cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization for real-time monitoring of trichloroethylene formed by degradation of tetrachloroethylene using zero-valent zinc.

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) is investigated as a potential technique for real-time monitoring of selected volatile organochloride compounds (VOCs). In a proof-of-concept experiment, the progress of the reductive-degradation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) to trichloroethylene (TCE) by zero-valent zinc was monitored by REMPI measurements performed in the headspace above the PCE solution. Two-photon resonant REMPI spectra of TCE and PCE were recorded over the wavelength range 305–320 nm. The concentrations of PCE and TCE in the headspace were monitored by measurement of the ionization signal with 315.64- and 310.48-nm excitation for PCE and TCE, respectively. Calibration curves yielded a linear range of more than 2 orders of magnitude for both compounds. The REMPI headspace results agreed well with the solution-phase results from gas chromatography analysis, which was used for independent verification of the progress of the reaction.
Supersonic Compressive Ramp Without Laminar Boundary-Layer Separation

Similar, laminar, boundary-layer theory for a two-dimensiona l or axisymmetric body is extended by a derivation that yields explicit equations for the wall shape. Isentropic edge conditions are assumed, which results in a differential equation for the pressure gradient parameter ft. The solution of this equation, when ft is constant, parametrically yields the wall shape with the edge Mach number as the parameter. A two-dimensional wall shape is determined when the freestream is supersonic. For a compressive turn, the boundary layer does not separate if ft is not too negative. In this case, the magnitude of ft depends on the ratio of wall temperature to the freestream stagnation temperature. For this application a criterion is provided for the validity of the isentropic edge assumption. A transformation is given for axisymmmetric body shapes.
The Minimaxity of the Mid P-value under Linear and Squared Loss Functions

The mid-p is defined as the sum of the probabilities of all outcomes more extreme than an observed value, plus half of the probabilities of all outcomes exactly as extreme. On the one hand, it offers greater power than the standard p-value, but on the other, tests based on the mid-p statistic may have greater Type I error than their nominal level. This article investigates the mid p-value's properties under the estimated truth paradigm, which views p-values as estimators of the truth. The mid-p is shown to minimize the maximum risk for one-sided and two-sided tests.
Free product Z3∗Z3 of rotations with rational entries

Abstract In this paper we develop an approach to constructing the free product Z 3 ∗ Z 3 of rotations which avoids transcendental numbers and irrational numbers. The main result is that two rotations of order three g and h with rational entries generate the free product Z 3 ∗ Z 3 if (gh) 2 ≢ 0 ( mod p) , when appropriate p -divisibility conditions are satisfied for integer vectors that yield quaternion covers.
A framework to update Hofstede's cultural value indices: economic dynamics and institutional stability

This study offers an update of the Hofstede cultural value dimensions. We argue that changes in economic conditions are the source of cultural dynamics, while the endurance of institutional characteristics provides the foundation for cultural stability. It is found that national wealth, measured by GDP per capita, has a curvilinear relationship with individualism, long-term orientation, and power distance scores. Relatively speaking, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity mainly reflect some rather stable institutional traditions, such as language, religion, climate, ethnic homogeneity, and legal origin, and are less likely to change over time.
Depolarization of the Components of Rayleigh Scattering in Liquids

The depolarization ratios have been determined in eight liquids by employing a He–Ne laser as a source and Fabry–Perot interferometer techniques. Individual depolarization ratios were obtained for the separate Rayleigh components scattered at 90°. In most cases the Brillouin components were strongly polarized; the observed depolarization was predominantly due to the depolarized background. The temperature dependence of the Rayleigh component gives some evidence for the presence of ordering in some liquids.
Dopamine and Pancreatic Islet Function

Pancreatic islets are spheroidal clusters of electrically and chemically connected endocrine cells, whose function plays a key role in glucose homeostasis. Islet β-cells secrete insulin in response to increased blood glucose concentration, but their response is modulated by other stimuli (such as glucagon, insulin, acetylcholine, epinephrine, etc.). The application of stimulatory glucose concentrations (>6 mM) to isolated pancreatic islets produces synchronized oscillations in intracellular [Ca2+]. During these [Ca2+] oscillations, the entire pancreatic islet secretes insulin in a pulsatile manner.We are exploring the role of endogenous production of dopamine by β-cells in the regulation of [Ca2+] oscillations and insulin secretion. Using fluorescent Ca2+ indicators, micro-fluidic devices, and confocal microscopy, we have measured the period of [Ca2+] oscillations in isolated intact islets. Treating the islets with the dopamine precursor, L-DOPA (3,4-Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine), or a selective antagonist of D2 dopamine receptor, Raclopride, causes a decrease and an increase in the frequency of [Ca2+] oscillations. Parallel experiments were performed using islets from genetically modified mice that do not express the dopamine transporter, and it was found that their [Ca2+] oscillations are also slower than those from wild type mice. Hence, we propose that this autocrine dopaminergic system is part of the mechanism that regulates [Ca2+] oscillations.The oscillation period depends on the islet electrical and metabolic activity. To begin understanding the potential mechanisms by which dopamine is exerting its function in the β-cell, we are using computer modeling to simulate the islet activity and reproduce the data and to gather information on the main pathway involved in the observed dopaminergic effect.
A Case of Progressive Lung Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by progressive fibrosis of the lung and poor prognosis. This is the case report of a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that highlights many of the controversies inherent in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Agreeing to disagree: search engines and their public interfaces

