cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological effects of acidity in precipitation on vegetation: A review

Abstract Acidic precipitation, wet or frozen deposition with a hydrogen ion concentration greater than 2.5 μeq/1 is a significant air pollution problem in the United States and Canada. The chief anions accounting for the hydrogen ions in rainfall are nitrate and sulfate. Although visible injury to foliage has been documented in a variety of greenhouse studies, no experimental evidence demonstrates loss of field crop value or reduction in plant productivity due to visible foliar injury. Acidic precipitation can contribute nutrients to vegetation and could also influence leaching rates of nutrients from vegetation. Although these processes occur, there are no data that show changes in nutrient levels in foliage that relate to crop or natural ecosystem productivity. Experimental results show that fertilization of ferns is inhibited by present levels of acidic precipitation in the north-eastern United States. However, the overall impacts of inhibited fertilization on perpetuation of the species or ecosystem productivity have not been evaluated. Simulated acidic precipitation has been shown to affect plant pathogens in greenhouse and field experiments. Simulated acidic precipitation inhibited pathogen activities under some circumstances and promoted pathogen activities under other circumtances. No general conclusions can be drawn about the effects of current levels of precipitation acidity on plant pathogen-host interactions under field conditions. Few experiments have been aimed at determining the impacts of acidic precipitation on crop and forest yields. Most of these studies are inadequate because they are not conducted in nature with adequate randomization of treatments coupled with vigorous statistical analyses. From the above information, it must be concluded that research on the effects of acidity in precipitation on terrestrial vegetation is too meager to draw definitive conclusions about the effects of ambient and/or anticipated levels of acidity.
MUTANTS OF YEAST DEFECTIVE IN ISO-1-CYTOCHROME c

A medium containing chlorolactate has been devised to enrich for mutants that are unable to utilize lactate for growth, and therefore that may be defective in cytochrome c. Complementation tests of 6,520 chlorolactate-resistant mutants that were obtained spontaneously or induced with UV, ICR-170, or nitrosoimidazolidone resulted in the identification of 195 mutations at the cyc1 locus, which controls the primary structure of iso-1-cytochrome c. These 195 mutants, with 16 cyc1 mutants previously isolated, were examined for total cytochrome c by spectroscopic methods, growth on lactate medium, suppressibility by defined nonsense suppressors, mutational sites by x-ray-induced recombination, ability to revert, and in 86 cases, whether intragenic revertants contain altered iso-1-cytochrome c. Except for the deletion mutant cyc1-1, all of the mutants appeared to contain single-site mutations that could be assigned to at least 35 different sites within the gene. The cyc1 mutants either completely lacked iso-1-cytochrome c or contained iso-1- cytochromes c that were completely or partially nonfunctional. In spite of the fact that the cyc1 mutants obtained by the chlorolactate procedure were selected on the basis of defective function, 68% appeared to completely lack iso-1-cytochrome c. The remaining cyc1 mutants contained below normal amounts of iso-1-cytochromes c. Studies at several incubation temperatures indicated that these nonfunctional iso-1-cytochromes c were thermolabile. It is suggested that the predominant means for abolishing iso-1-cytochrome c by mutations are either through a complete loss, such as produced by chain terminating codons, or impairments through drastic changes of tertiary structure which lead to instability and thermolability.
Temporal models for neural nets for integrated circuit implementations

Summary form only given. The possibility of proposing models that have temporal characteristics with a view toward electronic circuit implementation is investigated. Similar to the Hodgkin-Huxley membrane model, a model using Josephson junction circuits can be developed. The advantage of the Josephson junction model lies in its high speed and low power dissipation properties. In addition, such a model would have rich temporal dynamical behavior and is suitable for large scale implementation. >
A power-efficient all-optical on-chip interconnect using wavelength-based oblivious routing

We present an all-optical approach to constructing data networks on chip that combines the following key features: (1) Wavelength-based routing, where the route followed by a packet depends solely on the wavelength of its carrier signal, and not on information either contained in the packet or traveling along with it. (2) Oblivious routing, by which the wavelength (and thus the route) employed to connect a source-destination pair is invariant for that pair, and does not depend on ongoing transmissions by other nodes, thereby simplifying design and operation. And (3) passive optical wavelength routers, whose routing pattern is set at design time, which allows for area and power optimizations not generally available to solutions that use dynamic routing. Compared to prior proposals, our evaluation shows that our solution is significantly more power efficient at a similar level of performance.
Influences of Maternal Stress during Pregnancy on the Epi/genome: Comparison of Placenta and Umbilical Cord Blood.

