cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus and Nitrogen in Runoff following Beef Cattle Manure or Compost Application

Manure or compost from beef cattle feedlots can be an excellent sources of nutrients and organic matter when added to soils, but they can also pollute runoff. We determined the effects of simulated rainfall on runoff losses of P and N, and EC and pH following application of manure and compost to a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudoll) soil having grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) residues. Manure, compost, and fertilizer were applied to no-till fields at rates required to meet N or P requirements for corn (Zea mays L.) production and were either left on the soil surface or disked to 8 cm. There were also untreated checks. Runoff concentrations of dissolved P (DP), bioavailable P (BAP), and NH(4)-N were significantly greater when the soil was not disked. Total and particulate P concentrations in runoff were generally less under wheat than sorghum residue and were less for the no-till than the disked condition. In the disked system, N or P-based manure or compost application resulted in DP concentration <1 mg L(-1). Manure and compost application resulted in greater runoff EC values than fertilizer application. Phosphorus concentration of runoff receiving P fertilizer or N-based manure and compost application can be an environmental concern when these sources are applied under no-till conditions without incorporation.
Quantitative measurement of cyanide released from Prussian Blue

Background. Prussian Blue (PB), ferric hexacyanoferrate is indicated for (oral) treatment of internal contamination with radioisotopes of cesium or thallium. Cyanide is 35–40% of PB's molecular composition, thus cyanide may be released during transit through the digestive tract under physiological pH. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigated the issue of cyanide release prior to drug approval to ensure the drug's benefits exceeded risks. Objectives. To determine cyanide released from PB under pH conditions that bracket human physiological exposure. Methods. PB was incubated in situ at pH 1.0–12, 37°C for 1–48 hours. Cyanide was measured using a validated colorimetric method by UV-VIS spectroscopy. Results. PB had the highest cyanide release at pH 1 (135 ug/g) and lowest release at pH 5.0–7.0 from the highest daily dose of PB (17.5 g) (21 ug/g). Considering the minimal lethal dose of cyanide is approximately 50 mg, the maximal cyanide released (1.6 mg) does not present a safety concern.
The response of honeycomb sandwich panels under low-velocity impact loading

Abstract This paper describes the results of an experimental investigation and a numerical simulation on the impact damage on a range of sandwich panels. The test panels are representative of the composite sandwich structure of the engine nacelle Fan Cowl Doors of a large commercial aircraft. The low-velocity impact response of the composites sandwich panels is studied at five energy levels, ranging from 5 to 20 J, with the intention of investigating damage initiation, damage propagation, and failure mechanisms. These impact energy levels are typically causing barely visible impact damage (BVID) in the impacted composite facesheet. A numerical simulation was performed using LS-DYNA3D transient dynamic finite element analysis code for calculating contact forces during impact along with a failure analysis for predicting the threshold of impact damage and initiation of delaminations. Good agreement was obtained between numerical and experimental results. In particular, the numerical simulation was able to predict the extent of impact damage and impact energy absorbed by the structure. The results of this study is proving that a correct numerical model can yield significant information for the designer to understand the mechanism involved in the low-velocity impact event, prior to conducting tests, and therefore to design a more efficient impact-resistant aircraft structure.
Regulation of lysine ɛ-aminotransferase by carbon source and lack of control by phosphate in Streptomyces clavuligerus

Cephalosporin production by Streptomyces clavuligerus is known to be negatively regulated by carbon sources, e.g., glycerol and starch, and by phosphate at high concentrations. Formation of lysine ɛ-aminotransferase (LAT) activity, the first enzyme of the biosynthetic pathway, was affected by a high concentration of carbon source. Whereas 3% starch more than doubled LAT activity production as compared to 1% starch, 3% glycerol repressed LAT activity formation by 20%–30%. LAT activity production was not affected by 100 mM K2HPO4. Our results thus show that the negative effects of 2% glycerol and 3% starch and 100 mM phosphate on cephalosporin production are not due to an effect on production of LAT activity. However, repression of LAT activity by 3% glycerol would be expected to play a negative role in antibiotic production.
Modeling Three-Dimensional Groundwater Flow and Advective Contaminant Transport at a Heterogeneous Mountainous Site in Support of Remediation

