cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Field evaluation of TaqMan Array Card (TAC) for the simultaneous detection of multiple respiratory viruses in children with acute respiratory infection.

Abstract Background Multipathogen reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) platforms have proven useful in surveillance for acute respiratory illness (ARI) and study of respiratory outbreaks of unknown etiology. The TaqMan® Array Card (TAC, Life Technologies™), can simultaneously test 7 clinical specimens for up to 21 individual pathogens (depending on arrangement of controls and use of duplicate wells) by arrayed singleplex RT-qPCR on a single assay card, using minimal amounts of clinical specimens. A previous study described the development of TAC for the detection of respiratory viral and bacterial pathogens; the assay was evaluated against well-characterized analytical materials and a limited collection of human clinical specimens. Objectives We wished to compare TAC assay performance against standard individual RT-qPCR assays for respiratory viral detection, focusing on 10 viruses (adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, human parainfluenza viruses 1–4, influenza viruses A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinovirus) from a larger collection of human specimens. Study design We used specimens from 942 children with ARI enrolled systematically in a population-based, ARI surveillance study (New Vaccine Surveillance Network, NVSN). Results Compared with standard individual RT-qPCR assays, the sensitivity of TAC for the targeted viruses ranged from 54% to 95% (54%, 56%, and 75% for adenovirus, human parainfluenza viruses-1 and -2, respectively, and 82%–95% for the other viruses). Assay specificity was 99%, and coefficients of variation for virus controls ranged from 1.5% to 4.5%. Conclusion The TAC assay should prove useful for multipathogen studies and rapid outbreak response.
Serum Biomarkers of Immune Activation and Subsequent Risk of Non-Hodgkin B-Cell Lymphoma among HIV-Infected Women

Background: There is increasing evidence that chronic immune activation predisposes to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Whether this association exists among women representative of the current HIV epidemic in the U.S. who are at high risk of HIV-associated NHL (AIDS-NHL), remains to be determined. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within the Women's Interagency HIV Study with longitudinally collected risk factor data and sera. Cases were HIV-infected women with stored sera collected at three time-windows 3-5 years, 1-3 years, and 0-1 year prior to AIDS-NHL diagnosis (n=22). Three to six HIV-infected controls, without AIDS-NHL, were matched to each case on age, race, CD4+ T cell count, and study follow-up time (n=78). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between one unit increase in log-transformed biomarker levels and AIDS-NHL were computed using random effect multivariate logistic regression models. Results: Elevated levels of sCD27 (OR=7.21, 95% CI=2.62-19.88), sCD30 (OR=2.64, 95% CI=1.24-5.64), and CXCL13 (OR=2.56, 95% CI=1.32-4.96) were associated with subsequent diagnosis of AIDS-NHL overall. Elevated sCD23 was associated with a 2-to 4-fold increased risk of AIDS-NHL in certain subgroups, while elevated IL6 was associated with a 2-fold increased risk in the 0-1 year time-window, only. Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that chronic B cell activation contributes to the development of AIDS-NHL in women. Impact: sCD23, sCD27, sCD30, and CXCL13 may serve as biomarkers for AIDS-NHL.
Yes Virginia, thereis an objective reality in job analysis

We fundamentally disagree with Sanchez and Levine (this issue) on several issues. Terminologically, we are troubled by their failure to differentiate between the descriptive process of rating verifiable work characteristics (i.e., job analysis) versus the subjective process of inferring worker ability and ‘other’ (AO) requirements (i.e., job specification). Although ‘consequential validity’ is crucial for evaluating job specifications, it is largely irrelevant for assessing properly conducted job analyses. Ontologically, we reject their relativist view that an objective reality does not exist when describing work activities. When verifiable descriptors are rated using sound rating scales, independent judges can definitively assess position rating accuracy; such a review constitutes all the ‘validity’ evidence needed for the job analysis per se. We discuss a number of additional concerns, including the way in which practitioners deal with true cross-position ratings variability, and the role of holistic inferences. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of Angiogenesis by Interferons: Effects on Tumor-and Lymphocyte-induced Vascular Responses

