cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey on occupational health status of automobile foundry factories in Jiading District

Objective: To find out the occupational health status of automobile foundry factories in the district , and to provide a basis for improving the occupational health management level and occupational health status. Method: By adopting the method of cross-sectional survey, the employees were investigated with questionnaires among the eight automobile foundry factories in the district. Result: From 2008 to 2010, 3839 employees were organized to take occupational health examination, and the proportions of those taking pre-employment physical examination, on-job physical examination and pre-departure physical examination were 43.06%, 51.45% and 5.50% respectively. The proportions of those taking physical examination for employees exposed to dust, noise and high temperature were 60.10%, 5.72% and 24.35% respectively. From 2008 to 2010, of all the 3839 employees having taken occupational health examination, 29 had abnormal results, including 23 with occupational contraindication and 6 with suspected occupational disease. Conclusion: The overall occupational health status of automobile foundry factories in Jiading district was relatively good, but the proportion of floating workers exposing to occupational hazardous factor was relatively high, and the pre-departure physical examination and the risk of the worker’s exposure to the noise deserved more attention.
Coating Strategies to Improve Lithium-ion Battery Safety

This work investigated the effects of Al2O3 ALD coatings on the performance and thermal abuse tolerance of graphite based anodes and Li(NixMnyCoz)O2 (NMC) based cathodes. It was found that 5 cycles of Al2O3 ALD on the graphite anode increased the onset temperature of thermal runaway by approximately 20 °C and drastically reduced the anode’s contribution to the overall amount of heat released during thermal runaway. Although Al2O3 ALD improves the cycling stability of NMC based cathodes, the thermal abuse tolerance was not greatly improved. A series of conductive aluminum oxide/carbon composites were created and characterized as potential thicker protective coatings for use on NMC based cathode materials. A series of electrodes were coated with manganese monoxide ALD to test the efficacy of an oxygen scavenging coating on NMC based cathodes.
Interferon-alpha alters spectrin organization in normal and leukemic human B lymphocytes

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) regulates the growth, differentiation, and recirculation of normal and malignant B lymphocytes. In this report we examine the effects of IFN-alpha on the distribution of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin in peripheral blood B lymphocytes from normal donors and patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Exposure of normal and leukemic B cells to IFN-alpha in vitro was shown by immunofluorescence microscopy to cause a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of cells containing discrete focal accumulations of spectrin, ie, a single large aggregate or cap-like structure near the plasma membrane. Although the magnitude of this effect was variable among individual patient samples, in some experiments IFN-alpha induced a fourfold increase in the percentage of leukemic B cells exhibiting focal accumulations of spectrin. Spectrin reorganization induced by IFN-alpha was abrogated by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. In addition, IFN-alpha increased the total cellular content of spectrin in B-CLL cells by approximately twofold to fourfold. Finally, a role for protein kinase C in mediating the effects of IFN-alpha on spectrin9s organization is implicated by studies in which calphostin C inhibited the IFN-induced focal accumulation of spectrin. Taken together, these studies suggest that the immunomodulatory activities of IFN-alpha in normal and malignant B cells involve a change in the organization of the spectrin- based cytoskeleton.
Effect of post CMP in-situ cleaning and its optimization on the defect improvement: CFM: Contamination free manufacturing

Post CMP defect is a critical process parameter to yield enhancement and device reliability in sub-14nm semiconductor manufacturing as "killing" particle size has shrunk according to device shrinkage. In order to improve defect at post CMP step, CMP has an in-situ cleaning module, commonly composed of megasonic cleaning, brush scrubber cleanings, fluid jet cleaning and their combination. Among the module, brush scrubber cleaning is the most effective method in particle removal due to its physical force. Although many studies have been conducted to optimize particle removal efficiency of brush cleaning, its cross contamination effect has not been considered for the optimization of post CMP defects. In this paper, effect of brush scrubber cleaning on the post CMP defect and its optimization process are explored. In addition to cross contamination effect, equipment aspect of optimization is also investigated. Chemical spray bar position to the wafer and mechanical operation are key controlling factors. Brush motor torque analysis suggests how to optimize brush operation. Experimental results in this paper provide insight into post CMP cleaning optimization.
Patch clamp of sarcolemmal spheres from stretched skeletal muscle fibers

Stretching frog skeletal muscle fibers to the breaking point results in the rapid formation of numerous large spheres of membrane (5-80 microns diam). The surface of the spheres readily forms gigaohm (G omega) seals against patch pipettes, allowing low-noise single-channel recording. Currents recorded from patches isolated from these spheres indicate that they contain a variety of channels including 1) a small Na+-selective channel seen in the presence of veratridine, 2) a K+-selective channel which is blocked by millimolar Mg-ATP, and 3) a relatively large voltage-dependent Cl- channel which is blocked by Zn2+ and limited in selectivity over other anions [PCl/PMOPS = 3.7; MOPS, 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid]. These channels have been described previously and have been identified as markers for sarcolemmal (SL) membrane. Accordingly, this method allows rapid and direct recording of channels in the SL membrane without first having to pretreat fibers with proteolytic enzymes to render the SL accessible to patch pipettes.
Nature–Society in Geography

