cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid-phase sintering of SmCo5

Abstract The sintering kinetics of SmCo5 have been investigated as functions of stoichiometry, time and temperature. The shrinkage or densification kinetics are not affected by changes in stoichiometry; therefore no correlation exists between densification kinetics and subsequent magnetic properties. The data obtained in this study indicate that more than one atomic transport process is operative during the sintering process. Because of this complication, the sintering mechanisms can be only tentatively identified without an assessment of their individual magnitudes. We speculate that the atomic transport processes responsible for sintering of SmCo5 are grain-boundary diffusion and surface diffusion.
Assessing determinants of industrial waste reuse: The case of coal ash in the United States

Abstract Devising effective strategies to facilitate waste reuse depends on the solid understanding of reuse behaviors. However, previous studies of reuse behavior have been limited in scope, focusing mostly on household recycling behaviors or very limited types of industrial wastes. To gain a better understanding of the business reuse behaviors, this study examined the impact of various factors in technical, economic, regulatory, and behavioral categories in the case of coal ash generated in the United States. The results of fixed effect models for fly ash and bottom ash particularly showed the significance role of the behavioral factor. In both models, a proxy variable, which represents knowledge sharing among the power plants or the utility's decision-making, turned out to be statistically significant and had the largest coefficient estimates among a group of variables. This finding may imply that the characteristics of waste reuse behavior are determined more by business decision-making behaviors than by market or institutional factors. However, the role of the behavioral variable was stronger in the bottom ash models than in the fly ash models. While the reuse of bottom ash was determined primarily by the behavioral variable, fly ash reuse was determined by more diverse factors including economic and regulatory variables. This could be explained by material characteristics in relation to competing resources and the nature of reuse applications.
Pharmacological aspects of the treatment of conduct disorder in children and adolescents

In recent years, the rates of psychosocial disorders in children and adolescents have increased, with behavioural manifestations of conduct disorder being one of the most common reasons for referrals to community psychiatrists. Childhood conduct problems are associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders in adult life that extend beyond antisocial behaviour. An increased awareness of the costs of conduct disorder to individuals, families and society has led to advancements in the pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic modalities for this disorder. Despite this, patients with conduct disorder are difficult to treat as the patterns of maladaptive behaviours they exhibit are diverse and can vary as a function of age and sex. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of conduct disorder, which includes behavioural parent training, interpersonal skills training, family therapy and the use of psychotropic agents targeted at a particular cluster of symptoms, can increase the overall effectiveness of each of the applied interventions. Aggression, hyperactivity, impulsivity and mood symptoms are the most sensitive proximal targets. Evidence suggests that antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilisers, antiepileptic drugs, stimulants and adrenergic drugs can be well tolerated and effective therapeutic options for individuals with conduct disorder and comorbid psychiatric conditions. However, the most successful therapeutic outcomes are likely to be achieved by combining the current advances in psychopharmacology with behavioural and psychosocial interventions, aimed at modifying the excessive patterns of maladaptive behaviours observed in conduct disorder.
Radiative cooling in transparent shock layers of wedges and cones.

1 Goulard, R., "Preliminary estimates of radiative transfer effects on detached shock layers," AIAA J. 2, 494-502 (1964). 2 Thomas, P. D., "Transparency assumption in hypersonic radiative gas dynamics," AIAA J. 3, 1401-1407 (1965). 3 Freeman, N. C., "On the theory of hypersonic flow past plane and axially symmetric bluff bodies," J. Fluid Mech. 1, 366387 (1956). 4 Bush, W. B., "On the viscous hypersonic blunt body problem," J. Fluid Mech. 20, 353-367 (1964). 5 Lagerstrom, P. A., "Laminar flow theory," Theory of Laminar Flow, edited by F. K. Moore (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1964). 6 Hansen, C. F., "Approximations for the thermodynamic and transport properties of high-temperature air," NASA TR R-50 (1959). 7 Gilmore, F. R., "Equilibrium composition and thermodynamic properties of air to 24,000°K," Rand Corp. Rept. RM 1543 (1955). 8 Hanley, G. M. and Korkan, K. D., "Inviscid, non-adiabatic flow in the stagnation region of blunt bodies," Proceedings of the XV International Astronautical Congress (Gauthier-Villars, Paris, France, 1965), Vol. III. 9 Nerem, R. M., "Equilibrium radiative heating at superorbital re-entry velocities," Proceedings of the XV International Astronautical Congress (Gauthier-Villars, Paris, France, 1965), Vol. III. 10 Schlichting, H., Boundary LayerTheory (McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., New York, 1960), 4th ed. 11 Li, T. Y. and Geiger, R. E., "Stagnation point of a blunt body in hypersonic flow," J. Aeronaut. Sci. 24, 25-32 (1957). 12 Hayes, W. D. and Probstein, R. F., Hypersonic Flow Theory (Academic Press Inc., New York, 1959). 13 Copson, E. T., Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable (Oxford Press, London, 1935). 14 Cohen, C. B. and Reshotko, E., "Similar solutions for the compressible laminar boundary layer with heat transfer and pressure gradient," NACA Rept. 1293 (1956). 15 Fay, J. A. and Riddell, F. R., "Theory of stagnation point heat transfer in dissociated air," J. Aeronaut. Sci. 25, 73-85 (1958). 16 Pagurova, V. I., Tables of the Incomplete Gamma-Function (Academy of Sciences Computing Center, Moscow, USSR, 1963).
An integrated system design environment: Concepts and a status report

