cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of a negative nonlinear refractive index in xenon at 248 nm

One of the limitations of intense KrF laser beams in either short-pulse systems or laserfusion systems is the self-focusing and selfphase-modulation that occurs in air propagation or in optics.1,2 These effects are due to the positive nonlinear refractive index n2. We present both measurements and theory that demonstrate a large negative n2 in xenon at the KrF wavelength. This allows the possibility of compensating the n2 effects of air and optics in KrF laser systems.
Reduced global brain metabolism but maintained vascular function in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment represents an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, and characterization of physiological alterations in mild cognitive impairment is an important step toward accur...
Homogeneous Catalytic Oxidation of Unactivated Primary and Secondary Alcohols Employing a Versatile “Helmet” Phthalocyaninato Iron Complex Catalyst Without Added Organic Solvent

We have examined catalytic oxidations of non-benzylic alcohols under solvent-free conditions with the goal of discovering greener alternatives to current synthetic protocols for these transformations. An iron(III) complex bearing a bicyclic pentadentate 14,28-[1,3-diiminoisoindolinato]phthalocyaninato (diiPc) ligand and an axial water ligand has been shown to function as a very effective catalyst in oxidation reactions of three secondary aliphatic alcohols (2-pentanol, 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanol and cyclohexanol), one primary aliphatic alcohol (1-pentanol), and one bifunctional allyl alcohol (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) with tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP) in the absence of added organic solvent. All reactions proceed with high turnover numbers and turnover frequency relative to related systems. Selectivity for the desired aldehyde and ketone products is excellent. The presence of only water as the monodentate axial ligand in the catalyst provides solubility in non-aromatic substrates, in contrast to diiPc complexes of FeIII where the axial monodentate ligand is a mixture of methanol and water strongly favoring methanol.
Alvimopan in the setting of colorectal resection with an ostomy: To use or not to use?

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a major cause of morbidity, increased length of stay (LOS) and hospital cost after colorectal surgery. Alvimopan is a µ-opioid antagonist used to accelerate upper and lower gastrointestinal function after bowel resection. We hypothesized that alvimopan would reduce LOS in patients undergoing colorectal resection with stoma, a situation that has not been evaluated. A retrospective review (2010–2015) identified 58 patients who underwent colorectal resection for benign or malignant disease with stoma creation and received alvimopan. They were case-matched to 58 non-alvimopan patients based on age, BMI, baseline comorbidities, stoma type created and surgical approach. We compared overall LOS, incidence of POI and other postoperative complications. There were equal numbers of laparoscopic (N = 18) and open resections (N = 40) in the alvimopan group and non-alvimopan group. There were also equal numbers of patients with an ileostomy (N = 37) or colostomy (N = 21) in each group. Overall, 41 patients underwent resection for malignant disease in the alvimopan group compared to 37 in the non-alvimopan group. There was a significant reduction in median LOS overall (alvimopan 5 (4–7) versus control 6 (4.75–9.25) days, P = 0.03). While the 6-day median LOS was similar for patients undergoing ileostomy creation (P = 0.25), alvimopan patients had a 3-day decreased median LOS that approached statistical significance (P = 0.06). The overall 30-day complication rate was higher in the control group (41.4 vs. 51.7%, P = 0.26), but the readmission rate within 30 days was higher in the alvimopan group (19 vs. 13.8%, P = 0.45). Neither of these differences reached statistically significance. The use of alvimopan in patients undergoing colorectal resection with stoma is associated with a significantly shorter LOS, but the increased readmission rate warrants further study. Based on these data, alvimopan should be evaluated in a controlled setting for patients undergoing colorectal resection with colostomy creation.
GRAPE: minimizing energy for GPU applications with performance requirements

Many applications have performance requirements (e.g., real-time deadlines or quality-of-service goals) and we can save tremendous energy by tailoring resource usage so the application just meets its performance using the minimal resources. This problem is a classic constrained optimization: the performance goal is the constraint and energy consumption is the objective to be optimized. While several existing hardware approaches solve unconstrained optimizations (i.e., maximizing performance or minimizing energy), we are not aware of a hardware approach that minimizes GPU energy under an externally defined performance constraint. Therefore, we propose GRAPE, a hardware control system for GPUs that coordinates core usage, wavefront/warp action, core speed, and memory speed to deliver user-specified performance while minimizing energy. We implement GRAPE in VHDL (to demonstrate feasibility) and as an extension to GPGPU-Sim (for performance and power measurement). We find that GRAPE can be implemented with very low hardware overhead; however, compared to the no-overhead approach of race-to-idle, GRAPE reduces energy by 9--26% (depending on the performance goal), while meeting performance goals with an average error of 0.75%.
Threat Modeling the Cloud Computing, Mobile Device Toting, Consumerized Enterprise - an overview of considerations

