cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A chemical model for calcite crystal growth and morphology control

ABSTRACT The mechanics of ion incorporation into a crystal are examined in order to evaluate mechanisms of calcite growth inhibition and morphology control. Crystallographic considerations indicate that while the Folk (1974) mechanisms of Mg+2 interaction with calcite may be responsible for inhibiting crystal growth, it is inadequate to explain morphologic variation. Experimental evidence on the kinetics of calcite crystal growth indicate that dewatering of surface adsorbed Ca+2 ions may be the rate-determining step in calcite growth, thus supporting, by analogy, the heat of hydration mechanism for Mg+2 poisoning of calcite growth. Surface charge and colloid chemical considerations indicate that differential charge development on crystal faces is responsible fo morphologic variation in calcite. The surface charge model for morphology control successfully predicts the approximate Ca+2/CO3-2 ratio of water yielding equant calcite crystals and the morphology of aragonite crystals precipitated from sea water.
The use of peel tests to examine the self adhesion of polyimide films

Peel tests were used to examine the adhesion between two layers of the polyimide pyromellitic dianhydride-oxydianiline (PMDA ODA). The main thrust of this work was to examine these tests with particular emphasis on yielding in bending of the peeled strips. Two peel geometries and a range of sample thicknesses were used to study interfaces whose strength could be varied over a wide range by changing the cure schedule. The peel strength varied with strip thickness and often reached a peak at an intermediate thickness. The results were shown to agree qualitatively with a combination of two theoretical models for the effects of yielding on peel tests. It was also found that a second problem of polyimide adhesion, the effect of solvent swelling, could significantly enhance the adhesion between polyimide layers.
Portably solving file TOCTTOU races with hardness amplification

The file-system API of contemporary systems makes programs vulnerable to TOCTTOU (time of check to time of use) race conditions. Existing solutions either help users to detect these problems (by pinpointing their locations in the code), or prevent the problem altogether (by modifying the kernel or its API). The latter alternative is not prevalent, and the former is just the first step: programmers must still address TOCTTOU flaws within the limits of the existing API with which several important tasks can not be accomplished in a portable straightforward manner. Recently, Dean and Hu addressed this problem and suggested a probabilistic hardness amplification approach that alleviated the matter. Alas, shortly after, Borisov et al. responded with an attack termed "filesystem maze" that defeated the new approach. We begin by noting that mazes constitute a generic way to deterministically win many TOCTTOU races (gone are the days when the probability was small). In the face of this threat, we (1) develop a new user-level defense that can withstand mazes, and (2) show that our method is undefeated even by much stronger hypothetical attacks that provide the adversary program with ideal conditions to win the race (enjoying complete and instantaneo us knowledge about the defending program's actions and being able to perfectly synchronize accordingly). The fact that our approach is immune to these unrealistic attacks suggests it can be used as a simple and portable solution to a large class of TOCTTOU vulnerabilities, without requiring modifications to the underlying operating system.
EXPRESSION OF THE rolB GENE ENHANCES ADVENTITIOUS ROOT FORMATION IN HARDWOOD CUTTINGS OF ASPEN

An elite aspen hybrid (Populus × canescens × P. grandidentata) was transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 that harbored a binary vector (pBI121) carrying the nptII gene under the nos promoter and tandem rolB-uidA (GUS) genes with the CaMV 35S or heat shock promoter. Among 32 independent kanamycin-resistant plants, 25 plants were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analyses to contain all three genes, whereas five plants contained only nptII or/and uidA genes and two plants had both the rolB and nptII or uidA genes. Integration of the rolB gene significantly increased rooting ability of hardwood cuttings. Heat shock-rolB-transformed plants rooted at significantly higher percentage than the CaMV 35S-rolB-transformed plants. Heat shock treatment further enhanced rooting of heat shock-rolB-transformed plants. Exposure to exogenous auxin did not significantly increase the rooting percentage of transgenic hardwood cuttings, but increased the number of roots induced. This research shows great potential to improve rooting of hardwood cuttings of difficult-to-root woody plants which are commercially important to the horticultural and forestry industry. The transgenic plants with gain-of-function in hardwood-cutting rooting can facilitate research in the understanding of adventitious rooting from hardwood cuttings of recalcitrant woody plants.
Measurements of mitochondrial K+ fluxes in whole rat hearts using 87Rb-NMR

The rubidium efflux from hypothermic rat hearts perfused by the Langendorff method at 20°C was studied. At this temperature 87Rb-NMR efflux experiments showed the existence of two 87Rb pools: cytop...
Volume rendering via data-parallel primitives

