cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety of Using Enteral Nutrition Formulations Containing Dietary Fiber in Hospitalized Critical Care Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Enteral nutrition (EN) is the preferred route of nutrition support for patients with critical illness undergoing intensive care. Experts in the field caution against using fiber during EN because of perceived adverse patient outcomes; however, a comprehensive assessment of this topic is not evident to date. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched four databases from inception to April 20, 2020, for studies on adverse events or health outcomes associated with using EN formulations containing fiber in hospitalized adults with critical illness. Nineteen articles were included. Random-effects meta-analysis models showed significantly lower diarrhea scores for fiber groups compared with nonfiber groups (pooled mean difference: -2.78; 95% CI, -4.10 to -1.47) but mixed results for risk of diarrhea between groups, depending on measures used for diarrhea (Hart and Dobb scale, pooled risk ratio [RR]: 0.68; 95% CI, 0.45-1.02; other diarrhea scales, pooled RR: 0.42; 95% CI, 0.20-0.89). Models showed 39% lower risk of gastrointestinal (GI) complications overall for fiber compared with nonfiber groups (pooled RR: 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47-0.79) but no group differences for individual GI complications, mortality, and intensive care unit or hospital length of stay. Analyses stratified by soluble- or mixed-fiber interventions reduced heterogeneity in models but showed identical conclusions. EN formulas with fiber may help reduce incidence and severity of diarrhea and GI complications overall in critically ill patients, without increased risk of other adverse events. Bias among specific GI measures indicates more high-quality studies are needed to verify these conclusions.
Tuberculosis in History: Did It Change the Way We Live?

Tuberculosis is one of the oldest of humankind’s plagues. Mycobacterium tuberculosis probably emerged as a pathogen of our early ancestors 20,000 to 15,000 years ago in east Africa. A unified concept of tuberculosis first emerged with the work of Laennec in the early 19th century, and from that time forward one can recognize the impact that this disease has had on the way we live. This impact can be illustrated by the life stories of many individuals, some often told, others less commonly recounted. For scores of years the treatment of tuberculosis pervaded the practice of nearly every physician. The studies of tuberculosis treatment protocols conducted by the British Medical Research Council are often cited as pioneering in this arena. Creative works of art, music, dance, and literature all express the lives of their creators, and thus tuberculosis in these lives affected their works. Some were greatly afflicted by the disease, others less so or were treated and fared well. Literature is replete with descriptions of tuberculosis, often reflecting the author's lives. As the course of history moved into the 20th and 21st centuries, tuberculosis incidence declined. Fewer dramatic instances of disease occurred. The practice of medicine has reflected the prevalence of tuberculosis over the course of time. Tuberculosis has intruded upon the political arena, but its impact has been minor. In the world of creative arts, the impact of tuberculosis is most readily seen and was often dramatic.
Floristic analysis of central Iowa woodlands, and comparison of reproduction and regeneration in common and restricted herbaceous species

vi CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2. ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS AND HUMAN 9 DISTURBANCE IN CENTRAL IOWA WOODLANDS CHAPTER 3. EFFECT OF CATTLE GRAZING ON WOODLANDS IN 54 CENTRAL IOWA CHAPTER 4. PLANT TRAITS IN RELATION TO 82 ENVIRONMENMENTAL FACTORS AND HUMAN DISTURBANCE IN A TEMPERATE WOODLAND CHAPTER 5: REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT AND ALLOCATION OF 127 COMMON VERSUS RESTRICTED WOODLAND HERBACEOUS SPECIES IN CENTRAL IOWA, U.S.A. CHAPTER 6. SEED VL\BILITY AND EMERGENCE IN 145 WOODLAND HERBACEOUS SPECIES IN CENTRAL IOWA, U.S.A. CHAPTER 7. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 163
Work-report formats and overbilling: How unit-reporting vs. cost-reporting increases accountability and decreases overbilling

Abstract The current paper examines how asking for a report of units of work completed versus cost of the same work can influence overbilling. We suggest that something as simple as asking for a report of units of work completed (for instance, reporting either the time spent or number of units of work completed) as opposed to the cost of the work completed can drive different unethical behaviors. We argue that unit-reporting makes providers feel accountable for their actions, and this induced accountability, in turn, impacts actual billing behaviors. We present seven studies, including a field experiment in the auto-repair industry that demonstrate the effect of different work-report formats on overbilling and provide evidence for our proposed underlying mechanism.
Low Temperature Elastic Properties of Aluminum 5083-0 and Four Ferritic Nickel Steels

