cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantum dots for robust and simple assays using single particles in nanodevices.

Fluorescence microscopy, which enables the direct observation and detection of biologic materials, has become a powerful tool in biologic research. Concise evaluation, accurate quantification, and precise localization with ultimate sensitivity in the analysis of biomolecules can be achieved when single molecule microscopy is used. Classically, studies of biomolecules at the single molecule level often involve large teams of specialized biophysicists, sophisticated and finely tuned equipment, and long periods of time to record and analyze relatively few events. In the meantime, these studies also suffer from the limitations of certain organic dyes, such as photobleaching, instability, and low quantum efficiency. It is very desirable now to have fast, robust assays with single molecule sensitivity using photo-stable components readily available for routine diagnostics in clinical or scientific applications. For the sake of speed and simplicity, such assays would ideally be separation free and capable of multiplexing. The combination of nanotechnology with biology and medicine is expected to lead to major advances in molecular diagnostics, molecular biology, and therapeutics [1,2]. Nanoparticles have been recently used for the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences [3-5]. The study described by Yeh et al [6] in the current issue of the Journal represents a step toward single particle bioassays in a simple, robust, and rapid format; combining advances in several scientific fields into this one assay is a novel and promising approach. The authors took advantage of the unique optical properties of core shell semiconductor nanoparticles [quantum dots (QD)] (Figure 1, A and B), which are pioneering achievements in nanotechnology [1]. Quantum dots are nanocrystals; the term
Association Testing Strategy for Data from Dense Marker Panels

Genome wide association studies have been usually analyzed in a univariate manner. The commonly used univariate tests have one degree of freedom and assume an additive mode of inheritance. The experiment-wise significance of these univariate statistics is obtained by adjusting for multiple testing. Next generation sequencing studies, which assay 10-20 million variants, are beginning to come online. For these studies, the strategy of additive univariate testing and multiple testing adjustment is likely to result in a loss of power due to (1) the substantial multiple testing burden and (2) the possibility of a non-additive causal mode of inheritance. To reduce the power loss we propose: a new method (1) to summarize in a single statistic the strength of the association signals coming from all not-very-rare variants in a linkage disequilibrium block and (2) to incorporate, in any linkage disequilibrium block statistic, the strength of the association signals under multiple modes of inheritance. The proposed linkage disequilibrium block test consists of the sum of squares of nominally significant univariate statistics. We compare the performance of this method to the performance of existing linkage disequilibrium block/gene-based methods. Simulations show that (1) extending methods to combine testing for multiple modes of inheritance leads to substantial power gains, especially for a recessive mode of inheritance, and (2) the proposed method has a good overall performance. Based on simulation results, we provide practical advice on choosing suitable methods for applied analyses.
Labial canine talon cusp from the Early Holocene site of Gobero, central Sahara Desert, Niger

The specimen reported here presents a rare form of dental variant—a permanent, mandibular labial canine talon cusp. This anomaly has not previously been reported in the clinical or archaeological literatures and is currently unique. The affected individual is an adult male from the Early Holocene cemetery of Gobero located in the Sahara Desert in the Republic of Niger. The age of this site (ca. 9500 bp) makes this the first archaeological case of labial talon cusp from Africa and the oldest reported talon cusp of any kind (lingual or labial, maxillary or mandibular, incisor or canine) in the world. Previous case studies, population frequency data, sexual dimorphism patterns and distribution within the dentition are discussed for labial talon cusp. The morphological aetiology of talon cusps is reviewed with respect to this specimen. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanisms for reduced colloid osmotic pressure in preeclampsia

The determinants of plasma colloid osmotic pressure were studied in 32 patients with preeclampsia and their matched control subjects. Although plasma colloid osmotic pressure was significantly related to preeclampsia, its severity, and proteinuria, it was most highly correlated with an elevated fibronectin level, suggesting that endothelial injury, rather than proteinuria, is the major mechanism of reduced colloid osmotic pressure in preeclampsia.
Average consensus with weighting matrix design for quantized communication on directed switching graphs

SUMMARY We study average consensus for directed graphs with quantized communication under fixed and switching topologies. In the presence of quantization errors, conventional consensus algorithms fail to converge and may suffer from an unbounded asymptotic mean square error. We develop robust consensus algorithms to reduce the effect of quantization. Specifically, we introduce a robust weighting matrix design and use the H1 performance index to measure the sensitivity from the quantization error to the consensus deviation. Linear matrix inequalities are used as design tools. The mean square deviation is proven to converge and its upper bound is explicitly given in the case of fixed topology with probabilistic quantization. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
My complete works and more

