cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Rocks; Shaken, Not Stirred

Book reviewed in this article: T. Ron Paton, Geoff S. Humphreys, and Peter B. Mitchell, On Soils: A New Global View
The 20°C isotherm depth and sea level in the western equatorial pacific

A high correlation exists between the 20°C isotherm depth at the north equatorial countercurrent trough of dynamic topography and the monthly mean sea level at Truk Island. The meridional topography of the main thermocline depth can be used to monitor the strength of the equatorial currents, in the same manner as dynamic heights and sea levels at oceanic islands are used.
Contemporary science and Jewish law in the eyes of Isaac Lampronti of Ferrara and some of his contemporaries

The Jewish community of Ferrara in the first half of the eighteenth century, like the rest of Italian Jewry, was dominated by rabbis who were also trained as physicians.1 No Jew better exemplified this fusion of halakhic and scientific expertise than Isaac Lampronti (1679-1756), Ferrara's most illustrious Jewish citizen, a "medico te?logo tra i dotti celebratissimo," as a later generation of his fellow citizens once called him.2 Educated in both rabbinics and medicine, Lampronti had studied with the distinguished rabbi-physician Isaac Cantarini,3 and then, like many of his Jewish contemporaries, completed his medical studies at the University of Padua. After Padua he resumed his rabbinic studies in Mantua, engaging two other illustrious rabbis, Judah Briel and Joseph Cases. Cases was also a doctor and graduate of the University of Siena;4 Briel had not formally studied medicine but was well versed in Latin literature and the natural sciences.5
Strategy combining separation of isotope-labeled unfolded proteins and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry analysis enables quantification of a wide range of serum proteins.

Abstract A novel strategy for the quantitative profiling of serum proteome is described. It includes an ammonium sulfate depletion of the serum, an affordable stable isotope labeling chemistry for samples with a large amount of protein, separation of the unfolded proteins, and relative quantification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS). Labeling of unfolded proteins was performed using normal (D0) acrylamide and deuterated (D3) acrylamide. The workflow for separating the unfolded proteins includes whole gel elution and ion exchange liquid chromatography, and it combines electrophoretic separation based on the protein molecular weight followed by chromatographic separation in the presence of 8 M urea based on protein charge. This was followed by trypsinolysis and MALDI MS analysis, leading to the quantification of a large number of serum proteins, including those with an abundance of 10–5 less than albumin. This robust and inexpensive workflow is suitable for the quantitative profiling of protein changes in serum associated with preanalytical variables.
The contribution of interleukin-13 and -15 to the cytokine network within normal and diseased gingiva.

Background: There are no comparisons of concentrations of interleukin (IL)-13 and -15 and gingival sulcular depth within healthy or inflamed gingiva. Study of non-oral inflammations indicated that IL-15 has similar functions to IL-2, and IL-13 has similar functions to IL-4 and -10. Thus, IL-13 and -15 likely have a function in gingival inflammation.Methods: We compared the concentrations of IL-13 and -15 within healthy or inflamed human gingiva to gingival sulcular depth and the concentration of various T-helper 1 and T-helper 2 cytokines in a group of Hispanic subjects. Gingival papillae were grouped by the depth of the adjacent gingival sulcus: ≤3 mm (normal); 3 to 6 mm and >6 mm (diseased). The gingival concentrations of IL-2, -4, -6, -10, -13, and -15 and interferon (IFN)-γ were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: IL-2, -4, -6, -10, and -13 and IFN-γ concentrations were higher within gingiva adjacent to 3 to 6 mm diseased compared to normal; IL-15 concentrations were significantly g...
Achievement Orientation of Small Industrial Entrepreneurs in the Philippines

Social scientific research continues to attempt to distill the social prerequisites of entrepreneurship. This research on small-scale industrial entrepreneurs in a Philippine marketing center and its hinterland towns and villages attempts to contribute to this line of research.Through hypothesis testing and path analysis an attempt is made to establish which among a group of independent variables are important for determining achievement orientation of entrepreneurs, and which are the relatively more important variables. Family ties in business, education, and individual modernity are found to be significantly related to achievement orientation, and the strength of their impact on achievement orientation is in that order. Variables, such as social class and urban-rural origin, dating from the early life experiences of entrepreneurs, are not related significantly to achievement orientation.For small-scale manufacturing entrepreneurs in a rural marketing region, this research reinforces theorists' doubts re...
Freeze/thaw stress in Ceanothus of southern California chaparral.

