficient Sµ-Sγ1 junctions from DNA-PKcs−/− B cells both display similar preferences for small (2–6 nt) microhomologies (MH). In DNA-PKcs−/− cells, Sµ-Sγ1 joints are more resistant to inversions and extensive resection than Sµ-Se and Sµ-Sµ joints, providing a mechanism for the isotype-specific CSR defects. Together, our findings identify a kinase-dependent role of DNA-PKcs in suppressing MH-mediated end joining and a structural role of DNA-PKcs protein in the orientation of CSR.
Spectroscopic investigation of high-pressure femtosecond two-photon laser-induced fluorescence of carbon monoxide up to 20 bar

Extension of laser diagnostic methods to high pressure is critically important because most practical combustion systems operate at elevated pressures. However, increased collisional quenching, fluorescence trapping, and other spectroscopic complications make high-pressure laser diagnostics extremely challenging. As the pressure increases, collisional effects broaden and shift excitation spectral lines, reducing the excitation quantum efficiency of the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique, in particular when using conventional narrowband, nanosecond (ns)-duration laser pulses. In this work, spectroscopic investigation of broadband, femtosecond two-photon LIF (fs-TPLIF) of carbon monoxide (CO) was performed in a high-pressure static gas cell, up to total pressures of 20 bar. The fluorescence emission spectrum broadened marginally at the highest pressure investigated and hence can be neglected in most cases. The subquadratic dependence of the CO fs-TPLIF signal on the laser fluence increased as the pressure is increased. Moreover, the CO fs-TPLIF signal decays more slowly with increasing pressure compared to the previously reported ns-TPLIF data. The signal drop when the total pressure is increased from 1 to 13 bar is approximately 30% in the fs excitation, as compared to approximately a 60% drop in the ns excitation in CO/N2/O2 mixtures. The pressure effects on the fluorescence signal were observed to be similar in the Angstrom and third positive bands, suggesting that the third positive band could also be used for CO measurements with broadband fs laser pulses. Furthermore, experimentally investigated are the effect of pressure on the CO fluorescence signal in different quenching gases using fixed CO mole fractions, as well as number densities. Overall, the fs-TPLIF scheme is shown to be a promising diagnostics tool for CO detection in practical combustion systems at elevated pressures.
Interoperable Convergence of Storage, Networking, and Computation

In every form of digital store-and-forward communication, intermediate forwarding nodes are computers, with attendant memory and processing resources. This has inevitably stimulated efforts to create a wide-area infrastructure that goes beyond simple store-and-forward to create a platform that makes more general and varied use of the potential of this collection of increasingly powerful nodes. Historically, these efforts predate the advent of globally routed packet networking. The desire for a converged infrastructure of this kind has only intensified over the last 30 years, as memory, storage, and processing resources have increased in both density and speed while simultaneously decreasing in cost. Although there is a general consensus that it should be possible to define and deploy such a dramatically more capable wide-area platform, a great deal of investment in research prototypes has yet to produce a credible candidate architecture. Drawing on technical analysis, historical examples, and case studies, we present an argument for the hypothesis that in order to realize a distributed system with the kind of convergent generality and deployment scalability that might qualify as “future-defining,” we must build it from a small set of simple, generic, and limited abstractions of the low level resources (processing, storage and network) of its intermediate nodes.
Analysis of monitoring results of influenza in Panjin during 2007-2009

Objective:In order to find out the pandemic situation of influenza in Panjin,monitoring results of influenza were analyzed from 2007 to 2009,which can provide the scientific basis for influenza's prevention and control in future.Methods:Using MDCK cells,isolate the influenza virus from the throat swab that were collected and delibered by monitoring spots.And identify the isolates by hemagglutination-inhibition test.Results:From 2007 to 2009,the separation rates of influenza virus were 12.5 %,2.4% and 2.78%.Conclusion:From 2007 to 2009,the regnant strains were Bv,A3 and A1 and the fastigium were spring and autumn-winter separately.
Toward a better trade-off between performance and fairness with kernel-based distribution matching

As recent literature has demonstrated how classifiers often carry unintended biases toward some subgroups, deploying machine learned models to users demands careful consideration of the social consequences. How should we address this problem in a real-world system? How should we balance core performance and fairness metrics? In this paper, we introduce a MinDiff framework for regularizing classifiers toward different fairness metrics and analyze a technique with kernel-based statistical dependency tests. We run a thorough study on an academic dataset to compare the Pareto frontier achieved by different regularization approaches, and apply our kernel-based method to two large-scale industrial systems demonstrating real-world improvements.
Snowflake selfies: A low-cost, high-impact approach toward student engagement in scientific research (with their smartphones)

Capsule SummaryAn engaged scholarship project called “Snowflake Selfies” was developed and implemented in an undergraduate course at Penn State, where students measured snowfall accumulations, snow...
Is it "loud" enough?: A qualitative investigation of blunt use among African American young adults

Heavy blunt use is common among young adult cannabis users, especially African Americans. This exploratory qualitative study aimed to examine how African American young adults understand, talk abou...
Electromagnetic Effects on Solidification Defect Formation in Continuous Steel Casting

