cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Droplet-based immunoassay on a 'sticky' nanofibrous surface for multiplexed and dual detection of bacteria using smartphones.

Abstract We have developed a rapid, sensitive, and specific droplet-based immunoassay for the detection of Escherichia coli and Salmonella within a single-pipetted sample. Polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun fibers on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass provide a sufficient surface to render a non-slip droplet condition, and while the PCL fibers lend a local hydrophilicity (contact angle θ =74°) for sufficient sub-micron particle adhesion, air pockets within the fibers lend an apparent hydrophobicity. Overall, the contact angle of water on this electrospun surface is 119°, and the air pockets cause the droplet to be completely immobile and resistant to movement, protecting it from external vibration. By using both anti- E. coli conjugated, 510 nm diameter green fluorescent particles (480 nm excitation and 520 nm emission) and anti- Salmonella conjugated, 400 nm diameter red fluorescent particles (640 nm excitation and 690 nm emission), we can detect multiple targets in a single droplet. Using appropriate light sources guided by fiber optics, we determined a detection limit of 10 2 CFU mL −1 . Immunoagglutination can be observed under a fluorescence microscope. Fluorescence detection (at the emission wavelength) of immunoagglutination was maximum at 90° from the incident light, while light scattering (at the excitation wavelength) was still present and behaved similarly, indicating the ability of double detection, greatly improving credibility and reproducibility of the assay. A power function (light intensity) simulation of elastic Mie scatter confirmed that both fluorescence and light scattering were present. Due to the size of the fluorescent particles relative to their incident excitation wavelengths, Mie scatter conditions were observed, and fluorescence signals show a similar trend to light scattering signals. Smartphone detection was included for true portable detection, in which the high contact angle pinning of the droplet makes this format re-usable and re-configurable.
The segment as the minimal planning unit in speech production: evidence based on absolute response latencies.

A minimal amount of information about a word must be phonologically and phonetically encoded before a person can begin to utter that word. Most researchers assume that the minimum is the complete word or possibly the initial syllable. However, there is some evidence that the initial segment is sufficient based on longer durations when the initial segment is primed. In two experiments in which the initial segment of a monosyllabic word is primed or not primed, we present additional evidence based on very short absolute response times determined on the basis of acoustic and articulatory onset relative to presentation of the complete target. We argue that the previous failures to find very short absolute response times when the initial segment is primed are due in part to the exclusive use of acoustic onset as a measure of response latency, the exclusion of responses with very short acoustic latencies, the manner of articulation of the initial segment (i.e., plosive vs. nonplosive), and individual difference...
A Study of Wind Pressures on a Single-Family Dwelling in Model and Full Scale

Abstract Wind pressures measured on a single-family dwelling are compared with results obtained from a 1:50 scale model placed in a turbulent boundary layer. It is shown that the fluctuating components of surface pressures far exceed the mean or steady pressures and are well-correlated over sizeable roof areas. The consistently low fluctuating pressure coefficients obtained from the wind tunnel model are attributed to improper simulation of the lower portion of the atmospheric boundary layer. Comparisons between actual loads and specified design loads suggest that certain current provisions are marginal for tributary areas and excessive for localized areas such as ridges, eaves and corners. A procedure for expressing loads on both localized and extended roof areas in terms of mean pressure coefficients and a peak factor is described.
Van Hiele Levels and Achievement in Writing Geometry Proofs

This study investigated relations between van Hiele levels, achievement in writing geometry proofs, and achievement in standard geometry content. Two hundred forty-one secondary school students who were enrolled in full-year geometry classes were tested in the fall for van Hiele level of thinking and entering knowledge of geometry, and in the spring for van Hiele level, standardized geometry achievement, and proof-writing achievement. Proof-writing achievement correlated significantly, .5 with fall van Hiele level, .6 with spring van Hiele level and with entering knowledge of geometry, and .7 with standardized geometry achievement in the spring. Proof-writing achievement also varied significantly with van Hiele level when either entering knowledge of geometry or geometry achievement in the spring was used as a covariate. The predictive validity of the van Hiele model was supported. However, the hypothesis that only students at Levels 4 or 5 can write proofs was not supported.
Formation of Metal Carbide Powder by Spark Machining of Reactive Metals

