cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The incongruent correspondence: Seven non-classical years of old quantum theory

Abstract The Correspondence Principle (CP) of old quantum theory is commonly considered to be the requirement that quantum and classical theories converge in their empirical predictions in the appropriate asymptotic limit. That perception has persisted despite the fact that Bohr and other early proponents of CP clearly did not intend it as a mere requirement, and despite much recent historical work. In this paper, I build on this work by first giving an explicit formulation to the mentioned asymptotic requirement (which I shall call the Congruence Requirement (CR)) and then discussing various possible formulations of CP for emission on the basis of the primary literature as well as general physical and metaphysical considerations. I shall then show that, in all of the most probable interpretations of CP that consider quantum theory as a universal theory, any system incorporating both CR and CP for emission would in fact be inconsistent. Old quantum theory measurably contradicts classical physics in the classical regime.
Recovery of Infectious Virus by Transfection of In Vitro-Generated RNA from Tulane Calicivirus cDNA

Tulane virus (TV) is a newly reported calicivirus that was isolated from stool samples of captive rhesus macaques from the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC). The virus has been cultivated successfully in LLC-MK2 rhesus monkey kidney cells. Its complete genomic sequence suggests that TV represents a new genus and is evolutionarily more closely related to Norovirus than to any other genus of Caliciviridae. In this study, we demonstrated that RNA transcripts made in vitro from the full-length genomic cDNA of TV were infectious upon transfection into permissive LLC-MK2 cells. The recombinant virus exhibited plaque morphologies and growth kinetics similar to those of the wild-type virus in this cell line. Capping was required for TV RNA infectivity. Although a subgenomic RNA has been detected in TV-transfected cells, a separate subgenomic RNA transcript was not required for the initial transfection to establish the replication. Transfection of truncated RNA lacking open reading frame 2 (ORF2) and ORF3 or TV-norovirus chimeric RNA resulted in abortive replication without the production of infectious progeny viruses, indicating that both ORFs are essential for the replication of TV. A heterologous insertion at the 5 end of the genome also hampered viral replication, suggesting that an authentic 5 end of the genome is critical for replication. The availability of the complete genomic sequence and the reverse genetics system described herein make TV a valuable model for studying calicivirus pathogenesis and replication. Caliciviruses (CVs) are important human and animal pathogens causing a wide variety of diseases, including respiratory infections, vesicular lesions, gastroenteritis, and hemorrhagic disease. Caliciviridae consists of four well-defined genera, Norovirus, Sapovirus, Lagovirus, and Vesivirus (9, 10), and a newly proposed genus, “Becovirus,” or “Nabovirus,” represented by bovine enteropathogenic CVs (Newbury agent 1 and Nebraska) (17, 18, 20). The Tulane virus (TV) that was recently discovered by our group represents a putative sixth genus of Caliciviridae, with a proposed name of “Recovirus” (7).
Infant mortality: The role of the macaque as a model for human disease

Factors which have been identified as the leading causes of infant mortality include birth defects, hemoglobinopathies, prematurity, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In order to further our understanding of the specific causes of infant mortality and the mechanisms by which they occur, suitable animal models will be required. Studies with nonhuman primates (specifically the macaque) have addressed malformation/functional deficit syndromes such as those associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), nutritional deficiencies, and retinoid teratogenicity. These studies have provided critical information for further basic and preventive research. In addition, efforts to evaluate the safety of diagnostic ultrasound continue to aid in identifying safe methods for exposure. From a prenatal perspective, cellular transplantation has been shown to be a feasible method for treating individuals with inherited defects in utero, thereby avoiding postnatal transplantation and the associated risks. Longterm complications of prematurity have also been pursued with growth factors (i.e., epidermal growth factor) noted to play an important role in both pre- and postnatal development of the gastrointestinal tract and lung. As one of the most distressing causes of death in infancy, SIDS will require a concentrated effort to understand the basic mechanism(s) responsible for the characteristic respiratory complications. The nonhuman primate will continue to provide critical information as the model of choice for the human in determining the causes, mechanisms, and treatments for these significant causes of infant death. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Vapor-Venting, Micromachined Heat Exchanger for Electronics Cooling

The increasing complexity of modern integrated circuits and need for high-heat flux removal with low junction temperatures motivates research in a wide variety of cooling and refrigeration technologies. Two-phase liquid cooling is especially attractive due to high efficiency and low thermal resistances. While two-phase microfluidic cooling offers important benefits in required flow rate and pump size, there are substantial challenges related to flow stability and effective superheating. This work investigates the use of hydrophobic membrane to locally vent the vapor phase in microfluidic heat exchangers. Previous work has demonstrated selective venting of gas in microstructures and we extend this concept to two-phase heat exchangers. This paper details the design, fabrication and preliminary testing of the novel heat exchanger. Proof-of-concept of the device, carried out using an isothermal air-water mixture, found the air-mass venting efficiency exceeding 95%. Two-phase, thermal operation of the heat exchanger found the pressure-drop to be smaller compared to a two-phase, non-venting model. The paper also includes a discussion of design challenges such as membrane leakage and optical inaccessibility. The favorable results demonstrated in this first-generation, vapor-venting, micromachined, heat exchanger motivates further study of this and other novel microstructures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of phase-change. With continued research and optimization, we believe two-phase cooling is a viable solution for high heat flux generating electronics.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A finite element/superposition technique for the design of electromagnetically coupled coils