A megatrend triad comprised of cloud computing, converged mobile devices, and consumerization presents complex challenges to organizations trying to identify, assess, and mitigate risk. Cloud computing offers elastic just-in-time services without infrastructure overhead. However, visibility and control are compromised. Converged mobile devices offer integrated computing power and connectivity. However, end point control and security are compromised. Consumerization offers productivity gains and reduction in support costs. However, end point control and the organization’s perimeter are compromised. This paper presents an overview of considerations for organizations impacted by the megatrend triad and, subsequently, shows how threat modeling techniques can be used to identify, assess, and mitigate the attendant risks.
TNF and Bone Remodeling

The mechanisms involved in the TNF-mediated deregulated bone remodeling are little appreciated. This review will discuss and summarize the impact of TNF, Notch, and RBP-J signaling on bone remodeling. The integrity of the adult skeleton undergoes constant and dynamic remodeling throughout life to maintain a proper bone homeostasis, which is achieved by the essential tight control of coupling between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. The studies in this field include not only the differentiation and function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, but also the mechanisms that simultaneously control both cell types during bone remodeling. Chronic inflammation is one of the most evident and common pathological settings that often leads to deregulated bone remodeling. The resounding success of TNF blockade therapy has demonstrated a key role for TNF in inflammation and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bone resorption associated with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Recent studies have highlighted the function of Notch and RBP-J signaling in both physiological and TNF-mediated inflammatory bone remodeling.
Abstract TP447: Angiotensin II Increases Glymphatic Flow Through a Norepinephrine-dependent Mechanism

Background and Objective: The CNS possesses the astrocyte-dependent perivascular glymphatic pathway to facilitate CSF-ISF exchange and clearance of interstitial wastes. Cerebral arterial pulsations...
Relation of parent knowledge to glycemic control among emerging adults with type 1 diabetes: a mediational model.

The study goal was to examine the links of parent knowledge of children’s behavior to diabetes outcomes and to test a mediational model that focused on psychological distress and self-care behavior. We recruited 132 adolescents (average age 12) and followed them to average age 23. At age 23 (n = 107), we conducted in-person interviews with these emerging adults to measure parent knowledge, psychological distress, self-care behavior and glycemic control. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses with these cross-sectional data. Higher levels of parent knowledge were linked to better glycemic control, and this path was mediated by reduced psychological distress and enhanced self-care behavior. Parents remain an important influence in the lives of emerging adults with type 1 diabetes. When emerging adults have a relationship with their parents in which they share general information, psychological distress may be reduced which then facilitates self-care and, ultimately, glycemic control.
Modal tracking of a structural device: A subspace identification approach

Mechanical devices operating in noisy environments lead to low signal-to-noise-ratios creating a challenging signal processing problem to monitor the device in real-time. To detect/classify a particular type of device from noisy vibration data, it is necessary to identify signatures that make it unique. Resonant (modal) frequencies emitted offer a signature characterizing its operation. The monitoring of structural modes to determine the condition of a device under investigation is essential especially, if it is a critical entity of an operational system. The development of a model-based scheme capable of the on-line tracking of structural modal frequencies by applying both system identification methods to extract a modal model and state estimation methods to track their evolution is discussed.
Rubén Darío y Max Nordau: burguesía y secularización en Los raros

La primera edicion de Los raros contaba como epicentro el retrato de Max Nordau y la resena de su libro Degeneracion. Nordau era ademas considerado como la encarnacion de Tribulat Bonhomet, el pers...
Translating Fiction: Jayashankar Prasad's Short Stories

(2001). Translating Fiction: Jayashankar Prasad's Short Stories. South Asian Review: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 97-104.
Thoughts about a successful future encourage action in the face of challenge

College environments can put lower socioeconomic status (SES) female students at particular risk of withdrawing during challenging academic situations. However, thinking about reaching a successful future identity may encourage these students to take action rather than withdraw. In a laboratory experiment, we tested the hypothesis that imagining a successful future identity would help lower SES female students to actively and successfully confront challenging tasks (i.e., a mock student–faculty interaction and difficult academic test). As predicted, when future identities were cued rather than past identities, lower SES female students demonstrated greater action readiness. Specifically, they showed more expansive body posture during the mock interaction and more attempts to complete the academic test, which led to better performance. The motivation to take action among higher SES and male students, who are at lower risk of vulnerability in college environments, was not influenced by future identities.
Precise UAV navigation with cellular carrier phase measurements