Modeling Three-Dimensional Groundwater Flow and Advective Contaminant Transport at a Heterogeneous Mountainous Site in Support of Remediation Strategy Quanlin Zhou, Jens T. Birkholzer, Iraj Javandel, and Preston D. Jordan Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Earth Sciences Division 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 90-1116, Berkeley CA 94720 USA Abstract A calibrated groundwater flow model for a contaminated site can provide substantial information for assessing and improving hydraulic measures implemented for remediation. A three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model was developed for a contaminated mountainous site, at which interim corrective measures were initiated to limit further spreading of contaminants. This flow model accounts for complex geologic units that vary considerably in thickness, slope, and hydrogeologic properties, as well as large seasonal fluctuations of the groundwater table and flow rates. Other significant factors are local recharge from leaking underground storm drains and recharge from steep uphill areas. The zonation method was employed to account for the clustering of high and low hydraulic conductivities measured in a geologic unit. A composite model was used to represent the bulk effect of thin layers of relatively high hydraulic conductivity found within bedrock of otherwise low conductivity. The inverse simulator ITOUGH2 was used to calibrate the model for the distribution of rock properties. The model was initially calibrated using data collected between 1994 and 1996. To check the validity of the model, it was subsequently applied to predicting groundwater level fluctuation and groundwater flux between 1996 and 1998. Comparison of simulated and measured data demonstrated that the model is capable of predicting the complex flow reasonably well. Advective transport was approximated using pathways of particles originating from source areas of the plumes. The advective transport approximation was in good agreement with the trend of contaminant plumes observed over the years. The validated model was then refined to focus on a subsection of the large system. The refined model was subsequently used to assess the efficiency of hydraulic measures implemented for remediation.
Cross-correlation delay to quantify myocardial dyssynchrony from phase contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) velocity data.

Purpose To apply cross-correlation delay (XCD) analysis to myocardial phase contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) tissue velocity data and to compare XCD to three established “time-to-peak” dyssynchrony parameters. Materials and Methods Myocardial tissue velocity was acquired using PCMR in 10 healthy volunteers (negative controls) and 10 heart failure patients who met criteria for cardiac resynchronization therapy (positive controls). All dyssynchrony parameters were computed from PCMR velocity curves. Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis for separating positive and negative controls were computed for each dyssynchrony parameter. Results XCD had higher sensitivity (90%) and specificity (100%) for discriminating between normal and patient groups than any of the time-to-peak dyssynchrony parameters. ROC analysis showed that XCD was the best parameter for separating the positive and negative control groups. Conclusion XCD is superior to time-to-peak dyssynchrony parameters for discriminating between subjects with and without dyssynchrony and may aid in the selection of patients for cardiac resynchronization therapy. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:1086–1091. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A novel method for preventing phrenic nerve injury during catheter ablation.

Epicardial catheter ablation is increasingly important in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. Collateral damage to adjacent structures like the phrenic nerve is an important concern with epicardial ablation. This report describes the use of a novel method to prevent phrenic nerve injury during epicardial ablation of ventricular tachycardia.
Manufacture and Application of Water-in-Oil Emulsions to Induce the Aggregation of Sucrose Crystals in Oil: A Model for Melt-resistant Chocolate

The goal of this work was to determine if water-in-oil emulsions produced via a lab-scale cross flow membrane emulsification system are suitable for use in the production of melt resistant chocolate. Water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions (30 wt%) were prepared with either polyglycerol ricinoleate (PGPR, 1–6%) or lecithin (1–6 wt%) using a cross-flow membrane homogenizer. PGPR produced stable emulsions with smaller average diameters compared to lecithin. Lecithin produced larger particles that quickly phase separated. Aliquots (2 g) of a stable (2% PGPR-stabilized) and unstable (2% lecithin-stabilized) w/o emulsion were added to a sugar-in-molten confectionery coating fat (CCF) dispersion (50:50 sucrose:lipid, 120 g total) and cooled to produce a solid sample. After washing out the solid fat with hexane, the samples containing added water were found to have formed a self-supporting sucrose skeleton compared to control prepared without water which collapsed. Microscopy revealed the primary mechanism of water-induced sugar crystal adhesion was via capillary forces. The meltability of the solid samples was measured as change in shape following heating at 50 °C (i.e., above the melting point of the CCF). The degree of spread was less for the samples containing water and was affected by the mode of water addition. This work has relevance to the manufacture of melt resistant chocolate where a sugar skeleton is used to maintain a solid product even after the fat has melted.
On the polymerization of 1-substituted 2-azabutadienes

Three 2-aza-1,3-butadienes carrying substituants at the 1-position have been synthesized by flash vacuum pyrolysis of precursor cyclopentadiene cycloadducts. 1-Phenyl-2-aza-1,3-butadiene led to low molecular weight polymer when exposed to anionic and radical initiators. 1-(2′,4′,6′-Trimethylphenyl)-2-aza-1,3-butadiene and 1-t-butyl-2-aza-1,3-butadiene were synthesized similarly, but they did not polymerize.
Reconfigurable Generation of High-Order Ultra-Wideband Waveforms Using Edge Detection

