cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced nucleation and large-scale growth of CVD diamond via surface-modification of silicon-incorporated diamond-like carbon thin films

Abstract Herein we report a method to tailor the surface of silicon-incorporated diamond-like carbon (Si-DLC) thin films to enhance the diamond nucleation density and growth. In this technique, the surfaces of Si-DLC films were modified by fluorine and oxygen species utilizing a reactive-ion etching (RIE) method. The surface properties of Si-DLC, oxygen-terminated Si-DLC (O Si-DLC), and fluorine-terminated Si-DLC (F Si-DLC) films were investigated and compared. The analyses depicted that the sp2/sp3 ratio of carbon‑carbon bonds has diminished from 20.28% for Si-DLC film down to 8.96% and 4.41% for O Si-DLC and F Si-DLC films, respectively. Moreover, a significant amount of new sp3 hybridized bonds formed on the surface of the modified Si-DLC thin films, particularly in F Si-DLC film. The deposition of micro-diamond on the films was performed using hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). SEM, XRD, and Raman results showed the enhancement in nucleation density and growth of micro-diamond on F Si-DLC and O Si-DLC films and the in-plane stress reduction up to 60%. Owing to the lower number of sp2 bonds and the greater number of new sp3 sites, the F Si-DLC thin film provided a superior platform for diamond nucleation than O Si-DLC film. The continuous diamond coverage on F Si-DLC film was up to ~2 mm2 versus ~0.4 mm2 for O Si-DLC film.
Structure of Stellar Remnants with Coupling to a Light Scalar.

In this paper we study how a Yukawa coupling of the Standard Model fermions to a light scalar field effects the stellar structure of cold stellar remnants such as neutron stars. We elucidate the stellar structure phenomenology using a simple model of a massive scalar coupled to a single dominant fermion with no other interactions. For a broad scalar mass range ($10^{-10}\,\mathrm{eV}\ll m_\phi\ll10^3\,\mathrm{eV}$ for neutron stars) we show that the equation-of-state and stellar structure depends only the effective coupling $\mathfrak{g}=\frac{g_f\,m_f}{m_\phi}$, where $g_f$ is the Yukawa coupling, $m_f$ the fermion mass and $m_\phi$ is the scalar kinematic mass at nuclear densities. If $\mathfrak{g}>\mathcal{O}(1)$ the Yukawa coupled matter exhibits various anomalous behaviors including hydrodynamic instability, negative pressure, distinct phases (soft and hard) of matter with sharp phase boundaries between them and with vacuum. These anomalies can lead to stars consisting of only soft, only hard or hybrid of soft and hard matter. These stars can have varying signs of the slope of the mass-radius relation, anomalously large and small masses, gaps in allowed radii, multiple radii for the same mass, very thin crusts and radiate anomalously large amounts of energy when they form (in the form of neutrinos for neutron stars). To the extent that these anomalies have not and/or will not be observed limits the effective coupling to $\mathfrak{g}<\mathcal{O}(1)$. We argue this phenomenology is generic to realistic models of stars with Yukawa coupled matter.
Understanding of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and 2-oxoadipate dehydrogenase assembly with the E2o core relevant to a hybrid complex formation

The 2-oxoglutarate (OG) dehydrogenase complex (OGDHc) is a key enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and comprises multiple copies of three components: 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (hE1o), dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase (hE2o), and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (hE3). The OGDHc is one of the major regulators of mitochondrial metabolism through NADH and reactive oxygen species levels and impacts cell metabolic and cell signaling pathways through the coupling of OG metabolism to gene transcription, related to tumor cell proliferation and aging. The reduced OGDHc activity is linked to a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Evidence was obtained for the formation of a hybrid 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex between the OGDHc and its homologue 2-oxoadipate (OA) dehydrogenase (hE1a) in the L-lysine metabolic pathway, suggesting a potential cross-talk between the two distinct metabolic pathways. These findings raised fundamental questions about assembly of hE1a and hE1o to the hE2o core. Due to the lack of an atomic structure of the OGDHc from any sources, and of knowledge about exact distribution of components around the E2 core, hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX-MS) and chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (CL-MS) have been carried out in binary hE1o-hE2o, hE1a-hE2o, hE1o-hE3 and hE2o-hE3 sub-complexes followed by structural modeling. Here we report findings that revealed some similarities in the assembly of hE1o and hE1a to the hE2o core. At the same time, three regions of the hE2o core comprising residues 191-208, 273-288, and 370-386 revealed a different binding mode to hE1o and hE1a, suggesting that hE2o can differentiate between these two proteins that may have physiological consequences.
A Vision for Universal Preschool Education

