cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VLSI-NEMS chip for parallel AFM data storage

Abstract We report the microfabrication of a 32×32 (1024) 2D cantilever array chip and its electrical testing. It has been designed for ultrahigh-density, high-speed data storage applications using thermomechanical writing and readout in thin polymer film storage media. The fabricated chip is the first very large scale integration (VLSI)-NEMS (NanoEMS) for nanotechnological applications. For electrical and thermal stability, the levers are made of silicon, and the heater/sensor element is defined as a lower, doped platform with the tip on top. Freestanding cantilevers are obtained with surface-micromachining techniques, which yield better mechanical stability and heatsinking of the chip than bulk-micromachining releasing techniques do. Two-wiring levels interconnect the cantilevers for a time-multiplexed row/column addressing scheme. By integrating a Schottky diode in series with each cantilever, a considerable reduction of crosstalk between cantilevers has been achieved.
The hypothalamic ‘tuberoinfundibular’ system of the rat as demonstrated by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) microiontophoresis

Abstract Microiontophoresis of horseradish peroxidase (20%) into the median eminence of the rat has allowed visualization of perikarya and axon projections of the tuberoinfundubular system after retrograde transport. Cells projecting to the median eminence were found in the periventricular regions of the hypothalamus and were particularly pronounced in dorsal portions of the rostral arcuate nucleus, the medial division of the paraventricular nucleus, and within the anterior periventricular nucleus. Labeling of perikarya within the ventromedial nucleus was rarely found. No labeling by HRP was found within cells of the dorsomedial, anterior, suprachiasmatic, preoptic, lateral hypothalamic nuclei or within the septal and amygdaloid nuclei. Axons from identifiable cells were located within the periventricular neuropil and contained within the baso-lateral portions of the hypothalamic-hypophysial tract.
The culture of Mexican migration

In an attempt to develop a definition of the Mexican ‘culture of migration’, the long history of migration within Mexico and across the US—Mexico border is summarized and definitions of culture explored. It is found that internal migration within greater Mexico has been common since at least the time of the Conquest. The culture of Mexican migration is seen to rest on attitudes and norms sanctioning the maintenance of reciprocity networks, the establishment of compadrazgo relationships, and the furtherance of religious practices, all of which aid migrants, first, to migrate and, second, in their adaptation at their destination.
Cloning, characterization, and heterologous expression of a novel glucosyltransferase gene from sophorolipid-producing Candida bombicola.

Abstract Candida bombicola is well-studied for the production of a biosurfactant, the sophorolipids. In this paper, the cloning of a glucosyltransferase gene using polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) technique is described. Degenerative primer-pairs were first designed based on the highly conserved amino-acid sequences of several selected yeast glucosyltransferases. Using these primers, an amplified sequence (amplicon) of 700 base-pair from C. bombicola was obtained and subsequently sequenced. Based on the sequence of this amplicon, additional target-specific PCR primers were designed for use in subsequent rounds of 3′- and 5′-extension using DNA walking technique to eventually obtain a C. bombicola genomic sequence containing an open-reading-frame putatively identified as a glucosyltransferase (gtf-1). The gene was subcloned in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for expression and functional characterization. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed the expression of gtf-1 in the recombinant S. cerevisiae. In vitro assay with the sonicated cells of the recombinant yeast confirms the presence of glucosylation activity on sterol and hydroxy fatty acid substrates. This study reports for the first time the cloning and characterization of a broad-specificity lipid glucosylation gene from C. bombicola, and the functional activity of its gene product.
School quality and educational attainment: Japanese American internment as a natural experiment

Abstract In 1942, the United States incarcerated all Japanese Americans on the West Coast, including children, in internment camps. Using non-West Coast Japanese Americans and non-Japanese Asians as control groups, I estimate the effect of attending a War Relocation Authority school on educational attainment. Non-linear difference-in-differences estimates suggest that attending school within the internment camps decreased the probability of receiving a post-collegiate education by approximately 4 to 5 percentage points and decreased the probability of receiving a college degree by between 2 and 7 percentage points. I find some evidence that attending a WRA school may have decreased the returns to education as well. By using un-incarcerated birth cohorts and races, placebo tests find no evidence that the identifying assumptions are violated.
Synaptotagmin Perturbs The Acyl Chain Order Of Lipid Bilayer Membranes

