cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial Community Structure of Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica.

Subglacial Lake Whillans (SLW), located beneath ~800 m of ice on the Whillans Ice Stream in West Antarctica was sampled in January of 2013, providing the first opportunity to directly examine water and sediments from an Antarctic subglacial lake. To minimize the introduction of surface contaminants to SLW during its exploration, an access borehole was created using a microbiologically clean hot water drill designed to reduce the number and viability of microorganisms in the drilling water. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes (rDNA) amplified from samples of the drilling and borehole water allowed an evaluation of the efficacy of this approach and enabled a confident assessment of the SLW ecosystem inhabitants. Based on an analysis of 16S rDNA and rRNA (i.e., reverse-transcribed rRNA molecules) data, the SLW community was found to be bacterially dominated and compositionally distinct from the assemblages identified in the drill system. The abundance of bacteria (e.g., Candidatus Nitrotoga, Sideroxydans, Thiobacillus, and Albidiferax) and archaea (Candidatus Nitrosoarcheaum) related to chemolithoautotrophs was consistent with the oxidation of reduced iron, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds having important roles as pathways for primary production in this permanently dark ecosystem. Further, the prevalence of Methylobacter in surficial lake sediments combined with the detection of methanogenic taxa in the deepest sediment horizons analyzed (34-36 cm) provided evidence for methane cycling beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Large ratios of rRNA to rDNA were observed for several OTUs abundant in the water column and sediments (e.g., Albidiferax, Methylobacter, Candidatus Nitrotoga, Sideroxydans, and Smithella), suggesting a potentially active role for these taxa in the SLW ecosystem. Our findings are consistent with chemosynthetic microorganisms serving as the ecological foundation in this dark subsurface environment, providing new organic matter that sustains a microbial ecosystem beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Mutual information upper bound of molecular communication based on cell metabolism

Synthetic biology is providing novel tools to engineer cells and access the basis of their molecular information processing, including their communication channels based on chemical reactions and molecule exchange. Molecular communication is a discipline in communication engineering that studies these types of communications and ways to exploit them for novel purposes, such as the development of ubiquitous and heterogeneous communication networks to interconnect biological cells with nano and biotechnology-enabled devices, i.e., the Internet of Bio-Nano Things. One major problem in synthetic biology stands in the development of reliable techniques to control the engineered cells from the external environment. In this paper, molecular communication concepts are applied to study the potential of cell metabolism, and its regulation, to serve this purpose. In particular, a communication system abstraction is introduced to obtain a binary encoder model of the mechanisms underlying the regulation of the chemical reactions activity within the cell metabolism in function of the chemical composition of the external environment. Stemming from this model, an upper bound to the information theoretic mutual information is obtained through the use of a well-known and computationally efficient metabolic simulation technique. This upper bound stands as a theoretical limit of the ability of a particular cell to internally represent the information contained in the chemical composition of the external environment. Numerical results related to the metabolism of the E. coli bacterium are presented to evaluate the proposed approach.
Performance analysis of MIMO Beamforming AF relay networks using multiple relay antennas

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Beamforming (BF) performance is analyzed for amplify-and-forward (AF) fixed two-hop relay networks in independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh fading channels. A novel performance bound using a new symbol-error-rate (SER) approximation is presented for AF relay networks equipped with multiple antennas at the source, relay, and destination when the channel state information (CSI) of the relay link is known at the source and destination. High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance bound is also analyzed to simplify the performance via diversity and array gain expressions. Finally, the novel performance bound is compared with the optimized BF performance to show the tightness of the bound.
Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Brainstem Response Corrections: The Need for Universal Standards.

Background: The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is used to estimate behavioral hearing thresholds in infants and difficult-to-test populations. Differences between the toneburst ABR and behavioral thresholds exist making the correspondence between the two measures less than perfect. Some authors have suggested that corrections be applied to ABR thresholds to account for these differences. However, because there is no agreed upon universal standard, confusion regarding the use of corrections exists. Purpose: The primary purpose of this article is to review the reasoning behind and use of corrections when the toneburst ABR is employed to estimate behavioral hearing thresholds. We also discuss other considerations that all audiologists should be aware of when obtaining and reporting ABR test results. Results: A review of the purpose and use of corrections reveals no consensus as to whether they should be applied or which should be used. Additionally, when ABR results are adjusted, there is no agreement as to whether additional corrections for hearing loss or the age of the client are necessary. This lack of consensus can be confusing for all individuals working with hearing-impaired children and their families. Conclusions: Toneburst ABR thresholds do not perfectly align with behavioral hearing thresholds. Universal protocols for the use of corrections are needed. Additionally, evidence-based procedures must be employed to obtain valid ABRs that will accurately estimate hearing thresholds.
Postoperative pain relief using intrathecal morphine for lumbar spine decompression and instrumentation surgery: A comparative study of two different doses

