cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P-wave Azimuthal Variations In Attenuation, Amplitude, And Velocity In 3D Field Data: Implications For Mapping Horizontal Permeability Anisotropy

3D P-wave data processed as limited-azimuth volumes through pre-stack time migration document an area in which the east-west (EW) travelpaths have greatly diminished amplitudes, while the north-south (NS) travelpaths display high-amplitude mappable reflection events. If the effective horizontal permeability is significantly different by azimuth, at the reservoir scale (the inter-well scale and the seismic wavelength scale), then azimuthal variation in the attenuation should be examined in addition to the azimuthal variation in velocity and AVO. The more attenuated azimuth is predicted by Akbar et al. (1994) to be perpendicular to the aligned flow conduits, that is, in the slow velocity direction, while Gelinsky and Shapiro (1996) predict the fracture-parallel azimuth to be more attenuated for P-waves. Other attenuation mechanisms than the squirt flow mechanism (Akbar et al., 1994) do exist and may control the seismic response. For such cases, our ability to extract information about horizontal permeability anisotropy will decrease. To calculate the attenuation using P-wave reflection seismic data is often a daunting task however, to calculate an azimuthal variation in the apparent attenuation may be more tractable (personal communication, Leon Thomsen, 1997).
Labelled depolarizing drugs in normal and denervated muscle.

THE antagonism between d-tubocurarine and depolarizing relaxant drugs has been investigated by means of a decamethonium derivative labelled with radioactive iodine, the uptake of which in muscle is reduced in the presence of the antagonist1,2. The present investigations have shown that d-tubocurarine also reduces the uptake of decamethonium and of carbachol which have been labelled with tritium, and, in addition, the muscles have been sectioned so that a localized concentration of drug in the region of the nerve endings could be demonstrated.
Effects of carrier transport on relative intensity noise and critique of K factor predictions of modulation response

The maximum possible intrinsic modulation bandwidth in semiconductor lasers is conventionally written in terms of the K factor. Although this is often sufficient in bulk lasers, it is usually not true in quantum well lasers where carrier transport can significantly affect the high speed properties. Analytical expressions are presented, which include the effects of carrier transport, for the modulation response and the relative intensity noise in quantum well lasers. It is shown that in the presence of significant transport effects, the K factor is not an accurate measure of the maximum possible intrinsic modulation bandwidth.
Antimicrobial Resistance among Clinical Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the United States during 1999–2000, Including a Comparison of Resistance Rates since 1994–1995

A total of 1,531 recent clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected from 33 medical centers nationwide during the winter of 1999–2000 and characterized at a central laboratory. Of these isolates, 34.2% were penicillin nonsusceptible (MIC ≥ 0.12 μg/ml) and 21.5% were high-level resistant (MIC ≥ 2 μg/ml). MICs to all beta-lactam antimicrobials increased as penicillin MICs increased. Resistance rates among non-beta-lactam agents were the following: macrolides, 25.2 to 25.7%; clindamycin, 8.9%; tetracycline, 16.3%; chloramphenicol, 8.3%; and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), 30.3%. Resistance to non-beta-lactam agents was higher among penicillin-resistant strains than penicillin-susceptible strains; 22.4% of S. pneumoniae were multiresistant. Resistance to vancomycin and quinupristin-dalfopristin was not detected. Resistance to rifampin was 0.1%. Testing of seven fluoroquinolones resulted in the following rank order of in vitro activity: gemifloxacin > sitafloxacin > moxifloxacin > gatifloxacin > levofloxacin = ciprofloxacin > ofloxacin. For 1.4% of strains, ciprofloxacin MICs were ≥4 μg/ml. The MIC90s (MICs at which 90% of isolates were inhibited) of two ketolides were 0.06 μg/ml (ABT773) and 0.12 μg/ml (telithromycin). The MIC90 of linezolid was 2 μg/ml. Overall, antimicrobial resistance was highest among middle ear fluid and sinus isolates of S. pneumoniae; lowest resistance rates were noted with isolates from cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Resistant isolates were most often recovered from children 0 to 5 years of age and from patients in the southeastern United States. This study represents a continuation of two previous national studies, one in 1994–1995 and the other in 1997–1998. Resistance rates with S. pneumoniae have increased markedly in the United States during the past 5 years. Increases in resistance from 1994–1995 to 1999–2000 for selected antimicrobial agents were as follows: penicillin, 10.6%; erythromycin, 16.1%; tetracycline, 9.0%; TMP-SMX, 9.1%; and chloramphenicol, 4.0%, the increase in multiresistance was 13.3%. Despite awareness and prevention efforts, antimicrobial resistance with S. pneumoniae continues to increase in the United States.
Competitive ability of the bunchgrass Schizachyrium scoparium as affected by grazing history and defoliation

