cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuberculin and Anergy Skin Testing of Patients Receiving Long-term Hemodialysis

Study objectives Immunocompromised patients with chronic renal failure requiring hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Routine TB screening of this population is recommended. This study examined the frequency of TB reactions and anergy in HD patients in a community with a high prevalence of TB. Design Outpatients in a hospital-based HD center were screened with tuberculin, Candida, and mumps antigen. Results Forty percent of patients were anergic and 19% were tuberculin reactors. No demographic factors correlated with either test results. Conclusions There was a high rate of TB infection and anergy in this HD center. Despite the high rate of anergy, tuberculin testing remains a useful test in this population. Anergic patients require further clinical evaluation for TB. Other HD programs should tuberculin and anergy test their patients to determine prevalence in their populations.
Studies toward the Total Synthesis of Axinellamine and Massadine

Intramolecular Diels−Alder reactions of several N−O linked 4-vinylimidazole dimers provide the expected adduct in moderate to good yield as a single, all trans stereoisomer, along with smaller amounts of the inverse electron demand adduct. Oxidative rearrangement of the cycloadducts occurs on treatment with Davis' reagent, providing a single spiro imidazolone in good yield and with excellent levels of stereocontrol albeit epimeric at the spiro center found in axinellamine and massadine.
Tuning digital PI controllers for minimal variance in manipulated input moves applied to imbalanced systems with delay

Determining the discrete-time proportional plus integral (PI) controller tuning parameters to achieve the smallest possible variance in the manipulated input moves, for a given variance in the controlled output, is the subject of this article. Previous researchers have developed tuning rules for PI and PI permutated nonlinear controllers to achieve what is commonly referred to as “level-flow smoothing”, or “averaging level control”, on imbalanced or integrating processes with delay, such as liquid level and gas pressure systems. The intent of this note is to demonstrate a new and simple technique of tuning digital PI controllers which utilizes either open or closed-loop historical data to estimate the process gain, dead-time and expected flow disturbance magnitude from which the digital PI tuning constants can be easily derived. By parameterizing the closed-loop system as a function of the PI tuning constants, we can simultaneously minimize the expected variation in the process input move and output responses while at the same time ensuring nominal stability of the overall system. In order to demonstrate the technique, an illustrative example is included which highlights the new procedure on an oil refinery liquid surge drum level process. On se propose dans cet article de determiner les parametres de reglage de controleurs proportionnels integraux (PI) a temps discret afin d'atteindre la plus petite variance possible dans les variations d'entree manipulees, pour une variance donnee dans la sortie controlee. Les recherches anterieures ont etabli des regles pour des controleurs non lineaires permutes PI et des controleurs PI dans le but de realiser ce qui est communement appele le “level flow smoothing” ou le “averaging level control” sur des procedes non equilibres ou integrant avec retard tels que les systemes a pression de gaz et a niveau liquide. Le but de notre article est de demontrer une nouvelle technique simple de reglagle des controleurs PI numeriques qui utilisent des donnees historiques en boucle soit ouverte soit fermee pour estimer le gain de procede, le temps mort et l'importance souhaitee de la perturbation de l'ecoulement a partir desquels les constantes de reglage PI numeriques peuvent etre facilement calculees. En parametrant le systeme en boucle fermee en fonction des constances de reglage du PI< nous pouvons simultanement minimiser la variation attendue dans la manipulation des entrees du procede et les reponses a la sortie tout en assurant en meme temps une stabilite nominale de tout le systeme. Afin de demontrer cette technique, nous donnons un exemple qui illustre la nouvelle facon de proceder dans un procede de controle de niveau dans un reservoir de trop-plein liquide d'une raffinerie de petrole.
Identification of head motions by central vestibular neurons receiving linear and angular input

Most naturally occurring displacements of the head in space, due to either an external perturbation of the body or a self-generated, volitional head movement, apply both linear and angular forces to the head. The vestibular system detects linear and angular accelerations of the head separately, but the succeeding control of gaze and posture often relies upon the combined processing of linear and angular motion information. Thus, the output of a secondary neuron may reflect the linear, the angular, or both components of the head motion. Although the vestibular system is typically studied in terms of separate responses to linear and angular acceleration of the head, many secondary and higher-order neurons in the vestibular system do, in fact, receive information from both sets of motion sensors. The present paper develops methods to analyze responses of neurons that receive both types of information, and focuses on responses to sinusoidal motions composed of a linear and an angular component. We show that each neuron has a preferred motion, but a single neuron cannot code for a single motion. However, a pair of neurons can code for a motion by the relative phases of firing-rate modulation. In this way, information about motion is enhanced by neurons combining information about linear and angular motion.
Tunneling spectroscopy in vertically coupled quantum wires