The low-temperature elastic properties have been determined for five commercial alloys that have possible structural applications at cryogenic temperatures. The alloys are 5083-0 aluminum and four ferritic steels: 3.5, 5, 6, and 9 percent nickel. An ultrasonic (10 MHz) pulse-superposition method was used to measure longitudinal and transverse wave velocities. Using the velocities and the mass density as input, the following elastic constants were calculated: longitudinal modulus, Young's (tensile) modulus, shear (rigidity) modulus, bulk modulus (reciprocal compressibility), and Poisson's ratio. Measurements were made semicontinuously from 300 to 4K. The room-temperature composition dependence of iron-nickel alloys is reviewed comprehensively up to 12 percent nickel. Debye temperature were calculated from the elastic constants. A discussion is given of the temperature dependences of the elastic constants and differential relationship among the elastic constants.
Transverse Stiffener Requirements for Curved Webs

The buckling strength of cylindrical web panels of horizontally curved girders subject to shear stress is studied analytically. A simplified mathematical model that treats the web as a simply supported curved panel reinforced by transverse stiffeners is used. The solution for this model is obtained by the Galerkin method in conjunction with the Donnell thin shell equation. Recommendations for the design requirements for an optimal transverse stiffener rigidity in terms of panel aspect ratio and curvature are established.
Transformation or Transmogrification? Ackerman, Hobbes (as in Calvin and Hobbes), and the Puzzle of Changing Constitutional Identity

In this article, I argue that Ackerman's approach to constitutional change is unable to distinguish between changes of degree and changes in kind, or between changes that “transform” and changes that “transmogrify.” As a consequence, the model Ackerman proposes fails at its most elemental purpose of illuminating questions of constitutional identity. “Transformations” fails to tell us who “We the People” really are or about what we are constituted.
Sonographic predictors of postnatal bowel atresia in fetal gastroschisis

Objectives To estimate the association between antenatal bowel dilation and postnatal small-bowel atresia in fetal gastroschisis and to establish a threshold at which the risk of adverse neonatal outcome increases. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of singleton gestations with an antenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis seen in our ultrasound unit from 2001 to 2010. We reviewed stored images from the last ultrasound examination before delivery, blinded to postnatal diagnoses and outcomes. Fetal intra- and extra-abdominal bowel dilation (IABD and EABD, respectively) and bowel-wall thickness were measured. Previously published definitions of bowel dilation, including > 6, > 10, > 14 and > 18 mm, were evaluated for association with the primary outcome of bowel atresia. The optimal threshold to define fetal bowel dilation was determined by evaluating the significance of association as well as test performance characteristics. Results Of 109 consecutive patients with fetal gastroschisis, there were four cases of intrauterine fetal demise and three neonatal deaths. Of the 94 live births with complete outcome data, 39 (41.5%) had measurable IABD. There were 14 (14.9%) cases of bowel atresia. Using a threshold of > 14 mm, IABD was significantly associated with an increased risk for bowel atresia (relative risk, 3.1 (95% CI, 1.2–8.2)) with a sensitivity of 57.1%, specificity of 75.0%, positive predictive value of 28.6% and negative predictive value of 90.9%. IABD > 14 mm was also associated with a significantly longer stay in neonatal intensive care unit. There was no significant association between EABD and bowel atresia at any of the thresholds evaluated. Conclusion IABD > 14 mm is associated with an increased risk for postnatal bowel atresia in fetal gastroschisis. This finding may be useful in counseling patients regarding the anticipated postnatal course for their neonate. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the amino end of the mammalian multifunctional protein CAD and analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the CAD gene.

CAD is a 243-kDa multidomain polypeptide which catalyzes the first three steps in mammalian de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. The largest cDNA clone obtained thus far, pCAD142 (Shigesada, K., Stark, G.R., Maley, J. A., Niswander, L. A., and Davidson, J. N. (1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 5, 1735), lacks the 5' end of the mRNA which encodes the amino terminus of CAD. To clone this missing segment, a synthetic oligonucleotide complementary to pCAD142 and poly(A)+ RNA template, isolated from a Syrian hamster cell line which overproduces the CAD mRNA, were used for cDNA synthesis. The resulting clone pKB11, which has a 1369-base pair (bp) cDNA insert, overlapping pCAD142 by 781 bp, was identified by hybridization methods and sequence analysis and found to contain the entire cDNA sequence for the amino end of the CAD polypeptide. The deduced amino acid sequence is homologous to seven carbamyl phosphate synthetases. Primer extension, oligonucleotide-directed RNase H digestion, and RNA sequencing indicated that pKB11 extends to within 68 bases of the 5' end of the CAD mRNA. This conclusion was confirmed by Northern blotting analysis of the 5'-flanking region of CAD gene. The probable 3' end of an unidentified gene which codes for a 1-kilobase (kb) transcript was identified immediately upstream of the CAD gene. Northern analysis using probes complementary to the region between the CAD and the 1-kb genes detected the presence of a small transcript of less than 300 nucleotides. The sequence revealed three potential translation initiation sites raising the possibility of more than one CAD translation product. The major translation start codon was identified as the first ATG in pKB11 by sequence homology, in vitro transcription and translation, and protein studies. Starting from this ATG within pKB11, the clone encodes a 143-residue domain of unknown function. This study completes the determination of the primary structure of the CAD polypeptide. The CAD mRNA is 7.5 kb in length and has 6675 bp of coding sequence and about 200 bp and 600 bp of untranslated sequence at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively.
An analysis of the adolescent obstetric patient

