cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Model Predictive Control Approach for Optimal Demand Response for Small/Medium-sized Commercial Buildings

Small and medium-sized commercial buildings, such as retail stores, restaurants and factories, often utilize multiple roof top units (RTU s) to provide cooling and heating for open spaces. A conventional control approach for these buildings relies on local feedback control, where each unit is cycled on and off using its own thermostat. Because thermostats operate independently with no knowledge of the buildings behavior and it does not take significant advantage of the buildings thermal mass, the conventional control approach typically result in high energy cost and electrical peak demand. A hierarchical model-based control approach (MPC) that coordinates multiple RTUs for better building performance for those buildings is presented in this paper. A simulation result show it is able to respond to a price signal using building thermal inertia and significantly reduce peak demand.
Relationship Between Lumbar Lordosis and Pelvic Incidence in the Adolescent Patient: Normal Cohort Analysis and Literature Comparison.

Abstract Study Design Retrospective review; literature comparison. Objectives To review the literature on the relationship between lumbar lordosis (LL) and pelvic incidence (PI) and evaluate this relationship in asymptomatic adolescents while testing the validity of previously reported adult correlation models between LL and PI in an adolescent population. Summary of Background Data Accurate understanding of the normal spinopelvic relationship is critical when considering surgical fusion of the lumbar spine. Many studies have reported relationships between pelvic measurements and LL in adult populations, but data in pediatric populations is lacking. Methods A literature search was performed to identify previously reported relationships between pelvic parameters and LL in adults and pediatric patients. A cohort of 125 asymptomatic adolescent patients evaluated at our institution was evenly split into two cohorts for model development and validation. Linear regression between LL and PI was performed. The resultant regression model was tested in the validation cohort along with previously reported formulae with LL as a function of PI. Mean absolute error (MAE) was calculated and compared between prior models and the newly developed adolescent model using analysis of variance and post-hoc testing. Results In our adolescent cohort (mean age: 13 ± 2), there was a strong correlation between PI and LL (r = 0.53). Regression analysis in the development cohort produced the following predictive model: LL = 0.66(PI) + 24.2. Testing in the validation cohort revealed a good correlation between predicted and actual LL (r = 0.51) and an MAE of 8.3. All but three previously reported models functioned with similar accuracy in the adolescent population, with only two methods having an MAE over 10. Conclusions The majority of previously published formulae for predicting LL as a function of PI developed in adults can be extrapolated to adolescent populations. These relationships are important in understanding how to surgically restore the sagittal alignment in adolescents with spinal deformity. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Virial coefficients of one-dimensional and two-dimensional Fermi gases by stochastic methods and a semiclassical lattice approximation

We map out the interaction effects on the first six virial coefficients of one-dimensional Fermi gases with zero-range attractive and repulsive interactions and the first four virial coefficients of the two-dimensional analog with attractive interactions. To that end, we use two nonperturbative stochastic methods: projection by complex stochastic quantization, which allows us to determine high-order coefficients at weak coupling and estimate the radius of convergence of the virial expansion, and a path-integral representation of the virial coefficients. To complement our numerical calculations, we present leading-order results in a semiclassical lattice approximation, which we find to be surprisingly close to the expected answers.
Logical pluralism without the normativity

Logical pluralism is the view that there is more than one logic. Logical normativism is the view that logic is normative. These positions have often been assumed to go hand-in-hand, but we show that one can be a logical pluralist without being a logical normativist. We begin by arguing directly against logical normativism. Then we reformulate one popular version of pluralism—due to Beall and Restall—to avoid a normativist commitment. We give three non-normativist pluralist views, the most promising of which depends not on logic’s normativity but on epistemic goals.
Changes in frequency of large precipitation accumulations over land in a warming climate from the CESM Large Ensemble: the roles of moisture, circulation and duration

ABSTRACTProjected changes in the frequency of major precipitation accumulations (hundreds of millimeters), integrated over rainfall events, over land in the late twenty-first century are analyzed i...
A Geometric Solution to Fair Representations

To reduce human error and prejudice, many high-stakes decisions have been turned over to machine algorithms. However, recent research suggests that this does not remove discrimination, and can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. While algorithms have been developed to improve fairness, they typically face at least one of three shortcomings: they are not interpretable, their prediction quality deteriorates quickly compared to unbiased equivalents, and %the methodology cannot easily extend other algorithms they are not easily transferable across models% (e.g., methods to reduce bias in random forests cannot be extended to neural networks) . To address these shortcomings, we propose a geometric method that removes correlations between data and any number of protected variables. Further, we can control the strength of debiasing through an adjustable parameter to address the trade-off between prediction quality and fairness. The resulting features are interpretable and can be used with many popular models, such as linear regression, random forest, and multilayer perceptrons. The resulting predictions are found to be more accurate and fair compared to several state-of-the-art fair AI algorithms across a variety of benchmark datasets. Our work shows that debiasing data is a simple and effective solution toward improving fairness.
Severe hypertriglyceridemia during treatment with intraperitoneal cisplatin and paclitaxel for advanced stage fallopian tube carcinoma.

