cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of Gold Microparticles by Ablation with Surface Plasmons

The formation of gold microparticles on a silicon substrate through the use of energetic surface plasmons is reported. A laser-assisted plasmonics system was assembled and tested to synthesize gold particles from gold thin film by electrical field enhancement mechanism. A mask containing an array of 200 nm diameter holes with a periodicity of 400 nm was prepared and placed on a silicon substrate. The mask was composed of 60 µm thick porous alumina membrane sputter-coated with 100 nm thin gold film. A Nd:YAG laser with 1064 nm wavelength and 230 µs pulse width (free-running mode) was then passed through the mask at an energy fluence of 0.35 J/cm2. The extraordinary transmission of laser light through alumina/gold micro-hole optical antenna created both extended and localized surface plasmons that caused the gold film at the bottom of the mask to fragment into microparticles and deposit on the silicon substrate that is in direct contact with the mask. The surface plasmon method is simpler, quicker, more energy efficient, and environmentally safer than existing physical and chemical methods, as well as being contamination-free, and can be extended to all types of materials that will in turn allow for new possibilities in the formation of structured surfaces.
A neighbourhood-based classifier for LANDSAT data

A classifier is developed which uses information from all pixels in a neighbourhood to classify the pixel at the center of the neighbourhood. It is not a smoother in that it tries to recognize boundaries. and it makes explieite use of the relative positions of pixels in the neighbourhood. It is based on a geometric probability model for the distribution of the classes in the plane. The neighbourhood-based classifier is shown to outperform linear discriminant analysis on some LANDSAT data. On appelle “pixel” la plus petite division d'une surface quadrillee. Dans cet article, on montre comment on peut classifier un pixel de terre a partir des donnees obtenues pour ce pixel ainsi que pour les quatre pixels voisins. La methode de classification proposee exploite la position relative des cinq pixels et tente d'identifier. dans la mesure du possible, les frontieres naturelles entre les differetites categories de pixels. Cette methode a ete elaboree a partir d'un modele de probabilite geometrique pour la distribution dcs classes dans le plan. On montre qu'elle donne de meilleurs resultats que l'analyse discriminante lineairc lorsqu'un l'appliquc a certaincs donnees recueillies par le Satellite landsat.
Spline fitting discontinuous functions given just a few Fourier coefficients

This paper considers the use of polynomial splines to approximate periodic functions with jump discontinuities of themselves and their derivatives when the information consists only of the first few Fourier coefficients and the location of the discontinuities. Spaces of splines are introduced which include, members with discontinuities at those locations. The main results deal with the orthogonal projection of such a spline space on spaces of trigonometric polynomials corresponding to the known coefficients. An approximation is defined based on inverting this projection. It is shown that when discontinuities are sufficiently far apart, the projection is invertible, its inverse has norm close to 1, and the approximation is nearly as good as directL2 approximation by members of the spline space. An example is given which illustrates the results and which is extended to indicate how the approximation technique may be used to provide smoothing which which accurately represents discontinuities.
Open lung biopsy in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and pulmonary infiltrates.

Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are at increased risk for pulmonary infection with opportunistic pathogens associated with diminished cell mediated immunity. Open lung biopsy (OLB) frequently is recommended for diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in patients with NHL, but its usefulness for patient management and outcome has not been evaluated for patients with NHL. We reviewed the results of 20 consecutive OLB in 19 patients with previously diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at Stanford University Medical Center during a nine-year period. Fifteen patients had known active lymphoma at time of OLB, and no patient had granulocytopenia. Ten of the 20 OLBs yielded specific diagnoses. A greater proportion of patients with stage I or II disease had specific diagnoses than patients with more advanced NHL. Five of 14 patients considered to have had a life threatening illness at the time of OLB had specific diagnoses from OLB vs five of six patients considered clinically stable. Chest roentgenograms that had discrete masses or nodules correlated with ability to establish a specific diagnosis by OLB. For patients in whom the results of OLB were nonspecific, management appeared unaffected by the OLB. The OLB in NHL appeared most useful for detecting recurrent NHL in clinically stable patients with discrete nodules or masses on chest roentgenogram. Pneumocystis pneumonia was the only infection identified by OLB. (Chest 1989; 96:319–24) NHL = non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; OLB = open lung biopsy
Slow, programmed maturation of the immunoglobulin HCDR3 repertoire during the third trimester of fetal life