Supercomputing designs have recently evolved to include architectures beyond the standard CPU. In response, visualization software must be developed in a manner that obviates the need for porting all visualization algorithms to all architectures. Recent research results indicate that building visualization software on a foundation of data-parallel primitives can meet this goal, providing portability over many architectures, and doing it in a performant way. With this work, we introduce an unstructured data volume rendering algorithm which is composed entirely of data-parallel primitives. We compare the algorithm to community standards, and show that the performance we achieve is similar. That is, although our algorithm is hardware-agnostic, we demonstrate that our performance on GPUs is comparable to code that was written for and optimized for the GPU, and our performance on CPUs is comparable to code written for and optimized for the CPU. The main contribution of this work is in realizing the benefits of data-parallel primitives --- portable performance, longevity, and programmability --- for volume rendering. A secondary contribution is in providing further evidence of the merits of the data-parallel primitives approach itself.
The Clinical Significance of the Plasma High Density Lipoproteins

The consistent body of evidence supporting a relationship between high density lipoproteins and coronary heart disease is examined. However, an actual causal relationship has yet to be demonstrated. Methods of measuring HDL are presented and the difficulties with clinical measurement and evaluation are explored.
Anode oscillations of discharges

The author presents a survey of the available literature dealing with the experimental results obtained so far in connection with the oscillation effects appearing on the anodic side of discharges. Experiments were carried out by the author in the case of direct current mereury-argon discharges and the experimental methods and the measuring conditions are described. A special anode construction suggested by G. Szigeti was used and the observed oscillation phenomena were influenced externally through an electric circuit. Conclusions are drawn concerning the possibility of increasing the stability of the anode space.
Brain metastases from gynecological cancers: factors that affect overall survival.

We retrospectively reviewed factors that affected overall survival for patients with gynecological cancers that had metastasized to the brain. Between January 1985 to November 1999, we treated 25 p...
A course module on web tracking and privacy

Companies track users' online behavior for profit, using technologies such as browser cookies, flash cookies, AdID, and web beacons. This data is typically anonymous, but there are still privacy concerns. Users also may not know they are being tracked in this manner. There are regulations in the US and legislation in the EU pertaining to online behavioral tracking, and several methods to prevent or limit this tracking. This paper covers a course module which includes an introduction to the topic of web tracking and privacy, and two case studies. Our teaching experience with this course module is discussed. This course module can be adopted in web security courses introducing legal and privacy issues related to the web.
Multiphase ferrofluid flows for micro-particle focusing and separation.

Ferrofluids have demonstrated great potential for a variety of manipulations of diamagnetic (or non-magnetic) micro-particles/cells in microfluidics, including sorting, focusing, and enriching. By utilizing size dependent magnetophoresis velocity, most of the existing techniques employ single phase ferrofluids to push the particles towards the channel walls. In this work, we demonstrate a novel strategy for focusing and separating diamagnetic micro-particles by using the laminar fluid interface of two co-flowing fluids—a ferrofluid and a non-magnetic fluid. Next to the microfluidic channel, microscale magnets are fabricated to generate strong localized magnetic field gradients and forces. Due to the magnetic force, diamagnetic particles suspended in the ferrofluid phase migrate across the ferrofluid stream at the size-dependent velocities. Because of the low Reynolds number and high Peclet number associated with the flow, the fluid interface is sharp and stable. When the micro-particles migrate to the interface, they are accumulated near the interface, resulting in effective focusing and separation of particles. We investigated several factors that affect the focusing and separation efficiency, including susceptibility of the ferrofluid, distance between the microfluidic channel and microscale magnet, and width of the microfluidic channel. This concept can be extended to multiple fluid interfaces. For example, a complete separation of micro-particles was demonstrated by using a three-stream multiphase flow configuration.
Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West. By Michael J. Dax.

Grizzly West: A Failed Attempt to Reintroduce Grizzly Bears in the Mountain West . By Michael J. Dax. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2015. xii + 289 pp. Illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $37.50, CAN$46.95, £23.99.) Michael J. Dax has written a book about a species reintroduction that never was. Unlike the popular and much written about gray wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park, the proposed grizzly bear reintroduction to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho and Montana was stillborn. Dax uses a juxtaposition of the Old West versus the New West to explain the ongoing seven-decade absence of grizzlies from their former domain. Dax opens with the complete extirpation of grizzly bears in the Bitterroots by trophy hunters, ranchers, and farmers by 1946. Grizzly bears’ bad press as a menace to … Mark_madison{at}fws.gov
The Labor Question and the Sale of Self