This paper presents two frameworks for precise unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation with cellular carrier phase measurements. The first framework relies on a mapping UAV and a navigating UAV sharing carrier phase measurements. Experimental results show that a 63.06 cm position root mean-square error (RMSE) is achieved with this framework. The second framework leverages the relative stability of cellular base transceiver station (BTS) clocks, which alleviates the need of a mapper. It was shown through experimental data that the beat frequency stability of cellular BTSs approaches that of atomic standards and may be exploited for precise navigation with cellular carrier phase measurements. Performance bounds are derived for this framework. Experimental data demonstrate a single UAV navigating with sub-meter level accuracy for more than 5 minutes, with one experiment showing 36.61 cm position RMSE and another showing 88.58 cm position RMSE.
Implications of Particle Contamination for Thin Film Growth

Particles can serve as nucleation sites for the growth of defects in metal and semiconductor thin films deposited by evaporation, sputtering, and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). For each of these deposition technologies, examples of particle-induced defects are given. Future work is outlined with an emphasis on MBE.
RNA and Protein Synthesis During Pollen Development and Tube Growth

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses RNA and protein synthesis during pollen development and tube growth. When pollen grains are placed in a medium containing a labeled RNA precursor such as uridine, it is found that RNA is synthesized by the germinating pollen grain. The RNA species synthesized by the vegetative and generative nuclei are not required for germination, the early growth of the pollen tube, and the migration of the nuclei into the tube during growth. Tradescantia paludosa pollen grown in liquid shaking cultures grows at about the same rate as it does in the style. The protein changes during Tradescantia pollen grain maturation approximated, in general, that of RNA. In Lilium longiflorum , during the life of the microspore, which extends for several weeks, thymidine kinase activity appears at a precisely defined time and lasts for no more than 24 h.
Reductive activation of CO2 by formate dehydrogenases.

Abstract Two factors, climate change brought on by rising atmospheric CO2 levels and the accelerating shift toward renewable energy sources, have together worked to heighten interest in understanding how biological catalysts so effectively bring about the reduction of CO2 to formate, with potential applications for both bioremediation and energy storage. Most metal-dependent formate dehydrogenases, containing either molybdenum or tungsten in their active sites, function physiologically in the direction of formate oxidation to CO2, but it has become clear that many, if not all, are also effective in catalyzing the reverse reaction. In this chapter, we describe methods for isolating and characterizing these enzymes.
Late night television comedy, mid-afternoon congressional testimony: attacks on Stephen Colbert’s house judiciary committee appearance

This analysis examines criticism of Stephen Colbert’s congressional testimony on farm labour issues in September 2010 to better understand accusations of offensiveness and appropriateness. A nuance...
Enhanced bioavailability of calcitonin formulated with alkylglycosides following nasal and ocular administration in rats.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of alkylglycosides on the bioavailability of calcitonin following nasal and ocular administration.
Facial Action Unit Analysis through 3D Point Cloud Neural Networks

Facial expression analysis on 3D data has the potential to avoid many of the difficulties heir to 2D data, such as lighting variations and non-frontal pose. In particular, analysis of 3D point cloud data (as opposed to depth maps) offers the potential for higher-resolution, pose-invariant features. Because neural networks and deep learning have proven to be very powerful tools for a wide variety of tasks in recent history, one would naturally wish to apply deep learning for expression analysis of 3D point data. However, the overwhelming majority of these methods target 2D image data, and there are only a few works that utilize 3D point data directly in a neural network for any purpose. That said, the results of these works show improvement over using other forms of data. Therefore, in this work, we experiment with recent successful architectures and propose a new architecture, Local Continuous PointNet (LCPN), for unordered 3D point cloud analysis to detect Action Units (AUs) in the BP4D-Spontaneous database. We also perform cross-database experiments on subjects from the BP4D+ database. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work that directly processes unordered 3D point clouds in a neural network for facial expression analysis.
Fixed Positioning for Decompressive Hemicraniectomy Provides a Larger Diameter Flap than Nonfixed Positioning: A Single-Institution Experience.