The mean distribution of lengths in the third complementarity-determining region of the heavy chain (HCDR3) serves as a measure of the development of the antibody repertoire during ontogeny. To determine the timing and pattern of HCDR3 length maturation during the third trimester of pregnancy, the mean distribution of HCDR3 lengths among variable-diversity-joining-constant-mu (VDJC(mu)) transcripts from the cord blood was analyzed from 138 infants of 23 to 40 weeks' gestation, including 3 sets of twins, 2 of which were of dizygotic origin. HCDR3 maturation begins at the start of the third trimester; follows a slow, continuous expansion over a 5-month period; and is unaffected by race or sex. The range and mean distribution of lengths may vary in dizygotic twins, indicating individual rates of development. The mean HCDR3 length distribution in 10 premature infants with documented bacterial sepsis was then followed for 2 to 12 weeks after their first positive blood culture. HCDR3 spectrotype analysis demonstrated oligoclonal B-cell activation and expansion after sepsis, but maturation of the repertoire was not accelerated even by the systemic exposure to external antigen represented by bacteremia. Antibody repertoire development appears to be endogenously controlled and adheres to an individualized developmental progression that probably contributes to the relative immaturity of the neonatal immune response.
CD8+ T Cells Can Mediate Short-Term Protection against Heterotypic Dengue Virus Reinfection in Mice

Dengue virus (DENV) is a major public health threat worldwide. Infection with one of the four serotypes of DENV results in a transient period of protection against reinfection with all serotypes (cross-protection), followed by lifelong immunity to the infecting serotype. While a protective role for neutralizing antibody responses is well established, the contribution of T cells to reinfection is less clear, especially during heterotypic reinfection. This study investigates the role of T cells during homotypic and heterotypic DENV reinfection. Mice were sequentially infected with homotypic or heterotypic DENV serotypes, and T cell subsets were depleted before the second infection to assess the role of DENV-primed T cells during reinfection. Mice primed nonlethally with DENV were protected against reinfection with either a homotypic or heterotypic serotype 2 weeks later. Homotypic priming induced a robust neutralizing antibody response, whereas heterotypic priming elicited binding, but nonneutralizing antibodies. CD8+ T cells were required for protection against heterotypic, but not homotypic, reinfection. These results suggest that T cells can contribute crucially to protection against heterotypic reinfection in situations where humoral responses alone may not be protective. Our findings have important implications for vaccine design, as they suggest that inducing both humoral and cellular responses during vaccination may maximize protective efficacy across all DENV serotypes. IMPORTANCE Dengue virus is present in more than 120 countries in tropical and subtropical regions. Infection with dengue virus can be asymptomatic, but it can also progress into the potentially lethal severe dengue disease. There are four closely related dengue virus serotypes. Infection with one serotype results in a transient period of resistance against all serotypes (cross-protection), followed by lifelong resistance to the infecting serotype, but not the other ones. The duration and mechanisms of the transient cross-protection period remain elusive. This study investigates the contribution of cellular immunity to cross-protection using mouse models of DENV infection. Our results demonstrate that cellular immunity is crucial to mediate cross-protection against reinfection with a different serotype, but not for protection against reinfection with the same serotype. A better understanding of the mediators responsible for the cross-protection period is important for vaccine design, as an ideal vaccine against dengue virus should efficiently protect against all serotypes.
Unipolar Potential Measurements in the Electric Field Produced by an Arbitrary Dipole in a Circular Homogeneous Lamina

Unipolar potential measurements are carried out on a circular homogeneous conducting lamina. One set of potential measurements is made using an averaging net work for the zero potential reference. A second set of potential measurements is made with reference to the Frank-Kay "zero" potential reference on the outside ground of the dipole generating circuit. Both sets of unipolar potential measurements are then compared with the theoretically predicted values. The first set is found to be highly accurate. The second set is found to contain errors which make this method unacceptable.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in Action: A Descriptive Study of Secondary Teachers’ Curriculum-Based, Technology-Related Instructional Planning

How does teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) inform their instructional planning? How can this knowledge be enhanced? In an interpretivist study of experienced secondary social studies teachers’ planning, we sought to discover clues to the nature and development of these teachers’ TPACK-in-action as it was expressed in their planning processes. Comparisons of interview data and planning products before and after engaging in professional development that addressed content-focused, TPACKbased learning activity types (Harris & Hofer, 2009) revealed three primary findings, each supported by participating teachers’ oral and written reflections upon their learning. The participating teachers’(a) selection and use of learning activities and technologies became more conscious, strategic, and varied; (b) instructional planning became more student-centered, focusing primarily upon students’ intellectual, rather than affective, engagement; and (c) quality standards for technology integration were raised, resulting in deliberate decisions for more judicious educational technology use. (Keywords: technological pedagogical content knowledge, TPACK, learning activities, instructional planning, curriculum, professional development)
Using tiling to scale parallel data cube construction

Data cube construction is a commonly used operation in data warehouses. Because of the volume of data that is stored and analyzed in a data warehouse and the amount of computation involved in data cube construction, it is natural to consider parallel machines for this operation. Also, for both sequential and parallel data cube construction, effectively using the main memory is an important challenge. In our prior work, we have developed parallel algorithms for this problem. We show how sequential and parallel data cube construction algorithms can be further scaled to handle larger problems, when the memory requirements could be a constraint. This is done by tiling the input and output arrays on each node. We address the challenges in using tiling while still maintaining the other desired properties of a data cube construction algorithm, which are, using minimal parents, and achieving maximal cache and memory reuse. We present a parallel algorithm that combines tiling with interprocessor communication. Our experimental results show the following. First, tiling helps in scaling data cube construction in both sequential and parallel environments. Second, choosing tiling parameters as per our theoretical results does result in better performance.
Non-Intrusive Cognitive Radio Networks Based on Smart Antenna Technology

