cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atlantoaxial Joint: Atlantoaxial Joint Injection and Radiofrequency Ablation

Cervicogenic headache is referred pain from cervical structures innervated by the upper three cervical spinal nerves. The lateral atlantoaxial joint is innervated by the C2 ventral ramus. It is a fairly common cause of cervicogenic headache as it may account for up to 16 % of patients with occipital headache. Distending the lateral atlantoaxial joint with contrast agent in human volunteers produces occipital pain, and injection of local anesthetic into the joint relieves the headache.
Comparison of Swiffer Wipes and Conventional Drag Swab Methods for the Recovery of Salmonella in Swine Production Systems

The main goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of Swiffer wipes in comparison to conventional drag swabs for the recovery of Salmonella. A total of 800 samples (400 Swiffer wipes and 400 drag swabs) were aseptically collected from randomly selected swine barns before disinfection with specific biocides and within 2 h after disinfection. From each barn, 10 samples of each swab type and negative controls were collected. Salmonellae were isolated from 43 (10.8%) of 400 drag swabs and 34 (8.5%) of 400 Swiffer wipes. There was a significant reduction in Salmonella postdisinfection as identified with both sampling procedures irrespective of the type of biocide used (P < 0.05). With the drag swabs, salmonellae were detected in 15% of the samples before disinfection versus 6.5% after disinfection, whereas with the Swiffer wipes, 13 and 4% of the samples were positive pre- and postdisinfection, respectively. Of the total 720 fecal samples collected from pigs placed in the disinfected barns, 132 (18.3%) wer...
Ultrafast rotation in an amphidynamic crystalline metal organic framework

Amphidynamic crystals are an emergent class of condensed phase matter designed with a combination of lattice-forming elements linked to components that display engineered dynamics in the solid state. Here, we address the design of a crystalline array of molecular rotors with inertial diffusional rotation at the nanoscale, characterized by the absence of steric or electronic barriers. We solved this challenge with 1,4-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylic acid (BODCA)-MOF, a metal-organic framework (MOF) built with a high-symmetry bicyclo[2.2.2]octane dicarboxylate linker in a Zn4O cubic lattice. Using spin-lattice relaxation 1H solid-state NMR at 29.49 and 13.87 MHz in the temperature range of 2.3–80 K, we showed that internal rotation occurs in a potential with energy barriers of 0.185 kcal mol−1. These results were confirmed with 2H solid-state NMR line-shape analysis and spin-lattice relaxation at 76.78 MHz obtained between 6 and 298 K, which, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, indicate that inertial diffusional rotation is characterized by a broad range of angular displacements with no residence time at any given site. The ambient temperature rotation of the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane (BCO) group in BODCA-MOF constitutes an example where engineered rotational dynamics in the solid state are as fast as they would be in a high-density gas or in a low-density liquid phase.
Developing Control of Cryo-Pump Test Cold-Box System: Some Investigations

Abstract Tokamak, a leading contender of practical fusion reactor, is a popular system using powerful superconducting magnets to confine plasma in a toroidal space to conduct controlled thermo-nuclear reactions required for fusion power research. Tokamak uses state-of-the-art superconducting magnet system requiring specialized cryogenic cooling, which is achieved and maintained by a forced-flow of helium at supercritical state. Supercritical helium mass flow rate as high as 2.21 kg/s at the cryogenic temperature of ~ 4.6 K is necessary not only to obtain cryogenic conditions required for these toroidal superconducting magnet system, but also to regulate cryo-conditions against severe thermal shocks and disturbances due to exothermic plasma reactions and other operational variations. In prior work, the largest cryogenic centrifugal pump was developed to meet and obtain such special cryogenic conditions with various normal and off-normal operating modes. However, such special cryo-pump needs to be tested first rigorously in a special, custom-designed cryogenic test set-up before using them in actual Tokamak systems. A dedicated test-system, called Test Cold-Box, is proposed and developed to test such large cryogenic centrifugal pump. The test-system consists of a liquid helium sub-cooler bath, heat-exchangers, control valves, heaters, etc. In our work, a suitable multi-loop control scheme for the Test Cold-Box is also proposed. Classic multi-loop PID control scheme with classic Ziegler-Nichols and modern IMC tuning have been evaluated using ASPEN HYSYS® simulation environment. The paper describes this Test Cold-Box system including cryo-pump along with suitable controls, and its operational analysis in ASPEN HYSYS® simulation environment.
Tryptase from human mast cells: biochemistry, biology and clinical utility.