Interferons (IFNs) have established antitumor action; the mechanism underlying this effect is, however, not yet clear. To probe the possible contribution of inhibition of angiogenesis, we have assessed angiogenesis in the mouse initiated by either human or murine tumor cell lines. Whether test cells were inoculated in the dermis or tumor fragments were grafted onto the cornea, tumor-induced angiogenesis (TIA) was inhibited by IFNs. TIA was also inhibited by the potent IFN inducer polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid. The effect of IFN was species specific; human IFNs inhibited human tumors and mouse IFNs inhibited murine tumors. This effect suggested that in contrast to other angiogenesis inhibitors, IFNs modulated the signal for angiogenesis produced by the tumor cells. Tumor cells treated in vitro with homologous IFN were significantly (P less than 0.005) less competent to initiate angiogenesis than were untreated cells. Inhibition of angiogenesis was achieved whether vascular response was assessed 1 or 3 days after tumor cell inoculation, suggesting that antiangiogenesis activity was independent of the antiproliferative effects of IFNs. To further substantiate this, L1210 leukemia cells, resistant to the antiproliferative effects of IFNs, were treated with 500 units/ml IFN-beta. IFN had no effect on their proliferation, but in four separate experiments, L1210R cells were impaired in their ability to induce angiogenesis. Thus, inhibition of TIA by IFNs was species specific, occurred at least partly by modulation of the signal inducing angiogenesis, and was expressed in the absence of antiproliferative effects. IFNs also inhibited immunologically induced angiogenesis, whether initiated by allogeneic lymphocytes (LIA) or by the mouse's own T-cells in response to an exogenous antigen (sheep RBC). LIA was markedly suppressed by treatment of host mice with homologous IFN-beta. For example, mean vessel counts induced by allogeneic mouse lymphocytes were decreased from 22.8 +/- 1.4 (SE) to 12.5 +/- 0.8 (P less than 0.0001); mouse IFN-beta had no corresponding effect on xenogeneic human lymphocytes (mean vessel counts decreased to 21.7 +/- 2.6 from 22.7 +/- 2.0). Treatment with human IFN-alpha, -beta, or -gamma in vitro or host mice in vivo reduced the ability of inoculated human peripheral blood lymphocytes to initiate xenogeneic LIA. Inhibition of LIA required a lower dose and/or a shorter incubation period than that needed to modulate TIA. Treatment of the donor of the allogeneic spleen cells in vivo with murine IFN or inducers also resulted in lesser LIA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Local Heat Transfer Coefficients of a High-Frequency Synthetic Jet during Impingement Cooling over Flat Surfaces

It has been shown that synthetic jets can enhance heat transfer in air-cooling during natural convection heat transfer. Those meso scale devices are expected to be one of the methods of choice for cooling confined space, low heat-generating electronics. The present study focuses on the local and global heat transfer coefficients of a high-frequency meso scale synthetic jet. The experiments have been completed with synthetic jets, which are 12.5 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick with a square orifice of 1 mm. A synthetic jet has been driven at the resonance frequency of 4500 Hz, and voltage was between 30 V and 50 V. Earlier studies have focused on understanding the effect of voltage and driving frequency on the average heat transfer effect, while the current study aims for determining local heat transfer. A microscopic infrared thermal imaging technique was used to acquire local temperature distributions, and the data were analyzed for local convective and radiative heat transfer coefficients. Four square hea...
Delay analysis for maximal scheduling with flow control in wireless networks with bursty traffic

We consider the delay properties of one-hop networks with general interference constraints and multiple traffic streams with time-correlated arrivals. We first treat the case when arrivals are modulated by independent finite state Markov chains. We show that the well known maximal scheduling algorithm achieves average delay that grows at most logarithmically in the largest number of interferers at any link. Further, in the important special case when each Markov process has at most two states (such as bursty ON/OFF sources), we prove that average delay is independent of the number of nodes and links in the network, and hence is order-optimal. We provide tight delay bounds in terms of the individual auto-correlation parameters of the traffic sources. These are perhaps the first order-optimal delay results for controlled queueing networks that explicitly account for such statistical information. Our analysis treats cases both with and without flow control.
Competency evaluation of plant character ontologies against domain literature

Specimen identification keys are still the most commonly created tools used by systematic biologists to access biodiversity information. Creating identification keys requires analyzing and synthesizing large amounts of information from specimens and their descriptions and is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming activity. Automating the generation of identification keys from text descriptions becomes a highly attractive text mining application in the biodiversity domain. Fine-grained semantic annotation of morphological descriptions of organisms is a necessary first step in generating keys from text. Machine-readable ontologies are needed in this process because most biological characters are only implied (i.e., not stated) in descriptions. The immediate question to ask is “How well do existing ontologies support semantic annotation and automated key generation?” With the intention to either select an existing ontology or develop a unified ontology based on existing ones, this paper evaluates the coverage, semantic consistency, and inter-ontology agreement of a biodiversity character ontology and three plant glossaries that may be turned into ontologies. The coverage and semantic consistency of the ontology-glossaries are checked against the authoritative domain literature, namely, Flora of North America and Flora of China. The evaluation results suggest that more work is needed to improve the coverage and interoperability of the ontology-glossaries. More concepts need to be added to the ontology-glossaries and careful work is needed to improve the semantic consistency. The method used in this paper to evaluate the ontology-glossaries can be used to propose new candidate concepts from the domain literature and suggest appropriate definitions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Premixed turbulent flame structures in moderate and intense isotropic turbulence