The perturbation of lipid acyl chain order by fusion proteins is widely reported in the membrane of viral entry and fertilization process. Synaptotagmin is the Ca2+ trigger for membrane fusion in neuronal exocytosis, and it may act by modulating lipid packing or membrane curvature strain. The effects of soluble synaptotagmin (C2AB) and separate C2 domains (C2A and C2B) on the lipid order of POPC:POPS (3:1) membrane bilayer were examined with attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Our results show that C2AB and more noticeably C2B decrease the lipid order and C2A increases the lipid order in low concentrations. However, in concentrations higher than certain threshold values, the effects reduce or even reverse. The presence of 1% PIP2 in the lipid bilayer lowers these threshold concentrations. The role of Ca++ is ambiguous: Ca enhances the perturbation effect in presence of PIP2, and reduces the effect in absence of PIP2. Experiments with membrane bilayers composed of deuterated POPC and normal POPS indicate that the change in lipid order are largely due to POPS. These data suggest that lipid demixing and membrane curvature strain may play a role in the mechanisms of Ca2±mediated fusion in the central nervous system.
Some biological bases of cognitive development

In recent years data on brain structure, brain properties, and brain development have been amassed to the point that they may be used to under stand some significant aspects of the biological origins of thought and language. Such biological correlates provide guidelines for and limitations on the kinds of functioning compatible with the biological information. The purpose of these remarks is to set forth what seem to me to be some relevant biological information about brains, and to indicate how it may relate to those functions and, especially, to children's development of thought, lan guage, and reading. In so doing, as is true of all projections, some steps will be taken beyond the safe confines of direct proof; the reader is asked to accept such steps as they are intended: suggestions that may prove useful for guiding new experi ments which may lead to new and expanded understanding.
Noninvasive nasal mask ventilation for acute respiratory failure : institution of a new therapeutic technology for routine use

Objective We successfully implemented the delivery of noninvasive mechanical ventilation for patients with acute respiratory failure, a previously controversial use of this technique, using a simplified ventilator (BiPAP) with nasal mask. Pilot work showed this mode of support to be effective when administered by the members of a research team, and in the current study we were able to transfer this responsibility to usual care providers. Setting Almost 90 percent of the patients in this study were in either the 16-bed medical or 31-bed surgical intensive care units at our hospital. Subjects One hundred ten hemodynamically stable patients with acute respiratory failure being considered for intubation and mechanical ventilation participated in this study. Eighty percent were surgical patients, most of whom had hypercapnic failure. Intervention Patients were administered noninvasive ventilatory support using a ventilatory support system (BiPAP) applied with a nasal mask. This intervention was administered by a research team in the initial 31 patients (special care, phase 1). The administration was transferred to usual care personnel in the next 45 patients (transition, phase 2). Usual care personnel almost exclusively administered care in the final 34 patients (usual care, phase 3). Results Withdrawal of ventilatory support for greater than 48 h (successful outcome) was about the same during usual care (phase 3, 80 percent) as it was during special care (phase 1, 76 percent).
A Selected Bibliography on Adaptive Antenna Arrays

An adaptive antenna array is defined as an antenna array whose output is the weighted sum of the signals received at the antennas, with signal-dependent automatic adjustment of the weights to optimize some criterion. This open-literature bibliography of papers on the subject is intended to provide a brief overview of the field, and the authors involved, up to the end of 1985. Papers are listed both by subject area and by sole/primary/secondary author.
Vibrational spectroscopy of nonequivalent CH bonds in liquid cis- and trans-3-hexene

Abstract The liquid phase vibrational fundamental and overtone spectra (Δν = 1–4) of nonequivalent CH bonds of cis -3-hexene and trans -3-hexene have been recorded using FTIR and near-IR spectroscopy. A technique which uses a piezoelectric detector, lock-in amplification, and a continuous wave dye laser modulated at 80 kHz with an acousto-optic modulator, has been used to detect the fourth (Δν = 5) and fifth (Δν = 6) overtones. The overtone bands have been computer deconvoluted to obtain information with respect to peak position and bandwidth of the overtone absorptions. Transitions corresponding to different CH bonds, olefinic (CH), primary (CH 3 ) and secondary (CH 2 ) are assigned using the local mode model. Other bands are assigned as local mode—normal mode combination bands. Local mode frequencies ω i and anharmonicities X ii are obtained for all the nonequivalent CH bonds. The results obtained for cis -3-hexene are used to interpret the Δν = 3 and 4 CH overtone spectra of cis -1,4-polybutadiene.
Long-term anatomic and visual acuity outcomes after initial anatomic success with macular hole surgery.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the anatomic and visual outcomes in patients with initial anatomic success after macular hole surgery and with at least 5 years of follow-up. Design Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series. Methods Medical records of all patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic full-thickness macular holes by two surgeons (W.E.S., H.W.F.) at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1996, were reviewed. All patients who had initial anatomic success with macular hole surgery and who had 5 years or more of follow-up postoperatively were included in the study. Main outcome measures included the rate of macular hole reopening and visual acuity outcomes. Results Seventy-four eyes of 66 patients with a median age of 68.0 years (range, 45.0–86.8 years) were identified. The median duration of macular hole was 6.0 months (range, 1.1–93.8 months), and the median duration of follow-up after macular hole surgery was 91.0 months (range, 60.0 to 114.8 months). The hole reopened in 9 eyes (12%) during the follow-up interval; 6 of these eyes underwent reoperation, and the hole closed in 4 of 6 (67%). Preoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/50 to 20/400 (mean, 20/129; median, 20/100). In the 62 eyes that underwent cataract extraction (CE) after macular hole surgery, CE was performed at a median of 13.9 months after macular hole surgery. Patients achieved their best postoperative visual acuity at a median of 28.5 months after macular hole surgery. Best postoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/400 (mean, 20/36; median, 20/30). Visual acuity at last follow-up ranged from 20/25 to counting fingers (mean, 20/56; median, 20/40). At last follow-up, 43 eyes (58%) had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better, and 57 (77%) had an improvement in visual acuity of 3 or more Snellen lines compared with their preoperative acuity. Conclusions Macular hole closure and visual acuity improvement after initially successful macular hole surgery persist at follow-up of 5 years and longer in the majority of patients; delayed visual acuity improvement is not attributable to cataract surgery alone.
Utilizing high spatiotemporal resolution soil moisture for dust storm modeling