PREFACE As we approach our last quarter of a century, some of us who might by some extension of the word be called writers may be swept away by a desire to summarize. This is my shot at writing a summary. By what standard am I a writer? When I was a little boy in the East Bronx, people would point with great respect to rather ragged men, often with flapping overcoats and scarred shoes and usually with cracked plastic briefcases, and say Ehr ist epes a schreiber! (He is really a writer!) [I don’t quite meet the physical picture. My shoes and briefcase are real leather.] I decided a half-century later that one book did not a schreiber make – everyone has one book in them. Two books is getting closer. Three books defined writer status. Four books or one bestseller was the mark of a hack or a sell-out! I have written three books, two of which are in print. The one that is out of print contributed to my academic advancement nicely. None were bestsellers. This paper consists of reports of events, people, and conversations that I feel taught me important things. I will not attempt to organize them into a formal autobiography. Autobiographies by persons whose works and thoughts are famous can be fascinating, but usually are not. Run-of-themill septagenarians have lived through exciting decades without doing or learning much of general interest. Knowledge does not necessarily provide wisdom, nor does it enforce correct beliefs. Wisdom gained from experience depends as strongly on the person as on the experience itself.
Ozone-Induced Injury and Oxidative Stress in Bronchiolar Epithelium Are Associated With Altered Pulmonary Mechanics

In these studies, we analyzed the effects of ozone on bronchiolar epithelium. Exposure of rats to ozone (2 ppm, 3 h) resulted in rapid (within 3 h) and persistent (up to 72 h) histological changes in the bronchiolar epithelium, including hypercellularity, loss of cilia, and necrotizing bronchiolitis. Perivascular edema and vascular congestion were also evident, along with a decrease in Clara cell secretory protein in bronchoalveolar lavage, which was maximal 24 h post-exposure. Ozone also induced the appearance of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, Ym1, and heme oxygenase-1 in the bronchiolar epithelium. This was associated with increased expression of cleaved caspase-9 and beclin-1, indicating initiation of apoptosis and autophagy. A rapid and persistent increase in galectin-3, a regulator of epithelial cell apoptosis, was also observed. Following ozone exposure (3-24 h), increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and arginase-1 was noted in bronchiolar epithelium. Ozone-induced injury and oxidative stress in bronchiolar epithelium were linked to methacholine-induced alterations in pulmonary mechanics. Thus, significant increases in lung resistance and elastance, along with decreases in lung compliance and end tidal volume, were observed at higher doses of methacholine. This indicates that ozone causes an increase in effective stiffness of the lung as a consequence of changes in the conducting airways. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that bronchiolar epithelium is highly susceptible to injury and oxidative stress induced by acute exposure to ozone; moreover, this is accompanied by altered lung functioning.
Transient Dynamic Response Optimization of Truss Structures Based on Two Sparse Simultaneous Formulations

Sparse simultaneous formulations for transient dynamic response optimization of structures are proposed and analyzed. As a demonstration, optimal design of trusses is considered. The basic idea of the formulations is to treat the time histories of various state variables as independent variables (in addition to the real design variables) in the optimization process; i.e., nodal displacements and element stresses. This is an extension of the simultaneous analysis and design (SAND) approach used for optimization of structures subjected to static loads. Two formulations are presented and evaluated, and their sparsity and storage features are studied. Since the problem functions are explicit in terms of the variables, their gradients can be calculated quite easily. Since the optimization problem is quite large; i.e., the numbers of variables and constraints are large. However, gradients of the functions and Hessian of the Lagrangian are quite sparsely populated. Therefore, this structure of the problem can be exploited and optimization algorithms with sparse matrix capability can be used. Advantages and disadvantages of the formulations are discussed.
Neuroinflammation modulates distinct regional and temporal clinical responses in ALS mice

An inflammatory response is a pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a relentless and devastating degenerative disease of motoneurons. This response is not simply a late consequence of motoneuron degeneration, but actively contributes to the balance between neuroprotection and neurotoxicity; initially infiltrating lymphocytes and microglia slow disease progression, while later, they contribute to the acceleration of disease. Since motor weakness begins in the hindlimbs of ALS mice and only later involves the forelimbs, we determined whether differential protective versus injurious inflammatory responses in the cervical and lumbar spinal cords explained the temporally distinct clinical disease courses between the limbs of these mice. Densitometric evaluation of immunohistochemical sections and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) demonstrated that CD68 and CD11c were differentially increased in their spinals cords. qRT-PCR revealed that protective and anti-inflammatory factors, including BDNF, GDNF, and IL-4, were increased in the cervical region compared with the lumbar region. In contrast, the toxic markers TNF-α, IL-1β and NOX2 were not different between ALS mice cervical and lumbar regions. T lymphocytes were observed infiltrating lumbar spinal cords of ALS mice prior to the cervical region; mRNA levels of the transcription factor gata-3 (Th2 response) were differentially elevated in the cervical cord of ALS mice whereas t-bet (Th1 response) was increased in the lumbar cord. These results reinforce the important balance between specific protective/injurious inflammatory immune responses in modulating clinical outcomes and suggest that the delayed forelimb motor weakness in ALS mice is partially explained by augmented protective responses in the cervical spinal cords.
A Selected Bibliography on Regionalism and Regional Arrangements

