cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN NUCLEIC ACID SYNTHETIC PATTERNS AND ENCYSTMENT IN AGING UNAGITATED CULTURES OF ACANTHAMOEBA CASTELLANII

Changes in the levels of DNA and RNA syntheses have been studied in unagitated cultures of Acanthamoeba castellanii during the phases of logarithmic multiplication (LM) and population growth deceleration (PGD). Pulse-labeling experiments show that the rate of DNA synthesis decreases at the same time that DNA per cell is known to drop by 50%. The drop in DNA content has been explained by demonstrating with hydroxyurea that the majority of LM amebas can replicate once when DNA synthesis is inhibited and, therefore, must be in G2, whereas the PGD amebas cannot multiply in the presence of inhibitor and, therefore, must be in G1. The inhibition of DNA synthesis in LM or PGD cells has been shown to induce encystment. The rate of RNA synthesis, as illustrated by pulse-labeling experiments, increases 25% in late LM-early PGD while RNA per cell increases 75%. The rate of synthesis then decreases 65%. The majority of accumulated RNA has been demonstrated to be ribosomal by disc electrophoresis. By using actinomycin D at different stages during the RNA build-up, the ability of the amebas to encyst has been shown to depend on the presence of this RNA. The observations on DNA and RNA are discussed with respect to the occurrence of cysts in the cultures during PGD.
Incidence of Carbapenem-Associated Allergic-Type Reactions among Patients with versus Patients without a Reported Penicillin Allergy

This retrospective analysis sought to determine the comparative incidence of cross-reactivity associated with carbapenem antibiotic treatment among patients with versus those without penicillin allergy. We sought to determine whether the incidence of cross-reactivity is different between imipenem-cilastatin and meropenem. A total of 211 patients were treated with a carbapenem antibiotic. Included were 100 patients with and 111 patients without a documented or reported penicillin allergy. Within each group, subgroups of penicillin-allergic and penicillin-nonallergic patients were balanced equally between imipenem-cilastatin and meropenem. The incidence of patients with a reported or documented penicillin allergy experiencing an allergic-type reaction to a carbapenem was 11%, which is 5.2 times greater than the risk in patients who were reportedly not allergic to penicillin (P=.024). No difference in the occurrence of allergic-type reactions was observed between the 2 carbapenems.
The annual cycle of hydrogen peroxide: an indicator of chemical instability?

Abstract. A box model has been used to study the annual cycle in hydrogen peroxide concentrations with the objective of determining whether the observed difference in summer and winter values reflects instability in the underlying photochemistry. The model is run in both steady-state and time-dependent modes. The steady-state calculations show that, for some range of NOx background levels, two stable solutions to the continuity equations exist for a period of days in spring and fall. The corresponding time-dependent model indicates that, for sufficiently high background NOx concentrations, the spring and fall changes in H2O2 concentration may be interpreted as a forced transition between the two underlying stable regimes. The spring transition is more rapid than that in fall, an asymmetry that becomes more marked as background NOx increases. This asymmetry is related to the different time scales involved in chemical production and loss of H2O2. Observations of the spring increase in H2O2 concentration may therefore provide a better measure of the change in the underlying chemical regime than does the fall decrease. The model results developed in this paper will be compared with two sets of observations that cover annual variations of peroxide concentrations under different background pollution conditions.
Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography of the orbit

Proton magnetic resonance(MR) imaging without utilization of surface coils was compared with high resolution computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of 15 patients with orbital or ocular mass lesions. We present five representative cases of lesions that were imaged. CT images of orbital lesions were superior to MR mainly because of direct visualization of orbital bone by CT. The advantages of MR included lack of ionizing radiation and potential of differentiating tissue characteristics of the lesions. Intraocular lesions were imaged with equal clarity by both modalities.
Knowledge-based system for boundary detection of four-dimensional cardiac magnetic resonance image sequences

A strategy for a knowledge-based system to detect the interior and exterior boundaries of the left ventricle from time-varying cross-sectional images obtained by ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is discussed. The system uses both fuzzy set theory and Dempster and Shafer theory to manage the knowledge and to control the flow of system information for more efficient use of limited computational resources and memory space. The key to the approach is that it performs edge detection on images through integration and unification of knowledge and information from edge candidates on all the slices and phases of the acquired cardiac MRI dataset. The analysis system does not base decisions on individual measurements, but on consensus opinions by combining many knowledge sources, some of which may not be completely accurate. >
Diabetes Barriers and Self-Care Management: The Patient Perspective

