cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A visual perceptual descriptor with depth feature for image retrieval

This paper proposes a visual perceptual descriptor (VPD) and a new approach to extract perceptual depth feature for 2D image retrieval. VPD mimics human visual system, which can easily distinguish regions that have different textures, whereas for regions which have similar textures, color features are needed for further differentiation. We apply VPD on the gradient direction map of an image, capture texture-similar regions to generate a VPD map. We then impose the VPD map on a quantized color map and extract color features only from the overlapped regions. To reflect the nature of perceptual distance in single 2D image, we propose and extract the perceptual depth feature by computing the nuclear norm of the sparse depth map of an image. Extracted color features and the perceptual depth feature are both incorporated to a feature vector, we utilize this vector to represent an image and measure similarity. We observe that the proposed VPD + depth method achieves a promising result, and extensive experiments prove that it outperforms other typical methods on 2D image retrieval.
Intravenous-only or Intravenous Transitioned to Oral Antimicrobials for Enterobacteriaceae-Associated Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infection

Objectives To characterize antibiotic regimens utilized for bacteremic Enterobacteriaceae urinary tract infections and assess treatment failure associated with intravenous-only compared to intravenous transitioned to oral antibiotic treatment. Design Retrospective cohort. Settings Tertiary care academic medical center. Patients 241 adult patients hospitalized between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2015, with positive blood and urine cultures with the same Enterobacteriaceae pathogen. Main Results Hospital days on antibiotics as well as length of stay were less in the group treated with any oral antibiotics (intravenous/oral, median 5 [IQR 3–7] days vs intravenous-only antibiotics 6 [4–10] days, p<0.001; length of stay for intravenous/oral 4.6 [3.1–7.8] days vs intravenous-only 7.1 [4.0–17.5] days, p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found in the composite outcome of treatment failure in patients who received intravenous-only antibiotics versus intravenous/oral antibiotics for the treatment of bacteremic urinary tract infections (intravenous-only 3.8% [95% CI: 1.0–9.4%] failure; intravenous/oral 8.2% [95% CI: 4.1–14.1%] failure; p=0.19). Conclusions Intravenous transitioned to oral treatment (intravenous/oral) was associated with a shorter length of stay and fewer hospital antibiotic days compared with intravenous-only therapy. Transitioning from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy is a viable treatment option to consider for patients with bacteremic Enterobacteriaceae urinary tract infection.
Validation of the Warrior Identity Scale in the Chicagoland Veterans Study

The present study examined the psychometric properties of a measure of military identity in a sample of U.S. military members. Confirmatory factor analysis provided additional support for the multi...
Cytokinin stabilizes WUSCHEL by acting on the protein domains required for nuclear enrichment and transcription

Concentration-dependent transcriptional regulation and the spatial regulation of transcription factor levels are poorly studied in plant development. WUSCHEL, a stem cell-promoting homeodomain transcription factor, accumulates at a higher level in the rib meristem than in the overlying central zone, which harbors stem cells in the shoot apical meristems of Arabidopsis thaliana. The differential accumulation of WUSCHEL in adjacent cells is critical for the spatial regulation and levels of CLAVATA3, a negative regulator of WUSCHEL transcription. Earlier studies have revealed that DNA-dependent dimerization, subcellular partitioning and protein destabilization control WUSCHEL protein levels and spatial accumulation. Moreover, the destabilization of WUSCHEL may also depend on the protein concentration. However, the roles of extrinsic spatial cues in maintaining differential accumulation of WUS are not understood. Through transient manipulation of hormone levels, hormone response patterns and analysis of the receptor mutants, we show that cytokinin signaling in the rib meristem acts through the transcriptional regulatory domains, the acidic domain and the WUSCHEL-box, to stabilize the WUS protein. Furthermore, we show that the same WUSCHEL-box functions as a degron sequence in cytokinin deficient regions in the central zone, leading to the destabilization of WUSCHEL. The coupled functions of the WUSCHEL-box in nuclear retention as described earlier, together with cytokinin sensing, reinforce higher nuclear accumulation of WUSCHEL in the rib meristem. In contrast a sub-threshold level may expose the WUSCHEL-box to destabilizing signals in the central zone. Thus, the cytokinin signaling acts as an asymmetric spatial cue in stabilizing the WUSCHEL protein to lead to its differential accumulation in neighboring cells, which is critical for concentration-dependent spatial regulation of CLAVATA3 transcription and meristem maintenance. Furthermore, our work shows that cytokinin response is regulated independently of the WUSCHEL function which may provide robustness to the regulation of WUSCHEL concentration.
Delinking, food sovereignty, and populist agronomy: notes on an intellectual history of the peasant path in the global South

ABSTRACTThe article examines the weakness of discourses around food sovereignty in Southwest Asia and North Africa, and examines some older currents resembling the food sovereignty discourse. The author first historically situates the emergence of food sovereignty. He discusses agro-ecology – the ‘technics’ (or social embeddedness of technology) of food sovereignty – and its national-popular content, before then developing elements of the delinking paradigm. He goes on to discuss Tunisian national-popular and Third Worldist agronomists’ and economists’ efforts to develop technics and frameworks for food sovereignty in the 1970s and 1980s. The article compares the food sovereignty paradigm with auto-centred, self-reliant development proposals, and the proposals of the Tunisian economists and agronomists.
Breast Cancer in Men: Emasculation by Association?