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy is one of the major adverse environmental factors in utero that is capable of influencing health outcomes of the offspring throughout life. Both genetic and epigenetic processes are susceptible to environmental insults in utero and are potential biomarkers of the experienced environment including maternal stress. Methods: We profiled expression level of six genes in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning (HSD11B2, SLC6A4, NR3C1, NR3C2, CRHR1 and CRHR2), two imprinted genes (IGF2 and H19) and one neurodevelopmental gene (EGR1), from 49 pairs of placenta and umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples from a birth cohort. We also assessed global methylation levels by LUminometric Methylation Assay (LUMA) and methylation at the imprinting control region (ICR) of IGF2/H19. Results: Little correlations between paired placenta and UCB were observed except H19 expression (r = 0.31, P = 0.04) and IGF2/H19 ICR methylation (r = 0.43, P = 0.01); gene expression levels were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in placenta than UCB except CRHR1 and CRHR2, which were unexpressed in placenta. Maternal stress correlated higher levels of HPA genes and lower levels of EGR1 and LUMA, but only in placenta. Positive association between maternal stress and IGF2/H19 ICR methylation was present in both placenta and UCB. Conclusions: Our findings support the notion that adverse in utero environment, as measured by antenatal maternal stress, depression and anxiety, can be observed in the epi/genome of the relevant tissues, i.e. placenta and UCBs, leading to development of molecular markers for assessing in utero adversities.
Life on the outside: the rescue of Coxiella burnetii from its host cell.

For over seven decades, Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of human Q fever, has been considered a prototypical obligate intracellular bacterium that relies exclusively on a eukaryotic cell for growth. Intracellularly, the organism prospers in an acidified, phagolysosome-like vacuole. C. burnetii has evolved to replicate in this harsh compartment by a mechanism involving acid activation of metabolism. The ∼2 Mb genome of C. burnetii is about twice the size of genomes of most obligate intracellular bacteria, and the organism's central metabolic pathways are largely intact. The absence of extensive genome reduction suggests the adaptation of C. burnetii to an obligate intracellular lifestyle is a recent evolutionary event. Indeed, insight from early work on C. burnetii metabolism, along with new information gained from metabolic pathway reconstructions, nutrient typing, and expression profiling, allowed the rescue of C. burnetii from its host cell to regain the axenic growth capacity of its ancestors. T...
Fermentation of Cucumbers Without Sodium Chloride

Cucumbers were successfully fermented and stored in the absence of sodium chloride (salt) under laboratory conditions, provided the fruit were blanched (3 min, 77 o C) before brining in a calcium acetate buffer and the brine inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum. Bloater formation was prevented by blanching even when brines were not purged of CO 2 . Firmness of cucumbers was similar in salt-free brines or those containing salt after 1 mo, but firmness of salt-free cucumbers was lower after storage for 12 mos. Under pilot-scale, commercial conditions, however, the cucumbers were severely bloated, and the firmness was unacceptable after storage for 7 mo, due apparently to microbial recontamination after blanching
Thermal sprayed ceramic coatings: fundamental issues and application considerations

This paper reviews progress in science and applications of thermal sprayed ceramic coatings. Examples of processing, microstructure and unique properties is provided through a description of thermal barrier coatings. Synthesis of dense ceramic coatings for wear and dielectric applications is also presented along with discussion of functional films produced both via traditional powder spray or suspension/precursor methods. Thermal spray will be continue to play an important role in ceramic coatings due to its cost advantages, flexibility and ubiquitous availability. Future expansion into functional coatings will require concerted, integrated, fundamental research in process and materials science, representing the next logical step in technology evolution.
Transforming Leadership: A Process of Collective Actio

This paper is an in-depth analysis of transforming leadership - its definition and its basic features. In a study of a suburban school district, six elements were found to be important in the transformative process: a crisis, the school district's mission and vision, an ad hoc structure, a participative process, and a skillful change agent in the role of superintendent.
Study of complexes of a tryptophan-free mutant of E. coli trp aporepressor with tryptophan analogues using optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR).

Abstract Phosphorescence and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectra of tryptophan (W) and several of its analogues (4-, 5-, 6-methyltryptophan (MeW); 4-, 5-, 6-fluorotryptophan (FW); 5-bromotryptophan) are compared with those of complexes formed with the W-free trp aporepressor from Escherichia coli (W19,99F). W19,99F binds W and each analogue except 4-FW with an estimated K D ≤30 μM; triplet state spectroscopic and kinetic effects that accompany binding at the corepressor site are reported. ODMR data for the MeW isomers are presented for the first time. No binding of 7-azaW is observed, in agreement with the low affinity found by previous workers.
The southern oscillation over the indian ocean

