cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interband cascade distributed-feedback lasers

Significant recent advances in the high-temperature, high-power performance of type-II antimonide interband cascade lasers (ICLs) operating in the mid-infrared are reported. A 5-stage ICL with a 12-mm ridge width and Au electroplating for improved epitaxial-side-up heat sinking operates cw to a maximum temperature of 257 K, where the emission wavelength is 3.7 mm. A similar device with a ridge width of 22 mm emits > 260 mW per facet for cw operation at 80 K (λ = 3.4 mm) and 100 mW at 200 K (λ = 3.6 mm). Beam qualities for the narrowest ridges approach the diffraction limit. A single-mode output power of 41 mW has been obtained at T = 120 K and λ a 3.44 μm from a 13-mm-wide ICL patterned with a Ge distributed-feedback grating. The side mode suppression ratio at the maximum power is 23 dB, and the linewidth of 0.1 nm is instrument-limited. An alternate contacting geometry yielded robust single-mode output over a broad range of currents and temperatures, and current tuning of the wavelength by up to 17 nm.
Sugar and Hyperactivity: A Critical Review of Empirical Findings

Abstract Studies examining the effects of sugar ingestion on the behavior of children, both normal and hyperactive, were reviewed. Although the results of correlational studies suggested that high levels of sugar consumption may be associated with increased rates of inappropriate behavior, the results of dietary challenge studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive. Most studies have failed to find any effects associated with sugar ingestion, and the few studies that have found effects have been as likely to find sugar improving behavior as making it worse. Design parameters unique to undertaking sugar challenge studies were identified, and suggestions for future research were offered
Eradication of potato virus X from potato by ribavirin treatment of cultured potato shoot tips

Ribavirin treatment of cultured potato shoot tips was tested as a means of eradicating potato virus X (PVX) from two potato cultivars. Shoot tips were cultured on liquid medium containing 0, 1, 10 or 100μg/ml ribavirin. Cultures were evaluated periodically for viability, and scored for vigor on a relative growth scale. Developed plantlets were assayed for PVX by transmission tests toGomphrena globosa.
Modeling visitor movement in theme parks

Realistic modeling of the movement of people in an environment is critical for evaluating the performance of mobile wireless systems such as urban sensing or mobile sensor networks. Existing human movement models are either fully synthetic or rely on traces of actual human movement. There are many situations where we cannot perform an accurate simulation without taking into account what the people are actually doing. For instance, in theme parks, the movement of people is strongly tied to the locations of the attractions and is synchronized with major external events. For these situations, we need to develop scenario specific models. In this paper, we present a model of the movement of visitors in a theme park. The nondeterministic behavior of the human walking pattern is combined with the deterministic behavior of attractions in the theme park. The attractions are divided into groups of rides, restaurants and live shows. The time spent by visitors at different attractions is calculated using specialized queuing-theoretic models. We compare the realism of the model by comparing its simulations to the statistics of the theme parks and to real-world GPS traces of visitor movement. We found that our model provides a better match to the real-world data compared to current state-of-the-art movement models.
A multiscale Laplacian of Gaussian filtering approach to automated pulmonary nodule detection from whole-lung low-dose CT scans

The primary stage of a pulmonary nodule detection system is typically a candidate generator that efficiently provides the centroid location and size estimate of candidate nodules. A scale-normalized Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) filtering method presented in this paper has been found to provide high sensitivity along with precise locality and size estimation. This approach involves a computationally efficient algorithm that is designed to identify all solid nodules in a whole lung anisotropic CT scan. This nodule candidate generator has been evaluated in conjunction with a set of discriminative features that target both isolated and attached nodules. The entire detection system was evaluated with respect to a sizeenriched dataset of 656 whole-lung low-dose CT scans containing 459 solid nodules with diameter greater than 4 mm. Using a soft margin SVM classifier, and setting false positive rate of 10 per scan, we obtained a sensitivity of 97% for isolated, 93% for attached, and 89% for both nodule types combined. Furthermore, the LOG filter was shown to have good agreement with the radiologist ground truth for size estimation.
Percutaneous pulmonary valve placement in a 10‐month‐old patient using a hand crafted stent‐mounted porcine valve

Percutaneous replacement of the pulmonary valve in a right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV–PA) conduit using bovine jugular valves has recently been described as an alternative to surgical options in selected patients weighing ≥20 kg. We report the first case of transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation in an infant and the first use of “off the shelf” components. A 12-mm (Hancock) porcine valve was sutured into a predilated Genesis 2510b stent. The valved stent was manually crimped and mounted on a 12-mm balloon. Snare-assisted deployment in the middle of the RV–PA conduit was accomplished without the use of a long sheath. After the initial deployment, a 14-mm balloon was used to further approximate the stent to the walls of the conduit. Short-term (11 month) follow-up has demonstrated continued valve integrity, markedly decreased right ventricular size and improved function and symptomatic improvement. At 10 months of age, this case represents the youngest patient to undergo percutaneous valve placement and documents the technical feasibility of the procedure. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rats bred for ethanol sensitivity: impairment of swimming by ethanol and pentobarbital.

