cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY TO IDENTIFY TEACHING STYLES IN SAUDI ARABIA BASED ON THREE LEARNING THEORIES

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate Saudi teachers’ philosophy in teaching based on three major learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism). Also, it showed the different between gender (male, female), and teachers’ experiences in teaching (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, more than 20 years), and level of teaching (Elementary, Middle, and High) school in the preferred teaching philosophy. The result showed that Saudis’ teacher proffered using cognitivism philosophy more than constructivism philosophy and behaviorism philosophy. Although the male teacher had preferred behaviorism school more than female teachers, the female teachers had preferred cognitivism and constructivism schools more than male teachers. Also, the teachers who had more experience preferred cognitivism and constructivism schools more than behaviorism school.
Do elevated blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids modify effects of particulate air pollutants on fibrinogen?

Previously, we found short-term increases in ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollutant concentrations were associated with increased serum fibrinogen levels in patients with cardiac disease. We now studied whether high blood levels of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids blunted this fibrinogen response to increased PM concentrations in these same patients. Plasma fibrinogen and ω-3 fatty acid levels (% of total identified fatty acids) were measured in blood samples collected from 135 patients treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center for myocardial infarction or stable ischemic heart disease requiring cardiac catheterization. Using ambient measurements of ultrafine, accumulation mode, and fine particles (PM2.5), Delta-C, and black carbon (BC), we regressed serum fibrinogen levels against pollutant concentrations over the previous 1–96 h, using interaction terms to estimate these associations separately for those with HIGH (> 5.12%) and LOWMED serum levels of ω-3 fatty acid (≤ 5.12%). Each 5.6 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration in the previous hour was associated with a 3.1% increase in fibrinogen (95% CI = 1.5%, 4.7%) in those subjects with LOWMED total ω-3 fatty acid levels, but only a 0.9% increase (95% CI = − 1.5%, 3.2%) in patients with HIGH total ω-3 fatty acid levels. This same pattern was observed with fish oil-derived docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids but not alpha-linolenic (from plant oil or seeds). A similar finding was observed with BC in the prior 24 h, but not other PM. Thus, increased blood levels of fish-based ω-3 fatty acids attenuated increases in fibrinogen associated with short-term increases in ambient PM.
On the Mathematical Procedures of Selffield Quantumelectrodynamics

In this Note I clarify some of the mathematical developments and procedures of Selffield QED which are different from those in the usual quantum field theory and has caused some misunderstandings to those deeply attached or used to the techniques of the latter. I think the critical remarks1 are more on the way and the style we extract observable quantities directly from the action rather than on the substance or the philosophy of our approach which has its own different but complete interpretation.
TOWARD ISOLATION OF A β-ADRENERGIC BINDING PROTEIN

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses isolation of a β-adrenergic binding protein. Conceptually, a good starting point for any attempt to isolate a β-adrenergic receptor is the adenylate cyclase system. There appears to be a very close parallel between so-called β-adrenergic effects and stimulation of the enzyme adenylate cyclase. In the heart, a number of different drugs and hormones appear to be capable of augmenting cardiac contractility by stimulation of adenylate cyclase and subsequent production of the second messenger. These include catecholamines, glucagon, histamine, and possibly the thyroid hormones as well. Each of these appears to act by distinct set of receptors. This chapter summarizes current information about the characteristics of β-adrenergic bindings sites as derived from cardiac tissue. It tabulates analogous data characterizing binding of 3 H-catecholamines to membrane fractions from a variety of other adrenergically sensitive tissues. The chapter also reviews critically the data by indicating how these binding sites differ from all other previously characterized binding sites for catecholamines. It also discusses the ways in which in vitro properties conform to and differ from what might have been expected of β-adrenergic receptors on the basis of pharmacologic studies.
Spectral Estimation in Space and Time Domain by Nonstationary Minimum Variance Spectral Estimator

A multidimensional version of the nonstationary minimum variance spectral estimator has been developed. The numerical results have shown that this method has more resolution power than the conventional nonstationary spectral estimation methods based on periodograms. The application of the spectral estimation method to an irregularly sampled multidimensional nonstationary rainfall mode is also investigated. The other advantage of this spectral estimation method is that it does not require window selection.
Shared-Resource-Centric Limited Preemptive Scheduling: A Comprehensive Study of Suspension-Based Partitioning Approaches

This paper studies the problem of scheduling a set of hard real-time sporadic tasks that may access CPU cores and a shared resource. Motivated by the observation that the CPU resource is often abundant compared to the shared resources in multi-core and many-core systems, we propose to resolve this problem from a counter-intuitive shared-resource-centric perspective, focusing on judiciously prioritizing and scheduling tasks' requests in a limited preemptive manner on the shared resource while viewing the worst-case latency a task may experience on the CPU cores as suspension delays. We develop a rather comprehensive set of task partitioning algorithms that partition tasks onto the shared resource with the objective of guaranteeing schedulability while minimizing the required size of the shared resource, which plays a critical role in reducing the overall cost and complexity of building resource-constrained embedded systems in many application domains. A GPU-based prototype case study and extensive simulation-based experiments have been conducted, which validate both our shared-resource-centric scheduling philosophy and the efficiency of our suspension-based partitioning solutions in practice.
The Type of Bariatric Surgery Impacts the Risk of Acute Pancreatitis: A Nationwide Study