Throughout the Western capitalist world the late nineteenth century was the age of the labor question. Industrial wage work and the conditions of proletarian life had come to represent distinct social problems – objects of scientific investigation, social reform, and political debate. In the United States, as in England and on the Continent, the labor question reflected the upheavals of the industrial revolution and the rise of working-class activism. Both labor protest and the study of laboring life had burgeoned earlier with industrial transformation; but in the late nineteenth century the scale of concern was as new as the scale of mass insurgency that was evident in proliferating strikes, expanding labor associations, and mounting political agitation often influenced by socialism. Everywhere, the labor question encompassed issues ranging from wages, work relations, factory laws, and the legality of collective action to metropolitan poverty, plebeian home life, housing, and crime; and everywhere, the participants in the debate included a broad range of labor advocates, state officials, moralists, jurists, and social scientists. The American labor question was profoundly marked by the problem of slavery and emancipation. Only in the United States did fullscale industrial capitalism develop simultaneously with, and literally alongside, the consolidation and overthrow of chattel slavery. And when Americans turned to the labor question in the wake of abolition, they claimed that it followed inevitably from the slavery question. Labor spokesmen argued that now was the time for the country to be “interrogated” by the needs of Yankee hirelings.
An ‘a posteriori’ Local Error Estimation Scheme for Adaptive Computation of Electromagnetic Fields Using “Edge” Finite Elements

Abstract A new approach for estimating an ‘a posteriori’ error locally in the numerical approximation utilizing an edge element formulation is proposed in this paper. Nodal Finite Elements (FE) impose both tangential and normal continuity restrictions on all three components of a vector potential across inter–element boundaries. On the other hand edge finite elements impose continuity only on the tangential component of the field while allowing its normal component to jump across element interface. The proposed method exploits the relaxed continuity condition of the edge finite element formulation to compute the local ‘a posteriori’ error and its usefulness in adaptive mesh refinement is established by solving a 3D magnetostatic problem.
Multiple Objective Optimization in Reliability Demonstration Tests

Reliability demonstration tests are usually performed in product design or validation processes to demonstrate whether a product meets specified requirements on reliability. For binomial demonstration tests, the zero-failure test has been most commonly ..
What Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Patients Say Doctors Should Know and Do: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study explored the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) people in health care and their recommendations for physicians. Six focus groups...
The Heisenberg group and the Schrödinger Representation

In our discussion of the free particle, we used just the actions of the groups \(\mathbf R^3\) of spatial translations and the group \(\mathbf R\) of time translations, finding corresponding observables, the self-adjoint momentum, and Hamiltonian operators \(\mathbf P\) and H.
Posterior and Combined Petrosal Approaches

This chapter reviews the posterior and combined petrosal surgical approaches, including surgical indications, preoperative planning considerations, intraoperative monitoring consideration, and technical nuances. The chapter concludes with a summary of tips and pitfalls important for complication avoidance.
Improving the quality of public administration research on nonprofits: Dismantling the three-sector model

Does the three sector model of public (government), private (business), private/nonprofit still have validity? Did it ever? The following article examines the definitions, history, economic constructs, and evolving position of nonprofit organizations in the United States and finds the three sector model lacking. A briefcase study of a Denver-based not-for-profit community development corporation illustrates the many overlapping roles these organizations play including for-profit business, governmental functions as well as traditional nonprofit sen ice-oriented activities. A new paradigm is called for that reflects the "brave new world" of collaboration between and among public and private entities.
Development of the Histoculture Drug Response Assay (HDRA).

The histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) was developed using Gelfoam® histoculture of all tumor types. Twenty tumor classes, including all the major ones, have been histocultured on Gelfoam® and tested for drug response. Quantitative and qualitative results show increasing cell kill with rising cytotoxic drug concentration, differential drug sensitivities of multiple cell types within individual cultured tumors, differential sensitivities to a single drug of a series of tumors of the same histopathological classification, differential sensitivities of individual tumors to a series of drugs, and sensitivity patterns of various tumor types similar to the sensitivities found in vivo. Therefore, the results indicated that precise therapeutic data can be obtained from tumor specimens growing in Gelfoam® histoculture in vitro for the individual cancer patient as well as for rational and relevant screening for novel agents active against human solid tumors.
Length of stay overestimates severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis: Is it time to revise the consensus definition?

Introduction Length of stay (LOS) is an important determinant of the severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in the consensus definition. The aim of our study was to evaluate and compare severity of PEP based on the revised Atlanta classification (RAC) and the consensus definition. Patients and methods Between 1/2000 and 12/2011, all adult patients admitted with suspicion of PEP after outpatient ERCP were evaluated. PEP was defined using the RAC, but the severity of PEP was defined using both revised Atlanta and consensus definitions. Results A total of 341 patients (mean age 49 years and 75 % females) were diagnosed with PEP. The consensus definition classified 57 %, 37 %, and 8 % of patients with mild, moderate, and severe PEP, respectively. The RAC diagnosed 94 %, 6 %, and 0 % with mild, moderate, and severe acute pancreatitis, respectively. Of the patients diagnosed with moderate-severe PEP by consensus definition, only 12.5 % had clinical parameters of pancreatitis severity, such as acute fluid collection(s), pancreatic necrosis, transient organ failure and/or required percutaneous or surgical drainage, while 87.5 % were classified only based on a LOS ≥ 4 days. The most common reason for increased LOS was persistent post-procedural abdominal pain in 47 % of patients, followed by other reasons not related to pancreatitis in 17 %. Conclusion The consensus definition overestimates the rates of severe PEP when compared to the RAC. The majority of PEP patients classified as moderate-severe PEP have extended LOS, due to post-procedural abdominal pain rather than complications of PEP.
Addendum to the previous paper: risk to bone from present 224Ra therapy