Part of ancient geographical studies, nature–society or human–environment relationships vied for the identity of the modern discipline as it emerged in nineteenth century Germany. This identity involved the study of the human impact on and adjustment to the physical environment, and for a brief period in the early twentieth century, a particular definition of the relationship, environmental determinism, dominated geographic education in the USA. The excesses and limitations of determinism relegated the nature–society identity in geography relative to a spatial–chorological one. This other and equally old identity remained largely unchallenged from the 1930s–1940s onwards. By the late 1970s, however, nature–society studies returned to geography in a significant way, building from interests that gave rise to cultural ecology and risk-hazard studies as well as several other subfields of study. Entering the twenty-first century, nature–society research in geography has grown in ways reflecting the range of perspectives found in the human sciences and humanities. Its rebirth resurrects the identity tensions present in Germany in the nineteenth century and challenges the discipline to situate its spatial–chorological and nature–society visions equitably.
Cardiac pacing effects on the electrical conduction in isolated rabbit hearts

This study presents the effects of cardiac pacing using stimulation pulses of different polarities (anodal, cathodal), strengths and waveshapes (monophasic and biphasic) on the electrical conduction in Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts. We have measured the conduction velocities in the longitudinal and transverse directions to the fiber orientation using bipolar electrograms from 12 epicardial sites. The transmembrane potential changes and the maximum rate of AP upstroke, ((dV/dt)/sub max/) under these stimulation conditions are measured using floating tip microelectrodes. The results show a superior performance of biphasic and anodal monophasic pulses that could suggest a novel way to improve myocardial conduction.
Hyperconjugative, Secondary Orbital, Electrostatic, and Steric Effects on the Reactivities and Endo and Exo Stereoselectivities of Cyclopropene Diels–Alder Reactions

The factors controlling the reactivities and stereoselectivities in the Diels–Alder reactions of substituted cyclopropenes with butadiene were explored with M06-2X density functional theory. Differences in reactivities result from differences in the hyperconjugative aromaticities and antiaromaticities of the cyclopropenes. When the 3-substituent is a σ-donor, the ground state is destabilized, and the reactivity is enhanced. Acceptors have the opposite effect. Electrostatic, secondary orbital, and steric effects are all found to influence stereoselectivities.
Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Malawi: An Empirical Analysis on the Impacts of Lineage and AIDS Conversation Networks:

Acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV) is both a barrier to its reduction and a strong predictor of prevalence. This study examines whether lineage and AIDS conversation networks impact acceptance of IPV among men and women in rural Malawi. The sample consists of 4,422 male and female respondents from the 2001, 2004, and 2006 waves of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). The longitudinal nature of the data enables us to use not only random effects models in the empirical analysis, but also fixed effects models, which help alleviate omitted variable bias. Our findings suggest that in the patrilineal Northern Region of Malawi, AIDS conversation networks may be conducive toward reducing acceptance of IPV. However, AIDS conversation networks may reinforce violent norms in the Central Region of Malawi as men with larger AIDS conversation networks are more accepting of IPV. These findings imply there may be an opportunity to incorporate network-based policies to reduce IPV, and lineage may be an important consideration in forming policies to alleviate IPV. In addition, we find a relatively strong age-acceptance gradient, with younger, never-married individuals being less accepting of IPV than older, married individuals. This finding may help inform intervention targeting as older, married women in Malawi may be at a higher risk of IPV.
The Disposal of Agricultural Surpluses

HERE can be no doubt that a continuing agricultural crisis against which national governments strove desperately to protect their farming communities was one of the root causes of international disequilibrium in the period between the wars. The accumulating disequilibrium is clearly demonstrated by the fact that stocks of agricultural commodities rose from an index number of 100 in 1923-25 to 264 in 1932, while in the same period the index of agricultural prices fell from 100 to 24.1 This mounting index of agricultural surpluses and declining index of agricultural prices, even in the years of apparent prosperity from 1925 to 1929, is eloquent evidence of underlying structural disequilibria in the world's agricultural production and consumption. They indicate also that the measures of agricultural protection and relief undertaken by almost every government, so far from solving, accentuated the underlying disequilibrium.2 Once again war has intervened to cut off what interchange between the agricultural countries of the New World and the industrial countries of continental Europe had survived the years of economic nationalism. The League economists, reporting on world developments, are again drawing attention to the mounting stocks of many agricultural commodities. It may well be true that, after two years of war, the food situation in Germany is much better than it was in 1916.3 It seems to have been good enough last winter "to allow of a consumption of calories not materially different from that of a working class family before the war," though the diet is "much reduced in proteins, vitamins and other protective foods."4 Energy-producing foods were short during the winter of 1940-41
Financial Development and Economic Growth in Africa