We investigated whether vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) have a differential impact on post-operative risk of acute pancreatitis (AP). This retrospective study uses the 2012–2014 National Readmission Database. We compared morbidly obese patients who underwent VSG (n = 205,251), RYGB (n = 169,973), and hernia repair (HR) control (n = 16,845). Our main outcome was rates of AP within 6 months post- vs. 6 months pre-surgery in VSG, RYGB, and HR. We also investigated risk factors and outcomes of AP after bariatric surgery. The rates of AP increased post- vs. pre-VSG (0.21% vs. 0.04%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 5.16, P < 0.05) and RYGB (0.17% vs. 0.07%; aOR = 2.26, P < 0.05) but not post-HR. VSG was associated with a significantly greater increase in AP risk compared to RYGB (aOR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.10, 4.73). Furthermore, when compared to HR controls, only VSG was associated with a higher AP risk (aOR = 7.58; 95% CI: 2.09, 27.58). Developing AP within 6 months following bariatric surgery was mainly associated with younger age (18–29 years old: aOR = 3.76 for VSG and aOR: 6.40 for RYGB, P < 0.05) and gallstones (aOR = 85.1 for VSG and aOR = 46 for RYGB, P < 0.05). No patients developed “severe AP” following bariatric surgery. More patients develop AP within 6 months after VSG compared to RYGB and controls. This risk is highest for younger patients and those with gallstones. Prospective studies examining mechanisms and prevention are warranted.
Transition of small farms in Ghana: perspectives of farm heritage, employment and networks

Abstract This paper uses a survey data on Ghana and survival analyses to examine whether or not farm heritage, employment history and networks contribute to the transition of small farms into medium and large-scale production units. Specifically, we have investigated how these factors influence the survival of small farms and their effects on the time rate of occurrence of medium and large-scale farm holdings in Ghana. The results show that farm expansion beyond the scope of small farms has been slow, especially when the farms are inherited. Farmers without formal employment or personal informal business alongside farming transit more slowly while those who have such additional employment expand their farms faster. Also, farmer motivations for going into farming are mainly centred on feeding their families and this supports our finding that farm heritage leads to lower rates of transition of small farms into medium and large-scale status. Besides, as supports from non-governmental agencies encourage occurrence of medium and large-scale farming, governmental assistance gives grounds to survival of small farms. As well, perceived changes in land tenure systems facilitate persistence of small farms and increase the time that a farmer may take to attain a level of medium or large-scale farming status. Additionally, our analyses show that male farmers have higher tendency and potential of becoming medium and large-scale farmers than their female counterparts. Besides considering the motives of the farmers and ensuring stable land tenure arrangements, we recommend that policies targets to transform the farm sector from small farms into medium and large-scale farm holdings should consider dynamisms in the employment history of the farmers, farm-related heritage, the gender of the farmers and the operational networks at the farmers’ disposal.
Impact of light-absorbing particles on snow albedo darkening and associated radiative forcing over high-mountain Asia: high-resolution WRF-Chem modeling and new satellite observations

Abstract. Light-absorbing particles (LAPs), mainly dust and black carbon, can significantly impact snowmelt and regional water availability over high-mountain Asia (HMA). In this study, for the first time, online aerosol–snow interactions are enabled and a fully coupled chemistry Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-Chem) regional model is used to simulate LAP-induced radiative forcing on snow surfaces in HMA at relatively high spatial resolution (12 km , WRF-HR) compared with previous studies. Simulated macro- and microphysical properties of the snowpack and LAP-induced snow darkening are evaluated against new spatially and temporally complete datasets of snow-covered area, grain size, and impurity-induced albedo reduction over HMA. A WRF-Chem quasi-global simulation with the same configuration as WRF-HR but a coarser spatial resolution (1 ∘ , WRF-CR) is also used to illustrate the impact of spatial resolution on simulations of snow properties and aerosol distribution over HMA. Due to a more realistic representation of terrain slopes over HMA, the higher-resolution model (WRF-HR) shows significantly better performance in simulating snow area cover, duration of snow cover, snow albedo and snow grain size over HMA, as well as an evidently better atmospheric aerosol loading and mean LAP concentration in snow. However, the differences in albedo reduction from model and satellite retrievals is large during winter due to associated overestimation in simulated snow fraction. It is noteworthy that Himalayan snow cover has high magnitudes of LAP-induced snow albedo reduction (4 %–8 %) in pre-monsoon seasons (both from WRF-HR and satellite estimates), which induces a snow-mediated radiative forcing of ∼30 –50 W m−2 . As a result, the Himalayas (specifically the western Himalayas) hold the most vulnerable glaciers and mountain snowpack to the LAP-induced snow darkening effect within HMA. In summary, coarse spatial resolution and absence of snow–aerosol interactions over the Himalayan cryosphere will result in significant underestimation of aerosol effects on snow melting and regional hydroclimate.
Numerical Investigation of Active Flow Control of Low-Pressure Turbine Endwall Flow