For those individuals diagnosed with diabetes, the challenge is how to cope and manage the many aspects of their lives. The aim of this qualitative synthesis was to evaluate research studies for findings and then synthesize patients' experiences within the context of diabetes self-care while facing daily barriers. A total of 95 findings from 21 studies were categorized via like themes. These themes were further analyzed and aggregated to represent an interpretive meta-synthesis via a rigorous methodological protocol as described by Pearson, Robertson-Malt, and Rittinmeyer and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Meta-synthesized findings suggest that patients "avoid and hinder self-management" as well as "desire self-care and living life." Clinicians can improve interactions and potentiate understanding when the therapeutic approach is about the person living with diabetes as opposed to clinical control.
Efficiency enhancement in organic solar cells with ferroelectric polymers

The recombination of electrons and holes in semiconducting polymer–fullerene blends has been identified as a main cause of energy loss in organic photovoltaic devices. Generally, an external bias voltage is required to efficiently separate the electrons and holes and thus prevent their recombination. Here we show that a large, permanent, internal electric field can be ensured by incorporating a ferroelectric polymer layer into the device, which eliminates the need for an external bias. The electric field, of the order of 50 V μm−1, potentially induced by the ferroelectric layer is tens of times larger than that achievable by the use of electrodes with different work functions. We show that ferroelectric polymer layers enhanced the efficiency of several types of organic photovoltaic device from 1–2% without layers to 4–5% with layers. These enhanced efficiencies are 10–20% higher than those achieved by other methods, such as morphology and electrode work-function optimization. The devices show the unique characteristics of ferroelectric photovoltaic devices with switchable diode polarity and tunable efficiency. One of the key loss mechanisms in the operation of organic solar cells is the separation and extraction of the generated charge carriers from the active region. The use of a ferroelectric layer is now shown to create large internal electric fields, resulting in an enhanced carrier extraction and increased device efficiency.
Management and prevention of recurrent hemarthrosis in patients with hemophilia.

Purpose of reviewDegenerative arthropathy resulting from recurrent hemarthrosis remains the largest source of noninfectious morbidity for persons with hemophilia. Optimal treatment to prevent or reduce joint destruction remains controversial.Recent findingsThe most exciting developments in the past
Benchmarking of Metal-to-Carbon Nanotube Side Contact Resistance

We report on side-contact resistances of four promising metal/multiwall-carbon-nanotube contacts utilizing transfer length method (TLM) test structures on densified carbon nanotube (CNT) strips formed from vertically-aligned CNT forests. Contact resistances of Ti/CNT, Pd/CNT, Ta/CNT, and W/CNT contacts with the same nominal contact area were extracted to be 40, 49, 108, and 160 ?, respectively. Rapid thermal annealing at 400 °C for 5 min reduces the Ta/CNT and W/CNT contact resistances while increasing the Ti/CNT and Pd/CNT ones.
Simultaneous and Sequential Protein and Organothiol Interactions with Gold Nanoparticles

Proteins and organothiols (OTs) are known to have high affinity for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Systematic investigation of protein and OT coadsorption onto AuNPs is, however, mostly an unexplored area. Presented here is a comparison of simultaneous and sequential protein and OT interactions with AuNPs in which a protein and an OT are either simultaneously or sequentially added to colloidal AuNPs. Using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the model protein and eight model organothiols, both the protein and the OT were coadsorbed onto AuNPs in samples formed by sequential or simultaneous addition. AuNP stability against OT-adsorption-induced AuNP aggregation differed significantly among the AuNP/OT and AuNP/BSA/OT mixtures. The stability of AuNPs in the AuNP/BSA/OT mixtures with the same compositions increased from (AuNP/OT)/BSA to AuNP/(BSA/OT) and finally (AuNP/BSA)/OT (where the two components inside the parentheses are mixed first followed by the addition of the third component). Aging the (AuNP/BSA) mixture...
Augmented Cross-Sectional Prevalence Testing for Estimating HIV Incidence

Estimation of an HIV incidence rate based on a cross-sectional sample of individuals evaluated with both a sensitive and less-sensitive diagnostic test offers important advantages to incidence estimation based on a longitudinal cohort study. However, the reliability of the cross-sectional approach has been called into question because of two major concerns. One is the difficulty in obtaining a reliable external approximation for the mean "window period" between detectability of HIV infection with the sensitive and less-sensitive test, which is used in the cross-sectional estimation procedure. The other is how to handle false negative results with the less-sensitive diagnostic test; that is, subjects who may test negative-implying a recent infection-long after they are infected. We propose and investigate an augmented design for cross-sectional incidence estimation studies in which subjects found in the recent infection state are followed for transition to the nonrecent infection state. Inference is based on likelihood methods that account for the length-biased nature of the window periods of subjects found in the recent infection state, and relate the distribution of their forward recurrence times to the population distribution of the window period. The approach performs well in simulation studies and eliminates the need for external approximations of the mean window period and, where applicable, the false negative rate.
The determinants of withdrawal use in Turkey: A husband's imposition or a woman's choice?

