cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of anthracite: Using carbon dioxide versus air

Abstract Devolatilized (950°C) anthracite was activated in 0.1 MPa CO 2 at 950°C and 0.1 MPa air at 425°C and 450°C. At comparable gasification rates and carbon burn-offs in CO 2 and air, larger surface areas and pore volumes were developed by activation in CO 2 . This is attributed foremost to less uniform activation through the anthracite particles when gasification takes place in air. Also, the formation of a stable oxygen complex, concurrent with carbon gasification in air, may reduce the efficiency of anthracite activation.
SoC Design Space Exploration through Automated IP Selection from SystemC IP Library

Given a SystemC IP library, constructing SoC simulation models for design space exploration often distract designers from system architecture concerns to software engineering and programming concerns. Fast design space exploration using a visual architectural specification framework followed by automated IP selection and construction of simulation models without having to programmatically composing the IPs is the main attractive feature of the component composition framework developed and described in this paper. We employ concepts of metamodeling for the visual specification, meta-data for the IP reflection, and algorithmic analysis of metadata for IP selection, matching and executable model construction.
Is protein folding hierarchic? I. Local structure and peptide folding

The folding reactions of some small proteins show clear evidence of a hierarchic process, whereas others, lacking detectable intermediates, do not. Nevertheless, we argue that both classes fold hierarchically and that folding begins locally. If this is the case, then the secondary structure of a protein is determined largely by local sequence information. Experimental data and theoretical considerations support this argument. Part I of this article reviews the relationship between secondary structures in proteins and their counterparts in peptides.
The Problem of Co-Occurring Disorders among Jail Detainees Antisocial Disorder, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Depression*

This paper documents the degree and pattern of overlap of antisocial disorder. alcoholism. drug use disorders, and major depression among 688 randomly selected male jail detainees. Diagnostic assessments were made using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Data indicate that multiple disorders are a serious problem among male detainees. Detainees were more likely to have two or three disorders than to have a single disorder. Of detainees, 44% had a lifetime prevalence of two or more of these syndromes. Few subjects with multiple disorders were found to have primary, or initial onset of, substance abuse disorders or primary depression. Rather, antisocial disorder predominated as the primary syndrome in diagnostic profiles. The preponderance of antisocial disorder among codisordered detainees is disturbing because it is a poor prognostic indicator. Implications for substance abuse intervention, treatment of depression, and intervention with antisocial personality disorder among detainees are discussed.
Caregiver-Child Interactions and Early Literacy Development of Preschool Children From Low-Income Environments:

Children growing up in low-income environments have lower-than-average levels of reading achievement and higher-than-average rates of special education placement. Research suggests that this discrepancy can be linked to differences in experiences during the early childhood years. A group of Head Start children's (n = 39) early literacy skills (letter-naming, phoneme blending, and onset recognition) and expressive and receptive vocabulary skills were assessed and correlated with measures of caregiver-child interactions observed in the home. Caregivers also were asked to report rates of early literacy activities. Results indicated that the children in Head Start demonstrated a range of early literacy and language abilities, and variation in these skills was related to some aspects of the children's home environments. In particular, degree of caregiver involvement, rate of language interactions, and participation in early literacy activities were related to early literacy and language skills. This explorator...
Creation of a superradiance state by a sub-ps uni-polar half-cycle field pulse

We have demonstrated that superradiance and superfluorescence states can be created in a selective manner in n=20 Rydberg states of Na atoms using a sub-ps, uni-polar half-cycle field pulse.
Synthesis of Signals for De Novo DNA Methylation in Neurospora crassa

Most 5-methylcytosine in Neurospora crassa occurs in A:T-rich sequences high in TpA dinucleotides, hallmarks of repeat-induced point mutation. To investigate how such sequences induce methylation, we developed a sensitive in vivo system. Tests of various 25- to 100-bp synthetic DNA sequences revealed that both T and A residues were required on a given strand to induce appreciable methylation. Segments composed of (TAAA)(n) or (TTAA)(n) were the most potent signals; 25-mers induced robust methylation at the special test site, and a 75-mer induced methylation elsewhere. G:C base pairs inhibited methylation, and cytosines 5' of ApT dinucleotides were particularly inhibitory. Weak signals could be strengthened by extending their lengths. A:T tracts as short as two were found to cooperate to induce methylation. Distamycin, which, like the AT-hook DNA binding motif found in proteins such as mammalian HMG-I, binds to the minor groove of A:T-rich sequences, suppressed DNA methylation and gene silencing. We also found a correlation between the strength of methylation signals and their binding to an AT-hook protein (HMG-I) and to activities in a Neurospora extract. We propose that de novo DNA methylation in Neurospora cells is triggered by cooperative recognition of the minor groove of multiple short A:T tracts. Similarities between sequences subjected to repeat-induced point mutation in Neurospora crassa and A:T-rich repeated sequences in heterochromatin in other organisms suggest that related mechanisms control silent chromatin in fungi, plants, and animals.
De lector-espectador a copartícipe: el papel del público en las Pulgas dramáticas de José Moreno Arenas

