cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid, Affordable and Scalable SARS-CoV-2 Detection from Saliva

Here we present an inexpensive, rapid, and robust RT-LAMP based SARS-CoV-2 detection method that is easily scalable, enabling point of care facilities and clinical labs to determine results from patients saliva directly in 30 minutes for less than $2 a sample. The method utilizes a novel combination of widely available reagents that can be prepared in bulk, plated and frozen and remain stable until samples are received. This innovation dramatically reduces preparation time, enabling high-throughput automation and testing with time to results (including setup) in less than one hour for 96 patient samples simultaneously when using a 384 well format. By utilizing a dual-reporter (phenol red pH indicator for end-point detection and SYTO-9 fluorescent dye for real-time), the assay also provides internal validation of results and redundancy in the event of an instrument malfunction.
Hepatoblastomas with carcinoma features (HBCs) represent a biological spectrum of aggressive neoplasms in children and young adults

Malignant hepatocellular cancers are the most common primary liver malignancies in children, and hepatoblastomas (HBs) account for more than two-thirds of these cases. While most HBs respond to chemotherapy and have favorable outcomes, the 3-year overall survival rate for high-risk HBs is below 50% and guidelines for their classification and treatment are still evolving. HB risk-stratification efforts using clinical, histological, and molecular parameters have been reported to help identify patients that require more or less aggressive therapies in retrospective studies, and are being validated in clinical trials. However, risk assessment is particularly challenging for cancers with certain histologies, including tumors in the recently proposed provisional hepatocellular neoplasm not otherwise specified (HCN NOS) category. HCN NOSs exhibit either intermediate or combined HB and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) histological features, and while neoplasms with such features were observed over a decade ago, only a handful have been characterized and little is known about their biology and clinical features. Here, we molecularly characterized a series of clinically annotated HCN NOSs that demonstrated either intermediate HB/HCC histology or distinct coexisting areas with HB and HCC histological features. In addition, molecular profiling of HBs demonstrating focal pleomorphism or anaplasia (HB FPA) after chemotherapy revealed underlying biological features previously observed in HCCs. Our study suggested that HCN NOSs and HB FPAs are aggressive tumors, irrespective of patient age or resectability. Consequently, we designated them collectively as HBs with carcinoma features (HBCs) and outlined histological and molecular characteristics for their diagnosis and treatment. In our single-institution study, transplanted HBC patients were significantly and more than twice as likely to have good outcomes, highlighting the importance of molecular testing and aggressive early intervention.
Successful Learning Environments Support and Harness Students’ Identity-based Motivation: A Primer

We build on identity-based motivation theory to integrate research on in-person and virtual learning environments so that we can articulate which features of virtual learning environments are likel...
Update 3.0 to "PuMA: The Porous Microstructure Analysis software", (PII:S2352711018300281)

Abstract A major update of the Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA) software is presented. PuMA is a framework for computing effective material properties and response based on material microstructures. Version 3.0 of the software extends the PuMA capabilities to include computation of anisotropic conductivity, elasticity, permeability, per-voxel material or fiber orientation estimation, as well as expanded computational material generation capabilities. Version 3.0 also introduces pumapy, a Python version of the PuMA software.
Automatic Method for Detecting and Categorizing Train Car Wheel and Bearing Defects

Worldwide, railways are among the safest transportation services. Nevertheless, every year some serious accidents are reported. A noticeable portion of these accidents are a result of defective wheels, bearings, or brakes. Train wheels are subjected to different types of damage due to their interaction with the brakes and the track and they are required to be periodically inspected to ensure they meet all the safety criteria for proper operation. If the wheel damage remains undetected, it can worsen and result in overheating and severe damage to the wheel and track. There are a variety of wheel damages, classified in different groups based on the type and severity of the defect. The most usual cause of damage is severe braking, which applies directly to the wheel and results in local heating of the wheel. This can stop the wheel from rotating while the train is still moving, producing a defect called a “flat spot” or “hot spot”. Flat-spotted wheels are a serious concern for the railroad industry. Depending on the level of wheel defect, different solutions should be taken. This paper will focus on automatically detecting flat-spotted wheels from thermal imagery using computer vision methods and introduces an algorithm to detect hot bearings. We first extract and segment both the wheel and bearing regions from the whole image, then we introduce a fuzzy inference to categorize the level of wheel damage. The whole process is done automatically and without any need for time consuming and costly manned inspection. Based on the severity of the defect, it can be decided which solution should be taken.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
A novel supervised learning algorithm for salt-and-pepper noise detection