Tryptase is the predominant protein expressed by all human mast cells. Two types of tryptase genes reside in the human genome, a-tryptase and B­ tryptase. Serum levels of mature B-tryptase released from mast cell secretory granules serve as a clinical marker of mast cell activation, while those of total tryptase (mature and immature forms of tryptase) serve as a clinical indicator of mast cell number. Enzymatically active tryptase exists as a tetramer that is ionically bound to heparin proteoglycan, which serves to stabilize the enzyme and to limit diffusion from its tissue site of release. The biologic function(s) of tryptase, though uncertain, may include effects on tissue growth and repair, inflammation and organ function, and may depend in part on other components of the protease-proteoglycan complex released from mast cells.
Free Lattice-Ordered Groups

The definition of the free lattice-ordered group Fη of a given rank η is analogous to that of the free group Gη. Yet there are many questions which have the same “obvious” answers in both contexts, and for which the answers are very easy to confirm for free groups but not at all easy for free l-groups. We assume η > 1. Some questions: 1. Does Fη have solvable word problem? 2. What is the center of Fη? 3. What is the centralizer of a free generator x? 4. Is F η directly indecomposable? 5. Does F η have a basic element? 6. Is F η completely distributive?
SOME GEL-DIFFUSION REACTIONS OF DICTYOCAULUS VIVIPARUS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some gel-diffusion reactions of Dictyocaulus viviparous. Both common and distinct antigenic components are present in adult worms as well as their metabolic products, 3rd stage larvae, and their metabolic products, and eggs. As many as six distinct lines have been obtained with the adult worm antigen and serum taken four weeks challenge in a resistant calf. There appear to be several similarities between the precipitin reaction and the complement fixing antibody response. The time of onset and disappearance of the reaction, and the secondary response to challenge are similar. Different antigens give a similar pattern of complement fixing response and possess common antigenic components as revealed by the precipitin test. The demonstration of antigenic components in bronchial mucus similar to some of the components of the metabolites of adult worms is not surprising, but the presence of antibodies in lung tissue, and not in lymph suggests that local antigen/antibody reactions may take place, possibly associated with immune lesions.
Prosperity Far Distant: The Journal of an American Farmer, 1933–1934

Review of: "Prosperity Far Distant: The Journal of an American Farmer, 1933–1934," written by Charles M. Wiltse, edited by Michael J. Birkner.
Foreign-Born Minorities and American Schooling: The African-Born Immigrant Adolescent's Plea

In her presentation, Agyepong focused on her educational experiences from middle school through graduate school. She reflects upon the obstacles she encountered in the American educational system as a result of he Ghanaian nationality, early upbringing in Ghana, and her invisible status as an immigrant child from Africa. Considering herself lucky to have made it through school triumphantly amidst adversities, the presenter evaluates the experiences of African-born immigrant students through the lens of her own reminiscences of the tumultuous relationships she had with some teachers teachers, her peers and her own family members. She then proceeds to compare how her story reflects the story of the post 1980 African immigrant child, by exploring the similarities and differences between her experience and the experiences of contemporary African immigrant youths in Vancouver, Canada, and NYC. In the end, she came to the conclusion that these relationships, however shaky they might be, constitute the cornerstones on which an African immigrant's child's educational identity and attainment stand.
Acute limb ischemia from gunshot wound secondary to arterial vasospasm

Gunshot wounds are rising in incidence, morbidity, and mortality. It is thought that about half of nonfatal injuries occur in an extremity. Although the incidence is not known, arterial vasospasm can result in acute limb ischemia. We present the case of a 33-year-old man who suffered a gunshot wound to the left lower extremity resulting in arterial vasospasm of the superficial femoral artery. He quickly regained arterial flow, and we were able to manage his acute limb ischemia nonoperatively and to document restoration of flow through serial examinations and Doppler imaging. He was subsequently discharged the next day and is experiencing a full recovery.
STEM Projects using Green Healthcare, Green IT, and Climate Change

In order to help solve the climate crisis, we need to involve everyone, worldwide, including students of all ages. Green Healthcare, Green IT (Information Technology), and Climate Change are excellent projects for both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM (STEM + arts) students. That’s because all students are familiar with healthcare and climate change and with Information Technology (IT) through the use of their PCs, laptops, iPads, smart phones, and all the social media used with those devices. Thus energy efficient healthcare, IT (or Green IT), and climate change are areas that should grab their interest, no matter whether they are interested in technical fields or the arts. Also, many schools throughout the world use IT as a tool with their instruction. Students of all ages can be involved since Green IT is an excellent way for both STEM and STEAM students to contribute. The UN Climate agreement on reducing carbon emissions reached in Paris during December, 2015, as well as all the climate events in 2018 continue to raise awareness to the urgent need to reduce electricity use through efficiency. Green IT is an excellent way to reduce electricity use and save money doing it. This paper includes case studies based on the author's experiences with energy efficient computing and experiences discussing Green Healthcare, Green IT, and Climate Change with STEM and STEAM students.
Utilizing a Kidney-Targeting Peptide to Improve Renal Deposition of a Pro-Angiogenic Protein Biopolymer.