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being”. [“Considero el teatro la forma mas grande del arte, la manera mas inmediata en que un ser humano puede compartir con otro ser humano la sensacion de lo que es ser humano”]. Oscar Wilde
The Form and Function of Social Development Insights From a Parasite

Social environments can structure behavioral development and affect genetic and cultural evolution. Here, I review recent work on the development and function of social skills in brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), a gregarious, brood-parasitic songbird. I manipulated social composition of captive flocks of cowbirds and studied the development of vocal and social behavior of individuals within the flocks. Results revealed dramatic flexibility in cowbirds’ traits that were never before considered to be influenced by the social environment, such as aggression, mate guarding, sexual preferences, and even their mating system (monogamy vs. promiscuity). Furthermore, behaviors most responsive to social influence during development (female- and male-directed singing) were the behaviors most closely related to reproductive success, revealing the traits on which selection may be acting. Taken together, these experiments highlight that social experiences throughout life organize effective species-typical behavi...
The electron localization function: A tool for locating favorable proton docking sites in the silica polymorphs

The ELF electron localization function was used to locate regions ascribed to localized nonbonding electrons as favorable docking sites for hydrogen atoms in coesite, quartz, and stishovite. A mapping of the function for a series of representative hydroxyacid disilicate and cyclosiloxane molecules indicates that the nonbonding regions on the bridging oxide anions involved in narrow SiOSi angles are more favorable as docking sites than those involved in wide angles. It also indicates that the nonbonding regions associated with the nonbridging oxide anions comprising surface SiOH dangling bonded interactions are likewise favorable docking sites. ELF descriptions of the nonbonding and bonding regions for coesite and quartz were found to be similar to those obtained for the molecules. For a protonated coesite crystal, the function was also used to deduce the positions of the model H atoms of a defect ν(OH)4 group where ν is the vacancy left by Si. The positions of the H atoms were found to be in reasonable agreement with those determined in an infrared study, particularly for those bonded to anions involved in narrow SiOSi angles. A mapping of the ELF indicates that the OH vector reported for stishovite is oriented nearly perpendicular (92.5°) to [001], as found in infrared studies. The nonbonding region displayed by the function was used to locate the position of the H atom at a distance of 0.96 A from the nonequivalent oxide anion comprising the shared edge of the silicate octahedra. The positions of model hydrogen atoms comprising a potential defect ν(OH)4 group in quartz were also deduced on the basis of the positions of the local maxima of the nonbonding regions. When used in conjunction with spectroscopic methods, the strategy used in this study should be useful in locating protons in Earth materials with trace amounts of H. Maxima ascribed to regions of bonding and nonbonding electrons displayed in the ELF maps were found to be in close correspondence with those displayed in valence, deformation, and Laplacian electron-density distributions. Collectively, these results indicate that the electron density is localized in the nonbonded regions of the anions involved in the narrow SiOSi angles (angles less than ∼150°) in silica polymorphs like quartz and coesite and much less so for the anions involved in wider angles.
2X1 prototype plasma-electrode Pockels cell (PEPC) for the National Ignition Facility

A large aperture optical switch based on plasma electrode Pockels cell (PEPC) technology is an integral part of the National Ignition Facility (NIP) laser design. This optical switch will trap the input optical pulse in the NIF amplifier cavity for four gain passes and then switch the high-energy output optical pulse out of the cavity. The switch will consist of arrays of plasma electrode Pockels cells working in conjunction with thin-film, Brewster`s angle polarizes. The 192 beams in the NIF will be arranged in 4x2 bundles. To meet the required beam-to-beam spacing within each bundle, we have proposed a NIF PEPC design based on a 4x1 mechanical module (column) which is in turn comprised of two electrically independent 2x1 PEPC units. In this paper, we report on the design a single 2x1 prototype module and experimental tests of important design issues using our single, 32 cm aperture PEPC prototype. The purpose the 2x1 prototype is to prove the viability of a 2x1 PEPC and to act, as an engineering test bed for the NIF PEPC design.
Sequential linear programming for design of time-optimal controllers

This paper presents a sequential linear programming approach for the determination of time-optimal controller for nonlinear systems. The sequential linear programming solution is used to update the control profile so as to satisfy the terminal conditions for an assumed maneuver time. A univariant minimization approach which brackets the optimal value of the maneuver time, such as the bisection algorithm is used in an outer loop to converge to the minimum time. The proposed technique is illustrated on two benchmark problems: the attitude control of a spacecraft and the minimum time control of a robot.
Assessment of dietary and egg injected d-biotin, pyridoxine and folic acid on turkey hatchability: folic acid and poult weight