Rats selectively bred for disparate degrees of ethanol-induced depression of spontaneous locomotor activity (‘most affected’ = MA; ‘least affected’ = LA) were trained on a swim task. Undrugged rats of the MA line swam significantly faster than rats of the LA line. Ethanol, 0.0–2.25 g/kg i.p., produced dose-dependent increases in swim time in rats of the 13th generation (F13). Averaged over trials, these increases were greater in LA than in MA rats and greater in males than in females, but there was no sex difference in peak impairment. Increases in swim time were uncorrelated with predrug performance. These findings were confirmed in younger F17 rats receiving 1.75 g EtOH/kg i.p. Although the lines differed in ethanol-induced impairment, F17 males of the two lines were not differentially impaired by pentobarbital (12.5–22.5 mg/kg, i.p.). The existence of task-dependent line differences in ethanol sensitivity emphasizes the nonunitary nature of ethanol-induced ‘behavioral depression.’
Fracture behavior of spheroidized hypereutectoid steels

A fracture model for spheroidized hypereutectoid steels is developed based on the concept that the stress in the ferrite matrix is the driving force for crack initiation at grain boundaries within the coarse carbides. The ferrite matrix fracture stress, {sigma}{sub f,ferr} is calculated by averaging the ferrite stress using upper and lower bound concepts, and by utilizing the fracture strength of the carbide. The analyses and results indicate that the fracture behavior followed a classical fracture mechanics relation in that the fracture strength is a unique function of the reciprocal of the square root of the carbide particle size with {sigma}{sub f,ferr} equal to zero at infinite carbide (crack) size. It is concluded that the fracture strength of the iron-iron carbide composite is enhanced by: (i) increasing the strength of grain boundaries within carbides; (ii) decreasing the average carbide size; and (iii) increasing the carbide volume fraction.
Photosynthetic acclimation to variability in the light environment of early and late successional plants.

Fourteen plant species from early-, mid-, and late-successional habitats were grown for a period of 25 to 50 days in each of two light environments, i.e. full sunlight and in deep shade. The rate of photosynthesis for newly formed leaves was measured as a function of light intensity for plants from each light environment. Photosynthetic flexibility, measured as the difference in response between sun- and shade-grown plants, was determined for each of 5 parameters including dark respiration, quantum yield, light compensation, half-saturating irradiance for photosynthesis, and the photosynthetic rate at 1,400 μE m-2 s-1. We found photosynthetic flexibility to be high for early successional annuals, intermediate for midsuccessional species, and low for late successional species.
Steady and Oscillatory Shear Flow Alignment Dynamics in a Lamellar Diblock Copolymer Solution

Shear flow alignment in a symmetric polystyrene−polyisoprene (PS−PI) diblock copolymer solution in dioctyl phthalate has been studied using flow birefringence and rheology. In large amplitude oscillatory shear, we find behavior similar to that previously reported in lamellar PS−PI melts. At high reduced frequency, parallel alignment of the layers is preferred, confirmed with birefringence measurements using oblique light paths. At low reduced frequency, perpendicular alignment is favored. In steady shear flow experiments well below the ODT, a similar behavior pattern is found: perpendicular alignment results at low shear rates, and parallel alignment is found at high shear rates. These are the first results demonstrating flipping by a change in steady shear flow conditions. As temperature is increased, the degree of perpendicular alignment obtained at low reduced shear rates decreases, unlike the behavior in large amplitude oscillatory flow, where high degrees of perpendicular alignment are achieved at l...
Frequency of lower urinary tract injury at laparoscopic burch and paravaginal repair

Abstract Study Objective To estimate the rate of injury to the lower urinary tract during laparoscopic Burch urethropexy and/or paravaginal repair. Design Retrospective analysis over 30 consecutive months (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Community hospital. Patients One hundred seventy-one consecutive patients. Intervention Laparoscopic Burch urethropexy and/or paravaginal repair. Measurements and Main Results All patients had intraoperative transurethral videocystoscopy performed with intravenous injection of indigo carmine dye to assess potential injury to bladder or ureter. Four women (2.3%, CI -0.71–0.03) had injury to the lower urinary tract. All four injuries were cystotomies, two in women with previous open retropubic urethropexy. No ureteral ligation or intravesical placement of suture was diagnosed. Conclusion Despite most patients having both Burch urethropexy and paravaginal repair, the lower urinary tract injury rate of 2.3% is much lower than the reported 10% for patients having Burch urethropexy alone performed by laparotomy. Reported benefits of laparoscopy including less blood loss and better visualization may explain this result.
An object-oriented framework for simulating supply systems

