cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Considerations in selecting and evaluating an A/D converter board

In this technical brief, we have discussed some of the important characteristics of A/D converters that impact the quality of acquired data. Range and resolution, coupled with the appropriate gain, can minimize the effects of sampling on a data set. We have also commented on some other considerations when selecting a data acquisition board, such specifications as the settling time and the differential non-linearity. There are other specifications that influence the performance of A/D boards and should be reviewed before selecting a board for your application. Numerous tutorials are available from many manufacturers and on various websites. References 2–4 are recommended for additional information.
Solid-state structure of copolyesters containing a mesogenic monomer

This study examined the solid-state structure of copolyesters based on smectic poly(diethylene glycol 4,4‘-bibenzoate) (PDEGBB) and non-liquid crystalline poly(diethylene glycol isophthalate) (PDEG...
Mitochondria of highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 exhibits increased autophagic properties

Autophagy is a cellular housekeeping process that removes damaged or unwanted cellular components and recycles them to build new constituents. It is essential for tumor growth under adverse environment. Mitochondria play an important role in the formation of autophagosome and its subsequent docking and fusion with lysosome. To understand the contribution of mitochondria to the regulation of homeostatic autophagy in cancer cells, we used the transmitochondrial cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) model. Cybrid system allowed us to compare mitochondria from different cell types including highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 (c231), less metastatic breast cancer cell lines: MDA-MB-436 (c436) and MDA-MB-468 (c468), as well as non-cancerous mammary epithelial cell MCF-10A (c10A) in a defined nuclear background. The c231 exhibited lower LC3-II levels but higher ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I than c436, c468 and c10A. In addition, c231 displayed more punctate LC3-positive cells and had lower levels of sequestosome 1 (p62/SQSTM1) than other cybrids. These suggested that mitochondria could contribute to the increased autophagy and autophagic flux in metastatic cancer. This increased autophagy was found to be non-selective autophagy instead of selective mitophagy since LC3 puncta in c231 did not co-localize with mitochondria labeled by Mitotracker red or Tomm 20. The promotion of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in c231 also contributed to increased autophagy. Block of MPT by the inhibition of low-conductance stage of MPT pores resulted in a decrease of LC3 puncta in c231. These results suggested that mitochondria from highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 can promote homeostatic autophagy of cancer through opening low-conductance MPT pores.
Acid promoted rearrangement of PCU-derived pinacols

Abstract Three isomerically pure pinacols, i.e., 2, 3a, and 3b, have been prepared via Na promoted reductive coupling of pentacyclo[5.4.0.02,6.03,10.05,9]undecane-8-one (1a) and 4-spiro(cyclopropyl)-pentacyclo[5.4.0.02,6.03,10. 05,9]undecane-8-one (1b), respectively. Acid promoted pinacol rearrangement of each of these PCU-derived pinacols proceeds with exclusive migration of the C(7)C(8) σ-bond in each case, thereby affording the corresponding pinacolone (4a, 5 and 6, respectively) as the only observed rearrangement product.
Parameters in L2 Learning: Flynn Revisited.

In a series of studies, Suzanne Flynn (1984; 1987a; 1987b) has proposed a specific theory with regard to Universal Grammar (Chomsky, 1986) and second language learning. The present study, a replication of the methodology and hypotheses in Flynn (1987b), utilizes Arabic-speaking learners of ESL, who are predicted by Flynn's theory to perform much like her Spanish-speaking subjects. Present findings, however, contradict those of Flynn's work and, thus, cast doubt on her theory of Universal Grammar and L2 learning. Closer examination then reveals that the linguistic underpinnings of Flynn's theory in Huang (1982) have been superseded by the more recent analysis of Koopman (1984), which does not support Flynn's theory. Furthermore, certain assumptions on processing main and subordinate clauses (Townsend and Bever, 1978) and sentence anaphora (Carden, 1986; Reinhart, 1986), which have the capacity to predict Flynn's findings, also fail satisfactorily to predict the results from the speakers of Arabic. Finally,...
Congenitally bicuspid aortic valve in multiple family members.

Abstract In conclusion, the bicuspid aortic valve is clearly more common in first-degree relatives of subjects with a bicuspid aortic valve than in those of subjects with a tricuspid aortic valve. It appears reasonable to recommend a good precordial examination and possibly an echocardiogram in first-degree relatives of subjects clearly identified as having a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve.
Wave Propagation in Fluid-Loaded Laminated Cylindrical Shells

Harmonic waves propagating in a fluid-loaded, composite circular cylinder are investigated. The solid in this case is composed of perfectly bonded, isotropic, linearly elastic, cylindrical layers stacked radially to form a laminated cylinder. The surface impedance of the laminated shell is calculated using a recursive invariant-imbedding algorithm. This algorithm is numerically stable for a wide range of frequencies and circumferential mode numbers. Particular attention is given to the study of subsonic interface waves which propagate unattenuated along a fluid-solid interface. Results are presented which show the effects of layering and curvature on the dispersion spectrum of the subsonic interface waves.
New product development at Eastern Spice & Flavorings

