cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distance and acceptance: Identity formation in young adults with chronic health conditions

Abstract Health has long been a chief concern of life course researchers, especially in examining early life. Research on chronic conditions and their impact on individual identity often center on biographical disruption or the idea of a bifurcation of “before and after” identities. This research examines identity formation in young adults with chronic health conditions that began in childhood, a population that continues to grow. This study focuses on young adults’ narrative identities, both regarding how young adults describe the transition to adulthood and how cultural ideals of young adulthood and actors from institutions influence how they describe themselves. This study uses 22 in-depth qualitative interviews to reveal how young adults distance themselves from their conditions or move to acceptance through the narratives they tell about their health, feelings, and behaviors. This research suggests that identity confirmation by others forms an integral part of the nexus of health and the life course, shaping how adolescents make the transition into young adulthood. Social support from actors in institutions gives room to some young adults with chronic conditions to integrate their conditions into their narrative identities. This study reveals the social nature of young adult identities, and how cultural ideals guide them, precisely because it uses cases of young adults who must transition to adulthood in alternative ways.
Real-Time Mitigation of Loss of Separation Events using Reinforcement Learning

With the projected increase of manned and unmanned air traffic in the National Airspace (NAS), an uptick in airspace congestion and the risk of mid-air collisions is inevitable. Current collision avoidance systems such as the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and the Automatic Dependent Surveillance — Broadcast (ADS–B) functions provide an aircraft-centric view and do not account for complex traffic patterns in congested airspace. This projected increase in air traffic will in turn place undue burden on the separation services provided by Air Traffic Control (ATC). To ease the burden on ATC, we propose a reinforcement learning framework that considers traffic patterns and provides ATC with i) real-time alerts on impending potential loss of separation events and ii) a suggestive course of action to mitigate loss of separation. At runtime, the technique informs ATC of the best course of action to take to mitigate loss of separation within a terminal area using real-time system-wide traffic surveillance data. With the mandatory ADS-B usage being enforced in the NAS by 2020, a significant amount of real-time traffic surveillance data will be available to leverage the developed technique. Our primary contribution is the development of a reinforcement learning framework to predict and mitigate potential loss of separation events in congested airspaces with intersecting arrival and departure paths. We present results from the application of the proposed approach using data from the New York Metroplex airspace.
Significant variables affecting the performance of concrete panels impacted by wind-borne projectiles: A global sensitivity analysis

Abstract A prominent threat to key structures and components in critical facilities, especially during a tornado or hurricane, is impact by wind-borne projectiles. Identifying uncertain variables in these phenomena is key for developing cost-effective design formulae and efficient reliability analysis. This task however is challenging due to the scarcity of data and the large set of uncertain factors that contribute to the impact phenomenon. The present study performs a robust global sensitivity analysis (GSA) using Sobol's indices on the response of a concrete panel impacted by a Schedule 40 pipe. A high-fidelity, nonlinear Finite Element (FE) model is developed using the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) formulation in LS-DYNA. The developed model was validated with the experiments conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Due to the high computational demand of the SPH model, a machine learning-based surrogate model called Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) is applied to emulate the computational model. This surrogate model that is trained with a limited number of generated SPH simulations is capable of accurately predicting the behavior of concrete panels subjected to projectile impact over the space of predictors. The predictors here include uncertain variables associated with concrete and steel material properties. GSA is subsequently performed by integrating the constructed surrogate model into Sobol's algorithm. Results indicate that concrete tensile strength plays a significant role in panel damage, while concrete mass density and compressive strength and mass density of the steel pipe are also significant. These findings suggest that the development of new empirical design formulae and experimental studies on the impact of concrete panels should include the identified significant variables.
Flow alteration by diversion hydropower in tributaries to the Salween river: a comparative analysis of two streamflow prediction methodologies

A multi-model approach was applied to reconstruct long-term flow records in 32 ungauged rivers developed with small diversion hydropower stations. Potential hydrologic alteration was assessed for f...
Monte Carlo method in two-dimensional materials

Abstract Two-dimensional films are increasingly utilized for solving stability related problems, for instance, in the rapidly emerging body of work related to battery interfaces. With experimental evidences pointing towards some sort of mechanistic advantage in utilizing smooth 2D surfaces or films on various electrode interfaces, a combination of Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics simulations can help lay out the fundamental science of such nanoscale interfaces. In this chapter, we first explore the concepts behind the formulation of Metropolis Monte Carlo method, before delving into its application in a relevant area which enables us to study the interfacial mechanics involved in stabilizing the extremely failure-prone silicon based anodes in otherwise very high capacity Li-ion batteries, utilizing 2D materials. However, such MC based MD approaches require short time steps, limiting the simulation time scale, and reling on the accuracy of the interatomic potentials. These limitations call for an increased utility of kinetic Monte Carlo(KMC) methods. This becomes the subject of our subsequent discussion, where we fall back on stochastic algorithm and basic problem-specific codes to build on the concept of state to state dynamics as utilized by the KMC method, rather than tracing particles' trajectory through the vibrational periods. By permitting only infrequent events to be tracked, KMC traces simulations for longer timescales. As an example, problem of Langmuir adsorption on a unit lattice is elaborated and explanation is further extended to site specificity in a 2D lattice of graphene.
HCOOH Decomposition on Sub-Nanometer Pd6 Cluster Catalysts: The Effect of Defective Boron Nitride Supports Through First Principles