The occurrence of breast cancer in men is rare in comparison to women. Public knowledge that men can get breast cancer and of male breast self-examination are lacking. Research in the course and treatment of breast cancer in men is needed. Men generally present in more advanced stages of breast cancer than women, and have a poorer prognosis. In this article, the epidemiology, common symptoms, diagnostic methods, and current treatment of breast cancer in men are described. Gender differences in presentation and course of illness are discussed. Additionally, the psychological implications of breast cancer for male gender roles and masculine identity are explored. Directions for further investigation are given. Treatment providers are encouraged to educate themselves and their male patients on breast cancer in men and male breast examination techniques so that this disease may be identified earlier in its course and survival rates improved.
Microwave Measurements of Snowpack Properties

Prior microwave measurements of snow water equivalent and liquid water content and conceptualizations of emission and backscattering models are reviewed. The results of an experiment designed to collect simultaneous passive and active microwave data to be used in interpreting and analyzing the sensitivity of the microwave spectrum to changing snowpack properties are reported. Both the scattering coefficient, σ°, and the apparent radiometric temperature, T ap , were found to be sensitive to changes in snow water equivalent and liquid water content. The σ° data exhibit an exponential-like increase with increasing water equivalent, whereas, the T ap data exhibit an exponential-like decrease. For both the active and passive data, the snow water equivalent at which the microwave response begins to saturate decreases as the wavelength decreases. Increasing liquid water in the snowpack causes a decrease in σ° and an increase in the T ap . Diurnal data sets show the greatest σ° and T ap variation in response to snowmelt at 35 and 37 GHz with correspondingly less variation at the lower frequencies. Based on research results to date, immediate formulation of a comprehensive microwave and snow research program is recommended.
A Comparison of Field-Dependence Cognitive Styles of Professionals in Purchasing and Consumer Service and Secondary Marketing Education Students, With Implications for Workforce Development

The field-dependence cognitive styles of 44 professionals in purchasing and customer service occupations as assessed by the Group Embedded Figures Test provided a benchmark to interpret cognitive style data for 239 secondary marketing education students. The professionals were more field-independent than students. Professional males were more field-independent than professional females and both student gender groups. Male marketing education students were more field-independent than female students. These field-dependence cognitive style differences suggest that males have greater access to analytic traits such as restructuring skill, problem solving interest, and skill with abstractions. Theoretical and practical implications for workplace skill development are discussed.
The Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS), a multisystem disorder of connective tissue, was described more than a century ago. Ground-breaking advances in the understanding of MFS were punctuated by the discovery of fibrillin, the identification of the FBN-1 as the causative gene, and the dissection of molecular pathogenesis through the creative use of animal models. The role of TGFb signaling in fibrillinopathies and related disorders is the most recent mechanistic development. Respiratory system involvement, although not as well characterized as the classic skeletal, ocular, and cardiac manifestations, can be clinically consequential. The lung manifestations of MFS may provide a mechanistic window not only on the pathobiology of the syndrome but also on other lung disorders with similar presentations.
Longitudinal changes in kidney function following heart transplantation: Stanford experience

Many heart transplant recipients experience declining kidney function following transplantation. We aimed to quantify change in kidney function in heart transplant recipients stratified by pre-transplant kidney function. A total of 230 adult heart transplant recipients between May 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014, were evaluated for up to 5 years post-transplant (median 1 year). Using 19 398 total estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) assessments, we evaluated trends in eGFR in recipients with normal/near-normal (eGFR ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) vs impaired (eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) kidney function and the likelihood of reaching an eGFR of 20 mL/min/1.73 m2 after heart transplant. Baseline characteristics were similar. Immediately following heart transplant, the impaired pre-transplant kidney function group showed a mean eGFR gain of 9.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 193) vs a mean decline of 4.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 37) in the normal/near-normal group. Subsequent rates of eGFR decline were 2.2 mL/min/1.73 m2 /y vs 2.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 /y, respectively. The probability of reaching an eGFR of 20 mL/min/1.73 m2 or less at 1, 5, and 10 years following heart transplant was 1%, 4%, and 30% in the impaired group, and <1%, <1%, and 10% in the normal/near-normal group. Estimates of expected recovery in kidney function and its decline over time will help inform decision making about kidney care after heart transplantation.
Fracture Liaison Service at a University Hospital with Level 1 Trauma Center 1 year later