When metals or alloys are subjected to electrical discharges in a dielectric fluid, the molten metal frequently reacts with the fluid or with ionic fragments generated from the dielectric by the discharge. When hydrocarbon fluids are used as dielectrics, the reaction products are metal carbides. These carbides are present both as surface layers on the metal samples and as fine powder particles produced when material is ejected from the surface by the sparks. Results are reported here on a study of the formation of fine carbide powder by the spark machining of Ti, Zr, and W. Spark machining of Ti and Zr produced the NaCl structure carbide expected of these metals, though under some machining conditions the powder produced by the machining also contained fine dispersion of the parent metal or graphite. Machining of W produced hexagonal structure W2C and WC in both the NaCl and the hexagonal structural forms. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the carbon concentration of these powders depended upon the frequency and polarity of the applied current pulses and upon other processing variables. The X-ray studies and scanning electron microscopy of the powders and of the surfaces from which they were generated showed that carburization reactions occurred both in the molten pools produced on the sample surfaces by the electric discharges and within fine particles after they were ejected from the surfaces.
A model for transmembrane signalling by the aspartate receptor based on random-cassette mutagenesis and site-directed disulfide cross-linking.

Abstract Extracellular information is transduced by transmembrane receptors into the inside of the cell across a membrane barrier. To understand the molecular basis of transmembrane signalling, we replaced the transmembrane segment 2 (TM2) of theEscherichia coliaspartate receptor, Tar, with random sequences that are 21 amino acid residues in length and consist of Arg, Gly, Ser, Cys, Val, Leu, Ile and Phe at each position. From this ensemble for recombinant molecules, functional receptors were recovered as clones that could bind aspartate and transmit a signal to the intracellular domain.Restricted average hydrophobicity values were observed for functional transmembrane domains, and support the observation that transmembrane segments typically havehydrophobicity values greater than 1.6. However, non-functional transmembrane domains with greater hydrophobicity than 1.6 indicate that hydrophobicity is not a sole determinant for its function. Fourier transform analysis of the functional TM2 sequences suggest that the transmembrane segment has an α-helical structure with three distinct faces. Cross-linking of the faces to transmembrane segment 1 (TM1) mimics the “locked” signalling phenotypes of the wild-type receptor. The results are consistent with a model in which TM2 rotates in the plane of the lipid bilayer, and the rotation becomes locked at one face of the α-helix in the presence of attractant and at another face in the presence of repellent. This dynamic movement of the transmembrane domain may be a common signalling mechanism of homologous membrane receptor molecule such as the insulin receptor. Random-cassette mutagenesis and disulphde cross-linking provide powerful strategies for examining the structure and function of transmembrane segments.
Stepper motors: application and selection

A common denominator of most sophisticated manufacturing equipment is a positioning system. A part or workpiece must be brought into a predefined location envelope so that operations may be performed upon it. Since much of this type of manufacturing equipment is computer-controlled, flexible positioning systems are necessary to derive all of the advantages that the computer can provide. Flexibility can be achieved via closed-or open-loop motor-driven systems?each offering distinct advantages. But whereas stepper motors are optional in the former instance, for an open-loop system, a digital driving device such as a stepper motor must be used to maintain control.
LKM-positive autoimmune hepatitis in the western United States: a case series.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: LKM-positive, or type 2, autoimmune hepatitis is characterized by the presence of antibodies directed against liver–kidney microsomes (LKM1). Although described frequently in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, this subtype of autoimmune liver disease seems to be extremely rare in northern Europe and in the United States. We report here five cases of LKM-positive autoimmune hepatitis that were seen at our center in the period 1989–1999. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of all patients with the diagnosis of AIH in our institution during the period 1989–1999, and found that five patients had type 2 AIH. All patients were female; four of five were young, and four of five presented with overt cirrhosis. RESULTS: One patient died, one underwent liver transplantation and two are currently awaiting liver transplantation. Response to conventional immunosuppressive therapy was poor and two patients required treatment with cyclosporine and tacrolimus respectively. Four of five patients had at least one associated autoimmune disorder, including IgE-induced IgA deficiency, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and arthritis. HLA class II DR4 was present in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: LKM-positive autoimmune hepatitis seems to be a subset of autoimmune hepatitis with distinct clinical features; although rare, it is occasionally encountered in the western United States. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate immunosuppressive treatment are recommended, as well as early referral to transplantation centers. Clinicians should be aware of this condition in the setting of young female patients with unexplained severe liver disease.
The Real Estate Brokerage Market and the Decision to Disclose Property Condition Defects

This article presents a theoretical model of the decision to disclose property condition defects by a real estate broker. The model introduces the costs and benefits of disclosure into the broker's profit function. The comparative static results of the model show that a number of factors will have a deterministic influence on the broker's expected profit and, hence, the broker's decision to disclose. Whether voluntary disclosure occurs depends upon the costs of repairing the defect, prevailing market conditions, commission rates and the legal environment in which the broker operates.
The resistivity and magnetic susceptibility of V3O5 single crystals

Abstract New resistivity studies on single-crystal V3O5 show that the phase transformation at 427 K involves an insulator-metal transition; the resistivities reported here lie somewhat below those cited in numerous earlier investigations. Magnetic susceptibility (χ) measurements exhibit only very small changes at the transition. It is pointed out that the maximum in χ at 125 K should be correlated with the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering near 76 K.
Fatigue life of compact bone--II. Effects of microstructure and density.