Abstract The catalytic properties of a hexagonal boron nitride- (h-BN) supported Pd6 sub-nanometer cluster in the context of formic acid (HCOOH) decomposition were studied by means of periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The effect of support defectivity – boron (h-BvN) and nitrogen (h-BNv) monovacancies – on the competition between the formate (HCOO)- and carboxyl (COOH)-mediated decomposition pathways was analyzed. Defects are responsible for charge-transfer leading to a positively or negatively charged cluster, and open new reactive channels in which vacancy-mediated dehydrogenation pathways can occur. Pd6 cluster reconstructions, induced by the adsorption of reaction intermediates and by the presence of monovacancies in the support, greatly stabilize the formation of CO from COOH, which could drastically decrease the selectivity towards hydrogen production. A simplified descriptor-based analysis, based on selected thermochemical quantities calculated on charged cluster models, suggests that Pd6 sub-nanometer clusters supported on pristine h-BN and h-BNv can be more selective than Pd6 supported on defective h-BvN towards HCOOH dehydrogenation.
69. IMPROVING DOCUMENTATION RATES OF FEEDBACK GIVEN TO PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS

Background Feedback is critical for both seasoned and developing physicians to evaluate their personal performance and identify areas for professional growth. Feedback is often given verbally, but unless documented, it is difficult for residents to notice patterns in areas of excellence or identify in need of improvement. At Kaiser Oakland when this project was started, we were averaging less than one written evaluation per resident per month. Aim Statement Our objective was to increase the amount of written feedback for each resident from program faculty by 100% at the end of a 1-year period by creating a system to allow for easier documentation. Interventions In our first PDSA cycle, we created a shorter online feedback form which was anchored to the ACGME core competencies, that was able to utilize voice dictation for better capture of quick feedback encounters that were already occurring but were not documented. Subsequent PDSA cycle interventions have included creating reference aids to guide informational sessions with each service group, keeping evaluations open with new expectations for monthly submissions by faculty, and assigning evaluations based on service group preference. Measures We performed a root cause analysis to find viable targets for intervention to improve feedback documentation rates for the pediatric residents at a tertiary care facility, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. After discussion with faculty members who were filling out the evaluations the intervention we initially targeted was shortening the current feedback form, with an outcome measure of number of feedback submissions per resident per month. Results We saw an increase in feedback submissions from 0.8 submissions per resident per month to 1.4 submissions per resident per month after creating a shorter feedback template. After a transition to a new online GME platform, we saw an initial decrease but after more information sessions and outreach we saw a further increase to 1.5 submission per resident per month. Conclusions and Next Steps At Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center we improved documentation of feedback from 0.8 to 1.5 feedback submissions per resident per month by creating a more targeted feedback form, creating aids on how to document feedback, engaging faculty directly, and utilizing technology such as voice dictation. Next, we plan to utilize QR codes to make documenting feedback easier and allow for more resident ownership of the feedback process.
Carnival against the Capital of Capital: Carnivalesque Protest in Occupy Wall Street

The medieval carnival, according to Russian literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin, was a public festivity of excess in which people were free to violate social norms and subvert prevailing authority. Recent analysts have applied Bakhtin’s concept of carnival to contemporary political protests that incorporate a playful, culture-defying element. But the term has been used in multiple and contradictory ways. For Bakhtin, carnival is an expressive pattern pervasive in a culture and has no instrumental purpose (what I call “communal carnival”), while carnivalesque protest consists of specific practices with an explicit political agenda (“intentional carnival”). The Occupy Wall Street movement can be analyzed as both communal and intentional carnival. Protest movements use humor to subvert received doctrines; humorous performances are addressed to participants, the public, and repressive forces. Some critics regard carnivalesque performances as frivolous and demeaning of serious political causes. I conclude by discussing the effect of carnival on the Occupy movement.
Performance Measurement and Mathematical Model Identification of the Hydraulic Servo Control System of a Vacuum Electric-Arc Furnace