Several 2-D imaging techniques including planar laser induced fluorescence for OH (OH-PLIF) have been used to investigate premixed turbulent flame structures under moderate to intense isotropic turbulence. Unconditioned velocity statistics were measured by laser Doppler anemometry. The experiments used a low-swirl burner that produces high intensity near-isotropic turbulence. The goal is to gain better insights into the flame structures at high turbulence and to test and verify the concept of the "distributed reaction zones" regime. Four methane/air flames (φ=0.7) have been studied with 0.5< u ′<2.2 m/s. A linear correlation for the flame speed, S f , is found: S f / S L =2.12 ( u ′/ S L )+1. Sets of 200 OH-PLIF images obtained for each flame clearly show that flame wrinkling is a random process. The probability of the flame having very small wrinkles is relatively low. This strongly suggests that the penetration of small intense eddies into the flame sheet to generate a "distributed reaction zone" is sta...
Growth, survivorship, life-span, and sex change in the hermaphroditic shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni (Decapoda: Caridea: Hippolytidae)

Lysmata wurdemanni (Gibbes) is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite. All individuals first mature as a male-phase individual (MP) and then later change to a female-phase individual (FP) that spawns and broods embryos but can also mate as a male. A Gulf of Mexico population was sampled monthly for 1 year and bimonthly the next. Estimates of basic population parameters were obtained from cohort analysis to reveal possible factors explaining the unusual sexual biology of L. wurdemanni as well as the broad variation in the size (age) of change from MP to FP. Growth rates of individuals from cohorts varied from 4–7 mm carapace length year−1. Growth of small MPs in the laboratory was somewhat faster but concordant with growth rates estimated from field samples. The period from recruitment to >50% sex change in cohorts varied from 3 months to 1 year. In the laboratory, the size and interval to sex change was similar to that of the most rapidly changing cohort observed. Survivorship of cohorts was high until later in life; life-span was estimated to be 12–18 months. Rates of sex change were highest from late winter through spring, in time for the spring–summer breeding season. The size and age of sex change in cohorts were related to the season of recruitment. MPs recruited from late winter to mid-spring rapidly changed to FPs at a relatively small size. A majority of MPs recruited in the summer and autumn did not change to FPs until the following late winter to spring, and they did so at a larger size. Rates of sex change were not correlated with the sexual composition of the population. We conclude that seasonal factors related to female breeding greatly influence sex change in L. wurdemanni. We found no evidence to support demographically influenced and socially mediated environmental sex determination, which has been suggested for L. wurdemanni and other sex-changing caridean shrimps.
Kinetic Gait Analysis of Healthy Dogs on Two Different Surfaces

Objective— To determine the effects of 2 different, commonly used surfaces with different coefficients of friction on ground reaction forces in normal dogs. Study Design— Prospective, observational, single cross-over study. Animals— Dogs (n=10) with no gait abnormalities. Methods— Dogs were acclimated to the force plate and 5 valid trials for each dog and each limb were recorded. Velocity and acceleration were tightly controlled. Each dog was tested on both surfaces sequentially in different sequences. Data analysis was done on peak vertical force, peak impulse, breaking and propulsion peak forces and impulses. Three-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to separately evaluate the effect of floor type on force plate measures in fore and hind limbs, while controlling for side (left versus right) and experimental replicate. P-values<.05 were considered significant. Mean force and 95% confidence interval for the 6 variables analyzed for all limbs on each surface were calculated. Results— There were no significant differences in ground reaction forces between the linoleum and the carpet surface for thoracic or pelvic limbs for all gait variables measured. There were no significant differences between each individual gait trial per dog between the right and left thoracic limbs trials nor differences between the right and left pelvic limb trials. Conclusions— Normal dogs had no change in their ground reaction forces on linoleum and carpet surfaces. Clinical Relevance— Kinetic results from multi-center or comparative trials will not be affected by use of either linoleum or carpet surfaces.
Operator-Splitting Methods for Monotone Affine Variational Inequalities, with a Parallel Application to Optimal Control

This article applies splitting techniques developed for set-valued maximal monotone operators to monotone affine variational inequalities, including, as a special case, the classical linear complementarity problem. We give a unified presentation of several splitting algorithms for monotone operators, and then apply these results to obtain two classes of algorithms for affine variational inequalities. The second class resembles classical matrix splitting, but has a novel "under-relaxation" step, and converges under more general conditions. In particular, the convergence proofs do not require the affine operator to be symmetric. We specialize our matrix-splitting-like method to discrete-time optimal control problems formulated as extended linear-quadratic programs in the manner advocated by Rockafellar and Wets. The result is a highly parallel algorithm, which we implement and test on the Connection Machine CM-5 computer family.
Education Research Can and Must Address “What Works” Questions

Every year, teachers, principals, superintendents, and other educators have to make hundreds of decisions of potentially great importance to students. What reading program is most likely to ensure high reading performance? Should “social promotion” be used or should retentions be increased? Should summer school programs be provided to struggling students? Should kindergarten be half day or full day? What are the most effective means of providing remediation to children who are falling behind? In a word: What works?
The Language of Laughter: A Quantitative/Qualitative Fusion Examining Television Narrative and Humor