The Southern Oscillation (SO) signal at the surface level over the Indian Ocean is studied during the period 1954-1976- The data set consists of ship observations analysed on a grid mesh of 2 degrees to determine monthly mean fields of wind, pressure, SST. air temperature and cloud cover. Time series of the parameters over different areas show the evidence of an SO signal over the Indian Ocean. Warm and high pressure episodes occur during El Nino event years. High correlation exists between pressure, SST, air temperature fields and the SO index (SOI) north of 10cS. Significant correlation between SOI and cloudiness and zonal wind is mainly found in the eastern Indian Ocean. Composite analysis of he pressure, SST, cloud cover and zonal component of the wind suggests that minimum cloudiness occurs slightly ahead of maximum pressure whereas weaker westerlies over northern Indian Ocean are associated with higher SST a few months later. Power spectral analysis demonstrate the existence of a major periodicity at 40 months, Fields of percentage of variance in the spectral range between 30 and 50 months show a stronger SO signal in the eastern than in the western part of the Indian Ocean, From bandpass filtering and phase spectral analysis of the time series, the phase relationships between the different parameters are determined. Minimum cloudiness occurs with maximum pressure during a phase of decreasing westerlies which reduce the cooling of the ocean and induces an above normal SST and air temperature. The results also suggest the eastward propagation of zonal wind anomalies over the equatorial Indian Ocean. Warmings over the eastern Indian Ocean are occurring simultaneously with the warmings over the Central Pacific Ocean.
Towards nanoimprint lithography-aware layout design checking

Just as the simulation of photolithography has enabled resolution-enhancement through Optical Proximity Correction, the physical simulation of nanoimprint lithography is needed to guide the design of products that will use this process. We present an extremely fast method for simulating thermal nanoimprint lithography. The technique encapsulates the resist’s mechanical behavior using an analytical function for its surface deformation when loaded at a single location. It takes a discretized stamp design and finds resist and stamp deflections in a series of steps. We further accelerate the simulation of feature-rich patterns by pre-computing dimensionless relationships between the applied pressure, the resist’s mechanical properties, and the residual layer thickness, for stamps patterned with uniform arrays of a variety of common feature shapes. The approach is fast enough to be used iteratively when selecting processing parameters and refining layouts. The approach is demonstrated in action with three nanoimprint test-patterns, and describes experimentally measured residual layer thickness variations to within 10–15% or better. Finally, our technique is used to propose nanoimprint-aware design rules.
Pulmonary Function Response to Dust from Standard and Closed-Boll-Harvested Cotton 1

Twenty-six volunteers with normal pulmonary function were exposed to cotton dust in a model card room. Exposures were carried out on alternate days, and spirometry was performed before and after six hours of exposure. Dust levels were measured with vertical elutriators and adjusted by varying carding rate and exhaust veritilation. "Standard" cotton was harvested and prepared for carding in the usual manner. "Closed-boll" (CB) cotton was harvested before the bolls had opened; the bolls were washed in a 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution and then allowed to open under controlled conditions. Bract was manually removed prior to opening on one-half of this cotton. CB cotton was obtained from Stoneville, Mississippi and Lubbock, Texas. Four exposures to standard cotton from Stoneville were carried out, but only one exposure was carried out for each type of CB cotton due to the small quantities available. Results were analyzed for statistical significance. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV,) rose slight...
THUNDER: helping underfunded NPO's distribute electronic resources

As federal funding in many public non-profit organizations (NPO's) seems to be dwindling, it is of the utmost importance that efforts are focused on reducing operating costs of needy organizations, such as public schools. Our approach for reducing organizational costs is through the combined benefits of a high performance cloud architecture and low-power, thin-client devices. However, general-purpose private cloud architectures are not easily deployable by average users, or even those with some computing knowledge. For this reason, we propose a new vertical cloud architecture, which is focused on ease of deployment and management, as well as providing organizations with cost-efficient virtualization and storage, and other organization-specific utilities. We postulate that if organizations are provided with on-demand access to electronic resources in a way that is cost-efficient, then the operating costs may be reduced, such that the user experience and organizational efficiency may be increased. In this paper we discuss our private vertical cloud architecture called THUNDER. Additionally, we introduce a number of methodologies that could enable needy non-profit organizations to decrease costs and also provide many additional benefits for the users. Specifically, this paper introduces our current implementation of THUNDER, details about the architecture, and the software system that we have designed to specifically target the needs of underfunded organizations.
Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging.