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) are versatile protein biopolymers used in drug delivery due to their modular nature, allowing fusion of therapeutics and targeting agents. We previously developed an ELP fusion with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and demonstrated its therapeutic efficacy in translational swine models of renovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. The goal of the current work was to refine renal targeting and reduce off-target tissue deposition of ELP–VEGF. The ELP–VEGF fusion protein was modified by adding a kidney-targeting peptide (KTP) to the N-terminus. All control proteins (ELP, KTP–ELP, ELP–VEGF, and KTP–ELP–VEGF) were also produced to thoroughly assess the effects of each domain on in vitro cell binding and activity and in vivo pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. KTP–ELP–VEGF was equipotent to ELP–VEGF and free VEGF in vitro in the stimulation of primary glomerular microvascular endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation, and extracellular matrix invasion. The contribution of each region of the KTP–ELP–VEGF protein to the cell binding specificity was assayed in primary human renal endothelial cells, tubular epithelial cells, and podocytes, demonstrating that the VEGF domain induced binding to endothelial cells and the KTP domain increased binding to all renal cell types. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of KTP–ELP–VEGF and all control proteins were determined in SKH-1 Elite hairless mice. The addition of KTP to ELP slowed its in vivo clearance and increased its renal deposition. Furthermore, addition of KTP redirected ELP–VEGF, which was found at high levels in the liver, to the kidney. Intrarenal histology showed similar distribution of all proteins, with high levels in blood vessels and tubules. The VEGF-containing proteins also accumulated in punctate foci in the glomeruli. These studies provide a thorough characterization of the effects of a kidney-targeting peptide and an active cytokine on the biodistribution of these novel biologics. Furthermore, they demonstrate that renal specificity of a proven therapeutic can be improved using a targeting peptide.
A rapid response community respiratory service for children with complex needs reduces hospital admissions

Background: A pilot service was established in May 2010, using a band 7 respiratory physiotherapist and a joint clinic to assess and treat children with complex neurodisability within the community. The service was initially evaluated in June 2012 however the service has subsequently developed. Aim: To re-evaluate the effectiveness of a rapid respiratory physiotherapy service in preventing admissions, AE attendances and length of stay in children with complex needs within Liverpool between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2017. Methods: All children with GMFCS 4 and 5 residents within Liverpool who were known to the respiratory physiotherapists during the study period were included. For each child the number of AE attendances for respiratory illness, the number of hospital admissions for a respiratory illness, the length of stay were recorded. These data were compared to the pre pilot data and the initial service data. Results: In the first study period (SP1)(May 2010 -June 2012) 38 children were included using 3 days of band 7 physiotherapist time. In second study period (SP2)(January 2015- December 2017) 107 children were included using 5 days of band 8A and 4 days of band 7. The AE attendances (average episodes per child per year) for the prepilot, SP1 and SP2 were 4.3, 1.1 and 1.2 respectively. The hospital admissions (average episodes per child per year) for the prepilot, SP1 and SP2 were 3, 0.6 and 0.6. The Length of stay (average per child in days) for the prepilot, SP1 and 2 were 15.1, 7.3 and 4.1. Conclusions: A rapid response respiratory physiotherapy service has continued to reduce AE attendance, hospital admission and length of stay and had a cost saving.
Nano-Size Hexagonal Ferrites for Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Devices

Complex dielectric and magnetic properties of micro- and nano-size hexagonal ferrites have been studied. Two different measurement techniques have been applied to characterize the samples in the broad frequency range from 1.7 to 120 GHz. It was observed that the constitutive material properties, namely permittivity and permeability, as well as the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the samples vary with the change in particle dimensions. Based on the results of these measurements, a model for calculating the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of ferrite powders has been derived, which takes into account the size and shape of the particles in the sample. It can be concluded from the size-dependent absorption properties observed in this study that these materials are considered to be tunable millimeter-wave absorbers.
Flow Injection Analysis for Simultaneous Quantification of Prolactin Concentration and Glycosylation Macroheterogeneity in Cell Culture Samples

A flow injection analysis (FIA) system is presented for a twostep immunoassay-based determination of the total humanprolactin (hPRL) concentration along with its degree ofglycosylation. Separate measurement of total hPRL and nonglysosylated human prolactin (nG-hPRL) were made using twoflow-through cartridges each containing immobilized antibodiesof different specificity. The antibodies are immobilized on thesurface of a carrier. Glycosylated hPRL (G-hPRL) and, thus, thedegree of glycosylation were calculated by the differencebetween the two specific determinations. Enhanced specificityfor the determination of nG-hPRL was obtained using unfavorablebinding conditions through incorporation of alkaline pH andchaotropic agents into the carrier/dispersion buffer. The assayfor total hPRL and nG-hPRL were each found to be linear withinthe relevant concentration range. The results of the two-stepFIA method were found to agree with those obtained by thestandard methods of ELISA and western blotting while offeringthe advantage of minimal analysis time (10 min) and eliminationof manual manipulations.
Towards a Machine-Learning-Assisted Dielectric Sensing Platform for Point-of-Care Wound Monitoring