Background and Aims: Patients undergoing lumbar spine instrumentation surgery suffer severe postoperative pain which is difficult to treat by conventional multimodal analgesic methods. We aimed to compare the analgesic effect of two different doses of intrathecal morphine (ITM) 0.2 mg and 0.3 mg in patients undergoing lumbar spine decompression and instrumentation surgery. Design: This was a randomized, prospective, double-blinded study. Materials and Methods: After approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, forty American Society of Anesthesiologists 1 and 2 patients of either sex aged 18 years or older undergoing lumbar spine surgery were randomly assigned to receive ITM either 0.2 mg (Group A, n = 20) or 0.3 mg (Group B, n = 20) in 2 ml saline before general anesthesia. A morphine intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device was used for rescue analgesia in the postoperative period. Assessment parameters included hemodynamics, sedation score, pain using numeric rating scale (NRS), total consumption of PCA morphine recorded for 24 h, and patient's satisfaction score. The data were analyzed using Chi-square test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for quantitative variables. Results: NRS score was significantly low in Group B at 4, 8, 12, and 24 h as compared to Group A (P
Ex Vivo Instability of Glycated Albumin: A Role for Autoxidative Glycation

Ex vivo protein modifications occur within plasma and serum (P/S) samples due to prolonged exposure to the thawed state—which includes temperatures above −30 °C. Herein, the ex vivo glycation of human serum albumin from healthy and diabetic subjects was monitored in P/S samples stored for hours to months at −80 °C, −20 °C, and room temperature, as well as in samples subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles, incubated at different surface area-to-volume ratios or under different atmospheric compositions. A simple dilute-and-shoot method utilizing trap-and-elute LC-ESI-MS was employed to determine the relative abundances of the glycated forms of albumin—including forms of albumin bearing more than one glucose molecule. Significant increases in glycated albumin were found to occur within hours at room temperature, and within days at −20 °C. These increases continued over a period of 1–2 weeks at room temperature and over 200 days at −20 °C, ultimately resulting in a doubling of glycated albumin in both healthy and diabetic patients. It was also shown that samples stored at lower surface area-to-volume ratios or incubated under a nitrogen atmosphere experienced less rapid glucose adduction of albumin—suggesting a role for oxidative glycation in the ex vivo glycation of albumin.
On the effects of parasitic horns within tightly packed concave linear arrangements

This paper discusses the impact of a concave linear arrangement of compact aperture horns on far field performance. The horns operate from 18 to 45 GHz and are used in a switching fashion for beam steering with a Luneburg lens. It is found that the linear arrangement leads to a significant variation of broadside directivity and phase center position as function of frequency. No impact on feed coupling is observed. Surprisingly the Luneburg lens's performance is not strongly affected.
Seismic modeling of integral abutment bridges in Illinois

Abstract Integral abutment bridges (IABs) are a common bridge type used in modern design and construction to prevent damage at the abutment seat from water, dirt, or deicing chemicals penetrating through a compromised expansion joint. Elimination of expansion joints in IABs leads to complex soil-structure-interaction limit states involving the IAB abutment and surrounding soil, as well as unique overall bridge behavior in comparison to non-IABs. Despite this different behavior, there is a lack of studies investigating overall bridge performance of IABs when subjected to seismic loads. Existing seismic IAB studies have typically investigated individual components, such as the interaction between abutment piles and soil or the behavior of superstructure-abutment connections, but the comprehensive behavior of all IAB components when subjected to an earthquake has not been evaluated in an integrated fashion. This study details an IAB model developed for dynamic analysis that simultaneously considers contributions from all critical IAB components. The seismic response of two IABs, one with steel plate girders and another with precast prestressed concrete girders, is evaluated at the design-level shaking using the developed model. The design-level shaking is provided by 20 ground motions, for a 1000-year return period hazard-level, developed for the southern Illinois city of Cairo. Results demonstrate the ability of the IAB model to capture key features of bridge seismic behavior, and they provide a framework for bridge engineers to understand IAB earthquake response and limit states, as well as support recommendations for IAB seismic design in Illinois concerning side retainer anchor bolt size and pier column size.
Pediatric Elbow Dislocations: Acute Management