Fatigue tests to failure of compact bovine bone specimens were conducted at five stress amplitudes (65–108 MN/m2) and four temperature levels (21–45°C). The resulting relationships between fatigue life and stress amplitude, bone temperature, and bone density have been reported (Carter and Hayes, 1975). In the present study, the bone specimens were categorized into four microstructure groups based on the extent of secondary Harversian remodeling. A significant correlation (P < 0·001) between density and microstructure group was shown with primary bone specimens generally being more dense than secondary Haversian specimens. A positive correlation (P < 0·01) between fatigue life and density was revealed within each structural group. In addition, a negative correlation (P < 0·001) between fatigue life and the extent of Haversian remodeling was shown even after appropriate adjustments for density differences. These data suggest that Haversian remodeling of primary bovine bone reduces fatigue resistance not only by decreasing bone density, but also by creating an inherently weaker structure.
Empowering students to create work schedules that work

Furman employs student staff as a major component in our organization. We recognize the intrinsic value of students who need part time work and who are often savvier than the general user population. However, there are major challenges in scheduling around the demanding academic and social commitments of the student staff. We need ways to simplify scheduling while retaining flexibility, which honors academics as a primary consideration.Like other help desks, Furman has used many scheduling strategies such as calendars, spreadsheets, color-coded databases. All have fallen short. We have returned to a largely manual process each term. To make the process more automated, we have created ShiftWhiz.ShiftWhiz, a scheduling and management application, was designed for university help desks to solve the problem of scheduling in a complex environment where multiple student employees can only work short shifts at specific times.ShiftWhiz is a web app (PHP with a MySQL database) for the purposes of flexibility and simplicity. Although initially an effort was made to keep features minimal and keep the program simple for both users and developers, a testing phase called for more functionality than was originally envisioned.The resulting web application incorporates multiple management functions in one convenient place. Managers save time by avoiding constantly manipulating schedules, searching for employee information, and updating email lists. ShiftWhiz lets managers shift some of the burden of creating and revising schedules to student workers while maintaining control and privacy. As a bonus, ShiftWhiz also facilitates communication in the workplace with certain email functionality, bulletins, and contact information.
Suggestion Relating to the Kew Standard Thermometers

I SHOULD like to suggest, through your columns, two slight changes in the manufacture of the Kew standard thermometers, which I think will commend themselves to any observers who often have occasion to use these beautiful instruments.
Developmental modulation of blood-brain-barrier glucose transport in the rabbit.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) glucose transport rates were measured using the intracarotid injection method in newborn, 14-day-old suckling, 28-day-old weanling and adult rabbits, and compared with membrane transporter density. Light microscope immunochemistry confirmed the presence of the GLUT1 glucose transporter isoform in these rabbits. Quantitative electron microscopic immunogold analyses of GLUT1-immunoreactive sites per micrometer of capillary membrane indicated GLUT1 density increased with age, and correlated with in vivo measurements of Vmax. Maximal transport velocities (Vmax) of glucose transfer (an indicator of the activity and relative number of transporter proteins) increased significantly (P = 0.05) with age: in neonates Vmax = 0.61 mumol.min-1.g-1, in sucklings Vmax = 0.68 mumol.min-1.g-1, in weanlings Vmax = 0.88 mumol.min-1.g-1, and in adults Vmax = 1.01 mumol.min-1 g-1. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) rates, increased with age from 0.19 and 0.26 ml.min-1.g-1 in neonates and sucklings to 0.51 (weanlings) and 0.70 (adults) ml.min-1.g-1. Non-linear regression analyses indicated the half-saturation constant (Km) for glucose transport ranged from 13 mM in adult rabbits to 19 mM in 14-day-old sucklings: differences in Km were not significant. Age-related changes in the Permeability-Surface Area product (PS +/- S.E.) of both water and glucose were also seen. At all ages studied, the diffusion component (Kd) of glucose uptake was not distinguishable from zero. We conclude developmental up-regulation of the rabbit BBB glucose transporter is characterized by no changes in transporter affinity, and provide the first demonstration of increased membrane transporter proteins correlating with an age-related increase (65%) in glucose transporter maximal velocity.
Successful Treatment of Pulpal-Periodontal Combined Lesion in a Birooted Maxillary Lateral Incisor With Concomitant Palato-Radicular Groove. A Case Report

