cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compare and contrast the reaction coordinate diagrams for chemical reactions and cytoskeletal force generators

Reaction coordinate diagrams are used to relate the free energy changes that occur during the progress of chemical processes to the rate and equilibrium constants of the process. Here I briefly review the application of these diagrams to the thermodynamics and kinetics of the generation of force and motion by cytoskeletal motors and polymer ratchets as they mediate intracellular transport, organelle dynamics, cell locomotion, and cell division. To provide a familiar biochemical context for discussing these subcellular force generators, I first review the application of reaction coordinate diagrams to the mechanisms of simple chemical and enzyme-catalyzed reactions. My description of reaction coordinate diagrams of motors and polymer ratchets is simplified relative to the rigorous biophysical treatment found in many of the references that I use and cite, but I hope that the essay provides a valuable qualitative representation of the physical chemical parameters that underlie the generation of force and motility at molecular scales. In any case, I have found that this approach represents a useful interdisciplinary framework for understanding, researching, and teaching the basic molecular mechanisms by which motors contribute to fundamental cell biological processes.
Developments in Septic Tank Systems

Some important changes in the design criteria for septic tanks and subsurface sewage-disposal systems have occurred. These changes are set forth and evaluated.
Influence of sediment cohesion on deltaic shoreline dynamics and bulk sediment retention: A laboratory study

While boundary and forcing conditions influence the average location of a shoreline in deltaic systems, internal morphodynamics can drive high-magnitude deviations from the long-term trend. Here we explore the role of sediment cohesion on these morphodynamics using physical experiments. Specifically, we explore the role of sediment cohesion on the scales of autogenic shoreline transgressions and regressions. Results indicate that sediment cohesion enhances the time and space scales associated with autogenic cycles of channel formation, elongation, and abandonment. In systems with high sediment cohesion, this cycle can drive shoreline transgressions that produce flooding surfaces in the resulting stratigraphy which could be confused with surfaces produced by increases in sea level rise or subsidence rates. Enhanced channelization resulting from sediment cohesion also increases the pumping of fine-grained sediment into the marine realm, where it can bypass the delta foreset, thus decreasing total delta sediment retention rate.
A home injury prevention program for children

Most injuries to children under age five occur in the home. This article recounts the experience of an injury prevention project in developing and implementing an approach combining educational, regulatory, and technologic methods to reduce home injuries.
Reading Between the Lines: The Bible in the African American Neo-Slave Narrative

With a focus on Edward P. Jones’s The Known World (2003), James McBride’s Song Yet Sung (2008), and Toni Morrison’s A Mercy (2003), the article examines how neo-slave narratives frame their discussions of the past in order to define future debates about race, culture, and academic politics. It is in looking back that these novels, ironically, carry forward the discussion of enslaved and free identities in biblical and extra-biblical contexts. Contemporary African American writers who situate their texts in the antebellum south are therefore shown to perform an important archival, hermeneutic, and cultural work.
Partial premixing effects upon soot nanostructure

Abstract Partial premixing within simple gas jet diffusion flames has a very long history – reaching back to the Bunsen flame. Yet HRTEM data of soot from such flames appears absent. Using benzene as the primary fuel with partial premixing tested the chemical path for C5 production – proceeding through partial benzene oxidation yielding the phenoxy radical followed by CO loss to produce C5. A strong variation of lamellae curvature with oxygen content in the primary fuel stream was observed – reflecting the increasing C5 production rate. Generality of the nanostructure dependence upon partial premixing and associated change in gas phase chemistry (compared to pure thermal pyrolysis) was demonstrated using an ordinary laboratory Bunsen burner with ethylene as fuel. Absent partial premixing, soot production is well described by the HACA mechanism, yielding benzenoid aromatics and soot nanostructure consisting of flat lamellae, without curvature, dissimilar to observations described here accompanying partial premixing.
Stabilization of ascorbic acid and its measurement by liquid chromatography in nonfat dry milk.

Description d'une methode amelioree de dosage de l'acide ascorbique : les solvants sont elimines par un courant d'argon, pour reduire la concentration en oxygene (diminution des risques d'oxydation)
Flow cytometry evaluation of testicular and sperm cells obtained from bulls implanted with zeranol.