Freeze/thaw stress was examined in chaparral shrubs of the genus Ceanothus to determine the interactive effects of freezing and drought and to consider which is the more vulnerable component, the living leaves (symplast) or the non-living water transport system (apoplast). We hypothesized that where Ceanothus species co-occurred, the more inland species C. crassifolius would be more tolerant of low temperatures than the coastal species C. spinosus, both in terms of leaf survival (LT50, or the temperature at which there is 50% loss of function or viability) and in terms of resistance to freezing-induced embolism (measurements of percent loss hydraulic conductivity due to embolism following freeze/thaw). Cooling experiments on 2 m long winter-acclimated shoots resulted in LT50 values of about –10°C for C. spinosus versus –18°C for C. crassifolius. Freeze-thaw cycles resulted in no change in embolism when the plants were well hydrated (−0.7 to –2.0 MPa). However, when plants were dehydrated to –5.0 MPa, C. spinosus became 96% embolized with freeze/thaw, versus only 61% embolism for C. crassifolius. Stems of C. crassifolius became 90% and 97% embolized at –6.6 and –8.0 MPa, respectively, meaning that even in this species, stems could be more vulnerable than leaves under conditions of extreme water stress combined with freeze/thaw events. The dominance of C. crassifolius at colder sites and the restriction of C. spinosus to warmer sites are consistent with both the relative tolerance of their symplasts to low temperatures and the relative tolerance of their apoplasts to freeze events in combination with drought stress.
“A lot of people didn't have a chance to support us because we never told them” Stigma management, information poverty and HIV/AIDS information/help networks

Because of fears of stigmatization, people with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) may avoid health care and refuse illness-related information and support. However, HIV/AIDS-related information, especially that which is provided by other people, has also been shown to a vital resource for PHAs and their loved ones. This research examines the role of stigmatization in PHAs' and their friends/family members' efforts to establish personal networks for HIV/AIDS-related information and help ("information/help networks"). To investigate this question, I draw upon Goffman's (1963) stigma management theory and Chatman's (1996) theory of information poverty. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 114 PHAs, their friends/family members, health care and service providers in three rural regions of Canada. Results revealed that the majority of PHAs and friends/family members had relatively small networks for HIV/AIDS information/help. For many participants, the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS led to changes in their personal networks, and stigmatization playing a significant part in such changes. Participants developed information/help networks in a manner consistent with stigma management theory in their decisions to disclose selectively to others, to avoid the topic in conversation, to obtain information/help at a distance or to acquire information/help without disclosing their HIV status. However, in contrast to Chatman's theory, participants did not wholly avoid information from interpersonal sources nor believe that no one was available to help them. These findings suggest that information behaviour theory may need to evolve in order to account for the complexity of self-protective behaviour.
Tissue engineering a blood vessel: Regulation of vascular biology by mechanical stresses

Important to the tissue engineering of a substitute blood vessel is an understanding of those factors which regulate vascular biology. A major factor in this regulation is the mechanical environment imposed by the hemodynamics of the vascular system. In this the vascular endothelium plays a critical role, and over the past two decades much has been learned about the influence of hemodynamics on vascular endothelial biology, to a large degree using cell culture to study the effects of flow and cyclic stretch. In our laboratory, such studies are now being extended through the development of a model of the arterial wall involving the co-culture of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. The development of such a model and its use in the study of hemodynamic effects represents necessary steps in the evolution of approaches to tissue engineering a blood vessel.
Intra-arterial fluorescein for evaluation of peripheral vascular diseases.

SummaryIntra-arterial administration of fluorescein offers an objective approach to the impaired arterial inflow to the extremities. The method is adaptable to quantitative interpretation, and minimizes the number of unpleasant side reactions.
Norm Crystallization: Measurement and Comparative Analysis

Normative theory and methods have become increasingly important in outdoor recreation research and management as an approach to formulating standards of quality in parks and related areas. An important issue associated with this research is the level of agreement or consensus about social norms called crystallization. A new measure, Van der Eijk's measure of agreement (A), is proposed and applied in this study. A test of the effect of potential independent variables on crystallization is also applied using a comparative analysis conducted across a number of studies administered in U.S. national parks. Study findings indicate a generally high level of crystallization regarding normative standards of quality and show several independent variables that influence crystallization, though the effects are generally small.
NMDA antagonist modulation of morphine antinociception in female vs. male rats.