Google, Yahoo and MSN all provide both web user interfaces (WUIs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) to their collections. Whether building collections of resources or studying the search engines themselves, the search engines request that researchers use their APIs and not "scrape" the WUIs. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the interfaces produce different results. We provide the first in depth quantitative analysis of the results produced by the Google, MSN and Yahoo API and WUI interfaces. We have queried both interfaces for five months and found significant discrepancies between the interfaces in several categories. In general, we found MSN to produce the most consistent results between their two interfaces. Our findings suggest that the API indexes are not older, but they are probably smaller for Google and Yahoo. We also examined how search results decay over time and built predictive models based on the observed decay rates. Based on our findings, it can take over a year for half of the top 10 results to a popular query to be replaced in Google and Yahoo; for MSN it may take only 2-3 months.
Weak gravitational field of a superconducting domain wall

The Newtonian gravitational field of a flat, infinite superconducting domain wall that can be endowed with charge and /or current is investigated using the linear approximation of general relativity. It is found that such a domain wall can possess a Newtonian gravitational field that is everywhererepulsive, everywhereattractive, orrepulsive at smaller distances andattractive at larger ones, depending upon the amount of charge and /or current supported by the wall.
Corner forces experienced by vibrating rectangular plates

Dynamic corner forces on a vibrating rectangular plate are shown to exist both analytically and numerically. The effect of rotational and translational restraints is studied using the exact Levy method. Corner forces are absent if an adjacent edge is clamped. Also there are certain combinations of aspect ratio and translational stiffness for which corner forces are zero. The study has definite implications for the design and numerical simulation of vibrating plates.
CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE CULTURE-FREE SELF-ESTEEM INVENTORY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN COLLEGE STUDENTS '

55 college students received the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventory and a 13-item measure of physical health; significant Pearson correlations (generally in the .40s) were found on all but one subscale of the self-concept measure and the health measure. The results are in line with research using other measures of self-esteem and physical health and suggest that the self-esteem inventory may be useful as a research measure.
"Somatization" and "Comorbidity": A Study of Jhum-Jhum and Depression in Rural Nepal.

Research on depression in non-Western settings has focused on “somatization,” defined as recurrent bodily complaints among persons with psychological distress. Such studies have often recorded higher rates of somatization in non-Western groups compared to Western settings, fueling speculation about cross-cultural differences in the physical manifestation of psychiatric disorders. However, few of these studies have rigorously considered possible physical explanations before diagnosing cases as somatization. For example, bodily complaints may result from comorbid nonpsychiatric physiological illness as opposed to psychological distress exclusively. The present study employs a biocultural framework to investigate the power of comorbid physiological and psychological illness versus somatization to influence bodily complaints. This study examines depression in rural Nepal, focusing on jhum-jhum, a form of paresthesia (subjective numbness or tingling), from a cultural standpoint of its emic explanation and a medical model of its pathogenesis. This study identified a 42 percent prevalence of jhum-jhum (N = 316), with the group reporting jhum-jhum being more depressed than the non-jhum-jhum group. Without further physical diagnosis, those depressed individuals with jhum-jhum might be diagnosed as somatizers. However, in a subsample of individuals (N = 65) with jhum-jhum and high depression scores, physical pathology associated with two-thirds of jhum-jhum cases. After accounting for physiological associations, the estimated prevalence of somatization is no higher than observed in Western settings. These findings suggest, therefore, that claims of cross-cultural differences in somatization should be examined with attention to the local burden of physical disease using adequate biological and cultural methods for assessing comorbidity.
Prostatic Abscess Due to Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

We report what we believe to be the second case of a prostatic abscess due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A previously healthy diabetic man presented with dysuria, fatigue, weight loss, a tender prostate, and leukocytosis. Computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a large prostatic abscess at the base of the bladder. Blood, urine, and pus obtained by percutaneous aspiration grew MRSA. Percutaneous drainage and prolonged therapy with intravenous vancomycin resulted in cure. Prostatic abscess is most often caused by Gram-negative organisms. Community-acquired MRSA, which usually causes skin and soft tissue infections, may also cause prostatic abscess. The mainstay of treatment of prostatic abscess is drainage, which can be accomplished either percutaneously or transurethrally. Gram stain and culture of the drainage will direct proper antibiotic selection.
On the group of units of certain rings