Abstract This paper seeks to understand why Turkey has one of the highest rates of withdrawal (coitus interruptus) use in the world. Despite a pronounced fertility decline, a marked increase in contraceptive prevalence, and expansion of family planning activities, in 1998 one in four Turkish couples relied on withdrawal, and this fraction has remained stable since 1983. In contrast to previous research that has focused on women's reports, here we use the husbands’ module of the 1998 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey to examine user characteristics and attitudes, as well as the determinants of withdrawal use among a representative sample of 1950 currently married men in Turkey. Multivariate methods are employed to estimate these effects and the likelihood of using withdrawal rather than other methods. Among other findings, less egalitarian-minded husbands were more likely to select withdrawal over other contraceptive methods, but measures of male authority had only partial predictive power after controlling for other variables. Although withdrawal use typically reflects husbands’ preferences, it is widely practiced as it satisfies user requirements and simplifies womens’ lives. The results of this study are discussed in a broader historical and cultural context and used to provide insight into how Turkey's family planning and reproductive health programs might be improved. In contrast to neighboring countries, there is little sign of withdrawal being displaced in Turkey anytime soon by modern methods.
The Impact of Internet Access at Home and/or School on Students’ Academic Performance in Brazil

The paper examines the effects of Internet access at school and/or at home on students’ academic performance in urban areas utilizing a Brazilian unique dataset collected by the governmental agency “Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anisio Teixeira” (National Institute of Educational Research Anisio Teixeira) or INEP for years 2007 and 2009. Using the propensity scores matching methodology the paper assesses the impact of internet on standardized Portuguese and mathematics tests that students in all public schools take in the 8th grade while controlling for an extensive list of variables which includes various household assets, parental education and involvement with student activities, the school physical infrastructure, safety, electronic equipments and library as well as teachers’ academic history, experience and pedagogical strategies. Following Lechner (2001) the multiple treatment case is examined constituting of four alternatives: students with no Internet access at home or at school, students with Internet access at home but not at school, students with Internet access at school but not at home, and students with Internet access at home and at school. The results suggest that Internet access at home considerably improves test scores of 8th graders. The results hold for both Portuguese and mathematics tests and for both years 2007 and 2009. On the other hand, the Internet access at school either does not improve the academic performance of students (as it is the case for Portuguese test scores) or the effect is of much smaller magnitude (as it is the case for mathematics test scores) in 2007. In 2009 the impact of Internet access only at school is positive and significant though still of smaller magnitude. This improvement is most likely related to the “Broadband in Schools” program initiated in 2008 with the goal of bringing computer and broadband access to all public urban elementary and middle schools by the end of 2010. It is expected that this program has also promoted the awareness of the importance of internet use for students’ education and, thus, motivated its use in pedagogical activities. Overall, the findings offer interesting implications from policy perspective. In the past decade policymakers in Brazil as well as in many other countries have allocated substantial funds to increase Internet access at schools. The results in this paper along with previous research suggest that the efforts to increase Internet access at schools can result in much higher magnitude of improvement of students’ academic performance if they are combined with policy initiatives to increase home Internet access and incorporate Internet based educational tools at school.
Do the ideological beliefs of peers predict the prejudiced attitudes of other individuals in the group

The authors used multilevel modeling to examine whether peer group ideological beliefs (n = 109 friendship groups) predicted the homophobic and racist attitudes of other individuals within the group (n = 395 college students). Results indicated that the social dominance orientation (SDO), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), and universal-diverse orientation (UDO) ideological beliefs of peers predicted the prejudiced attitudes of other group members, over and above individuals’ own ideological views. Additionally, the strength with which individuals’ own ideological beliefs predicted their prejudiced attitudes varied systematically across peer groups. Affiliations with high-RWA peers strengthened the extent to which individuals’ own SDO and RWA predicted their prejudiced attitudes. Results suggest the ideological beliefs of peers are relevant to predicting the prejudiced attitudes of the individuals with whom they affiliate. Although specific peer ideologies differentially predicted forms of prejudice, the ...
Global health education for medical students: New learning opportunities and strategies.

Background: A new course was offered to introduce basic global health concepts to all first year Johns Hopkins medical students, that took advantage of new distance learning capacity to connect medical students in Baltimore with students and faculty in Uganda, Ethiopia, Pakistan and India.Aims: Lessons learned from the launch of this new course will optimize the conduct of future global health courses at JHUSOM and may be of value to other institutions.Methods: Feedback from the Hopkins students was obtained through an on-line structured course evaluation questionnaire. Unstructured student and faculty feedback from partners institutions was solicited via email.Results: Students reported high levels of satisfaction with the course content and format, as well as achievement of course competencies and objectives.Conclusions: Distance learning can support unique, high-quality medical educational experiences that leverage technology and global connectivity, but also the power of group learning and “South-to-N...
Feasibility study of a 1-MW pulsed spallation source