Palato-radicular groove (PRG) is a common developmental anomaly of maxillary incisors, whereas PRG associated with a birooted maxillary incisor is relatively infrequent. The clinical significance of PRG is related to the incidence of localized periodontitis with or without pulpal pathosis, depending on the depth, extent, and complexity of the groove. Successful treatments of PRG in singlerooted incisors have been reported in the literature. However, treatment of PRG in birooted incisors has often been ineffective. This case report describes a pulpal-periodontal combined lesion occurring on a birooted maxillary left lateral incisor with concomitant PRG in a 13-year-old boy which was successfully treated by conventional endodontic therapy in combination with periodontal treatment including accessory root resection, radiculoplasty and bone grafting. Seven-year follow-up is included in this report. The basis of a successful result is accurate diagnosis and elimination of inflammatory irritants and contributor...
School Counselors and Child Abuse Reporting: A National Survey.

A study was done to investigate school counselors' child abuse reporting behaviors and perceptions regarding the child abuse reporting process. Participants were randomly selected from the American School Counselor Association membership database with 193 school counselors returning questionnaires. Overall, school counselors indicated that they reported the majority of cases suspected, but significant differences in reporting emerged with regard to school level, school setting, and type of abuse reported. Decisional influences and barriers to reporting also were examined. Implications for future research and training are discussed.
Matched-filter template generation via spatial filtering: application to fetal biomagnetic recordings

We have developed a two-step procedure for signal processing of fetal biomagnetic recordings that removes cardiac interference and noise. First, a modified matched filter (MF) is applied to remove maternal cardiac interference; then, a simple signal space projection (SSP) is applied to remove noise. The key difference between our MF and a conventional one is that the interference template and the template scaling are derived from a signal that has been spatially filtered to isolate the interference, rather than from the raw signal. Unlike conventional MFs, ours is able to separate maternal and fetal cardiac complexes, even when they have similar morphology and overlap strongly. When followed by a SSP that preserves only the signal subspace, the noise is reduced to a low level.
Clinical role of the mixed cell agglutination test in the prospective management of superficial bladder tumors

The mixed cell agglutination test allows the selection of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who are at risk to develop invasive disease. A review of our retrospective experience and that of others reveals an overall accuracy of 78% in the prediction of tumor behavior. Current prospective studies are described and a rational, selective approach to the follow-up of bladder tumor patients, influenced by the MCA test result, is advocated.
Improving the energies of approximate wave functions using the concepts of density functional theory

A simple method, derived from DFT, for improving the energy of a trial density is modified for the case of atoms. It is assumed that errors in the interelectronic repulsion are the only significant ones. The errors in the energies of single-ζ Slater orbitals for the atoms from He to Ne are reduced an average factor of 21. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001
Sphere-covering, measure concentration, and source coding

Suppose A is a finite set, let P be a discrete distribution on A, and let M be an arbitrary "mass" function on A. We give a precise characterization of the most efficient way in which A/sup n/ can be almost-covered using spheres of a fixed radius. An almost-covering is a subset C/sub n/ of A/sup n/, such that the union of the spheres centered at the points of C/sub n/ has probability close to one with respect to the product distribution P/sup n/. Spheres are defined in terms of a single-letter distortion measure on A/sup n/, and an efficient covering is one with small mass M/sup n/(C/sub n/). In information-theoretic terms, the sets C/sub n/ are rate-distortion codebooks, but instead of minimizing their size we seek to minimize their mass. With different choices for M and the distortion measure on A our results give various corollaries as special cases, including Shannon's classical rate-distortion theorem, a version of Stein's lemma (in hypothesis testing), and a new converse to some measure-concentration inequalities on discrete spaces. Under mild conditions, we generalize our results to abstract spaces and nonproduct measures.
Endothelin-1-stimulated glucose uptake is desensitized by tumor necrosis factor-α in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a potent inducer of insulin resistance, and increased TNF-alpha expression is associated with impaired glucose disposal. Although insulin is the primary regulator of glucose transport in adipose, endothelin-1, a vasoconstrictor peptide that signals through the heterotrimeric G proteins Galphaq/11, potently stimulates glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by a mechanism independent of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. Here, we report that exposure of 3T3-L1 adipocytes to TNF-alpha for 48 h dose-dependently decreased endothelin-1-stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. TNF-alpha exposure had no effect on endothelin-1 receptor number at the cell surface. In contrast, TNF-alpha treatment reduced the quantity of Galphaq/11 and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) and decreased endothelin-1-stimulated PYK2-Tyr402 tyrosine phosphorylation. Taken together, these results suggest that TNF-alpha-induced desensitization of endothelin-1-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes is due, at least in part, to a decreased expression of Galphaq/11, leading to a suppression in tyrosine phosphorylation of PYK2.
Reactive and neoplastic epithelial alterations of the vulva: A classification of the vulvar dystrophies from the dermatopathologist's viewpoint

