cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ongoing Mass Transfer in the Interacting Galaxy Pair NGC 1409/1410

I present two-band Hubble Space Telescope (HST) STIS imaging and WIYN spectral mapping of ongoing mass transfer in the interacting galaxy pair NGC 1409/1410 (where NGC 1410 is the Seyfert galaxy also cataloged as III Zw 55). Archival snapshot WFPC2 imaging from the survey by Malkan and coworkers showed a dust feature stretching between the galaxies, apparently being captured by NGC 1409. The new images allow estimates of the mass being transferred and the rate of transfer. An absorption lane typically 025 (100 pc) wide, with a representative optical depth τB = 0.2, cuts across the spiral structure of NGC 1410, crosses the 7 kpc projected space between the nuclei, wraps in front of and, at the limits of detection, behind NGC 1409 and becomes a denser (τB = 0.4) polar feature around the core of NGC 1409. The combination of extinction data in two passbands allows a crude three-dimensional recovery of the dust structure, supporting the front/back geometry derived from colors and extinction estimates. The whole feature contains on the order of 2 × 106 M⊙ in dust, implying about 3 × 108 M⊙ of gas and requiring a mass transfer rate averaging ≈1 M⊙ yr-1, unless we are particularly unlucky in viewing angle. Curiously, this demonstrable case of mass transfer seems to be independent of the occurrence of a Seyfert nucleus, since the Seyfert galaxy in this pair is the donor of the material. Likewise, the recipient shows no signs of recent star formation from incoming gas, although NGC 1410 has numerous luminous young star clusters and widespread Hα emission.
Post-hospital syndrome--an acquired, transient condition of generalized risk

Patients who were recently hospitalized experience a period of generalized risk for myriad adverse health events. Their condition may be characterized as a post-hospital syndrome, an acquired condition of vulnerability not necessarily linked to the original illness.
Diurnal cycle of precipitation in the NASA Seasonal to Interannual Prediction Project atmospheric general circulation model

[1] The global statistics of the diurnal cycle of warm-season precipitation simulated by NASA's Seasonal to Interannual Prediction Project (NASA/NSIPP) atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) were evaluated using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) rain retrievals. The model has notable biases in the phase of the diurnal cycle over land, where it produces rainfall maxima in the early afternoon, several hours earlier than the observed evening maxima. The model also produces too little precipitation in the nighttime over land. Similar biases in the phase were found over ocean, although the statistics are less robust. An analysis of the convective and stratiform contributions to the precipitation indicates that the incorrect representation of the diurnal cycle is primarily tied to deficiencies in the deep convection scheme. A set of sensitivity experiments shows that the phase of the maximum diurnal precipitation is quite sensitive to the change of the convection starting (parcel origination) level and the increase of the convection adjustment (relaxation) timescale in the Relaxed Arakawa-Schubert scheme. Both modifications act to delay the timing for the maximum development of CAPE, which lead to improvements in the diurnal cycle of precipitation, especially in correcting the phase errors over land, although the modifications tend to reduce the diurnal amplitudes substantially. The study suggests that improvements to the diurnal cycle in current models require improvements to the parameterized deep convection schemes, including the coupling with the boundary layer, the characteristic timescale of convection adjustment, and the triggering process for nocturnal precipitation.
Purification and characterization of glycolipid transfer protein from bovine brain

Abstract Bovine brain contains a lipid transfer protein that is specific for neutral glycosphingolipids and gangliosides but does not stimulate phospholipid or neutral lipid intermembrane transfer (Brown, R.E., Stephenson, F.A., Markello, T., Barenholz, Y. and Thompson, T.E. (1985) Chem. Phys. Lipids 38, 79–93). This report describes a new procedure for purifying glycolipid transfer protein from bovine brain as well as a characterization of the resulting protein. Chief among the newly introduced approaches are dye-ligand and fast protein cation-exchange liquid chromatography. Other modifications include increasing the overall scale of purification, incorporating a pH precipitation step and adding different proteinase inhibitors. The resulting procedure simplifies and accelerates the purification process while yielding a homogeneous protein. The purified protein has a molecular weight near 23 kDa as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Chromatofocusing reveals that glycolipid transfer protein activity co-elutes with the 23 kDa protein and has an isoelectric point near pH 9.0. A similar isoelectric point is observed using denaturing isoelectric focusing conditions. The protein's amino acid composition reveals high levels of amino acids with non-polar side chains (48%). Based on the findings reported here and on previously published data, bovine brain glycolipid transfer protein has been compared to other lipid transfer proteins as well as lysosomal sphingolipid activator proteins.
Host Records for Geomydoecus (Mallophaga: Trichodectidae) from the Thomomys Bottae-Umbrinus Complex (Rodentia: Geomyidae)