Neuromuscular deficits have been linked with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. The use of ultrasound imaging (USI) to aid rehabilitation of neuromusculoskeletal disorders has been called rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) and defined as 'a procedure used by physical therapists to evaluate muscle and related soft tissue morphology and function during exercise and physical tasks. RUSI is used to assist in the application of therapeutic interventions, providing feedback to the patient and physical therapist (Teyhen 2006). Brightness mode (b-mode) USI is the most common form used by physical therapists and will be the focus of this summary.
Intelligent agents for the synthetic battlefield: a company of rotary wing aircraft

We have constructed a team of intelligent agents that perform the tasks of an attack helicopter company for a synthetic battlefield environment used for running large-scale military exercises. We have used the Soar integrated architecture to develop: (1) pilot agents for a company of helicopters, (2) a command agent that makes decisions and plans for the helicopter company, and (3) an approach to teamwork that enables the pilot agents to coordinate their activities in accomplishing the goals of the company. This case study describes the task domain and architecture of our application, as well as the benefits and lessons learned from applying AI technology to this domain.
Efficient optimization of information-theoretic exploration in SLAM

We present a novel method for information-theoretic exploration, leveraging recent work on mapping and localization. We describe exploration as the constrained optimization problem of computing a trajectory to minimize posterior map error, subject to the constraints of traveling through a set of sensing locations to ensure map coverage. This trajectory is found by reducing the map to a skeleton graph and searching for a minimum entropy tour through the graph. We describe how a specific factorization of the map covariance allows the reuse of EKF updates during the optimization, giving an efficient gradient ascent search for the maximum information gain tour through sensing locations, where each tour naturally incorporates revisiting well-known map regions. By generating incrementally larger tours as the exploration finds new regions of the environment, we demonstrate that our approach can perform autonomous exploration with improved accuracy.
Course experiences of computing students with disabilities: four case studies

Inclusive education is the practice of making sure that all students of all abilities have positive learning experiences. The study presented in this paper explores the current state of inclusive practices in computing education by presenting four case studies of students with disabilities taking their first computing courses. Their experiences share many common themes that reveal insights into their college experiences and connect with current theories as to how to achieve inclusive education. New technologies, such as podcasting, for promoting inclusion are also suggested.
Characterization of the W321F mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase KatG.

A single amino acid mutation (W321F) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase–peroxidase (KatG) was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. The purified mutant enzyme was characterized using optical and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and optical stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Reaction of KatG(W321F) with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, peroxyacetic acid, or t-butylhydroperoxide showed formation of an unstable intermediate assigned as Compound I (oxyferryl iron:porphyrin π-cation radical) by similarity to wild-type KatG, although second-order rate constants were significantly lower in the mutant for each peroxide tested. No evidence for Compound II was detected during the spontaneous or substrate-accelerated decay of Compound I. The binding of isoniazid, a first-line anti-tuberculosis pro-drug activated by catalase–peroxidase, was noncooperative and threefold weaker in KatG(W321F) compared with wild-type enzyme. An EPR signal assigned to a protein-based radical tentatively assigned as tyrosyl radical in wild-type KatG, was also observed in the mutant upon reaction of the resting enzyme with alkyl peroxide. These results show that mutation of residue W321 in KatG does not lead to a major alteration in the identity of intermediates formed in the catalytic cycle of the enzyme in the time regimes examined here, and show that this residue is not the site of stabilization of a radical as might be expected based on homology to yeast cytochrome c peroxidase. Furthermore, W321 is indicated to be important in KatG for substrate binding and subunit interactions within the dimer, providing insights into the origin of isoniazid resistance in clinically isolated KatG mutants.
Low-income women with breast abnormalities: system predictors of timely diagnostic resolution.

BackgroundIncomplete or delayed diagnostic resolution of breast abnormalities suspicious for cancer may contribute to poor breast cancer outcomes. We examine system predictors of timely diagnostic ...
The Sentinel: Improving the Governance of Financial Regulation

Financial regulators and politicians unsuccessfully maintained the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system not only because they lacked the proper tools but also because they lacked the proper incentives. While filling regulatory gaps and improving supervisory tools are worthwhile reforms, they do not address the core governance failure - the unwillingness of the policy apparatus to adapt to a dynamic, innovating financial system and act in the best interests of the public. I propose an auxiliary institution to act as a sentinel on behalf of the public to improve the design, interpretation, and implementation of financial regulations.
Machine learning can classify vital sign alerts as real or artifact in online continuous monitoring data

Alarm hazards continue to be the top patient safety concern of 2015. Machine learning (ML) can be used to classify patterns in monitoring data to differentiate real alerts from artifact.
Life Span Exercise Among Elite Intercollegiate Student Athletes

Background:Despite prominent public attention, data on life span health and exercise outcomes among elite, competitive athletes are sparse and do not reflect the diversity of modern athletes.Hypothesis:Life span exercise behavior differs between National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student athletes and a nonathlete control group. Sustained exercise is associated with improved cardiopulmonary health outcomes.Study Design:Cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiology study.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Methods:A total of 496 students and alumni (age range, 17-84 year) at a large, NCAA Division I university, including student athletes and an age- and sex-matched nonathlete control group, completed anonymous, self-report health and exercise questionnaires. Age-stratified, cross-sectional analysis evaluated previous week’s total exercise volume (ExVol), self-rated exercise importance (ExImp), and compliance with American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise guidelines for healthy adults. The associati...
Single Pixel Compressive Imaging of Laboratory and Natural Light Scenes