Introduction The Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model improves osteoporosis care following fragility fractures in adults (1) . Our institution has implemented the FLS model housed within our Department of Orthopedics utilizing the American Orthopedic Association Own the Bone (OTB) program. Objectives To address the gap in osteoporosis care following fragility fracture a Type A FLS (2) was implemented in October 2016. The study purpose was to compare secondary fracture prevention before and after institution of the FLS program. We complete all steps from identifying patients, investigating for secondary osteoporosis, ordering bone mineral density (BMD) studies and prescribing medication. Methods The Study population was 305 adults >50 referred to FLS from 10/2016-9/2017. The FLS Physician Assistant(PA) completed a consult consisting of a detailed history, education regarding nutrition: calcium, vitamin D and protein and discussing weight bearing exercise and balance training with Physical Therapy and falls prevention and lifestyle changes: smoking cessation and limiting use of alcohol. BMD and lab work were ordered by the FLS PA. Outpatient follow up with the FLS PA was recommended to review the results and initiate osteoporosis medication. The reference control group, identified by chart review, was 1024 adults>50 with primary care in our system from 2008-2014 who sustained a hip, wrist or vertebral fracture. CPT codes were used to assess if patient had a BMD and 25(OH)D level after the fracture. Results In the reference group 14.5% of patients had a BMD study and 22.6% of patients had 25(OH)D level completed after the fracture. 305 adults with mean age 74 and 76% female were included in the study group. Hip fractures occurred in 50% and 27% had vertebral fractures. 63% had sustained a prior fracture over the age of 50. The FLS obtained a BMD in 47.5% of patients, 50% of patients had a 25(OH)D level checked and 34% of patients started medication treatment after the fracture(determined by phone call or in person follow up). Nearly half of the subjects were lost to follow up despite a phone call and letters to patient and primary care physician. 37% of the study group completed in person outpatient follow up with the FLS PA at our institution. Of that subset of patients, 90% had a BMD study, 97% had a 25(OH)D level checked and 65% are on medication treatment for osteoporosis. Comparing the two groups showed improvement in use of BMD and 25(OH) D assessment after fracture. Conclusion Implementing a Type A FLS model of care within our institution has led to improved osteoporosis care for patients >50 who sustained a fragility fracture.
8 Mechanical Fasteners

This chapter focuses on mechanical fastening via rivets and bolts. It uses the term fastening to correspond to removable features and joining as the creation of a permanent connect. The chapter discusses how a creative consideration of assembly constraint can improve the design of mechanically fastened assemblies. There are two types of riveted and bolted joints: lap joints and butt joints. In friction-type connections, high-strength bolts of various grades are used and are tightened to high tensile stresses, thereby causing a large residual compression force between the plates. Both structural steel and pressure vessel codes define maximum design allowable stresses for bolts. To distinguish between maximum design stress and the maximum stress that may be allowed in the fastener during assembly, one need to look at the design safety factor. The chapter examines the way a joint responds when exposed to the external loads it has been designed to support. Keywords: bolted joints; butt joints; lap joints; mechanical fastening; riveted joints; safety factor
Redefining Excellence: Teaching in Transition, From Test Performance to 21st Century Skills:

This study examined classrooms in three, high performing, public secondary schools serving high need communities. Of 22 classes observed, we found approximately one third exhibited an instructional...
Local geoid determination with in situ geopotential data obtained from satellite-to-satellite tracking

A new satellite mission to map the Earth’s gravitational field (GRACE) is based on inter-satellite tracking using micro-wave ranging which can be used to solve for parameters of a global spherical harmonic model of the gravitational field using traditional satellite orbital perturbation analysis. An alternative algorithm has been developed to use the inter-satellite range-rate, supplemented by GPS baseline vector velocities and accelerometer data, to estimate in situ geopotential differences. The collection of these data, treated as a set of boundary values in potential theory, should yield higher geopotential resolution in the polar latitudes than provided by a truncated spherical harmonic model because of the high concentration of data in these areas. On the other hand, in situ data must be downward continued for local geoid determination, whereas this is already incorporated in the spherical harmonic models. Simulations confirm that although spherical harmonic estimations also yield relatively higher accuracy near the poles, local geoid estimation from in situ geopotential difference measurements is even more accurate at the poles, by a factor of two or higher for the case of nineteen days’ worth of GRACE data.
Therapeutic breakthroughs for metastatic thyroid cancer.