The generation of ultra-wideband (UWB), high-frequency waveforms based on nonlinear propagation of pulses in optical fibers is reported. Self-phase modulation and subsequent optical filtering are used to implement all-optical edge detectors, which generate two temporally-narrowed replicas of each input pulse. The shapes of the narrowed pulses are subtracted from that of the original one in a balanced differential detector, providing a UWB waveform. The use of multiple replicas and nonlinear propagation allows for the generation of higher-order pulse shapes, beyond those of a Gaussian monocycle or doublet. The output pulse shape is reconfigurable through adjusting the input power and detuning the optical filters. The central radio-frequency of the generated waveforms is as high as 34 GHz, with a fractional bandwidth of 70%.
Stabilization of electronic properties of (1R)-(−)-10-camphorsulfonic acid doped polyaniline by UV irradiation

Abstract Stability of electronic parameters of conducting polymers affects the overall performance of organic electronics. We show that UV light (254 nm) treatment of polyaniline (PANI) films, containing camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) as a dopant and cast from formic acid, decreases the film resistance and keeps their improved resistance stable for at least 4 months. It has been found that due to the different origins of these electronic properties, the resistance and work function of the PANI·CSA films are affected differently by the UV treatment. The long-term stability of the resistance is governed by morphological changes of the material. On the other hand the stability of the threshold voltage of the field-effect transistor (FET) which is an indirect measure of the work function, originates from the charge density equilibration at the PANI·CSA film/insulator interface. The FT-IR, UV–vis and circular dichroism data provide the evidence that after the UV treatment the polymer molecular structure remains intact, but some secondary structural re-arrangements of the PANI·CSA take place. These re-arrangements are resulting from the strong donor–acceptor interactions between the imine and/or amine groups of the PANI chains and the C O and SO3− groups of the doping CSA-anion. These interactions enhance significantly the mechanical rigidity of the PANI matrix. The increasing broad absorption band of the “free-carrier tail” in the FT-IR spectra correlates with the conductivity increase of the UV treated PANI·CSA film.
Fitness and Field Performance of a Mass-Reared Biological Control Agent, Rhinoncomimus Latipes (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Rhinoncomimus latipes Korotyaev (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a biological control agent of mile-a-minute weed, Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross, has been mass reared with no infusion of new genetic material for 8-9 yr (at least 24-36 generations), while insects from the same genetic stock have been subject to field conditions in North America for that same period of time. Our main objective was to compare the laboratory population with the field population (and in 1 yr with a Chinese field population) to determine whether genetic changes had occurred, especially ones that may reduce the effectiveness of the laboratory population when released in the field. The laboratory insects laid more eggs and had reduced survival compared with field weevils in several comparisons, and had reduced responsiveness to cues that induce reproductive diapause. Exposure to older plants had the greatest effect on induction of reproductive diapause in both laboratory and field weevils, with effects of daylength and temperature less pronounced. At least a portion of the laboratory weevil population overwintered successfully. Results suggest that it is not necessary to add wild-type genetic material to the rearing colony at this time.
The Space of Cognitive Technology: The Design Medium and Cognitive Properties of Virtual Space

By its name, cyberspace is a spatial medium. Metaphorically, all information is presented as locations in an abstract representation space. As in pictures and television, cyberspace inherits the properties of pictorial and screen space. But with 3D interactive media such as immersive virtual reality, augmented reality, and room computing, cyberspace adds dramatically new ways to use space to represent information around the body of the user, around the virtual environment, and as distributed representations around the physical environment. One of the more visible ways in which spatial properties of virtual and augmented reality systems are used is in the area of scientific visualizations. But this is only one among a set of emerging applications that emphasize spatial representation and make use of spatial abilities.
The art of mentoring

While the golden era of mentoring may have been the age of apprenticeships in medicine, the birth of the clinical clerkship in the late 1800s provided the structure for the relationship between faculty and medical student. The last few decades, however, have seen a dramatic change in the availability of faculty to mentor students in clinical teaching settings despite a 600% increase in the number of clinical full-time medical school faculty. This work explores some of the reasons for this deterioration in mentoring and looks at the role of the mentor in professional development, specifically in the area of medical education. Recommendations for implementing structured mentoring programs within a department of surgery are provided. The article concludes with discussion of individual characteristics of the effective mentor in surgical education.
Open architecture for contactless smartcard-based portable electronic payment systems

In this paper, we present a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) prototype design for a handheld, contactless, smartcard-based unit for the mass transit and regional rail systems. This project is an extension from two senior design project research efforts in the College of Engineering at Temple University which were focused on developing an open architecture design for the regional rails system of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The goal is to develop a non-proprietary and plug-in-and-play multi-modal transport payment (i.e. cash, credit card, passes, and more importantly the contactless smartcard) portable solution for the financially troubled public transit systems in the United States. Our proposed design utilizes an HP iPAQ hx2795 PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) with Bluetooth capability, an EXTECH S2500THS Bluetooth thermal printer/magnetic card reader, and an SDiD 1010 SD-interface contactless smartcard reader. As a result, the conductor will only need to carry the PDA device for ticket transactions; with the EXTECH s2500ths unit attached to the conductorpsilas belt. The system has been demonstrated with effective applicability, usability and durability for todaypsilas transit systems.
Impact of Diabetes on Aneuploidy Screening