BACKGROUND Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) is well established as an effective life-saving intervention. Although literature documents a correlation between mortality and hemicraniectomy flap size, no literature exists demonstrating whether a larger flap may be achieved with 3-pin fixation devices versus nonfixed positioning (e.g., occipital headrest, gel donut). Therefore, positioning for DHC remains the preference of the institution and attending physician. METHODS Patients undergoing DHC during 2005-2016 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Inclusion criteria were: operative note available in the electronic medical record and postoperative head computed tomography (hCT). Exclusion criteria were: age <18 years, missing data in electronic medical record, no postoperative hCT performed, and craniectomy not done with intention of performing a hemicraniectomy (i.e., craniotomy converted to craniectomy). Anteroposterior diameter of the hemicraniectomy flap was measured in millimeters on the postoperative hCT. The average diameter was compared between the fixed positioning and nonfixed positioning groups. RESULTS Analysis included 522 patients who met inclusion criteria; 363 were in the fixed positioning group, and 159 were in the nonfixed positioning group. The average hemicraniectomy diameter was 132.17 mm in the fixed positioning group, and 129.74 mm in the nonfixed positioning group, which was statistically significant (P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS This is the first large-scale single-institution study evaluating whether operative positioning for DHC affects the size of a hemicraniectomy flap. Positioning in 3-point fixation led to a statistically significant larger average diameter compared with nonfixed positioning. This indicates that the risks associated with pin fixation as well as additional time spent in positioning in this fashion are offset by the ability to obtain a larger hemicraniectomy flap, which is associated with decreased mortality.
Patient-reported physical and mental health of socioeconomically disadvantaged cancer patients.

e19041Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are extensively described for cancer patients with access to care, but little information is available about PROs for socioeconomically disadvanta...
Use of simulation as a needs assessment to develop a focused team leader training curriculum for resuscitation teams

Many inpatients experience cardiac arrest and mortality in this population is extremely high. Simulation is frequently used to train code teams with the goal of improving these outcomes. A key step in designing such a training curriculum is to perform a needs assessment. We report on the effectiveness of a simulation-based training program for residents designed using unannounced in-situ simulation cardiac arrest data as a needs assessment. In order to develop the curriculum for training, a needs assessment was done using in-situ simulation. Prior to instruction, residents were assessed in their ability to lead a simulated resuscitation using a standardized checklist. During the intervention phase, residents participated in didactic and team training. The didactic training consisted of pharmacology review, ACLS update and TeamSTEPPS training. Residents took turns as code team leader in three simulation sessions. Rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) was employed as part of simulation sessions. All residents returned, for post-intervention assessment. Mean pre-post test scores were analyzed to determine if there was a significant difference. Twenty-seven residents participated. Mean pre-training assessment score was 47.6 (95% CI 37.5-57.9). The mean post-training assessment score was 84.4 (95% CI 79.0-89.5). The mean time to defibrillation after pads were placed in scenario with shockable rhythm decreased from 102.2 seconds (95% CI 74.0-130.5) to 56.3 (95% CI 32.7-79.8). Using unannounced in-situ cardiac arrest simulations as a needs assessment, a simulation-based training program was developed that significantly improved resident performance as team leader. Future work is needed to determine if this improvement translates into patient benefits and is sustainable. However, in-situ simulation is a promising tool for curriculum development.
Computational Process for Quantifying the Impact of Flooding on Remaining Life of Flexible Pavement Structures

AbstractField observations have indicated significant damage to pavement structures due to sustained saturation of foundation layers after heavy rainfalls. Highway agencies need to have insight int...
An Active Detection Scheme for Cyber Attacks on Grid-tied PV Systems

This paper introduces an active defense mechanism against cyber attacks in grid-tied Photovoltaic (PV) systems connected at the distribution level. The core of such a defense mechanism dynamic watermarking approach is to detect malicious manipulation of voltage/current sensor measurements feeding inverter control. The defense mechanism is described in detail and several attack possibilities, based on manipulating the current measurements, are described. Three attack models are used to test the validity of the proposed approach on a single-phase, 5 kW, grid-tied inverter, connected at the distribution level.
The minisatellite polymorphism in hTERT affect prostate cancer predisposition and transcriptional activity

3111 Telomeres serve a critical role in maintenance of genomic stability in all eukaryotes. Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex with a RNA (TR) and a catalytic subunit (hTERT) as core components, is able to add reitinerately telomeric repeat sequences to the very ends of chromosomes. Human telomerase is highly active in more than 85% of primary cancers, but not in most differentiated somatic tissues. Previous studies have described hTERT gene contains four blocks of polymorphic minisatellites regions: two blocks of VNTRs within intron 2 (VNTR2-1st and VNTR2-2nd) and two within intron 6 (VNTR 6-1st and VNTR 6-2nd). The hTERT-VNTR 2-2nd region composed with a 61 bp repeat unit and contains ~98% of alleles consist of three common alleles (repeat copies; 42, 43 and 44), with remaining alleles being designated as rare. We investigated the putative functional significance of allelic variation in hTERT-VNTR 2-2nd with respect to susceptibility for cancer. Case-control study was performed on DNA from 947 cancer-free controls, 345 prostate cancer cases, 276 breast cancer cases and 444 gastric cancer cases to determine the frequency of rare alleles. In this study, additional two rare alleles were detected from 947 controls, and one cancer-specific rare allele was also identified from 345 prostate cancer patients. A statistically significant association between rare hTERT-VNTR2-2nd alleles and risk of prostate cancer was observed [OR, 8.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-65.27; P=0.019]. Therefore, the hTERT-VNTR 2-2nd locus may function as a modifier of prostate cancer risk in both sporadic and hereditary prostate cancer. Furthermore, we examined the effect of the minisatellites of hTERT-VNTR 2-2nd on hTERT transcription. Each of minisatellites alleles was inserted into the hTERT promoter reporter vector to perform the transient transfection assays. Interestingly, reporter vectors included rare alleles (28, 37 and 39) substantially increased promoter activity compared with control vector; hence the vectors introduced common alleles (42 and 44) showed no significant change. These observations suggest that the rare allele sequences in intronic region of hTERT could affect the hTERT promoter activity. Additionally, they suggest that VNTR sequence may have a role as a potential regulatory domain for gene expression.
Platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta activates Abl2 via direct binding and phosphorylation.