The resolution and accuracy of initial model input are two fundamental factors for numerical modeling of climate and weather. High quality initial input assimilated in the model has significant impact on dust storm forecasting accuracy, and hence significantly influences the effectiveness of public health services and emergency management. Previous work with the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM-dust) has been using static input data for parameters like soil moisture content. Since these parameters are changing seasonally or even daily, static input will reduce the model accuracy. This research investigates the sensitivity of the NMM-dust model in response to dynamic inputs of soil moisture, and evaluates the improvement of the model accuracy. The soil moisture data used for this research is generated by the Noah LSM, part of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) modeling suite. Numerical analysis is conducted by comparing simulation results using near-real-time soil moisture data with original model output using static one and MODIS Aqua atmosphere product in Deep Blue band.
Observed Score Equating Using a Mini-Version Anchor and an Anchor with Less Spread of Difficulty: A Comparison Study:

Two different types of anchors are investigated in this study: a mini-version anchor and an anchor that has a less spread of difficulty than the tests to be equated. The latter is referred to as a midi anchor. The impact of these two different types of anchors on observed score equating are evaluated and compared with respect to systematic error (bias), random equating error (SEE), and total equating error (RMSE) using SAT operational data. The results suggest that the overall bias, SEE, and RMSE when the midi anchor is used are either smaller than or very similar to those when the mini anchor test is used. The findings suggest that a midi anchor test would be preferred to a mini anchor test if equating accuracy at the ends of the score scale is not a primary concern.
Experimental NMR relaxation studies of simple hydrogen-bonded liquids

Abstract Experimental NMR measurements of the deuterium and oxygen relaxation times in neat water (H2 17O, D2 17O, D2 16O) along with experimental/theoretical measurements of the deuterium and oxygen quadrupole coupling constants provide accurate values for the rotational correlation times of neat water over the liquid range. The 17O rotational correlation time in D2 17O varies from 525 fs at 350 K to 3.21 ps at 275 K; the deuterium correlation time in D2 16O varies from 700 fs at 350 K to 5.73 ps at 275 K. These results indicate that the motion of water is anisotropic.
Radiation-induced SVC syndrome

A 69-year-old woman with a history of Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 17 was admitted to our hospital with 3 weeks of progressive dyspnoea on exertion. Her medical history and physical exam were concerning for superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome and while her workup did indeed reveal such, its aetiology was not due to a compressive mass associated with malignancy. Rather, she developed chronic thromboses in the setting of radiation-induced venous fibrosis. This case report details her case and explains the key clinical concerns, pathophysiology and incidence of radiation-induced SVC syndrome.
Mexican Contract Workers and the U.S. Capitalist Agricultural Labor Process: The Formative Era, 1942–1964*

Abstract Rural sociologists have seemingly moved away from an active interest in the plight of migrant farmworkers and the centrality of their labor in the development of U.S. agribusiness. Answering Pfeffer's (1983) call to analyze the different forms of agricultural production, I focus on the key formative period of what I refer to as the U.S. capitalist agricultural labor process. During the United States-Mexico Bracero Program, 1942–1964, U.S. agribusiness employed a coercive factory regime, introduced mechanization and increased work hazards, and employed a dual wage structure to keep Mexican contract workers at a serious disadvantage to advance their own collective well-being. This study relies upon archival and oral history research to challenge the existing theoretical approaches to the labor process in capitalist agriculture and provide a theoretical explanation that more closely relates to U.S. post-war agricultural production.
Debris flows originating from soil slips during rainstorms in Southern California