In this paper, a novel supervised learning algorithm called margin setting, is proposed to detect salt and pepper noise from digital images. The mathematical justification of margin setting is comprehensively discussed, including margin-based theory, decision boundaries, and the impact of margin on performance. Margin setting generates decision boundaries called prototypes. Prototypes classify salt noise, pepper noise, and non-noise. Thus, salt noise and pepper noise are detected and then corrected using a ranked order mean filter. The experiment was conducted on a wide range of noise densities using metrics such as peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), mean square error (MSE), image enhancement factor (IEF), and structural similarity index (SSIM). Results show that margin setting yields better results than both the support vector machine and standard median filter. The superior performance of margin setting indicates it is a powerful supervised learning algorithm that outperforms the support vector machine when applied to salt and pepper noise detection.
Lessons Learned About Planning: Forecasting, Participation, and Technology

The author summarizes the most important lessons he has learned in more than 40 years of studying planning from the perspectives of planning theory, planning methods, and computer applications in planning. He suggests that planner's traditional -professional roles, models, and methods often fail to adequately consider alternative futures and unnecessarily restrict meaningful public participation. He proposes that these problems can be overcome, but not easily, by adopting more community-centered -approaches of planning with the public and using simple, easy-to-use, and -understandable models and methods. The author recognizes that following his advice in practice raises many difficult questions that he cannot currently answer. Research support: None.
An Examination of the Environmental Factors Important to Initiating and Sustaining “Brown Tide” Blooms

The first appearance of the “brown tide” in the early summer of 1985 was over a wide geographic range along the northeast coast of the United States in non-contiguous bodies of water: Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and Long Island embayments in New York as well as Barnegat Bay in New Jersey (Fig.1) (Nuzzi and Waters, 1989; Olsen, 1989; Sieburth et al., 1988; Sieburth and Johnson, 1989; Smayda and Villareal, 1989). The extent of the blooms was restricted to these coastal bay systems; blooms did not appear to follow a pattern of spreading from one bay system to the next. This suggests that the environmental factors contributing to these “brown tide” blooms were not just localized to specific conditions in a bay system but probably were more regional, e.g. involving meteorologically induced changes. Analysis of rainfall data for Long Island was undertaken using records obtained from Brookhaven National Laboratory at Upton, Long Island. This laboratory is situated between Great South Bay and the Peconic Bays, the two bay systems in which “brown tide” blooms occurred on Long Island (Cosper et al., 1989).
4. Cavity-enhanced absorption: Intracavity laser spectroscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the utilization of multiple-mode laser resonators for high-sensitivity measurements of absorption spectroscopy, especially in gas samples. The enhanced detection sensitivity for absorption, an observation characteristic of these multiple-mode laser methodologies in general, derives from the dynamic interaction of the absorption created by atomic and molecular transitions with the wavelength-dependent mode competition within the optical cavity of a laser. In general, these phenomena, especially when used to measure absorption spectroscopy by cavity-enhanced detection, are termed intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS). The emergence of ILS as a significant spectroscopic technique for use generally in the measurement of absorption has yet to occur, even though its value in expanding absorption spectroscopy has been established through more than three decades of research. In many cases, ILS methodologies have provided new access to absorption data that cannot be recorded by other methods and in some cases, has provided significant new insight into how to optimize the performance of laser systems. The issue that appears to limit the growth of ILS is the perception that as a nonlinear optical phenomena, ILS techniques are too difficult to implement and instrumentally too complex to utilize in practical conditions.
Bodies, blood, and love: the ‘touching’ politics of HIV/AIDS film Love for Life

The fear of contracting HIV rests on a conception of touch as a lethal and abject transgression of corporeal boundaries. Chinese social beliefs that HIV/AIDS is the consequence of unsafe, indulgent, and delinquent lifestyles pre-empt narratives of compassion – emotionally ‘touching’ stories. China's most successful HIV/AIDS themed commercial film to date, Love for Life (Gu Changwei, 2011) re-narrativizes the social identity of the disease through the compassionate aesthetics and cultural technologies of melodrama, what could be termed the ‘touching’ politics of the film. Love for Life is also the first Chinese narrative film to address China's recent history of illegal blood-selling in rural villages. Representations of a forgotten place echo the film's representations of neglected bodies, inviting spectators to inhabit and experience both through cinesthetic touch. As the blood of villages flows into cities (in literal and symbolic ways), narratives about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China similarly reveal t...
Individual Responsibility, Culture, or State Organized Enslavement? How Tea Party Activists Frame Racial Inequality:

This article explores how Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Party activists produce and circulate stories about racial inequality, presenting four distinct frames that reflect nonconformity in the Tea Party’s racial narrative. Activists engage with four racial frames: racism denial, individual responsibility, cultural responsibility, and structural responsibility. The Tea Party unites using frame amplification to emphasize the master frame of color blindness that allows activists, regardless of the frame with which they engage, to unite under the broader notion that they are all idyllically color blind.
Evidence for and against the presence of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon and 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dioxin binding proteins in the marine mussels, Bathymodiolus and Modiolus modiolus

Abstract Chemosynthetic mussels were collected in the vicinity of gas and petroleum seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities in the hepatopancreas and gill, respectively, were elevated in mussels collected at the site more highly contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the 4S PAH binding protein (PBP) are ligand activated transcription factors which regulate expression of various genes including cytochrome P450 1A. The presence of these proteins was investigated in PAH-exposed mussels. RT-PCR analysis revealed only a 45.2% nucleotide similarity between the AhR2 from Fundulus heteroclitus and from mussel mRNA transcripts containing a putative member of the PAS gene family. Furthermore, in gel electrophoretic mobility shift and protein cross-linking assays utilizing mussel cytosol which was incubated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), no specifically-bound retarded band with a [32P]dioxin responsive element was clearly indicated. Likewise, sucrose density gradient analysis of cytosol incubated with [3H]TCDD did not give a specifically-bound 8-10S peak associated with the AhR complex. In contrast, incubation of mussel cytosol with [3H]benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) gave a 4S peak which was not displaced by TCDD but was nonspecifically decreased by excess BaP or benzo(ghi)perylene. The potential role of the 4S PAH binding protein in the induction of CYP1A-dependent activity in these species is currently unclear. Mussels collected from the North Sea were treated with BaP (5 mg/kg) or TCDD (20 μg/kg) for 48 h to investigate induction of enzyme activities in mussels from a pristine location. Western blot analysis indicated the presence of a 33 kDa protein when a PAH binding protein antibody was used, but no detectable induction of AHH or GST activity was observed in the treated mussels.
One Discipline, Two Tracks An Analysis of the Journal Publication Records of Professors in Africana Studies Doctoral Programs

This article analyzes the journal publication records of professors working in doctoral degree-granting Africana studies programs. The journals most likely to publish the work of these scholars are the Journal of Black Studies, Callaloo, and other Africana-focused journals (e.g., Journal of Negro Education). Professors in the two Ivy League Africana doctoral programs are more likely to publish in non-Africana disciplinary journals (e.g., Quarterly Journal of Economics) or journals not strongly identified with any discipline (e.g., Critical Inquiry) than professors in other programs, who are much more likely to publish in the journals associated with the Africana studies field (e.g., Journal of Black Studies, The Black Scholar , or The Western Journal of Black Studies). This finding suggests that Africana studies has developed highly visible and central outlets for research, but these journals are not employed by Ivy League professors, who are likely vetting their research outside the Africana studies field.
Note on nonaqueous electrokinetic transport in charged porous media

Abstract A model for electrokinetic transport in charged capillaries is compared with experiments using nonaqueous lithium chloride solutions. The electrokinetic parameters considered are the pore fluid conductivity and the concentration potential. Methanol/water mixtures were the solvent, and track-etched mica membranes with a well-characterized pore structure were the porous medium. The electrolyte concentrations used were such that the Debye lengths of solutions in pores ranged from much smaller to much larger than the radius of pores. The space-charge model is found to be capable of qualitatively describing the trend of the electrokinetic data, but as expected, at higher concentrations the model fails, probably because the assumption that ion—ion interactions are negligible no longer holds. The experimental results show that the pore fluid conductivity depends strongly on the dielectric constant of the solvent, that the absolute value of the pore wall charge tends to decrease with the lowering of the solvent dielectric constant, and that the wall charge tends to increase with the concentration of the chloride ion.
Delayed Pinpoint Exposure of a Pacemaker Following Seat Belt Trauma

A case of late pinpoint exposure of a pulse generator due to seat belt trauma is reported. This unusual complication indicates that the implant site of a pacemaker should be decided after consideration of where the patient usually sits in his car and what type of seat belt is used.
Bioluminescent imaging of reporter gene expression in the lungs of wildtype and model mice following the administration of PEG-stabilized DNA nanoparticles.