The clinical classification of the vulvar dystrophies has traditionally been difficult because most of these lesions present as a white hyperkeratotic patch. An international committee for the study of the vulva designed a histologic classification that consists of: I, hyperplastic type, with or without atypia; II, lichen sclerosus; and, III, mixed dystrophy, with or without atypia. A new classification and a fourth type are proposed by us to sort out a group of strictly benign dermatoses with distinctive histopathologic features which can present clinically as a white patch in the vulva; these are best designated as benign dermatoses. In addition to these, squamous cell carcinoma in situ and Paget's disease may also be manifested as a white patch. Hence, a classification of vulvar diseases with new nomenclature is presented from the dermatopathologist's perspective, based on histologic and clinical features.
Occurrence of pharmaceutical contaminants and screening of treatment alternatives for southeastern Louisiana.

: Recent studies conducted in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere indicate that low-level concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal-care products (PPCPs) and their metabolites may be widespread contaminants in our aquatic environment. The persistence of pharmaceutical contaminants has been attributed to (1) human consumption of drugs and subsequent discharges from sewage treatment plants, and (2) veterinary use of drugs and nonpoint discharges from agricultural runoff. Contamination of water resources by these compounds, particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), is emerging as an international environmental concern. The long-term effects of continuous, low-level exposure to PPCPs is not well understood. Preliminary data for raw water samples collected from the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, are summarized. Three PPCP compounds (clofibric acid, naproxen, and estrone) were analyzed using solid-phase extraction, derivatization, and GC/MS. Batch experiments also were conducted to determine equilibrium capacity of activated carbon for clofibric acid. Preliminary results indicate the occurrence of the selected PPCP contaminants in raw water samples at or near method-detection limits. For batch equilibrium experiments, preliminary results indicate that activated carbon potentially can be used to remove clofibric acid from water. More research is needed to develop rapid and reliable methods for PPCP analysis and to determine the effectiveness of treatment processes for removal of PPCP contaminants in water.
Neonatal Cholestatic Hepatitis from Carbamazepine Exposure during Pregnancy and Breast Feeding

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of transient cholestatic hepatitis occurring in an infant between the third and seventh weeks of life, most likely due to carbamazepine exposure during pregnancy and breast feeding.CASE SUMMARY:A boy, born to an epileptic mother who had been treated with carbamazepine monotherapy throughout pregnancy and breast feeding, experienced asphyxia at birth with transient hepatic dysfunction in the first week of life. After full recovery from asphyxia, he experienced a second period of liver dysfunction, presenting as cholestatic hepatitis that lasted approximately 5 weeks. Infectious and metabolic etiologies as well as extrahepatic biliary atresia were excluded.DISCUSSION:Carbamazepine is known to induce hepatic damage in children and adults. As the drug crosses the placenta and is excreted into breast milk, infants of mothers taking carbamazepine might also develop liver dysfunction. In addition to the present case, there are 2 well-documented case reports of cholestasis in associatio...
Molecular Dynamics Study of Alkanethiolate Self-Assembled Monolayer coated Gold Nanoparticle

Through molecular simulations we have observed that the surface of gold nanoparticles become highly corrugated by the adsorption of alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Furthermore, as the temperature is increased, the SAMs dissolve into the gold nanoparticle, creating a liquid mixture at temperatures much lower than the melting temperature of the gold nanoparticle. By analyzing the mechanical and chemical properties of gold nanoparticles at temperatures below the melting point of gold, with different SAM chain lengths and surface coverage properties, we have determined that the system is metastable. The model and computational results that provide support for this hypothesis are presented in this paper.
Dense and Dynamic 3D Selection for Game-Based Virtual Environments