The development of regional organizations and collective defense arrangements of a regional nature has been one of the principal features of international relations since 1945. The literature on the subject has already become voluminous. This bibliography is designed to provide a key to some of the principal writings on the subject found in the more generally available periodicals and other sources in the English and French languages. An effort has been made to index the basic documents establishing the different regional arrangements together with materials giving reliable summaries of what has been done in each area and throwing light on organizational and political issues.
Expert System for Design integration—Application to the Total Design of Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

(1987). Expert System for Design integration—Application to the Total Design of Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers. Heat Transfer Engineering: Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 84-89.
Proactive Routing for Congestion Avoidance in Network Recovery under Single-Link Failures

Routing schemes for network recovery aim to find connection paths under the scenarios of link or node failures that disrupt end-to-end connectivity. Several recovery schemes consider a proactive search for alternative links (or paths) that can restore the lost connectivity after the failure. However, the effect that the modification of network traffic after the switch over the alternative paths brings can undermine the objective of these schemes as links can become overloaded. This effect can cause temporary instability, requiring a new selection of paths and interrupt communications. This new search would defeat the purpose of pro-actively disposing of alternative paths. To address this issue, this paper proposes an on-demand and proactive routing approach, where the demand is based on providing new paths for existing network traffic while avoiding link congestion. Because some links may get congested in an attempt to accommodate re-routed flows in a recovery tree, on-demand routing is based on the selection of paths according to the existing traffic load in the failed link and the available bandwidth in the alternative links. This approach produces one or multiple-paths from source nodes to destination nodes to satisfy network load requirements and to avoid interruptions produce by route oscillations. The proposed scheme can create as many trees as needed to satisfy traffic flowing.
Hessian‐based model reduction: large‐scale inversion and prediction

SUMMARY Hessian-based model reduction was previously proposed as an approach in deriving reduced models for the solution of large-scale linear inverse problems by targeting accuracy in observation outputs. A control-theoretic view of Hessian-based model reduction that hinges on the equality between the Hessian and the transient observability gramian of the underlying linear system is presented. The model reduction strategy is applied to a large-scale (O(106) degrees of freedom) three-dimensional contaminant transport problem in an urban environment, an application that requires real-time computation. In addition to the inversion accuracy, the ability of reduced models of varying dimension to make predictions of the contaminant evolution beyond the time horizon of observations is studied. Results indicate that the reduced models have a factor O(1000) speedup in computing time for the same level of accuracy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
42.3: The Electrode Green Sheet of Patterning Bus Electrodes for AC‐PDPs

Patterning of Bus Electrode is one of the very important processes for making PDP. In this work, Electrode Green Sheet(EGS) was prepared by casting of incorporating binder polymer, solvent, multi-functional monomers, photo-initiator, and silver powder(or black powder). EGS have merits low linear resistance, pattern uniformity, and fine pattern realization. Therefore, EGS process is suitable, especially in large size(over 60 inch) and high resolution(XGA grade, Full HD) PDP.
Impact of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy on Treatment Delivery in Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

The authors found that oncologists limited the dosing of chemotherapy because of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy events in a significant proportion of paclitaxel recipients, most frequently in those who received a weekly regimen.
Adaptive and lazy segmentation based proxy caching for streaming media delivery

Streaming media objects are often cached in segments. Previous segment-based caching strategies cache segments with constant or exponentially increasing lengths and typically favor caching the beginning segments of media objects. However, these strategies typically do not consider the fact that most accesses are targeted toward a few popular objects. In this paper, we argue that neither the use of a predefined segment length nor the favorable caching of the beginning segments is the best caching strategy for reducing network traffic. We propose an adaptive and lazy segmentation based caching mechanism by delaying the segmentation as late as possible and determining the segment length based on the client access behaviors in real time. In addition, the admission and eviction of segments are carried out adaptively based on an accurate utility function. The proposed method is evaluated by simulations using traces including one from actual enterprise server logs. Simulation results indicate that our proposed method achieves a 30% reduction in network traffic. The utility functions of the replacement policy are also evaluated with different variations to show its accuracy.
Trends of forest inventory data in Alabama, USA, during the last seven decades.