We revisit in this paper the debate between financial development and economic growth. In contrast to previous studies examining banking related measures, we focus on the capital account and the depth of African stock markets. We examine 15 African countries from 1995 to 2010 and employ both static and dynamic panel data methods. While the former suggest weak results overall, portfolio flows and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) have consistently positive effects on economic growth under endogenous stock market capitalization. These findings reinforce the view that African countries should open their equity markets to international investors and encourage FDI.
Adolescent Peer Networks and the Moderating Role of Depressive Symptoms on Developmental Trajectories of Cannabis Use

Abstract This paper investigated how depressive symptoms moderate the role of peer cannabis use on developmental patterns of individual cannabis use from adolescence to young adulthood, controlling for a broad set of individual and family factors. Data from two sources were analyzed separately: two saturated schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health Waves I–III (N = 1550) covering 1994–2001; and three schools in the CARBIN study, covering 2012–2014. Discrete mixture models identified developmental trajectories of cannabis use in each data source, and logit models linked network and depressive symptom information to the trajectories. Five similar cannabis use trajectories were identified in both datasets: Nonuse, Low, Moderate, Increasing, and High. Peer cannabis use at baseline predicted higher individual cannabis use trajectories, controlling for a wide range of factors. However, the association between peer cannabis use and higher levels of use (Moderate and High) attenuated as the adolescent's level of depressive symptoms increased. Although these results may suggest that depression dampers adolescents' susceptibility to peer influence, these results are also consistent with the notion that depressed adolescents withdraw from their peer groups, distancing them from the initial source of peer influence over time. The resulting isolation may place adolescents at higher risk of adverse outcomes.
Biogeographical patterns among deep sea megabenthic communities across the Drake Passage

Biogeographical patterns among deep sea benthic communities in the Drake Passage remain poorly understood as a consequence of poor sampling resolution and the spatial remoteness of many sea floor features. Hard-bottom features, including at least 20 seamounts, remain uncharacterized with respect to their benthic megafaunal community assemblages. Here, we present community assemblage patterns from several locations across the Drake Passage to better understand the faunal relationships between deep sea floor communities in the region. Towed camera surveys were conducted on nine topographical features ranging from shelf environments on the southern Chilean Margin, the western Antarctic Peninsula shelf and seamounts in the central Drake Passage. These are the first quantitative measurements of megafaunal abundance at two seamount complexes in the central Drake Passage and multivariate analyses are used to examine the factors influencing species distributions. Three biogeographical groupings were identified based on species assemblages and environmental variables specific to major water mass boundaries in the region: sub-Antarctic Mode Water (318–523 m), Antarctic Intermediate Water (504–1128 m) and Circumpolar Deep Water (1837–3034 m). Further examination of megafaunal associations between sea floor structures may provide clues as to how sub-Antarctic communities are connected throughout the greater Southern Ocean.
Investigating the physical properties of transiting hot Jupiters with the 1.5-m Kuiper Telescope

NASA's Planetary Atmospheres programme; Double Hoo Research Grant; National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship [DGE-1315231]
Reactions of Cytoplasm and Organelles in Relation to Host-Parasite Specificity

Cytoplasm and organelles of host and parasite are probably involved in most of the host-parasite interactions that determine specificity. Space does not permit a comprehensive treatment of this topic. Instead, two aspects of the involvement of cytoplasm and organelles in host-parasite specificity will be considered. First, the degree of compatibility between cytoplasm from unlike organisms will be discussed in an attempt to establish if host-parasite specificity might be related to cytoplasmic specificity. Second, several ways in which host cytoplasm responds to the approach and invagination by parasites will be described and evaluated with respect to the possible role of each response in specificity.
Applicants' Interest in International Ophthalmology during Residency Training: Influence in Selecting U.S. Residency Programs