Cognitive radio has recently been identified as a potential relief to spectrum scarcity by improving temporal spectral efficiency. We investigate a flexible non-intrusive cognitive radio network based on smart antenna technologies. The proposed scheme exploits transmit beamforming to enable better spectral sharing between primary users and cognitive (secondary) users. As proposed, the cognitive transmitter equipped with antenna array forms transmit beamforming to keep the interference to primary receiver below a given threshold. By also adopting smart antennas at primary transmitters, we can significantly boost the successful transmission probability of cognitive users; thereby improving the spectrum utilization efficiency of the wireless communication networks.
Organizational visualization of electronic commerce

In the age of electronic commerce, the development of new network organizational forms has brought into practice transaction cost economics, inter-organizational collaborations, and strategic alliance. The development and management of network organizations are assisted by organizational analysis. This paper proposes an organizational visualization method for organizational analysis. The organizational visualization method is comprehensive in modeling a formal organizational structure for electronic commerce. It can be a practical technique for structural and process approaches to organizational development for electronic commerce.
Horizontal Gene Transfer of PIB-Type ATPases among Bacteria Isolated from Radionuclide- and Metal-Contaminated Subsurface Soils

ABSTRACT Aerobic heterotrophs were isolated from subsurface soil samples obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy9s (DOE) Field Research Center (FRC) located at Oak Ridge, Tenn. The FRC represents a unique, extreme environment consisting of highly acidic soils with cooccurring heavy metals, radionuclides, and high nitrate concentrations. Four hundred isolates obtained from contaminated soil were assayed for heavy metal resistance, and a smaller subset was assayed for tolerance to uranium. The vast majority of the isolates were gram-positive bacteria and belonged to the high-G+C- and low-G+C-content genera Arthrobacter and Bacillus, respectively. Genomic DNA from a randomly chosen subset of 50 Pb-resistant (Pbr) isolates was amplified with PCR primers specific for PIB-type ATPases (i.e., pbrA/cadA/zntA). A total of 10 pbrA/cadA/zntA loci exhibited evidence of acquisition by horizontal gene transfer. A remarkable dissemination of the horizontally acquired PIB-type ATPases was supported by unusual DNA base compositions and phylogenetic incongruence. Numerous Pbr PIB-type ATPase-positive FRC isolates belonging to the genus Arthrobacter tolerated toxic concentrations of soluble U(VI) (UO22+) at pH 4. These unrelated, yet synergistic, physiological traits observed in Arthrobacter isolates residing in the contaminated FRC subsurface may contribute to the survival of the organisms in such an extreme environment. This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study to report broad horizontal transfer of PIB-type ATPases in contaminated subsurface soils and is among the first studies to report uranium tolerance of aerobic heterotrophs obtained from the acidic subsurface at the DOE FRC.
Reconfiguring the Old South: “Solving” the Problem of Slavery, 1787–1838

The Civil War, emancipation, and Confederate defeat stand among the pivotal moments in American history, moments that gave the nation, "conceived in liberty" yet marred by slavery, an elusive "new birth of freedom." For many years, the importance of those events fostered an understandable historiographical preoccupation with the configuration and posture of southern society on the eve of the American Civil War. The scholarly fascina tion with the Old South at its antebellum maturity often slighted the earlier formation of that society, the making of the Old South. In recent years, however, the creation of the Old South through a unique set of choices, accommodations, and compromises made in the face of unpredictable historical contingencies has received increasing attention from historians. They are intrigued as much by the twists and turns of the Old South's evolution as by the undeniable drama of the late antebellum journey to secession and war. Building on his own work and that of other scholars, Ira Berlin has produced an impressive reinterpretation of American slavery that emphasizes its creation and evolu tion, not just its flourishing as a regional institution in the era of well-established cot ton plantations and sectional conflict. Berlin and others have begun to restore a strong sense of chronology and variety to the study of the enslaved in the Old South. They have looked at generational change and regional variation in the slave population and in slavery as an institution, highlighting patterns of slave demography, work, and culture. Berlin's synthesis, with the earlier seminal scholarship on which it was built, has allowed historians to recapture dynamism and diversity in the experience of the enslaved in the United States.1
Automating RTOG-defined target volumes for postmastectomy radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose Consistency in defining and contouring target structures in radiation therapy (RT) is critical for highly conformal RT, for evaluating treatment plans, and for quality assurance in multi-institutional RT trials. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) has published consensus guidelines for contouring targets for postmastectomy RT. To aid in contouring such structures, we evaluated the potential use of an automated contouring technique, known as deformable image registration-based breast segmentation (DEF-SEG). Methods and Materials The RTOG definitions were used to contour the chest wall (CW); levels I, II, and III axillary nodes (Ax1, Ax2, Ax3); supraclavicular (SCV) nodes; internal mammary (IM) nodes; and the heart. Left-sided and right-sided templates were created. The DEF-SEG was then used to generate auto-segmented contours from the appropriate template to computed tomographic scans of 20 test cases (10 left, 10 right). To assess the accuracy of this method, those contours were manually modified as necessary to match the RTOG definitions, and the extent of the overlap was compared. The dosimetric impact of the difference in contours was then evaluated by comparing dose-volume histograms for modified and unmodified contours. Results Mean volume–overlap ratios between the unmodified DEF-SEG–generated contours and modified contours were as follows: CW, 0.91; Ax1, 0.68; Ax2, 0.64; Ax3, 0.68; SCV node, 0.66; IM node, 0.32, and the heart, 0.93. Mean differences in volume receiving 45 Gy (V 45 ) for the modified versus unmodified contours were as follows: CW, 2.1%; SCV node, 4.8%; Ax1, 5.1%; Ax2, 5.6%; Ax3, 3.0%; and IM node, 10.1%. Mean differences in V 10 between the modified heart and the unmodified heart were 0.4% for right-sided treatment and 0.5% for left-sided treatment. Conclusions The DEF-SEG can be helpful for delineating structures according to the RTOG consensus guidelines, particularly for the CW and the heart. No clinically significant dosimetric differences were found between the modified and unmodified contours. The DEF-SEG may be useful for evaluating treatment plans for postmastectomy RT in multi-institutional trials.
Hearts, lungs, and children: a physiologist returns to kindergarten.