Abstract Tunneling between independently contacted weakly coupled quantum wires provides insight into the nature of interactions in one-dimensional systems. The double quantum wires used here are defined using a combination of gates both above and below an electron bilayer to create and make separate contact with the wires. This split-gate technique has the advantage of independent control over the density of each of the quantum wires. Tunneling measurements are performed as a function of both a voltage bias between the wires as well as an in-plane magnetic field. These external parameters alter the energy and momentum of the tunneling electron, and therefore provide complete spectroscopic information about tunneling events in 1D. Evidence for tunneling between wires with multiple subbands is presented. Our results can be well described using a model of non-interacting tunneling in 1D.
A mechanism for detecting data manipulation attacks on PMU data

The fundamental role of the measurement and control information in the normal operation of smart grids makes cyber-security a critical necessity for existing and future power systems. This paper addresses the problem of detecting data manipulation attacks on smart grids, in the particular context of the data from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). The proposed methodology is based on comparing the estimates of the transmission line parameters as obtained from the PMU data with their known values. Data modification attacks are then detected when a statistically significant deviation is observed in the estimated and nominal values. In this proof-of-concept, work-in-progress paper, we verify the proposed detection methodology using mathematical analysis.
Meteoroid streams that trace to candidate dormant comets

Abstract In an effort to identify space mission targets of interest, the association of known meteoroid streams with Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) was investigated. In addition to updating previous searches to include NEOs discovered up to January 1, 2007, a new dissimilarity criterion based on dynamical arguments was applied to evaluate the likelihood of each candidate association. The new criterion is based on the fact that the few established cases, such as 2003 EH1 and the Quadrantid stream, involve parent bodies that fragmented in the most recent nutation cycle of their secular orbital evolution. In established cases, the statistics speak strongly of an association due to the lack of NEOs in the a, e, i phase space occupied by these showers. The newly proposed associations are much more uncertain, because the odds of chance associations greatly increase as orbital inclination of the showers decreases. Forty-two plausible candidate dormant comets were identified, that deserve further scrutiny. Both comet and stream typically lack sufficient data to prove the association. Most candidate parent bodies pertain to NEOs with an aphelion distance just short of Jupiter's orbit, a perihelion distance near Earth orbit, and an eccentricity in the range 0.5–0.8. Surprisingly many have a > 2.5 AU , which means that most candidate parent bodies are dormant Jupiter family comets that have not yet fully decoupled from Jupiter. Establishing these associations can provide further evidence that (mostly) dormant comets break frequently, making this the dominant mechanism for replenishing the zodiacal cloud.
Is genomics bad for you

The plasticity of the genome complicates genetic causation but should be investigated from a functional perspective. Specific adaptive hypotheses are referenced in the target article, but it is also necessary to explain how the integrity of the genome is maintained despite processes that tend towards its diversification and degradation. These include the accumulation of deleterious changes and intragenomic conflict.
Development of an unbiased method for the estimation of liver steatosis.

: Background: Steatosis significantly contributes to an organ's transplantability. Livers with >30% fat content have a 25% chance of developing primary non-function (PNF). The current practice of evaluating a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained donor biopsy by visual interpretation is subjective. We hypothesized that H&E staining of frozen sections fails to accurately estimate the degree of steatosis present within a given liver biopsy. To address this problem of evaluating steatosis in prospective donor organs, we developed a fast, user friendly computer methodology to objectively assess fat content based on the differential quantification of color pixels in Oil Red O (ORO) stained liver biopsies. Methods: The accuracy of human visual estimation of fat content by H&E and ORO stains was compared with computer-based measurements of the same slides from 25 frozen sections of donor biopsies. Results: Samples with a fat content >20% showed marked variation between human interpretation and computer analysis. There was also a significant difference in the human interpretation of fat based on the method of staining. This difference ranged from 3 to 37% with H&E. Discussion: Use of ORO resulted in a more consistent estimation of liver steatosis compared with H&E, but human interpretations failed to correlate with computer measurements. Such differences in fat content estimations might result in the rejection of a potentially transplantable organ or the acceptance of a marginal one. Ideally, our protocol can rapidly be applied to clinical practice for accurate and consistent measurement of fat in liver sections for the ultimate purpose of increasing the number of successful transplantable organs.
Heat Dissipation in Nanocomputing: Lower Bounds From Physical Information Theory

Computing circuits that irreversibly discard information unavoidably dissipate heat. Dissipative costs resulting from information loss, while insignificant in CMOS technology, may be dominant or even prohibitive in some dense, high-speed post-CMOS nanocomputing circuits that employ logically irreversible operations. In transistor-based paradigms, dissipation costs associated with logical irreversibility may be supplemented by additional unavoidable costs associated with particle supply required to maintain the computational “working substance.” These considerations motivate determination of fundamental lower bounds on the dissipative cost of computation that can be applied to concrete nanocomputing technology proposals. In this paper, we present a methodology for the determination of such bounds and illustrate its application to half-adder circuits implemented in the quantum cellular automata and nano-wire-based nano-application specific-integrated circuit paradigms. The resulting bounds reflect fundamental costs inherent in the underlying computational strategies employed by these circuits. Prospective use of this methodology as an assessment tool for post-CMOS nanocomputing technology proposals is discussed.
The use of RF-plasma reactions for in-situ transmission electron microscopy studies

