cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pupil-size effects in fiber optic stellar interferometry

The effects of finite telescope pupil sizes on the measurement of fringe visibility in fiber optic stellar interferometry are described. It is shown theoretically that the measured fringe visibility is equal to the cross correlation of the magnitude of the source's mutual coherence function with the cross correlation of the telescopes' effective pupil functions. If the telescopes' effective pupil diameters are not small compared with the width of the source's mutual coherence function, then the measured fringe visibility will be correspondingly distorted. The theoretical results are verified experimentally in a fiber optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
Complete Genome Sequence of Campylobacter jejuni YH001 from Beef Liver, Which Contains a Novel Plasmid.

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni, commonly found in poultry and meat products, causes gastroenteritis in humans. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a C. jejuni strain, YH001, isolated from retail beef liver. The genome is 1,712,361 bp and has a 30.5% G+C content and two plasmids of 46.5 kb and 4.4 kb.
PIGS BORN WITHOUT EYE BALLS

Aregistered Duroc-Jersey gilt receiving a ration deficient in Vitamin A at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, farrowed on March 29, 1932, eleven pigs, all of which were born without eye balls. Ten of the pigs were alive at birth, one lived four days, one lived three hours, while the others died within five minutes after birth. The gestation period for the litter was 111 days, and their average birth weight before nursing was 1 pound 14 ounces. This gilt was placed on the vitamin A deficient ration when four months of age, and was bred 160 days later. She was kept in a pen with a concrete floor, and was fed in a self-feeder. Thirty days after being bred, she became too weak to get up. Cod liver oil was then supplied in daily doses of two ounces for 20 consecutive days. The gilt gained enough strength to move about the pen and eat regularly five days after she was started on the cod liver oil. After 20 days, the cod liver oil was given every other day for one week, after which it was discontinued, as the gilt appeared to be strong and had a good appetite. Forty-six ounces of cod liver oil were given in all. The litter of pigs was farrowed 53 days after discontinuing the cod liver oil.
Parallel programming: can we PLEASE get it right this time?

The computer industry has a problem. As Moore's law marches on, it will be exploited to double cores, not frequencies. But all those cores, growing to 8, 16 and beyond over the next several years, are of little value without parallel software. Where will this come from? With few exceptions, only graduate students and other strange people write parallel software. Even for numerically intensive applications, where parallel algorithms are well understood, professional software engineers almost never write parallel software. Somehow we need to (1) design many core systems programmers can actually use and (2) provide programmers with parallel programming environments that work. The good news is we have 25+ years of history in the HPC space to guide us. The bad news is that few people are paying attention to this experience. This talk looks at the history of parallel computing to develop a set of anecdotal rules to follow as we create many core systems and their programming environments. A common theme is that just about every mistake we could make has already been made by someone. So rather than reinvent these mistakes, let's learn from the past and "do it right this time".
Novel Non-mecA-Containing Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette Composite Island Containing pbp4 and tagF Genes in a Commensal Staphylococcal Species: a Possible Reservoir for Antibiotic Resistance Islands in Staphylococcus aureus

Among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, a staphylococcal chromosomal cassette containing the mecA gene (SCCmec) is integrated into the chromosome at a unique site. SCCmec also contains unique ccrAB recombinase genes mediating its integration and excision from the genome and is flanked by characteristic left and right direct- and inverted-repeat sequences. A few non-mecA-containing SCC elements that have the other molecular features described above have recently been described. The origin of these cassettes is not clear. We have identified two new members of the SCC family integrated within orfX in Staphylococcus epidermidis strain ATCC 12228, neither of which carries mecA. One is a 57-kb element flanked by a unique 28-bp SCC direct repeat. It was called the SCC composite island (SCC-CI) because it carries a 19-kb SCC element (SCCpbp4) nested within it. SCCpbp4 contains pbp4 and tagF genes, as well as one pair of ccrAB genes (allotype 2) flanked by classical SCC-specific terminal repeats. External to SCCpbp4, SCC-CI contains a second pair of ccrAB genes (allotype 4), three IS431 elements, and genes mediating resistance to heavy metals. Genes mediating restriction-modification that may facilitate horizontal transfer are also present within SCC-CI, both within and outside SCCpbp4. Several novel arrangements of the SCC direct and inverted repeats were identified. Several long stretches of homology with other SCCs were found within and outside SCCpbp4. In view of the fact that SCC-CI was found in a commensal species, it may represent a reservoir for sequences involved in genetic shuffling between staphylococci and may contribute to the diversity found in SCC elements.
Simulating Scintillator Light Collection Using Measured Optical Reflectance

