cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SPECTRAL STUDIES OF COAL

Investigations are being continued by infrared, ultraviolet-visible, magnetic resonance, and mass spectral studies of coal and derivatives of coal. Infrared spectral studies of chars have provided further information on the assignment of infrared bands to oxygenated structures. In infrared spectra of coal the intensities of the infrared CH stretching absorption bands are found to be unexpectedly low. The experimental difficulties encountered with halide pellets of coal are discussed. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies have been carried out on a variety of coal derivatives. Indirect determinations of aromaticity, ring size, and degree of substitution have been made. These quantities have also been determined from the nuclear resonance spectrum of the pyridine extract of coal using pyridine-d5 as the solvent. The carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance technique can be used to study directly the chemical nature of carbon atoms in molecules. The method is of the most potential value in the detection of carbon atoms that have no hydrogen atoms because of complete substitution, as in tertiary butyl compounds, or because of unsaturation, as in completely substituted olefins and carbonyl compounds. Coal derivatives and similar substances are being investigated by the C13 technique. The decreased free-radical concentrations in coal vitrains have been investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance after chemical reduction. Considerable decrease of the free-radical content is effected; the ultraviolet-visible spectra also indicate this decrease. Ultraviolet-visible absorption and reflectance spectra of polycrystalline graphite have been determined; an absorption maximum was found at 2750 A for graphite.
Stability and Confinement Properties of Auxiliary Heated NSTX Discharges

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is a spherical tokamak with nominal plasma major radius R(subscript ''0'') = 0.85 m, minor radius a = 0.66 m, and aspect ratio A > 1.28. Typical discharge parameters are plasma current I (subscript ''p'') = 0.7-1.4 MA, toroidal magnetic field B(subscript ''t0'') = 0.25-0.45 Tesla at major radius R(subscript ''0''), elongation = 1.7-2.2, triangularity 0.3-0.5, line-average electron density = 2-5 x 10(superscript ''19'') m(superscript ''-3''), electron temperature T(subscript ''e'')(0) = 0.5-1.5 keV, and ion temperature T(subscript ''i'')(0) = 0.5-2 keV. The NSTX auxiliary heating systems can routinely deliver 4.5 MW of 80-keV deuterium neutral beams and 3 MW of 30-MHz high-harmonic fast-wave power. Kinetic profile diagnostics presently include a 10-channel, 30-Hz multipulse Thomson scattering system (MPTS), a 17-channel charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) system, a 48-chord ultra-soft X-ray (USXR) array, and a 15-chord bolometry array. Initial experiments utilizing auxiliary heating on NSTX have focused on MHD stability limits, confinement trends, studying H-mode characteristics, and performing initial power balance calculations.
Does Increased Litigation Increase Justice in a Second-Best World?

Taking as given the claims of tort reform proponents, that increased tort liability in the past few decades has had deleterious effects on American productivity, consumer safety, etc., we consider whether proposed measures to increase access to the courts are likely to be beneficial, with a specific focus on third-party financing and lawyer advertising. We conclude that our current system is a second-best system and, applying the theory of the second-best, we conclude that increasing access would magnify the negative effects of increased tort liability and legal complexity.
Tryouts and Electives

As if life was not complicated enough, in the midst of beginning your search for the ideal residency, you still have to finish medical school. One part of that task will be the selection of senior electives. While the number and latitude of electives available will vary from school to school, the choice of electives cannot be treated lightly. The choices you make will affect not only your knowledge base but may be used to enhance your preparation for a residency. This is also a good opportunity to seek guidance from your mentor throughout this process.
Catheterizing a Tortuous Ureter

AbstractA technique is described that has proved successful for stenting tortuous and dilated ureters. This method is invaluable for introducing guide wires before ureteroscopy and for stone manipulation or ureteral stenting before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. (J. Urol., 140: 778-779, 1988)
DEVELOPING A HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY: HOW WE ENGAGED RATHER THAN EXCLUDED OLDER ADULTS

AbstractRegular exercise and social engagement are essential to maintaining physical and cognitive independence and quality of life among older adults. However, frail and homebound older adults face incredible challenges to maintaining exercise and social engagement. Furthermore, the healthcare system does not currently offer long-term support for these activities. New technology has the potential to help connect frail older adults and their caregivers to rehabilitation and socialization in the home, but its development requires a unique approach for this audience. We will discuss how we have developed a technology-based solution targeting older adults and their caregivers to support long-term exercise and social engagement. We will share our iterative participatory design methodology that incorporated older adult and caregiver input during the design process, which helped make the product both relevant and user-friendly to targeted users.
Analysis of Sequential Quadratic Programming through the Lens of Riemannian Optimization