The endwall flow in a highly loaded linear low-pressure turbine cascade has been numerically investigated for a chord-based Reynolds number of 100,000. Mean flow visualizations reveal a horseshoe v...
The importance of shared decision-making in the neonatal intensive care unit

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions are common and rising. Parents with infants in the NICU face difficult decisions about their infants’ care. Few studies have investigated parents’ engagement in NICU decisions and its effects on decision regret. We surveyed parents of children who had a NICU stay in the past 3 years. We explored whether sociodemographic characteristics affected preferred decision involvement, shared decision-making with NICU clinicians, or decision regret. Multivariable linear regression analyses examined the relationship between shared decision-making and decision regret. Most parents preferred an active (212/405, 52.3%) or shared (139/405, 34.3%) approach to decision-making. No sociodemographic characteristics related to preferred decision involvement or shared decision-making (p’s > 0.05). In multivariable analyses, shared decision-making, education and health literacy related to less decision regret (p’s < 0.05). These data suggest the importance of shared decision-making during NICU stays. Studies should identify ways to support parents through NICU decision-making.
Miniaturized SIW-CBS Planar TX/RX Antenna Arrays For Microwave CW/FMCW Doppler Radars

Miniaturized Substrate Integrated Waveguide Cavity-Backed Slot (SIW-CBS) planar transmit and receive (TX/RX) antenna arrays are presented. A composite right/left handed (CRLH) structure is used as an interdigital slot on the topside of the SIW cavity to achieve the miniaturization. A two-layer substrate structure is used to isolate the antenna from the potential radar electronics. The resonance frequency and bandwidth are set to be 5.8 GHz and 50 MHz. The array miniaturization ratio achieved by the antenna element employing the CRLH structure is ~60% and ~20% compared to a rectangular slot SIW-CBS antenna array and a patch antenna array, respectively. Each array shows a pure radiation pattern with the gain of ~15 dB and 12 dB of front-to-back ratio.
Waveguiding at the Edge of a Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystal

We find that electromagnetic waves can be guided at the edge of a three-dimensional photonic crystal in air. When the waveguide is defined by the intersection of two surface planes, the edge modes are associated with the corresponding surface bands. A simple cell counting approach is presented to describe the periodic evolution of the system with interesting interplays among edge, surface, and bulk states.
Mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis coordinates mitochondrial oxidative metabolism

Cells harbor two systems for fatty acid synthesis, one in the cytoplasm (catalyzed by fatty acid synthase, FASN) and one in the mitochondria (mtFAS). In contrast to FASN, mtFAS is poorly characterized, especially in higher eukaryotes, with the major product(s), metabolic roles, and cellular function(s) being essentially unknown. Here we show that hypomorphic mtFAS mutants display a severe loss of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and exhibit compensatory metabolic activities including reductive carboxylation. This effect on ETC complexes appears to be independent of protein lipoylation, the best characterized function of mtFAS, as mutants lacking lipoylation have an intact ETC. Finally, mtFAS impairment blocks the differentiation of skeletal myoblasts in vitro. Together, these data suggest that ETC activity in mammals is profoundly controlled by mtFAS function, thereby connecting anabolic fatty acid synthesis with the oxidation of carbon fuels.
Scalable Nonlinear Multiuser Detection for mmWave Massive MIMO

We consider uplink multi-user reception for a mmWave picocell with a large number of base station antennas and a proportionally large number of users. Receiver complexity can become a bottleneck for scaling such a system, necessitating development of more computationally efficient algorithms. Due to the spatial sparsity of mmWave channels, transforming the received signal into beamspace concentrates the power of each user into a small number of dimensions. Our prior work takes advantage of this fact to develop a local LMMSE estimator that relies on a small window of the beamspace signal for demodulating each user’s signal. In this paper, we propose to layer nonlinear interference cancellation on top of the local LMMSE receiver: while most interference is suppressed linearly by the local LMMSE receiver, for each user, a small number of strongly interfering users are handled by interference cancellation after suitably whitening the local LMMSE output. The method provides reliable demodulation at higher load factor (defined as number of users divided by the number of antennas) than enabled by linear interference suppression alone, at order of magnitude lower complexity than standard interference cancellation.
A Margin Management Strategy for Low Thrust Trajectories on the Psyche Project