Introduction 1. The universal preschool movement 2. School readiness: defining the goal for universal preschool 3. Economic returns of investments in preschool education Arthur J. Reynolds and Judy A. Temple 4. The need for universal prekindergarten for children in poverty with Marguerite Malakoff 5. The need for universal preschool access for children not living in poverty with Marguerite Malakoff 6. Program quality, intensity, and duration in preschool education 7. A whole child approach: the importance of social and emotional development 8. Parent involvement in preschool Christopher C. Henrich and Ramona Blackman-Jones 9. Professioal development issues in universal prekindergarten Kelly L. Maxwell and Richard M. Clifford 10. What the school of the 21st century can teach us about universal preschool with Matia Finn-Stevenson 11. A place for head start in a world of universal preschool with Sally J. Styfco 12. A model universal prekindergarten program Summary and recommendations.
Melanoma in the Oral Cavity

Melanomas within oral mucosa are rare and, as a rule, do not pose any diagnostic difficulty during their invasive stage. On the other hand, melanoma in situ on mucous membranes and the desmoplastic melanoma of the oral cavity can be important diagnostic traps both clinically and histologically.
A Note on Uncertainty in Real-Time Analytics

Today real-time analytics of large data sets is invariably computer-assisted and often includes a “human-in-the-loop”. Humans differ from each other and all have a very limited innate capacity to process new information in real-time. This introduces statistical and systematic uncertainties into observations, analyses and decisions humans make when they are “in the loop”. Humans also have unconscious and conscious biases, and these can introduce (major) systematic errors into human assisted or human driven analytics. This note briefly discusses the issues and the (considerable) implications they can have on real-time analytics that involves humans, including software interfaces, learning, and reaction of humans in emergencies.
Basic Electronics for Scientists and Engineers: Band theory and diode circuits

The band theory of solids Introduction A fundamental result from basic modern physics is that atoms are characterized by discrete energy levels. Each of these energy levels can accept up to two electrons. When “building” an atom, we start from the lowest level, fill in two electrons, and then move up to the next energy level and fill it with electrons. This continues until we have placed all the atom's electrons in energy levels. We also know that if an atom absorbs energy from the outside (for example, by absorbing a photon), an electron can be promoted to a higher energy level. Conversely, an electron that falls from a higher to a lower energy level emits a photon. What happens to this energy level model when we assemble many atoms together into a solid? As the atoms get closer together, we must start to talk about the energy levels of the solid as a whole rather than those of the individual atoms. Rather than doing quantum mechanics for an isolated potential (the atom), we do it for a periodic array of atoms that exhibits a periodic potential. The net result of this is that, during the assembly of N atoms, the individual atomic levels split into N levels. This is shown schematically in Fig. 3.1. Thus when the solid is assembled and the atoms are at their final equilibrium spacing, the solid is characterized by a series of energy bands consisting of a large number of closely spaced allowed energy levels.
Technical Tips: Troubleshooting Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials

(1994). Technical Tips: Troubleshooting Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials. American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 38-42.
Parenting interventions in shelter settings: a qualitative systematic review of the literature

The aim of this literature review was to critique the state of the research on the effects of implementing parenting programmes in shelters for homeless families. A comprehensive search of multiple databases yielded 12 studies for inclusion. The methodological sophistication of the studies varied, with most investigations based on very small samples and one-group pre-post designs. Results indicated that parents generally viewed the interventions as enjoyable and informative, and attendance was good. Incentives were often used to encourage attendance. Evidence was limited in terms of effectiveness of the interventions, but the few studies of evidence-based parenting programmes showed changes in parenting and child functioning. Suggestions are provided for future investigations in this important yet challenging field of study.
Effect of Rifampin on the Growth of Bacteriophage T5

A rifampin-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli F with an altered ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase was isolated and was shown to support the growth of phage T5 in the presence of rifampin. In contrast, wild-type, rifampin-sensitive cells of E. coli F did not support the growth of T5 in the presence of rifampin. We concluded, therefore, that no phage-specific RNA polymerase is essential to the development of phage T5. Rather, the host RNA polymerase, or at least that portion of the host RNA polymerase that is responsible for rifampin sensitivity, is required for the transcription of all essential regions of the T5 deoxyribonucleic acid. These conclusions are supported by in vitro measurements of the rifampin sensitivity of the RNA polymerase activities extracted from infected and uninfected cells. The rifampin sensitivity of the RNA polymerase activity extracted from uninfected cells was similar to the rifampin sensitivity of the RNA polymerase activity extracted 30 min after infection.
GATA-3 Dominant Negative Mutant FUNCTIONAL REDUNDANCY OF THE T CELL RECEPTOR α AND β ENHANCERS

The GATA family of transcription factors regulates a wide variety of genes, including those involved in differentiation of erythrocytes and T lymphocytes. We report here the creation of a dominant negative mutant of GATA-3, KRR, which effectively blocks wild-type GATA-1, GATA-2, and GATA-3 transactivation when co-expressed in transient assays. KRR was generated by site-directed mutagenesis while investigating a putative activation domain of GATA-3, located between its two zinc fingers. The GATA-3 KRR mutation does not affect expression, nuclear translocation, or the ability to bind to a consensus GATA sequence. KRR can suppress the activity of the minimal T cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta enhancers by 12- and 3.4-fold, respectively. However, KRR did not have a significant effect on the activity of larger TCR-alpha and -beta enhancer fragments. Thus, functional redundancy in the TCR-alpha and -beta enhancers can compensate for the loss of GATA-3 activity.
Tremor: Clinical Phenomenology and Assessment Techniques

