cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trivalvular infective endocarditis secondary to Granulicatella adiacens and Peptostreptococcus spp

Abstract We present a case of a 42-year-old Caucasian man that came to our facility complaining of dyspnea and subjective fevers and was found to have infective endocarditis. His blood cultures initially grew Peptostreptococcus spp and he was started on penicillin and gentamicin. Repeat blood cultures, drawn 48 h later, became positive for Granulicatella adiacens. Vancomycin was added at this point, given reports of growing penicillin resistance of Granulicatella spp. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed multiple vegetations on the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves. The patient’s final antibacterial regimen consisted of intravenous penicillin G 24 million units daily and vancomycin (goal trough of 15–20) for a total of 6 weeks. The first 2 weeks of his regimen also included gentamicin. The patient was not considered for valve replacement surgery given concern for continued use of illicit intravenous drugs. Peptostreptococcus species are anaerobic, non-spore forming, gram-positive cocci, thought to generally have a subacute clinical presentation. Granulicatella genus is nutritionally deficient bacteria which require a supplemented media in order to grow. Both of these bacteria are present in the mouth and gastrointestinal flora. The rate of infective endocarditis from anaerobic species has been reported up to 16%, which includes multiple species. While on nutritionally deficient bacteria are reported to be involved on infective endocarditis in the range of 3–8%. Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise for both of these species, which makes the appropriate choice of antimicrobials quite important.
Not According to Plan: Filmmaking Under Stalin

In many senses, cinema ought to have been a key medium of communication for the Soviet propaganda state. Already a central element of urban mass culture in bourgeois society on the eve of the 1917 ...
Awake reactivation and suppression after brief task exposure depend on task novelty

Abstract Previously learned information is known to be reactivated during periods of quiet wakefulness and such awake reactivation is considered to be a key mechanism for memory consolidation. We recently demonstrated that feature-specific awake reactivation occurs in early visual cortex immediately after extensive visual training on a novel task. To understand the exact role of awake reactivation, here we investigated whether such reactivation depends specifically on the task novelty. Subjects completed a brief visual task that was either novel or extensively trained on previous days. Replicating our previous results, we found that awake reactivation occurs for the novel task even after a brief learning period. Surprisingly, however, brief exposure to the extensively trained task led to “awake suppression” such that neural activity immediately after the exposure diverged from the pattern for the trained task. Further, subjects who had greater performance improvement showed stronger awake suppression. These results suggest that the brain operates different post-task processing depending on prior visual training.
An emergent constraint on future Arctic sea-ice albedo feedback

Arctic sea ice has decreased substantially over recent decades, a trend projected to continue. Shrinking ice reduces surface albedo, leading to greater surface solar absorption, thus amplifying warming and driving further melt. This sea-ice albedo feedback (SIAF) is a key driver of Arctic climate change and an important uncertainty source in climate model projections. Using an ensemble of models, we demonstrate an emergent relationship between future SIAF and an observable version of SIAF in the current climate’s seasonal cycle. This relationship is robust in constraining SIAF over the coming decades (Pearson’s r = 0.76), and then it degrades. The degradation occurs because some models begin producing ice-free conditions, signalling a transition to a new ice regime. The relationship is strengthened when models with unrealistically thin historical ice are excluded. Because of this tight relationship, reducing model errors in the current climate’s seasonal SIAF and ice thickness can narrow SIAF spread under climate change. The reflectivity of the Arctic Ocean decreases as sea ice decreases, creating a feedback of more heat absorption, warming and further melt. An ensemble of models is used to gain understanding of this in the current climate to constrain the intermodel spread in predictions of sea-ice albedo changes.
Synthesis and Optical Properties of Two-Photon-Absorbing Au25(Captopril)18-Embedded Polyacrylamide Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy

Au25(Captopril)18 nanoclusters (NCs) are a 1.2 nm water-soluble metal nanomaterial with strong two-photon absorption, with excited-state reactive oxygen production, and of potential applicability f...
Optimizing the lean hydrocarbon NOx trap: Sequential and dual-layer configurations