We prove that a "first-order" Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) algorithm for equality constrained optimization has local linear convergence with rate $(1-1/\kappa_R)^k$, where $\kappa_R$ is the condition number of the Riemannian Hessian, and global convergence with rate $k^{-1/4}$. Our analysis builds on insights from Riemannian optimization -- we show that the SQP and Riemannian gradient methods have nearly identical behavior near the constraint manifold, which could be of broader interest for understanding constrained optimization.
Structural phase transitions in a MoWSe 2 monolayer: Molecular dynamics simulations and variational autoencoder analysis

Electrical and optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) can be tuned by exploiting their structural phase transitions. Here semiconducting (2H) to metallic (1T) phase transition is investigated in a strained ${\mathrm{MoWSe}}_{2}$ monolayer using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Novel intermediate structures called $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ are found between the 2H and 1T phases. These intermediate structures are similar to those observed in a 2D $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ by scanning transmission electron microscopy. A deep generative model, namely the variational autoencoder (VAE) trained by MD data, is used to generate novel heterostructures with $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\beta}$ interfaces. Quantum simulations based on density functional theory show that these heterostructures are stable and suitable for novel nanoelectronics applications.
The Coupled Adjoint-State Equation in forward and inverse linear elasticity: Incompressible plane stress

Abstract A persistent challenge present in inverse or parameter estimation problems with interior data is how to deal with uncertainty in the boundary conditions employed in the forward or state model. In this work we focus on a linear plane stress inverse elasticity problem with measured displacement data where one component of the measured displacement field is known with considerably greater precision than the other. This situation is commonly encountered when the displacement field is measured using ultrasound or optical coherence tomography. We present a novel computational formulation in which no displacement or traction boundary conditions are assumed. The formulation results in coupling the state and adjoint equations, that are typically uncoupled when a well-posed state model is available. Two variants of residual-based stabilization are added. Our approach is applied to a simulated data set and experimental data from an ultrasound phantom.
Zika knowledge and prevention practices among U.S. travelers: a large cross-sectional survey study.

The aim of this study was to investigate what factors predict knowledge about Zika transmission, symptomology, and treatment among U.S. travelers and, additionally, to evaluate how Zika knowledge influences the adoption of personal protective behaviors. Data were collected as part of a cross-sectional survey study using a probability-based internet panel of U.S. travelers in June 2017. We ran logistic regression models of factors predicting Zika knowledge (high vs. low) and of knowledge predicting adoption of personal protective measures. We found that traveling to a Zika endemic country and travelers’ gender were both significantly predictive of higher Zika knowledge (odds ratio (OR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–1.93 and OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.08–1.92), adjusting for age, race, education, income, and trip purpose. Additionally, among travelers to Zika endemic countries, individuals with higher Zika knowledge had significantly higher odds of engaging in preventive behaviors compared to those with lower knowledge. However, few travelers knew about the sexual transmission of Zika and adopted sexual prevention measures. Our findings suggest that there are gaps in knowledge about the risks and transmission of Zika and travelers with low knowledge are less likely to engage in the appropriate prevention methods. Significantly, few U.S. travelers have knowledge of the sexual transmission of Zika and, accordingly, there is less overall engagement with prevention measures for this transmission mechanism than for vector-borne transmission.
On the Uniqueness of Binary Quantizers for Maximizing Mutual Information.

We consider a channel with a binary input X being corrupted by a continuous-valued noise that results in a continuous-valued output Y. An optimal binary quantizer is used to quantize the continuous-valued output Y to the final binary output Z to maximize the mutual information I(X; Z). We show that when the ratio of the channel conditional density r(y) = P(Y=y|X=0)/ P(Y =y|X=1) is a strictly increasing/decreasing function of y, then a quantizer having a single threshold can maximize mutual information. Furthermore, we show that an optimal quantizer (possibly with multiple thresholds) is the one with the thresholding vector whose elements are all the solutions of r(y) = r* for some constant r* > 0. Interestingly, the optimal constant r* is unique. This uniqueness property allows for fast algorithmic implementation such as a bisection algorithm to find the optimal quantizer. Our results also confirm some previous results using alternative elementary proofs. We show some numerical examples of applying our results to channels with additive Gaussian noises.
Preoperative Circulating Lymphocyte and Monocyte Counts Correlate with Patient Outcomes in Type I and Type II Endometrial Cancer

Tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with survival in solid malignancies. Given the physiological link to peripheral immune cell counts, we evaluated if peripheral immune cell counts were predictors of outcomes in endometrial cancer. A retrospective study was completed for endometrial cancer cases between 2000 and 2010. Kaplan-Meier, bivariate, and multivariable Cox proportion hazard analyses were performed examining the relations between survival and peripheral immune cell counts. Three hundred ten patients were identified. In bivariate analyses, high monocyte counts (> 0.7 × 109 cells/L) trended with decreased progression free survival (PFS) (p = 0.10) and poorer overall survival (OS) (p = 0.16). By contrast, high lymphocyte level (> 1.5 × 109 cells/L) was associated with improved PFS (p = 0.008) and OS (p = 0.006). These findings were consistent for type I and type II endometrial cancers. In a multivariable Cox model, high monocyte level was associated with a greater risk of disease recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.63, p < 0.035). Other significant predictors of recurrence were age, non-endometrioid histology, and the presence of lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI). In a multivariable Cox model, high lymphocyte count trended with a lower risk of death (HR = 0.66, p = 0.07). Age, surgical stage, non-endometrioid histology, and LVSI were also associated with death in this model. In this sample of endometrial cancer patients, we found that high preoperative lymphocyte counts were associated with improved overall improved survival. High monocyte counts were associated with poorer disease-free survival outcomes. Further studies that focused on understanding tumor-antagonizing and pro-tumoral effects of lymphocytes and monocytes, respectively, in endometrial cancer are recommended.
Large CO2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations

Emissions were documented in a greenhouse gas emission life cycle analysis of 22 years of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) operations for a site in the Northern Michigan Basin, U.S. At the site,...
CHAPTER XI – Primitives

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the technique of finding the primitives of a large class of functions. It explains a theorem rule of integration by parts, which is useful in evaluating the primitives of products. The chapter describes the way by which the primitives of rational functions can be determined in terms of the elementary functions—that is, the rational, trigonometric, and exponential functions and their inverses. A rational function is a quotient of two polynomials. A rational function is called proper if the degree of the numerator is less than that of the denominator; otherwise it is called improper. By division, an improper rational function can be expressed as the sum of a polynomial and a proper rational function. The primitives of polynomials are found readily. The chapter discusses the evaluation of primitives of proper rational functions with quadratic denominators. It also presents a unique factorization theorem, which explains that every polynomial with real coefficients can be factored in one and only one way into linear and irreducible quadratic factors, some of which may be repeated.
Ecometrics and Neogene faunal turnover: the roles of cats and hindlimb morphology in the assembly of carnivoran communities in the New World

Cats possess some of the highest ankle gear ratios of any extant carnivorans, a feature that facilitates leaping and sprinting involved in ambush predation and scansorial lifestyles. In today's North American carnivoran communities, the high gear ratio of cats contributes to an overall high ecometric average for this trait and contributes strongly to measures of ecometric disparity at the community level. But cats were late additions to North American communities, arriving from Eurasia about 17 Ma at the end of the “cat gap”. This paper uses ecometric analysis to document changes in hindlimb functional diversity in North American carnivoran communities over the last 19 million years in order to better understand the roles of trait evolution, clade turnover, and environmental change in community assembly. To accomplish this, I look at the phylogenetic history of ankle gear ratios of cats and other carnivorans, and the history of their occupation of high gear ratio niches in North American communities. The primary focus is on the Great Plains, which experienced profound changes in vegetation and climate through this period. Across all Carnivoramorpha, including a variety of extinct clades, it was found that gear ratios range from 1.08 (with extant ursids and viverrids and extinct miacids and barbourofelids, one of the three cat groups considered in this paper, having the lowest values) to 1.46 (with extant felids, herpestids, and canids having the highest values). Using the fossil record combined with phylogenetic ancestor reconstruction, it is shown that stem carnivorans and early felids had gear ratios about halfway between these extremes, consistent with a semidigitigrade or mildly digitigrade stance that was not overly specialized for either leaping or sprinting. Barbourofelids and some machairodontines evolved lower gear ratios that emphasized mechanical efficiency over advantage. When cats first entered North American communities in the Miocene they did not occupy high gear ratio niches and, in fact, occupied some of the lowest gear ratio niches during the Barstovian, Clarendonian, and Hemphillian. A major restructuring of gear ratio distributions in North American carnivoran communities occurred during the Blancan that appears to have resulted from clade sorting processes involving the selective loss of low gear ratio groups, as well as the evolution of increased gear ratios in felids and canids.
Source characterization and removal of N-nitrosamine precursors during activated sludge treatment

Municipal wastewater discharges are a major potential source of N-nitrosamine precursors which may impact downstream source water quality. To elucidate the sources of N-nitrosamine precursors and their fate during biological wastewater treatment (i.e., the activated sludge (AS) process), the formation potentials (FPs) of seven N-nitrosamine species were monitored in blackwater (i.e., human urine and feces), greywater (i.e., from kitchen food and detergent, laundry, and showering), and the influent from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during batch AS treatment. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) precursors originate mainly from biological waste materials (e.g., human urine, sweat in laundry greywater or shower greywater, food leachates), while detergents and personal care products (e.g., shampoo and body wash in shower greywater) could be the main sources of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine (NDBA), and N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (NDPA) precursors. AS from two domestic WWTPs (one urban and one rural) exhibited better removal of NDMA precursors from biological waste materials, while the textile AS more effectively removed most N-nitrosamine precursors from detergents or personal care products. The type of WWTP influent negligibly (i.e., <8% differences) affected the removal of NDMA precursors. Rather, AS sources and seasonal changes in AS activities may have an impact. Increasing the incubation time from 6 to 24 h enhanced the removal of N-nitrosamine precursors, especially for precursors from detergents and personal care products. These results suggest that there is no single source containing various precursors of N-nitrosamines. The AS types, sampling seasons and hydraulic retention time (or incubation time) may all impact the removal efficiencies for N-nitrosamine precursors.
Pooling Data From Individual Clinical Trials in the COVID-19 Era.