Abstract NMDA antagonists may be useful for their potential to increase or prolong opioid analgesia while attenuating the development of opioid tolerance and dependence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are sex differences in NMDA antagonist modulation of morphine antinociception. Adult female and male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected s.c. with saline or one dose of MK-801 (0.005, 0.01, 0.02, or 0.04 mg/kg), dextromethorphan (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg), or LY235959 (0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg) in combination with saline or one dose of morphine (1.8, 3.2, or 5.6 mg/kg), and tested on the 50 °C hotplate and tail withdrawal assays 15–120 min post-injection. At the doses examined, only LY235959 produced any antinociception when administered alone. MK-801 attenuated morphine antinociception on both assays, but only at sporadic (inconsistent) dose-combinations. Dextromethorphan increased morphine antinociception on the hotplate but not tail withdrawal assay, at all three morphine doses in males, but only the higher morphine doses in females. In contrast, LY235959 modulated morphine antinociception on both assays; the lowest dose attenuated, and higher doses enhanced morphine antinociception, but the particular morphine doses and assay in which these effects occurred depended on the sex of the subject. Thus, all three NMDA antagonists modulated morphine antinociception in female and male rats, but the direction of this modulation depended on the particular antagonist examined, the nociceptive test, the dose of antagonist and of morphine, and time post-injection.
Preliminary steps in understanding a target & control based driver steering model

This paper presents the preliminary steps in understanding a target & control based (TC the initial simulations show that this T&C model is capable of performing other maneuvers with ease, indicating its potential to be a generic driver model. Moreover, the preliminary control synthesis shows that this model exhibits plenty of stability margins for drivers to increase their control gain when necessary.
Verifiable audit trails for a versioning file system

We present constructs that create, manage, and verify digital audit trails for versioning file systems. Based upon a small amount of data published to a third party, a file system commits to a version history. At a later date, an auditor uses the published data to verify the contents of the file system at any point in time. Audit trails create an analog of the paper audit process for file data, helping to meet the requirements of electronic record legislation, such as Sarbanes-Oxley. Our techniques address the I/O and computational efficiency of generating and verifying audit trails, the aggregation of audit information in directory hierarchies, and constructing verifiable audit trails in the presence of lost data.
Distributed scalable architectures for health monitoring of aerospace structures

In recent studies, monitoring the health of certain aerospace structures has been shown to be a key step in reducing the life cycle costs for structural maintenance and inspection. Since the health of the structures ultimately determines the health of a vehicle, health monitoring is also an important prerequisite for improved aviation safety. In this paper, we present the preliminary results from our ongoing project on designing and evaluating architectures for integrated structural health monitoring. It has three major contributions. First, we present a survey of existing work. Second, we identify the characteristics of architectures for integrated health monitoring. Finally, we suggest evaluation metrics for a few characteristics.
Some robustness results for feedback linearizing control of generator excitation

Results are presented on the robustness of a feedback linearizing controller (FBLC) for power system generators with respect to uncertainty in parameters that reflect the configuration of the power network. It is shown that the control is locally asymptotically stable over a large range of parameter error. Simulations are presented to illustrate the insensitivity of the control to parameter errors under fault conditions. >
Tail Tendon Break Time: A Biomarker of Aging?

Research has attempted to identify biomarkers of aging that are predictive of longevity and specific age-related changes during animal life span. Tail tendon break time (TTBT), one presumed biomarker, measures collagen cross-linking, known to increase with age. Significant differences in the rate of increase of TTBT with age have been reported between mouse strains and animal species. We measured both TTBT and longevity in C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, and 23 recombinant inbred (RI) strains (B×D RIs), with TTBT measured at 200, 500, and 800 days of age. Longevity demonstrated considerable variability among these strains (116–951 days). TTBT, also highly variable, increased significantly with age in both sexes and all genotypes. Neither TTBT nor its rate of change correlated significantly with life span. There were suggestive trends for rate of TTBT change to correlate with male longevity and strain longevity to correlate with female TTBT. We conclude that for the range of genetic variation found among these mouse genotypes, TTBT cannot be considered a robust biomarker of longevity.
Novel approaches to image segmentation based on neutrosophic logic

Neutrosophy studies the origin, nature, scope of neutralities, and their interactions with different ideational spectra. It is a new philosophy that extends fuzzy logic and is the basis of neutrosophic logic, neutrosophic probability, neutrosophic set theory, and neutrosophic statistics. Because the world is full of indeterminacy, the imperfection of knowledge that a human receives/observes from the external world also causes imprecision. Neutrosophy introduces a new concept , which is the representation of indeterminacy. However, this theory is mostly discussed in physiology and mathematics. Thus, applications to prove this theory can solve real problems are needed. Image segmentation is the first and key step in image processing. It is a critical and essential component of image analysis and pattern recognition. In this dissertation, I apply neutrosophy to three types of image segmentation: gray level images, breast ultrasound images, and color images. In gray level image segmentation, neutrosophy helps reduce noise and extend the watershed method to normal images. In breast ultrasound image segmentation, neutrosophy integrates two controversial opinions about speckle: speckle is noise versus speckle includes pattern information. In color image segmentation, neutrosophy integrates color and spatial information, global and local information in two different color spaces: RGB and CIE (L*u*v*), respectively. The experiments show the advantage of using neutrosophy.
Large scale Al/Al 2 O 3 microcavity arrays: Atmospheric pressure operation in electronegative gases