Tremors are among the most common movement disorders. As there can be considerable variability in the manner in which clinicians assess tremor, objective quantitative tools such as electromyography, accelerometry, and computerized, spiral analysis can be very useful in establishing a clinical diagnosis and in research settings. In this review, we discuss the various methods of quantitative tremor analysis and the classification and pathogenesis of tremor. The most common pathologic tremors and an approach to the diagnosis of tremor etiology are described. Pathologic tremors are common, and the diagnosis of underlying etiology is not always straightforward. Computerized quantitative tremor analysis is a valuable adjunct to careful clinical evaluation in distinguishing tremulous diseases from physiologic tremors, and can also help shed light on their pathogenesis.
Chapter 5 Systems thinking

5. Summary Green engineering requires that engineers in finding solutions to problems consider the impacts of the solution on the external environment. The full range of impacts cannot be appreciated without considering the engineer task as part of an environmental system. Systems analysis provides the engineer with the ability to recognize the problem in its overall context. By examining the relationships of the project with the environment, the engineer can avoid making undue environmental impacts. The philosophy of systems thinking is that it is a learning process. The engineer begins with what is already known, diagrams these for study, communication and verification of information, expands the information based on targeted objectives, solves the problem and then determines if the solution was adequate. It is an iterative process, which expands the engineer's vision and knowledge about project task. Plan, Do, Check and Act establishes a concise but thorough method for resolving problems and for continuous improvement. Systems thinking can be performed informally as well as formally. Systems analysis is the only tool known that insures that the engineer thinks about a problem holistically while solving a specific problem.
El origen africano del cultivo del arroz en Las Américas

Until the period of the transatlantic slave trade, rice was not cultivated in the Americas. By the eighteenth century the crop was widely established across plantation societies from South Carolina to Brazil. Grown by slaves as well as maroons, for subsistence and also for export, the onset of rice cultivation in the Americas has long been attributed to European planters. This article presents evidence that supports African agency in establishing rice culture in the New World. Emphasis is on African rice ( Oryza glaberrima ), enslaved West Africans for whom the crop was a dietary staple, and an indigenous rice knowledge system with identical features across the African and American Atlantic. A comparative analysis of land use, methods of cultivation, milling and cooking traditions illuminates the diffusion of African rice culture to the Americas and the role of West African slaves in pioneering rice as a New World subsistence staple.
Toward Production From Gas Hydrates: Current Status, Assessment of Resources, and Simulation-Based Evaluation of Technology and Potential

Toward Production From Gas Hydrates: Current Status, Assessment of Resources, and Simulation-Based Evaluation of Technology and Potential George J. Moridis, SPE, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Timothy S. Collett, SPE, US Geological Survey; Ray Boswell, US Department of Energy; M. Kurihara, SPE, Japan Oil Engineering Company; Matthew T. Reagan, SPE, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Carolyn Koh and E. Dendy Sloan, SPE, Colorado School of Mines This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2008 SPE Unconventional Reservoirs Conference held in Keystone, Colorado, U.S.A., 10–12 February 2008. Abstract Gas hydrates are a vast energy resource with global distribution in the permafrost and in the oceans. Even if conservative estimates are considered and only a small fraction is recoverable, the sheer size of the resource is so large that it demands evaluation as a potential energy source. In this review paper, we discuss the distribution of natural gas hydrate accumulations, the status of the primary international RD Klauda and Sandler, 2005). Given the sheer magnitude of the resource, ever increasing global energy demand, and the finite volume of conventional fossil fuel reserves, gas hydrates are emerging as a potential energy source for a growing number of nations. The attractive- ness of gas hydrates is further enhanced by the environmental desirability of natural gas (as opposed to solid or liquid) fuels. Thus, the appeal of gas hydrate accumulations as future hydrocarbon gas sources is rapidly increasing and their production potential clearly demands technical and economic evaluation. The past decade has seen a marked acceleration in gas hydrate RD Paull et al., 2005), reservoir lithology, and rates and
cis-9, trans-11 Conjugated Linoleic Acid Is Synthesized Directly from Vaccenic Acid in Lactating Dairy Cattle