This report is a standardized compendium of age-related reproductive response data of turkey hens from the use of dietary supplemental d-biotin, pyridoxine and folic acid; and of commercial and domestic egg injections of each of the crystalline vitamins to determine their limiting inherent essence in causing embryo failure. With reproductive response data reported in each of three grouped time periods of production (5–6 wk each), the system of analysis was not confounded with feed consumption with the progression of maternal age. Maternal age had no effect on vitamin transport to the egg for any of the three vitamins; and no effect on hatchability or poult weight, with the exception of biotin and folic acid, respectively. With the progression of maternal age, higher dietary biotin and folic acid levels were required for hatchability and poult weight, respectively, after 5–6 wk of production. There was a lack of/or minor effect of dietary pyridoxine on the transfer of vitamin B 6 , for hatchability of turkey eggs. Egg injections of pyridoxine were vital for increasing hatchability even though the hen's diet was amply supplemented with pyridoxine. Manual egg vitamin injections are considered valuable for diagnosing possible limiting vitamins for hatchability. The manual injection method utilized small egg numbers and was administered at selective intervals over the production cycle. Automated injections were utilized for commercial flocks where egg numbers were large. Automated egg injections performed in the commercial sector, had no detrimental influence on poult viability or growth after hatching. Statistical reliability existed between hatchability results of automated and manual egg injections of a single vitamin level, and between different flocks of the same strain, both commercial and experimental. The report offers practical insight for versatile changes in meeting dietary and egg needs of the three vitamins for higher reproductive performance. The report also offers new insight for hatchability improvement with dietary biotin with the progression of age in the hen.
Growth and Sporulation of Smooth and Rough Variants of Bacillus Stearothermophilus in Pea Extract and on Pea Agar

SUMMARY The influence of rough and smooth variants of Bacillus stearothermophilus on growth and sporulation of each was investigated. The smooth variant grew faster from spore inoculum than the rough variant and produced more acid than the rough when grown separately. However, when grown together, the growth was similar to the smooth; and acid production, as measured by pH, was also the same. When the inoculum was vegetative cells, the growth of rough and smooth were similar to the rough both in growth and pH. More spores were produced by the rough variant than by the smooth variant when grown separately on pea agar or in pea extract. When grown together on pea agar or in pea extract, the total number of spores was less than the rough variant but they were of the rough variant type.
"Gulick Revisited, Again: Investigating Drivers of Span of Control in North Carolina Public Schools"

When Luther Gulick first discussed the idea of span of control in “Notes on a Theory of Organization,” he argued that certain institutional factors drive the span of control relationship between le...
Continuous elevation of blood growth hormone concentrations by beeswax implant.

Abstract We examined constancy of release of purified ovine growth hormone from an implant containing soybean oil and bees-wax. Implants contained an amount of growth hormone that was sufficient to increase concentrations in blood plasma by 20 and 40ng/ml and to maintain those concentrations over 1 wk. Growth hormone in plasma increased to approximately 65ng/ml in lambs receiving low dose implants the 1st day after implantation, returned to 31ng/ml on day 2, and remained near this concentration for the remainder of the week. Pulse release of growth hormone was not similar in the high dose lambs where growth hormone concentration in plasma averaged 45ng/ml 1 day after implantation, then gradually increased to 60ng/ml on day 6. Unimplanted control lambs had mean growth hormone concentrations of 2.9 to 3.9ng/ml throughout the 6-day observation. This approach should interest investigators studying the chronic influence of purified or synthetic growth hormone on dairy cows, beef steers, or lambs.
Updated Life Prediction Models for Solder Joints with Removal of Modeling Assumptions and Effect of Constitutive Equations

There are two sources of errors in any finite element based life prediction model: the finite element mesh and assumptions, and the material properties used -specifically the constitutive model used to describe the behavior of solder joints during temperature cycling. The use of these assumptions may prohibit the application of life prediction model to conditions beyond the ones used to develop the model. The author has previously proposed life prediction models for SnPb and SnAgCu solder joints using advanced finite element modeling techniques such as sub-structuring and multi-point constraints. The assumptions were necessary to increase the efficiency of solution with available computing power. With the advances in computing technology, these assumptions are no longer necessary, and more accurate life prediction can be achieved by eliminating most of the modeling assumptions. In this paper, the updated life prediction model parameters for SnAgCu solder joints are presented without the use of sub-structuring and multi-point constraints. All joints for a particular package-board interconnection are modeled as having non-linear properties. In addition, a detailed mesh refinement study is done to determine the minimum mesh density required to yield near mesh-independent results. In addition to modeling assumptions, the constitutive equation used for solder joints may also influence the life prediction model parameters. To investigate this further, the creep behavior of SnAgCu solder joints is represented by using published constitutive equations (double power law creep and hyperbolic sine equation). The results show a significant influence of constitutive equation on creep strain based life prediction model but minimum impact when energy density based approach is used
Psychiatric and neurologic predictors of psychogenic pseudoseizure outcome