This Viewpoint proposes principles and processes to allow pooling of individual patient data from clinical trials given decelerating participant recruitment at sites where the COVID-19 surge has been controlled and new cases are diminishing
Catecholamine-induced cerebral vasospasm and multifocal infarctions in pheochromocytoma

Summary We report the case of a 76-year-old male with a remote history of papillary thyroid cancer who developed severe paroxysmal headaches in the setting of episodic hypertension. Brain imaging revealed multiple lesions, initially of inconclusive etiology, but suspicious for metastatic foci. A search for the primary malignancy revealed an adrenal tumor, and biochemical testing confirmed the diagnosis of a norepinephrine-secreting pheochromocytoma. Serial imaging demonstrated multiple cerebral infarctions of varying ages, evidence of vessel narrowing and irregularities in the anterior and posterior circulations, and hypoperfusion in watershed areas. An exhaustive work-up for other etiologies of stroke including thromboembolic causes or vasculitis was unremarkable. There was resolution of symptoms, absence of new infarctions, and improvement in vessel caliber after adequate alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade for the management of pheochromocytoma. This clinicoradiologic constellation of findings suggested that the etiology of the multiple infarctions was reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). Pheochromocytoma remains a poorly recognized cause of RCVS. Unexplained multifocal cerebral infarctions in the setting of severe hypertension should prompt the consideration of a vasoactive tumor as the driver of cerebrovascular dysfunction. A missed or delayed diagnosis has the potential for serious neurologic morbidity for an otherwise treatable condition. Learning points The constellation of multifocal watershed cerebral infarctions of uncertain etiology in a patient with malignant hypertension should trigger the consideration of undiagnosed catecholamine secreting tumors, such as pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is a serious but reversible cerebrovascular manifestation of pheochromocytomas that may lead to strokes (ischemic and hemorrhagic), seizures, and cerebral edema. Alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade can reverse cerebral vasoconstriction and prevent further cerebral ischemia and infarctions. Early diagnosis of catecholamine secreting tumors has the potential for reducing neurologic morbidity and mortality in patients presenting with cerebrovascular complications.
The second moment matters! Cross-sectional dispersion of firm valuations and expected returns

Abstract Behavioral theories predict that firm valuation dispersion in the cross-section (“dispersion”) measures aggregate overpricing caused by investor overconfidence and should be negatively related to expected aggregate returns. This paper develops and tests these hypotheses. Consistent with the model predictions, I find that measures of dispersion are positively related to aggregate valuations, trading volume, idiosyncratic volatility, past market returns, and current and future investor sentiment indexes. Dispersion is a strong negative predictor of subsequent short- and long-term market excess returns. Market beta is positively related to stock returns when the beginning-of-period dispersion is low and this relationship reverses when initial dispersion is high. A simple forecast model based on dispersion significantly outperforms a naive model based on historical equity premium in out-of-sample tests and the predictability is stronger in economic downturns.
Mitigating False Positive Classification in Aerial LiDAR Semantic Segmentation

LiDAR is a method commonly used for measuring distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor. Information provided by these scans has the potential to assist with disaster recovery efforts as they can help to survey infrastructure even when physical access may be limited. This research paper explores the feasibility of using a Random Forest classifier on limited hand-labeled data to identify buildings, along with a two-step filtering process that leverages unsupervised learning. Specifically, this two-step process uses a radius KNN filter followed by agglomerative clustering to identify and remove false-positive points. Results show the Precision of the classification algorithm increases greatly from 0.23 to 0.62 corresponding to a reduction in the false-positive rate which comes at the expense of some performance in the Recall but with the added benefit of building extraction.
Quiet celebrity in the time of pandemic: stripping away artifice in performances of self, cultures of citizenship, and community care

As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly escalated in early 2020 and shelter-at-home orders cascaded around the world, celebrities streamed live performances from living rooms, home studios, and empty oper...
Repeated dosing with the peroxisome proliferator clofibrate decreases the toxicity of model hepatotoxic agents in male mice