Scientific illiteracy is a prevalent problem: between kindergarten and high school, most children progressively lose their inherent affinity for science exploration. The correction of this deficien...
Inner Speech and Metacognition: In Search of a Connection

Many theorists claim that inner speech is importantly linked to human metacognition (thinking about one's own thinking). However, their proposals all rely upon unworkable conceptions of the content and structure of inner speech episodes. The core problem is that they require inner speech episodes to have both auditory-phonological contents and propositional/semantic content. Difficulties for the views emerge when we look closely at how such contents might be integrated into one or more states or processes. The result is that, if inner speech is especially valuable to metacognition, we do not currently understand why it is. The article concludes with two positive proposals for understanding the content and structure of inner speech episodes, which should serve as constraints on future accounts of the metacognitive value of inner speech.
Global response approximation with radial basis functions

In this article, a study is performed on the accuracy of radial basis functions (RBFs) in creating global metamodels for both low- and high-order nonlinear responses. The response surface methodology (RSM), which typically uses linear or quadratic polynomials, is inappropriate for creating global models for highly nonlinear responses. The RBF, on the other hand, has been shown to be accurate for highly nonlinear responses when the sample size is large. However, for most complex engineering applications only limited numbers of samples can be afforded; it is desirable to know whether the RBF is appropriate in this situation, especially when the augmented RBF has to be used. Because the types of true responses are typically unknown a priori, it is essential for high-fidelity metamodeling to have an RBF or RBFs that are appropriate for linear, quadratic, and higher-order responses. To this end, this study compares a variety of existing basis functions in both non-augmented and augmented forms with various typ...
Sternal fracture in the age of pan-scan

Abstract Study objective Widespread chest CT use in trauma evaluation may increase the diagnosis of minor sternal fracture (SF), making former teaching about SF obsolete. We sought to determine: (1) the frequency with which SF patients are diagnosed by CXR versus chest CT under current imaging protocols, (2) the frequency of surgical procedures related to SF diagnosis, (3) SF patient mortality and hospital length of stay comparing patients with isolated sternal fracture (ISF) and sternal fracture with other thoracic injury (SFOTI), and (4) the frequency and yield of cardiac contusion (CC) workups in SF patients. Methods We analyzed charts and data of all SF patients enrolled from January 2009 to May 2013 in the NEXUS Chest and NEXUS Chest CT studies, two multi-centre observational cohorts of blunt trauma patients who received chest imaging for trauma evaluation. Results Of the 14,553 patients in the NEXUS Chest and Chest CT cohorts, 292 (2.0%) were diagnosed with SF, and 94% of SF were visible on chest CT only. Only one patient (0.4%) had a surgical procedure related to SF diagnosis. Cardiac contusion was diagnosed in 7 (2.4%) of SF patients. SF patient mortality was low (3.8%) and not significantly different than the mortality of patients without SF (3.1%) [mean difference 0.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) −1.0 to 3.5%]. Only 2 SF patient deaths (0.7%) were attributed to a cardiac cause. SFOTI patients had longer hospital stays but similar mortality to patients with ISF (mean difference 0.8%; 95% CI −4.7% to 12.0). Conclusions Most SF are seen on CT only and the vast majority are clinically insignificant with no change in treatment and low associated mortality. Workup for CC in SF patients is a low-yield practice. SF diagnostic and management guidelines should be updated to reflect modern CT-driven trauma evaluation protocols.
Nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 expression in liver is critical for induction of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 during cholestasis.