In this letter, we present a machine-learning-based solution to classify wounds and normal skin based on a dielectric spectroscopy approach. Using a commercial network analyzer, we have measured the dielectric constant of normal skin and different types of wounds from multiple living mice across a frequency range from 10 MHz to 20 GHz. The acquired data across a wide frequency range is processed by a Data Dimensionality Reduction technique to extract the optimum frequency for wound dielectric spectroscopy. The results of our analysis reveal that different types of wounds can be distinguished by acquiring the dielectric constants in a frequency range from 1 to 2 GHz. This finding relaxes the large bandwidth requirements of dielectric spectroscopy sensors. By adopting supervised learning classification tools, we have demonstrated that various tissue types across different samples can be classified with an accuracy of near 100%.
Storied Social Change: Recovering Jane Addams's Early Model of Constituent Storytelling to Navigate the Practical Challenges of Speaking for Others

This essay recovers Jane Addams's (1860–1935) practice of constituent storytelling as a resource for contemporary social-change-nonprofit professional practice and activism. Whereas feminist theorizing is rich with resources for theorizing about constituent storytelling, Addams, as both a publicly engaged philosopher and a social-change-nonprofit professional, is uniquely situated to provide practical ways forward for social-change practitioners navigating the lived complexities of speaking for others in light of spatial stratification, subordinating structures, and epistemic exclusion. As a hybrid activist-scholar situated across diverse spaces, Addams serves as a bridge between feminist theorizing about speaking for others, and practices of it among social-change-nonprofit professionals and activists. I show that Addams reveals new ways of thinking about the practice of constituent storytelling for social-change-nonprofit professionals. Namely, in this lived context, speaking for others entails speaking for them through one's own story. Responsible constituent storytelling names oneself as a speaker, owns one's own social standpoint in this rhetorical naming practice, and orients the story through one's own journey—a journey inevitably riddled with failures and faulty assumptions—toward democratic neighborship with the Other across difference.
Disjunctivism unmotivated

Many naive realists are inclined to accept a negative disjunctivist strategy in order to deal with the challenge presented by the possibility of phenomenologically indistinguishable hallucination. In the first part of this paper I argue that this approach is methodologically inconsistent because it undercuts the phenomenological motivation that underlies the appeal of naive realism. In the second part of the paper I develop an alternative to the negative disjunctivist account along broadly Meinongian lines. In the last section of this paper I consider and evaluate a somewhat similar but rival view of hallucination developed by Mark Johnston.
Silence is Golden: Auditory Preferences in Zoo-housed Gorillas.

Enrichment is presented to improve the welfare of captive animals but sound is frequently presented with the assumption that it is enriching without assessing individuals’ preferences. Typically, p...
Internally Generated Time in the Rodent Hippocampus is Logarithmically Compressed

The Weber-Fechner law proposes that our perceived sensory input increases with physical input on a logarithmic scale. Hippocampal "time cells" carry a record of recent experience by firing sequentially during a circumscribed period of time after a triggering stimulus. Different cells have "time fields" at different delays up to at least tens of seconds. Past studies suggest that time cells represent a compressed timeline by demonstrating that fewer time cells fire late in the delay and their time fields are wider. This paper asks whether the compression of time cells obeys the Weber-Fechner Law. Time cells were studied with a hierarchical Bayesian model that simultaneously accounts for the firing pattern at the trial level, cell level, and population level. This procedure allows separate estimates of the within-trial receptive field width and the across-trial variability. The analysis at the trial level suggests the time cells represent an internally coherent timeline as a group. Furthermore, even after isolating across-trial variability, time field width increases linearly with delay. Finally, we find that the time cell population is distributed evenly on a logarithmic time scale. Together, these findings provide strong quantitative evidence that the internal neural temporal representation is logarithmically compressed and obeys a neural instantiation of the Weber- Fechner Law.
The Role of Telemedicine for Management of Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease comprised of ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease is a chronic idiopathic intestinal disorder that afflicts more than one million people in the United States. Its impact on quality of life is profound and results in a substantial economic burden. Effective therapies are available to induce and maintain symptom remission; however, there are multiple barriers to successful patient outcomes. Such barriers include but are not limited to poor adherence to medical therapy, limited patient education, inadequate patient monitoring, limited access to care, and medication side effects.
Cebus albifrons (White-fronted capuchin)

These karyotypes came from blood cultures and were kindly donated by Dr. L.E.M. de Boer, Holland. The acrocentrics here displayed as the 22nd and 23rd pairs have a paracentromeric secondary constriction and often associate with one another. Other cebus species have similar karyotypes but only insufficient material has been collected to warrant a generalization.
An Upper Limit on Omega_matter Using Lensed Arcs

We use current observations on the number statistics of gravitationally lensed optical arcs towards galaxy clusters to derive an upper limit on the cosmological mass density of the Universe. The gravitational lensing statistics due to foreground clusters combine properties of both cluster evolution, which is sensitive to the matter density, and volume change, which is sensitive to the cosmological constant. The uncertainties associated with the predicted number of lensing events, however, currently do not allow one to distinguish between flat and open cosmological models with and without a cosmological constant. Still, after accounting for known errors, and assuming that clusters in general have dark matter core radii of the order ~ 35 h^-1 kpc, we find that the cosmological mass density, Omega_m, is less than 0.56 at the 95% confidence. Such a dark matter core radius is consistent with cluster potentials determined recently by detailed numerical inversions of strong and weak lensing imaging data. If no core radius is present, the upper limit on Omega_m increases to 0.62 (95% confidence level). The estimated upper limit on Omega_m is consistent with various cosmological probes that suggest a low matter density for the Universe.
In GED We Trust? A Critical Examination of the Rhetoric and Reality of the General Educational Development Diploma

