cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of reduced-mixing personal ventilation jets

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of the design and performance characteristics of personalized ventilation (PV) systems that, in combination with general ventilation, deliver high quality air to the breathing zone (BZ) with no more clean air supply than indicated by ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2004, while satisfying acceptable ergonomic and aesthetic considerations. Under these conditions, the energy used for conditioning the clean air will not exceed that of a conventional ventilation system. We introduce a novel PV nozzle that achieves high BZ air quality with a small fraction of the clean air indicated by the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard. Tracer gas experimental results presented in this paper demonstrate the advantages of the novel nozzle relative to conventional PV nozzles. The results show that, at a PV clean air supply of only 2.4 l/s, the new nozzle achieves a BZ ventilation effectiveness close to 7 versus less than 2 for a conventional nozzle delivering the same amount of clean air. A companion paper presents a computational analysis of the same concept, validated against the experimental results of the present paper.
Single-event upset and snapback in silicon-on-insulator devices and integrated circuits

The characteristics of ion-induced charge collection and single-event upset are studied in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors and circuits with various body tie structures. Impact ionization effects, including single-event snapback, are shown to be very important. Focused ion microbeam experiments are used to find single-event snapback drain voltage thresholds in n-channel SOI transistors as a function of device width. Three-dimensional device simulations are used to determine single-event upset and snapback thresholds in SOI SRAMs, and to study design tradeoffs for various body-tie structures. A window of vulnerability to single-event snapback is shown to exist below the single-event upset threshold. The presence of single-event snapback in commercial SOI SRAMs is confirmed through broadbeam ion testing, and implications for hardness assurance testing of SOI integrated circuits are discussed.
Inactivation of Omi/HtrA2 protease leads to the deregulation of mitochondrial Mulan E3 ubiquitin ligase and increased mitophagy.

Abstract Omi/HtrA2 is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial serine protease with dual and opposite functions that depend entirely on its subcellular localization. During apoptosis, Omi/HtrA2 is released into the cytoplasm where it participates in cell death. While confined in the inter-membrane space of the mitochondria, Omi/HtrA2 has a pro-survival function that may involve the regulation of protein quality control (PQC) and mitochondrial homeostasis. Loss of Omi/HtrA2's protease activity causes the neuromuscular disorder of the mnd2 ( m otor n euron d egeneration 2 ) mutant mice. These mice develop multiple defects including neurodegeneration with parkinsonian features. Loss of Omi/HtrA2 in non-neuronal tissues has also been shown to cause premature aging. The normal function of Omi/HtrA2 in the mitochondria and how its deregulation causes neurodegeneration or premature aging are unknown. Here we report that the mitochondrial Mulan E3 ubiquitin ligase is a specific substrate of Omi/HtrA2. During exposure to H2O2, Omi/HtrA2 degrades Mulan, and this regulation is lost in cells that carry the inactive protease. Furthermore, we show accumulation of Mulan protein in various tissues of mnd2 mice as well as in Omi/HtrA2(−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). This causes a significant decrease of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) protein, and increased mitophagy. Our work describes a new stress-signaling pathway that is initiated in the mitochondria and involves the regulation of Mulan by Omi/HtrA2 protease. Deregulation of this pathway, as it occurs in mnd2 mutant mice, causes mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy, and could be responsible for the motor neuron disease and the premature aging phenotype observed in these animals.
Earthquakes near Mount St. Helens, Washington

Seismic monitoring around Mount St. Helens, Washington, for 28 days during the summer of 1970 showed that the frequency of local earthquakes was from 3 to 13 per day and very similar to the activity previously observed near Mount Rainier, Washington. The epicenters of the well-recorded earthquakes form a roughly linear pattern trending northeast from the summit area. This is the only obvious trend in the epicenter distribution. Recent geological investigations have not revealed faults or other major geological discontinuities along this trend. This pattern of epicenters seems to be approximately aligned with the remnants of five ancestral St. Helens plug domes that trend southwest from the summit region.
Universal scaling of dissolved oxygen distribution at the sediment-water interface: A power law

Dissolved oxygen (DO) distribution at the sediment-water interface of a flow over a smooth bed is investigated for Reynolds numbers >360 and <4,090. These conditions are commonly encountered in streams, wetlands, and lakes. A power-law scaling of DO distribution is derived and compared with experimental data. The scaling analysis is based on DO flux at the sediment-water interface in a turbulent flow. The power-law model with diffusive sublayer thickness (DSLT) as a fitting parameter agrees well with the data over the investigated range of Reynolds numbers. Using the proposed power-law model with a limited number of DO and flow properties away from the sediment-water interface provides the distribution of DO concentrations and corresponding DSLT at a submillimeter resolution. The estimate of DSLT is, on average, 30% lower than the traditional estimate, defined as a thin fluid layer bounded at the lower boundary by a sediment bed and extended upward in the main water column to where a bulk DO concentration intersects with a linear DO gradient at the bed.
Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument: Development of a new instrument.