A framework is a set of reusable classes that work together to facilitate the construction of software within a particular domain. In this paper, we present an object-oriented framework for developing simulation models involving supply chain networks. The key object-oriented artefacts for modelling inventory-based supply chain networks are presented including the classes, their attributes, relationships, and behaviours. The framework's implementation within Java is also presented through a number of examples. The examples illustrate the capabilities of the framework to build large-scale multi-echelon, multi-item inventory networks with time-based transport between locations.
Two-pass search strategy for large list recognition on embedded speech recognition platforms

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for a speech recognition system which can process large lists of items. The described two-pass search implementation focuses on maximizing the speed and minimizing the memory footprint of the search engine. The algorithm is designed to handle thousands or tens of thousands of words in a search space restricted by a grammar. A typical example of such a task is stock name recognition, street name finding, song selection etc. The intended application of this algorithm is in embedded ASR system in portable devices (e.g. iPAQ) or cars.
Arteriovenous distribution of transit times in cremaster muscle of the rat.

Abstract Video digitization was applied to determine the arteriovenous transit time (TT) of blood flow between functionally paired arterioles and venules in cremaster muscle (rat). After a bolus injection of cell-free dye (FITC-Dextran) into a contralateral femoral artery, intensity-time curves (ITCs) of the fluorescent emissions were recorded in successive network divisions. TTs were calculated by cross-correlation of ITCs acquired from the video images digitized at rates of 5–10 frames/sec for up to 10 arteriole-venule (AV) pairs per video field whose position in the network was characterized in terms of centrifugal order of branching. Mean TT for first-order AV pairs averaged 3.74 ± 1.62 (SD) sec and decreased significantly to 0.76 ± 0.95 sec in the fifth-order pairs, with 75% of this reduction occurring between the first- and third-order pairs. A near threefold increase in coefficient of variation from first to fifth orders evidenced a marked increase in the spatial heterogeneity of TT at the level of the true capillaries. Comparison of TT with distance along the arterial tree from the tissue hilus revealed consistently stronger correlations than with AV order. These trends suggest that TT may be a superior indicator of the functional deployment of microvessels compared to branching order.
Using the World Wide Web to Teach Everyday Applications of Social Psychology

The potential benefits of the World Wide Web (Web) in teaching college courses in psychology stem from the wealth of information available to instructors and students, the ease of access to that information, and the hypermedia richness of Web documents. In this article, I describe the introduction of the Web into an advanced course in social psychology using activities that entailed collaboration and knowledge sharing, direct experience with information in various formats, and manipulation of information into new forms. The activities included Web Assignments associated with assigned readings, a Social Psychology and Humor project, a Social Psychology in the News project, and the development of a Web Tutorial on a social psychological topic. I discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of using the Web in this context.
Pattern analysis for machine olfaction: a review

Pattern analysis constitutes a critical building block in the development of gas sensor array instruments capable of detecting, identifying, and measuring volatile compounds, a technology that has been proposed as an artificial substitute for the human olfactory system. The successful design of a pattern analysis system for machine olfaction requires a careful consideration of the various issues involved in processing multivariate data: signal-preprocessing, feature extraction, feature selection, classification, regression, clustering, and validation. A considerable number of methods from statistical pattern recognition, neural networks, chemometrics, machine learning, and biological cybernetics have been used to process electronic nose data. The objective of this review paper is to provide a summary and guidelines for using the most widely used pattern analysis techniques, as well as to identify research directions that are at the frontier of sensor-based machine olfaction.
Glacial-interglacial terrigenous provenance in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean: The importance of deep-water sources and surface currents

Identifying terrigenous sources in deep-sea sediments may re- veal temporal trends in paleocirculation and the relative role of eolian, upwelled, and hemipelagic Fe sources to surface waters. Bulk elemental and isotopic geochemistry of deep-sea sediments recovered during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 177 in the south- eastern Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean reveal several im- portant aspects of paleocirculation and terrigenous provenance. The sites studied span 43!-53!S and represent different oceano- graphic settings relative to regional hydrography and sediment type. Bulk sediment geochemistry indicates that terrigenous prov- enance varied over the past 600 k.y. Site 1089, the northernmost site, exhibits clear glacial-interglacial variability in provenance, while provenance appears to vary regardless of climate state at the more southerly sites (Site 1093 and 1094). Nd and Sr isotopes and Sm/Nd ratios of the terrigenous fraction indicate that study sites have geochemically distinguishable provenance. Nd and Sr isotopes further suggest that Sites 1089 and 1094 both contain detrital com- ponents that originated in South America over the past 30 k.y.; however, Site 1089 is also influenced by southern African sources and the strength of the Agulhas Current. The" Nd data support a more hemipelagic source for the terrigenous material rather than an eolian source based on comparisons with Antarctic ice core data and known sea-ice extent.
Characteristics of adults involved in alcohol-related intimate partner violence: results from a nationally representative sample.