Objective: To investigate the patterns of occurrence of psychogenic pseudoseizures (PPS) of 45 consecutive patients during a 6-month period after diagnosis, and to determine whether psychiatric and neurologic variables identified previously in PPS patient series can predict their recurrence after diagnosis, and whether any of these variables are associated with a particular outcome pattern. Method:— Postdiagnosis PPS recurrence was assessed twice: during the first month and during a period ranging from the second to the sixth month. Outcome was categorized as follows: class I, complete cessation of PPS; class II, PPS only during one of the two observation periods; and class III, persistent PPS during the two observation periods. The authors used a logistic regression model to identify predictors of PPS recurrence (versus no PPS) among four neurologic and nine psychiatric variables, and compared their frequency among the three outcome classes. Results: Class I, n = 13 (29%); class II, n = 12 (27%); and class III, n = 20 (44%). The presence of an abnormal MR image predicted PPS recurrence during the second observation period with a 75% accuracy. The presence of all nine psychiatric variables predicted PPS recurrence during both the first and second observation periods with a 93% and an 89% accuracy respectively. Patients with a class III outcome had a markedly higher frequency of recurrent major depression, dissociative and personality disorders, and a history of chronic abuse. Patients with a class II outcome displayed a notably higher frequency of denial of stressors and psychosocial problems, refusal of treatment recommendations, and new somatic symptoms after disclosure of diagnosis. Conversely, one episode of major depression was the one common diagnosis in patients with a class I outcome. Conclusions: PPS outcome after disclosure of diagnosis can be predicted by the presence of certain psychiatric characteristics. More than one psychopathogenic mechanism appears to operate in PPS.
Multilevel and Strategic Recruiting Where Have We Been, Where Can We Go From Here?

Recruiting influences employees’ motivation, performance, and retention. Because an organization’s talent influences its capabilities, strategic execution, and competitive advantage, recruiting is a foundation of organizational performance. Strategic recruitment refers to recruitment practices that are connected across levels of analysis and aligned with the goals, strategies, context, and characteristics of the organization. It differs from traditional recruitment perspectives by explicitly connecting firm strategy and context to recruitment practices and activities within that firm. Strategic recruitment lies at the nexus of four important topics: resource-based theory, strategic human resource management, human capital, and levels of analysis. In this review, we first define strategic recruitment and explain its importance. Next, we briefly review why strategic recruitment is a critical yet underexplored area of research despite decades of research on strategic human resource management in general and recruitment in particular. Finally, we introduce a model that advances our understanding of strategic recruitment. We introduce two new concepts, horizontal strategic recruitment and vertical strategic recruitment, which connect to the ideas of horizontal and vertical alignment in the strategic human resource management literature but focus explicitly on the notion of strategic recruitment. This model highlights a variety of opportunities for future recruitment research relevant to resource-based theory, strategic human resource management, human capital, and levels of analysis.
Pretreatment of Depression Before Cervical Spine Surgery Improves Patients' Perception of Postoperative Health Status: A Retrospective, Single Institutional Experience.

Background Previous research has indicated that postoperative pain and functional outcomes are influenced by affective disorders, especially depression. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to assess whether pretreatment of depression before surgery improved patient-reported outcomes measures and overall satisfaction with care. Methods A total of 140 adult patients (pretreated patients: 25; control patients: 115) underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion at Duke University Medical Center were included in this study. Of the 140 patients, 25 patients had a known history of depression diagnosed and treated by a board-certified psychiatrist with an antidepressant at least 6 months before surgery. Enrollment criteria included available demographic, surgical, medication, and clinical outcome data. Patients completed the Neck Disability Index (NDI), Short Form-12 (SF-12), and visual analog scale (VAS) before surgery, then at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Clinical outcomes were compared between both patient cohorts. Results Baseline characteristics were similar between both cohorts. At baseline there were no significant differences in NDI ( P = 0.11), SF-12 physical component score (PCS; P = 0.63), and neck pain VAS ( P = 0.80). There were no significant differences in the incidence of nerve root injury ( P = 0.00) or durotomy ( P = 0.31) between the treatment and control cohorts. At 1 year postoperatively, both cohorts demonstrated similar improvement in neck pain VAS ( P = 0.92), NDI ( P = 0.32), SF-12 PCS ( P = 0.15), and SF-12 mental component score ( P = 0.38). These results were durable through 2 years. At 2 years, both the demonstrated similar improvement from baseline in neck pain VAS ( P = 0.88), NDI ( P = 0.43), SF-12 PCS ( P = 0.28), and SF-12 mental component score ( P = 0.40). Conclusion Our study suggests that in patients with depression, pretreatment with antidepressants before surgery significantly improves their perception and pain and functional disability.
Mapping Decadence: From a Hunch to a Web Site