This study utilizes multiple methods to analyze the effects of a laugh track on audience response to four episodes of the classic sitcom, “The Andy Griffith Show.” An experimental design and a narratological approach are used in concert. One of the four episodes stood out quantitatively in terms of perceived humor and overall enjoyment, and was the only episode for which the laugh track had a negative impact. Narratological richness might explain the anomalous episode, as it was found to possess a more complex story structure, higher levels of satire, and other distinctive elements found to have high audience appeal.
TALKING ABOUT SEX: Religion and Patterns of Parent-Child Communication about Sex and Contraception

Despite the association between religiousness and conservative sexual attitudes, links between religion and patterns of parent–child communication about sex and birth control are largely undocumented. This study examines these relationships using two nationally representative data sets of parents and adolescents. I evaluated a conceptual model of religious influence on the sexual socialization of adolescents. Results suggest that parental public religiosity curbs the frequency of conversations about sex and birth control, and after accounting for conversations about sexual morality, so does parental religious salience. Despite notable relationships with religious affiliation, age, race, and gender still shape parental communication patterns most consistently.
Accumulated background variation among H2 mutant congenic strains : elimination through PCR-based genotyping of F2 segregants

Abstract Many commercially and privately available congenic strains of laboratory animals were founded decades ago and are likely to differ from one another by dozens of fixed mutational differences at background loci. This problem is often ignored despite growing evidence that such background variation exists. Eliminating this confounding variation can be largely accomplished by crossing congenic strains to produce F2 segregants that are homozygous (or heterozygous) for relevant genes. Discriminating F2 homozygotes can be difficult when strain differences are minor, as are mutant mouse strains differing at single major histocompatibility loci (H2 mutant congenics). Here, we describe a two-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method utilizing heteroduplex analysis and sequence specific primers (SSP-PCR) that efficiently discriminates the F2 progeny of two such H2 mutant congenic mice crosses (bm1×B6 and bm1×bm3). A third H2 mutant cross cannot be resolved by heteroduplexing, but is discriminated (albeit less efficiently) with SSP-PCR alone. This sensitive application can be extended to any congenic mutant strains.
Controversy about possible health effects of mobile telephones and regulation of radiofrequency exposure

The article reviews recent scientific evidence related to possible links between brain cancer and use of mobile phones. It goes on to outline different open questions that the issue raises, pertinent to regulating health risks from new technologies.
Neonatal hepatitis with osteomalacia.

Summary A case of neonatal hepatitis with extensive osteomalacia is presented, and the relationship between bone-metabolism and liver disease is discussed. Un cas d'hepatite neonatale accompagnee d'une osteomalacie severe est rapporte. Le rapport entre le trouble du metabolisme osseux et l'affection hepatique est discute.
National Health Care Reform: An Idea Whose Time Came and Went

Despite extensive commentary on the failure of health care reform, little systematic analysis has addressed the question of why reform became a national political issue in the early 1990s. Drawing on studies of agenda setting and examining opinion surveys, media coverage, and various measures of congressional activity, I identify the major factors that pushed health care reform onto the government agenda and explore the relationships among them. These factors fall into three categories: underlying structural changes in Congress and the interest group community that created a receptive climate for addressing health care reform; more immediate changes in the medical system, public opinion, media coverage, and the budgetary and political environments that increased attention to the issue; and a crucial political catalyst that thrust the issue to the top of the government agenda--the 1991 victory of Harris Wofford in a special Senate race in Pennsylvania. A content analysis of media coverage of that election reveals that journalists and politicians rapidly interpreted Wofford's triumph as a sign of broad-based public support for reform. This widely shared interpretation redefined the political risks and benefits of health care reform, creating an opportunity for legislative action. Party because of the way reform reached the government agenda, however, this window of opportunity was more fragile than many believed. My argument thus has implications not only for agenda-setting research but also for the failure of national health legislation and the future possibilities for reform.
"Still I rise!" Public discourse surrounding the development of public schools for African Americans in Louisville, Kentucky, 1862--1872.

STILL I RISE!" PUBLIC DISCOURSE SURROUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 1862-1872 Michelle Bachelor Robinson March 3,2010 I conducted my dissertation research in the national, state, and local archives. Using Deborah Brandt's "Sponsors of Literacy" as a conceptual framework and Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, I offer Louisville, Kentucky as a historical case study for how an established and empowered community of free blacks can serve as a catalyst to bring about social and political change through the acquisition ofliteracy. This dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter One explains the scholarly context of my dissertation. I argue that post-emancipation African Americans had a sense of urgency for the acquisition of literacy, and that they were their own primary sponsors. Finally, I offer a review of the limited literature in this research area, an overview of my scholarly position, and a summary of the overall dissertation. Chapter Two contextualizes the development of African-American schools in Louisville, Kentucky. I offer a history of the emergence of public schools nationwide as a tool of assimilation. I also offer a discussion of Kentucky state legislative activity that hindered funding and postponed the opening of public schools for African Americans for more than 4 years statewide. I discuss ways in which rhetorical practices were used to victimize African-Americans who developed a funding plan to support schools for their own children while also contributing tax dollars to majority schools. vi -------------~~-----------------------------------------Chapter Three offers Louisville as a historic case study. I argue that Louisville was a place with a unique set of circumstances that allowed for the development of an atypical African-American community. I argue that the acquisition of literacy permitted African-Americans in this community to exercise agency that spurred socio-economic change. I also argue that the newspaper was a powerful source of agency, and I juxtapose the self-report system in African-American newspapers with reports of African-American community activities in the publications of the majority. Finally, Chapter Four considers ways that this narrative contributes to scholarship in African-American studies, AfricanAmerican literacy, African-African rhetoric, Rhetoric and Composition, and to some degree pedagogical practice.
A mathematical programming-based approach to determining objective functions from qualitative and subjective comparisons