This article explores the ways in which the General Education Development diploma (or GED) is presented by the formal and informal curriculum, teachers, and learners in two basic educational programs serving welfare recipients. I examine the rhetoric surrounding the GED, focusing on the GED's ability to achieve positive impacts in learners' lives. Findings from the two programs show that the taken-for-granted assumptions about the GED as presented in these two classrooms promote the message that getting a GED is the way to a better life. The two outcomes stressed most frequently were that getting the GED opens up "new possibilities" and that getting the GED can solve economic problems. The almost magical power of the GED to transform lives was highlighted in these classrooms, and there was very little day-to-day questioning of this rhetoric. After a presentation of the rhetoric of the GED, I discuss how this rhetoric matches what we know about the impact of the GED from various outcome studies. I conclude that the rhetoric of the GED and the findings from outcome studies present a mismatch that should be problematized by adult education researchers and teachers. Resume Dans cet article, nous abordons la facon dont le diplome d'equivalences d'etudes secondaires (ou GED) est presente par le programme d'etudes formel et informel, les professeurs et les apprenants de deux centre d'education des adultes desservant des beneficiaires de l'aide sociale. Nous analysons le discours entourant le GED, qui insiste son impact positif dans la vie des apprenants. Les resultats de la recherche montrent que les pretentions sur le GED de ces deux centres repandent l'idee que le diplome d'equivalences d'etudes secondaires mene a une vie meilleure. Les deux avantages les plus frequemment mentionnes sont qu'avoir son GED ouvre des portes et elimine les problemes d'ordre financier. Les deux centres insistaient sur le pouvoir quasi magique du GED de transformer une vie, et cette idee n'a presque jamais ete remise en question par les apprenants. Apres une presentation du discours entourant le GED, nous analyserons comment ce discours correspond aux resultats de diverses etudes sur l'impact du GED dans la vie des apprenants. En conclusion, le discours entourant le GED et les resultats de la recherche sur son impact divergent et il serait souhaitable que des chercheurs et des professeurs en andragogie s'y attardent.
Aquarium microbiome response to ninety-percent system water change: Clues to microbiome management.

Author Posting. © John Wiley & Sons, 2015. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of John Wiley & Sons for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Zoo Biology 34 (2015): 360-367, doi:10.1002/zoo.21220.
Temperature and pH Dependence of the Binding of Oligosaccharides to Lysozyme

Abstract Association of lysozyme with the following ligands was measured at 0.1 ionic strength, using absorbance and fluorescence procedures: (a) the β(1 → 4)-linked trimer of N-acetylglucosamine, at pH 0 to 9 and 8–60°; (b) the dimer, at pH 0 to 9 and 30° and at 9–60° and pH 5.3; (c) N-acetylglucosamine, at 9–60° and pH 5.3. The complex-free protein difference spectrum varied with temperature and pH. Analysis of the association data indicated that trimer binding perturbs the pK of three ionizations, glutamic 35, 6.1 to 6.4; aspartic 101, 4.3 to 3.4; aspartic 66, 1.9 to 1.5. Since aspartic 66 does not interact directly with the saccharide, its pK shift presumably reflects the change in conformation that has been seen in crystallographic analysis (Blake, C. C. F., Mair, G. A., North, A. C. T., Phillips, D. C., and Sharma, V. R. (1967) Proc. Roy. Soc. London B Biol. Sci. 167, 365; Blake, C. C. F., Johnson, L. N., Mair, G. A., North, A. C. T., Phillips, D. C., and Sharma, V. R. (1967) Proc. Roy Soc. London B Biol. Sci. 167, 378) and involves this carboxyl. Aspartic 66 is buried as a carboxylate that is not part of an ion pair. The enthalpy of association increases by 5.9 kcal between pH 5 and 2 and is compensated by a nearly equal increase in entropy. This behavior may be related to desolvation of aspartic 101 in complex formation. The apparent average enthalpy of hydrogen-bond formation in the trimer complex is -1.5 kcal.
Myspace Isn't Your Space: Expanding the Fair Credit Reporting Act to Ensure Accountability and Fairness in Employer Searches of Online Social Networking Services