Objectives:The goal of this project was to develop the first disease-specific instrument for the evaluation of quality of life in chronic pancreatitis.Methods:Focus groups and interview sessions were conducted, with chronic pancreatitis patients, to identify items felt to impact quality of life which were subsequently formatted into a paper-and-pencil instrument. This instrument was used to conduct an online survey by an expert panel of pancreatologists to evaluate its content validity. Finally, the modified instrument was presented to patients during precognitive testing interviews to evaluate its clarity and appropriateness.Results:In total, 10 patients were enrolled in the focus groups and interview sessions where they identified 50 items. Once redundant items were removed, the 40 remaining items were made into a paper-and-pencil instrument referred to as the Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument. Through the processes of content validation and precognitive testing, the number of items in the instrum...
Effects on poultry and livestock of feed contamination with bacteria and fungi

Animal feed may serve as a carrier for a wide variety of microorganisms. The primary mode of inoculation of feed materials is the transference of soil by wind, rain, mechanical agitation, or insects to standing crops. Some of the microorganisms are adapted to the desiccated and relatively nutrient-poor conditions in soil and survive in similar niches on growing crops. Gastrointestinal pathogens can also introduced into the food chain by animals defecating in the farm environment or by fertilization of crops with manures. Other microorganisms are introduced during storage. In general, the amount of available water in the feed matrix determines whether a microorganism will grow or survive. Some microorganisms, primarily moulds, are adapted to the low amount of available moisture and grow actively within stored seeds and grains. Others will produce spores or enter survival state until the moisture is high enough for bacterial action. There are numerous ways contaminating microorganisms can affect feed quality negatively including reducing dry matter and nutrients, causing musty or sour odours, causing caking of the feed and producing toxins. Finally, feed can act as a carrier for animal and human pathogens. The type of feed, processing treatments and storage conditions can all be factors that influence the population levels and types of microorganisms present. The incidence and variation in the microflora found in animal feed and feed materials are reviewed. A select number of important human and animal pathogens are discussed. Finally there is a brief overview over the detection, surveillance and management strategies of microbial contamination in feed and feed materials.
Economic Engineering of Milk Processing Costs

Abstract An economic engineering methodology is used to estimate milk processing costs for a state of the art model facility. The computerized model generates per unit processing costs and allows for various sensitivity analyses. The study reveals that, for a plant with a full product line, container costs for in-plant blow-molded containers are considerably lower than that of purchased containers. Also, processing costs for products of similar size reflect in-plant economies of size. Costs are also presented for a white milk only plant, and they reveal that per unit costs can be reduced by distributing overhead costs over a wider line of products.
Rademacher Complexity Bounds for Non-I.I.D. Processes

This paper presents the first Rademacher complexity-based error bounds for non-i.i.d. settings, a generalization of similar existing bounds derived for the i.i.d. case. Our bounds hold in the scenario of dependent samples generated by a stationary β-mixing process, which is commonly adopted in many previous studies of non-i.i.d. settings. They benefit from the crucial advantages of Rademacher complexity over other measures of the complexity of hypothesis classes. In particular, they are data-dependent and measure the complexity of a class of hypotheses based on the training sample. The empirical Rademacher complexity can be estimated from such finite samples and lead to tighter generalization bounds. We also present the first margin bounds for kernel-based classification in this non-i.i.d. setting and briefly study their convergence.
Permanent Hair Reduction With a Home-Use Diode Laser: Safety and Effectiveness 1 Year After Eight Treatments

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a home-use hair removal diode laser (TRIA Beauty, Inc., Dublin, CA) in a multiple treatment regimen. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Thirteen indicated adults with naturally brown or black hair and Fitzpatrick skin type I–IV received 8 monthly treatments with the diode laser at three fluences, with a fourth area left untreated as a control. Quantitative hair counts were made at each treatment visit and periodically for 12 months after the last treatment. Results: The treated sites exhibited statistically significant hair count reduction that generally increased with each treatment and remained stable during the 1 year follow-up period. The mean percent hair count reduction was 47%, 55%, and 73% at 1 month after the last treatment and 44%, 49%, and 65% at 12 months after the last treatment at fluences of 7, 12, and 20 J/cm 2 , respectively, compared to control. Eighty-six percent (86%) of subjects had greater than 30% hair reduction and 38% had >80% hair reduction at 12 months post-treatment. At the same time point, 31% of subjects reported complete (100%) hair removal and 69% reported that the hair that did regrow was less noticeable due to being finer and/or lighter. The only observed side effects were erythema and edema that were mild, transient, and self-resolving usually within a few hours. Conclusions: The home-use diode laser was safe and highly effective at permanently reducing unwanted hair. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:550–557, 2012. 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Physical problems in obtaining records of the maxillofacial patient.