Traumatic elbow dislocations are uncommon in children, and account for only about 3–6% of all elbow injuries [1]. Overall, however, the elbow is the most commonly dislocated major joint in the pediatric population, and represents up to 25% of all elbow injuries in some series [2]. The injury frequently occurs with an associated fracture or avulsion injury in as many as 75% of children in one study [3], most commonly involving the medial epicondyle [4–6]. Open injuries are rare [3]. The peak incidence of elbow dislocation occurs during the second decade of life, and it is more commonly seen in males [7] and are most commonly the result of a fall onto an outstretched hand. Elbow dislocations are becoming increasingly more common in association with various sport-related activities, especially contact sports, such as wrestling and football [8]. These injuries rarely occur in children younger than 3 years of age; in this age group, a transphyseal fracture, an injury associated with child abuse, may appear radiographically to the inexperienced physician as an elbow dislocation.
Optimal Reliability and Cost of Non-Repairable Systems Subject to Two Failure Modes Considering Correlated Failures

Most reliability models assume that components and systems experience one failure mode. Several systems such as hardware, however, are prone to more than one mode of failure. Past two-failure mode ...
Isolation and Identification of Oral Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) within Commercially Available Cell Lines

Previous studies have demonstrated some tumors develop or maintain a small sub-population of cells with stem cell-like properties. This Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) may exhibit differential properties that allow their escape from traditional radiation or chemotherapy treatments and may therefore be responsible for cancer recurrence. Few studies have explored this phenomenon among oral cancer cell lines, therefore the objective of this study was to examine multiple oral cancer cell lines to determine if any or all contained subpopulations of CSCs. Multiple commercially available Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cell (OSCC) lines were obtained for this study, including SCC15, SCC25 and CAL27. Cells were cultured for CSC screening and isolation. RNA was isolated from any potential CSC isolates for biomarker screening and verification. All OSCC lines examined developed adhesion-independent tumor spheres (AiTS), a characteristic phenotype of oral CSC. Each AiTS was manually isolated for separate, independent culture and analysis. RNA extracted from the AiTS revealed differential expression of specific CSC markers, including CD44, CD133, ABCG, CXCR6 and NANOG. These biomarkers were not observed in RNA extracted from the remaining non-CSC cell cultures. Although a previous study from this group successfully isolated AiTS from one cervical and one oral cancer cell line, this may be the first study to isolate CSC from multiple oral cancer cell lines and verify both cell-surface and intracellular CSC biomarkers. These results may suggest that many tumors and oral cancers could harbor AiTS and CSC and that screening for these sub-populations may provide guidance for treatment and therapy to improve oral cancer survival rates.
Finite forbidden lattices

Let L be any finite simple lattice of at least three elements, whose co-atoms intersect to 0. One principal result of the paper is that L is not dual isomorphic to the lattice of subvarieties of any locally finite variety. A second principal result is that these statements are equivalent: (i) L is isomorphic to the congruence lattice of a finite algebra with one basic operation; (ii) L is isomorphic either to the subspace lattice of a finite vector space, or for some permutation σ of a finite domain, to the lattice of equivalence relations invariant under σ.
Is Shale Gas a Major Driver of Recent Increase in Global Atmospheric Methane

Abstract. Methane has been rising rapidly in the atmosphere over the past decade, contributing to global climate change. Unlike the late 20th Century when the rise in atmospheric methane was accompanied by an enrichment in the heavier carbon stable isotope (13C) of methane, methane in recent years has become more depleted in 13C. This depletion has been widely interpreted to indicate a primarily biogenic source for the increased methane. Here we show that the change may instead be associated with emissions from shale gas and shale oil development. While methane in conventional natural gas is enriched in 13C relative to the atmospheric mean, shale gas is depleted in 13C relative to this atmospheric level. Correcting for this difference, we conclude that emissions from shale gas production in North America over the past decade may well be the leading cause of the increased flux of methane to the atmosphere. Increased fluxes from biogenic sources such as animal agriculture and wetlands are far less important than indicated by some other recent papers using 13C data.
Not America’s Game: The Globalization and Post-Westernization of Women’s Baseball:

This article explores the globalization of women’s baseball from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The women’s game is largely absent from literature about the global diffusion of base...
Not quite quiet, not quite encroachment: Interrogating the political nature of urban subaltern community engagement in Medellín, Colombia:

In Medellin, Colombia, hundreds of youth and community groups participate in activities aimed at transforming their lives and the interconnected lives of their neighbors. These activities are not n...
Podcasts: Using Authentic and Engaging Voices to Connect with Students.