To accurately predict the light collection from a scintillating crystal through Monte Carlo simulations, it is crucial to know the angular distribution from the surface reflectance. Current Monte Carlo codes allow the user to set the optical reflectance to a linear combination of backscatter spike, specular spike, specular lobe, and Lambertian reflections. However, not all light distributions can be expressed in this way. In addition, the user seldom has the detailed knowledge about the surfaces that is required for accurate modeling. We have previously measured the angular distributions within BGO crystals and now incorporate these data as look-up-tables (LUTs) into modified Geant4 and GATE Monte Carlo codes. The modified codes allow the user to specify the surface treatment (ground, etched, or polished), the attached reflector (Lumirror®, Teflon®, ESR film, Tyvek®, or TiO paint), and the bonding type (air-coupled or glued). Each LUT consists of measured angular distributions with 4° by 5° resolution in theta and phi, respectively, for incidence angles from 0° to 90° degrees, in 1° -steps. We compared the new codes to the original codes by running simulations with a 3 × 10 × 30 mm3 BGO crystal coupled to a PMT. The simulations were then compared to measurements. Light output was measured by counting the photons detected by the PMT with the 3 × 10, 3 × 30, or 10 × 30 mm2 side coupled to the PMT, respectively. Our new code shows better agreement with the measured data than the current Geant4 code. The new code can also simulate reflector materials that are not pure specular or Lambertian reflectors, as was previously required. Our code is also more user friendly, as no detailed knowledge about the surfaces or light distributions is required from the user.
Fault Tolerant Evaluation of Continuous Selection Queries over Sensor Data

We consider the problem of evaluating continuous selection queries over sensor-generated values in the presence of faults. Small sensors are fragile, have finite energy and memory, and communicate over a lossy medium; hence, tuples produced by them may not reach the querying node, resulting in an incomplete and ambiguous answer, as any of the non-reporting sensors may have produced a tuple which was lost. We develop a protocol, FAult Tolerant Evaluation of Continuous Selection Queries (FATE-CSQ), which guarantees a user-requested level of quality in an efficient manner. When many faults occur, this may not be achievable; in that case, we aim for the best possible answer, under the query's time constraints. FATE-CSQ is designed to be resilient to different kinds of failures. Our design decisions are based on an analytical model of different fault tolerance strategies based on feedback and retransmission. Additionally, we evaluate FATE-CSQ and competing protocols with realistic simulation parameters under a variety of conditions, demonstrating its good performance.
A policy-based coordination model for team collaboration

This paper presents a policy-based coordination model for team collaboration. Team collaboration requires an agreement that utilizes a negotiation protocol to find candidate teams and to decide on a collaboration partner. The decision relies on policies that are rules governing team situations in an organization. Contexts and rules allow reasoning about team situations. We describe a policy-based negotiation protocol. It introduces an ontology-based whiteboard component that uses the Semantic Web technologies such as Web Ontology Language (OWL), Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL), and Semantic Query-enhanced Web Rule Language (SQWRL). The negotiation protocol facilitates whiteboards as a computational foundation for awareness of situations and policies, and it assists with the final decision using a measure based on the combination of rule-based queries and functions.
Negative Thermal Expansion

Negative thermal expansion behavior has been found in many oxides where oxygen or a cation has a coordination number of two. The MO2, AM2O7, A2M3O12, AMO5, and AO3 families, where A is an octahedral cation, M a tetrahedral cation, and the oxygen coordination is two, have been investigated for their thermal expansion properties. Negative thermal expansion has been found in all families except the AO3 family, where very low thermal expansion was found in the case of TaO2F. Open networks are necessary to allow free transverse thermal motion of oxygen, which is the apparent cause negative thermal expansion in these families. This openness leads to two problems. One is that structure collapse transitions tend to occur as the temperature is lowered. There is little or no thermal expansion below this transition. A solution to this problem is to maintain sufficient ionic character in the bonds holding the network together. The other problem is that when the networks become sufficiently open, they tend to hydrate. This hydration destroys the negative thermal expansion of the network.
Clarithromycin: Review of a New Macrolide Antibiotic with Improved Microbiologic Spectrum and Favorable Pharmacokinetic and Adverse Effect Profiles

OBJECTIVE:To compare the new macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin with erythromycin in terms of in vitro activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, and toxicity.DATA IDENTIFICATION:An English-language literature search employing MEDLINE (1987–91), Index Medicus (1987–91), Program and Abstracts of the 30th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (1990), Program and Abstracts of the 31st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (1991), and bibliographic reviews of related textbooks and review articles.STUDY SELECTION:Eighty-five articles were selected. Clinical trials with clarithromycin have been limited, and emphasis was placed on trials reported in the Program and Abstracts of the 30th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and Program and Abstracts of the 31st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.DATA EXTRACTION:Articles were assessed for study quality and specific information addr...
Performance implications of System Management Mode