Summary Long-term time series of forest inventory information at a local scale could provide information about trends in local forest resource changes and be useful for testing some hypotheses about forestry development. Based on forest inventory data and related human population information in Alabama’s 67 counties for the past seven decades, the trend of forest resource change (e.g. area and resource composition) for Alabama was characterized as well as the complicated relationship between human population and commercial forest land at county level. These results indicate that (1) only two counties had increased human population and decreased commercial forest area, (2) commercial forest coverage increased in counties with a relatively poor economy and (3) counties with more commercial forest coverage had fewer roads. Therefore, long-term forest inventory information and other related data could uncover emergent trends of changing Alabama forest resources and may be helpful for local forest resource management and development.
The relationship between pigmentation and reproduction in two species of Diaptomus (Copepoda)1

Adult Diaptomus sics as predation pressure on the populations increases, the timing of pigmentation maxima contracts to the period of reproduction.
Town and Gown: The Negative Externality of a University on Housing Prices

This study of the City of Whitewater housing market analyzes the impact of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus on single-family home values from 2000 through 2011. The study utilizes geos...
Field-Scale Unsaturated Hydraulic Properties of Compacted and Uncompacted Earthen Covers

Unsaturated hydraulic properties influence the field hydrology of engineered earthen covers. Field measured hydraulic properties of soils are recommended because they closely represent the field structure of the soil. This paper presents unsaturated hydraulic properties of two field scale test sections, composed of compacted vs. uncompacted clay. The unsaturated hydraulic properties were estimated using continuous measurements of water contents and matric suctions. The water contents and matric suctions were measured by sensors installed in the field test sections. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivities were estimated using the instantaneous profile method. The water content versus suction relationships for the two test sections showed significant differences at low suctions and the relationships were similar at higher suctions. The only difference between the test sections was the compaction state. The compacted clay test section had higher dry unit weight than the uncompacted clay test section. The uncompacted clay had greater volume of interclod voids (macropores). The differences in water content versus suction relationships at low suction could be because of macropores which empty out first and fill up last under unsaturated condition. At higher suctions, the relationships were similar because the flow is controlled by the micropores which existed in both test sections.
In situ analysis of the relationship between cure kinetics and the mechanical modulus of an epoxy resin

The cure kinetics of epoxy cured with an amine hardener is investigated using a combination of light scattering techniques. Concurrent Raman and Brillouin scattering are used to monitor the formation of epoxy networks over time in terms of both the structural connectivity of the network and the evolution of chemical bonding configurations. The relationship between the elastic properties of the network and the degree of cure was found to depend on the cure temperature and the resin–hardener stoichiometry. A numerical model was created to determine the degree of cure and elastic modulus as a function of time and cure conditions. Accordingly, the modulus of the epoxy comprises two contributions: one directly related to the concentration of covalent bonds that form and another one due to nonbonding interactions that arise as the network relaxes into an optimally packed configuration.
Columnar Liquid Crystallinity and Mechanochromism in Cationic Platinum(II) Complexes

Cationic square planar Pt(II) complexes are reported with high degrees of intermolecular association. These complexes display thermotropic columnar liquid crystalline behavior in spite of having only a single side chain. Crystals undergo mechanochromic transformations that can be reversed with solvent.
Synthesis and Characterization of Cyclic Brush-Like Polymers by N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Mediated Zwitterionic Polymerization of N-Propargyl N-Carboxyanhydride and the Grafting-to Approach

Cyclic brush-like polymers were synthesized by tandem organo-mediated zwitterionic polymerization and a grafting-to approach. The cyclic polymer backbone, consisting of poly(N-propargylglycine) (c-PNPG), was synthesized by an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-mediated zwitterionic ring-opening polymerization of N-propargyl N-carboxyanhydride. The polymerization proceeds in a quasi-living manner, allowing access to c-PNPG of well-defined chain length. The cyclic architecture of the polymers was verified by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and mass spectroscopy (MS), as well as scanning probe characterization. Poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized with azido end-groups was subsequently grafted onto the c-PNPG by the copper-mediated azide/alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The side chain grafting density was determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy and SEC analysis. The grafting efficiency is low (<19%) when the cyclic backbone is comprised of a c-PNPG homopolymer. The efficiency can be significantly improved (up ...
The armamentarium to battle the recalcitrant nasolabial fold.

Variation in the clinical display of the nasolabial crease, age at which it becomes troublesome to the patient, and economic capability of the affected patient have mandated the evolution of different techniques to improve or eliminate the unyielding nasolabial fold. Fat, collagen, and silicone have been injected into the nasolabial crease in an attempt to eliminate deep furrowing. Other surgeons have used polytetrafluoroethy-lene implants for the same purpose. This article provides information concerning the logical surgical procedures preferred by the author to eradicate this condition, including fat injection, direct excision, and dermal grafts, either performed alone or in conjunction with a rhytidectomy.
Pathology of primary congenital complete heart block.