This article explores the creation of a digital mapping project, Mapping Decadence (mappingdecadence.org). The project explores the role that spatial location played in shaping the collaborations of four late-nineteenth-century French writers with their publishers. Closely affiliated with the Decadent movement, the writers include Joris-Karl Huysmans, Jean Lorrain, Rachilde, and Marcel Schwob. Beginning with the questions that led me to the project in the first place and concluding with my plans for expanding the project in the future, the article offers a roadmap of the trials and triumphs that come with digital humanities mapping projects. It also demonstrates the crucial role played by library resources—human, physical, and digital—in making this project a reality. And it discusses the place of mapping decadence in the wider landscape of digital humanities mapping projects. The article should be of use to scholars, archivists, librarians, and many others currently contemplating a digital project of the...
Supreme Court Ethics: The Need for Greater Transparency and Accountability.

Seven years ago, ABC News invited me to be interviewed for a story on concerns over the receipt of gifts by justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. They sent a camera crew to my house in Houston on New Year’s Eve and I was interviewed by a correspondent in Washington, D.C. by speaker-phone for over an hour. After the interview, I wondered whether I had said anything newsworthy enough (or controversial enough) to get on the air. I could recall one moment when I said something that might be likely to be considered to be an appropriate sound-bite. Surprisingly, I guessed right. At one point during the interview, I leaned forward and said: “The judge on every court in the United States is subject to some ethical rules except the Supreme Court of the United States.”
Use of optical speckle patterns for compressive sensing of RF signals in the GHz band

We demonstrate that speckle patterns at the output of multimode optical waveguides can be used for a compressive sensing (CS) measurement matrix (MM) to measure sparse RF signals in the GHz band (1-100 GHz). In our system mode-locked femtosecond laser pulses are stretched to a width on the order of the interpulse time, modulated by the RF, and injected into a multimode waveguide. The speckle pattern out of the guide is imaged onto an array of photodiodes whose output is digitized by a bank of ADCs. We have measured the CS MM for multimode fibers and used these MMs to demonstrate that sparse RF signals (sparsity K) modulated on a chirped optical carrier can be recovered from M measurements (the number of photodiodes) consistent with the CS relation M ~ K log(N/K) (N is the number of samples needed for Nyquist rate sampling). We demonstrate experimentally that speckle sampling gives comparable results to the photonic WDM sampling system used previously for periodic undersampling (multi-coset sampling) of RF chirp pulses. We have also calculated MMs for both multimode fibers and planar waveguides using their respective mode solutions to determine optimal waveguide parameters for a CS system. Our results suggest a path to a CS system for GHz band RF signals that can be completely constructed using photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology.
A guide to low molecular weight GTPases.

An increasing number of biological processes have been shown to be regulated by proteins that bind and hydrolyze GTP. The sequence of the presumed active site of GTP hydrolysis is highly conserved in most of these proteins, and, therefore, the three-dimensional structures of these sites are likely to be congruent as well. Homologous structures in the GTPase domains do not, however, indicate a similarity of physiological function. Nucleotide hydrolysis may be coupled to any energy-requiring process, such as macromolecular or organeliar movement, active transport across membranes, or allosteric regulation of protein activity. in general, therefore, it is amino acid sequences that are not directly involved in GTP utilization per se that dictate the biochemical role of the GTPases. The conserved amino acid sequences of the GTPaseactive site of a family of proteins that will be referred to as lmgs2 are listed in Table 1 along with the known or presumed functions for some of these proteins. The proteins share a number of properties resulting from the structures formed by these sequences (Table 2): they catalyze a slow intrinsic magnesium ion-dependent hydrolysis of bound GTP and bind the product GDP with high affinity (submicromolar dissociation constants). The intrinsic rates of GTP hydrolysis and dissociation of GDP are on the order of 0.01/mm. Mutational analysis has elucidated the parts played by the conserved amino acid residues in these catalytic functions and contributed to the discovery ofthe biological roles ofthe GTPases (Table 2). The X-ray crystallographic structure of the ras protein (a six-stranded fl-sheet with the strands linked by loops and a-helices) provides a physical description ofthe roles of the conserved amino acid residues noted in Table 1 (77, 1 1 7-120). The first element (G-1) is the fl-phosphoryl binding ioop. The central region of this loop is the sequence G-X-X-(A/G/S)-X-G-K-S/T. According to the X-ray structure, the main-chain amide hydrogens of the fourth through the seventh amino acids of this ioop form bonds with the fl-phosphate of GTP. The 6-amino group of the lysmne residue appears to form hydrogen bonds with the carbonyl groups of the first two residues in the loop and with the #{176}y-phosphate of GTP. The hydroxyl oxygen of the terminal serine or threonine residue binds the mag-
Formation Mechanism of High-Density, Flattened Polymer Nanolayers Adsorbed on Planar Solids