Pretreatment of mice with clofibrate (CFB) has been shown to protect against acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity. To determine if pretreatment with CFB prevents the toxicity of other model hepatotoxicants, male C57BL6J or CD-1 mice received 500 mg CFB/kg, i.p., daily for 10 days, and then were challenged with either 250 mg bromobenzene (BrB)/kg, 0.025 ml carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)/kg or 0.5 ml chloroform (CHCl3)/kg. Liver and kidney injury was assessed by plasma sorbitol dehydrogenase activity (SDH) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), respectively and histopathology. Challenge with BrB significantly elevated plasma SDH activity in C57Bl6J mice. This was prevented in CFB pretreated mice receiving the same dose of BrB. Changes in BUN were not detected in either group of BrB treated mice. Similarly, pretreatment of male CD-1 mice with CFB significantly reduced CCl4-induced elevation in plasma SDH activity, with no BUN elevation detected in either group. CFB pretreatment also diminished elevation in plasma SDH activity produced by CHCl3 in CD-1 mice, while BUN was significantly elevated in both groups, indicating that CFB did not protect against CHCl3-induced nephrotoxicity. Histopathological examination of liver and kidney sections confirmed these results. This study shows that mice pretreated with CFB were protected from toxicity at 24 h after challenge with other model hepatotoxic agents besides APAP.
Convective venting in compact fluorescent fixtures

Convective venting studies done on three different compact fluorescent fixtures indicate that the reduction in light output and efficacy caused by a highly constricted thermal environment can be nearly eliminated with a proper venting configuration. Experiments conducted on an open, recessed ceiling fixture housing two 26 W, quad-tube, compact fluorescent bulbs indicate a light output loss of 15% for an unvented fixture; with an aperture area of approximately 1.5 square inches (a 0.5 in*3.25 in vent) placed in the top of the fixture, thermally-induced light output losses are reduced to about 3%, while optical losses due the aperture's size are only about 4%. In an enclosed recessed fixture, housing two 13 W, twin-tube bulbs, light output and efficacy losses are noted at 18%; both of these decrease to only 2% losses with two small, lower vents and a larger, upper vent introduced to the fixture. In a smaller, enclosed, recessed downlight, housing two 7 W bulbs, losses for both the light output and efficacy of the fixture are originally noted at 10%; with three vents introduced to the fixture (in the same configuration as the other enclosed fixture), light output reached at 98% of maximum, and lamp efficiency reached 96% of maximum. >
Predictors of functional outcome and resource utilization in inpatient rehabilitation

Abstract Consecutive patients ( n = 1,289) discharged from two inpatient rehabilitation facilities were prospectively examined to determine the extent to which rehabilitative outcomes, functionally based progress, and associated resource utilization (in terms of rehabilitation length of stay) can be concomitantly predicted using the Tufts/New England Medical Center functional assessment tool and bivariate and multivariate statistical comparisons. A high percentage (> 50%) of statistically significant associations between the predictor variables and seven outcome measures were seen. The R 2 s corresponding to these associations were generally small and resistant to enhancement by commonly accepted statistical manipulations. Consequently, they are, in general, of limited predictive value for determining functional prognosis or resource utilization among rehabilitation inpatients. Although functionally based predictors appear to be the best predictors of functional progress, their effectiveness as predictors of other domains (eg, discharge outcome and rehabilitation length of stay) is variable. The implication is that a prospective payment system using such an array of predictors and directed primarily at cost containment is likely to overlook potentially important gains in functional progress and patient outcome. Furthermore, the functionally based predictors, taken individually, varied in effectiveness as predictors among facilities, and, taken collectively, they varied in effectiveness as predictors for different diagnostic groupings within a facility. The inconsistency of predictions according to the various domains appears to further limit their application to a prospective payment model.
Distinguishing Inchworm and Hand-Over-Hand Processive Kinesin Movement by Neck Rotation Measurements

The motor enzyme kinesin makes hundreds of unidirectional 8-nanometer steps without detaching from or freely sliding along the microtubule on which it moves. We investigated the kinesin stepping mechanism by immobilizing a Drosophila kinesin derivative through the carboxyl-terminal end of the neck coiled-coil domain and measuring orientations of microtubules moved by single enzyme molecules at submicromolar adenosine triphosphate concentrations. The kinesin-mediated microtubule-surface linkage was sufficiently torsionally stiff (>/=2.0 +/- 0.9 x 10(-20) Newton meters per radian2) that stepping by the hypothesized symmetric hand-over-hand mechanism would produce 180 degree rotations of the microtubule relative to the immobilized kinesin neck. In fact, there were no rotations, a finding that is inconsistent with symmetric hand-over-hand movement. An alternative "inchworm" mechanism is consistent with our experimental results.
Electrical system options for space exploration

The need for a space power utility concept is discussed and the impact of this concept on the engineering of space power systems is examined. Experiences gained from Space Station Freedom and SEI systems studies are used to discuss the factors that may affect the choice of frequency standards on which to build such a space power utility. Emphasis is given to electrical power control, conditioning, and distribution subsystems.
Intraoperative monitoring of motor evoked potentials in very young children.