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide an insight into the spice industry.Design/methodology/approach – Uses Eastern Spice & Flavorings as a case study and focuses on its international product development group.Findings – Despite the company's origins as a family‐owned small business, it competes in the global marketplace. To compete successfully, it must localize its blends. Until the company can establish new product development (NPD) centers in its major overseas markets, regional teams from Richmond that could travel to foreign markets to aid product development would be a solution to increasing sales.Originality/value – Discusses Eastern Spice & Flavorings and its new product development.
Using pressure–volume curves to set proper PEEP in acute lung injury

The evolution of respiratory care on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been focused on preventing the deleterious effects of mechanical ventilation, termed ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Currently, reduced tidal volume is the standard of ventilatory care for patients with ARDS. The current focus, however, has shifted to the proper setting of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). The whole lung pressure-volume (P/V) curve has been used to individualize setting proper PEEP in patients with ARDS, although the physiologic interpretation of the curve remains under debate. The purpose of this review is to present the pros and cons of using P/V curves to set PEEP in patients with ARDS. A systematic analysis of recent and relevant literature was conducted. It has been hypothesized that proper PEEP can be determined by identifying P/V curve inflection points. Acquiring a dynamic curve presents the key to the curve's bedside application. The lower inflection point of the inflation limb has been shown to be the point of massive alveolar recruitment and therefore an option for setting PEEP. However, it is becoming widely accepted that the upper inflection point (UIP) of the deflation limb of the P/V curve represents the point of optimal PEEP. New methods used to identify optimal PEEP, including tomography and active compliance measurements, are currently being investigated. In conclusion, we believe that the most promising method for determining proper PEEP settings is use of the UIP of the deflation limb. However, tomography and dynamic compliance may offer superior bedside availability.
NON-BREAKABLE DATA ENCRYPTION WITH CLASSICAL INFORMATION

Secure encryption of data is one of the most important parts of information technology and major concern of data security, military, defense and homeland security applications. The main aim of the paper is to propose a new way of approach to encryption. We propose a new possible approach [1] to encryption, which could be a fast, simple, inexpensive, robust, flexible, and mobile way of data encryption for absolutely secure data transmission by using classical digital information. The Eavesdropper is allowed to know the received signal thus the method has a higher level of protection than that of quantum encryption. Factorization algorithms do not help to break the code. Proper scrambling operators, which are necessary for the method, are study of current research.
Climate Variation and the Rise and Fall of an Andean Civilization

Paleolimnological and archaeological records that span 3500 years from Lake Titicaca and the surrounding Bolivian–Peruvian altiplano demonstrate that the emergence of agriculture (ca. 1500 B.C.) and the collapse of the Tiwanaku civilization (ca. A.D. 1100) coincided with periods of abrupt, profound climate change. The timing and magnitude of climate changes are inferred from stratigraphic evidence of lake-level variation recorded in14C-dated lake-sediment cores. Paleo-lake levels provide estimates of drainage basin water balance. Archaeological evidence establishes spatial and temporal patterns of agricultural field use and abandonment. Prior to 1500 B.C., aridity in the altiplano precluded intensive agriculture. During a wetter period from 1500 B.C. to A.D. 1100, the Tiwanaku civilization and its immediate predecessors developed specialized agricultural methods that stimulated population growth and sustained large human settlements. A prolonged drier period (ca. A.D. 1100–1400) caused declining agricultural production, field abandonment, and cultural collapse.
Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome, Part 2: Diagnostic Work-Up, Imaging Evaluation, and Differential Diagnosis.

SUMMARY: The diagnostic evaluation of a patient with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome integrates clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings. Imaging plays an important role by confirming the presence of cerebral vasoconstriction; monitoring potential complications such as ischemic stroke; and suggesting alternative diagnoses, including CNS vasculitis and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Noninvasive vascular imaging, including transcranial Doppler sonography and MR angiography, has played an increasingly important role in this regard, though conventional angiography remains the criterion standard for the evaluation of cerebral artery vasoconstriction. Newer imaging techniques, including high-resolution vessel wall imaging, may help in the future to better discriminate reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome from primary angiitis of the CNS, an important clinical distinction.
Self-Boosted Co-scheduling for SMP Virtual Machines