System Management Mode (SMM) is a special x86 processor mode that privileged software such as kernels or hypervisors cannot access or interrupt. Previously, it has been assumed that time spent in SMM would be relatively small and therefore its side effects on privileged software were unimportant; recently, researchers have proposed uses, such as security-related checks, that would greatly increase the amount of runtime spent in this mode. We present the results of a detailed performance study to characterize the performance impacts of SMM, using measurement infrastructure we have developed. Our study includes impact to application, system, and hypervisor. We show there can be clear negative effects from prolonged preemptions. However, if SMM duration is kept within certain ranges, perturbation caused by SMIs may be kept to a minimum.
Varicella Outbreak Reporting, Response, Management, and National Surveillance

Two national surveys were conducted to evaluate the status of varicella case-based surveillance and outbreak response. Although progress toward national surveillance has been significant, a large number of jurisdictions are still without case-based surveillance. For jurisdictions beginning case-based surveillance with limited resources, a staged approach is recommended. The national outbreak survey showed that a significant number of varicella outbreaks continue to occur. The majority of jurisdictions respond to these outbreaks, although the response varies considerably. Depending on the outbreak-response approach, costs per outbreak ranged from $3000 for a typical, or passive, response to $6000 for a more active response. As varicella surveillance and outbreak control improves, jurisdictions may benefit from more-standardized outbreak-control practices. The recent recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for a routine second dose of varicella vaccine should lead to better varicella disease control, making case-based surveillance and appropriate outbreak response even more feasible.
Mental self: The person within

Some brain regions can map nothing but the body, and are the body's captive audience. These regions may form the basis of the mind's representation of the 'self'.
The Private Equity Market in Africa: Trends, Opportunities, Challenges, and Impact

This article analyzes the steady growth of the private equity industry in Africa, noting, among other things, the infancy of the industry, the reasons behind its growth, the comparatively small size of the industry, and recent trends in the industry on the continent. It further analyzes the structure of private equity fundraising and investment in Africa by investigating and profiling private equity activity in the region by the scope of activity, sectors receiving the most attention, destinations, and the firms and investors. It argues that the private equity industry in Africa is growing, in part because the continent is loaded with business opportunities. The article further argues that to keep fund managers and investors interested in the continent’s PE market and surmount its inherent challenges, African governments must continue to adopt investor-friendly and business-friendly policies.
Nodal Failure Index Approach to Groundwater Remediation Design

Computer simulations often are used to design and to optimize groundwater remediation systems. We present a new computationally efficient approach that calculates the reliability of remedial design at every location in a model domain with a single simulation. The estimated reliability and other model information are used to select a best remedial option for given site conditions, conceptual model, and available data. To evaluate design performance, we introduce the nodal failure index (NFI) to determine the number of nodal locations at which the probability of success is below the design requirement. The strength of the NFI approach is that selected areas of interest can be specified for analysis and the best remedial design determined for this target region. An example application of the NFI approach using a hypothetical model shows how the spatial distribution of reliability can be used for a decision support system in groundwater remediation design.
Detecting the Ratio of Rain and Cloud Water in Low-Latitude Shallow Marine Clouds

Abstract Satellite observations are used to deduce the relationship between cloud water and precipitation water for low-latitude shallow marine clouds. The specific sensors that facilitate the analysis are the collocated CloudSat profiling radar and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The separation of the cloud water and precipitation water signals relies on the relative insensitivity of MODIS to the presence of precipitation water in conjunction with estimates of the path-integrated attenuation of the CloudSat radar beam while explicitly accounting for the effect of precipitation water on the observed MODIS optical depth. Variations in the precipitation water path are shown to be associated with both the cloud water path and the cloud effective radius, suggesting both macrophysical and microphysical controls on the production of precipitation water. The method outlined here is used to place broad bounds on the mean relationship between the precipitation water path and the cloud wa...
Double Captures of House Mice (Mus musculus) with Information on Genetic Relatedness

Abstract Catching two animals in the same trap, a double capture, can provide information on social organization. House mice (Mus musculus) have not been previously studied in terms of double captures. We examined rates of double captures and effects of age, sex and density on double captures. We used DNA-based parental assignment to examine the hypothesis that double captures would differentially involve related mice more than unrelated mice. House mice were involved in double capture events less frequently than several other rodent species. Double captures accounted for only about 0.2% of all house mouse captures and only 12.6% of eligible mice were involved in double captures. Season and density influenced the rates of double captures. Pairs of juvenile males were captured together significantly more than expected, possibly because these young mice have a greater tendency to be together more while foraging or entering traps, but, without direct observation, this can only be inferred. Adult female-adult...
Tactical Charging: Choosing Wisely the Terrain on Which You Want to Fight!