The static and dynamic performances of the hydraulic servo control system of the electrode in a VHD vacuum electric-arc furnace have been measured. There is a large dry friction area in the performance of cylinder, which is provided by the vacuum seal on the electrode. Through theoretical analysis, the block diagram of the system is obtained. The dry friction can be represented by a negative feedback of cylinder velocity and is proportional to the unit velocity vector of cylinder. For the identification of the mathematical model of the system, a pulse signal is applied into the electrical panel and the responses of the spool displacement of the servo valve and cylinder velocity are recorded under open-loop condition. By discretization of the response curves r the Laplace transforms of valve displacement and cylinder velocity can be calculated. Then the transfer function of the servo valve and the cylinder can be derived by curve fitting. In the procedure of derivation, the dry friction is treated as the unit velocity vector feedback.
Palm Oil Diaspora: Afro-Brazilian Landscapes and Economies on Bahia's Dendê Coast

Behind the social and environmental destruction of modern palm oil production lies a long and complex history of landscapes, cultures, and economies linking Africa and its diaspora in the Atlantic World. Case Watkins traces palm oil from its prehistoric emergence in western Africa to biodiverse groves and cultures in Northeast Brazil, and finally the plantation monocultures plundering contemporary rainforest communities. Drawing on ethnography, landscape interpretation, archives, travelers' accounts, and geospatial analysis, Watkins examines human-environmental relations too often overlooked in histories and geographies of the African diaspora, and uncovers a range of formative contributions of people and ecologies of African descent to the societies and environments of the (post)colonial Americas. Bridging literatures on Black geographies, Afro-Brazilian and Atlantic studies, political ecology, and decolonial theory and praxis, this study connects diverse concepts and disciplines to analyze and appreciate the power, complexity, and potentials of Bahia's Afro-Brazilian palm oil economy.
Faster Exo-Earth yield for HabEx and LUVOIR via extreme precision radial velocity prior knowledge

The HabEx and LUVOIR mission concepts reported science yields for mission scenarios in which the instruments must search for potentially habitable planets, determine their orbits, and, if worthwhile, invest the integration time for a spectral characterization. We evaluate the impact of prior knowledge of planet existence and orbital parameters on yield for four mission concept architectures: HabEx 4m telescope with hybrid starshade and coronagraph, HabEx 4m telescope with starshade only, HabEx 4m telescope with coronagraph only, and LUVOIR B 8m telescope with coronagraph only. We use perfect prior knowledge to establish an upper bound on yield and use partial prior knowledge from a potential future extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) instrument with 3 cm / s sensitivity. We detail a modeling framework that performs dynamically responsive observation scheduling with realistic mission constraints. We evaluate exo-Earth yields against three metrics of spectral characterization for the four mission architectures and three levels of prior knowledge (none, partial, and perfect). The EPRV provided prior knowledge increases yields by ∼30 % and accelerates by a factor of 3 to 6 the time to achieve half of the yield of the mission. Prior knowledge makes all the mission architectures more nimble and powerful, and most especially starshade-based architectures. With prior knowledge, a small telescope with a starshade can achieve comparable yield to a larger telescope with a coronagraph.
Club Formation and Response To Natural Disaster: An Example From South Carolina

In 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused approximately 10 billion dollars of damage in the United States and nearly 350 million dollars in South Carolina. The historic rainfall damaged or completely destr...
Do pre-operative clinical and radiographic characteristics impact patient outcomes following one-level minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion based upon presenting symptoms?

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Patients undergoing minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) frequently present with lower extremity neurologic symptoms with or without associated lower back pain. While symptomatic improvement of leg and back pain has been reported, the resolution of back pain when it is a predominant presenting symptom remains underreported following MI-TLIF. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes at 1 year of patients undergoing MI-TLIF with lower extremity neurologic symptoms with and without a significant component of back pain. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective review of prospectively collected data from a single surgeon surgical database from 2017 to 2019 was performed. PATIENT SAMPLE Fifty one patients undergoing MI-TLIF. OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported measures included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual analog scale back pain (VAS-back), and VAS leg pain (VAS-leg). METHODS Patients were divided into two groups: Leg Pain Predominant (patients reported greater than 50% leg pain upon presentation) and Back Pain Predominant (patients reported 50% or greater back pain). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine differences between groups based upon any significantly baseline characteristics. RESULTS Preoperative demographic and radiographic outcomes were similar between the two groups. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in ODI, VAS-Back and VAS-leg at 1-year postoperatively. On multivariate analysis, there were differences in ODI at 1-year, 1-year back pain, and 1-year leg pain between groups with those who initially presented with leg pain having a lower ODI, VAS Back, and VAS leg. Patients who presented with predominantly leg pain were more likely to meet minimal clinically important difference (MCID) criteria for ODI and VAS-back compared to those with predominantly back pain. CONCLUSION Following MI-TLIF, patients with lower extremity neurologic symptoms with and without a significant component of back pain have improvements in back pain, leg pain, and ODI regardless of their primary presenting pain complaint; however, patients who presented with predominantly leg pain were more likely to meet MCID criteria for improvement in their back pain and ODI score.
An efficient soft-decision decoding algorithm for synchronous CDMA communications with error-control coding