Abl family kinases are nonreceptor tyrosine kinases activated by diverse cellular stimuli that regulate cytoskeleton organization, morphogenesis, and adhesion. The catalytic activity of Abl family kinases is tightly regulated in cells by a complex set of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions and post-translational modifications. For example, the platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ), important for cell proliferation and chemotaxis, is a potent activator of Abl family kinases. However, the molecular mechanism by which PDGFRβ engages and activates Abl family kinases is not known. We show here that the Abl2 Src homology 2 domain directly binds to phosphotyrosine Y771 in the PDGFRβ cytoplasmic domain. PDGFRβ directly phosphorylates multiple novel sites on the N-terminal half of Abl2, including Y116, Y139, and Y161 within the Src homology 3 domain, and Y299, Y303, and Y310 on the kinase domain. Y116, Y161, Y272, and Y310 are all located at or near the Src homology 3/Src homology 2-kinase linker interface, which helps maintain Abl family kinases in an autoinhibited conformation. We also found that PDGFRβ-mediated phosphorylation of Abl2 in vitro activates Abl2 kinase activity, but mutation of these four tyrosines (Y116, Y161, Y272, and Y310) to phenylalanine abrogated PDGFRβ-mediated activation of Abl2. These findings reveal how PDGFRβ engages and phosphorylates Abl2 leading to activation of the kinase, providing a framework to understand how growth factor receptors engage and activate Abl family kinases.
Facial Fractures Have Similar Outcomes When Managed by Either Otolaryngology or Plastic Surgery: Encounters From a Single Level I Trauma Center:

Study Design:Retrospective cohort.Objective:Traumatic facial fractures (FFs) often require specialty consultation with Plastic Surgery (PS) or Otolaryngology (ENT); however, referral patterns are o...
A systems model for the pupil size effect

The human pupillary control system is a paradigm for linearized biological control systems. It also exhibits a series of interesting nonlinear behaviors, particularly asymmetry, "pupillary escape", and "pupillary capture." We present a nonlinear model in which a signal dependent upon pupil size is fed back internally to cause a change in system parameters related to gains and rates of light adaptation. The model was simulated on a digital computer, a variety of experimental data was well matched, and improvements over previous pupil models demonstrated. A candidate physiological mechanism for adaptive components of the model might have the form of an inverse "Henneman coded" neuronal pool.
Freeway Development Effects upon Adjacent Transit Usage

The relationship between development of the North-South freeway in Milwaukee County, Wis., and the transit patronage on adjacent bus routes of the Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Company is examined. These comparisons are made by determining the proportion of the transit riders using routes adjacent to the freeway to the total transit ridership during periods of freeway right-of-way acquisition, construction, and operation. Results indicate that transit lines immediately adjacent and parallel to the freeway show a loss in their proportion of total riders during right-of-way acquisition for the freeway. Other lines in the vicinity of the freeway show no proportionate losses, and may in certain cases increase their share of riders. Opening the freeway did not produce any measurable effect of the share of riders carried by the transit lines. The relationship between the establishment of one-way streets and transit usage is also examined.
CBr4 vapor growth morphologies near the polymorphic transition point. I - Single crystals. II - Crystals with large-angle grain boundaries

High-resolution microscopy and image processing were used to investigate morphological changes in CBr4 single crystals during growth from the vapor at various levels of supersaturation and at temperatures below the compound's polymorphic phase transition. It was found that, as the temperature increased at fixed supersaturations, the corners of the crystals became rounded as a result of thermal roughening; the rounding temperatures were different for crystallographically different corners. A study of CBr4 crystals with large-angle grain boundaries or twin boundaries (extended macrodefects), conducted at the temperature of polymorphic phase transition showed that the phase transition temperature, T(tr) and crystal surface morphology of these crystals depended on the presence or absence of extended macrodefects. Unlike the case of a perfect single crystal, where the T(tr) was about 46.75 C, the phase transition in crystals with extended macrodefects occurred significantly below 46.75.
Culture and Its Powerful Impact