Flow cytometry of testicular and sperm cells was used to evaluate effects of pre-weaning zeranol implants on spermatogenesis. Forty five Angus-Simmental bulls were randomly assigned to three treatment groups of 15 bulls each: no implant, one implant at 30 d of age and two implants, one at 30 and the second at 120 d of age. Prior to slaughter at approximately 15 mo, semen was collected from 30 bulls, 10 of each group. Following slaughter, testes were weighed, and testicular biopsies and vas deferens sperm obtained from the same 30 bulls. Testicular and sperm cells were stained with acridine orange and measured by flow cytometry. Proportions of testicular haploid, diploid and tetraploid cells were determined by relative amounts of green (DNA) and red (RNA) fluorescence. Treatment of sperm at low pH prior to acridine orange staining potentially induces partial denaturation of DNA, detectable by the metachromatic shift from green (native DNA) to red (single-stranded DNA) fluorescence. The effect of this shift was quantified by alpha-t [alpha t = red/red + green) fluorescence]. Nonimplanted bulls had heavier (P less than .01) testicular weights than treated bulls. The proportion of haploid cells was greater (P less than .02) and diploid cells less (P less than .03) in testes of nonimplanted bulls. Sperm from implanted bulls had altered chromatin structure, indicated by higher (P less than .05) alpha t values. Flow cytometry is an effective means for detecting changes in testicular cell subpopulations and chromatin structure of sperm.
In Pursuit of Historical Explanation: Capitalism as a Conceptual Tool for Knowing the American West

Suggesting the need to bring the margins and peripheries of our stories together in some form of interpretive synthesis, this essay posits the argument that we can better understand the American West through interpretations grounded in the theoretical and empirical workings of capitalism.
Counterfactuals and the Future of Empirical Research in Observational Social Science

What role should the counterfactual approach to observational data analysis play in causal analysis in the social sciences? Some scholars see its elaboration as a justification for experimental methodology as an alternative to observational data analysis. We agree that by laying bare the challenges that confront causal analysis with observational data, the counterfactual approach does indirectly support experimentation as an alternative to observation. But, because experiments are often (perhaps usually) infeasible for most of the causal questions that practicing social scientists appear to want to answer, this implication, when considered apart from others, is understandably distressing. We see the observational data analysis methods associated with the potential outcome model, motivated using directed graphs, as useful tools that can help to improve the investigation of causal relationships within the social sciences, especially when experiments are infeasible. Accordingly, we believe that the methods associated with the counterfactual approach complement and extend older approaches to causal analysis with observational data by shaping the goals of an analysis, requiring explicit consideration of individual-level heterogeneity of causal effects, encouraging a wider consideration of available identification strategies, and clarifying standards for credible interpretations. In this chapter, we first shore up our presentation of the counterfactual approach by considering several critical perspectives on its utility. We weigh in with the arguments that we find most compelling, and it will not be surprising to the reader that we find these objections less serious than do those who have formulated them.
The use of Cartesian k-space sampling techniques for high quality 3D time-resolved imaging of the cardiovascular system

Due to its high prevalence, it is critical to diagnose and characterize cardiovascular disease. Methods are described for generating 3D time-resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiograms of multiple vascular territories of the body. Previously it has been challenging to create images having the desired spatial resolution (e.g. 1 mm isotropic) because the acquisition time necessary was longer than the arterial phase of the contrast-enhanced blood. In this work it is shown that order of magnitude acceleration is possible through the combination of 2D sensitivity encoding, homodyne processing, and view sharing. Special purpose receiver coil arrays are also used which retain high SNR. In vivo results are presented to illustrate the general applicability of the method.
Donor Troponin and Survival After Cardiac Transplantation An Analysis of the United Network of Organ Sharing Registry

Background— Despite a limited supply of organs, only 1 in 3 potential donor hearts is accepted for transplantation. Elevated donor troponin levels have generally been considered a contraindication to heart transplantation; however, the data supporting this practice are limited. Methods and Results— We identified 10 943 adult (≥18 years) heart transplant recipients in the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database with preserved donor left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) and where peak donor troponin I values were available. When analyzed as a continuous variable, there was no association between peak donor troponin levels and recipient mortality up to 1 year follow-up in unadjusted (hazards ratio, 0.999; 95% confidence interval, 0.997–1.002; P =0.856) and adjusted Cox models (hazards ratio, 1.000; 95% confidence interval, 0.997–1.002; P =0.950). Next, we divided the entire cohort into 3 groups based on donor troponin I values: 10 ng/mL (n=361). Using unadjusted and adjusted Cox models and Kaplan–Meier analysis, there was no significant difference in recipient mortality at 30 days, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years between the 3 groups. Similarly, cardiac allograft vasculopathy up to 5 years and primary graft failure up to 30 days of follow-up post transplant did not differ between the 3 donor troponin groups. The median length of hospital stay post transplant was also similar across groups. Conclusions— Elevated donor troponin I levels in the setting of preserved left ventricular ejection fraction were not associated with intermediate-term mortality, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, or primary graft failure rates in hearts accepted for transplantation. This finding could help expand the donor pool.
Boron Fiber to Carbon Fiber

This chapter reviews the author’s diversion from working with boron fiber composites to carbon fiber composites and the resulting establishment of the NASA-Virginia Tech Composites Program. Developments in test methods and free edge effects for carbon fiber composites are discussed.
Generation of human immune responses towards membrane macrophage colony stimulating factor (mM-CSF) expressing U251 glioma cells within immunodeficient (NIH-nu/beige/xid) mice