Multikinase inhibitors are effective treatments for thyroid cancers, acting primarily as antiangiogenic agents. This year, advances have been made in selective targeting of RET and BRAF in patients with medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers, respectively. However, Hurthle cell carcinomas have a unique genomic landscape with no dominant truncal drivers, precluding simplistic approaches to therapeutic targeting.
Chinese Semiconductor Industrial Policy: Past and Present

This is the first of two papers that analyze China’s semiconductor industrial policies and factors that will dictate their success or failure. China’s attempts since 2014 to support and grow its domestic semiconductor industry have drawn considerable international attention. The purpose of this series is to place into context the various attempts by the Chinese government to support its domestic semiconductor industry, dating back to the 1950s. Part one presents a history of China’s past efforts at semiconductor industrial planning, describes the current plans, and discusses their execution to date. Part two explains why previous plans have failed, how lessons learned from past failures have been incorporated into current plans, and examines their prospects for success, finding that China’s current strategy will likely not achieve its aims. The second paper in this two-part series can be found at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3441959
Identifying persistent structures in multiscale 'omics data.

Abstract In any ‘omics study, the scale of analysis can dramatically affect the outcome. For instance, when clustering single-cell transcriptomes, is the analysis tuned to discover broad or specific cell types? Likewise, protein communities revealed from protein networks can vary widely in sizes depending on the method. Here we use the concept of “persistent homology”, drawn from mathematical topology, to identify robust structures in data at all scales simultaneously. Application to mouse single-cell transcriptomes significantly expands the catalog of identified cell types, while analysis of SARS-COV-2 protein interactions suggests hijacking of WNT. The method, HiDeF, is available via Python and Cytoscape.
Narrow distillation cuts for an improved characterisation of crude oil: an insight on heteroatoms in heavy fraction molecules

A light Arabian crude oil was separated by distillation into 27 fractions, including 25 very narrow distillation cuts, the light ends, and a vacuum residue (VR), which were extensively characterised using standard methods. Overall, the properties matched well with those predicted by H/CAMS software, indicating a successful distillation. Then, quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy, SIMDIS, and molecular weight (MW) distribution by mass spectrometry were used to derive an improved correlation between the MW and boiling point for the entire crude oil, in particular for the VR fraction. This allowed determining the mass fractions of sulphur and nitrogen containing compounds across the crude oil boiling range, reaching up to approximately 100% in the VR fraction. The corresponding low abundance of pure hydrocarbon molecules in the VR fraction is important for modelling purposes and processing technologies. [Received: May 3, 2019; Accepted: July 24, 2019]
Are polycultures for silage pragmatic medleys or gallimaufries

Polycultures, mixtures of different crop species in the same field, may provide both production and ecological benefits. Silage production in annual cropping systems may incorporate polycultures and take advantage of species’ niche partitioning, potentially stabilizing yield variation due to abiotic stress. Using maize (Zea mays L.) silage as the basis of our 3‐year study, we tested the impact on crop and soil attributes of replacing a fraction of maize with soy (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. bicolor × bicolor and var. sudanense [unnamed hybrid]), or a medley of soy, sorghum, and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Compared to maize monocultures and on average for the three years, a replacement mixture of maize + soy lowered yields(1.57 vs. 1.87 kg m‐2), but increased the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentration in the silage by 1.2x, 1.09x, and 1.03x, respectively. Maize + sorghum polycultures matched the biomass yields of maize monocultures (1.77 vs. 1.87 kg m‐2) and increased K concentration (10.2 vs. 8.2 g kg‐1). While random forest analysis revealed no change in post‐harvest soil mineral N with depth among treatments, there was a tendency for higher total mineral N left in the soil for soy‐containing vs. sorghum‐containing treatments (12.4 vs. 10.9 g m‐2). Silage polycultures are a feasible alternative to maize silage monocultures and can improve silage nutrient concentration with no yield penalty if maize or sorghum dominate plant stands. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Not all egalitarianism is created equal: Claims of nonprejudice inadvertently communicate prejudice between ingroup members