Maternal pregestational diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for multiple nonchromosomal congenital anomalies, but there is no clear evidence that diabetes increases the risk for aneuploidy. However, diabetes affects maternal serum analyte concentrations that are used for aneuploidy screening and can alter the false-positive rates of the screening tests. Correction factors are used for women with pregestational diabetes for second-trimester serum analytes used in aneuploidy screening. There is considerable variation in the reported literature regarding the effect of diabetes on first-trimester serum analytes and how it might have an impact on aneuploidy screening.
A consolidated multi-rate burst-mode DPSK transmitter using a single Mach-Zehnder modulator

We demonstrate phase modulation, pulse carving, and burst-mode windowing in a single Mach-Zehnder modulator, significantly reducing size, weight, power, and complexity of prior three-modulator designs with only 0.6-dB additional performance penalty.
Complex Congenital Heart Defects in Association with Maternal Diabetes and Partial Deletion of the A2BP1 Gene

In this article, we report a case of complex congenital heart disease in a female infant with maternal diabetes who eventually died of sepsis and post-surgical complications. The autopsy phenotypic findings and organ malformations are detailed. Genomic studies identified a 162 kb intragenic deletion of A2BP1 gene within chromosome band 16p13.2. To our knowledge, this is the first description of A2BP1 gene deletion in association with congenital heart anomalies. This case also demonstrates the effect of maternal diabetes on gene transcription and emphasizes the importance of scanning the human genome in neonates born with congenital anomalies.
A Sparsity-Based Technique for Identifying Slow-Coherent Areas in Large Power Systems

A sparsity-based technique is developed for the identification of coherent areas in large power systems. The technique, based on the slow-coherency approach, is novel in that it introduces small machines at the load buses to retain the system sparseness. Then the computation of the slow eigenbasis for the identification of slow-coherent groups of machines is performed by the Lanczos algorithm which is an efficient eigenfunction computation method for large, sparse, symmetric but unstructured matrices. The technique also groups the load buses into coherent areas, information that is useful for network reduction. Two large scale models of portions of the U.S. power system are used as illustrations. The computation time required is of the order of magnitude of that required for a few load flow solutions.
Seismic frequency control on carbonate seismic stratigraphy: A case study of the Kingdom Abo sequence, west Texas

Conceptual models and real three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data show that in progradational carbonate platform margin and slope deposits of the Kingdom Abo reservoir of the Permian basin, west Texas, primary seismic reflection events do not necessarily follow clinoformal geologic-time surfaces. The seismic frequency content of the data controls the dip and architecture of seismic reflection events. High-frequency seismic data tend to follow thinner, time-bounded clinoform depositional elements (time-stratigraphic units), whereas low-frequency seismic data tend to image thicker, low-angle lithofacies units (time-transgressive units). In seismic data of moderate frequency, both clinoform units and flat lithofacies units are imaged, creating complex interference patterns that are difficult to interpret.Experiments with models and real data demonstrate that seismic data can be selectively filtered in the signal bandwidth to help distinguish time-stratigraphic units from lithostratigraphic units. Selective filtering alters the dominant frequency of the data to match a desired scale of geologic objects. If there are enough high-frequency components in the seismic data, true clinoform stratigraphy can be imaged even if the data are dominated by lower frequency components.Seismic modeling of outcrop of the Abo sequence in Apache Canyon, Sierra Diablo, west Texas, indicates that a dominant frequency of 100 Hz is needed to recover true clinoform stratigraphy using seismic data. The interpretation of available 3-D seismic data can only partially distinguish time-stratigraphy from lithostratigraphy because of the lack of frequency components greater than 70 Hz in the data. Application of this outcrop model in seismic modeling avoids interpretational pitfalls that can occur if the dominant frequency of the seismic data is not matched to the unit thicknesses that need to be resolved.
Optimizing a CORBA Internet inter-ORB protocol (IIOP) engine for minimal footprint embedded multimedia systems