1864 We investigated both in vitro and in vivo how human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) respond towards cloned human HLA-A2+ U251 glioma cells (U251-2F11/TK) expressing membrane macrophage colony stimulating factor (mM-CSF). Enriched human monocytes derived from cancer patients specifically produced a respiratory burst within 20 minutes of interacting with mM-CSF expressing U251 glioma cells, but not with the viral vector control U251 (U251-VV) cells. Reactive oxygen species such as H2O2 and HOCl killed the U-251 cells. The U251-2F11/TK cells failed to grow within severe combined immunodeficient (NIH-bg-nu-xidBR) mice that were depleted of murine monocyte/macrophages but reconstituted with human HLA-A2+ PBMC (4 of 4). Reactive oxygen species were produced both in vitro and in vivo when the PBMC responded to the mM-CSF expressing U251 cells. U251-2F11/TK cells failed to form lasting subcutaneous tumors in all the mouse-macrophage depleted mice (0 of 4) that were reconstituted with human PBMC; whereas, the U251-VV cells progressively grew. From our work we conclude that mM-CSF transduced U251-2F11/TK glioma cells can safely stimulate human immune responses in vivo.
The refined ORCS approach: A catch-based method for estimating stock status and catch limits for data-poor fish stocks

Abstract The ‘Only Reliable Catch Stocks’ (ORCS) Working Group approach to data-poor fisheries stock status and catch limit estimation has been used by U.S. fisheries managers but has yet to be fully evaluated. The ORCS approach estimates stock status using a fourteen question ‘Table of Attributes’ and the overfishing limit by multiplying a historical catch statistic by a scalar based on the estimated status. We evaluated the performance of the approach by applying it to 193 stocks with data-rich stock assessments and comparing its predictions of stock status with the assessment model estimates. The approach classified all but three stocks as fully exploited indicating that it is a poor predictor of status and should not be used by managers. We refined the original ORCS approach by: (1) developing a more predictive model of stock status using boosted classification trees and (2) identifying the historical catch statistics and scalars that best estimate overfishing limits using assessment model data. The refined ORCS approach correctly classified 74% of all stocks and 62% of overexploited stocks in a training dataset and 74% of all stocks and 50% of overexploited stocks in an independent test dataset. The refined approach performed better than six other widely used catch-only methods. However, the overfishing limits estimated by the refined approach would further deplete overexploited stocks without the use of conservative catch scalars to buffer against classification uncertainty. Conservative catch scalars can reduce the probability of overfishing below 50%, the U.S. legal maximum, but with concomitant increases in the probability and magnitude of underfishing. The refined ORCS approach may therefore be useful when other methods are not possible or appropriate and some risk of underfishing is acceptable.
Increased Disturbance Rejection in Magnetic Disk Drives by Acceleration Feedforward Control

Abstract As the density of data on magnetic disk drives increases, so does the need for more precise position control of the read/write head, especially in the presence of internal and external disturbances. This is achieved by sensing the acceleration of the drive and feeding this information forward to the actuator. By matching the electromechanical impedance between the disturbance and the position error, the feedforward controller can cancel the effects of the disturbance. This technique is tested through shake table experiments. Results show a 50% to 90% reduction in the position error signal.
Intensification of dwarf mistletoe on Southwestern Douglas-fir

(...) Two models relate the mean rate of intensification since the tree became infected to initial and current tree conditions; the third one describes the proportion of trees that increased by 0, 1, 2, or more classes of dwarf mistletoe infection (DMR) in the past 10 years. The models suggest that the rate of intensification is most rapid (2 DMR classes per decade) for severel infected trees of small diameter and slowest (0.5 DMR classes per decade) for lightly infected treesof large diameter. (...)
Modeling Inspiratory Flow in a Porcine Lung Airway

Inspiratory flow in a multigeneration pig lung airways was numerically studied at a steady inlet flow rate of 3.2 × 10-4 m3/s corresponding to a Reynolds number of 1150 in the trachea. The model was validated by comparing velocity distributions with previous measurements and simulations in simplified airway geometries. Simulation results provided detailed maps of the axial and secondary flow patterns at different cross sections of the airway tree. The vortex core regions in the airways were visualized using absolute helicity values and suggested the presence of secondary flow vortices where two counter-rotating vortices were observed at the main bifurcation and in many other bifurcations. Both laminar and turbulent flows were considered. Results showed that axial and secondary flows were comparable in the laminar and turbulent cases. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) vanished in the more distal airways, which indicates that the flow in these airways approaches laminar flow conditions. The simulation results suggested viscous pressure drop values comparable to earlier studies. The monopodial asymmetric nature of airway branching in pigs resulted in airflow patterns that are different from the less asymmetric human airways. The major daughters of the pig airways tended to have high airflow ratios, which may lead to different particle distribution and sound generation patterns. These differences need to be taken into consideration when interpreting the results of animal studies involving pigs before generalizing these results to humans.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Integrated Risk Management in Supply Chains