Object Neurophysiological monitoring of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during complex spine procedures may reduce the risk of injury by providing feedback to the operating surgeon. While this tool is a well-established surgical adjunct in adults, clinical data in children are sparse. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and safety of MEP monitoring in a group of children younger than 3 years of age undergoing neurosurgical spine procedures. Methods A total of 10 consecutive spinal procedures in 10 children younger than 3 years of age (range 5–31 months, mean 16.8 months) were analyzed between January 1, 2008, and May 1, 2010. Motor evoked potentials were elicited by transcranial electric stimulation. A standardized anesthesia protocol for monitoring consisted of a titrated propofol drip combined with bolus dosing of fentanyl or sufentanil. Results Motor evoked potentials were documented at the beginning and end of the procedure in all 10 patients. A mean baseline stimulation threshol...
Evaluation of bone marrow aspirates from multiple sites for staging of canine lymphoma and mast cell tumours

This prospective study evaluated the utility of bone marrow aspirates (BMAs) obtained from multiple sites for staging of canine lymphoma (LSA) and mast cell tumours (MCTs). Forty dogs (LSA, n = 24; MCTs, n = 16) were enrolled, but only 33 (82.5%) had diagnostic bone marrow (BM) aspirates obtained from two sites for inclusion in the study. Nineteen dogs with LSA were included, and 6 (31.6%) had BM involvement. Neoplastic lymphocytes were present in BM from both sites in all of these dogs. Fourteen dogs with MCTs were included, and 3 (21.4%) had BM involvement. Neoplastic mast cells were present at both sites in two dogs and at only one site in the third. These results indicate that BMAs from multiple sites may not be needed for accurate staging of canine LSA patients, but more studies evaluating the pattern of BM infiltration in dogs with high-grade MCTs are warranted.
Reflections on Seeing HUG

The following is a discussion of the film, HUG , a 2009 Sundance Official Selection. The plot of HUG focuses on when Asa, friend and manager, realizes musician Drew is off his meds, and the cross-town drive to sign his contract becomes significantly more complicated. Keywords: psychosis, sound, race, masculinity, disability
Pouring Salt on a Wound: Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Factors Alter Na+ and Cl− Flux in the Lung

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen with multiple niches in the human body, including the lung. P. aeruginosa infections are particularly damaging or fatal for patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis (CF). To establish an infection, P. aeruginosa relies on a suite of virulence factors, including lipopolysaccharide, phospholipases, exoproteases, phenazines, outer membrane vesicles, type III secreted effectors, flagella, and pili. These factors not only damage the epithelial cell lining but also induce changes in cell physiology and function such as cell shape, membrane permeability, and protein synthesis. While such virulence factors are important in initial infection, many become dysregulated or nonfunctional during the course of chronic infection. Recent work on the virulence factors alkaline protease (AprA) and CF transmembrane conductance regulator inhibitory factor (Cif) show that P. aeruginosa also perturbs epithelial ion transport and osmosis, which may be important for the long-term survival of this microbe in the lung. Here we discuss the literature regarding host physiology-altering virulence factors with a focus on Cif and AprA and their potential roles in chronic infection and immune evasion.
Abstract LB-82: MLL2 maintains neoplastic cell growth and global histone H3 lysine 4 monomethylation

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA One striking theme emerging from recent findings in cancer genetics is that chromatin remodeling and histone methylation modifiers are frequently altered in human cancers. Among these newly identified cancer genes, one of the best examples is the gene encoding MLL2 (KMT2D, a.k.a. ALR/MLL4), a histone lysine methyltransferase that plays an important role in regulating gene transcription. Genetic alterations suggestive of a functional deficiency in MLL2 and other genes in the same pathways are common. The identification of alterations in MLL2 suggests potential new opportunities for therapeutics, and highlights an urgent need to understand the underlying tumorigenic mechanism. Filling such a knowledge gap has been challenging, due to the lack of appropriate assays for the gigantic (∼600 kDa), understudied MLL2 protein. To overcome the difficulty, we have used innovative somatic gene editing-based assays to determine the effect of an MLL2 deficiency on neoplastic cells. In particular, we have used homologous recombination- and nuclease-mediated gene editing approaches to generate a panel of isogenic human cancer cell lines that differ with respect to their endogenous MLL2 status. Our studies found that an MLL2 deficiency results in attenuated cancer cell proliferation and defective cell migration. We identified direct transcriptional target genes and revealed the connection of MLL2 to multiple cellular signaling pathways. Analysis of histone H3 modifications revealed that MLL2 is essential for maintaining the level of global histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) monomethylation and that its enzymatic SET domain is directly responsible for this function. Furthermore, we found that a majority of MLL2 binding sites are located in regions of potential enhancer elements. The finding concerning enhancer elements is significant, as enhancer elements have increasingly been recognized as critically involved in tumorigenesis. Together, these findings revealed the role of MLL2 in mediating diverse signaling pathways and regulating enhancer elements in human cells, and shed light on the tumorigenic role of its deficiency. Our study supports that MLL2 has distinct roles in neoplastic cells, as opposed to pre-neoplastic cells, and that inhibiting MLL2 may be a viable strategy for cancer therapeutics. Citation Format: Changcun Guo, Lee H. Chen, Yafen Huang, Chun-chi Chang, Ping Wang, Christopher J. Pirozzi, Xiaoxia Qin, Xuhui Bao, Paula K. Greer, Roger E. McLendon, Hai Yan, Stephen T. Keir, Darell D. Bigner, Yiping He. MLL2 maintains neoplastic cell growth and global histone H3 lysine 4 monomethylation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-82. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-82
Real-time hand-pair gesture recognition using a stereo webcam