Abstract The maxillofacial prosthodontist has the dilemma of obtaining jaw relation records with structures that have been altered anatomically and/or physiologically. In the maxillae, problems associated with stability of the recording base require the prosthodontist to equalize pressure as best he can in obtaining jaw records. The maxillofacial prosthodontist is faced with the additional problem of altered mandibular movements. Five patients with lateral resections of the mandible were tested in a pilot study. These patients could not make protrusive or repeatable lateral movements. Anatomic correlations, especially the unilateral action of the mylohyoid muscle, may account for this pattern of abnormal mandibular movements. This study will continue.
From a corporate venture to an independent company: a base for a typology for corporate spin-off firms

Previous literature reports spin-off firms being important agents of knowledge transfer from established corporations to new businesses, thus promoting the prosperity and well-being of regions, industry clusters and nations (Roberts & Wainer, 1969; Lindholm-Dahlstrand, 1997). Spinning off ventures often results in the emergence of networks where the parent firms and their spin-offs engage in varying degrees of resource sharing. However, relatively little is known about the processes through which the networks consisting of the parent firm and its spin-off firms come into being. Perhaps because of this reason, there is some confusion in the usage of the term corporate spin-off firm. In some studies, this term is used to denote embryonic ventures, while other studies reserve the term for the divestment of mature businesses. This study aims at fulfilling some of these gaps in existing knowledge by creating a holistic typology of corporate spin-off firms based on their evolution patterns as they move from internal corporate ventures into independent businesses.
Multiscaled randomness: A possible source of 1/f noise in biology

We evaluate the possibility that the 1/f fluctuations observed in many biological time series result simply from the fact that biological processes have many inputs with differing time scales. We present a stochastic model whose output is the summation of multiple random inputs (i.e., different regulatory mechanisms). We derive the conditions under which the model reproduces the complex fluctuations and 1/f scaling observed in biological systems. Simulations demonstrate that if model parameters are unconstrained, the likelihood of generating 1/f noise is quite small. Thus, while the model can be used to generate 1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ noise with various scaling exponents, it is unlikely that the 1/f behavior observed in many biological systems is due only to the fact that these systems are regulated by many different inputs acting on different time scales. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
The Effect of Frequency and Type of Internet Use on Perceived Social Support and Sense of Well-Being in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.

This article examines the effect of frequency and type of Internet use on perceived social support and sense of well-being in persons with spinal cord injury. The results show that Internet use is not significantly related to perceived social support. Bivariate analysis indicates that there is a significant negative association between total Internet use and overall sense of well-being. Simultaneous regression further investigated the nature of this relationship by examining the contribution of 10 online activities to four scales measuring sense of well-being. Frequency of online gaming was negatively associated with each scale. Disability-related information seeking was also negatively associated with psychological and financial well-being, as well as perceived social support. These results suggest that Internet use as a whole should not be overlooked by rehabilitation counselors for its practical uses to increase independence and social connectedness in persons with disabilities; however, care should be...
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Water-Rock Interaction. Eric H. Oelkers and Jacques Schott, Editors. Reviews in Mineralogy & Geochemistry v. 70. Pp. 569. 2009. Mineralogical Society of America and Geochemical Society. ISBN 978-0-939950-84-3. Price US$40.

The most recent endeavor in this long-standing series of informative overviews of mineralogy and geochemical topics is available from the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geochemical Society. The book, volume 70 in the Reviews in Mineralogy & Geochemistry series, grew out of a short course held in conjunction with the 2009 Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Davos, Switzerland. Although I attended the meeting, I opted for a pre-meeting field trip as opposed to the short course, and now, after reading this book, I am having some second thoughts about that decision. As both an economic geologist and applied geochemist, I was actually surprised to find so many interesting and useful chapters under one cover. …
Using engine signature to detect metamorphic malware

This paper introduces the "engine signature" approach to assist in detecting metamorphic malware by tracking it to its engine. More specifically, it presents and evaluates a code scoring technique for collecting forensic evidence from x86 code segments in order to get some measure of how likely they are to have been generated by some known instruction-substituting metamorphic engine. A prototype simulator that mimics real instruction-substituting metamorphic engines was implemented and used to conduct several experiments that evaluate the goodness of the scoring technique for given engine parameters. The technique was also used to successfully help track variants of W32.Evol to their engine.
Resilience in computer systems and networks