In January 2017, the mission concept Psyche: Journey to a Metal World was one of two concepts selected by NASA for implementation as part of the 14th Discovery mission competition. Over the course of the past year, the Psyche team has actively worked to refine and mature the technical design, culminating in a successful completion of the Project Preliminary Design review and approval to proceed to Phase C in mid-2019. Psyche is a deep space mission utilizing solar electric propulsion (SEP), consisting of SPT-140 Hall thrusters which have been successfully employed on multiple commercial spacecraft. When launched, Psyche will carry over 1000 kg of Xenon, and will represent the farthest usage of electric propulsion usage from the Sun - a distance of over 3.3 AU. The use of solar electric propulsion in deep space has resulted in challenges unique to other missions. Spacecraft designs typically balance margins across two main elements - mass and power - that are independent of one another. Utilizing a low thrust trajectory through the application of electric propulsion introduces more elements - namely flight time, missed thrust percentage and thruster duty cycle. Moreover, these elements become connected, presenting additional relationships that must be considered. This paper will present an overview of the margin management process for Psyche, and how it has evolved from the early proposal stage to its current state. It will discuss the elements that are margined, their relationship with one another, and key uncertainties that must be addressed. It discusses challenges and mitigations obtained during the refinement of the Psyche project, culminating in a new margin strategy that enables optimization across many of the system elements, and will serve as a template for future deep space SEP missions.
Improved Reactive Power Sharing Between Droop Controlled Inverters In Islanded Microgrid

Generally, a droop control is used for power sharing among distributed generators (DGs) in islanded microgrid. This paper investigates the problem of reactive power sharing among DGs when using droop strategy as primary control. The advantage of droop control is that it allows inverters to mimic the droop characteristics of synchronous generator in grid connected or in islanded mode. It has been observed that such control strategy results in proper sharing of real power but reactive power sharing among DGs deteriorates. A modified droop strategy is proposed here that improves the reactive power sharing between distributed generators (DGs) without any secondary controller. Advantage of this droop strategy is that it only uses local measurements. However, because of the line impedance between DGs reactive power cannot be shared equally. It was also shown that because of coupling between real and reactive power, this strategy also improves the voltage and frequency deviations in case of load changes.
Type I interferon upregulation and deregulation of genes involved in monopoiesis in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is characterized by myelomonocytic bias and monocytic proliferation. Whether cell-intrinsic innate immune or inflammatory upregulation mediate disease pathogenesis and phenotype or whether the degree of aberrant monocytic differentiation influences outcomes remains unclear. We compared the transcriptomic features of bone marrow CD34+ cells from 19 patients with CMML and compared to healthy individuals. A total of 1495 genes had significantly differential expression in CMML (q 2), including 1271 genes that were significantly upregulated and 224 that were significantly downregulated in CMML. Top upregulated genes were associated with interferon (IFN) alpha and beta signaling, chemokine receptors, IFN gamma, G protein-coupled receptor ligand signaling, and genes involved in immunomodulatory interactions between lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells. Additionally, 6 gene sets were differentially upregulated and 139 were significantly downregulated in patients with myeloproliferative compared to myelodysplastic CMML. A total of 23 genes involved in regulation of monopoiesis were upregulated in CMML compared to healthy controls. We developed a prediction model using Cox regression including 3 of these genes, which differentiated patients into two prognostic subsets with distinct survival outcomes. This data warrants further evaluation of the roles and therapeutic potential of type I IFN signaling and monopoiesis in CMML.
Tuning the Morphological Properties of Cellulose Aerogels: An Investigation of Salt-Mediated Preparation

In this study, alkali and alkaline earth metal chlorides with different cationic radii (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2) were used to gain insight into the behavior of cellulose solutions in the presence of salts. The specific focus of the study was on the evaluation of the effect of salts’ addition on the sol–gel transition of the cellulose solutions and on their ability to form monoliths, as well as the evaluation of the morphology (e.g., specific surface area, pore characteristics, and microstructure) of aerocelluloses prepared from these solutions. The effect of the salt addition on the sol–gel transition of cellulose solutions was studied using rheology, and morphology of resultant aerogels was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, while the salt influence on the aerocelluloses’ crystalline structure and thermal stability was evaluated using powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The study revealed that the effect of salts’ addition was dependent on the component ions and their concentration. The addition of salts in the amount below certain concentration limit significantly improved the ability of the cellulose solutions to form monoliths and reduced the sol–gel transition time. Salts of lower cationic radii had a greater effect on gelation. However, excessive amount of salts resulted in the formation of fragile monoliths or no formation of gels at all. Analysis of surface morphology demonstrated that the addition of salts resulted in a significant increase in porosity and specific surface area, with salts of lower cationic radii leading to aerogels with much larger (~ 1.5 and 1.6-fold for LiCl and MgCl2, respectively) specific surface area compared to aerocelluloses prepared with no added salt. Thus, by adding the appropriate salt into the cellulose solution prior to gelation, the properties of aerocelluloses that control material’s performance (specific surface area, density, and porosity) could be tailored for a specific application.
Promoting Predictability in Business: Evaluating Solutions to Overlapping Liability in International Anti-Corruption Enforcement