Abstract This case report describes a patient who developed severe hypertriglyceridemia (1871 mg/dL) and hyperlipidemia (LDL 132 mg/dL) during intraperitoneal (IP) administration of cisplatin and paclitaxel as adjuvant treatment for stage IIIC fallopian tube carcinoma. After an evaluation with her primary care physician, she was treated with gemfibrozil and rosuvastatin for the duration of her treatment. There was complete resolution of hypertriglyceridemia after completion of chemotherapy. This adverse event is rare and has not been reported in the literature with this chemotherapeutic regimen. A pre-chemotherapy evaluation for dyslipidemia may be beneficial in the detection and monitoring of this condition.
Taking the Relational Structure of Fractions Seriously: Relational Reasoning Predicts Fraction Knowledge in Elementary School Children.

Abstract Understanding and using symbolic fractions in mathematics is critical for access to advanced STEM concepts. However, children and adults consistently struggle with fractions. Here, we take a novel perspective on symbolic fractions, considering them within the framework of relational structures in cognitive psychology, such as those studied in analogy research. We tested the hypothesis that relational reasoning ability is important for reasoning about fractions by examining the relation between scores on a domain-general test of relational reasoning (TORR Jr.) and a test of fraction knowledge consisting of various types of fraction problems in 194 s grade and 145 fifth grade students. We found that relational reasoning was a significant predictor of fractions knowledge, even when controlling for non-verbal IQ and fractions magnitude processing for both grades. The effects of relational reasoning also remained significant when controlling for overall mathematics knowledge and skill for second graders but was attenuated for fifth graders. These findings suggest that this important subdomain of mathematical cognition is integrally tied to relational reasoning and opens the possibility that instruction targeting relational reasoning may prove to be a viable avenue for improving children’s fractions skills.
The Expanding Role of Geometric Morphometrics in Craniofacial Surgery.

Introduction Geometric morphometrics (GM) is an advanced landmark-based quantitative method used to study biological shape and form. Historically, GM has been limited to non-biomedical fields such as comparative biology; however, this technique confers advantages over traditional cephalometric methods, warranting a review of current applications of GM to human craniofacial disorders. Methods The RISmed package was used to extract metadata associated with PubMed publications referencing GM analysis techniques in craniofacial and reconstructive surgery. PubMed search terms included "geometric AND morphometric AND craniofacial;" and "geometric AND morphometric AND reconstructive surgery." Duplicate search results were eliminated. Results Search yielded 139 studies between 2005 and 2020, of which 27 met inclusion criteria. Human craniofacial studies constituted 2% of all queried GM studies. Among these, cleft lip and palate were the most commonly studied craniofacial conditions (7 studies, 26%), followed by sagittal craniosynostosis (4 studies, 15%). Seventeen studies (63%) used GM to assess skeletal structures, seven studies (26%) examined both skeletal and soft tissues, and three studies (11%) analyzed soft tissues only. Eleven studies (40.1%) employed a GM approach to evaluate postoperative changes in craniofacial morphology. Two studies (7%) systematically compared GM analysis with conventional shape measurements. Conclusion The ability to study shape while controlling for variability in structure size and imaging technique make GM a promising tool for understanding growth patterns in complex craniofacial diseases. Furthermore, GM overcomes many limitations of traditional cephalometric techniques, and hence may claim an expanded role in the study of human craniofacial disorders in clinical and research settings.
Osteoarticular infection in children

Aims We aimed to describe the epidemiological, biological, and bacteriological characteristics of osteoarticular infections (OAIs) caused by Kingella kingae. Methods The medical charts of all child...
CheXbreak: Misclassification Identification for Deep Learning Models Interpreting Chest X-rays

A major obstacle to the integration of deep learning models for chest x-ray interpretation into clinical settings is the lack of understanding of their failure modes. In this work, we first investigate whether there are patient subgroups that chest x-ray models are likely to misclassify. We find that patient age and the radiographic finding of lung lesion, pneumothorax or support devices are statistically relevant features for predicting misclassification for some chest x-ray models. Second, we develop misclassification predictors on chest x-ray models using their outputs and clinical features. We find that our best performing misclassification identifier achieves an AUROC close to 0.9 for most diseases. Third, employing our misclassification identifiers, we develop a corrective algorithm to selectively flip model predictions that have high likelihood of misclassification at inference time. We observe F1 improvement on the prediction of Consolidation (0.008 [95% CI 0.005, 0.010]) and Edema (0.003, [95% CI 0.001, 0.006]). By carrying out our investigation on ten distinct and high-performing chest x-ray models, we are able to derive insights across model architectures and offer a generalizable framework applicable to other medical imaging tasks.
Post-Herpes Autoimmune Encephalitis (P2.2-026)