In the construction of requirements specifications for a given problem, it is generally recommended that overspecification of the problem solution be avoided [1]. Such overspecification tends to distort the functionality required by suggesting implementation concepts at the outset. In order to avoid overspecification, and to provide a support environment to the specifier, a four-stage system design environment is proposed and has been partially implemented over a three-year period. The theoretical basis of this approach is explained in [2]. Our system-level specification language (DODAN) is developed in [3]. Based on this specification language, a prototype (DAA) [4, 5, 6] for supporting the requirements specification stage has been implemented. Our other protype (DARMS) addressing the module specification stage was developed in [7, 8]. In this paper, the current status of the project is described with an emphasis on the requirements specification stage.
The permeability of whole and jointed Barre Granite

Abstract The permeability of whole and jointed Barre granite was measured at pressures up to 2 kbars. Jointed samples were actually split cylinders joined by surfaces with controlled surface roughness. Samples with induced tension fractures were also measured. The permeability of the whole rock ranged from about 10−6 to 10−7 darcies. The permeability of the jointed rock ranged from about 8 × 10−5 darcies at low pressure down to that of the whole rock at high pressures. Permeability was not a simple function of the difference between external confining pressure (Pc) and internal fluid pressure (Pf). Changes in permeability were found to be proportional to (b dPf − a dPc) where b/a
Glass Air-Gap Transmission Lines on Silicon for Microwave Integrate Circuits

Two types of air-gap transmission-line structures on silicon substrates have been fabricated using glass microbump bonding (GMBB) techniques. The air-gap transmission lines have the advantages of lower losses compare to conventional uniplanar transmission-line on doped semiconductor substrate. Because the bonding techniques are simple, this integration approach provides a cost-effective solution for monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). Theoretical and experimental results of air-gap interconnects on silicon substrate are presented in this paper. Spiral inductors fabricated in air-gap configurations are also experimentally studied. The temperature effects on losses are investigated as well.
Excimer laser ablation of contaminated polyimide

Excimer laser ablation is used as an effective surface cleaning technique for polyimide layers used in electronic packaging applications. Experiments are reported at 193 nm and 248 nm. At each of these wavelengths, ablations of the contaminated polyimide surface were carried out as a function of incident laser fluence. Quantitative determinations of contaminants present in the polyimide were made using surface analytical techniques. It is clearly demonstrated that excimer laser radiation at both 193 and 248 nm can be used to selectively remove trace metal contaminants from polyimide surfaces leaving intact the fine-line metallizations patterned on them. However, differences in the ablation thresholds, as well as in the ablation rates, are observed at these two wavelengths.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement of spontaneous mutation rates at the Na+/K+ ATPase locus (ouabain resistance) of human fibroblasts using improved growth conditions

Abstract The mutation rate for the Na+/K+ ATPase locus (oubain resistance, OuaR) in mammalian cells in culture has been reported to be 10–100-fold lower than the mutation rate of other gene loci in culture, such as the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) locus. Determination of the mutation rate to ouabain resistance is sensitive to culture conditions and the concentration of ouabain used to select mutants. Our improved growth conditions for human cells have permitted absolute cloning efficiencies of 70–90% and population doubling times of 16–17 h with both normal human diploid fibroblasts, KD, and their chemically induced neoplastic derivative, Hut-11A. Ouabain at 10−7 M was found to be adequate to select for resistant (OuaR) mutants with an absolute recovery efficiency of 54–102%. Under these conditions, the mutation rates to ouabain resistance for human cells were measured and found to be 1–8.5 × 10−7/cell/generation for KD cells and 6–13 × 10−7/cell/generation for Hut-11A cells. These rates are 5–25 times higher than previously reported for human cells. Improved growth and the use of a lower concentration of ouabain for selection may allow for the increased recovery of OuaR mutants and an improved estimate of the mutation rate at this locus, which is only 2–10-fold less than the mutation rate at the HPRT locus in the same cells.
VEGF stimulated expression of survivin by neuroblastoma cells is dependent upon AKT