Bile duct ligation (BDL) causes hepatocellular oxidative stress and injury. The transcription factor nuclear factor-E2-related factor (Nrf2) induces expression of numerous genes including NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (Nqo1) during periods of oxidative stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that BDL increases liver expression of mouse antioxidant genes in an Nrf2-dependent manner. BDL or sham surgeries were performed on male C57BL/6, Nrf2-null, and wild-type mice. Livers were collected at 1, 3, and 7 days after surgery for analysis of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of Nrf2-responsive genes as well as Nqo1 protein and activity. BDL increased mRNA expression of multiple Nrf2 genes in mouse liver, compared to sham-operated controls. Follow-up studies investigating protein expression, enzyme activity, and Nrf2 dependency were limited to Nqo1. Nqo1 protein expression and activity in mouse livers was increased 2- to 3-, and 4- to 5-fold at 3 and 7 days after BDL, respectively. Studies also showed that BDL increases Nqo1 mRNA, protein expression, and enzyme activity in livers from wild-type mice, but not in Nrf2-null mice. In conclusion, expression of Nrf2-dependent genes is increased during cholestasis. These studies also demonstrate that Nqo1 expression and activity in mouse liver are induced via an Nrf2-dependent mechanism.
Confirmatory detection of sperm and semen Via proximity ligation real-time PCR

Abstract Semen and sperm identification play a critical role in forensic investigation for understanding the circumstances surrounding a crime and determining whether a sexual act occurred or not. Yet current methods for sperm detection vary widely in speed, sensitivity, and specificity. Also, the only undisputable confirmatory test for the presence of semen is the microscopic observation of spermatozoa. This process can be extremely time consuming and labor intensive, as each sample must be processed and examined individually. Particularly in samples with low levels or no spermatozoa, analysts may spend hours searching a slide. Also, failure to identify sperms by microscopic examination is not conclusive for their absence. Here, we demonstrate the development of a confirmatory method employing Proximity Ligation Real Time PCR (PLiRT-PCR) for the identification of semen and sperm from sexual assault evidence. PLiRT-PCR is designed to detect and quantitate the expression of protein markers through an antibody-protein binding reaction followed by qPCR. Two protein targets have been chosen as candidates for the assay: cysteine-rich secretor protein 2 (CRISP-2) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). CRISP-2 is specifically expressed in the male reproductive tract and localized inside the acrosome of spermatozoa. The acrosomal location protects CRISP-2 from environmental damage until lysis, allowing for successful detection even on aged forensic samples. Also, its location on the surface of the acrosome makes it likely for epitopes to be accessible to antibody probes. PSA was selected as a second candidate due to its high concentration in semen and its useful role when processing samples from azoospermic or vasectomized perpetrators. This study discusses the identification, specificity, and the limit of detection of Crisp2 and PSA markers in samples containing body fluid mixtures. Data demonstrate the potential for PLiRT-PCR as a confirmatory test for semen. The approach allows high throughput semen and sperm detection to be processed in parallel on a 96 well plate, enabling analysts to make the most informed decisions on the best analytical path forward in each case, preserve valuable evidence, overcome the drawbacks associated with the microscopic observation of spermatozoa, and save analyst time.
Correlation between Egr-1 and gelsolin expression in human breast cancer tissues

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2862 The development of malignant tumors is the result of sequential genetic and epigenetic lesions that lead to alterations in a number of gene expressions, which are primarily controlled by transcription factors. A growing body of evidence suggests that early growth response-1 (Egr-1), a transcription factor, may function as a tumor suppressor. To gain more evidence to support the role of Egr-1 in the suppression of cancer cell growth, we examined the expression of Egr-1 in human breast cancer tissues. Our data showed that all normal mammary tissues expressed high levels of Egr-1, while most of the breast cancer tissues expressed very small amounts of Egr-1. The expression pattern of Egr-1 in human breast cancer tissues is highly correlated with gelsolin expression. Induction of Egr-1 by serum stimulation accompanies the increase of gelsolin expression. While in cells lacking the induction of Egr-1 in response to serum stimulation, gelsolin expression remained unchanged. Furthermore, gelsolin promoter activity was profoundly reduced in Egr-1 null mouse embryonic fibroblasts comparing with Egr-1 wild type mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Our results suggest that Egr-1 may be an important breast cancer marker and that there exists a potential new pathway involved in Egr-1 and gelsolin leading to breast cancer cell progression.
Children With Special Health Care Needs: Child Health and Functioning Outcomes and Health Care Service Use