The term resilience is used differently by different communities. In general engineering systems, fast recovery from a degraded system state is often termed as resilience. Computer networking community defines it as the combination of trustworthiness (dependability, security, performability) and tolerance (survivability, disruption tolerance, and traffic tolerance). Dependable computing community defined resilience as the persistence of service delivery that can justifiably be trusted, when facing changes. In this paper, resilience definitions of systems and networks will be presented. Metrics for resilience will be compared with dependability metrics such as availability, performance, performability. Simple examples will be used to show quantification of resilience via probabilistic analytic models.
Correction of Systematic Errors in Coupled GCM Forecasts

The prognostic tendency (PT) correction method is applied in an attempt to reduce systematic errors in coupled GCM seasonal forecasts. The PT method computes the systematic initial tendency error (SITE) of the coupled model and subtracts it from the discrete prognostic equations. In this study, the PT correction is applied only to the three-dimensional ocean temperature. The SITE is computed by calculating a climatologically averaged difference between coupled model initial conditions and resulting forecasts at very short lead times and removing the observed mean seasonal tendency. Two sets of coupled GCM forecasts, one using an annual mean SITE correction and the other using a SITE correction that is a function of season, are compared with a control set of uncorrected forecasts. Each set consists of 17 12-month forecasts starting on 1 January from 1980 through 1996. The PT correction is found to be an effective method for maintaining a more realistic forecast climatology by reducing systematic ocean temperature errors that lead to a relaxation of the tropical Pacific thermocline slope and a weak tropical SST annual cycle in the control set. The annual mean PT correction, which allows the model to freely generate its own seasonal cycle, leads to increased prediction skill for tropical Pacific SSTs while the seasonally varying PT correction has no impact on this skill. Physical mechanisms responsible for improvements in the coupled model’s annual cycle and forecast skill are investigated. The annual mean structure of the tropical Pacific thermocline is found to be essential for producing a realistic SST annual cycle. The annul mean PT correction helps to maintain a realistic thermocline slope that allows surface winds to impact the annual cycle of SST in the eastern Pacific. Forecast skill is increased if the coupled model correctly captures dynamical modes related to ENSO. The annual mean correction leads to a model ENSO that is best characterized as a delayed oscillator mode while the control model appears to have a more stationary ENSO mode; this apparently has a positive impact on ENSO forecast skill in the PT corrected model.
Can cirrus cloud seeding be used for geoengineering

Cirrus cloud seeding has been proposed as a possible technique that might thin cirrus clouds leading to reduced heating. The technique was shown to be viable in one model evaluation. Here we use an updated version of the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) and reevaluate whether seeding is a viable mechanism for cooling. We explore different model setups (with and without secondary organic aerosols acting as heterogeneous ice nuclei). None of the updated versions of the CAM5 lead to a significant amount of negative climate forcing and hence do not lead to cooling. We only calculate a net negative cloud forcing (−0.74 ± 0.25 W m−2) if we restrict the modeled subgrid-scale updraft velocity during nucleation to <0.2 m s−1 and if the deposition of water vapor onto preexisting ice crystals during nucleation is not included. Hence, we do not find that cirrus cloud seeding is a viable climate intervention technique.
Contraceptive Provision to Adolescent Females Prescribed Teratogenic Medications.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rates of adult women receiving contraceptive provision when simultaneously prescribed a known teratogen are alarmingly low. The prevalence of this behavior among pediatric providers and their adolescent patients is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe pediatric provider behaviors for prescribing teratogens concurrently with counseling, referral, and/or prescribing of contraception (collectively called contraceptive provision) in the adolescent population. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted examining visits in 2008–2012 by adolescents aged 14 to 25 years in which a known teratogen (US Food and Drug Administration pregnancy risk category D or X) was prescribed. The electronic medical records were queried for demographic information, evidence of contraceptive provision, and menstrual and sexual histories. The data were analyzed using standard statistical methods. RESULTS: Within 4172 clinic visits, 1694 females received 4506 prescriptions for teratogenic medications. The most commonly prescribed teratogens were topiramate, methotrexate, diazepam, isotretinoin, and enalapril. The subspecialties prescribing teratogens most frequently were neurology, hematology-oncology, and dermatology. Overall, contraceptive provision was documented in 28.6% of the visits. Whites versus nonwhites and older versus younger girls were more likely to receive contraceptive provision. The presence of a federal risk mitigation system for the teratogen also increased the likelihood of contraceptive provision. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate female adolescents prescribed teratogens receive inadequate contraception provision, which could increase their risk for negative pregnancy outcomes. Although the presence of a federal risk mitigation system appears to improve contraceptive provision, these systems are costly and, in some instances, difficult to implement. Efforts to improve provider practices are needed.
In-Situ Electron Microscopy Studies of Catalyst Deactivation