In this chapter an attempt is made to connect culture and consumer behavior. This connection will explain the role of culture in forming the significant differences in consumer behaviors that can be observed in different parts of the world. The association between the culture and consumer behavior is very strong. Therefore, if the international marketer can comprehend the far-reaching characteristics and impact of culture, there will be more profound marketing plans succeeding in the international arena. This is the key theme of this book. Thus, unlike the traditional views on behavior, this chapter proposes that culture is a very significant factor influencing consumer behavior. Lewin’s behavior model is contrasted to Wallace’s theory in order to understand the underlying assumptions of our discussion. Wallace’s theory, still preferred by this author, plays a critical role in many parts of this book. Dealing with consumer behavior in a given country culture is often taken as a given and mostly ignored. However, here we see that when dealing with international consumer behavior, it is extremely important to understand just how culture influences individuals and their behavior.
Atomic and Molecular Processes in the Martian Atmosphere

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes aspects of Mars research that may be of particular interest to atomic physicists. The state of the subject has changed dramatically since 1960. In the intervening years the planet has been visited by six deep-space probes carrying a variety of complex instruments directed at a wide range of scientific objectives. The current knowledge of atmospheric composition is summarized, with particular attention to the problem of CO 2 photochemistry. An elementary treatment of this problem suggests that a CO 2 atmosphere should be intrinsically unstable; that it should decompose to CO 2 and O 2 , under the action of ultraviolet sunlight. A possible solution is proposed, which invokes catalytic reactions involving trace quantities of H, OH and HO 2 . The chapter also discusses the chemical processes that are important in the ionosphere, emphasizing current difficulties in the interpretation of the observed electron density profiles. The Martian dayglow is treated and, finally, recent ideas concerning the escape of gases from the Martian atmosphere are discussed.
Teaching Paraeducators to Support the Communication of Individuals Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Literature Review

Individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate in school and community activities often have paraeducators [1] as communication partners. For individuals who use AAC, successful communication often depends upon their personal skills as well as the skills of their communication partners. Because the skills of communication partners are critical, and can be taught, a review was conducted to identify the effect of teaching paraeducators to provide appropriate communication supports for individuals using AAC using studies that included data for both paraeducators and individuals with CCN. Studies were analyzed using the recommendations from the Communication Partner Instruction Model (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005). Findings from seven studies suggest that communication partner training to paraeducators can have positive outcomes for the communication behaviors of both paraeducators and individuals using AAC. Implications for practice and future research directions are addressed. [1] For the purpose of this article the term paraeducator refers to personnel who support individuals with disabilities in educational, vocational, and human service organizations. Paraeducators carry out plans designed by teachers or human service professionals. In the literature paraeducators are also referred to as paraprofessionals, educational assistants, instructional assistants or aides, program staff, carers, etc.
Efficient singlet oxygen photosensitization upon two-photon excitation of porphyrins

Summary from only given. Use of porphyrin photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) is gaining acceptance worldwide as an alternative treatment of tumors' and age-related macular degeneration. It has been proposed that by utilizing two-photon absorption (TPA), in which case illumination is carried out at near-IR wavelengths, the PDT may be delivered deeper into the tissue. However, tetrapyrrolic photosensitizers studied so far display disappointingly small TPA cross-sections. We introduce new porphyrin photosensitizers with greatly enhanced TPA cross-section in near-IR range of wavelengths.
Moment Generating Functions and Sums of Independent Random Variables

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce moment generating functions (mgf). We have two applications in mind that will be covered in the next section. We will compute the distribution of some sums of independent random variables and we will indicate how moment generating functions may be used to prove the Central Limit Theorem. We start by defining moment generating functions.
The Emerging Global Water Crisis: Managing Scarcity and Conflict Between Water Users