We evaluate the performance of a compressive imager using multiple basis sets on monochromatic, color and infrared natural light scenes, and compare the results to a camera with the same number of (conventional pixel) measurements.
Mediums and Channelers

Psychic mediums and channelers are not common in modern traditional religions but are instead a feature of the hodgepodge doctrine of New Age, spiritual, and metaphysical beliefs. These people claim to be intermediaries for deceased people, spirits, angels, demons, and gods from the other side, or other planets and planes. These hosts are possessed by the entity in a trance, during a seance, on stage, or even spontaneously. They act as human voices for these nonhumans, bringing important teachings, personal messages, and healings. Their claims can be differentiated from xenoglossia and glossolalia by one important feature: the entity conveniently speaks in the language of the medium.
Rapidly evolving adult respiratory distress syndrome with eosinophilia of unknown cause in previously healthy active duty soldiers at an Army training center: report of two cases.

BACKGROUND Two previously healthy soldiers presented with rapidly evolving adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within days of their return from the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. There have been six similar cases reported in the National Training Center area, five with fatal outcomes. METHODS Both patients were treated in an intensive care unit setting. Extensive diagnostic testing was performed, and patients were treated empirically with doxycycline, ceftriaxone, and ribavirin. RESULTS Both patients had complete recovery. Intensive care unit course was notable for circulatory collapse, respiratory distress requiring ventilatory support, approximately 10% eosinophils on bronchoalveolar lavage, and dramatic peripheral eosinophilia. All cultures, including serology cultures for hantavirus, were negative. CONCLUSION There have been no previously described syndromes comprising "viral" prodrome, rapid progression to ARDS, and eosinophilia. Based on the geographic, temporal, and clinical similarity of these two cases, we believe that they share a common, yet undetermined, cause. Both environmental exposures and any undescribed pathogens warrant further investigation.
Lipidomics for Geochemistry

The lipidomics for geochemistry chapter reviews biosynthetic genes and enzymes that have relevance to organic geochemistry in the areas of ecosystem function, Earth history, and paleoclimatology. The goal of lipidomics is to achieve a better molecular-level understanding of the sources and processes controlling distributions of lipids in environmental settings. Such approaches are experiencing a rapid increase in popularity in association with the DNA sequencing revolution. The chapter is intended to serve as an introductory text. It describes the enzymes involved in some of the major lipid biosynthetic pathways; it provides a framework for lipidomics-based approaches to geochemical questions; and it reviews several recent examples of case studies that use these approaches. The biosynthesis section provides the essential underpinning for understanding relationships between enzymatic pathways and taxonomic groups. The applications section gives examples of lipidomics in practice, showing the potential of these approaches to achieve a better understanding of the origins of hydrocarbon ‘biomarker’ signatures preserved in the geologic record.
Normative theory of probability

O fortune Like the moon Everchanging Rising first Then declining; Hateful life Treats us badly Then with kindness Making sport with our desires, Causing power And poverty alike To melt like ice. Translation of anonymous twelfth- or thirteenth-century Latin lyric, set to music by Carl Orff, to begin Carmina Burana , completed in 1936. Our theory of thinking is intended to help us choose among actions and beliefs. Making such choices obviously often involves estimating the likelihood that various events will occur in the future. Will it rain tomorrow? Will I get the job I applied for? Probability theory is a well-established normative theory that deals with such estimates. The ancient Egyptians played games of chance that involved calculation of probabilities, but the development of modern probability theory began only in the seventeenth century (Hacking, 1975). In part, this development was inspired by the practice of town governments raising money by selling annuities. Miscalculation of the chances of living to various ages left some towns bankrupt. One person who helped solve the problem of how to figure the price of annuities so that the seller makes a profit was Edmund Halley (also famous for discovering the comet that bears his name and for persuading his friend Isaac Newton to publish his work on planetary orbits). Also in the seventeenth century, Blaise Pascal and others recognized that probability theory was relevant to everyday beliefs and decisions, not just to games of chance and other repeated events.
Direct Measure of the Dense Methane Phase in Gas Shale Organic Porosity by Neutron Scattering

We report the first direct measurements of methane density in shale gas using small-angle neutron scattering. At a constant pressure, the density of methane in the inorganic pores is similar to the gas bulk density of the system conditions. In contrast, the methane density is 2.1 ± 0.2 times greater in the organic mesopores. Classical density functional theory calculations show that this excess density in the organic pores persists to elevated temperatures, typical of shale gas reservoir conditions, providing new insight into the hydrocarbon storage mechanisms within these reservoirs.
Short Stems: Are They Safe?