Abstract In this paper we determine the structure of the unit group of a primary, Noetherian ring which is homogeneous (as defined in a previous paper). To do this we obtain a diagram for the “one group” and apply the results of a previous paper [On diagrams for abelian groups, J. Number Theory 2 (1970), 442–458].
STATINS MAY AGGRAVATE MYASTHENIA GRAVIS

Statin-induced myopathy is well-known, but the effect of cholesterol-lowering agents on myasthenia gravis (MG) has not been studied in detail. We investigated statin use and its effects on MG among patients with this disease. Statin information was systemically obtained from 170 patients being treated at the Neuromuscular Disease Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. When a new myalgic syndrome or worsening of MG developed within 4 months after statin treatment, no other likely cause was found, and clinical improvement occurred either with or without discontinuation of the statin, we considered these symptoms to be statin-induced. Fifty-four patients (31%) were on statins. The statin group had proportionally more males, and older patients compared with the non-statin group. A myalgic syndrome was noted in 7 (13%) patients, but it resolved without any sequelae after withdrawal of the statin. MG worsening occurred in 6 (11%) patients without regard to type of MG or brand of statin. MG worsening occurred independently of myalgic syndrome and involved predominantly oculobulbar symptoms within 1-16 weeks of statin treatment. In 4 patients, additional treatment was needed to reverse MG worsening. Statins are safe in the majority of MG patients, but their use must be accompanied by close observation for possible MG worsening.
Reflections on ethical issues in psychopharmacology: an American perspective.

Abstract Psychopharmacology has revolutionized psychiatric practice but raises a number of ethical issues. This review from an American perspective first describes ethics analyses and attempts to portray the ethical practitioner. Pressures that interfere with appropriate prescribing come from outside the prescriber and from within, including from insurers, other treatment staff and the prescriber's own will to act for the patient. Clinicians also face binds in which alternate choices seem to have merit and leave the prescriber feeling pulled in contradictory directions, frequently related to risk–benefit dilemmas. The ethics of psychopharmacology poses many questions that cannot yet be answered at the current state of the field. Pharmacology also seems to promote extremes of attitudes, such as “All such drugs are poisons” and the like. This review then provides some risk management principles, and concludes that such a review, though not comprehensive, may serve to open questions that are not always considered by clinicians.
Randomized controlled studies of Injection Gold Probes compared with monotherapies for hemostasis of bleeding canine gastric ulcers

Abstract Background: There is a significant interest in combination therapy using endoscopic epinephrine injection and thermal coagulation for nonvariceal hemostasis. The purpose of the study was to compare the relative effectiveness, ease of use, and safety of new Injection Gold Probes to other hemostasis techniques in three randomized, controlled laboratory studies of bleeding canine gastric ulcers. Methods: Fifteen dogs with prehepatic portal hypertension were heparinized and bleeding gastric ulcers were induced with jumbo biopsy forceps. Three different prototypes of Injection Gold Probes were compared with monotherapy (thermal, electrocoagulation, or epinephrine injection alone), control, or combination therapy with separate injector and thermal probes. The treatment times, total number of pulses or injections, volume of epinephrine injected, and ease of applications were recorded. Gastric ulcer size, ulcer healing, and complications were evaluated at 1 and 4 weeks. Results: All endoscopic treatments were effective for acute hemostasis compared with control. Thermal coagulation alone was the fastest treatment to perform. The performance of the first Injection Gold Probe prototype was restricted by its small-gauge needle. The second and third Injection Gold Probe prototypes had a larger-gauge needle and irrigation channel which made them faster and easier to use than separate injection catheters and thermal probes. Conclusions: The advantages of Injection Gold Probes were the ability to irrigate, inject, and coagulate without probe removal. Combination therapy did not increase treatment-related complications compared with monotherapies. (Gastrointest Endosc 1998;48:598-605.)
Orthopedic surgery in the United States Army: a historical review.

ABSTRACTThe contribution of American military surgeons to the development of orthopedic surgery has not previously been explored. The experiences of American military surgeons in conflicts from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan have advanced the orthopedic discipline, resulting in important developments within the field, as well as scientific discoveries that have benefited both the civilian and military communities. From advances in wound care, to spinal surgery, intramedullary nailing of long bone fractures, and external fixation, American military surgeons have been pioneers of orthopedic surgery. The goal of this review was to survey the American military orthopedic experience from the American Revolution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scanning electron microscopy of tribochemical films on Si3N4 to H2O at high temperatures