Background In recent years, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Committee for Ophthalmology formally recognized international health electives for credit. By engaging in international health experiences, ophthalmology residents achieve the anchors essential to the core competencies set forth by the ACGME. Objective To explore how the availability of international ophthalmology opportunities may influence applicants' selection of U.S. ophthalmology residency programs and to identify applicants' perceived goals and barriers of participation in international ophthalmology experiences. Methods For this cross-sectional study, an electronic invitation to a 22-item questionnaire was sent to all 413 applicants to the ophthalmology residency program at the Penn State Eye Center during the 2017 Match. Results Responses were received from 261 applicants, yielding a response rate of 63.2%. Nearly all respondents (95.4%) reported interest in participating in an international ophthalmology experience during residency training, with 52.1% of respondents reporting being “extremely interested.” More than half of respondents (53.6%) had previously participated in a healthcare-related experience in an international setting. The availability of international opportunities increased the interest of 67.4% of respondents when choosing which residency programs to apply to, and influenced 65.2% of respondents to rank a residency program higher, with the respondents with previous international experience more likely to be favorably influenced ( p p = 0.04, respectively). The goal identified by the largest number of respondents as “most important” was to “offer service to the underserved” (59.0%). The most commonly identified anticipated barriers to participating in an international experience during residency training included concern about scheduling conflicts and call coverage (81.7%), followed by lack of funding (71.4%). Conclusion There is significant interest in international ophthalmology among ophthalmology residency applicants, and the availability of international opportunities during training may influence the applicants' selection of programs. Statistically significant differences were found among respondents with and without previous international healthcare-related experience. These findings warrant further investigation into how residency programs can best address this interest and integrate international ophthalmology experiences into the residency curriculum.
Proximal iliotibial band thickness as a cause for recalcitrant greater trochanteric pain syndrome

To investigate iliotibial band (ITB) diameter thickness at the greater trochanter in patients requiring iliotibial band release who have failed conservative modalities, in comparison to an asymptomatic patient population. A total of 68 subjects were selected to be reviewed using T2 axial plane MRI. The ITB diameter thickness was measured in 34 subjects who underwent surgical ITB release, and compared with a match-paired asymptomatic hip cohort consisting of 34 subjects. ITB diameter thickness was measured at the thickest location for each subject twice by two different examiners. Inter/intra class correlation coefficient was determined for ITB measurement technique accuracy, and the presence of recalcitrant proximal hip pain was evaluated. Interclass correlation coefficient with 95% confidence was measured to be 0.953. The average thickness for ITB surgical release subjects was measured to be 5.61 ± 2.10 mm, and for asymptomatic subjects 3.77 ± 0.79 mm (P < 0.001). The results of this study demonstrate a statistically significant positive relationship of an increased diameter thickness in the ITB in symptomatic patients who failed conservative therapy and underwent surgical intervention for treatment.
A Case of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient on Extended Interval Dose Natalizumab (P5.374)

Objective: To describe a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) being treated with extended interval dosing (q8 week) natalizumab. Background: Natalizumab is a highly effective therapy for relapsing forms of MS but its use is limited by concerns regarding the development of PML in patients who have been exposed to the JC Virus (JCV). We, and others, have utilized extended dose natalizumab in an attempt to reduce the risk of PML in JCV antibody positive patients. Preliminary data has been encouraging (Zhvotis et al., JNNP 2016). Here we report our first case of a patient on extended interval natalizumab who developed PML. Design/Methods: Case report and review of the literature. Results: A patient at our center presented with a new FLAIR hyperintensity on brain MRI suspicious for PML after 7 years of natalizumab given every 8 weeks. He was persistently high-titer JCV positive but medication was continued due to excellent clinical response and patient preference. CSF PCR revealed 4 copies/mL JCV consistent with PML. Natalizumab was stopped and the patient was started on maraviroc. He was initially asymptomatic but subsequently developed left hemiplegia. MRI brain showed an extensive area of contrast enhancement in the right frontal lobe, subfalcine herniation, and ‘starry night’ enhancement throughout the cerebrum consistent with PML related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). He received two courses of intravenous methylprednisolone and was started on mirtazapine and monthly IVIg. Following intensive rehabilitation, the patient was able to ambulate independently and resumed his work as a computer programmer. Conclusions: This case highlights that PML remains a risk in JCV positive patients treated with natalizumab even on extended interval dosing. Analysis of PML rates in patients on alternative natalizumab regimens is ongoing and will enable clinicians to properly counsel patients regarding PML risk when extended dosing is implemented. Disclosure: Dr. Gutman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhovtis Ryerson has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Biogen, Teva. Dr. Zhovtis Ryerson has received research support from Biogen. Dr. Kister has nothing to disclose.
Risk Analysis of Cumulative Intraday Return Curves

Motivated by the risk inherent in intraday investing, we propose several ways of quantifying extremal behavior of a time series of curves. A curve can be extreme if it has shape and/or magnitude much different than the bulk of observed curves. Our approach is at the nexus of functional data analysis and extreme value theory. The risk measures we propose allow us to assess probabilities of observing extreme curves not seen in a historical record. These measures complement risk measures based on point-to-point returns, but have different interpretation and information content. Using our approach, we study how the financial crisis of 2008 impacted the extreme behavior of intraday cumulative return curves. We discover different impacts on shares in important sectors of the US economy. The information our analysis provides is in some cases different from the conclusions based on the extreme value analysis of daily closing price returns.
From Data Mining with Machine Learning to Inference in Diverse and Highly Complex Data: Some Shared Experiences, Intellectual Reasoning and Analysis Steps for the Real World of Science Applications

