cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do-It-Yourself Attenuated Total Reflectance Cell Designed and Constructed In a Laboratory Course: A Versatile And Economical Alternative To Commercial Designs

An attenuated total internal reflectance (ATR) cell has been designed and constructed by a group of four undergraduate and graduate students during an advanced laboratory course in the School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. Details for the assembly, which utilizes commercially available optical components, are given in this paper. The cell employs a 45-degree trapezoidal ZnSe crystal as the ATR element. Both spherical and flat gold-coated mirrors are used to focus and align the IR beam. The cell design presented here not only provides practical instrumentation design and implementation experience for students, it also has four major advantages imporatant for teaching purposes: a) It can be ported between different FTIR spectrometers with similar sample-compartment sizes; b) it provides an economical means for ATR spectroscopy in laboratory courses as the cost of this cell is less than half the price of similar commercial cells; c) all optical parts of the cell are easily accessible and visible for demonstration and adjustment purposes; and d) it can serve as a starting point for a variety of student experiments.
Astrophysical Probes of Dark Matter

What is the connection between how the dark matter was produced in the early universe and how we can detect it today? Where does the WIMP miracle come from, and is it really a “WIMP” miracle? What brackets the mass range for thermal relics? Where does 〈συ〉 come from, and what does it mean? What is the difference between chemical and kinetic decoupling? Why do some people think that dark matter cannot be lighter than 40 GeV? Why is such a popular annihilation final state? Why is antimatter a good way to look for dark matter? Why should the cosmic-ray positron fraction decline with energy? How do you calculate the flux of neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in a celestial body, and when is it independent of the dark matter pair-annihilation rate? How does dark matter produce photons? — Read these lecture notes, do the suggested 10 exercises, and you will find answers to all of these questions (and to many more on what You Always Wanted to Know About Dark Matter But Were Afraid to Ask).
Histone Modifications, but Not Nucleosomal Positioning, Correlate with Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Promoter Activity in Different Tissues In Vivo

To examine the role of chromatin in transcriptional regulation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I gene, we determined nucleosome occupancy and positioning, histone modifications, and H2A.Z occupancy across its regulatory region in murine tissues that have widely different expression levels. Surprisingly, nucleosome occupancy and positioning were indistinguishable between the spleen, kidney, and brain. In all three tissues, the 200 bp upstream of the transcription start site had low nucleosome occupancy. In contrast, nuclease hypersensitivity, histone modifications, and H2A.Z occupancy showed tissue-specific differences. Thus, tissue-specific differences in MHC class I transcription correlate with histone modifications and not nucleosomal organization. Further, activation of class I transcription by gamma interferon or its inhibition by α-amanitin did not alter nucleosome occupancy, positioning, nuclease hypersensitivity, histone modifications, or H2A.Z occupancy in any of the tissues examined. Thus, chromatin remodeling was not required to dynamically modulate transcriptional levels. These findings suggest that the MHC class I promoter remains poised and accessible to rapidly respond to infection and environmental cues.
Creativity and Family Counseling: The SCAMPER Model as a Template for Promoting Creative Processes:

This article describes the nature and importance of creativity in family counseling and factors such as divergent thinking that are a part of the creative process. The SCAMPER model of creativity i...
Long-term expression and secretion of human glucocerebrosidase by primary murine and human myoblasts and differentiated myotubes

Gaucher disease (GD) is caused by a deficiency in glucocerebrosidase (GC). Enzyme replacement for GD disease is effective but expensive and requires life-long treatment. Development of alternative therapeutic strategies is therefore important. One approach is an enzyme delivery system which could supply GC into the circulation continuously. We have previously reported that human GC cDNA in a retroviral vector (MFG-GC) efficiently transduced a murine myoblast line (C2C12) and expressed GC intracellularly and extracellularly. Now we have demonstrated that primary murine and human myoblasts are transduced at very high efficiency by MFG-GC (five to ten copies of human GC gene per cell at a multiplicity of infection of 5-10), 100% of MFG-GC transduced cells expressed human GC. The transduced primary murine and human myoblasts had an intracellular GC activities about five to ten times above nontransduced controls. Furthermore, transduced primary myoblasts secreted human GC extracellularly for up to 35 weeks in vitro. The secreted human GC is specifically taken up by bone marrow derived macrophages, the cell type most important to the pathogenesis of GD. These data suggest that transduced primary myoblasts may be useful in supplying GC as an alternative approach to the treatment of GD.
Identifying significant factors affecting request for information (RFI) process time