Objective: We describe a case of post-infectious autoimmune encephalitis after herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). In addition to providing an approach to evaluate such patients, we also describe a rare and less recognized complication of neurogenic bladder seen in HSE. Background: Encephalitis is a term usually used to describe an inflammatory condition of the brain. Herpes simplex encephalitis is one of the most common infectious causes of encephalitis. A complicating situation after completion of the acyclovir treatment is the development of neurological relapses or worsening of deficits, reported to occur in 5–26% of cases. There are number of possibilities for such presentation including autoimmune etiologies. Design/Methods: 75 year old woman presented with three days history of confusion, formed visual hallucinations and intermittent dizziness. she was found to have HSV encephalitis. Patient completed three weeks course of Acyclovir treatment. hospital course was complicated by atonic bladder. one week later, patient presented with decrease responsiveness and right arm choreiform movement. CSF showed significant protein elevation with elevated nucleated cells (protein 186, nucleated cells 44, lymphocyte 90%, glucose 47). Autoimmune post herpes encephalitis especially anti NMDAR was suspected, and patient was started on five days trial of methylprednisolone 1 gram daily with significant improvement within 24–48 hours. An antibody against unknown antigen was recognized on initial CSF; however, a repeat CSF testing done after clinical improvement showed absence of previously recognized pleocytosis and repeated autoimmune panel was also negative. Results: These findings support the concept of transient synthesis of neuronal antibodies that subsequently becomes undetectable as well as the role of steroids in the management of inflammatory immune mediated complications in HSE. Another interesting finding in our case was of urinary retention due to atonic bladder. Conclusions: our case emphasized the importance of an organized approach in evaluation of patients with persistent encephalopathy after treatment with acyclovir for HSE. Disclosure: Dr. Mrad has nothing to disclose. Dr. Waheed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Moustakas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fuino has nothing to disclose.
A Virtual Face: Disability Services Information on Universities’ Websites

University websites having information on disability services facilitate the students with special needs. This information enables them to make a comfortable choice of higher education institution for their studies. This study focused availability of disability services information on university websites for potential students with disabilities. Content analysis instrument developed by the author was used to collect data from official websites of 10 participant universities of Pakistan. These official websites of the participant universities were analyzed for: (1) the disability services information made available by the universities on their websites, and (2) the distance of disability services information from the homepage of websites. The findings of this quantitative content-focused synthesis indicate shortage of relevant disability services information on university websites. The study concludes with suggestion for uniformity of official websites of universities. Policy makers, web designers and future researchers have also been triggered to improve the situation.
The Impact of a Community Health Worker Program on Childhood Immunization: Evidence from India's 'ASHA' Workers

In 2005-06 the Indian government introduced a new cadre of Community Health Workers known as Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHA workers to improve basic health outcomes through community engagement. The initial roll-out of the program, between 2005 and 2009, was heavily focused on 18 "high focus Indian states", lagging behind on public health indicators. Using multiple rounds of data from the District Level Household & Facility Survey (DLHS), I create cohorts of 12-23 month old infants, spanning a period of ten years, to establish that immunization trends of infants prior to the program were not increasing at a statistically different rate in high focus states relative to non-focus Indian states. I establish that the introduction of the program caused a sharp deviation away from trend in these states relative to their non-focus counterparts. I employ a difference-in-differences framework to identify the effect of the program and use detailed public health data to control for state and time varying factors that could pose potential threats to identification. The model estimates statistically significant increases in the range of 14-22 percentage points in the coverage of specific vaccines and the provision of full immunization in high focus states and a reduction in the incidence of infants with no immunization of up to 16 percentage-points. Finally, the paper makes use of additional information available as part of the DLHS surveys, to establish that the large increases in immunization coverage in high focus Indian states between 2004 & 2008 was most likely due to increased outreach as opposed to other improvements in the supply-chain of immunization services.
Chapter Two Microarrays: Application to soybean gene expression during soybean cyst nematode invasion

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the application of microarrays to soybean gene expression during soybean cyst nematode invasion. The microarray is a relatively new and powerful technique that has not reached its full potential. Gene DNA sequences are needed to profile gene expression with microarrays, but expressed sequence tag (EST) and genome sequencing projects are in the early stages for most organisms. These projects will provide important information to construct better microarrays that represent the whole or targeted portions of genomes for analysis. Equipment prices, software, and other tools for microarray analysis will improve rapidly, and these tools and software will become easier to use and more powerful. Chemical profiling of secondary compounds in plant tissues and organs combined with microarray monitoring of gene expression will become powerful allies with other biochemical and molecular techniques for researchers to learn more about and better understand the phytochemistry of plants.
Transboundary Water Problems as “Jurisdictional Externalities”