Present 224Ra treatment for ankylosing spondylitis in Germany consists of 10 weekly intravenous injections, each of 28 µCi 224Ra, giving a cumulative dose of about 56 rad to the marrowfree skeleton of a reference 70-kg man. Among the 224Ra patients followed by Professor Heinz Spiess (mostly at high doses), 54 cases of bone sarcoma have occurred, but none below 90 rad. Dr. Fritz Schales ascertained the health status of about 1170 ankylosing spondylitis patients with skeletal doses from 224Ra below 90 rad (mean ~ 56 rad). The average follow up time of these patients was about 12 years. Dr. Schales found 1 case of reticulum cell sarcoma of bone marrow, at an average skeletal dose between 60 and 112 rad. The bone sarcoma risk throughout lifetime, following present 224Ra treatment, is calculated to be between lower and upper limits (P = 0.05) of 0 and 0.6% if one skeletal sarcoma has occurred in the 1170 patients below 90 rad, or between 0 and 0.4%, if no sarcomas have occurred. No assessment has been made of the possible risk from other effects, such as kidney diseases, liver diseases, and cataracts.
Epstein-Barr virus and rheumatoid arthritis: cellular and molecular aspects.

Several lines of research have indicated a possible association of the Epstein-Barr virus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The earliest evidence suggested that RA patients develop a stronger humoral immune response to EBV nuclear antigens (EBNA) which may in part account for the increased titers of antibody to the RA nuclear antigen (RANA). It was then pointed out that mononuclear cells from RA patients may be impaired in their capacity to control EBV infection. This may be related to a decrease in the production of IFNγ and a consequence of monocyte-derived inhibitory activities. These cellular defects, however, are not specific for RA and may rather be the result of chronic inflammatory responses. These findings and the lack of increased virus presence in RA tissues did not provide a strong basis for a possible association of EBV and RA. A new concept for this association is now being tested on the basis of the sequence homology between the genetic RA susceptibility determinant HLA DR4 and the EBV glycoprotein 110.
Non-Governmental Organizations as Policy Agents: A Case Study of Zambian and Kenyan Women's Participation in Politics

Since the 1990s, more women's associations have been formed, at both grassroots and national levels, taking advantage of the new political openings to assert their leadership roles. The Beijing and Dakar conferences noted the emergence of numerous women's groups and NGOs in Africa and the increasingly concrete expression of their organizational potential in influencing governments on policy issues concerning the plight of women. After the first multiparty elections in Kenya in 1992 and in 1991 in Zambia, governments in both countries pledged to improve/increase the number of women in key political, policy and executive positions. With a focus on NGOs, this dissertation will highlight the roles played by these non-state actors in the spread of policy issues on the transnational level to the regional and country level in Zambia and Kenya. Secondly, by looking at the processes NGOs, IGOs and INGOs employ in influencing policy formulation, it will highlight whether transfer of policies has been effective in improving womens participation in politics in Zambia and Kenya. Using the two case studies, I aim to highlight the role that non-state actors have played both in the formation and adoption of policy. I suggest that the role played by NGOs can be explained by three main factors that are: 1. The increase in domestic and international womens groups, 2. The globalization/trans-nationalization of womens groups, 3. The adoption of democratic practices in the two countries.
Situating Ourselves in History

This short essay responds to comments on a chapter of my book The Rise and Decline of American Religious Freedom written by Professors Andrew Koppelman, Paul Horwitz, and Nelson Tebbe and published in the Pepperdine Law Review. The essay suggests that whether one responds to the current controversy over religious freedom optimistically, pessimistically, or complacently may depend upon the background historical narrative within which works. A “progressive” narrative may support optimism or complacency, but a different narrative (such as the decline narrative given by the eminent historian Jacques Barzun) may provoke a less optimistic reaction.
Dynamism in Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Persistence and Change in the Use of Totora (Schoenoplectus californicus) for Subsistence in Huanchaco, Peru