This special issue, which surveys the most recent research in integrated risk management for supply chains, is motivated by the success of the third â€œSupply Chain Finance & Risk Management Workshop,â€ which was held at the Olin Business School of Washington University in St. Louis, on May 14-15, 2017. The Editors wanted a more timely access to the latest research on supply chain finance and supply chain risk management. It is well-known, that due to review process lead times, articles published in traditional journals can take 2 to 3 years. The idea of producing an edited volume, which would include the latest articles on the topics above appealed not only to the workshop participants but also to other active members of the iFORM (Interface of Finance, Operations, and Risk Management) research community. Foundations and Trends in Technology, Information and Operations Management provides an ideal outlet for such a volume.
Considerations for Older Adults

Currently, there are approximately 34 million people over the age of 65 in the United States. Of these individuals, it has been estimated that roughly one-quarter meet criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis (Gatz et al. , 1996) . In light of the foregoing, it is important that mental health professionals be aware of the basic characteristics of older adults, as they will increasingly constitute a significant portion of the adult population seen for mental health problems.
Psoriasis in the Tropics: Epidemiologic, Genetic, Clinical, and Therapeutic Aspects

There is a dearth of information on psoriasis in the tropics. Psoriasis occurs more frequently in northern geographic regions than in tropical climates. Its prevalence varies not only within the ethnic groups of a country but from country to country. A review of published studies on the natural history of psoriasis in the tropics is presented in this article.
“You never really know who’s looking”: Imagined surveillance across social media platforms:

Social media users are routinely counseled to cultivate their online personae with acumen and diligence. But universal prescriptions for impression management may prove for vexing for college stude...
Gastroparesis is associated with decreased FOXF1 and FOXF2 in humans, and loss of FOXF1 and FOXF2 results in gastroparesis in mice.

Background and aims The transcription factors FOXF1 and FOXF2 have been implicated in the development of the gastrointestinal tract but their role in adults or in gastrointestinal diseases is poorly understood. We have recently shown that expression of serum response factor (SRF), a transcription factor whose activity is modulated by FOXF proteins, is decreased in the stomach muscularis of patients with gastroparesis. The aim of the current study was to determine whether FOXF expression is decreased in gastroparesis patients and whether loss of FOXF1 and/or FOXF2 from adult smooth muscle is sufficient to impair gastric emptying in mice. Methods Full-thickness stomach biopsy samples were collected from control subjects and from patients with gastroparesis. mRNA was isolated from the muscularis externa, and FOXF mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Foxf1 and Foxf2 were knocked out together and separately from smooth muscle cells in adult mice, and the subsequent effect on liquid gastric emptying and contractile protein expression was determined. Key results Expression of FOXF1 and FOXF2 is decreased in smooth muscle tissue from gastroparesis patients. Knockout of Foxf1 and Foxf2 together, but not alone, from mouse smooth muscle resulted in delayed liquid gastric emptying. Foxf1/2 double knockout mice had decreased expression of smooth muscle contractile proteins, SRF, and myocardin in stomach muscularis. Conclusions and inferences Our findings suggest that decreased expression of FOXF1 and FOXF2 may be contributing to the impaired gastric emptying seen in gastroparesis patients.
Chirp Spread Spectrum Performance in Low Probability of Intercept Theater

The Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) theater is a contest between an intended receiver and an intercept receiver. Both receivers need energy for detection. The challenge is to push the signal power below that of the intercept receiver noise floor while keeping it still detectable at the intended receivers. Signals with a large time-bandwidth product can trade bandwidth for signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. This property can be exploited by matched processing. In this work, we propose an LPI signal based on Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS). The performance of the intercept receiver and the intended receiver are captured by their respective Receiver Operating Characteristics(ROC) curves. It is shown that it is possible to design CSS waveforms at such low power that places the intercept receiver on its “chance line” while maintaining detectability at the intended receiver.
Race-based demographic, anthropometric and clinical correlates of N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide.

Abstract Background Population studies have shown that black race is a natriuretic peptide (NP) deficiency state. We sought to assess whether the effects of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on N-terminal-pro-B-type NP (NT-proBNP) levels differ in white and black individuals. Methods The study population consisted of a stratified random cohort from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. The study outcomes were the effects of age, sex, BMI and eGFR on NT-proBNP levels independent of socioeconomic and cardiovascular disease factors. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the effects of age, sex, BMI and eGFR on NT-proBNP levels in blacks and whites. Results Of the 27,679 participants in the weighted sample, 54.7% were females, 40.6% were black, and the median age was 64 years. Every 10-year higher age was associated with 38% [95% confidence interval (CI): 30%–45%] and 34% (95% CI: 22%–43%) higher NT-proBNP levels in whites and blacks, respectively. Female sex was associated with 31% (95% CI: 20%–43%) higher NT-proBNP levels in whites and 28% (95% CI: 15%–45%) higher in blacks. There was a significant linear inverse relationship between BMI and NT-proBNP in whites and a non-linear inverse relationship in blacks. Whites and blacks had a non-linear inverse relationship between eGFR and NT-proBNP. However, the non-linear relationship between NT-proBNP and eGFR differed by race (p = 0.01 for interaction). Conclusions The association of age and sex with NT-proBNP levels was similar in blacks and whites but the form of the BMI and eGFR relationship differed by race.
Plastic Surgery and Social Media: Examining Perceptions