Debris flows generated during rainstorms present a greater risk of death and injury to southern California residents than all other kinds of slope failure combined. During the years 1962-1971, twenty-three people in the greater Los Angeles area died from being buried or struck by debris flows, all of which probably originated as soil slips. Soil slips and debris flows are recurring major natural geomorphological processes in the region. Soil slips are reconstituted into debris flows when the initial movement (sliding failure) of slabs of soil and wedges of ravine fill causes remoulding of the saturated moving mass into viscous, debris-laden mud, which then flows down available drainage courses. This change of state results in a marked reduction in resistance to shear, permitting masses to accelerate down the same slopes on which, only moments earlier, the slabs of soil mantle had barely overcome the resistance to sliding. Many flows reach avalanche speeds and do not begin to deposit significant amounts of detritus until they reach lower gradients far from their sources. The deposits form steep ‘alluvial’ fans at the mouths of short, steep drainage basins tributary to broad valleys, and form debris trains in and along narrow trunk canyons below the mouths of short, steep tributaries. The exceptional storm period of January 18th to 26th, 1969, was accompanied by thousands of soil slips and provided an unusual opportunity to determine the times of occurrence of numerous debris flows, establish their origin from soil slips, and compare the times of those events with rainfall records from an extensive network of continuously recording rain gauges and a sequential set of radar weather maps. An empirical association between soil slips and rainfall suggests that a 10 inch antecedent rainfall is required to bring most of the colluvial soil of the area to field capacity, and 0.25 inch-per-hour is the minimum rate at which surface infiltration exceeds subsoil drainage for most of the colluvial soils of the area so that pore pressures are raised in a zone above the less permeable parent materials. Soil moisture of this level also appears to be sufficient so that most of the colluvial soils of the area will become at least partly liquid when disturbed.
The Nature of Nurture: Refining the Definition of the Exposome

Historical debates concerning human biology and behavior have frequently focused on contributions of nature, ie, the inherited characteristics with which we are born, and nurture, ie, life’s influences after birth. Indeed, the concept of nature vs nurture has guided our understanding of human biology for decades, if not centuries. A series of discoveries has greatly advanced the knowledge of our nature. Watson and Crick’s unraveling of the double helix revolutionized the understanding of our genetic makeup (Watson and Crick, 1953). The polymerase chain reaction allowed amplification and manipulation of genes (Saiki et al., 1988). Identified links between specific genes and disease (Saiki et al., 1985) led to new diagnostic tools and treatments. These advances spurred the Human Genome Project with success in sequencing the entire human genome (Lander et al., 2001; Venter et al., 2001). This epic undertaking of biomedical science and technology was completed with amazing speed and celebrated with great fanfare. But the limitation of genetics to predict disease rapidly became obvious; as noted by Dr Venter shortly after the completion of human genome sequence, “We simply do not have enough genes for this idea of biological determinism to be right (McKie 2001).” Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed genetic associations and networks that improve understanding of disease, but these still account for only a fraction of disease risk. With the majority of disease causation being nongenetic, the need for improved tools to quantify environmental contributions seems obvious. The simple distinction between genes and environment is blurred by knowledge that environmental exposures cause permanent genetic changes via mutagenesis and also have long-term impact on gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms. Importantly, epigenetic mechanisms are central to differentiation and development, impacting genome function before birth and throughout life. The epigenome is highly reliant on nurture, ie, the nature and timing of environmental exposures and external forces. Randy Jirtle, a pioneer in epigenomics stated “The nature vs. nurture argument is rapidly proving to be irrelevant, because we’re finding that the 2 forces interact in highly specific ways that alter gene behavior (Duke Health, 2006).” Although Dr Jirtle suggests the argument is becoming irrelevant, the reality is that biomedical research is overwhelmingly focused on the gene side of this debate. The tools and knowledge of our nature are far ahead of those for the environment. If we want to focus on the interaction between nature and nurture, we need better ways of cataloguing and integrating the complex exposures and forces that represent nurture. Such a framework is provided by the exposome.
Expression of RUSH Transcription Factors in Developing and Adult Rabbit Gonads

