cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A method for estimating carbon dioxide leakage rates in controlled-environment chambers using nitrous oxide

Naturally sunlit, outdoor controlled-environment chambers provide an important research tool for studying the effects of environmental variables on crop physiological processes. Typically these types of chambers are semi-closed and are capable of continuously monitoring canopy scale gas exchanges. Accurately determining chamber CO2 leakage rate is essential for correcting measurements of photosynthesis and respiration in these kinds of chambers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of an ew CO 2 leak quantification system which used N 2O as a tracer gas to estimate chamber CO2 leakage rates in a recently constructed outdoor, controlled-environment chamber facility at Beltsville, MD. Chamber CO2 leakage rates as determined by the loss of CO2 (CL) from the chamber were compared with CO2 leakage rates determined using N2O as a tracer gas (CLN). These two methods of determining leakage rates were compared in two different types of chambers: smaller and more tightly sealed Daylit chambers and larger more leaky Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR) chambers. Comparisons of CL with CLN indicated that CLN was an excellent predictor of CL. However, over a wide range of internal to external concentration gradients, the analysis did show a slight but consistent overestimation of CL by CLN that averaged 0.3, 1.4, and 1.1mol CO2 m −2 s −1 for the Daylit chambers, the SPAR chambers and all data combined, respectively. These results indicate that N2O can be used as a tracer gas to accurately and reliably estimate chamber CO2 leakage rates in real time during experiments in the presence of plants and when it is necessary to maintain specific chamber CO 2 treatment set points that make estimation of CL difficult. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Continuous Sampling Plans under Destructive Testing

Abstract Many existing continuous sampling plans are designed to provide a desired AOQL by requiring 100% inspection whenever incoming quality is found to be sufficiently poor. However, such extensive inspection is not practical for those cases where destructive testing is required, The continuous sampling procedure developed here is especially designed for these situations where the amount of inspection must be stringently limited. It uses certain a priori information about the quality behavior of the production process. It then improves upon this information by a limited amount of sampling inspection in order to determine when a process adjustment is needed. The objective in this formulation was to develop a procedure suitable for practical use which would approximate the scheme which minimizes total expected cost.
Molecules computing: self-assembled nanostructures, molecular automata, and chemical reaction networks

Many endeavors of molecular-level engineering either rely on biological material such as nucleic acids and restriction enzymes, or are inspired by biological processes such as self-assembly or cellular regulatory networks. This thesis develops theories on three such topics: self-assembled nanostructures, molecular automata, and chemical reaction networks. The abstractions and underlying methods of the theories presented herein are based on computer science and include Turing machines and circuits. Toward engineering self-assembled nanostructures, we create a theory of scale-free shapes in which the complexity of their self-assembly is connected to the shapes' descriptional complexity. Further, we study patterns in terms of whether they can be self-assembled robustly without an increase in scale to accommodate redundancy. We also describe a new method of ensuring resilience to more types of error simultaneously. Toward creating molecular automata we study the computational power of a restriction enzyme-based automaton. Toward designing chemical reaction networks, we develop a technique of storing and processing information in molecular counts, which is capable of achieving Turing universal computation. We also study the computational complexity of simulating stochastic chemical reaction networks and formally connect robustness and simulation efficiency. Lastly, we describe nucleic acid implementations of Boolean logic circuits and arbitrary mass-action kinetics. The three areas of this thesis are promising realizations of molecular-level engineering, and the theories presented here inform the range of possibility or delineate inherent difficulties in these areas.
Calculation of fringe visibility in a laser- illuminated interferometer.

Fringe visibility dependence on path length difference in laser illuminated two-beam interferometer
Comparison of Beer's Law and Thermal Lens Techniques for Absorption Measurements under Conditions of High Scattering Backgrounds:

Thermal lens spectroscopy has been experimentally compared to the conventional Beer's law method in situations where the sample under study possesses substantial light-scattering properties. Large errors in the measured absorbance were found with the conventional transmission-based approach. However, the thermal lens method was found to provide significant experimental immunity from the effect of light scattering on the measurement process. Both the absorbance and light-scattering properties of the samples tested were varied over a range in excess of an order of magnitude. The thermal lens method provided absorbance values for all samples tested which were as good as those obtained for samples that did not possess scattering characteristics. The results demonstrate that the immunity from light-scattering perturbations is substantial, thereby eliminating the need to match the scattering properties of standards and unknowns for accurate quantitation. The experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions and found to be in good agreement.
Oppositional Behavior in Urban Schooling: Toward a Theory of Resistance for New Times.