The solutions or states of optimization problems or simulations are evaluated by using objective functions. The weights for these objective functions usually have to be estimated from experts' evaluations, which are likely to be qualitative and somewhat subjective. Although such estimation tasks are normally regarded as quite suitable for machine learning, we propose a mathematical programming-based method for better estimation. The key idea of our method is to use an ordinal scale for measuring paired differences of the objective values as well as the paired objective values. By using an ordinal scale, experts' qualitative and subjective evaluations can be appropriately expressed with simultaneous linear inequalities, and which can be handled by a mathematical programming solver. This allows us to extract more information from experts' evaluations compared to machine-learning-based algorithms, which increases the accuracy of our estimation. We show that our method outperforms machine-learning-based algorithms in a test of finding appropriate weights for an objective function.
Investigating Adsorption/Desorption of Carbon Dioxide in Aluminum Compressed Gas Cylinders

Between June 2010 and June 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) gravimetrically prepared a suite of 20 carbon dioxide (CO2) in air primary standard mixtures (PSMs). Ambient mole fraction levels were obtained through six levels of dilution beginning with pure (99.999%) CO2. The sixth level covered the ambient range from 355 to 404 μmol/mol. This level will be used to certify cylinder mixtures of compressed dry whole air from both the northern and southern hemispheres as NIST standard reference materials (SRMs). The first five levels of PSMs were verified against existing PSMs in a balance of air or nitrogen with excellent agreement observed (the average percent difference between the calculated and analyzed values was 0.002%). After the preparation of a new suite of PSMs at ambient level, they were compared to an existing suite of PSMs. It was observed that the analyzed concentration of the new PSMs was less than the calculated gravimetric concentration by as much as 0.3% relativ...
Effect of Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride on Carcinogen-Metabolizing Enzymes: Liver Microsomal Dimethylnitrosamine Demethylase, 4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene Reductase, and Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase

Investigation of the effect of chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) on some enzymes involved in the metabolism of the carcinogens 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB), benzo[a]pyrene, and dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) revealed that CPZ inhibited hepatic microsomal DAB reductase, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, and DMN demethylase II but markedly activated DMN demethylase I. Inhibition of these enzymes in vitro was proportional to the concentrations of CPZ. The effect of CPZ on DMN demethylase also depended on the concentrations of DMN and CPZ in the incubation mixture. Mechanisms to account for the inhibition of DAB reductase were suggested. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and DMN demethylase II activities of the 100,000 x g hepatic microsomal fraction were activated by 33 and 61%, respectively, over the control values after a single injection of CPZ into F344 rats, but no effect on DAB reductase and DMN demethylase I activities was observed. Microsomal concentrations of protein and cytochrome P450 were not appreciably altered by CPZ treatment, whereas the level of microsomal NADPH cytochrome c reductase was slightly increased over control values. A similar effect on the drug-metabolizing enzymes was found during pretreatment of rats with CPZ for 5 days, except that the NADPH cytochrome c reductase was increased by 33% over the control values.
Bentonite evolution at elevated pressures and temperatures: An experimental study for generic nuclear repository designs

Geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel in high-capacity metal canisters may reduce the repository footprint, but it may yield high-thermal loads (up to 300 °C). The focus of this experimental work is to expand our understanding of the hydrothermal stability of bentonite clay barriers interacting with metallic phases under different geochemical, mineralogical, and engineering conditions. The hydrothermal experiments were performed using flexible Au/Ti Dickson reaction cells mounted in an externally heated pressure vessel at 150–160 bars and temperatures up to 300 °C for five to six weeks. Unprocessed Wyoming bentonite, containing primarily montmorillonite with minor amount of clinoptilolite, was saturated with a K-Ca-Na-Cl-bearing water (~1900 mg/L total dissolved solids) at a 9:1 water:rock mass ratio. The bentonite and solution combination contained either steel plates or Cu-foils and were buffered to low Eh using magnetite and metallic iron. During reactions, pH, K + , and Ca 2+ concentrations decreased, whereas SiO 2(aq) , Na + , and SO 4 2− concentrations increased throughout the experiments. Pyrite decomposition was first observed at ~210 °C, generating H 2 S (aq,g) that interacted with metal plates or evolves as a gas. The aqueous concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth cations appear to be buffered via montmorillonite and clinoptilolite exchange reactions. Illite or illite/smectite mixed-layer formation was significantly retarded in the closed system due to a limited K + supply along with high Na + and SiO 2(aq) concentrations. Precursor clinoptilolite underwent extensive recrystallization during the six weeks, 300 °C experiments producing a Si-rich analcime in addition to authigenic silica phases (i.e., opal, cristobalite). Analcime and feldspar formation partially sequester aqueous Al 3+ , thereby potentially inhibiting illitization. Associated with the zeolite alteration is a ~17% volume decrease (quartz formation) that translates into ~2% volume loss in the bulk bentonite. These results provide chemical information that can be utilized in extending the bentonite barriers’ lifetime and thermal stability. Zeolite alteration mineralogy and illitization retardation under these experimental conditions is important for the evaluation of clay barrier long-term stability in a spent nuclear fuel repository.
Immunologic Significance of VitaminsI. Influence of the Lack of Vitamins on the Production of Specific Agglutinins, Precipitins, Hemolysins and Bacteriolysins in the Rat, Rabbit and Pigeon

The influence of vitamins on the production of antibodies has received little study. Guerrini1 came to the conclusion that pigeons fed on a diet of polished rice lose the ability to elaborate agglutinins. Kleinschmidt2 reported that hemolysin formation in the dog was subnormal when the animals were fed unsuitable diets, although Hektoen 3 found the antibody production normal in rats fed on the Osborne-Mendel stunting food. Zilva4 found no disturbance in the production of agglutinins or hemolysins in the rat fed on a diet free of vitamin A or B ; or in the guinea-pig on a ration low in vitamin C.
On the Designing and Manufacture of Auto Play and Voice Synchronized Multimedia Presentation

This article is to introduce the automatically-play-and-voice-synchronized multimedia presentation courseware through recording narration,insert a sound,rehearsal time,embedded voice and other methods in PowerPoint.
Cable Sizing and Its Effect on Thermal and Ampacity Values in Underground Power Distribution

OF THESIS CABLE SIZING AND ITS EFFECT ON THERMAL AND AMPACITY VALUES IN UNDERGROUND POWER DISTRIBUTION Over the past decade, underground power distribution has become increasingly popular due to its reliability, safety, aesthetic characteristics, as well as the ever increasing focus on the environmental impacts of the various stages of power generation and distribution. With the technological advances in this area, the process of running these cables have become more economical and efficient. This thesis explores the practice of grouping multiple three phase cables in a common conduit, using the duct bank process, and analyzes the thermal and ampacity consequences on the individual lines. This analysis is done in an effort to better define and understand the various limitations of the practice and explore future possibilities in its expansion.
The Integers and the Rational Numbers

The trichotomy law, which is closed under the well-defined operations of addition and multiplication, is satisfied by “equality” and “less than.” These operations are commutative and associative, and the distributive law and cancellation law for addition hold. The last non-zero remainder that appears in the Euclidean algorithm is the greatest common divisor. The special property of pairs of relatively prime integers is shared by certain integers that are prime to nearly every other integer. The rational numbers form a kind of stopping place for many purposes. Commercial transactions and most other applications of arithmetic might be carried out within this system.
The Beaufort Gyre intensification and stabilization: A model-observation synthesis

A model-observation synthesis is conducted to investigate changes in the upper ocean circulation and stratification in the Canada Basin [CB] of the Arctic Ocean. Results show that the Beaufort Gyre [BG] has been generally intensifying during 1992–2015 in conjunction with changes in sea ice and the upper ocean including increasing sea surface height [SSH], sea ice and ocean speed, Ekman transport convergence and downwelling, and freshwater content, decreasing ice thickness and upper ocean salinity, shoaling summer halocline and mixed layer, and deepening winter halocline and mixed layer. Increasing Ekman transport convergence draws more water from surrounding areas into the CB, thus lowering SSH in those areas and raising SSH in the CB. The rate of change in the CB began to decrease in 2008 and the BG circulation appears to be stabilizing, if not relaxing slightly. This is reflected in the general plateauing of SSH, the intensity of the sea ice and ocean circulation, and various measures of the CB thermohaline stratification. The BG intensification and subsequent stabilization appear to have been strongly controlled by atmospheric changes in the CB characterized by generally increasing anticyclonic wind circulation and sea level pressure (SLP) before 2008 and falling wind strength and SLP to below-average levels in some years after 2008. Changes in SLP are highly correlated with changes in ocean surface stress curl and downwelling. Since 2008, the magnitude of the stress curl and downwelling in much of the CB has declined, contributing to BG stabilization. The general leveling-off of sea ice thickness also contributes to the stabilization by limiting melt water input to the CB that increases freshwater content. Temperatures in the Near Surface Temperature Maximum layer trended upward slightly over 1992–2015, which is closely correlated with decreasing sea ice thickness. Upper ocean heat content increased over the study period mainly due to strong temperature increases in the summer Pacific Water layer.
Monitoring Pump and Compressor Performance Using Motor Data