Along the Peruvian north coast, many towns depend on fishing for subsistence. The adoption of technological innovations has facilitated the extraction of marine resources from the Pacific Ocean by Peruvian fishermen in recent years. However, some artisanal fishermen continue to rely on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to create sea vessels using botanical resources. This is the case of the fishing community of Huanchaco, a beachside town, where a reed locally known as totora (Schoenoplectus californicus) is cultivated in sunken gardens and is principally used to construct caballitos de totora, reed sea craft. This reed is also used for other purposes that benefit the fishing community economically. The objective of this article is to highlight the dynamic quality of TEK by describing the persistence and change in use of totora by the fishing community of Huanchaco. Participant observation techniques and individual interviews were conducted with 40 members of the fishing community. Results show that they are currently using totora for three different purposes: the construction of sea craft, which facilitates the catching of edible marine resources for subsistence and sale, and the sale of reed mats and souvenirs for additional income. Evidence from the recent past and the historical and pre-Hispanic periods suggests that some aspects of the technology of reed vessel construction have persisted whereas others have been modified. The addition of souvenirs and a reduction in mat production have also been identified. These changes in TEK highlight its dynamic quality, and are likely in response to economic and technological changes influenced by processes of globalization.
Internet Gateway Secure Location Independent Mobile Connectivity from Public Networks

With the advent and proliferation of post-PC era devices (ex: smartphones and tablets), the desktop printing is beginning to decline. However, with the proliferation of the mobile devices, and acceptance of the BYOD concept in the enterprises, employees want to print from anywhere, anytime and using any device. And, enterprises want to ensure security in the printing while enabling anytime, anywhere print access. This need in the market has prompted us to create Internet Gateway (IG) to provide secure location independent connectivity as a service, without MDM (Mobile Device Management) or VPN (Virtual Private Network). We have proposed IG as a connectivity service, for providing mobility to the services hosted in the cloud. We believe that this innovation would help in turnaround by saving the huge costs being spent on MDMs (more than 20,000 USD for each MDM instance), and as well provide a value to customers for printing from anywhere, anytime.
Riverscape genetic variation, migration patterns, and morphological variation of the threatened Round Rocksnail, Leptoxis ampla

Within riverine systems, headwater populations are hypothesized to harbour higher amounts of genetic distinctiveness than populations in the main stem of a river and display increased genetic diversity in large, downstream habitats. However, these hypotheses were mostly developed with insects and fish, and they have not been tested on many invertebrate lineages. Pleuroceridae gastropods are of particular ecological importance to rivers of eastern North America, sometimes comprising over 90% of macroinvertebrate biomass. Yet, virtually nothing is known of pleurocerid landscape genetics, including whether genetic diversity follows predictions made by hypotheses developed on more mobile species. Moreover, the commonly repeated hypothesis that intraspecific morphological variation in gastropods results from ecophenotypic plasticity has not been well tested on pleurocerids. Using 2bRAD-seq to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms, we show that the threatened, Cahaba River endemic pleurocerid, Leptoxis ampla, has limited gene flow among populations and that migration is downstream-biased, conflicting with previous hypotheses. Both tributary and main stem populations harbour unique genomic profiles, and genetic diversity was highest in downstream populations. Furthermore, L. ampla shell morphology was more correlated with genetic differences among individuals and populations than habitat characteristics. We anticipate similar genetic and demographic patterns to be seen in other pleurocerids, and hypotheses about gene flow and population demographics that were based on more mobile taxa often, but not always, apply to freshwater gastropods. From a conservation standpoint, genetic structure of L. ampla populations suggests distinctive genetic diversity is lost with localized extirpation, a phenomenon common across the range of Pleuroceridae.
Efficacy of different cerclage suture materials in reducing preterm birth.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of monofilament suture, braided polyester thread, and 5 mm tape suture in reducing preterm birth (PTB).Study design: Women who received a cerclage at Touro Infirm...
Recombinant Slit2 attenuates neuronal apoptosis via the Robo1-srGAP1 pathway in a rat model of neonatal HIE.

Abstract Apoptosis following hypoxic-ischemic injury to the brain plays a major role in neuronal cell death. The neonatal brain is more susceptible to injury as the cortical neurons are immature and there are lower levels of antioxidants. Slit2, an extracellular matrix protein, has been shown to be neuroprotective in various models of neurological diseases. However, there is no information about the role of Slit2 in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Slit2 and its receptor Robo1 in a rat model with neonatal HIE. 10-day old rat pups were used to create the neonatal HIE model. The right common carotid artery was ligated followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia. Recombinant Slit2 was administered intranasally 1 h post HI, recombinant Robo1 was used as a decoy receptor and administered intranasally 1h before HI and srGAP1-siRNA was administered intracerebroventricularly 24 h before HI. Brain infarct area measurement, short-term and long-term neurological function tests, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, Fluoro-Jade C staining, Nissl staining and TUNEL staining were the assessments done following drug administration. Recombinant Slit2 administration reduced neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficits after neonatal HIE which were reversed by co-administration of recombinant Robo1 and srGAP1-siRNA administration. Recombinant Slit2 showed improved outcomes possibly via the robo1-srGAP1 pathway which mediated the inhibition of RhoA. In this study, the results suggest that Slit2 may help in attenuation of apoptosis and could be a therapeutic agent for treatment of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Soft-sheath, stiff-core microfiber hydrogel for coating vascular implants.