The utilization of (13)C-labeled vaccenic acid (VA) by lactating dairy cows to synthesize cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was investigated. Primiparous ruminally cannulated Holstein cows (n = 3) were abomasally infused with 1.5 g of VA-1-(13)C. Blood and milk samples were taken frequently before and after VA infusion. Milk and plasma lipid were extracted using chloroform:methanol. Plasma lipid was separated into triacylglycerol (TG), cholesterol ester (CE), phospholipid (PL), nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), and mono- and diacylglycerol (MDG) fractions. Lipid was methylated, converted to dimethyl disulfide and Diels-Alder adducts, and analyzed by GC-MS. Increased enrichment of (13)C was determined using a 2-sample t test for each sample time compared with -24 h, with significance declared at P < 0.05. Enrichment in milk fat VA was detected at 4 (3.0%), 8 (8.3%), 12 (4.1%), 16 (2.2%), and 20 h (0.8%). Enrichment in VA was also detected in plasma TG, NEFA, PL, and MDG. Enrichment in milk fat cis-9, trans-11 CLA, the Delta9-desaturase product of VA, was detected at 4 (2.6%), 8 (6.6%), 12 (3.4%), 16 (1.7%), and 24 h (0.7%). Enrichment was not detected in cis-9, trans-11 CLA for any plasma lipid fraction. Modeling of the data showed the exponential decay in (13)C enrichment over time for both VA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA in milk fat. Conversion of dietary VA to cis-9, trans-11 CLA endogenously was confirmed with the mammary gland being the primary site of Delta9-desaturase activity; approximately 80% of milk fat cis-9, trans-11 CLA originated from VA.
Identification of human tumor antigens by serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries (SEREX).

The structural definition of human tumor antigens recognized by the autologous host has been a long-standing challenge in tumor immunology. The growing list of human tumor antigens recognized by autologous antibodies or cytotoxic T lymphocytes provides convincing evidence for immune recognition of cancer by the host of origin, as well as attractive targets for vaccine-based approaches to cancer therapy. In this regard, an approach called SEREX (serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries) has broad applicability to the analysis of the humoral immune response to cancer antigens. This method involves immunoscreening cDNA libraries prepared from tumor specimens with sera from cancer patients in order to identify gene products recognized by IgG antibody. Clones identified by SEREX can be directly sequenced, providing immediate structural definition of the antigenic target, and their expression profiles can be readily determined, providing information regarding their tissue distribution. Application of this technique has led to the discovery of a number of provocative tumor antigens. Keywords: SEREX; Tumor Antigens; Serum Antibody Detection Array (SADA); Gene Discovery; Immunotherapy; Cancer Vaccines
Fractional biorthogonal partners and application in signal interpolation

The concept of biorthogonal partners has been introduced recently by the authors. The work presented in this paper is an extension of some of these results to the case where the upsampling and downsampling ratios are not integers but rational numbers. Hence the name fractional biorthogonal partners. The conditions for the existence of stable and of FIR fractional biorthogonal partners are derived. This result gives rise to an all-FIR spline interpolation technique with the minimum amount of required oversampling. This technique is illustrated by an interpolation example.
24-methylenepollinastanol and 24-dehydropollinastanol—two sterols of pollen

Abstract The esterified and unesterified sterol fractions of bee-gathered mixed pollens were examined, and total sterol composition was determined. Two new sterols of pollens, 14α-methyl-9β,19-cyclo-5α-cholest-24-en-3β-ol (24-dehydropollinastanol) and 14α-methyl-5α-ergost-24(28)-en-3β-ol (24-methylenepollinastanol) were isolated and identified. Both sterols were found primarily in the esterified sterol fraction, and 24-methylenepollinastanol accounted for 43% of the sterols of this fraction. 24-Dehydropollinastanol and four other sterols which also contain a 9β,19-cyclopropane ring were found only in the esterified sterol fraction. 24-Methylenecholesterol was the major sterol of the unesterified sterol fraction.
Sensitivity and Reliability of Commercial Drill-String Inspection Services

Drill-string failures continue to be a costly problem for the oil industry. To reduce the occurrence of these failures, operators and drilling contractors typically employ service companies to perform periodic nondestructive inspections to remove damaged tubulars from service. Nonetheless, drill-string failures continue to occur, most often as a result of some form of metal fatigue. This paper presents the results of several field evaluation programs which were conducted to assess the performance of commercial drill-string inspection services employing conventional nondestructive testing techniques. A practical estimate of the effectiveness of these commercial inspection services is made using modern fracture mechanics concepts and fatigue crack growth data obtained from full-scale testing. Based on the data presented in this paper, commercial drill-string inspection services are found to be statistically quantifiable, however their effectiveness is substantially less than optimum.
Analysis and evaluation of electro-optic artificial neural network performance in the presence of nonideal components

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are usually designed around vector-matrix multipliers, where the inputs to the neurons are represented by the vectors while the interconnection weights are represented by the matrix. Optics, with its interference-less free-space communication capabilities, is therefore an efficient and natural way to implement ANNs; however, it is not without practical problems. In electro-optic ANNs, errors due to non-linear or limited accuracy components could exist in the input devices, the interconnection weight matrix, or the output detectors. This report addresses some of those errors in terms of a specific implementation and across several ANN architectures. The electro-optic software only. In the electro-optic layers, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used to provide the input, liquid crystal spatial light modulators (SLM) serve as the interconnection weight matrixes, and photodiode detectors are the nonlinear thresholding elements. Specific hardware imperfections - nonuniform LED illumination, optical misalignment and cross talk within the SLM, thermal drift in the SLM, and noise and linearity problems in the photodiode detectors circuits - are analyzed and experimentally documented. The impact of these errors on the performance of an ANN is dependent upon the ANN architecture. These error sources, as they effect the design of this or any other electro-optic ANN, are then discussed and evaluated for several representative ANN architectures. Many decisions must be made when designing a practical implementation of an electro-optic ANN. This work provides some basis of how such decisions may be made.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparing satellite derived precipitation datasets using the Hillslope River Routing (HRR) model in the Congo River Basin