This paper discusses a real-time hand-pair gesture recognition solution using a stereo webcam. The developed solution consists of three main components: segmentation, tracking, and classification. Segmentation is achieved by combining color, motion, depth, symmetry and aspect ratio features. All these features are found in a computationally efficient manner to allow real-time operation. Tracking is done to relieve the computational burden of segmentation for every frame. The three coordinates of the detected hands are then used to form a hand-pair gesture signature which is compared to a number of reference gesture signatures using dynamic time warping. The results obtained indicate a robust real-time performance of this solution in the presence of realistic lighting and background conditions.
Solar wind conditions in the outer heliosphere and the distance to the termination shock

The Plasma Science experiment on the Voyager 2 spacecraft has measured the properties of solar wind protons from 1 to 40.4 AU. We use these observations to discuss the probable location and motion of the termination shock of the solar wind. Assuming that the interstellar pressure is due to a 5 micro-G magnetic field draped over the upstream face of the heliopause, the radial variation of ram pressure implies that the termination shock will be located at an average distance near 89 AU. This distance scales inversely as the assumed field strength. There are also large variations in ram pressure on time scales of tens of days, due primarily to large variations in solar wind density at a given radius. Such rapid changes in the solar wind ram pressure can cause large perturbations in the location of the termination shock. We study the nonequilibrium location of the termination shock as it responds to these ram pressure changes. The results of this study suggest that the position of the termination shock can vary by as much as 10 AU in a single year, depending on the nature of variations in the ram pressure, and that multiple crossings of the termination shock by a given outer heliosphere spacecraft are likely. After the first crossing, such models of shock motion will be useful for predicting the timing of subsequent crossings.
Dopamine Receptor Signaling in the Pancreatic β-Cell

Glucose homeostasis is maintained by small clusters of hormone secreting cells in the pancreas: the pancreatic islets. Insulin secreting β-cells make up ∼ 80% of the mouse islet and secrete insulin in a tightly regulated manner. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate insulin secretion is a key factor in developing drugs and therapies for type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.The pancreatic β-cells synthesize dopamine from the circulating precursor L-dopa. We have shown that during glucose stimulated insulin secretion, co-secreted dopamine acts as an autocrine negative regulator of insulin secretion. It does so by activating the dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3) – a member of the G-protein coupled receptor family. DRD3 are present on β-cell plasma membrane, and upon dopamine binding, they attenuate intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. In fact, the frequency of the [Ca2+]i oscillations triggered by 8 mM glucose is diminished by dopamine; these effects are blocked when a selective DRD3 antagonist is added [Ustione and Piston, Mol. Endo. 2012].We investigate the molecular mechanism downstream of DRD3 activation that leads to the changes in intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and insulin secretion. We propose that dopamine activation of DRD3 directly affects β-cell calcium influx via Gβγ complex interaction with the L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.2). We test this hypothesis using FRET and two photon excitation FCCS experiments on βTC-3 cells with fluorescent protein labeled versions of the Gβγ complex, and of the CaV1.2 subunit α1C. The goal is to detect the dopamine triggered interaction between the Gβγ complex and the CaV1.2. We can modulate the FRET signal by using the photo-switchable version of the red fluorescent protein rsTagRFP, therefore we can measure FRET from the small percentage of interacting proteins, even in the presence of significant background signal arising from the majority of labeled but noninteracting proteins.
A Remark on Post Normal Systems

Let N(T) be the normal system of Post which corresponds to the Thue system, T, as in Martin Davis, Computability and Unsolvability (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1958), pp. 98-100. It is proved that for any recursively enumerable degree of unsolvability, D, there exists a normal system, NT(D), such that the decision problem for NT(D) is of degree D. Define a generalized normal system as a normal system without initial assertion. For such a GN the decision problem is to determine for any enunciations A and B whether or not A and B are equivalent in GN. Thus the generalized system corresponds more naturally to algebraic problems. It is proved that for any recursively enumerable degree of unsolvability, D, there exists a generalized normal system, GNT(D), such that the decision problem for GNT(D), such that the decision problem for GNT(D) is of degree D.
A Circadian Clock of Drosophila: Effects of Deuterium Oxide and Mutations at the period Locus