Statistics is an ever-evolving field. So-called “traditional” statistical analysis actually consists of a blend of methods and approaches that evolved over several hundred years (without computers), and it is usually centered around frequency mindsets and central theorems, summarized by Zar (2010). Nowadays, statistics are easily done with a computer and the internet, which brings forward new approaches to analysis and inference. Traditional (frequentist) statistics, also linked with some Bayesian approaches, are widely used overall and conveniently entrenched in the ‘western world’ but difficult to change and to update. Entire university departments, agencies and contractors make a living from it, which slows down progress on statistics and academic data analysis, thus resulting in little change for moving away from a somewhat outdated ‘science model’. It’s part of an income culture, for many contractors, governments, a lifestyle and subsequent belief system and society. However, the methodology employed in traditional statistical analyses are well-published and known to violate many of their required statistical assumptions to allow for valid inferences. Often, this topic becomes the key scheme and the central question in decision-making, and even in globally debated case studies. Court cases and entire sectors including the pharmaceutical industry or the environmental impact assessment industry hinges on the experimental approach using ‘hypothesis’ concepts for legal approval. Here I review and contrast some basic statistical tests and steps involved to draw meaningful inference, followed by a discussion on a more robust and modern approach to use for generic but complex data situations in line with Breiman (2001a, b)‘s machine learning. Lastly, I expand on such approaches for global progress in natural resource conservation management.
New Insights into Mechanisms of Action for Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Atherothrombotic Cardiovascular Disease

Treatment of hypercholesterolemia with statins results in significant reductions in cardiovascular risk; however, individuals with well-controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, but persistent high triglycerides (TG), remain at increased risk. Genetic and epidemiologic studies have shown that elevated fasting TG levels are associated with incident cardiovascular events. At effective doses, omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), lower TG levels but may have additional atheroprotective properties compared to other TG-lowering therapies such as niacin and fibrates. The purpose of this review is to evaluate mechanisms related to the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in atherothrombotic disease. Large randomized clinical trials are currently under way to test the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids at a pharmacologic dosage (4 g/day). A large randomized trial with a prescription EPA-only formulation was shown to reduce a composite of cardiovascular events by 25% in statin-treated patients with established cardiovascular disease or diabetes and other CV risk factors. EPA and DHA have distinct tissue distributions as well as disparate effects on membrane structure and lipid dynamics, rates of lipid oxidation, and signal transduction pathways. Compared to other TG-lowering therapies, EPA has been found to inhibit cholesterol crystal formation, inflammation, and oxidative modification of atherogenic lipoprotein particles. The anti-inflammatory and endothelial benefits of EPA are enhanced in combination with a statin. Omega-3 fatty acids like EPA only at a pharmacologic dose reduce fasting TG and interfere with mechanisms of atherosclerosis that results in reduced cardiovascular events. Additional mechanistic trials will provide further insights into their role in reducing cardiovascular risk in subjects with well-managed LDL-C but elevated TG levels.
Complex refractive index, single scattering albedo, and mass absorption coefficient of secondary organic aerosols generated from oxidation of biogenic and anthropogenic precursors

Refractive index and optical properties of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles were investigated. Aerosol precursors, namely longifolene, α-pinene, 1-methylnaphthal...
Laser printing-enabled direct creation of cellular heterogeneity in lab-on-a-chip devices

Lab-on-a-chip devices, capable of culturing living cells in continuously perfused, micrometer-sized channels, have been intensively investigated to model physiological microenvironments for cell-related testing and evaluation applications. Various chemical, physical, and/or biological culture cues are usually expected in a designed chip to mimic the in vivo environment with defined spatial heterogeneity of cells and biomaterials. To create such heterogeneity within a given chip, typical methods rely heavily on sophisticated fabrication and cell seeding processes, and chips fabricated with these methods are difficult to readily adapt for other applications. In this study, laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)-based printing has been implemented to create heterogeneous cellular patterns in a lab-on-a-chip device to achieve the efficiency in creating heterogeneous cellular patterns as well as the flexibility in adapting different evaluation configurations in lab-on-a-chip devices. Two applications, parallel evaluation of cellular behavior and targeted drug delivery to cancer cells, have been implemented as proof-of-concept demonstrations of the proposed fabrication method. For the first application, the morphology of cells in different extracellular matrix (ECM) materials cultured under varying conditions has been investigated. It is found that less stiff ECM and dynamic culturing are preferred for spreading of fibroblasts. For the second application, different drug carriers have been utilized for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to breast cancer cells. It is found that targeted drug delivery is important to realize effective chemotherapy and drug release rate from drug carriers affects the chemotherapy effect. Consequently, the proposed laser printing-based method enables direct creation of heterogeneous cellular patterns within lab-on-a-chip devices which improves the efficiency and versatility of cell-related sensing and evaluation using lab-on-a-chip devices.
Cyclic fluctuation in blood granulocyte DNA labeling: comparison of tritiated thymidine and radiophosphorus.