Based on the identification of more than 2300 adult lice from over 225 individual pocket gophers, distributions are given for the 10 currently-recognized species of Geomydoecus found among 96 subspecies of Thomomys bottae and T. umbrinus. The occurrence of 9 combinations of 2 sympatric Geomydoecus species was observed on a total of 47 host individuals.
Vasopressin and Oxytocin Responses to Illusory Self-Motion and Nausea in Man*

Vasopressin and oxytocin are nonapeptides secreted from the neurohypophysis; increases in vasopressin are associated with nausea and vomiting in some, but not all, species. Our aim was to determine whether plasma vasopressin and oxytocin levels were altered in healthy volunteers who did or did not develop nausea during vection, an optokinetic stimulus which produces the illusion of self-motion. Vection was produced by rotating a drum with an inner surface of black and white vertical stripes around the seated stationary subject. Gastric myoelectrical activity was recorded continuously throughout the experiment with electrodes positioned on the abdominal surface. Plasma samples were obtained before vection and after drum rotation stopped when nausea and tachygastria were present. Vasopressin and oxytocin were extracted from plasma and quantified by RIA. During vection six subjects reported nausea and developed gastric dysrhythmias; six other subjects had no nausea and remained in normal 3-cpm myoelectrical rhythms. Vasopressin and oxytocin values before vection were similar in each group of subjects. One minute after vection stopped, plasma vasopressin levels were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) in subjects experiencing nausea and tachygastrias (35.4 +/- 26.7 pmol/L) than in those without symptoms (2.7 +/- 0.47 pmol/L). Oxytocin levels were unchanged by either vection or nausea. It is concluded that 1) vasopressin, not oxytocin, neurons in the magnocellular-neurohypophyseal system are activated during vection-induced nausea and gastric dysrhythmias; and 2) illusory self-motion may be used safely to study the neuroendocrine responses to brain-gut interactions and nausea in man.
Isotopic fractionation of ammonium and nitrate during uptake by Skeletonema costatum: Implications for δ15N dynamics under bloom conditions

Isotopic fractionation of ammonium (NH,+ ) and nitrate (NO,-) during uptake by phytoplankton was examined in batch culture experiments with the diatom SkeZetonema costatum under nitrogen-enriched conditions (5-100 PM). The fractionation factor (E) for NOJ- uptake by Skeletonema was -9.Of0.7%0 and was concentration-independent. For NH,+, E was more variable and dependent on ambient NH,+ concentration. For NH4+ concentration ranges of 100-50, 50-20, and 20-5 PM, E was -24.6k5.5, -27.2-+ 1.6, and -7.8+3.0%. In these cultures, isotopic fractionation by phytoplankton caused variations in 615N of up to 50?& for NH4+, 1 ~%XI for NO,-, and 25% for particulate N. Similar variability in the 615N of both dissolved inorganic and particulate organic N pools should be expected during phytoplankton blooms in nature. As a result, phytoplankton-mediated isotopic variability must be considered when isotopic data are used to examine biogeochemical and physical processing of organic matter in marine ecosystems, particularly when biosynthesis and loss processes are decoupled in either space or time during bloom conditions.
Peptides Presented by HLA-DR Molecules in Synovia of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis or Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis

Disease-associated HLA-DR molecules, which may present autoantigens, constitute the greatest genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis (LA). The peptides presented by HLA-DR molecules in synovia have not previously been defined. Using tandem mass spectrometry, rigorous database searches, and manual spectral interpretation, we identified 1,427 HLA-DR-presented peptides (220–464 per patient) from the synovia of four patients, two diagnosed with RA and two diagnosed with LA. The peptides were derived from 166 source proteins, including a wide range of intracellular and plasma proteins. A few epitopes were found only in RA or LA patients. However, two patients with different diseases who had the same HLA allele had the largest number of epitopes in common. In one RA patient, peptides were identified as originating from source proteins that have been reported to undergo citrullination under other circumstances, yet neither this post-translational modification nor anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies were detected. Instead, peptides with the post-translational modification of S-cysteinylation were identified. We conclude that a wide range of proteins enter the HLA-DR pathway of antigen-presenting cells in the patients' synovial tissue, and their HLA-DR genotype, not the disease type, appears to be the primary determinant of their HLA-DR-peptide repertoire. New insights into the naturally presented HLA-DR epitope repertoire in target tissues may allow the identification of pathogenic T cell epitopes, and this could lead to innovative therapeutic interventions.
Predicting response of older adults to mnemonic training: who will benefit?