Herbivory by large animals is known to function as a selection pressure to increase herbivory resistance within plant populations by decreasing the frequency of genotypes possessing large, erect canopies. However, the increase in herbivory resistance of the remaining genotypes in the population may potentially involve a tradeoff with competitive ability. The perennial bunchgrass Schizachyrium scoparium was grown in a transplant garden to test the hypothesis that late successional plant populations with a history of grazing are at a competitive disadvantage relative to conspecific populations with no history of grazing in the presence of competition from mid-successional species. Plants with a history of grazing were found to possess a greater competitive ability than plants with no grazing history in the absence of herbivory. This unexpected response resulted from the capacity of plants with a history of grazing to recruit a greater number of smaller tillers than did plants with no grazing history. This response was only significant when plants with a history of grazing were nondefoliated and grown with the weakest of the mid-successional competitors, indicating that both defoliation and intense interspecific competition can mask the architectural expression of herbivore-induced selection. Individual tillers did not display any architectural differences between plants with contrasting grazing histories other than mean tiller weight. These data confirm that herbivory by domestic cattle may function as a selection pressure to induce architectural variation in grass populations within an ecological time frame (ca < 25 yrs). Nomenclature: Gould, F. W. 1975. The Grasses of Texas. Texas A&M Univ. Press, College Station, TX.
Patterns of Economic Development in the World

The purpose of this paper is to identify different patterns of economic development among the countries (222 countries/territories) in the world. The economic development was based on both economic growth (quantitative) and quality of life (qualitative) respectively. Several patterns of economic growth were identified: knowledge-based, trade-based, savings-based (resource/oil rich-based) and ethnic-religiously affected. The knowledge-based economy was found most predominant pattern of economic growth, followed by the trade-based. Neither the savings-based nor the ethnic-religiously affected pattern was found significant in affecting economic growth. The knowledge-based and trade-based patterns of economic growth have positive effects on both objective and subjective quality of life as well as on reducing conflict, domestic and international. Ethnic-religious fractionalization increases poverty level and unequal distribution of income, while the oil-richness increases conflict and relative deprivation. Although the dominance of the knowledge-based economy does diminish the effect of the 'traditional' pattern of the free-trade on economic growth, these two patterns are all significant in enhancing economic growth and quality of life. Countries featured with the patterns of ‘diseconomies' (savings-based/oil-richness, ethnic religiously-affected) need to follow suit to catch up with the most successful patterns of economic growth. When/if these countries, developing or developed, pursue policies for economic development, each of the variables out of which the patterns of the knowledge-based as well as the trade-based economy were built should be cross-national comparatively examined for their respective strengths.
Antecedent 99mTc-MDP and 99mTc-Sestamibi Administration Corrupts Bone Mineral Density Measured by DXA

Previous reports of the effect of antecedent administration of radionuclide on bone mineral density (BMD) measurements have yielded inconsistent results. Ten subjects scheduled for (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-MDP) bone scanning and 10 scheduled for (99m)Tc-sestamibi cardiac scanning had BMD measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (GE/Lunar) before and within 5 hours of diagnostic radionuclide injection. Paired t test and Wilcoxon-signed rank tests were used to compare the measured differences in BMD at multiple skeletal sites. Differences were subjected to multivariate analysis of demographic factors. Mean change in measured BMD following (99m)Tc-sestamibi administration (DeltaBMD-(99m)Tc-sestamibi) was -0.216+/-0.113 g/cm(2) at the total body and -0.348+/-0.300 g/cm(2) at the lumbar spine (p<0.005). Mean change in measured BMD following (99m)Tc-MDP administration (DeltaBMD-(99m)Tc-MDP) was -0.058+/-0.037 g/cm(2) at the total body and -0.053+/-0.049 g/cm(2) at the lumbar spine (p<0.05). Mean DeltaBMD-(99m)Tc-sestamibi exceeded least significant change (LSC) in all skeletal sites except the femoral trochanter. Mean DeltaBMD-(99m)Tc-MDP exceeded LSC only at the lumbar spine. The effect was correlated with (99m)Tc dose but not with gender, age, body mass index, baseline BMD, or time interval from injection to scan acquisition. In conclusion, BMD measured by the GE/Lunar Prodigy densitometer is corrupted by antecedent (99m)Tc-sestamibi and to a lesser extent by (99m)Tc-MDP. This effect is greater at the total body and lumbar spine than at the hip. Caution is warranted in scheduling and interpreting DXA studies when (99m)Tc has been recently administered.
No search result left behind: branching behavior with browser tabs