The RUSH transcription factors 1alpha and 1beta bind to the Rabbit Uteroglobin promoter and are members of the SWI/SNF complex that facilitates transcription by remodeling chromatin (Helicase). To characterize gonadal expression of RUSH, a cRNA probe that recognizes both isoforms was used for in situ hybridization studies. We found RUSH mRNA to be abundant in Sertoli cells from embryonic, neonatal, prepubertal, and pubertal rabbit testes. In adults, RUSH mRNA was detected in tubules with preleptotene spermatocytes and mature spermatids lining the lumen. However, RUSH was undetectable in tubules that contained leptotene spermatocytes and that lacked mature spermatids. In females, RUSH was expressed in presumptive granulosa cells of embryonic and neonatal ovaries before follicle organization. Abundant RUSH mRNA was detected in granulosa and theca cells surrounding preantral follicles of prepubertal and adult ovaries. Expression of RUSH remained high in granulosa cells of antral follicles in mature ovaries but was negligible in late-stage atretic follicles and in corpora lutea. Western blot analysis confirmed the RUSH-1alpha isoform predominated in both testicular and ovarian tissues. The expression pattern of RUSH indicates transcriptional activity in Sertoli cells and during multiple stages of differentiating granulosa cells, especially those of primordial follicles, which heretofore were considered to be dormant.
Discussion: Sequencing n Jobs on Two Machines with Arbitrary Time Lags

This note presents an alternate proof of a result of L. G. Mitten, solving the problem of sequencing n jobs through two machines with arbitrary time lags when the job sequences are the same for both machines. The more difficult general problem is also discussed and partially solved.
Controls on Arctic Sea Ice from First-Year and Multiyear Ice Survivability

AbstractRecent observations of Arctic sea ice show that the decrease in summer ice cover over the last few decades has occurred in conjunction with a significant loss of multiyear ice. The transition to an Arctic that is populated by thinner, first-year sea ice has important implications for future trends in area and volume. Here, a reduced model for Arctic sea ice is developed. This model is used to investigate how the survivability of first-year and multiyear ice controls the mean state, variability, and trends in ice area and volume. A hindcast with a global dynamic–thermodynamic sea ice model that traces first-year and multiyear ice is used to estimate the survivability of each ice type. These estimates of survivability, in concert with the reduced model, yield persistence time scales of September area and volume anomalies and the characteristics of the sensitivity of sea ice to climate forcing that compare well with a fully coupled climate model. The September area is found to be nearly in equilibriu...
What Works to Prevent Adolescent Smoking? A Systematic Review of the National Cancer Institute's Research-Tested Intervention Programs

BACKGROUND: Cigarette use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Although school is an ideal setting for antismoking interventions, school-based programs have not been successful in the long term. The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of programs deemed to be successful short-term Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). METHODS: To identify adolescent smoking prevention programs, 2 independently working researchers applied specified selection criteria to all programs in the NCI’s RTIP database. Selected programs were abstracted using a structured form for general information, participants, interventions, outcomes, and quality. Extracted data were then assessed for common themes and contrasts in each category.
Nonverbal “Accents”: Cultural Differences in Facial Expressions of Emotion

We report evidence for nonverbal "accents," subtle differ- ences in the appearance of facial expressions of emotion across cul- tures. Participants viewed photographs of Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans in which posers' muscle movements were stan- dardized to eliminate differences in expressions, cultural or otherwise. Participants guessed the nationality of posers displaying emotional expressions at above-chance levels, and with greater accuracy than they judged the nationality of the same posers displaying neutral ex- pressions. These findings indicate that facial expressions of emotion can contain nonverbal accents that identify the expresser's nationality or culture. Cultural differences are intensified during the act of ex- pressing emotion, rather than residing only in facial features or other static elements of appearance. This evidence suggests that extreme po- sitions regarding the universality of emotional expressions are incom- plete.
An experimental study of a high-rise building model in tornado-like winds

Abstract An experimental study was conducted to quantify the characteristics of wake vortex and flow structures around a high-rise building model as well as the resultant wind loads (both forces and moments) acting on the test model in tornado-like winds. In addition to measuring wind loads acting on the tested high-rise building model using a high-sensitivity load cell, a digital Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements to quantify the evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures around the test model in tornado-like winds. The measurement results revealed clearly that the evolution of the wake vortex and turbulent flow structures around the test model as well as the resultant wind loads induced by tornado-like winds were significantly different from those in conventional straight-line winds. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the wind load measurement data to elucidate the underlying physics to gain further insight into the flow–structure interactions between the tested high-rise building model and tornado-like vortex. The new findings derived from the present study could be used to provide more accurate prediction of wind damage potential to built environment with the ultimate goal of reducing life loss, injury casualty, and economic loss that results from tornados.
THE INFLUENCE OF CONTEXT ON ONE TEACHER’S INTERPRETIVE KNOWLEDGE OF TEAM TEACHING

Abstract This teacher knowledge study follows Benita Dalton as she moves from context to context as a pre-service teacher, as a substitute and long-term replacement teacher, and as a beginning teacher placed in two school contexts. Situating Benita in numerous settings illuminates the ways in which the particularities of placement influence what is available for teachers to come to know, what is held up as ‘good teaching,’ and who is authorized to produce knowledge. A case is built that gives value to teachers’ knowing based on the narrative authority of their personal practical knowledge as expressed in their knowledge communities.
Semantic feedback in the Higgens UIMS