Abstract Vehicular emission control catalysts are ineffective in eliminating CO, hydrocarbons, and NOx during engine cold-start when exhaust temperatures are below 200 °C. In this study the performance of coupled low temperature NOx, n-C12H26 (C12), and C3H6 trapping, release and conversion for a series of model Lean Hydrocarbon NOx Trap (LHCNT) catalysts are examined. Pd and Pt supported on small-pore (SSZ-13) and large-pore (BEA) zeolites are selected based on the performance during transient NO and C12 uptake, release and conversion experiments. These catalysts are combined into sequential (Pt + Pd/BEA → Pd/SSZ-13; Pd/SSZ-13 → Pt + Pd/BEA) and dual-layer (Pt + Pd/BEA top, Pd/SSZ-13 bottom) configurations in an attempt to improve the trapping and conversion performance. While all three configurations trap between 75 and 100 μmolNOx/g-cat, the Pd/SSZ-13 → Pt + Pd/BEA sequential configuration is most effective in simultaneously trapping C12 and NO in the presence of H2O, resulting in excellent NO and C12 storage below 100 °C with release and/or conversion at or above 200 °C. For each configuration, C12 oxidation lights-off below 300 °C and NO oxidation achieves ∼35 % conversion in the absence of C12. Neither the presence of C12 nor the order of the sequential configuration has a significant impact on NO uptake. C12 significantly delays NO and NO2 desorption to temperatures exceeding 300 °C. The more compact dual-layer catalyst is most effective in forming NO2 as the release temperature lines up with the maximum NO conversion temperature but traps less C12 than the sequential configurations. The addition of C3H6 in the feed on the dual-layer catalyst leads to further delay in the NOx desorption as well as increased NO and C12 conversion at high temperatures. The overall findings provide guidance in the optimizing LHCNT configuration for realistic feeds.
Eye Movements Provide an Index of Veridical Memory for Temporal Order

The present research examined whether eye movements during retrieval capture the relation between an event and its temporal attributes. In two experiments (N=76), we found converging evidence that eye movements reflected the veridicality of memory for temporal order seconds before overt memory judgments, suggesting that these movements captured indirect access to temporal information. These eye movements did not entirely depend on the amount of contextual cueing available (Experiment 1) and reflected the unique ordinal position of an event in a sequence (Experiment 2). Based on our results, we conclude that eye movements reflected the absolute temporal order of past events.
A WIN-WIN SITUATION: URGENT TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT (TAVR) IN A PATIENT WITH RECENT MULTIVESSEL PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION (PCI) FOR A NON-CARDIAC SURGERY

Stent thrombosis(ST) is a devastating complication of PCI. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) interruption is the strongest predictor of ST, and the highest risk is in the first 6 weeks. Therefore, surgical treatments within 6 weeks of PCI is a challenging situation. A 88-year-old Caucasian female
Solar Farm Harmonic Analysis and Operation under DC currents

The DC currents might flow in a power system due to Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMDs) that result from either a solar storm or a high-altitude nuclear detonation. The increasing inverter-based generation is also injecting small DC currents into the power systems. These currents could have serious implications for the power systems as they drive the transformers towards saturation, cause massive draw of reactive power, cause transformers internal heating and maloperation of protection equipment. This paper studies the impact of the DC currents flowing in a power transmission network on a 50MVA grid-tied solar farm. A variety of loading conditions that include both local and remote loads have been considered. A detailed harmonic analysis is performed and evaluated against IEEE-519. Also, the limitations imposed by the DC current flow in a power grid on the solar farm capabilities have been highlighted. Finally, the effectiveness of a Neutral Blocking Device (NBD) in restoring the normal operation of a solar farm has been evaluated. The PSCAD/EMTDC has been utilized as the simulation platform and the associated results are presented.
Relationship of Field versus Laboratory Compaction to Hot- and Warm-Mixed Asphalt Rutting Performance

AbstractRutting is a major distress for asphalt pavements. This paper examines the relationship of laboratory- and field-compaction methods to rutting performance based on aggregate packing charact...
Prostasin regulates PD-L1 expression in human lung cancer cells

The serine protease prostasin is a negative regulator of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and has a role in the regulation of cellular immunity. Prostasin expression in cancer cells inhibits migration and metastasis, and reduces epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a negative regulator of the immune response and its expression in cancer cells interferes with immune surveillance. The aim of the present study was to investigate if prostasin regulates PD-L1 expression. We established sublines overexpressing various forms of prostasin as well as a subline deficient for the prostasin gene from the Calu-3 human lung cancer cells. We report here that PD-L1 expression induced by interferon-γ (IFNγ) is further enhanced in cells overexpressing the wildtype membrane-anchored prostasin. The PD-L1 protein was localized on the cell surface and released into the culture medium in extracellular vesicles (EVs) with the protease-active prostasin. The epidermal growth factor-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-EGFR), protein kinase C (PKC), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) participated in the prostasin-mediated up-regulation of PD-L1 expression. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of patient lung tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database revealed that prostasin and PD-L1 regulate common signaling pathways during tumorigenesis and tumor progression.
MyD88-mediated signaling intercedes in neurogenic muscle atrophy through multiple mechanisms