A feasibility study of a 1-MW pulsed spallation source based on a rapidly cycling proton synchrotron (RCS) has been completed. The facility consists of a 400-MeV H/sup -/ linac, a 30-Hz RCS that accelerates the 400-MeV beam to 2 GeV, and two neutron-generating target stations. The design time-averaged current of the accelerator system is 0.5 mA, and is equivalent to 1.04/spl times/10/sup 14/ protons per pulse. The linac system consists of an H/sup -/ ion source, a 2-MeV RFQ, a 70-MeV DTL and a 330-MeV CCL. Transverse phase space painting to achieve a Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (K-V) distribution of the injected particles is accomplished by the charge exchange injection and programming of the closed orbit during the injection. The synchrotron lattice uses FODO cells of 90/spl deg/ phase advance. Dispersion-free straight sections are obtained by using a missing magnet scheme. Synchrotron magnets are powered by a dual-frequency resonance circuit that excites the magnets at a 20-Hz rate and de-excites them at a 60-Hz rate, resulting an effective rate of 30 Hz, and reducing the required rf power by 1/3. Details of the study are presented.
Analysis of active damping of a silicon microphone using a linear controller

This paper presents a model of a silicon microphone with active electronic damping. The microphone has low passive damping to minimize thermal noise, and employs active damping from electrostatic actuation to improve its dynamic performance. To apply the linear robust control approach, the nonlinear dynamic system is modeled as a linear system with bounded parameters, and a controller is designed using the Hinfin method which successfully drives the electrostatic actuator to generate the desired active damping. The effectiveness of the controller has been verified through simulation in both frequency and time domains.
Review of Philip E. Tetlock, Expert political judgment: How good is it? How can we know?

Typically, researchers report new findings in scholarly journals and Tetlock (1998, 1999) has done so for of some part of the findings of his study. Still, Tetlock has gone beyond journal articles, turning to a book to report on his large-scale and important study. Publishing a book has allowed him to deal with issues in detail and provide a full report, to reach a larger audience, and to have a stronger impact one hopes on experts and the consumers of their services, including political leaders and the voting public. The book assaults common sense with evidence. In order to mount his assault on accepted wisdom, Tetlock spends more some 238 pages of text explaining his methods and findings, and considering and refuting many alternative explanations, and adds some 75 pages of technical appendices. The downside of this approach is that some readers may find the book too demanding. That would be a pity as his findings are important. Tetlock's book reports the results of a two-decade long study of expert predictions. He recruited 284 people whose professions included "commenting or offering advice on political and economic trends." He asked them to forecast the probability that various situations would or would not occur, picking areas (geographic and substantive) within and outside their areas of expertise. In addition to eliciting forecasts, Tetlock also asked questions aimed at understanding how the forecasters came to formulate their forecasts, how they dealt with the failure of their forecasts, how they responded to contradictory information, and how they evaluated the probable accuracy of others' theories and predictions. By 2003, he had accumulated 82,361 forecasts, which provided him a database to evaluate. He then evaluated experts' predictions against outcomes, and against various alternate predictions that he derived from simple statistical procedures, from uninformed non-experts, and from well-informed non-experts.
Interhemispheric Thermohaline Circulation in a Coupled Box Model

The interhemispheric thermohaline circulation is examined using Rooth’s three-box ocean model, whereby overturning strength is parameterized from density differences between high-latitude boxes. Recent results with general circulation models indicate that this is a better analog of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation than a single-hemisphere box model. The results are compared with those of hemispheric box model studies, where possible, and the role of asymmetrical freshwater forcing is explored. Using both analytical and numerical methods, the linear and nonlinear stability of the model is examined. Although freshwater forcing in the Southern Hemisphere alone governs overturning strength, increasing freshwater forcing in the Northern Hemisphere leads to a heretofore unrecognized instability in the northern sinking branch due to an increasingly positive ocean salinity feedback. If the northern forcing is instead made weaker than the southern forcing, this feedback becomes negative. In contrast, the ocean salinity feedback is always positive in single-hemisphere models. Nonlinear stability, as measured by the size of the perturbation necessary to induce a permanent transition to the southern sinking equilibrium, is also observed to depend similarly on the north‐south forcing ratio. The model is augmented with explicit atmospheric eddy transport parameterizations, allowing examination of the eddy moisture transport (EMT) and eddy heat transport (EHT) feedbacks. As in the hemispheric model, the EMT feedback is always destabilizing, whereas the EHT may stabilize or destabilize. However, in this model whether the EHT stabilizes or destabilizes depends largely on the sign of the ocean salinity feedback and the size of the perturbation. Since oceanic heat transport in the Southern Hemisphere is weak, the Northern Hemisphere EMT and EHT feedbacks dominate.
Expression of unglycosylated mutated prion protein facilitates PrPSc formation in neuroblastoma cells infected with different prion strains.