Purpose. Expression of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family member, correlates with more aggressive neuroblastomas. Growth factors, such as VEGF, are thought to provide a survival advantage to tumors through disruption of the apoptotic machinery, and previous studies have shown that neuroblastoma cells cultured with VEGF are resistant to apoptosis. We hypothesize that the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, survivin, will be up regulated when neuroblastoma cells are exposed to VEGF and that this increase is dependent upon the PI3K/AKT pathway. Methods. Human neuroblastoma cells (IMR-32) are cultured under various conditions: (1) with VEGF at various doses and for varying times and (2) with VEGF for varying times after pretreatment for 24 h with LY294002 (20 nM), a specific inhibitor of PI3K and thus AKT phosphorylation. Expression of AKT, phospho-AKT (P-AKT), and survivin is measured by Western blot. ψ-Actin expression assures equal protein loading. Experiments are repeated in triplicate. Results. Representative Western blots are below. Increased expression of survivin and P-AKT (without a change in total AKT) occurs as early as 6 h after VEGF treatment. Survivin expression is dose dependent with VEGF. LY294002 blocks phosphorylation of AKT and abrogates the VEGF-induced increase in survivin expression. Conclusions. VEGF induces increased survivin and P-AKT expression in IMR-32 cells. LY294002 blocks both the VEGF-induced increase in P-AKT and survivin, implicating the role of PI3K/AKT in VEGF stimulated survival pathways in neuroblastoma. Download full-size image
Bending and torsional resonances in structures subject to ground motion

Abstract A perturbation technique is used to analyse the bending and torsional responses of a single-storey structure subject to ground excitations. The structure response is governed by a system of nonlinearly coupled second-order ordinary differential equations. For weak nonlinearities and weak damping it is shown that when the frequency of the lateral excitation is nearly identical to the natural frequency of bending, the steady state amplitude of the bending mode exhibits a cusp catastrophe as a function of the lateral excitation frequency. The steady state amplitude of the bending mode increases with the lateral excitation amplitude, decreases when the damping term increases, and is independent of the structure nonlinearities and torsional excitation amplitude. The lateral excitation frequency at which the steady state maximum bending amplitude occurs decreases as the torsional excitation amplitude, the structural nonlinearities and the lateral excitation amplitude increase. It is shown that when the lateral excitation frequency is nearly identical to the natural frequency of bending, subharmonic, superharmonic, and internal resonances occur in the torsion mode. Some of these resonances result in aperiodic structural responses. When the structure is in resonance in both the torsional and bending modes, it is shown that no steady solution exists when the lateral excitation frequency is nearly identical to the torsional excitation frequency and nearly identical to the natural frequencies of bending and torsion.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens virE operon encodes a single-stranded DNA-binding protein

The virulence (vir) genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid are essential for transformation of plant cells. Overproduction of a virE-encoded gene product in Escherichia coli was achieved by construction of an operon fusion with the E. coli tryptophan (trp) operon. The virE2 gene product in E. coli partitioned into the insoluble membrane fraction. The protein was solubilized by treatment with 4 M urea at 0 degree C. DNA-protein binding experiments showed that a strong single-stranded (ss) DNA-binding activity was present in protein fractions containing the virE2 gene product. The binding was highly specific with little or no binding observed with either double-stranded DNA or ssRNA. No significant binding to Ti plasmid DNA sequences was observed. Protein blotting studies indicated that the ssDNA-binding activity was associated with the 68-kDa virE2 polypeptide.
Historical perspective of vasculitis: Polyarteritis nodosa and microscopic polyangiitis

The original and early case reports of vasculitis provide a historical context and foundation for understanding current concepts of these diseases. These early case reports are valuable as reference points for the current efforts in diagnosing, treating, and classifying vasculitis. In addition, they emphasize the importance of careful clinical observation in these efforts and the essential nature of medical science. Polyarteritis nodosa was the first noninfectious vasculitis to be described and studied in detail. Research on this group of vasculitides has been the cornerstone for understanding the pathophysiology of other forms of idiopathic vasculitis. Historically, most forms of vasculitis described subsequently have been characterized and classified on the basis of features similar to or distinct from polyarteritis.
Zeolite-supported bimetallic catalyst: controlling selectivity of rhodium complexes by nearby iridium complexes

Rh(C2H4)2 complexes supported on HY zeolite selectively catalyze ethylene dimerization in the presence of H2, but iridium complexes anchored near the rhodium alter the selectivity by spilling over hydrogen that limits the adsorption of ethylene on Al–OH sites that act in concert with the rhodium sites, thereby triggering the rhodium complexes to operate as hydrogenation rather than dimerization catalysts.
A structure-based mechanism for tRNA and retroviral RNA remodelling during primer annealing.