Stable operation of large scale microcavity arrays in various electronegative gases is beneficial for a number of applications such as lighting, surface treatment, and biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics.1
A Unified Model for Ion Deposition and Theromomechanical Response in Dry Wall Laser IFE Chambers

Dry wall laser IFE chambers will experience large, transient heat and particle fluxes as the target yield products reach the wall. These threats, consisting of x-rays, ions, and neutrons, can lead to wall failure caused by transient stresses or as a result of deposited ions in the near-surface layer. We have developed a unified model for the calculation of temperatures, stresses, strains, and fracture behavior in a solid IFE chamber wall. The model is also coupled with ion transport sub-models that assess the effects of ions on the morphology of the wall materials. This paper describes the models incorporated into the new unified simulation and, in particular, presents new fracture models that permit fracture calculations without the need for an advanced finite element calculation. This fracture model assumes that an array of surface cracks is present in the wall surface and uses superposition to calculate the stress intensity factor via a numerical integration of the stress profile computed for an un-cracked geometry. We also describe approaches for computing the stresses due to inertial effects resulting from the rapid heating associated with the IFE threats. In some cases, these inertial effects lead to stress waves that can lead to premature wall damage and must be accounted for in the analysis. This model is based on semi-analytical solutions for stress waves due to shallow heating in a relatively thick solid. The combined thermomechanical model gives us detailed understanding of the fundamental mechanics of rapidly heated surfaces.
Leveraging an Inventory of the Cognitive Radio Attack Surface

The cognitive radio is an emerging technology that holds great promise due to its adaptive nature and ability to exploit the advantages inherent to software defined radios (SDR). The cognitive radio's potential to address spectrum access challenges resulting from an exponential increase in the number of network devices will make it a leading technology of the next decade. For this reason, it is imperative to investigate the security considerations of the cognitive radio in its infancy rather than attempt to address them at maturity. Though research in the vulnerabilities of cognitive radio exists, few explore the threat vectors against both the cognitive engine and the underlying SDR infrastructure within which it operates. This paper takes such a holistic approach, and then further contributes to the research area by offering three misuse cases that portray how the vulnerabilities discussed could be exploited. These cases visualize the risk environment based on a denial of service, an advanced persistent threat, and an insider threat and will allow for security practitioners to anticipate how their organizations may be impacted. Moreover, by introducing a simulation of the threat one can use existing principles to analyze its prosecution (i.e. attack graphs, evidence graphs, etc.).
Block Design and Neurocognitive Impairment in Children

Learning disabled children were subgrouped according to etiology: neurocognitively impaired and neurocognitively intact. The two groups were found to be intellectually different from one another, as the impaired scored much lower on a general intelligence test than the intact. In addition, the impaired appeared to have a specific cognitive deficit, as they differed from the intact on the Block Design subtest when IQ was controlled through a difference of differences technique. Nonetheless, neither Block Design nor general intelligence was strongly related to reading deviation, though there was a suggestion of a relationship between Verbal IQ and reading within the impaired group. Despite the finding that the impaired group suffers from both global and specific intellectual deficits, it must be posited that nonintellective factors also much affect school performance. IQ and Block Design do not explain failure to read in either group. These findings and conclusions, it must be cautioned, pertain to abnormal...
P16-31. Skewed HIV-1-Specific CD4+ Th2 Helper Cell Contribution in Progressive HIV-1 Infection

Background CD4+ T helper cells play a crucial role in the orchestration of the immune system. While CD4+ Th1 responses provide important helper signals to the survival and maturation of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ Th2 responses are involved in B cell maturation and antibody class switching. However, very little is known about the role and contribution of HIV-1-specific CD4+ T helper responses to the control of viral replication. Here we show that the presence of Gagspecific CD4+ Th1 responses and Th2 responses against Env are associated with viral control, while changes in this pattern are associated with disease progression.
Early Mycological Treatment Failure in AIDS-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis causes significant morbidity and mortality in persons with AIDS. Of 236 AIDS patients treated with amphotericin B plus flucytosine, 29 (12%) died within 2 weeks and 62 (26%) died before 10 weeks. Just 129 (55%) of 236 patients were alive with negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures at 10 weeks. Multivariate analyses identified that titer of cryptococcal antigen in CSF, serum albumin level, and CD4 cell count, together with dose of amphotericin B, had the strongest joint association with failure to achieve negative CSF cultures by day 14. Among patients with similar CSF cryptococcal antigen titers, CD4 cell counts, and serum albumin levels, the odds of failure at week 10 for those without negative CSF cultures by day 14 was five times that for those with negative CSF cultures by day 14 (odds ratio, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-10.9). Prognosis is dismal for patients with AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis. Multivariate analyses identified three components that, along with initial treatment, have the strongest joint association with early outcome. Clearly, more effective initial therapy and patient management strategies that address immune function and nutritional status are needed to improve outcomes of this disease.
Environmental applications of photoluminescence-based biosensors.