More than 12 million women and men are victims of partner violence each year. Although the health outcomes of partner violence have been well documented, we know very little about specific event-level characteristics that may provide implications for prevention and intervention of partner violence situations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate substance abuse and dependence as risk factors for event-level alcohol-related intimate partner violence (IPV). Data were derived from Wave II of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004–2005). Eligible participants (N = 2,255) reported IPV the year before the survey. Negative binomial and ordinal regression methods were used to assess risk factors for alcohol use during IPV. Respondent PTSD was the only mental health diagnosis related to alcohol use during IPV (OR = 1.45). Marijuana use was related to respondents’ use of alcohol during IPV (OR = 2.68). Respondents’ meeting the criteria for alcohol abuse/dependence was strongly associated with respondent drinking (OR = 10.74) and partner drinking (OR = 2.89) during IPV. Results indicate that PTSD, marijuana use disorders, alcohol abuse and dependence are associated with more frequent alcohol use during IPV. In addition, it is important to consider that the patient who presents in emergency settings (e.g., hospitals or urgent care facilities) may not be immediately identifiable as the victim or the perpetrator of partner violence. Therefore, screening and intervention programs should probe to further assess the event-level characteristics of partner violence situations to ensure the correct service referrals are made to prevent partner violence.
Only a subset of the PAB1-mRNP proteome is present in mRNA translation complexes

We have previously identified 55 nonribosomal proteins in PAB1-mRNP complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using mass spectrometric analysis. Because one of the inherent limitations of mass spectrometry is that it does not inform as to the size or type of complexes in which the proteins are present, we consequently used analytical ultracentrifugation with fluorescent detection system (AU-FDS) to determine which proteins are present in the 77S monosomal translation complex that contains minimally the closed-loop structure components (eIF4E, eIF4G, and PAB1), mRNA, and the 40S and 60S ribosomes. We assayed by AU-FDS analysis 33 additional PAB1-mRNP factors but found that only five of these proteins were present in the 77S translation complex: eRF1, SLF1, SSD1, PUB1, and SBP1. eRF1 is involved in translation termination, SBP1 is a translational repressor, and SLF1, SSD1, and PUB1 are known mRNA binding proteins. Many of the known P body/stress granule proteins that associate with the PAB1-mRNP were not present in the 77S translation complex, implying that P body/stress granules result from significant protein additions after translational cessation. These data inform that AU-FDS can clarify protein complex identification that remains undetermined after typical immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometric analyses.
The impact of liquid breakdown mechanisms on the design of composite dielectric structures

The assessment of dielectric integrity in insulating structures using a computer-based cumulative stress criterion is advanced. The computer-based automated insulation design program described provides the ability to assess the dielectric integrity of oil/cellulose structures by the establishment of the appropriate margin without the intuitive judgment which usually needed in this process. This tool is capable of dealing with multiple creep and/or bulk dielectric paths and can accommodate structures of unlimited complexity. Two simple case studies are introduced in order to illustrate the main principles of automated dielectric design.
Sample reuse procedures for prediction of the unobserved portion of a partially observed vector

SUMMARY Predictive sample reuse methods are applied in several ways to the problem of supplying values for the unobserved portion of a vector when N other similar but fully observed vectors are in hand. One method is to use a mixing matrix to combine two independently calculated vector predictors into a single predictor. The other is to use regression techniques with varying constraints on the regression matrix. The methods are applied to two data sets and for one of them compared with previous prediction analyses.
Infant feeding experiences among teen mothers in North Carolina: Findings from a mixed-methods study

Adolescent mothers in the U.S. are much less likely to initiate breastfeeding than older mothers, and teens who do initiate breastfeeding tend to breastfeed for shorter durations. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to investigate breastfeeding practices, barriers and facilitators among adolescent mothers ages 17 and younger. Quantitative descriptive analyses are conducted using data from the North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The population-based sample comprises 389 teens ages 13-17 giving birth to a live born infant in North Carolina in 2000 - 2005 and in 2007. Qualitative analyses are based on in-depth interviews with 22 Black, White and Hispanic teen mothers residing in rural and urban areas of North Carolina conducted between November 2007 and February 2009. In quantitative analyses, 52% (196 of 389) of North Carolina teen mothers initiated breastfeeding, but half of those who initiated breastfeeding (92/196) stopped within the first month postpartum. Hispanic teens (44/52 or 89%) were much more likely than Black (61/159 or 41%) or White teens (87/164 or 52%) to initiate breastfeeding and to continue for a longer duration. Nearly sixty two percent (29/52) of Hispanic respondents breastfed for greater than four weeks as compared to 16% (29/159) of Black respondents and 26% (39/164) of White respondents. Common barriers to breastfeeding initiation and continuation included not liking breastfeeding, returning to school, nipple pain, and insufficient milk. Qualitative data provided context for the quantitative findings, elucidating the barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding from the teens' perspective and insight into the ways in which breastfeeding support to teens could be enhanced. The large number of adolescents ceasing breastfeeding within the first month points to the need for more individualized follow-up after hospital discharge in the first few days postpartum, to address common technical challenges and to provide assistance managing the transition back to school. Provision of an extra home visit or outpatient visit for teens within the first few days following hospital discharge, and advocacy to make schools more compatible with breastfeeding, could potentially help teens who desire to breastfeed to successfully continue. These interventions warrant further research to test their effectiveness among adolescents.
Channel Sampling Strategies for Monitoring Wireless Networks