Problems of interjurisdictional water allocation and management are found worldwide. Negative externalities are likely to be created when the boundaries of physical water systems fail to correspond with the boundaries of the institutions that have power to govern or otherwise affect them. Transboundary situations create these “jurisdictional externalities” almost by definition and range from international and interstate scope to local issues. In the water sector, jurisdictional externalities are especially difficult to modify because of the unidirectional nature of the resource flow. While the well-known “Coase theorem” states that solutions can be bargained out, in reality only in situations where “interconnected games” are being played is bargaining likely to lead to efficient and equitable solutions. Many transboundary problems would be solved by a return to the river basin as the unit of management, while the expansion of water markets within the river basin context would serve to provide for the internalization of many current externalities. Flexible allocation rules that reflect real-time hydrologic conditions can greatly improve on the fixed rules that are incorporated in most interstate and international river compacts.
External cephalic version with an amniotic fluid index ≤ 10: A systematic review

Objective. To review the literature and evaluate the role of the amniotic fluid index (AFI) on the success of an external cephalic version (ECV).Study design. A computerized search of MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were conducted using ‘breech’, ‘version’, ‘external cephalic version’, ‘amniotic fluid’, and ‘amniotic fluid index’. References from the identified publications were manually searched to identify additional relevant articles. Articles from 1987 to 2004 were included.Results. Of the initial 33 articles discovered, only three remained after exclusions. These articles used different AFI ranges for ‘borderline’ or ‘low–normal’ fluid measurements and therefore could not be combined for analysis. All three studies demonstrated a lower success rate of ECV with lower amniotic fluid volume estimates (AFI 5–8, <10, or <8.6), although none reached statistical significance.Conclusion. Due to limited and dissimilar data, it is impossible to define the lower AFI threshold for an unsuccessful ECV compared wit...
Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to Leisure Choice.

The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1987) is used to predict leisure intentions and behavior. College students completed a questionnaire that measured involvement, moods, attitudes, subjec...
Antimicrobial activity evaluations of gatifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone: contemporary pathogen results from a global antimicrobial resistance surveillance program (SENTRY, 1997).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the in vitro potency and spectrum of activity of gatifloxacin and five comparator fluoroquinolones tested against over 23 000 clinical isolates from diverse geographic and clinical sources in the Americas. METHODS: Gram-negative, Gram-positive and fastidious bacterial isolates were tested against gatifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin and trovafloxacin using broth microdilution methods recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). RESULTS: Gatifloxacin demonstrated a potency and spectrum very similar to those of other new fluoroquinolones such as levofloxacin, sparfloxacin, and trovafloxacin. Gatifloxacin was particularly active against the Enterobacteriaceae (94.8% susceptible at /=98.9%), and various Staphylococcus spp. (79.2-100.0%). Trovafloxacin was the most similar comparison drug overall. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a potential therapeutic role for gatifloxacin that would widen the potency or spectrum of fluoroquinolones, particularly against Gram-positive species, when considering its favorable bioavailability.
Comparison of numerical aperture increasing lens and standard subsurface microscopy

Subsurface inspection of a Si integrated circuit (IC) by a Numerical Aperture Increasing Lens (NAIL) microscope has yielded a lateral spatial resolution of better than 0.23 /spl mu/m. We compare NAIL microscopy to standard subsurface microscopy using the Hamamatsu /spl mu/AMOS-200, IC Failure Analysis System. The NAIL improves the microscope's lateral spatial resolution from /spl sim/1.7 /spl mu/m to /spl sim/0.3 /spl mu/m. It is difficult to obtain the longitudinal spatial resolution because the sample has multiple longitudinal dielectric interfaces.
Hablar desde el silencio: El silencio como verdad en las narrativas de mujeres sobrevivientes

Through the study of testimonial texts and personal interviews of women survivors of the last dictatorship in Argentina, I argue that while all testimonies of horror are permeated by the presence of silence, women’s testimonial productions from the nineties present two important aspects that differentiate them from other testimonies. The first one is that they suggest a difference between two types of silences in their narratives, one that is mute and another one that is eloquent. The second aspect these testimonies present is a call for the receptor to be able to hear these eloquent silences. Thus, the silences in these narratives do not hide the truth, but are themselves the truth. Women-historically associated with silence- are the ones capable of speaking from within the silence, making this not the opposite of language, but the language itself as the language of trauma. Their accounts invite us to explore the silences, to decipher and to read what lies beyond words, training our ears to hear these unspeakable truths. However, accepting the impossibility of representing these horror-filled experiences does not mean to put an end to the debate, on the contrary, it means to work and elaborate these silences in order to transform both the victim’s identity and the society itself in order to create empathetic listeners and new modes of citizenship.
Scattering of elastic P and SV waves by a rigid elliptic cylindrical inclusion

