cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online Course Design Informed by Students’ Epistemic Beliefs: A Case Study of a Thermodynamics Course

Online offerings of abstract engineering courses such as thermodynamics provide a medium to present course material using pedagogy that employs problem-based learning (PBL). This shift requires a student-centered approach to course design and delivery that addresses several key elements in the educational setting, including students’ self-efficacy as it relates to problem-solving and students’ epistemic beliefs as they relate to interacting with peers, instructors, and instruction. This paper reports results from a mixed-method study that collected data useful in design of an online course focused on teaching problem solving skills among students. The data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods used to determine how students approach problem solving, the role of instructor in facilitating problem solving, and the role of peers and students’ use of technology as it relates to accomplishing course work related to problem solving. Results reveal that students are confident in their problem-solving skills but rely primarily on the instructor to show them how to solve problems. Analysis and discussion focus on how to change the manner in which the content of the course is designed and presented to improve students’ self-efficacy in problem solving and students’ epistemic beliefs through active engagement with materials and collaboration with peers and instructor.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Distribution of cetaceans and sea-surface chlorophyll concentrations in the California current

A census of marine mammals was conducted off the coast of California (USA) in 1979–1980. The distribution of seasurface chlorophyll was determined at the same time by onboard fluorometry and by remote sensing using the Coastal Zone Color Scanner on the Nimbus-7 satellite. Comparisons of species and chlorophyll distributions indicate that marine mammals are not randomly distributed with respect to chlorophyll. Cetaceans were more abundant in the productive coastal waters than in the offshore oceanic waters of the California Current. This supports the hypothesis that the distributions of some cetacean species may be related to the mesoscale features that are manifest in the patterns of chlorophyll as revealed in the satellite imagery. It is suggested that oceanic chlorophyll may be used as a habitat descriptor for selected marine mammals, and that remote sensing will provide complementary data useful in the interpretation of observed distribution patterns of marine mammals and in the estimation of their abundance.
Size Exclusion chromatography with multiple detectors : Solution properties of linear chains of varying flexibility in tetrahydrofuran

Narrow molecular weight distribution polyisoprenes (PI), polybutadienes (PBD), poly(isobuty1enes) (PIB), poly(methylmethacry1ates) (PMMA), polystyrenes (PS), and poly(octadecy1 methacrylates) (PODMA) have been studied by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with light scattering and viscometric detectors. The molecular weight (M) dependence of the intrinsic viscosity, [η], and radius of gyration, Rg, is reported for THF solutions of these polymers, in many instances for the first time. The availability of these data for a series of chains of varying flexibility allows a test of the universal calibration principle in SEC. Furthermore, an apparent dependence of the hydrodynamic parameter in good solvents, Φ, on chain stiffness is observed. All chains appear to exhibit hydrodynamic draining in THF. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Passivation kinetics of two types of defects in polysilicon TFT by plasma hydrogenation

The effects and kinetics of hydrogen passivation on polycrystalline-silicon thin-film transistors (poly-TFTs) are investigated. Based on the response of device parameters with the progress of hydrogenation, two types of defects can be distinguished from the difference in passivation rate. The threshold voltage and subthreshold slope, which are strongly influenced by the density of dangling bond midgap states, have a faster response to hydrogenation. The off-state leakage current and field-effect mobility, related to stain-bond tail states, respond more slowly to hydrogenation, with an onset period of approximately 4 to 12 h depending on the grain size. Since the larger-grain-size samples showed a longer onset period, the contribution of intragranular defects to the strain-bond tail states appears to be significant. >
Cardiovascular toxicities from systemic breast cancer therapy

Cardiovascular toxicity is unfortunately a potential short- or long-term sequela of breast cancer therapy. Both conventional chemotherapeutic agents such as anthracyclines as well as newer targeted agents such as trastuzumab can cause varying degrees of cardiac dysfunction. Type I cardiac toxicity is dose-dependent and irreversible, whereas Type II is not dose-dependent and is generally reversible with cessation of the drug. In this review we discuss what is currently known about the cardiovascular effects of systemic breast cancer treatments, with a focus on the putative mechanisms of toxicity, the role of biomarkers, and potential methods of preventing and minimizing cardiovascular complications.
Creating a Latino/Hispanic Alliance: Eliminating Barriers to Coalition Building

The author presents an overview of the significance that key cultural elements such as race, color, and language have on affecting coalition building between and among Latinos/Hispanics in the U.S. A discourse on a proposed paradigm for coalition building is also presented.
Whistler wings from moving electrodes in a magnetized laboratory plasma