3D object selection is more demanding when, 1) objects densly surround the target object, 2) the target object is significantly occluded, and 3) when the target object is dynamically changing location. Most 3D selection techniques and guidelines were developed and tested on static or mostly sparse environments. In contrast, games tend to incorporate densly packed and dynamic objects as part of their typical interaction. With the increasing popularity of 3D selection in games using hand gestures or motion controllers, our current understanding of 3D selection needs revision. We present a study that compared four different selection techniques under five different scenarios based on varying object density and motion dynamics. We utilized two existing techniques, Raycasting and SQUAD, and developed two variations of them, Zoom and Expand, using iterative design. Our results indicate that while Raycasting and SQUAD both have weaknesses in terms of speed and accuracy in dense and dynamic environments, by making small modifications to them (i.e., flavoring), we can achieve significant performance increases.
Segmentation of connective tissue in the optic nerve head using an anisotropic Markov random field

The study of the biomechanical response of the optic nerve head (ONH) to different levels of intraocular pressure (IOP) is key in understanding the mechanisms that underlie the development and progression of glaucoma. Our goal is to study this behavior using the finite element method on serial sections of normal and glaucomatous monkey ONHs. Segmentation of the beamlike connective tissue of the ONH is particularly challenging due to the artifacts introduced in the acquisition procedure. We present a new algorithm for segmentation of beam-like structures, based on the expectation-maximization (EM) method. The main difference with previous EM-based segmentation algorithms is that we employ an anisotropic Markov random field, which incorporates preferred directions based on the underlying image structure and coherence. Results on synthetic and ONH images show the ability of the algorithm to accurately segment these structures in presence of significant artifacts, and suggest its suitability to other medical imaging segmentation tasks.
Short Term Electric Production Technology Switching Under Carbon Cap and Trade

This study examines fuel switching in electricity production following the introduction of the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for greenhouse gas emissions. A short-run restricted cost equation is estimated with carbon permits, high-carbon fuels, and low carbon fuels as variable inputs. Shadow values and substitution elasticities for carbon-free energy resources from nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable sources are imputed from the cost equation. The empirical analysis examines 12 European countries using monthly data on fuel use, prices, and electricity generation during the first phase of the European Emissions Trading System. Despite low emission permit prices, this study finds statistically significant substitution between fossil fuels and carbon free sources of energy for electric power production. Significant substitution between fossil fuels and nuclear energy also was found. Still, while 18 of the 20 substitution elasticities are statistically significant, they are all less than unity, consistent with limited substitution. Overall, these results suggest that prices for carbon emission permits relative to prices for carbon and carbon free sources of energy do matter but that electric power producers have limited operational flexibility in the short-run to satisfy greenhouse gas emission limits.
Cannabinoid precipitated withdrawal by the selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist, SR 141716A.

Precipitated withdrawal in rats chronically exposed to delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the major psychoactive principle of the marijuana plant, was unequivocally demonstrated for the first time using a selective antagonist, SR 141716A (N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1(2,4- dichloro-phenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole carboxamide.HCl). This demonstration should provide a powerful stimulus for the systematic study of dependency on the psychoactive cannabinoids.
CLAMP: Efficient class-based sampling for flexible flow monitoring

With an increasing requirement to classify traffic and track security threats, newer flexible and efficient ways are needed for collecting traffic statistics and monitoring network flows. However, traditional solutions based on packet sampling do not provide the flexibility required for these applications. For example, operators are often interested in observing as many unique flows as possible; however, random packet sampling is inherently biased towards large flows. Operators may also be interested in increasing the fidelity of flow measurements for a certain class of flows; such flexibility is lacking in today's packet sampling frameworks. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture called CLAMP that provides an efficient framework to implement class-based sampling. At the heart of CLAMP is a novel data structure we propose called composite Bloom filter (CBF) that consists of a set of Bloom filters working together to encapsulate various class definitions. In particular, we show the flexibility and efficacy of CLAMP by implementing a simple two-class size-based sampling. We also consider different objectives such as maximizing flow coverage and improving the accuracy of certain class of flows. In comparison to previous approaches that implement simple size-based sampling, our architecture requires substantially lower amounts of memory (up to 80x) and achieves higher flow coverage (up to 8x more flows) under specific configurations.
Approximate Inference by Compilation to Arithmetic Circuits

Arithmetic circuits (ACs) exploit context-specific independence and determinism to allow exact inference even in networks with high treewidth. In this paper, we introduce the first ever approximate inference methods using ACs, for domains where exact inference remains intractable. We propose and evaluate a variety of techniques based on exact compilation, forward sampling, AC structure learning, Markov network parameter learning, variational inference, and Gibbs sampling. In experiments on eight challenging real-world domains, we find that the methods based on sampling and learning work best: one such method (AC2-F) is faster and usually more accurate than loopy belief propagation, mean field, and Gibbs sampling; another (AC2-G) has a running time similar to Gibbs sampling but is consistently more accurate than all baselines.
Rethinking the Sweatshop: A Conversation About United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) with Charles Eaton, Marion Traub-Werner, and Evelyn Zepeda