To prime reverse transcription of Moloney murine leukaemia virus, a transfer RNA molecule must bind two regions of the retroviral RNA, the primer binding site (PBS) and primer activation signal within the U5-PBS; here, the NMR structures of the U5-PBS RNA and tRNA primer are solved, with and without the retroviral nucleocapsid protein, which remodels these regions. Retroviruses preferentially use specific host tRNAs as primers for the first step of reverse transcription. Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MLV) uses tRNAPro, which binds to two regions of the retroviral RNA (U5-PBS and PAS). Victoria D'Souza and colleagues have solved NMR structures of the U5-PBS RNA and tRNA primer, with and without retroviral nucleocapsid protein, to understand how it remodels these regions as part of the priming process. In contrast to other ATP-independent nucleocapsid chaperones that bind many RNA sites with low affinity, this retroviral protein uses an entropy-driven capture-and-release remodelling mechanism where few sites are bound with high affinity. This results in local destabilization of the regions specifically required for the intermolecular interaction. To prime reverse transcription, retroviruses require annealing of a transfer RNA molecule to the U5 primer binding site (U5-PBS) region of the viral genome1,2. The residues essential for primer annealing are initially locked in intramolecular interactions3,4,5; hence, annealing requires the chaperone activity of the retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) protein to facilitate structural rearrangements6. Here we show that, unlike classical chaperones, the Moloney murine leukaemia virus NC uses a unique mechanism for remodelling: it specifically targets multiple structured regions in both the U5-PBS and tRNAPro primer that otherwise sequester residues necessary for annealing. This high-specificity and high-affinity binding by NC consequently liberates these sequestered residues—which are exactly complementary—for intermolecular interactions. Furthermore, NC utilizes a step-wise, entropy-driven mechanism to trigger both residue-specific destabilization and residue-specific release. Our structures of NC bound to U5-PBS and tRNAPro reveal the structure-based mechanism for retroviral primer annealing and provide insights as to how ATP-independent chaperones can target specific RNAs amidst the cellular milieu of non-target RNAs.
Raytracing with MARX: x-ray observatory design, calibration, and support

MARX is a portable ray-trace program that was originally developed to simulate event data from the trans- mission grating spectrometers on-board the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). MARX has since evolved to include detailed models of all CXO science instruments and has been further modified to serve as an event simulator for future X-ray observatory design concepts. We first review a number of CXO applications of MARX to demonstrate the roles such a program could play throughout the life of a mission, including its design and calibration, the production of input data products for the development of the various software pipelines, and for observer proposal planning. We describe how MARX was utilized in the design of a proposed future X-ray spectroscopy mission called AEGIS (Astrophysics Experiment for Grating and Imaging Spectroscopy), a mission concept optimized for the 0.2 to 1 keV soft X-ray band. AEGIS consists of six independent Critical Angle Transmission Grating Spectrometers (CATGS) arranged to provide a resolving power of 3000 and an effective area exceeding 1000 cm2 across its passband. Such high spectral resolution and effective area will permit AEGIS to address many astrophysics questions including those that pertain to the evolution of Large Scale Structure of the universe, and the behavior of matter at very high densities. The MARX ray-trace of the AEGIS spectrometer yields quantitative estimates of how the spectrometer’s performance is affected by misalignments between the various system elements, and by deviations of those elements from their idealized geometry. From this information, we are able to make the appropriate design tradeoffs to maximize the performance of the system.
A multiyear prospective study of the risk factors for and incidence of diarrheal illness in a cohort of Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala.

Mild to moderate diarrheal disease continued to occur throughout Peace Corps service but decreased in incidence as length of stay increased. Various dietary behaviors increased the risk for diarrhe...
Applying Bandura's Theory of Self-Efficacy to the Teaching of Research

Abstract Concern regarding students' negative attitudes toward research, as well as the impact such negativity can exert on student learning, abound within the social work literature. Given its focus on the role cognition plays in determining behavior, Bandura's self-efficacy model provides a fitting conceptual framework for clarifying how student attitudes might be facilitating or inhibiting their acquisition and use of research skills. This article presents the key concepts and assumptions encompassed within Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and illustrates how these ideas might be applied to the teaching of research.
Magneto-fluid-mechanic pipe flow in a transverse magnetic field Part 2. Heat transfer

The present paper, part 2, consists of an experimental investigation of the influence of a transverse magnetic field on the heat transfer of a conducting fluid (mercury) flowing in an electrically insulated pipe subjected to a uniform heat flux at the wall. Mean temperature profiles and heat transfer data are presented which demonstrate that the magnetic field inhibits the convective mechanism of heat transfer through its damping of the turbulent velocity fluctuations.
Potential for Satellite Remote Sensing of Ground Water

Predicting hydrologic behavior at regional scales requires heterogeneous data that are often prohibitively expensive to acquire on the ground. As a result, satellite-based remote sensing has become a powerful tool for surface hydrology. Subsurface hydrology has yet to realize the benefits of remote sensing, even though surface expressions of ground water can be monitored from space. Remotely sensed indicators of ground water may provide important data where practical alternatives are not available. The potential for remote sensing of ground water is explored here in the context of active and planned satellite-based sensors. Satellite technology is reviewed with respect to its ability to measure ground water potential, storage, and fluxes. It is argued here that satellite data can be used if ancillary analysis is used to infer ground water behavior from surface expressions. Remotely sensed data are most useful where they are combined with numerical modeling, geographic information systems, and ground-based information.
An Isolated Squamate Dorsal Vertebra from the Late Cretaceous Greenhorn Formation of Mitchell County, Kansas