Background:Social media play an important role in plastic surgery, yet there are limited studies in the literature to guide plastic surgeons’ social networking practices. To address this deficiency and provide further insight, the authors set out to investigate the public’s attitude toward plastic s
Use of PROMIS-29® in US Veterans: Diagnostic Concordance and Domain Comparisons with the General Population

PROMIS® items have not been widely or systematically used within the Veterans Health Administration (VA). To examine the concordance of PROMIS-29® scores and medical record diagnosis in US Veterans and to compare Veteran scores relative to US population norms. Cross-sectional multi-site survey of Veterans (n = 3221) provided sociodemographic and PROMIS-29® domain data. Electronic medical records provided health condition (depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, pain disorders) diagnosis data. For each domain, we calculated PROMIS® standardized T scores and used t tests to compare PROMIS® scores for Veterans diagnosed with each targeted health condition vs. those without that documented clinical diagnosis and compare mean Veterans’ PROMIS-29® with US adult population norms. Veterans with (vs. without) a depression diagnosis reported significantly higher PROMIS® depression scores (60.3 vs. 49.6, p < .0001); those with an anxiety diagnosis (vs. without) reported higher average PROMIS® anxiety scores (62.7 vs. 50.9, p < .0001). Veterans with (vs. without) a pain disorder reported higher pain interference (65.3 vs. 57.7, p < .0001) and pain intensity (6.4 vs. 4.4, p < .0001). Veterans with (vs. without) a sleep disorder reported higher sleep disturbance (55.8 vs. 51.2, p < .0001) and fatigue (57.5 vs. 51.8, p < .0001) PROMIS® scores. Compared with the general population norms, Veterans scored worse across all PROMIS-29® domains. We found that PROMIS-29® domains are selectively sensitive to expected differences between clinically-defined groups, suggesting their appropriateness as indicators of condition symptomology among Veterans. Notably, Veterans scored worse across all PROMIS-29(R) domains compared with population norms. Taken collectively, our findings suggest that PROMIS-29® may be a useful tool for VA providers to assess patient’s physical and mental health, and because PROMIS® items are normed to the general population, this offers a way to compare the health of Veterans with the adult population at large and identify disparate areas for intervention.
Lesion-Constrained Electrical Source Imaging: A Novel Approach in Epilepsy Surgery for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Purpose Electrical source imaging may yield ambiguous results in multilesional epilepsy. The aim of this study was to test the clinical utility of lesion-constrained electrical source imaging in epilepsy surgery in children with tuberous sclerosis complex. Methods Lesion-constrained electrical source imaging is a novel method based on a proposed head model in which the source solution is constrained to lesions. Using a goodness of fit analysis, we rank-ordered individual tubers by their ability to approximate interictal and ictal EEG data. The overlap with the surgical resection cavity was determined qualitatively, and placed findings in the context of epilepsy surgical outcome, and compared with the low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography solution. Results Low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography predicted the surgical cavity in only one patient with good outcome (true positive) and localized to outside of the cavity in two patients with a good outcome (false negative). In one patient with a poor outcome, the interictal low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography solution overlapped with the cavity (false positive). Lesion-constrained electrical source imaging of ictal EEG data identified tubers concordant with the resection zone in three patients with a good surgical outcome (true positive) and appropriately discordant in three other patients with a poor outcome (true negative). Conclusions Lesion-constrained electrical source imaging on low-resolution EEG data provides complementary information in the presurgical workup for patients with tuberous sclerosis complex, although further validation is required. In the appropriate clinical context, the yield of source localization on low-resolution EEG data may be increased by reduction of the solution space.
Experiments with synthetic diphthongs

Abstract The purpose of the two experiments was to investigate the effect of changing glide and steady-state durations on the identification of both the phonemic diphthongs /aɪ, aυ, ɔɪ/ and the non-phonemic diphthongs /eɪ, oυ/. Either relatively long glides or relatively long initial and final steady states were sufficient to cause the synthetic tokens to be identified as diphthongs.
Extracting meaningful standard enthalpies and entropies of activation for surface reactions from kinetic rates