The advent and popularity of online social networking has changed the way Americans socialize. Employers have begun to tap into these online communities as a simple and inexpensive way to perform background checks on candidates. However, a number of problems arise when employers base adverse employment decisions upon information obtained through these online searches. Three basic problems or issues accompany searches of online profiles for employment decisions: (1) inaccurate, irrelevant, or false information leads to unfair employment decisions; (2) lack of accountability and disclosure tempts employers to make illegal employment decisions; and (3) employer searches of an employee’s online social life violate an employee’s legitimate expectation of privacy.Because searches of online social networking services, such as “MySpace” and “The Facebook,” only stand to become more prevalent among employers, the law must expand to ensure adequate protection to users of these websites from unfair, illegal or arbitrary employment decisions. Employers also stand to gain from such an expansion of legal protections because they will be accountable to make good employment decisions. The original purposes of the Fair Credit Report Act (“FCRA”) permit – and demand – its expansion to cover the potential problems for candidates and employees caused when employers search for a candidate or employee’s online social networking profiles. This solution effectively strikes an agreeable balance between an employer’s right to know about candidates for employment and its employees and an employee’s or candidate’s right to privacy and fair employment decision making.
Robust counterfeit PCB detection exploiting intrinsic trace impedance variations

The long and distributed supply chain of printed circuit boards (PCBs) makes them vulnerable to different forms of counterfeiting attacks. Existing chip-level integrity validation approaches cannot be readily extended to PCB. In this paper, we address this issue with a novel PCB authentication approach that creates robust, unique signatures from a PCB based on process-induced variations in its trace impedances. The approach comes at virtually zero design and hardware overhead and can be applied to legacy PCBs. Experiments with two sets of commercial PCBs as well as a set of custom designed PCBs show that the proposed approach can obtain unique authentication signature with inter-PCB hamming distance of 47.94% or higher.
Impact of sulfur on three-way catalysts: Comparison of commercially produced Pd and Pt-Rh monoliths

Abstract Commercially-prepared Pt-Rh and Pd monolith catalysts were thermally aged then characterized for catalytic performance using a laboratory reactor to evaluate the magnitude and reversibility of the impact of sulfur on three-way activity. The SO 2 concentration in the feedstream was varied from 0 ppm to 30 ppm, which was comparable to sulfur levels in gasoline ranging from 0 to 450 ppm. Tests were first conducted using propylene and repeated using propane to represent the hydrocarbon mixture in exhaust. Of the two catalysts, Pd showed better propylene lightoff activity while Pt-Rh showed better propane lightoff activity, regardless of the sulfur content. For each catalyst, increasing the sulfur concentration from 0 ppm SO 2 to 30 ppm SO 2 of sulfur resulted in a lightoff temperature increase by 40 to 60°C. Under warmed-up conditions, the loss of activity for HC, CO and NOx due to the presence of sulfur was greater under slightly rich conditions than under lean conditions for both Pd and Pt-Rh, while the magnitude of the impact on NOx and particularly on HC activity under warmed-up stoichiometric conditions was significant and much greater for Pd than for Pt-Rh catalyst. Using propylene, the effect of SO 2 on the activity of the Pd catalyst was partly reversible, while the effect on Pt-Rh was completely reversible. Using propane, the effect of sulfur on the activity of both catalysts was larger than for propylene. The resulting decrease in activity due to the presence of sulfur was partly reversible on Pt-Rh, but the poisoning of the Pd catalyst was mostly irreversible. Part of the irreversible poisoning effect is attributed to a direct interaction or reaction between SO 2 and Pd, while the other part is attributed to the promotional effect of SO 2 in hydrocarbon coking of the catalyst when alkane hydrocarbons are present.
A Fast Algorithm that makes Matrices Optimally Sparse

Under a non-degeneracy assumption on the non-zero entries of a given sparse matrix, a polynomially-bounded algorithm is presented that performs row operations on the given matrix which reduce it to a sparsest possible matrix with the same row space. For each row of the matrix, the algorithm performs a maximum cardinality matching on the bipartite graph associated with a submatrix which is induced by that row. The dual of the optimal matching then specifies the row operations that will be performed on that row. We also describe a variant algorithm that processes the matrix in place, thus conserving storage and time. The modifications needed to apply the algorithm to matrices that do not necessarily satisfy the non-degeneracy assumption are also described. A particularly promising application of this algorithm is in the reduction of linear constraint matrices.
Discovering lead-free perovskite solar materials with a split-anion approach

Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar materials, being low-cost and high-performance, are promising for large-scale deployment of the photovoltaic technology. A key challenge that remains to be addressed is the toxicity of these materials since the high-efficiency solar cells are made of lead-containing materials, in particular, CH3NH3PbI3. Here, based on first-principles calculation, we search for lead-free perovskite materials based on the split-anion approach, where we replace Pb with non-toxic elements while introducing dual anions (i.e., splitting the anion sites) that preserve the charge neutrality. We show that CH3NH3BiSeI2 and CH3NH3BiSI2 exhibit improved band gaps and optical absorption over CH3NH3PbI3. The split-anion approach could also be applied to pure inorganic perovskites, significantly enlarging the pool of candidate materials in the design of low-cost, high-performance and environmentally-friendly perovskite solar materials.
A new capillary tube system for measuring the uptake and release of materials from cultured cells