In a large laboratory plasma the current pattern set up by moving electrodes has been measured. It is observed that the current flow oblique to the magnetic field {rvec B}{sub o} at an angle given by the electrode speed across {rvec B}{sub o} and the current penetration along {rvec B}{sub o} which is controlled by whistler waves. The current pattern, characterized as whistler wings, occurs irrespective of whether the electrodes collect electrons/ions or emit fast electron beams. These results are relevant to active experiments in space involving electrodynamic tethers, beam injections and large space stations.
An Integrated Social Actor and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Approach for Improved Electronic Health Record (EHR) Privacy and Confidentiality in the US National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN)

The emerging US National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN) will improve healthcare’s efficacy, efficiency, and safety. The first-generation NHIN being developed has numerous advantages and limitations. One of the most difficult aspects of today’s NHIN is ensuring privacy and confidentiality for personal health data, because family and caregivers have multiple complex legal relationships to a patient. A Social Actor framework is suggested to organize and manage these legal roles, but the Social Actor framework would be very difficult to implement in today’s NHIN. Social Actor Security Management could, however, be effectively implemented using Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs), which are rapidly becoming accepted for supporting complex information exchange across heterogeneous information systems fabrics. The Department of Defense is applying SOA to all of its enterprises. It is using customized simulation and modeling tools to achieve security and robustness goals and to reduce the intrinsic design and implementation risks for SOA’s complex Systems of Systems environment. This paper integrates all of these approaches into a next-generation NHIN-2 design based on a specific Air Force SOA named MCSOA. This NHIN-2 design uses MCSOA to create Security Management, Service Discovery, and Presence Management agents to implement Social Actor support for improved confidentiality and privacy.
CELLULAR REACTIONS IN THE MENINGES OF RABBITS TO TUBERCULO-LIPOID, PROTEIN, AND POLYSACCHARIDE, COMPARED WITH THE EFFECTS OF TUBERCLE BACILLI

1. Both living and dead tubercle bacilli, as well as tuberculophosphatide, give rise to lesions in which the same type of cell is found, a cell which may prove characteristic of the meningeal reaction. After the phosphatide this cell is produced by the phagocytosis of lipoidal material. The vacuoles of these cells are slowly broken into smaller and smaller size until they correspond to the type found in the epithelioid cells with coarse vacuoles. This change is much slower in the cells of the meninges than in the cells of the omentum and subcutaneous tissue. 2. Intrathecal injections of tuberculo-protein produce a characteristic rise in temperature in normal and tuberculous rabbits. Both normal and tuberculous rabbits, after repeated intrameningeal injections of a given dose of tuberculo-protein, may fail to give a rise in temperature and later react to a larger dose.
A new species of flightless pygmy mole cricket from a Florida sand ridge (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae).

A new species of Tridactylidae, Ellipes eisneri, is described from the Brooksville Ridge in Florida. This is the second species of flightless tridactylid that is known to inhabit deep, well drained sand formations in Florida. It is associated with an algal layer occurring a few mm beneath the surface. When not feeding near the surface, E. eisneri retreats down vertical burrows. The range of the species is not well known, but it could be restricted to the Brooksville Ridge. The habits of this species are convergent with those of the previously described Neotridactylus archboldi Deyrup & Eisner. There is a good chance that there are additional species of upland pygmy mole crickets in other sandy areas of southeastern North America.
OBPC Symposium: Maize 2004 & beyond—Recent advances in chloroplast genetic engineering

The chloroplast genetic engineering approach offers a number of unique advantages, including high-level transgene expression, multi-gene engineering in a single transformation event, transgene containment via maternal inheritance, lack of gene silencing, position and pleiotropic effects and undesirable foreign DNA. Thus far, more than 40 transgenes have been stably integrated and expressed via the tobacco chloroplast genome to confer several agronomic traits and produce vaccine antigens, industrially valuable enzymes, biomaterials, and amino acids. Functionality of chloroplast-derived vaccine antigens and therapeutic proteins have been demonstrated by in vitro assays and animal studies. Oral delivery of vaccine antigens has been facilitated by hyperexpression in transgenic chloroplasts (leaves) or non-green plastids (carrots) and the availability of antibiotic-free selectable markers or the ability to excise selectable marker genes. Additionally, the presence of chaperones and enzymes within the chloroplast help to assemble complex multi-subunit proteins and correctly fold proteins containing disulfide bonds, thereby drastically reducing the costs of in vitro processing. Despite such significant progress in chloroplast transformation, this technology has not been extended to major crops. This obstacle emphasizes the need for plastid genome sequencing to increase the efficiency of transformation and conduct basic research in plastid biogenesis and function. However, highly efficient soybean, carrot, and cotton plastid transformation has been recently accomplished via somatic embryogenesis using species-specific chloroplast vectors. Recent advancements facilitate our understanding of plastid biochemistry and molecular biology. This review focuses on exciting recent developments in this field and offers directions for further research and development.
Visual Cues Enhance the Response of Lygus hesperus (Heteroptera: Miridae) to Volatiles from Host Plants