Innovations in content delivery abound in the world today, providing very effective tools for engaging students in meaningful learning.
Styles of Experiencing Hypnosis: A Replication and Extension Study

Beyond hypnotizability, there may be different styles of experiencing hypnosis relevant to both basic research and clinical practice. Previous research has demonstrated the presence of inward attentive and dissociative subtypes among more highly hypnotizable individuals during a group protocol. With a sample of undergraduate students, we successfully replicated the presence of these 2 subtypes among those who were relatively more hypnotizable. Inward attentive and dissociative subtypes did not differ in their overall experience of the depth of the relationship with the hypnotist, though the dissociative subjects reported elevated everyday dissociative experiences. We then explored features of each subtype, noting possible altered memory experience in the dissociative style and reduced experience of rationality in both the inward attentive and dissociative styles. We discuss the scientific and clinical implications of this line of research.
A dynamical model for the $$I\bar 1 - P\bar 1$$ phase transition in anorthite, CaAl2Si2O8: II. Order parameter treatment

The non-ferroic triclinic to triclinic $$I\bar 1 - P\bar 1$$ phase transition in anorthite is described in terms of the spontaneous onset of an order parameter η. A triclinic to triclinic phase transition can be driven by order parameters (representations) arising from the Γ, Z, X, U, V, R, Y, and T points of symmetry of the Brillouin zone. Each point leads to a set of two inequivalent representations and thus there is a total of sixteen inequivalent order parameters. However, only the R 1 + representation is consistent with the change from the body-centered to primitive cell (increase of primitive cell size of two) and also with the origin of the two space groups (inversion center) being at the same position. The R 1 + order parameter of the high symmetry triclinic phase $$P\bar 1_0$$ (or equivalently $$I\bar 1$$ ) causes a reciprocal lattice change and, in terms of the lower symmetry reciprocal lattice, the order parameter corresponds to the b* point. This is consistent with experimentally observed x-ray diffuse scattering. Using induced representation theory, microscopic distortions compatible with the R 1 + order parameter are obtained. Assuming a distortion in an arbitrary direction at the general 2(i) Wyckoff position (x0,y0,z0) of $$P\bar 1_0$$ (the higher symmetry phase) induced representation theory demands an opposite displacement at the position (x0, y0, z0), an opposite displacement at (x0+1,y0+1,z0+1), and the same displacement at ( $$\bar x$$ 0+1, $$\bar y$$ 0+1, $$\bar z$$ 0+1) of $$P\bar 1_0$$ . This is also consistent with experiment. The presence of the weak c-type reflections above the transition is attributed to the fluctuating lower symmetry antiphase domains related by the translation (1/2, 1/2, 1/2).
A Phase II Trial of Alisertib (MLN8237) in Salvage Malignant Mesothelioma

Lessons learned Treatment with the Aurora kinase A inhibitor yields often durable disease control, but limited tumor regression, in heavily pretreated patients with unresectable malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma. In a limited sample size, MYC copy-number gain or gene amplification, a candidate predictive biomarker for alisertib, did not correlate with improved response numbers or patient outcomes. Background Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive disease for which few effective therapies are available. The Aurora family kinases are critical for mitotic fidelity and highly expressed in mesothelioma, wherein their inhibition leads to growth arrest in vitro. We evaluated the efficacy of alisertib, an Aurora A kinase inhibitor, in relapsed malignant mesothelioma. Methods Twenty-six patients with previously treated, unresectable pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma were enrolled on a single-arm, single-institution phase II trial of alisertib at a dosage of 50 mg twice daily for 7 of every 21 days. The primary endpoint was 4-month disease control rate. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate, progression free survival, overall survival, safety/toxicity, and correlation of endpoints with MYC copy number. Results Of the 25 evaluable patients treated on study, 8 (32%) experienced 4-month disease control, surpassing the futility endpoint. There were no confirmed partial or complete responses. Median progression-free and overall survival were 2.8 months and 6.3 months, respectively. No associations between MYC copy number and outcomes were observed. Conclusion Alisertib has modest activity in this unselected malignant mesothelioma population. Several patients achieved durable disease control. Although the study did meet its prespecified futility endpoint, the sponsor elected to close the trial at the interim analysis.
A Game-Transformation-Based Framework to Understand Initial Conditions and Outcomes in the Context of Cyber-Enabled Influence Operations (CIOs)

A hybrid methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques is discussed in the context of Cyber-enabled Influence Operations (CIOs). Beginning with primary inputs from detailed qualitative analyses of political, economic, social, technological, and legal ground realities, our Game-Transformation-based Framework uses 2 × 2 games - with ordinal rankings of preferences as payoffs - to attain a macro-level perspective. Using the periodic table of 2 × 2 games, we show how payoff swaps, which represent shifts in ground realities, can change the nature of the game and therefore the resulting equilibrium. Our framework’s exploration of various permutations, that hypothetical changes in input might lead to, can be used by analysts and policymakers to reverse-engineer favorable scenarios. The framework is useful for scenario planning as it allows for both detailed micro-level analyses and strategic macro-level analyses.
Space cooling energy usage prediction based on utility data for residential buildings using machine learning methods