Studies were done on the hearts of 4 infants and 2 adults with the clinical diagnosis of congenital complete heart block (CCHB) and on the hearts of 6 control patients of similar age groups but without any significant arrhythmia. All 6 patients with CCHB had absence of the fibers [approaches to atrioventricular node (AVN)] connecting the atrium and the AVN and common bundle (CB), as well as having partial or complete absence of the AVN. The mothers of 2 of the 4 infants with CCHB had antibodies to Ro antigen, and one mother (with Ro antibody) had evidence of having had active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). One infant developed SLE before the age of 1 yr. In one of the 2 adult cases with CCHB, the patient had evidence of having developed his CHB after birth, and the other adult patient probably had his CCHB since birth. It was suggested that these findings--and others in the literature--could be explained by there being two factors that lead to the occurrence of idiopathic heart block, whether it be truly congenital or acquired later in life: (a) a genetic predisposition to the condition together with (b) a precipitating injury. Thus, a patient with a genetic predisposition to insults to his conducting fibers might develop CCHB in utero due to some insult (e.g., due to damage by circulating anti-DNA antibodies in patients with SLE or by other unknown insults); or the "weak" fibers could be affected later in life by many different injuries--whether viral, hypersensitivity, anoxic, or due to aging.
Graphic Novels: What Elementary Teachers Think about Their Instructional Value.

Survey methods were employed to learn more about teachers’ attitudes toward graphic novels and how graphic novels are used in their classrooms. Questions explored participants’ attitudes and actual...
Une Logistique Pour L’an 2000

De l’experience d’hier A la realite d’aujourd’hui Aux perspectives de demain L’evolution de la fonction logistique face aux necessites de l’entreprise et a son adaptation aux nouveaux besoins de celle-ci.
Association of disease progression on ibrutinib therapy with the acquisition of resistance mutations: A single-center experience of 267 patients.

7010 Background: The Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib (I) is very effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with progression free survival of 76% at 26 months (mo) for patients (pts) with relapsed disease (Byrd J et al, NEJM 2013). We evaluated pts treated with I to explore features associated with progressive disease (PD) and subsequent outcomes. Methods: 267 pts from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center participating in 3 previously reported Institutional Review Board approved trials of I were included; 196 pts received single agent I and 71 received I plus ofatumumab. A subset of pts with PD had Ion Torrent deep sequencing (DS) performed on peripheral blood at baseline and relapse. Results: With a median follow-up of 16 mo (<1 mo-42 mo), 201 pts remain on I, and 66 have discontinued due to PD (24), infection (22), toxicity (8), transplant (4), or other (8). PD includes Richter’s transformation (RT; n=16) or progressive CLL(n=8). RT tended to occur early, with 1...
A Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging System for Monitoring Wound Healing Post Amputation

We have developed a near-infrared, MR, hyperspectral imaging system, and utilized it to help clinicians monitor the recovery of lower limb amputations toward reducing the risk of amputation failure. The system illuminates the amputation area with a cold broadband light source, collects a series of spectroscopic images that are deconvoluted using chemometric methods for imaging the spatial distribution of inherent chromophores. The resulting images indicate chemical changes within the deeper larger blood vessels supplying blood flow to the skin for visualizing areas of inadequate blood flow prior to visible changes in-vivo, non- invasively, and without the use of contrast dye injection.
Broca's Area

Broca's area is critical for language output. Paul Broca reported severe expressive language impairments in two patients who had a lesion in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Broca's area is now defined in the IFG, specifically the pars opercularis and pars triangularis (Brodmann's areas 44 and 45). Language, and thus Broca's area, is strongly lateralized (both anatomically and functionally).
Cardiovascular and Ventilatory Consequences of Laparoscopic Surgery

Although laparoscopic surgery accounts for >2 million surgical procedures every year, the current preoperative risk scores and guidelines do not adequately assess the risks of laparoscopy. In general, laparoscopic procedures have a lower risk of morbidity and mortality compared with operations requiring a midline laparotomy. During laparoscopic surgery, carbon dioxide insufflation may produce significant hemodynamic and ventilatory consequences such as increased intraabdominal pressure and hypercarbia. Hemodynamic insults secondary to increased intraabdominal pressure include increased afterload and preload and decreased cardiac output, whereas ventilatory consequences include increased airway pressures, hypercarbia, and decreased pulmonary compliance. Hemodynamic effects are accentuated in patients with cardiovascular disease such as congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and congenital heart disease. Prevention of cardiovascular complications may be accomplished through a sound understanding of the hemodynamic and physiological consequences of laparoscopic surgery as well as a defined operative plan generated by a multidisciplinary team involving the preoperative consultant, anesthesiologist, and surgeon.
A CFD-Based Model for Predicting Shear-Induced DNA Breakage in Mix Tanks