To support the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements of embedded multimedia applications off-the-shelf middleware like common object request broker architecture (CORBA) must be flexible, efficient, and predictable. Moreover, stringent memory constraints imposed by embedded system hardware necessitates a minimal footprint for middleware that supports multimedia applications. This paper provides three contributions toward developing efficient object request broker's (ORBs) middleware to support embedded multimedia applications. First, we describe optimization principle patterns used to develop a time and space-efficient CORBA inter-ORB protocol (IIOP) interpreter for the adaptive communication environment (ACE)-ORB (TAO), which is our high-performance, real-time ORB. Second, we describe the optimizations applied to TAO's interface definition language (IDL) compiler to generate efficient and small stubs/skeletons used in TAO's IIOP protocol engine. Third, we empirically compare the performance and memory footprint of interpretive (de)marshaling versus compiled (de)marshaling for a wide range of IDL data types. Applying our optimization principle patterns to TAO's IIOP protocol engine improved its interpretive (de)marshaling performance to the point where it is now comparable to the performance of compiled (de)marshaling. Moreover, our IDL compiler optimizations generate interpreted stubs/skeletons whose footprint is substantially smaller than compiled stubs/skeletons. Our results illustrate that careful application of optimization principle patterns can yield both time and space-efficient standards-based middleware.
Nurturing the Seeds of Restorative Justice

Abstract Communities are looking for community-building responses to the issue of crime. Traditional social and political discourses have presented only two responses to crime, “get tough” or rehabilitate offenders. An alternative view has begun to emerge in community criminal justice discourse and practice. Restorative justice emphasizes the restoration of relationships and community peace that are damaged by the harm of crime, and the repair of these social injuries. This article presents the findings of a pilot study that was conducted to assess a community's openness to restorative justice principles.
Analysis of Kinetic Intermediates in Single-Particle Dwell-Time Distributions

Many biological and chemical processes proceed through one or more intermediate steps. Statistical analysis of dwell-time distributions from single molecule trajectories enables the study of intermediate steps that are not directly observable. Here, we discuss the application of the randomness parameter and model fitting in determining the number of steps in a stochastic process. Through simulated examples, we show some of the limitations of these techniques. We discuss how shot noise and heterogeneity among the transition rates of individual steps affect how accurately the number of steps can be determined. Finally, we explore dynamic disorder in multistep reactions and show that the phenomenon can obscure the presence of rate-limiting intermediate steps.
A model academic ethics and integrity policy for computer science departments

For decades, US universities and colleges have had policies pertaining to the conduct of their students at the institutional level. These policies are referred to as Academic Integrity Policies or Codes of Conduct. The Code of Ethics, instituted by Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) has been the standard for the computing sciences profession for over 15 years. However, the traditional institution-wide academic integrity policies have not adapted to the complexities that arose from rapid progress in information technology (IT) and thus either fail to address or are in conflict with the nature of problems in computer science education. In this paper, we propose a model for development and implementation of an academic ethics policy (ethics is a broader concept that includes integrity) that addresses the challenges imposed by information technology vis-a-vis the best modern teaching practices in computer sciences and engineering. Implementing policies that are more in line with the methods of industry and compatible with newer educational pedagogies should make the whole educational environment more engaging to students.
HMT Model and B-Spine Wavelet Based Intelligent Medical Image Edge Extraction Algorithm

A new medical image edge extraction algorithm is proposed to extract the significant edge of the medical image to avoid the interference of the internal noise and the external noise. The information measure combined with simulated annealing algorithm is used to remove the internal noise; then wavelet domain HMT model is used to denoise; at last we design quadratic B-spline wavelet to extract the edge feature information. The quadratic B-spline smoothing filter performing multi-scale filtering is designed using the characteristics of wavelet transform. The obtained multi-scale wavelet transform is combined to extract image edge at different scales. The experiment results of computer simulation show that the proposed edge extraction algorithm provides the best compromise between noise rejection and accurate edge localization.
Retrograde Amnesia After Hippocampal Damage: Recent vs. Remote Memories in Two Tasks

We review evidence from experiments conducted in our laboratory on retrograde amnesia in rats with damage to the hippocampal formation. In a new experiment reported here, we show that N-methyl- D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced hippocampal damage produced retrograde amnesia for both hidden platform and two-choice visible platform dis- criminations in the Morris water task. For both problems there was a significant trend for longer training-surgery intervals to be associated with worse retention performance. Little support is offered by our work for the concept that there is a process involving hippocampal-dependent consol- idation of memories in extrahippocampal permanent storage sites. Long- term memory consolidation may take place within the hippocampus. The hippocampus may be involved permanently in storage and/or retrieval of a variety of relational and nonrelational memories if it was intact at the time of learning, even involving information which is definitely not af- fected in anterograde amnesia after hippocampal damage. Hippocampus 2001;11:27- 42. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fast alignment of large genome databases: a demonstration

We demonstrate an efficient algorithm for alignment of large genome strings. Our algorithm constructs a Boolean match table for a given query string and database string with the help of the MRS index structure. The size of the MRS index structure is approximately 1-2% of that of database. Each entry of the match table corresponds to a query/database substring pair. An entry in the match table is marked as True if the corresponding query substring and database substring potentially contain similar patterns. It is marked as False otherwise. The size of the match table is negligible compared to that of database. Once the match table is computed, we build hash tables on these strings. Once the hash table of a string is constructed the marked substrings of other string are read sequentially and exactly matching substrings of the prespecified size are found using this hash table. We call this technique MAP (match table based pruning). Experimental results show that MAP runs up to 97 times faster than BLAST.
Application specific loss minimization using gradient boosting