Abstract 1. 1. An analysis of 490 pregnant adolescent patients who were delivered on the Obstetric Service of the Herman Kiefer Hospital from Jan. 1, 1949, to Dec. 31, 1951, is presented (during this period a total of 9,941 deliveries occurred). There were no maternal deaths in this series and the morbidity rate was 3.6 per cent. 2. 2. The patients of this age group differ only slightly from their “older sisters” as to complications during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the puerperium. The major difference is an increased incidence of toxemia, increase in the incidence of prolonged labors, and an increased frequency of the prenatal diagnosis of cephalopelvic disproportion. 3. 3. Operative interference due to cephalopelvic disproportion, in our hands, is not increased, however, and thus the inherent fear of difficult delivery per vagina is not substantiated. 4. 4. The incidences of stillbirths and fetal anomalies are significantly lower than average in the adolescent obstetric patient.
Feasibility of 39‐potassium MR imaging of a human brain at 9.4 Tesla

Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of performing 39-potassium MR imaging of a human brain. Methods 39-Potassium magnetic resonance imaging of a human brain was performed at 9.4 T using a flexible twisted projection imaging acquisition with a nominal isotropic spatial resolution of 10 mm in 40 min using a single-tuned birdcage radiofrequency coil. Co-registered sodium imaging with a nominal isotropic spatial resolution of 3.5 mm was performed on the same subject in 10 min. Results The 39-potassium flexible twisted projection imaging imaging had a signal-to-noise ratio of 5.2 in brain paranchyma. This qualitative imaging showed the expected features when compared to co-registered high- and low-resolution sodium imaging of the same subject. Conclusion Potassium MR images may offer complementary information to that of sodium MR images by sampling the intracellular rather that interstitial environment. Quantification will require additional improvement in signal-to-noise ratio to produce clinically useful bioscales as are developing for sodium MR imaging. Magn Reson Med 71:1819–1825, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using MEMS-based storage to boost disk performance

Non-volatile storage technologies such as flash memory, magnetic RAM (MRAM), and MEMS-based storage are emerging as serious alternatives to disk drives. Among these, MEMS storage is predicted to be the least expensive and highest density, and at about 1 ms access times still considerably faster than hard disk drives. Like the other emerging non-volatile storage technologies, it is highly suitable for small mobile devices but it is expensive to replace hard drives entirely. Its non-volatility, dense storage, and high performance still make it an ideal candidate for the secondary storage subsystem. We examine the use of MEMS storage in the storage hierarchy and show that using a technique called MEMS caching disk, we can achieve 30-49% of the pure MEMS storage performance by using only a small amount (3% of the disk capacity) of MEMS storage in conjunction with a standard hard drive. The resulting system is ideally suited for commercial packaging with a small MEMS device included as part of a standard disk controller or paired with a disk.
Social support in the practices of informal providers: The case of patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Nigeria

The social and institutional environments in which informal healthcare providers operate shape their health and business practices, particularly in contexts where regulatory enforcement is weak. In this study, we adopt a social capital perspective to understanding the social networks on which proprietary and patent medicine vendors (PPMVs) in Nigeria rely for support in the operation of their shops. Data are drawn from 70 in-depth interviews with PPMVs in three states, including interviews with local leaders of the PPMV professional association. We find that PPMVs primarily relied on more senior colleagues and formal healthcare professionals for informational support, including information about new medicines and advice on how to treat specific cases of illness. For instrumental support, including finance, start-up assistance, and intervention with regulatory agencies, PPMVs relied on extended family, the PPMVs with whom they apprenticed, and the leaders of their professional association. PPMVs' networks also provided continual reinforcement of what constitutes good PPMV practice through admonishments to follow scope of practice limitations. These informal reminders, as well as monitoring activities conducted by the professional association, served to reinforce PPMVs' concern with avoiding negative customer health outcomes, which were perceived to be detrimental to their business reputations. That PPMVs' networks both encouraged practices to reduce the likelihood of poor health outcomes, and provided advice regarding customers' health conditions, highlights the potential impact of informal providers' access to different forms of social capital on their delivery of health services, as well as their success as microenterprises.
University teachers need to be researchers rather than priests of cargo cults.