This article provides a brief summary of three key tactical considerations for prosecutors when making the charging decision. Equating a court-martial to a battlefield, the art of advocacy is like the art of war. In war, commanders attempt to shape the battlefield to their advantage by electing to fight on terrain of their own choosing. In trial practice, the government possesses the initial advantage because prosecutors have the ability to shape the battlefield through the charging decision. Effective prosecutors recognize the tactical importance of selecting the most advantageous terrain through the charging process.
Taking race out of human genetics

In the wake of the sequencing of the human genome in the early 2000s, genome pioneers and social scientists alike called for an end to the use of race as a variable in genetic research ( 1 , 2 ). Unfortunately, by some measures, the use of race as a biological category has increased in the postgenomic age ( 3 ). Although inconsistent definition and use has been a chief problem with the race concept, it has historically been used as a taxonomic categorization based on common hereditary traits (such as skin color) to elucidate the relationship between our ancestry and our genes. We believe the use of biological concepts of race in human genetic research—so disputed and so mired in confusion—is problematic at best and harmful at worst. It is time for biologists to find a better way.
Quantitative Radiography: Film Model Calibration and Dopant/Impurity Measurement in ICF Ablators

AbstractIn ablator shell fabrication, trace elements and impurities are introduced in the deposition and the pyrolysis process, which must be controlled below a critical level. However, it is the opacity, not the individual elements, which matters in an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosion. Radiography measures the opacity, allowing the accurate determination of the total impurity effect in a lump sum. Furthermore, by using the sputter target trace element information, we can determine the radial profile of oxygen to ±0.4 at. %. Oxygen is very difficult to measure by any other method, but is critically important for beryllium process development such as mandrel removal. To ensure measurement accuracy, we use a local standard to remove fluctuation in film developing and a step wedge to calibrate the film model.
Energy Harvesting Opportunities for Low-Power Radios

Advancements in integrated circuit design have made it possible to have ultra-low-power wireless sensor nodes for health monitoring, smart buildings, industrial automation and for the automotive industry. These low power circuits generally have an Analog Front End (AFE) to sense weak signals, ADCs to digitize the sensed signals, microcontrollers for processing and low power radios for transmitting the low data rate information to a base station. These wireless sensors may be deployed in remote locations or may be in large numbers making battery replacement challenging. By harvesting the ambient energy, it is possible to power these systems and achieve near perpetual operation making battery replacement unnecessary. However, in order for these systems to extract energy from harvesters, these circuits need to not only be ultra-low-power themselves but they also need to ensure maximum available power is always extracted from the energy harvester. In this chapter, the basics of energy harvesting systems will be discussed with a focus on low power design techniques, maximum power extraction and battery management in these systems.
Positive Allosteric Modulators Induced Conformational Changes in the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 2 - In Silico Predictions and Experimental Tests

Background: Metabotropic glutamate type 2 receptor (mGlu2R) is a Class C G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), widely distributed in the brain where it mainly functions to limit excess glutamate release. mGlu2R positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) provide a novel way to regulate glutamatergic function since they bind to the transmembrane domain (TMD) and enhance responses of mGlu2R to extracellular orthosteric ligands via modulation of affinity and/or efficacy. Compared to orthosteric agonists, PAMs have the unique ability to modulate glutamate release in a ‘state-dependent’ manner that helps fine-tune physiological responses.Methods: We docked different PAMs to a mGlu2R homology model based on the mGlu1R X-ray structure and performed 300 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on receptor-ligand complexes. Mutagenesis and voltage-clamp experiments are being used to test the model's predictions on the effects of PAMs on wild-type and mutant mGlu2R expressed in the Xenopus laevis oocyte heterologous expression system.Results and Conclusions: Preliminary computational results indicate that PAMs can induce allosteric conformational changes in mGlu2R TMD helices and intracellular loop regions that accompany G-protein binding and/or activation, and thus enhance formation of an active mGlu2R conformation. In addition, our simulation results also show that PAM binding can affect the interaction between the pre-TMH1 and the extracellular loop 1, which may influence the orthosteric ligand binding in the extracellular Venus flytrap domain. These predictions are being validated experimentally. Our simulations suggest that mGlu2R PAM binding alone produces a unique PAM-bound conformation that may resemble an intermediate conformation formed on the pathway to full receptor activation. These results provide insight into the mechanisms of allosteric modulation of mGlu2R, a potential therapeutic target for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
An estimate of the error in self-reported college major

ABSTRACTThis letter provides an estimate of the extent of error in self-reports of college major. A student’s field of study is an important determinant of labour market outcomes and of increasing interest to labour economists, but little is known about the reliability of survey data on college major. A unique dataset from the United States with both transcript and survey data on major field of study suggests that the error rate of self-reported college major is almost 20%. Error rates are higher for relatively small or obscure majors, and are lower for larger majors or majors closely associated with licensed professions (e.g. health care). Although these error rates are not trivial, they are comparable to prior estimates of error in reporting educational attainment.
Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as Major Agents of Landscape Development