Studies were conducted to examine the behavioral response of fifth-instar and adult Lygus hesperus Knight (Heteroptera: Miridae) to odors associated with a host plant (alfalfa) when presented singly or in combination with a visual plant cue (530 nm, green light-emitting diode [LED]). Bioassays were conducted in a modified Y-tube olfactometer, where incoming air was filtered and humidified before passing through chambers that held plant/conspecific treatments. A LED, placed behind an organdy screen at the end of one arm of the Y-tube, simulated a visual plant cue. In agreement with our previous findings, fifth-instar and adult female L. hesperus were attracted to plant/conspecific odor combinations, but adult males were not. Independently, the LED also was attractive to immature and adult female L. hesperus, and for all life stages, a much larger percentage of the bugs walked to the extreme end of the Y-tube when the visual cue was present. When visual and volatile cues were presented simultaneously, responses by both immature and adult (male and female) L. hesperus were significantly enhanced. Plant/conspecific treatments that had been marginally acceptable when only volatile stimuli were available showed the greatest enhancement in response with the addition of the visual cue. Presentation of visual and volatile cues together led to a mean increase in the percentage of bugs that walked to the extreme end of the Y-tube (nymphs, 36.6%; females, 23.4%; males, 26.1%). Results are discussed in terms of stage-specific responses and how these behavioral differences will likely play a role in developing effective trapping and monitoring systems for this important pest.
Abstract 3798: Correlation Between Recanalization Rate and Good Clinical Outcome in Acute Ischemic stroke, A Meta-Analysis.

Correlation Between Recanalization Rate and Good Clinical Outcome in Acute Ischemic stroke, A Meta-Analysis. Emad Nourollahzadeh, Omar Kass-Hout, Maxim Mokin, Rachel Aliotta, Kenneth Snyder, Adnan Siddiqui, Elad Levy, Tareq Kass-Hout Background: Early recanalization is strongly associated with improved functional outcomes and reduced mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This is the rationale that stands behind the use of intravenous (IV) or intra-arterial (IA) thrombolytics and the growing list of mechanical thrombectomy devices. There has been multiple small sized studies that have reported this positive association, however, we are lacking a recent review compilation demonstrating this. Methods: Data were collected through Medline search. We analyzed all articles published between the years 2002-2011 comparing various clinical outcomes including modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and mortality rate between non-revascularized and revascularized groups in the setting of AIS therapy. Search key words included recanalization, reperfusion, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, modified rankin scale, in combination with ischemic stroke and cerebral ischemia. Results: Seventy three studies reporting recanalization rate on 4,390 patients were analyzed. Recanalization rate through various intervention approaches were extracted (IV thrombolytic 32%, IA 58%, mechanical thrombectomy 89%, and combined thrombolytic/Mechanical 91%). Correlation between clinical outcomes and different revascularization therapies, location of the occlusion and the time from symptom onset to revascularization was only stratified in 68 studies. Patients with successful revascularization defined as Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) of 2-3 had a better functional clinical outcome compared to non-revascularized group (Pooled odds ratio 6.01; 95% CI 4.87 to 7.18). Mortality rate was reduced in patients that were revascularized (Pooled odds ratio 0.32; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.41). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate were reduced for the non-revascularized group, however it was not significant ( P = 0.31). Conclusion: This meta-analysis further supports the positive correlation between revascularization rate and good functional outcome and reduced mortality rate in AIS.
Can we turn shirkers into workers

Abstract Survey researchers increasingly employ attention checks to identify inattentive respondents and reduce noise. Once inattentive respondents are identified, however, researchers must decide whether to drop such respondents, thus threatening external validity, or keep such respondents, thus threatening internal validity. In this article, we ask whether there is a third way: can inattentive respondents be induced to pay attention? Using three different strategies across three studies, we show that while such inducements increase attention check passage, they do not reduce noise in descriptive or experimental survey items. In addition, the inducements cause some respondents to drop out of the survey. These results have important implications for applied research. While scholars should continue to measure inattention via attention checks, increasing the attentiveness of “shirker” respondents is not as easy as previously thought.
Spatially Resolved Plasmonically Enhanced Photocurrent from Au Nanoparticles on a Si Nanowire