Considers synchronous code-division multiple-access communications incorporating an outer error-control code for improved performance. The authors describe a reduced-complexity detector to be used as the inner decoder, and develop a simple method for computing reliability values for the bits produced by this inner decoder. The outer code is then decoded using an algorithm that incorporates this reliability information. Simulations have demonstrated the effectiveness of this algorithm. >
Camera Planning and Fusion in a Heterogeneous Camera Network

Wide-area camera networks are becoming more and more common. They have wide-range of commercial and military applications from video surveillance to smart home and from traffic monitoring to anti-terrorism. The design of such a camera network is a challenging problem due to the complexity of the environment, self and mutual occlusion of moving objects, diverse sensor properties and a myriad of performance metrics for different applications. In this dissertation, we consider two such challenges: camera planing and camera fusion. Camera planning is to determine the optimal number and placement of cameras for a target cost function. Camera fusion describes the task of combining images collected by heterogenous cameras in the network to extract information pertinent to a target application. I tackle the camera planning problem by developing a new unified framework based on binary integer programming (BIP) to relate the network design parameters and the performance goals of a variety of camera network tasks. Most of the BIP formulations are NP hard problems and various approximate algorithms have been proposed in the literature. In this dissertation, I develop a comprehensive framework in comparing the entire spectrum of approximation algorithms from Greedy, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to various relaxation techniques. The key contribution is to provide not only a generic formulation of the camera planning problem but also novel approaches to adapt the formulation to powerful approximation schemes including Simulated Annealing (SA) and Semi-Definite Program (SDP). The accuracy, efficiency and scalability of each technique are analyzed and compared in depth. Extensive experimental results are provided to illustrate the strength and weakness of each method. The second problem of heterogeneous camera fusion is a very complex problem. Information can be fused at different levels from pixel or voxel to semantic objects, with large variation in accuracy, communication and computation costs. My focus is on the geometric transformation of shapes between objects observed at different camera planes. This so-called the geometric fusion approach usually provides the most reliable fusion approach at the expense of high computation and communication costs. To tackle the complexity, a hierarchy of camera models with different levels of complexity was proposed to balance the effectiveness and efficiency of the camera network operation. Then different calibration and registration methods are proposed for each camera model. At last, I provide two specific examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model: 1)a fusion system to improve the segmentation of human body in a camera network consisted of thermal and regular visible light cameras and 2) a view dependent rendering system by combining the information from depth and regular cameras to collecting the scene information and generating new views in real time. KEYWORDS: Sensor Planning, Camera Placement, Sensor Fusion, Human Segmentation, Multi-camera Fusion.
Covariant quantization of the CBS superparticle

Abstract The quantization of the Casalbuoni–Brink–Schwarz superparticle is performed in an explicitly covariant way using the antibracket formalism. Since an infinite number of ghost fields are required, within a suitable off-shell twistor-like formalism, we are able to fix the gauge of each ghost sector without modifying the physical content of the theory. The computation reveals that the antibracket cohomology contains only the physical degrees of freedom.
Responses of the gravid uterine vasculature to arterial levels of local anesthetic agents.

Abstract Responses of the uterine vasculature and myometrium to uterine arterial infusions of local anesthetic agents were evaluated in chronically prepared conscious ewes between 86 and 141 days of gestation. Decreases in uterine blood flow (UBF) with increasing levels of anesthetic drugs were similar to those previously observed in nonpregnant ewes. A 25% decrease in UBF occurred at 7 μg of bupivacaine, 11.5 μg of 2-chloroprocaine, and 19.5 μg of lidocaine per milliliter of control UBF. Myometrial tonus did not change significantly except with bupivacaine where an increase occurred (P
Investigating galaxy-filament alignments in hydrodynamic simulations using density ridges

In this paper, we study the lamentary structures and the galaxy alignment along laments at redshift
Fifteen years of clinical studies and clinical practice in renal transplantation: reviewing outcomes with de novo use of sirolimus in combination with cyclosporine

Over the course of 15 years the use of sirolimus, a macrocyclic lactone, has evolved from an adjunct to calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to the foundation of therapy due to the drug's unique properties: First, it displays synergistic pharmacodynamic interactions with CNI. Even among high immunologic risk patients, this regimen attenuates the risk of acute allograft rejection episodes when used in combination with cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Indeed >80% reduction in CNI exposure de novo yields better long-term renal function than full cyclosporine (CsA) doses, a useful tradeoff, despite the augmented occurrence of lymphoceles and impaired wound healing. Second, by inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), it exerts profound anti-neoplastic effects reducing the incidence and mediating the regression of tumors displaying PTEN-deletions and/or Akt-activations in transplant and non-transplant patients. Third, it is relatively non-nephrotoxic although it may exacerbate that property of CNI agents. Fourth, it allows prompt withdrawal of steroid therapy. Fifth, it displays reduced rates of cytomegalovirus, and BK virus infections. The major adverse reactions can generally be controlled with countermeasure therapy. Myelosuppressive effects, which tend to be transient (unless sirolimus is combined with mycophenolic acid), are readily amenable to treatment with granulocyte colony stimulating factor for leukopenia, interleukin 11 for thrombocytopenia and erythropoietin for anemia. Combinations of statins and fibrates represent effective countermeasure therapy for hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, respectively. Idiosyncratic reactions include hypoxemic pulmonary toxicity, refractory edema and diarrhea. Thus, sirolimus represents the vanguard of a new class of maintenance agents for immunosuppression.
C-band wavelength conversion in silicon photonic wire waveguides