Abstract A new approach to modeling the degradation kinetics of large biological macromolecules (i.e. DNA) in a mixing tank is proposed which utilizes Computation Fluid Dynamic Modeling (CFD). The approach is based on the premise that molecules break only when they pass through a small region of high shear near the impeller. The CFD simulations can be used to estimate the size of this “high-shear” zone for a given impeller (i.e. RPM, D/T, off-bottom distance). The breakage of 35 kilobase (1cB) fragments of DNA from salmon sperm was monitored using gel electrophoresis, and found to increase with the agitation rate of a standard Rushton turbine. The experimental data indicates that the CFD models, employi g a RNG turbulence model and a dense numerical grid around the impeller, predict reasonably well the size of the “high-shear” zone in mixing tanks. This modeling and experimental approach can be used to assist in the scaleup of batch bioprocesses, where the shear-induced degradation of the bio-product is a concern.
Connecting or disconnecting: luxury branding on social media and affluent Chinese female consumers’ interpretations

With the increasing popularity of mobile social media among Chinese consumers, Western luxury brands attempt to connect with the Chinese market via popular social media applications. However, due to cultural differences and features of social media, Western luxury brands are facing challenges in building social presence, creating self-presentation, and interacting with Chinese consumers via social media. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the strategic use of social media in luxury branding and Chinese consumers’ perception and interpretation of such practices. Applying triangulation, this study conducted content analysis on seven Western luxury brands’ WeChat public accounts in 2015, and in-depth interviews with seventeen female luxury consumers. The findings show that Western luxury brands primarily use rich media to build social presence, focus on the social meaning of self-presentation, and allow low-level consumer engagement. Consumers, meanwhile, perceive Western luxury brands’ social media advertising as conservative, distant, and inactive. Based upon the findings, this study suggests that Western luxury brands should provide more creative and entertaining value via social media advertising, appear to be more personal and relatable, and engage consumers at higher levels.
Zeta Functions of Curves over Finite Fields with Many Rational Points

Currently, the best known bounds on the number of rational points on an absolutely irreducible, smooth, projective curve defined over a finite field in most cases come from the optimization of the explicit formulae method, which is detailed in [7] and [9]. In [4], we gave an example of a case where the best known bound could not be met. The purpose of this paper is to give another new example of this phenomenon, and to explain the method used to obtain these results. This method gives rise to lists of all possible zeta functions, even in cases where we cannot conclude that no curve exists to meet the bound.
Quantitative SERS by hot spot normalization – surface enhanced Rayleigh band intensity as an alternative evaluation parameter for SERS substrate performance

The performance of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates is typically evaluated by calculating an enhancement factor (EF). However, it is challenging to accurately calculate EF values since the calculation often requires the use of model analytes and requires assumptions about the number of analyte molecules within the laser excitation volume. Furthermore, the measured EF values are target analyte dependent and thus it is challenging to compare substrates with EF values obtained using different analytes. In this study, we propose an alternative evaluation parameter for SERS substrate performance that is based on the intensity of the surface plasmon enhanced Rayleigh band (IRayleigh) that originates from the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of the laser. Compared to the EF, IRayleigh reflects the enhancing capability of the substrate itself, is easy to measure without the use of any analytes, and is universally applicable for the comparison of SERS substrates. Six SERS substrates with different states (solid, suspended in liquid, and hydrogel), different plasmonic nanoparticle identities (silver and gold), as well as different nanoparticle sizes and shapes were used to support our hypothesis. The results show that there are excellent correlations between the measured SERS intensities and IRayleigh as well as between the SERS homogeneity and the variation of IRayleigh acquired with the six SERS substrates. These results suggest that IRayleigh can be used as an evaluation parameter for both SERS substrate efficiency and reproducibility.
Leveraging the 24x7 Operations Center to Extend Help Desk Service Hours

The University of Washington is a global institution composed of three campuses, several hospitals, affiliate academic units around the world, and a user base of more than 250,000 people. As a result, operations can never suspend regardless of the time or day. In 2013, IT help desk support was limited to standard business hours, Mon-Fri 8:00am to 5:00pm. The University of Washington's central IT department (UW-IT) saw a need for customers to have access to quality IT support whenever they needed it: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 24x7x365 operations are costly and outsourcing was not an option. The Computer Operations team was identified to have both availability and capacity to assist with expanding the hours of the help desk. Opposing schedules, additional unrelated responsibilities, incongruent work cultures, a brand-new ticketing tool, and incorporation of the ITIL framework made merger of these two teams difficult but well worth the effort. By leveraging existing 24x7 operations staff, the University could extend service desk hours to meet the needs of a global institution and an ever-increasing, complex catalogue of services with high-quality, high-availability support.
Code Optimization and Stabilization for a High-Resolution Terrain Generation Application