Almost all applications using interactive graphics contain important structures and concepts which are deeper than the geometres used to display them to the user. One of the major tasks of the system implementer is to cause the user interface to reflect this deeper structure accurately so that it may be directly manipulated by the user. The authors describe a tool, the Higgens user interface management system (UIMS), which can automate much of this task for a wide class of systems using interactive graphics. It is able to generate graphical user interfaces automatically from a high-level interface specification. These specifications are primarily nonprocedural in nature. They describe how graphical images can be automatically derived and updated based on applications entities, and how graphical inputs can be translated back into terms which are appropriate to the application. >
The ocean acidification seascape and its relationship to the performance of calcifying marine invertebrates: Laboratory experiments on the development of urchin larvae framed by environmentally-relevant pCO2/pH

Abstract Variation in ocean pH is a dynamic process occurring naturally in the upwelling zone of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. The nearshore carbonate chemistry is under-characterized and the physiology of local organisms may be under constant challenge from cyclical changes in pH and carbonate ion concentration of unexpectedly high magnitude. We looked to environmental pH conditions of coastal upwelling and used those values to examine effects of low pH on 4-arm larvae of purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus . We deployed a pH sensor at a nearshore shallow benthic site for 3 weeks during summer 2010 to assess the changes in pH in the Santa Barbara Channel, a region considered to have relatively less intense upwelling along the US Pacific Coast. Large fluctuations in pH of up to 0.67 pH units were observed over short time scales of several days. Daily pH fluctuations on a tidal pattern followed temperature fluctuations over short time scales, but not over scales greater than a day. The lowest pH values recorded (~ 7.70) are lower than some of those pH values predicted to occur in surface oceans at the end of the century. In the context of this dynamic pH exposure, larvae were raised at elevated pCO 2 levels of 1000 ppm and 1450 ppm CO 2 (pH 7.7 and 7.5 respectively) and measured for total larval length (from the spicule tip of the postoral arm to the spicule tip of the aboral point) along the spicules, to assess effects of low pH upwelling water on morphology. Larvae in all treatments maintained normal development and developmental schedule to day 6, and did not exhibit significant differences in larval asymmetry between treatments. At day 3 and day 6, larvae in the 1450 ppm CO 2 treatment were significantly smaller (p 2 has an as yet undetermined physiological mechanism, but has implications for locomotion and feeding. These effects of small magnitude in these urchin larvae are indicative of a potential resilience to near-future levels of ocean acidification. Using environmental monitoring of pH to inform experimental parameters provides a means to improve our understanding of acclimatization of organisms in a dynamic ecosystem.
Dermatitis artefacta with artefact of patch tests.

Summary Three patients with dermatitis artefacta, who manipulated their patch tests, are described. This is an uncommon occurrence in the experience of our Contact Clinic, and has rarely been reported in the literature. The cases demonstrate once again the ingenuity of many patients with dermatitis artefacta, and the protean manifestations of this disorder.
Fuel cell technology: economic, social, and political aspects

With the current world events the advent of the fuel cell vehicle research into the actual consumer market has reached a new level. With the introduction of the fuel cell technology to the American consumer aspects about the economic, social and political impacts must be addressed. Realistic views on hydrogen fuel production, storage and transportation as well as the mass fabrication issues for the fuel cell are being dealt with in earnest. In this paper we look at the existing technologies available for realistic consumer use and the next steps that must be achieved to wean the American public from the idea that fuel cells are only considered to be a 'liberal pipe dream'. This paper will consist of a necessary background focusing on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The current barriers keeping the fuel cell from mass production are presented along with the near term solutions possible highlighted.
Short Arc Digital Tomosynthesis as an Image Enhancement Step for Detection and Localization of Implanted Markers

registration. We now produce these masks through image segmentation making the registration completely automatic. We investigate how the accuracy of the segmented masks affects the registration. Materials/Methods: The program was developed using the Insight Toolkit. Prostate patient CTs were segmented via a number of algorithms. By comparing generated to manual contours, Neighborhood Connected was chosen as the preferred segmentation algorithm. Due to the difficulty in segmenting the bladder from prostate, a new mask combining the bladder and prostate volume, was also produced. Three registration methods will therefore be compared: using manual rectum and bladder masks (previous standard), segmented rectum and bladder masks, and segmented rectum and combined bladder prostate masks. Agreement of manual contours of the prostate (which is not masked individually), in the registered images was used to infer registration accuracy. Results: The DC between the segmented and manual masks was up to 96 and 93% for the bladder and rectum respectively. This allowed the segmented mask guided deformable registration algorithm to achieve the same agreement in prostate contours as when manual masks are used, (both average 90% DC). When the combined bladder prostate-segmented mask is used the DC of the prostate contour improves to 95%, (the rectum and bladder contour DC remains the same). Conclusions: A now fully automated hybrid deformable registration method was developed for the prostate region capable of recovering large initial organ variation. Good agreement of segmented masks to the organ they represent is required to achieve acceptable registration results. Using a combined bladder prostate mask is the preferred method as it simplifies the segmentation process, while allowing for improved prostate registration. This automatic registration is used to produce contours and delivered dose for adaptive therapy and cumulative dose for outcome analysis. Author Disclosure: A.R. Godley: None. M. Itomlenskis: None.
Fast digital fuzzy operation units using comparison look-ahead