Normal 0 false false false EN-GB ZH-CN X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The concept of cargo cults, although hotly disputed, was originally conceived to describe the results of interfacing cultures with very different technologies and methods of production. The concept has previously been used to describe in a figurative manner a distinction between science and pseudoscience, the latter being typified by not following a method of scientific integrity, including scrutiny of claims. Here the analogy is adapted to justify a claim that teachers at universities need to be actively involved in research in order to demonstrate to their students that the knowledge which is expected, accepted, and respected in universities is subject to constant debate, is often ambiguous, and is never completed.
An integrated architecture for open distributed multimedia computing

Most existing research in the field of distributed multimedia computing is at the level of isolated system components, such as communication and operating system support for multimedia. The application level support for distributed multimedia and continuous media has so far been largely neglected. Little work has yet been carried out on comprehensively integrated platforms that combine authoring, presentation, operating system support and network communications into a cohesive environment for multimedia development. On the other hand the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) from the Object Management Group has become a standard for open distributed object systems in the industry. However, CORBA does not take the special requirements of distributed multimedia into consideration. To tackle these problems, we are pursuing an integrative approach of providing general mechanisms for developing open multimedia services in a high speed, telecommunication network environment in an architecture called TOMA. The TOMA CORBA-based architecture provides an open, environment for distributed multimedia applications that combines all aspects of multimedia support. It accomplishes its objectives through the use of an open distributed object model based on CORBA, an adaptive and customizable multimedia operating system, an open rendering environment extended for continuous media, a toolkit for high speed ATM network communications, and a high-level scripting language for composing multimedia objects. In particular, a CORBA-compliant fast event service has been designed and implemented to loosely integrate distributed multimedia components.
Molecular Mechanisms of Sterol Absorption

Recent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of intestinal sterol absorption at the molecular level. Nuclear hormone receptors (such as liver X receptor, farnesoid X receptor and retinoid X receptor) regulate the absorption of dietary sterols by modulating the transcription of several important genes involved in cholesterol metabolism. One of these genes encodes a molecule [adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter] that transports dietary cholesterol from enterocytes back out to the intestinal lumen, thereby limiting the amount of cholesterol absorbed. ABC transporters also provide an efficient barrier against the absorption of plant sterols. Another key process that affects intestinal sterol absorption is the synthesis of cholesterol esters. Mice lacking the enzyme for cholesterol esterification in the small intestine have a reduced capacity to absorb dietary cholesterol and are protected against diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and gallstone formation. In addition to elucidating some of the molecular mechanisms of sterol absorption, these recent findings may lead to new therapeutic options to treat hypercholesterolemia.
Enzymatic excision of uracil residues in nucleosomes depends on the local DNA structure and dynamics.

The excision of uracil bases from DNA is accomplished by the enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG). Recognition of uracil bases in free DNA is facilitated by uracil base pair dynamics, but it is not known whether this same mechanistic feature is relevant for detection and excision of uracil residues embedded in nucleosomes. Here we investigate this question using nucleosome core particles (NCPs) generated from Xenopus laevis histones and the high-affinity “Widom 601” positioning sequence. The reactivity of uracil residues in NCPs under steady-state multiple-turnover conditions was generally decreased compared to that of free 601 DNA, mostly because of anticipated steric effects of histones. However, some sites in NCPs had equal or even greater reactivity than free DNA, and the observed reactivities were not readily explained by simple steric considerations or by global DNA unwrapping models for nucleosome invasion. In particular, some reactive uracils were found in occluded positions, while some unreactive ...
Primary progressive aphasia: Reversed asymmetry of atrophy and right hemisphere language dominance

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is almost always associated with asymmetrical left hemisphere degeneration. The authors report that right hemisphere atrophy in a patient with PPA was associated with atypical right hemisphere dominance for language. This suggests that neuronal damage in PPA is therefore tightly linked to the underlying anatomy of the language network.
Bilevel Optimizing Control Structure for a Simulated Moving Bed Process Based on a Reduced-Order Model Using the Cubic Spline Collocation Method

A bilevel strategy for optimizing control of a simulated moving bed (SMB) process is proposed. In the lower level, repetitive model predictive control (RMPC) is used to regulate product purities; in the upper level, optimal feed/desorbent flow rates and the switching period are determined. Both levels employ a fundamental SMB model reduced to a set of nonlinear discrete-time dynamic equations using the cubic spline collocation method and exact discretization. For RMPC, the SMB model is linearized successively along the operating trajectories seen in the previous switching period. It is assumed that the flow rates can be varied within a switching period and the average product purities over each switching period can be measured albeit with a significant analysis delay. Numerical studies using linear isotherms showed that the proposed strategy is successful at driving the process to the intended optimum and maintaining it there while robustly regulating the product purities despite various uncertainties.
Nonlinear adaptive flight control with genetic algorithm design optimization