Objectives: To identify profiles of subjects who respond to mnemonic training for serial word and proper name recall. Design: Analysis of J. O. Brooks et al.'s (1999) mnemonic training data using Quality Receiver Operating Characteristic (QROC) and longitudinal regression analyses (LRA). Setting: Community. Participants: 224 community-dwelling adults 55 years of age and older who wished to improve their memory. Measurements: Performance on serial word and proper name tests; performance on cognitive ability tests. Results: Although the QROC and LRA identified several common predictors (baseline performance, mental rotation ability, and paired associate learning), the QROC identified additional predictors and cognitive ability profiles associated with successful response. Conclusions: Similar degrees of response to mnemonic training are associated with heterogeneous cognitive profiles. This finding highlights the fact that participants rely on a variety of abilities to derive benefit from mnemonic training and thus suggests different avenues from which to approach this training.
Review: organizational change and patient involvement may increase the use of prevention cancer screening services.

Source Citation Stone EG, Morton SC, Hulscher ME, et al. Interventions that increase use of adult immunization and cancer screening services: a meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2002 May 7;136:641-51....
Suicide and the self-harm continuum: phenomenological and biochemical evidence

The thrust of biological research in psychiatry has generally followed the classic approach which aims at identifying biochemical differences between individuals who make up one diagnostic group and either normal controls or patients from another diagnostic group (e.g. schizophrenia vs. normal controls or schizophrenia vs. depression). The focus of our research, and in more recent years, of others, has been one of identifying specific behaviors common to many diagnostic groups and biochemical events which correlate with them (e.g. suicide). In this report we review the phenomenological and biochemical evidence that suicide, self-mutilation and trichotillomania may represent points along a continuum of self-harm.
Factors influencing codon usage bias in genomes

The genetic code is degenerate, i.e. some amino acids are coded for by more than one codon. Although coding for the same amino acid, synonymous codons are not equally used in different genomes, and even in a single genome the synonymous codon usage can vary widely among genes, or even along the gene sequences. With the recent advent of full genome sequences we are starting to unravel the reasons for these deviations. In this review we will cover some of the proposed factors that might cause different codon usage bias and the selective forces influencing it.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc.: International Transfer Pricing and Taxation

This comprehensive case intends to develop your understanding of the complexities involved in the international transfer pricing and taxation of intangible assets. The backdrop for the case is GlaxoSmithKline's $5.2 billion settlement in 2006 with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. You are required to provide possible rationales for the positions advocated by the Company as well as the IRS. You are also required to present calculations under different transfer pricing methods, identify the most appropriate method, compute Foreign Tax Credits for different scenarios, and suggest possible strategies for multinational corporations to reduce the odds of negative settlements with tax authorities.
Temporal anatomy of an epigenetic switch in cell programming: the white-opaque transition of C. albicans

The human pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a well-defined switch between two distinct cell types, named 'white' and 'opaque'. White and opaque cells differ in metabolic preferences, mating behaviours, cellular morphologies and host interactions. Each cell type is stable through many generations; switching between them is rare, stochastic and occurs without any known changes in the primary sequence of the genome; thus the switch is epigenetic. The white-opaque switch is regulated by a transcriptional circuit, composed of four regulators arranged in a series of interlocking feedback loops. To understand how switching occurs, we investigated the order of regulatory changes that occur during the switch from the opaque to the white cell type. Surprisingly, changes in key transcriptional regulators occur gradually, extending over several cell divisions with little cell-to-cell variation. Additional experiments, including perturbations to regulator concentrations, refine the signature of the commitment point. Transcriptome analysis reveals that opaque cells begin to globally resemble white cells well before they irreversibly commit to switching. We propose that these characteristics of the switching process permit C. albicans to 'test the waters' before making an all-or-none decision.
Costs and benefits of pocket gopher foraging: linking behavior and physiology

Animals can attain fitness benefits by maintaining a positive net energy balance, including costs of movement during resource acquisition and the profits from foraging. Subterranean rodent burrowing provides an excellent system in which to examine the effects of movement costs on foraging behavior because it is energetically expensive to excavate burrows. We used an individual-based modeling approach to study pocket gopher foraging and its relationship to digging cost, food abundance, and food distribution. We used a unique combination of an individual-based foraging-behavior model and an energetic model to assess survival, body mass dynamics, and burrow configurations. Our model revealed that even the extreme cost of digging is not as costly as it appears when compared to metabolic costs. Concentrating digging in the area where food was found, or area-restricted search (ARS), was the most energetically efficient digging strategy compared to a random strategy. Field data show that natural burrow configurations were more closely approximated by the animals we modeled using ARS compared to random diggers. By using behavior and simple physiological principles in our model, we were able to observe realistic body mass dynamics and recreate natural movement patterns.
A Pooled Analysis of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and Intergroup Trials of Adjuvant High-Dose Interferon for Melanoma