Published investigations with custom short stems have reported very encouraging results (Walker, et al, 1). However, off-the-shelf (OTS) versions of shorter length prostheses has not met with the same success. Several basic questions must be addressed. First, what is the purpose of a stem? Second, can stem length be reduced and if so by how much can this be safely done. Third, what are the effects of stem shortening and are there other design criteria which must take on greater importance in the absence of a stem to protect against implant aseptic failure. To examine these issues a testing rig was constructed which attempts to simulate the in vivo loading situation of a hip, Fig. 1 (Walker, et, al.). Fresh cadaveric femora were tested with the femora intact and then with femoral components of varying stem length implanted to examine the distribution of stresses within the femur under increasing loads as a function of stem length. This was correlated with observations of prospective DEXA measurement of proximal femoral bone mass and implant migration following THR (Leali, 3). We then initiated a prospective multi-center study of a specific short stem design which included three geometric features to ensure initial implant stability. This report documents that after 2 years, in the first 200 stems implanted, this design has been shown to provide stability against subsidence, flexion/extetnsion and rotational forces. This is consistent with the findings of the in-vitro studies and identical to the previously published clinical results of a similarly designed full length version of this same stem. Our studies indicated that a stem is not an absolute requirement in order to achieve a well functioning, stable implant. Initial stability can be achieved in the absence of a stem, by a “rest fit,” if adequate design features are incorporated. These studies also demonstrated that simply reducing the length of an existing implant to accommodate changes in surgical techniques may not be a reasonable or safe design change. Such shortened versions of existing stem designs must undergo rigorously in-vitro testing and clinical validation before being released for implantation.
Damage Threshold of Polymeric Housing Materials Used for Outdoor HV Insulators

A laser irradiation technique has been used to determine the threshold energy for degradation in silicone rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer and epoxy materials. Silicone rubber exhibited an impulsive or step degradation behavior while ethylene propylene diene monomer and epoxy samples indicated an exponential trend. The temperatures required to initiate degradation in these samples were calculated from laser photo-thermal models and the results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values obtained from thermogravimetric analysis.
Prime Ideals in Noetherian Rings

We discuss some questions and some results concerning partially ordered sets of prime ideals in Noetherian rings. Our focus is two-dimensional integral domains of polynomials and power series.
Uncertainty Analysis of Nondeterministic Multibody Systems

This paper presents the method of polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) for the forward kinematic analysis of non-deterministic multibody systems. Kinematic analysis of both open-loop and closed-loop systems are presented. The PCE provides an efficient mathematical framework to introduce uncertainty to the system. This is accomplished by compactly projecting each stochastic response output and random input onto the space of appropriate independent orthogonal polynomial basis functions. This paper presents the detailed formulation of the kinematics of constrained multibody systems at the position, velocity, and acceleration levels in the PCE scheme. This analysis is performed by projecting the governing kinematic constraint equations of the system onto the space of appropriate polynomial base functions. Furthermore, forward kinematic analysis is conducted at the position, velocity, and acceleration levels for a non-deterministic four-bar mechanism with single and multiple uncertain parameters and a SCARA robot. Also, the convergence of the PCE and Monte Carlo methods is analyzed in this paper. Time efficiency and accuracy of the intrusive PCE approach are compared with the traditionally used Monte Carlo method. The results demonstrate the drastic increase in the computation time of Monte Carlo method when analyzing complex systems with a large number of uncertain parameters while the intrusive PCE provides better accuracy with much less computational complexity.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Journey of Self-Exploration: Seeking Understanding Through Musical and Cultural Experiences in South India

The meaning and role of music in peoples’ lives varies from culture to culture and person to person. In this narrative of travel to study music as culture in South India, I attempt to reveal and interpret the “truths” six university students and I, their professor, uncovered about ourselves and our perspectives and understandings of music and culture. During our time in South India, we studied veena (a string instrument particular to southern India), voice, percussion, naduswaram (a double-reed woodwind instrument), and dance with gurus in each area. We also visited temples, an orphanage, markets, and other sightseeing attractions; and viewed the newest “Bollywood” film, The Boss, attended a lecture on film as it relates to culture in India, and had a private meeting with A. R. Rahman, the film’s music director—India’s finest and most highly-reputed international music director. The students and I journalled daily in an attempt to capture our experiences, observations, and impressions. Reflection papers based on our journals became the data for this study. It is my hope that the “truths” we revealed will inform and enhance our teaching.
User Personality and User Satisfaction with Recommender Systems