For monitoring and treatment of soil and water, environmental scientists and engineers require measurements of the concentration of chemical contaminants. Although laboratory-based methods relying on gas or liquid chromatography can yield very accurate measurements, they are also complex, time consuming, expensive, and require sample pretreatment. Furthermore, they are not readily adapted for in situ measurements.
Analogical Processes in Language Learning

The acquisition of language has long stood as a challenge to general learning accounts, leading many theorists to propose domain-specific knowledge and processes to explain language acquisition. Here we review evidence that analogical comparison is instrumental in language learning, suggesting a larger role for general learning processes in the acquisition of language.
Sympathy and Perspective-Taking in Confucian Ethics

This article spells out a forgotten debate in Confucian ethics that concerns the finer points of empathy, sympathy, and perspective-taking (sometimes called ‘role-taking’). The debate’s central question is whether sympathy is more virtuous when it is automatic and other-focused – that is, when we engage in perspective-taking without conscious effort and sympathize without significant reference to our selves or our own feelings. The seeds of this debate can be found in classical Confucianism, but the relevant issues come in for more explicit and nuanced analysis in neo-Confucianism broadly construed, especially in the thought of Zhu Xi and Dai Zhen. I unpack the technical distinctions and psychological presuppositions that underlie three of Zhu’s critiques of non-automatic and self-focused perspective-taking, and then reconstruct Dai’s responses to these critiques.
Ideological Flexibility and Electoral Success: An Analysis of Irish Party Competition

AbstractThis article argues that Ireland's major party elites enjoy an unusual degree of ideological flexibility, which in turn provides the parties with an uncommon capacity to adjust programmatically when changing electoral opportunities, or challenges, present themselves. Evidence from two originally designed parliamentary surveys, conducted in sharply different contexts in the 2007 and 2011 elections, supports this finding. A closer examination of individual TDs’ policy positions reveals that TDs possess considerable flexibility to adapt their policy appeals. Although parties may appear programmatically similar at the aggregate level, the high degree of internal ideological heterogeneity reinforces that the autonomy individual TDs have to alter their positions within their local electoral context. These findings point to a conclusion that the presence of a high degree of ideological flexibility, especially at the level of individual TDs, not policy positions in themselves, is critical for understandin...
Implanted 3D Micro/Nano-Structure Fabrication: New Processing Techniques for the Creation of Nanoscale Opto-Mechanical Machines in Silicon Dioxide on a Silicon wafer

A novel method of making nanoscale devices in silicon dioxide on a silicon wafer has been developed in our laboratory. The method is both inexpensive and can be fully integrated with existing VLSI type electronic processing technology. The devices are defined using conventional micronscale photolithography and then reduced in scale during the processing sequence to form nanoscale structures. Further, since the structures are defined using lithography, they can be made to span the range of scales from macro to nano in one processing step. Finally, we have found that by using laser assisted chemical etches, we can “release” these very fine structures without the damage associated with wet processes such as stiction.
Chemosterilization of male screwworm flies by immersion: changes in susceptibility with time of treatment, permanence of sterility, and effect of treatment on survival.

Male screwworm flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), immersed for 10 sec in 0.1% N,N' -tetramethylenebis( l-aziridinecarboxamide) in water at 9 AM or at 12:30 or 4 PM and paired with mature virgin females were found to be less susceptible to the chemosterilant at midday and more susceptible during the forenoon and afternoon. Males chemosterilized (1% for 30 sec) and paired 6 times with virgin females for 48 hr (every 2 days between the time they were 5 and 13 days old and again when they were 20 days old), produced as much as 27% fertile eggs after the 1st week. Newly emerged males and females treated with 1% chemosterilant for 30 sec survived as we11 as the controls for 7 days, but the long-term survival (>7 days) of males was 80% that of the controls while survival of females continued to equal that of the controls.
Electronic Versatility for Fuel Economy in Turbine Powered Vehicles

The control and limiting of gas turbine speed and temperature is most readily achieved with an electronic fuel control system. The control system to be described is practical hardware for vehicular applications. The same basic electronics used with a suitable choice of fuel metering valve and choice of actuator for whatever means of torque transfer is employed, provide proper control for a turbine of any horsepower rating using liquid or gaseous fuels. Minor modification in the electronics can adapt the control for generator sets and other industrial applications.Copyright © 1971 by ASME
The student cadre should how to do a good job in the work of mental health education

Mental health is an indispensable content of quality education in school, the students intellectual development, physical and mental health, have very big effect, is the current school education of new tasks and new requirements. The student cadre as the school of management and an important force, in the course of the work of mental health education also has its very important role. Student cadres in a serious and responsible attitude, can the work timely, effectively complete.
Commentary on Retzinger.