Purpose: Nearly 2000 patients with stage IIB and III melanoma have participated in four multicenter, randomized trials, conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and the Intergroup, investigating adjuvant high-dose IFN-α 2b therapy. The objectives of this study were to update the analyses of each individual trial and to analyze prognostic factors and treatment effects based on pooled data. Experimental Design: Survival and disease status were updated to April 2001. Analysis of prognostic factors using optimized statistical models was based on data from patients in E1684, E1690, E1694, and E2696. Analysis of treatment effects versus observation (Obs) was based on data from 713 patients randomized to high-dose IFN-α 2b (HDI) or Obs in Trials E1684 and E1690. Results: Updated analysis of E1684, E1690, and E1694 confirmed their original conclusions, now at median follow-up intervals of 2.1–12.6 years. Based on two-sided univariate log-rank analysis of pooled data from E1684 and E1690 (median follow-up, 7.2 years), relapse-free survival (RFS)—but not overall survival (OS)—was significantly prolonged (two-sided log-rank P value = 0.006) for patients treated with HDI versus Obs. Among all patients, prognostic factors that significantly negatively impacted RFS and OS included ulceration, recurrent disease at entry, enrollment in E1684, and age > 49 years. Multivariate statistical models adjusting for these factors confirmed the statistically significant RFS benefit of HDI versus Obs but did not demonstrate a significant OS benefit in the pooled populations. Conclusions: In patients with high-risk resected melanoma, HDI is effective adjuvant therapy with strong evidence for improved RFS and evidence for moderate improvement in OS based on two prospective randomized studies but not the pooled analysis. Analyses of predictors of relapse and response are now needed to improve the therapeutic value of this modality.
Police Use of Force and Officer Injuries Comparing Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) to Hands- and Weapon-Based Tactics

The widespread adoption of conducted energy devices (CEDs) across American police departments over the last decade has been mired in public controversy. It is generally accepted, from a police perspective, that CEDs are safer for officers who can use the weapon at a greater distance, avoiding much of the harm associated with close physical struggles with citizens. Research has generally supported the notion that aggregate levels of officer injuries are reduced following the implementation of CEDs. Unfortunately, multivariate examinations that, in varying degrees, have attempted to compare CED applications to other forms of force (while controlling for rival causal factors) have yet to produce the same consistent results as the pre- and post-CED adoption studies. The current research adds to recent multivariate inquiries by using data collected as part of a national multiagency use of force project to assess the independent effect of CEDs on officer injuries. Based on a series of multivariate models, our r...
Preservation-induced changes in morphometrics of fishes: influence on prey size-choice in juvenile walleye, Stizostedion vitreum (Mitchill)

– Juveniles of the Gulf coast population of walleye, Stizostedion vitreum, 22.4–89.9 mm SL (n=111) shrank significantly in SL and throat diameter over 12 months after being fixed in 10% formalin for 1 week and preserved in 50% isopropyl alcohol thereafter. Significant changes in body depth and total length (TL) were also determined for select larval fish prey that juvenile walleye might encounter in nature. The relationship between fresh SL and throat diameter in juveniles of the Gulf coast population of walleye (22.4–172.4 mm SL) is: throat diameter (mm) =−0.8783 + 0.0786 SL (mm) (r2= 0.988, P < 0.0001, n= 135). In laboratory experiments on prey size choice, walleye selected available prey near or less than their mean throat diameter, although several larger prey (7.4% of total) were also consumed. To determine the actual spectrum of prey sizes available to juvenile piscivores, we must adjust the realized size of the predator and prey for changes caused by preservation. Preservation-induced alterations in morphology translated into errors in the perceived pattern of prey size choice in walleye. The preservation-induced changes documented in this study, which are also supported by a number of other empirical data sets, must be included when modeling the relationships between feeding ecology, morphology, growth, and ecologically relevant indices (condition factors, relative weights, etc.).
Use of fluorescent antibody in studies of immunity to cholera in infant mice.