Abstract Polycrystalline silicon nitride has been abraded in a ball-on-flat apparatus in a controlled water environment at elevated temperatures up to 1100°C. It was found that the friction coefficient and wear rate were significantly reduced at varying H 2 O partial pressures in the temperature range 300–800°C. The high friction and wear values were regained when the temperature was increased; the high temperature transition depended on the water partial pressure. Scanning electron microscopy of those wear tracks, when the friction coefficient was low, showed that the wear groove contained cylindrically shaped debris (rolls) oriented perpendicular to the sliding direction. The “rolls” support the load, lower the friction coefficient and reduce the wear rate.
Laughter, the Best Mediation: Humor as Emotion Management in Interaction

Recent work in emotions and emotion management suggests that humor is a social phenomenon and serves an important purpose in interaction. That is, humor can be viewed as interpersonal emotion management, whose purpose is to manage the emotions of others as well as of the self. This article offers the following definition as an analytical tool: humor as emotion management is an expert cultural performance; which strengthens or restores the feeling norms of the situation and creates amusement in the self and others; generating positive sentiments among members of an interacting group by bonding them and/or reducing an external threat; often at the expense of some excluded person(s), event(s), or object(s).
The Effect of the California Tobacco Control Program on Smoking Prevalence, Cigarette Consumption, and Healthcare Costs: 1989–2008

Background: Previous research has shown that tobacco control funding in California has reduced per capita cigarette consumption and per capita healthcare expenditures. This paper refines our earlier model by estimating the effect of California tobacco cont
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Activity Is Critical for Neuronal Death Caused by Inhibiting Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase or Akt but Not for Death Caused by Nerve Growth Factor Withdrawal

Numerous studies reveal that phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and Akt protein kinase are important mediators of cell survival. However, the survival-promoting mechanisms downstream of these enzymes remain uncharacterized. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta), which is inhibited upon phosphorylation by Akt, was recently shown to function during cell death induced by PI 3-kinase inhibitors. In this study, we tested whether GSK-3 beta is critical for the death of sympathetic neurons caused by the withdrawal of their physiological survival factor, the nerve growth factor (NGF). Stimulation with NGF resulted in PI 3-kinase-dependent phosphorylation of GSK-3 beta and inhibition of its protein kinase activity, indicating that GSK-3 beta is targeted by PI 3-kinase/Akt in these neurons. Expression of the GSK-3 beta inhibitor Frat1, but not a mutant Frat1 protein that does not bind GSK-3 beta, rescued neurons from death caused by inhibiting PI 3-kinase. Similarly, expression of Frat1 or kinase-deficient GSK-3 beta reduced death caused by inhibiting Akt. In NGF-maintained neurons, overexpression of GSK-3 beta caused a small but significant decrease in survival. However, expression of neither Frat1, kinase-deficient GSK-3 beta, nor GSK-3-binding protein inhibited NGF withdrawal-induced death. Thus, although GSK-3 beta function is required for death caused by inactivation of PI 3-kinase and Akt, neuronal death caused by NGF withdrawal can proceed through GSK-3 beta-independent pathways.
Music as Embodied Mathematics: A Study of a Mutually Informing Affinity.

The argument examined in this paper is that music – when approached through making and responding to coherent musical structures,facilitated by multiple, intuitively accessible representations – can become a learning context in which basic mathematical ideas can be elicited and perceived as relevant and important. Students' inquiry into the bases for their perceptions of musical coherence provides a path into the mathematics of ratio,proportion, fractions, and common multiples. Ina similar manner, we conjecture that other topics in mathematics – patterns of change,transformations and invariants – might also expose, illuminate and account for more general organizing structures in music. Drawing on experience with 11–12 year old students working in a software music/math environment, we illustrate the role of multiple representations, multi-media, and the use of multiple sensory modalities in eliciting and developing students' initially implicit knowledge of music and its inherent mathematics.
Discriminative stimulus effects of anandamide in rats.

Anandamide (arachidonylethanolamide), a putative endogenous ligand for the cannabinoid receptor, produces a tetrad of behavioral effects in mice characteristic of psychoactive cannabinoids including catalepsy, antinociception, hypothermia, and hypomobility. The present study examined the discriminative stimulus effects of anandamide in rats trained to discriminate Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol or the potent cannabinoid receptor ligand CP 55,940 {−)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexanol)} from vehicle. Intraperitoneal injections of anandamide substituted for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and for CP 55,940; however, unlike substitution dose-effect curves with the training drugs, anandamide substitution occurred at a single dose (30 or 45 mg/kg) and was accompanied by severe decreases in response rates. The results of the present study suggest that, although systemic anandamide administration may have cannabimimetic effects similar to those of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and CP 55,940, some differences in the behavioral effects of anandamide and other psychoactive cannabinoids also are apparent.
Early diagnosis in abdominal surgery

Abstract A brief review has been given of those diseases chiefly responsible for acute surgical conditions in the abdomen. Emphasis is laid upon the value of early diagnosis. Attention has been called to those factors that have a tendency to defeat, or at least to render difficult making a diagnosis sufficiently early to give the best results. Figures are quoted that show a very definite decrease in our mortality when early surgical intervention is undertaken.
The career of Maclyn McCarty