Abstract White Americans' manner of expressing egalitarianism may inadvertently communicate racial prejudices to ingroup members. Despite most hypothesizing the contrary (Preliminary Study), White American perceivers were able to infer ingroup targets' underlying racial attitudes using only targets' written claims of being egalitarian (Experiment 1; N = 256) and regardless of whether targets had the goal to be honest or as unprejudiced as possible (Experiment 2; N = 456). A Brunswikian lens analysis identified several linguistic cues associated with perceiver accuracy. Language humanizing Black Americans was especially strongly associated with both targets' underlying attitudes and perceivers' inferences of targets' underlying attitudes. Experiment 3 (N = 811) revealed that White Americans' egalitarian statements communicate racial attitudes in an epidemiological sense: Perceivers reported higher racial prejudice after being exposed to egalitarian statements from targets higher, versus lower, in underlying prejudice, regardless of whether perceiver and target had congruent or incongruent political identifications. Therefore, egalitarian declarations may ironically perpetuate inegalitarian attitudes.
Adapting a Traumatic Brain Injury Goals-of-Care Decision Aid for Critically Ill Patients to Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Hemispheric Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objectives Families in the neurologic ICU urgently request goals-of-care decision support and shared decision-making tools. We recently developed a goals-of-care decision aid for surrogates of critically ill traumatic brain injury patients using a systematic development process adherent to the International Patient Decision Aid Standards. To widen its applicability, we adapted this decision aid to critically ill patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and large hemispheric acute ischemic stroke. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Two academic neurologic ICUs. Subjects Twenty family members of patients in the neurologic ICU were recruited from July 2018 to October 2018. Interventions None. Measurements and main results We reviewed the existing critically ill traumatic brain injury patients decision aid for content and changed: 1) the essential background information, 2) disease-specific terminology to "hemorrhagic stroke" and "ischemic stroke", and 3) disease-specific prognosis tailored to individual patients. We conducted acceptability and usability testing using validated scales. All three decision aids contain information from validated, disease-specific outcome prediction models, as recommended by international decision aid standards, including careful emphasis on their uncertainty. We replaced the individualizable icon arrays graphically depicting probabilities of a traumatic brain injury patient's prognosis with icon arrays visualizing intracerebral hemorrhage and hemispheric acute ischemic stroke prognostic probabilities using high-quality disease-specific data. We selected the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Score with validated 12-month outcomes, and for hemispheric acute ischemic stroke, the 12-month outcomes from landmark hemicraniectomy trials. Twenty family members participated in acceptability and usability testing (n = 11 for the intracerebral hemorrhage decision aid; n = 9 for the acute ischemic stroke decision aid). Median usage time was 22 minutes (interquartile range, 16-26 min). Usability was excellent (median System Usability Scale = 84/100 [interquartile range, 61-93; with > 68 indicating good usability]); 89% of participants graded the decision aid content as good or excellent, and greater than or equal to 90% rated it favorably for information amount, balance, and comprehensibility. Conclusions We successfully adapted goals-of-care decision aids for use in surrogates of critically ill patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and hemispheric acute ischemic stroke and found excellent usability and acceptability. A feasibility trial using these decision aids is currently ongoing to further validate their acceptability and test their feasibility for use in busy neurologic ICUs.
Of Bypasses and Clot Busters

In this chapter, the author discusses the historical evolution of coronary bypass surgery and the personalities that made it possible. It also dwells on the discovery of coronary thrombosis as a major cause of acute heart attacks following rupture of a cholesterol plaque. The latter observation led to the development and use of clot-dissolving drugs, and the call to save the heart muscle rang loud and clear.
Prevalence and correlates of non-fatal overdose among people who use drugs: findings from rapid assessments in Massachusetts, 2017-2019.

BACKGROUND People who experience non-fatal overdose (NFOD) are at high risk of subsequent overdose. With unprecedented increases in fentanyl in the US drug supply, many Massachusetts (MA) communities have seen a surge in opioid-related overdoses. The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with lifetime and past year NFOD in at-risk MA communities. METHODS We conducted multiple rapid assessments among people who use drugs (PWUD) in eight MA communities using non-probability sampling (purposive, chain referral, respondent-driven) methods. We collected sociodemographic, substance use, overdose history, substance use treatment, and harm reduction services utilization data. We examined the prevalence of NFOD (lifetime and past year) and identified factors associated with NFOD through multivariable logistic regression analyses in a subset of 469 study participants between 2017 and 2019. RESULTS The prevalence of lifetime and last year non-fatal opioid overdose was 62.5% and 36.9%, respectively. Many of the study participants reported heroin (64%) and fentanyl (45%) use during the 30 days preceding the survey. Nonprescription buprenorphine and fentanyl use were independently associated with higher odds of lifetime NFOD, while marijuana use was associated with lower odds of lifetime NFOD (p < 0.05). Injection as the route of administration, benzodiazepine, nonprescription buprenorphine, heroin, and fentanyl use were independently associated with higher odds, while methadone use was associated with lower odds of past year NFOD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION We documented a high prevalence of past year and lifetime NFOD among PWUD in MA. Our findings provide indicators that can help inform interventions to prevent overdoses among PWUD, including overdose prevention, medication treatment, and naloxone distribution.
A World on Edge