Summary The use of transmission electron microscopy in heterogeneous catalysis centers around particle size distribution measurement, particle morphology and structural changes in the support. Consideration is given to the limitations of conventional electron microscopy and how modifications to the instrument enable one to conduct in-situ experiments and be in a position to directly observe many of the features of a catalyst as it participates in a reaction. In order to demonstrate the power of the in-situ electron microscopy technique examples are drawn from areas which impact on aspects of catalyst deactivation. In most cases this information could not have been readily obtained by any other means. Included in this paper is a synopsis of the methods available for preparing specimens of model and real catalyst systems which are suitable for examination by transmission electron microscopy.
A nomogram predicting survival of patients (pts) with metastatic or unresectable urothelial cancer (UC) treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy

5055 Background: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard of care for pts with metastatic or unresectable UC with phase III studies reporting median survivals of 12–15 months. Even more surviva...
Evaluating models of the topographical organization of working memory function in frontal cortex with event-related fMRI

Many influential claims about the organization of working memory function in prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been developed and/or tested with functional neuroimaging methods featuring the blocking of behavioral trials and the averaging across blocks of neuroimaging signal. Interpretation of the results of these first-generation neuroimaging studies is subject to several inferential constraints that thereby weaken the models derived from them. We reassessed several models of the functional organization of working memory in PFC by examining or reanalyzing data that were not subject to the same inferential constraints from three event-related fMRI studies of working memory function performed in our laboratory (D’Esposito, Postle, Ballard, & Lease, 1999; Postle, Berger, & D’Esposito, 1999; Postle & D’Esposito, 1999). This process permitted us to reject some of the models derived from first-generation neuroimaging data, to refine others, and to synthesize our results into a revised hybrid model of the working memory functions of PFC.
Compactness and Certain Subclasses of Schlicht Functions

(1969). Compactness and Certain Subclasses of Schlicht Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 76, No. 6, pp. 643-647.
Increased need for thyroxine in women with hypothyroidism during estrogen therapy.

Background Women with hypothyroidism that is being treated with thyroxine often need higher doses when they are pregnant. Whether this need can be attributed solely to estrogen-induced increases in serum thyroxine-binding globulin or whether other factors are involved is not known. Methods In 11 postmenopausal women with normal thyroid function and 25 postmenopausal women with hypothyroidism treated with thyroxine, I assessed thyroid function before they started estrogen therapy and every 6 weeks for 48 weeks thereafter. The women with hypothyroidism included 18 women receiving thyroxine-replacement therapy and 7 women receiving thyrotropin-suppressive thyroxine therapy. On each occasion, serum thyroxine, free thyroxine, thyrotropin, and thyroxine-binding globulin were measured. Results In the women with normal thyroid function, the serum free thyroxine and thyrotropin concentrations did not change, whereas at 12 weeks the mean (±SD) serum thyroxine concentration had increased from 8.0±0.9 μg per decilite...
Impact of subsidence on clinical outcomes and radiographic fusion rates in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a systematic review.

Study Design:Systematic review.Objective:To provide a systematic review of published literature on the impact of subsidence on clinical outcomes and radiographic fusion rates after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plates or without plates.Background:Subsidence of interbody implants is co
Advances in Understanding the Mechanism and Improved Stability of the Synthesis of Ammonia from Air and Water in Hydroxide Suspensions of Nanoscale Fe2O3

We report a mechanism of electrochemical ammonia (NH3) production via an iron intermediate in which H2 and NH3 are cogenerated by different electron-transfer pathways. Solar thermal can contribute to the energy to drive this synthesis, resulting in a STEP, solar thermal electrochemical process, for NH3. Enhancements are presented to this carbon dioxide (CO2)-free synthesis, which uses suspensions of nano-Fe2O3 in high-temperature hydroxide electrolytes at nickel and Monel electrodes. In a 200 °C molten eutectic Na0.5K0.5OH electrolyte, the 3 Faraday efficiency per mole of synthesized NH3, ηNH3, increases with decreasing current density, and at jelectrolysis = 200, 25, 2, and 0.7 mA cm–2, ηNH3 = 1%, 7%, 37%, and 71%, respectively. At 200 mA cm–2, over 90% of applied current drives H2, rather than NH3, formation. Lower temperature supports greater electrolyte hydration. At 105 °C in the hydrated Na0.5K0.5OH electrolyte, ηNH3 increases and then is observed to be highly stable at ηNH3 = 24(+2)%.
Chloride regulation of enzyme turnover: application to the role of chloride in photosystem II.

Chloride-dependent α-amylases, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and photosystem II (PSII) are activated by bound chloride. Chloride-binding sites in these enzymes contain a positively charged Arg or Lys residue crucial for chloride binding. In α-amylases and ACE, removal of chloride from the binding site triggers formation of a salt bridge between the positively charged Arg or Lys residue involved in chloride binding and a nearby carboxylate residue. The mechanism for chloride activation in ACE and chloride-dependent α-amylases is 2-fold: (i) correctly positioning catalytic residues or other residues involved in stabilizing the enzyme−substrate complex and (ii) fine-tuning of the pKa of a catalytic residue. By using examples of how chloride activates α-amylases and ACE, we can gain insight into the potential mechanisms by which chloride functions in PSII. Recent structural evidence from cyanobacterial PSII indicates that there is at least one chloride-binding site in the vicinity of the oxygen-evolvin...
Electrophoretic studies on cerebrospinal fluid.