As business increasingly cuts across national borders—and countries implement and enforce anti-corruption regimes more aggressively—companies risk liability in multiple jurisdictions. While fighting corruption is a valuable goal, the risk of overlapping liability undermines the international business environment and over-deters beneficial behavior, such as investment in the developing world. Scholars have articulated an interest in creating a formal mechanism to solve this problem, but they have yet to adequately describe the basic provisions such a mechanism should contain. In response, this Note attempts to define the elements of an effective solution. This Note proposes a (1) presumption that the country with the strongest jurisdictional ties to the allegedly unlawful activity will commence the anti-corruption action, (2) multi-jurisdictional prohibition against double jeopardy, and (3) commitment to seeking proportional punishment, including limiting disgorgement to the amount of ill-gotten gains. This Note argues that this mechanism should be housed in a series of bilateral agreements—similar to those seen in international antitrust enforcement.
Structure-activity relationships of quercetin in antagonizing hydrogen peroxide-induced calcium dysregulation in PC12 cells.

Abstract Oxidative stress can induce neurotoxic insults by increasing intracellular calcium (Ca2+), which has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases in aging. Previously, we showed that hydrogen peroxide induced calcium dysregulation in PC12 cells, as evidenced by (i) an increase in calcium baselines, (ii) a decrease in depolarization-induced calcium influx, and (iii) a failure to recover the Ca2+ levels. In the present experiments, we investigated whether a dietary flavonoid, quercetin, can antagonize the effects of hydrogen peroxide in the same cell model. We also investigated the possible structure–activity relationships of quercetin by comparing the results with four other flavonoids, each having a slightly different structure from quercetin. Our results indicated that two structural components, including (i) 3′, 4′-hydroxyl (OH) groups in the B ring and (ii) a 2,3-double bond in conjugation with a 4-oxo group in the C ring, along with the polyphenolic structures were crucial for the protection. These structural components are found in quercetin, and this compound was also the most efficacious in reducing both the H2O2-induced Ca2+ dysregulation in cells and oxidative stress assessed via the dichlorofluorescein assay. Collectively, these data indicated that the particular polyphenolic structural components of quercetin provided its strong antioxidant property of protecting cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress and calcium dysregulation.
Critical elements of successful faculty development in information and communication technology

The almost infinite potential educational uses of information and communication technology (ICT) will only be realized when most teachers have sufficient knowledge and skills to truly integrate ICT into their curricula, utilizing it to make teaching and learning more effective and efficient. For this to be accomplished teachers must experience the integration of ICT into their own pre-service learning as well as into the pedagogical skills they are taught. Teacher education faculty responsible for the pre-service experience of teachers must themselves develop high levels of knowledge, integrative skills, and comfort with ICT. It is the professional development of teacher education faculty that is the focus of this paper. The critical elements of successful faculty development in ICT presented here are drawn from the experiences and evaluation of roughly a year and a half of providing development activities for the faculty of a large, public, urban school of education in the Eastern United States.
“I miss my mobile phone!”: Self-expansion via mobile phone and responses to phone loss

This article explores how mobile phones function as an affective technology for young adults, by adapting the self-expansion model to understand attachment to mobile phones. In an online survey, 272 smart phone users reported on their recalled responses to loss/separation from their mobile phone (not by choice), as well as their use of the mobile phone for self-expansion. Results show that self-expansion via mobile phone was associated with greater inclusion of the mobile phone in the self-concept and greater subjective well-being. Most respondents reported negative feelings, such as loneliness/disconnection, anxiety, and boredom, when without their mobile phone, but others felt relieved to be out of touch with others. The use of the mobile phone for self-expansion was associated with more negative emotion and less positive emotion (relief) in response to loss/separation from the phone. Interpretations of the findings are discussed.
The nucleoprotein hybridization method for isolating active and inactive genes as chromatin.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a method for fractionating chromatin that is based on specific hybridization between soluble chromatin fragments and oligonucleotides. This method, termed “nucleoprotein hybridization,” targets a specific gene on the basis of its DNA sequence. This technique makes it possible to isolate the chromatin of defined DNA sequence irrespective of its functional state. Alternative protocols for chromatin fractionation have employed differential solubility of chromatin fragments after mild nuclease digestion, immunoprecipitation, and mercury affinity columns. These alternative techniques yield a fraction enriched in active or inactive chromatin representing an ensemble of different genes. The chapter schematically represents seven steps of nucleoprotein hybridization. The feasibility of the technique has been proved with the SV40 model system. SV40 could be mixed with an excess of exogenous sea-urchin chromatin and then isolated to 88% purity corresponding to a 115-fold enrichment. The chapter also describes the first purification of active and inactive cellular genes as chromatin using the nucleoprotein hybridization. The Strongylocentrotus purpuratus sea urchin early histone gene repeat (SUEHGR) was chosen as a target for the first application of the technique.
Fault Detection for Salinity Sensors in the Columbia Estuary