Abstract Infant mice 8 days of age were infected orally with virulent, motile, classical or El Tor strains of Vibrio cholerae and with nonmotile mutants of low virulence derived from the same strains. At intervals of 8 and 12 h postinfection, frozen thin sections of the ileum were prepared, stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled rabbit anti-vibrio antibody, and examined with the fluorescence microscope. The motile organisms were present in larger numbers, especially at 12h, and had penetrated the intervillous spaces and crypts of Lieberkuhn more completely than nonmotile vibrios. Dilution counts were made on various regions of the intestines of infant mice challenged orally 12 h previously with either motile or nonmotile strains of V. cholerae. Greater numbers of organisms were found, especially in the upper intestinal regions, when motile organisms were used. Low numbers of vibrios, limited mostly to the lumen, were seen in the ileum of infant mice infected with motile organisms when the infants were the offspring of mothers that had been immunized with crude flagellar vaccine or a vesicular preparation derived from the vibrio cell surface. The distribution of vibrios in this case was similar to that found in infected infants of unvaccinated mothers challenged with nonmotile organisms. Motility appears to enable the bacteria to better populate the upper regions of the intestinal tract and to avoid the washing effects of secretions and peristalsis. Antibacterial immunity may function, at least in part, by making it impossible for motile vibrios to accomplish this widespread distribution within the ileum.
Recordings from the Deepest Borehole in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is the most active region in the central and eastern United States. At least three large earthquakes with magnitude greater than 7.0 occurred along the New Madrid faults (Figure 1) between winter 1811 and spring 1812 (Nuttli, 1973; Johnston, 1996; Hough et al. , 2000; Bakun and Hopper, 2004). The paleo-liquefaction records (Tuttle et al. , 2002) suggest that large earthquakes similar to the 1811–1812 events occurred twice in the past 1,200 years in the NMSZ. Although the causes of these large intraplate earthquakes are not well understood (Zoback, 1992; Newman et al. , 1999; Kenner and Segall, 2000), they pose certain hazards and risks because of their proximities to population centers such as Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Even though the 1811–1812 New Madrid events have been investigated intensively (Nuttli, 1973; Johnston, 1996; Hough et al. , 2000; Bakun and Hopper, 2004), the differences among the magnitude estimates by different researchers are significant, about 1.0 magnitude unit, because of the lack of instrumental recordings of the events. Our limited understanding of ground-motion attenuation and site amplification in the region further hinders efforts to assess magnitudes based on macroseismic effects. Therefore, obtaining strong ground-motion recording in the NMSZ remains a high priority for seismic hazard and risk assessment. In the fall of 1989, the University of Kentucky (UK) began to install and operate a strong-motion network in the northeastern part of the NMSZ (Figure 1). The Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network has recorded more than two hundred earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 5.2mb,Lg (Street and Wang, 2003; Wang et al. , 2003). The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University had previously installed and operated a strong-motion network in the New …
Thermal quantitative sensory testing to predict postoperative pain outcomes following gynecologic surgery.

Objective To evaluate the relationship of preoperative thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) values with postoperative pain and opiate consumption in opiate-naive patients following gynecologic surgery. Design Single blind observational study. Settings Surgical center of an academic medical center. Methods QST was performed preoperatively on 124 opioid-naive patients. Pain outcomes were assessed on arrival to the post-anesthesia care unit and at 6 hourly intervals for 24 hours. Subjects were reclassified to three groups: Group 1 had a heat pain threshold above and a cold pain threshold below the median; Group 2 had either a heat pain threshold below or a cold pain threshold above the median; Group 3 had a heat pain threshold below and a cold pain threshold above the median. The primary outcome measure was the 24-hour morphine consumption. Results One hundred twenty subjects were evaluated. Median (interquartile range) warm and cold pain thresholds were 44.8 (42.4–46.9)°C and 10.5 (3.2–19.0)°C, respectively. Heat pain thresholds demonstrated a negative (rho = −0.23, P = 0.01) and cold thresholds a positive correlation (rho = 0.21, P = 0.02) with 24-hour morphine consumption. Median morphine consumption was 19 (2–33) mg ( P = 0.004) equivalents greater in subjects (N = 46) with heat pain thresholds 10°C than subjects with heat pain thresholds >45±C and cold pain thresholds <10±C. Discussion Reduced tolerance to both heat and cold thermal pain stimulus was associated with increased postoperative analgesic requirements. Combined responses to multiple pain modalities may be more useful than a single stimulus paradigm.
Integrative levels, the brain, and the emergence of complex behavior.

The aim of this article is to bring clarity and unification to the question of how certain complex behaviors, such as feeding, learning, language, culture, and neural complexity, are related. Three...
Supporting the mobile notification process through tactile cues selected using a paired comparison task

The process of checking mobile notifications can be challenging when the user is engaged with another task that requires him/her to monitor the path ahead (e.g. running, driving). Developing expressive tactile feedback to communicate key components of the message would enable users to decide whether to attend to the notification, or to continue with the on-going activity. We describe the design of a paired-comparison task to determine how to map tactile parameters to characteristics of incoming messages. Early findings from a field study highlight the promise offered by multi-parameter tactile cues designed using mappings identified from the paired-comparison task, even when distracters are present.
Two-dimensional time-domain scattering using the nyström method and finite difference delay modeling

Over the past decade, much research has been done to improve the efficiency and stability of time domain integral equations (TDIEs) [1, 2]. Despite the advances made due to this work, some problems remain extremely difficult to solve accurately. For instance, the time-domain Green's function of two-dimensional (2D) transverse electric (TE) scattering posseses a high-order singularity and a temporal infinite tail making standard approach difficult to apply.
Catholic Vietnam: A Church from Empire to Nation

In his excellent Catholic Vietnam: A Church from Empire to Nation, Charles Keith provides an engaging, thoroughly researched history of Catholicism in Vietnam from the mid-1800s through the end of ...
The Components of Effective Professional Development for Science Educators: A Case Study With Environmental Education Program Project Learning Tree