We demonstrate C-band wavelength conversion in Si photonic-wire waveguides with submicron cross-section by means of nonresonant, nondegenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) using low-power, cw-laser sources. Our analysis shows that for these deeply scaled Si waveguides, FWM can be observed despite the large phase mismatch imposed by strong waveguide dispersion. The theoretical calculations agree well with proof-of-concept experiments. The nonresonant character of the FWM scheme employed allows to demonstrate frequency tuning of the idler from ~20 GHz to>100 GHz thus covering several C-band DWDM channels.
Temperature dependence of the initial electron-transfer kinetics in photosynthetic reaction centers of Chloroflexus aurantiacus

Absorbance changes in the near infrared were measured in photosynthetic reaction centers of the thermophilic, gliding, green bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus over the temperature range from 80 to 320 K, using 605-nm excitation pulses with an autocorrelation width of about 0.8 ps. Spectra collected during the first 1.5 ps after excitation show stimulated emission from the excited singlet state P*, absorbance increases at 762 and 802 nm, and absorbance decreases in the 865-nm band and at 783 and 815 nm. The absorbance changes associated with the formation of P* suggest that the electronic transitions in the ground-state spectrum are strongly mixed. Spectra collected up to 90 ps after the excitation pulse show the decay of the stimulated emission, and bleaching at 750 nm and 815 nm, reflecting the transfer of an electron from the bacteriochlorophyll dimer (P) to the initial electron acceptor(s). The electron-transfer reaction is slower in C. aurantiacus than in reaction centers of purple bacterial species; P* decays with a time-constant of 7.1±0.5 ps at 296 K and 9.0±0.1 ps at 320 K. At lower temperatures, the kinetics are non-exponential. The decay of the stimulated emission at 80 K can be fit either with a biexponential function with time constants of 3.0±0.1 and 32±12 ps, or with a stretched exponential function [exp — (t/τ0)α] with τ0 = 4.1 ± 1.2 ps and α = 0.45 ± 0.06. Several models that might account for the nonexponential decay kinetics of P* are discussed. A model based on rapid interconversion among conformational states in P* provides a simple interpretation of the temperature dependence of the kinetics.
Airborne hyperspectral data collection with the UMBC VNIR sensor

The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) airborne Visible-Near Infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral sensor is a grating spectrometer that collects data in the 380 to 985 nm spectral range with spectral resolution as high as 1.15 nm. This imager is a push-broom type sensor utilizing a two dimensional charge coupled device (CCD, 480×640) camera to collect the spectral information along a single line on the ground perpendicular to the aircraft flight line. The UMBC sensor can provide measurements for a variety of studies, including land development and land use, cultivated and natural vegetation and forestry, and water turbidity and coastal environments. Due to the sensor's wealth of spectral bands, high signal-to-noise, and narrow band widths, a number of atmospheric constituents can be also detected that can be incorporated into atmospheric correction models to benefit the retrievals of surface properties. We present a detailed description of the sensor as well as preliminary results of its calibration in this paper. Related on-going research and some potential applications of this sensor are summarized.
Low Levels of GRP-Ca Expression in Transgenic Mice

The GRP-Ca gene of the rat encodes a member of the glutamine/glutamic-acid-rich protein (GRP) family. This gene is expressed in a highly tissue-specific fashion, with transcription being found only in the acinar cells of the submandibular gland (SMG). To begin to define the cis-acting elements governing GRP-Ca expression, we constructed transgenic mice containing the rat GRP-Ca gene plus 9.5 kb of 5' genomic sequence and 1 kb of 3' genomic sequence. Expression of GRP-Ca was detectable in progeny from only 1 of 3 independent founders. Expression levels of the transgenic GRP-Ca were much lower than the native GRP-Ca found in the rat SMG. Furthermore, GRP-Ca in transgenic mice was not tissue-specifically expressed, being found in both the SMG/SLG complex and the liver. These results indicate that the genomic region of GRP-Ca included in these transgenic mice is not sufficient to confer the high levels of tissue-specific expression seen in the rat.
The C2 Ballik-Ramsay transitions in carbon stars.