A two-input digital fuzzy operation unit is developed for fuzzy operations. Multilevel comparison look-ahead is introduced for fast fuzzy operations. The proposed digital fuzzy operation unit has nearly the same speed as the fast adder. Two different designs of multiple-input digital fuzzy operation unit are described, and a comparison of the two design styles is provided. >
The Switch from Fetal to Adult Hemoglobin

The fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch and silencing of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) have been areas of long-standing interest among hematologists, given the fact that clinical induction of HbF production holds tremendous promise to ameliorate the clinical symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia. In this article, we discuss historic attempts to induce HbF that have resulted in some therapeutic approaches to manage SCD and β-thalassemia. We then go on to discuss how more recent molecular studies that have identified regulators, including BCL11A, MYB, and KLF1, hold great promise to develop targeted and more effective approaches for HbF induction. We go on to discuss strategies by which such approaches may be developed. Older studies in this field can provide important lessons for future studies aimed at developing more effective strategies for HbF induction, and we therefore chronologically cover the work accomplished as this field has evolved over the course of the past four decades.
Artery of Percheron Infarction as an Unusual Cause of Korsakoff’s Syndrome

The Korsakoff syndrome is defined as "an abnormal mental state in which memory and learning are affected out of all proportion to other cognitive functions in an otherwise alert and responsive patient." Confabulation refers to false or erroneous memories arising, not deliberately, in the context of a neurological amnesia and is often thought of as pathognomonic of the Korsakoff syndrome. Although the exact pathophysiology is unknown, various studies have identified brain lesions in the thalami, mammillary bodies, and frontal cortex. We report a case of a 68-year-old male presenting with acute altered mental status on July 16, 2015. The neuropsychological dysfunctions included prominent Korsakoff's syndrome, which became apparent when the altered mental status resolved. Amnesia was accompanied by prominent confabulation, disorientation, and lack of insight into his own disability. Neuroradiological data indicated that the intralaminar and dorsomedial nuclei in bilateral thalami were infarcted by occlusion of the artery of Percheron. We believe that ours is one of few reported cases of Korsakoff syndrome in a patient with infarction involving the territory of the artery of Percheron. We conclude that bilateral thalamic lesions could cause Korsakoff's syndrome and the intralaminar and dorsomedial nuclei might be important structures in the pathogenesis of confabulation.
Design of Composite Prestressed Concrete Beams

Equations are derived for the design of nonstandard composite prestressed concrete beams for flexure. Interaction diagrams showing the relationship between prestress force and bending moment are used in the derivation of the equations. The required proportions of the section are determined directly. The required prestress force is determined in a rapidly converging iteration. An example design is given.
Random Walks and Gamma Functions

The use of the Montroll-Weiss continuous-time random walk, with infinite mean waiting times, to model photo-currents in xerographic films has led to new inequalities of the gamma function. Certain special function inequalities can also be derived.
Type and frequency of healthcare encounters can predict poor surgical outcomes in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction patients.

Abstract Background Several challenges are associated with collecting clinically meaningful post-operative outcomes. The widespread implementation of electronic medical records (EMR) offers a new opportunity to evaluate surgical outcomes using routinely collected data in these systems. This study evaluated whether surgical outcomes can be ascertained from EMR’s hospital and outpatient encounters. Specifically, we evaluated anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (ACLR) outcomes. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 6985 ACLRs performed between 2/2005-9/2012 was conducted. Patient encounters during days 1–90 and days 91–180 after ACLR surgery were the exposures of interest. Nine hospital and eight outpatient encounter types were evaluated. The main endpoint of the study was revision surgery six months after ACLR. Results The cohort was 66.7% male, the mean age was 28 (standard deviation = 11) years-old, and the incidence of revision was 1.5% (n = 105). After adjustments, in days 1–90 post-ACLR, compared to patients with 0–4 orthopedic office visits, patients with 5–9 (hazard ratio (HR) = 9.9, 95% confidence interval(CI), 4.3–23.2) and those with 10 or more (HR = 13.8, 95%CI, 5.6–33.8) visits had a higher risk of revision. In days 91–180, patients with any outpatient hospital encounters (HR = 2.5, 95%CI 1.4–4.5) had a higher risk of revision than patients without visits. Additionally, patients with 4–5 regular office visits (HR = 3.8 times, 95%CI, 2.0–7.0) had a higher risk of revision surgery than those with 0–1 visits. Discussion The number of post-operative outpatient visits was associated with ACLR revision surgery. Using EMR encounters to assess surgical outcomes is a viable option for monitoring ACLR patients. The simple assessment of visit types and number of encounters alone can provide valuable information regarding the normal course of rehabilitation of a surgical patient and possible deviation from this normal course. In large cohorts of patients, this type of patient surveillance can assist surgeons with monitoring their patients.
Uniqueness of conservative solutions for nonlinear wave equations via characteristics