Professional development workshops enable educators to increase their knowledge in an academic subject. With the publication of The Next Generation Science Standards, teachers are expected to be cognizant in science content and inquiry-based learning. This research study looked at workshops offered by New York Project Learning Tree®, an environmental education program, using surveys and interviews with facilitators and educators. It was determined that there was a significant relationship between Secondary module workshops: 2–3 hr and how frequently curriculum was taught by educators (p <.05). This study recommends subject-focused, audience-specific, in-person workshops with online supplements as an effective framework for future workshops.
An Approach in Dynamic Monitoring Using Long-gage Fiber Optic Sensors

Fiber Bragg grating (FGB) sensors offer a significant advantage for structural health monitoring due to their ability to simultaneously monitor both static and dynamic strain while being durable, lightweight, capable of multiplexing, and immune to electromagnetic interference. Drawing upon the benefits of FBG sensors, this research explores ways to use a series of long-gage fiber optic sensors for damage detection. Typically, structural identification relies upon determining the frequency and modal shapes of the system. However, relying purely on these parameters has proven challenging for damage detection as they are not sensitive enough. Long gage FBG sensors offer a promising alternative as the same sensors can be used for both frequency and modal analysis and overcome some of the disadvantages associated with traditional dynamic measurement methods through the strain and curvature analysis. Small scale experimental testing was performed using an aluminum beam instrumented with a series of FBG optical fiber sensors. Dynamic strain measurements were obtained as the beam was subjected to various support and loading conditions and damage was simulated by creating imperfect support constraints for the aluminum beam. From the dynamic strain measurements, the curvature as well as the natural frequencies of the structure can be determined. Additionally, a normalized parameter based on the strain and curvature from the dynamic strain measurements has been developed as a potential means of damage detection. Theoretical predictions and experimental data were compared and conclusions carried out. The preliminary results demonstrated potential of FBG longgage sensors to facilitate dynamic monitoring at both the local and global scale, thus allowing assessment of the structures health. doi: 10.12783/SHM2015/158
Computer Program to Produce Unreduced Entomological Labels

One of the procedures for producing entomological specimen labels is the lithographic-offset process referred to by Stuckenberg and Irwin (1973). It involves typing the labels, then sending them to a printing specialist where they are reduced and printed. A time consuming aspect of this method is the typing process, especially when an identical label is reproduced several times to form a label block.
Thoracoscopic Management of Traumatic Sequelae

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can be beneficial for patients with penetrating and blunt thoracic trauma. It has utility in the initial assessment as well as the management of sequelae of traumatic injuries, especially retained hemothorax, and should be part of any trauma surgeon’s skill set. This review intends to emphasize the best-supported indications and timing for the use of this surgical approach in the injured patient.
RNA metabolism of normal and leukemic leukocytes. II. Ribonuclease.

Ribonuclease has been partially purified from human leukocytes and its properties investigated. The enzyme has a pH optimum between 6 and 6.5. It is equally active with RNA prepared from various sources, attacking phosphodiester bonds adjacent to pyrimidine bases. Activity in myeloblasts or lymphocytes is about one-tenth that of mature granulocytes.
The Compliance Equation: Creating a More Ethical and Equitable Campaign Financing System by Blinding Contributions to Federal Candidates

The current federal campaign finance system is much criticized for contributing to excessive campaign costs, strongly favoring incumbents and creating the appearance, if not the reality, of quid pro quo corruption. Here, we will argue that the cause—in whole or in part—of these allegations is closely linked to the ability of candidates to know the sources of contributions to their campaigns and/or expenditures made on their behalf, and through Federal Election Campaign Act's discloser requirements, to know the sources of contributions and beneficial third-party expenditures for all other candidates. These discloser requirements, originally intended to be a cleansing mechanism, are responsible for unintended consequences such as enabling incumbents to coerce potential contributors to support their own campaigns and or to forebear from contributing to their opponents’ campaigns and for adding to an aura of corruption by providing only partial, potentially inflammatory information that creates suspicion and may be used to support unfounded allegations of corruption. We propose a system of campaign contributions and independent expenditures that relies on anonymity for the specific sources; reasonable limitations on donation amounts that we believe can be structured to pass constitutional muster; and strong enforcement mechanisms.
The Relationship between Pre-service Teachers' Geometric Reasoning and their van Hiele Levels in a Geometer's Sketchpad Environment