Prion replication involves conversion of the normal, host-encoded prion protein PrPC, which is a sialoglycoprotein bound to the plasma membrane by a glycophosphatidylinositol anchor, into a pathogenic isoform, PrPSc. In earlier studies, tunicamycin prevented glycosylation of PrPC in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma (ScN2a) cells but it was still expressed on the cell surface and converted into PrPSc; mutation of PrPC at glycosylation consensus sites (T182A, T198A) produced low steady-state levels of PrP that were insufficient to propagate prions in transgenic mice. By mutating asparagines to glutamines at the consensus sites, we obtained expression of unglycosylated, epitope-tagged MHM2PrP(N180Q,N196Q), which was converted into PrPSc in ScN2a cells. Cultures of uninfected neuroblastoma (N2a) cells transiently expressing mutated PrP were exposed to brain homogenates prepared from mice infected with the RML, Me7 or 301V prion strains. In each case, mutated PrP was converted into PrPSc as judged by Western blotting. These findings raise the possibility that the N2a cell line can support replication of different strains of prions.
What is the Best Achievable QoS for Unicast Routing in VANETs

Significant efforts and studies were recently reported for enabling active safety, traffic management, and commercial applications in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET), since these applications are the drivers of the recent surge in VANET research and development. However, very few research efforts considered analyzing the Quality of Service (QoS) metrics that will be available to these applications in VANET. Furthermore, although there are many proposed solutions for routing in VANET, it is still unclear as to what specific characteristics VANET routing protocols should possess, since none of the proposed solutions achieves optimum performance in both urban and highway, as well as sparse and dense environment. To shed light on these issues, in this paper we analyze some of the most important QoS metrics in VANET. Namely, we determine the upper performance bound for connection duration, packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and jitter for unicast communication in typical highway and urban VANET environments. According to our results, delay and jitter in VANET would be adequate for most of the envisioned unicast-based applications, whereas the packet delivery ratio and connection duration might not meet the requirements for most unicast-based applications.
Opportunities and Challenges in Utilizing Millimeter-Wave Spectrum for High Speed Wireless Communications

The 60 GHz band has emerged as an international spectrum opportunity for short-range wireless communication networks. In this paper, technology trends that can impact the commercial deployment of systems utilizing millimeter-wave frequency bands are discussed. Millimeter-wave frequency bands have historically been costly to utilize and traditionally used almost exclusively for government and non-consumer products. Recent and ongoing advances in semiconductor technology and low cost high frequency packaging can be leveraged for low cost solutions that enable widespread deployment. An example of such a system operating in the millimeter-wave spectrum where bandwidths of >3 GHz have been achieved. Multi-gigabit data transmission and reception over significant distances has also been realized to demonstrate the potential throughput of such a broadband wireless system.
Leader election in the presence of link failures

We study the problem of leader election in the presence of intermittent link failures. We assume that up to N/2-1 links incident on each node may fail during the execution of the protocol. We present a message optimal algorithm with message complexity O(N/sup 2/).
Comparison of in vivo segmental foot motion during walking and step descent in patients with midfoot arthritis and matched asymptomatic control subjects

The purpose of this study was to compare in vivo segmental foot motion during walking and step descent in patients with midfoot arthritis and asymptomatic control subjects. Segmental foot motion during walking and step descent was assessed using a multi-segment foot model in 30 patients with midfoot arthritis and 20 age, gender and BMI matched controls. Peak and total range of motion (ROM), referenced to subtalar neutral, were examined for each of the following dependent variables: 1st metatarso-phalangeal (MTP1) dorsiflexion, 1st metatarsal (MT1) plantarflexion, ankle dorsiflexion, calcaneal eversion and forefoot abduction. The results showed that, compared to level walking, step descent required greater MTP1 dorsiflexion (p<0.01), MPT1 plantarflexion (p<0.01), ankle dorsiflexion (p<0.01), calcaneus eversion (p=0.03) and forefoot abduction (p=0.01), in all subjects. In addition, step descent also necessitated greater MTP1 dorsiflexion (p<0.01), ankle dorsiflexion (p<0.01) and forefoot abduction (p=0.02) excursion compared to walking. Patients with midfoot arthritis responded differently to the step task compared to control subjects in terms of MT1 and calcaneus eversion excursion. During walking, patients with midfoot arthritis showed significantly less MT1 plantarflexion excursion compared to control subjects (p=0.03). However, during step descent, both groups showed similar MT1 plantarflexion excursion. During walking, patients with midfoot arthritis showed similar calcaneus eversion excursion compared to control subjects. However, during step descent, patients with midfoot arthritis showed significantly greater calcaneus eversion excursion compared to control subjects (p=0.03). Independently or in combination, these motions may contribute to articular stress and consequently to symptoms in patients with midfoot arthritis.
Floundering or Experimenting: Finding a Vocational Home