Semiconducting nanowires have been demonstrated as promising light-harvesting units with enhanced absorption compared to bulk films of equivalent volume. However, for small diameter nanowires, the ultrahigh aspect ratio constrains the absorption to be polarization selective by responding primarily to the transverse magnetic (TM) light. While this effect is useful for polarization-sensitive optoelectronic devices, practical light-harvesting applications demand efficient light absorption in both TM and transverse electric (TE) light. In this study, we engineer the polarization sensitivity and the charge carrier generation in a 50 nm Si nanowire by decorating the surface with plasmonic Au nanoparticles. Using scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) with a tunable wavelength laser, we spatially and spectrally resolve the local enhancement in the TE photocurrent resulting from the plasmonic near-field response of individual nanoparticles and the broad-band enhancement due to surface-enhanced absorption. These results provide guidance to the development and the optimization of nanowire-nanoparticle light-harvesting systems.
The Measurement of Amylase Using a Fluorescent Depolarization Assay on the Abbott TDx Analyzer

The performance of a fluorescence depolarization assay using the Abbott TDx analyzer for amylase activity in serum and urine samples was evaluated. Results obtained by the TDx method were compared with those obtained using the DuPont aca, the Kodak Ektachem, and the Roche Cobas-Bio analyzers. The interassay precision ranged from 4% to 7%. The linearity was verified up to 750 U/L of amylase. The correlation of patient amylase between the TDx and other comparative methods showed a correlation coefficient from 0.97 to 0.99. No interferences were found for bilirubin up to 340 μmol/L (20 mg/dL) and triglyceride up to 16 mmol/L (1,400 mg/dL). In general, the TDx amylase method provides a quick and reliable system for the measurement of amylase in serum and urine.
Main Reason and Prevention Measures of Rice Leaf Disease in Cold Region

The main causes of red leaves were analyzed according to the ample source of bacteria,irresistancal varieties cropping in the continuous area,unsuited cultivation management,meteorological factors,etc.The specific mitigation measures were put forward such as remove bacteria source,choose precocious disease-resistant cultivars,cultivate process,fertilization rationally,complete the forecast and prevent timely.
Low incidence of sperm antibodies in men with congenital absence of the vas deferens

The incidence of antisperm antibodies in serum and seminal fluid of 27 azoospermic men with congenital absence of the vas deferens is evaluated. The presence of antisperm antibodies was assessed using the immunobead test, the agglutination test, and immobilization test. Five patients with vasovasostomy or vasoepididymostomy attempts were included in the study and tested for the presence of antisperm antibodies. Contrary to a previous report, a low incidence (11%) of antisperm antibodies has been found in patients with congenital absence of the vas. In agreement with previous studies, in five patients who had failed vasoepididymostomy or vasovasostomy, a high incidence (71%) of antisperm antibodies was found.
Short-run Economic Benefits from Water Quality Improvements: an Application to the American Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Fishery of Long Island Sound

This article proposes a quantitative investigation of the claim that improving water quality does not yield rents in commercial fisheries that are inefficiently managed. Specifically, a combined model of the resource dynamics and fishing effort is used to investigate the effects of policy scenarios on water quality improvements on the American lobster fishery in Long Island Sound. Results indicate that short-run positive rents can be extracted from the lobster fishery even when inefficiently managed, but they dissipate in the long-run as suggested by the economic literature.
Kinetics of Quantized Charging of Au144 Nanoclusters

Electron transfer (ET) in monolayer-protected gold clusters (Au MPCs) is crucial for revealing their fundamental energetic and kinetic properties and potential electrochemical and optical applications. In this Communication, we measured the kinetics of quantized charging processes of the Au144 MPCs. A detailed mathematical model was developed, including ET kinetics and diffusion in MPCs. The charging processes of controlled core states were treated as multistep ET reactions, and the corresponding rate constants were determined by steady-state voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM).
Implementing Early Rehabilitation in the ICU to Improve Patient Outcomes

Bed rest and immobility are associated with negative outcomes in survivors of critical illness. Use of a structured quality improvement model to improve early mobilization in the intensive care unit has multiple steps, including engaging and educating a multidisciplinary team, and identifying barriers that need to be addressed in designing the project.
Blue-emitting phosphate glasses synthesized via reduction of tin(IV) by silicon

Abstract The Si-reductant route to produce blue-emitting tin-doped phosphate glasses is proposed. SnO2/Si co-doped glasses were prepared in a P2O5:BaO matrix by a simple melt-quench method in ambient atmosphere. This lead to the silicon-driven reduction of tin(IV) to tin(II) resulting in the production of the luminescent glasses. While the as-prepared SnO2-doped glass appeared non-luminescent, the addition of increasing amounts of silicon powder up to 6 mol% to batch materials facilitated developing the blue-emitting character of the glasses under excitation in the ultraviolet (UV). Reductant-induced luminescent defects became readily noticeable upon addition of the highest amount of silicon. Time-resolved UV-excited emission spectra appeared consistent with the different contributors to the exhibited luminescence being the twofold-coordinated tin centers alongside silicon-related defects. Emission from the latter appeared to be analogous to that of carbon-related defects recently reported, thus supporting that the corresponding luminescence results from the presence of oxygen radicals created by the highly reductive environment irrespective of the element (C or Si).
Syncope in athletes