Gradient boosting is a flexible machine learning technique that produces accurate predictions by combining many weak learners. In this work, we investigate its use in two applications, where we show the advantage of loss functions that are designed specifically for optimizing application objectives. We also extend the original gradient boosting algorithm with Newton-Raphson method to speed up learning. In the experiments, we demonstrate that the use of gradient boosting and application specific loss functions results in a relative improvement of 0.8% over an 82.6% baseline on the CoNLL 2003 named entity recognition task. We also show that this novel framework is useful in identifying regions of high word error rate (WER) and can provide up to 20% relative improvement depending on the chosen operating point.
Micromachined Coulter counter for dynamic impedance study of time sensitive cells

This paper describes the design, modeling, fabrication and characterization MEMS Coulter counter that can detect and monitor the dynamic cell impedance changes in situ as a function of time after mixing isolated cell populations with different extracellular media within 0.3 s from the start of mixing. The novelty of this design is the use of multi-electrodes with vertical sidewalls to enable the measurements of time sensitive cells with significantly enhanced sensitivity as well as the integration of passive mixing, focusing of cells in line and impedance detection using the vertical electrodes on a single chip that is made mainly using multilayer of SU-8, which has not been reported before. The devices were tested with both fluidic and electrical functionality using yeast cells in cryoprotectant agent (diluted dimethyl sulfoxide), red blood cells, microbeads with different dimensions, and dyed fluids. The results demonstrate rapid changes of cell volume within the first 0.6 s after mixing followed by a stable and a fixed cell volume. The micromixer was initially simulated using COMSOL finite element tool. Image processing technique was used to quantitatively evaluate mixing efficiency by analyzing color intensities variation of captured images of 2 dyed fluids mixed in the channel at flow rates between 0.1–0.4 μl/min, the mixing efficiencies were between 87 %–95 %, respectively.
Paget-Schroetter syndrome treated with thrombolytics and immediate surgery

Introduction Reviewed are the results of the emergent treatment of effort thrombosis of the subclavian vein. The protocol calls for immediate thrombolysis, followed by surgery at the time of the acute event. The one-stage procedure includes decompression of the thoracic inlet by subclavicular removal of the first rib, subclavius muscle, scalenectomy, and vein patch plasty of the stenotic segment of the vein. Methods Between July 1985 through June 2006, 114 patients presented with Paget-Schroetter syndrome (effort thrombosis of the subclavian vein), 97 of which (group I) were seen ≤2 weeks of onset of symptoms. They underwent an emergent protocol treatment in which thrombolysis is immediately followed by surgery at the time of the acute event. In addition, another 17 patients (group II) were referred to our institution after being treated elsewhere with initial thrombolysis, but with surgery deferred a mean 34 days (range, 2 weeks to 3 months) after the initial event. All patients underwent the same lytic and surgical protocol. Operability was determined by the findings on the venogram. Routine postoperative anticoagulation for 8 weeks was implemented with warfarin and clopidogrel. Results There was 100% success in re-establishing the flow and normal caliber of the subclavian vein in the 97 patients in group I. Seven patients showed some residual stenosis that required balloon plasty and implant of a stent. Postoperative duplex ultrasound imaging documented patency in all 97 patients (100%). The 17 patients with delayed surgery (group II) showed progression of the fibrosis, with vein obstruction in 12 (70%). Only five patients (29%) were operable with successful results. The remaining 12 patients were inoperable owing to extensive fibrosis and occlusion of the inflow, and all 12 have remained disabled for the use of their arm. Conclusions The emergent approach to treat Paget-Schroetter syndrome seems to render the optimal results, with 100% effectiveness in re-establishing venous flow and normal caliber to the vessel. When properly conducted, this operation avoids the use of stents or balloon plasty with excellent long-term results, leaving the patients unrestricted for physical activities.
Protein Fusion: A Novel Reaction in Bacteriophage λ Head Assembly

Abstract Parts of two phage-coded head proteins, pE and pC, become fused during bacteriophage λ head assembly. pE is the main structural component of λ heads and pC is a minor head protein that is not found as such in mature heads. The bond joining the two proteins appears to be covalent and is not a disulfide bond. Only a specific subset of the sequences of each protein is found in the fusion products, and these sequences are found in the products in equimolar amounts. Two nearly identical fusion products; X1 and X2, are detected; X2 is slightly smaller than X1 and appears to be a proteolytic cleavage product of X1. The fusion reaction probably takes place on a nascent head structure.
Optimal Lifestyle Components in Young Adulthood Are Associated With Maintaining the Ideal Cardiovascular Health Profile Into Middle Age