Abstract A specimen introduction/reaction system is described for a transmission electron microscope modified for UHV operation. The dry-pumped and UHV-compatible reaction chamber can be used for subjecting microscope specimens to RF-plasma treatments. The plasma oxidation and reduction of an in-situ-deposited particulate palladium film supported on amorphous alumina is described. A significant degree of redispersion is caused by this low-temperature process.
Scan Design Using Standard Flip-Flops

Classical scan designs require properly augmented flip-flops, often called scan flip-flops. Problems stem from the high area overhead implied by the need for these flip-flops or the inability to modify standard flip-flops. The authors outline a method to design easily testable sequential circuits that achieve scan designs using standard (unmodified) flip-flops.
The effect of hunger on the threshold of behavioral arousal.

The threshold of behavioral arousal in the rat was measured by presenting a series of bursts of noise of increasing intensity, and observing S’s behavior. Such thresholds were found to be related to ongoing behavior, history of testing, and conditions of deprivation. A single severe deprivation had no effect upon the threshold but regularly scheduled feeding lowered it.
The Behavior of the Open Magnetic Field of the Sun

The magnetic field of the Sun can be considered as having two distinct components: open magnetic flux, in which the field lines remain attached to the Sun and are dragged outward into the heliosphere with the solar wind, and closed magnetic flux, in which the field remains entirely attached to the Sun and forms loops and active regions in the solar corona. In this paper a model is presented for the behavior of the Sun's open magnetic flux. It is argued that the total open flux should tend to be constant in time since it can be destroyed only if open flux of opposite polarity reconnects, a process that may be unlikely since the open flux is ordered into large-scale regions of uniform polarity. The behavior of open flux is thus governed by its motion on the solar surface. The motion may be primarily due to a diffusive process that results from open field lines reconnecting with randomly oriented closed loops, and also to the usual convective motions on the solar surface, such as differential rotation. The diffusion process needs to be described by a diffusion equation appropriate for transport by an external medium, which is different from the usual diffusion equation used in energetic particle transport. The loops required for the diffusion have been identified in recent observations of the Sun and have properties, of both size and composition, consistent with their use in the model. The diffusive motions can account for the concentrations of open flux at the coronal holes, where the loops are reduced and the diffusion limited. The motions result in the reversal of the polarity of open flux over the solar cycle simply by the rotation of the current sheet that separates regions of single polarity. The diffusive process, in which reconnection occurs between open field lines and loops, is responsible for the input of mass and energy into the solar wind. The motions of the open field lines also influence the configuration of the heliospheric magnetic field.
A novel partnership in psychiatric education.

Objective The authors describe a unique institutional partnership between an adult psychiatry training program and a K-12 school that focuses on enriching educational opportunities and improving outcomes at both institutions.
Polyneuropathy improvement following autologous stem cell transplantation for POEMS syndrome

Objective: To study the evolution of the neuropathy and long-term disability in a large cohort of patients with POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) syndrome following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Methods: Retrospective chart review documenting the clinical, electrophysiologic, and laboratory characteristics of patients with POEMS syndrome undergoing ASCT at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Results: Sixty patients with a median follow-up time of 61 months were studied. All patients had peripheral polyneuropathy and demonstrated neurologic improvement after ASCT (apart from one patient who died early). Before ASCT, 27 patients (45%) required a wheelchair and 17 (29%) required a walker or foot brace. At the end of the follow-up period, no patient was using a wheelchair and 23 patients (38%) were using a foot brace. The median Neuropathy Impairment Score improved from 66 to 48 points at 12 months and to 30 points at most recent follow-up ( p p p p p p Conclusion: Patients with POEMS syndrome who undergo ASCT have a significant and meaningful improvement of their neuropathy by multiple measurements during both short and long-term follow-up, which corresponds to reduction in morbidity and disability (none are in wheelchair long-term). Periengraftment syndrome was common but manageable. Fatal complications, although rare, did occur, usually in association with other malignancies. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with POEMS syndrome, ASCT improves neuropathy-related function.
MANDIBULAR AND DENTAL VARIATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF SUCTION FEEDING IN ODONTOCETI