In this paper, three satellite derived precipitation datasets (TRMM, CMORPH, PERSIANN) are used to drive the Hillslope River Routing (HRR) model in the Congo Basin. The precipitation data are compared spatially and temporally in two forms: (1) precipitation magnitudes, and (2) resulting streamflow and water storages. Simulated streamflow is assessed using historical monthly discharge data from in situ stream gauges and recent stage data based on water surface elevations derived from ENVISAT radar altimetry data. Simulated total water storage is assessed using monthly storage change values derived from GRACE data. The results show that the three precipitation datasets vary significantly in terms of magnitudes but generally produce a reasonable hydrograph throughout much of the basin, with the exception of the equatorial regions of the watershed. The satellite datasets provide unreasonably high values for specific periods (e.g. all three in Oct–Nov; only CMORPH and PERSIANN in Mar–Apr) in the equatorial regions. Overall, TRMM (3B42) provides the best spatial and temporal distributions and magnitudes or rainfall based on the assessment measures used here. Both CMORPH and PERSIANN tend to overestimate magnitudes, especially in the equatorial regions of the Basin. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does soil nitrogen affect early competitive traits of annual weeds in comparison with maize

Summary Soil nitrogen (N) is considered an important driver of crop-weed interactions, yet the mechanisms involved have been only partially explored, especially with respect to early-season growth, when competitive hierarchies are formed. This study characterises the effects of different N levels on biomass accumulation and plant morphology for maize (Zea mays), and four important weed species (Amaranthus retroflexus, Abutilon theophrasti, Setaria faberi, and Chenopodium album). Under glasshouse conditions, plants were grown in separate pots and irrigated with nutrient solution at four N concentrations (0.2, 0.5, 2, 5 μm L−1) until 57 days after emergence. Except for S. faberi, which was unresponsive to N, the relative biomass growth rates (RGR) of maize and the broad-leaved weeds were positively and similarly affected by increasing nitrogen. At all N levels, maize had a height advantage by virtue of its larger seed size, which conferred early growth benefits independent of RGR. At low N, biomass growth was instrumental to S. faberi’s improved competitive position, whereas height development per unit biomass improved the competitive position of A. theophrasti, C. album and A. retroflexus. The approach presented could be applied to other crop-weed systems to evaluate environmental impacts on competitive outcomes.
Characterization of two genes for the human Na,K-ATPase beta subunit.

Abstract A total of 29 human genomic DNA clones that hybridize with cDNAs for the sheep and rat Na,K-ATPase β subunits have been isolated, classified by restriction endonuclease mapping and Southern blot hybridization analysis, and sequenced. One class of clones, designated ATP1BL1, represents a processed pseudogene for the β subunit. The second class, designated ATP1B, includes 15 overlapping genomic clones and represents a functional gene for the human Na,K-ATPase β subunit. ATP1B spans about 26.7 kb of genomic DNA and includes 24 kb of intron sequence. The complete mRNA transcript for the human β subunit is encoded by six exons, ranging in size from 81 to 1427 bp. Primer extension and S1 nuclease protection experiments with human kidney RNA indicate the presence of two major transcription initiation sites at −510 and −201 to −191, with minor initiation sites at −268, −182 to −174, and −142. The distal initiation site at −510 is preceded by consensus sequences for CAAT and TATA boxes. The DNA sequence preceding the proximal heterogeneous initiation sites contains a CAAT box, but no TATA box. Two of the 12 GC boxes (GGCGGG and CCCGCC) located in the 5′ region of ATP1B are located between this CAAT box and the proximal clusters of transcription initiation sites.
A NEW, NON-LINEAR, ADAPTIVE, BLIND SOURCE SEPARATION APPROACH TO GEAR TOOTH FAILURE DETECTION AND ANALYSIS

Abstract Past condition monitoring techniques of gearboxes have utilised many different approaches such as time-series averaging, amplitude and phase demodulation, time–frequency distribution and wavelet analysis. Only recently have statistical approaches taken a hold in gear tooth failure detection. Non-linear adaptive algorithms for independent component analysis (ICA) have been shown to separate unknown, statistically independent sources that have been mixed in dynamic systems. This paper proposes the application of an information maximisation based blind source separation algorithm (a type of ICA) to gear vibration measurements. It is shown that the individual gear and pinion vibrations cannot be separated using the blind separation algorithm, but the learning curve of the updated parameter can be used to detect impulsive and random changes in the data. It is shown that the algorithm is capable of tracking the higher-order statistics of the meshing signature using a single measure. This results in a detection scheme that is shown to find localised damage in a single tooth failure, two adjacent teeth failures, two non-adjacent teeth failures and multiple adjacent teeth failures. This method does not need a priori information about the loading, speed or type of gear measured.
Thrust Stand Micromass Balance for the Direct Measurement of Specific Impulse