On January 2, 2005, the scientific community lost a valued colleague and friend. Maclyn McCarty, or “Mac,” as he was better known, was perhaps most recognized for his part in the discovery of DNA as the carrier of genetic information. But McCarty's scientific career was long and fruitful, and his contributions to science were vast. This retrospective offers a look at some of Mac's other notable scientific achievements.
A controller for dynamic walking in bipedal robots

This paper presents an approach for the closed-loop control of actuated biped that allows natural looking and energy efficient walking. Rather than prescribe kinematic trajectories or kinematic constraints, the approach is based on the prescription of state dependent torques that “encourage” patterned movement. Some of the prescribed torques are referenced to the inertial reference frame, which largely decouples the angular dynamics of the robot, and as such greatly simplifies the selection of control parameters. Implementation of torques from the inertial coordinate frames is enabled by a joint torque computation which is motivated by Gauss's principle of least constraint. The proposed approach is implemented in simulation on an anthropomorphic biped, and is shown to quickly converge to a natural looking gait limit cycle. Simulations are conducted with various control parameters and different initial conditions. The authors also show that walking speed can be altered in a simple manner by varying two intuitive controller parameters. The mechanical cost of transport computed on a representative dynamic walk is used to validate energy efficiency of the proposed control approach.
On distances in uniformly random networks

The distribution of Euclidean distances in Poisson point processes is determined. The main result is the density function of the distance to the n-nearest neighbor of a homogeneous process in Ropfm, which is shown to be governed by a generalized Gamma distribution. The result has many implications for large wireless networks of randomly distributed nodes
Surfactant Sealing of Membranes Permeabilized by Ionizing Radiation

Abstract Hannig, J., Zhang, D., Canaday, D. J., Beckett, M. A., Astumian, R. D., Weichselbaum, R. R. and Lee, R. C. Surfactant Sealing of Membranes Permeabilized by Ionizing Radiation. Acute tissue injury and subsequent inflammation, including tissue edema and erythema, can be caused by sufficiently high levels of exposure to γ radiation. The mechanism of this tissue injury is related to the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) which chemically alter biological molecules and cell physiology. Cell membrane lipids are vulnerable to ROI-mediated lipid peroxidation that then leads to many of the acute tissue effects. We hypothesize that increased cell membrane permeability leading to osmotic swelling and vascular transudation is one of these effects. Thus we used adult postmitotic rhabdomyocytes in culture and microscopic fluorescence techniques to quantify radiation-induced changes in cell membrane permeability. Based on time-resolved dye flux measurements, a characteristic lag time of 34 ± 3 mi...
Can you keep a secret? Increasing speakers’ motivation to keep information confidential yields poorer outcomes

Attempts to keep confidential information from being revealed can ironically increase the likelihood of its revelation. We ask whether increasing speakers’ motivation to avoid revealing confidential information, through the use of a monetary incentive, helps them overcome their tendency to do so. Data showed that speakers were most likely to reveal confidential information after receiving an instruction and monetary incentive to avoid doing so. Speakers’ increased revelations occurred despite the fact that their partners were able to capitalize on this information to the detriment of speakers’ outcomes. We argue that unintended revelations of confidential information occur due to cognitive processes that are largely beyond speakers’ control. These processes likely work to speakers’ benefits in many circumstances, but they also lead to systematic errors that speakers have difficulty correcting.
The Tonsil Party and a Career in Pediatric Psychology

When I reached age 5, our family pediatrician, who made house calls, told my parents that my tonsils should come out. The deed would be done by my pediatrician and an otolaryngologist in the kitchen of my family’s apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, saving the expense and hazards of a hospital stay during the polio epidemic of the 1950s. I was told that, ‘‘We’re going to have a tonsil party. They give you medicine to make you sleep, take them out, and when you wake up you can have all the ice cream and Popsicles you want.’’ The after-party experience was unpleasant. That set of events may well have triggered (via post-traumatic reaction formation) the origin of my subsequent interest in honest supportive communications with sick children, a generally skeptical and sarcastic personality, or both. My parents were first-generation Americans, and neither they nor any of my extended family (13 aunts and uncles, their spouses, and their children) had attended college. Although my two brothers and I occasionally helped out with my father’s plumbing business, our parents placed a high value on education and expected us to attend college. At Cambridge High and Latin School, I won science fairs and a prize for having the best science grades during my 4 years there. Chemistry was my favorite, and I won a scholarship to Boston University (BU) that allowed me to afford enrolling at BU in September 1964 as a commuter student from my parent’s home in Cambridge.
Advances in superconducting strands for accelerator magnet application