DNA nanoparticles (DNPs) formed by compacting DNA with polyethyleneglycolylated poly-L-lysine are a nonviral vector shown to be safe and efficacious in animals and humans. To extend our capabilities of assessing the efficacy and duration of expression achieved by DNPs, we tested the utility of bioluminescent imaging (BLI) of transgene expression in wildtype and cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse models. We tested the effect of route of administration, mouse coat color, anesthesia, dose, and promoter sequence on the level and duration of expression. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between imaging and direct analysis of luciferase expression in lung homogenates. We found that intratracheal instillation, and the use of deep and prolonged anesthesia with avertin produced significantly higher expression compared with intranasal administration, and the use of lighter anesthesia with isoflurane. Although similar expression was observed for both dark and light coat animals, imaging signal intensity was attenuated in mice with dark fur. Furthermore, good correlation between imaging and direct homogenate analysis was observed for single dose (r = 0.96), and dose response studies in wildtype (r = 0.82) and CF mice (r = 0.87). Finally, we used imaging to track gene expression over a 56-day time course. We found that the human ubiquitin B promoter gives stable transgene expression up to 49 days following nanoparticle administration, while expression with the cytomegalovirus promoter diminished after 2 days and returned to background levels by day 14. Taken together, our results demonstrate that BLI is an effective and useful modality for measuring gene expression conferred by DNPs in the lung. Microsc. Res. Tech. 73:918–928, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An investigation of the precision of isotopic abundances determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry

The precision with which the isotopic abundances of palladium and tin can be measured under secondary ion mass spectrometric (SIMS) conditions typically used for organic compound analysis has been determined. The relative abundances of the isotopic peaks, and their associated standard deviations, vary with the number of scans averaged to achieve a spectrum. A representative spectrum is not obtained until more than 40 scans are averaged. In addition, there is a strong correlation between standard deviation and absolute signal intensity. This relationship can allow one to determine the number of scans that need to be averaged to predict true experimental abundances reliably, based on signal intensities.
Structural change in large municipal police organizations during the community policing era

The organizational structures of large municipal police departments in the United States have changed substantially during the twentieth century. Many of these changes can be attributed to new technologies, increasing demands from communities to broaden the scope of their services, and efforts to prevent corruption. Precinct-based police organizations employing only sworn police officers have been transformed into highly centralized, specialized, formal organizations with tall hierarchies and large administrative units. Community policing reformers have attempted to reverse this progression toward more “bureaucratic” organizational forms. They argue that police should thin out their administrative components to cut red tape and to focus more resources on the goals of the organization than on the organization itself; deformalize, eliminating unnecessary rules and policies; despecialize, to encourage departmentwide problem solving; “delayerize,” to enhance communications and decision making by flattening th...
Determination of analyzing powers for 189 MeV proton elastic scattering on 12C.

The analyzing power ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{y}}$ for proton elastic scattering on $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ has been precisely and absolutely determined at three scattering angles (${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\theta}}}_{\mathrm{lab}}$=16.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 17.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and 18.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) at an incident proton energy of 188.9 MeV. The technique employed requires statistically high quality polarization transfer measurements, combined with the constraints imposed on polarization observables for reactions with the spin structure 1/2+0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1/2+0. These results represent some of the most accurately known spin observables at intermediate energies and serve as calibration points for secondary standards.
Survival and Dispersal of Hatchery Triploid Rainbow Trout in an Idaho River

Abstract Hatchery rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss of catchable size (hereafter, “catchables”) are commonly released into streams to improve angler catch and harvest rates, but returns are often less than 50% and the fate of unharvested catchables is largely unknown, especially for sterilized hatchery trout. The survival and dispersal of triploid catchables were investigated using snorkel and telemetry techniques to quantify the persistence and dispersal of catchables stocked three times during the summer of 2006 (June, July, and August) into an Idaho river in which a minimum length regulation precluded harvest. Counts of catchables stocked with T-bar tags (n = 900) and catchables emitting active radio transmitter codes (n = 54) steadily declined throughout the three observation periods. Dispersal of T-bar-tagged catchables 30 d poststocking was generally downstream of the stocking point (median dispersal = 100 m). The median values of the maximum known downstream and upstream dispersal distances for cat...
Study on simultaneous determination methods for anions by capillary electrophoresis.

Simultaneous determination methods for anions were studied by capillary electrophoresis(CE).First, a CE method for the analysis of inorganic and organic anions which have UV absorbance was developed by using a polymer-coated capillary.Next, CE methods for anions having little or no UV absorption were described.Each method was performed with indirect UV detection using 2, 6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid(PDC)and cetyltrimethylammonium salt as the background electrolyte(BGE).To avoid the adsorption of organic acids on the capillary, high complexing ability with metals was necessary for the BGE.The use of PDC provided a good sensitivity of organic acids.28 carbohydrates, such as acidic, neutral, amino sugars and sugar alcohols, could be analyzed with the same BGE at a pH of 12.1.Its utility was demonstrated in an analysis of monosaccharides of hydrolyzed glycoprotein and food samples.The high complex ability of PDC also enabled the simultaneous analysis of inorganic and organic anions, as well as metal cations.The PDC worked to confer a negative charge on metal cations via PDC-complex formation.Furthermore, this BGE system was evolved into the simultaneous analysis of 43 inorganic anions, organic acids, amino acids and carbohydrates and applied to the analysis of those compounds in food samples.
Effects of ion irradiation on fatigue of Fe-12Cr-20Mn stainless steel for fusion reactor applications