In this study, I investigated how pre-service teachers (PSTs) proved three geometric problems by using Geometer’s SketchPad (GSP) software. Based on observations in class and results from a test of geometric reasoning, eight PSTs were sorted into four of the five van Hiele levels of geometric reasoning, which were then used to predict the PSTs’ levels of reasoning on three tasks involving proofs using GSP. Findings suggested that the ways the PSTs justified their geometric reasoning across the three questions demonstrated their different uses of GSP depending on their van Hiele levels. These findings also led to the insight that the notion of “proof” had somewhat different meanings for students at different van Hiele levels of thought. Implications for the effective integration of technology into pre-service teacher education programs are discussed.
Broadband Acoustic Microscopy: Scanned Images with Amplitude and Velocity Information

Since the introduction of the mechanically scanned acoustic microscope by Lemons and Quate,1 a world-wide effort has taken place to make this device2 one of the most widely used tools for materials characterization and development. With the exception of work by Tsai,2,3 and the pulse compression acoustic microscopy by Ni-koonahad, Yue, and Ash2 most studies have utilized acoustic pulses containing many wavelengths, resulting in narrow bandwidth systems. Calculations for material properties therefore require amplitude and phase measurements at different heights of the acoustic transducer above the sample. Algorithms for the use of these V(z) data have become highly sophisticated as reported in the work of Weglein, Kushibiki, Chubachi, Bertoni, Kino, Laing, Kuri-Yakub, Ash, Wickramasinghe, and others.2 This work continues to develop methods for time and frequency domain observations of broadband acoustic pulses. These observations permit material properties to be determined with the acoustic transducer at a constant height above the sample. The necessary data can be acquired during uninterrupted mechanical scanning by digitizing the reflected waveforms from the sample. One of the advantages of this approach is that scanned broadband systems are, and historically have been, widely used for industrial quality control.
Competition and Moral Complicity

Over the past 100 years, there has been a dramatic qualitative change in the way humans and animals interact. While animals have been used instrumentally for millennia, industrialization in agriculture, breeding, and slaughter has entailed a dramatic change in the lives of animals that are owned by humans. Farming practices that took advantage of natural animal habits and inclinations have been replaced by practices that control and suppress natural animal behaviors. It was once common for chickens raised to produce eggs and food to be corralled in a quasi-natural environment, where foraging was possible and normal flock relationships could be maintained. Today, it is most common for chickens to be confined indoors in small cages for most of their lives, or to be raised in a large flat with thousands of birds in a barren environment. Fish are routinely farmed in confined and crowded spaces of water, with food and chemicals pumped into their environment. Even dogs, among the most-loved animal species, are often bred in industrial conditions, with high mortality rates and limited freedom and mobility.
Impact of electricity deregulation in the state of California

Abstract The electric industry started as a natural monopoly and was regulated to protect the customers from high prices. Electricity deregulation was expected to reduce prices by introducing competitive markets. Every country or state implementing deregulation has gone through a unique experience. In this paper, the impact of electricity deregulation in the state of California is addressed by first examining historical retail prices, and second by developing a model to estimate the grid marginal costs using historical data. Results show that, although some customers pay lower rates today, the average customer does not pay a lower rate due to deregulation. Moreover, the results of the modeling show that the wholesale prices realized were higher than the marginal cost associated with the grid. Impacts of improved grid management are discussed along with transmission investments, market operator start-up and operation costs, energy and environmental goals, advances in technology on electricity prices, and the impact of deregulation on these factors.
Economics of Hip Fracture Treatment

Health care expenditures have risen at an alarming rate worldwide over the past 30 years. The situation is most critical in the United States, which presently spends 12% of its gross domestic product on health care.1 Between 1950 and 1989, U.S. health-care costs rose from less than $13 billion to over $600 billion.1 In this context, it is important to recognize that the economic impact of hip fractures extends beyond the individual patient to affect our entire society. In this era of cost-consciousness and the limitations imposed by fiscal constraints, our ability to understand and respond to the economic challenge provided by the increasing number of hip fractures may actually be a prototype for responding to similar health problems in the elderly.
Clusters of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors Are Associated With Body Mass Index Among Adults.

Abstract Objective To identify eating styles from 6 eating behaviors and test their association with body mass index (BMI) among adults. Design Cross-sectional analysis of self-report survey data. Setting Twelve primary care and specialty clinics in 5 states. Participants Of 11,776 adult patients who consented to participate, 9,977 completed survey questions. Variables Measured Frequency of eating healthy food, frequency of eating unhealthy food, breakfast frequency, frequency of snacking, overall diet quality, and problem eating behaviors. The primary dependent variable was BMI, calculated from self-reported height and weight data. Analysis k -Means cluster analysis of eating behaviors was used to determine eating styles. A categorical variable representing each eating style cluster was entered in a multivariate linear regression predicting BMI, controlling for covariates. Results Four eating styles were identified and defined by healthy vs unhealthy diet patterns and engagement in problem eating behaviors. Each group had significantly higher average BMI than the healthy eating style: healthy with problem eating behaviors (β = 1.9; P P P Conclusions and Implications Future attempts to improve eating styles should address not only the consumption of healthy foods but also snacking behaviors and the emotional component of eating.
Innovation in Large and Small Firms