Abstract The energy used for space cooling in residential buildings has a significant influence on household energy performance. This study aims to develop a user-friendly, infrastructure-free, and accurate prediction model based on large-scale utility datasets from anonymized volunteer homes located in three different climate zones in the US, along with the corresponding weather data and building information. Notably, several new weather- and building characteristics-related parameters were designed in the modeling procedure and tested to be useful for enhancing the model’s prediction performance. A few regression techniques were examined and compared through hyperparameter optimization and k-fold cross-validation. Subsequently, a workflow was also described for how to implement the developed model. The research results showed that the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model offered optimal performance, and the feature importance analysis also identified as well as ranked the key predictors to enhance the interpretability of this model. An R2 value of around 97% was obtained with that model on the whole dataset, while an R2 value of 92% was achieved with various subsets of the dataset through the cross-validation approach. The RMSE and RAE for this model were 0.294 and 0.153, respectively. The resultant model for predicting cooling energy consumption will facilitate homeowners better understanding their buildings’ performance levels with minimum input information and without additional hardware installations, ultimately aiding their decision making related to energy-saving strategies.
Driven to Teach, Compelled to Learn: A Review of the Role(s) of Storytelling in Education

Humans have an instinct not only to tell stories but also to listen to them. When the message is passed from storyteller to audience, lessons are frequently transmitted. The stories serve as vessels for cultural transmission. Yet there is a gap in the research evaluating how their effectiveness in teaching informally might be leveraged in a classroom to achieve similar pedagogical ends. The aim of this interdisciplinary review is to formally evaluate the ways in which stories are used to transmit information between people and across generations and the degree to which these capacities have been used in classrooms.
Blast Hazard Resilience Using Machine Learning for West Fertilizer Plant Explosion

AbstractTo investigate the effect of infrastructure traits on resilience after an exploration, a blast case (West Fertilizer Plant in West, Texas, 2013) was studied, in which all the buildings’ dam...
Ultrasound of congenital spine anomalies

Ultrasonography (US) is the first-line imaging modality for screening neonates and young infants with suspected spinal abnormalities. Whether performed for a suspicious congenital skin lesion, such as a lumbosacral tract or lipomatous mass, or abnormal neurological findings, US can help define spinal anatomy, characterize congenital spine malformations, and direct further work-up and management. The purpose of this article is to review the diagnostic imaging approach to infant spine US, including technique and indications, normal anatomy and variants with a focus on embryological origins, and classification and diagnosis of congenital spine malformations.
ASPECTS OF STRATIFIED TURBULENCE

The evolution of turbulence in stably stratified fluids is discussed is light of scaled equations of motions and laboratory experiments. The discussion in centered around the onset of buoyancy effects, twodimensionalization (development of pancake structures), horizontal and vertical transports and the influence of molecular-diffusive effects.
Effects of two copper compounds on Microcystis aeruginosa cell density, membrane integrity, and microcystin release

Abstract Microcystin release following Microcystis aeruginosa cell lysis after copper-based algaecide treatment is often cited as a concern leading to restricted use of algaecide in restoration of natural water resources. To examine this concern, bench-scale experiments were conducted to study responses of M. aeruginosa to 8-day copper exposures as copper sulfate and copper–ethanolamine (Cu–EA). M. aeruginosa UTEX 2385 was cultured in BG11 medium to cell density of 10 6 cells/mL with total and extracellular microcystin of 93 and 53 μg/L, respectively. Exposures of copper concentration ranged from 40 to 1000 μg Cu/L. Cell membrane integrity was indicated by erythrosine B. In the end of experiment, total microcystin and cell density in untreated control (313 μg/L and 10 7 cells/mL) was 3.3 and 10 times greater than pretreatment value, respectively. Minimum amount of copper required to reduce M. aeruginosa population within 8 days was 160 μg Cu/L as copper sulfate and 80 μg Cu/L as Cu–EA, where total and extracellular microcystin concentrations (47 and 44 μg/L for copper sulfate; 56 and 44 μg/L for Cu–EA) were degraded with degradation rate coefficient 0.1 day −1 and were less than pretreatment values. Given a copper concentration at 80 µg Cu/L as Cu–EA, M. aeruginosa cells were intact and less microcystin were released compared to treatments at 160–1000 µg Cu/L, where lysed cells and relatively greater microcystin release were observed. Based on the laboratory results, a minimum amount of copper required for reducing M. aeruginosa population could decrease total microcystin concentration and not compromise cells and minimize microcystin release.
TRACTION FORCES EXERTED BY ADHERENT CELLS