Early resistance theorists analyzed working class students’ oppositional behavior at a time of high availability of viable jobs in manufacturing. They argued that oppositional behavior constituted a rejection of middle class culture motivated by an implicit understanding of the myth of meritocracy. But times have changed. This paper seeks to examine the significance of oppositional behavior as a form of resistance in “new times” characterized by increased unemployment, zero tolerance school discipline, and racialized mass incarceration. Drawing on ethnographic data from the study of disciplinary practices, critical theories of resistance, and the social psychological concepts of Goffman, the author demonstrates that oppositional behavior today does not necessarily represent a rejection of schooling or middle class culture. Instead, students are aware of the need for credentials and desire to stay out of prison. Nevertheless, alienated students implicitly seek numerous social and psychological benefits thr...
A traffic oriented pre-arbitrated slot reuse scheme in DQDB networks

Distributed queue dual bus (DQDB) networks are high speed metropolitan area networks specified by the IEEE 802.6 standard. They may serve as local subnetworks to gather high speed data for transmission over wide area B-ISDN networks or as backbones in mobile networks to connect wireless infrastructures. In these situations, DQDB networks will carry a predominant portion of isochronous traffic. Thus we are motivated to investigate how to efficiently support isochronous traffic via the pre-arbitrated (PA) access method in DQDB networks. We propose a new PA slot reuse scheme which can much improve DQDB networks' utilization via arranging isochronous connections to share octets in the PA slots. It is based on the idea of categorizing octets with octet types. A related problem of octet type selection is formulated and an algorithm is developed to solve the problem. Based on the algorithm's results, the proposed scheme is made efficient as well as traffic-oriented. Simulations are performed to show that the scheme is much better than the previous ones, in terms of utilization, drop rate and overhead. The new scheme is compatible with the current DQDB standard and can be implemented in the bandwidth manager and VCI server of a DQDB network.
Photodegradation as a Mechanism for Controlled Drug Delivery

A drug-releasing model compound based on photosensitive acrylated ortho-nitrobenzylether (o-NBE) moiety and fluorescein was synthesized to demonstrate photolysis as a mechanism for drug release. Release of this model compound from a hydrogel network can be controlled with light intensity (5–20 mW/cm2), exposure duration (0–20 min) and wavelength (365, 405, 436 nm). Due to the high molar absorptivity of the compound (5,984 M−1 cm−1), light attenuation is significant in this system. Light attenuation can be used to self-limit the dosing from a hydrogel, and allow subsequent release from the drug reservoir after equilibration, or attenuation can be utilized to create a chemical gradient within the hydrogel. A model of photodegradation that uses an integrated form of Beer–Lambert's law quantitatively predicts release from hydrophilic hydrogels with low crosslink density, but fails to quantitatively predict release from more hydrophobic systems, presumably due to partitioning of the hydrophobic model compound in the hydrogel. In contrast to other mechanisms of release (enzymolysis, hydrolysis), photolysis provides real-time on demand control over drug release along with the unique ability to create chemical gradients within the hydrogel. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 1012–1019. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Group size, density and biomass of large mammals in the Réserve de Faune du Petit Loango, Gabon

Group size, density and biomass of large-bodied diurnal mammal species in the Reserve de Faune du Petit Loango, Gabon (now Parc National de Loango) was determined over a 12-month period using standard line-transect methods. Petit Loango encompasses a range of distinct habitat types, including coastal scrub, savanna, swamps and disturbed and mature forest. Such intact coastal habitats are increasingly rare on the Central-West African coastline. Faecal censusing indicated highest forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) ecological densities at the extreme coast (2.48 and 1.29 km−2 respectively), probably reflecting high intensity of use of this habitat. Ape density was comparable with that at other Central African study sites at 1.01 individuals km−2. Mean total biomass of diurnal primates, elephants and other ungulates over the 20 km2 site was 3290 kg km−2. Forest elephants and red river hogs (Potamochoerus porcus) constituted the bulk of the biomass, at 67% and 14% respectively. Primates made up 5% of the biomass. This is the first estimation of mammal density and biomass over an annual cycle at a Central African coastal site, and provides baseline data for long-term studies in such habitats and to aid habitat and wildlife management decisions.
Safety-critical medical device development using the UPP2SF model translation tool

Software-based control of life-critical embedded systems has become increasingly complex, and to a large extent has come to determine the safety of the human being. For example, implantable cardiac pacemakers have over 80,000 lines of code which are responsible for maintaining the heart within safe operating limits. As firmware-related recalls accounted for over 41p of the 600,000 devices recalled in the last decade, there is a need for rigorous model-driven design tools to generate verified code from verified software models. To this effect, we have developed the UPP2SF model-translation tool, which facilitates automatic conversion of verified models (in UPPAAL) to models that may be simulated and tested (in Simulink/Stateflow). We describe the translation rules that ensure correct model conversion, applicable to a large class of models. We demonstrate how UPP2SF is used in the model-driven design of a pacemaker whose model is (a) designed and verified in UPPAAL (using timed automata), (b) automatically translated to Stateflow for simulation-based testing, and then (c) automatically generated into modular code for hardware-level integration testing of timing-related errors. In addition, we show how UPP2SF may be used for worst-case execution time estimation early in the design stage. Using UPP2SF, we demonstrate the value of integrated end-to-end modeling, verification, code-generation and testing process for complex software-controlled embedded systems.
Default reasoning on the hypermedia