In this study, we show that individual users’ preferences for the level of diversity, popularity, and serendipity in recommendation lists cannot be inferred from their ratings alone. We demonstrate that we can extract strong signals about individual preferences for recommendation diversity, popularity and serendipity by measuring their personality traits. We conducted an online experiment with over 1,800 users for six months on a live recommendation system. In this experiment, we asked users to evaluate a list of movie recommendations with different levels of diversity, popularity, and serendipity. Then, we assessed users’ personality traits using the Ten-item Personality Inventory (TIPI). We found that ratings-based recommender systems may often fail to deliver preferred levels of diversity, popularity, and serendipity for their users (e.g. users with high-serendipity preferences). We also found that users with different personalities have different preferences for these three recommendation properties. Our work suggests that we can improve user satisfaction when we integrate users’ personality traits into the process of generating recommendations.
Visual recovery after surgical repair of chronic macular detachment associated with peripheral retinoschisis.

Abstract Purpose To report 2 cases of chronic macular detachment associated with peripheral retinoschisis in which surgical repair resulted in significant visual recovery. Observations A 44-year-old man and 60-year-old woman were evaluated for chronic macular detachment, with a duration of 5 years and 6 months, respectively. In each case, optical coherence tomography was used to establish a diagnosis of full-thickness macular detachment resulting from peripheral retinoschisis and to confirm or identify the pathogenic outer layer breaks. After surgical repair with pars plana vitrectomy, endolaser photocoagulation of outer layer breaks, and gas tamponade, both patients had significant improvement in vision. The best-corrected visual acuity improved from 20/50- to 20/20 at one year post-operatively in the first patient and from 20/1250 to 20/200 at 8 months post-operatively in the second. Conclusion and importance In cases of chronic schisis-detachment involving the macula, surgical intervention can sometimes result in unexpected levels of visual recovery.
The Effect of Teaching the Entire Academic Year of High School Chemistry Utilizing Abstract Reasoning.

This case study demonstrates the ability of high school chemistry students, with varying levels of math preparation, to experience learning-gains on state and district assessments as it relates to chemical reactions, thermodynamics, and kinetics. These advances were predicated on the use of a teaching style rooted in abstract reasoning. The methodology was presented to students and modeled by the instructor over an entire school year to reinforce key proportional relationships featured in the balanced chemical equation and related topics such as acids and bases, reaction rates, equilibrium, and conservation of matter. Despite the small sample size, there was a general increase in student success, indicated by a statistically significant difference between students receiving instruction rooted in concrete reasoning and students receiving instruction rich in abstract reasoning.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant overcomes the adverse survival effect of very high risk and unfavorable karyotype in myelofibrosis.

The prognostic importance of genetic information in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) was recently highlighted in a study of over 1000 cytogenetically-annotated patients; 5-year survival rates were 8% for very high risk (VHR), 27% "unfavorable" and 45% "favorable" karyotype. The current study addresses the practice-relevant question of whether or not allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) can overcome the detrimental survival effect of VHR or unfavorable karyotype. The study included 67 patients with PMF or secondary MF who received HCT at the Mayo Clinic and in whom pretransplant cytogenetic information was available. Dynamic international prognostic scoring system (DIPSS) risk distribution was 13% high, 66% intermediate-2 and 21% intermediate-1. Cytogenetic risk distribution was 11% VHR, 34% unfavorable and 55% favorable. At median post-HCT follow-up of 60 months for living patients (range 34-170), 28 (42%) deaths were recorded. Five-year survival was 62% and was not affected by VHR or unfavorable karyotype (P = .68). The salutary effect of HCT in patients with VHR or unfavorable karyotype was also apparent during analysis of a combined dataset that included a nontransplant cohort of 383 patients with PMF; multivariable analysis of the combined dataset (n = 450) resulted in HRs (95% CI) of 2.4 (1.6-3.6) for absence of transplant, 3.3 (2.2-4.8) for VHR karyotype, 1.6 (1.2-2.1) for unfavorable karyotype, 2.9 (2.0-4.2) for DIPSS high and 1.7 (1.4-2.2) for DIPSS intermediate-2. These observations were further confirmed by analysis of more stringently matched case-control subset cohorts and provide the evidence for the therapeutic preference of HCT in cytogenetically high risk patients with MF.
Ferroelectric large polarons

Kiyoshi Miyata and X.-Y. Zhu analyse the ferroelectric-like dielectric response of lead halide perovskites in the terahertz region and discuss the potential role of polar nanodomains in accounting for the defect tolerance and low recombination rates of these materials.
The Network Simplex Algorithm