To minimize waste disposal problems associated with the residual radioactivity of the first wall material of a fusion reactor, fast induced radioactive decay (FIRD) alloys based on the Fe-Cr-Mn system are being investigated. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of irradiation on cyclic strain localization and fatigue crack initiation in a FIRD Fe-12Cr-20Mn alloy and to compare the response to commercially available 316 stainless steel. The alloys were irradiated with 200 keV Fe ions to a dose of 1 x 10 ions/cm2 and 15.5 keV He ions to a dose of 7 x 1015 ions/cm2 to simulate the irradiation-induced defect structure and helium concentration that would be produced in a fusion reactor. Irradiated specimens were fatigued in a cantilever beam fatigue testing machine with the deflection set to produce a fully reversed total strain amplitude of 0.25% on the surface of the specimen. Acetate replicas were obtained during the fatigue tests to provide a record of surface fatigue damage. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were performed to characterize the microstructural changes resulting from the irradiations and interactions between fatigue-induced glide dislocations and the irradiation-induced defects. Results indicate that the irradiated Fe-Cr-Mn alloy exhibits fatigue properties similar to 316 stainless steel. Glide dislocations produced by fatigue cycling annihilate irradiation-induced defects. The defect annihilation causes the formation of cleared channels in which the cyclic plastic strain is localized. Subsurface slip bands penetrate the irradiated regions through the cleared channels and serve as fatigue crack initiation sites.
Impact of Symptoms, Gender, Co-Morbidities, and Operator Volume on Outcome of Carotid Artery Stenting (from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample [2006 to 2010])

The increase in the number of carotid artery stenting (CAS) procedures over the last decade has necessitated critical appraisal of procedural outcomes and patterns of utilization including cost analysis. The main objectives of our study were to evaluate the postprocedural mortality and complications after CAS and the patterns of resource utilization in terms of length of stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization. We queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2006 to 2010 using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, procedure code of 00.63 for CAS. Hierarchical mixed-effects models were generated to identify the independent multivariate predictors of in-hospital mortality, procedural complications, LOS, and cost of hospitalization. A total of 13,564 CAS procedures (weighted n = 67,344) were analyzed. The overall postprocedural mortality was low at 0.5%, whereas the complication rate was 8%, both of which remained relatively steady over the time frame of the study. Greater postoperative mortality and complications were noted in symptomatic patients, women, and those with greater burden of baseline co-morbidities. A greater operator volume was associated with a lower rate of postoperative mortality and complications, as well as shorter LOS and lesser hospitalization costs. In conclusion, the postprocedural mortality after CAS has remained low over the recent years. Operator volume is an important predictor of postprocedural outcomes and resource utilization.
WINDOWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CUES ON PERFORMANCE AND MOOD

Task type and the presence of windows and posters were manipulated to examine their effects on individuals' performance, mood, and perceptions. Male and female undergraduates worked either a filing, computational, or creative task in a windowed or windowless room, with or without a poster (i.e., task-relevant cues). As predicted, the presence of windows did not affect performance. Window presence increased perceptions that the room was motivating and the likelihood that one looked about the room for help with the computational task. Unexpectedly, the number of errors on the computational task was reduced when the task-relevant poster was present. Poster presence also increased positive mood and decreased fatigue perceptions for individuals performing the creative task. Overall, poster presence increased confidence. Because perceptions of task demand were related to several outcome variables, the stimulation from windows and posters appears to interact with the task demand.
Financing and systems barriers to seasonal influenza vaccine delivery in community settings