In this paper, we propose a self-boosted co-scheduling(SBCO) algorithm to reduce synchronization latency among consolidated virtual machines. Different from conventional co-scheduling which requires all runnable sibling vCPUs that are from the same VM to be scheduled at precisely the same time, SBCO reorders all these sibling vCPUs threads coarsely at the same level in their respective run queue, then schedules them at the same time window, and maintains global fairness between consolidated VMs. SBCO minimizes costly pCPU preemption and preserves the flexibility of the dynamic mapping between vCPUs and pCPUs. We have implemented SBCO in KVM and conducted comprehensive evaluations with various workloads. Results shows that SBCO is able to reduce the number of context switches significantly and achieve overall performance improve up to 10% compared with other competitors and improve up to 60% compared with the default scheduler.
A Two-Antenna Low-If Beamforming MIMO Receiver

We present a two-antenna MIMO receiver using analog beamforming while allowing for multiple data-stream communication. The proposed architecture advantageously combines the concepts of analog beamforming and MIMO communication, leading to lower complexity and power consumption compared with a conventional two-antenna MIMO receiver.
Inactivating intracellular antiviral responses during adenovirus infection

DNA viruses promote cell cycle progression, stimulate unscheduled DNA synthesis, and present the cell with an extraordinary amount of exogenous DNA. These insults elicit vigorous responses mediated by cellular factors that govern cellular homeostasis. To ensure productive infection, adenovirus has developed means to inactivate these intracellular antiviral responses. Among the challenges to the host cell is the viral DNA genome, which is viewed as DNA damage and elicits a cellular response to inhibit replication. Adenovirus therefore encodes proteins that dismantle the cellular DNA damage machinery. Studying virus-host interactions has yielded insights into the molecular functioning of fundamental cellular mechanisms. In addition, it has suggested ways that viral cytotoxicity can be exploited to offer a selective means of restricted growth in tumor cells as a therapy against cancer. In this review, we discuss aspects of the intracellular response that are unique to adenovirus infection and how adenoviral proteins produced from the early region E4 act to neutralize antiviral defenses, with a particular focus on DNA damage signaling.
BRAF genetic heterogeneity in papillary thyroid carcinoma and its metastasis

Summary Intratumoral heterogeneity is widely recognized as an important determinant of a cancer's initial response and its subsequent resistance to targeted therapy. BRAF V600E mutation, common in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), is helpful in fine needle aspiration diagnosis of thyroid nodules and is being evaluated for targeted therapies. This study was designed to assess the presence of BRAF mutation heterogeneity within primary PTCs and between paired primary and metastatic lesions. Genetic heterogeneity was evaluated in 47 PTCs (38 differentiated papillary thyroid carcinomas and 9 poorly differentiated PTCs with anaplastic areas). The differentiated papillary thyroid carcinomas included 16 cases with regional lymph node metastases at thyroidectomy and 9 cases with recurrent metastases to regional lymph nodes more than 5 years post thyroidectomy. Genetic heterogeneity of BRAF was studied by comparing the mutation status in different samples of tumor as follows: ( a ) 2 separate areas (each >1.5 cm in diameter) within the primary tumor, ( b ) a more than 1.5 cm area of primary carcinoma and a second 5 mm area simulating a fine needle aspiration sample from a different portion of the primary tumor, ( c ) primary carcinoma and its lymph node metastasis at thyroidectomy, ( d ) primary carcinoma and the recurrent metastasis, and ( e ) differentiated and anaplastic areas in the primary carcinoma. BRAF mutation status was concordant in 95.2% of the 62 paired samples. Discordant BRAF status was detected in only 4.8% of the pairs studied and most frequently involved cases with recurrent metastasis thus suggesting a need for additional testing of these lesions before instituting therapy.
Faster graph-theoretic image processing via small-world and quadtree topologies

Numerical methods associated with graph-theoretic image processing algorithms often reduce to the solution of a large linear system. We show here that choosing a topology that yields a small graph diameter can greatly speed up the numerical solution. As a proof of concept, we examine two image graphs that preserve local connectivity of the nodes (pixels) while drastically reducing the graph diameter. The first is based on a "small-world" modification of a standard 4-connected lattice. The second is based on a quadtree graph. Using a recently described graph- theoretic image processing algorithm we show that large speed-up is achieved with a minimal perturbation of the solution when these graph topologies are utilized. We suggest that a variety of similar algorithms may also benefit from this approach.
Injection of solids to lift coastal areas

Catastrophic flooding in coastal areas is an ongoing problem that may be aggravated by projected sea-level rise. We present a method of flood protection called SIRGE (solid injection for raising ground elevation), where the ground surface is raised by injecting sediment-laden slurry into hydraulic fractures at shallow depths. The injection process is repeated at adjacent locations to create a network of sub-horizontal, overlapping injections of solid material (hydraulic fractures). We argue that injecting sediment over large lateral distances would cause a lasting surface uplift that scales with the thickness of injected sediment at depth. We support this concept by an analysis showing that, in contrast to hydraulic fractures in petroleum reservoirs, hydraulic fractures in soft, shallow formations would typically grow in the toughness-dominated regime. It appears that the SIRGE process could be implemented to lift ground elevations in places such as Venice or New Orleans. Experimental and geological examples indicate that hydraulic fractures of suitable orientation and size can be created in areas with appropriate in situ stresses.
Transformations in the Feminization of Unfree Domestic Labor: A Study of Abaawa or Prepubescent Female Servitude in Modern Ghana