Code improvements have been made to the Surface Extraction from TIN based Search-space Minimization (SETSM) software, used to produce digital elevation maps from satellite imagery. The improvements include increased code portability and stability, along with enhanced performance. The code has been made available on a public repository.
Excitation and Ionization Rates in Hydrogen at Very High E/n

We will report time-dependent electron density and excited state density measurements at very high E/n with a temporal resolution of 1 nsec. We create electron avalanching in gases of interest using a fast-rising (3–6 nsec) microwave (S-band) pu1se, while simultaneously monitoring the electrondensity with a low-power, S-band probe signal. This latter signal is in an interferometer configuration having sufficient sensitivity to monitor densities as low as ≅106 cm–3. The avalanche ionization takes place in a quartz cell contained in the S-band waveguide and having no electrodes or externally applied fields, except for a longitudinally applied magnetic field tuned to electron-cyclotron resonance at the high-power pulse frequency. The equivalent effective field under these conditions reduces to a DC field at one-half the peak value.
Cooling Power and Thermal Buffering in Composite Heatsinks

Composite thermal energy storage materials, consisting of a phase change material (PCM) coupled with a high thermal conductivity material combine favorable properties of both constituents, thereby increasing the cooling power density of the composite material. However, transient heat transfer in such composites remains challenging to predict. Previously, we introduced an approach to analyze the performance of thermal energy storage composites, assuming quasi-1D heat transport in anisotropic media with effective properties, based on the analytical solution to the Stefan phase-change problem. Here, we validate this approach using numerical results on TES composites. These results demonstrate heat flux exceeding that in pure copper, while maintaining high energy storage densities. Specifically, we report on quasi-1D heat transfer into 26.4 mm thick composites consisting of two constituents: high-conductivity metal, and high volumetric energy density PCM. We consider both constant temperature ($\Delta T = 1$ to 100°C) and constant heat flux ($q^{"} = 10 ^{-1}$ to $10 ^{4}~\mathrm {W}/\mathrm{cm^{2}})$ boundary conditions, and monitor internal temperature profiles and heat fluxes. Combined, these results suggest the promise of thermal energy storage composites for high heat flux transient thermal management, and validate previously described analytical design tools used to assess such composites based on effective properties of a composite material.
Use of Iterative Cycles in Quality Improvement Projects in Imaging: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Purpose Studies suggest that quality improvement (QI) projects in health care lack scientific rigor, but the actual frequency of use of proven scientific QI methodology is unknown. The purposes of this study are to (1) conduct a systematic review of QI projects in radiology journals on the frequency of use of iterative cycles, a marker of proven QI methodology, and (2) assess association of the use of iterative cycles with characteristics of these projects. Materials and Methods We searched English-language radiology journals on MEDLINE between 2008 and 2015 for published QI studies. Three reviewers appraised studies and extracted data. Use of iterative cycles was identified, and results were summarized qualitatively. χ2 Analysis evaluated associations of iterative cycles with other data elements. Results Of 3,134 potentially eligible citations, 44 studies met inclusion criteria. Only 46% of these used iterative cycles to refine intervention. Use of iterative cycles were associated with projects designed to improve process, QI expert support, reporting of unintended effect of intervention, and explicitly stated use of iterative cycles. General lack of scientific rigor was represented by failure to report baseline data (9%), describe unintended effects (66%), and discuss limitations (36%). Conclusions Our systematic review found fewer than half of the QI projects in radiology journals used iterative cycles to refine intervention, a scientific strategy central to many proven improvement methodologies. Use of iterative approach was associated with projects designed to improve processes, QI expert support, report of unintended effect, and explicitly stated use of iterative cycles.
An Interpolation Method for Strip Adjustment

This paper describes a method of strip adjustment by means of linear three-dimensional transformations applied to the individual models. The first and the last model are transformed independently, ...
Experimental structural dynamic measurements of an artificial insect-sized wing biomimicking a crane fly forewing