Today's Web browsers allow users to open links in new windows or tabs. This action, which we call 'branching', is sometimes performed on search results when the user plans to eventually visit multiple results. We detect branching behavior on a large commercial search engine with a client-side script on the results page. Two-fifths of all users spawned new tabs on search results in the timeframe of our study; branching usage varied with different query types and vertical. Both branching and backtracking are viable methods for visiting multiple search results. To understand user search strategies, we treat multiple result clicks following a query as ordered events to understand user search strategies. Users branching in a query are more likely to click search results from top to bottom, while users who backtrack are less likely to do so; this is especially true for queries involving more than two clicks. These findings inform an experiment in which we take a popular click model and modify it to account for the differing user behavior when branching. By understanding that users continue examining search results before viewing a branched result, we can improve the click model for branching queries.
Nonlinear Vector Potential Formulation and Experimental Verification of Newton-Raphson Solution of Three Dimensional Magnetostatic Fields in Electrical Devices

An iterative technique, based on magnetic vector potential formulation and the Newton-Raphson method, for the determination of the three dimensional magnetostatic field distributions in electrical devices is given. The proper degrees of magnetic saturation in the various materials within a given volume under consideration are obtained by repeated evaluation of the reluctivities in that volume, using a cubic spline representation of the B-H magnetization characteristics of composite materials (laminations). The formulation has been applied to a practical example of determining the field in and around a shell type 1.5 kva single phase transformer. The convergence and implementation characteristics of the developed method are given in this paper which show a saving of about 34% in CPU solution time in comparison with previously published methods. Experimental verification is given in terms of a comparison between computed and experimentally obtained values of flux densities surrounding the transformer core and winding, under heavily saturated conditions. Excellent agreement between test and calculated flux densities was achieved. This method is thus quite applicable to the solution of a wide class of three dimensional magnetostatic field problems associated with electrical apparatus.
Petri Net based Supervisory Control Reconfiguration of Project Management Systems

This paper shows the application of Petri net based supervisory control reconfiguration techniques in project planning and control. Given a project set of tasks and their resource information, we first construct a Petri net supervisory controller that enforces the project task precedence relationships and resource constraints. We then show how the actual progress of the project tasks and resources information could be handled by reconfiguring the developed supervisory controller. The reconfiguration solutions are used to control the project when the project actual progress and planned progress are different. An example illustrates the stated models.
Using high-fidelity patient simulation and an advanced distance education network to teach pharmacology to second-year medical students

The feasibility and acceptance of an Advanced Distance Education Network (ADEN) in bringing the simulated operating room (OR) to second-year medical students learning the pharmacology of anesthetic drugs is reviewed. A MedSim-Eagle (Binghamton, NY) full-scale mannequin simulator was used. Using an ADEN, students were linked in real time to a simulated OR where the anesthesiologist instructor was using a MedSim-Eagle patient simulator to present for discussion the physiologic effects of volatile anesthetics on cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). The use of simulation to present basic science principles of isoflurane and halothane's effect on CO, HR, MAP, and SVR in a clinical setting via an ADEN is feasible. Student acceptance of this method of education is high, as measured by a post-exercise survey. Ninety-five percent of students felt this exercise was a valuable use of their time; 93% felt the ADEN-delivered clinical simulation presentation contributed to their understanding of the pharmacology of anesthesia. Eighty-three percent of students preferred this integrated clinically oriented review to a didactic review of the material, and 92% of students who had experienced previous small group hands-on session simulation felt the ADEN-delivered session was the same or better.
Dual actions of fibroblast growth factor 19 on lipid metabolism.

Elevated triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and are often associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Recent reports suggest that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)19 and FGF21 can dramatically improve metabolic dysfunction, including hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypercholesterolemia. Due to their similar receptor specificities and co-receptor requirements, FGF19 and FGF21 share many common properties and have been thought to be interchangeable in metabolic regulation. Here we directly compared how pharmacological administration of recombinant FGF19 or FGF21 proteins affect metabolism in B6.V-Lepob/J leptin-deficient mice. FGF19 and FGF21 equally improved glucose parameters; however, we observed increased serum TG and cholesterol levels after treatment with FGF19 but not with FGF21. Increases in serum TGs were also observed after a 4-day treatment with FGF19 in C57BL6/J mice on a high-fat diet. This is in contrast to many literature reports that showed significant improvements in hyperlipidemia after chronic treatment with FGF19 or FGF21 in high-fat diet models. We propose that FGF19 has lipid-raising and lipid-lowering actions mediated through different FGF receptors and target tissues, and the results described here provide a potential mechanism that may explain the inconsistency in the reported effects of FGF19 on lipid metabolism.
Relationships among social support, self-concept, and wellbeing of older adults: A study of process using dynamic factor models