Abstract A method has been developed for growing cultured cells in 200-μl capillary pipets in order to measure the uptake and release of materials by the cells. Feeding is accomplished by means of continuous superfusion of culture medium over the cells. The technique virtually eliminates problems caused by cultured cells detaching from the substratum during experiments and has been used to study the depolarization-dependent processes of [ 3 H]-acetylcholine release and 22 Na + uptake by NG108-15 neuroblastoma × glioma hybrid cells.
Computational investigation of constitutional liquation in Al–Cu alloys

Abstract Constitutional liquation means the local eutectic melting of second-phase particles in a matrix at temperatures above the eutectic temperature and below the solidus of the alloy, which may occur in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) during welding. In the present paper, the constitutional liquation in the Al–Cu system was computationally investigated using the DICTRA program coupled with critically assessed thermodynamic and kinetic databases. Computer simulated results are in quantitative agreement with existing experimental data. The computational procedures for obtaining the critical heating rate to avoid constitutional liquation are demonstrated. The critical heating rate was found to be inversely proportional to the square of the precipitate size. The present computational procedures can be readily extended to predict the susceptibility of multicomponent commercial alloys to constitutional liquation during welding with available thermodynamic and kinetic databases.
Gelatinase B(MMP-9) an apoptotic factor in diabetic transgenic mice.

Aims/hypothesis Although matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is specifically induced and apoptosis of endothelial cells is evidenced in diabetes mellitus, the mechanism of endocardial endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus is not clear. The increase in MMP-9 activity is associated with endocardial endothelial apoptosis and dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.
636 MECHANISMS FOR SEX DIFFERENCES IN ANTACID-INDUCED PHOSPHATE DEPLETION

Six wk. old male & female rats were gavaged daily with either Basaljel (lml/100gm body wt.) or distilled water for 3 wks. Baseline, 1 wk. & 3 wk., values for serum phosphorus (Pi) in 10 Basaljel-treated females (BTF) were 7.4±0.1, 6.4±0.3, & 6.3 mg/dl respectively; corresponding values for 10 Basaljel-treated males (BTM) of 8.2±0.1, 7.3±0.2, & 7.4±0.2 mg/dl were significantly higher (p<0.05). By 1 wk. of therapy, serum Pi of BTF was lower than that of 10 female controls (p<0.025); serum Pi values of BTM and 10 male controls were similar even after 3 wks. of therapy. Serum calcium of the BTF after 3 wks. was higher than female controls 10.5±0.1 vs 9.9±0.2 mg/dl (p<0.025); values in BTM did not differ from male controls. After 3 wks. of treatment BTF had significant elevation in urinary calcium (p < 0.025) & decreases in urinary CAMP (p<0.025) when compared to BTM. In vitro (32PO4) absorption by isolated duodenal and jejunal loops during Pi depletion was similar in BTF & BTM whereas initially absorption into mucosa was higher in BTM compared to BTF (p < 0.05). Summary: In contrast to the male, phosphate depletion in female rats results in hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, & decreased urinary CAMP. These findings are probably dependent on sex differences in parathyroid hormone secretion and vitamin D metabolism.
Frequency of artifacts with xeroradiography using artifact-reduction techniques☆

Artifact-reduction techniques applied to intraoral xeroradiography have reduced the overall artifact level by 56.4% and the single-image retake rate from 17.4% to 11.3%. Nevertheless, the frequency of xeroradiography artifacts is greater than for intraoral film radiography, whether using manual processing (1.8% retake rate) or automatic processing (3.4% retake rate). Methods to identify and prevent xeroradiographic image artifacts are discussed in detail.
Posttranscriptional regulation of albumin gene expression in Xenopus liver: evidence for an estrogen receptor-dependent mechanism.

We have previously shown that estrogen administration to male Xenopus laevis results in the posttranscriptional suppression of serum albumin mRNA concurrent with the transcriptional activation of the genes for the yolk protein precursor vitellogenin. To determine whether the posttranscriptional regulation of albumin gene expression is mediated through a mechanism involving the high affinity estrogen receptor protein or through a receptor-independent mechanism involving a middle affinity cytoplasmic estrogen-binding protein we examined the effects of the competitive estrogen receptor antagonist 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Administration of 4-hydroxytamoxifen 24 h before estradiol completely blocked both the suppression of albumin mRNA and the transcriptional activation of the vitellogenin genes. Albumin gene transcription remained constitutive under all treatment regimens. Competitive binding experiments demonstrated that 4-hydroxytamoxifen has an affinity for the estrogen receptor similar to that of estradiol. Ho...
Sir Charles Wheatstoneߞforgotten genius

Sir Charles Wheatstone did not actually invent the famous bridge circuit that perpetuates his name in technical lore and literature, but he did make many other important contributions to the technology. The present article outlines the life of this man of many talents and interests, with emphasis on his career as an inventor and scientist.
An MIT bag model on S3