Abstract Vascular implants remain clinically challenged due to often-occurring thrombosis and stenosis. Critical to addressing these complications is the design of implant material surfaces to inhibit the activities of platelets, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and inflammatory cells. Recent mechanobiology studies accentuate the significance of material elasticity to cells and tissues. We thus developed and characterized an implant coating composed of hybrid, viscoelastic microfibers with coaxial core-sheath nanostructure. The coating over metallic stent material was formed by first depositing coaxially-electrospun fibers of poly(L-lactic acid) core and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate sheath, and then polymerizing fibers with various UV times. Material characterizations were performed to evaluate the coating structure, mechanical property and biocompatibility. Results showed that coaxial microfibers exhibited arterial-like mechanics. The soft surface, high water content and swelling ratio of the coaxial fibers resemble hydrogels, while they are mechanically strong with an elastic modulus of 172–729 kPa. The coating strength and surface elasticity were tunable with the photopolymerization time. Further, the elastic fibers, as conformal coating on stent metal, strongly reduced SMC overgrowth and discouraged platelet adhesion and activation, compared to bare metals. Importantly, after 7-day subcutaneous implantation, coaxial fiber-coated implants showed more favorable in vivo responses with reduced tissue encapsulation, compared to bare stent metals or those coated with a two-layered fiber mixture composed of fibers from individual polymers. The excellent biocompatibility aroused from nanostructural interfaces of hybrid fibers offering hydrated, soft, nonfouling microenvironments. Such integrated fiber system may allow creation of advanced vascular implants that possess physico-mechanical properties of native arteries.
Context Matters: Recovering Human Semantic Structure from Machine Learning Analysis of Large-Scale Text Corpora.

Applying machine learning algorithms to large-scale, text-based corpora (embeddings) presents a unique opportunity to investigate at scale how human semantic knowledge is organized and how people use it to judge fundamental relationships, such as similarity between concepts. However, efforts to date have shown a substantial discrepancy between algorithm predictions and empirical judgments. Here, we introduce a novel approach of generating embeddings motivated by the psychological theory that semantic context plays a critical role in human judgments. Specifically, we train state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms using contextually-constrained text corpora and show that this greatly improves predictions of similarity judgments and feature ratings. By improving the correspondence between representations derived using embeddings generated by machine learning methods and empirical measurements of human judgments, the approach we describe helps advance the use of large-scale text corpora to understand the structure of human semantic representations.
CNS infections in HIV.

Purpose of review Central nervous system (CNS) infections associated with HIV remain significant contributors to morbidity and mortality, particularly among people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings worldwide. In this review, we discuss several recent important scientific discoveries in the prevention, diagnosis, and management around two of the major causes of CNS opportunistic infections-tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and cryptococcal meningitis including immune reconstitution syndrome (IRIS) associated with cryptococcal meningitis. We also discuss the CNS as a possible viral reservoir, highlighting Cerebrospinal fluid viral escape. Recent findings CNS infections in HIV-positive people in sub-Saharan Africa contribute to 15-25% of AIDS-related deaths. Morbidity and mortality in those is associated with delays in HIV diagnosis, lack of availability for antimicrobial treatment, and risk of CNS IRIS. The CNS may serve as a reservoir for replication, though it is unclear whether this can impact peripheral immunosuppression. Summary Significant diagnostic and treatment advances for TBM and cryptococcal meningitis have yet to impact overall morbidity and mortality according to recent data. Lack of early diagnosis and treatment initiation, and also maintenance on combined antiretroviral treatment are the main drivers of the ongoing burden of CNS opportunistic infections. The CNS as a viral reservoir has major potential implications for HIV eradication strategies, and also control of CNS opportunistic infections.
How Much of China and World GDhas the Coronavirus Reduced