When are emerging and young adults immersed in positive self-exploration versus mired in anxious avoidance that leads to paralysis? And in the latter case, what can be done? Challenging job market conditions in the context of seemingly limitless career options have helped to create an environment that increases the likelihood of postponement of career choice. Distinctions are made between doers and reflectors, with consideration of the role of reflection in career choice. Floundering versus experimentation approaches are outlined, and the causes of the former are examined. A career indecision model is presented to assist in understanding career indecision. The hazards of perfectionism and optimization of choice are discussed in the context of current market forces, all of which help to demonstrate the complexity that emerging and young adults are encountering in their search for a meaningful and purpose-driven career future.
Small Strain Plasticity Behavior of 304L Stainless Steel in Glass-to-Metal Seal Applications

Cracks in glass-to-metal seals can be a threat to the hermeticity of isolated electronic components. Design and manufacturing of the materials and processes can be tailored to minimize the residual stresses responsible for cracking. However, this requires high fidelity material modeling accounting for the plastic strains in the metals, mismatched thermal shrinkage and property changes experienced as the glass solidifies during cooling of the assembly in manufacturing. Small plastic strains of just a few percent are typical during processing of glass-to-metal seals and yet can generate substantial tensile stresses in the glass during elastic unloading in thermal cycling. Therefore, experimental methods were developed to obtain very accurate measurements of strain near and just beyond the proportional limit. Small strain tensile characterization experiments were conducted with varying levels and rates of strain ratcheting over the temperatures range of −50 to 550 °C, with particular attention near the glass transition temperature of 500 °C. Additional experiments were designed to quantify the effects of stress relaxation and reloading. The experimental techniques developed and resulting data will be presented. Details of constitutive modeling efforts and glass material experiments and modeling can be found in Chambers et al. (Characterization & modeling of materials in glass-to-metal seals: Part I. SAND14-0192. Sandia National Laboratories, January 2014).
Continuing or Reversing Reform? German Family Policy Under the Merkel Government

This paper compares and contrasts two explicitly gender-related policy areas in a most-similar case design and analyzes the different positions and interests of the relevant political players and their institutional context in Germany. I argue that a study of female leadership can produce new insights into the direction and extent of gender equality reforms. The paper focuses specifically on the recent reforms by the conservative party in parental leave and reconciliation policy. The aim of these changes was to allow for the combination of women’s employment and family responsibilities. Here the German government under the leadership of Chancellor Merkel successfully tackled a variety of economic, demographic, and structural problems under the grand coalition. In contrast, Merkel and her Minister(s) have invested considerably less money and effort in another area relevant to gender equality: anti-discrimination measures in employment. The lack of policy-making here is mostly due to the continued opposition of the church and the business community, both crucial constituents for the conservative party.
Brief reviews of resources for undergraduate neuroscience educators.

Of Note is a new column in JUNE that provides educators with quick reviews of resources and ideas that are relevant to undergraduate neuroscience education. Readers wishing to suggest new or favorite resources (books, articles, web sites, journals, meetings, etc.) for future Of Note columns are encouraged to submit titles or reviews to the editor at ude.nosdivad@molab. Reviews should be a single paragraph in length and can include a specific description of how the reviewer has used the resource with undergraduates.
The interaction of reactants, intermediates and products with Cu ions in Cu-SSZ-13 NH3 SCR catalysts: an energetic and ab initio X-ray absorption modeling study

In this contribution, the most likely positions for Cu in Cu-SSZ-13 with a single charge compensating Al atom (ZCu) with a Si:Al ratio of 11:1 were investigated, including the effect of the adsorption of reactants, intermediates, and products that one would find in an NH3 SCR reaction by using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The 6-membered ring (6MR) site is the most energetically favorable, while the 8-membered ring (8MR) sites are less favorable with energy differences of about 0.5 eV with respect to the 6MR site for plain ZCu. Upon molecular adsorption, the energy differences between Cu in the 8MR and 6MR sites decrease and, in some cases, almost disappear. For the complex scenarios of NO or CO adsorption, the co-adsorption of 2 NO or 2 CO molecules, as well as NO or CO with OH and H2O, weakens the interaction between adsorbates and Cu. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) of Cu in Cu-SSZ-13 under different conditions was also modeled from first principles. A small peak feature around 8979.5 eV was found in the K-edge XANES of Cu for a clean ZCu conformation with Cu in the 8MR site, while this feature is absent when Cu is in the 6MR site. We correlate this result for this case as well as for other representative configurations by analyzing the corresponding PDOS of the excited state of Cu while taking into account the core-hole effect. Molecular adsorption onto Cu in the 6MR or 8MR site results in a Cu K-edge XANES that is independent of its location. When NO (or CO, N2) is adsorbed onto Cu in ZCu, a small peak feature in the K-edge XANES appears at 8980 eV, which is induced by the splitting of the Cu 4p state. An analysis of the XANES in the presence of two co-adsorbed species on an isolated Cu ion shows that the K-edge position of Cu has the following order (from low to high energy): clean < M < M + H2O < 2M < M + OH (M denotes NO or CO). As a result, we conclude that (1) XANES can readily distinguish between adsorbates on ZCu due to their different oxidizing capacities, but (2) XANES cannot be used to distinguish between the Cu location and the oxidation state in the presence of adsorbates, except in the presence of H2O and NH3 where such distinctions can be made.
Phototherapy, photochemotherapy, and bone marrow transplantation.