Syncope is a common event in all age groups and all people, with multiple causes and prognoses. In young individuals without heart disease, syncope is not likely to be a harbinger of a life-threatening disorder. However, occasionally syncope can be a warning of impending sudden cardiac death, especially in those with heart disease. The young athlete with syncope shares many characteristics with the nonathlete. Foremost among these similarities are the similar physiology and pathophysiology of syncope, presyncope, and cardiac arrhythmias. The most common cause of syncope will be neurocardiogenic syncope. In those athletes with underlying heart disease, syncope may be an ominous sign. The treatment of syncope in the athlete offers some unique challenges, often in an attempt to avoid pharmacologic therapy and to maximize ability to play. Radiofrequency ablation should be offered to those athletes with conditions in which a cure is possible. Restriction of competitive athletics is necessary for those with life-threatening conditions while those with benign conditions can continue to compete.
Review: Robert Morris's Folly: The Architectural and Financial Failures of an American Founder, by Ryan K. Smith

Ryan K. Smith Robert Morris's Folly: The Architectural and Financial Failures of an American Founder New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2014, 346 pp., 56 b/w illus. $40, ISBN 9780300196047 The extraordinary house that Robert Morris left unfinished when he was taken to debtors’ prison in 1798 is at the center of one of the earliest and most significant stories of architectural failure in the United States. This unusual topic makes Ryan K. Smith's Robert Morris's Folly a surprising examination, but a welcome one, not only for its attention to the building's economic and architectural failings but also for its demonstration of broader social and political friction in the new country. Little known beyond an occasional mention in architectural histories that typically refer to its French baroque style's being out of step with the rising vogue for the crisp and sparing neoclassicism that would later be called the Federal style, the house is also infamous for its cost overruns, which allegedly ruined its patron. Precious little visual evidence survives for it, although its inclusion (as “An Unfinished House in Chestnut Street”) in William Russell Birch's famous Views of Philadelphia (1800) raises the question of why such a noteworthy spectacle is routinely ignored.1 Smith, a historian whose training in an American civilization program is evident in the breadth of this book, makes a convincing argument that this house manifested the virtual impossibility for Morris, a member of America's elite, to emulate the European taste that would evince high financial and social achievements while also striking a tone that could be understood to be adequately republican. Smith opens the book by establishing the significant status that Morris achieved as member of the Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and financier of …
Spontaneous imbibition of water and determination of effective contact angles in the Eagle Ford Shale Formation using neutron imaging

Understanding of fundamental processes and prediction of optimal parameters during the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing process results in economically effective improvement of oil and natural gas extraction. Although modern analytical and computational models can capture fracture growth, there is a lack of experimental data on spontaneous imbibition and wettability in oil and gas reservoirs for the validation of further model development. In this work, we used neutron imaging to measure the spontaneous imbibition of water into fractures of Eagle Ford shale with known geometries and fracture orientations. An analytical solution for a set of nonlinear second-order differential equations was applied to the measured imbibition data to determine effective contact angles. The analytical solution fit the measured imbibition data reasonably well and determined effective contact angles that were slightly higher than static contact angles due to effects of in-situ changes in velocity, surface roughness, and heterogeneity of mineral surfaces on the fracture surface. Additionally, small fracture widths may have retarded imbibition and affected model fits, which suggests that average fracture widths are not satisfactory for modeling imbibition in natural systems.
Systematic review of community-based, school-based, and combined delivery modes for reaching school-aged children in mass drug administration programs for schistosomiasis.