The exceptional flying characteristics of airborne insects motivate the design of biomimetic wing structures that could exhibit a similar structural dynamic behavior. For this purpose, this paper describes methods for manufacturing a biofidelic insect-sized wing using the photolithography technique and analyzing its structural dynamic response in terms of its modal characteristics. The geometry of a crane fly forewing (family Tipulidae) is acquired using a micro-computed tomography scanner. A computer-aided design (CAD) model is generated from the reconstructed scanned model of the insect wing, and a photomask of the venation network that accounts for the stiffness variation along the surface of the insect wing is designed from the CAD model. A composite material artificial insect-sized wing is manufactured by patterning the veins using photoresist SU-8 on a Kapton film for the assembling of the wing. Experiments are performed using a modal shaker and a digital image correlation system to determine the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the artificial wing from the fast Fourier transform of the time-varying out-of-plane displacement response of the wing. The effect of ultraviolet exposure time to the vein pattern on the modal characteristics of the artificial wing is investigated as a part of a parametric study. The natural frequencies of the wing increase with exposure time. The vibration modes are dominated by a bending and torsional nonlinear deformation response. The experimental results are compared to those predicted by a finite element model of the artificial wing.
Susceptibility to Hepatitis A Virus Infection in the United States, 2007–2016

Background Despite national immunization efforts, including universal childhood hepatitis A (HepA) vaccination recommendations in 2006, hepatitis A virus (HAV)-associated outbreaks have increased in the United States. Unvaccinated or previously uninfected persons are susceptible to HAV infection, yet the susceptibility in the US population is not well known. Methods Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2016 data, we estimated HAV susceptibility prevalence (total HAV antibody negative) among persons aged ≥2 years. Among US-born adults aged ≥20 years, we examined prevalence, predictors, and age-adjusted trends of HAV susceptibility by sociodemographic characteristics. We assessed HAV susceptibility and self-reported nonvaccination to HepA among risk groups and the "immunization cohort" (those born in or after 2004). Results Among US-born adults aged ≥20 years, HAV susceptibility prevalence was 74.1% (95% confidence interval, 72.9-75.3%) during 2007-2016. Predictors of HAV susceptibility were age group 30-49 years, non-Hispanic white/black, 130% above the poverty level, and no health insurance. Prevalences of HAV susceptibility and nonvaccination to HepA, respectively, were 72.9% and 73.1% among persons who reported injection drug use, 67.5% and 65.2% among men who had sex with men, 55.2% and 75.1% among persons with hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and 22.6% and 25.9% among the immunization cohort. Susceptibility and nonvaccination decreased over time among the immunization cohort but remained stable among risk groups. Conclusions During 2007-2016, approximately three-fourths of US-born adults remained HAV susceptible. Enhanced vaccination efforts are critically needed, particularly targeting adults at highest risk for HAV infection, to mitigate the current outbreaks.
Does FOIA Foil the SEC's Intent to Keep Investigations Confidential?

The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has a long-standing policy to keep formal investigations confidential. In this study, we examine the extent to which compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides investors with information about on-going SEC investigations. We exploit a unique empirical setting whereby the SEC denies FOIA requests due to ongoing enforcement proceedings (hereafter, exemption denials). We find that exemption denials predict a substantial number of ongoing and future SEC investigations. Exemption denials are also associated with significant negative future abnormal returns, which is consistent with exemption denials providing a noisy public signal that allows certain sophisticated investors to earn future abnormal returns. Overall, our findings suggest that information transparency laws, such as FOIA, have the potential to limit the SEC’s ability to maintain effective and confidential investigations.
Proximal Point Method for Quasi-Equilibrium Problems in Banach Spaces

We study the proximal point method for solving quasi-equilibrium problems in Banach spaces, which generalizes the proximal point method for equilibrium problems and quasi-variational inequalities. ...
[Investigation on current situation of malaria blood examinations in township-level hospitals of Nantong City].

OBJECTIVE To understand the quality of malaria blood examinations in township-level hospitals, so as to provide the evidence for continuing the malaria blood examinations in the stage of post-malaria elimination. METHODS A total of 64 township hospitals were investigated and 640 negative malaria blood slides were scored individually according to 10 indicators in "Malaria Elimination Technical Scheme" in 2013 and 2014. The single and multiple indicators were calculated, and the work of blood examinations and situation of technicians were investigated. The data of malaria blood examinations and patient discovery in township hospitals of Nantong City were collected and analyzed during the period of 2011-2014. RESULTS For the single indicator, 29.5% of the thick blood films did not reach the standard, and 35.8% of thin blood films did not reach the standard. For the multiple indicators, blood slides with more than 4 indicators below the standard (poor quality) accounted for 32.5%. From malaria blood examinations and malaria situation, the number of slides was 194 635 during the period of 2011-2014, and there were no local vivax malaria casesin 4 consecutive years from 2011 to 2014, and local malaria has been effectively controlled in Nantong City. For health facilities where malaria patients initially presented, the township and village level accounted for 16.3%, and county and higher level accounted for 83.7%. CONCLUSIONS The quality of malaria blood examinations in township level hospitals of Nantong City is not high and the microscopic examination has a relatively low efficiency in the discovery of malaria cases. A new model for malaria blood examinations needs to be further explored.