A post-European Europe, a post-American America, a post-Western world? The world is on edge, fearful of what comes next, as History makes a U-turn and gives the present of things future the allure of things past. A superpower by improvisation, the United States has historically found these transitions difficult to manage—from multi- to bi- to uni- and now zero-polarity and, coming, faux multipolarity. Along the way, recurring debates over strategic restraint have blurred the lines between a minimalist and a maximalist foreign policy. Yet, with renewed calls for disengagement hardly ever a true debate over grand strategy, several priorities remain steadfast—it’s the world, stupid! First, Allies matter—don’t let go of Europe, Europe of the EU, and the EU of NATO; second, the Cold War is over, but Putin or not, don’t let Russia be Russia again; third, the rise of China makes it a peer rival of the United States, but the free ride is over as there is more to Asia than China and more to the world than two powers; and fourth, the Greater Middle East is a strategic black hole, but the hole is too deep to exit and too significant to neglect.
On the Approach to Chemical and Vibrational Equilibrium Behind a Strong Normal Shock Wave

Summary The concurrent approach to chemical and vibrational equilib­ rium of a pure diatomic gas passing through a strong normal shock wave is investigated. It is demonstrated that the equilib­ rium degree of dissociation behind the shock front, and hence the density, for the case where the vibrational degrees of freedom are frozen out can exceed the degree of dissociation, and hence the density, for the case where all degrees of freedom are in equilib­ rium. Thus the necessary condition for a maximum of the density between the shock front and the position of full equilib­ rium flow downstream of the shock front is established. The sufficient condition that such a maximum be observable is shown to be that the approach to equilibrium of the vibrational degrees of freedom (or any other internal degrees of freedom) must lag the approach to dissociation equilibrium by a significant amount; that is, there must be at least an order of magnitude difference in the respective relaxation times before such a maximum might be observed. An example calculation for a Mach 13 strong shock wave in oxygen illustrates the appearance of such a maximum of the density and its dependency upon the relative values of the vibration and dissociation relaxation times.
An infrared imaging system demonstrates dual-use technology for unmanned vehicle applications

The Amber Radiance 1 infrared imaging camera system is a high performance, portable, precision instrument based on a staring indium antimonide focal plane. It has been developed using technologies that were initially motivated by department of defense requirements. Government funding and company development funds have transitioned this technology into a standard commercial product resulting in outstanding performance, low cost, and particularly well suited for insertion into unmanned vehicle applications. Dual use IR technology has been demonstrated, but administrative hurdles exist that prevent full commercial exploitation of the technology. The performance of the camera is excellent demonstrating as low as 23 mK NEdT at 300 K. >
Aerosol Evaluations of the De Vilbiss No. 40 and Vaponefrin Nebulizers

De Vilbiss no. 40 and Vaponefrin standard nebulizers produced aerosols of small particles suitable for deep pulmonary vaccination and therapy of respiratory infections in man and animals.
Multipath signal recovery in the presence of very large noise

In this paper, we present a method for resolving a return multipath signal in the presence of very large noise. The method basically consists of choosing a function, whose correlation with the transmitted signal is either zero, or of an easily analyzed form. Hence, correlating such a function with the received signal will single out the noise component. An interesting feature of our approach is that large noise is not inherently disadvantageous. The paper describes the general method and then illustrate its application in some cases of general interest.
Integration of electronics and antennas

The integration of electronics and antennas forming a single front-end component offers several benefits for modem microwave and millimeter-wave system designs, such as compactness, lower power consumption, and multi-functionality. This paper highlights some of the work carried out by the author's research group in the area of active integrated antennas (AIAs). The study of both active circuits and antennas has led to some insight into the design of new antenna array architectures for retrodirective antenna arrays and smart-antennas, which are also discussed in this paper.
Allergy education in otolaryngology residency: a survey of program directors and residents.

Background The purpose of this study was to survey program directors of the accredited otolaryngology residency programs and resident attendees of the 2013 American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA) Basic/MOC Course regarding resident education and participation as well as assessment of competency in otolaryngic allergy and immunotherapy. Methods A multiple-choice questionnaire was sent to all accredited otolaryngology residency training programs in the United States as part of resident attendance at the 2013 AAOA CORE Basic/MOC Course. Following this, a similar multiple-choice survey was sent to all resident attendees from the programs that responded positively. Results Program directors reported that 73% of their academic institutions offer allergy testing and immunotherapy. More PDs than residents indicated that residents participate in allergy practice and perform/interpret skin testing and in vitro testing, and more residents (85%) than program directors (63%) reported inadequate or no allergy training. Program directors and residents equally indicated that residents do not calculate immunotherapy vial formulations or administer immunotherapy injections. The majority of program directors indicated that resident competency in allergy was assessed through direct observation, whereas residents more commonly perceived that no assessment of competency was being performed for any portion of allergy practice. Conclusion This survey demonstrates a discrepancy between program directors and residents regarding resident involvement and adequacy of training in the allergy practice. Although the majority of otolaryngology residencies report offering otolaryngic allergy services and education, the vast majority of residents report inadequate allergy training and less participation in an allergy practice compared to the majority of program directors.
Cosplicing network analysis of mammalian brain RNA-Seq data utilizing WGCNA and Mantel correlations