The authors present a numerical technique for the design of electromagnetically coupled coils. The technique is applicable to coil systems (transmitter and receiver coils) located in the same medium and separated by variable communication distances as well as to coils in different media. Coil geometries, and optimum data communication distances can be obtained with the technique presented here. The design method developed is based on a general solution of the electromagnetic field problem associated with these coil systems, using constrained finite-element field solutions obtained by an optimization technique. Since the electromagnetic energy transfer between the coil systems is established bidirectionally, superposition of the fields from the coils was required to determine forward and reflected field data. This information is then used to determine reflected voltages or phase differences which can be utilized by the system electronics. Two separate coil systems were implemented as examples in order to compare the numerical design results with those obtained by conventional empirical formulas and with the results of laboratory performance tests. The validity of the method wa confirmed by the comparison. >
Primary flexor tendon repair followed by immediate controlled mobilization

A study was made of the results of immediate repair and controlled mobilization in 156 severed flexor tendons in 68 patients occuring over an 18-month period. Eight patients with 16 tendon injuries could not be followed. Results were obtained from examinations done 6 weeks to 18 months (mean, 5.3 months) after repair. Thirty-one of the 60 patients were less than 20 years old, and 44 of the 60 were less than 30 years old. Seventy-nine (56%) of the injuries occurred in the area known as "no man's land"; 28 patients with repair of tendons in this area were rated by our standards as "excellent" or "good"--75% of patients as compared to 84.4% for the results of repair in other areas. In one fourth of the cases of severance of both tendons, because of local conditions in the wound, the superficialis was excised, but in all others it was repaired.
Research on Relationships as a Prelude to Action: Response to Commentaries:

I respond to the three commentaries offered by Reis (2002), Muehihoff and Wood (2002), and Hendrick (2002) in reaction to my article, Research on Relationships as a Prelude to Action. The central theme in the original article was that greater emphasis on research conducted with the goal of improving relationships would yield great dividends to relationship science, particularly by overcoming conceptual and methodological limitations now evident in the field. These three comments bring into focus several factors that may temper enthusiasm for a change-oriented research agenda, including uncertainty about which research findings ultimately will prove useful in devising interventions, value judgments associated with determining which kinds of changes and outcomes are desirable, and concerns that change oriented research will undermine theory development. I argue that these factors may limit acceptance and complicate implementation of a change-oriented research agenda, yet they do not diminish the importance ...
Discrete Optimal Control of Production Plans

This discussion demonstrates the application of discrete optimal control theory to production planning problems. In particular we show that most of the previous models which have appeared in the literature on production planning scheduling, smoothing and work force balancing can be characterized as special cases of the control theory problem formulation. This more general model relaxes a number of the assumptions required by other formulations in capturing a wide spectrum of production planning policies. Computational aspects of the control theory approach are discussed and solution results included for numerical examples.
Vascular and Extravascular Volumes of the Kidney of Man

Indicator dilution techniques were used to determine the vascular and extravascular volumes of the normal human kidney. Renal volumes were corrected to 1.73 m2 and refer to one kidney. The renal blood volume (VIG) averaged 34.8±3.1 ml; the water contained in the distribution volume of labeled inulin (VINW) averaged 48.8±9.0 ml, and that of tritiated water (VTHOW) 152±20 ml. VINW was used as an index of the extracellular space of the kidney exclusive of the tubular lumina. VTHOW was interpreted to represent the total exchangeable water content of the kidney. The interstitial volume (ΔVINTW) and tubular-cellular volume (ΔVCW) were derived and averaged 27.4±6.2 ml and 93.7±14.3 ml, respectively. Correction for recirculation by exponential extrapolation was studied and appears satisfactory. Evidence is presented for the existence of significant fluctuations in renal blood flow during the indicator collection intervals, and it is suggested that renal volumes be based on flows determined from the recoveries of ...
The feasibility of using vocalization scoring as an indicator of poor welfare during cattle slaughter