The nature of a hypermedia-based knowledge-based management system (KBMS) admitting default knowledge is examined. The associative reasoning of hypermedia has been utilized to provide both probabilistic and logical interpretations to default rules. The knowledge acquisition process for one such system is challenging, because it must be done under a controlled experiment permitting Bayesian interpretation of default facts and composition of hard rules in logical form. This obviously entails a very large knowledge base. Both the procedural (logic) and empirical (probabilistic) configuration of default situations on the hypermedia help in focusing only a limited subset of the whole knowledge base. However, the success of the KBMS designer will depend on the power of the abstraction tools provided. >
Two different cationic positions in Cu-SSZ-13?

H2-TPR and FTIR were used to characterize the nature of the Cu ions present in the Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite at different ion exchange levels. The results obtained are consistent with the presence of Cu ions at two distinct cationic positions in the SSZ-13 framework.
User-defined data distributions in high-level programming languages

One of the characteristic features of today's high performance computing systems is a physically distributed memory. Efficient management of locality is essential for meeting key performance requirements for these architectures. The standard technique for dealing with this issue has involved the extension of traditional sequential programming languages with explicit message-passing, in the context of a processor-centric view of parallel computation. This has resulted in complex and error-prone assembly-style codes in which algorithms and communication are inextricably interwoven. This paper presents a high-level approach to the design and implementation of data distributions. Our work is motivated by the need to improve the current parallel programming methodology by introducing a paradigm supporting the development of efficient and reusable parallel code. This approach is currently being implemented in the context of a new programming language called Chapel, which is designed in the HPCS project Cascade.
Bringing natural killer cells to the clinic: ex vivo manipulation

Recently, there has been a substantial gain in our understanding of the role that natural killer (NK) cells play in mediating innate host immune responses against viruses and cancer. Although NK cells have long been known to be capable of killing cancer cells independently of antigen recognition, the full therapeutic potential of NK cell-based immunotherapy has yet to be realized. Here we review novel methods to activate and expand human NK cells ex vivo for adoptive transfer in humans, focusing on the important phenotypic and functional differences observed among freshly isolated, cytokine activated, and ex vivo-expanded NK populations.
Preliminary Assessment of Bacterial Community Change Impacted by Chlorine Dioxide in a Water Treatment Plant

AbstractThe use of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) instead of free chlorine (Cl2) as a preoxidant is an effective option for reducing disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and enhancing coagulation in water treatment plants (WTPs). This study takes a first look at water quality and bacterial community responses within a WTP when switching preoxidants between Cl2 and ClO2. Water samples and biofilm coupons inserted in the sedimentation basin were collected during the change between ClO2 and Cl2 in a local WTP. Biofilm density and bacteria viability significantly decreased in response to the preoxidant change. Molecular methods confirmed the switch to Cl2 oxidation that decreased the diversity index for both biofilms and basin waters. Range weighted richness calculations reveal that changing the preoxidant results in a more adverse environment for bacterial growth, compared to maintaining one preoxidant over time. The insights provided regarding microbial growth and diversity under differing oxidants offer a unique perspe...
Major Transitions in Political Order

[T]hey then threw me upon the bed, and one of them (I think it was Mary Smith) kneeled on my breast, and with one hand held my throat; Mary Junque felt for my money; by my struggling about, they did not get it at that time; then they called another woman in … when she came in, they said cut him! cut him! – Evidence of Benjamin Leethorp in the trial of Mary Junque and Mary Smith for grand larceny, Old Bailey Criminal Court, London, England; April 4, 1779 (Hitchcock et al., 2012) Unless we are historians, the eighteenth-century world of Junque, Smith, and Leethorp is almost impossible to imagine. In stealing from Leethorp, the two women put themselves at risk not only of imprisonment but of indentured servitude in the colonies and even death. Leethorp, for his part, began his evidence by explaining to the jury how he was seeking a brothel different from the one in which he was throttled, stripped, and robbed. Junque and Smith were without benefit of legal counsel, and Smith's witnesses, unaware of the trial date, did not appear. The court condemned them to branding and a year's imprisonment in less than 500 words. The indictment, formally for a nonviolent offense, was one of hundreds of its kind that decade marked by assault, knives, and (sometimes) freely-flowing blood. In the risks they ran and the things they were ashamed of, the three are alien to us; in its casual violence, so was the society that enclosed them. Yet this world gradually, continually, evolved into one far less tolerant of violence and yet far more protective of an individual's rights – into the world, in other words, of most readers of this volume. How witnesses, victims, and defendants spoke about both facts and norms in the law courts of London shifted, decade by decade, over the course of one hundred and fifty years (Klingenstein et al., 2014). This shift in speech paralleled a similar decline in how people behaved toward each other, as the state came, increasingly, to enforce its monopoly on violence (Elias, 1982).
Abdominal Pain, Nausea, and Vomiting