For the first time in human history, human use and pollution of freshwater have reached a level where water scarcity will potentially limit food production, ecosystem function, and urban supply in the decades to come. The primary reason for this shortage is population growth, which has increased at a faster rate than food production for some years and will add up to 3 billion more people by the middle of the twenty‐first century, mostly in poor and water‐short countries. Water quality degradation has also contributed significantly to a number of problems of global concern, including human drinking water supply and species survival. As of today, some 1.1 billion planetary inhabitants do not have access to clean drinking water, and 2.6 billion do not have sanitation services. Water pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and transmits or supports numerous debilitating diseases to populations forced to drink contaminated water. Agriculture is by far the leading user of freshwater worldwide, accounting for almost 85% of global consumption. Because of growing demand, we will need to raise food production by nearly 50% in the next 50 years to maintain our present per capita supply, assuming that the productivity of existing farmland does not decline. Further, we will have to increase it by much more if we are also to alleviate malnutrition among the poorest members of our current population. For a variety of reasons, feasible expansion of irrigated agriculture will be able to accommodate only a portion of this increased demand, and the rest must come from an increase in the productivity of rainfed agriculture. In the absence of coordinated planning and international cooperation at an unprecedented scale, the next half century will be plagued by a host of severe water‐related problems, threatening the well being of many terrestrial ecosystems and drastically impairing human health, particularly in the poorest regions of the world. The latter portion of this chapter discusses ways in which this emerging crisis may be mitigated.
Does robot-assisted laparoscopic ileocystoplasty (RALI) reduce peritoneal adhesions compared with open surgery?

Objectives To compare perioperative outcomes between open ileocystoplasty and robot-assisted laparoscopic ileocystoplasty (RALI) in a porcine model, as objective data comparing outcomes between these two approaches in children with neurogenic bladder are lacking. We specifically examined differences in postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation between the groups. Materials and Methods In all, 20 pigs were assigned to an open ileocystoplasty or RALI study arm. All the pigs underwent an initial urodynamic study (UDS). In the RALI arm, reconstructive steps were performed intracorporeally using a standard da Vinci® system. Postoperatively, variables including first stool, weight gain, and complications were recorded. After 42 days, the pigs underwent a final UDS followed by adhesion assessment. Intraperitoneal adhesions were quantified by a third-party ‘blinded’ surgeon according to previously described objective scoring systems. Results Preoperative variables including UDS were similar in both groups. Overall operating time was significantly shorter for open ileocystoplasty than for RALI (149 vs 287 min, P < 0.001, respectively). Postoperatively, all variables including time to first stool, weight gain, and urodynamic parameters were similar amongst the groups. Pigs in the open arm developed significantly more adhesions (P = 0.02) and adhesions with a higher complexity (P = 0.04). Conclusions In this porcine model, RALI achieved similar functional outcomes as the open approach, but required longer procedural times. The number and complexity of surgical adhesions among the groups favoured the RALI cohort. This may be of clinical significance in the paediatric spina bifida population, who generally undergo multiple surgical procedures in their lifetime, with increased risk for development of adhesions and subsequent intestinal obstruction.
A Review of the Three Types of Biomedical Literature and the Systematic Approach to Answer a Drug Information Request

The pharmacist is relied upon to provide drug information on a daily basis for patients and health care professionals. Performing drug information tasks requires the ability to efficiently search, ...
Protein Synthesis During Fungal Spore Germination IV. Transfer Ribonucleic Acid from Germinated and Ungerminated Spores

Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) fractions isolated from germinated and ungerminated spores of Botryodiplodia theobromae and Rhizopus stolonifer had acceptor activity for all 20 amino acids commonly found in protein, when tested with an enzyme fraction from germinated spores. Accordingly, it is unlikely that the absence of tRNA for a particular amino acid limits protein synthesis in fungal spores.
Assistive robotic manipulation through shared autonomy and a Body-Machine Interface

Assistive robotic manipulators have the potential to improve the lives of people with motor impairments. They can enable individuals to perform activities such as pick-and-place tasks, opening doors, pushing buttons, and can even provide assistance in personal hygiene and feeding. However, robotic arms often have more degrees of freedom (DoF) than the dimensionality of their control interface, making them challenging to use—especially for those with impaired motor abilities. Our research focuses on enabling the control of high-DoF manipulators to motor-impaired individuals for performing daily tasks. We make use of an individual's residual motion capabilities, captured through a Body-Machine Interface (BMI), to generate control signals for the robotic arm. These low-dimensional controls are then utilized in a shared-control framework that shares control between the human user and robot autonomy. We evaluated the system by conducting a user study in which 6 participants performed 144 trials of a manipulation task using the BMI interface and the proposed shared-control framework. The 100% success rate on task performance demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed system for individuals with motor impairments to control assistive robotic manipulators.
Strategies for improved 3D small-tip fast recovery imaging.