Considerable advances have recently been obtained in the critical current densities J/sub c/ of Nb/sub 3/Sn based superconductors - the prime candidates for the next generation of superconducting accelerator magnets. The non-Cu critical current densities now approach 3000 A/mm/sup 2/ at 12 T and 4.2 K in engineering quality strand. The design of new strands minimizes the amount of Cu in the package from which the Nb/sub 3/Sn is formed and increases the Sn level beyond that required to simply achieve A15 stoichiometry. The result is an A15 layer that is significantly more uniform than earlier generations of wire, both chemically and microstructurally, and wires that significantly surpasses previous Nb/sub 3/Sn strands in layer critical current density and in the specific grain boundary pinning force. Remarkably, these developments have been achieved in internal Sn based strands manufactured using both the modified jelly-roll technique with Nb-Ti alloy and the rod-in-tube approach with Nb-Ta alloy. The rod-in-tube approach is particularly exciting because it offers greater manufacturing flexibility. Advances have also been made in strand designs that offer the potential to reduce the large effective filament diameters, which are an issue with these new high-J/sub c/ strands. We review the latest developments in Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductors and compare their performance and potential with other round-wire high-field superconductors.
Does Choice of Antidiabetes Therapy Influence Macrovascular Outcomes

Despite a clear epidemiologic relationship between hemoglobin A1c levels and the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), prospective studies examining the benefit of intensive glucose lowering in reducing CV events have yielded conflicting results. Controversy over the choice of antidiabetic therapy for lowering macrovascular events has existed for nearly four decades, beginning with the potential risk of increased CV mortality with sulfonylurea use. Although sulfonylureas were subsequently felt to be safe, a more recent controversy was raised as to whether rosiglitazone use was associated with an increased risk of CV events. Additionally, early positive results for metformin in reducing macrovascular events have not been clearly substantiated. Because a typical patient with T2DM may live 20 to 40 years with the disease, long-term prevention of CV events is very important. An evidenced-based review of choice of antidiabetic therapy to reduce CV events in T2DM is discussed below.
Sensors and Smartphones: Tracking Water Collection in Rural Ethiopia

In rural areas, residents often venture far distances to collect water for everyday use. A low-power wireless system records motion and leverages Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, retrieving data from sensors attached to household water containers, to help researchers understand the effects of water policies and water-source locations.
Cutting Edge: Deficiency in the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cbl-b Results in a Multifunctional Defect in T Cell TGF-β Sensitivity In Vitro and In Vivo

Mice deficient in the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b have CD28-independent T cells and develop autoimmunity. We previously reported that Cbl-b-/- CD4+CD25- T effector cells are resistant in vitro to the antiproliferative effects of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and TGF-beta. We have now asked whether the resistance noted in Cbl-b-/- T cells is restricted solely to TGF-beta's antiproliferative effects, whether the TGF-beta resistance has in vivo relevance, and whether a defect can be identified in the TGF-beta signaling pathway. We now demonstrate the following: 1) in vitro, Cbl-b deficiency prevents the TGF-beta-mediated induction of Foxp3+ functional regulatory T cells; 2) in vivo, Cbl-b-/- mice show a significantly enhanced response to a tumor that is strictly TGF-beta regulated; and 3) Cbl-b-/- T effector cells have defective TGF-beta-mediated Smad2 phosphorylation. These studies are the first to document that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b plays an integral role in T cell TGF-beta signaling, and that its absence results in multifunctional TGF-beta-related defects that have important disease-related implications.
Purification and properties of four species of lysyl oxidase from bovine aorta.

Lysyl oxidase of bovine aorta was resolved into four enzymically active species by elution from DEAE-cellulose with a salt gradient in 6m-urea, consistent with purification results obtained with enzyme of other tissues [Stassen (1976) Biochim. Biophys. Acta438, 49-60]. In the present study, each of the four peaks of activity was purified to apparent homogeneity by subsequent chromatography on gel-filtration media in 6m-urea. Each enzyme is eluted as a species with mol.wt. approx. 30000 under these conditions, although lysyl oxidase polymerizes to a series of multimers with molecular weights ranging up to 1000000 in the absence of urea. The apparent subunit molecular weight of each enzyme species determined by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate and 8m-urea is approx. 32000-33000. The amino acid compositions of the purified forms of lysyl oxidase are similar to each other, although sufficient differences exist to conclude that each is a unique molecular species. Incorporation of alpha-toluenesulphonyl fluoride into the purification scheme does not alter the resolution of enzyme into four species, suggesting that proteolysis during isolation is not the basis of the heterogeneity. The similar sensitivities of each form of enzyme to chelating agents and to semicarbazide and isoniazid indicate that each requires the participation of a metal ion, presumably Cu(2+), and of a carbonyl compound for enzyme function. The present study describes a method for the purification of multiple species of lysyl oxidase and reveals that significant chemical differences exist between the different enzyme forms.
Inference after variable selection in linear regression models