A 38-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with colicky abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for the past day. She has had at least 10 episodes of green, bilious emesis without blood. She has had no passage of stool or flatus per rectum since yesterday morning and has not eaten in 24 hours due to the vomiting and abdominal pain. She denies a history of similar symptoms and has no other medical problems. Past surgical history is significant for a C-section 2 years ago. On physical examination, her temperature is 99.3 °F, heart rate is 122/min, blood pressure is 124/78 mmHg, and respiratory rate is 14/min. Her mucous membranes are dry and her abdomen is distended, with a well-healed low transverse abdominal incision. Auscultation reveals high-pitched tinkling bowel sounds. She has mild tenderness throughout the abdomen, but there is no rebound, guarding, or rigidity. No masses or hernias are identified. Rectal examination reveals normal tone, no gross blood, no masses, and no stool in the rectal vault. Laboratory examination is significant for a white blood cell count of 8.2 × 103/μL (normal 4.1–10.9 × 103/μL), hemoglobin 17 g/dL (12.3–15.7 g/dL), hematocrit 51 % (37–46 %), sodium 141 mEq/L (135–145 mEq/L), potassium 2.9 mEq/L (3.5–5.0 mEq/L), chloride 93 mmol/L (98–106 mEq/L), bicarbonate 31 mEq/L (24–30 mEq/L), BUN 30 mg/dL (7–22 mg/dL), and creatinine 1.2 mg/dL (0.56–1.0 mg/dL). Abdominal x-ray is provided in Fig. 2.1.
Bacteriological and Immunological Studies of Acute Glomerulonephritis in New Orleans

ConclusionThis limited bacteriological and immunological search for evidence of the presence or absence of the hemolytic streptococcus in a relatively southern city, where one type of probable hemolytic streptococcus disease (glomerulonephritis) is present in “normal” amount and other types are decreased has shown that the hemolytic streptococcus can be cultivated from the throats of a majority of individuals with acute nephritis. It has been possible to demonstrate normal carriers for the hemolytic streptococcus. Furthermore, antibody active against the soluble streptolysin (hemo-toxin) of S. kemolyticus was increased in cases of acute glomerulo-nephritis. There also was the same degree of skin reactivity to the nucleoprotein of the hemolytic streptococcus in the South as in New York. These bacteriological and immunological findings therefore substantiate the clinical data already reported and give still further evidence that acute glomerulonephritis in the South as in the North is usually the result of ...
An Ectoparasitic Survey of Mammals from Lavaca County, Texas

Maxcy (1926) first noted that rats and mice might be the reservoir of endemic typhus, and that fleas, mites, or ticks, were probable transmitters of the disease in the United States. Since that time, many investigators have recovered the rickettsiae of typhus fever from rats and their fleas. Dyar, Rumreich, and Badger (1931) first demonstrated the natural infection of the rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild) and Leptopsylla segnis (Schonheer) with endemic typhus. The fleas were taken from rats trapped in Baltimore, Md., and Savannah, Ga. Brigham (1941) reported the recovery of endemic typhus fever rickettsiae from naturally infected chicken fleas. Alicata (1942) obtained experimental transmission of the typhus rickettsiae from rat to rat with the sticktight flea, Echidnophaga gallinacean (Westwood). Dove and Shelmire (1932) reported the laboratory transmission of endemic typhus from guinea pig to guinea pig through the bites of tropical rat mites, Liponyssus bacoti (Hirst). Mooser, Zinsner, and Castaneda, working in Mexico City in 1930, obtained transmission from rat to rat by the rat louse, Polyplax spinulosa (Burmeister).
Evidence for a cysteine-mediated mechanism of excitation energy regulation in a photosynthetic antenna complex