Comprehensive morphometric analysis of osteological and necropsy specimens indicates that blunt heads and wide jaws, both of which create a more circular mouth opening and thus improve water flow for suction feeding, are common in Odontoceti and found in all families except freshwater river dolphins (Platanistoidea), which are exclusively long-snouted. Mandibular bluntness, here termed amblygnathy, correlates with dental reduction in odontocetes; there is a further association of reduced dentition with increased body length. Examination of quantitative data reveals that many odontocetes, especially globicephaline delphinids, have a blunter cranial profile (partly from facial musculature and other soft tissues) and fewer exposed teeth for grasping prey than is generally supposed, especially when the researcher relies solely on examination of skeletal materials. Numerous teeth present in cleaned skulls and jaws remain unerupted even in adults, as verified by necropsy tooth counts, rendering tooth counts from museum specimens unreliable indicators of in vivo conditions. Amblygnathy and smaller, rounder mouth openings correlate with other anatomical, ecological, and behavioral traits associated with suction feeding. It is likely that odontocete suction ingestion evolved independently in multiple lineages from use of suction to transport grasped prey in long-jawed ancestors, with consequent loss of the grasp and transport step as prey are sucked directly into the oral cavity or oropharynx.
Female choice based on male spatial ability and aggressiveness among meadow voles

The way in which female mate choice, scramble competition and contest competition for mates interact to influence the evolution of male traits is poorly understood. We tested female preferences for males that varied in spatial ability and aggressiveness, traits likely to be selected by scramble and contest competition, respectively. Male meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, were tested for their spatial ability using a series of water maze tests, and their aggressiveness was determined using paired arena trials. Females were given a choice between two tethered males, and their preferences were scored based on relative frequency and duration of visits. Females preferred males with low aggressiveness and good spatial ability to males with high aggressiveness and poor spatial ability. Females showed no preference between males with high aggressiveness and good spatial ability and males with low aggressiveness and poor spatial ability. These results suggest that female choice and scramble competition will favour males with better spatial ability. In contrast, female choice does not seem to favour more aggressive males.
The Pursuit of Happiness, American Style: Tom Wolfe's Study of Status and Freedom

(2005). The Pursuit of Happiness, American Style: Tom Wolfe's Study of Status and Freedom. Perspectives on Political Science: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 16-26.
ASSESSMENT OF PITUITARY ACTH SECRETORY CAPACITY WITH METOPIRONE: II. COMPARISON WITH OTHER TESTS.

The Metopirone test has been compared to 2 other measures of pituitary ACTH secretion, the insulin tolerance test and the water-loading test, in a variety of patient groups. The results confirm the impression that the Metopirone test is the most sensitive measure now available for assessing pituitary ACTH secretory capacity. Discrepancies between the Metopirone and insulin tolerance tests were noted, indicating that the Metopirone test should be considered a measure of only one aspect of pituitary ACTH secretory capacity, and not necessarily a measure of total reserve.
Xiangming Chen, Anthony M.Orum, and Krista E.Paulsen, Introduction to Cities: How Place and Space Shape Human Experience (Chichester, UK: Wiley‐Blackwell, 2013).

This is a textbook primarily geared to students who have not yet studied the concept of cities and design. For this audience, the book offers an uncomplicated introduction to an array of city-relat...
Pulmonary mechanics in healthy term neonates: variability in measurements obtained with a computerized system.

Using a commercially available computer-based analysis of ventilation and esophageal pressure (PeDs), we studied 11 healthy term neonates with serial pulmonary mechanics measurements during the first 3 days of life to determine the intrasubject variability of repeated measurements. Three consecutive pulmonary function tests were obtained before and after repositioning of the esophageal catheter, for a total of six measurements per day in each subject. The daily coefficient of variation for these 11 subjects ranged from 6% to 32% for respiratory rate; 6% to 27% for tidal volume; 3% to 28% for specific dynamic compliance, and 11% to 69% for pulmonary resistance. Repositioning the esophageal catheter did not produce significant differences in measurements of pulmonary mechanics ( p >0.05). We conclude that within a given subject, the maximum variability (mean+2 SD) was 28% for specific dynamic compliance and 56% for pulmonary resistance. These intrasubject variability limits are important when one is interpreting pulmonary mechanics measurements in neonates before and after specific treatment, such as bronchodilators, diuretics, surfactant, or steroids.
ABCA1 Is the cAMP-inducible Apolipoprotein Receptor That Mediates Cholesterol Secretion from Macrophages