SUMMARY We explore the impact of variable selection on statistical inferences in linear regression models. In particular, the generalized final prediction error criterion of Shibata (1984) is considered and it is found, among other things, that inferences on the regression coefficients are impaired by the variable selection procedure. Most notably, the size of the nominal confidence sets tend to be inflated if they are derived based on the selected model. On the other hand, variable selection does not seem to have much impact on the inferences for the error variance. Our results complement those obtained by Potscher (1991) in which testing procedures are used for variable selection.
What are African American children afraid of? Part II: A twelve-month follow-up☆

Abstract Research on children's fears has primarily focused on White children, and has been cross-sectional in nature. Research that examines fears across time or focuses on African American children's fears is sparse. We examined the stability of fears among 34 African American and 39 White elementary school children using the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R) across a 12-month period. Across time, African American children's FSSC-R total fear scores were more stable than those of their White counterparts. Between-group comparisons indicated similarities in the rank ordering of fears. Regardless of race, sex, or grade, children's fears centered around harm befalling self or others.
Ultra-sensitive time-resolved infrared spectroscopy of biomolecule interactions with plasmonic nanoantennas

We demonstrate a plasmonically enhanced infrared spectroscopy technology that enables in-situ and real-time measurements of protein and nano particle interactions at ultra-high sensitivity by overcoming fundamental water absorption limitations.
Retrospective dynamic transmit focusing.

Abstract Dynamically-focused on receive, real-time array systems exhibit image degradation far from the focal zone of the fixed transmit lens. A retrospective filtering technique reducing the effects of the fixed transmitter is presented. The filter deconvolves the defocused transmit pattern producing a new in-focus transmit/receive image, where the filter coefficients are derived with a least-squares method. Experimental results are presented for a 128 channel array system showing the method′s performance. A proposed architecture for real-time filtering is also discussed.
Finite element analysis of electrode wear mechanisms: face extrusion and pitting effects

Abstract Resistance spot welding is one of the major Joining methods widely used in automotive body fabrication and assembly. Electrode wear has been a major concern in resistance spot welding of galvanised steel and in this paper advanced finite element techniques were used to simulate the thermomechanical interactions between the electrode and the workpiece during welding. First, the coupled electric–thermal–mechanical process associated with nugget formation was studied. The cumulative effects on electrode face deformation were then simulated over a large number of welds. Electrode face pitting effects were also examined. It was found that welding process parameters, such as holding time and pressure trace, played a key role in electrode face extrusion. Any pitting on the electrode tended to accelerate the face extrusion process.
Adhesion Forces between E. coli Bacteria and Biomaterial Surfaces

Bacterial infection of biomaterial surfaces is an important problem in the biomedical and health industries. The design of materials resistant to infections necessitates an understanding of the forces driving bacterial adhesion. Escherichia coli cells were immobilized onto the tip of a standard atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever, and force measurements were performed by approaching the modified cantilever onto mica, hydrophilic glass, hydrophobic glass, polystyrene, and Teflon. Consistent with prior qualitative observations, we show that bacterial adhesion is indeed enhanced by the surface hydrophobicity of the substrate. The forces of interaction measured with the AFM are compared to those of model predictions based on an extended-DLVO approach. In this model, short-range acid−base and steric interactions are included with the conventional van der Waals attraction and electrostatic components. The theoretical predictions agree well with experimental data for E. coli D21f2, a strain whose outer surf...
Use of Bronchoscopy in Percutaneous Dilational Tracheostomy

Importance A modified percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) is a relatively new alternative method of performing PDTs in which tissues overlying the trachea are dissected, but needle entry is still performed blindly. Many centers use bronchoscopy-assisted PDT, but the necessity of bronchoscope assistance for modified PDTs has not been examined. Discontinuing bronchoscopy for this procedure could potentially decrease cost and increase efficiency with similar outcomes compared with bronchoscopy-assisted PDT. Objective To evaluate the necessity of bronchoscopy in placement of PDT. Design, Setting, and Participants A single-center, retrospective cohort study of 149 patients who underwent PDT, with or without bronchoscope assistance, was conducted between May 1, 2007, and February 1, 2015, in a tertiary care facility. Data analysis was performed from April 15, 2015, to May 1, 2015. Interventions Modified PDT with or without bronchoscopy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes of interest were postprocedural complications and length of stay during the hospitalization at which the tracheostomy was placed. Results Of the 149 patients who underwent modified PDT during the study period and met the inclusion criteria, 107 were in the no-bronchoscope cohort (66 [61.7%] were men; mean [SD] age, 56.0 [18.7] years) and 42 were in the bronchoscope-assisted cohort (26 [61.9%] were men; mean [SD] age, 58.0 [15.7] years). Complications with PDT were significantly associated with use of a bronchoscope (odds ratio, 6.7; 95% CI, 1.3-43.4; P = .04). The rate of complications was 1.9% in the no-bronchoscope cohort and 11.9% in the bronchoscope-assisted cohort ( P = .05). The mean (SD) length of hospital stay was not significantly different between the 2 groups (51.4 [49.4] days in the no-bronchoscope cohort vs 46.9 [28.6] days in the bronchoscope-assisted cohort; P = .58). Conclusions and Relevance Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy can be performed with similarly low complication rates with or without the use of bronchoscopy. Discontinuing the use of bronchoscopy in these procedures appears to be a safe, cost-effective alternative with reassuring outcomes and low complication rates.
A history of preeclampsia is associated with a risk for coronary artery calcification 3 decades later