A technique has been developed to directly measure the specific impulse from pulsed thruster systems. The technique is especially useful for propulsion devices that use solid propellants, for which a direct measurement of the propellant mass flow is extremely difficult. A torsion balance is used with a horizontal axis of rotation. A thruster is placed on the balance such that the impulse of the thruster firing and the change in mass due to the expelled propellant act in the same direction. A combined impulse and steady-state force measurement (due to propellant mass loss) can then be decoupled to assess the ratio of the impulse to the weight of propellant expended, or the specific impulse. A model has been developed to show the utility of the technique for pulsed systems with a firing time less than the natural period of the balance. An experimental proof of principle study was also undertaken using the laser ablation of engineering-grade Buna, Viton, and Teflon propellants. Specific-impulse measurements on the order of 200 s have been demonstrated with this laser ablation thruster.
Surgical management of Graves’ ophthalmopathy

Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) is an orbital disease characterised by a disproportion of orbital volume and orbital contents, which is due to enlargement of extraocular muscles and/or an increase of orbital fat.1 Although some expansion of the orbital bony walls will occur in patients with longstanding ophthalmopathy, in general, the orbit cannot compensate for the increased contents and as a result the orbital tissues including the eyeball are pushed outward. Thus, proptosis and swollen eyelids are frequent findings in GO.2 When the orbital connective tissue system is very tight, proptosis will be relatively mild at the cost of increased intraorbital pressure,3 deep orbital pain and optic neuropathy. Proptosis can, therefore, be considered as a natural decompression.4 Proptotic eyes, however, are vulnerable to wind, dust and foreign bodies, and the increased exposure of the cornea, together with a distorted juxtaposition of eyeball and eyelid, leads to discomfort, redness and tearing.
Developing a highly interactive ebook for CS instruction

Electronic books (ebooks) are becoming commonplace and widespread. Highly interactive ebooks actively engage the reader and have great potential to increase student learning. With the recent release of Apple's iBooks Author application, instructors can develop highly interactive ebooks. This paper reports on our experience of creating an interactive Prolog programming ebook using iBooks Author. A particular focus is placed on ebook features pertinent to undergraduate computer science instruction including code listings, coding tutorials, and integration with course management systems and automated grading systems. This work is supported, in part, by two NSF grants.
Using Biomedical Literature Mining to Consolidate the Set of Known Human Protein-Protein Interactions

This paper presents the results of a large-scale effort to construct a comprehensive database of known human protein interactions by combining and linking known interactions from existing databases and then adding to them by automatically mining additional interactions from 750,000 Medline abstracts. The end result is a network of 31,609 interactions amongst 7,748 proteins. The text mining system first identifies protein names in the text using a trained Conditional Random Field (CRF) and then identifies interactions through a filtered co-citation analysis. We also report two new strategies for mining interactions, either by finding explicit statements of interactions in the text using learned pattern-based rules or a Support-Vector Machine using a string kernel. Using information in existing ontologies, the automatically extracted data is shown to be of equivalent accuracy to manually curated data sets.
The structure of a platinum(II) complex of cytidine-3′-monophosphate

Abstract The structure of the cis -[Pt(NH 3 ) 2 (3′-CMP) 2 ] 2− ion, isolated in a partially protonated form as its cesium salt, has been analyzed by single-crystal x-ray diffraction methods. The 3′-CMP ligands bind in a monodentate fashion through their N(3) atoms: in contrast to the structure of [Pt(en)(5′-CMP)] 2 , no covalent platinum-phosphate bonding is found. This compound represents the first example of a 1:2 cis -metal/cytosine complex structurally characterized.
Enhancement by fractionation of biological peak-to-plateau relative biological effectiveness ratios for heavy ionst

Abstract Recovery from sublethal damage of jejunal crypt cells was measured after fractionated irradiation with 137 Cs, or accelerated helium ions, carbon ions and neon ions. Cells irradiated with the accelerated particles showed less recovery than cells irradiated with 137 Cs. For each accelerated heavy ion, cells irradiated in the peak region of the beam showed less recovery than cells irradiated in the plateau region. This resulted in an enhanced peak-to-plateau relative biological effectiveness (RBE) ratio which augments the already favorable physical depth-dose distribution for these beams.
SC-24IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL HOMING IN DELIVERY OF THERAPEUTIC AGENTS TO GLIOMA STEM CELL XENOGRAFTS