Abstract The 2-dimensional problem of scattering of obliquely incident P and SV waves by an infinite rigid elliptic cylinder embedded in an infinite, isotropic and homogeneous elastic medium is solved. Approximate formulas are derived for the displacement field, stress tensor, far-field amplitudes and the scattering cross section when the wave lengths are large compared to the distance between the two focii of the elliptic cylinder.
Steady-state kinetic evaluation of the reverse reaction for Escherichia coli 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase

Recently it has been found that the kinetic mechanism for Escherichia coli 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the forward direction is random with synergistic binding of substrates and inhibitors (K. J. Gruys, M. C. Walker, and J. A. Sikorski, 1992, Biochemistry 31, 5534). This work, however, did not address the reverse reaction with 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) and phosphate (Pi) as substrates where a similar question of random versus ordered addition of substrates remained. Previous transient-state kinetic results led to a proposal for an equilibrium-ordered mechanism, where binding of EPSP occurs first followed by Pi (K. S. Anderson, and K. A. Johnson, 1990, Chem. Rev. 90, 1131). Steady-state kinetic results of the reverse reaction presented here suggest that, like the forward reaction, addition of substrates occurs randomly. Initial velocity studies with EPSP and Pi show a normal intersecting pattern in the reciprocal plots, consistent with a random or steady-state-ordered mechanism, but not with equilibrium-ordered addition of substrates. Inhibition of the EPSPS reverse reaction by 5-amino-S3P or the S3P-glyphosate hybrid molecule gave the expected competitive patterns versus EPSP, but mixed noncompetitive patterns versus Pi. These results also disfavor an equilibrium-ordered model, but again are consistent with a random or steady-state-ordered mechanism. A more quantitative mechanistic analysis of the inhibition data to determine the true rather than apparent Ki values provides evidence for a random over a steady-state-ordered addition of substrates. These results in combination with previous findings lead to the conclusion that the mechanism is random addition of EPSP and Pi since it is the only possible model for substrate addition that is consistent with the cumulative data from all kinetic (transient- as well as steady-state) and direct binding studies.
Denervation and developmental alterations of glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase in mammalian skeletal muscle

Abstract The activities of glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase were determined in normal and denervated fast and slow muscle and in developing skeletal muscle of the rabbit. Normal fast muscle (16.0 nmol glucose/min/mg) showed increased specific activity for glycogen synthase compared to slow muscle (9.5 nmol glucose/min/mg). Glycogen synthase in both muscle types was activated approximately twofold by 10 m m glucose 6-phosphate. After 7 days of denervation, glycogen synthase decreased 78% in both muscle types. Glycogen phosphorylase activity of fast muscle (1088 nmol P i min/mg) was eightfold greater than slow muscle (141 nmol P i /min/mg). Denervation resulted in a 33% decline in phosphorylase activity in fast muscle and 52% in slow muscle. Denervation had no effect on either fast or slow muscle glycogen content. Neonatal skeletal muscle exhibited relatively lower values of glycogen synthase (1.8 nmol glucose/min/mg) and glycogen phosphorylase (284 nmol P i /min/mg) than adult muscle. Adult activity levels of each enzyme occurred at approximately the 4th postnatal week for glycogen synthase and the 6th postnatal week for glycogen phosphorylase. The data suggest, on a qualitative basis, that denervation induced a decrease in activity of key enzymes in glycogen metabolism similar to that observed in newborn skeletal muscle.
The Child as Witness to Homicide.

This paper describes the experiences of children who have witnessed the homicide of a parent and are then legally compelled “to tell what [they] have seen.” The witnessing of a human killing constitutes psychic trauma, and the child may exhibit symptoms of a posttraumatic stress disorder. There may also be a wide range of grief responses. Our focus is on the interplay of the child's grief and traumatic reactions, and the demands of the legal system. The horrifying loss of impulse control in the assailant, the mutilation of the victim, and the helplessness of the victim and witness continue to haunt the child. We review the issues arising from police questioning, qualification procedures, testimony in open court, and defendant sentencing. The child's efforts at mastering the trauma can be either enhanced or impeded by involvement in judicial proceedings. With more complete mastery of traumatic anxiety, the child can become a more effective witness. We argue for the usefulness of having an expert in psychic trauma to assist these young witnesses and outline legal recommendations to provide adequate mental-health consultation.
The propagation of non-Lefschetz type, the Gottlieb group and related questions

This is a brief note which indicates how the property of being non-Lefschetz may be propagated by equivariant symplectic maps. We also discuss some questions related to the Gottlieb group and nilpotency of symplectic manifolds.
Pediatric anaphylaxis management in the prehospital setting.