While analyses based on the Arrhenius kinetic model have been successfully applied since its introduction, the Arrhenius model neglects to describe pre-exponential factor in a scientifically meaningful fashion. Since the 1930s, transition-state theory (TST), has met with success in interpreting the pre-exponential factor’s value, allowing a standard entropy of activation to be estimated. However, analyses based on TST’s assumptions have been applied inconsistently in the literature, particularly in corrosion science, leading to difficulty in comparison of standard entropy of activations from different studies. In this work, the foundational principles of TST and standard states are discussed and a standard method to apply TST in analyzing rates of surface reactions is recommended. When full details are not available, reacting species’ concentrations should be normalized to the concentration of active surface sites. For corrosion reactions, conversion relationships are given to convert from units of corrosion rate to surface reaction rate, consistent with TST. This method is dubbed a surface reactant equi-density approximation. Application of this standard to reported data results in adjustments of the standard entropy of activation between − 65 and +50 J/mol K and brings reported entropies into a narrower range of values.
Effects of monitoring versus blunting on the public's preferences for information in a hypothetical cancer diagnosis scenario.

Monitoring and blunting are coping styles that characterize how people respond when faced with personally threatening situations. High monitors tend to pay more attention to, scan for, and amplify threatening cues; high blunters tend to avoid information and seek distractions when faced with a threatening event. This study sought to investigate possible differential effects of monitoring and blunting coping styles on information preferences in a hypothetical cancer diagnosis scenario in the adult general public of Minnesota. In a survey administered at a large public venue (2016 Minnesota State Fair), participants were asked to imagine they carried a gene mutation and were diagnosed with colon cancer. They indicated their information preference [modified Cassileth Information Styles Questionnaire (MCISQ)], completed two coping style measures [Miller Behavioral Style Scale (MBSS) and Threatening Medical Situations Inventory (TMSI)], rated their perceived severity of colon cancer (low, moderate, high), and answered demographic questions. Eight hundred fifty-five individuals provided usable data. Participants classified as monitors on the TMSI had significantly higher MCISQ scores (i.e., preferred more information) than those classified as blunters (p = .004). Those scoring high on monitoring and low on blunting on the MBSS preferred significantly more information than those scoring high on both monitoring and blunting (p = .04). Linear regression analysis revealed being a monitor (TMSI), scoring high on monitoring (MBSS), rating colon cancer as more severe, and having a higher education level were significant positive predictors of MCISQ scores. Results suggest individual differences in coping style, perceived severity, and education level affect desire for information. Genetic counselors should consider these patient characteristics (e.g., asking patients about their information preferences) and tailor their approaches accordingly.
300-GHz 2nd-Order Subharmonic Upconversion Mixer Using Symmetric MOS Varactors in 65-nm CMOS

A 2nd-order subharmonic upconversion mixer with an intermediate frequency of 150 GHz and radio frequency (RF) of 290 GHz that employs accumulation mode MOS symmetric varactors is demonstrated in 65-nm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor. A transformer-based hybrid is utilized to improve port isolation. The mixer achieves the maximum conversion gain of −16 dB including the losses (~2 dB total) of input and output baluns added for measurements. The local oscillator power at 70 GHz was 11.5 dBm and the 27-GHz 3-dB bandwidth spans between 284 and 311 GHz. The −11.6-dBm output 1-dB compression point from a single mixer is the highest among that for the 2nd-order subharmonic mixers with RF of ~300 GHz fabricated in any process technologies.
Heron Is Evolving

HealthManager and API server were introduced to Heron recently. HealthManager is based on Dhalion, which targets self-tuning, self-stabilizing, and self-healing. It first fetches the metrics from MetricsCache Manager, next identifies the abnormalities, then diagnoses the cause, and finally tries to resolve them. The API server is the service mode for Heron scheduler. It runs inside the cloud, and Heron CLI delegates the command to the API server. We will emulate a cloud environment with Minikube and see how the API server works.
Patently Risky: Framing, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Preference

It is well known that innovation law and policy must strike a balance between incentivizing inventions on the one hand, and granting monopolies to successful innovators on the other. In achieving this balance, it is commonly presumed that actors in innovation markets respond to their economic environments just like anyone else (at least on a first approximation). This paper presents evidence to the contrary, using a series of controlled experiments. In our experiments, subjects were offered a choice between (a) a monetary payoff with certainty; and (b) a riskier (but potentially more lucrative) option. Our principal manipulation was to alter how the latter option was framed: subjects in the control group were presented with an unadorned choice between safe and risky options, while subjects in the treatment group were confronted with the identical economic choice, but with the risky option framed as an investment in an “innovation-related” project. We find strong evidence that when the risky choice was framed in this way, subjects exhibited significantly less risk aversion, and that they did so across many variations on the experimental setting. We calibrate our results to an equivalent downward “shock” that the innovation-related frame introduces to subjects’ manifest risk preferences. Our findings have implications for legal design questions, not only within intellectual property but also in other legal settings (such as venture capital) where the need to account for people’s risk tolerance plays an important role.
Evaluating the Use of Stability Ball Chairs for Children with ASD in a Clinic Setting