This study describes health, functioning, and health care service use by medically complex technology-dependent children according to condition severity (moderately disabled, severely disabled, and vegetative state). Data were collected monthly for 5 months using the Pediatric Quality of Life Generic Core Module 4.0 Parent-Proxy Report. Health care service use measured the number of routine and acute care office visits (including primary and specialty physicians), emergency department visits, hospitalizations, nursing health care services, special therapies, medications, medical technology devices (MTDs), and assistive devices. Child physical health was different across the condition severity groups. The average age of the children was 10.1 years (SD, 6.2); the average number of medications used was 5.5 (SD, 3.7); the average number of MTDs used was 4.2 (SD, 2.9); and the average number of assistive devices used was 4.3 (SD, 2.7). Severely disabled and vegetative children were similar in age (older) and had a similar number of medications, MTDs, and assistive devices (greater) than moderately disabled children. The advanced practice nurse care coordinator role is necessary for the health and functioning of medically complex, technology-dependent children.
Pastors' Theological Perspective on Divorce and Remarriage

Abstract Although the majority of couples believe that their marriage has a spiritual component and that divorce and remarriage are legitimate domains of the church, most articles on divorce and remarriage fail to consider religious and/or theological factors in their studies. This paper will provide information about Protestant pastors' theological perspective on divorce and remarriage. In this qualitative study, twelve pastors from different theological frameworks share their understanding of this important issue. An analysis of these conversations is provided in this article. Common themes and differences within and across theological camps are presented and implications for marital counselors are explored.
Clara Sánchez: Geografías de la distopía

La relacion entre el espacio urbano y una identidad marcada por el desarraigo es fundacional en la narrativa de Clara Sanchez. Los nuevos escenarios urbanos (grandes superficies, aeropuertos, hoteles, grandes edificios de oficinas) enmarcan y definen procesos de identidad e interaccion que conllevan la deshistorizacion del presente y la ausencia de comunicacion entre individuos, dos tendencias imbricadas que han derivado en la llamada "patologia del espacio publico" (Bauman). Este ensayo tiene como fin la exploracion de los escenarios sociales distopicos en las novelas Ultimas noticias del paraiso (2000) y "Un millon de luces" (2004) y, mas concretamente, el analisis de su relacion con el concepto de no lugar propuesto por Marc Auge. La proliferacion de no lugares en la narrativa de Clara Sanchez pone escenario a los sintomas del desencanto que planea hoy en dia sobre una sociedad en la que los individuos son asimilados o desechados en funcion de su utilidad como productores y consumidores. En ultima instancia, la representacion de los no lugares invita a una mirada critica de las multiples disfunciones generadas a partir de los procesos de modernizacion globales en los que la sociedad espanola se ha visto inmersa de manera vertiginosa en decadas recientes.
Chemical Ordering Rather Than Random Alloying in SbAs

The semimetallic group-V elements display a wealth of correlated electron phenomena due to a small indirect band overlap that leads to relatively small, but equal, numbers of holes and electrons at the Fermi energy with high mobility. Their electronic bonding characteristics produce a unique crystal structure, the rhombohedral A7 structure, which accommodates lone pairs on each site. Here, we show via single-crystal and synchrotron x-ray diffraction that antimony arsenide (SbAs) is a compound and the A7 structure can display chemical ordering of Sb and As, which were previously thought to mix randomly. Formation of this compound arises due to differences in electronegativity that are common to IV-VI compounds of average group V such as GeTe, SnS, PbS, and PbTe, and also ordered intraperiod compounds such as CuAu and NiPt. High-temperature diffraction studies reveal an order-disorder transition around 550 K in SbAs, which is in stark contrast to IV-VI compounds GeTe and SnTe that become cubic at elevated temperatures but do not disorder. Transport and infrared reflectivity measurements, along with first-principles calculations, confirm that SbAs is a semimetal, albeit with a direct band separation larger than that of Sb or As. Because even subtle substitutions in the semimetals, notably Bi${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Sb${}_{x}$, can open semiconducting energy gaps, a further investigation of the interplay between chemical ordering and electronic structure on the A7 lattice is warranted.
Exploring and exploiting polar-π interactions with fluorinated aromatic amino acids.

Fluorination has become an increasingly attrac-tive strategy in protein engineering for both basic research and biomedical applications. Thus researchers would like to understand the consequences of fluorination to the structure, stability, and function of target proteins. Although a substantial amount of work has focused on understanding the properties of fluorinated aliphatic amino acids, much less is known about fluorinated aromatic residues. In addition, polar−π interactions, often referred to as aromatic interactions, may play a significant role in protein folding and protein–protein interactions. Fluorination of aromatic residues presents an ideal strategy for probing polar−π interactions in proteins.This Account summarizes the recent studies of the incorporation of fluorinated aromatic amino acids into proteins. Herein we discuss the effects of fluorinating aromatic residues and rationalize them in the context of polar−π interactions. The results strongly support the proposal that polar−π interacti...
What Is Behind Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance develops among bacterial species just as Darwin might have predicted—that is, through natural selection. Because bacterial species can share DNA by a variety of mechanisms, and because some of these microbes are inherently resistant to one or more major antibiotics, we should not be surprised that clinically important species of bacteria can become resistant to commonly used antibiotics by chance alone. The rapid increase in the percentage of strains resistant to one or more antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum agents, may be the result of increased use of such compounds.
Synthesis, cis/trans Isomerization, and Reactivity of Palladium Alkyl Complexes That Contain a Chelating N-Heterocyclic-Carbene Sulfonate Ligand