Intra-individual patterns of time-lagged relationships among self-reports of social support, self-concept, and physical and psychological wellbeing were investigated. Participants were older adults (mean age = 77 years) who were measured weekly on some scales and biweekly on others, covering a total of 25 weeks. Dynamic factor models were fitted to multivariate repeated measures data pooled over subsets of participants. The results indicate significant time-lagged, cross-factor relationships showing that negative social support has both a direct effect and an indirect effect, through less positive self-concept, on physical health measures. For the measures of negative social support, self-concept, subjective health, and physical performance (gait), there are substantial autoregressive effects indicating persisting factor scores over 1 or 2 weeks. How intra-individual perspectives and methods can facilitate the study of complex developmental processes is discussed.
Canonical Scattering Feature Models for 3D and Bistatic SAR

This paper develops three-dimensional (3D), bistatic parametric models that describe canonical radar scattering responses of several geometric objects. These models find use in inverse scattering-based processing of high-frequency radar returns. Canonical feature models are useful for extracting geometry from synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) scattering measurements and as feature primitives for automatic target recognition (ATR) and scene visualization. Previous work has considered monostatic feature models for two-dimensional (2D) radar processing; we extend this work to consider bistatic and 3D radar apertures. In the work presented here, we generalize geometric theory of diffraction (GTD) solutions for several scattering mechanisms in a plane. Products of these planar mechanisms in azimuth and elevation are used to produce 3D bistatic scattering models for six canonical shapes: a rectangular plate, dihedral, trihedral, cylinder, top-hat, and sphere. The derived models are characterized by a small number of parameters, and are shown to agree with results obtained from high-frequency, asymptotic scattering simulations.
Three-dimensional optical storage

Unfettered and near-instantaneous access to massive amounts of information has become so commonplace that we are all starting to take it for granted. But the decreasing cost of storing data and the increasing storage capacities of ever smaller devices have been key enablers of this revolution. Current storage needs are being met because improvements in conventional technologies---such as magnetic hard disk drives, optical disks, and semiconductor memories---have been able to keep pace with the demand for greater and faster storage. However, there is strong evidence that these surface-storage technologies are approaching fundamental limits that may be difficult to overcome, as ever-smaller bits become less thermally stable and harder to access. Exactly when this limit will be reached remains an open question: some experts predict these barriers will be encountered in a few years, while others believe that conventional technologies can continue to improve for at least five or perhaps even ten more years. In either case, however, one or more successors to current data storage technologies will be needed in the near future. An intriguing approach for next generation data-storage is to use light to store information throughout the three-dimensional volume of a material. By distributing data within the volume of the recording medium, it should be possible to achieve far greater storage densities than current technologies can offer. In this talk, I review progress to date in these various volumetric storage technologies, describe the open engineering challenges, and speculate wildly on their prospects for the near future.
Structure of PvuII endonuclease with cognate DNA

We have determined the structure of PvuII endonuclease complexed with cognate DNA by X-ray crystallography. The DNA substrate is bound with a single homodimeric protein, each subunit of which reveals three structural regions. The catalytic region strongly resembles structures of other restriction endonucleases, even though these regions have dissimilar primary sequences. Comparison of the active site with those of EcoRV and EcoRI endonucleases reveals a conserved triplet sequence close to the reactive phosphodiester group and a conserved acidic pair that may represent the ligands for the catalytic cofactor Mg2+. The DNA duplex is not significantly bent and maintains a B-DNA-like conformation. The subunit interface region of the homodimeric protein consists of a pseudo-three-helix bundle. Direct contacts between the protein and the base pairs of the PvuII recognition site occur exclusively in the major groove through two antiparallel beta strands from the sequence recognition region of the protein. Water-mediated contacts are made in the minor grooves to central bases of the site. If restriction enzymes do share a common ancestor, as has been proposed, their catalytic regions have been very strongly conserved, while their subunit interfaces and DNA sequence recognition regions have undergone remarkable structural variation.
A comparison of cell proliferation patterns in the digestive tract of ascidians

Cell proliferation patterns in the postbranchial digestive tract of a variety of ascidian species were investigated with autoradiography and tritiated thymidine. Based upon the distribution of radioactive nuclei, gut cell populations were classified as either static, expanding, or renewing. In most ascidians, renewing populations occur in the esophagus and stomach, but expanding populations sometimes occur in all or part of the intestine. From species to species, the number of cell renewal units (pairs of germinal and mature zones) in each portion of the digestive tract increases with increasing organ size, and this multiplication of renewal units follows the folding patterns in the gut. Cell turnover is fastest and the size of a cell renewal unit smallest at the anterior end of the gut. The smallest colonial ascidians have a single renewal unit per cell population in the esophagus and stomach and an expanding population in the intestine. Epithelial folding and multiplication of cell renewal units occurs in solitary species of increasing body size. One cell population occurs on the stomach folds of more primitive solitary ascidians, two of those of advanced species. The digestive diverticulum, which only occurs in two families, is renewed much the same as the stomach, and probably evolved from that organ. In the intestine of primitive solitary ascidians, renewing populations only occur at the anterior end; with evolutionary advancement, renewing populations line the entire intestine.
Cochlear Implantation in Adults with Prelingual Deafness. Part I. Clinical Results