This article breaks new ground for the study of postslavery gender and social formations in modern Ghana and Africa as a whole: It examines the expansion of involuntary female domestic labor known as abaawa in what is today Ghana. The study traces the transformative institutional processes that shaped the exploitation of involuntary female labor in the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial periods. Based on a variety of primary sources, including colonial, indigenous African newspapers, Christian missionary accounts, and oral history, the article maps out the paradoxical expansion of involuntary female labor during the age of abolition in the colonial period and the postslavery phase of social and gender formations in the era of the postcolonial state. The pivotal argument is that social and gender formations that emerged as a result of abolition, social change, and economic transformation benefited more males than females. As a result, males used innovative, empowering avenues of social mobility in both the colonial and postcolonial periods. For their part, disempowered females, especially those in backwater enclaves, were consigned to abaawa labor, which has ostensibly been projected as a benign, kinship-based, and apprenticeship-bound institution. In reality, contemporary abaawa has all the exploitative vagaries of slavery and debt-bondage of the pre/colonial epoch.
On the Education of the Pre-Reformation Clergy

No literary product of the humanistic period north of the Alps enjoyed a wider circulation or had a more lasting impact than satire. By far the best known of Erasmus's works today is In Praise of Folly , a satire that lays open and criticizes the foolishness of pre-Reformation society. Yet the prince of humanism had produced only a derivative of another satire, Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff which also claimed a spot on the Western world's best-seller list for a few centuries. Sebastian Brant and Erasmus still are recognized as two of the severest critics of the society in which they lived, and their conception of pre-Reformation life set the trend for generations of historians to come. Erasmus's “Fool Stultitia continues, year after year, to climb her pulpit and deliver her oration to new audiences in every langauge…”
In Vitro Pharmacodynamics of Amphotericin B, Itraconazole, and Voriconazole against Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Scedosporium spp.

We compared the in vitro pharmacodynamics of amphotericin B, itraconazole, and voriconazole against Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Scedosporium species with a combination of two non-culture-based techniques: the tetrazolium salt 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-[(sulfenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium-hydroxide) (XTT) colorimetric reduction assay, and fluorescent microscopy with the cellular morbidity dye bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol (DiBAC) to directly visualize hyphal damage. Amphotericin B exhibited species-specific concentration-dependent activity, with 50% effective concentrations (EC(50)s) ranging from 0.10 to 0.12 mg/ml for A. fumigatus, 0.36 to 0.53 mg/ml for A. terreus, 0.27 to > or = 32 mg/ml for F. solani, 0.41 to 0.55 mg/ml for F. oxysporum, and 0.97 and 0.65 mg/ml for S. apiospermum and S. prolificans, respectively. Similarly, itraconazole inhibited the growth of A. fumigatus and A. terreus isolates with MICs of <1 mg/ml (EC(50) 0.03 to 0.85 mg/ml) and S. apiospermum, but was not active against Fusarium species or S. prolificans. Voriconazole effectively inhibited the growth of Aspergillus, Fusarium, and S. apiospermum (EC(50) 0.10 to 3.3 mg/ml) but had minimal activity against a multidrug-resistant isolate of F. solani or S. prolificans. Hyphal damage visualized by DiBAC staining was observed more frequently with voriconazole and amphotericin B versus itraconazole. These data highlight the species-specific differences in antifungal pharmacodynamics between mold-active agents that could be relevant for the development of in vitro susceptibility breakpoints and antifungal dosing in vivo.
Factors influencing the inhibitory effect of carbon monoxide on cytochrome P-450-catalyzed mixed function oxidation reactions.

Liver microsomal reactions under conditions of high rates of electron flux were more CO sensitive, and the Warburg partition coefficient for CO and O/sub 2/ with cytochrome P-450 was increased.
Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Wake Characterization Using Nacelle-Based Long-Range Scanning Lidar

AbstractTo facilitate the optimization of turbine spacing at modern wind farms, computational simulations of wake effects must be validated through comparison with full-scale field measurements of wakes from utility-scale turbines operating in the real atmosphere. Scanning remote sensors are particularly well suited for this objective, as they can sample wind fields over large areas at high temporal and spatial resolutions. Although ground-based systems are useful, the vantage point from the nacelle is favorable in that scans can more consistently transect the central part of the wake. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the work described here represents the first analysis in the published literature of a utility-scale wind turbine wake using nacelle-based long-range scanning lidar.The results presented are of a field experiment conducted in the fall of 2011 at a wind farm in the western United States, quantifying wake attributes such as the velocity deficit, centerline location, and wake width. Notab...
Constraint partitioning for solving planning problems with trajectory constraints and goal preferences