Mirna-type earth mounds up to ≍1.5 m in height and ≍20 m in diameter occur in densities of up to 20–25 per hectare in a seasonally waterlogged grassland area in southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Fossorial mammals are absent from the site, but the black fire ant, Solenopsis richteri Forel, is abundant. These ants construct epigeal nests averaging 20 cm in height and 60 cm in diameter and formed of excavated soil. Colonies of Solenopsis also construct extensive subsurface tunnels outward from the colony to gain access to foraging areas. This pattern of tunneling leads to horizontal translocation of soil toward the colony sites. It is postulated that when colonies of these ants become located consistently in elevated, better-drained microsites in landscapes that are seasonally waterlogged or flooded, soil translocation gradually results in large earth mounds. Such mounds occur at several locations in Buenos Aires Province and appear to be characteristic of poorly drained pampean grasslands. This phenomenon is similar to that produced by several groups of fossorial rodents as well as by certain fungus-gardening termites in Africa.
ASSOCIATION OF T-CELL ACTIVATION AND INFLAMMATION WITH ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IN HIV

HIV-infected individuals have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease despite effective treatment. The underlying mechanism remains unknown but might include chronic inflammation and immune activation. As endothelial dysfunction has been described in the setting of treated HIV, we hypothesized
Extracting semantic information without linguistic cues from generic sentences

A probabilistic approach is adopted to propose a novel solution to a perplexing puzzle from semantic theory involving the interpretation of generic sentences.
Measles Vaccine supplemental immunization activity in Baise city,2010

Objective To analyze experience of mass measles vaccine supplemental immunization activity(SIA) in Baise city,2010,in order to provide scientific basis for making the strategy of measles elimination.Methods Data were collected from 12 counties which carried out measles vaccine supplemental immunization on child age from 8 months to 14 years in Baise City.The descriptive methodology was used.Results Total 699 354 children were found and registered.669411 children vaccinated in the SIA,with the coverage rates was 95.72%.The reported incidence rate of adverse events following immunization(AEFI) was 2.09 per 100 000 of measles vaccinations.After the SIA,no measles cases reported.Conclusion SIA is an effective measure of control and elimination of measles,whichCan rapidly increase population immunity levels and Control of an outbreak or epidemic of measles.
Central Venous Occlusion in the Hemodialysis Patient

Central venous stenosis (CVS) is encountered frequently among hemodialysis patients. Prior ipsilateral central venous catheterization and cardiac rhythm device insertions are common risk factors, but CVS can also occur in the absence of this history. Chronic CVS can cause thrombosis with partial or complete occlusion of the central vein at the site of stenosis. CVS is frequently asymptomatic and identified as an incidental finding during imaging studies. Symptomatic CVS presents most commonly as an upper- or lower-extremity edema ipsilateral to the CVS. Previously unsuspected CVS may become symptomatic after placement of an ipsilateral vascular access. The likelihood of symptomatic CVS may be affected by the central venous catheter (CVC) location; CVC side; duration of CVC dependence; type, location, and blood flow of the ipsilateral access; and extent of collateral veins. Venous angiography is the gold standard for diagnosis. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement can improve the stenosis and alleviate symptoms, but CVS typically recurs frequently, requiring repeated interventions. Refractory symptomatic CVS may require ligation of the ipsilateral vascular access. Because no available treatment option is curative, the goal should be to prevent CVS by minimizing catheters and central vein instrumentation in patients with chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients.
The Role of Consumer Perceived Fit in Brand Extension Acceptability

Brand extension forms an important part of marketing strategy for many companies. Brand extension reduces the risk of launching a new brand in the marketplace by leveraging on familiarity and consumer acceptance of an established brand. This study empirically examines the significance of ‘perceived fit’ in deciding ‘Consumer Acceptability of Brand Extension’ (CAOBE) in relation to ‘Kist’ brand, through the measurement of ‘product category fit’ and ‘brand level fit’ that cover the fit construct. Data has been collected from a convenience sample of 200 ‘Kist’ brand consumers through a closed-ended questionnaire in Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat Area, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. The data has been analyzed and evaluated through univariate and bivariate techniques. Regression analysis has been used for testing the hypothesis. The results reveal that the target consumers perceive high level of fit between the parent brand and its extensions, and that the extensions achieve a high level of consumer acceptance. Regression analysis also indicates the successful role of consumer perceived fit in deciding brand extension success.
Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency and RS

A female infant with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehyrogenase (MCAD) deficiency who was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 3.5 years is reported from Twenteborg Hospital, Almelo, and Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Reducing Radiation Exposure During Oral I-131 Therapy Administration