Background The mainstay of current schistosomiasis control programs is mass preventive chemotherapy of school-aged children with praziquantel. This treatment is delivered through school-based, community-based, or combined school- and community-based systems. Attaining very high coverage rates for children is essential in mass schistosomiasis treatment programs, as is ensuring that there are no persistently untreated subpopulations, a potential challenge for school-based programs in areas with low school enrollment. This review sought to compare the different treatment delivery methods based both on their coverage of school-aged children overall and on their coverage specifically of non-enrolled children. In addition, qualitative community or programmatic factors associated with high or low coverage rates were identified, with suggestions for overall coverage improvement. Methodology/Principal findings This review was registered prospectively with PROSPERO (CRD 42015017656). Five hundred forty-nine publication of potential relevance were identified through database searches, reference lists, and personal communications. Eligible studies included those published before October 2015, written in English or French, containing quantitative or qualitative data about coverage rates for MDA of school-aged children with praziquantel. Among the 22 selected studies, combined community- and school-based programs achieved the highest median coverage rates (89%), followed by community-based programs (72%). School-based programs had both the lowest median coverage of children overall (49%) and the lowest coverage of the non-enrolled subpopulation of children. Qualitatively, major factors affecting program success included fear of side effects, inadequate education about schistosomiasis, lack of incentives for drug distributors, and inequitable distribution to minority groups. Conclusions/Significance This review provides an evidence-based framework for the development of future schistosomiasis control programs. Based on our results, a combined community and school-based delivery system should maximize coverage for both in- and out-of-school children, especially when combined with interventions such as snacks for treated children, educational campaigns, incentives for drug distributors, and active inclusion of marginalized groups. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov CRD42015017656
Urological cancer: α-emitting radium-223-additional choices, more unknowns.

Radium-223 dichloride was recently approved for the treatment of men with symptomatic castration-resistant prostate cancer without visceral disease. An understanding of when to use this first-in-class α-emitting agent in the context of the other new treatments is evolving.
Black millennial encounters with GOD through the Coloring Book of Chance the Rapper

ABSTRACTMillennials are creating spaces beyond traditional communities of faith where they can encounter God on their own terms, spaces like the music of their generation. For many Black Millennial...
Quenching a swarm: Effect of light exposure on suppression of collective motility in swarming Serratia marcescens

Swarming colonies of the light sensitive bacteria Serratia marcescens grown on agar exhibit robust, fluctuating, collective flows that include vortices, jets and sinuous streamers spanning multiple bacterial lengths. Here, we study the effects of light, with a substantial ultra-violet component, on these collective flows. We expose regions of the swarm to light of different intensities and examine the accompanying changes in collective motility during exposure as well as immediately after cessation of exposure. For small exposure times and at low intensities, we find that collective mobility is negligibly affected. Increasing exposure times or intensity to higher values temporarily suppresses collective mobility. When the light is turned off, bacteria regain motility at the single cell level and eventually reestablish large scale flows. Thus with sub-optimal levels of light exposure, bacteria maintain a high chance of regaining collective motility. For long exposure times or high intensities, exposed bacteria are paralyzed and slow down, in the process forming jammed domains. The rate of formation of this jammed region and its initial dissolution rate upon ceasing exposure both strongly depend on duration of exposure. We hypothesize that this results from bacteria forming aligned domains as they slow down; erosion then involves dislodging bacteria from caged configurations. Our results complement studies on the effects of light on free-swimming bacteria and provide a foundation for studies on light-driven flow patterning in bacterial swarms.
Shareholder and Bondholder Governance, and Managerial Risk-Taking

We examine the relation between corporate governance and managerial risk-taking behavior. In light of the global financial crisis, the importance of effective governance structures in protecting claimholder interests cannot be emphasized enough. For corporate governance, we propose to include both shareholder antitakeover defenses and bondholder covenant structure to create an overall governance structure. We find that the overall corporate governance structure has a significant impact on how managers make decisions on investment policy. More importantly, bondholder and shareholder governance have conflicting effects on investment policy. The relative strength of the two governance structures determines the risk of the firms’ investment portfolios and thus the wealth effects of the claimholders.
Monomers of human beta 1 beta 1 alcohol dehydrogenase exhibit activity that differs from the dimer.

Abstract A previously unreported enzymatic activity is described for monomers of the beta 1 beta 1 isoenzyme of human alcohol dehydrogenase that were prepared from dimeric enzyme by freeze-thaw in liquid nitrogen. Whereas the dimeric enzyme has optimal activity at low substrate concentrations (2.5 mM ethanol, 50 microM NAD+; "low Km" activity), the monomer has its highest activity at high substrate concentrations (1.5 M ethanol, 2.5 mM NAD+; "high Km" activity). While the activity of the monomer does not appear to be saturated at 1.5 M ethanol, its maximal activity at this high ethanol concentration exceeds the Vmax of the dimer by about 3-fold. The apparent Km of NAD+ with monomers is 270 microM, and no activity could be detected with nicotinamide mononucleotide as cofactor. During gel filtration the high Km activity elutes at a lower apparent molecular weight position than the dimer. The kinetics of monomer-to-dimer reassociation are consistent with a second-order process with a rate constant of 240 M-1 s-1. The reassociation rate is markedly enhanced by the presence of NAD+. During refolding of beta 1 beta 1 following denaturation in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, an enzyme species with high Km activity and spectral properties similar to the freeze-thaw monomer is observed, indicating that a catalytically active monomer is an intermediate in the refolding pathway. The enzymatic activity of the monomer implies that the intersubunit contacts of beta 1 beta 1 are not crucial in establishing a catalytically competent enzyme. However, the differences in specific activity and Km between monomer and dimer suggest that dimerization may serve to modulate the catalytic properties.
Theoretical 21-cm line profiles: Comparison with observations