For practical applications, by far the most useful optimization algorithm for solving linear programs is the celebrated simplex algorithm. This suggests trying to apply this algorithm also to problems from graph theory. Indeed, the most important network optimization problems may be formulated in terms of linear programs; this holds, for instance, for the determination of shortest paths, maximal flows, optimal flows, and optimal circulations. Nevertheless, a direct application of the usual simplex algorithm would make no sense, as the resulting linear programs would be unwieldy and highly degenerate. These two problems are avoided by using a suitable graph theoretic specialization of the simplex algorithm, the so-called network simplex algorithm. This algorithm is usually formulated in terms of a standard problem which we will introduce in the first section; all other problems of practical interest admit easy transformations to this problem. Throughout this book, we emphasize the graph theoretical aspects of combinatorial optimization while avoiding the theory of linear programming as much as possible. In view of this philosophy, it is very fortunate that the network simplex algorithm may be dealt with entirely in graph theoretic terms, with no need to appeal to linear programming; such a presentation will be given here.
Specific Keratins and their Associated Proteins as Markers for Hair Follicle Differentiation

A great deal of biochemical information regarding the structural components of hair has been collected during the past 20 years. These studies have shown that a large number of distinct proteins are present in the hair shaft and associated follicular structures. While many of these components have been studied in detail including amino acid and/or gene sequencing, relatively little is known about their precise localization in the follicle. This information gap is due to the extraordinary heterogeneity of hair proteins coupled with the morphological complexity of the follicle. Through the use of monoclonal antibodies, we can distinguish several classes of human hair proteins and correlate their expression with histologically defined stages of hair follicle differentiation. Our data indicate that both the acidic (Type I, MW 44–46K) and basic (Type II, MW 56–60K) keratins of the hair are coordinatety expressed in the upper cell layers of the hair cortex and cuticle, while the 10–25K high-sulphur proteins are expressed only in the much more mature layers of the cortex. We have detected an immunological crossreaction between the components of the trichohyalin granules of the inner root sheath and a subpopulation of granules in the stratum granulosum of the epidermis. In addition, we have demonstrated the presence of ‘hard’ keratins in the ‘soft’ epithelial tissue of dorsal tongue. In fact, by using a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for both hard and soft keratins, we have been able to ‘dissect’ the histologically complex epithelium of human dorsal tongue into three compartments expressing keratin markers for ‘hair/nail-’, ‘skin-’ and ‘oesophageal-’ types of keratinocyte differentiation. Thus, by studying human hair keratins and their associated proteins, we have extended the concept of ‘keratin-pairs’ which we originally established based on studies on ‘soft’ keratins, to include the so-called ‘hard’ keratins of the hair and nail Our immunological data also raise interesting questions regarding the expression of keratins and their associated proteins, as well as the cellular control of discrete stem cell populations within a complex epithelium.
Adrenals and Spleen, Peritoneum, and Retroperitoneum

The adrenals, spleen, and peritoneal structures each do not supply enough material for separate chapters of their own; this is the only reason they are combined here. Visualization of the adrenal glands by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been demonstrated for almost two decades; a reliable approach to the left adrenal gland was initially reported by Chang et al. [1] in 1996. More recently, several groups have shown several techniques that allow visualization and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the right adrenal gland, as described below.
A Critique of Atkins' Periodic Kindom and Some Writings on Electronic Structure

This article consists of a critique of the writings of Peter Atkins. The topics discussed include the quantum mechanical explanation of the periodic system, the aufbau principle and the order of occupation of orbitals by electrons. It is also argued that Atkins fails to appreciate the philosophical significance of the more general version of the Pauli Exclusion Principle and that this omission has ramifications in the popular presentation of chemistry as well as chemical education and philosophy of chemistry in general.
Overcoming barriers to interprofessional practice/education through legislative reform: A University of Colorado case study

Abstract Background Pharmacy students are required to be licensed (intern-pharmacists). Colorado statute required a licensed pharmacist to supervise students while engaging in Interprofessional clinical experiences. Purpose Allow pharmacy students to participate in patient care activities when led by other interprofessional team members. Methods Between 2010 and 2012 we engaged collaborators (other pharmacy/health professions schools, state board of pharmacy, Colorado Pharmacists Society, practitioners, and the public) to establish the need to change Colorado statutes. The law changed in 2012 and rules were drawn in 2013 allowing students to be supervised by non-pharmacists practitioners. Discussion Students now complete interprofessional practice experiences through retail pharmacy – community health center partnerships, community based primary care clinics, and early interprofessional practice experiences. All students (160) complete one interprofessional experience with roughly 50 students completing additional experiences. Students engage in collaborative patient visits, conduct medication reconciliation, and provide counseling and drug information services. Conclusion Changing law allowed more pharmacy students to contribute to interprofessional patient care practices.