Monitoring the activity on an IEEE 802.11 network is useful for many applications, such as network management, optimizing deployment, or detecting network attacks. Deploying wireless sniffers to monitor every access point in an enterprise network, however, may be expensive or impractical. Moreover, some applications may require the deployment of multiple sniffers to monitor the numerous channels in an 802.11 network. In this paper, we explore sampling strategies for monitoring multiple channels in 802.11b/g networks. We describe a simple sampling strategy, where each channel is observed for an equal, predetermined length of time, and consider applications where such a strategy might be appropriate. We then introduce a sampling strategy that weights the time spent on each channel according to the number of frames observed on that channel, and compare the two strategies under experimental conditions.
Creatine kinase-MB: the journey to obsolescence.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical utility of and demand for the creatine kinase (CK)–MB assay. Methods: We examined the number of CK-MB tests from 2007 through 2013 while we progressively deemphasized their use. We first removed CK-MB from the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) panel and then from the main menu and observed the demand for the test. We also reviewed patient medical records to assess the appropriateness of its use. Results: After removing CK-MB from the ACS panel, the test volume dropped from around 12,000 per year to about 150 per year. In reviewing the records of 171 patients who had CK-MB determination done over a 28-month period, we discovered that CK-MB contributed to the diagnosis in only one patient, although it was not essential. Since removing CK-MB from the laboratory menu, two CK-MB tests were ordered in 4 months, and neither added value.
Sejanus, Pilate, and the Date of the Crucifixion

It seems paradoxical that the event which has divided our reckoning of time into years B.C. and A.D. should itself seem largely undatable. The birth of Christ is variously assigned to the years ranging from 7 to 2 B.C. The terminus ad quem must certainly be the death of Herod the Great, since the king was very much alive during the visit of the Magi in the Christmas story. According to Josephus, Herod died soon after an eclipse of the moon and not long before a Passover. Emil Schurer's chronology of Herod's reign from the accounts of Josephus, which has long been standard, identifies this as the lunar eclipse which took place on the night of March 12/13, 4 B.C., and which would have been visible in Judea. It also occurred one month before the Passover that year. On this basis, the birth of Jesus could not have been later than the spring of 4 B.C., and most likely took place in the winter of 5/4 B.C.
Sensitive and selective real-time electrochemical monitoring of DNA repair (Presentation Recording)

Unrepaired DNA damage can lead to mutation, cancer, and death of cells or organisms. However, due to the subtlety of DNA damage, it is difficult to sense the repair of damage products with high selectivity and sensitivity. Here, we show sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing of the repair activity of 8-oxoguanine and uracil glycosylases within DNA monolayers on gold by multiplexed analysis with silicon chips and low-cost electrospun nanofibers. Our approach involves comparing the electrochemical signal of redox probe modified monolayers containing the defect versus the rational control of defect-free monolayers. We find sequence-specific sensitivity thresholds on the order of femtomoles of proteins and dynamic ranges of over two orders of magnitude for each target. For 8-oxoguanine repair, temperature-dependent kinetics are extracted, showing exponential signal loss with time constants of seconds. Electrospun fibers are shown to behave similarly to conventional gold-on-silicon devices, showing the potential of these low-cost devices for sensing applications.
Book Review: Forensic Linguistics

This essay reviews Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System, by John Gibbons. After providing a succinct, descriptive review of the content of Gibbons' text, I explore the developing areas of "audience design" for jury instructions, and the seldom-discussed problem of manipulating trial transcripts prepared by court reporters.
SAR arcs we have seen: Evidence for variability in stable auroral red arcs