Background Middle‐aged adults with ideal blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels exhibit substantially lower cardiovascular mortality than those with unfavorable levels. Four healthy lifestyle components—optimal body weight, diet, physical activity, and not smoking—are recommended for cardiovascular health (CVH). This study quantified associations between combinations of healthy lifestyle components measured in young adulthood and loss of the ideal CVH profile into middle age. Methods and Results Analyses included 2164 young adults in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study with the ideal CVH profile (defined as untreated blood pressure <120/80 mm Hg, total cholesterol <200 mg/dL, fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dL, and absence of cardiovascular disease) at baseline. Cox proportional hazards regression models estimated hazard ratios for loss of the ideal CVH profile over 25 years according to 4 individual and 16 combinations of optimal healthy lifestyle components measured in young adulthood: body mass index, physical activity, nonsmoking status, and diet quality. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, education, study center, and baseline blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. Eighty percent (n=1737) of participants lost the ideal CVH profile by middle age; loss was greatest for young adults with no optimal healthy lifestyle components at baseline. Relative to young adults with no optimal healthy lifestyle components, those with all 4 were less likely to lose the ideal CVH profile (hazard ratio 0.59, 95% CI 0.44–0.80). Combinations that included optimal body mass index and nonsmoking status were each associated with lower risk. Conclusions Optimal body mass index and not smoking in young adulthood were protective against loss of the ideal CVH profile through middle age. Importance of diet and physical activity may be included through their effects on healthy weight.
Pentobarbital augments pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to cyclooxygenase inhibition

We utilized multipoint pulmonary vascular pressure-flow (P/Q) plots to investigate the effects of pentobarbital sodium anesthesia on regulation of the pulmonary circulation by endogenous metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway. Our specific objective was to characterize the effects of two chemically dissimilar inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase pathway, indomethacin and sodium meclofenamate, on the pulmonary vascular P/Q relationship measured in conscious and pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. P/Q plots were generated by graded constriction of the thoracic inferior vena cava, which produced stepwise decreases in Q. Controlled ventilation during pentobarbital anesthesia (30 mg/kg iv) allowed the matching of systemic arterial and mixed venous blood gases to conscious values. Pentobarbital had no net effect on the base-line P/Q relationship compared with that measured in conscious dogs. Cyclooxygenase pathway inhibition with either indomethacin (5 mg/kg iv) or meclofenamate (2.5 mg/kg iv) resulted in active, flow-independent pulmonary vasoconstriction (P less than 0.01) in both conscious and pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. However, the magnitude of the pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to indomethacin was increased (P less than 0.05) over a broad range of Q, and the pulmonary vasoconstrictor response to meclofenamate was increased (P less than 0.05) over the entire range of Q in pentobarbital-anesthetized compared with conscious dogs. Thus regulation of the base-line pulmonary vascular P/Q relationship by endogenous metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway in conscious dogs is altered during pentobarbital anesthesia.
Exercise Effect on Electromyographic Activity of the Vastus Medialis Oblique and Vastus Lateralis Muscles

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the vastus medialis oblique muscle (VMO) had greater electrical activity than the vastus lateralis muscle (VL) when hip adduction and medial (internal) tibial rotation exercises were performed. Electrical activity of the VMO and VL was measured on 25 healthy subjects during maximal-effort isometric contractions of hip adduction and medial tibial rotation. The results showed that the electromyographic activity of the VMO was significantly greater than that of the VL during the hip adduction exercise. Differences noted with medial tibial rotation were not significant. The results suggest that the VMO may be selectively activated by performing hip adduction exercises. Resistive hip adduction exercises, therefore, may be advisable in the treatment of patients with lateral malalignment of the patella with accompanying pain or instability.
Mandibular sagittal split osteotomy vs mandibular distraction osteogenesis in treatment of non-syndromic skeletal class II patients

Abstract Introduction Mandibular retrognathia is a common skeletal congenital dysgnathia. In many cases of skeletal class II patients require the surgical operation. Orthognatic surgery offers mandibular bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) as the most common procedure to make the advancement of the mandible. However, the alternative, mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO), is prevalent nowadays and beneficial in particular cases. Aim The purpose of this study is to show the effect of MDO and BSSO done on 20 patients at Specialist Children's Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland between 2011 and 2013, performed by the same surgeon – KD. Authors would like to present the details of treatment planning and management of these methods as well as the protocol of usage of the distraction device. Material and methods The sample consisted of 74 lateral cephalometric X-rays. Criteria for cephalometric comparison were angular cephalometric variables: SNB and SN/GoGn (Steiner analysis). The criteria for inclusion into this study were as follows: males and females with skeletal class II pattern plus dentofacial and dental abnormalities like skeletal open bite. The mean age of the subjects was 17.9 years. Results and discussion Our comparison study showed that there was no statistically significant difference between results of BSSO postoperatively and MDO post-distraction. However, there is a need of long-term data on stability of both methods. Conclusions Study shows that MDO may offer another option for treatment of skeletal class II malocclusions in growing patients and after growth spurt.
Horner's Syndrome after Scalene Block and Carotid Dissection.