Objectives/Hypothesis: To examine the hypothesis that the newer generations of cochlear implants could provide considerable speech understanding to late-implanted, prelingually deaf adult patients. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: Speech perception scores of 103 patients with long-term prelingual deafness obtained from the recent clinical trials were compared with other previously published results. Results: Unlike patients receiving implants in early childhood, the audiologic performance of most patients with long-term prelingual deafness rapidly approached asymptotic levels within 1 year after implantation. Beginning at 3 months postimplantation, statistically significant improvement was noted in their speech perception scores compared with their preimplant levels. However, the average performance plateau achieved by this group of patients was significantly below the levels published for postlingual patients. No statistically significant differences were observed between the test scores at any testing interval among patients with different devices. Conclusions: Most patients with long-term prelingual deafness achieve their performance plateau within 1 year after implantation. The results suggest that patient characteristics, rather than device properties, are likely to be the major contributing factor responsible for the observed audiologic outcomes.
Evolutionary and revolutionary interconnect technologies for performance enhancement of subthreshold circuits

Subthreshold circuits have become attractive for various ultra-low power electronic applications. In subthreshold circuits, supply voltage is below the threshold voltage of transistors. This paper discusses both evolutionary and revolutionary interconnect technologies needed to enhance the speed and energy efficiency of subthreshold circuits. It is demonstrated that lowering copper interconnect width and height-to-width aspect ratio by half offers 3.5 improvement in energy-delay product of subthreshold circuits. Also, carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon interconnects can offer more than 20 and 10 times improvement in energy delay product of subthreshold circuits, respectively. Impact of repeater insertion, driver sizing, and interconnect spacing adjustment for subthreshold circuits have also been modeled.
Climate and soil-age constraints on nutrient uplift and retention by plants

Plants and soils represent coevolving components of ecosystems, and while the effects of soils (e.g., nutrient availability) on plants have been extensively documented, the effect of plants on soils has received less attention. Furthermore there has been no systematic investigation of how plant effects vary across important ecological gradients in climate or soil age, which leaves a substantial gap in our understanding of how plant–soil systems develop. In this context, we analyzed changes in nutrient availability and elemental losses from the entire weathering zone at 35 sites arrayed across climatic and soil-age gradients on the island of Hawai‘i. The sites are located on three basaltic lava flows (ages 10, 170, and 350 kyr) each of which crosses a precipitation gradient from ∼500 to 2500 mm/yr. By comparing the loss of nutrient (potassium, phosphorus) and non-nutrient (e.g., sodium) rock-derived elements, we identify a climatic zone at intermediate rainfall where the retention of plant nutrients in the...
"I'Ve had too much done to my heart": the dilemma of addiction and recovery as seen through seven youngsters' lives.

Aware of the dearth of in-depth studies on recovering adolescent addict/alcoholics, we conducted a year-long qualitative study of seven formerly-addicted youth committed to recovery. The research question was: how do addicted youth become and remain sober? Bending to social stress, including racism and ethnic prejudice, three participants relapsed. However, personal commitment augmented by familial, community, spiritual, and educational support encouraged four to remain sober. Learning from both those who failed and succeeded, the theoretical concepts of surrender, social stress, and resiliency helped to interpret the participants' patterns of response and better understand adolescent recovery.
Women's Preferences for Penis Size: A New Research Method Using Selection among 3D Models

Women’s preferences for penis size may affect men’s comfort with their own bodies and may have implications for sexual health. Studies of women’s penis size preferences typically have relied on their abstract ratings or selecting amongst 2D, flaccid images. This study used haptic stimuli to allow assessment of women’s size recall accuracy for the first time, as well as examine their preferences for erect penis sizes in different relationship contexts. Women (N = 75) selected amongst 33, 3D models. Women recalled model size accurately using this method, although they made more errors with respect to penis length than circumference. Women preferred a penis of slightly larger circumference and length for one-time (length = 6.4 inches/16.3 cm, circumference = 5.0 inches/12.7 cm) versus long-term (length = 6.3 inches/16.0 cm, circumference = 4.8 inches/12.2 cm) sexual partners. These first estimates of erect penis size preferences using 3D models suggest women accurately recall size and prefer penises only slightly larger than average.
Deployment Algorithms for Dynamically Constrained Mobile Robots