Mutations at the period (per) locus (1:1.3; 3B1-2) in Drosophila melanogaster lengthen (perL), shorten (per5), or abolish (per°) overt circadian rhythmi-city. Deuterium oxide lengthens the free-running circadian period. We tested the effects of deuterium on three mutants of the per gene (per5 perL, and per°) and wild-type Drosophila melanogaster (per+) to assess interactions. With increasing concentrations of deuterium, the free-running circadian period of locomotor activity rhythms increased. The dose-response was linear in all genotypes tested. With increasing dosages ofdeuterium, circadian rhythms became weaker as evidenced by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Genotype and deuterium changed circadian period length independently and additively, showing no interaction. SNRs for all genotypes converged on a low level as deuterium concentration increased. Deuterium increased life span, except at high concentrations (40 and 50%).
What does it mean to trust facebook?: examining technology and interpersonal trust beliefs

Researchers have recently studied technology trust in terms of the technological artifact itself. Two different kinds of trusting beliefs could apply to a website artifact. First, the trusting beliefs may relate to the interpersonal characteristics--competence, integrity, and benevolence. Second, they may relate to corresponding technology characteristics--functionality, reliability, and helpfulness. Since social networking websites like Facebook may demonstrate either interpersonal or technology trust characteristics, researchers may need to carefully choose the beliefs to model. Thus it is important to understand not only the conceptual meaning of these beliefs, but also whether human and technology trust beliefs are distinct. Using data collected from 362 university-student Facebook users, we test two second-order factor structures that represent alternative ways to model the three interpersonal and three technology trust beliefs. We find that the best-fitting measurement model depicts the three conceptually-related pairs of trust beliefs (competence-functionality, integrity-reliability, and benevolence-helpfulness) as three distinct second-order factors. This model outperformed the model splitting trusting beliefs into separate interpersonal and technology second-order factors. The results show people distinguish among three types of conceptually-related trust attributes, and that they trust Facebook as both a technology and a quasi-person. These second-order trust factors can be used in future research to better understand social networking trust and usage continuance intentions
Ultrathin Slab Gel Separations of DNA Using a Single Capillary Sample Introduction System

We demonstrate here a novel method for DNA separations which combines the parallel processing capabilities of slab gels with the advantages of sample introduction obtained with a single capillary. This sample introduction format allows rapid sequential separations or continuous analysis to be carried out on ultrathin slab gels with efficient heat dissipation. Ultrathin slab gels have been fabricated by using 57-μm spacers between quartz plates, and a single capillary has been used to introduce plugs of dsDNA fragments into the ultrathin gel. These fragment plugs were deposited along the entrance to the ultrathin gel at spatially discrete locations by micromanipulation of the capillary. Spatially resolved detection has been accomplished with an argon ion laser focused to a line for excitation and a CCD for collection of fluorescence. Double-stranded DNA separations are demonstrated in a plug injection format. This approach allows multiple unique samples to be rapidly deposited on the ultrathin slab gels fo...
Reactions of 2.8‐eV Tritium Atoms with Methane

Tritium atoms with 2.8‐eV kinetic energy have been formed by 1849‐A photolysis of TBr, and have been reacted with CH4 in the presence of Br2. In addition to HT from the abstraction reaction known in thermal systems, the direct substitution of T for H to form CH3T has been observed. The ratio of HT/CH3T is 3.6 to 4.0 in low Br2 mole fraction. In Br2 mole fractions exceeding 0.5, this ratio is reduced to 3.0, and the absolute yields of both HT and CH3T are greatly reduced. The formation of HT and CH3T from hot reactions of T with CH4 competes with the hot reaction of T with BR2 to form TBr.
Radiation-induced valvular dysfunction.

Radiation-induced heart disease is a well described entity. Previous reports have concentrated on the effects of radiation on the pericardium and myocardium causing pericarditis and myocardial fibrosis. In the last decade, some investigators have described valvular thickening, fibrosis and regurgitation. This report presents experience with two patients with aortic valvular stenosis of hemodynamic significance, possibly caused by mediastinal radiation.
Monitoring global spatial statistics

The use of global statistics to assess spatial dependence and deviations from spatial randomness often is carried out on a single dataset. However, there are situations where new datasets become available periodically, and it is of interest to determine whether there has been a temporal change point, where a new regime of global spatial autocorrelation has been established. If the global test is simply repeated every time period, change will be often be found by chance alone, even when it has not occurred, due to the multiple hypothesis testing. Cumulative sum methods are introduced as a method for monitoring the global statistics; they address the problem of multiple testing, and are optimal for finding temporal changes in the global spatial statistics. The method is illustrated through an application to data on breast cancer mortality in the northeastern United States.