Suzanne Retzinger's article, "A Theory of Mental Illness," provides further untangling of the complex links between social relationships and psychopathology. Those links have been demonstrated in such diverse areas as the impact of family relationships on relapse (e.g., Brown et al. 1972), the predictive importance of social relations to outcome (e.g., Strauss and Carpenter 1977), and the genetic connections between social relationship traits and vulnerability to psychopathology (Kendler et al. 1982). The research presented here focuses on social relationships with special emphasis on stigma in those relationships and its impact on disorder. It also has the valuable role of forging connections between the more abstract labeling theory and the actual behaviors of people as viewed in their interaction.
Vector Tensor Analysis in Relativity Theory

It was emphasized earlier that the laws of electromagnetism have the same form when compared in coordinate systems that are in relative motion only if the translation of ‘words’ — the space and time parameters — are such that they transform together as a unified set. Thus, the measures of space and time may not be treated separately in an objective sense; rather, they must be unified as a space-time measure in the language structure for the physical laws.
Environmental Comparison of Biochar and Activated Carbon for Tertiary Wastewater Treatment

Micropollutants in wastewater present environmental and human health challenges. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) can effectively remove organic micropollutants, but PAC production is energy intensive and expensive. Biochar adsorbents can cost less and sequester carbon; however, net benefits depend on biochar production conditions and treatment capabilities. Here, life cycle assessment was used to compare 10 environmental impacts from the production and use of wood biochar, biosolids biochar, and coal-derived PAC to remove sulfamethoxazole from wastewater. Moderate capacity wood biochar had environmental benefits in four categories (smog, global warming, respiratory effects, noncarcinogenics) linked to energy recovery and carbon sequestration, and environmental impacts worse than PAC in two categories (eutrophication, carcinogenics). Low capacity wood biochar had even larger benefits for global warming, respiratory effects, and noncarcinogenics, but exhibited worse impacts than PAC in five categories due t...
Optimal Resource Allocation for Control of Networked Epidemic Models

This paper proposes and analyzes a generalized epidemic model over arbitrary directed graphs with heterogeneous nodes. The proposed model, called the generalized–susceptible exposed infected vigilant, subsumes a large number of popular epidemic models considered in the literature as special cases. Using a mean-field approximation, we derive a set of ODEs describing the spreading dynamics, provide a careful analysis of the disease-free equilibrium, and derive necessary and sufficient conditions for global exponential stability. Building on this analysis, we consider the problem of containing an initial epidemic outbreak under budget constraints. More specifically, we consider a collection of control actions (e.g., administering vaccines/antidotes, limiting the traffic between cities, or running awareness campaigns), for which we are given suitable cost functions. In this context, we develop an optimization framework to provide solutions for the following two allocation problems: 1) find the minimum cost required to eradicate the disease at a desired exponential decay rate, and 2) given a fixed budget, find the resource allocation to eradicate the disease at the fastest possible exponential decay rate. Our technical approach relies on the reformulation of these problems as geometric programs that can be solved efficiently in polynomial time using tools from graph theory and convex optimization. In contrast with previous works, our optimization framework allows us to simultaneously allocate different types of control resources over heterogeneous populations under budget constraints. We illustrate our results through numerical simulations.
A SEER Database Analysis of the Survival Advantage of Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Underutilized Therapy.

Abstract Purpose To measure transarterial chemoembolization utilization and survival benefit among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) patient population. Materials and Methods A retrospective study identified 37,832 patients with HCC diagnosed between 1991 and 2011. Survival was estimated by Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log-rank test. Propensity-score matching was used to address an imbalance of covariates. Results More than 75% of patients with HCC did not receive any HCC-directed treatment. Transarterial chemoembolization was the most common initial therapy (15.9%). Factors associated with the use of chemoembolization included younger age, more HCC risk factors, more comorbidities, higher socioeconomic status, intrahepatic tumor, unifocal tumor, vascular invasion, and smaller tumor size (all P P P P Conclusions Patients with HCC treated with transarterial chemoembolization experienced a significant survival advantage compared with those not treated with transarterial chemoembolization. More than 75% of SEER/Medicare patients diagnosed with HCC received no identifiable oncologic treatment. There is a significant public health need to increase awareness of efficacious HCC treatments such as transarterial chemoembolization.
Effects of carotenoid sequestration on a caterpillar's cryptic coloration and susceptibility to predation