This essay is intended to begin the elaboration of a theme: the interaction between the observed sizes of firms and their internal decision making procedures. This theme is a major one in the symphony of entrepreneurial activity. The entrepreneur, as the maker and changer of economic and productive life, is usually envisaged as an individual. In the neoclassical tradition, he (or, rarely, she) is the lightning calculator, the individual who rapidly scans the field of alternative productive processes and chooses the optimum any given set of prices.
Characteristics of Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department and Urgent Care for Treatment of Sunburn

This cohort study examines the demographics and characteristics of patients seen at the emergency department or urgent care clinic for sunburn treatment at 2 major hospitals over a 15-year period.
School Mathematics as Gatekeeper

ABSTRACTIn the United States, students’ ability to perform well in school mathematics is important for gaining access to a selective college and affects entry into sought-after majors. We find that the gatekeeper function of mathematics is not a function of general academic prowess and operates separately from advantages attributable to family background. Moreover mathematics is especially important for educational attainment among youth from higher socioeconomic status families. Human capital theory implies that schooling’s emphasis on math reflects its functional importance in the workplace. However, our analyses of skills used in workplaces indicate that very small proportions of educated workers ever use “school math.” We draw out the implications of this disjuncture both for theories of class reproduction and for human capital theory.
Effects of Changes in Arterial Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen Partial Pressures on Cerebral Oximeter Performance

BACKGROUND Cerebral oximetry (cerebral oxygen saturation; ScO2) is used to noninvasively monitor cerebral oxygenation. ScO2 readings are based on the fraction of reduced and oxidized hemoglobin as an indirect estimate of brain tissue oxygenation and assume a static ratio of arterial to venous intracranial blood. Conditions that alter cerebral blood flow, such as acute changes in PaCO2, may decrease accuracy. We assessed the performance of two commercial cerebral oximeters across a range of oxygen concentrations during normocapnia and hypocapnia. METHODS Casmed FORE-SIGHT Elite (CAS Medical Systems, Inc., USA) and Covidien INVOS 5100C (Covidien, USA) oximeter sensors were placed on 12 healthy volunteers. The fractional inspired oxygen tension was varied to achieve seven steady-state levels including hypoxic and hyperoxic PaO2 values. ScO2 and simultaneous arterial and jugular venous blood gas measurements were obtained with both normocapnia and hypocapnia. Oximeter bias was calculated as the difference between the ScO2 and reference saturation using manufacturer-specified weighting ratios from the arterial and venous samples. RESULTS FORE-SIGHT Elite bias was greater during hypocapnia as compared with normocapnia (4 ± 9% vs. 0 ± 6%; P < 0.001). The INVOS 5100C bias was also lower during normocapnia (5 ± 15% vs. 3 ± 12%; P = 0.01). Hypocapnia resulted in a significant decrease in mixed venous oxygen saturation and mixed venous oxygen tension, as well as increased oxygen extraction across fractional inspired oxygen tension levels (P < 0.0001). Bias increased significantly with increasing oxygen extraction (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Changes in PaCO2 affect cerebral oximeter accuracy, and increased bias occurs with hypocapnia. Decreased accuracy may represent an incorrect assumption of a static arterial-venous blood fraction. Understanding cerebral oximetry limitations is especially important in patients at risk for hypoxia-induced brain injury, where PaCO2 may be purposefully altered.
Data Augmentation for Visual Question Answering

Data augmentation is widely used to train deep neural networks for image classification tasks. Simply flipping images can help learning tremendously by increasing the number of training images by a factor of two. However, little work has been done studying data augmentation in natural language processing. Here, we describe two methods for data augmentation for Visual Question Answering (VQA). The first uses existing semantic annotations to generate new questions. The second method is a generative approach using recurrent neural networks. Experiments show that the proposed data augmentation improves performance of both baseline and state-of-the-art VQA algorithms.
Predictive Statistics: Analysis and Inference beyond Models

All scientific disciplines prize predictive success. Conventional statistical analyses, however, treat prediction as secondary, instead focusing on modeling and hence estimation, testing, and detailed physical interpretation, tackling these tasks before the predictive adequacy of a model is established. This book outlines a fully predictive approach to statistical problems based on studying predictors; the approach does not require predictors correspond to a model although this important special case is included in the general approach. Throughout, the point is to examine predictive performance before considering conventional inference. These ideas are traced through five traditional subfields of statistics, helping readers to refocus and adopt a directly predictive outlook. The book also considers prediction via contemporary 'black box' techniques and emerging data types and methodologies where conventional modeling is so difficult that good prediction is the main criterion available for evaluating the performance of a statistical method. Well-documented open-source R code in a Github repository allows readers to replicate examples and apply techniques to other investigations.