Thermal annealing is one of the most indispensable polymer fabrication processes and plays essential roles in controlling morphologies and properties of polymeric materials. We here report that thermal annealing also facilitates polymer adsorption from the melt on planar silicon (Si) substrates, resulting in the formation of a high-density polymer nanolayer with flattened chain confirmations. Three different homopolymers (polystyrene, poly(2-vinylpyridine), and poly(methyl methacrylate)), which have similar inherent stiffness and bulk glass transition temperature (Tg), but have different affinities with Si substrates, were chosen as models. Spin-cast films (∼50 nm in thickness) with the three polymers were prepared on cleaned Si substrates and then placed in a vacuum oven set at a temperature far above the bulk Tg. In order to monitor the polymer adsorption process at the solid-polymer melt interface during thermal annealing, we used the protocol that combines vitrification of the annealed films (via rapi...
Reassessing the Traditional Interpretation of “Manioc” Artifacts in the Orinoco Valley of Venezuela

There exists general consensus in the archaeological literature that bitter manioc was a staple crop in precontact agricultural systems in the lowlands of South America. This view is based upon the indirect evidence derived from archaeological ceramic and lithic assemblages rather than archaeobotanical evidence, the preserved remains of bitter manioc itself. Studies of microlithic “manioc” grater flakes from Pozo Azul Norte-1, a site located in the middle Orinoco valley of Venezuela, reveal a much more complex function of these artifacts involving the processing of several starchy roots including arrowroot, guapo, yam, and ginger, as well as seeds including maize and possibly palm. The starch and use-wear data collected in these investigations indicate that archaeobotanical data are a more reliable means of assessing the function of these tools than are ethnographic analogues.
Studies of relationship between mouse cytomegalovirus and interferon.

SummaryThe relationship between mouse cytomegalovirus and interferon was studied. MCMV was found to be relatively unresponsive to exogenous interferon in vitro, and attempts to alter the course of either acute or chronic MCMV infection with either exogenous or endogenous interferon in vivo were unsuccessful. Interferon was not detected in cell cultures infected with MCMV, in the livers of infected suckling and weanling mice, nor in the salivary glands of weanling mice at various stages of infection. During acute MCMV infection of mice there was marked inhibition of the capacity to produce circulating interferon in response to intravenous injection of NDV. This inhibitory effect of MCMV was independent of disease manifestations and the age of the infected animal.
NWTC Back-Leg model tests

A test program was designed and conducted to investigate and understand the flow in the compressorheat exchanger portion (Back-Leg) of the National Wind Tunnel Complex (NWTC) Transonic Wind Tunnel. A 1/23 scale model of the Back-Leg was constructed, commissioned and testing was completed in a seven month period starting in the fall of 1995. The results showed that the diffuser system originally designed for the Transonic Wind Tunnel performed poorly with unsteady boundary layer behavior in the conical diffuser and intermittent separation in the wideangle diffuser. The flow uniformity and steadiness were improved considerably by installing two 51% open-area ratio screens in the wide-angle diffuser. The flow quality was further improved by installing a coarse grid in the conical diffuser. These data should be a useful baseline for future testing and for computer simulations of full-scale designs. This paper contains some selected results from this study; a full account of the investigation is given in Yaste et al. '.
A method of isolating normal and fowlpox infected chorioallantoic epithelium.

SummaryA method is described for isolating chorioallantoic epithelium from normal and fowlpox infected embryonated hen eggs.
Erratum for Pattabiraman and Bopp, Draft Whole-Genome Sequences of 10 Serogroup O6 Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Strains

Volume 2, no. 6, [e01274-14][1], 2014. Page 1: The first sentence of the third paragraph should read as follows. “The average size of the ETEC genomes in this study was 4.88 Mb; 2013EL-1320 (Table 1) had the smallest genome, at 4.71 Mb, and F6097 (Table 1) had the largest genome, at 5.18 Mb.”
Eating breakfast together as a family: mealtime experiences and associations with dietary intake among adolescents in rural Minnesota, USA.

Objective Although existing evidence links breakfast frequency to better dietary quality, little is known specifically in regard to the benefits associated with eating breakfast together with one’s family. The present study describes the prevalence and experience of having family meals at breakfast among rural families and examines associations between meal frequency and adolescent diet quality. Design Data were drawn from Project BreakFAST, a group-randomized trial aimed at increasing school breakfast participation in rural Minnesota high schools, USA. Linear mixed models were used to examine associations between student reports of family breakfast frequency and Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) scores while accounting for clustering within schools, demographics and household food security. Setting Adolescent students from sixteen schools completed online surveys, height and weight measurements, and dietary recalls at baseline in 2012–2014. Subjects The sample included 827 adolescents (55·1 % girls) in grades 9–10 who reported eating breakfast on at most three days per school week. Results On average, adolescents reported eating breakfast with their family 1·3 (sd 1·9) times in the past week. Family breakfast meals occurred most frequently in the homes of adolescents who reported a race other than white (P=0·002) or Hispanic ethnicity (P=0·02). Family breakfast frequency was directly associated with adolescent involvement in preparing breakfast meals (P<0·001) and positive attitudes (P≤0·01) about mealtime importance, interactions and structure. Family breakfast frequency was unrelated to most diet quality markers. Conclusions Family meals may be one important context of opportunity for promoting healthy food patterns at breakfast. Additional research is needed to better inform and evaluate strategies.
The Digital Divide and Patient Portals: Internet Access Explained Differences in Patient Portal Use for Secure Messaging by Age, Race, and Income.