Carotenoids are used for many functions by animals, including combining with other pigments to produce aposematic and cryptic coloration. Carotenoids in combination with blue pigments are responsible for green coloration in many caterpillars, and thus carotenoid sequestration may reduce their contrast against a green foliage background. We tested the hypothesis that carotenoid sequestration reduces contrast and enhances survival by rearing Trichoplusia ni Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Brassica oleracea L. var. Acephala (Brassicaceae) leaves and exposing them to predators. We found that carotenoids derived from the host plant are partially excreted, along with chlorophyll, but also sequestered in hemolymph. Larvae that were given plants that provided carotenoids showed less contrast against their host plants within 1 day compared to larvae that were not provided with carotenoids. Last, both short-term field observations and laboratory trials of larvae caged with predatory Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymphs showed that survival of carotenoid-sequestering larvae was higher compared to larvae that did not sequester. These results suggest that carotenoid sequestration may be an important adaptive strategy that reduces susceptibility to natural enemies that hunt by sight. Further research that examines the mechanisms by which carotenoids are absorbed and modified will lend insights into the evolution of carotenoids functioning as passive defensive compounds.
Investigation of the influence of oxygen plasma on supported silver nanoparticles

Silver deposition precursor molecule trimethylphosphine(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) [(hfac)AgP(CH3)3] was used to deposit silver onto water-modified (hydroxyl-terminated) solid substrates. A silicon wafer was used as a model flat surface, and water-predosed ZnO nanopowder was investigated to expand the findings to a common substrate material for possible practical applications. Following the deposition, oxygen plasma was used to remove the remaining organic ligands on a surface and to investigate its effect on the morphology of chemically deposited silver nanoparticles and films. A combination of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques including electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to confirm the change in the morphology of the deposited material consistent with Ostwald ripening as a result of plasma treatment. Particle agglomeration was observed on the surfaces, and the deposited metallic silver was oxidized to Ag2O following plasma treatment. The fluorine-containing ligands were completely removed. This result suggests that chemical vapor deposition can be used to deposit silver in a very controlled manner onto a variety of substrates using different topography methods and that the post-treatment with oxygen plasma is effective in preparing materials deposited for potential practical applications.
Dynamic π-Conjugated Polymer Ionic Networks

The elastic nature of π-conjugated polymer gels makes it difficult to process them using traditional coating techniques and inkjet printing, and as injectable gels, thereby limiting the use of preprocessing and storing the polymers as gels. Taking cues from the easy processability of reversible and thixotropic non-π-conjugated polymer gels, we report herein for the first time a simple strategy to obtain reversible and thixotropic π-conjugated polymer ionic network (π-PIN) gels. Reversible and thixotropic π-PIN gels are generated by synergistically combining the intriguing properties of π-conjugated polymers with the dynamic properties of ionically cross-linked networks.
High- to low-level decoding does not generally improve perceptual performance

Ding et al. recently proposed that the brain automatically encodes high-level, relative stimulus information (i.e. the ordinal relation between two lines), which it then uses to constrain the decoding of low-level, absolute stimulus features (i.e. when recalling the actual lines orientation). This is an interesting idea that is in line with the self-consistent Bayesian observer model and may have important implications for understanding how the brain processes sensory information. However, the notion suggested in Ding et al. that the brain uses this decoding strategy because it improves perceptual performance is misleading. Here we clarify the decoding model and compare its perceptual performance under various noise and signal conditions.
Translating Evidence-Based Practices to Usable Interventions for Young Children With Autism:

Increased numbers of young children identified with autism combine with changing paradigms for service delivery models to create a need to ensure that information is available to facilitate implementation of effective practices in children’s natural learning environments. A recent synthesis that identifies evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children with autism is used as the basis for exploring the degree to which existing literature provides information that meaningfully supports the translation of those practices to usable interventions within the routine services provided by educators. Our review of 113 studies focusing on 13 EBPs for children with autism below the age of 6 revealed inconsistent and incomplete reporting within and across practices. Based on this review, we offer a discussion on how the reporting practices of researchers may facilitate or hinder the generation of usable knowledge needed by implementation science when guiding large-scale adoption and use of interventions.
Valbenazine as the first and only approved treatment for adults with tardive dyskinesia

Valbenazine is a selective VMAT2 inhibitor that the FDA approved in April 2017 for the specific treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD), a movement disorder commonly caused by dopamine blocking agents. Valbenazine acts to decrease dopamine release, reducing excessive movement found in TD. Areas covered: This drug profile reviews the development of valbenazine and the clinical trials that led to its approval as the first treatment specific to TD. The literature search was performed with the PubMed online database. Expert commentary: Two clinical trials assessing the efficacy of valbenazine have shown the reduction of antipsychotic-induced involuntary movement. No life threatening adverse effects were found. Data from a 42-week extension study demonstrated sustained response.
The Complexity of Becoming a Dialogic Teacher in an English Language Arts Classroom.