Abstract Vocalizations of cattle in six commercial slaughter plants were tabulated during handling in the forcing pen stunning box and single file race. Each animal was scored as being either a vocalizer or nonvocalizer. Vocalizations that occurred in the lairage pens were not counted. A total of 1125 animals were observed during normal operations and 112 cattle vocalized. All vocalizations, with the exception of two, occurred immediately after a stressful event such as electric prodding, slipping on the stunning box floor, missed captive bolt stuns, or excessive pressure exerted on the animal's body by a restraining device powered by pneumatic cylinders. Electric prodding was associated with vocalization in 72 animals. In four plants, cattle were moved quietly at a walk in small groups, and electric prods were used only on cattle that refused to move. The percentages of cattle that vocalized in the stunning box, single file race and forcing pen in these four plants were 1.1%, 2.6%, 6.6% and 7.5%. Vocalizations were associated with slipping on the stunning box floor, excessive pressure from a powered tailgate and electric prodding when an animal balked because it saw a moving person up ahead. In two other plants, 90% and 76% of the cattle were prodded with an electric prod. When this excessive prod usage was stopped, vocalizations dropped from 32% to 12% of the cattle in the first plant, and from 12% to 3% in the second plant. The remaining vocalizations were due to missed stuns and excessive pressure from a restraining device. Vocalization scoring could be used as a simple method for detecting welfare problems that need to be corrected.
Tactual Distinctive Features Analysis: Training Blind Students in Shape Recognition and in Locating Shapes On a Map

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of training blind students in shape recognition accuracy and speed and accuracy of locating shapes on a tactile map by using a distinctive features analysis strategy and line tracing. In Experiment 1, training significantly improved the shape-recognition performance of a group of 25 trained braille readers, as compared to a matched group of 25 untrained braille readers. In Experiment 2, 21 trained students (as compared to a matched group of 21 untrained students) showed a significant increase in the number of shapes located and a significant decrease in the average time to locate a shape on a tactile map. Results are discussed in terms of the critical importance of training blind students to be analytical, systematic, and complete in exploring tactile materials so as to ensure adequate development of their perceptual-conceptual abilities.
Diagnostic Tissue Spectroscopy and Its Applications to Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Optical spectroscopic methods are playing an increasingly important role in medicine, and gastrointestinal endoscopy is likely to be one of the most important areas of impact of the new technology. This article will familiarize endoscopists with basic technologies of diagnostic spectroscopies, discuss the types of information they provide, and describe how they can be incorporated in endoscopic instruments. The discussion focuses on 4 fundamental light-tissue interactions: elastic scattering, absorption, fluorescence, and Raman scattering. The physical basis of each technique and its mode of implementation in endoscopic applications are presented. We discuss the limitations and advantages of each technique, as well as research that uses spectroscopic approaches for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease. Finally, we discuss future directions in spectral diagnostic endoscopy.
La metalurgia del bronce en los Andes Sur Centrales: Tiwanaku y San Pedro de Atacama

Este estudio es parte de una investigacion mayor acerca del desarrollo de la metalurgia del bronce en las areas central y centro sur de los Andes durante el Horizonte Medio. Se concentra en los tipos de aleacion de bronce producidos y diseminados a traves de la zona que se ubica aproximadamente entre Tiwanaku y San Pedro de Atacama. Los analisis de isotopo de plomo de los artefactos de bronce excavados en estos dos lugares y de las muestras de un amplio rango de menas metalicas provenientes de depositos de Bolivia y del norte de Chile indican que los minerales de origen para la mayoria de estos artefactos estuvieron ubicados y fueron explotados en la puna y la sierra alta de Bolivia. Estos resultados nos hacen preguntarnos acerca del movimiento de menas, de lingotes de bronce y de objetos de bronce en el ambito de la esfera de interaccion del centro sur andino durante el Horizonte Medio
Characteristics of Intermittent Turbulent Temperature Fluxes in Stable Conditions

The behaviour of intermittent turbulent temperature fluxes is characterized in terms of a flux interval, defined as the time interval over which flux values are computed, and a flux threshold value. Fluxes whose magnitudes exceed the threshold value are defined as flux events while the times when the threshold is not exceeded are defined as gaps. Turbulent temperature flux data from five sites in Kansas, Utah, and Washington State, U.S.A. are examined within this descriptive framework. The turbulent event fraction fturb, the ratio of the time occupied by turbulent events to the total sampling time, is found to depend linearly on the average flux for the sampling period over a range of flux intervals, threshold values, and sampling times. As the average flux for a sampling period decreases toward zero, the median magnitude of the fluxes during the gaps also decreases but the median fluxes during the turbulent events become nearly independent of the sampling period average. A wide range of values of fturb is found for gradient Richardson numbers less than 0.3, indicating the possibility of considerable intermittency under weakly to moderately stable conditions
Model-Free Control Design for Multi-Input Multi-Output Aeroelastic System Subject to External Disturbance

In this paper, a class of aeroelastic systems with an unmodeled nonlinearity and external disturbance is considered. By using leading- and trailing-edge control surface actuations, a full-state feedforward/feedback controller is designed to suppress the aeroelastic vibrations of a nonlinear wing section subject to external disturbance. The fullstate feedback control yields a uniformly ultimately bounded result for two-axis vibration suppression. With the restriction that only pitching and plunging displacements are measurable while their rates are not, a high-gain observer is used to modify the full-state feedback control design to an output feedback design. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the multi-input multi-output control toward suppressing aeroelastic vibration and limit cycle oscillations occurring in pre and postflutter velocity regimes when the system is subjected to a variety of external disturbance signals. Comparisons are drawn with a previously designed adaptive multi-input multi-output controller.
Power amplifier with low average current and compact output matching network