Lipid-poor high density lipoprotein apolipoproteins remove cholesterol and phospholipids from cells by an active secretory pathway controlled by an ABC transporter called ABCA1. This pathway is induced by cholesterol and cAMP analogs in a cell-specific manner. Here we provide evidence that increased plasma membrane ABCA1 accounts for the enhanced apolipoprotein-mediated lipid secretion from macrophages induced by cAMP analogs. Treatment of RAW264 macrophages with 8-bromo-cAMP caused parallel increases in apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux, ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels, incorporation of ABCA1 into the plasma membrane, and binding of apoA-I to cell-surface ABCA1. All of these parameters declined to near base-line values within 6 h after removal of 8-bromo-cAMP, indicating that ABCA1 is highly unstable and is degraded rapidly in the absence of inducer. Thus, ABCA1 is likely to be the cAMP-inducible apolipoprotein receptor that promotes removal of cholesterol and phospholipids from macrophages.
Aggressive Datacenter Power Provisioning with Batteries

Datacenters spend $10--25 per watt in provisioning their power infrastructure, regardless of the watts actually consumed. Since peak power needs arise rarely, provisioning power infrastructure for them can be expensive. One can, thus, aggressively underprovision infrastructure assuming that simultaneous peak draw across all equipment will happen rarely. The resulting nonzero probability of emergency events where power needs exceed provisioned capacity, however small, mandates graceful reaction mechanisms to cap the power draw instead of leaving it to disruptive circuit breakers/fuses. Existing strategies for power capping use temporal knobs local to a server that throttle the rate of execution (using power modes), and/or spatial knobs that redirect/migrate excess load to regions of the datacenter with more power headroom. We show these mechanisms to have performance degrading ramifications, and propose an entirely orthogonal solution that leverages existing UPS batteries to temporarily augment the utility supply during emergencies. We build an experimental prototype to demonstrate such power capping on a cluster of 8 servers, each with an individual battery, and implement several online heuristics in the context of different datacenter workloads to evaluate their effectiveness in handling power emergencies. We show that our battery-based solution can: (i) handle emergencies of short durations on its own, (ii) supplement existing reaction mechanisms to enhance their efficacy for longer emergencies, and (iii) create more slack for shifting applications temporarily to nonpeak durations.
Influence of scale on electrostatic forces and torques in AC particulate electrokinetics.

Dielectrophoretic forces and torques move and manipulate biological cells, typically of the order of 10 μm (∼10−5 m) in diameter and ordinarily suspended in aqueous liquids, using electrodes with dimensions around 100 μm (∼10−4 m). The ability to exploit these same electromechanical effects for particles below 1 μm, that is, <10−6 m, creates opportunities for remote manipulation and handling of subcellular components, biological macromolecules, and DNA. In this paper, Trimmer's bracket notation is adapted for systematic examination of the scaling laws governing electrokinetic behaviour. The purpose is to shed light on how critical performance measures relevant to the laboratory on a chip are affected by reducing particle sizes and electrode dimensions into the nanometre range. The scaling methodology facilitates consideration of the effect of electrode structure and particle size reduction on voltage, electric field, heating, and response time. Particles with induced moments, dipolar and quadrupolar, as well as permanent dipoles are examined. Separate consideration is given to electrical torque and its application in electrorotation and particle alignment. An eventual goal of these scaling studies is to identify the lower limit on the size of particles that can be manipulated effectively using electrokinetic phenomena.
Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate Tablet Coating

A tablet film coating process using dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate was easily performed on tablets in a relatively short period of time using conventional coating equipment. The coating showed exceptional resistance to heat, light, and trauma. An inherent weakness to environmental moisture could be prevented. The coating has the advantage of being noncaloric in composition and does not hinder disintegration of the tablets.
A potential microevolutionary life‐history trade‐off in White‐Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus)

Summary 1Reproductive costs can affect survival and future reproduction. In winter and in short photoperiods, some individuals within populations of temperate-zone rodents inhibit reproduction and decrease food intake, while others do not. 2Two lines derived from a natural population of White-Footed Mice and selected to maintain or inhibit reproduction in short photoperiod were tested for two potentially correlated responses to selection: changes in food intake and body mass. Mice were raised to age 70 days in short or long photoperiod, following which testis size, body mass and food intake were measured over a 2-week period. 3In both lines and both photoperiods, there was an apparent response to selection in testis size and a correlated response to selection in food intake but not body mass. In both photoperiods, mice in the line selected for winter reproduction ate 50% more than mice in the line selected for winter reproductive inhibition. Mice in an unselected control line were intermediate for testis size and food intake. 4The increased food intake in a line of mice with a genetic tendency for winter reproduction suggests a potential cost of winter reproduction and a potential microevolutionary trade-off related to this cost of reproduction.
Oxidative Stability of Fish and Algae Oils Containing Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bulk and in Oil-in-Water Emulsions