The research is to illustrate how to identify the significant factor(s) affecting the request for information (RFI) process cycle time in the context of queueing behavior. Among three different factors involved in the general queueing model (i.e. variability factor, utilization factor, and average process time), the variability factor was selected and investigated to see how variations affect the process cycle time under different conditions along with the batching effect. In order to determine the levels of factors, a set of RFI data was statistically analyzed. Based on the selected factors with levels determined, different scenarios were developed and simulation study was conducted so as to see how the system performs differently. Then, results of simulation were analyzed using the DOE in order to identify the most significant factor(s) which affects the current process cycle time.
Recipient Selection and Management

Cardiac transplantation remains the definitive surgical solution for Stage D heart failure. However, the lack of availability of donor organs makes patient selection crucial to appropriate resource utilization. All feasible medical and surgical alternatives should be explored before consideration of transplantation is undertaken. A cardiac transplantation evaluation should be thorough to exclude patients with preexisting serious comorbidities, with particular attention being paid to renal dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, and panel reactive antibody levels. Once accepted for listing as a cardiac transplantation recipient, patients are assigned a priority status based on the severity of illness. Organs are allocated on the basis on status level, blood type, body size, and length of time at a given status level.
Analysis of influence of age on acute and chronic radiotherapy toxicity in treatment of prostate cancer

Abstract Objectives To provide a single-institution analysis of the influence of age on acute and late genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity after radiotherapy (RT) administered in different prostate cancer scenarios. Improved understanding of the influence of age on toxicity outcome after RT for prostate cancer can assist in treatment decision-making. Methods The records of 527 consecutive nonmetastatic patients receiving RT at a single institution and for whom demographic, disease, treatment, and follow-up information were available were reviewed. The cohort was divided into four major categories as a function of age: younger than 60 years, 60 to 69 years, 70 to 74 years, and 75 years and older. The toxicity rates in each of these categories were tabulated according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group toxicity scales and compared using the chi-square test. Additionally, an ordered logit regression analysis was performed for each of these categories using all major patient, disease, and treatment factors. Results The toxicity rates were not significantly different as a function of age for either acute GU ( P = 0.10) or acute GI ( P = 0.19) toxicity or for either late GU ( P = 0.22) or late GI ( P = 0.09) toxicity. The ordered logit regression analysis showed that age was not a factor that correlated with toxicity in any setting (acute GU, P = 0.44; acute GI, P = 0.55; late GU, P = 0.65; late GI, P = 0.14). Conclusions Patient age did not independently influence GI or GU toxicity after RT for nonmetastatic prostate cancer and should not be used as an independent factor in treatment decision-making or in patient counseling with regard to GI and GU toxicity outcomes after RT.
Real and Ideal Extended Familism Among Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans: On the Meaning of "Close" Family Ties

Comparaison de l'ideologie de la famille et de la mobilite residentielle chez les anglo-americains et les mexicains de trois villes de Californie.
Conformational states of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A observed by normal and partially relaxed carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance.

Proton-decoupled Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance of natural abundance 13C was used to obtain spectra of ribonuclease A and its oxidized derivative at a set of pH values ranging from pH 1.40 to 6.72 at 45°. Observations on the native conformation were made at pH 4.14 and 6.55, and on the denatured conformation at pH 2.12 and below. In addition, the disrupted structure obtained by performic acid oxidation of the disulfide bonds was observed at several pH values. The loss of the native structure was associated with sharpening of the resonance bands. A tentative assignment was made for the unmodified ribonuclease A at pH 1.46 based on resonance positions of free amino acids and peptides. Although a good fit to the data was obtained, further development is required for unequivocal assignment. Partially relaxed spectra were used to obtain spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) for certain carbon types. These values are traced through several pH values for both ribonuclease A and its oxidized derivatives. Pairs of effective rotational correlation times (τeff) were derived from the T1 values of certain aliphatic resonances. By considering data from fluorescence depolarization experiments and observed line widths, it was possible to exclude one of the τeff values in the majority of cases. The results were interpreted in terms of increased segmental mobility in the denatured states, especially for α carbon nuclei that appear relatively restrained in the native state.
On optimal programmed PWM waveforms for DC-DC converters