A new, closed-system method to reduce air-, direct-, and incidental-contamination during therapeutic administration of oral I-131 was experimentally evaluated on twelve patients. We studied a standard control population using the routine practice of drinking the solution through a straw and compared results with our new technique. Various measurements were performed throughout all phases of dose administration to assess the relative difference of the two approaches. Using the closed system method before and during iodine administration revealed between 100 and 1000 times less activity per millimeter of air sample; whereas, the direct radiation exposure values were higher for the control population. Both the experimental and control methods had similar levels of incidental contamination.
First Results from a Microwave Cavity Axion Search at 24 μ eV

A new detector has searched for hypothetical dark matter particles known as axions in a previously inaccessible mass range.
Democratization and Diversion: The Effect of Missouri's A+ Schools Program on Postsecondary Enrollment

Recent federal and state education policy has targeted community colleges as an affordable venue to increase postsecondary attainment. We examined a state program aimed at increasing community college enrollment, the Missouri A+ Schools Program, which provided eligible graduates from participating high schools the opportunity to earn a scholarship at a Missouri public two-year college. The Missouri A+ Schools Program aims to increase the democratization of education by providing greater access to attend postsecondary institutions but may simultaneously create a diversion away from four-year colleges. The staggered adoption of the Missouri A+ Schools Program across high schools allowed a quasi-experimental estimation of the effect of the program on postsecondary enrollment. The Missouri A+ Schools Program increased the overall college-going rate by 1.5 percentage points for graduates from A+ designated high schools. Furthermore, the A+ Schools Program increased two-year college-going rates by 5.3 percentage points, and decreased four-year college-going rates by 3.8 percentage points. Overall, the A+ Schools Program provided a democratizing effect by increasing overall postsecondary enrollment, while simultaneously creating a diversionary effect through increased two-year enrollment and a decline in four-year enrollment.
Public Health Workforce

Terms such as the public health workforce, certification, credentialing, and competencies comprise the “language” of public health practice but the challenges involved in preparing the public health workforce are extensive and range from not only defining the public health workforce but also identifying in what areas students and practitioners of this field should demonstrate competence. The challenges presented herein are not exaggerated but are very real for many public health systems. A broad view is one in which the public health worker is an individual who works to achieve the essential public health services. Yet, there are many public health practitioners who lack the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and recent public health graduates who lack field experience. The Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice serves as our beacon for preparing a competent public health workforce. This body developed competencies in the core public health areas for the entry-level practitioner, program manager, and senior executive. This is our blueprint from which to start implementing some form of standardization in the public health workforce. A related controversial topic for many in public health practice and education has been the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential. This is a relatively new option for public health students and graduates, and more recently for those who have an MPH degree and have been practicing public health for a while, to further assist with professionalizing the field. This chapter examines who comprises the public health workforce, issues inherent in enumerating the public health workforce, the Institute of Medicine (IOM)’s call to action to correct a dysfunctional public health system by preparing the public health workforce via education and training, and what initiatives contribute to developing a competent public health workforce.
Trauma-Informed Risk Assessment in Correctional Settings

This paper outlines a model which infuses trauma-informed principles into the existing Risk-Needs-Responsivity model of risk assessment commonly used in correctional settings. The connection between certain types of trauma and criminality is established. Despite this, many risk assessment procedures do not include screening for trauma, or trauma-specific interventions. An overview of the lasting effects of childhood maltreatment is included. Trauma-informed practices and assessment recommendations are also provided, along with recommendations for additional resources.
A Dynamic Algorithm for Updating Katz Centrality in Graphs

Many large datasets from a variety of fields of research can be represented as graphs. A common query is to identify the most important, or highly ranked, vertices in a graph. Centrality metrics are used to obtain numerical scores for each vertex in the graph. The scores can then be translated to rankings identifying relative importance of vertices. In this work we focus on Katz Centrality, a linear algebra based metric. In many real applications, since data is constantly being produced and changed, it is necessary to have a dynamic algorithm to update centrality scores with minimal computation when the graph changes. We present an algorithm for updating Katz Centrality scores in a dynamic graph that incrementally updates the centrality scores as the underlying graph changes. Our proposed method exploits properties of iterative solvers to obtain updated Katz scores in dynamic graphs. Our dynamic algorithm improves performance and achieves speedups of over two orders of magnitude compared to a standard static algorithm while maintaining high quality of results.
The effect of chemotherapy on the tumor immune microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A single-institution retrospective analysis.