A power amplifier with a compact output matching network and a high average operating efficiency owing to its control circuits which enable the dynamic control of the quiescent current is presented. The microwave monolithic integrated circuit of the power amplifier was designed and implemented, in order to verify the output matching network and control circuits for the 1.88-GHz band. The power-added efficiency for an average power-usage of the proposed amplifier is almost twice that of conventional power amplifiers (3.74% versus 6.86%) in urban areas.
Exact penetration, radiation, and scattering for a slotted semielliptical channel filled with isorefractive material

A semielliptical channel flush-mounted under a metal plane and slotted along the interfocal distance of its cross-section is considered. The channel is filled with a material isorefractive to the medium that occupies the half-space above the metal plane. The boundary-value problem is solved exactly in terms of Mathieu functions, when the primary source is a plane wave with arbitrary direction of incidence and polarization, or an electric or magnetic line source parallel to the channel and located either above the channel or inside it.
Processing and Mechanical Properties of Laminar Al2O3−Ni3Al Composites

Several compositions of the intermetallic alloy Ni3Al were examined with respect to (a) their wetting of Al2O3 and (b) their energy absorption capability in Al2O3/Ni3Al laminates. Wetting is enhanced by small additions of carbon (e.g., 0.1 at. %), and bonding by additions of zirconium (e.g., 1 at. %). Chevron-notched laminate specimens were tested in three-point bending to assess the energy absorption due to the presence of a thin layer of Ni3Al. A nickel aluminide with the composition Ni-22Al-lZr-0.1C-0.1B was found to have a reasonable combination of wetting, adhesion and energy absorption. Interfacial bonding was found to be weak in all laminates.
Ubiquitous Smartphones, Zero Privacy

If your smartphone has a GPS, your provider knows exactly where you are and where you have been as well as who you have contacted. In addition, tracking software which logs where you have been and what you did has been previously found on Apple's iPhone and just recently, Carrier IQ tracking software has been acknowledged to be on over 150 million smartphones. If this is combined with a recent government directive that no warrant is needed to access this information, then if you have a smartphone, you really have zero privacy.
Abstract 125: Improving ECG Services at a Children’s Hospital: Implementation of a Digital ECG System

Background: Pediatric ECGs and ECG interpretation were all paper-based until 2012 at our Children’s Hospital. There were significant delay between the time when the ECGs were performed and when they were officially interpreted by a cardiologist for the formal the medical records. To better understand the factors contributing to the delay or failure to complete an ECG report, we created a Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram to help facilitate a solution. (See Diagram 1 below). We hypothesized that the introduction of a completely digital ECG system would increase the volume of ECGs interpreted and improve the capture and billing of ECG services. Diagram 1-Fishbone diagram of factors affecting ECG flow Methods: As part of a hospital wide quality improvement initiative, a digital ECG service (Muse®, GE) was implemented at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in June 2012. The total volume of ECGs performed in the first 6 months of the digital ECG era (Post-Digital, June 2012 - Dec 2012) was compared to 18 months of the pre-digital era (Pre-Digital, Jan 2011 - May 2012). In addition, billing times were compared in the Pre-Digital and Post-Digital eras and an assessment of workflow were performed. Pre-Digital and Post-Digital data were compared via t-tests. (Diagram 2 illustrates the ECG workflow in both eras) Diagram 2-ECG workflow in the Pre Digital vrs Digital Eras Results: Table 1 Conclusion: Implementation of a digital ECG system increased the volume of ECGs interpreted and reported at a children’s Hospital. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Brief of Amicus Curiae Susannah W. Pollvogt in Henry v. Himes (6th Cir.)

Thirty years ago, the United States Supreme Court articulated a simple but powerful proposition — that the public laws may not be used to enforce private bias: "The Constitution cannot control such prejudices, but neither can it tolerate them. Private biases may be outside the reach of the law, but the law cannot, directly or indirectly, give them effect." While the doctrine of unconstitutional animus can be traced through a number of cases, the Court’s decision Palmore provides the doctrine’s core. It draws a key distinction between the public purposes that laws may legitimately serve and private biases that they may not. But this simple concept — that the public laws may not give effect to private bias — is complicated by the question of how courts are to identify when a law or other state action is performing this impermissible function. A comprehensive examination of the entirety of the Supreme Court’s animus jurisprudence reveals at least one clear principle: where, as in the instant case, there is direct evidence of private bias in the legislative history surrounding the enactment of a law, the Court will at a minimum apply a heightened form of rational basis review. The primary characteristics of this level of scrutiny are that it: (1) shifts the burden of proof from the plaintiff to the government; and (2) requires the government to show that the trait that defines the classification is affirmatively related to the purported governmental interest in regulating the right or benefit at issue. Applying this standard to the case at hand, the history surrounding the enactment of Ohio’s Marriage Laws provides an easy case for finding the presence of unconstitutional animus. Significantly, the official explanation for the law stated that the law’s purpose was to exclude homosexuals from marriage because homosexuality was deemed “deviant.” This is a bare statement of moral disapproval that evidences the presence of animus, thereby demanding the application of heightened rational basis review.
The cellular basis of Fanconi syndrome