The mechanical interaction between a cell and its substrate can affect and control cell behavior and function. As a cell adheres to and moves across a substrate, it exerts traction forces. Several laboratories have put forward methods to investigate and quantify these traction forces. Here, we review the various approaches developed to measure traction forces and some of the most significant findings resulting from the application of these techniques. Additionally, we discuss recent results from our laboratory quantifying traction forces exerted by endothelial cells, to better understand the process of two-dimensional tissue formation using angiogenesis as a model. As the interaction between a cell and its substrate is crucial for transmission of mechanical cues from the cell to the substrate and from the extracellular milieu to the cell, further investigation into cellular traction forces will continue to elucidate the role of mechanical forces in cell function and tissue formation.
Variations of 0.7–6.0 MeV electrons at geosynchronous orbit as a function of solar wind

[1] The variations of MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit are predictable based on solar wind measurements. Using a model based on the standard radial diffusion equation applied for the years 1995–1999, a prediction efficiency of 64.4% and a linear correlation of 0.81 were achieved for the logarithm of average daily flux of 0.7–1.8 MeV electrons. The same model with different parameters gave a prediction efficiency of 70.2% and 72.4% and a linear correlation of 0.84 and 0.85, respectively, for 1.8–3.5 MeV and 3.5–6.0 MeV electrons during the same time period. The radial diffusion coefficient in the model is a function of location, solar wind velocity, interplanetary magnetic field, season, and solar cycle. The average lifetime of the electrons is a function of the radial distance and solar cycle. The radial diffusion equation is solved with given boundary conditions. These results suggest that MeV electrons at geosynchronous orbit, extending over a wide energy range, have a systematic response to the solar wind variations. This model has been updated and is making real-time forecasts of daily averaged >2 MeV electron fluxes at geosynchronous orbit.
Special Types of Matrices

This chapter studies special types of matrices. They are: idempotent matrices, nilpotent matrices, involutary matrices, projection matrices, tridiagonal matrices, circulant matrices, Vandermonde matrices, Hadamard matrices, permutation matrices, doubly stochastic matrices, and nonnegative matrices. These matrices are often used in many subjects of mathematics and in other fields.
A Review of “Private Practices: Harry Stack Sullivan, the Science of Homosexuality, and American Liberalism”

Private Practices covers three decades in the career of Harry Stack Sullivan (1892–1949), an influential gay psychiatrist in the first half of the 20th century. The author, Naoko Wake, PhD, is a fa...
Ribosomal RNA Genes of the Anopheles gambiae Species Complex

The Anopheles gambiae complex is a group of six sibling species of Afro-tropical anophelines. The two most widely distributed species Anopheles gambiae and An. arabiensis are among the principal vectors of malaria in Africa. An. melas, An. merus, and An. bwambae, are vectors of limited regional importance, whereas the highly zoophilic An. Quadri-annulatus is not believed to contribute significantly to the transmission of malaria (25, 63, 71, 72). Although some species-specific differences have been described in the distributions of morphometric criteria (15, 20), no morphological taxonomic characters have been observed that permit the unequivocal identification of the species of individual adult or larval specimens. Because the habitats of these six species overlap considerably, both on geographical and ecological scales, two or more members of the complex are often present in the same adult or larval collections.
Progression of coronary artery disease: Cinearteriographic and clinical observations in medically and surgically treated patients

Abstract The evolutionary pattern of occlusive coronary artery disease was studied by comparing coronary cinearteriographic findings in repeated catheterizations of 85 patients. Fifty-six percent of 16 medically treated patients with coronary artery disease were found to have progression of occlusive coronary artery disease in the repeated study. Patients who had progressive coronary artery disease were similar to those with nonprogressive disease in age and in duration and severity of disease. A history of hypercholesterolemia seemed to be more frequent among patients with progressive than in those with nonprogressive coronary artery disease. Other risk factors of coronary artery disease were found to be similarly frequent among patients with progressive and nonprogressive disease. Progression of occlusive coronary artery disease was associated with a greater deterioration of cardiac function. Cardiac index decreased significantly in patients with progressive disease, and did not change very much in patients with nonprogressive disease. Among the patients with progressive disease, two had a myocardial infarction between catheterizations, whereas none of those with nonprogressive disease had infarction. Electrocardiographic findings were similar in both groups of patients, except for new infarction changes in the patients with progressive disease who sustained an infarct. Seventeen percent of 65 patients who underwent aortocoronary saphenous vein graft bypass surgery were found in the second study (average interval 10.1 months) to have proximal occlusion of a distally grafted vessel with a patent graft. Progression of disease in nongrafted coronary arteries was found in 6 percent of the surgically treated group. Of four patients who had internal mammary artery implantation, two had progression of coronary disease in a repeat study. Conclusions regarding the evolution and progression of coronary artery disease should be drawn only from medically treated patients, since coronary artery surgery may alter the natural course of this disease. Medically treated patients who are reconsidered for surgical treatment should have a repeat catheterization to detect any change in distribution of occlusive coronary artery disease and in cardiac function.
Journey toward a Patient‐Centered Medical Home: Readiness for Change in Primary Care Practices