There is an urgent need to develop novel delivery methods for brain tumors. To this end, we have developed human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to overcome the problems associated with traditional therapeutic treatments. Compared with other cellular delivery systems, MSCs may be easily acquired from patients, can be readily expanded and engineered ex vivo, can be auto-transfused without fear of rejection, and are free of ethical concerns. Therefore, MSCs are the ideal cells for therapeutic clinical applications. Defining the process of homing of MSCs to tumors-which is largely unknown-is essential to improve their application in clinical medicine. We have recently exploited glioma stem cell (GSC) xenografts (GSCXs) as a pertinent clinical model of human gliomas, because unlike GBM cell lines, GSCXs recapitulate the histology of the tumor from which they are derived. After intravascular delivery some GSCXs attract MSCs, while others do not. We hypothesized that successful homing of MSCs to GSCXs requires chemoattraction, adhesion to the endothelial wall, and extravasation. Adhesion and extravasation are driven largely by lectin-carbohydrate interactions. Measurements of MSC and GSCX glycogene expression, glycan expression on cell surface proteins, and quantitative proteomics were performed. We compared the molecular landscapes of attracting vs. non-attracting GSCXs. Key findings were the shift from high-mannose type glycosylation on MSCs following exposure to chemoattractants and expression of SIGLEC9 by attractor GSCXs versus expression of SIGLEC8 in non-attractors. Attractor GSCXs displayed down-regulated galactosyltransferase activity, whereas non-attractors were enriched in transcripts related to mannosyltransferases. In attractor GSCXs, kallikrein 4, 13, 14, and 15 were upregulated. These serine proteases are likely to contribute to the modulation of the tumoral extracellular biochemical environment. Results from this project will lead to future engineering strategies to enhance engraftment of MSCs in gliomas, a concept that is likely to have great clinical benefit.
The Effect of Mifepristone (RU 486) on Plasma Cortisol in Alzheimer’s Disease

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone (RU-486) has been reported to increase early morning plasma ACTH/cortisol in diverse non-demented populations. This pilot study examined the cortisol response to RU 486 in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a condition associated with abnormalities in various aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Nine AD subjects were randomized in a placebo-controlled parallel study: 4 in the placebo group and 5 in the RU 486 group. Subjects received oral doses of RU 486 (200 mg) or placebo daily for 6-weeks. Morning plasma cortisol was determined at baseline, at 12 h following the first study drug dose, and weekly thereafter. RU 486 resulted in a significant increase in cortisol levels [F(1,6)=65.32; P<0.001]. The magnitude of this increase grew over the course of the study [F(1,6)=63.17; P<0.001], was not related to cortisol suppression after dexamethasone and appeared greater than that reported in the literature in younger populations in response to the same drug regimen. However, further studies with age-matched controls should be done to determine possible AD related changes in this response.
The Role of Occupational Therapy in the Care of the Older Adult

Older adults who have physical disabilities often require the services of an occupational therapist. This article reviews the role of the occupational therapist in the care of the geriatric population.
Understanding situated action in ludic ecologies

In order to understand the social mechanics of alternate reality games, this paper presents a situated action analysis of one game, "I Love Bees". We examine the action traces found within the ILB forum accounts around teamwork and puzzle solving. The playful assemblages demonstrate that the presence or absence of certain non-human actants has a definite impact on each "ludic ecology," and that each impact is contextually specific. We found that the careful design of in-game challenges by the game designers worked differently in practice because of the impact of unconsidered non-human actants. In response, players formed teams and adopted technologies to overcome their specific temporal, spatial and organizational constraints. Therefore, designers need to provide appropriate sociotechnical infrastructure to support player needs, and nonhuman actants should be considered when studying and designing hybrid digital/physical environments.
Analysis of Guidelines for Screening Diabetes Mellitus in an Ambulatory Population

OBJECTIVES To compare the case-finding ability of current national guidelines for screening diabetes mellitus and characterize factors that affect testing practices in an ambulatory population. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this retrospective analysis, we reviewed a database of 46,991 nondiabetic patients aged 20 years and older who were seen at a large Midwestern academic physician practice from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2007. Patients were included in the sample if they were currently being treated by the physician group according to Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality criteria. Pregnant patients, diabetic patients, and patients who died during the study years were excluded. The prevalence of patients who met the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and/or US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) criteria for diabetes screening, percentage of these patients screened, and number of new diabetes diagnoses per guideline were evaluated. Screening rates were assessed by number of high-risk factors, primary care specialty, and insurance status. RESULTS A total of 33,823 (72.0%) of 46,991 patients met either the ADA or the USPSTF screening criteria, and 28,842 (85.3%) of the eligible patients were tested. More patients met the ADA criteria than the 2008 USPSTF criteria (30,790 [65.5%] vs 12,054 [25.6%]), and the 2008 USPSTF guidelines resulted in 460 fewer diagnoses of diabetes (33.1%). By single high-risk factor, prediabetes (15.8%) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (12.6%) produced the highest rates of diagnosis. The number of ADA high-risk factors predicted diabetes, with 6 (23%) of 26 patients with 6 risk factors diagnosed as having diabetes. Uninsured patients were tested significantly less often than insured patients (54.9% vs 85.4%). CONCLUSION Compared with the ADA recommendations, the new USPSTF guidelines result in a lower number of patients eligible for screening and decrease case finding significantly. The number and type of risk factors predict diabetes, and lack of health insurance decreases testing.
Feature Selection for Twitter Classification