In this syndrome, all solutes are prevented from crossing the apical membrane of the proximal renal tubule cell; hence, investigations have focused on generalized transport dysfunction, namely intracellular ATP activity. Experiments suggest that intracellular adenine nucleotide degradation secondary to phosphate depletion causes a decline in ATP.
Well-Defined Alternating Copolymers of Oligo(phenylenevinylene)s and Flexible Chains

A series of alternating copolymers containing oligomeric bis(2-ethylhexyl)-p-phenylenevinylene (BEH-PPV) chromophores and conformational-flexible n-decyl or tetraethylene glycol chains were prepared. The polymerization was carried out using Sonogashira coupling conditions between monomers composed of an iodo-terminated PPV oligomer (trimer, pentamer, or septamer) and a bis(phenylacetylene)-containing flexible chain. Polymers containing the n-decyl chain attained higher molecular weights compared to the tetraethylene glycol-containing polymers. 4-Ethynylanisole-capped oligomers (trimer, pentamer, or septamer) were prepared, and their solution photophysical properties were compared to the analogous polymeric materials. The solution optical properties of the polymers were primarily determined by chromophore length of the constituent oligomers. In contrast, the thin film fluorescence spectra of the polymers showed substantial differences between n-decyl and tetraethylene glycol containing materials, suggestin...
A study on the effect of Ethyl Carbamate on the immune function of ICR mice

Objective To evaluate the effects of low dose Ethyl Carbamate( EC) on the immune function of ICR mice and to provide evidences for developing food safety standard. Methods The ICR mice were divided into four groups,and three groups were treated with 0. 17,0. 83,1. 67 mg / kg·bw EC respectively and the control group was treated with distilled water only. The immune function of ICR mice was determined by five aspects,including cellular immunity,humoral immunity,mononuclear macrophages' s phagocytosis,natural killer cell activity and the organ coefficients of immune organs.Results Compared with the control group,the 1. 67 mg / kg · bw EC significantly inhibited the proliferation of spleen lymphocyte,natural killer cell activity and the hemolysis plaque- forming ability induced by Con A( P 0. 05).Conclusion EC can cause the inhibition of normal mouse's immune function.
145: DHX15: A novel regulator of innate immune defense to RNA virus infections

Retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is a cytoplasmic pathogen recognition receptor expressed in mammalian cells where it serves an essential role in the recognition of RNA viruses and to signal the induction of innate immune defenses. Binding of viral RNA by RIG-I leads to downstream signaling through the MAVS adaptor protein. These processes drive the activation of transcription factors resulting in the production of type I interferons, proinflammatory cytokines, and the expression of innate immune genes that suppress virus infection. We have found that RIG-I signaling to MAVS is mediated through a complex assembly of signaling co-factors that play regulatory roles in innate immunity. We therefore applied a proteomic approach coupled with assessment of innate immune signaling function to define RIG-I co-factors. Among the RIG-I-binding proteins we identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase, DHX15. Human cell lines with knockdown of DHX15 are defective in RIG-I signaling, do not express innate immune genes in response to RNA virus infection, and are highly permissive to virus infection compared to control cells expressing DHX15. Biochemical studies reveal that DHX15 is a component of RLR pathway that facilitates RIG-I/MAVS interaction to promote innate immune signaling. Further structure/function and enzymatic studies of DHX15 will be presented.
Dynamical Systems and the Two-Dimensional Navier-Stokes Equations

The focus of this chapter is on the application of dynamical systems ideas to the study of dissipative partial differential equations with a particular focus on the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. The notion of dissipativity arises in physics where it is generally thought of as a dissipation of some “energy” associated with the system and such systems are contrasted with energy conserving systems like Hamiltonian systems.
Ion Channels in Control of Blood Flow: Electrical Conduction Along Endothelium of Resistance Arteries

The regulation of tissue blood flow in response to the metabolic demand of parenchymal cells is effected through changes in vascular resistance as governed by arteriolar networks and their proximal feed arteries. Vasodilation and vasoconstriction must be coordinated among downstream and upstream segments to optimize blood flow distribution within the tissue and to attain maximal perfusion of the vascular supply. Such coordinated vasomotor activity is promoted by the transmission of electrical signals (e.g., hyperpolarization and depolarization) through gap junctions from cell-to-cell along the vessel wall. Based upon underlying structural and functional relationships, we explore the biophysical basis of intercellular electrical signaling along the endothelium of resistance arteries. The endothelium is presented as a cable, whereby electrical signals decay passively with distance from the site of initiation. Key to our findings is how K+ channels expressed constitutively in endothelial cell membranes [e.g., KCa2.3 (SKCa) and KCa3.1 (IKCa)] regulate the spatial domain of electrical signal transmission and how this role is effected during advanced age through the actions of hydrogen peroxide. New insights into the regulation of electrical conduction along microvascular endothelium advance our understanding of how blood flow is governed by ion channels while providing mechanistic insight into how such processes can be affected during vascular disease.
Competency Assessment in Andrology Laboratory