Abstract Background Recommendations for annual seasonal influenza vaccination have expanded to now include >300 million children and adults each year. Community settings have become increasingly important venues for influenza vaccination. We sought to identify barriers to and solutions for expanding influenza vaccination in community settings. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted from 01/09 to 06/10 with a range of stakeholders involved in influenza vaccination, including health plans, medical services firms, retail based clinics, pharmacies, schools, and state and local public health immunization programs. Participants ( n = 65) were asked about barriers and feasible solutions to influenza vaccine delivery to children and adults in community settings. Key themes were identified through iterative coding using a grounded theory approach. Results Stakeholders identified specific financial barriers to influenza vaccine delivery in 3 major areas: purchase and distribution, delivery, and reimbursement. Limited purchasing power, the uncertain nature of public demand, and unpredictable timing of influenza vaccine supply were important barriers to enhance delivery in community settings. Barriers to delivery included complexities in running off-site clinics, especially in school settings, the need to manage publicly vs. privately purchased vaccines separately, and state-to-state variability in requirements for credentialing, physician oversight, and reporting. Reimbursement barriers included a protracted credentialing process, the need to determine insurance eligibility at point-of-service, and lack of a billing infrastructure in off-site clinics. Opportunities to mitigate financial barriers to influenza vaccine delivery in community settings focused on coordination across providers and the role of public health as a “trusted broker” to overcome existing challenges. Conclusions Financial and systems barriers hamper the optimal use of community settings to effectively deliver influenza vaccines. Public health partners at the federal, state, and local levels are well-positioned to facilitate the engagement of all stakeholders in this important and complex vaccine delivery system.
Aharanov-bohm interference and fractional statistics in a quantum hall interferometer

We compute the temperature, voltage, and magnetic field dependences of the conductance oscillations of a model interferometer designed to measure the fractional statistics of the quasiparticles in the fractional quantum Hall effect. The geometry is the same as that used in recent experiments. With appropriate assumptions concerning the relative areas of the inner and outer rings of the interferometer, we find the theoretical results, including the existence of super periodic Aharonov-Bohm oscillations, to be in remarkably good agreement with experiment. We then make additional experimental predictions with no adjustable parameters which, if verified, would confirm the proposed interpretation of the experiment as a measurement of fractional statistics.
Analysis of laryngeal framework surgery: 10-year follow-up to a national survey.

Objectives: Laryngeal framework surgery, including medialization laryngoplasty (ML) and arytenoid adduction (AA), are common treatments for vocal fold paralysis and glottal incompetence. Little information is known about the incidence of ML/AA surgery nationwide, in particular the success and complication rates. Methods: A 25-item questionnaire was mailed to 6,644 Board-certified otolaryngologists. Results: The response rate was 25.7% (n = 1,707). Sixty-three percent perform ML and/or AA, representing 29,748 procedures. Experience with Silastic medialization implants has decreased over time, while utilization of other materials has increased. The overall complication rate was 15%, including 0.8% implant extrusion and 6% revision rates. The most common revision was placement of a larger implant (37% of all revisions). Airway compromise requiring intervention was observed in 2.2%, and suboptimal voice outcome in 4%. Although not statistically significant, a trend was observed of decreasing complication rate with increasing experience. Conclusions: Laryngeal framework surgeries are being performed with increasing frequency in the United States. The overall complication rate is slightly increased in the present study, but airway compromise and poor vocal outcome are decreased, and the need for revision surgery is unchanged. These findings suggest a continued high level of efficacy of these procedures. Laryngoscope, 2010
Pressure and Protection: Cold War Geopolitics and Nation-Building in South Korea, South Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand

This paper compares the failures and successes of nation-building in South Korea, South Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand between 1954 and 1991. The primary argument is that several key elements of Cold War geopolitics interacted with each other, and the unique external and internal politics of each regime, to create divergent frameworks and margins for error that influenced the willingness and ability of each state to assume the burdens of nation-building. In all four states, moreover, the success of nation-building depended on finding the right balance between geopolitical pressure and protection to augment local narratives of security, nationalism, and legitimacy.
Evaluating peptide mass fingerprinting-based protein identification.

Identification of proteins by mass spectrometry (MS) is an essential step in proteomic studies and is typically accomplished by either peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) or amino acid sequencing of the peptide. Although sequence information from MS/MS analysis can be used to validate PMF-based protein identification, it may not be practical when analyzing a large number of proteins and when high-throughput MS/MS instrumentation is not readily available. At present, a vast majority of proteomic studies employ PMF. However, there are huge disparities in criteria used to identify proteins using PMF. Therefore, to reduce incorrect protein identification using PMF, and also to increase confidence in PMF-based protein identification without accompanying MS/MS analysis, definitive guiding principles are essential. To this end, we propose a value-based scoring system that provides guidance on evaluating when PMF-based protein identification can be deemed sufficient without accompanying amino acid sequence data from MS/MS analysis.
Humidity-dependent dynamic infrared linear dichroism study of a poly(ester urethane).