The chemistry of palladium alkyl complexes that incorporate the NHC-sulfonate ligand N-(2,6-iPr2-Ph)-N′-2-benzenesulfonate-NHC ([C-O]−, NHC = cyclo-CNCH2CH2N) is described. The reaction of {C-O}Ag ...
Delivering an effective presentation

Preparing and delivering a lecture can be an overwhelming experience, especially for first-time lecturers. During their years as students, practitioners may have observed talented speakers who made presenting and teaching look easy, but when asked to deliver a presentation themselves, they may
Putting the House Back Together Again: The Scope of Copyright Protection for Architectural Works

standard to copyright infringement cases involving architectural works. 1. Congress’s Non-Functionality Test In an effort to clearly define the line between unlawful copying and permissible copying, Congress proffered a two-step test for determining the copyrightability of an architectural work—the “non-funcationality” test. First, the test asks “whether there are original design elements present, including overall shape and interior architecture.” Originality is a prerequisite for copyright protection; if either an individual element or the 81. Feist Publ’ns, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Serv. Co., 499 U.S. 340, 361 (1991). 82. See, e.g., Charles W. Ross Builder, Inc. v. Olsen Fine Home Bldg., LLC, 827 F. Supp. 2d 607, 617 (E.D. Va. 2011). 83. See Bldg. Graphics, Inc. v. Lennar Corp., 708 F.3d 573, 577–78 (4th Cir. 2013) (“The mere possibility of such an opportunity is not enough. It must be reasonably possible that the defendant had access to the copyrighted work.”). 84. Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. v. Toy Loft, Inc., 684 F.2d 821, 829 (11th Cir. 1982) (quoting Durham Indus., Inc. v. Tomy Corp., 630 F.2d 905, 911 (2d Cir. 1980)). 85. H.R. REP. NO. 101-735, at 19 (1990), reprinted in 1990 U.S.C.C.A.N. 6935, 6951. 86. Id. at 20.
Analysis of mosquito density and seasonality in urban areas of Hainan province,China in 2012

ObjectiveTo determine the species and density of mosquitoes and their seasonality in the urban areas of Hainan province, China and to provide a technical foundation for controlling mosquito vectors.MethodsFrom January to December 2012, mosquitoes were captured by light-traps at night in the urban areas of 18 cities or counties of Hainan province to determine the species composition and their density.ResultsA total of 40 448 mosquitoes(10 species, 4 genera) were collected in the urban areas of Hainan; Culex quinquefasciatus Say was the dominant species, accounting for 46.88% of all mosquitoes. The density index of mosquitoes was 1.17-4.86 mosquitoes per light trap per hour, and the mean value was 2.82 mosquitoes per light trap per hour. The seasonalityof mosquitoes was unimodal, and the peakoccurred from April to May.ConclusionThe species and density of mosquitoes and their seasonalityin the urban areas of Hainan province were well documented in this stusy, which provides a technical foundation for further systematic monitoring of mosquitoes, control operations, and prevention of mosquitoborne diseases.
ANGLE DESIGN OF EXPANSION CONE IN EXPANDABLE CASING TECHNOLOGY

In 1990's, The expandable casing technology was a new drilling technology to save the hole diameter, in the world, but it is now at the stage of theoretic research in our country. The mechanics model of the expand process of the expandable casing with the elastic-plastic finite-element contact question of the ADINA software was established. Through choosing different value of the angle of the expansion cone, the detailed computer simulation analysis of the expand process that expanded the diameter of the N-80 steel tubular from 244.5mm to 298.4mm was done under the same work condition, and under the foundation of qualitative and quantificational comparison of the equivalent stress, the contact pressure, the residual stress, the expansion cone and the axial shrinkage of the tubular, the optimal angle of the cone 12.30 degree was obtained. It provided the supports for the structural design of the expansion cone.
An autonomous power management strategy based on DC bus signaling for solid-state transformer interfaced PMSG wind energy conversion system

The solid-state transformer (SST) enabled DC/AC Microgrid provides an effective solution for distributed renewable energy resources (DRER) integration with conventional utility grid. This paper investigates a DC network system consisting of wind turbines, SST, and DC loads. Without any energy storage devices, an autonomous power management strategy based on improved DC bus signaling (DBS) is proposed to achieve system stable operation and power balance under various scenarios, specifically system grid-connected mode, islanding mode, and the mode transition. The extreme conditions were emphasized and analyzed as a testament to verify the feasibility of proposed control. DC bus voltage level and its gradient information have been employed as the only indication for distinguishing different modes and control implementation. System power management competence has been simulated and verified with MATLAB/Simulink.
Topiramate and Valproate Compared in Treatment of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

A pilot, randomized, controlled trial comparing topiramate (n=19) and valproate (n=9) in adolescents/adults with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) was conducted in the Childrens Hospitals of Denver, CO, and Cincinnati, OH.
How the World Moves: The Odyssey of an American Indian Family. By Peter Nabokov.