A crucial component of quality management is assessment of personnel competency. Obtaining reliable results from the testing personnel in the andrology laboratory, often referred to as “andrologists,” requires attention to hiring, training, and performance evaluation. The perfect fit for an andrology laboratory may not be the most experienced individual but relies on character traits, including teamwork, integrity, confidence, and analytical thinking. Training the new employee begins with instructions covering the laboratory’s policies, chain of command, safety, compliance with regulations, and reliance on standard operating procedures. Approval of the technician to perform patient testing requires observation of trained andrologists, side-by-side testing, practice with semen, and testing under close supervision. Benchmarks of successful training are important in this process. Continuing education throughout a technician’s career will ensure that the knowledge base in the laboratory keeps up with modern methodology. Evaluation of personnel competence begins during training and is continuous throughout the andrologist’s career. Quality control (QC) of technical performance includes intra-laboratory evaluation of inter-technician variation, interlaboratory evaluation to ensure uniform results, and formal performance evaluation with goals for improved performance. This chapter discusses these aspects of personnel competency assessment, giving examples of personnel forms and QC results.
Full-length autonomous transposable elements are preferentially targeted by expression-dependent forms of RNA-directed DNA methylation

Chromatin modifications such as DNA methylation are targeted to transposable elements by small RNAs in a process termed RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). In plants, canonical RdDM functions through RNA polymerase IV to reinforce pre-existing transposable element silencing. Recent investigations have identified a “non-canonical” form of RdDM dependent on RNA polymerase II expression to initiate and re-establish silencing of active transposable elements. This expression-dependent RdDM mechanism functions through RNAi degradation of transposable element mRNAs into small RNAs guided by the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 6 (RDR6) protein and is therefore referred to as RDR6-RdDM. We performed whole-genome MethylC-seq in 20 mutants that distinguish RdDM mechanisms when transposable elements are either transcriptionally silent or active. We identified a new mechanism of expression-dependent RdDM, which functions through DICER-LIKE3 (DCL3) but bypasses the requirement of both RNA polymerase IV and RDR6 (termed DCL3-RdDM). We found that RNA polymerase II expression-dependent forms of RdDM function on over 20 % of transcribed transposable elements, including the majority of full-length elements with all of the domains required for autonomous transposition. Lastly, we find that RDR6-RdDM preferentially targets long transposable elements due to the specificity of primary small RNAs to cleave full-length mRNAs. Expression-dependent forms of RdDM function to critically target DNA methylation to full-length and transcriptionally active transposable elements, suggesting that these pathways are key to suppressing mobilization. This targeting specificity is initiated on the mRNA cleavage-level, yet manifested as chromatin-level silencing that in plants is epigenetically inherited from generation to generation.
Exploring the Effects of Psychological Distance and Action-Related Knowledge on Wildlife Conservation

Human actions are contributing to the destruction of rainforests and the growth of palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia. These actions are threatening endangered species such as orangutans. Reducing the psychological distance between individuals and threats to orangutans, and providing information regarding how to protect orangutans and their habitat may influence people to engage in conservation behavior. Using the framework of Construal Level Theory, this study explored the effects of social distance, temporal distance, and action-related knowledge on conservation behavior, behavioral intentions, perceived behavioral control, concern, and emotional responses. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 254) were shown information and images that manipulated the social distance, temporal distance, and action-related knowledge regarding a threat to orangutans, and then completed a series of surveys. When participants were provided with greater action-related knowledge, and when social distance was reduced, participants reported greater intentions to help protect orangutans, (p < .03). In addition, when participants were provided with less action-related knowledge, and when social distance was reduced, they were more likely to seek additional information on how to help protect orangutans, (p < .01). Participants who were provided with greater action-related knowledge indicated greater control over behaviors to help protect orangutans, (p < .001). Lastly, participants reported greater negative emotions when social distance (p < .05) and temporal distance (p < .04) was reduced. There were no differences for concern. Findings provide partial support of Construal Level Theory. Implications for how conservationists, environmental educators, and zoos can promote greater conservation behavior are discussed.
Effect of initial size on subsequent growth and carcass characteristics of divergently selected channel catfish.