BACKGROUND Online access to health records and the ability to exchange secure messages with physicians can improve patient engagement and outcomes; however, the digital divide could limit access to web-based portals among disadvantaged groups. OBJECTIVES To understand whether sociodemographic differences in patient portal use for secure messaging can be explained by differences in internet access and care preferences. RESEARCH DESIGN Cross-sectional survey to examine the association between patient sociodemographic characteristics and internet access and care preferences; then, the association between sociodemographic characteristics and secure message use with and without adjusting for internet access and care preference. SUBJECTS One thousand forty-one patients with chronic conditions in a large integrated health care delivery system (76% response rate). MEASURES Internet access, portal use for secure messaging, preference for in-person or online care, and sociodemographic and health characteristics. RESULTS Internet access and preference mediated some of the differences in secure message use by age, race, and income. For example, using own computer to access the internet explained 52% of the association between race and secure message use and 60% of the association between income and use (Sobel-Goodman mediation test, P<0.001 for both). Education and sex-related differences in portal use remained statistically significant when controlling for internet access and preference. CONCLUSIONS As the availability and use of patient portals increase, it is important to understand which patients have limited access and the barriers they may face. Improving internet access and making portals available across multiple platforms, including mobile, may reduce some disparities in secure message use.
Rare allergic reaction of the kidney: sitagliptin-induced acute tubulointerstitial nephritis

A 56-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus type-2 and stage-2 chronic kidney disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy presented with an acute deterioration of kidney function. Non-invasive work-up failed to reveal the underlying aetiology for the acute kidney failure. Kidney biopsy revealed acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) which was attributed to sitagliptin use. Only few case reports have shown this correlation. Our aim is to alert physicians and other providers of the potential effect of sitagliptin to cause ATIN with this biopsy-proven case.
Controlling access overload and signaling congestion in M2M networks

Access overload and signaling congestion are serious issues in machine-to-machine (M2M) networks. These issues can be caused by (i) external events triggering a large number of M2M devices to connect or disconnect all at once, (ii) recurring application events that are synchronized to the exact time (e.g., hour), and (iii) malfunctioning of M2M application or server. It is vital to control access overload and signaling congestion in order to prevent the network from a complete collapse. This paper investigates a few mechanisms to prevent this issue.
Hypertension in Adolescents

The prevalence of essential hypertension is increasing in adolescents; as it is often asymptomatic, it may go unrecognized. Hypertension in childhood is the strongest predictor of hypertension in adult population. Often it is associated with obesity where insulin resistance and activated renin-angiotensin system are the major players. Correct diagnosis is the key. White coat hypertension and masked hypertension add more to complexity of management. Evaluation aims at excluding secondary causes and assessing end organ damage. Management is guided by the severity, comorbidities, and end organ damage. Non-pharmacologic interventions need to be sustained to accrue benefit. Pharmacotherapy has a potential to reverse end organ damage.
A research approach to practice change: Competency-based orientation for intensive care nurses (CORE-ICU): Supported by BHPr/HRSA)/DHHS under 5 D11HP09553-05-00 grant

Background: Inconsistent, costly ICU orientation with low retention/RN dissatisfaction are problems. A research approach transformed ICU orientation into a 5-level Competency-based Orientation for Retention Enhancement (CORE-ICU) program. RN vacancies were 33% in 2007 due to rapid expansion in MICU/SICU. Aims: To assess the CORE-ICU program in improving nurse retention/satisfaction, decreasing vacancies below 12%, & improving clinical outcomes in ICUs in an AMC. Methods: Pre-post evaluation. CORE-ICU tested Knowledge (BKAT), Skill (Simulation), and Attitude (Critical Thinking), with mentor development in cultural competence (IACCP-R) and coaching. In 2011, we added mentors/nurses in Pediatric/Neonatal ICUs with curricula paralleling the adult CORE-ICU program. Outcome data were pre-post RN vacancy/retention rates, ICU hospital acquired events (ICU-HAE), and nurse satisfaction. Results: A partnership with WVU hospitals & SON/HSC educated 80 CCRNs, 48 mentors and 5 clinical preceptors. By 2009, vacancy was Conclusion: Graduated leveling by competencies supported 94% completion of CORE-ICU programs; committed preceptor educators & RN mentors have made the program sustainable. Mentor coaching skills were incorporated best practice outcomes for orientation.
Cancer’s Achilles’ Heel: Apoptosis and Necroptosis to the Rescue