The use of programmed pulse width modulation (PWM) versus regular PWM to reduce the magnitude of the peak harmonic in various DC-DC converter circuit waveforms was investigated. Significant reduction was found possible with a variety of spectral weighting. In the experimental set-up, a reduction in the power of the peak harmonic to approximately one-ninth was achieved in a commercially available power converter. >
Deformable modeling for improved calculation of molecular velocities from single-particle tracking

Single-particle tracking provides a powerful technique for measuring dynamic cellular processes on the level of individual molecules. Much recent work has been devoted to using single particle tracking to measure long-range movement of particles on the cell surface, including methods for automated localization and tracking of particles [1-3]. However, most particle tracking studies to date ignore cell surface curvature and dynamic cellular deformation, factors frequently present in physiologically relevant situations. In this report, we perform quantitative evaluation of single-particle tracking on curved and deforming cell surfaces. We also introduce a new hybrid method that uses non-rigid cellular modeling for improved computation of single-particle tracking trajectories on the surfaces of cells undergoing deformation. This method combines single-molecule and bulk fluorescence measurements in an automated manner to enable more accurate and robust characterization of dynamic cell physiology and regulation.
Eighties Noir: The Dissenting Voice in Reagan's America

This article explores film noir and neo-noir while excluding re-creation, nostalgia, parody, and homage. Within this perspective a group of films, best labeled '80s noir, emerge with distinct narrative and visual motifs, and an ideology that counters other mainstream genres of the time—one critical of America during the years of Ronald Reagan's presidency.
The Accuracy of Minimum Data Set Diagnoses in Describing Recent Hospitalization at Acute Care Facilities

Objectives The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is the resident assessment instrument used to guide clinical care, reimbursement, and assess quality in long-term care facilities. This database has been used in many studies, although the accuracy of many data elements remains unknown. This study evaluated the accuracy of the MDS diagnosis variables with respect to the diagnoses for recent hospitalization from Medicare claims data. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting 945 skilled nursing facilities in Ohio. Participants 17,294 residents admitted from an acute care facility during 2000. Measurements Eleven diagnoses listed in the MDS were compared with Medicare hospital discharge claims. Specifically, each MDS diagnosis was compared to the primary diagnosis, the list of secondary diagnoses, and the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG). Results Claims diagnoses were listed in the MDS with an average frequency of 79% (range: 31%–94%) for the primary diagnosis, 66% (range: 33%–90%) for any diagnosis, and 71% (range: 31%–94%) for the DRG. MDS diagnoses were listed as the primary diagnosis, any diagnosis, and DRG with an average frequency of 20% (range: 6%–81%), 62% (range: 41%–86%), and 19% (range: 7%–84%), respectively, with only hip fracture listed more than 80% of the time. Conclusion The sensitivity of the MDS for listing diagnoses from recent hospitalization appears good for most diagnoses. However, except for hip fracture, the MDS has poor predictive value with regard to the primary reason for the preceding hospitalization; this may have implications for resident care planning and the utility of this database in long-term care research.
The capacity of an implicit prioritized access protocol in wireless sensor networks

Distributed networks of wireless sensors/actuators will enable the reliable monitoring and intelligent control of the physical environment accomplishing different tasks ranging from space monitoring and surveillance to homeland security without human intervention. Motivated by the observation that many of these applications are safety critical and have hard real-time requirements, this paper focuses on the problem of providing delay and throughput guarantee to real-time messages in wireless sensor networks. It extends the cellular structure in [1,2] and analyzes the sensor network capacity when messages are scheduled with the Implicit-EDF algorithm.
Extensive chaos in Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