Across species and tissues and especially in the mammalian brain, production of gene isoforms is widespread. While gene expression coordination has been previously described as a scale-free coexpression network, the properties of transcriptome-wide isoform production coordination have been less studied. Here we evaluate the system-level properties of cosplicing in mouse, macaque, and human brain gene expression data using a novel network inference procedure. Genes are represented as vectors/lists of exon counts and distance measures sensitive to exon inclusion rates quantifies differences across samples. For all gene pairs, distance matrices are correlated across samples, resulting in cosplicing or cotranscriptional network matrices. We show that networks including cosplicing information are scale-free and distinct from coexpression. In the networks capturing cosplicing we find a set of novel hubs with unique characteristics distinguishing them from coexpression hubs: heavy representation in neurobiological functional pathways, strong overlap with markers of neurons and neuroglia, long coding lengths, and high number of both exons and annotated transcripts. Further, the cosplicing hubs are enriched in genes associated with autism spectrum disorders. Cosplicing hub homologs across eukaryotes show dramatically increasing intronic lengths but stable coding region lengths. Shared transcription factor binding sites increase coexpression but not cosplicing; the reverse is true for splicing-factor binding sites. Genes with protein-protein interactions have strong coexpression and cosplicing. Additional factors affecting the networks include shared microRNA binding sites, spatial colocalization within the striatum, and sharing a chromosomal folding domain. Cosplicing network patterns remain relatively stable across species.
Thermal Design of a Spaceflight Plant Chamber Payload

PGBA, a 0.08m / 27 liter spaceflight plant chamber payload employs two temperature-controlled liquid coolant loops to control the temperature and humidity of the sealed plant chamber independently. Cabin-air cooled thermoelectric heat pumps control the temperature of the water-alcohol coolant fluid in each loop, which is circulated by small, low-power, magnetically-coupled positive displacement gear pumps, designed to meet NASA safety requirements. Pulsewidth-modulated DC current control circuits, controlled by two PI software controllers, maintain temperature and humidity accurately. The coolant loops feature bellowsbased expansion vessels to accommodate thermal expansion and pressure fluctuations. Pressure sensors monitor the proper function and performance of the system. Pressure decay tests and unique fill procedures should ensure leak and air bubble-free operation.
Approaches to mitigate tropical deforestation by sustainable soil management practices.

Abstract Deforestation and subsequent changes in land use in the tropics are responsible for 18% of global warming during the 1980s, with expected rates during the 1990s to increase. Third world population growth forces landless rural populations to migrate and over exploit tropical rainforests. The resulting agriculture is unsustainable and leads to further deforestation and migration to urban centers. Research has shown that deforestation rates can be decreased, by eliminating the proximate cause. An integrated approach consisting of development and application of sustainable management technologies for tropical soils and appropriate government policies will eliminate the pressure for further deforestation. The principal management technologies are based on low input systems for acid soils of the humid tropics which lead to agroforestry, legume based pastures or continuous crop cultivation. Some management technologies are available while others are still evolving. For every hectare put under sustainable agriculture five to ten hectares of rain forests are saved each year.
Ultra-thin dual polarized millimeter-wave phased array system-in-package with embedded transceiver chip

A 16-element dual polarized phased array transmit/receive (Tx/Rx) System-in-Package (SiP) for 60 GHz applications is presented. Embedded die technology is used to achieve total module thickness of only 600 µm, improved first level interconnect density and better electrical performance. The dual polarized antenna architecture enables several configurations of the transmitter and receiver orientation without major impact on the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The proposed system was fabricated on a low loss multilayer organic package substrate, assembled and fully characterized. Single element and phased array performance was evaluated showing very good agreement with the simulation over the 60 GHz ISM band. Active measurements showing good steering and dual polarization characteristics were also performed.
Multicomponent Infrared Analysis by the Absorbance Ratio Method

Improved precision and higher accuracy (by elimination of cell path as a parameter) are achievable in quantitative infrared analysis of multicomponent mixtures by the absorbance ratio method.
Perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school mathematics coaches

Purpose – In the USA, school districts are funding mathematics coaching positions to provide school-level support to teachers. The purpose of this paper is to survey school personnel whose job responsibilities included mathematics coaching in order to examine their job responsibilities and what they felt that their job responsibilities should be. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 67 elementary school mathematics coaches completed a survey that included 30 aspects of the job of elementary school mathematics leaders. Findings – Quantitative analyses indicated that there were statistically significant differences between their actual roles and their preferred roles on 24 of the 30 items. This means that coaches reported that the aspects of their current role did not align to what they thought their job should be. Research limitations/implications – The findings indicate a need to collect further information in a longitudinal study, potentially from a combination of surveys, interviews, and observations, ...
The Endocytosis and Signaling of the γδ T Cell Coreceptor WC1 Are Regulated by a Dileucine Motif