DNA labeling studies with 3HT and 32P have been done in horses. Frequent sampling has defined cyclic fluctuations in blood granulocyte DNA label content with a cycle time of around 27 hr. Simultaneous labeling studies in the same animals have produced blood granulocyte DNA labeling curves that are nearly identical indicating significant reutilization of 3HT.
MRI at the Time of External Beam Treatment

Magnetic resonance image-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) offers simultaneous tracking of the target during treatment delivery while taking advantage of the excellent soft tissue contrast of MRI for daily tumor localization. This chapter highlights the state of the art for MR-IGRT clinical applications, including details regarding MR-based tri-cobalt, low-field and high-field MR-linacs. In addition, treatment planning considerations, respiratory gating, tumor tracking, and adaptive radiation therapy are described. Specific applications to clinical disease sites are provided along with emerging clinical applications.
Three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies with tunable plasmonics via a layer-by-layer process

Abstract Recently, DNA has emerged as a designer material for the controlled assembly of nanoparticles. The unique programmability of Watson-Crick base pairing offers limitless control over assembly via specific interactions. At the same time, reliance on non-specific interactions, such as layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly offers a simple assembly method, albeit with limited control. Here, by assembling DNA-capped gold nanoparticles in a LbL fashion we combine these two approaches and present a simple and robust method to construct large-scale three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies with readily tunable plasmonics. Through variation of the DNA ligand and the nanoparticle core size the morphology of the three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies was carefully adjusted. These morphological changes, confirmed using grazing incidence x-ray scattering, enabled the tuning of the plasmonic behavior of the three-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies. The morphology could also be modified in real-time through water vapor induced swelling enabling dynamic tuning of the optical properties. The introduction of the DNA ligand to the LbL assembly method presented here imparted tunability to the process previously inaccessible with other nanoparticle ligands and presents a platform with which to create optically active materials of various compositions.
A simple approach for predicting fatigue crack propagation rate based on thermography

Abstract A simple model based on realistic assumptions for determining the fatigue crack propagation rate is presented. It relies on the measurement of the temperature evolution around the crack tip thermographically. The approach is capable of predicting crack propagation speed in both low- and high-growth rates. Results can be used to determine the stress intensity factor.
What’s the Deal? Trump, Fichte’s Closed Commercial State, and the Perverse Dialectic of Neoliberal Risk

The following paper seeks to understand Donald Trump as a “dialectical image” for the contradictions of neoliberal capitalism. Trump’s management style, as described in his Art of the Deal, combines a fetishizing of entrepreneurial risk as a “lifestyle” with the insistence that it is not the entrepreneur but his targets who are ultimately exposed to risk. This suggests that we might understand the elevation of “deal-making” to a lifestyle as a characteristic of modernity that, with neoliberalism, is increasingly coming to the fore. Such a critique of modernity, I further argue, is anticipated by Fichte’s Closed Commercial State with its intriguing dialectic of risk. I conclude by arguing that Trump’s politics marks the rise of a new, specifically American style of Fascism—one that demands identification not with the state as supra-individual collective, but with an impersonal system governing over individual lives and rendering them precarious.
The EXTrauterine Environment for Neonatal Development Supports Normal Intestinal Maturation and Development.

Background and Aims The Extra-Uterine Environment for Neonatal Development (EXTEND) aims to avoid the complications of prematurity, such as NEC. Our goal was to determine if bowel development occurs normally in EXTEND-supported lambs, with specific emphasis on markers of immaturity associated with NEC. Methods We compared terminal ileum from 17 pre-term lambs supported on EXTEND for 2- 4 weeks to bowel from age-matched fetal lambs that developed in utero. We evaluated morphology, markers of epithelial integrity and maturation, enteric nervous system structure, and bowel motility. Results EXTEND-supported lamb ileum had normal villus height, crypt depth, density of mucin-containing goblet cells, and enteric neuron density. Expression patterns for I-FABP, activated caspase-3 and EGFR were normal in bowel epithelium. Transmural resistance assessed in Ussing chambers was normal. Bowel motility was also normal as assessed by ex vivo organ bath and video imaging. However, Peyer’s patch organization did not occur normally in EXTEND ileum, resulting in fewer circulating B cells in experimental animals. Conclusion EXTEND supports normal ileal epithelial and enteric nervous system maturation in pre-term lambs. The classic morphologic changes and cellular expression profiles associated with NEC are not seen. However, immune development within the EXTEND supported lamb bowel does not progress normally.
Abdominal wall defects