Sensors developed in the Columbia River estuary gather information on physical dynamics and changes in estuary habitat. Of these sensors, conductivity sensors are particularly susceptible to bio-fouling, which gradually degrades sensor response and corrupts critical data. Several weeks may pass before degradation is visibly detected. As a result, an indeterminate amount of the archival data is corrupted, as the onset time of bio-fouling is unknown. To speed detection and minimize data loss, we develop automatic bio-fouling detectors, based in machine learning approaches, for these conductivity sensors. We demonstrate that our detectors identify bio-fouling at least as relably as human experts and provide accurate estimates of bio-fouling onset time. Real-time detectors installed during the summer of 2001 produced no false alarms, yet detected all episodes of sensor degradation before the field staff.
Customizable and extensible deployment for mobile/cloud applications

Modern applications face new challenges in managing today's highly distributed and heterogeneous environment. For example, they must stitch together code that crosses smartphones, tablets, personal devices, and cloud services, connected by variable wide-area networks, such as WiFi and 4G. This paper describes Sapphire, a distributed programming platform that simplifies the programming of today's mobile/cloud applications. Sapphire's key design feature is its distributed runtime system, which supports a flexible and extensible deployment layer for solving complex distributed systems tasks, such as fault-tolerance, code-offloading, and caching. Rather than writing distributed systems code, programmers choose deployment managers that extend Sapphire's kernel to meet their applications' deployment requirements. In this way, each application runs on an underlying platform that is customized for its own distribution needs.
Efficient Convergence Implies Ockham’s Razor

A finite data set is consistent with infinitely many alternative theories. Scientific realists recommend that we prefer the simplest one. Anti-realists ask how a fixed simplicity bias could track the truth when the truth might be complex. It is no solution to impose a prior probability distribution biased toward simplicity, for such a distribution merely embodies the bias at issue without explaining its efficacy. In this note, I argue, on the basis of computational learning theory, that a fixed simplicity bias is necessary if inquiry is to converge to the right answer efficiently, whatever the right answer might be. Efficiency is understood in the sense of minimizing the least fixed bound on retractions or errors prior to convergence.
Peptococcus asaccharolyticus bacteremia with liver involvement cured with oral metronidazole

Abstract A previously healthy young man developed fever, chills, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain after dental extraction. Blood culture grew Peptococcus asaccharolyticus. Liver scan showed multiple filling defects. He was cured with a 2-wk course of oral metronidazole without a drainage procedure.
A CORBA-based manufacturing environment

A CORBA based distributed object software system was developed for Sandia's Agile Manufacturing Testbed (SAMT). This information architecture supports the goals of agile manufacturing: rapid response to changing requirements; reduction in both time and cost of the product realization process; and integration within a heterogeneous, wide area networked enterprise. Features of the resulting software controlled manufacturing environment are: easy plug and play of manufacturing devices, support for both automated and manual operations, information flow both into and out of manufacturing devices, and a dynamic task sequencer.
Chemiluminescence-based detection of gastrointestinal malignancies

Chemiluminescence is an established method for the in vitro serum monitoring of human tumors. Chemiluminescence may have additional utility for the in vivo detection of tumors. During carcinogenesis, tumors change their phenotype and the proteins they express. Specifically, in carcinogenesis of the esophagus and stomach, enzymes that are normally only expressed in the small intestine brush border become ectopically expressed in precancerous and cancerous lesions. Intestinal alkaline phosphatase and lactase are among the small intestine brush border enzymes that are ectopically expressed. We have found that specific chemiluminescent substrates for alkaline phosphatase and lactase may be used for the in situ detection of intestinal alkaline phosphatase and lactase in unprocessed tissue. In this study, we demonstrate that chemiluminescent 1,2-dioxetane substrates may be used for the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions from the esophagus and stomach.
Temporal accuracy of the nonequilibrium radiation diffusion equations employing a Saha ionization model

This manuscript presents an analysis of the temporal accuracy of two first-order in time and two second-order in time integration methods as applied to a coupled radiation diffusion/reaction system of equations. These methods are categorized by their temporal order of accuracy, whether the algorithm includes operator splitting, and whether the algorithm includes linearizations. Accuracy of the different methods on three different test problems is discussed. These test problems are not new to the literature, but the purpose here is to demonstrate that it is possible to maintain second-order time accuracy on a nontrivial coupled system while employing an operator-split and linearized method.
Cardiopatía isquémica en el anciano