In order to make a direct comparison with observations of the 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen, theoretical profiles based on the ideas of the density-wave theory are constructed for a modified Schmidt model of the Galaxy and its theoretical spiral pattern. The comparison has covered galactic longitudes l II = 30° – 330° with 10° intervals in the galactic plane. Good agreement is found in most of the above directions.
Imaging Fatigue Cracks in Low Carbon Steels with the Gel Electrode

The fatigue testing of prototype components is very time consuming. A basic limitation is that conventional techniques cannot detect fatigue cracks until they have grown to several millimeters in length. For aluminum alloys this problem was overcome by the development of the gel electrode method of imaging very small (10-2 mm) cracks. This technique has now been modified for applications to steel. A primary requirement is that prior to fatigue testing, the surface is coated with a thin (30 nm) insulating dual-layer oxide/organic film by a two step anodization process. During testing, the film is ruptured if a fatigue crack forms in the steel. When the surface is contacted with a gel electrode, a 4V, 200 ms pulse causes current to flow preferentially to the crack. This current forms an image which is retained in the surface of the gel. This paper is illustrated by images of fatigue cracks in a dual phase steel and a high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel. The images are well defined and can be repeated many times, as required for periodic in situ inspection during component testing. Features of the image are correlated with crack segments only 10-2 mm long.
Transmission strategies in a chemosynthetic symbiosis: detection and quantification of symbionts in host tissues and their environment.

Transmission of bacteria vertically through host tissues ensures offspring acquire symbionts; however, horizontal transmission is an effective strategy for many associations and plays a role in som...
Simulating transmission through anisotropic pentamode materials submerged in water

Interest has increased in recent years on the potential for underwater metallic metamaterials, which can be linked to the advancements in metal 3-D printing. One metamaterial of particular interest is an underwater anisotropic pentamode, i.e., a structure designed to support a single longitudinal wave for a broad-range of frequencies whose speed will change depending on its orientation relative to the incident acoustic wave. In an attempt to close the gap between experiment and theory, COMSOL simulations have been developed modeling the transmission and reflection of a normal plane wave incident on an anisotropic pentamode metamaterial consisting of tetrahedral unit cells. The utilization of the Floquet periodic boundary conditions allows for the replication of a semi-infinite medium response composed of repeating unit cells while only using a finite CAD drawing. Meshing techniques and geometric work-arounds are discussed in an attempt to achieve a cost-effective computation absent of numerical instabilities for a broad range of frequencies. Results show dynamic stress concentration is focused mainly at the joints of the unit cells. Plates designed to separate the fluid medium from the internal structure are shown to exhibit higher modes of vibrations, however contribute little to the far field due to energy flux conservation.
Recreational Marijuana Legalization: Its Effects on Hotel Performance

Abstract As states and local areas consider legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, research is needed for hotel real estate owners/investors and government officials to understand its effect...
Defining the Essential Components of a Teaching Service

OBJECTIVES: A large portion of residency education occurs in inpatient teaching services without widely accepted consensus regarding the essential components that constitute a teaching service. We sought to generate consensus around this topic, with the goal of developing criteria programs that can be used when creating, redesigning, or evaluating teaching services. METHODS: A list of potential components of teaching services was developed from a literature search, interviews, and focus groups. Eighteen pediatric medical education experts participated in a modified Delphi method, responding to a series of surveys rating the importance of the proposed components. Each iterative survey was amended on the basis of the results of the previous survey. A final survey evaluating the (1) effort and (2) impact of implementing components that had reached consensus as recommended was distributed. RESULTS: Each survey had 100% panelist response. Five survey rounds were conducted. Fourteen attending physician characteristics and 7 system characteristics reached consensus as essential components of a teaching service. An additional 25 items reached consensus as recommended. When evaluating the effort and impact of these items, the implementation of attending characteristics was perceived as requiring less effort than system characteristics but as having similar impact. CONCLUSIONS: Consensus on the essential and recommended components of a resident teaching service was achieved by using the modified Delphi method. Although the items that reached consensus as essential are similar to those proposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, those that reached consensus as recommended are less commonly discussed and should be strongly considered by institutions.
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Black/African American Patients: an Updated Nationwide Analysis.