This study used an alternating treatments embedded within a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of a stability ball chair on the on-task and in-seat behavior for three children with autism in a clinic setting. Results indicated increases for both in-seat and on-task behavior with the stability ball chair compared to a standard table chair, however, results varied across participants. On-task behavior had a greater increase across participants compared to in-seat behavior with the stability ball chair. Social validity results found that therapists had an overall positive view of stability ball chairs. This study provides clinicians with options for alternative seating to increase the on-task and in-seat behavior of children with autism. This study extends the use and evaluation of alternative seating, from typically studied settings and contexts, such as classrooms, to clinic settings with younger populations.
The effect of owner presence and scent on stress resilience in cats

Abstract The Secure Base Effect (SBE) refers to a human or non-human animal’s ability to use the presence of a bonded caretaker, or other familiar stimulus, as a source of comfort that facilitates stress reduction and exploration in novel or stressful contexts. Recent research has shown that some pet domestic cats (Felis catus) display SBE in the presence of their human owner, a finding that could be utilized to improve cat welfare. In applied settings, cat owners are often encouraged to leave behind items holding their scent when leaving their cat in a novel location (e.g. boarding facility), so that these items can be provided to the cat if they show signs of separation distress. Although this practice has not be studied scientifically in cats, scent objects have been found to produce SBE in human research under similar conditions. Olfaction is thought to play an important role in the social behavior of domesticated cats, even in early life, as exposure to nest scent has been found to reduce stress in kittens. Thus, the possibility that owner scent might be sufficient to elicit SBE in cats is an important empirical question with applied implications. In the current study we asked whether owner scent would reduce cat anxiety when in an unfamiliar environment, and to what extent this might be related to whether the cat showed evidence of using their owner as a Secure Base. Forty-two adult cats underwent a counterbalanced Secure Base Test that examined the cat’s behavior with the owner present, without the owner present, and with a scent object present. On average, cats displayed a lower frequency of stress-related behaviors when the owner was present, providing support for the presence of SBE. However, this effect was not seen when the cat was alone with the scent object. The results of this research can be used to deepen our understanding of feline social behavior and welfare. These findings also highlight the importance of using evidence based practices to address cat anxiety in applied settings.
Strategies for a Cross-Cultural Ecofeminist Literary Criticism

Key words: empirico-philosophical ecocriticism, consilience, E.O. Wilson, biosemiotics, risk theory, philosophy of biology, environmental historicism, consilient ecocritical theory To what extent can ecofeminist literary criticism developed in western countries be applied to other cultures? Several considerations are needed: foremost, the limitation of language as a symbol system contextually inflected make interpretation of literary and critical texts very difficult, a difficulty compounded by the need of translation into another symbol system with its own context. Moreover, differences of power and subject positions of the authors, translators, critics and readers also influence the product and reception of texts. A western critic becomes an outsider in interpreting literature in another language and culture. One possible strategy to effectively bridge the cross-cultural gap is to work together in solidarity with women critics of the other culture in order to both interpret texts and increase understanding and visibility. Palabras clave: ecocritica empirico-filosofica, consiliencia, E.O. Wilson, biosemiotica, teoria del riesgo, filosofia de la biologia, historicismo medioambiental, teoria ecocritica de la consiliencia. ?Hasta que punto la critica literaria ecofeminista desarrollada en los paises occidentales puede aplicarse a otras culturas? Son necesarias varias consideraciones: en primer lugar, la limitacion del lenguaje como sistema de simbolos influido por el contexto hace muy dificil la interpretacion de textos criticos y literarios, una dificultad que se incrementa por la necesidad de traduccion a otro sistema de simbolos con contexto propio. Ademas, las diferencias de poder y del posicionamiento del sujeto como autores, traductores, criticos y lectores, tambien influyen la produccion y recepcion de los textos. Un critico occidental se convierte en un foraneo al interpretar la literatura de otra lengua y cultura. Una posible estrategia para salvar las diferencias culturales es trabajar en solidaridad con mujeres criticas de la otra cultura con el fin de tanto interpretar textos como de aumentar la comprension y la visibilidad de textos y labor critica.
Use of state of the art ECAD design tools in highinnovative studies

ECAD techniques are indispensible in the design of electronic boards and micro-electronics. Students - tomorrow's young professionals in electronics design and engineering - should have the opportunity to study and work with these techniques. An integrated approach to combine design, functional verification, signal integrity, board layout and system-on-chip design is necessary for fast and first-time-right design. This paper presents a case study in which students were able to design, build and test a complex 4-layer PCB-board in a small time-slot of only 6 weeks with a Spartan 3AN FPGA with flash memory on board. The goal of the design is to provide a base board for digital system design.
Neurofibromatosis: Type I

Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a common, autosomal dominant condition that manifests as multiple cafe-au-lait spots, peripheral nerve sheath tumors, optic nerve pathway tumors, orthopedic abnormalities and learning disabilities. The gene for NF1 encodes neurofibromin, a large protein that downregulates intracellular Ras signaling. Keywords: cafe-au-lait spots; neurofibroma; autosomal dominant; variable expressivity; Ras signal transduction
A novel resonant metallo-dielectric structure for design of high performance /spl epsiv/-/spl mu/ meta-materials

The paper addresses a magneto-dielectric (/spl epsiv/-/spl mu/) meta-material with improved material properties. To accomplish this, a meta-material with a periodic configuration constructed of small metallo-dielectric transmission-line resonators is proposed. At resonance, the metallo-dielectric inclusions are equivalent to parallel LC circuits magnetically coupled to a transmission line model of the medium. It is demonstrated that the permeability of the proposed structure has a relatively larger bandwidth compared to the conventional resonant loop circuit design. A larger quality factor (Q) and smaller loss tangent for the new design is predicted.
Cutaneous Sparganosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Sparganosis is a helminthic infection caused by the migrating larvae of the cestode genus Spirometra. Human infection is most commonly encountered in regions of the Far East where it has been associated with dietary consumption and medicinal usage of raw snake and frog tissue preparations or the drinking of contaminated water. Approximately 63 cases of sparganosis have been reported in the United States and reports of cutaneous sparganosis are very rare within the world literature. A case of cutaneous sparganosis involving the lateral abdominal region of a 54-year-old Filipino American women is discussed. Clinically the lesion presented as a cutaneous nodule. Skin punch biopsy revealed a sparganum possessing an undulating body wall with outermost microvillus layer overlying a thick tegument. Two thin smooth muscle layers and deeper subtegumental cells resided subjacent to the tegument. Calcareous corpuscles and intermixed mesenchymal tissues occupied the central regions of the larval worm. The inflammation consisted of a dense perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrate with scattered eosinophils and surrounding dermal fibrosis. Cutaneous sparganosis is rarely encountered in dermatology and dermatopathology practice, hence recognition of the clinical, histomorphological and patient history characteristics associated with this helminthic infection will facilitate in diagnosing this entity.
Chapter 15 Economics of defense R&D

Abstract This chapter examines a number of aspects of defense RD theory and evidence concerning both the private and social benefits of, or returns to, RD the effect of defense RD the response of government decision-makers to cost information yielded by defense RD and the dynamic optimality of R&D projects.
HEAVY ION BOOSTER CYCLOTRON DESIGN STUDIES AT BERKELEY

Design studies on four booster cyclotrons for heavy ions are described. Comparisons are made of normal vs. super conducting main coils, and K = 400 and 800 sizes. Performance and cost estimates are given.
Bilingual education in primary school: aspects of immersion, CLIL, and bilingual modules, edited by Daniela Elsner and Jörg-U. Keßler

Bilingual Education in Primary School: Aspects of Immersion, CLIL, and Bilingual Modules is a welcome addition to the field of bilingual education for the following reasons: (1) bilingual education...
Croconaine rotaxane for acid activated photothermal heating and ratiometric photoacoustic imaging of acidic pH

Absorption of 808 nm laser light by liposomes containing a pH sensitive, near-infrared croconaine rotaxane dye increases dramatically in weak acid. A stealth liposome composition permits acid activated, photothermal heating and also acts as an effective nanoparticle probe for ratiometric photoacoustic imaging of acidic pH in deep sample locations, including a living mouse.
Electronic Correction of Values That Are "Off-Scale" in the "SMA-6" System for Continuous-flow Analysis

Data are presented for an electronic device that automatically halves "off-scale" signal voltages on the "SMA Flex-6" System (Technicon). This extends the usefulness of the system by obviating the need for most repeat analyses on dilutions of specimens containing constituents in concentrations that exceed the limits of the pre-calibrated chart paper. Accurate results are obtained because the chemical reactions are shown to be linear up to nearly twice the maximum calibration on the recorder paper for the following analytes: bilirubin, total and direct (20.0 mg/dl); alkaline phosphatase (700 U/ liter); lactate dehydrogenase (1200 U/liter); creatine kinase (2400 U/liter); and aspartate aminotransferase (600 U/liter). In contrast, dilution of sera 2-, 5-, and 10-fold with sodium chloride solution (8.5 g/liter) produces positive errors ranging from 6 to 38% for these enzymes, but has no significant effect on bilirubin.
Talking to patients about food insecurity.

Food insecurity is highly prevalent in the United States. Even in the best of times, some 10% of the U.S. population self-reports food insecurity in the U.S. annual census instrument, and some 23.3 million Americans use the community-based emergency food system. Unemployed or underemployed individuals, the elderly, single parents, substance abusers, and uninsured or underinsured individuals with medical illnesses are at increased risk for food insecurity. This article discusses clinical approaches to food-insecure individuals. Measurement tools developed to define and document the extent of hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. population are presented as templates for discussion between doctor or dietitian and patient. Information is provided to help clinicians guide patients with food insecurity to appropriate resources.