The bands of C2 are an important source of opacity in the near-infrared spectral region of carbon stars. In the 2 micron spectral region, the Delta v = -1 and -2 transitions of the Ballik-Ramsay b 3Sigma(g)(-) - a 3Pi(u) system are especially important. A general method for calculating highly accurate transition parameters of the Ballik-Ramsay band is presented. This method allows the easy calculation of the satellite lines and the forbidden lines resulting from the perturbation of the upper b 3Sigma(g)(-) state by the X 1Sigma(0)(+) state. Included in the calculation is the effect of the isotopic molecules (C-12)2, (C-12)(C-13), and (C-13)2. Three consistency tests of the calculated strengths are presented. A comparison of synthetic spectra is made with an observed spectrum of WZ Cas in the 3940/cm spectral region.
Emerging Challenges in Public Health Protection, Food Safety, and Security: Veterinary Needs in the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service

Meeting the needs of public service practice is a responsibility of the veterinary profession. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has undergone significant change since 1996, when the final rule on Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems and its regulations were published in response to food-borne illnesses and deaths due to E. coli 0157:H7 in undercooked hamburgers. As a result, the role of the veterinarian is changing from a focus on carcass inspection (reactive) to scientific-based systems analysis and enforcement (preventive). With a large pool of veterinarians eligible to retire, a critical shortage of field veterinarians is predicted. The purpose of this article is to raise educators’ awareness of this need, of the competencies required, and of the challenges and opportunities for veterinarians in the new public health–focused FSIS. An invitation to collaborate with the agency is offered to help meet ...
Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of Human SLC26A6 Variants in Patients With Familial Hyperoxaluria and Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis

Background Urinary oxalate is a major risk factor for calcium oxalate stones. Marked hyperoxaluria arises from mutations in 2 separate loci, AGXT and GRHPR , the causes of primary hyperoxaluria (PH) types 1 (PH1) and 2 (PH2), respectively. Studies of null Slc26a6 −/− mice have shown a phenotype of hyperoxaluria, hyperoxalemia, and calcium oxalate urolithiasis, leading to the hypothesis that SLC26A6 mutations may cause or modify hyperoxaluria in humans. Study Design Cross-sectional case-control. Setting & Participants Cases were recruited from the International Primary Hyperoxaluria Registry. Control DNA samples were from a pool of adult subjects who identified themselves as being in good health. Predictor PH1, PH2, and non-PH1/PH2 genotypes in cases. Outcomes & Measures Homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for SLC26A6 variants. Functional expression of oxalate transport in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Results 80 PH1, 6 PH2, 8 non-PH1/PH2, and 96 control samples were available for SLC26A6 screening. A rare variant, c.487C→T (p.Pro163Ser), was detected solely in 1 non-PH1/PH2 pedigree, but this variant failed to segregate with hyperoxaluria, and functional studies of oxalate transport in Xenopus oocytes showed no transport defect. No other rare variant was identified specifically in non-PH1/PH2. Six additional missense variants were detected in controls and cases. Of these, c.616G→A (p.Val206Met) was most common (11%) and showed a 30% reduction in oxalate transport. To test p.Val206Met as a potential modifier of hyperoxaluria, we extended screening to PH1 and PH2. Heterozygosity for this variant did not affect plasma or urine oxalate levels in this population. Limitations We did not have a sufficient number of cases to determine whether homozygosity for p.Val206Met might significantly affect urine oxalate. Conclusions SLC26A6 was effectively ruled out as the disease gene in this non-PH1/PH2 cohort. Taken together, our studies are the first to identify and characterize SLC26A6 variants in patients with hyperoxaluria. Phenotypic and functional analysis excluded a significant effect of identified variants on oxalate excretion.
Highly efficient upconverters for multiphoton fluorescence microscopy

A new generation of efficient two-photon absorbing fluorescent molecules has been developed and used effectively for two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Several examples of the use of these new fluorophores have been presented. In addition, issues relating to the two-photon absorption cross-section, excitation power, sample properties and resolution in two-photon laser scanning microscopy are discussed.
A record of Pleistocene diatom preservation from the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica with possible implications on silica leakage