A procoelous dorsal vertebra collected from the Hartland Shale Member of the Late Cretaceous Greenhorn Formation represents the oldest specimen of a large squamate reptile, possibly a dolichosaur or early mosasauroid, from Kansas. The isolated vertebra was collected near the contact between the Hartland Shale and Jetmore Chalk (late Cenomanian - early Turonian) members of the Greenhorn Formation in Mitchell County, Kansas. A latest Cenomanian age was determined by analysis of the nannofossils contained in matrix recovered from the neural canal of the specimen.
Argon scattering from Ru(0001) : Calculations and comparison with experiment

Recently reported measurements of Ar atom scattering from $\mathrm{Ru}(0001)$ at thermal and hyperthermal energies exhibited a number of characteristics that are unusual in comparison with other systems for which molecular beam experiments have been carried out under similar conditions: the measured energy losses are unusually small, some of the angular distributions exhibited an anomalous shoulder feature in addition to a broad peak near specular, and quantum mechanical diffraction was observed under conditions for which it was not expected. The data are analyzed and compared to calculations with classical scattering theory. Many of the unusual features observed in the measurements are explained but only upon using an effective surface mass of 2.3 Ru atomic masses, which implies collective effects in the Ru crystal. The bigger effective mass leads to substantially larger Debye-Waller factors and explains and confirms the observations of diffraction features. It also leads to the interesting conclusion that Ru is a metal for which molecular beam scattering measurements in the purely quantum mechanical regime can be performed with a range of atomic and molecular projectiles with masses substantially heavier than He.
Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Biodegradation of Organic Contaminants in the Shallow Vadose Zone of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex

Waste material buried in drums in the shallow subsurface at the Radioactive Waste Management Facility (RWMC) of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) contained significant amounts of organic compounds including lubricating oils and chlorinated solvents. CO{sub 2} concentrations in pore gas samples from monitoring wells in the vicinity of the disposal pits are 3 to 5 times higher than the concentrations in nearby background wells. The stable carbon isotope ratios ({delta}{sup 13}C values) of CO{sub 2} from the disposal pits averaged 2.4. less than CO{sub 2} from the background wells, indicating that the elevated CO{sub 2} concentrations around the pits were derived from source materials with {delta}{sup 13}C values in the range of -24{per_thousand} to -29{per_thousand}. These {delta}{sup 13}C values are typical of lubricating oils, but higher than most solvents. The radiocarbon ({sup 14}C) contents of CO{sub 2} across most of the site were significantly elevated above modern concentrations due to reactor blocks buried in a subsurface vault at the site. However, several samples collected from the high-CO{sub 2} zone on the far side of the RWMC from the reactor blocks had very low {sup 14}C contents (less than 0.13 times modern), confirming production from lubricating oils manufactured from fossil hydrocarbons. The magnitude of the CO{sub 2} anomaly observed at the site is consistent with intrinsic biodegradation rates on the order of 0.5 to 3.0 metric tons of carbon per year.
Cheddar Cheese Flavor: Gas Chromatographic and Mass Spectral Analyses of the Neutral Components of the Aroma Fractiona

SUMMARY The aroma fraction from the fat of high-quality raw-milk Cheddar cheese was isolated by centrifugation of the intact cheese and passing the recovered fat through a molecular still at 40°C. The aroma fraction was separated by gas chromatography on packed columns containing polar and nonpolar phases and by programmed-temperature capillary-column gas chromatography. The effluent from the latter column was admitted directly to the inlet of a rapid-scan mass spectrometer enabling concurrent recordings of mass spectra for each chromatographic peak. The aroma fraction was separated into approximately 130 components by the capillary column. By correlation of gas chromatography and mass spectral data, most of the major neutral components were characterized. These included aldehydes, methyl ketones, primary and secondary alcohols, esters of the primary and secondary alcohols and fatty acids, γ-lactones, and the isomeric lactides of lactic acid.
The effect of knee braces on lateral impact loading of the knee

Disruption of the medial supporting structures of the knee occurs commonly in contact sports such as Amer ican football and lacrosse. A limited number of clinical and laboratory studies currently document the effec tiveness of bracing. The purpose of this project was to determine if commercially available bracing could be shown to produce objective evidence of medial stabili zation of the knee. Our model involves the use of a cadaver lower extremity with a fixed foot and sus pended femur with a free knee and a lateral impact load applied simulating a clipping injury. Force transducers were placed on the ACL and medial collateral ligament (MCL) and an electrogoniometer was attached to the extremity.The prophylactic braces studied had a limited capac ity to protect the MCL from direct lateral stress with the knee in full extension. In flexion or with a change in direction of the load, the protective effect is greatly reduced. The functional braces had a capacity to limit abduction and rotational stresses on...
Applications of modern filtering to accelerators