The PDDL3 specifications include soft goals and trajectory constraints for distinguishing highquality plans among the many feasible plans in a solution space. To reduce the complexity of solving a large PDDL3 planning problem, constraint partitioning can be used to decompose its constraints into subproblems of much lower complexity. However, constraint locality due to soft goals and trajectory constraints cannot be effectively exploited by existing subgoal-partitioning techniques developed for solving PDDL2.2 problems. In this paper, we present an improved partition-andresolve strategy for supporting the new features in PDDL3. We evaluate techniques for resolving violated global constraints, optimizing goal preferences, and achieving subgoals in a multivalued representation. Empirical results on the 5th International Planning Competition (IPC5) benchmarks show that our approach is effective and significantly outperforms other competing planners.
Inputs of Coma: Static Detection of Denial-of-Service Vulnerabilities

As networked systems grow in complexity, they are increasingly vulnerable to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks involving resource exhaustion. A single malicious "input of coma" can trigger high-complexity behavior such as deep recursion in a carelessly implemented server, exhausting CPU time or stack space and making the server unavailable to legitimate clients. These DoS attacks exploit the semantics of the target application, are rarely associated with network traffic anomalies, and are thus extremely difficult to detect using conventional methods.We present SAFER, a static analysis tool for identifying potential DoS vulnerabilities and the root causes of resource-exhaustion attacks before the software is deployed. Our tool combines taint analysis with control dependency analysis to detect high-complexity control structures whose execution can be triggered by untrusted network inputs.When evaluated on real-world networked applications, SAFER discovered previously unknown DoS vulnerabilities in the Expat XML parser and the SQLite library, as well as a new attack on a previously patched version of the wu-ftpd server. This demonstrates the importance of understanding and repairing the root causes of DoS vulnerabilities rather than simply blocking known malicious inputs.
The Prion Disease Database: a comprehensive transcriptome resource for systems biology research in prion diseases.

Prion diseases reflect conformational conversion of benign isoforms of prion protein (PrPC) to malignant PrPSc isoforms. Networks perturbed by PrPSc accumulation and their ties to pathological events are poorly understood. Time-course transcriptomic and phenotypic data in animal models are critical for understanding prion-perturbed networks in systems biology studies. Here, we present the Prion Disease Database (PDDB), the most comprehensive data resource on mouse prion diseases to date. The PDDB contains: (i) time-course mRNA measurements spanning the interval from prion inoculation through appearance of clinical signs in eight mouse strain-prion strain combinations and (ii) histoblots showing temporal PrPSc accumulation patterns in brains from each mouse–prion combination. To facilitate prion research, the PDDB also provides a suite of analytical tools for reconstructing dynamic networks via integration of temporal mRNA and interaction data and for analyzing these networks to generate hypotheses. Database URL: http://prion.systemsbiology.net
Altered water metabolism in tuberculosis: Role of vasopressin

Abstract purpose: Patients with hyponatremia due to tuberculosis have shown variable responses to water loading in previous small studies, ranging from persistent antidiuresis to a normal diuresis. Although tuberculosis is considered a cause of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), circulating vasopressin has been documented in only a few cases. We studied a larger group of patients to determine whether it can be suppressed by a short-term reduction in osmolality. patients and methods: Twenty-eight hyponatremic patients (mean age ± SD: 40 ± 10 years) with pulmonary or military tuberculosis underwent a clinical evaluation, measurement of blood and urine chemistry values, and (in 22) a water load of 20 mL/kg. Volume status was evaluated by urine sodium concentration, blood and urine urea nitrogen, and plasma renin activity. Endocrine, renal, and other recognized causes of SIADH were excluded. results: All 22 patients exhibited a decline in urine osmolality and an increase in free water clearance after water loading. Water excretion was fully normal in seven of 22, with the remainder showing variable impairment of diluting ability and/or volume excreted. Plasma vasopressin, measured in 11 of 22 patients as well as in six others not subjected to water loading, was detectable despite hypo-osmolality in 16 of 17. Vasopressin levels declined after water loading, from 1.85 ± 1.32 to 0.77 ± 0.25 pg/mL (p conclusions: Circulating vasopressin remains detectable in hyponatremic patients with tuberculosis and is responsive to changes in osmolality. A downsetting of osmoregulation induced by active tuberculosis ("reset osmostat") could explain this abnormality, but we cannot exclude an unidentified non-osmotic stimulus that can be counteracted by water loading.
The Differential Impact of Federal Reserve Margin Requirements on Stock Return Volatility