WC1 proteins, which are specifically expressed by bovine γδ T cells from a gene array containing 13 members, are part of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich family. WC1 cytoplasmic domains contains multiple tyrosines, one of which is required to be phosphorylated for TCR coreceptor activity, and a dileucine endocytosis motif. Like the TCR coreceptor CD4, WC1 is endocytosed in response to PMA. Because WC1 endocytosis may play a role in the activation of γδ T cells, we examined WC1 endocytosis in the adherent cell 293T and Jurkat T cell lines using a fusion protein of extracellular CD4 and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of WC1. Individual mutation of the two leucine residues of the endocytic dileucine motif in the WC1 cytoplasmic domain significantly reduced PMA-induced endocytosis in both cell types and enhanced IL-2 production stimulated by cocross-linking of CD3/TCR and CD4/WC1 in Jurkat cells, suggesting that the sustained membrane coligation of CD3/TCR with WC1 caused by a decrease in endocytosis increases T cell activation. Mutation of two serines upstream of the endocytic dileucine motif affected endocytosis only in adherent 293T cells. Although the two upstream serines were not required for WC1 endocytosis in Jurkat cells, the pan-protein kinase C inhibitor Go6983 blocked endocytosis of CD4/WC1, and mutation of the upstream serines in WC1 inhibited IL-2 production stimulated by cocross-linking of CD3/TCR and CD4/WC1. These studies provide insights into the signaling of WC1 gene arrays that are present in most mammals and play critical roles in γδ T cell responses to bacterial pathogens.
El Cacique de Turmequé o los agravios a la memoria.

Este articulo revisa las intervenciones del Cacique de Turmeque, don Diego de Torres, y sus apelaciones a las autoridades coloniales durante la segunda mitad del Siglo XVI por el buen trato de los indigenas en el Nuevo Reino y la restitucion de su cacicazgo. Se argumenta que si bien se trata de un cacique que comienza luchando por privilegios particulares, sus demandas se tornan en una plegaria colectiva que apela al sentido de la justicia andina, un suplemento que evidencia las insifuciencias de la justicia imperial. Igualmente, se examinan los textos de don Diego como testimonios que registran el dolor y el trauma de la Conquista. Finalmente, se problematiza la imagen del Cacique en textos literarios e historicos.
The role of iron chelates in hydroxyl radical production by rat liver microsomes, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and xanthine oxidase☆

Uninduced rat liver microsomes and NADPH-Cytochrome P-450 reductase, purified from phenobarbital-treated rats, catalyzed an NADPH-dependent oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavenging agents. This oxidation was not stimulated by the addition of ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric citrate, or ferric-adenine nucleotide (AMP, ADP, ATP) chelates. Striking stimulation was observed when ferric-EDTA or ferric-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) was added. The iron-EDTA and iron-DTPA chelates, but not unchelated iron, iron-citrate or iron-nucleotide chelates, stimulated the oxidation of NADPH by the reductase in the absence as well as in the presence of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450. Thus, the iron chelates which promoted NADPH oxidation by the reductase were the only chelates which stimulated oxidation of hydroxyl radical scavengers by reductase and microsomes. The oxidation of aminopyrine, a typical drug substrate, was slightly stimulated by the addition of iron-EDTA or iron-DTPA to the microsomes. Catalase inhibited potently the oxidation of scavengers under all conditions, suggesting that H2O2 was the precursor of the hydroxyl radical in these systems. Very high amounts of superoxide dismutase had little effect on the iron-EDTA-stimulated rate of scavenger oxidation, whereas the iron-DTPA-stimulated rate was inhibited by 30 or 50% in microsomes or reductase, respectively. This suggests that the iron-EDTA and iron-DTPA chelates can be reduced directly by the reductase to the ferrous chelates, which subsequently interact with H2O2 in a Fenton-type reaction. Results with the reductase and microsomal systems should be contrasted with results found when the oxidation of hypoxanthine by xanthine oxidase was utilized to catalyze the production of hydroxyl radicals. In the xanthine oxidase system, ferric-ATP and -DTPA stimulated oxidation of scavengers by six- to eightfold, while ferric-EDTA stimulated 25-fold. Ferric-desferrioxamine consistently was inhibitory. Superoxide dismutase produced 79 to 86% inhibition in the absence or presence of iron, indicating an iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss-type of reaction was responsible for oxidation of scavengers by the xanthine oxidase system. These results indicate that the ability of iron to promote hydroxyl radical production and the role that superoxide plays as a reductant of iron depends on the nature of the system as well as the chelating agent employed.
Heart rate variability as an indicator of outcome in congenital diaphragmatic hernia with and without ECMO support

Heart Rate Variability as an Indicator of Outcome in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia With and Without ECMO Support