Twitter-based messages have presented challenges in the identification of features as applied to classification. This paper explores filtering techniques for improved trend detection and information extraction. Starting with a pre-filtered source (Twitter), we will examine the application of both information theory and Natural Language Processing (NLP) based techniques as a means of preprocessing for classification. Results demonstrate that both means allow for improved results in classification among highly idiosyncratic data (Twitter).
Families of psychiatric patients: A critical review and future research directions

It is generally acknowledged that mental illness creates burdens for family caregivers. Since the 1950s, medical literature has identified the type and extent of those burdens, especially for families of patients with schizophrenia. Whereas the imperative to identify interventions for these families is clear, there has been a lack of systematic research of families' responses to and management of mental illness, resulting in significant gaps in knowledge. The rapidly changing health-care environment suggests that our understanding of families' responses to mental illness need to be reexamined for current relevance and new insights. This article critically examines the research to date and identifies gaps in knowledge related to family experience of mental illness. It argues the need to continue studies of caregiver burden and the stress resulting from that burden. Future directions for research are suggested.
THE EFFECTS OF SHIFTWORK SCHEDULE PRACTICES AND PANEL DIMENSIONS ON INJURY EXPERIENCE IN UNDERGROUND LONGWALL COAL MINES

Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous growth in the amount of coal produced in the United States by the longwall-mining method. During the early-to-mid 1970s, approximately 120 longwall faces contributed less than 5% of the nations's underground coal output; currently, half as many faces contribute nearly 50% of the nation's underground coal output. All this has taken place during a time period when the total underground production grew less than 20%. In addition to the introduction of new technology, new management, operational, and engineering practices have contributed to this explosive growth. Specifically, changing out at the face, lengthened longwall faces, deeper panels, and longer shifts have increased system availability, thereby resulting in these remarkable production gains. However, longer faces and shifts create a concern for the health and safety of face personnel because of increased exposure to workplace hazards and fatigue. This paper examines the impact of increased face lengths, varying mining heights, and increased shift lengths on the accident and injury experience of U.S. longwall mines. Although no statistical significance was established between the three trends and the nonfatal days lost incidence rate, the no days lost incidence rate, and the severity measure — due to limited or nonexistent data, or widely varying incidence rates — a trend was established between the nonfatal days lost incidence rate and shift length. Specifically, for every hour of shift length above eight hours, the nonfatal days lost incident-rate ratio was 1.185, implying that a 18.5% increase in the number of nonfatal days lost incidents is predicted when a shift is extended one hour in the range from eight to nine, or nine to ten hours.
Long‐Term Outcome Following Successful Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Pattern and Prediction of Very Late Recurrence

Background: Despite encouraging results of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), it is unclear whether there is genuine cure or there is an important attrition rate. We sought to determine the long-term outcome of the initial responders who experienced a prolonged AF-free complete response. Methods: From a series of 350 consecutive patients who underwent PVI for AF, 264 patients (75%) (males 71%, age 57 ± 12 years, paroxysmal AF 87%) who demonstrated ≥1 year AF-free follow-up on no antiarrhythmic drugs were followed for 1–5 years. Results: During 28 ± 12 months follow-up, 23 of 264 (8.7%) patients had recurrence of AF. The actuarial recurrence at 2 years postablation was 5.8% and increased to 25.5% at 5 years. Compared with long-term responders, more patients with late recurrence had hypertension (HR = 2.18, P = 0.009) and hyperlipidemia (HR = 4.01, P = 0.0005). Among 18 patients with recurrent AF necessitating repeat PVI, 15 (83%) required re-isolation of > 1 PV and 28 of 45 (58%) PVs showed reconnection. All PVs were re-isolated and five (28%) patients had additional linear ablation. All 15 patients became AF-free again. Conclusions: Although most patients following PVI remain AF-free, some patients develop “late” recurrence of AF. The “late” recurrence patients are more likely to have hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Most late recurrences are associated with PV reconnections. Our observations emphasize the importance of continued long-term vigilance for AF recurrence, and also raise concerns regarding the need for long-term anticoagulation therapy.
Homogeneous Security in Heterogeneous Networks: Towards a Generic Security Management Protocol

The promises of next-generation Internet architectures are many and varied. Key among these are increased flexibility and diversity. What this translates into is increased variety not only in protocols and technology, but in the performance characteristics and services provided by these composite or heterogeneous networks. This is certainly true of the diversity of emerging networking technologies being deployed in the current and next generation Internet environments. A significant concern is the need for a generic security protocol that is not tied to particular types of layer 1 and 2 networks. Based on lessons learned from the current Internet architecture we can see that this protocol needs to be able to communicate beyond trust boundaries (i.e. the borders of Autonomous Systems). We propose a high-level architecture for such a Generic Security Protocol and use simulation to demonstrate the benefits of having inter-domain communication in the context of the next-generation public Internet.