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a debilitating complication of many chronic disease states and disuse conditions including denervation. However, molecular and signaling mechanisms of muscle wasting remain less understood. Here, we demonstrate that the levels of several toll-like receptors (TLRs) and their downstream signaling adaptor, myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), are induced in skeletal muscle of mice in response to sciatic nerve denervation. Muscle-specific ablation of MyD88 mitigates denervation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in mice. Targeted ablation of MyD88 suppresses the components of ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy, and FOXO transcription factors in skeletal muscle during denervation. We also found that specific inhibition of MyD88 reduces the activation of canonical nuclear factor-kappa (NF-κB) pathway and expression of receptors for inflammatory cytokines in denervated muscle. In contrast, inhibition of MyD88 stimulates the activation of non-canonical NF-κB signaling in denervated skeletal muscle. Ablation of MyD88 also inhibits the denervation-induced increase in phosphorylation of AMPK without having any effect on the phosphorylation of mTOR. Moreover, targeted ablation of MyD88 inhibits the activation of a few components of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways, especially X-box protein 1 (XBP1). Importantly, myofiber-specific ablation of XBP1 mitigates denervation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in mice. Collectively, our experiments suggest that TLR-MyD88 signaling mediates skeletal muscle wasting during denervation potentially through the activation of canonical NF-κB signaling, AMPK and UPR pathways.
Domain boundaries in incommensurate epitaxial layers on weakly interacting substrates

There has been increasing interest in the fabrication of thin film materials with mixed dimensions, in particular, 2D to 3D and 3D to 2D heterostructures. Often, if the interface interaction is weak, the lattice matching criterion between the substrate and overlayer can be lifted. If the overlayer lattice is completely relaxed, it can form an incommensurate film on the mismatched substrate. In this work, we show that domain boundaries are inherent in the incommensurate epitaxial films due to random nucleation sites of domains in an overlayer. The nature and origin of the incommensurate domain boundaries are different from the conventional dislocation boundaries that come from the relaxation of strain due to film–substrate lattice mismatch. We propose that the formation of such domain boundaries can be studied through Voronoi tessellation. Using a case study of monolayer WS2 on sapphire (2D on 3D), we show the formation of domain boundaries that compared well with a recent experiment reported in the literature. In the Voronoi tessellation, we also show quantitatively that the average domain size depends on the density of nucleation sites. The conclusion of this case study may be generalized to any incommensurate epitaxial films when the interface interaction is weak.
Double-pulse laser micro sintering: Experimental study and mechanism analysis aided by in-situ time-resolved temperature measurements

Abstract Laser micro sintering (LMS) is a process of manufacturing microscale parts and/or features by laser sintering. Small powder particles (e.g., on the order of ~1 μm) are often used for good spatial resolutions. Besides, pulsed lasers are often employed due to related potential advantages. For good mechanical properties, pulsed laser-based LMS typically desires high densification of sintered material, which is, however, often more difficult to achieve than conventional macro selective laser sintering or melting. A new double-pulse laser micro sintering (DP-LMS) process was recently proposed by the corresponding author, which is a novel approach to potentially achieve good densification of sintered material in pulsed laser-based LMS. It employs laser pulse groups, each of which contains “sintering laser pulse(s)” followed by “pressing laser pulse(s)” at a certain delay time, which are used to sinter (melt and coalesce) the powder particles and generate a high transient pressure onto the material, respectively. This paper reports a study of the DP-LMS process for single-track sintering. The related fundamental mechanisms are analyzed with the help of in-situ time-resolved measurements of powder bed surface temperatures during DP-LMS. Under the conditions studied, it has been found that DP-LMS can produce better sintering results than those by LMS only using the sintering or pressing laser pulses. For a good sintering result in DP-LMS, the “pressing laser pulse” needs to have a sufficiently high intensity and follow the last preceding “sintering pulse” close enough such that the irradiated surface region is still in a molten state (or partially so to a sufficient extent). The fundamental mechanism for good sintering results in DP-LMS is expected to be that the “pressing laser pulse” can induce (likely via laser ablation and plasma generation) high pressures on the powder bed surface, which can promote melt flow, reduce balling and/or enhance material densification and/or continuity. In addition, a thermal accumulation effect between adjacent “sintering laser pulses” during DP-LMS has been revealed by the in-situ temperature measurements.
The Failed Regulation and Oversight of American Prisons

When the state incarcerates, it assumes an affirmative, non-negotiable obligation to keep people in prison safe and to provide for their basic needs. In the United States, the three branches of gov...
Brownian motion in twisted domains

The tail behavior of a Brownian motion's exit time from an unbounded domain depends upon the growth of the inner radius of the domain. In this article we quantify this idea by introducing the notion of a twisted domain in the plane. Roughly speaking, such a domain is generated by a planar curve as follows. As a traveler proceeds out along the curve, the boundary curves of the domain are obtained by moving out ±g(r) units along the unit normal to the curve when the traveler is r units away from the origin. The function g is called the growth radius. Such domains can be highly nonconvex and asymmetric. We give a detailed account of the case g(r) = γr p , 0 < p < 1. When p = 1, a twisted domain can reasonably be interpreted as a twisted cone.
Synthesis of the covalent benzene−carbon monoxide cycloadduct, norborna-2,5-dien-7-one: correlation of kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities in cycloreversion reactions

endo-Tricyclo[4.2.1.02,5]non-7-ene-3,4,9-trione (14) is prepared from the 5,5-diethoxy-cyclopcntadiene-diethyl maleate Diels-Alder adduct. Photolysis of the trione in CD2Cl2 solution at 192 K forms norborna-2,5-dien-7-one (2). The latter substance is thermally unstable and decomposes to benzene and CO with ΔG‡ =15 kcal mol-1. This appears to be the lowest activation energy for a cycloreversion yet measured. A correlation is found for the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities in a series of 18 orbital symmetry allowed cycloreversions by plotting ΔG‡ vs ΔHr.
Nitridation anisotropy in SiO2∕4H–SiC