AbstractPurpose. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening systemic allergic reaction that occurs after contact with an allergy-causing substance. Timely administration of intramuscular epinephrine is the treatment of choice for controlling symptoms and decreasing fatalities. Our purpose was to investigate the prehospital management of anaphylaxis among patients receiving care in an urban tertiary care pediatric emergency department (PED). Methods. We performed a retrospective chart review from May 2008 to January 2010 of patients 18 years or younger who received care in the PED for anaphylaxis. Data were extracted by one investigator and included demographic information, patient symptoms, past medical history, medications administered (including route and provider), and final disposition. Results. We reviewed 218 cases of anaphylaxis in 202 children. Mean age of patients was 7.4 years; 56% of patients were male. A total of 214 (98%) manifested symptoms in the skin/mucosal system, 68% had respiratory symptoms, 44...
A Survey of Faculty Opinions about Student Evaluations of Instructors

Teachers support the practice of having student evaluations, but they express some doubts about what ratings mean and how the results are used.
Effects of low dietary protein and dietary aflatoxin on hepatic glutathione levels in F-344 rats.

Abstract In order to investigate the effects of low dietary protein and dietary aflatoxin (AFB 1 ) on hepatic glutathione (GSH) levels, groups of male and female F-344 (60–100 g) rats were fed 5 and 20% casein diets with/without 2.5–5 ppm AFB 1 for 6 weeks. Animals were sacrificed at selected times between 0 hr to 6 weeks, and GSH contents were determined in liver homogenates. Whereas in males, low protein diets caused a marked retardation in growth, females grew equally well on both protein diets. Low protein diets caused a reduction in hepatic GSH within hours of feeding which remained low for the duration of the study. Dietary AFB 1 increased hepatic GSH regardless of dietary protein level and animal sex. Histologic examinations revealed that AFB 1 caused more acute lesions in males although lesions in both sexes were much more pronounced in the high protein groups. It should be noted that no simple relationship between GSH levels and protection against hepatic lesions was observed.
EFFECTS OF BORON DEFICIENCY AND EXCESS ON PLANTS

There is a large literature in regard to the effects of boron deficiency on plants. Boron is now commonly regarded as an essential element for the growth of plants. Most of the literature demonstrating this fact has appeared during the last 15 years, although certain French investigators, especially Bertrand, Agulhon and Maze, showed the beneficial effects of boron on the growth of plants much earlier than this. Brenchley (2) reviews this early literature. In England, Brenchley and Warington (1, 19), and in America, Sommer and Lipman (17) early showed the favorable effects of boron on the growth of various plants. No attempt is made to review the boron literature. McMurtrey (14) gives a rather recent summary of it. It might be expected that an element needed in such small amounts (0.5 p.p.m. is usually sufficient and may be excessive) would never be lacking in the soil. But eases of deficiency under natural conditions have recently been reported (9, 13). There is also a large literature dealing with the toxic effects on plants of excessive amounts of boron in natural conditions in the soil and in irrigation water (5, 16), in fertilizers (15), and in nutrient solutions used experimentally (11, 19). Much of the earlier literature in regard to the toxic effects of boron is reviewed by Brenchley (2). Although there is a large literature on the effects of boron deficiency and excess in the growth of plants, few investigations have used the sunflower. Since the results of the present investigation are rather striking, it is thought worth while to place them on record. This paper has developed from work done on the effects of sulphur deficiency on the metabolism of plants (7). In this investigation as described below boron deficiency developed ; so experiments were performed to determine the proper concentration of boron to use in these sulphur experiments. These experiments were extended into the toxic realm. The methods were essentially the same as those already described (7). Chemicals of C.P. or reagent quality were used, but no attempt was made to further purify them. In the case of the plus-boron cultures, boron was supplied in the form of boric acid. The plants were grown in pure quartz sand, which was given no other treatment than that of flushing it out thoroughly with distilled water before the seed was planted. Somewhat different results might have
Effects of caudate stimulation on visual discrimination

Abstract Bilateral stimulation of the head of the caudate nucleus in cats has two separable effects upon the performance of a visual discrimination. The first is a reduction in accuracy in a task which has not been completely learned. The same stimulation has no effect in an “overtrained” task. The second effect is an increase in reaction time. This occurs regardless of accuracy. The increase in reaction time is a “inertial” effect, that is, the animal performs smoothly and rapidly when he makes his response, but shows difficulty in initiating it. Parameters of stimulation of the caudate nucleus which produce these effects are 5-per-second bilateral pulses delivered for 3 sec at an intensity sufficient to produce “caudate spindles” in the alert animal. Stimuli below this intensity fail to effect accuracy or reaction time. The results are discussed in terms of an inhibitory feedback circuit which involves the thalamus and the caudate nucleus.
Night terrors and sudden unexplained nocturnal death