Abstract Background Horner's syndrome refers to the clinical triad of ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis resulting from disruption of the ocular and facial sympathetic pathways. A myriad of etiologies can lead to Horner's syndrome; awareness of the underlying anatomy can assist physicians in identifying potential causes and initiating appropriate care. Case Report Two patients presented to our Nashville-area hospital in 2014. Patient 1 was a 26-year-old man who noticed facial asymmetry one day after an outpatient orthopedic procedure. His symptoms were attributed to his posterior interscalene anesthesia device; with deactivation of this device, the symptoms rapidly resolved. Patient 2 was a 42-year-old man who presented to our emergency department with persistent headache and ptosis over several weeks. Computed tomography angiography revealed ipsilateral carotid dissection and the patient was admitted for further management. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? The pathologies underlying Horner's syndrome are exceedingly diverse. Although classic teaching often focuses on neoplastic causes, and more specifically Pancoast tumors, neoplasms are discovered only in a small minority of Horner's syndrome cases. Other etiologies include trauma, cervical artery dissection, and infarction. With a better understanding of the pertinent anatomy and array of possible etiologies, emergency physicians may have more success in identifying and treating the causes of Horner's syndrome.
Vacancy-Induced Formation and Growth of Inversion Domains in Transition-Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayer

Sixty degree grain boundaries in semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers have been shown to act as conductive channels that have profound influence on both the transport properties and exciton behavior of the monolayers. Here, we show that annealing TMDC monolayers at high temperature induces the formation of large-scale inversion domains surrounded by such 60° grain boundaries. To study the formation mechanism of such inversion domains, we use the electron beam in a scanning transmission electron microscope to activate the dynamic process within pristine TMDC monolayers. The electron beam acts to generate chalcogen vacancies in TMDC monolayers and provide energy for them to undergo structural evolution. We directly visualize the nucleation and growth of such inversion domains and their 60° grain boundaries atom-by-atom within a MoSe2 monolayer and explore their formation mechanism. Combined with density functional theory, we conclude that the nucleation of the inversion domains a...
Effect of high concentrations of nystatin upon glycolysis and cellular permeability in yeast.

SummaryPermeability alterations induced in yeast by high levels of the polyene antifungal antibiotic nystatin were examined. Glycolytic activity could be protected against nystatin either by adding ca 0.04 M K+ and NH4+ salts (stationary phase cells) or by 0.01 M K+ and NH4 salts and the cofactors essential for a cell-free glycolytic system (log phase cells or protoplasts). Under these conditions there was leakage of K+, NH4+, nucleotides and some protein, although glycolytic activity remained with the treated cells or protoplasts even after repeated washing. Pyruvate decarboxylase in NY-treated cells became accessible to pyruvate ions, but glucoses-phosphate and fructose-1,6-diphosphate were still not fermented. The rate of CO2 production by NY-treated cells or osmotically-lysed protoplasts did not exceed 25 to 30% of that obtained with the original preparations. The nature of the membrane alterations is discussed.
A Quasi-2D Model for Reverse Short Channel Effect

A new physically-based model for reverse short channel effects has been developed. This kinetic model considers three species: neutral interstitial, immobile dopant and mobile interstitial-dopant pairs. To consider ion-implantation damage and stress effects on the Si/SiO 2 interface, a non-uniform sink strength at the Si/SiO 2 interface for interstitials has been assumed. ALAMODE, a PDE solver, was used to solve the model. Lateral boron distributions of NMOS devices in the channel near the Si/SiO 2 interface have been simulated. Significant boron pile-up was found at the gate edges which is in quantitative agreement with the doping profiles extracted from experimental C-V data. The mechanism of the B diffusion in the channel region is discussed.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Infants and Children with Spinal Dysraphism

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine was used in 37 infants and children to assess the potential of this new technology to evaluate suspected lumbosacral dysraphic myelodysplasia. Eighteen of these patients had correlative metrizamide myelotomography and metrizamide computed tomography (CT). MRI using a spin-echo pulse sequence with short repetition times (TR) and echo delay times (TE) affords optimal delineation of normal and abnormal spinal cord morphology in the lumbosacral region. Coronal projections usually provide an adequate demonstration of the normal conus medullaris for screening purposes; however, multiplanar acquisitions are necessary for more complete delineation of the dysraphic myelopathy. The sensitivity of MRI compares favorably with metrizamide tomography and CT, although these procedures provide somewhat better specificity. These results suggest that MRI is a reliable, noninvasive procedure to screen patients for lumbosacral dysraphism.