Understanding and reducing defects formed during continuous casting of steel are challenging because of the many inter-related, multiscale phenomena and process parameters involved in this complex process. Solidification occurs in the presence of turbulent multiphase flow, transport and capture of particles, superheat transport, and thermal–mechanical behavior. The application of electromagnetic fields provides an additional parameter to control these phenomena to reduce solidification defects. It is especially attractive because the field has the potential to be easily adjusted during casting to accommodate different casting conditions. This article briefly reviews how electromagnetic forces affect solidification defects, including subsurface hooks, particle capture, deep oscillation marks, depressions, cracks, breakouts, segregation, and shrinkage. This includes the related effects on superheat transport, initial solidification, surface quality, grain structure, internal quality, and steel composition distribution. Finally, some practical strategies regarding how to apply electromagnetics to improve steel quality are evaluated.
Engineering the Spectral Response of Long-Wave Infrared Detectors

We present the design and simulation of long-wave infrared detectors consisting of a doped-semiconductor ground plane underneath a thin Type-II superlattice (T2SL), patterned with a metallic antenna. We demonstrate enhanced absorption at the absorber band-edge, spectrally tuned by the geometry of the Au pattern.
Using Advanced Vector Extensions AVX-512 for MPI Reductions

As the scale of high-performance computing (HPC) systems continues to grow, researchers are devoted themselves to explore increasing levels of parallelism to achieve optimal performance. The modern CPU’s design, including its features of hierarchical memory and SIMD/vectorization capability, governs algorithms’ efficiency. The recent introduction of wide vector instruction set extensions (AVX and SVE) motivated vectorization to become of critical importance to increase efficiency and close the gap to peak performance. In this paper, we propose an implementation of predefined MPI reduction operations utilizing AVX, AVX2 and AVX-512 intrinsics to provide vector-based reduction operation and to improve the time-to-solution of these predefined MPI reduction operations. With these optimizations, we achieve higher efficiency for local computations, which directly benefit the overall cost of collective reductions. The evaluation of the resulting software stack under different scenarios demonstrates that the solution is at the same time generic and efficient. Experiments are conducted on an Intel Xeon Gold cluster, which shows our AVX-512 optimized reduction operations achieve 10X performance benefits than Open MPI default for MPI local reduction.
487. Patient Outcomes of Contact Tracing for COVID-19 in a Pediatric Hospital

Background: Contact tracing is a critical component in controlling the spread of infectious diseases During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demands for contract tracing far exceeded the resources available to infection prevention and control (IPC) programs Leveraging our Poison Control Center, our organization established a Contact Tracing Center (CTC) with content expertise and oversight by IPC and Occupational Health The CTC identifies exposed patients and employees, provides testing guidance and scheduling, and offers post-exposure recommendations for employees We describe patient outcomes due to employee exposures in a pediatric healthcare system Methods: Exposure data about employee to patient exposures (EPE) were captured real-time by scripted telephone interviews by our CTC Chart review was performed to determine outcomes of exposed patients A concerning exposure from a direct patient care provider to a patient was defined as unprotected contact at less than 6 feet for greater than 5 minutes in the 24 hours prior to developing symptoms Data were analyzed to determine COVID-19 conversion rates for children exposed to pre-symptomatic and symptomatic employees based upon exposure risk stratification, window of exposure, and employees who worked with symptoms Results: From March 2020 - present, we identified 38 EPE that involved 10 employees;26 EPE were pre-symptomatic and 12 EPE symptomatic exposures The average number of EPE per employee was 3 8 (SD 3 01) There were no secondary transmission events to patients from either pre-symptomatic or symptomatic employees After instituting universal masking, the number of concerning exposures to patients were 3 compared to 35 prior to universal masking Conclusion: We describe the experience of a novel Contact Tracing Center, leveraging alternate staffing pools to track EPE resulting in no secondary transmission to patients either before or after universal masking We credit sick policy adherence, high hand hygiene compliance, use of standard precautions, universal masking, robust contact tracing operations and a strong data collection system to identify process gaps
The Costs of Koontz

Robust enforcement of individual constitutional rights protects the interests that the rights are designed to advance. But robust enforcement of individual rights can undermine other constitutionally protected values and impose other social and economic costs. This article catalogues the steep costs of the Supreme Court’s controversial 2013 decision in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Management District. In that case the Court issued two rulings expanding the rights of property owners under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: first, the Court extended the Nollan/Dolan standards to “monetary exactions;” second, the Court ruled that the Nollan/Dolan standards govern takings claims based on permit denials resulting from property owners’ refusal to accept “demands” for exactions. The Koontz Court paid little attention to the cost of these rulings, but it might well have reached a different result if it had paid more attention to them. These costs include: (1) exacerbated confusion about the scope and purpose of takings law, to the detriment of rule of law values and the reputation of the Supreme Court itself; (2) erosion of the principle of separation of powers due to an unwarranted expansion of the judicial role at the expense of the other two branches of government, (3) undermining of the U.S. system of federalism due to the promulgation of one-size-fits-all national judicial rules that limit local political accountability, diversity and policy experimentation; and (4) less efficient and effective protection and management of the use of land and other natural resources. Justice Elena Kagan predicted that the Court would come to “rue” its decision in Koontz, and the broader perspective suggested by this article might help the Court chart a different course on these issues in the future.
Intrinsic Coronary Stenosis With Ventricular Dysfunction in Tetralogy of Fallot.