Abstract We study an MIT bag on a three-dimensional hypersphere, S 3 ( L ), as a model for baryons at finite density. First we construct the solutions of the free Dirac equation on S 3 . We then study a model where the quarks are confined to an MIT bag occupying a sector of S 3 , while the complementary sector is filled with non-perturbative vacuum. The energy and size of such a bag are studied as a function of the hypersphere radius, i.e., the average baryon density. This system, where the non-perturbative vacuum is described by a volume energy, B , does not go to a completely perturbative phase at high densities. We argue that this behaviour is related to a general instability of the MIT bag with respect to formation of small volumes of non-perturbative vacuum inside a bag and suggest additional non-volume terms for the vacuum energy to avoid this problem. This model does, however, show a transition from a three-quark to a six-quark ground state at high densities, which indicates its approach to chiral-symmetry restoration and deconfinement.
MELORHEOSTOSIS OF THE HAND: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Melorheostosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by soft tissue contractures and sclerosis of bone. The sclerosis appears to flow along the long axis of the bone, akin to candle wax dripping down one side of a candle. Numerous reports of lower extremity involvement exist, but there are few detailed reports of melorheotosis involving the hand. This condition is benign but slowly progressive and can usually be managed conservatively. Loss of function of the hand from swelling, pain, or stiffness, however, may necessitate operative intervention. Two recent cases prompted a review of the literature relating to melorheostosis and the hand.
Radula Movement and Boring Efficiency of Gastropods

RADULA movement in prosobranchiate gastropods is a factor in the predator-prey relationship of many species of gastropods (Naticidae, Muricidae and others) and other molluscs, involving considerable masses of animal life in the sea.
Afferent projections of the cervical vagus and nodose ganglion in the dog

Abstract The distribution within the brain stem of the afferent projections of the cervical vagus and the nodose ganglion was studied with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and HRP-wheat germ agglutinin conjugate. Two to eight days after application of tracer into the cervical vagosympathetic trunk or the nodose ganglion the brain stems and ganglia were perfused and processed by the tetramethyl benzidine method. Vagal afferent fibers entered the lateral medulla as a distinct bundle spatially separate from the vagal efferent rootlets which were caudal and ventral to the afferents. Labeled axons in the solitary tract began to enter the nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS) 4.5 mm anterior to obex and were seen throughout the ipsilateral nTS as far as 3.5 mm caudal to obex. Label density varied within the nTS, with heaviest labeling in the dorsal and dorsolateral portions. Label was also seen in the ipsilateral area postrema (ap) and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Labeled fibers crossed in the commissurel portions of ap and nTS to enter the contralateral ap and nTS.
A reconfigurable, liquid-metal-based low-pass filter with reversible tuning

A reconfigurable low-pass filter that uses reversibly actuated liquid metal as the tuning mechanism is demonstrated. Reversible tuning of up to eight cutoff frequencies is achieved by filling and evacuating defected ground structure lattices with Galinstan liquid metal. Measurements of four of the cutoff frequencies show a 59% tuning range.
A rare case of Klebsiella pneumoniae myocardial abscess.

Myocardial abscess of the left ventricular free wall in the absence of infective endocarditis (IE) is very unusual. Most cases are discovered during autopsies and are due to Gram-positive cocci. We present a rare case of Klebsiella pneumoniae causing myocardial abscess of the left ventricular free wall. The patient had no evidence of valvular endocarditis or bacteremia, and the abscess was discovered during coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG).
Effects of social isolation on quinine tolerance

Abstract Changes in behavior that occur after social isolation of rats might result from a change in reactivity to stimulation. This hypothesis predicts that isolated female rats will exaggerate their normal responses to preferred and to non-preferred stimuli, thus drinking less of a quinine solution and more tap water than non-isolated animals during the half-hour test period. In fact, isolated rats did drink less quinine solution than rats housed in community cages, but the prediction for tap water was not confirmed.
Biological activated carbon in fluidized bed reactors for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with volatile aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract A comparison of fluidized bed reactor systems with (1) adsorptive removal capacity only using granular activated carbon (GAC) without microbial growth, (2) combined biological and adsorptive removal mechanisms using GAC with microbial growth and (3) biological removal only using nonactivated carbon with microbial growth was performed. These three systems were fed groundwater contaminated with benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX). The breakthrough profiles, steady-state removal of BTX and system responses to step increases in applied organic loading rates were investigated. During start-up, even though the same amount of inoculum was added to the two biological systems, the time required until effective biodegradation commenced in the system employing GAC as a biomass carrier was less than that observed for the system using non-activated carbon (200 vs 500 h). Significantly less BTX was released during this period by the system with combined removal mechanisms and the development of a contiguous biofilm was more rapid. Under constant, steady state, organic loading conditions (3 and 6 kg-COD/m 3 -day), BTX removals were similar for the two biological systems, although the system employing the GAC carrier had lower effluent concentrations at the lower loading rate. More than 90% of the BTX were removed in both systems. During step increases in organic loading, however, the combination of biological and adsorptive removal capacity resulted in enhanced BTX removal and more stable operation. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the extent of surface coverage of the GAC and non-activated carbon by the biofilm. Particles from both systems were observed to be completely covered by a contiguous, thick biofilm.