155Background: Platinum-doublet chemotherapy (chemo) is routinely used for treatment of early stage and metastatic NSCLC. Immunotherapy is a proven treatment in these patients as well. The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has been shown to be prognostic of this disease; however, the effect of chemo on TILs and the tumor immune microenvironment in NSCLC has not been well studied. We tested the hypothesis that chemo results in a decrease in the presence of TILs in NSCLC. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients treated with neo-adjuvant platinum-doublet chemo who underwent surgical resection from 2007-2015 at the University of Virginia. The specimens were sectioned and IHC stained for CD8, FoxP3, and PD-L1. Two independent investigators assessed a central and a peripheral high power field of tumor for number of CD8 and FoxP3 positive TILs. An independent pathologist assessed tumor cell PD-L1 expression. The nonparametric Wilcoxon Mann Whitney test was used to compare measurements of ...
The Inflammatory Continuum of Traumatic Brain Injury and Alzheimer’s Disease

The post-injury inflammatory response is a key mediator in long-term recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Moreover, the immune response to TBI, mediated by microglia and macrophages, is influenced by existing brain pathology and by secondary immune challenges. For example, recent evidence shows that the presence of beta-amyloid and phosphorylated tau protein, two hallmark features of AD that increase during normal aging, substantially alter the macrophage response to TBI. Additional data demonstrate that post-injury microglia are "primed" and become hyper-reactive following a subsequent acute immune challenge thereby worsening recovery. These alterations may increase the incidence of neuropsychiatric complications after TBI and may also increase the frequency of neurodegenerative pathology. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize experimental studies examining the relationship between TBI and development of AD-like pathology with an emphasis on the acute and chronic microglial and macrophage response following injury. Furthermore, studies will be highlighted that examine the degree to which beta-amyloid and tau accumulation as well as pre- and post-injury immune stressors influence outcome after TBI. Collectively, the studies described in this review suggest that the brain's immune response to injury is a key mediator in recovery, and if compromised by previous, coincident, or subsequent immune stressors, post-injury pathology and behavioral recovery will be altered.
Expanding Evaporation Rate Model Determination of Hand-Rub Sanitizers to the General Freshman and Engineering Chemistry Undergraduate Laboratory: Inquiry-Based Formulations, Viscosity Measurements, and Qualitative Biological Evaluations

Additions to the popular evaporation rate determination laboratory of alcohol-based hand-rub sanitizers are described here. Significantly, inquiry-driven protocols for formulating hand-rub sanitizers, falling-ball viscometry, and sanitizer efficacy are included. Incorporation of familiar substances (“molecular relevance”) enables students to assimilate knowledge and connect to and recognize interrelated disciplines. To stimulate engagement and project ownership, students were given the opportunity to alter sanitizer formulations by varying the amount and molecular weight of the gelling agent. Viscosities were determined using a falling-ball viscometer to integrate physics and fluid dynamics concepts into these experiments. Lastly, to stress microbiological applications and determine the efficacy of their hand sanitizers, students tested the formulated hand sanitizers for qualitative efficacy using agar plating of skin secretions and comparing colonies formed from sanitized versus nonsanitized hands. Chemi...
The Backcountry Immigrants, 1718–1775

The border area between England and Scotland had been the scene of war and invasion for seven centuries, from 1040 to 1746. The people fought on either side, or raided each other. Loyalty was fluid, and the side people embraced was determined by who was in power, strongest at the time, and which lord paid the most.
Cognitive Therapy for Adolescents in School Settings

1. An Overview of Cognitive Therapy 2. Cognitive Therapy Case Conceptualization 3. Cognitive Techniques 4. Behavioral Techniques 5. Making Cognitive Therapy Happen in the Schools Appendix 1.1: The Cognitive Model Appendix 1.2. Thinking Traps Appendix 2.1: Case Conceptualization Appendix 2.2. Presession Quick Sheet Appendix 3.1. Two-Frame Thought Bubble Exercise Appendix 3.2. Three-Frame Thought Bubble Exercise Appendix 3.3. Simple Thought Record Appendix 3.4. Thought Record Table Appendix 3.5. Three C's Thought Record Appendix 3.6. Evaluating Thoughts Appendix 3.7. Road Map to Success Appendix 4.1. Pleasant Activities List Appendix 4.2. Reasons for Living Appendix 4.3. Pros and Cons List Appendix 4.4. Fear Hierarchy Appendix 4.5. SUDS Rating Scale Appendix 4.6. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise Appendix 4.7. Breathing Exercise
Osteoblast and Chrondrocyte Proliferation in the Presence of Alumina And Titania Nanoparticles

Proliferation of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and chondrocytes (cartilage-synthesizing cells) exposed to different sizes of alumina as well as titania particles at various concentrations (from 10,000 to 100 μg/ml of culture media) was investigated in the present in vitro study. Compared to respective conventional (i.e., micron) particle size ceramics, results provided the first evidence of increased osteoblast and chondrocyte proliferation in the presence of nanoparticles. Material characterization studies revealed that the only difference between respective ceramic particles was nano- and conventional-dimensions; specifically, phase, charge, and chemical properties were similar between different size alumina and titania particles, respectively. Thus, the present study provided the first evidence of a less detrimental effect of nano- as compared to conventional-dimension wear debris on cell function; such wear debris may result from friction between articulating components of orthopedic implants composed of novel nanophase ceramic materials. In this manner, results provided additional evidence to the literature that nanophase ceramics may become the next generation of bone prosthetic materials with improved osseointegrative (i.e., ability to bond to juxtaposed bone in situ) properties.
Poly[(μ5-cis-cyclo­hex-4-ene-1,2-di­carboxyl­ato)(μ3-cis-cyclo­hex-4-ene-1,2-di­carboxyl­ato)dicadmium(II)]