Abdominal wall defects are common congenital anomalies with the most frequent being gastroschisis and omphalocele. Though both are the result of errors during embryologic development of the fetal abdominal wall, gastroschisis and omphalocele represent unique disorders that have different clinical sequelae. Gastroschisis is generally a solitary anomaly with postnatal outcomes related to the underlying integrity of the prolapsed bowel. In contrast, omphalocele is frequently associated with other structural anomalies or genetic syndromes that contribute more to postnatal outcomes than the omphalocele defect itself. Despite their embryological differences, both gastroschisis and omphalocele represent anomalies of fetal development that benefit from multidisciplinary and translational approaches to care, both pre- and postnatally. While definitive management of abdominal wall defects currently remains in the postnatal realm, advancements in prenatal diagnostics and therapies may one day change that. This review focuses on recent advancements, novel techniques, and current controversies related to the prenatal diagnosis and management of gastroschisis and omphalocele.
The spaces between: Parents' perceptions of neighborhood cohesion and child well-being

Abstract Economic disadvantage profoundly impacts children and families. Yet, limited work examines the multileveled processes by which low-income parents’ neighborhood perceptions intersect with their children’s opportunities. Using the Making Connections (MC) longitudinal dataset, a multi-city random-sampled strengths-based study of predominately low-income households, we examine how parents’ perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy (social cohesion and informal social control) shape their school-age children and adolescents’ (M age = 10.8, range = 7-17 years; 46.6% = female) participation in extracurricular activities and perceived school satisfaction. The study sample is racially diverse (Black, Latino/a, White, API, and Multiracial) and low-income. Findings indicated that higher collective efficacy predicted increased school satisfaction. However, collective efficacy only positively predicted participation in extracurricular activities for higher income households. This study offers insight into how parents’ perceptions of their neighborhoods, and their degree of economic advantage, may jointly shape their children’s well-being.
Opioid disposal rates after spine surgery.

Background Diversion of prescription opioids pills is a significant contributor to opioid misuse and the opioid epidemic. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and quantity of excess opioid pills among patients undergoing spine surgery. Further, we wanted to determine the frequency of appropriate opioid disposal. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective spine surgery within a multi-hospital, academic, urban university health system enrolled in a text-messaging program used to track postoperative opioid disposal. Patients who self-reported discontinuation of opioid use but with leftover pills were contacted via telephone and surveyed on opioid disposal. Results Of the 291 patients who enrolled in the text-messaging program, 192 (66%) patients reported discontinuing opioids within 3 months of surgery. Although 76 (40%) reported excess opioid pills after cessation of use, only 47 (62%) participated in the telephone survey regarding opioid disposal. The median number of leftover pills among these 47 patients was 5 (5, 15) and 64% had not disposed of their prescription. Conclusion Among the 47 telephone survey participants, a persistent gap remained in postoperative opioid excess and improper disposal. Future efforts must focus on initiatives to improve opioid disposal rates to reduce the quantity of opioids at risk for diversion and to reduce excess prescribing.
Baleen whale distribution, behaviour and overlap with anthropogenic activity in coastal regions of the New York Bight

The New York Bight (NYB) is one of the busiest waterways along the US East Coast, and has recently seen an apparent increase in baleen whale presence. With growing anthropogenic pressures, a better...
Rapid Prototyping in PVS

PVSio is a conservative extension to the PVS prelude library that provides basic input/output capabilities to the PVS ground evaluator. It supports rapid prototyping in PVS by enhancing the specification language with built-in constructs for string manipulation, floating point arithmetic, and input/output operations.
Review of GPS Satellite Surveying, third edition by Alfred Leick