Summary1. The results of a detailed investigation of the distribution of two rapidly migrating components and of other protein components of cerebrospinal fluids have been presented. A component (X-protein) migrating about 20% faster than the albumin could be demonstrated in every fluid by electrophoresis in phosphate at pH 7.85 and ionic strength 0.05. In addition a component (X1) migrating 8-14% faster than the X-protein was observed in 20% of the cases. 2. Analyses of 49 patterns of the most frequently encountered type and 16 atypical patterns are presented. No individual protein component was responsible for the higher protein concentration observed in some of the fluids. A possible relationship between the X1 component and the occurrence of convulsion in patients was indicated.The authors wish to acknowledge the cooperation of Dr. W. O. Klingman and his associates of the Neurology Clinic; the staff of the Neurosurgery Clinic and the staff of the Roanoke Veterans Hospital for supplying the cerebrospin...
Rates Of Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia (VAP) Decrease Following A Competency-Based ICU Orientation Program

Introduction/Rationale: This EBP study was designed to improve patient care as evidenced by decreased ICU infection rates for Ventilator Acquired Pneumonia (VAP). A competency-based decision-support orientation model was developed and tested by West Virginia University (WVU) School of Nursing and WVU (Ruby Memorial) Hospital (WVUH). Competency-based Orientation for Retention Enhancement in ICU (CORE-ICU) is a dynamic learner-centered, cost-effective orientation to improve care for critically ill patients. Background/Significance: Pneumonia has accounted for approximately 15% of all hospital-associated infections and 24% 27% of all infections acquired in the coronary care unit and medical intensive-care units, respectively. It has been the second most common hospital-associated infection after that of UTI. The primary risk factor for development of hospital-associated bacterial pneumonia is mechanical ventilation (with its requisite endotracheal intubation; CDC, 2007). WVUH monitors rates of VAP on a monthly basis and utilizes the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) reporting NDNQI for benchmark data. The CORE-ICU program focused on level of competency matched to orientation level, promoting nurse involvement in the organizational and clinical decision-making processes of the orientation. Methods: WVU School of Nursing with WVUH embraced the challenge of transitioning new nurses to 21st century critical care aligning nurse competency (knowledge, skill and attitudes KSAs) to levels of orientation. This HRSA grant-funded program included development and implementation of a 5-level Competency-based orientation program for critical-care nursing using knowledge (BKAT), skill (SimMan) and attitude (Critical Thinking Disposition) testing, incorporating collaboration among RNs and other health professionals to improve patient outcomes. NDNQI data was used to report VAP clinical outcomes. Results: Year one outcomes following the development of the 5-level CORE-ICU program for critical care nursing examined NDNQI data for VAP. Cohort #1 with 8 new nurses completed the program in May 2009 and Cohort #2 consisting of 20 nurses completed the program in September 2009. Competencies in orientees improved in knowledge skill, and one area of critical thinking. Clinical outcomes following the first two cohorts program completion document a significant decrease for VAP per 1000 patient days from 7.6 to 2.47 (67.5% decrease) in one year. Conclusions The nurse-driven clinical patient outcomes (VAP) significantly improved compared to the previous year NDNQI data following introduction of the orientation program that included mentor/preceptor training, simulation,and measurable improvement in nurse competencies. Future research should examine the differences in competency development in preceptor/mentors as well as in orientees.
How I treat plantar warts.

Plantar warts in areas that do not bear a major portion of body weight are treated with cautious electro-desiccation and curettage. Warts in major weight-bearing areas are removed with weekly paring and application of 40 percent salicylic acid plaster or 60 percent salicylic acid ointment. Treatment is repeated until the wart is completely excised, usually within three to five weeks.
Interferace of determinating iron in drinking water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and its elimination

Objective: To study the interference when determining iron in water by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry,and use appropriate measure to eliminater interference.Methods:Comparing the results in different inteface,different isotope,comparing results before and after using internal standardization.Results:The background intensity and BEC(Background Equivalent Concentration) of Xi inteface were lower than HPI interface.Using 56Fe isotope and internal standardization could eliminate mass spectroscopic interference and non-spectroscopic interference completely.The results of analyzing practical samples were the same as using FAAS(Flame atomic absorption spectrometry),the results of the detections of limit,RSD and recoveries were satisfactory.Conclusion:Using Xi interface inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry can determine iron in drinking water well.
Vibration and Aconstic Detection for Voiceprint Recognition and Strut Porcelain Insulator