The modern filtering applications in accelerator technologies are presented. Every step of modern filtering design from the filtering formulation and system modeling to the application is reviewed. The modern filtering formulation for the simplest case of single-variable filtering with a first-order system is presented. The system modeling for the AGS Slow Extracted Beam (SEB) system is shown. Other applications are also considered. >
Database construction for improving patient safety by examining pathology errors

A critical component of improving patient safety is reducing medical errors. "Improving Patient Safety by Examining Pathology Errors" is a project designed to collect data about and analyze diagnostic errors voluntarily reported by 4 academic anatomic pathology laboratories and to develop and implement interventions to reduce errors and improve patient outcomes. The study database is Web-mediated and Oracle-based, and it houses de-identified error data detected by cytologic-histologic correlation and interdepartmental conference review. We describe the basic design of the database with a focus on challenges faced as a consequence of the absence of standardized and detailed laboratory workload and quality assurance data sets in widely used laboratory information systems and the lack of efficient and comprehensive electronic de-identification of unlinked institutional laboratory information systems and clinical data. Development of these electronic data abstraction capabilities is critical for efforts to improve patient safety through the examination of pathology diagnostic errors.
FACULTATIVE DYAD FORMATION IN ADULT MALE COYOTES

Abstract As part of a larger study, we investigated the intensity and duration of association between 2 adult male coyotes (Canis latrans) in an agrarian landscape in west-central Indiana. Home-range size and overlap and the intensity of association varied with time. Home-range sizes averaged 7.9 ± 1.1 (SE) and 11.8 ± 0.9 km2, and spatial overlap was substantial. Activity patterns and habitat preferences were similar for the coyotes whether together or apart, and there was no evidence of temporal or spatial avoidance. The 2 males were together most frequently during the pup-rearing and dispersal seasons, suggesting provisioning of pups and vigilance at diurnal resting sites as possible mechanisms for the dyad formation.
Classification of antituberculosis drugs: a new proposal based on the most recent evidence.

The classification of the anti-TB drugs should probably be modified to optimise the use old and new compounds http://ow.ly/QbDSP
The Siderophore Metabolome of Azotobacter vinelandii

ABSTRACT In this study, we performed a detailed characterization of the siderophore metabolome, or “chelome,” of the agriculturally important and widely studied model organism Azotobacter vinelandii. Using a new high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach, we found over 35 metal-binding secondary metabolites, indicative of a vast chelome in A. vinelandii. These include vibrioferrin, a siderophore previously observed only in marine bacteria. Quantitative analyses of siderophore production during diazotrophic growth with different sources and availabilities of Fe showed that, under all tested conditions, vibrioferrin was present at the highest concentration of all siderophores and suggested new roles for vibrioferrin in the soil environment. Bioinformatic searches confirmed the capacity for vibrioferrin production in Azotobacter spp. and other bacteria spanning multiple phyla, habitats, and lifestyles. Moreover, our studies revealed a large number of previously unreported derivatives of all known A. vinelandii siderophores and rationalized their origins based on genomic analyses, with implications for siderophore diversity and evolution. Together, these insights provide clues as to why A. vinelandii harbors multiple siderophore biosynthesis gene clusters. Coupled with the growing evidence for alternative functions of siderophores, the vast chelome in A. vinelandii may be explained by multiple, disparate evolutionary pressures that act on siderophore production.
How to Think About Voter Fraud (and Why)

In recent months, debates over voter fraud have consumed state legislatures and blogs, courts and election commissions. The prevailing way of framing that debate has been in terms of numbers and statistics: how much voter fraud is there, and does the amount of voter fraud justify new measures to prevent it? In my essay, I argue for a shift away from statistical analysis and towards normative discourse. Only if we understand why (and whether) voter fraud is bad will we be able to decisively settle debates about what should be done about it, if anything.The first part of my paper motivates the idea that normative debate is the proper register in which to talk about voter fraud. The second part analyzes in detail two recent cases, the Supreme Court's Purcell v. Gonzales and the 7th Circuit's Crawford v. Marion County in an effort to tease out the state interest in preventing voter fraud. In the third part, I propose a normative framework that emphasizes the harm of deterring voters from participating in elections caused by new requirements on voting. When balanced against the state interest in preventing fraud and the fear of fraud, the participatory interest will usually trump. What's more, an analysis in terms of the participatory interest is a kind of analysis courts are better suited to perform, rather than having to sort through statistics about the number of incidents of voter fraud.
Treatment with selectin blocking antibodies after lengthening contractions of mouse muscle blunts neutrophil accumulation but does not reduce damage.