Abstract Fourier transform infrared techniques, infrared difference spectroscopy and dynamic infrared linear dichroism (DIRLD), have been utilized to explore the effects of humidity and water absorption on a poly(ester urethane). An environmental infrared microbalance cell was used to measure the infrared spectra as a function of humidity and accompanying weight change for the absorption–desorption processes. The infrared difference data indicate that exposure to humidity affects the hydrogen-bonding interactions in the polymer. Dynamic infrared linear dichroism studies in tensile deformation mode as a function of humidity demonstrate how changes in water content affect the orientational response of functional groups. Complex behavior as a function of humidity for functional groups involved in hydrogen bonding indicates that water absorbed by the polymer affects the micro-environments near these functional groups.
Program Characteristics as Factors Influencing the Implementation of Mindfulness Meditation in Substance Abuse Treatment Agencies

This article discusses lessons learned from a study on mindfulness meditation (MM) within a substance abuse treatment agency. Parts of the study are cited as the source of lessons learned. Themes from the qualitative data include: scheduling, time factors, discomfort in the group setting, and group composition. Integral Theory (Wilber, 2006) is offered as a useful way to conceptualize spirituality-related interventions that incorporate the organizational context. The authors' experience calls for increased partnership with organizations, engaging the interest of providers in spirituality-related interventions that could be studied within the agency setting.
Cytokines and the liver

I N RECENT YEARS there has been an explosion of interest in the group of inflammatory mediators collectively known as cytokines. Research activity in this area is likely to expand at an even greater rate with the reported inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into cells by certain chemotactic cytokines. Even now, hardly a month passes without additions to the interleukin family (presently at number 18 or 19) or the characterisation of another monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) or macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). In addition, there is increasing recognition of the multiple functions of more widely known cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor (Y (TNFa), and their effects on the liver. It would therefore seem timely to review recent data regarding the physiological and pathological role of cytokines in the liver and, even more interestingly, their potential therapeutic applications.
Association of interleukin-10 with rejection-sparing effect in septic kidney transplant recipients

Certain cytokines, particularly gamma-interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL)-2 associated with TH1 cell function, have been shown to play a role in allograft rejection. One paradigm for long-term allograft acceptance involves TH2 cytokine predominance (IL-4 and IL-10). We describe two renal allograft recipients for whom immunosuppression was discontinued due to serious sepsis and who maintained stable renal function over 2-6 months without immunosuppression. During this time, there were higher levels of both IFN-gamma and IL-10 in the peripheral blood than in stable control kidney transplant recipients on immunosuppression. In one of the patients, levels of IL-10 fell, while those of IFN-gamma remained persistently elevated. This was associated with biopsy-proven rejection. Although peripheral blood cytokine levels may not reflect intragraft events, these data are consistent with an allograft protective role for IL-10 offsetting that of IFN-gamma in both patients off immunosuppression.
Determination of isothermal transformation diagrams for sigma-phase formation in cast duplex stainless steels CD3MN and CD3MWCuN

Work was undertaken to establish reliable time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagrams for the cast duplex stainless steels CD3MN and CD3MWCuN. The latter contains higher Cr, Ni, and Mo contents compared to the former. The TTT diagrams for sigma-phase formation in both alloys were developed based on quantitative metallography results from optical and scanning electron microscopy. The kinetics of sigma-phase were found to be much faster in CD3MWCuN alloys than in CD3MN. An Avrami analysis was employed to assess transformation characteristics and to refine the TTT diagram determination. Theoretical prediction of phase equilibria using the thermodynamic software package ThermoCalc was compared to the amount of sigma phase observed experimentally from long-term heat treatments. The constructed TTT diagrams of the cast alloys were compared to wrought counterpart alloys.
Hepatocarcinogenicity of glandless cottonseeds and cottonseed oil to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii)

Glandless cottonseed kernels are available for purchase and consumption by the general public. These kernels contain no gossypol but still have a full complement of naturally occurring cyclopropenoid fatty acids, which in rainbow trout are active as synergists with aflatoxins and primary liver carcinogens. Diets containing glandless cottonseed kernels or a lightly processes cottonseed oil produced significant numbers of hepatocellular carcinomas in rainbow trout after 1 year. The much greater incidence of cancer induced by the kernel than by the oil indicates that synergists or other carcinogens may be present in the kernel in addition to the cyclopropenoid fatty acids.
The synthesis of substituted 8-quinolinols

2-Isopropyl-8-quinolinol was prepared by alkylation of 8-methoxyquinoline followed by demethylation. The 7-isopropyl-8-quinolinol was prepared in three steps from o-isopropylphenol. The reaction of 5-chloromethyl-8-quinolinol hydrochloride with alcohols, amines, ethylene glycols and ether-alcohols gave the corresponding 5-substituted derivatives of 8-quinolinol.
Stigma, sexual risk and desire for HIV tests in Ghana.