The oxidative stability of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-containing fish and algae oils varies widely according to their fatty acid composition, the physical and colloidal states of the lipids, the contents of tocopherols and other antioxidants, and the presence and activity of transition metals. Fish and algal oils were initially much more stable to oxidation in bulk systems than in the corresponding oil-in-water emulsions. The oxidative stability of emulsions cannot, therefore, be predicted on the basis of stability data obtained with bulk long-chain PUFA-containing fish oils and DHA-containing algal oils. The relatively high oxidative stability of an algal oil containing 42% DHA was completely lost after chromatographic purification to remove tocopherols and other antioxidants. Therefore, this evidence does not support the claim that DHA-rich oils from algae are unusually stable to oxidation. Addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) prevented oxidation of both fish and algal oil emulsions without added iron and at low iron:EDTA molar concentrations. EDTA, however, promoted the oxidation of the corresponding emulsions that contained high iron:EDTA ratios. Therefore, to be effective as a metal chelator, EDTA must be added at molar concentrations higher than that of iron to inhibit oxidation of foods containing long-chain PUFA from either fish or algae and fortified with iron.
Vapor−Liquid Equilibria of Methanol, Ethanol, Propan-2-ol, and 2-Methylpropan-2-ol with a Five-Component Hydrocarbon Mixture at 101.3 kPa

Isobaric vapor−liquid equilibria (VLE) were measured at 101.3 kPa for the systems of methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol, and 2-methylpropan-2-ol separately with a five-component hydrocarbon mixture. The relative volatilities of alcohol with respect to the hydrocarbon mixture were also derived. Analysis of the experimental VLE data exhibits a minimum boiling temperature for all the systems. The experimental data have been correlated with the mole fraction of alcohol using the Redlich−Kister and Wisniak−Tamir equations.
Achieving Depression Literacy: The Adolescent Depression Knowledge Questionnaire (ADKQ).

Mental health literacy appears to be an important target for prevention and intervention efforts. However, limitations exist in this literature base, including the lack of a validated measure to assess this construct. The Adolescent Depression Knowledge Questionnaire (ADKQ) was created to assess knowledge of depression and attitudes about seeking help (i.e., depression literacy) for mental health issues before and after introduction of a universal, school-based intervention, the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP). The ADKQ measured depression knowledge and attitudes in 8,216 high school students immediately before ADAP was implemented and 6 weeks after. The latent structure of the Knowledge section was examined with attention to measurement invariance between males and females and type of instructor, as well as pre- to post-test. Categories were developed for the open-ended questions of the Attitudes section. A one-factor (General Knowledge) latent structure was the best fit to the data. The latent structure of the ADKQ did not differ by student’s gender or type of instructor, nor did it differ based on pre- or post-test. Categories for the Attitudes portion of the ADKQ were developed. Psychometric evidence supports the ADKQ as a measure to evaluate adolescent depression literacy pre- to post-test and within several groups of interest (e.g., gender, facilitator). Categories for the Attitudes section of the ADKQ will allow for easier evaluation of this measure with quantitative data.
Magnesium and memantine do not inhibit nociceptive neuronal activity in the trigeminocervical complex of the rat

Experimental studies with NMDA receptor antagonists, such as magnesium and memantine, have demonstrated the ability of these substances to inhibit nociceptive trigeminal neurotransmission in electrophysiological studies. Despite these promising experimental results clinical trials results have been less than clear. To investigate further this contrast using the open channel blockers, magnesium and memantine, we studied their effects in a model of nociceptive trigeminovascular activation.
Bound-state instability of the chiral Luttinger liquid in one dimension

We have developed a ``bootstrap'' method for solving a class of interacting one-dimensional chiral fermions. The conventional model for interacting right-moving electrons with spin has an SO(4) symmetry, and can be written as four interacting Majorana fermions, each with the same velocity. We have found a method for solving some cases when the velocities of these Majorana fermions are no longer equal. We demonstrate in some detail the remarkable result that corrections to the skeleton self-energy identically vanish for these models, and this enables us to solve them exactly. For the cases where the model can be solved by bosonization, our method can be explicitly checked. However, we are also able to solve some cases where the excitation spectrum differs qualitatively from a Luttinger liquid. Of particular interest is the so-called SO(3) model, where a triplet of Majorana fermions, moving at one velocity, interact with a single Majorana fermion moving at another velocity. Using our method we show, that a sharp bound (or antibound) state splits off from the original Luttinger-liquid continuum, cutting off the x-ray singularity to form a broad incoherent excitation with a lifetime that grows linearly with frequency.
Intraplacental choriocarcinoma associated with viable pregnancy: pathologic features and implications for the mother and infant