This study examines the effect of changes in margin requirements on stock price volatility. We examine the possibility that the impact of margin requirements varies with a stock's degree of speculative interest. Using four alternative measures of speculative interest, we divide our sample into ten portfolios. We find no consistent evidence of a relationship between margin requirements and changes in volatility for any portfolio. The inconsistent and often contradictory results produced by these changes question its usefulness by Federal Reserve decision makers.
Magnetization transfer magnetic resonance of human atherosclerotic plaques ex vivo detects areas of high protein density

Background Proteins are major plaque components, and their degradation is related to the plaque instability. We sought to assess the feasibility of magnetization transfer (MT) magnetic resonance (MR) for identifying fibrin and collagen in carotid atherosclerotic plaques ex vivo.
SOCIAL VALIDATION OF COMPONENT BEHAVIORS OF FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS, ACCEPTING CRITICISM, AND NEGOTIATING

This study evaluated whether behaviors often taught as part of social skills training are judged favorably by others. Community judges evaluated the performances of people in various situations requiring one of three social skills: following instructions, accepting criticism, and negotiating to resolve conflicts. These skills were displayed in videotaped scenes by actors with and without mental retardation who acted out roles that had different types of authority relationships, and when different components or clusters of behavior (nonverbal, specific verbal, or general verbal behaviors) were performed well or poorly. The highest ratings by judges were of videotaped scenes that depicted correct use of all behaviors, regardless of which skill was being examined, whether or not the actor had mental retardation, or what the relationship was between the two actors. The lowest ratings were of videotaped scenes that depicted poor performance of all behaviors, and intermediate ratings were obtained when only some of the behaviors were performed poorly. These results, as well as the verbal responses of judges to questions, indicated that the different behaviors commonly used in teaching the skills of following instructions, accepting criticism, and negotiating are relevant to judgment of social performance, and are likely to be reinforced and maintained by social contingencies.
A heuristic for root isolation

A heuristic for isolating the real roots of an equation involving a continuous function over a specified region is presented. Root isolation strategies are well known for polynomial and rational functions; however, there have been no really effective root isolation strategies for transcendental functions. For a transcendental function and a given interval, there has been no way to decide the existence of roots within the interval unless the function changed sign at the endpoints or unless evaluations were performed within the interval. This paper presents a new decision procedure using only interval endpoints. The methodology developed does not guarantee to detect real roots in an interval; however, the technique will effectively indicate real roots in a given interval unless the behaviour of the function is quite erratic.
Towards a taxonomy of architecture integration strategies

1. ABSTRACT By detecting interoperability problems at the architectural style level, properties of an integrated system can be defined early in the design process. There are many integration strategies, but their definitions do not provide the developer with a foundation to select a strategy for its appropriateness in implementing a correct solution. In this paper, we discuss our preliminary findings from architectural style integration analysis. We form a partial integration taxonomy that shows the relationship between existing integration strategies and the integration elements defined at the architectural level. 1.1
Pharmacotherapy of Opioid Addiction: “Putting a Real Face on a False Demon”

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), a pharmacological treatment for opioid use disorder for the past 50 years, continues to remain controversial. Despite consistent and overwhelming evidence confirming the effectiveness and safety of MMT, misconceptions and myths persist regarding its legitimacy as a treatment for opioid addiction. This often results in the underutilization and limited availability of this treatment modality. Despite successful outcomes, the controversial nature of MMT, and the stigma experienced by the patients on methadone, has been a particularly difficult obstacle to overcome. We present the history of MMT, review the evidence for its efficacy in the treatment of opioid dependence, and explore the origins of the stigma and misconceptions related to MMT.
Energy Transfer in the Practice of Surgery

Energy is a fundamental tool of the modern surgeon. Transduction of energy can take many forms, including the oldest, which is basically manual energy transduction, to effect a change. Modem surgical instruments use electrons, photons, and sound waves to transfer energy to human tissue. Surgeons expect specific and repeatable results from these tools. An understanding of the basic underpinnings of energy transfer and its effects on biological tissue is necessary to adapt current technologies to specific surgical situations.
Fish, Farmers, and Floods: Coordinating Institutions to Optimize the Provision of Ecosystem Services

AbstractThis paper investigates the role of coordinating institutions on the returns to ecosystem services in the context of fisheries and habitat management. It examines the trade-offs between the production of crops and habitat for juvenile salmon in relation to flood events on a California floodplain. A bioeconomic model of the floodplain agriculture, salmon population, and California ocean fishery is developed to estimate the farmers’ and fishers’ economic surpluses. The results reveal large total surpluses gains for producers from coordinating the institutions to jointly manage the freshwater and marine ecosystems. The gains from improving habitat management exceed those from optimally setting the harvest. These findings provide important insights for fisheries management where efforts have traditionally focused on improving harvest levels.
Putting the unit in pre-service secondary teachers’ unit circle

We discuss a teaching experiment that explored two pre-service secondary teachers’ meanings for the unit circle. Our analyses suggest that the participants’ initial unit circle meanings predominantly consisted of calculational strategies for relating a given circle to what they called “the unit circle.” These strategies did not entail conceiving a circle’s radius as a unit of measure. In response, we implemented tasks designed to focus the participants’ attention on various measurement ideas including conceiving a circle’s radius as a unit magnitude. Against the backdrop of the participants’ actions on these tasks, we characterize shifts in the participants’ unit circle meanings and we briefly describe how these shifts influenced their ability to use the unit circle in trigonometric situations.
Influence of the redox indicator reaction on single-nanoparticle collisions at mercury- and bismuth-modified Pt ultramicroelectrodes.