P- and E-selectins are expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and may contribute to neutrophil recruitment following injurious lengthening contractions of skeletal muscle. Blunting neutrophil, but not macrophage, accumulation after lengthening contractions may provide a therapeutic benefit as neutrophils exacerbate damage to muscle fibers, while macrophages promote repair. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that P- and E-selectins contribute to neutrophil, but not macrophage, accumulation in muscles after contraction-induced injury, and that reducing neutrophil accumulation by blocking the selectins would be sufficient to reduce damage to muscle fibers. To test our hypothesis, we treated mice with antibodies to block P- and E-selectin function and assessed leukocyte accumulation and damage in muscles 2 days after lengthening contractions. Treatment with P/E-selectin blocking antibodies reduced neutrophil content by about half in muscles subjected to lengthening contractions. In spite of the reduction in neutrophil accumulation, we did not detect a decrease in damage 2 days after lengthening contractions. We conclude that P- and/or E-selectin contribute to the neutrophil accumulation associated with contraction-induced muscle damage and that only a portion of the neutrophils that typically accumulate following injurious lengthening contractions is sufficient to induce muscle fiber damage and force deficits. Thus, therapeutic interventions based on blocking the selectins or other adhesion proteins will have to reduce neutrophil numbers by more than 50% in order to provide a benefit.
Eosinophil protein X and childhood asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: There are no reference guidelines for health care providers regarding appropriate use and interpretation of urine eosinophil protein X (u-EPX) in clinical practice. Currently, there are no clear-cut clinical or laboratory parameters to diagnose asthma in young children. Objective: In this study, we (1) systematically reviewed and qualitatively appraised the epidemiological evidence to determine diagnostic u-EPX cut points for pediatric asthma, and (2) performed a meta-analysis to provide u-EPX estimates for diagnosing pediatric asthma. Methods: Research articles in literature were identified from PubMed/Medline and Web of Science databases from 1966 to August 2015. Children <18 years of age were included. Both serum and urine EPX were included. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and nine studies for the meta-analysis. Details regarding EPX analyses, treatment efficacy, and outcomes were assessed. For meta-analyses, effect estimates were abstracted using standardized means. Results: Over 70% of studies found a significant relationship between u-EPX and childhood asthma. There was 1.94 times higher standardized means of u-EPX among acute asthmatics compared to healthy controls (confidence interval [CI]: 1.67–2.22). Similarly, the difference in standardized means between asymptomatic asthmatics and healthy controls was 1.58 times higher (CI: 1.27–1.88). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Despite differences in sample sizes, EPX processing and measurement, and ages of children, a consistent trend of higher EPX levels with childhood asthma was revealed.
REVOLUTION AND RISORGIMENTO

AFTER NAPOLEON'S CRUSHING MILITARY DEFEAT AT WATERLOO, THE MAP OF Europe was redrawn at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), repatriating most of the Papal States to the Church. As a result, Pius VII returned to Rome and the monasteries were restored. A few years of fragile stability ensued; but waves of violent protest ushered in Pius IX's pontificate and lasted throughout it. Forced to flee Rome during a popular uprising in November 1848, Pius left the city without a government. In February 1849 local revolutionaries held popular elections and declared a new Roman Republic. In exile, the reactionary pope sought military help from French and Spanish troops; these launched an assault on Rome in April. Under the charismatic leader Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Revolutionary Army and hundreds of citizen-soldiers resisted until the end of June, when the French finally gained entry and restored Pius to Rome and his papal seat. Faced with growing anticlerical sentiment, Pius devised social programs to help stave off local uprisings and embraced urban innovations to modernize Rome. Under his direction a group of advisers and private investors initiated public works projects. These included Rome's first gasworks and gas-lit street illumination, telegraph lines, three Tiber bridges, railroads, and a new aqueduct (Fig. 205). He sponsored housing projects, public fountains and laundries, schools, a new tobacco factory, and an asylum. He also dismantled the Jewish Ghetto's gates. Nothing epitomized Machine Age modernity more than rail travel, which Pius embraced wholeheartedly. In the 1850s he initiated two passenger and freight lines connecting stations at Porta Maggiore and Porta Portese with a railroad suspension bridge across the Tiber linking via Ostiense to the left bank. The eastern station served both to receive incoming freight and to connect Romans to the countryside. The Porta Portese station emerged from a larger economic vision for Trastevere that included the tobacco factory, worker housing, and the restoration of Ponte Rotto with an iron suspension bridge. During the 1860s Rome's urban development concentrated on the intramural eastern hills, home to vast estates of Pius IX's former military adviser, the wealthy prelate Francis De Merode. He donated land in the ancient Castro Pretorio to Pius and then installed a new barracks, parade grounds, and exercise yards for the pope's 1,000 soldiers.
Foliations as Noncommutative Spaces

We begin this chapter with the description of the concept of the graph of a foliation, and then describe Connes’ view of foliations in the context of noncommutative spaces.
Evaluation of free-running ADCs for high resolution PET data acquisition

Advances in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) allow a larger part of analog circuits to be replaced by digital logic. We are prototyping a high-resolution position- sensitive APD (PSAPD) based PET system, using a fully digital data acquisition system with free-running analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and FPGA logic. Numerical algorithms for digital shaping and digital timing pickup were tested and the results were compared to those obtained by using analog NIM modules for a LSO/PSAPD detector module, in terms of energy resolution, time resolution and positioning ability. A significant improvement in the coincidence time resolution was found using a digital CFD (4.71+/-0.07 ns FWHM) over the analog counterpart (3.15+/- 0.07 ns). A linear time interpolation model provides the best time resolution (1.72+/-0.07 ns).
Orbits and Invariants Associated with a Pair of Spherical Varieties: Some Examples