Nitrogen incorporation at the SiO2∕SiC interface due to annealing in NO is measured and shown to be a strong function of crystal face. The annealing process involves two major solid-state chemical reactions: nitrogen uptake at the interface and N loss associated with second-order oxidation. An ad hoc kinetics model explains the experimental observations of anisotropy and nitrogen saturation.
Platelet-derived growth factor production by human umbilical vein endothelial cells is regulated by basic fibroblast growth factor.

Abstract Human umbilical vein endothelial cells express the B chain gene (c-sis) of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). PDGF acts as a mitogen for mesenchymal cells and has recently been reported to be a potent vasoconstrictor (Berk, B. C., Alexander, R. W., Brock, T. A., Gimbrone, M. A., Jr., and Webb, R. C. (1986) Science 232, 87-90). Regulation of c-sis therefore, may play an important role in maintaining and controlling the integrity of the vasculature. We report here that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a growth factor for endothelial cells in culture, significantly decreases the amount of PDGF-like protein secreted by these cells. Levels of c-sis mRNA increase more than 10-fold in the absence of bFGF. This effect is specific for the B chain of PDGF as transcript levels of other growth factors synthesized by endothelial cells, such as transforming growth factor beta are not affected by bFGF. c-sis mRNA levels increase 12 h after bFGF removal as the cells begin to accumulate in G0 stage of the cell cycle and remain elevated for at least 96 h. Transcript levels fall again upon re-exposure of the cells to bFGF. bFGF may regulate c-sis mRNA levels and PDGF protein production by endothelial cells either directly, or indirectly via cell cycle arrest at G0. This effect is not due to nonspecific cessation of cell growth because arresting the cells at S phase or in metaphase does not result in increased c-sis transcript levels.
On the Stability of Solutions to a Phase Transition Model

In this paper, we study the functional $$\displaystyle{J_{\epsilon }(u):= \frac{\epsilon ^{2}} {2}\int _{0}^{1}\vert u_{ x}\vert ^{2}dx +\int _{ 0}^{1}F(u)dx,\quad u \in W^{1,2}(0,1)}$$ under suitable assumptions on \(F: \mathbb{R}\longrightarrow \mathbb{R}\). This functional represents the total free energy of a phase transition model. In nature, energy seeks a minimum. As such, we can see that the first integral wants the slope of u to be flat whereas the second integral is pushing towards the minimum values of F.
Comparison and assimilation of global soil moisture retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR‐E) and the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR)

[1] Two data sets of satellite surface soil moisture retrievals are first compared and then assimilated into the NASA Catchment land surface model. The first satellite data set is derived from 4 years of X-band (10.7 GHz) passive microwave brightness temperature observations by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), and the second is from 9 years of C-band (6.6 GHz) brightness temperature observations by the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR). Despite the similarity in the satellite instruments, the retrieved soil moisture data exhibit very large differences in their multiyear means and temporal variability, primarily because they are computed with different retrieval algorithms. The satellite retrievals are also compared to a soil moisture product generated by the NASA Catchment land surface model when driven with surface meteorological data derived from observations. The climatologies of both satellite data sets are different from those of the model products. Prior to assimilation of the satellite retrievals into the land model, satellite-model biases are removed by scaling the satellite retrievals into the land model's climatology through matching of the respective cumulative distribution functions. Validation against in situ data shows that for both data sets the soil moisture fields from the assimilation are superior to either satellite data or model data alone. A global analysis of the innovations (defined as the difference between the observations and the corresponding model values prior to the assimilation update) reveals how changes in model and observations error parameters may enhance filter performance in future experiments.
Interconversion of glycine and serine in a synaptosome fraction isolated from the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, telencephalon, and cerebellum of the rat.

The metabolism of glycine was studied in vitro using preparations of synaptosomes (P2) isolated from the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, telencephalon, and cerebellum of the rat. The content of aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, serine, threonine, glycine, and alanine was determined in the crude synaptosomal fraction (P2) from the four regions of the CNS. In general, the content of the amino acids in the subcellular fraction from the medulla oblongata and spinal cord resembled one another whereas the same was true for the telencephalon and cerebellum. Significantly greater amounts of glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, and serine were found in the synaptosomal fraction of the telencephalon and cerebellum than in similar P2 fractions from the medulla oblongata and spinal cord. On the other hand, glycine had a higher content in the latter two preparations than in the P2 fractions from the telencephalon and cerebellum. [U-14C]-serine and [U-14C]-glycine were readily taken up by the crude synaptosomal fractions. The rate of conversion of serine to glycine appeared to be 18.5, 3.9, 2.9, and 2.7 times greater than the conversion of glycine to serine in the incubated synaptosomal fractions from the cerebellum, spinal cord, medulla oblongata, and telencephalon, respectively. The conversion of serine carbons into glycine appeared to be 2.5, 1.9 and 1.6 times greater in the synaptosomal fraction from the cerebellum, spinal cord, and medulla oblongata than in similar preparations from the telencephalon. The data are discussed in terms of the possible synthesis pathway for the pool of glycine used as a transmitter.
Structure of the catalytic chain of Methanococcus jannaschii aspartate transcarbamoylase in a hexagonal crystal form: insights into the path of carbamoyl phosphate to the active site of the enzyme