Single-Pt nanoparticles (NPs) can be detected electrochemically by measuring the current–time (i–t) response associated with both hydrazine oxidation and proton reduction during individual Pt NP collisions with noncatalytic Hg- and Bi-modified Pt ultramicroelectrodes (Hg/Pt and Bi/Pt UMEs, respectively). At Hg/Pt UMEs, the i–t response for both hydrazine oxidation and proton reduction consists of repeated current “spikes” that return to the background level as Hg poisons the Pt NP after collision with the Hg/Pt UME due to amalgamation and deactivation of the redox reaction. Furthermore, at a Hg/Pt UME, the applied potential directly influences the interfacial surface tension (electrocapillarity) that also impacts the observed i–t response for single-Pt NP collisions for proton reduction that exhibits a faster decay of current (0.7–4 ms) to background levels than hydrazine oxidation (2–5 s). Because the surface tension of Hg is lower (−0.9 V), Pt NPs possibly react faster with Hg (amalgamate at a faster ra...
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF TUBE FORMATION AND BASIDIOSPORE DEVELOPMENT IN GANODERMA LUCIDUM

Light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to study tube for? mation and basidiospore development in Ganoderma lucidum. Young tubes appeared as slight depressions in the tramal surface. Extensive hyphal death and disintegration occurred in association with tube formation. Surviving hyphae in developing tubes became coated with an extracellular matrix. Mature tubes were also coated with this material. Developing basidia pushed through the matrix into the tube lumen where they formed basidiospores. Nuclear migration into spores occurred only after lipid droplets within the spore had begun to coalesce and after spore wall formation had begun. The unique spore wall of G. lucidum appeared to consist of an outermost primary layer, darkly staining inter-wall pillars surrounded by electron transparent regions, and an innermost secondary wall. Wall pillars developed immediately adjacent to the plasma membrane and appeared to displace the primary wall as they developed. The secondary wall then developed between the bases of the wall pillars and the plasma membrane. Wall pillars eventually appeared to fuse with both primary and secondary wall layers but remained as conspicuous structures because of the electron transparent regions around them. Large numbers of detached basidiospores became trapped in tubes. Many were covered by the extracellular matrix and appeared to degenerate.
Dynamic Calibration Technique for Thermal Shear Stress Sensors with Variable Mean Flow

This paper presents the development of a plane wave tube with variable mean flow for static and dynamic calibration of shear stress sensors. The static response is obtained via a variable mean flow and the dynamic calibration is achieved by superimposing a known sinusoidal shear stress over the established mean flow utilizing acoustic plane wave excitation. The theoretical development of the dynamic calibration technique as well as the design and fabrication of the plane wave tube calibrator are presented. The results of static and dynamic calibrations of a micromachined thermal shear stress sensor are discussed. Our configuration has the capability to dynamically calibrate shear stress sensors up to 20 kHz.
Impact of stagnation time on metal dissolution from plumbing materials in drinking water

Studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of stagnation period on the metal dissolution from plumbing materials including lead, copper and brass. Experimental data showed that metal levels increased exponentially with time, with the sharpest increase occurring over the first 20–24 h. Metal levels may continue to increase following well beyond 24 h of stagnation. Copper levels increased until dissolved oxygen fell below 1 mg l −1 after which copper levels fell. Results showed that stagnation behaviour is complex in nature, difficult to predict and dependent on water chemistry. Experimental data fit well to a radial diffusion model when a diffusion barrier term is considered.
Impact of Experimental Parameter Errors on Reconstructed Breast Images Using Diffuse Optical Tomography

Mesh based Monte Carlo simulations are used to generate transmission breast diffuse optical tomography data. Controlled instrumental errors are then added to test the impact of data degradation on finite element diffusion based image reconstructions.
Problems analysis during the cold test of the domestic large CFB boiler

With the domestic circulating fluidized bed(CFB) boiler being larger,the cold test is becoming more and more important in the commissioning and operation of the large CFB boiler.The CFB boiler can safely and steadily run based on the correct result of the cold test.The problems and key-points during the cold test of the first owning Chinese intellectual property right 1 025 t/h CFB boiler was analyzed and summarized.Here the cold test was mainly composed of air flow meter calibration test,air distribution plate characteristics test,material resistance and the critical wind mass test,air distribution symmetrical characteristics test in furnace and air distribution plate resistance characteristics test outside bed.The method and advice from practical experience and theoretical design can provide reference for the unit steadily running,commissioning and operation of the large CFB boiler.
Immunoblastic sarcoma of T-cell versus B-cell origin: I. Clinical features