This paper examines the use of a nonlinear adaptive control law for multi-axis control of a high-performance aircraft with stabilator, aileron and rudder failures. The control law is based on a backstepping design approach with fixed parameter optimization done using a stochastic genetic algorithm. The control law is demonstrated on a six-degree-of-freedom simulation with nonlinear aerodynamic and engine models, actuator models with saturation, and turbulence. There are substantial differences between the control law design and simulation models, which are used to demonstrate some robustness aspects of this control law. To deal with actuator saturation, the Lyapunov function is modified so that the growth of integrated error and the rate of change of parameter growth are both reduced when the surface commands are growing at a rate that will likely saturate the actuators. Published in 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the United States.
Buddhist Psychotherapy with Older GLBT Clients

Many older gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people have been oppressed by and subsequently feel alienated from the religio-cultural traditions into which they were born (i.e., their spiritual traditions of origin). This may be especially true of those whose religious traditions are highly rigid or fundamentalist. As a result, some have turned to Eastern philosophies to regain a sense of belongingness. Psychotherapy based on Eastern traditions may be particularly well-suited to these individuals. There is a burgeoning literature on the application of Eastern, particularly Buddhist, philosophies to counseling. This article explores Buddhist psychological concepts that may be relevant to counseling GLBT older adults, briefly addresses some clinical issues in the use of Buddhist-based counseling, and considers a fictional case example.
Absolute deuteron-polarization measurement☆

Abstract Data obtained from d- 4 He double scattering at 11.5 MeV (both scatterings), and over a range of second scattering angles which includes the first scattering angle, are presented. It is shown how this data may be used to provide an absolute calibration for the polarization of a beam of deuterons produced by a polarized-ion source.
Analysis of matrix damage evolution in laminated composite plates

Abstract A new model has been developed to investigate matrix cracking in laminated fibrous composite structures. The model can predict matrix cracking and its effect on stiffness reduction. It can also compute the load transfer from the cracked matrix to surrounding fibers. The model is based on the micromechanical concept of the fiber and matrix as well as the matrix material degradation concept as matrix cracking progressed. The micromechanical concept uses a rectangular cell geometry representing a fiber and its surrounding matrix while the material degradation concept uses an empirical expression of a Weibull type function. Two material constants are required for matrix cracking. The constants were obtained from an experiment on matrix cracking. With those constants, the present model predicts the matrix cracking in other cases. The predicted solutions were comparable to the experimental data.
Viscosity Dependence of Polystyrene Local Dynamics in Dilute Solution

Variable-temperature 2H NMR T1 measurements have been performed on backbone-deuterated atactic polystyrene at two Larmor frequencies in four solvents: toluene, cis-decalin, dibutyl phthalate, and dioctyl phthalate. The time integral 〈σ〉 of the C−D vector orientation correlation function is extracted from the T1 data without assuming a specific model for C−D vector reorientation. The hydrodynamic Kramers' theory in the high-friction limit cannot describe the viscosity and temperature dependence of 〈σ〉. In contrast, 〈σ〉 is found to have a power law dependence on solvent viscosity with an exponent of 0.76 ± 0.05, whether the viscosity is varied by changing solvent or temperature. The internal energy barrier for polystyrene C−D vector orientation is determined to be 14 ± 3 kJ/mol using the power law viscosity dependence. The inapplicability of Kramers' theory is attributed to the lack of a clear separation between the time scales of polymer and solvent motions. As expected on the basis of this explanation, t...
Applying the Theory of Reasoned Action to condom use among sex workers.

Behavioral intervention and education have been widely acknowledged as holding the greatest promise for slowing the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In this study we assessed the relationship between constructs from the theory of reasoned action on condom use in a sample of 1,394 Filipina sex workers. Path analysis for observed variables was used to examine the relationship between attitudes, norms, and behavioral intentions on behaviors. All constructs were operationalized within the context of condom use during vaginal sex. Attitudes and norms were found to be predictive of behaviors as mediated through behavioral intentions supporting the validity of the theory of reasoned action. Implications for the development and focus of HIV preventative interventions are discussed.
Convergence Analysis for Feedback-and Weighting-Based Jacobian Estimates in the Adaptive Simultaneous Perturbation Algorithm

It is known that a stochastic approximation (SA) analogue of the deterministic Newton-Raphson algorithm provides an asymptotically optimal or near-optimal form of stochastic search. In a recent paper, Spall (2006) introduces two enhancements that generally improve the quality of the estimates for underlying Jacobian (Hessian) matrices, thereby improving the quality of the estimates for the primary parameters of interest. The first enhancement rests on a feedback process that uses previous Jacobian estimates to reduce the error in the current estimate. The second enhancement is based on the formation of an optimal weighting of "per-iteration" Jacobian estimates. This paper provides a formal convergence analysis for the algorithm introduced in Spall (2006). In particular, we present conditions for the almost sure convergence of the Jacobian estimates with the feedback and weighting. We also develop results for the rate of convergence in both the noisy and noise-free settings.
Simulations and process analysis of the carbonation–calcination reaction process with intermediate hydration