Choriocarcinoma arising in the placenta, or intraplacental choriocarcinoma, has seldom been reported, particularly in the absence of maternal metastases. Reluctance to diagnose choriocarcinoma in the presence of chorionic villi can delay diagnosis; however, timely diagnosis of choriocarcinoma is prognostically important, both for the mother and infant. We report the clinicopathologic findings in five mothers and infants in whom choriocarcinoma was identified in the placenta. None of the mothers had a history of gestational trophoblastic disease in previous pregnancies. Three placentas were similar with a single small lesion grossly suggesting a small infarct; microscopically these consisted of infarcted areas surrounded by choriocarcinoma. These three mothers were unusual in that none had metastatic choriocarcinoma; two were treated with chemotherapy and remained disease-free; the third was lost to follow-up shortly following delivery. The remaining two mothers had known pulmonary metastases at time of delivery. One of these latter two placentas contained a large marginal lesion microscopically identified as choriocarcinoma. The fifth placenta had rare microscopic foci of choriocarcinoma, and sheets of necrotic choriocarcinoma were identified in "blood clot" submitted with the placenta. In four of the five cases the choriocarcinoma appeared to be arising from otherwise normal chorionic villi, and in no case was there invasion of the villous stroma. All of the infants survived, and none had evidence of choriocarcinoma. These cases support the concept that choriocarcinoma associated with otherwise normal pregnancy arises in the placenta and may be more common than reported.
Allene oxide synthases and allene oxides

Allene oxides are unstable epoxides formed by the enzymatic dehydration of the lipoxygenase products of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The allene oxide synthases are of two structurally-unrelated types. In plants, a subfamily of cytochromes P450, designated as CYP74A, use the hydroperoxides of linoleic and linolenic acids as substrate. Both the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides may be converted to allene oxides and subsequently give rise to plant signaling molecules. In corals, a catalase-related hemoprotein functions as the allene oxide synthase. These marine invertebrates, as well as starfish, form allene oxides from the 8R-hydroperoxide of arachidonic acid. The coral allene oxide synthase from Plexaura homomalla occurs as the N-terminal domain of a natural fusion protein with the 8R-lipoxygenase that forms its substrate. This enzyme may be involved in biosynthesis of the cyclopentenone eicosanoids such as the clavulones.
Beyond the Letter of the Law Accessibility, Universal Design, and Human-Centered Design in Video Tutorials

This article demonstrates how Universal and Human-Centered Design approaches can be applied to the process of library video tutorial creation in order to enhance accessibility. A series of questions that creators should consider in order to focus their design process is discussed. These questions break down various physical and cognitive limitations that users encounter, providing a framework for future video creation that is not dependent on specific software. By approaching accommodations more holistically, videos are created with accessibility in mind from their conception. Working toward the ideal of a video tutorial that is accessible to every user leads to the creation of more clearly worded, effective learning objects that are much more inclusive, making instructional concepts available to users of all abilities.
Assessing medical students’ empathy and attitudes towards patient-centered care with an existing clinical performance exam (OSCE)

Abstract This research was performed to study the ability of an existing 8-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to capture the degree of students’ patient-centeredness and empathy as measured by the 18-item Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and the 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). A cohort of 101 year-3 students completed the OSCE, PPOS, and JSE. Results showed that students’ level of empathy had a moderate association with students’ score on the patient-provider interaction component of the OSCE. Simulated patients in clinical encounters can be used for identifying the level of students’ empathy.
Contact dermatitis after the use of the PronePositioner.

UNLABELLED The PronePositioner is used to support the head during prone position procedures. We present the first case report of allergic contact dermatitis from the PronePositioner. The patient was sensitized to the urethane in the PronePositioner during his many previous surgeries. We caution its repeated use in a single patient secondary to concerns of sensitization. IMPLICATIONS We present the first case report of allergic contact dermatitis from the PronePositioner. We caution its repeated use in a single patient secondary to concerns of sensitization to the urethane in the PronePositioner.
An approach to early warning of slowly evolving crises with reference to food shortage forecasting

An approach is described for forecasting slowly evolving food crises for which an early warning index is assumed to change linearly with time. The difficulties faced in decision making are outlined. It is seen that the `α-β tracker' can provide optimal estimates of the early warning index and its rate of change. Equations are developed for obtaining the optimal estimates, the corresponding variance-covariance matrix, and estimates of false alarm or failure-to-detect probabilities at each decision point. Decisionmakers are also provided with information relating to the decisions of whether and when to acquire further data for another crisis-no crisis decision.
Stylus profiling at high resolution and low force

This paper describes experimental work to improve the lateral resolution of stylus instruments. Our efforts involve (1) use of a fine stylus, (2) low stylus load, (3) high magnification in the lateral direction, and (4) specimens with fine surface structure by which the lateral resolution of stylus instruments could be detected. By using styli with tip widths between 0.05 and 0.15-μm, a stylus load of 0.6–1.2 × 10−6-N (0.06–0.12-mgf), and a piezostage for lateral displacement, we detected 0.05–0.15-μm lateral resolution on the surfaces of different kinds of specimens. To get a high lateral resolution, the most important consideration is a fine stylus with small tip size.
Experimental Demonstration of Optical DQPSK Receiver Based on Frequency Discriminator Demodulator