Since 1987, an all-sky airglow imaging system has operated from a site at the Millstone Hill/Haystack Observatory in Westford, MA. During the ~2.5 solar cycles from 1987 to 2014, many studies using all-sky images, in conjunction with incoherent scatter radar and satellite data, described subauroral, ionospheric disturbances observed during individual geomagnetic storms. The most prominent storm time optical feature from a subauroral site is a stable auroral red (SAR) arc. The standard use of a SAR arc's position is to locate the ionospheric footprint of the narrow plasmapause-ring current interaction region where heat conduction from the inner magnetosphere excites emission within the F layer trough. When mapped from an emission altitude of 400 km to the geomagnetic equatorial plane, SAR arcs from Millstone Hill give the location of the plasmapause at radial distances between 2 to 4.5 Earth radii. A total of 314 SAR arcs have been observed during the 27 years of imaging at Millstone Hill. We find no single morphology for all SAR arcs, but rather patterns that occasionally depart from stability in space and time. We have classified these into five categories: longevity, multiplicity, zonal structure, latitudinal inhomogeneity, and tilt with respect to geomagnetic coordinates. In each case, the implications for the inner magnetosphere sources that drive SAR arcs are explored. While individual SAR arc variability characteristics have been noted in previous studies, here we describe for the first time all five types from the same site—an aspect not yet addressed in either magnetosphere or ionosphere modeling studies.
"It Was More Than Just the Game, It Was the Community": Social Affordances in Online Games

We analyze social affordances from World of Warcraft (WoW), a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO). These affordances contributed to community development and social experiences. To reduce the time needed to play and make gameplay easier, expansions to the game removed or altered many affordances. The changes were appealing to some, but diminished social experience, to the dismay of other players. As social life continues to move into virtual worlds of all kinds, we argue that developers should provide different versions of virtual worlds to broaden the kinds of social experiences possible. We examine "private servers" as a form of resistance, where players create their own versions of the game to accommodate their play preferences.
Are Immigrants Welcome? A Study of Street-Level Bureaucracy

This article develops a better understanding of what factors shape street-level bureaucracies’ administrative practices towards immigrants. Street-level bureaucracies play an important role in helping immigrants integrate into society and the community. Many police departments have consciously and deliberately developed practices intended to develop positive relationships between the police and immigrants. Using a nationwide survey of local police departments, the conditions shaping variations in welcomeness are identified and evaluated for impact. The data show police departments are pulled between political pressures that are often hostile to immigrants and professional norms favoring equal service to all in the community. The degree of welcomeness depends on the balance between these opposing forces and strong professional norms of equal service are the most influential.
Studies to determine the presence of neutralizing antibody in sera and kidneys from swine recovered from African swine fever.

1. Sera obtained from swine inoculated with partially attenuated African swine fever virus (ASFV) and refractory to infection with virulent virus gave positive complement-fixation and agar-gel-precipitation reactions when tested with antigens prepared from infected — but not from normal — PK13 cell suspensions. 2. Addition of decreasing concentrations of rabbit antiswine sera to neutralization-test reaction mixtures of ASFV and antisera did not result in the demonstration of neutralizing antibody when the tests were conducted in tissue cultures of PK13 cell lines and in swine. 3. Animals experiencing recurrent febrile responses accompanied by viremia following inoculation with virulent virus responded with development of high titers of complement-fixing and precipitating antibodies, suggesting that this constitutes a response to multiplication of the virus. 4. Sections of the kidney cortex from swine inoculated with modified ASFV and refractory to challenge inoculation with virulent ASFV, when stained with fluorescein-conjugated porcine globulin antiglobulin, gave some fluorescence, as seen when examined microscopically. However, fluorescence of similar distribution and intensity was observed in sections prepared from uninfected, normal kidneys. Testing of extracts prepared from kidneys of virus-inoculated and normal swine did not reveal the presence of virus or complement-fixing, agar-gel-precipitating, and neutralizing antibodies.
Versatile de Novo Enzyme Activity in Capsid Proteins from an Engineered M13 Bacteriophage Library

Biocatalysis has grown rapidly in recent decades as a solution to the evolving demands of industrial chemical processes. Mounting environmental pressures and shifting supply chains underscore the need for novel chemical activities, while rapid biotechnological progress has greatly increased the utility of enzymatic methods. Enzymes, though capable of high catalytic efficiency and remarkable reaction selectivity, still suffer from relative instability, high costs of scaling, and functional inflexibility. Herein, we developed a biochemical platform for engineering de novo semisynthetic enzymes, functionally modular and widely stable, based on the M13 bacteriophage. The hydrolytic bacteriophage described in this paper catalyzes a range of carboxylic esters, is active from 25 to 80 °C, and demonstrates greater efficiency in DMSO than in water. The platform complements biocatalysts with characteristics of heterogeneous catalysis, yielding high-surface area, thermostable biochemical structures readily adaptable...
Introduction to Chemical Oscillations Using a Modified Lotka Model

In teaching chemical kinetics most textbooks use the Lotka-Volterra Model to introduce the concept of chemical oscillations. Unfortunately, the Lotka-Volterra Model yields neutrally stable limit cycles for any initial conditions, which is a nonphysical property not observed in chemical kinetics. A more physical, two-variable model with simple linear stability analysis is, therefore, desirable. Here, we consider a Modified Lotka-Volterra Model that shows multiple physical steady states and both damped and stable oscillations. We can also study a stable node bifurcation to a saddle point and a stable node bifurcation to a stable limit cycle. This dynamically richer model can be analyzed through a simple linear stability analysis and numerical integration of the system of ordinary differential equations. Both methods, in particular the analytical analysis, are accessible to undergraduate students.
Laser Spectroscopic Investigation of Surface-Catalyzed Reactions for Mars Exploration Vehicles