Intrinsic coronary anomalies in tetralogy of Fallot are rare manifestations that are difficult to diagnose, especially when accompanied by ventricular dysfunction in the postoperative period. We present a case of severe left ventricular dysfunction after repair of tetralogy of Fallot. Coronary angiography revealed intrinsic left main coronary stenosis. Therefore, we emergently performed patch augmentation of the left main coronary artery concomitantly with residual ventricular septal defect closure. While evaluating patients with tetralogy of Fallot, especially in the presence of ventricular dysfunction, intrinsic coronary anomalies should be kept in mind. Coronary angiography is effective in diagnosing coronary anomalies.
Physical formidability and acceptance of police violence

Abstract Individuals whose threats of force are more effective, such as those with greater bodily formidability, have advantages when the social environment condones violence. This benefit shapes incentives regarding norms and preferences allowing aggressive behavior. More physically imposing people may, in particular, be likelier to approve of police use of violent tactics, one recent social flashpoint concerning attitudes to physical aggression. Archival data concerning more than 1600 respondents to the 2014 and 2018 iterations of the United States' General Social Survey confirm this hypothesis, with taller respondents (as the proxy for formidability) likelier to approve of police officers hitting male citizens in several circumstances, as well as corporal criminal-justice punishment in the form of the death penalty. Black respondents show less relationship between physical size and condoning of violent policing.
In situ monitoring of microstructure evolution during thermal processing of uranium-zirconium alloys using laser-generated ultrasound

Abstract Laser-generated ultrasound was used to monitor microstructure evolution during thermal processing of as-cast, polycrystalline binary uranium-zirconium metallic fuel alloys with compositions of U-20wt.%Zr (U-20Zr), U-50wt.%Zr (U-50Zr) and U-80wt.%Zr (U-80Zr). Ultrasonic waveforms were recorded during heating and cooling the samples from room temperature to >973 K and back. A phase transition temperature for all three compositions was estimated from the temperature at which an abrupt and rapid reduction in ultrasonic velocities was observed. Microstructural features on the length scale of tens of micrometers were inferred from the observation of scattering of ultrasonic waves by elastic heterogeneities above ~823 K in U-20Zr, while a hysteresis in the ultrasonic velocities of U-80Zr upon cooling was attributed to a partial retention of the high temperature phase following thermal annealing. The U-50Zr alloy exhibited a reversible viscoelastic response above 933 K, as evidenced by the observation of high frequency attenuation of the shear component of the waveforms at high temperature. Ultrasonic measurements were supplemented by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM images revealed that the δ-U-Zr matrix in the three compositions underwent a spinodal decomposition above ~823 K into nanoscale regions. The ultrasonic measurements revealed larger, micron-scale structure evolution in the U-20Zr alloy at the same temperature. This large-scale structure is associated with heterogeneous regions having different Zr content. Our findings show the potential heating rate dependence of microstructural evolution in U-Zr alloys and highlight differences in the thermomechanical response and associated length scales during thermal annealing between single- and dual-phase compositions. These results demonstrate the utility of laser ultrasonics to rapidly and efficiently scan phase boundaries and monitor micrometer-scale structure evolution in metallic fuel alloys.
A retrospective data analysis on the induction medications used in trauma rapid sequence intubations and their effects on outcomes

Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in trauma patients is common; however, the induction agents used have been debated. We determined which induction medications were used most frequently for adult trauma RSIs and their associations with hemodynamics and outcomes. We hypothesized that etomidate is the most commonly used induction agent and has similar outcomes to other induction agents. This retrospective review at two U.S. level I trauma centers evaluated adult trauma patients undergoing RSI within 24 h of admission, between 01/01/2016 and 12/31/2017. We compared patient characteristics and outcomes by induction agent. Comparisons on the primary outcome of in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes of peri-intubation hypotension, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS), ventilator days, and complications used logistic regression or negative binomial regression. Regression models adjusted for hospital site, age, patient severity measures, and intubation location. Among 1303 trauma patients undergoing RSI within 24 h of admission, 948 (73%) were intubated in the emergency department (ED) and 325 (25%) in the operating room (OR). The most common induction agents were etomidate (68%), propofol (17%), and ketamine (11%). In-hospital mortality was highest in the etomidate group (25.5%), followed by ketamine (17%), and propofol (1.8%). Etomidate was most commonly used in ED intubations; propofol was most used in the OR. Compared to propofol, patients induced with etomidate had higher mortality and complication rates. Findings should be interpreted with caution given limited generalizability and residual confounding by indication.