Crystals of the catalytic chain of Methanococcus jannaschii aspartate trans­carbamoylase (ATCase) grew in the presence of the regulatory chain in the hexagonal space group P6322, with one monomer per asymmetric unit. This is the first time that crystals with only one monomer in the asymmetric unit have been obtained; all known structures of the catalytic subunit contain several crystallographically independent monomers. The symmetry-related chains form the staggered dimer of trimers observed in the other known structures of the catalytic subunit. The central channel of the catalytic subunit contains a sulfate ion and a K+ ion as well as a glycerol molecule at its entrance. It is possible that it is involved in channeling carbamoyl phosphate (CP) to the active site of the enzyme. A second sulfate ion near Arg164 is near the second CP position in the wild-type Escherichia coli ATCase structure complexed with CP. It is suggested that this position may also be in the path that CP takes when binding to the active site in a partial diffusion process at 310 K. Additional biochemical studies of carbamoylation and the molecular organization of this enzyme in M. janna­schii will provide further insight into these points.
Storage modeling for power estimation

Power consumption is a major issue in today's datacenters. Storage typically comprises a significant percentage of datacenter power. Thus, understanding, managing, and reducing storage power consumption is an essential aspect of any efforts that address the total power consumption of datacenters. We developed a scalable power modeling method that estimates the power consumption of storage workloads. The modeling concept is based on identifying the major workload contributors to the power consumed by the disk arrays.To estimate the power consumed by a given host workload, our method translates the workload to the primitive activities induced on the disks. In addition, we identified that I/O queues have a fundamental influence on the power consumption. Our power estimation results are highly accurate, with only 2% deviation for typical random workloads with small transfer sizes (up to 8K), and a deviation of up to 8% for workloads with large transfer sizes. We successfully integrated our modeling into a power-aware capacity planning tool to predict system power requirements and integrated it into an online storage system to provide online estimation for the power consumed.
Changes in Adult Behavior to Decrease Disruption From Students in Nonclassroom Settings

Decreasing classroom disruptions that result from hallway-related behavior in high school settings can be very challenging for high school staff. This article presents a case example of preventing problem behavior related to hallway settings in a high school with over 1,200 students. The interventions are described, and the results of the plan are included.
Oxygen deficiency in cerium oxide under molten alkali carbonate

Abstract Pressed and sintered pure CeO 2 samples were exposed to molten (Li, K) 2 CO 3 for 350 and 500 h at 650°C. TEM and XRD studies after the exposure to molten carbonate showed the oxygen-deficient, ordered phases Ce 11 O 20 and Ce 6 O 11 to be present in these samples. Ce 11 O 20 was observed to re-oxidize in the microscope (3 × 10 −9 p o 2 −11 atm). Based on these observations, the oxygen activity of molten (Li, K) 2 CO 3 eutectic at 650°C was inferred to be at most 6 × 10 −29 atm.
Protecting multicast services in optical internet backbones

Many applications in the future Internet will use the multicasting service mode. Since many of these applications will generate large amounts of traffic, and since users expect a high level of service availability, it is important to provision multicasting sessions in the future Internet while also providing protection for multicast sessions against network component failures. In this paper we address the multicast survivability problem of using minimum resources to provision a multicast session and its protection paths (trees) against any single-link failure. We propose a new, and a resource efficient, protection scheme, namely, Segment-based Protection Tree (SPT). In SPT scheme, a given multicast session is first provisioned as a primary multicast tree, and then each segment on the primary tree is protected by a multicast tree instead of a path, as in most existing approaches. We also analyze the recovery performance of SPT and design a reconfiguration calculation algorithm to compute the average number of reconfigurations upon any link failure. By extending SPT to address dynamic traffic scenarios, we also propose two heuristic algorithms, Cost-based SPT (CB_SPT) and Wavelength-based SPT (WB_SPT). We study the performance of the SPT scheme in different traffic scenarios. The numerical results show that SPT outperforms the best existing approaches, optimal path-pair-based shared disjoint paths (OPP_SDPs). SPT uses less than 10% extra resources to provision a survivable multicast session over the optimal solution and up to 4% lower than existing approaches under various traffic scenarios and has an average number of reconfigurations 10-86% less than the best cost efficient approach. Moreover, in dynamic traffic cases, both CB_SPT and WB_SPT achieves overall blocking probability with 20% lower than OPP_SDP in most network scenarios.
Critically Ill Patients' Acuity Levels, Staffing, and Requirements for Patient Transport to and Within the MRI Department