Using a network approach, we estimate the output loss due to the lockdown of the Hubeprovince triggered by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Based on our mo
Effects of exercise in hot and humid conditions and bovine colostrum on salivary immune markers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise in a hot and humid environment on salivary lactoferrin and lysozyme. A secondary aim was to quantify the effects of 14-day bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on salivary lactoferrin and lysozyme at rest and following exercise in hot and humid conditions. Using a randomized, double-blind, and counterbalanced design, ten males (20 ± 2 years, VO2max 55.8 ± 3.7 mL kg-1 min-1, 11.8 ± 2.7% body fat) ran for 46 ± 7.7 min at 95% of ventilatory threshold in a 40 °C and 50% RH environment after 14-days of supplementation with either BC or placebo. Saliva was collected pre, post, 1-h, and 4-h post exercise, and was analyzed for lactoferrin and lysozyme using ELISA. There was an immediate increase in the concentration and secretion rate of lactoferrin and lysozyme (p 0.05). Saliva flow rate was not different between conditions [(PLA: pre: 0.54 ± 0.3, post: 0.44 ± 0.3, 1-h: 0.67 ± 0.3, 4-h: 1.0 ± 0.4 mL min-1); (BC: pre: 0.58 ± 0.2, post: 0.37 ± 0.1, 1-h: 0.63 ± 0.2, 4-h: 0.83 ± 0.4 mL min-1)]. There were no differences in thermoregulatory markers (core temperature or physiological strain index) between BC and placebo trials. Interestingly, exercise-induced heat stress did not impair mucosal immune parameters, instead participants showed a transient increase in salivary lactoferrin and lysozyme. Further, 14-day BC supplementation had no effect on mucosal immunity at any time point.
Impact of temporal pH fluctuations on the coexistence of nasal bacteria

Abstract To manipulate nasal microbiota for respiratory health, we need to better understand how this microbial community is assembled and maintained. Previous work has demonstrated that the pH in the nasal passage experiences temporal fluctuations. Yet, the impact of such pH fluctuations on nasal microbiota is not fully understood. Here, we examine how temporal fluctuations in pH might affect the coexistence of nasal bacteria. We take advantage of the cultivability of nasal bacteria to experimentally assess their responses to pH. Based on experimentally observed responses, we formulate a mathematical model to numerically investigate the impact of temporal pH fluctuations on species coexistence. Through extensive numerical simulations, we find that the composition of nasal communities is robust against pH fluctuations. Our results suggest that nasal microbiota could be more robust than expected against environmental fluctuations.
Recruiting and Hiring Minorities into Policing, with International Considerations

Traditionally, recruiting and hiring minorities into law enforcement has been a challenge throughout the world. Now, the U.S. citizenry is demanding a change in law enforcement because of the tragic shootings of police and citizens. Therefore, the lack of diversity in law enforcement is an issue that has come to the forefront. The Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement Initiative recently provided some lofty ideals, general guidance, and three core themes. This review will briefly consider these themes and the benefits of minorities in policing as well as recruitment challenges and legal hiring considerations. In more depth, the selection process will be discussed with specific implications for the hiring of minorities in policing. There are actions that can be taken to improve the diversity in policing. But, it will take time, research, and a commitment to proactive efforts.
Regulation, Scale, and Growth: Evidence from the United States and India - Dissertation Executive Summary

This dissertation offers insight into the effect of regulation on various aspects of growth and development. Exploiting plausibly exogenous variation generated by deregulatory events, I assess firms’ response to the lifting of size restrictions. In Chapter One, I show that bank branching deregulation increased mortgage lending and home ownership, especially among marginal groups. In Chapter Two, I find that the dismantling of an Indian business regulation constraining investment leads to an increase in firm size, output and productivity.
Taking Rules Seriously: The Rise of Lawyer Rules As Substantive Law and the Public Policy Exception in Contract Law

Are the Rules of Professional Conduct “law?” In disciplinary proceedings, there is no question that they are, but their impact beyond the disciplinary realm remains a matter of controversy. As the Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers aptly states: “The legal effect of officially adopted lawyer codes is fundamental and diverse.” Scholars have examined the non-disciplinary impact of the professional rules in a variety of areas, but this Article examines a largely unexplored question: the enforceability of certain agreements (e.g. lawyers splitting fees with non-lawyers) that are prohibited by the professional rules. If lawyers enter into these prohibited agreements, they are subject to discipline, but how, if at all, does the prohibition in the professional rules impact the enforceability of such agreements as a matter of substantive contract law? Courts have increasingly relied on the rules as a source of substantive law and found that such agreements are unenforceable because they violate public policy, but a substantial minority of courts continues to reject the applicability of the professional rules to substantive contract disputes. Moreover, in accepting or rejecting the rules of professional conduct as a source of substantive law, courts almost uniformly engage in little discussion or analysis and instead simply decide in a conclusory manner that the professional rules either do or do not constitute public policy. This Article makes two primary contributions to scholarship. First, it examines the split among the courts considering the substantive impact of agreements made in violation of the professional rules. Second, it urges the courts to take the rules seriously as a source of law and provides the legal and public policy justifications for doing so, analysis that has been almost completely absent from the case law to date.
Decision space visualization: lessons learned and design principles

While the situation space consists of facts about what is currently happening, the decision space consists of analytical information that supports comparing the relative desirability of one decision option versus another. We have focused on new approaches to display decision space information that aids cognition and confidence. As a result of our earlier empirical work, we have developed a set of principles for visualizing decision space information. This paper describes those principles and illustrates their use.
Take it or Leave it? The Disposition of DC Accounts: Who Rolls Over into an IRA? Who Leaves Money in the Plan and Who Withdraws Cash?