Recent preclinical and clinical investigations indicate that phototherapy and photochemotherapy may have applications that go far beyond their "traditional" roles in the treatment of skin disorders...
Highly reliable signal strength-based boundary crossing localization in outdoor time-varying environments

Detecting and locating outdoor boundary crossing events is valuable information in curbing drug trafficking, reducing poaching, and protecting high-asset equipment and goods. However, boundary sensing is notoriously challenging, prone to false alarms and missed detections, with serious consequences. Weather events, like rain and wind, make it even more challenging to maintain a low level of missed detections and false alarms. In this paper, we propose and test an automated system of wireless sensors which uses received signal strength (RSS) measurements to localize where a boundary crossing occurs. In addition, we develop new RSS-based statistical models and methods that can quickly be initialized and updated on-line by using link RSS statistics to adapt to time-varying RSS changes due to weather events. These models are implemented in two new classifiers that localize boundary crossings with few missed detections and false alarms. We validate our proposed methods by implementing one of the classifiers in a three month long deployment of a solar-powered, real-time system that captures images of the boundary for ground truth validation. Furthermore, over 75 hours of RSS measurements are collected with an emphasis on collection during weather events, like rain and wind, during which we expect our classifiers to perform the worst. We demonstrate that the proposed classifiers outperform four other baseline classifiers in terms of false alarm probability by 1 to 4 orders of magnitude, and in terms of the misclassification probability by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude.
The Role of Technological Change

If it is comparatively easy to demonstrate that two of the conditions permitting the functioning of the Concert of Europe had been gravely damaged by 1902 — the defined area and an even distribution of power — it is less easy to describe satisfactorily those more general factors which also contributed to international discomfort and unease. Most of them spring in one way or another from the extensive spread of industrialisation and its concomitant or in some cases consequential technological change. Perhaps the most profound effects were felt in changes in the distribution of power. This can be seen in terms of creating a new kind of disequilibrium between the developed world — largely in Europe - and the less developed world, and doing so at the same moment when for the same reasons, but differently deployed, a great advance occurred in the sophistication of communications.1 Such an effect is plainly to be seen in the history of the Far East at the end of the century. The new order of technological development had a destructive effect upon the old, and induced conditions which advanced states found intolerable and possessed the means to rectify by influence, or eventually control. Then, again, as the international situation came to seem threateningly uncertain, the prospect of relief, or the compulsion to remove doubt by pre-emptive occupation, held out temptations to states which this world disequilibrium both caused and encouraged.
VTK-m: Accelerating the Visualization Toolkit for Massively Threaded Architectures

One of the most critical challenges for high-performance computing (HPC) scientific visualization is execution on massively threaded processors. Of the many fundamental changes we are seeing in HPC systems, one of the most profound is a reliance on new processor types optimized for execution bandwidth over latency hiding. Our current production scientific visualization software is not designed for these new types of architectures. To address this issue, the VTK-m framework serves as a container for algorithms, provides flexible data representation, and simplifies the design of visualization algorithms on new and future computer architecture.
On the Progress of Researches of Methods for Determination of Volatile Phenols in Water

A review on the methods of determination of volatile phenol in water,including FIspectrophotometry,4-amino quinizine spectrophotometry,UV-spectrophotometry,fluorophotometry,HPLC,GC,GC-MS and bromination method,was reported covering mainly the years from 1969 to 2012,was presented in this paper.Trends of study and development in this field were also given(52 ref.cited).
Intellectualism and Psychology.