Mechanical condition diagnostics have historically relied upon both human perceptions (sound, sight, smell) and mechanical measurements, such as vibration. In recent years, the ability to extract useful information about certain conditions of mechanical equipment driven by motors from motor energy transfer components (current, power, etc.) has been recognized. This paper discusses the use of motor data to assist in the understanding of certain fluid and mechanical conditions of compressors and pumps.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
An Experiment in Using Visual Attention Metrics to Think About Experience and Design Choices in Past Places

The influence of the visual properties of a built space or landscape on the behaviors of people within them and the manipulation of these visual properties to cue or constrain behaviors are subjects of long-standing archaeological interest. Advances in cognitive neurosciences and a suite of improved computational modeling tools, combined with the proliferation of detailed 3D models of archaeological complexes and landscapes, offer an opportunity for new approaches to these topics based on models of low-level perceptual cues and visual attention. The approach described here takes aim at the question of where people will look, rather than simply what is visible, with the goal of investigating the intentions of designers of spaces and visual aspects of the experience of a place. In simple terms, our approach involves placing detailed 3D models of built spaces or landscapes into a digital environment. An individual then virtually walks through the space and what is visible at each moment is recorded in the form of a video stream, which may be broken down into a sequence of scenes. This set of scenes is then analyzed using software that calculates and maps the visual saliency of each scene and the path of focuses of attention (FOAs) over time. This set of saliency maps, raw images, and FOA paths provide the basis for further interpretation. This paper presents an initial experiment to illustrate the approach, carried out in the eastern passage at Knowth, one of the main mounds in the Bru na Boinne in Ireland.
The Influence of Loneliness and Interpersonal Relations on Latina/o Middle School Students' Wellbeing.

ABSTRACTThis study examined associations of loneliness and relationships (e.g., teacher/student relationships, peer support, and family support) with wellbeing among Latina/o middle school students. A hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that age and loneliness predicted wellbeing; older students and students with high levels of loneliness reported higher wellbeing. The interaction effect between loneliness and peer support suggested that peer support was related with wellbeing only among students high in loneliness. Similarly, the interaction effect between loneliness and family support suggested that family support was associated with wellbeing only among students high in loneliness. Implications for addressing cultural determinants of wellbeing are provided.
Parenthetical "I'm telling you" as a marker of private evidence

We present an analysis of parenthetical uses of the English expression I'm telling you as a discourse particle, i.e., an expression that conveys information about the epistemic states of discourse participants with respect to the propositional content of an utterance (Zimmermann 2011). The analysis connects I’m telling you to other discourse particles that mark the speaker’s assumptions about whether the (evidence for the) asserted proposition is shared knowledge between the speaker and addressee and whether or not the (evidence for the) proposition is ``verifiable on the spot'', e.g. German ja (Kratzer 1999, 2004), Mandarin de (Soh 2018).
A feasibility study of combined intermittent theta burst stimulation and modified constraint-induced aphasia therapy in chronic post-stroke aphasia.

Purpose The purpose of this feasibility study was to assess whether combined intermittent theta burst suppression (iTBS) applied to the ipsilesional hemisphere and modified constraint-induced aphasia therapy (mCIAT) are safe and logistically feasible within the time interval associated with iTBS induced long-term potentiation in patients with post-stroke aphasia. We also wanted to determine whether combining priming with iTBS and CIAT improves language functions after treatment. Methods Twelve participants received fMRI (semantic decision/tone decision task) and neuropsychological testing of language skills at three time points - before starting the iTBS/mCIAT intervention (T1), immediately after completing 2-week long course of intervention (T2), and at 3-months follow-up (T3). ITBS was applied to the individually determined fMRI language "hot spot" located in the left fronto-temporal regions. Results There were no serious adverse events, and all mCIAT group therapy sessions (3-4 subjects each) were initiated within 30 minutes of the first group subject receiving iTBS. Neuropsychological assessments of language showed a significant effect of session on Western Aphasia Battery aphasia quotient (WAB-AQ; p = 0.04) and spontaneously correct responses on Boston Naming Test (BNT; p = 0.002), with improvement noted at T2 (p = 0.002) and T3 (p = 0.05) versus T1. FMRI showed significant changes between all timepoints. Post-hoc correlations showed associations between improvements in WAB-AQ from T2 to T3 and decreased BOLD signal in left inferior parietal lobe, and improvements in BNT from T1 to T3 with decreased signal in right inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusion This study shows feasibility and safety for combining behavioral and neurostimulation interventions for chronic post-stroke aphasia. Observed changes in linguistic measures were relatively small. However, they were statistically significant and associated with parallel changes observed in the neuroimaging. Our findings support further development and testing of the combined mCIAT and iTBS protocol and comparisons to either CIAT/mCIAT or iTBS applied alone for the treatment of post-stroke aphasia.
Gas-pressure chemical vapor transport growth of millimeter-sized c-BAs single crystals with moderate thermal conductivity