Let H and K be spherical subgroups of a reductive complex group G. In many cases, detailed knowledge of the double coset space H\G/K is of fundamental importance in group theory and representation theory. If H or K is parabolic, then H\G/K is finite, and we recall the classification of the double cosets in several important cases. If H=K is a symmetric subgroup of G, then the double coset space K\G/K (and the corresponding invariant theoretic quotient) are no longer finite, but several nice properties hold, including an analogue of the Chevalley restriction theorem. These properties were generalized by Helminck and Schwarz (Duke Math. J.106(2) (2001), pp. 237–279) to the case where H and K are fixed point groups of commuting involutions. We recall Helminck and Schwarz's main results. We also give examples to show the difficulty in extending these results if we allow H=K to be a reductive spherical (nonsymmetric) subgroup or if we have H symmetric and K spherical reductive.
Investigation into perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a cranberry bog: method development and sampling results

The contamination of groundwater and surface water from previous uses of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), particularly products containing the contaminants perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), has become a concern for drinking water and as a potential exposure route to the food supply. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was asked to investigate a bog in Massachusetts where the surface water was believed to be contaminated with PFASs. As a result, a method was developed for the analysis of PFASs in cranberries, and water and fruit from the affected bog were evaluated. A QuEChERS method was developed and validated for PFOA, PFOS, and six additional shorter-chain PFASs. Method recoveries ranged from 60% to 115% for validation spikes performed at 10, 20 and 40 ng g-1 and method detection limits ranged from 0.2 to 5.6 ng g-1. Bog water samples were analysed using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method 537 for PFOA, PFOS and four additional short-chain PFASs. Surface water concentrations for PFOS ranged from 16 to 122 ng L-1 and input water concentrations were 132 ng L-1 and 206 ng L-1. Of the eight water samples, seven had water concentrations that exceeded the EPA health advisory level for PFOS of 70 ng L-1. Of the 42 cranberry samples analysed, none had detects of PFOA or PFOS above their method detection limits (0.4 and 0.5 ng g-1, respectively), nor any of the other short-chain PFASs.
Performance trade-offs and upgrade of NASA D3R weather radar

The NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R) is an important ground validation tool for the global precipitation measurement (GPM) missions dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR). In this work, we start with the hardware modifications done to accomplish this upgrade, although the focus is not much on the hardware modifications. Overall system architecture is presented. The focus is more on the system sensitivity and spatial resolution. Also, the performance of the pulse compression waveforms is presented and compared with simulated results. Various trade-offs are discussed in context of range resolution, sensitivity and side lobe performance of these waveforms.
Comment on “Photodegradation of sulfathiazole under simulated sunlight: Kinetics, photo-induced structural rearrangement, and antimicrobial activities of photoproducts” by Niu et al. [Water Research 124 2017 576–583]

Recent efforts have employed antimicrobial susceptibility assays to describe the residual antimicrobial activity of antibiotics and their transformation products in a variety of environmental processes. Some authors have evaluated the results of these assays using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC); however, this approach has fundamental weaknesses. To highlight best practices, this comment describes the advantages of using dose-response curves to calculate the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and the potential impacts of growth media on the antimicrobial activity of sulfonamide antibiotics.
Does Native Language Play a Role in Learning a Programming Language

Computer Science (CS) is taught in India, using English as the medium of instruction, to students whose native language is not English. This places a high cognitive load on students who learn programming for the first time and who are not very proficient in English. The problems these students face become even harder since learning to program can be an incredibly difficult task. Our study aims to find out if a student's native language has any effect on the student's ability to learn programming. We taught linked list, a basic concept in CS, to two groups of undergraduate students for a week in Tamil Nadu, India. We used English to teach one group of students and English and Tamil (the native language in Tamil Nadu) to teach the other group. Our intervention consisted of three lectures and one live-coding session. We collected quantitative and qualitative data using technical tests and open-ended feedback respectively. We found that although teaching programming using both English and Tamil is no different when compared to using only English with respect to student learning, students have expressed positive opinions about teaching and learning CS using two languages.
Field Evaluation of Preemergence Herbicides for Weed Control In Container Grown Woody Landscape Plants

Abstract Four preemergence herbicide combinations were evaluated for weed control and phytotoxicity on Silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens Thunb.), Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia L.), and Heavenly bam...
Vulvar Skin Biopsy

Vulvar lesions consist of a wide array of benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions that involve the vulva (Fig. 20-1). The decision to biopsy is determined by many factors including the time course of the lesion, uncertainty of diagnosis, symmetry of the lesion, irregularity of the borders, bleeding tendencies of the lesion, family history of vulvar malignancy, and patient concerns. All of these factors independently play a role in the decision to biopsy.