Background A history of preeclampsia is an independent risk factor for cardiac events and stroke. Changes in vasculature structure that contribute to these associations are not well understood. Objective The aim of this study was to quantify coronary artery calcification (CAC), a known risk factor for cardiac events, in a prospective cohort of women with and without histories of preeclampsia. Study Design Women without prior cardiovascular events (40 with and 40 without histories of preeclampsia, matched for parity and age at index birth) were recruited from a large population-based cohort of women who were residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, and who delivered from 1976 through 1982. Computed tomography was performed to measure CAC in Agatston units. All pregnancy histories and covariates were confirmed by review of the medical records. Current clinical variables were assessed at the time of imaging. Differences between women with and without histories of preeclampsia were examined using χ 2 tests and tests; CAC, in particular, was compared as a categorical and ordinal variable, with a χ 2 test and with Wilcoxon 2-sample tests and ordinal logistic regression, as appropriate. Results Mean age (SD) at imaging was 59.5 (±4.6) years. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, hyperlipidemia, and current diabetes status did not differ between women with and without histories of preeclampsia. However, the frequencies of having a current clinical diagnosis of hypertension (60% vs 20%, P 2 (expressed as median [25th-75th percentile], 29.8 [25.9-33.7] vs 25.3 [23.1-32.0], P = .023) were both greater in the women with histories of preeclampsia compared to those without. The frequency of a CAC score >50 Agatston units was also greater in the preeclampsia group (23% vs 0%, P = .001). Compared to women without preeclampsia, the odds of having a higher CAC score was 3.54 (confidence interval [CI], 1.39–9.02) times greater in women with prior preeclampsia without adjustment, and 2.61 (CI, 0.95–7.14) times greater after adjustment for current hypertension. After adjustment for body mass index alone, the odds of having a higher CAC based on a history of preeclampsia remained significant at 3.20 (CI, 1.21–8.49). Conclusion In this first prospective cohort study with confirmation of preeclampsia by medical record review, a history of preeclampsia is associated with an increased risk of CAC >30 years after affected pregnancies, even after controlling individually for traditional risk factors. A history of preeclampsia should be considered in risk assessment when initiating primary prevention strategies to reduce cardiovascular disease in women. Among women with histories of preeclampsia, the presence of CAC may be able to identify those at a particularly high cardiovascular risk, and should be the subject of future studies.
Overcoming invasion of privacy in smart home environment with synthetic packet injection

We live in an increasingly connected world where not only can we open our garage doors with sensors, but from a remote location we can also lock our doors, or turn off our lights. Such convenience and flexibility come with great concerns for privacy and security. In this paper, we study privacy of smart home devices in home residence settings and show how homeowner’s privacy could be compromised via simple network traffic analysis. We first measure normal traffic patterns generated on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) smart home devices, and identify possible privacy vulnerabilities. We designed a smart home hub-integrated solution to mitigate such risk by obscuring real network traffic with synthetic traffic. We suggest that the smart home industry consider incorporating this approach into their products to improve privacy in the smart home environment.
The International Trade Commission as a Model for Entry-Point Administrative Based Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement

The United States International Trade Commission, through 19 U.S.C § 1337 provides a mechanism by which owners of United States Intellectual Property Rights are able to seek enforcement against those attempting to import infringing products. This paper compares the Commission to administrative trade agencies of a selection of the largest trading partners of the United States. It is important to understand how the Commission has developed over time to become a strong forum for IPR enforcement, as compared to other countries’ administrative agencies, which have not adopted the Commission’s IPR-focused entry-point enforcement. In its current role, the Commission provides an example to foreign counterpart administrative agencies for developing IPR focused adjudication and practices.
Writing an Exercise Prescription for Older Adults

Prescribing exercise for older adults is both a science and an art. Three senior-specific principles—functional relevance, challenge, and tailoring or adaptation—should guide the development of an exercise prescription. The exercise prescription for older adults should be multicomponent and include aerobic endurance, muscle strengthening, flexibility, and balance training. Adjustments to the environment, communication techniques, and number of different exercises can safely engage older adults with sensory losses or cognitive impairment in exercise programs.