United Students against Sweatshops (USAS) was conceived in 1997 by a handful of organizers and student interns at UNITE (the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Technical Employees). With chapters at 200 universities and colleges, USAS has come a long way from its origins as an advocate for no-sweat licensing policies at campus bookstores. A founder of the Worker Rights Consortium, Founded in April, 2000, the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) is an organization of more than ninety universities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and labor and civil rights organizations in the United States, Central America, and Asia. Its goal is to establish codes of conduct and verification procedures that guarantee fair wages and working conditions in factories manufacturing university-licensed merchandise. it is by now a broad political movement, campaigning for labor rights inside and outside the university; for economic justice; and for peace in the era of globalization. The evolution of this organization is the subject of an interview with three USAS leaders who came to the organization at different moments in its development. Topics range from international organizing to graduate student unionization. Questions of race, gender and sexual identity have preoccupied USAS since its inception. They figure prominently in the current discussion. The interview was conducted in August, 2001 and edited a few days after September 11, allowing us to include a few reflections on that day and its aftermath.
'James Brown', 'Jamesbrown', James Brown: Black (music) from the getup

The following article addresses the question of the blackness and radicalism of James Brown's musical performances during what was arguably the peak of his career, between 1964 and 1971. Using analytical frameworks from the fields of black studies, performance studies and cultural theory, this article presents an argument for listening to Brown's music in terms of the modalities of rupture. The activity of rupture is tracked through the preface to his autobiography, the stage performance he developed in the early part of his career, and the experiments in rhythm he orchestrated with his band in 1964. The article culminates in a close listening of the 1971 record ‘Super Bad’ as the aesthetic height of a black radicalism Brown was producing through his music.
A Lousy Reason for Surgery Cancellations

Cancellation of surgery has significant adverse impact on patients, health care providers, and their associated facilities. Although head lice infestation has not been shown to be associated with adverse surgical outcomes, it often prompts case cancellation by surgical and anesthesia personnel. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the extent and impact of surgery cancellations due to head lice infestation. In our study, a total of 9 patients were cancelled over a 3-year period. Although there is no direct evidence to show that head lice infestation poses a risk to surgical outcomes, the possibility of underlying secondary bacterial infection at the skin excoriation site is often the concern in these patients. This study offers the first investigation into the impact of head lice infections on operating room cancellations, which may prove to be a potential source of intervention to prevent cancellations.
Popular acceptance of inequality due to innate brute luck and support for classical benefit-based taxation

Abstract U.S. survey respondents' views on distributive justice differ in two specific, related ways from what is conventionally assumed in modern optimal tax research. When expressing their preferences over allocations in stylized, hypothetical scenarios meant to isolate key features of the tax problem, a large share of respondents resist the full equalization of unequal outcomes due to innate brute luck that standard analyses recommend. A similar share prefer a classical benefit-based logic for taxes over the conventional logic of diminishing marginal social welfare. Moreover, these two views are linked: respondents who more strongly resist equalization are more likely to prefer the classical benefit-based principle. Though the Amazon Mechanical Turk survey population is not a representative sample of the U.S. population, robustness of these results across demographic traits and political views suggests that a large share of the American public holds views inconsistent with standard welfarist objectives.
Social Influence Spectrum with Guarantees: Computing More in Less Time

Given a social network, the Influence maximization (InfMax) problem seeks a seed set of k people that maximize the expected influence for a viral marketing campaign. However, a solution for a particular seed size k is often not enough to make informed choice regarding budget and cost-effectiveness.
117 Accreditation of Medical Training in the Us: Are Programs Creating Competent Trainees?

The assessment and accreditation of medical education training in the United States is rapidly moving from experience-based to competency-based measurement. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the governing body for this process in the United States, is transitioning to a system of collecting annual program performance and attainment of competencies by trainees as key measures of training program performance. This presentation will describe this new accreditation system and introduce, with examples, the concept of achieving “milestones” based on six core competencies. These competencies include: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal/communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. This new approach recognizes that process measures and relying on clinical exposure alone may not be adequate in assuring that trainees have acquired the skills to practice independently in their field.
New Bond-Delocalized Dianions: The Crystal Structure of 1,3-Bis(dicyanomethylene) Croconate Salt (C11N4O3K2 · 2H2O).