Methods: We used a comparative case study design to assess primary care practices’ readiness for PCMH implementation in sixteen practices from twelve different physician organizations in Michigan. Two major components of organizational readiness, motivation and capability, were assessed. We interviewed eight practice teams with higher PCMH scores and eight with lower PCMH scores, along with the leaders of the physician organizations of these practices, yielding sixty-six semistructured interviews. Findings: The respondents from the higher and lower PCMH scoring practices reported different motivations and capabilities for pursuing PCMH. Their motivations pertained to the perceived value of PCMH, financial incentives, understanding of specific PCMH requirements, and overall commitment to change. Capabilities that were discussed included the time demands of implementation, the difficulty of changing patients’ behavior, and the challenges of adopting health information technology. Enhancing the implementation of PCMH within practices included taking an incremental approach, using data,
Intervention Research Methodology in School Psychology

Intervention research should be evaluated based on treatment effectiveness, treatment integrity, social validity, and treatment acceptability. Research designs used in intervention research are exa...
On the (dis)similarity of transactional memory workloads

Programming to exploit the resources in a multicore system remains a major obstacle for both computer and software engineers. Transactional memory offers an attractive alternative to traditional concurrent programming but implementations emerged before the programming model, leaving a gap in the design process. In previous research, transactional microbenchmarks have been used to evaluate designs or lock-based multithreaded workloads have been manually converted into their transactional equivalents; others have even created dedicated transactional benchmarks. Yet, throughout all of the investigations, transactional memory researchers have not settled on a way to describe the runtime characteristics that these programs exhibit; nor has there been any attempt to unify the way transactional memory implementations are evaluated. In addition, the similarity (or redundancy) of these workloads is largely unknown. Evaluating transactional memory designs using workloads that exhibit similar characteristics will unnecessarily increase the number of simulations without contributing new insight. On the other hand, arbitrarily choosing a subset of transactional memory workloads for evaluation can miss important features and lead to biased or incorrect conclusions. In this work, we propose a set of architecture-independent transaction-oriented workload characteristics that can accurately capture the behavior of transactional code. We apply principle component analysis and clustering algorithms to analyze the proposed workload characteristics collected from a set of SPLASH-2, STAMP, and PARSEC transactional memory programs. Our results show that using transactional characteristics to cluster the chosen benchmarks can reduce the number of required simulations by almost half. We also show that the methods presented in this paper can be used to identify specific feature subsets. With the increasing number of TM workloads in the future, we believe that the proposed transactional memory workload characterization techniques will help TM architects select a small, diverse, set of TM workloads for their design evaluation.
Computational analysis of off-design waveriders

Comprehensive inviscid and viscous numerical simulations of hypersonic flow past nonconical rounded-nose waveriders are presented. The flow fields and aerodynamic forces at off-design conditions are determined inviscidly by a space-marching CFD code with the initial-data plane provided by a time-marching Navier-Stokes CFD code. Off-design conditions include off-design Mach numbers, angles of attack, and rounded leading edges. A wide range of waverider configurations is investigated and compared. These calculations show the effects of viscous interactions, which are influential near the leading edges, and determine the viscous drag. The inviscid calculations show that L/D decreases as freestream M increases (with alpha = 0). At the on-design Mach numbers, the maximum L/D may occur at slight positive or negative alpha, depending on the shape of the waverider, and zero lift occurs at a negative alpha approximately equal to half of the body thickness. The effects of slight leading-edge blunting produce only local effects in the flow field and small losses in L/D.
EXAFS STUDY OF COPPER-HAFNIUM MULTILAYERS

EXAFS measurements have been made on a number of Cu-Hf multilayers with modulation wavelengths of 1/2 to 20 close-packed monolayers. Clear indications are found for an amorphous interfacial compound. Fitting of the EXAFS spectra indicate that the interfacial regions are about 8 to 10 layers thick, and contain nearly equal numbers of layers of Hf and Cu. Results are compared to x-ray diffraction studies of the same samples.
The Impact of New Instruments on Surgical Performance in Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery

Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is a recent emerging technique for performing general surgery procedures such as cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal). However, the advantages of NOTES over conventional laparoscopic surgery, the current gold standard, are still questionable. The aim of this study was to show the impact of introducing new surgical instruments in the NOTES technique on surgical performance in a cholecystectomy as compared to conventional laparoscopic surgery. A set of videos from real cholecystectomy cases performed using these two different techniques were analyzed. Hierarchical task decomposition and timeline analysis were conducted for each technique. A comparison to show variations between the two techniques at the task level is presented to highlight the technical issues, and their effects on performance, associated with the use of current endoscopic tools in the NOTES technique. The results show a longer procedural time in the NOTES technique than in the laparoscopic technique with the highest increase in surgical time for dissection tasks. The tools used for dissection were also shown to be inadequate for the task based on the motion analysis. Using this systematic method of analysis, new surgical techniques can be assessed based on performance measures, while areas of design improvement in surgical tools can be identified and related to the performance assessment.
Noninvasive cerebral hemoglobin oxygenation quantification of fetal sheep under hypoxic stress in utero using frequency-domain diffuse optical two-layer model

A study using pregnant sheep was designed to simulate fetal hypoxia in order to investigate the ability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect and quantify fetal hypoxia in utero . The near-infrared spectroscopic probe consisted of two detectors and six source positions. It was placed on the maternal ewe abdomen above the fetal head. The light sources were modulated at 70 MHz and frequency-encoded so that simultaneous measurements at 675, 786, 830 nm for each source position were possible. After the baseline measurements, fetal hypoxia was induced by blocking the aorta of pregnant ewe and thus compromising the blood supply to the uterus. Blood gas samples were concurrently drawn from the fetal brachial artery and jugular veins. Analysis of the diffuse optical data used a two-layer model to separate the maternal layer from the fetal head. The analysis also employed a priori spectral information about tissue chromophores. This approach provided good quantification of blood oxygenation changes, which correlated well with the blood gas analyses. By contrast the homogeneous model underestimated oxygenation changes during hypoxia.
Growth of large platinum crystals by chemical vapor transport

Abstract Single crystals of platinum were grown by chemical vapor transport in a Cl 2 atmosphere. Transport in a temperature gradient 995-875°C for 14 days yielded large (111) plates up to 7×2×0.01 mm, as well as cubo-octahedra ∽1.5 × 1.5 ×2 mm.
Genetic Variation of Gray Triggerfish in U.S. Waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic Ocean as Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Abstract Gray triggerfish Balistes capriscus is a reef fish exploited by recreational and commercial fisheries in the southeastern United States. Recent stock assessments indicated that the species is overfished, and a rebuilding plan is in progress. The U.S. fishery is currently managed as a single stock owing to the absence of reliable information on stock structure. We sequenced a 617-base-pair fragment of the ND4 mitochondrial gene in a total of 150 specimens from five localities (South Texas, Louisiana, West Florida, southeastern Florida, and South Carolina) encompassing the exploited range of the species in the USA. Analysis of molecular variance, spatial analysis of molecular variance, and spatial autocorrelation analysis did not reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in haplotype distributions within the studied range. Significant departure from neutrality was inferred from neutrality tests and may reflect the signature of a rapid population expansion following the recent glacial epochs, an infe...
Psychotomimetic drugs and brain 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism

The effects of indolealkylamine and phenylethylamine psychotomimetic drugs on brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) metabolism have been studied. Indolealkylamines (psilocybin, psilocin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine or DMT) have a lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like effect (increased 5-HT with concomitant decrease in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. 5-HIAA). A degree of inhibition of monoamine oxidase can be demonstrated with psilocybin and psilocin, but not with LSD. The data suggest that other factors are operative in producing decreased levels of 5-HIAA. Phenylethylamines (mescaline, 2,5-dimethoxy-α,4-dimethylphenylethylamine or DOM) not only increase 5-HT but also, at higher doses, 5-HIAA; at lower doses, there is some indication of an LSD-like effect on 5-HIAA. Both categories of drug influence 5-HT metabolism, and the noted differences with respect to 5-HIAA cannot as yet be accounted for.
Application of an advanced XRD instrument for surface stress-tensor measurements on steel sheets

The three-dimensional residual-stress condition of several martensitic stainless-steel sheets given various combinations of surface treatments was studied by an X-ray-diffraction method. The stress tensors in the near-surface region, approximately 12 micrometers (0.012 mm) deep, were calculated after obtaining the strain tensors through application of the differential method and an advanced X-ray-diffraction stress-measurement instrument. The advanced instrument collected the data in a few hours—a task that normally requires several days to a few weeks-and provided accuracies on the order of ±14 MPa (2 ksi). The surface treatments to the sheets included various combinations of mechanical polishing and vapor blastiing; all produced substantial compressive stresses in the plane and perpendicular to the surface. The mill-annealed specimen showed nearly zero residual stress prior to mechanical polish or vapor blasting. The resulting tensor-stress data were compared with data obtained through single-exposure-technique calculations which assume a plane-stress state on the surface.