Using large-scale numerical calculations we explore spatiotemporal chaos in Rayleigh-Benard convection for experimentally relevant conditions. We calculate the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents and the Lyapunov dimension describing the chaotic dynamics of the convective fluid layer at constant thermal driving over a range of finite system sizes. Our results reveal that the dynamics of fluid convection is truly chaotic for experimental conditions as illustrated by a positive leading-order Lyapunov exponent. We also find the chaos to be extensive over the range of finite-sized systems investigated as indicated by a linear scaling between the Lyapunov dimension of the chaotic attractor and the system size.
Risks of Venous Thromboembolism, Stroke, Heart Disease, and Myelodysplastic Syndrome Associated With Hematopoietic Growth Factors in a Large Population-Based Cohort of Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Abstract Purpose To determine the relationship between the receipt of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), stroke, heart disease, and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods We studied 80,925 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age ≥ 65 years in 1992-2009 from the nationwide 16 areas of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data. Cumulative incidence and the time to events Cox hazard regressions were used to explore the risks of outcomes in association with the receipt of CSFs and ESAs. Results Patients who received chemotherapy (CT) with both CSF and ESA were 58% more likely to develop VTE than those who received CT without CSF and ESA (hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-1.76). The risk of stroke appeared to be not associated with the use of CSF and ESA, whereas the risk of heart disease was only significantly elevated in those patients who did not receive CT but received ESA. The risk of acute myeloid leukemia or MDS was significantly increased 4- to 9-fold in patients who received ESA, regardless of receipt of CT or CSF. Conclusion The use of ESAs was significantly associated with a substantially increased risk of MDS in patients with colorectal cancer. The use of CSFs and ESAs was also significantly associated with a moderately increased risk of VTE and a slightly elevated risk of heart disease.
Planning a Program Evaluation: Matching Methodology to Program Status

As Federal agencies have increasingly specified the methodology expected in the program evaluations that they fund, the long-standing debate about what constitutes scientifically based research has been resurrected. In fact, there are no simple answers to questions about how well programs work, nor is there a single analytic approach to evaluate the wide variety of possible programs and their complexities. Evaluators need to be familiar with a range of analytic methods, and it is often necessary to use several methods simultaneously, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Some evaluation approaches are particularly helpful in the early developmental stages of a program, whereas others are more suited to situations in which the program has become more routinized and broadly implemented. One of the key points that we stress in this chapter is that the evaluation design should utilize the most rigorous method possible to address the questions posed and should be appropriately matched to the program’s developmental status. The warnings not to evaluate a developing program with an experimental design have been sounded for some time [Patton, M.Q. (2008). Utilization focused evaluation (4th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Lipsey, M. (2005). Improving evaluation of anticrime programs. Washington, DC: National Academies Press], but this is the first time to our knowledge that the developmental phases of program development have been specified in detail and linked to evaluation designs.
A Security Scheme for Centralized Scheduling in IEEE 802.16 Mesh Networks

Worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), designed by the IEEE 802.16 standards group, can deliver high-speed connectivity for both fixed and vehicular speed subscribers. Mesh networking support was added for improved coverage and throughput. In order to operate efficiently, communication must be scheduled either by a distributed, centralized, or hybrid algorithm. However, in the current standard, there are problems that need addressing: malicious sponsor nodes, privacy, and link-by-link encryption load. We propose a new security scheme for centralized scheduling, which not only provides a simple way for mutual authentication between a joining node and the sponsor node, but also supports better privacy and reduces the encryption load.
Ultrasonic Enhanced Liquefaction and Saccharification of Corn for Bio-Fuel Production

Dry grind corn milling does not reach full efficiency of starch conversion to sugars and subsequently to ethanol because of limitations in the milling process. This paper examines the use of high-power ultrasonics to enhance the release of fermentable sugars from milled dry corn. In this work, 20 kHz ultrasonic energy was used to pretreat corn mash prior to enzymatic conversion of corn starch to glucose in a batch-mode. The ultrasonic amplitude was varied from 0, 191 to 320 µmpp. The corn mash was sonicated for 0 (control), 20 and 40 seconds. Other experimental variables that were studied included the effect of temperature and pretreatment sequencing, e.g., ultrasonic pretreatment before and after enzyme addition. It was found that the reaction rate kinetics of the enzymatic reactions increased threefold for sonicated samples. Energy balance (efficiency) analysis indicated that ultrasound pretreatment released twice as much energy (as sugar) when introduced during pretreatment. Based on scanning electron microscopy examination and particle size analysis, the enhancement of the conversion was primarily attributed to particle size reduction, resulting in an increase in the surface area to volume ratio, which in turn increased the available enzymatic reaction sites. One of the most striking findings was that enzymes were not degraded by low level ultrasonication. In addition, the most significant increase in sugar yield was seen when the enzymes were added before ultrasonic pretreatment. Ultrasound has the potential to enhance the ethanol yield from cornstarch and reduce the production cost significantly in commercial dry corn milling ethanol plants.
Adverse effect of a cigarette smoke component, acrolein, on pulmonary antibacterial defenses and on viral-bacterial interactions in the lung.