The purpose of this was to investigate recent trends in procedure utilization, comorbidity profiles, hospital length of stay (LOS), 30-day outcomes, and risk factors for adverse events (AEs) among Black patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program, we retrospectively reviewed all Black patients who underwent elective, primary THA between 2011 and 2017. Mixed effects logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the trends in the study outcomes across each individual year. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for AEs. A total of 11,574 Black patients were analyzed. Over the study period, there was an increase by 109% in THA procedures performed in this racial group. During the same time, there were reductions in the prevalence of anemia, dyspnea, tobacco smoking, and osteonecrosis (p 2 days (68 to 37%, p 35, American Society of Anesthesiologists score > 2, dependent functional status, diabetes, bleeding disorders, chronic kidney disease, and osteonecrosis as the surgical indication. Between 2011 and 2017, there were improving trends in procedure utilization, comorbidity profiles, and LOS among Black patients undergoing primary THA, but the overall rates of 30-day outcomes remained unchanged. We identified a number of risk factors that may help guide preoperative optimization and patient counseling to mitigate postoperative AEs.
STS INTERMACS Database: The Key to Conduct Single-arm Trials in Advanced Heart Failure Patients.

Abstract Background Safe introduction of novel mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices into clinical practice is a challenging process. Single-arm trials using a control arm from existing database is an effective alternative that could be applied for regulatory approval. This study analyzes the capability of the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) database to establish objective performance criteria and select patient population that could be used for future single-arm MCS trials. Methods Patients with INTERMACS profiles IM1-2 and IM3-5, who underwent implantation of isolated left ventricular assist devices between 2014 and 2017, were included. Both cohorts were further stratified into shock and nonshock groups using surrogate markers of shock (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, temporary ventricular assist device, vasopressor infusions). Survival, transplantation rates, adverse events, 6-minute walk test, and quality-of-life measures were obtained for all 4 groups at 6 and 12 months. Results Total of 7907 patients were divided into IM1-2 (n = 3909), IM3-5 (n = 3998), shock (n = 3469), and nonshock (n = 3040) groups. Recategorization occurred in 11% of patients from the IM3-5 group into the shock group. Overall, patients in the shock group had similar outcomes to the IM1-2 group (1-year survival: 86% vs 85%; P = .74). Patients in the nonshock group also had similar outcomes to the IM3-5 (1-year survival: 90% vs 90%; P = .43). Conclusions The INTERMACS database can successfully establish objective performance criteria and concurrent control group for single-arm trials that could be used to support regulatory approval of new, less invasive MCS. INTERMACS data allow reliable comparisons of outcomes and adverse events.
Overview of the Upcoming RadPC-Lunar Mission

This paper describes the mission concept for “RadPC-Lunar”, a technology demonstration of a novel computer architecture that can recover from faults caused by ionizing radiation. RadPC-Lunar is a payload that was selected by NASA in 2019 to go to the Moon through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) project as part of the Artemis lunar program. RadPC-Lunar will travel to the lunar surface in 2022–23 onboard a commercial lander and will spend a minimum of 7-days in the Mare Crisium. This demonstration will serve two important purposes in support of future lunar missions. First, it will demonstrate a key technology for computationally intense autonomous lunar activities such as in situ resource utilization, robotic surface operations, and entry/descent/landing maneu-verers while providing increased reliability over the state-of-the-art in space computers. Second, it will provide a characterization of the radiation effects environment of the lunar surface by tracking upsets within the computing fabric and correlating them to data from on-board dosimeters. The payload can also provide a unique set of measurements on the ionizing radiation environment as it passes through the Earth's magnetosphere during transit to the Moon. This paper describes the overall mission concept of RadPC-Lunar in addition to the details of the design-of-experiments and the types of data that will be collected. This paper will be of interest to engineers and scientists studying the lunar transit and lunar surface radiation environment and those working with radiation tolerant avionics. The timing of the presentation will allow the RadPC-Lunar team to solicit feedback from the aerospace community that can influence its design-of-experiments prior to completion in order to maximize the return of the mission.
Pillars of Chemical Engineering: A Block-Scheduled Curriculum

Chemical engineers have begun calling for change in the curriculum. It is generally agreed that there is a need for a stronger molecular-level focus, more integrated or systems insight, and that biological processes are gaining rapidly in importance within the discipline. Despite this agreement, there remains an open question regarding exactly how these changes are to be accomplished. This paper outlines a suggested method of restructuring that combines ideas from integrated freshman and sophomore programs with a successful pedagogical technique from K-12 education called block scheduling. While these ideas are currently being incorporated into a novel curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh, this paper is intended as a theoretical argument in favor of chemical engineering "pillar courses" rather than a progress report of the exact curriculum being developed.