We have grown c-BAs single crystals up to 1000 μm size by the chemical vapor transport (CVT) technique using combined As and I2 transport agents with the As:I ratio of 1:3 under gas pressures of up to 35 atm. Raman spectroscopy revealed a very sharp (∼2.4 cm−1) P1 phonon mode and an interesting splitting behavior of P1 from detailed polarization studies. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments revealed no evidence for EPR active growth-related defects under the experimental resolution. Finally, a moderate thermal conductivity value of ∼132 W/m-K was obtained using a transient thermal grating technique. These results suggest that although the high As gas vapor pressure environment in CVT growth can increase the transport rate of c-BAs significantly, it may not be efficient in reducing the defects and enhancing the thermal conductivity in c-BAs significantly.
An investigation of surfactant behavior at the liquid/liquid interface with sumfrequency vibrational spectroscopy

ZPresent address: Department of Chemistry Lehigh University 6 East Packer Avenue Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015-3172, USA Abstract Vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy in conjunction with interracial pressure measurements are used to provide the first direct spectroscopic information about the structure of amphiphillic molecules adsorbed to the interface between two immiscible liquids by total internal reflection sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (TIR SFVS). The effect of the ionic head group on the conformational order of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecylsulfonate (DDS), dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), and dodecylamine hydrochloride (DAC) adsorbed at the D20/CC14 interface has been examined. In addition, the effect of the length of the alkyl chain on the conformation and orientation of sodium hexylsulfonate (HS), sodium undecylsulfonate (UDS), and sodium dodecylsulfonate (DDS) is also presented. SF vibrational spectra indicate the presence of gauche conformations in the hydrocarbon chains of all the surfactants examined. An increase in the surface coverage results in the reduction of gauche defects in the hydrocarbon chains as determined from the intensity ratio of the methyl to methylene symmetric stretch vibrational modes. Significantly different alkyl chain conformations are observed for the various head groups and chain lengths examined. A series of saturated symmetric dialkyl phosphocholines adsorbed at the D20/CCI~ interface are also examined. Temperature controlled experiments carried out with aqueous solutions of dilauroylphosphocholine (DLPC), dimyristoylphosphocholine (DMPC), dipalmitoylphosphocholine (DPPC), and distearoylphosphocholine (DSPC) show the lipid bilayer gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature to play a pivotal role in determining interfacial monolayer concentration and alkyl chain structure. Even at equivalent interracial concentrations longer chain phosphocholine species form more disordered monolayers with a greater number of gauche defects than shorter chain phosphocholine species, as determined from relative intensities of vibrational bands in the CH stretching region.
Advances in FT-NMR Methodology for Paramagnetic Solutions: Detection of Quadrupolar Nuclei in Complex Free Radicals and Biological Samples

This chapter reviews our recent studies aimed at developing the FT-NMR method as a “beat-relaxation” technique which permits the detection of fast-relaxing spins such as quadrupolar nuclei in paramagnetic solutions. The technique is termed “beat relaxation” since the FT-NMR method takes advantage of the short spin-lattice relaxation times (<10–11 sec) whereas fast relaxation renders other paramagnetic resonance techniques unsuitable for detecting such species. Our primary focus will be on measuring small (≤ 1 Gauss) hyperfine (hf) couplings from quadrupolar nuclei in large organic radicals in solution where such measurements have been feasible for the first time. The significance of the FT-NMR advances may be gauged from the fact that measurements of small 14N couplings in free radicals had previously not been possible despite the use of EPR, conventional NMR, electron-nuclear double-resonance (ENDOR),1,2 electron-electron double-resonance (ELDOR),1,2 and electron-nuclear triple resonance.3
Electrophysiology and Biophysics of the Squid Giant Axon

The giant axon of the squid, Loligo pealei, is a valuable research preparation currently in use to solve several physiological problems. Many investigators first became acquainted with squid either from the giant axon literature, or from direct involvement in squid axon electrophysiological experiments. Several books have featured work on the electrophysiology of the squid giant axon (Hodgkin, 1964; Katz, 1966; Cole, 1968; Tasaki, 1968; Adelman, 1971a; Baker, 1984b). In addition, there have been several reviews on this subject (Hodgkin, 1951; Baker el al., 1976; Rosenberg, 1973, 1981; Fishman, 1982; Bezanilla et al., 1982; Baker, 1984a; Meech, 1986). Because of their large diameters, giant axons have been excellent preparations for the measurement of whole membrane bioelectrical phenomena. In fact, much of the basic knowledge of the mechanism of nerve fiber or axon impulse conduction has been obtained from the squid giant axon (Adelman and French, 1976).