Within the Lukes-Collins classification system of malignant lymphoma, a tumor of large transformed lymphocytes, termed immunoblastic sarcoma (IBS), is described. This morphological type would have been included within the "histiocytic" category of Rappaport. Immunoblastic sarcoma may be of B-lymphocytic or T-lymphocytic origin. Since differences or similarities of these two variants have not yet been described, we reviewed the case histories of 35 such patients, all of whom had immunologic marker studies performed. Nineteen patients had T-cell IBS (T-IBS), whereas 16 had B-cell IBS (B-IBS). Median age for both groups was approximately 50 yr. A history of prior immune disorder was found in 31% of B-IBS and 16% of T-IBS cases. Prior lymphoproliferative malignancy was noted in 21% of T-IBS and 13% of B-IBS patients. All T-IBS patients first presented because of lymphadenopathy, whereas 56% of B-IBS cases initially presented because of extranodal disease. Systemic "B" symptoms were common in both. Similarly, most patients had widespread disease (stage III or IV) at diagnosis. Clinically suspected hepatic (p = 0.05) and retroperitoneal node (p = 0.01) involvement were more often found in T-IBS. Forty-one percent of T-IBS patients demonstrated polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, a finding seen in no B-IBS patient (p = 0.02). Although not statistically significant because of small numbers of patients, data on therapy and survival suggest that IBS of B-cell type may be successfully treated with aggressive, multiagent chemotherapy, while alternative approaches appear warranted in T-cell disease.
Hulls for Various Kinds of α-Completeness in Archimedean Lattice-Ordered Groups

Within Archimedean l-groups, and with α an infinite cardinal or ∞, we consider X-hulls where X stands for any of the following classes of l-groups: α-projectable; laterally α-complete; boundedly laterally α-complete; conditionally α-complete; combinations of the preceding, together with divisibility and/or relative uniform completeness. All these hulls exist, and may be obtained by iterated adjunction of the required extra elements, within the essential hull. When the l-groups is relatively α-complemented one step in the iteration suffices for several crucial properties. We derive from the above a considerable number of equations involving combinations of these hull operators.
Fetal Substantia Nigra Transplants Lead to Dopamine Cell Replacement and Behavioral Improvement in Bonnet Monkeys with MPTP Induced Parkinsonism

Transplantation of fetal dopamine neurons has been performed in rats for 10 years (Bjorklund and Stenevi, 1979; Perlow et al., 1979) and these experiments have established several basic principles likely to be of value for transplantation efforts in other species including man. First is an appropriate experimental model. The unilaterally lesioned rat which circles in response to amphetamine or apomorphine as described by Anden et al. (1966) and Ungerstedt (1969) has been useful for studying transplant effects. Ventral mesencephalon from fetal embryonic day 13 to 15 is transplanted to dopamine denervated striatum. After 3 to 6 weeks of growth, the transplants produce changes in circling behavior (Bjorklund and Stenevi, 1979; Perlow et al., 1979; Dunnett et al., 1984). With amphetamine treatment, animals which formerly circled ipsilateral to the side of the dopamine denervation lesion may reverse their circling direction to circle contralateral to the initial lesion. Successful transplants are demonstrated by showing survival of dopamine cells along the transplant track as well as by replacement of dopamine content on the side of transplant from values of near total depletion to about 10% of intrinsic dopamine concentration (Schmidt et al., 1984).
How to Teach Fundamental Communication Skills

Teaching communication skills at all levels of training is critical to the success of our healthcare system. To teach communication requires both an understanding of models for effective communication in healthcare and using evidence-based teaching techniques. This chapter describes a model for effective communication in healthcare, provides a model for teaching communication skills in general, identifies strategies for teaching those skills, and provides practical suggestions for implementing those strategies.
More Reliable Crop Water Stress Quantification Using Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

Abstract: The remarkable development of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and imaging payloads have made it easier to monitor the crops with higher spatial resolution and temporal resolution images. As a crop based water status index, stem water potential (SWP) has been widely accepted in field practice to monitor the water status of almond trees. This study aims to research the relationship between SWP and vegetation index extracted from the high spatial resolution images. A circle mission was conducted to evaluate the effects of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) on canopy NDVI mean. It indicated that the importance of BRDF calibration to infer SWP from canopy normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) mean. In addition, it was demonstrated that a strong linear relationship exists between canopy NDVI mean and canopy NDVI variance under different view angles. Further analysis of images identified a non-normalized difference vegetation index (NNDVI) based on ground-truthed measurements of three weeks showed a more significant relationship with SWP than canopy NDVI mean.