MRI procedure rooms have safety challenges related to patient monitoring due to equipment constraints, distance of care providers from patients, and procedure lengths. Often, preprocedure assessment regarding patient care needs is not available to the radiology staff until patient arrival. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify objective criteria to determine critically ill patients' acuity level, staffing, and monitoring requirements for patient transport to and within the MRI department. Results indicated statistically significant ICU and MRI nursing concordance in determining patient acuity and care requirements. Study results have assisted in identifying departmental staffing, schedules, and appropriate support equipment.
Long-term outcome of patients with perianal Paget's disease.

Background: Perianal Paget's disease (PPD) is a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma with a significant rate of recurrence after treatment and high risk of progression to an invasive cancer.
A Pilot Study of Relations Among Specific Measures Obtained at Intake and Discharge in a Program of Prevention and Early Intervention for Stuttering

Relations are identified among specific measures taken at intake and discharge in an early intervention/prevention program for stuttering. The measures of interest were: waiting period between iden...
Plastic iritis secondary to an odontogenic infection

Abstract The spread of an odontogenic infection to the orbit is a relatively rare occurrence. The spread of acute dental infection is affected by the relationship of the teeth to the alveolar process (the part of the mandible or maxilla containing the tooth sockets) and by the arrangement of the muscles and fasciae of the face and neck [1]. The following paper describes in detail the possible ocular complications of odontogenic infections and the pathways of transmission.
Effect of zinc deficiency on blood pressure in rats fed normal and high levels of dietary calcium

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the effect ofzinc deficiency on blood pressure in immature rats and to determine if high levels of dietary calcium influence the response. Weanling male albino rats were fed for 26 days diets based on soybean protein and egg white and containing either 0.65% or 2.0% calcium. Within each Ca series two groups consumed a low-zinc (
Ergonomic interventions for commercial crab fishermen

Abstract Work tasks in the commercial fishing industry require strength, endurance and coordination and these tasks expose fishermen to many of the recognized risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The focus of the current study was the design, development and testing of two simple ergonomic interventions to reduce exposure to these risk factors in small-scale commercial crab fishermen. In a laboratory study of these interventions, EMG and motion analysis systems were used to quantify changes in muscle force and body postures. The results of laboratory evaluation of the intervention designed to reduce the low back stress associated with hoisting the crab pots onboard showed significant reductions in muscle force requirements (erector spinae activity reduced by 25%) and peak sagittal trunk angle (reduced by 34%), while the results of the intervention designed to reduce shoulder stress during the process of shaking the crabs from the pots showed significant reductions in peak deltoid activity (reduced by 24%). A field test of these interventions provided a more subjective “usability” evaluation of the interventions. These responses were cautiously positive, providing insights into when these interventions would be most appropriate and under what conditions they would be more of a hindrance than a help. Relevance to industry Engineering controls are recognized as the most effective methods of reducing exposure to risk factors for musculoskeletal injury. Engineering controls were developed for small-scale commercial crab fishermen and these interventions were tested in the laboratory and in the field.
Argon 40-argon 39 chronology of lithic clasts from the Kapoeta howardite

^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar age spectra have been measured on plagioclase separates from three basaltic clasts (A, B, C), a pyroxene separate from clast B, and a total sample of a fourth basaltic clast (ρ) from the Kapoeta achondritic meteorite. The Ar data show that three of the four clasts crystallized ≥4.5 AE ago. Xe measurements indicate all four formed within a 0.1 AE period (Huneke, et al., 1977, Lunar Science VIII, pp. 484–486). Three clasts have suffered various degrees of ^(40)Ar loss since that time. The times of ^(40)Ar degassing do not cluster about a single time analogous to the lunar cataclysm. The survival of ≥4.5 AE ages contrasts with the general absence of ages ≥4.0 AE on the moon. The Ar retention age of clast B of ≥4.57 AE is atypically older than the Rb-Sr age of 3.6 AE (Papanastassiou et al., 1974, Lunar Science V, p. 583). The 3.5 AE Ar age of clast A is distinctly younger than the Rb-Sr age of 3.9 AE (Papanastassiou et al., 1974). The K-Ar and Rb-Sr systems are clearly not equivalent dating techniques in these instances. The combined evidence of Ar, Xe and Rb-Sr studies suggests the period of volcanism on the Kapoeta parent planet was restricted to the first ~0.2 AE of solar system history. The subsequent thermal metamorphic histories recorded in each of the four clasts after formation are distinctly different. The clasts must have existed as independent fragments at least as recently as 3.5 AE ago. The cosmic ray exposure ages of all the four clasts are similar (~ 3 Myr), and are not significantly different from that of the bulk meteorite. The clasts spent essentially all of the time prior to the formation of Kapoeta at depths greater than a few meters.
Development of a Highly Sensitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on Polyclonal Antibodies for the Detection of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins

The development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on polyclonal antibodies for the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins is described. We previously reported the synthesis of haptens and generation of antibodies for detection of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Antisera were screened with seven different coating antigens (hapten−protein conjugates), including trans-3-(7,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-2-yl)-cis-2-methylpropenoic acid (VII) and 5-(3,7,8-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-2-yl)penta-trans,trans-2,4-dienoic acid (X). All inhibition screening and optimization studies were conducted using a less toxic surrogate standard for TCDD [2,3,7-trichloro-8-methyl-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TMDD; XVII)] which responded similarly to 2,3,7,8-TCDD in the ELISA. The most sensitive assay from the screening studies [coating antigen VII-BSA, 0.1 μg/mL, and antiserum 7598 (anti-X-LPH), 1:10000] was further optimized and characterized. It exhibited an IC50 value of 12 pg/well (240 pg/mL), with working range ...
Wireless Vibration Sensing Without a Battery

This paper presents the implementation and characterization of a low power wireless vibration sensor that can be powered by a flash light. The wireless system consists of two components, namely the wireless sensor node and the wireless interrogation unit. The wireless sensor node includes a wireless strain gauge that consumes around 6 mW, a signal modulation circuit, and a light energy harvesting unit. To achieve ultra-low power consumption, the signal modulation circuit was implemented using a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to convert the strain gauge output to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, which is then used to alter the impedance of the sensor antenna and thus achieves amplitude modulation of the backscattered antenna signal. A generic solar panel with energy harvesting circuit is used to power the strain sensor node continuously. The wireless interrogation unit transmits the interrogation signal and receives the amplitude modulated antenna backscattering, which can be down-converted to recover the IF signal. In order to measure the strains dynamically, a Phase Lock Loop (PLL) circuit was implemented at the interrogator to track the frequency of the IF signal and provide a signal that is directly proportional to the measured strain. The system features ultra-low power consumption, complete wireless sensing, solar powering, and portability. The application of this low power wireless strain system for vibration measurement is demonstrated and characterized.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Suggested statistical standards for NTT manuscripts: notes from two of your reviewers.

Abstract The purpose of a scientific paper in this journal is to persuade the reader of some important or potentially important facts. For a reader to be persuaded, first the manuscript reviewers must be persuaded, and if the manuscript involves statistical reasoning, at least one of those reviewers is likely to be a statistician. This invited article, by two long-time reviewers for Neurotoxicology and Teratology (NTT) who are also contributors of statistical papers, surveys some of the principles that render a manuscript more persuasive or less persuasive in our eyes. These principles are overwhelmingly not statistical but logical. For one typical NTT manuscript theme, the relation between some toxic exposure and one or more negative outcomes in humans, the aspects of manuscripts we scrutinize most closely include biological plausibility, dose-response relationships, breadth of evidence, adjustments for measurement bias, attention to assumptions and scatterplots in the search for confounds, and, in general, a sincere attempt to enunciate and then refute plausible hypotheses rival to the one the investigators prefer. The literature of excellent studies in other fields provides ample instances of good practice in these matters; we review it in those fields for applications in ours. Formal statistical significance testing plays almost no role in the most persuasive papers. In particular, findings that appear only after “adjustment for covariates” are never considered credible by these reviewers; we explain our reasons at length, and suggest alternatives.
We Became Teachers Together: Understanding Collaborative Teaching as Innovation in Unified Teacher Education

Abstract With the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997 and No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), teacher education programs are recognizing the importance of helping general and special education prospective teachers gain the skills necessary to share the responsibility for educating students with disabilities. One approach for developing shared responsibility within teacher education programs is the development of cooperative teaching placements that nurture the skills necessary for collaboration. This study explores how co-teaching within a pre-internship cultivates prospective teacher collaboration and enhances teacher learning. The findings of this study are revealed through three metaphorical themes: “Teachers playing together: Collegiality, Job Satisfaction, and Shared Responsibility,” “The Gift of the Gab: A Cycle of Teacher Talk,” and, “Cruising Together: Navigating the Politics of Schools.” These themes suggest that co-teaching field placements sho...
Weyl's Gauge Invariance: Conformal Geometry, Spinors, Supersymmetry, and Interactions

Abstract We extend our program of coupling theories to scale in order to make their Weyl invariance manifest, to include interacting theories, fermions and supersymmetric theories. The results produce mass terms coinciding with the standard ones for universes that are Einstein, but are novel in general backgrounds. They are generalizations of the gravitational couplings of a conformally improved scalar to fields with general scaling and tensor properties. The couplings we find are more general than just trivial ones following from a conformal compensating mechanism. In particular, in the setting where a scale gauge field (or dilaton) is included, masses correspond to Weyl weights of fields organized in “tractor” multiplets. Breitenlohner–Freedman bounds follow directly from reality of these weights. Moreover, massive, massless and partially massless theories are handled in a uniform framework. Also, bona fide Weyl invariant theories (invariant without coupling to scale) can be directly derived in this approach. The results are based on the tractor calculus approach to conformal geometry, in particular we show how to handle Fermi fields, supersymmetry and Killing spinors using tractor techniques. Another useful consequence of the construction is that it automatically produces the (anti-) de Sitter theories obtained by log-radial reduction of Minkowski theories in one higher dimension. Theories presented in detail include interacting scalars, spinors, Rarita–Schwinger fields, and the interacting Wess–Zumino model.
EFFECT OF SODIUM ALUMINATE ON THE THERMAL EXPANSION OF REFRACTORY CLAY BODIES