Light-harvesting antenna complexes not only aid in the capture of solar energy for photosynthesis, but regulate the quantity of transferred energy as well. Light-harvesting regulation is important for protecting reaction center complexes from overexcitation, generation of reactive oxygen species, and metabolic overload. Usually, this regulation is controlled by the association of light-harvesting antennas with accessory quenchers such as carotenoids. One antenna complex, the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) antenna protein from green sulfur bacteria, completely lacks carotenoids and other known accessory quenchers. Nonetheless, the FMO protein is able to quench energy transfer in aerobic conditions effectively, indicating a previously unidentified type of regulatory mechanism. Through de novo sequencing MS, chemical modification, and mutagenesis, we have pinpointed the source of the quenching action to cysteine residues (Cys49 and Cys353) situated near two low-energy bacteriochlorophylls in the FMO protein from Chlorobaculum tepidum Removal of these cysteines (particularly removal of the completely conserved Cys353) through N-ethylmaleimide modification or mutagenesis to alanine abolishes the aerobic quenching effect. Electrochemical analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra suggest that in aerobic conditions the cysteine thiols are converted to thiyl radicals which then are capable of quenching bacteriochlorophyll excited states through electron transfer photochemistry. This simple mechanism has implications for the design of bio-inspired light-harvesting antennas and the redesign of natural photosynthetic systems.
Localization Considerations in Persistent Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Persistent and recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism presents several diagnostic considerations including an ectopic parathyroid adenoma, parathyroid carcinoma, multigland parathyroid disease, and familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. When considering surgery for persistent or recurrent disease, it is crucial to utilize an experienced parathyroid surgeon given the increased cost and complications compared to the initial surgery. Prior to reoperation, preoperative localization is important and often requires a combination of studies including a parathyroid scan, neck ultrasound, four-dimensional computed tomography, fine-needle aspiration of suspected parathyroid lesions with parathyroid hormone (PTH) washout, and selective PTH venous sampling.
A behavioural game theory perspective on the collaboration between innovative and entrepreneurial firms

From a behavioural game theory perspective, we characterise the strategic interactions between a smaller innovative firm and a larger entrepreneurial firm as they try to form a strategic alliance to commercialise a technological invention. If the innovative firm is not too overconfident and the entrepreneurial firm is not too complacent, it is likely that the game is similar to the stag hunt game with two Nash equilibria. However, in addition to securing the funds needed to commercialise the invention, both firms need to contribute sufficient and complementary efforts when they choose to cooperate. The larger entrepreneurial firm can also expedite the commercialisation process if it chooses the cooperative strategy first and takes the initiative to offer financial and entrepreneurial assistance to the smaller innovative firm.
Navy Real-Time Signal Processor Development: Second Generation Planned Service Standard

Planned growth in the coming decade of Navy combat systems will generate signal processing performance requirements that far exceed the capability of the current Navy standard signal processor. There is a further need to improve the programming environment of Navy standard signal processors to increase programmer productivity. The Navy has initiated development of a second generation standard signal processor, the Enhanced Modular Signal Processor (EMSP), nomenclatured as the AN/UYS-2. This paper describes the Navy program to develop the EMSP as a multi-processor signal processing system. The approach to specifying system performance and programming environment along with an acquisition approach meant to encourage vigorous competition for the engineering development contract award is discussed. The commodity management concept for EMSP's in-service lifetime involves interface management within the system and controlled technology infusion. This important plan to stay abreast of technology and to meet user community requirements for product stability is described.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mongolian Mountains Matter Most: Impacts of the Latitude and Height of Asian Orography on Pacific Wintertime Atmospheric Circulation

AbstractThe impacts of Asian orography on the wintertime atmospheric circulation over the Pacific are explored using altered-orography, semi-idealized, general circulation model experiments. The latitude of orography is found to be far more important than height. The Mongolian Plateau and nearby mountain ranges, centered at ~48°N, have an impact on the upper-level wintertime jet stream that is approximately 4 times greater than that of the larger and taller Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas to the south. Key contributing factors to the importance of the Mongolian mountains are latitudinal variations in the meridional potential vorticity gradient and the strength of the impinging wind—both of which determine the amplitude of the atmospheric response—and the structure of the atmosphere, which influences the spatial pattern of the downstream response. Interestingly, while the Mongolian mountains produce a larger response than the Tibetan Plateau in Northern Hemisphere winter, in April–June the response from the ...
Optimal Motivation for Talent Development

The main goal of this paper is to conceptualize a theory of optimal motivation for talent development. According to this theory, a lack of motivation can seriously undermine talent development. Opt...
Whole-Genome Sequencing and Concordance Between Antimicrobial Susceptibility Genotypes and Phenotypes of Bacterial Isolates Associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease

Extended laboratory culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing timelines hinder rapid species identification and susceptibility profiling of bacterial pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease, the most prevalent cause of cattle mortality in the United States. Whole-genome sequencing offers a culture-independent alternative to current bacterial identification methods, but requires a library of bacterial reference genomes for comparison. To contribute new bacterial genome assemblies and evaluate genetic diversity and variation in antimicrobial resistance genotypes, whole-genome sequencing was performed on bovine respiratory disease-associated bacterial isolates (Histophilus somni, Mycoplasma bovis, Mannheimia haemolytica, and Pasteurella multocida) from dairy and beef cattle. One hundred genomically distinct assemblies were added to the NCBI database, doubling the available genomic sequences for these four species. Computer-based methods identified 11 predicted antimicrobial resistance genes in three species, with none being detected in M. bovis While computer-based analysis can identify antibiotic resistance genes within whole-genome sequences (genotype), it may not predict the actual antimicrobial resistance observed in a living organism (phenotype). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing on 64 H. somni, M. haemolytica, and P. multocida isolates had an overall concordance rate between genotype and phenotypic resistance to the associated class of antimicrobials of 72.7% (P < 0.001), showing substantial discordance. Concordance rates varied greatly among different antimicrobial, antibiotic resistance gene, and bacterial species combinations. This suggests that antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes are needed to complement genomically predicted antibiotic resistance gene genotypes to better understand how the presence of antibiotic resistance genes within a given bacterial species could potentially impact optimal bovine respiratory disease treatment and morbidity/mortality outcomes.
Doing your own thing