Discrepancies exist as to whether appreciable amounts of CO2 recombine at the surface of Martian entry vehicles. This is a significant concern as overly conservative design measures need to be used to accommodate this uncertainty owing to the the variation in heat-fluxes that arise for different recombination models used. The University of Vermont (UVM) has recently developed an 30kW Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Torch Facility. This facility is designed for investigation of material testing and gas-surface interaction chemistry. Two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) and diode laser absorption spectroscopy (DLAS) strategies to characterize O, CO and CO2 concentrations near sample material surfaces are presented here.
Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Anatomic Pathology: Part II: Failure Time Analysis

This paper reviews the methods for analyzing the time to failure (often called survival analysis) and how that time can depend on multiple prognostic factors. The popular Cox proportional hazard model is presented as well as how examination of residuals can uncover deficiencies in the application of this model to data. Several alternative models also are briefly presented. Data on women with breast cancer are used to illustrate some of the methods.
Gradient based aerodynamic shape optimization using the FIVER embedded boundary method

A computational approach is presented for evaluating shape sensitivities using an innovative embedded boundary method for computational fluid dynamics that mitigates the well-known difficulties associated with meshing, mesh updating and/or re-meshing. It is based on the analytical derivation of relevant semi-discrete gradients of the underlying comprehensive flow solver and associated computational geometry support. The proposed approach is integrated in a gradient-based optimization procedure and exploited to perform aerodynamic shape optimization of complex rigid and aeroelastic configurations. It demonstrates the potential of embedded boundary methods for the multi-disciplinary shape optimization of complex aerodynamic systems, and highlights their practical advantages in terms of flexibility, robustness, and performance.
Fluorescent Dye Uptake By Platelets.

SummaryThe uptake of the fluorescent dye euchrysine by human platelets is not affected by the aggregating agents ADP and adrenaline or by endotoxin, but is lost after exposure to anti-platelet and anti-red cell stroma serum. Granules of platelets fail to take up the dye at low temperatures and at an acid pH, both of these conditions being reversible. Platelets stored for 10 days at 5°C had normal staining of their granules.
Distribution and some biological data of sycamore lace bug – Corythucha ciliata say (Heteroptera, Tingidae) in Georgia

Abstract The article describes invasion of the dangerous pest, sycamore lace bug Corythucha ciliata from Krasnodar District and its spread all over Georgia. The main biological aspects of the pest are studied: flight of imago, laying of eggs, life of nymphs, forms of damage and their estimation according to 5-grade scale. We also measured all phases of the pest (50 specimens each) by means of the microscope“МБС-1” 8x with diopter scale. We established the difference of male and female imago of the Georgian population of the pest according to the form of abdomen. The abdomen of female is rounded, and the end of the male's abdomen is rather tapered. Financial support from the government is necessary, similarly to other countries, for the control of the pest, comprehensive study of sycamore lace bug C. ciliata Say – serious pest of city plantings of plane tree for safe biological control of the pest in Georgia.
Mindfulness meditation in aphasia: A case report.

BACKGROUND Despite the potential behavioral and neurological benefits of Mindfulness Meditation (MM), its use in treating stroke related communication disabilities appears to be underexplored. Specifically, aphasia, a language disorder resulting from stroke, may be amenable to the benefits of MM because of the observed attention problems often underlying the language symptoms. OBJECTIVE The current paper presents a case report of an adult with aphasia who was trained in MM. METHOD An adult with aphasia completed a five-day mindfulness training, and was assessed on measures of language, attention, and physiological measures of cortisol and heart rate variability. She completed four assessments: two baseline measures, immediately post training, and one week post training (maintenance). RESULTS Overall, changes were observed in both psychophysiological measures (heart rate and heart rate variability) and behavioral measures (word productivity, phrase length, word generation, decreased impulsivity, and increased attention). CONCLUSION Given the psychophysiological and behavioral changes observed in this individual, further exploration of the influence of MM in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia is warranted.
Chronic hypertension elicited by infusion of angiotensin into vertebral arteries of unanaesthetized dogs.