Additions of 2% sodium aluminates to highly siliceous clay-flint bodies fired at cones 13 to 14 appreciably decreased but did not eliminate the cristobalite expansion. A second firing at the same temperature increased the cristobalite expansion, compared with that produced in the first firing, but the expansion in both cases was less than that of the body without the addition of sodium aluminates. A similar addition made to Missouri semiflint clay increased the cristobalite expansion after one firing but decreased it after a second firing, compared, in both cases, with the expansion of the body to which no sodium aluminate had been added.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL SELF-CONSISTENT RADIO FREQUENCY PLASMA SIMULATIONS RELEVANT TO THE GASEOUS ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE RF REFERENCE CELL

Over the past few years multidimensional self-consistent plasma simulations including complex chemistry have been developed which are promising tools for furthering our understanding of reactive gas plasmas and for reactor design and optimization. These simulations must be benchmarked against experimental data obtained in well-characterized systems such as the Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) reference cell. Two-dimensional simulations relevant to the GEC Cell are reviewed in this paper with emphasis on fluid simulations. Important features observed experimentally, such as off-axis maxima in the charge density and hot spots of metastable species density near the electrode edges in capacitively-coupled GEC cells, have been captured by these simulations.
Hybrid flagellar motor/MEMS based TNT detection system

Effective and rapid detection of nitroaromatic explosive compounds, especially trinitrotoluene (TNT), is very important to homeland security as well as to environmental monitoring of contaminants in soil and water, and landmine detection. In this research, we explore a novel nanoscale flagellar motor based TNT detection system (nFMTNT). The nFMTNT is a bio-hybrid MEMS system which combines genetically engineered flagellar motors and MEMS devices. The system consists of three major components: (1) a non-pathogenic, genetically modified Escherichia coli strain KAF95 with a rotating flagellar filament, (2) a microchannel with tethered cells, and (3) a sub-micron bead attached to a rotating flagellar filament. The operational principle of nFMTNT is based on detecting the change in the rotational behavior of the nanoscale flagellar filament in the presence of TNT. The rotational behavior of flagellar filaments of E. coli KAF95 was shown to be extremely sensitive to the presence of nitrate or nitrite. Normally, the flagellar filaments were locked in to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. However, when a nitrate or nitrite was present in the immediate environment, the filaments cease to rotate. Our results indicate that the threshold concentrations required for this response were 10 -4 M for nitrate and 10 -3 M for nitrite. This is equivalent to around 10 pg of nitrate and 100 pg of nitrite, based on the dimension of the MEMS-based reaction system used for the experiment (400 μm × 100 μm × 40 μm). These detection limits can be even lower when the size of the system is reduced.
Low-power radix-4 quotient generator

A study of low-power radix-4 quotient generators is presented. A modified SRT division algorithm [2] is used to produce the quotient but not the final remainder. Consequently, a gradual bit-slice deactivation (i.e., progressive truncation of the residual precision) is exploited to reduce the number of active modules across iterations and, consequently, to reduce power dissipation and energy. An increasing portion of the divider circuit area turns into “dark silicon”. In this paper we report preliminary synthesis results of radix-4 quotient generators for 16, 24, 32, and 54 bits with respect to area, delay, power dissipation, and energy. We compare these results with the corresponding results of conventional full-precision radix-4 SRT dividers for the same cases. The results indicate a potential for significant reduction of power dissipation and energy but no effect on latency.
Does consciousness lead to action? Exploring the impact of Perestroika and post‐Perestroika on women in Russia

Abstract In this article, the author treats the impact of the period since 1985 on Soviet/Russian women's consciousness about their place and status in society. The tumultuous forces of glasnost, reform, the end of the ancient regime and the birth pangs of a new regime have resulted in an amazing diversity of views among Russian women. Although consciousness has been raised and dissatisfaction with the heavy burdens women bear is discussed frequently, there has been little concerted effort to improve the situation for women. Grassroots movements are attempting to make changes, but their impact is limited. The prognosis is slow change without a clear direction.
Analysis of radiation by arrays of parallel vertical wire antennas over imperfect ground

Describes a computer program labelled RCVERT. This is a program for analyzing radiation from arrays of parallel vertical thin-wire antennas over the horizontal surface of an imperfectly conducting earth. The effects of the imperfectly conducting earth are accounted for approximately by using the method of reflection coefficients