The use of unmanned vehicles in exploration and surveillance operations has become evermore pervasive in today’s world. The development of cooperative motion strategies has been fueled by this increasing demand. However, many dynamical models for these autonomous vehicles remain simple and are not accurate representations of a vehicle where such cooperative motion strategies may be physically implemented. This paper reviews complementary solutions to the problem of cooperative deployment of autonomous vehicles using multi-center functions. In particular, vehicles are subject to three types of dynamic constraints, such as those due to remaining power supplies, nonholonomic dynamics, and constraints due to external environmental forces. Simulations illustrate the convergence properties of the algorithms when applicable.
A biomicrosystem for simultaneous optical and electrochemical monitoring of electroactive microbial biofilm

This work reports a novel microsystem for the sensing and characterization of electrochemically active bacterial biofilm. A three-electrode configuration integrated in the microsystem provided the unprecedented use of electrochemical analysis including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) for monitoring bacterial electron transfers. Transparency of the device simultaneously visualized different stages of bacterial biofilm development. This technique allowed for both optical and electrical studies of the microbial biofilm and provides valuable information between the cell growth/biofilm development and the extracellular electron transfer processes associated with microbial energy production. In particular, this microsystem demonstrated the potential synergistic cooperation between cyanobacteria and two archetype exoelectrogenic bacterial species, which can be exploited in developing self-sustainable microbial bioelectricity production.
The DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge: A Competitor's Perspective, Part 2

DARPA initiated the Cyber Grand Challenge (CGC) in 2014 to encourage innovation in fully automated software vulnerability analysis and repair. In the June 2015 CGC Qualifying Event, the competitors' automated systems were given one day to evaluate 131 challenges. The top seven teams, including the University of Idaho's Center for Secure and Dependable Systems, will compete in the August 2016 CGC Final Event. This second of two CGC articles describes lessons learned about automated cybersecurity defensive systems.
Storyboards: a graphical development tool for the rest of us

This paper provides an overview of Storyboards, a visual programming and user interface design tool built into Xcode that makes iOS development easier than ever before. It begins by discussing the motivation for using Storyboards, then provides a detailed examination of its major features. There are some drawbacks to using storyboards, especially for student developers, and these are duly noted. The paper concludes with a report on "The Storyboard Sessions" -- an attempt to use Storyboards to jumpstart the teaching of iOS development to freshman and sophomore Computer Science majors.
Transient Interface Shape and Deposition Profile Left by Desiccation of Colloidal Droplets on Multiple Surfaces

Control of deposition patterns left by desiccated colloidal droplets is valuable in applications ranging from medical diagnostics to inkjet printing. This investigation presents an experimental method to monitor the transient interface shape of a colloidal droplet during desiccation and to quantify the deposition pattern left by the colloidal material optically. Transient image profiles and particle deposition patterns are examined for droplets containing fluorescent particles that were desiccated on glass and on the photoresist SU-8 3005. Contact line pinning was more prevalent on glass, where the contact diameter remained approximately constant throughout the process and the contact angle decreased with time. On SU-8, the contact diameter was initially constant, but decreased after the contact angle was reduced. The initial contact diameter on glass was similar to the diameter of the deposition pattern. The diameter of the deposition pattern on SU-8 was approximately half of the initial contact diameter. The deposition on SU-8 was also observed to be more uniform than that left on glass. These results suggest that selection of an appropriate substrate is an important consideration for colloidal deposition. The method presented will be used to in future investigations to characterize the effectiveness of coffee stain suppression through the application of external electric fields.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
376 THE THRESHOLD OF LEAD TOXICITY IN CHILDREN

The elevation of erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) is a sensitive indicator of childhood Pb poisoning, reflecting interference of Pb with mitochondrial function. This study was directed to establish the minimum blood Pb level (BPb, μg/dl) at which this metabolic evidence of toxicity becomes apparent in children. Venous blood samples were obtained for screening purposes from 1944 apparently normal N.Y.C. children (aged 2-12, median 4.7). BPb was measured by atomic absorption and EP by fluorometry; 1816 children had BPb 30. The threshold BPb for EP elevation was determined, by probit analysis and by two different segmented curve-fitting techniques, to be 15.5 (c.l. 14.7 to 16.7). To exclude that the elevation of EP could be due to greater absorption of Pb by children with Fe deficiency, the Fe status of 164 children was estimated by serum ferritin (SF) and transferrin saturation (TS). There was no significant difference in either SF or TS between children with BPb below or above 15, confirming that the elevation of EP observed in the latter group results from the Pb toxicity. This study indicates detectable metabolic Pb toxicity at a level of BPb which is well below the value presently accepted as “normal.” This evidence, and the recent demonstration that in remote human populations BPb is negligible, indicate an unacceptable degree of exposure to Pb of urban children.
Sweet Corn Resistance to Larval Survival of the European Corn Borer