Abstract Several technologies are currently being developed to separate carbon dioxide from large point sources, such as coal-fired power plants. An emerging technology that shows great potential is a calcium oxide–calcium carbonate cycle. A major drawback is the calcium carbonate decreases in reactivity over multiple cycles. The Ohio State University demonstrated in 2008 the first carbonation–calcination reaction (CCR) process that includes intermediate hydration for sorbent regeneration and its feasibility over multiple cycles at the 120 kW th scale with actual flue gas from coal combustion. The CCR Process utilizes a calcium-based sorbent to react with the carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide in a flue gas stream to form calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, respectively. The carbon dioxide is subsequently released from the calcium carbonate to produce a high-purity, sequestration-ready carbon dioxide stream while regenerating the calcium oxide sorbent. The sulfur dioxide is fixated as calcium sulfate and removed through a purge stream. An intermediate hydration step restores reactivity to the calcium oxide sorbent. Process analysis from computer simulations shows the CCR Process to be highly effective and efficient in removing both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide at low energy penalties under realistic conditions. A 20–22% decrease in electricity generation efficiency with the CCR Process is expected, compared with amine scrubbing around 27% and oxy-combustion around 25% energy penalty. A 25–28% increase in thermal energy with the CCR Process is expected to maintain a constant electrical output. Further, the CCR Process consumes half the oxygen necessary for an oxy-combustion plant and 25% less steam necessary for amine scrubbing.
Isolation of Undegraded Free and Membrane-Bound Polysomal mRNA from Rat Brain

: A new procedure is described for the isolation of undegraded free and membrane-bound polysomal mRNA from rat brain in which polysomes are simultaneously separated from soluble components of the cell and slowly sedimenting ribosome species and concentrated by rate-zonal centrifugation on short linear sucrose gradients. This avoids the problem encountered in conventional procedures of pelleting polysomes along with membranous materials that are not solubilized by detergents and that appear to contain traces of nucleases. It also permits a more thorough analysis of the mRNA populations actively engaged in protein synthesis, since both polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated mRNAs are isolated together. Moreover, the likelihood of sedimenting nonpolysomal mRNP particles along with polysomes is reduced by using rate-zonal rather than pelleting centrifugation. The translational activity in vitro of free and membrane-bound polysomal RNA prepared in this way is high and is about 1.5 times that of RNA prepared by a conventional pelleting technique. The difference is attributable to better preservation of large mRNAs, as inferred from two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of translation product abundance. The recovery of both classes of polysomal RNA is about 90%. The method is simple, efficient, and adapted for isolation of small amounts of polysomal RNA.
Motor dyscontrol in narcolepsy : rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep without atonia and REM sleep behavior disorder

Narcolepsy involves abnormalities of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, including a short latency to the onset of REM sleep, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In addition, persistence of muscle tone by electromyographic criteria or excessive muscle twitching during REM sleep or both have been reported in treated and untreated narcoleptic patients. We report that another previously described abnormality of REM sleep, REM sleep behavior disorder, may also be a symptom of narcolepsy. This disorder was found in 10 narcoleptic patients during routine clinical evaluations involving polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests. During REM sleep, 7 additional narcoleptic patients displayed persistent muscle tone and/or excessive twitching, which we believe to be subclinical components of REM sleep behavior disorder. These 17 patients, diagnosed by established criteria for narcolepsy and for REM sleep behavior disorder, ranged in age from 8 to 74 years. Seventy-one percent were male. Narcolepsy and REM sleep behavior disorder most commonly emerged in tandem. In 3 patients, treatment of narcolepsy-cataplexy with stimulants and tricyclics either induced or exacerbated REM sleep behavior disorder.
H-alpha redshifts as a diagnostic of solar flare heating

The dynamics of chomospheric condensations formed during chromospheric evaporation are studied using coordinated X-ray and H-alpha observations of five solar flares. It is shown that the peak downflow velocity of condensations predicted by simple hydrodynamic compression of the chromosphere is in good agreement with empirical downflow velocities implied by impulsive phase H-alpha red wing Doppler shifts. It is found that the H-alpha wing redshift provides a diagnostic of the pressure excess in the evaporating region and the coronal energy flux driving chromospheric evaporation. Because preflare coronal pressures derived for each of the flares are high, it is suggested that the chromosphere succeeds in radiating excess flare heat energy without undergoing explosive chromospheric evaporation.
Use of Safety Viewgrams to Visualize Driver and Pedestrian Interactions

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a tool for visualizing, at a glance, the salient features of the interaction between motorists and pedestrians. Simple, yet robust and flexible, tools are needed to describe and summarize real-world roadway conditions for problem identification and to monitor the progress that has been made toward achieving safety goals. In the study described in this paper, the safety viewgram has been developed to help visualize various types of traffic safety problems. Although this particular tool has been developed by using observational data for pedestrians and drivers in Hawaii, it could be used for other types of safety studies in other locales. After the development and use of this tool are described, a number of different illustrative examples of how it might be used are provided. Although this is largely a visualization tool, efforts are under way to devise both more rigorous statistical applications and a user-friendly interface for data entry, data manipulation, and presentation of the traffic safety viewgram.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Dimolybdenum Complex Bridged by the Hydroxymethylphenylphosphinate Ligand