Purpose Small-tip fast recovery (STFR) imaging is a recently proposed steady-state sequence that has similar image contrast as balanced steady-state free precession but has the potential to simultaneously remove banding artifacts and transient fluctuation. STFR relies on a “tip-up” radiofrequency (RF) pulse tailored to the accumulated phase during the free precession (data acquisition) interval, designed to bring spins back to the longitudinal axis, thereby preserving transverse magnetization as longitudinal magnetization for the next pulse repetition time. We recently proposed an RF-spoiled STFR sequence suitable for thin slab imaging, however, in many applications, e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging or isotropic-resolution structural imaging, three-dimensional (3D) steady-state imaging is desirable. Unfortunately, 3D STFR imaging is challenging due to the need for 3D tailored RF pulses. Here, we propose new strategies for improved 3D STFR imaging, based on (i) unspoiled imaging, and (ii) joint design of nonslice-selective tip-down/tip-up RF pulses. Theory and Methods We derive an analytic signal model for the proposed unspoiled STFR sequence, and propose two strategies for designing the 3D tailored tip-down/tip-up RF pulses. We validate the analytic results using phantom and in vivo imaging experiments. Results Our analytic model and imaging experiments demonstrate that the proposed unspoiled STFR sequence is less sensitive to tip-up excitation error compared to the corresponding spoiled sequence, and may, therefore, be an attractive candidate for 3D imaging. The proposed “joint” RF pulse design method, in which we formulate the tip-down/tip-up RF pulse design task as a magnitude least squares problem, produces modest improvement over a simpler “Separate” design approach. Using the proposed unspoiled sequence and joint RF pulse design, we demonstrate proof-of-principle 3D STFR brain images with balanced steady-state free precession-like signal properties but with reduced banding. Conclusion Using the proposed unspoiled sequence and joint RF pulse design, STFR brain images in a 3D region of interest with balanced steady-state free precession-like signal properties but with reduced banding can be obtained. Magn Reson Med 72:389–398, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the cause of conductivity degradation in sodium strontium silicate ionic conductor.

Here we present strong experimental evidence that elucidates the fundamental cause for the conductivity degradation observed in Na–SrSiO3 ionic conductor.
On the nature of tetraalkylammonium ions in common electrochemical solvents: General and specific solvation – Quantitative aspects

The free energies of each of 80 tetraalkylammonium ion/solvent complexes [R4N+/(solv)n], with R ranging from methyl through butyl and n ranging from 1 through 4, were computed by density functional theory (DFT) in five common electrochemical solvents: dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile (AN), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH). The energies of the complexes were computed both with and without their solvation energies. Additional computations of the energies of the individual components, both solvated and unsolvated, were also carried out. The resulting data permit construction of a thermodynamic cycle for each R4N+/solvent pair that in turn allows the determination of the extent of general and specific solvation energies for that pair. An additional series of computations for pentane as solvent were carried out. Since this solvent should not coordinate with tetraalkylammonium ions, these computations provide a test of the validity of the computational method. This work represents a useful new general protocol for assessing the relative importance of general and specific solvation in chemical systems.
Deep penetration of antibodies into the articular cartilage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

This study was conducted to determine the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and albumin in deep layers of articular cartilage from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis and from normal organ donors. Cartilage plugs were cut into 20-μm slices with a microtome and ten consecutive slices were pooled, dividing the specimen into 200 μm sections starting from the articular surface. Each pool was extracted overnight thrice with neutral buffer, thrice with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, and then degraded with bacterial collagenase. IgG and albumin were quantified in each extract. From the surface and deep layers significantly more IgG and albumin were extracted from rheumatoid than from normal specimens, both with neutral buffer and with guanidine. In neutral buffer extracts the molar ratios of IgG to albumin were comparable from normal and rheumatoid specimens, with a molar excess of albumin. In contrast, the molar ratios of IgG to albumin in guanidine extracts from rheumatoid cartilages were significantly higher than in normal cartilages, and the IgG was in molar excess of albumin only in rheumatoid extracts. These results show for the first time that IgG has penetrated deep into the cartilage in rheumatoid arthritis and may contribute to the degradation of cartilage by inflammation.
In Situ Quantum Efficiency of Lake Superior Phytoplankton

In situ quantum efficiencies were measured in Lake Superior over a 4-day period in 1978 and on one occasion in 1980. In 1980, experimental artifacts caused by exposing deep phytoplankton to elevated irradiances were minimized by the use of SCUBA divers. The trends of quantum efficiency with depth agreed well with theory. In the nutrient-limited upper portion of the euphotic zone, quantum efficiencies increased with depth, whereas in the light-limited lower portion of the euphotic zone, quantum efficiencies were relatively constant. Maximum quantum efficiencies calculated with downwelling irradiances ranged from 0.041 to 0.069 moles C fixed • Einst abs−1 with a mean maximum quantum efficiency of 0.0538 ± 0.0025 moles C fixed • Einst abs−1. Maximum quantum efficiencies in morning experiments ranged from 0.041 to 0.053 moles C fixed • Einst abs−1 and were slightly less than noon values, 0.057 to 0.067 moles C fixed • Einst abs−1. Correction for scalar irradiance would reduce all quantum efficiencies by 25%.