Two experiments were conducted simultaneously to determine (1) if fast-growing fingerlings of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, could be identified by simple visual selection of body size and (2) if initial size advantages influenced subsequent growth and carcass traits of divergently selected channel catfish. Exp. 1 included large (L), medium (M), and small (S) fingerling sizes from each of the control (C), selected upward (+) and selected downward (−) lines for body weight. Exp. 2 included all fmgerlings of the same size (25±5 g) from the 3 lines. Catfish from the L size-class, within each full-sib family in each line, were consistently heavier and longer than M and S size-classes throughout the 53-week experimental period. Fingerlings from the M size-class were also superior in growth to those from the S size-class. Catfish from the + line exceeded those from the C and −lines in body weight and total length at the conclusion of Exp. 1 but not in Exp. 2. This was attributed to the selection of equal size fmgerlings in Exp. 2 which may have excluded fingerlings with the best growth potential from the + body weight line. Results of the two experiments combined indicated that one generation of divergent selection has created genetic differences among lines of channel catfish.
Telemetry for reliability

Knowledge of customer usage of IC products is an important part of establishing accurate use conditions inputs for product reliability modeling. We present a multi-stage framework for achieving this: derive telemetry metrics; develop telemetry software; acquire users; manage and store telemetry data; perform data analytics and visualization; decide use conditions. We discuss each stage's objectives and requirements, and provide information relevant to successful implementation. Server telemetry examples are presented to elucidate the framework and its role in evaluating product reliability.
Synthesis and tribological behavior of novel Ag- and Bi-based composites reinforced with Ti3SiC2

Abstract This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of Bi-Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ag-Ti 3 SiC 2 composites. Novel composites were designed by adding 5 vol% (Ag-5%312Si or Bi-5%312Si), 10 vol% (Ag-10%312Si or Bi-10%312Si), 20 vol% (Ag-20%312Si or Bi-20%312Si), and 30 vol% (Ag-30%312Si or Bi-30%312Si) Ti 3 SiC 2 particulates in the Ag and Bi matrix, respectively. SEM studies showed that Ti 3 SiC 2 particulates are well dispersed in the metal matrix. The addition of Ti 3 SiC 2 particulates enhanced the hardness and compressive yield strength of both the compositions. For example, Bi-70%312Si showed an enhancement in yield strength by ~1.7 times as compared to the Bi-matrix. Similarly, Ag-80%312Si showed an enhancement in yield strength by ~3.5 times as compared to the Ag-matrix. The addition of Ti 3 SiC 2 particulates also had a positive effect on the tribological performance. The µ mean decreased gradually from ~0.50 in Bi to ~0.41 in Bi-20%312Si. Similarly, µ mean decreased gradually from ~0.38 in Ag to ~0.30 in Ag-30%312Si. The specific wear rate (WR) decreased by ~67 times in Bi-10%312Si as compared to the Bi-matrix. Similarly, the specific wear rate (WR) of Ag-20%312Si decreased by ~12 times as compared to the Ag-matrix. Detailed SEM studies showed that the tribological behavior is governed by the formation of tribofilms.
Speeding Up Maximal Causality Reduction with Static Dependency Analysis

Stateless Model Checking (SMC) offers a powerful approach to verifying multithreaded programs but suffers from the state-space explosion problem caused by the huge thread interleaving space. The pioneering reduction technique Partial Order Reduction (POR) mitigates this problem by pruning equivalent interleavings from the state space. However, limited by the happens-before relation, POR still explores redundant executions. The recent advance, Maximal Causality Reduction (MCR), shows a promising performance improvement over the existing reduction techniques, but it has to construct complicated constraints to ensure the feasibility of the derived execution due to the lack of dependency information. In this work, we present a new technique, which extends MCR with static analysis to reduce the size of the constraints, thus speeding up the exploration of the state space. We also address the redundancy problem caused by the use of static analysis. We capture the dependency between a read and a later event e in the trace from the system dependency graph and identify those reads that e is not control dependent on. Our approach then ignores the constraints over such reads to reduce the complexity of the constraints. The experimental results show that compared to MCR, the number of the constraints and the solving time by our approach are averagely reduced by 31.6% and 27.8%, respectively.
Clinical Evaluation of the Infected Orbit

Orbital cellulitis is a serious infectious condition that can lead to orbital abscess formation, optic neuropathy, meningitis, intracranial abscess, or even death. Given these potential vision and life-threatening consequences, successful management depends on the prompt and accurate clinical diagnosis to implement the appropriate medical and surgical treatments. This chapter provides an overview of the various etiologies of orbital cellulitis and their patterns of presentation, the crucial clinical findings on ophthalmic and orbital evaluation, and indications for surgical intervention.
Biology of EWS/FLI and related fusion genes in Ewing's sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor.