A high incidence of sudden unexplained nocturnal deaths has been reported among young Asian males. These deaths are known as Pokkuri in Japan, Bangungut in the Philippines and Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death in the United States. Post mortem analysis has demonstrated cardiac conduction defects in many of the victims. Careful review of the terminal events surrounding these deaths suggests that the victims suffered from night terrors. Night terrors are a sleep disorder characterized by vocalization, motor activity, a nonarousable state, and severe autonomic discharge. The proposed recognition of both night terrors and cardiac anomalies in these patients offers a pathophysiologic mechanism for their sudden death.
Linear Dielectric Response of Matter

In this chapter, we explore general aspects of the nonlinear dielectric response of materials. Many of the principles and notions follow along lines very similar to those discussed in Chap. 2. As a consequence, we can be quite a bit briefer here.
Chemical cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater effluent: Achieving higher efficiency with dual-step cleaning

Abstract The effect of different modes of cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater treatment plant effluent has been investigated. Characterization of the wastewater effluent revealed the presence of foulants containing carboxylic and phenolic functional groups as well as calcium ions. The chemical cleaning agents, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and sodium chloride (NaCl), were selected as models for alkaline solutions, metal chelating agents, surfactants, and salt cleaning, respectively. Specifically, we examined the impact of a sequence or a combination of two cleaning agents compared to the use of single cleaning agents. Increased cleaning efficiency was demonstrated when two cleaning agents were applied in a certain order and mixture. In particular, it was shown that addition of NaOH can enhance the overall cleaning performance when introduced with other chemical agents, due to its ability to loosen the fouling layer. Cleaning efficiency as high as 94% was obtained by simply increasing the pH of an NaCl cleaning solution, compared to 65% in the case of the individual salt solution with no pH adjustment. On the other hand, combining chemical cleaning agents was not advantageous in some cases, possibly because of the competing cleaning mechanisms of some of the agents. The most and the least effective cleaning modes were highlighted, suggesting a rationale for the design of chemical cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater effluent. This study demonstrates that careful selection of cleaning agents and the steps through which those agents are applied allows the regeneration of high water productivity after fouling while minimizing both the cleaning time and the amount of chemicals.
Peptide-amidating Enzymes Are Expressed in the Stellate Epithelial Cells of the Thymic Medulla

C-terminal amidation is a post-translational processing step necessary to convey biological activity to a large number of regulatory peptides. In this study we have demonstrated that the peptidyl-glycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase enzyme complex (PAM) responsible for this activity is located in the medullary stellate epithelial cells of the thymus and in cultured epithelial cells bearing a medullary phenotype, using Northern blot, immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, and enzyme assays. Immunocytochemical localization revealed a granular pattern in the cytoplasm of the stellate cells, which were also positive for cytokeratins and a B-lymphocyte-associated antigen. The presence of PAM activity in medium conditioned by thymic epithelial cell lines suggests that PAM is a secreted product of these cells. Among the four epithelial cell lines examined, there was a direct correlation between PAM activity and content of oxytocin, an amidated peptide. Taken together, these data provide convincing evidence that thymic epithelial cells have the capacity to generate amidated peptides that may influence T-cell differentiation and suggest that the amidating enzymes could play an important role in the regulation of thymic physiology.
Non-isothermal kinetics of melting and nematic to isotropic phase transitions of 5CB liquid crystal

This work reports a non-isothermal kinetics of the melting and the nematic to isotropic (N–I) phase transitions of the pentylcyanobiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal compared with octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) liquid crystal using calorimetric technique. Temperature scans and heating rate scans were performed for 5CB and 8CB from 280 to 333 K at various rates using differential scanning calorimetry from 0.5 to 20 K min−1. Double activation was observed for 5CB for two heating rate regimes whereas 8CB indicated single activation only. The 5CB has smaller enthalpy and entropy of the transitions and needs larger activation than 8CB. This kinetic change can be explained in terms of the length scale and mobility of the liquid crystal molecules.
TWO PITFALLS IN ASSESSING FAIRNESS OF SELECTION TESTS USING THE REGRESSION MODEL

This note examines two potential pitfalls in applying the Cleary or regression model of test fairness. The first lies in a misinterpretation of significance tests on intercept differences which can result when the researcher is unaware of the properties of analysis of covariance tests for intercept differences and relies on computer printouts of regression equations. The second lies in the dependence of some tests for intercept differences on predictor scaling. Once aware of them, the researcher can avoid both these pitfalls.
Steroidogenic factor 1-dependent promoter activity of the human steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) gene