This paper presents experimental data demonstrating a novel differential quadrature phase-shift keying receiver based on optical frequency discriminator demodulator with direct detection. The experimental results confirm theory, showing a factor of 2times enhanced tolerance to chromatic dispersion compared with a conventional delay-interferometer-based demodulator with balanced detection. The frequency discriminator direct detection receiver also shows a significant improvement in tolerance to Gordon-Mollenauer nonlinear phase noise.
Predicting laser weld reliability with stochastic reduced‐order models

Laser welds are prevalent in complex engineering systems and they frequently govern failure. The weld process often results in partial penetration of the base metals, leaving sharp crack-like features with a high degree of variability in the geometry and material properties of the welded structure. Furthermore, accurate finite element predictions of the structural reliability of components containing laser welds requires the analysis of a large number of finite element meshes with very fine spatial resolution, where each mesh has different geometry and/or material properties in the welded region to address variability. We found that traditional modeling approaches could not be efficiently employed. Consequently, a method is presented for constructing a surrogate model, based on stochastic reduced-order models, and is proposed to represent the laser welds within the component. Here, the uncertainty in weld microstructure and geometry is captured by calibrating plasticity parameters to experimental observations of necking as, because of the ductility of the welds, necking – and thus peak load – plays the pivotal role in structural failure. The proposed method is exercised for a simplified verification problem and compared with the traditional Monte Carlo simulation with rather remarkable results.
Efficient method for carrier offset correction in OFDM system

We present a simple approach to estimate and correct the carrier offset in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system. The approach leads to a computationally and statistically efficient estimator for the carrier offset. Computer simulations verify that the estimation accuracy is comparable to the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB). We demonstrated that by incorporating the estimated carrier offset (obtained using reasonable frames of OFDM data) in the demodulation process, the bit error rate (BER) can approach that of the ideal OFDM system with no carrier offset.
Extraction and detection of a new arsine sulfide containing arsenosugar in molluscs by IC-ICP-MS and IC-ESI-MS/MS

Using IC-ICP-MS and IC-ESI-MS/MS, an unknown arsenical compound in molluscs has been identified as a new arsine sulfide containing analog of a known arsenosugar and is referred to as As(498). This species has been observed in four separate shellfish species following a mild methanol–water extraction. As(498) is unstable, especially in acid, and converts to the arsine oxide containing arsenosugar As(482) over time. Chromatographic retention of As(498) was observed on an anion exchanger ION-120 column but the species did not elute as a well defined peak from a PRP-X100. Mass spectrometric analysis of As(498) at pH 9.0 produced an [M–H]− species at a mass to charge of 497 in the negative-ion mode. A synthetic standard of As(498) was made by bubbling hydrogen sulfide into a stock solution of arsenosugar As(482). The retention time and ESI-MS/MS data were identical for the synthetic standard of As(498) and the unknown arsenical in shellfish extracts.
A simple model of R & D project dynamics

A simple dynamic model is developed that describes some of the important aspects of research and development projects. Its purpose is illustration of the applicability of dynamic modelling to understanding the key factors affecting R & D performance. The model recognizes the differences among real, perceived, and reported progress on the job. It also includes the effect of schedule pressures on productivity. Simulation results are presented that, among other things, illustrate the trade-off between meeting schedule and maintaining organizational stability, the effects of rapid problem detection and response, and the difficulties due to the intangible nature of R & D progress.
Data gathering in sensor networks using the energy*delay metric

In this paper we consider the problem of data collection from a sensor web consisting of N nodes, where nodes have packets of data in each round of communication that need to be gathered and fused with other nodes’ packets into one packet and transmitted to a distant base station. Nodes have power control in their wireless communications and can transmit directly to any node in the network or to the base station. With unit delay cost for each packet transmission, if all nodes transmit data directly to the base station, then both high energy and high delay per round will occur. In our prior work [6], we developed an algorithm to minimize the energy cost per round, where a linear chain of all the nodes are formed to gather data, and nodes took turns to transmit to the base station. If the goal is to minimize the delay cost, then a binary combining scheme can be used to accomplish this task in about log N units of delay with parallel communications and incurring a slight increase in energy cost. The goal is to find data gathering schemes that balance the energy and delay cost, as measured by energy*delay. We conducted extensive simulation experiments with a number of schemes for this problem with 100 nodes in playing fields of 50m x 50m and 100m x 100m and the base station located at least 100 meters and 200 meters, respectively, from any node. With CDMA capable sensor nodes, a chain-based binary scheme performs best in terms of energy*delay. If the sensor nodes are not CDMA capable, then parallel communications are possible only among spatially separated nodes, and a chain-based 3 level hierarchy scheme performs well. These schemes perform 60 to 100 times better than direct scheme and also outperform a cluster based scheme, called LEACH [3].