Ewing’s sarcoma and peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/PNET) are two related tumors of bone and soft tissue. Both malignancies belong to the enigmatic diagnostic category of small round cell tumors of childhood, which as a group occurs at a rate of 29 per million children (Triche et al. 1987). The precise cell of origin of ES/PNET is unknown. Circumstantial evidence suggests that these tumors may arise from neuroectodermal precursors (for review see Cavazzana et al. 1992). For example, ES/PNET cells express high levels of choline acetyl transferase, an enzyme important in the biosynthesis of cholinergic neurotransmitters. In addition, some ES/PNET cell lines can be induced in culture to form neurite extensions and express neurofilament proteins.
High Incidence and Levels of Ochratoxin A in Wines Sourced from the United States.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminants of food crops. Among the agricultural products consequently contaminated by OTA is wine. In the present study, a sample of wines sourced from the United States was assessed for OTA. Wines were primarily analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) coupled to a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) technique which was developed and validated as a simplified sample preparation approach. More than 85% of the wines evaluated were found to contain OTA, at levels above the limit-of-detection (LOD = 0.1 µg L−1), and 76% were above the limit-of-quantitation (LOQ = 0.3 µg L−1) for the LLE/HPLC-FD method. More than two-thirds of the wines above the LOQ were found to exceed 1 µg L−1. Complementary analysis by HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) confirmed OTA in 74% of the OTA-positive wines (i.e., >LOQ by HPLC-FD). Overall, both the occurrence and measured levels of OTA were generally high, specifically relative to previous assessments of OTA in wine, and two of the wines were above the only current (European Union) regulatory limit of two parts-per-billion (ppb, ~2 µg L−1). Possible trends with respect to geographical region and/or growing climate are noted. As the first assessment of U.S. wines in more than a decade, the overall high occurrence and levels of OTA in wine, and possible geographic and climatic trends, point to a need for regular surveillance of wines, as well as investigation of the relevant contributors to OTA occurrence toward mitigating contamination and exposure risks.
Identifying the barriers to cancer care at safety-net hospitals: A novel comparison of a safety-net hospital to a neighboring quaternary referral academic institution in the same health care system.

59Background: The three-delays model for vulnerable and minority populations to receive care include delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving care. The dominant delay for vulnerable patients with...
Pure and lithium-doped Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x silver-clad tapes

Silver-clad tapes with transport Jc values to 105 A/cm2 at T-4.2K were produced by a powder-in-tube process. Moderate reductions per pass and proper tape thicknesses were essential for producing good conductors. Partial-melt sintering, followed by a solid-state heat treatment, produced microstructures consisting of large, well-aligned 2212 grains and alkaline-earth cuprate phases. The deleterious effects of these second phases were minimized by proper heat treatments, but further reductions in the sizes and concentrations of these phases are needed to improve Jc values substantially. Lithium additions raised Tc, improved flux pinning, and lowered melting points. They offer hope that the presence of alkaline-earth cuprates can be limited through use of low-temperature heat treatments.
Robust Mercury Methylation across Diverse Methanogenic Archaea

Methylmercury (MeHg) production was compared among nine cultured methanogenic archaea that contain hgcAB, a gene pair that codes for mercury (Hg) methylation. The methanogens tested produced MeHg at inherently different rates, even when normalized to growth rate and Hg availability. Eight of the nine tested were capable of MeHg production greater than that of spent- and uninoculated-medium controls during batch culture growth. Methanococcoides methylutens, an hgcAB+ strain with a fused gene pair, was unable to produce more MeHg than controls. Maximal conversion of Hg to MeHg through a full batch culture growth cycle for each species (except M. methylutens) ranged from 2 to >50% of the added Hg(II) or between 0.2 and 17 pmol of MeHg/mg of protein. Three of the species produced >10% MeHg. The ability to produce MeHg was confirmed in several hgcAB+ methanogens that had not previously been tested (Methanocella paludicola SANAE, Methanocorpusculum bavaricum, Methanofollis liminatans GKZPZ, and Methanosphaerula palustris E1-9c). Maximal methylation was observed at low sulfide concentrations (<100 μM) and in the presence of 0.5 to 5 mM cysteine. For M. hollandica, the addition of up to 5 mM cysteine enhanced MeHg production and cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner. As observed for bacterial Hg methylators, sulfide inhibited MeHg production. An initial evaluation of sulfide and thiol impacts on bioavailability showed methanogens responding to Hg complexation in the same way as do Deltaproteobacteria The mercury methylation rates of several methanogens rival those of the better-studied Hg-methylating sulfate- and iron-reducing DeltaproteobacteriaIMPORTANCEArchaea, specifically methanogenic organisms, play a role in mercury methylation in nature, but their global importance to MeHg production and the subsequent risk to ecosystems are not known. Methanogenesis has been linked to Hg methylation in several natural habitats where methylmercury production incurs risk to people and ecosystems, including rice paddies and permafrost. In this study, we confirm that most methanogens carrying the hgcAB gene pair are capable of Hg methylation. We found that methylation rates vary inherently among hgcAB+ methanogens but that several species are capable of MeHg production at rates that rival those of the better-know Hg-methylating sulfate- and iron-reducing bacteria. Methanogens may need to be considered equally with sulfate and iron reducers in evaluations of MeHg production in nature.