SUMMARY 1. Synthetic angiotensin I1 was infused chronically through catheters implanted into a vertebral artery and an external jugular vein of unanaesthetized dogs. Arterial pressure was recorded daily from an indwelling catheter in the abdominal aorta before, during and after the infusions. 2. Infusion of angiotensin 1 pg kg-' day-' into a vertebral artery caused mean arterial pressure to increase by an average of 12 mmHg in five dogs, and the rise was sustained throughout the infusion period of 7 days in all dogs. 3. When the infusion rate of angiotensin was increased to 10 pg kg-' day-', arterial pressure during vertebral artery infusion rose initially to a slightly greater extent but decreased at the end of the infusion, indicating tachyphylaxis. 4. During infusion of angiotensin into the vertebral circulation, arterial pressure rose rather than fell during sleep; awakening was accompanied by sharp fall in pressure. 5. It is concluded that there is an area in the central nervous system responsive to angiotensin that can cause a sustained rise in arterial pressure. Arterial pressure is increased in rabbits (Dickinson & Yu, 1967; Rosendorff, Lowe, Lavery & Cranston, 1970), dogs (Scroop & Lowe, 1969; Ferrario, Dickinson & McCubbin, 1970) and man (Ueda, Uchida, Ueda, Gondaira & Katayama, 1969) when angiotensin is infused into a vertebral artery in amounts that are ineffective when given intravenously. It is not known if this action of angiotensin is involved in the initiation, or maintenance, of renal hypertension. The experiments reported here were done to determine whether or not continuous infusion of small amounts of angiotensin into the vertebral arteries of unanaesthetized dogs could cause a rise in arterial pressure that would be sustained for days.
Nanophase hydroxyapatite and poly(lactide- co -glycolide) composites promote human mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation in vitro

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) typically range in size from 10 to 50 μm and proteins that mediate hMSC adhesion and differentiation usually have a size of a few nanometers. Nanomaterials with a feature size smaller than 100 nm have demonstrated the unique capability of promoting osteoblast (bone forming cell) adhesion and long-term functions, leading to more effective bone tissue regeneration. For new bone deposition, MSCs have to be recruited to the injury or disease sites and then differentiate into osteoblasts. Therefore, designing novel nanomaterials that are capable of attracting MSCs and directing their differentiation is of great interest to many clinical applications. This in vitro study investigated the effects of nanophase hydroxyapatite (nano-HA), nano-HA/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) composites and a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-7) derived short peptide on osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. The short peptide was loaded by physical adsorption to nano-HA or by dispersion in nanocomposites and in PLGA to determine their effects on hMSC adhesion and differentiation. The results showed that the nano-HA/PLGA composites promoted hMSC adhesion as compared to the PLGA controls. Moreover, nano-HA/PLGA composites promoted osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs to a similar extent with or without the presence of osteogenic factors in the media. In the MSC growth media without the osteogenic factors, the nanocomposites supported greater calcium-containing bone mineral deposition by hMSC than the BMP-derived short peptide alone. The nanocomposites provided promising alternatives in controlling the adhesion and differentiation of hMSCs without osteogenic factors from the culture media, and, thus, should be further studied for clinical translation and the development of novel nanocomposite-guided stem cell therapies.
Biophysic Properties of Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels

Inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels in the heart are responsible for stabilizing the resting membrane potential, determining the excitation threshold, and modulating the repolarization process of the cardiac action potential. 1 2 3 Inward rectification is a phenomenon in which the conductance of a Kir channel increases with hyperpolarization, but decreases with depolarization to membrane potentials above the potassium equilibrium potential (E K ). The rectification is caused by depolarization-induced movement of intracellular cations into the cytoplasmic mouth of the channel, resulting in block of the ion permeation pathway (for reviews see Nichols and colleagues 4 and Lopatin and Nichols 1 ). The diode-like characteristics of inward rectifiers form a crucial biophysical fingerprint of the Kir channel, which enables its large conductance to stabilize the cell membrane potential at rest and to protect the cell from an excessive loss of potassium ions during the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential.
Guidelines to electrode positioning for human and animal electrical impedance myography research

The positioning of electrodes in electrical impedance myography (EIM) is critical for accurately assessing disease progression and effectiveness of treatment. In human and animal trials for neuromuscular disorders, inconsistent electrode positioning adds errors to the muscle impedance. Despite its importance, how the reproducibility of resistance and reactance, the two parameters that define EIM, are affected by changes in electrode positioning remains unknown. In this paper, we present a novel approach founded on biophysical principles to study the reproducibility of resistance and reactance to electrode misplacements. The analytical framework presented allows the user to quantify a priori the effect on the muscle resistance and reactance using only one parameter: the uncertainty placing the electrodes. We also provide quantitative data on the precision needed to position the electrodes and the minimum muscle length needed to achieve a pre-specified EIM reproducibility. The results reported here are confirmed with finite element model simulations and measurements on five healthy subjects. Ultimately, our data can serve as normative values to enhance the reliability of EIM as a biomarker and facilitate comparability of future human and animal studies.
Eight in the Eye of a Political Storm: Civil Cases in the Supreme Court’s October 2015 Term

Commissioned by the American Judges Association, this article provides an overview of the most significant civil cases decided by the Supreme Court during the October 2015 term.