article i nfo Accumulation of fossil diatoms in marine sediments is variably affected by the production and dissolution of diatom frustules across space and time. No quantitative proxy exists for estimating the amount of silica lost to dissolution in Southern Ocean sediment cores. To address this gap, cultured valves of Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, the dominant planktonic diatom in the Pleistocene to recent Southern Ocean, were dissolved progressively under controlled laboratory conditions. Expansion, and eventual conjoining, of the areolae of F. kerguelensis advances through several phases, which are presented herein as a measure of diatom dissolution. In order to evaluate the validity of laboratory methods, this proxy is applied to sediments from piston core PS58/254 from the Amundsen Sea. Dissolution-induced degradation morphologies from laboratory experiments are seen to be identical to those preserved naturally in sediments, thus suggesting the laboratory conditions accurately reflect the natural process of dissolution. These resultsrepresentthe firstapplication of afullyquantitativeproxyfordiatomdissolution toSouthernOcean sediments, revealing that meaningful paleoceanographic data can be generated via taphonomic analysis of diatom valves. Intensity of diatom dissolution in core PS58/254 does not correspond to the relative abundance of any diatom species, clay mineralogy, or linear sedimentation rates. However, a correlation does exist between glacial cyclicity and diatom dissolution, indicating that variation in average wall thickness and susceptibility to dissolution reflects primary conditions during formation of the silica wall, transit through the water column, and eventual deposition. Higher overall silica dissolution is observed during each glacial period and enhanced silica preservation during interglacials. This result is consistent with the predictions of the silicic acid leakage hypothesis (SALH), whereby reduced rates of Si usage in the Southern Ocean lead to shifts in marine primary productivity in the tropics from coccolithophoriddominance duringinterglacialstodiatomdominanceduringglacials.Thiswouldfuela decrease in atmospheric pCO2duringglacials. Silica acidleakage isdrivenbya decreaseinthe Si:Nratioofdiatoms,caused by increased iron input to glacial-aged Southern Ocean waters. This resulted in more lightly silicified diatom valves in the Southern Ocean, which dissolved more quickly in the upper water column, thereby maintaining the high silica content of glacial-aged SO waters, and allowing for export of Si to upwelling zones in the lower latitudes.
Differential Expression of α2 Integrin Separates Long-Term and Short-Term Reconstituting Lin−/loThy1.1loc-kit+ Sca-1+ Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Self-renewing, multipotent hematopoietic stem cells are highly enriched within the Lin- Thy1.1(lo)c-kit+ Sca-1+ subset of mouse bone marrow. However, heterogeneous expression within this population of certain cell surface markers raises the possibility that it may be further fractionated phenotypically and perhaps functionally. We previously identified alpha2-integrin (CD49b) as a surface marker with heterogeneous expression on Lin(-/lo)Thy1.1(lo)c-kit+ Sca-1+ stem cells. To determine whether differences in alpha2 expression were indicative of differences in stem cell function, we purified alpha2- and alpha2hi stem cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and analyzed their function in long- and short-term hematopoietic reconstitution assays. Both alpha2- and alpha2hi cells could give rise to mature lymphoid and myeloid cells after transplantation into lethally irradiated congenic recipients. However, alpha2hi cells supported hematopoiesis for only a short time ( 20 weeks) reconstitution, suggesting that alpha2- cells represent a more primitive population than do alpha2hi cells. Consistent with this idea, alpha2- Lin(-/lo)Thy1.1(lo)c-kit+ Sca-1+ cells exhibited an approximately sixfold decreased frequency of spleen colony-forming units (day 12) versus alpha2hi cells. Furthermore, bone marrow cells isolated from animals transplanted >20 weeks previously with 20 alpha2- Lin(-/lo)Thy1.1(lo)c-kit+ Sca-1+ cells included both alpha2- and alpha2hi stem cells of donor origin, indicating that alpha2hi cells are likely lineal descendents of alpha2- cells. Interestingly, alpha2 integrin expression is significantly reduced on lineage-restricted oligopotent progenitors in the marrow, suggesting that high level expression of alpha2 selectively marks a subset of primitive hematopoietic cells which retains multilineage reconstitution potential but exhibits reduced self-renewal capacity.
Attosecond control of electron emission from atoms

We demonstrate that the electron emission from atoms can be temporally controlled on an attosecond time scale. Electron wave-packets are formed by ionizing an atomic target with an attosecond pulse train composed of both odd and even high-order harmonics in the presence of a relatively weak infrared field. We show that interference between one- and two-photon transitions produces a large asymmetry in the angular distribution of the photoelectrons. The direction of the emission can be controlled on an attosecond time scale by varying the time delay between the two pulses. In addition, we show that such asymmetric emission is also related to the properties of the attosecond pulse train. The temporal analysis of the modulated electron emission, based on an accurate description of the atomic physics of the photoionization process, then provides a way to measure the temporal profile of the attosecond pulse.
Fecaloma treated with dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.

1. The successful nonsurgical removal of a fecaloma impacted in the sigmoid colon with the aid of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate has been reported.
SU-D-BRD-02: A Web-Based Image Processing and Plan Evaluation Platform (WIPPEP) for Future Cloud-Based Radiotherapy