The spirit of collaboration in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Scotland served as a model for being creative in science, as Fraser Stoddart explains, recounting his journey to Stockholm.
Recent Developments on the Biochemistry of Methanogenesis from Acetate

Athough acetate is the major precursor for methanogenesis in nature, biochemical studies on this pathway have lagged behind studies on the pathway of carbon dioxide reduction to methane. In 1955, it was demonstrated that the methyl group of acetate is metabolized intact to methane by mixed cultures [17]. Research was stimulated 23 years later when Mah et al. [12] showed that Methanosarcina barkeri utilizes acetate as a sole growth substrate and produces methane at rates comparable to that observed in nature. Methods for large-scale culture of these slow growing organisms have been improved by use of the pH auxostat which delivers the large amounts of acetic acid required for growth while maintaining a constant pH [21]. Methanogenesis from acetate in cell exracts [1, 9] is an important development. Coenzyme M was shown to be a methyl carrier in the pathway by demonstrating deuterated methyl coenzyme M in Methanosarcina thermophila cells utilizing deuterated methyl acetate for methanogenesis [11]. Recently, the involvement of coenzyme M was also demonstrated in Methanosarcina barkeri using 14C-methyl labelled acetate [6]. The terminal step in methanogenesis from acetate is the reductive demethylation of methyl coenzyme M [6, 14]; thus, a common mechanism exists for the terminal step in methanogenesis from all known substrates. However, the mechanism of acetate cleavage and the steps leading to methyl coenzyme M in acetotrophic methanogens are unknown.
Sources of uncertainty for near-field antenna measurements

We discuss the sources of uncertainty in near-field antenna measurements and their impact on far-field antenna parameters. The methods of estimating these uncertainties can be considered in three broad categories: theoretical estimation (analytical), computer simulation (assuming a numerical form for the error) and measurement (changing the measurement system in a systematic way). (3 pages)
Dynamic Level Selection for Full Range ZVS in Flying Capacitor Multi-Level Converters

This paper presents a control technique for flying capacitor multi-level (FCML) converters to achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS) across the full range of duty cycles, with application in high power density and high efficiency power converters. Previous works have used variable frequency control to enable ZVS at specific duty cycles in FCML converters, but have not been able to use these methods to allow ZVS across the full range. This work uses dynamic level selection and variable frequency control to increase inductor current ripple at duty cycle ranges for which ZVS was previously unattainable. An experimental 5-level FCML prototype has been built using GaN devices on a single-sided PCB to demonstrate this control technique. We demonstrate 4-level and 5-level operation with ZVS at duty cycles that are not possible with 5-level operation alone, as well as a dynamic level transition with active capacitor voltage balancing.
The Prevalence and Impact of Sleep Disturbance on Patients with Primary Brain Tumors (S23.007)

Objective: Describe the frequency of sleep disturbances in patients with brain tumors (BT), explore their clinical impact, and determine risk factors for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Background: The quantity and quality of sleep has been linked to overall health and cancer outcomes. BT patients are uniquely at risk for sleep dysfunction given tumor location, corticosteroid use, chemotherapy, and potential post-treatment cognitive and hormonal dysfunction. Design/Methods: BT patients from the Wake Forest Neuro-Oncology clinic were prospectively enrolled in an IRB-approved cross-sectional study. Endpoints included EDS (by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESS), health-related quality of life (HRQOL, by EQ-5D), and sleep behaviors/stressors/attitudes (measured by MySleepScripts e-Application which draws from validated sleep instruments including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI). Results: Fifty patients and thirty-five matched caregivers were enrolled; mean patient age 60±16 years; 80% with astrocytoma, 16% with oligodendroglioma; 42% on corticosteroids. EDS (ESS>10) was present in 46% (general population age-adjusted rate is 12%); 16% had abnormally low ESS suggesting insomnia. Patient and caregiver ESS correlated strongly (r=0.56, p Patients with EDS were more likely to report poorer sleep quality (p=0.05), and greater impairment in HRQOL including daily activities (p Conclusions: Sleep disturbances are three-times more common in BT patients than healthy adults and are associated with poorer HRQOL. Prior chemotherapy and underlying tumor grade may explain high frequencies of sleep disturbance, potentially by promoting abnormal sleep behaviors (e.g. nighttime awakenings, treatment-associated fatigue, nocturia). Study Supported by: We would like to thank and acknowledge the CTSI: Laura Scales Cancer Research Fund for support of this study. Disclosure: Dr. Garg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hsu has nothing to disclose. Dr Salas has nothing to disclose. Dr Gamaldo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dziedzic has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lesser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Strowd has nothing to disclose.
In Strategy Simulations, Data Analysis Matters Most (More Than Number of Log Ins and More Than Time Spent Logged In):