A worker’s disposition of his or her defined contribution (DC) retirement account balances at the point of separation from a previous employer is one of the most important decisions a DC plan participant faces. Although this decision has important implications for the retirement security of workers, the literature on this subject is relatively small. This paper uses Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data to analyze the use of DC accounts for a group of workers age 50 or above, and finds a number of notable results and trends. First, leaving the money in the prior plan was the most common outcome for those who remain in the labor force after leaving a job. Second, a decision to take cash out of accumulated savings declined with higher account balances, higher incomes, existing ownership of an IRA, and higher financial wealth. The decision to cash out also rose with debt levels. Third, the decision to roll over those DC distributions to an IRA is the mirror image of the characteristics influencing cash withdrawals. Rollover decisions increased with higher account balances, higher incomes, previous ownership of an IRA account, and greater financial wealth. They also declined with higher debt. There is, however, no clear trend with respect to the above-mentioned financial variables and the decision to leave those DC balances in the prior employer plans. This suggests that there may be behavioral factors, such as inertia, driving what might be seen as a “non-decision.” It may also be the case that people are deferring the decision until they need the money. In terms of demographic characteristics, no significant difference was found between men and women in terms of their DC account outcome choices. Married or partnered individuals were less likely to withdraw their assets and more likely to roll them over into an IRA than singles, but the differences were small. The PDF for the above title, published in the May 2014 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another May 2014 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Trends in Health Coverage for Part-Time Workers, 1999-2012.”
Assessment of a Brief Handoff Skills Workshop for Incoming Interns: Do past Handoff Experiences Impact Training Outcomes?:

Background: Patient care handoffs are a core professional activity that incoming interns are expected to perform without direct supervision upon starting residency, yet training in medical schools is inconsistent. Objective: To implement a brief handoff communication workshop for incoming interns and determine whether learner-level determinants were associated with differences in training outcomes. Methods: We conducted a one-hour interactive handoff skills workshop for all incoming interns at a Midwestern academic medical center. We performed paired pre/post-intervention assessments of participants’ attitudes and ability to perform representative handoff skills. The results were analyzed in aggregate and based upon participants’ prior handoff experiences using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Ninety-nine of 108 interns (91.7%) completed both pre- and post-surveys. There was significant improvement in all 10 attitude-based questions (P ≤ 0.014 for all) and on the skills assessment (1.07 vs 2.16 on 0–4 point scale, SD 1.25, P < 0.001). Results remained significant regardless of prior training, number of handoffs observed, number of handoffs performed, medical school, or residency discipline. Conclusion: A brief interactive workshop for incoming interns can improve participants’ confidence and performance of basic handoff skills, regardless of previous training or experience.
Testing actinide fission yield treatment in CINDER90 for use in MCNP6 burnup calculations

Abstract Most of the development of the MCNPX/6 burnup capability focused on features that were applied to the Boltzman transport or used to prepare coefficients for use in CINDER90, with little change to CINDER90 or the CINDER90 data. Though a scheme exists for best solving the coupled Boltzman and Bateman equations, the most significant approximation is that the employed nuclear data are correct and complete. The CINDER90 library file contains 60 different actinide fission yields encompassing 36 fissionable actinides (thermal, fast, high energy and spontaneous fission). Fission reaction data exists for more than 60 actinides and as a result, fission yield data must be approximated for actinides that do not possess fission yield information. Several types of approximations are used for estimating fission yields for actinides which do not possess explicit fission yield data. The objective of this study is to test whether or not certain approximations of fission yield selection have any impact on predictability of major actinides and fission products. Further we assess which other fission products, available in MCNP6 Tier 3, result in the largest difference in production. Because the CINDER90 library file is in ASCII format and therefore easily amendable, we assess reasons for choosing, as well as compare actinide and major fission product prediction for the H. B. Robinson benchmark for, three separate fission yield selection methods: (1) the current CINDER90 library file method (Base); (2) the element method (Element); and (3) the isobar method (Isobar). Results show that the three methods tested result in similar prediction of major actinides, Tc-99 and Cs-137; however, certain fission products resulted in significantly different production depending on the method of choice.