Host-plant resistance to insect attack offers a desirable means of minimizing crop losses attendant thereon, as further effort on the part of the grower is not required after the resistant strains have been determined and planted. The quality of resistance in corn to the European corn borer, Pryausta nubilalis (Hbn.), has been discussed by various workers, including Marston & Mahoney (1932), Ficht (1936), Patch (1937) and Meyers, Huber et al (1937).
The Application of High Quality Nursing in Complications After Neonatal Congenital Duodenal Atresia Surgery

Objective To investigate the application value of high quality nursing in complications after neonatal congenital duodenal atresia surgery. Methods 62 cases of newborns with complications after implementing congenital duodenal atresia surgery in our hospital from May 2011 to April 2015 were selected and randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 31 cases in each group.The control group was given routine nursing, the observation group was given high quality nursing on this basis. The recovery of complications and nursing satisfaction of two groups were recorded. Results The cure rate of complications of observation group after intervention was 64.52%, without deterioration; the cure rate of complications of control group was 35.48%, and the deterioration rate was19.35%; the cure rate of two groups had statistical difference(P 0.05). The total nursing satisfaction rate of observation group after intervention was 93.55%, significantly higher than 67.74% of control group, with statistical difference(P 0.05). Conclusions For newborns with complications after implementing congenital duodenal atresia surgery, high quality nursing can promote the recovery of complications,alleviate the pain of children, which is conducive to long-term prognosis and worthy of promotion.
The Biochemical Basis of Heart Failure

As various pathways have been followed in the search for the biochemical defect underlying the onset of failure, evidence has been obtained that changes in energy metabolism and in protein synthesis may contribute but do not play the primary causative role. A third, more promising, possibility is that the defect may be in excitation-contraction coupling, specifically in the role of calcium as a mediator of contraction.
The Queue M/G/1 with Group Arrivals

Consider a service facility with only one server. Customers arrive in groups of size {Gn} (n = 1,2...) with a distribution $$\Pr \left\{ {{{\text{G}}_{\text{n}}}{\text{ = j}}} \right\} = {{\text{b}}_{\text{j}}}\left( {{\text{j}} = 1,2...} \right).$$ (1.1)
The Role of Cell Motility in Prostate Cancer

Cell motility is a critical determinant of prostate cancer metastasis. The current review discusses the role for cell motility in metastatic dissemination, the evidence that prostate cancer metastasis is dependent on increased cell motility and describes the molecules whose expression has been shown to correlate with the increased motility that accompanies prostate cancer progression. These include receptors for growth factors and cytokines that regulate cell motility as well as intracellular proteins that interact with actin or that regulate signal transduction associated with cell motility. Motility related modulators include both positive regulators of cell movement that are upregulated during tumor progression and suppressors of cell movement that are down-regulated during progression. Because altered expression of such genes may determine the metastatic potential of any particular prostate tumor, we conclude that the appearance or disappearance of motility-related molecules could be used to aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of human prostate cancer.
Microbiological Control of Cucumber Hydrocooling Water with Chlorine Dioxide

The time required to cool size 2B (3.43 to 3.75-cm-diameter) pickling cucumbers by a commercial spray-type hydrocooler to less than 9°C was about 18 min at typical initial fruit temperatures of 25 to 29°C. During this period, the fruit was exposed to the recycled water, which reached relatively high populations of bacteria (106 to 107 colony forming unites [CFU]/g total aerobes and 105 to 106 CFU/g total Enterobacteriaceae) during a typical day's operation. These numbers exceeded those present on the unwashed fruit, depending upon the volume of fruit previously cooled. Residual chlorine dioxide at 1.3 ppm was found to optimally control (2 to 6 log-cycles reduction) the numbers of bacteria. At 0.95 ppm chlorine dioxide, the numbers of bacteria in the water were relatively static, while at 2.8 and 5.1 ppm the odor of chlorine dioxide became excessive. The bacterial populations in/on the cucumbers were not greatly influenced by chlorine dioxide, even at 5.1 ppm. Apparently, microorganisms on or in the fruit ...
Decoupled power flow using phase shift control and ZVS cases for a three limb high frequency transformer based three-port DAB integrating PV and energy storage

The work presented in this paper focuses on the decoupled power flow control using phase shift control technique and resulting ZVS scenarios for three-limb high frequency transformer enabled three port Dual Active Bridge(DAB) converter, integrating PV and Energy Storage(ES). The advantage of using three-limb transformer is the low inter-winding parasitic capacitances due to positioning of windings on different limbs and elimination of high insulation requirements unlike concentric windings. The focus of the paper is based on decoupled power flow control of three port DAB using phase shift control, and ZVS scenario study under the phase shift control. Detailed analysis for power flow control and turn-on/turn-off ZVS conditions have been realized. Detailed Simulation Studies have been done and comprehensive results have been obtained for 700V dc PV//ES voltage and 1200V dc output voltage.
A study of a turbulent jet ignition system fueled with iso-octane: Pressure trace analysis and combustion visualization