Hydroxymethylphenylphosphinic acid, 1 was synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Ligand 1 crystallized in the monoclinic P21 space group with two molecules comprising the unit cell and cell dimensions a = 7.5587(13) A, b = 5.9019(8) A, c = 8.808(3) A and β = 90.90(2)°. Molecules were linked up by hydrogen bonding involving all three oxygen atoms of 1 resulting in 2-dimensional sheets. Reacting 1 with MoO2Cl2 in a mixture of ethanol and dichloromethane afforded the dinuclear molybdenum complex Mo2O4Cl2[(HOCH2)PhPOO]2, 2 where the two molybdenum atoms were bridged by the phosphinate ligand. Complex 2 crystallized in the P21/C space group as a dietherate with a = 9.208(3) A, b = 14.353(4) A, c = 12.805(4) A and β = 98.64(3)° and contained terminal O and Cl atom disorder. The two crystallographically identical molybdenum centers are in distorted octahedral environments. Complexes were analyzed by IR, 31P NMR and X-ray crystallography. The reaction of hydroxymethylphenylphosphinic acid with MoO2Cl2 in a mixture of ethanol and dichloromethane afforded the dinuclear molybdenum complex Mo2O4Cl2[(HOCH2)PhPOO]2, 2 where the two molybdenum atoms were bridged by the phosphinate ligand.
Drug resistance genes and trailing growth in Candida albicans isolates

Objectives To investigate possible molecular mechanisms of azole resistance among fluconazole-susceptible bloodstream isolates of Candida albicans that displayed the trailing growth phenomenon, and to compare these isolates with bloodstream and mucosal isolates that showed reduced susceptibilities to fluconazole. Methods Twelve C. albicans isolates-seven trailing and five susceptible dose dependent (SDD) or resistant (R)-were screened for ERG11 mutations by DNA sequencing and quantification of ERG11, CDR1 and MDR1 expression by RT-PCR using the LightCycler high-speed PCR system. Results SDD and R isolates possessed more homozygous ERG11 mutations than did the trailing isolates. Two of these, V404I and V509M, have not been described previously and were found exclusively in fluconazole SDD and R isolates. Quantification of ERG11 expression revealed that both trailing and SDD and R isolates were capable of ERG11 up-regulation in response to fluconazole, although the SDD and R isolates showed maximal up-regulation at higher fluconazole concentrations. Quantification of CDR1 and MDR1 revealed that all isolates, regardless of in vitro fluconazole response, were capable of CDR1 and MDR1 up-regulation following fluconazole exposure. Furthermore, the SDD and R isolates expressed higher constitutive levels of CDR1 and MDR1 or CDR1, respectively, in the absence of drug compared with trailing isolates. Conclusions Trailing isolates, although susceptible to fluconazole, express the same molecular mechanisms as SDD and R isolates following fluconazole exposure but regulate them differently.
Association Between Impaired Cardiovascular Autonomic Function and Hypoglycemia in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE We studied the association between glycemic variability (GV) reflecting hypoglycemic stress and cardiovascular autonomic function in subjects with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Forty-four type 1 diabetic patients (mean age 34 ± 13 years, 40% male, 86% Caucasian, mean diabetes duration 13 ± 6 years, mean hemoglobin A 1c [HbA 1c ] 8.0 ± 1.2% [64 ± 5 mmol/mol]) without cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, or hypertension participated in this pilot study. Indices of GV reflective of hypoglycemic stress (low blood glucose index [LBGI] and area under the curve [AUC] for hypoglycemia) were computed using data obtained during 5-day continuous glucose monitoring. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) was assessed using standardized cardiovascular reflex testing and measures of heart rate variability (HRV), which were analyzed as time and frequency domain measures. RESULTS Both LBGI and AUC hypoglycemia had a significant negative association with the low-frequency power of HRV ( r = −0.47, P = 0.002; r = −0.43, P = 0.005, respectively) and with the high-frequency power of HRV ( r = −0.37, P = 0.018; r = −0.38, P = 0.015, respectively). These inverse associations persisted after adjusting for HbA 1c , although they were attenuated in multivariable analysis after adjustment for age, diabetes duration, and several other covariates. CONCLUSIONS Increased GV promoting hypoglycemic stress was associated with reduced HRV independent of glycemic control as assessed by HbA 1c . These pilot data suggest that glucose variability may contribute to cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction among adults with type 1 diabetes.
Characteristics of quasi‐monomode fibers