Intellectualism – the thesis that know-how is a kind of knowthat – has proved difficult to assess by the traditional philosophical method of conceptual analysis. Recently, some authors have argued that we should instead look to results in psychology – specifically whether all procedural knowledge is declarative knowledge. I argue that such an approach is unsatisfactory, since the concepts employed in psychology do not map onto our concepts of knowledge in any neat way. There is no straightforward psychological interpretation of the intellectualist thesis.
Open Carpal Tunnel Release: A Home-Run Procedure

In 1966, George Phalen published his now classic article “The Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome” in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume)1. Over a seventeen-year period, he diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome in 654 hands and performed 197 carpal tunnel decompressions. The results were overwhelmingly favorable. He concluded that “sectioning” of the transverse carpal ligament “will almost always relieve the patient’s pain and numbness in the hand, and in many cases will also cure the paralysis of the thenar muscles, which may be present.” Nearly a half century later, Louie et al. validate Phalen’s very favorable findings regarding the efficacy of carpal tunnel release. Louie and colleagues performed a Level-IV retrospective cohort study of 113 patients who underwent carpal tunnel release at a minimum follow-up of ten years. All data were gathered using a validated questionnaire. The study has several strengths. First, it provides The Journal’s …
Data mining to detect ion source failures in varian VIIsta implanters

Ion source replacement is the most frequent maintenance activity on an ion implanter, impacting both productivity and consumable costs. Quality of parts and quality of build are essential to maintain proper beam quality throughout a normal projected source lifetime. Early detection and intervention of a source that is prone to premature failure will enable service engineers to complete corrective maintenance before an unplanned failure surfaces during a process step. This paper shows how data mining was used to detect the failure of indirectly heated cathode (IHC) type ion sources used in Varian implanters.
A Profile of African Immigrants in the US Labour Market

Immigration to the United States of America has increased markedly in the past four decades. Between 1970 and 2010, the foreign-born population in the country increased by over 300 percent – from less than 10 million to almost 40 million. One group that has contributed to this growth comprises the foreign-born from Africa. Between 1970 and 2010, the number of Africans in the United States increased by almost 2,000 percent – from less than 100,000 to over 1.6 million.
The World's Great Religions and Their Neglected Tropical Diseases.

New information based on data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that practically everyone infected with a major neglected tropical disease (NTD) lives in a Christian-, Muslim-, or Hindu-majority nation. The finding has implications for engaging religious leaders in NTD control and elimination activities.
The Development of a Viral Mediated CRISPR/Cas9 System with Doxycycline Dependent gRNA Expression for Inducible In vitro and In vivo Genome Editing

The RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease, from the type II prokaryotic Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) adaptive immune system, has been adapted and utilized by scientists to edit the genomes of eukaryotic cells. Here, we report the development of a viral mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system that can be rendered inducible utilizing doxycycline (Dox) and can be delivered to cells in vitro and in vivo utilizing adeno-associated virus (AAV). Specifically, we developed an inducible gRNA (gRNAi) AAV vector that is designed to express the gRNA from a H1/TO promoter. This AAV vector is also designed to express the Tet repressor (TetR) to regulate the expression of the gRNAi in a Dox dependent manner. We show that H1/TO promoters of varying length and a U6/TO promoter can edit DNA with similar efficiency in vitro, in a Dox dependent manner. We also demonstrate that our inducible gRNAi vector can be used to edit the genomes of neurons in vivo within the mouse brain in a Dox dependent manner. Genome editing can be induced in vivo with this system by supplying animals Dox containing food for as little as one day. This system might be cross compatible with many existing S. pyogenes Cas9 systems (i.e. Cas9 mouse, CRISPRi, etc.), and therefore it likely can be used to render these systems inducible as well.
Netizens and Private Monitoring in Chinese Banking

Abstract Purpose Much of the criticism directed toward banking in China revolves around self-dealing in relationships between bankers and their clients. Corruption, nepotism, high levels of non-performing loans, and the inefficiency of government-directed lending have all been laid at the door of embedded guanxi networks. While valid to an extent, this criticism ignores two important, related points: guanxi networks bring disciplining mechanisms as well as the potential for corruption, and those mechanisms may improve banking governance. Methodology/approach Employing theory from relationship banking, information economics, and the business ethics of guanxi, I examine how monitoring by netizens will lead to greater disclosure. Findings Relationship banking in a Chinese context – with the influence of guanxi in banking – further increases reputational costs when self-dealing is uncovered. Costs of bad banking behavior are increasing just as benefits from staying rich increase. Increased disclosure affects chances of staying rich as disclosure increases the chance that a corrupt relationship will lead to loss of wealth and reputation. Research limitations/implications This paper presents a theoretical construct informed by selected examples. An empirical analysis of netizen monitoring leading to improved banking governance would provide additional support for the theoretical construct. Practical implications Bankers, financiers, and government officials must be aware of monitoring by netizens, which forces more ethical financial contracting. Social implications Rather than weakening financial system governance, guanxi may begin to strengthen the disciplinary measures inherent in relationship banking as information disclosure increases and private sector monitoring grows. Originality/value This paper provides an extension to private monitoring theory in financial contracting which may be applied to netizen monitoring in other regions and countries.