Aiming at shortages of present various online detecting method for strut porcelain insulator,this paper proposes to use voiceprint recognition algorithm to analyze insulator detection result.It introduces principles of noise vibration detection and voiceprint recognition algorithm.On the basis of voiceprint analysis technology,it introduces establishment of voiceprint characteristic vector library which is used for handling noise vibration detection result of the strut porcelain insulator in some substation.The result shows that the normal insulator and defective insulator are respectively provided with different characteristics in voiceprint.It also verifies voiceprint analysis technology is able to effectively distinguish defective insulator which is of the same effectiveness as artificial judgement.
Microbial transformations of p-coumaric acid by Bacillus megaterium and Curvularia lunata.

p-Coumaric acid (1) is an abundant phenolic natural product that exhibits both chemoprotectant and antioxidant properties. Microbial transformation screening studies showed that 1 was converted to 4-vinylphenol (4), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), caffeic acid (5), protocatechuic acid (6), and other unidentified metabolites over 144 h. 4-Vinylphenol (4) and its dimer, (2R,2S)-4-(2,3-dihydro-5-hyroxy-2-benzofuranyl) phenol (11), were produced by Bacillus megaterium, and 5-[(E)-2-carboxyethenyl]-2,3-dihydro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-benzofurancarboxylic acid (15) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2) were produced by Curvularia lunata. On the basis of deuterium-labeling experiments, B. megaterium catalyzes the nonoxidative enzymatic tautomerization of 1 to a vinylogous β-keto acid intermediate that decarboxylates to 4. The presence of peroxidase and laccase activities in C. lunata extracts suggests that these enzymes may be involved in one-electron, p-coumaric acid dimerization in this organism.
Advances in reconstruction of digital joints.

Advances in reconstruction of digital joints include a precise classification system for severity of injury and application of recent experimental evidence of the value of motion to encourage healing of articular cartilage. The greatest advance, in fact, has been the application of dynamic traction—combining motion and traction—through the use of an arcuate splint to provide ligamentotaxis by distal traction while allowing intermittent passive motion. The dynamic traction splint fabrication and application is fully described, and case examples with excellent long-term results are provided. Dynamic traction can be applied also in combination with either closed or open reduction of fractures, with condylar fractures, or after tenolysis and capsular release. In the future, dynamic traction will be used even more with continuous passive motion machines. The dynamic traction method is now coming into ascendancy for the treatment of digital joint injuries.
Systems Context of the ARIES-AT Conceptual Fusion Power Plant

A 1-GWe-class magnetic fusion power plant conceptual design emphasizing advanced tokamak physics and advanced technologies is designated ARIES-AT. The point design and accessible operating space is described. Key trades and sensitivities are presented to illuminate the drivers of both direct cost and cost of electricity (COE).
What Does All This Data Mean for My Future Mood? Actionable Analytics and Targeted Reflection for Emotional Well-Being

We explore the Examined Life, informing the design of reflective systems to promote emotional well-being, a critical health issue. People now have increasingly rich, digital records of highly personal data about what they said, did, and felt in the past. But social science research shows that people have difficulty in tracking and regulating their emotions. New reflective technologies that promote constructive analysis of rich personal data potentially offer transformative ways that individuals might better understand themselves and improve well-being. However, there are important system design challenges in supporting effective reflection about personal data. We explore fidelity in recording and representing past personal mood data, and forecasting future actions, feelings, and thoughts. Much prior personal informatics work has been dedicated to past-centric tools for recording and capture. In contrast, forecasting examines how we might use such past data to inform and motivate our future selves, providing recommendations about remedial actions to improve future well-being. Fidelity addresses both how and what reflective systems should show people about their pasts, in particular whether we should filter negative past experiences. To inform reflective system design, we examine forecasting and fidelity in controlled field trial interventions that explore two novel system designs for presenting and reflecting on mood data. We detail findings from 165 participants, 4,693 participant logfiles, 65 surveys, and 15 user interviews. Our novel forecasting system, EmotiCal, uses past mood data to model and visualize future user moods with the goal of encouraging participants to adopt remedial new behaviors to regulate negative moods before they occur. Such forecasting both improved mood and subsequent emotional self-awareness compared with controls who simply monitored their past. Consistent with system goals, interview responses also indicated that participants generated important insights into behaviors that affect their moods. Our second intervention examined filtering; it assessed the impact on well-being of recording and revisiting past experiences containing negative emotions. We compared participants who were encouraged to record and reflect on positive versus negative experiences. Long-term measures of happiness and ruminative behaviors improved by recording and reflecting on positive but not negative experiences, although this depended on the intensity of the negative experience. We discuss general design and theory implications for future systems that support monitoring, reflection, and forecasting to facilitate productive examination of our emotional lives.
Exploring Strengths and Weaknesses in Middle School Students’ Computational Thinking in Scratch