Purpose: Visualization and processing of medical images and radiation treatment plan evaluation have traditionally been constrained to local workstations with limited computation power and ability of data sharing and software update. We present a web-based image processing and planning evaluation platform (WIPPEP) for radiotherapy applications with high efficiency, ubiquitous web access, and real-time data sharing. Methods: This software platform consists of three parts: web server, image server and computation server. Each independent server communicates with each other through HTTP requests. The web server is the key component that provides visualizations and user interface through front-end web browsers and relay information to the backend to process user requests. The image server serves as a PACS system. The computation server performs the actual image processing and dose calculation. The web server backend is developed using Java Servlets and the frontend is developed using HTML5, Javascript, and jQuery. The image server is based on open source DCME4CHEE PACS system. The computation server can be written in any programming language as long as it can send/receive HTTP requests. Our computation server was implemented in Delphi, Python and PHP, which can process data directly or via a C++ program DLL. Results: This software platform is running on a 32-core CPU server virtually hosting the web server, image server, and computation servers separately. Users can visit our internal website with Chrome browser, select a specific patient, visualize image and RT structures belonging to this patient and perform image segmentation running Delphi computation server and Monte Carlo dose calculation on Python or PHP computation server. Conclusion: We have developed a webbased image processing and plan evaluation platform prototype for radiotherapy. This system has clearly demonstrated the feasibility of performing image processing and plan evaluation platform through a web browser and exhibited potential for future cloud based radiotherapy.
Effect of low temperatures on high energy phosphate compounds in isolated hearts from a hibernator and a nonhibernator.

Abstract 1. 1. Isolated perfused hearts from the ground squirrel (Citellus tridecemlineatus) remained functional at 35, 20, 12 and 6°C, whereas albino rat hearts ceased beating at an average temperature of 15.7°C. 2. 2. ATP was not depleted in rat hearts at the lower temperatures, but the phosphate potential, ( ATP × 10 3 /ADP × Pi ), was decreased by 38%. 3. 3. By contrast, CP and ATP were decreased significantly in ground squirrel hearts at 12 and 6°C, but the phosphate potential was maintained at control levels (35°C). 4. 4. During hypothermia, the energy state of cardiac tissue from the hibernator is apparently balanced between the synthesis, translocation, and utilization of high energy phosphate compounds. 5. 5. Decreased levels of these compounds are sufficient to accommodate the reduced needs of the tissue at low temperatures.
Endothelin‐1 Concentrations in Clone Calves, Their Surrogate Dams, and Fetal Fluids at Birth: Association with Oxygen Treatment

Increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma concentration in human infants is associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, a problem also identified in calves derived from somatic cell clone technology. Increased ET-1 also is present in the amnionic fluid and plasma of the infant and mother in preeclampsia, a condition associated with abnormal placentation. Abnormalities in placentation are identified in clone calves. We measured ET-1 in fetal fluid, calf plasma, and surrogate dam plasma in 40 clone calves at the time of term delivery. Calves were subsequently identified as being either oxygen treated (O2) or non-oxygen treated based on their postpartum clinical course. Fetal fluid ET-1 concentration greater than 1.4 ng/mL carried a 3-fold increase in odds of the calf being treated with oxygen. Maternal plasma ET-1 concentration was greater in the O2 group (13 pg/ mL: [8-23 pg/mL] versus 25 pg/mL [12-40 pg/mL]; median, 25-75 percentile). Plasma ET-1 concentration in calves was not significantly different between groups. Fetal fluid ET-1 may serve as a marker for neonatal disorders of oxygenation in clone calves and the source of ET-1 may be the placenta.
The Ergon Inference

Aristotle's inference of the definition of eudaimonia in the N.E. has been commonly understood in a way which commits him to some form of fallacious naturalism or inference from fact to value. This view of the ergon inference is prompted to some extend by the fact that commentators rarely make an effort to identify the premises of the argument and also by the fact that, as I shall try to show, some key terms employed therein have been misunderstood. The purpose of the present paper is to show by means of a detailed analysis of Aristotle's text that the most commonly held view of the argument cannot be right and that he does not infer the notion of the human good from facts about human nature.1
5‐aminoimidazole‐4‐carboxamide‐1‐beta‐4‐ribofuranoside attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via modulation of endothelial–monocyte interaction

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model for studying multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic demyelinating disorder of the CNS. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), an activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), has been reported to show antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in various models of inflammation. Recently, we have reported AICAR-mediated attenuation of active and passive EAE in mouse model [Nath et al. (2005) J. Immunol. 175:566-574]. Here we used a rat model of acute EAE to show antiinflammatory effects of AICAR after daily treatment starting at onset of the disease. By maintaining the blood-brain barrier (BBB), AICAR-administered animals showed lower clinical scores compared with untreated EAE animals. AICAR inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells across the BBB, resulting in lowered expression of proinflammatory mediators in the CNS and protection from severe demyelination. By using in vitro model of endothelial-leukocyte interaction, we showed that AICAR inhibited adhesion of monocytes to tumor necrosis factor-alpha-activated endothelial cells. One of the mechanisms of this action is through down-regulation of expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules via modulation of nuclear factor kappaB activation. The data suggest that AICAR attenuates EAE progression by limiting infiltration of leukocytes across the BBB, thereby controlling the consequent inflammatory reaction in the CNS.