C11N4O3K2 · 2H2O crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1¯ with a = 8.568(2), b = 9.105(4), c = 9.818(4)A, α = 103.61(3), β = 107.63(3), γ = 101.58(3)°; Z = 2, ρcalc = 1.716, ρobs = 1.72(2)g cm-3 (flotation). The structure was solved by direct methods and was refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to a final R of 0.074 for 1989 observed reflections. The five-membered ring is planar and pentagonal. The two = C(CN)2 groups define separate planes which form angles of 3.36 and 6.30° with the plane of the five-membered ring. The dianions form stacks along the a-axis. In a given stack, there is an alternating sequence of perpendicular distances (3.32, 3.42A) between the planes defined by the ring atoms.
Media Archaeology, Cultural Techniques, and the Middle Ages: An Approach to the Study of Media before the Media

This article surveys recent work in media archaeology, explicates the related theory of cultural techniques, and considers the utility of these recent developments in new German media theory to the analysis of medieval and early modern mediality. In doing so, the article also attends to disciplinary similarities between media studies and medieval and early modern studies. The aim of the article is neither to suggest a hybridization of these fields nor to systematize the approaches of media archaeology and the study of cultural techniques, but rather to highlight productive points of contact, contention, and possible exchange, and to indicate avenues for future research on insufficiently studied topics in medieval and early modern mediality. As a point of reference for this theoretical overview, the article focuses on Nicholas of Cusa’s treatise On the Vision of God (De visione Dei, 1453) and mentions other examples from medieval German literature and culture where relevant.
Host Defenses Against Malignant Melanoma

Many clinical observations support the view that immunologic reactions are evoked against malignant melanoma and that these include both circulating antibody and cell-mediated responses, with the latter probably the more important. The evidence from human and animal studies is presented, as are the implications for therapy by such approaches as cross-transplantation of tumors and generalized immunologic stimulation.
Why do Adolescents Use Drugs

Adult concern with adolescent drug use is focused on the questions of motivation and consequences. We have organized the analysis in this book in terms of these questions, and in this chapter will be presenting data primarily from transcripts of the 71 subjects classified as light or heavy users (as defined in Table 1 in the previous chapter).
‘How those Brothers in Foreign Lands are Dividing the Fatherland’: Latvian National Politics in Displaced Persons Camps after the Second World War

War and population displacement served as midwives to the Republic of Latvia during and after the First World War. Conflict and flight would be the republic’s pallbearers during and after the Second World War. In each case, the land was occupied by foreign powers and witnessed an active battlefront for extended periods. In each case, military activity and the fear of the behaviour of a victorious army compelled hundreds of thousands of Latvians to leave their homes — to become displaced persons. In each case, Latvian responses to the refugee crisis evolved from humanitarian relief into proposed far-ranging political solutions. In each case, the Latvian ‘refugee problem’ transcended local concerns and became part and parcel of a wider European phenomenon of mass population displacement, state formation and the quest for international peace.
Localization of surface vWF on resting and stimulated platelets

We used immunoelectron microscopic localization techniques to investigate whether platelets stimulated by ADP or ristocetin in the plasma milieu bind von Willebrand factor (vWF) to their surfaces. We found by both peroxidase- and ferritin-based methods that unstimulated platelets lack vWF on their surfaces, whereas platelets that are stimulated with ADP or ristocetin have vWF associated with their surfaces. The specificity of the findings was confirmed by absorption studies using severe von Willebrand disease (vWD) and hemophilic plasmas. The anti-vWF antibodies were blocked by incubation with hemophilic plasma but not by incubation with severe vWD plasma. Thus, in the plasma environment, in the presence of fibrinogen, vWF becomes associated with the platelet surface subsequent to stimulation with ADP or ristocetin.
Toward Modular Active-Cell Robots (MACROs): SMA Cell Design and Modeling of Compliant, Articulated Meshes

In this paper, we present the design of a shape-memory-alloy (SMA)-based compliant linear actuator [active cell (AC)] and the use of these in designing and modeling articulated meshes, which form the mechanical subsystem of a class of proposed modular active-cell robots (MACROs). The ACs are capable of undergoing ∼25% strain and groups of cells are connected via passively compliant nodes to produce articulated mesh networks. The deformation of compliant meshes of ACs is modeled by scale-invariant parametric equations derived from the physics of SMA deformations and a reduced-order model of the cells. Parameters of the implemented system were used to develop a simulation platform that predicts the mechanical deformation of the networked robot given electrical inputs at arbitrary nodes of the network. We provide results of several experimental trials used to validate and establish the accuracy of this deformation model. The error in predicting deformations in small meshes is shown to be under 10% over both time-varying inputs and at steady states.