The title compound, [Cd2(C8H8O4)2]n, crystallizes in the centrosymmetric monoclinic P21/n space group. Via cis-cyclo­hex-4-ene-1,2-di­carboxyl­ate ligands in two different binding modes, square pyramidally and penta­gonal bipyramidally coordinated Cd atoms are connected into coordination polymer layer motifs oriented parallel to the ab plane. These layered motifs are aggregated into the three-dimensional supra­molecular crystal structure of the title compound by means of crystal packing forces.
Efficient Calculation of the Strand Eddy Current Loss Distributions in the End Stepped-Stator Region of Large Synchronous Generators

This paper proposes a computationally efficient method to analyze the eddy current loss of the stator winding strands in the end stator region of large synchronous generators. The stepped shape with increased radii of the stator end packets exposes the stator coils to the intensive radial airgap flux and leads to winding temperature rise due to the resultant eddy currents. In the end region, the profile of the proximity loss induced by the slot leakage flux varies axially due to the variation of the slot configuration. In this paper, a quasi-3D formulation of the generator end region is adopted to account for the impacts of the stepped stator geometries and end fringing effect on the airgap flux. Then, the airgap flux impinging each copper strand is solved based on the conformal mapping method that allows for the slotting effect. Furthermore, a subdomain field model is proposed to predict the cross-slot leakage flux distribution with different slot/coil configurations. The strand eddy current loss density is then estimated based on the magnetic field solved in this region. The method is verified by the agreement between the results generated by the proposed efficient method and the corresponding 3D finite element analyses (FEAs), which are validated by the agreement between their predicted results and the measured temperatures.
Solutions of Random Initial Value Problems

We consider the random nonlinear initial value problem $$ \frac{{dX}}{{dt}} = g\left( {t,X,A} \right);X\left( {{t_0}} \right) = {X_0} $$ (1) where X = (X 1 , X 2 ,…, X n ) T , g = (g 1 , g 2 ,…, g n ) T , and T denotes transpose. The randomness in the problem arises from the vector of initial conditions X 0 = (X 1 , X 2 ,…, X n ) T , whose components are random variables with joint probability density function (jpdf) \( {f_{{{x_0}}}} \) (x 0 ), and the m random parameters A = (A 1 , A 2 ,…, A m ), which appear on the right-hand side of eqn. (1) and which have the jpdf fA (a). In general, A and X 0 may be jointly distributed; however they are often independent in many applications.
N,N'-Bis-(2-(cyano)ethoxycarbonyl)-2-methyl-2-thiopseudourea: a guanylating reagent for synthesis of 2'-O-[2-(Guanidinium)ethyl]-modified oligonucleotides.

A guanylating reagent, N,N′-bis-(2-(cyano)ethoxycarbonyl)-2-thiopseudourea, was synthesized and used for synthesis of 2′-O-[2-(guanidinium)ethyl] (2′-O-GE) modified oligonucleotides. A convenient deprotection method for the 2′-O-GE oligonucleotides was developed.
Influences of at-sea fishery monitoring on science, management, and fleet dynamics

Abstract Fisheries are complex systems comprised of scientific, management, fishing fleet, and ecological sub-systems. Although the composition, behavior, and functions of these sub-systems vary considerably, a review of case studies, research, and theory illustrates that one positive and pervasive influence across all can be at-sea monitoring of fishing activity and catch. At-sea monitoring provides reliable and high-resolution data on spatial and temporal patterns in effort and total catch, and the taxonomic and life stage composition of catch, thereby improving the science underlying management decisions. Those decisions can draw upon a wider range of approaches, such as rights-based management and finer scale spatial, temporal, and catch restrictions, that require the greater oversight facilitated by monitoring. Improved science and implementation can in turn increase confidence in management among the fishing fleet, bolstered by the knowledge that other fishers are equally accountable for their actions. This series of positive outcomes represent a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle in the fishery. Conversely, breakdowns in science, management, and fishing behavior can create an ‘accountability cascade’ of blame, distrust, and dysfunction. Therefore, effective at-sea monitoring, in combination with other reforms, can move fisheries away from overexploitation and toward sustainability. Critical to this transformation is a growing toolkit of technological innovations that increasingly make at-sea monitoring more feasible in fleets spanning diverse ecological, economic, political, and operational gradients.