This book is a third edition recently updated to include new developments in global positioning system GPS theory that have occurred since the release of the second edition in 1995. The book highlights high-accuracy GPS positioning and is intended for use by surveyors, civil engineers, transportation engineers, geodesists, geologists, geographers, technicians, and students—basically anyone with a desire to learn how scientists use least-squares adjustments, geodesy, and various physical models to process data collected from existing and future global navigation satellite systems GNSS . The book consists of nine chapters and three appendixes, as well as an extensive list of bibliographic references and an index. Chapter 1 gives the history of GPS and presents a timeline of the major milestones. Chapter 2 discusses such geodetic reference systems as the international terrestrial reference frame, and the international celestial reference frame, and how to go from one to the other. It includes new material on the effects of polar motion, tectonic plate motion, solid earth tides, and ocean loading. It introduces the three-dimensional 3D geodetic model as the preferred, unifying model for combining satellite positioning with classical surveying measurements. It also discusses the geoid and reductions to the ellipsoid. Chapter 3 outlines basic satellite orbit theory such as the Keplerian elements and the major forces that perturb satellite orbits: variations in the earth’s gravity field, the attraction of the sun and moon, and solar radiation pressure. New sections have been added to address eclipse transits and yaw maneuvers by GPS satellites; the planned L2C-, L5-, and M-codes for GPS modernization; the Russian GLONASS navigation message; and the upcoming Galileo satellite system. Chapter 4 contains basically the same comprehensive treatment of least-squares adjustments covered in the second edition: stochastic and mathematical models, variance-covariance propagation, and the mixed adjustment model—together with the special cases of the observation equation and condition equation models, linearization, sequential solutions, minimal and inner constraints, properties of error ellipses, redundancy numbers, internal and external reliability, and data snooping. A short section has also been added on Kalman filtering; this section nicely defines the concepts behind Gauss–Markov processes, white noise, and random walk. Chapter 5 presents the observation equations for the many different types of pseudorange and carrier phase observables used with GPS. It discusses the single-, double-, and triple-differences for the carrier phases and adds new sections that describe the correction for the rotation of the earth during signal transmission and the P1-P2 and C1-P1 code biases needed to compute accurate pseudoranges for GPS. Chapter 6, on the troposphere and ionosphere, has been extensively rewritten to include additional material. The Saastamoinen equations for zenith hydrostatic delay and zenith wet delay are now given, together with the hydrostatic
Regulation of fluorescent fatty acid transfer from adipocyte and heart fatty acid binding proteins by acceptor membrane lipid composition and structure

Adipocyte and heart fatty acid binding proteins (A-FABP and H-FABP) are closely related members of the FABP family. Unlike the more distantly related liver FABP, these FABP have been proposed to transfer free fatty acids to model membranes by a collisional mechanism (Wootan, M. G., Bernlohr, D. A., and Storch, J. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 8622-8627; Kim, H. K., and Storch, J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 20051-20056). Collisional transfer requires that the acceptor membranes interact with FABP during the transfer process. We, therefore, examined whether the acceptor membrane structure and lipid composition regulate the rate of anthroyloxy-labeled palmitate (2AP) transfer from A- and H-FABP, using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. The results showed that 2AP transfer from A- and H-FABP was more rapid to acceptor vesicles containing acidic phospholipids and was slower to positively charged membranes. In addition, the rate of 2AP transfer from A- and H-FABP was enhanced by unsaturation of the phosphatidylcholine acyl chains and was slowed by the presence of cholesterol or sphingomyelin in the acceptor membranes. These latter changes were small but of a similar magnitude and together suggest that fatty acid transfer from A- and H-FABP was slower to membranes of greater lipid order. Since transfer by an aqueous diffusion mechanism would be unaffected by acceptor membrane properties, these studies strengthen the hypothesis that free fatty acid transfer from A- and H-FABP to membranes occurs via a collisional mechanism.
Oxidative dehydrogenation dimerization of propylene over bismuth oxide: Kinetic and mechanistic studies

Abstract Classical kinetic experiments together with pulse microreactor studies involving deuterium and carbon-13-labeled isotopic tracers were used to investigate the oxidative dehydrogenation dimerization (OXDD) of propylene to 1, 5-hexadiene and benzene over bismuth oxide between 748 and 898 °K. The kinetic data, which indicated that the OXDD reaction is of variable order with respect to oxygen and propylene concentrations, could be fit to rate equations based on either the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model or the Mars-van Krevelen model, although the former gave more linear Arrhenius plots. A significant kinetic isotope effect ( k H k D = 1.7 at 873 ° K ) shows that the rate-limiting step for the OXDD reaction involves CH cleavage, and there is only a small amount of H/D scrambling among reactant and product molecules. Analysis of liquid products by infrared spectroscopy indicated that both 1, 5-hexadiene and 1, 3-cyclohexadiene are stable reaction intermediates; microreactor results involving unlabeled propylene, 1, 5-hexadiene, 1, 3-cyclohexadiene, and 1, 4-cyclohexadiene as reactants confirmed the infrared findings. Pulse microreactor experiments with 13C-labeled propylene clearly showed that deep oxidation (complete combustion) occurs via a consecutive-parallel network involving the partially oxidized intermediates as well as the starting propylene. Changes in the particle size do not alter the overall activity, although larger particles have lower selectivities for C6 products than do smaller particles.
Control techniques in the design of an automated power management and distribution test bed system for the Space Station

A control system concept is presented for space power application with particular reference to Space Station Freedom. To define some specific requirements for the control development, a power system testbed is introduced. A control architecture for the testbed is defined both in hardware and software, and the main software algorithms for the design and development of the testbed are discussed. The use of control techniques in the design of an autonomous power system is briefly explained. A control system hierarchy and system decomposition approach was selected for the controllers as well as control algorithms. Low-level controllers were given a limited role in power management and fault detection for the distributed power system in their area. >