In the field of Cardiology, older patients are the most frequently seen in clinical practice. In the USA, 60% of the patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction are 65 or older, as are almost 80% of the patients with heart failure. Population in industrialized countries is aging progressively and this fact is particularly pronounced in Spain, where, as calculated, the population pyramid will be inverted in the next 50 years and people over 65 will be a majority group. We know that age is a determinant factor in the prognosis of illness. With age, comorbidity increases, sex distribution changes, mortal complications have a higher incidence, and there are structural and mechanical functional changes. The specific characteristics of this group of patients and their enormous impact in clinical practice have led us to reconsider the medical focus used to approach this very important aspect of public health. Many of the larger randomized clinical trials have included a narrow spectrum of older patients despite the great relevance that the study of this group might have. On the other hand, the extrapolation of the results obtained in younger patients to older patients implies that the average results of the study may be assigned to a heterogeneous population, not taking into consideration the specificities of each subgroup. Therefore, there is a need to create innovative strategies to optimize the results in the older patient group. Even though clinical trials are a very useful tool to establish the effectiveness of a therapy, from a methodological point of view, they should include a higher number of older patients, and the observational studies undertaken with a rigorous methodology should be more frequently used to generate new knowledge and put the established knowledge info practice. Furthermore, observational studies can be particularly important in the development of strategies that allow the translation of information from the clinical trials to daily clinical practice.
Electron Transfer. 132. Oxidations with Peroxynitrite1

Peroxynitrite (ON−O−O-) is formed by the reaction, at −2 °C, of nitrous acid and hydrogen peroxide, followed by rapid quenching with excess cold base. Unlike its conjugate acid (peroxynitrous acid, pKa = 6.5), which decomposes quickly, the anion can be preserved for several weeks at high pH at −18 °C. Solutions of ONOO- rapidly oxidize solutions of H3AsO3, antimony(III) tartrate, and HSO3- (at pH 5−13) and Sn(II) (at pH 10−13) in reactions exhibiting 1:1 stoichiometry. Oxidation of hypophosphite is much slower and that of phosphite is nondetectable. Kinetic acidity patterns for oxidations of As(III), Sb(III), and S(IV) are each in accord with reactions proceeding via three paths featuring different levels of protonation. For H3AsO3 and antimony(III) tartrate, reaction involving the monodeprotonated reductant (e.g., H2AsO3-) and ONOOH (OxH+ + Red) predominates whereas, for HSO3-, reaction is most rapid when both redox partners are protonated (OxH+ + RedH+). All transformations in this study are taken to be...
An analysis of vocational interests for female research and development managers

An occupational interest scale was constructed for female research and development managers utilizing a criterion sample of 201 subjects. One hundred five occupations were scored on the resulting scale in an attempt to better understand the interest structure of the criterion group. In addition, female research and development managers were compared to technical specialist groups, male research and development (R&D) managers, and nontechnical managers. Major findings indicated female and male R&D managers were strikingly similar and both groups have task oriented rather than social-emotional leadership styles. In addition, female R&D managers are distinguished from their technical counterparts by scoring higher in the Enterprising area. In comparison to nontechnical managers the female managers scored lower in the Enterprising area. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for technical management and career development.
Conceptual differences between meals.

Abstract This study follows up prior research findings indicating that people employed evaluative and social-emotional criteria in significantly different ways when asked to conceptualize their recent morning, midday and evening meals. A convenience sample ( N =157) of males and females ranging in age from 18 to 87 rated their most recent and their “ideal” morning, midday and evening meals on a series of evaluative and social–emotional scales. Analysis of the combined recent and ideal meal ratings showed that regardless of the variable meal contents, morning meals were generally seen as significantly less expensive, more casual, convenient and lighter than other meals, whereas evening meals were seen as more unusual, elderly, masculine and happy than other meals. Comparisons between recent and ideal meals revealed that the latter are seen as significantly better liked, less convenient, happier, heavier, and more unusual than the former. Moreover, older women stood out as rating both their recent and ideal meals as healthier than all other respondents. Additional factor analytic results showed substantial structural differences between the patterns of evaluative and social–emotional ratings applied to recent morning, midday and evening meals. Pending further research with a larger, more representative sample, it is concluded that there are important conceptual and social–emotional differences between morning, midday and evening meals.
Control of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone pulse generation in nonhuman primates.