In monomode fiber the attenuation of higher order modes is much larger than that of the dominant mode near the cutoff wavelength. Therefore, in practice, the wavelength region in which only the dominant mode propagates is extended toward the shorter wavelength. A fiber used in the region in which two LP modes can theoretically propagate is called quasi-monomode fiber. This paper investigates the characteristics of the quasi-monomode fiber for application to communication channels. The behavior of the two modes near the cutoff wavelength is studied. The transmitted pulse waveforms, the effective cutoff wavelength and microbend loss are investigated. Based on the results, conditions for effectively preventing multimode dispersion are found even when coupling exists between these two modes. These conditions include the difference in loss factors, the coupling coefficient between the two modes and the relation between the fiber junction distance and the transmission distance. A measurement method is proposed for the coupling coefficient. It is shown that coupling of the two modes due to microbends, which are important for cable fabrication, creates increased loss not strongly dependent on the wavelength. Dependence of the effective cutoff wavelength on fiber length is clarified. It is shown that the effective cutoff wavelength of an entire length of cable can be estimated from a short sample.
Collegial Support: a Lifeline for the Beginning Principal

Educational leadership will continue to increase in complexity in the future. As a result, increased opportunity for collegial relationships for administrators—especially beginning principals—can lead to stronger instructional leadership.
An Identification Technique for Timed Event Systems

Abstract Compared to time-driven systems, few tools are available for identification of timed event-driven systems. Here we address the identification problem for those systems that require not only proper ordering, but also correct timing, of input and output events for their complete description. First we review well-known results from computational learning theory, noting their roots in classical systems theory and interpreting their relevance to the identification problem. Next, as a prerequisite to identification, we introduce a simple formalism for timed deterministic event-based system behavior that is also well-adapted to identification. Then we present the main result of the paper, an algorithm that under appropriate conditions computes an automaton whose behavior reliably imitates a given timed event system. Simulation results illustrate best-case and worst-case identification conditions.
Simulation of the electrical characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction bipolar transistors

Abstract Heterojunction bipolar transistors fabricated from the III–V nitrides offer improved linearity for high-power and high-frequency amplifiers. We report the results of two-dimensional simulations of the characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) using the MEDICI® simulator. The simulated performance of single-heterojunction devices predict that it is possible to realize an amplification coefficient β =1130, an emitter-base turn-on voltage V BCO =3 V , a collector saturation current I Csat =3.5 kA / cm 2 , and a collector breakdown voltage BV CEO =55 V . The simulated frequency response of these devices indicate a maximum cutoff frequency f T =18 GHz .
Measurement of metastable and resonance level densities in rare-gas plasmas by optical emission spectroscopy

Excitation and ionization of atoms out of the 4 energy levels of the excited np5(n + 1)s configuration of rare gases play an important role in many low temperature rare-gas plasmas. We compare two optical methods for measuring the number densities of atoms in these excited levels in an inductively coupled plasma under a variety of operating conditions (600 W, 1–25 mTorr). The first method is a standard white light absorption technique, whereas the second method exploits changes in the effective branching fractions of np5(n + 1)p → np5(n + 1)s emissions brought about by radiation trapping of atoms in np5(n + 1)s levels. The branching fraction method was found to produce results that agree well with the direct white light absorption method for both argon and neon plasmas using little more than a low-resolution spectrum of the plasma glow.
Cross protection and induced resistance: their potential for plant disease control

The possibility that plants could be actively immunized against pathogens has attracted the attention of plant pathologists since the turn of the century. Although numerous early attempts were made to induce resistance in plants via prior inocu- lation with viable, attenuated, or heat- killed preparations of plant pathogens, the first clear demonstration of the phenomenon was made in 1929 by McKinney 1. He determined that tobacco plants infected with a strain of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) causing green mosaic could not subsequently be infected with a strain causing a bright yellow mosaic. Similar protective effects among closely-related viruses, now referred to as cross protection, have been reported frequently since McKinney's early work. Cross protec- tion, as it was first described, is limited to interactions between closely related strains of a pathogen, but the term has been applied rather loosely to many different types of non-specific pro- tection phenomena. In most instances, however, the requirement that only closely related strains cross protect is not satisfied. These non-specific phen- omena are generally referred to as in- duced resistance.
Graph analytics for signature discovery

Within large amounts of seemingly unstructured data it can be diffcult to find signatures of events. In our work we transform unstructured data into a graph representation. By doing this we expose underlying structure in the data and can take advantage of existing graph analytics capabilities, as well as develop new capabilities. Currently we focus on applications in cybersecurity and communication domains. Within cybersecurity we aim to find signatures for perpetrators using the pass-the-hash attack, and in communications we look for emails or phone calls going up or down a chain of command. In both of these areas, and in many others, the signature we look for is a path with certain temporal properties. In this paper we discuss our methodology for finding these temporal paths within large graphs.