How the World Moves: The Odyssey of an American Indian Family . By Peter Nabokov. (New York: Viking, 2015. xi + 550 pp. Illustrations, maps, bibliographical essay, notes, index. $32.95.) Beginning with the stories told to Smithsonian Institution anthropologists by Acoma Pueblo Indian Edward Proctor Hunt—also known as Day Break, Big Snake, and Dad Hunt—in 1928, Peter Nabokov’s How the World Moves focuses on an American Indian family’s movement through a time of transition not only for them but also for American Indians in general and New Mexico and the western United States as a whole. Though the book extends through the death of Hunt’s son, Wilbert, in 2007, the bulk … steven.danver{at}waldenu.edu
“Why I continue to live across the tracks from sister sue,” as told by William Monroe

Susan Monroe was a young woman when the Second Battle of Manassas took place on her family farm. Fifty years later she lived alone, never having married, in the house that she, her brother William, and sisters Annie and Maggie inherited from their parents. This is the story of how it came about that William, Annie, and Maggie moved to a house across the tracks from Sue and what Confederate and Yankee veterans of the Battle of Manassas found when they visited Sue’s home to view her shrine to the “Lost Cause” during the 21 July 1911 “Great Peace Jubilee and Reunion of the Blue and Gray.”
An action learning approach for the development of technology skills

Information technology provides a unique challenge to universities to maintain the relevance of their offerings as the rate of technical change far out paces curricular reforms. What is needed for students of information technology are opportunities that provide real world, hands-on experiences for developing necessary skills and understandings in a relatively safe environments. This article is a case study of the experiences of students in a course that required them to complete action learning technology projects for social services clients. Results suggest a generalizable model for improving relevance within the universities of the 21st century.
Molecular Level Insight into a Unique Surface Protein Glycosylation Pathway: Structure of the Actinomyces Oris LCP Enzyme that Mediates Surface Protein Glycosylation

The peptidoglycan that surrounds Gram-positive bacteria is affixed with a range of macromolecules that enable the microbe to effectively interact with its environment. As surface displayed macromolecules frequently play key roles in bacterial pathogenesis, inhibitors that prevent their display could function as powerful antibiotics. Here we report studies of LytR-CpsA-Psr (LCP) proteins that attach teichoic acid polymers and capsular polysaccharides to the cell wall. LCP enzymes are important architects of the cell surface and potential drug targets as the teichoic acid polymers they display on peptidoglycan are major constituents of the cell surface, comprising up to 50% of its overall mass. Recently, Ton-That and colleagues discovered a new glycosylation pathway in the oral pathogen Actinomyces oris that employs an LCP enzyme. This LCP protein has a novel function in which it glycosylates the AcaA protein, which is then displayed on the surface. This unique activity by A. oris LCP plays an important role in cell surface display and bacterial viability. A 2.7A crystal structure of the A. oris LCP enzyme reveals that the enzyme utilizes key conserved residues in the active site to recognize its lipid-glycopolymer substrate. Additionally, the structure reveals that the LCP enzyme co-purifies with E. coli isoprenoids, defining one part of the enzyme active site where the enzyme binds its lipid-glycopolymer substrate. Ongoing work includes development of an in vitro biochemical assay for LCP enzyme activity and structure-mechanism studies of secondary substrate (peptide/peptidoglycan precursor) binding. The structure suggests mechanistic conservation between display of wall teichoic acids and surface protein glycosylation.
Statistical process control – its implications for the metals industry

Ford's operating philosophy of never ending improvement has resulted in a change of emphasis from defect detection defect prevention through the application of Statistical Process Control (SPC), employee involvement and training. This approach will lead to improvements in both quality and productivity that will be of mutual benefit to suppliers and Ford.
Integrated Pest Management in the Southern United States of America: Changing Technology and Infrastructure—Implications for the Future

This chapter provides a history of the development of integrated pest management (IPM) in the southern U.S. and discussion of the current and future status of the discipline in the South. The historical components of the chapter are organized using the eras of pest management (Newsom 1974, Perkins 1980), and the chapter’s focus in the early years is the struggle to manage, control and finally eradicate the boll weevil from cotton. Since 1996, it has become clear that American agriculture has transitioned to another era, the era of genetically modified crops that have led to significant reductions in the IPM infrastructure. As the timeline approaches the present, the focus of the chapter is broadened to discuss many of the pest management technologies which have emerged in southern crops in recent years and the impact of their adoption on agriculture and the availability of people with applied “field specific” IPM skills in the southern U.S. The chapter concludes with a discussion of world population projections and the importance of highly efficient agricultural production systems to meet the food and fiber needs of the growing population. The importance of training and maintaining people with the knowledge and skills to manage pests in grower fields is emphasized.