1. The pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) is critical for reproductive function. However, the exact mechanism of LHRH pulse generation is unclear. The purpose of this article is to review the current knowledge on LHRH pulse generation and to discuss a series of studies in our laboratory. 2. Using push-pull perfusion in the stalk-median eminence of the rhesus monkey several important facts have been revealed. There is evidence indicating that LHRH neurons themselves have endogenous pulse-generating mechanisms but that the pulsatility of LHRH release is also modulated by input from neuropeptide Y (NPY) and norepinephrine (NE) neurons. The release of NPY and NE is pulsatile, with their pulses preceding or occurring simultaneously with LHRH pulses, and the neuroligands NPY and NE and their agonists stimulate LHRH pulses, while the antagonists of the ligands suppress LHRH pulses. 3. The pulsatile release of LHRH increases during the estrogen-induced LH surge as well as the progesterone-induced LH surge. These increases are partly due to the stimulatory effects of estrogen and progesterone on NPY neurons. 4. An increase in pulsatile LHRH release occurs at the onset of puberty. This pubertal increase in LHRH release appears to be due to the removal of tonic inhibition from γ aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons and a subsequent increase in the inputs of NPY and NE neurons to LHRH neurons. 5. There are indications that additional neuromodulators are involved in the control of the LHRH pulse generation and that glia may play a role in coordinating pulses of the release of LHRH and neuromodulators. 6. It is concluded that the mechanism generating LHRH pulses appears to comprise highly complex cellular elements in the hypothalamus. The study of neuronal and nonneuronal elements of LHRH pulse generation may serve as a model to study the oscillatory behavior of neurosecretion.
Accumulation of segment 6 sgRNAs of influenza A viruses in the presence of neuraminidase inhibitors

Abstract Background : RNA segment 6 of influenza A viruses only encodes neuraminidase (NA), whereas the same segment of influenza B viruses encodes an additional protein, NB. The NA activity is not required for virus replication but is necessary for virus release from infected cells. In contrast, the NB is an essential influenza B viral membrane protein with an ion channel function. Methods : Influenza A and B viruses were passaged in Madine–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells in the presence of NA inhibitors. The segment 6 sequences of the selected viruses were analyzed. Results : Accumulation of subgenomic (sg) RNAs of segment 6 in influenza A, but not influenza B viruses, was observed as a result of passage in the presence of NA inhibitors. Sequencing of sgRNAs revealed that there were internal deletions of the NA gene both in-frame and with a shift in reading frame. Additional passage of the virus without NA inhibitor resulted in a reduction in the amount of sgRNAs, suggesting that it is a reversible phenomenon. Conclusions : Accumulations of sgRNAs could serve as an indicator of reduced viral dependence on NA function during the release of influenza A virus from infected cells. We speculate that the coding capacity of RNA segment 6 of influenza B viruses is preserved because of the essential role of the NB protein and possibly NA in influenza B virus replication.
ATP Synthase: The machine that makes ATP

The recently determined crystal structure of the F1 part of mitochondrial ATP synthase provides new insights into the workings of one of the most remarkable and complex biochemical machines.
Determination of the Effect of Position on Pulmonary Dynamics of Infants with Birthweight ≤1500 grams on Skin to Skin Care † 1726

Determination of the Effect of Position on Pulmonary Dynamics of Infants with Birthweight ≤1500 grams on Skin to Skin Care † 1726
Landscapes in physics and biology: a tourist's impression

Abstract This workshop on “Landscapes” covered several areas of science, each with their own styles and priorities. The discussion here suggests several different perspective on this meeting of Biophysics and Biology, viewing the topics as if they had “Landscapes”.
Erratum: The evolution of distributed association networks in the human brain

In the Review article ‘The evolution of distributed association networks in the human brain’ by Randy L. Buckner and Fenna M. Krienen, which was published in the December 2013 issue of Trends in Cognitive Sciences, the adapted Figure 1 lost information about the relationships among early placental mammals that was present in the original figure. This information is depicted in the revised Figure 1 on the next page. This change in Figure 1 does not affect the conclusions mentioned in the paper.
A new system for broiler flock-health monitoring

Abstract Flock-health monitoring is important to optimize production efficiency, detect subclinical problems, acquire data to make valid comparisons of production practices and identify future directions of research. A flock-health monitoring system was initiated in 1982 with the cooperation of the poultry industry in Mississippi. It has evolved over time and now consists of: (a) regular, representative live-bird sampling, necropsy and scoring of gross observations; (b) a computer program for data storage and summary; (c) regular periodic preparation and distribution of reports to the industry. Of the 13 broiler-production complexes in Mississippi, nine participate in the system. From each participating flock, representative samples were taken twice (2 weeks apart) of birds between the ages of 11 and 40 days. Five body systems receive particular attention: integumentary, skeletal, respiratory, hemolymphatic and gastrointestinal. Fifteen observations are scored. The scores, weight, sex and origin of the birds are entered into a lap-top computer in the necropsy room for later transfer to a microcomputer for storage and summarization. Flock-health monitoring can be of great value to the industry and to regulatory agencies. It is used by the poultry industry to optimize its vaccination, parasite control (e.g. coccidiosis), management and nutrition programs. For example, high gizzard scores alerted one company to a flock-health problem. Reducing the level of copper sulfate in the feed reduced the gizzard scores and eliminated the problem. Thus, flock-health monitoring programs emphasize health rather than overt disease. We believe this is the future for preventive veterinary medicine.