We live in a century where technology has become part of our lives, and it is crucial that we become active creators of technology, not just passive users. Learning to program computers enables a person to create twenty-first-century solutions. Computer programming is more than just learning how to code; it also exposes students to the opportunity to develop computational thinking (CT), which involves problem-solving using computer science concepts. In this chapter, we explore strengths and weaknesses of students’ CT skills and compare a group of seventh- and eighth-grade students who engaged in a Scratch programming environment. Scratch is a popular visual programming language that introduces computer programming to youth. We use Dr. Scratch, a CT assessment tool, to analyze students’ Scratch projects for evidence of CT. The results of this study can show researchers and educators how they might use Dr. Scratch to analyze students’ Scratch data to help improve their CT.
Impact of chemical plant start-up emissions on ambient ozone concentration

Abstract Flare emissions, especially start-up flare emissions, during chemical plant operations generate large amounts of ozone precursors that may cause highly localized and transient ground-level ozone increment. Such an adverse ozone impact could be aggravated by the synergies of multiple plant start-ups in an industrial zone. In this paper, a systematic study on ozone increment superposition due to chemical plant start-up emissions has been performed. It employs dynamic flaring profiles of two olefin plants’ start-ups to investigate the superposition of the regional 1-hr ozone increment. It also summaries the superposition trend by manipulating the starting time (00:00–10:00) of plant start-up operations and the plant distance (4–32 km). The study indicates that the ozone increment induced by simultaneous start-up emissions from multiple chemical plants generally does not follow the linear superposition of the ozone increment induced by individual plant start-ups. Meanwhile, the trend of such nonlinear superposition related to the temporal (starting time and operating hours of plant start-ups) and spatial (plant distance) factors is also disclosed. This paper couples dynamic simulations of chemical plant start-up operations with air-quality modeling and statistical methods to examine the regional ozone impact. It could be helpful for technical decision support for cost-effective air-quality and industrial flare emission controls.
A Cure for Psychodynamic Irregularities: A Reply to Lambley

Lambley’s critique represents an attempt to integrate psychodynamic interpretations with behavioral techniques. Unfortunately as his case study illustrates, such psychic theorizing serves only to detract from the therapist’s analysis of the patient’s perceptions of maladaptive behavior.
A Cardiomyopathy Mutation in the Myosin Essential Light Chain Alters Actomyosin Structure.

We have used site-directed time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer to determine the effect of a pathological mutation in the human ventricular essential light chain (hVELC) of myosin, on the structural dynamics of the actin-myosin complex. The hVELC modulates the function of actomyosin, through the interaction of its N-terminal extension with actin and its C-terminal lobe with the myosin heavy chain. Several mutations in hVELC are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Some biochemical effects of these mutations are known, but further insight is needed about their effects on the structural dynamics of functioning actomyosin. Therefore, we introduced the HCM mutation E56G into a single-cysteine (C16) hVELC construct and substituted it for the VELC of bovine cardiac myosin subfragment 1. Using a donor fluorescent probe on actin (at C374) and an acceptor probe on C16 of hVELC, we performed time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer, directly detecting structural changes within the bound actomyosin complex during function. The E56G mutation has no significant effect on actin-activated ATPase activity or actomyosin affinity in the presence of ATP, or on the structure of the strong-binding S complex in the absence of ATP. However, in the presence of saturating ATP, where both W (prepowerstroke) and S (postpowerstroke) structural states are observed, the mutant increases the mole fraction of the S complex (increasing the duty ratio), while shifting the structure of the remaining W complex toward that of S, indicating a structural redistribution toward the strongly bound (force-generating) complex. We propose that this effect is responsible for the hypercontractile phenotype induced by this HCM mutation in myosin.
Fairness in fog networks: Achieving fair throughput performance in MQTT-based IoTs

Fog computing is a promising technology that enables users to perform time-sensitive IoT analytics at locations near the clients. Recent studies have shown the improved delivery performance of fog networks by comparing them with traditional cloud-based architectures. In this paper, we focus on further improving the delivery performance of a fog network. We first show that the performance of fog networks in their native form suffers from unfairness among the IoT clients, which results in causing heterogeneous delivery delays. As a consequence, the fog node (which performs analytics) would need to wait for a prolonged time, until all IoT clients send their data. In this paper, we address this critical fairness issue from the network point of view, and propose a framework to achieve fair delivery of clients' data to the fog node. To this end, we identify the transport layer aspects that contribute to the unfairness, and appropriately augment the transport layer in order to enable fairness among the IoT clients. We also develop an experimental prototype of MQTT-based IoT nodes using Raspberry Pi devices, and extensively study the network performance, as well as demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed framework.