Recent research in English education has emphasised dialogically organised instruction to promote learning talk; yet little is known about teachers’ perceptions of their efforts to teach dialogical...
Exploring Racial Differences in Patient Centeredness of Care (PCC) During Breast Cancer (BC) Chemotherapy Clinical Visits

The communication patterns between clinician and patient, described as the patient centeredness of care (PCC), may be a critically important etiology of breast cancer (BC) racial disparity. The purpose of this prospective, comparative pilot study was to qualitatively explore and code for PCC during the clinical visit of women undergoing BC chemotherapy and compare by race. Age-matched Black and White women were recruited. Audio recordings of clinical visits conducted prior to any cycle (except first) chemotherapy infusion were obtained and transcribed. Transcripts were blindly reviewed by three independent coders assigning PCC scores, ranging from 1 to 5, with lower scores indicating better PCC. Consensus was reached among reviewers via discussion. Dyads consisted of five Black (mean age 47) and five White (mean age 45) women undergoing BC chemotherapy. Twenty-four recordings were analyzed, 13 White and 11 Black. For all 22 PCC items, the mean scores were worse for Black women with significant differences (compared by chi-square analysis) noted for 6/22 items (27%). Qualitatively exploring clinician and patient communication patterns during the chemotherapy clinical visits informs the understanding of racial differences for symptom assessment, reporting, and management. These pilot findings inform future research exploring racial disparity in cancer treatment dose intensity.
Service Access Rigidities in Rural Alaska

Access to basic services such as health care, the court system, and police protection is vital to individual and social well-being. If barriers exist that prevent people from receiving fundamental services, the quality of their lives is diminished. In the aggregation, society as a whole suffers when some of its members fail to receive services, making access barriers a prominent policy issue concerning the government at national, regional (state), and local levels.
DETERMINANTS OF PRENATAL CARE AND SUPPLEMENT USE: THE CASE OF HONDURAS

Context: Literature suggests that prenatal care and prenatal supplement use improves pregnancy outcomes. However, we do not know the factors associated with prenatal care and supplement use in Honduras. Objective: To identify characteristics of Honduran women who are the least and most likely to use prenatal care and supplements. Methods: Data from a 2001 Honduras cross-sectional survey of women was used to assess their use of prenatal care and supplements. All data was weighted, resulting in a sample size of n = 5647 women who had a live birth since January 1996. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine factors associated with prenatal care and supplement use. Results: Current education level was highly positively related to prenatal care and supplement use. Women who were 35 years or older at the time of their most recent birth, currently unmarried, of non-Catholic religious affiliation, and of low SES were significantly less likely to have used prenatal care and supplements. Women who reported the intentionality of their most recent birth as unwanted also were significantly less likely to have used prenatal care and supplements. Prenatal care was the most significant determinant of prenatal supplement use. Conclusion: There are significant differences between Honduran women who use prenatal care and supplements and women who do not. Efforts to increase prenatal health services among underserved women, especially women who are older, unmarried, with no formal education, of low SES, of a non-Catholic religious affiliation, and at risk for an unwanted pregnancy, may significantly improve pregnancy outcomes in Honduras.
Effectiveness of Barrier Methods for Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention

We are living in a world that is suffering a pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, continued high levels of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and an unsustainable population explosion. In the last 40 years, the number of humans on this planet has doubled. The youth of the world’s population today ensures that all STIs will continue to increase unless concentrated, deliberate, and committed efforts are made to slow their spread. In the face of these critical crises, it is important to recognize the impact that different contraceptive agents may play in the spread or control of STIs.
1818. Characteristics of a Cohort of Patients on Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics Targeted for Prospective Audit and Feedback

Background Prospective audit and feedback (PAF) is a cornerstone of antibiotic stewardship (AS). PAF reduces inappropriate antibiotic use, decreases resistance, and improves outcomes. A major drawback of PAF is the significant time commitment required to determine which patients are on inappropriate antibiotics. The aim of this study was to describe features of a cohort of patients targeted for PAF and to identify factors associated with PAF intervention.