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is required for efficient adrenal cortical and gonadal but not trophoblast steroid hormone synthesis. StAR gene expression in gonadal cells is stimulated by tropic hormones acting through the intermediacy of cAMP. DNA sequence analysis of the human StAR gene promoter revealed two motifs resembling binding sites for steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), a member of the orphan nuclear receptor transcription factor family that controls expression of steroidogenic hydroxylases. The 5'-most sequence (distal site) is a consensus SF-1 binding site. The proximal site is a consensus estrogen receptor binding half-site. The StAR gene promoter is not active in BeWo choriocarcinoma cells, COS-1 cells, HeLa cells, or SK-OV-3 ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, all of which do not express significant levels of SF-1 mRNA. Introduction of SF-1 into these cells stimulated StAR promoter activity, particularly in response to cAMP. Two orphan nuclear transcription factors that bind to sequences similar to SF-1 sites, NGFI-B/Nur77 and RNR-1, did not support cAMP-stimulated StAR promoter activity in BeWo cells. Mutation of the distal putative SF-1 binding site reduced basal and cAMP-stimulated promoter activity in BeWo cells by 82% and 71%, respectively. Mutation of the proximal putative SF-1 binding site reduced basal and cAMP-stimulated promoter activity by 89% and 96%, respectively. Mutations in both sites reduced basal promoter activity to 7% of wild type promoter activity and cAMP-stimulated promoter activity to less than 5% of the wild type. Deletion analyses of promoter activity were consistent with the mutation studies. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) demonstrated that the distal site binds to SF-1 expressed in COS-1 cells and to an SF-1-GST fusion protein with high affinity, but that the mutated distal sequence does not. An anti-SF-1 antibody ablated the characteristic SF-1-DNA complex with the distal sequence. The proximal site formed a number of protein-DNA complexes with COS-1 cell extracts, but appeared to have at best only very modest affinity for SF-1. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SF-1 plays a key role in controlling the basal and cAMP-stimulated expression of the StAR gene. SF-1 can function at two distinct sites in the human StAR gene promoter, apparently by two different types of interaction, to control transcription.
Control of the intensity fluctuations of random electromagnetic beams on propagation in weak atmospheric turbulence

The intensity fluctuations of random electromagnetic beams propagating in the atmosphere are studied. For such beams it is shown that when the atmospheric fluctuations are weak then the scintillation index (the normalized variance of intensity fluctuations) of the beam at any distance from the source depends not only on the state of coherence but also on the degree of polarization of the beam in the source plane. In particular, we found that for initially unpolarized beams the scintillation index generally takes on smaller values than that for completely polarized beams. The presented analysis might be useful in the applications (e.g. communications, laser radars) where atmospheric effects can be mitigated by adjusting the coherence properties and the polarization properties of the source.
Modeling of the processing dynamics of aerogel/gold nanoparticle composites

Abstract Colloidal gold nanoparticles were encapsulated in silica aerogels, and the dynamics of the gelling process in different solvents was investigated using visible spectroscopy. Modified Maxwell Garnett (MG) theory was used to model the behavior of aggregating gold nanoparticles in the silica network; our modifications incorporate additional filling factors with weighting components into the traditional MG equations to better fit experimental data. The introduction of 1-octanethiol protected Au nanoparticles to the aerogel matrix resulted in decreased aggregation of the particles and an unexpected blue shift in the surface plasmon resonance spectrum after solvent exchange from acetone to cyclohexane, with the plasmon peak moving from 558 nm to 529 nm. Such a shift did not occur in the non-thiol protected aerogel/nanoparticle composites. Our modeling indicates that modified MG theory is an effective means of tracking the physical/structural changes taking place during the solvent processing of porous silica gel/Au nanoparticle composites.
I am an American

I LOOK back over half a century to refresh my memory of what being an American has meant to me progressively through all these years. Born in Armenia, I derived my earliest conception of America from story tellers, and it was about as fantastic as Alice's Wonderland. At the age of 21, while teaching arithmetic in a school, the thought occurred to me one winter morning that I should go to this romantic country. Within a few hours I was on the way. What? Such haste? Doesn't one wait to the end of the school year? Of course not; that is, not if one has indulged in a little free speech the night before in a public lecture at which unexpectedly some Turks were present, and this morning one has been notified to go to the government palace and hand the manuscript of his talk to the pasha. To the Armenians, a phantom inscription on the palace door said: “Enter. No exit.” In the Turkish Empire, only the Turks took their time; others hustled.
Digital information warfare trends in Eurasia

The rapid proliferation of information and communications technologies has improved the means to record and transmit information. Not surprisingly, this digitized information can be exploited, corrupted, denied or destroyed electronically, resulting in digital information warfare (DIW). This article examines politically motivated cyberattacks in Eurasia to conduct DIW trend analyses. Document analysis is conducted on 86 documents dated from 1995 to 2011. The article goes beyond traditional DIW research on criminal organization and attack complexity by adding four new DIW components: division of labor, alliances, communication and physical elements. It generates a discussion of whether any of these components are connected, more prominent or exhibits a temporal order. The article also examines several factors that sustain and promote DIW, discusses practical lessons that can be learned from DIW in Eurasia, and offers suggestions for further research.