For some classes of one-dimensional nonlinear wave equations, solutions are Holder continuous and the ODEs for characteristics admit multiple solutions. Introducing an additional conservation equation and a suitable set of transformed variables, one obtains a new ODE whose right hand side is either Lipschitz continuous or has directionally bounded variation. In this way, a unique characteristic can be singled out through each initial point. This approach yields the uniqueness of conservative solutions to various equations, including the Camassa-Holm and the variational wave equation u tt − c(u)(c(u)u x ) x = 0, for general initial data in H 1(R).
Identification of novel glycans with disialylated structures in α3 integrin from mouse kidney cells with the phenotype of polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common genetic disorder caused by mutations in the Pkd1 or Pkd2 genes, in which large cysts replace normal kidney tissue, leading to end-stage kidney disease. In this study we have utilized a powerful nano-HPLC–mass spectrometric approach to characterize patterns of normal and abnormal N-linked glycosylation of α3 integrin subunit in Pkd1–/– cells derived from mouse kidneys. Higher molecular weight glycan structures with a different monosaccharide composition were observed at two sites, namely, Asn-925 and Asn-928 sites in α3 integrin isolated from Pkd1+/+ cells compared with Pkd1–/– cells. In addition, an unusual and unique disialic acid glycan structure was observed solely in Pkd1–/– cells. Thus, these studies suggest that abnormal protein glycosylation may have a role on the pathogenesis of cyst formation in ADPKD.
SCCREAM (Simulated Combined-Cycle Rocket Engine Analysis Module): A Conceptual RBCC Engine Design Tool

Rocket-based combined-cycle engines are currently under consideration for use on future, reusable launch vehicles. By combining traditional rocket and airbreathing operating modes into a single engine, multi-mode RBCC engines offer a number of advantages for launch vehicle designers including higher trajectory averaged L^, than pure rockets and higher installed thrust-to-weight ratios than pure airbreathers. This paper presents a new computer tool capable of predicting RBCC engine performance (thrust and 1^) over a wide range of flight conditions and engine operating modes. The tool is called SCCREAM — Simulated Combined-Cycle Rocket Engine Analysis Module. SCCREAM is an object-oriented workstation-level code written in C++. It uses quasi1D flow analysis, component and combustion efficiencies, and an inlet pressure recovery schedule as simplifying assumptions. SCCREAM was created for the conceptual launch vehicle design environment and is capable of quickly generating large tables of engine performance data for use in trajectory optimization. An overview of SCCREAM and the program logic is presented. Results from SCCREAM are favorably compared to historical RBCC engine performance data and to data generated by other engine design tools.
Patient sharing and quality of care: measuring outcomes of care coordination using claims data.

BACKGROUND With the goal of improving clinical efficiency and effectiveness, programs to enhance care coordination are a major focus of health care reform. OBJECTIVE To examine whether "care density"--a claims-based measure of patient sharing by office-based physicians--is associated with measures of quality. Care density is a proxy measure that may reflect how frequently a patient's doctors collaborate. RESEARCH DESIGN Cohort study using administrative databases from 3 large commercial insurance plans. SUBJECTS A total of 1.7 million adult patients; 31,675 with congestive heart failure, 78,530 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 240,378 with diabetes. MEASURES Care density was assessed in 2008. Prevention Quality Indicators (PQIs), 30-day readmissions, and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set quality indicators were measured in the following year. RESULTS Among all patients, we found that patients with the highest care density density--indicating high levels of patient sharing among their office-based physicians--had significantly lower rates of adverse events measured as PQIs compared with patients with low-care density (odds ratio=0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.92). A significant association between care density and PQIs was also observed for patients with diabetes mellitus but not congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Diabetic patients with higher care density scores had significantly lower odds of 30-day readmissions (odds ratio=0.68, 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.97). Significant associations were observed between care density and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures although not always in the expected direction. CONCLUSION In some settings, patients whose doctors share more patients had lower odds of adverse events and 30-day readmissions.