Background. This data study examined the predictive power of student login activities (frequency, duration, opening reports) on simulation performance (seven Assurance of Learning scores), using Gl...
THU0664 Treatment adherence to conventional and biologic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background While treatment with conventional or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is highly effective in preventing radiographic progression and improving long-term functional outcome among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patient adherence to DMARD treatment is required for these positive effects. Suboptimal medication adherence has been repeatedly noted in patients with chronic medical conditions including RA. Objectives To examine patient adherence to different DMARDs for RA in a real-world setting. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study using claims data from a US commercial health plan (Optum ClinformaticsTM Datamart 2004–2015) and Medicaid (2000–2010). Eligible patients were those aged between 18 and 65 years and had at least two visits, 7–365 days apart, coded for RA (ICD-9: 714.xx). We then identified patients who newly started a conventional or biologic DMARD. The index date was the first dispensing date of conventional or biologic DMARDs after a 12 month continuous enrollment period. We examined patient demographics, clinical characteristics and health care utilisation factors specific to DMARDs types and their adherence to conventional or biologic DMARDs. All patients were required to be continuously enrolled for at least 1 year after the index date. Patients’ adherence to each DMARD was measured using the proportion of days covered (PDC) calculated as the number of days suppled divided by 365 days post-index. Results We identified a total of 77,999 RA patients (37 018 in Optum and 40 981 in Medicaid) who started a conventional or biologic DMARD. Of those, 28 332 initiated methotrexate, 27 157 hydroxychloroquine, 6505 sulfasalazine, 2773 leflunomide and 19 381 biologic DMARDs. Table 1 shows patients’ adherence specific to DMARD types. Overall, adherence was better in patients enrolled in Optum (i.e., a commercial health plan) than Medicaid. Except for infliximab given only intravenously, the PDC for the 1 year after initiating a conventional or biologic DMARD ranged from 30.99% (sulfasalazine in Medicaid) to 60.84% (abatacept in Optum). Conclusions In this large population-based cohort of RA patients enrolled in a commercial health plan or Medicaid, the 1 year medication adherence is generally low regardless of type of DMARDs. While adherence is better in the commercial health plan cohort than Medicaid, other factors predicting medication adherence need to be determined further. There is a strong need for future research examining the impact of medication adherence on long-term RA-related clinical outcomes. Disclosure of Interest C. Feldman: None declared, J. Lii: None declared, C. Gopalakrishnan: None declared, J. Franklin: None declared, S. Kim Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche
Abstract WP249: Illicit Drug Use and Cerebral Microbleeds in Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack Patients

Author Disclosures: B. Petrie: None. H. Lau: None. F. Cajiga-Pena: None. S. Abbas: None. B. Finn: None. K. Dam: None. A. Cervantes-Arslanian: None. T.N. Nguyen: None. H. Aparicio: None. D. Greer: None. J.R. Romero: Speakers' Bureau; Modest; Received speaker honoraria from Ferrer Group.
Clinical Skills Simulation Complementing Core Content: Development of the Simulation Lab Integrated Curriculum Experience (SLICE).

Simulation is emerging as an essential component of the medical school curriculum. Simulation Lab Integrated Curriculum Experience (SLICE) is a student-organized program at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine (UNC SOM) for medical students that provides skills-based training sessions to augment didactic learning experiences. During its pilot year, SLICE conducted five events with respondents completing pre-and post-surveys evaluating participants’ level of comfort with procedures. There was a significant increase in self-reported confidence after each session, with students providing overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding SLICE’s ability to contextualize material presented in traditional lectures.
Mothers’ Ways of Knowing: An Exploratory Study of Abused Mothers’ Perceptions of Their Adolescent Sons’ Reactions to Partner Abuse

ABSTRACTThis study sought to understand abused mothers’ perceptions of how their adolescent sons (ages 13–17) have been affected by intimate partner violence in the home. In-depth interviews with 1...
Neurocognitive and Muscular Capacities Are Associated with Frailty in Adults with Cirrhosis