Apoptosis, and the more recently discovered necroptosis, are two avenues of programmed cell death. Cancer cells survive by evading these two programs, driven by oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. While traditional therapy using small molecular inhibitors and chemotherapy are continuously being utilized, a new and exciting approach is actively underway by identifying and using synergistic relationship between driver and rescue genes in a cancer cell. Through these synthetic lethal relationships, we are gaining tremendous insights into tumor vulnerabilities and specific molecular avenues for induction of programmed cell death. In this review, we briefly discuss the two cell death processes and cite examples of such synergistic manipulations for therapeutic purposes.
Formal Verification of Gate-Level Multiple Side Channel Parameters to Detect Hardware Trojans

The enhancements in functionality, performance, and complexity in modern electronics systems have ensued the involvement of various entities, around the globe, in different phases of integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. This environment has exposed the ICs to malicious intrusions also referred as Hardware Trojans (HTs). The detection of malicious intrusions in ICs with exhaustive simulations and testing is computationally intensive, and it takes substantial effort and time for all-encompassing verification. In order to overcome this limitation, in this paper, we propose a framework to formally model and analyze the gate-level side channel parameters, i.e., dynamic power and delay, for Hardware Trojan detection. We used the nuXmv model checker for the formal modeling and analysis of integrated circuits due to its inherent capability of handling real numbers and support of scalable SMT-based bounded model checking. The experimental results show that the proposed methodology is able to detect the intrusions by analyzing the failure of the specified linear temporal logic (LTL) properties, which are subsequently rendered into behavioural traces, indicating the potential attack paths in integrated circuits.
Association of haplotypes of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) with lung cancer risk

B76 Tobacco smoke produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids, eventually leading to cancer. Genetic variation in quenchers of ROS may therefore contribute to lung cancer risk. Manganese Superoxide Dismutase (SOD2) catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide radicals (a major form of ROS) into hydrogen peroxide and plays an important protective role against oxidative stress in lung tissues. Previous lung cancer association studies of SOD2 focused on one coding polymorphism, and results were not consistent across various populations. To comprehensively evaluate the role of genetic variation of SOD2 in lung cancer risk, we used data from the International HapMap project (CEPH genotypes) to assess linkage disequlibrium and choose tagSNPs that represent the common genetic variation in people with European ancestry. Three tagSNPs were identified in one block of high linkage disequilibrium that spans the entire SOD2 gene and 5 kb promoter region. The three tagSNPs were genotyped in 401 white lung cancer cases and 605 white controls using TaqMan genotyping assays and the ABI 7900 HT Sequence Detection System. Five-percent of samples were repeated for duplicate genotyping and there was 100% concordance of these quality controls with the original genotype call. Haplo.stats was used to estimate haplotype frequencies using the EM-algorithm and to perform the haplotype association analysis, adjusting for known covariates (age, gender, and pack-years). The genotype and haplotype frequencies matched previous estimates from HapMap Caucasians (CEPH). These haplotypes were not associated with lung cancer risk in an initial haplotype association test of all lung cancer histologies. However, the TCG haplotype (~6% in controls) is protective against adenocarcinoma (p-value =0.02) when stratifying subjects by histology, and in light-smokers (p-value = 0.01) when stratifying by median pack-years among smokers. This protective effect is most significant when examining light-smokers with adenocarcinoma (p-value = 0.005); in fact none of these cases (n=61) has the TCG haplotype. This study indicates that genetic variants of SOD2 may be protective against risk for adenocarcinoma, particularly in light-smokers.
User-Guided Synthesis of Interactive Diagrams

Interactive diagrams are expensive to build, requiring significant programming experience. The cost of building such diagrams often prevents novice programmers or non-programmers from doing so. In this paper, we present user-guided techniques that transform a static diagram into an interactive one without requiring the user to write code. We also present a tool called EDDIE that prototypes these techniques. We evaluate EDDIE through: (1) a case study in which we use EDDIE to implement existing real-world diagrams from the literature and (2) a usability session with target users in which subjects build several diagrams in EDDIE and provide feedback on EDDIE's user experience. Our experiments demonstrate that EDDIE is usable and expressive, and that EDDIE enables real-world diagrams to be implemented without requiring programming expertise.
Optimal Social Decision Making

How can computers help ordinary people make collective decisions about real-life dilemmas, like which restaurant to go to with friends, or even how to divide an inheritance? In this talk, I will present an optimization-driven approach that draws on ideas from AI, theoretical computer science, and economic theory, and illustrate it through my research in computational social choice and computational fair division. In both areas, I will make a special effort to demonstrate how fundamental theoretical questions underlie the design and implementation of deployed services -- Spliddit.org and RoboVote.org that are already used by more than a hundred thousand people.