Background: Although various HIV prevention and treatment programs have been implemented in Ghana since 2003, desire for and uptake of HIV testing is still low, owing largely to HIV-related stigma. This study examined the effect of stigma on desire for HIV testing, while controlling for socio-demographic and other influences. Method: The study used data from the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey to regress desire for an HIV test on levels of stigma while controlling for selected socio-demographic, socio-cognitive and socio-behavioural covariates. Results: The study revealed significant associations between several socio-demographic and socio-cognitive variables and the desire for an HIV test. For example, both male (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.24–0.72) and female (AOR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.41–0.93) respondents in the wealthiest households, and those who know someone infected with HIV (AOR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.43–1.00) have lower odds of desiring an HIV test. The study showed a significant but negative interaction between risky sexual behaviours and community stigma (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.19–0.67), indicating that the positive effect of risky sex on HIV testing is attenuated among females who live in communities with high levels of stigma. Conclusion: Since community-level education and risk reduction programs have demonstrable influences on reducing HIV stigma, it is imperative that the Ghana government’s ongoing anti-stigma campaigns and other HIV prevention programs recognise the role of community stigma in influencing HIV testing decisions, especially in the context of risky sexual behaviours.
Children for sale: child trafficking in Southeast Asia

The paper provides an overview of child trafficking in Southeast Asia. It highlights human rights and international laws relevant to this egregious form of child abuse. It describes the experiences of the young victims and the consequences for their physical and emotional well-being. It reviews the risk factors at the level of the community setting (poverty and economic inequality), the child and his/her family (gender, age, race/ethnicity, family functioning, education) and broader contextual variables at the macro level (gender inequality and discrimination, demand factors). Finally, it presents recommendations for legal and policy initiatives to cease the sale and exploitation of children. Keywords: Human trafficking
A Computer-Aided Exercise for Checking Novices' Understanding of Market Equilibrium Changes

The difficulties of teaching introductory principles of comparative statics equilibrium analysis are well known, and failures to grasp their essentials often leave beginning students with a weak foundation for studies of other topics in economics. In this article, I describe a computer-aided supplement to the introductory microeconomics course that enhances students' understanding with simulation-based tools for reviewing what they have learned from lectures and conventional textbooks about comparing market equilibria. The heart of the method is an exercise that asks students to predict the consequences of supply and demand shifts by constructing statements of the form "If X increases (or decreases), then Y increases (or decreases)" where the X and Y variables are chosen from a menu including variables such as income, population, demand, supply, equilibrium price, equilibrium quantity, and so forth. The if-then statements are an alternative to the usual textbook way of describing equilibrium market changes, forcing students to translate what they have learned into a somewhat different format from the more traditional approaches. Although most students find the translations difficult, they typically show a dogged persistence in getting them right and, in the process, learn from their mistakes. The computer-based aids are essential to the way in which students have been doing the exercise in my classes-as an integral part of instructional software that I have been developing known as the Smithtown Collection. The collection derives from a laboratory prototype developed by cognitive psychologists (Shute, Glaser, and Raghavan 1989; Shute and Glaser 1990a, 1990b) who were interested in comparing computer-based learning in economics with other disciplines.' The exercise, adapted from the prototype, owes much to what psychologists have learned from studies of skill development, especially the importance of repetitive practice. Smithtown and my adaptations of it for classroom use have been described elsewhere (Katz and Ochs 1993; Katz 1992; Raghavan and Katz 1989), so I shall outline only those features that are directly relevant to understanding
Standard test procedures and metrics development for automated guided vehicle safety standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Intelligent Systems Division has been researching automated guided vehicle (AGV) control based on advanced two-dimensional (2D) imaging sensors that detect dynamic, standard test pieces representing humans towards improving AGV safety standards. Experiments and results are presented in this paper showing the measurement of dynamic standard test pieces from an automated guided vehicle as compared to ground truth. The experimental results will be used to develop standard test methods and to recommend improved standard stopping distance exception language to AGV standards.
POST-CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IS AUGMENTED IN LAMBS WITH INCREASED PULMONARY BLOOD FLOW. |[dagger]| 265

Pulmonary hypertension immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a major source of morbidity in children with congenital heart defects and increased pulmonary blood flow. Plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoactive substance implicated in pulmonary hypertension, are increased after CPB, suggesting a role for ET-1 in post-CPB pulmonary hypertension. Recently we established a lamb model of increased pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary hypertension following in utero placement of an aortopulmonary shunt. These lambs have altered ET-1-induced responses and increased plasma ET-1 concentrations. To investigate the effects of increased pulmonary blood flow and ET-1 on post-CPB pulmonary hypertension, we characterized and compared the changes in pulmonary vascular tone and plasma ET-1 concentrations, induced by 90 minutes of hypothermic (25°) CPB, in 7 one-month-old lambs with increased pulmonary blood flow (SH) and 6 age-matched control lambs (C). Table