Abstract Turbulent jet ignition is an advanced pre-chamber ignition enhancement technique for spark ignition engines that uses a discharging jet of hot combusting gases to initiate main chamber combustion. The jet acts as a distributed ignition source, leading to fast burn rates and increased combustion stability. Experiments were performed in an optically accessible rapid compression machine using liquid iso-octane to study the effects of auxiliary fuel injection and ignition distribution due to nozzle geometry. A custom low-flow fuel injector was used to overcome previous limitations of using liquid fuel in the pre-chamber. Jet induced autoignition behavior was also studied in depth by considering high-speed images, pressure traces, and pressure derivative data.
“Equal Justice under Law”: The American Legal Exception

“The U.S. is an exceptionally litigious society obsessed with law.” More than people in other countries, so runs an argument about the American legal exception, Americans go to court to resolve disputes, rely on law to address social problems, grant special powers to judges, and view many public issues through a distinctly legal lens. The U.S. has been called a “nation under lawyers,” and its legal profession has uncommon sway in business and politics (Glendon 1996). The country was founded by ratifying a unique legal document that still serves as a focus of national identity but also has great practical significance. From articulating high national principles to regulating the nitty-gritty of everyday interaction, law pervades American life. Due to its peculiar adaptation of old English common law in a decentralized republic, law also works differently in the U.S. compared to other Western countries. Partly because the U.S. has created its own legal world, it exhibits distinct ambivalence toward international law, occasionally playing a leading role in expanding it but often resisting full involvement. That adds up to a legal exception to match the religious one.
Steroid-induced glaucoma in the pediatric population

Steroid medications may cause elevation of intraocular pressure, sometimes with permanent damage to the optic nerve. These therapies, via various routes of administration, are commonly prescribed for children, but the potential sequelae of elevated intraocular pressure and glaucomatous optic nerve damage can be even more severe and devastating in children than in adults. This review discusses the pathophysiology and potential risk factors, including the impact of intraocular pressure elevation via the different common routes of administration of steroids, clinical evaluation, and management of steroid response and steroid-induced glaucoma in children.
The utility of repeat sestamibi scans in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism after an initial negative scan.

Background We analyzed the utility of repeated sestambi scans in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and its effects on operative referral. Methods We carried out a retrospective review of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent repeated sestambi scans exclusively within our health system between 1996–2015. Patient demographic, presentation, laboratory, imaging, operative, and pathologic data were reviewed. Univariate analysis with JMP Pro v12 was used to identify factors associated with conversion from an initial negative to a subsequent positive scan. Results After exclusion criteria (including reoperations), we identified 49 patients in whom 59% (n = 29) of subsequent scans remained negative and 41% (n = 20) converted to positive. Factors associated with an initial negative to a subsequent positive scan included classic presentation and second scans with iodine subtraction (P = .04). Nonsurgeons were less likely to order an iodine-subtraction scan (P Conclusion Negative sestambi scans decreased and delayed operative referral. Consequently, we identified several process improvement initiatives, including education regarding superior institutional imaging. Combining all findings, we created an algorithm for evaluating patients with primary hyperparathyroidism after initially negative sestamibi scans, which incorporates surgeon-performed ultrasonography.
Ethics Review and the Minority Ethnographer: A Case Study in Racialized Invalidation

This article examines some of the implications of the current human subjects regulatory landscape for conducting “high-risk” ethnographic research. We synthesize a classical Weberian framework with recent sociological literature on bureaucratic hybridization to theorize on this aspect of the academy. This perspective frames an autoethnographic case study on administrative dynamics at a large, public university to illustrate how certain racialized biases can hinder a research agenda. Broader issues in the current institutional review board (IRB) reform process contextualize this study on the potential for the invalidation of certain forms of criminological ethnography by pretenured minority scholars. To the extent that such experiences are common among untenured minority ethnographers, this article addresses racialized bias at the institutional, ideological, and individual levels. These forces can stratify even the most egalitarian of institutions along race–ethnic lines, impacting the production and legit...
Evidence for male alternative reproductive tactics in convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) in Lake Xiloá, Nicaragua

We present evidence suggesting that some male convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) in Lake Xiloa, Nicaragua engage in alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). These putative ART males were smaller than typical parental males, displayed coloration similar to breeding females, and possessed enlarged gonads. Gonadosomatic indices in these males were 16-fold higher than parental males and three-fold higher than females. This phenotype is consistent with the ‘sneaker’ or ‘satellite’ phenotype reported in other species. A survey of 282 fish in 2014 found three males (1% of all fish, 2% of males) with these characteristics. This finding is significant because convict cichlids are frequently studied in laboratory and field in the context of monogamy and biparental care.