Frailty is common in cirrhosis and associated with mortality, hospitalization, and reduced quality of life. Interventions aimed at forestalling frailty are limited by a lack of understanding of underlying physiologic deficits. This study’s aim was to examine contributions of discrete sensorimotor and neurocognitive capacities to conventional frailty measures of unipedal stance time, chair stands, and grip strength. This cross-sectional study enrolled 119 outpatients with cirrhosis (50% female, aged 62.9 ± 7.3 years). Capacities included sensory (lower limb sensation and visual contrast), neurocognitive (Number Connection Tests A and B, simple and recognition reaction time), and muscular (hip/core strength determined by lateral plank time (LPT)). Bivariate analyses and linear regression models were performed to identify significant contributors to each frailty measure. The average performance was 9.8 ± 3.9 chair stands, 12.7 s ±9.9 unipedal stance time, and 60.3 ± 25.6 lb grip strength. In multivariate models, factors explained 40% of variance in unipedal stance and 43% of variance in chair stands. The LPT was most strongly associated with unipedal stance and chair stands. Grip strength was associated with LPT, but did not have physiologic predictors. Clinically useful measures of frailty in adults with cirrhosis can be explained by disease severity but also deficits in strength and neurocognitive function. Recognition reaction time, a novel measure in cirrhosis, had a significant contribution to frailty. These findings have implications for frailty assessment and suggest that the optimal rehabilitation approach to frailty targets neurocognitive function in addition to strengthening.
A novel approach towards computing global maps for multi-robotic operations in tactical environments

During multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) tasks, a team of robot agents must efficiently synthesize a global map from individual local maps. One method to accomplish this is reserving a subset of robots to perform data fusion and assigning the others to collect and generate local maps. While this solves, the division of labor problem, it requires humans to explicitly designate which robots handle what tasks and it does not scale well to large teams. Moreover, when robots are operating in tactical environments, they may be placed on a heterogeneous team, with limited or unreliable communication infrastructure. To assist with the task of role assignment, we describe a novel decentralized message passing algorithm, for what we are calling Distributed Leader Consensus (DLC). DLC helps a set of agents self-organize into structured groups by giving them the ability to autonomously come to a consensus on the group leader. Our approach is entirely distributed, easily configurable, and is robust to agents being dynamically added to or removed from the system. DLC may be configured to limit group sizes, assign multiple leaders, and select leaders based on computational power and/or physical proximity. We test our approach in simulation by having a set of agents adapt to changing teammate availability.
Epigenetics: A New Frontier in Probiotic Research

Research into the benefits of probiotics has progressed beyond interventional studies to identifying the underlying molecular mechanisms. Health-promoting effector molecules produced by probiotics are well documented and have been linked to specific genes and even individual nucleotides. However, the factors controlling the expression of these molecules are poorly understood and we argue that epigenetic influences likely play an important role in mediating the health-promoting attributes of probiotics. Here, we review established epigenetic regulation of important microbial genetic systems involved in health promotion, safety, and industrialization to provide evidence that the same regulation occurs in probiotic organisms. We advocate for studies combining genomic and meta-epigenomic data to better understand the mode of action of probiotics, their associated microbiomes, and their effects on consumers.
Patterns and Impact of Electronic Health Records-Defined Depression Phenotypes in Spine Surgery.

BACKGROUND Preoperative depression is a risk factor for poor outcomes after spine surgery. OBJECTIVE To understand effects of depression on spine surgery outcomes and healthcare resource utilization. METHODS Using IBM's MarketScan Database, we identified 52 480 patients who underwent spinal fusion. Retained patients were classified into 6 depression phenotype groups based on International Classification of Disease, 9th/10th Revision (ICD-9/10) codes and use/nonuse of antidepressant medications: major depressive disorder (MDD), other depression (OthDep), antidepressants for other psychiatric condition (PsychRx), antidepressants for physical (nonpsychiatric) condition (NoPsychRx), psychiatric condition only (PsychOnly), and no depression (NoDep). We analyzed baseline demographics, comorbidities, healthcare utilization/payments, and chronic opioid use. RESULTS Breakdown of groups in our cohort: MDD (15%), OthDep (12%), PsychRx (13%), NonPsychRx (15%), PsychOnly (12%), and NoDep (33%). Postsurgery: increased outpatient resource utilization, admissions, and medication refills at 1, 2, and 5 yr in the NoDep, PsychOnly, NonPsychRx, PsychRx, and OthDep groups, and highest in MDD. Postoperative opioid usage rates remained unchanged in MDD (44%) and OthDep (36%), and reduced in PsychRx (40%), NonPsychRx (31%), and PsychOnly (20%), with greatest reduction in NoDep (13%). Reoperation rates: 1 yr after index procedure, MDD, OthDep, PsychRx, NonPsychRx, and PsychOnly had more reoperations compared to NoDep, and same at 2 and 5 yr. In NoDep patients, 45% developed new depressive phenotype postsurgery. CONCLUSION EHR-defined classification allowed us to study in depth the effects of depression in spine surgery. This increased understanding of the interplay of mental health will help providers identify cohorts at risk for high complication rates, and health care utilization.
Square-Wave Stripping Voltammetry as a Real Time Detection Method for Thin Layer Chromatography

A Summary Report to The Electrochemical Society for the 1997 Joseph W. Richards Summer Research Fellowship.