Intrapulmonary antibacterial activity in normal mice and mice with viral pneumonia was determined after continuous exposure to the pure tobacco smoke component, acrolein. After inhalation challenge with Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis, exposure to 1 to 2 ppm of acrolein significantly suppressed the intrapulmonary killing of the organisms in normal mice compared to control mice not exposed to acrolein. Sendai virus pneumonia depressed pulmonary antibacterial defenses in a virus dose-related fashion. Exposure of the mice infected with virus to acrolein resulted in a further suppression of intrapulmonary bacterial killing to the extent that, in most instances, the bacteria proliferated in the lungs. These data demonstrate that the cigarette smoke component, acrolein, not only depresses pulmonary bactericidal activity, but can also act as a stressor in aggravating an underlying disease process, resulting in an additional impairment of pulmonary antibacterial defenses.
5.1 A 10MHz-bandwidth 4µs-large-signal-settling 6.5nV/√Hz-noise 2µV-offset chopper operational amplifier

Low-offset and low-noise operational amplifiers (OpAmps) are essential for precision measurement systems. Applications such as precision weigh scales, sensor front-ends, bridge transducers, interfaces for thermocouple sensors, and medical instrumentation require amplification of low-level signals with high closed-loop gain and low noise. An OpAmp with high precision and fast response enables more frequent measurement of sensor signals leading to more accurate control. Offset and its temperature drift in a traditional CMOS OpAmp cannot be made less than 100µV/0.5µV/°C even with multi-temperature trimming, with flicker noise corner at 100's of Hz. Reduction of the offset and flicker noise below these limitations can be achieved by chopping (correlated double sampling) of the input signal [1]. Disadvantages of chopping are: increase in OpAmp input current, caused by charge injection through input chopping switches, large ripples and noise at the chopping frequency, and long settling time limited by the chopping frequency. Existing chopper OpAmps show good DC and low-frequency accuracy but cannot combine it with bandwidth higher than 2 to 4MHz or settling time comparable not only to high speed OpAmps, but even OpAmps in the most popular 10MHz market segment [1–3]. This results in low usable bandwidth when the OpAmp is configured in high closed-loop gain configurations, where output error needs to be minimized. The described OpAmp achieves a high unity gain-bandwidth (10MHz), fast large-signal settling (4µs to 0.01%) and low noise at both high and low frequencies (6.5nV/√Hz), while having low input current (<100pA). This is made possible by a combination of new topology and circuit decisions based on the structural design methodology [4].
Hematologic and serum biochemical values of 4 species of Peromyscus mice and their hybrids.

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and congeneric species are used in a wide variety of research applications, particularly studies of developmental, physiologic, and behavioral characteristics associated with habitat adaptation and speciation. Because peromyscine mice readily adapt to colony conditions, animals with traits of interest in the field are moved easily into the laboratory where they can be studied under controlled conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the serum chemistry and hematologic parameters of 4 frequently used species from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center species (P. californicus, P. leucopus, P. maniculatus, and P. polionotus) and to determine quantitative differences in these parameters among species and between sexes. Triglyceride values were substantially higher in female compared with male mice in all 4 species. Similar cross-species differences in MCH were present. Overall there was considerable interspecific variation for most blood parameters, with little evidence for covariation of any 2 or more parameters. Because crosses of P. maniculatus and P. polionotus produce fertile offspring, segregation analyses can be applied to determine the genetic basis of any traits that differ between them, such as their 3.8- and 2.1-fold interspecific differences in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, respectively. The current data provide a set of baseline values useful for subsequent comparative studies of species experiencing different circumstances, whether due to natural variation or anthropogenic environmental degradation. To enable such comparisons, the raw data are downloadable from a site maintained by the Stock Center (http://ww2.biol.sc.edu/~peromyscus).
Contour Maps—A Visual Experience

(1991). Contour Maps—A Visual Experience. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 241-244.
Adjustable Slope, Moving Ground Plane Wind Tunnel

Ground effect is a phenomenon where the airflow around a moving body is affected when in close proximity to the ground. This is caused by the compression of air between a vehicle and the ground, which displaces airflow above the ground plane. The altered aerodynamic forces created by ground effect can aid during certain flight operations by increasing lift or act as hindrance by causing pitch instability if not taken into account. An example of the usefulness of ground effect is the upward thrust exhibited on a plane during landing. Pilots account for this air movement to prevent a jump-like event that is particularly noticeable in smaller, general aviation aircraft. Since all the surfaces on the earth are not level nor exhibit the same conditions, a wind tunnel with a movable ground plane, which can be positioned throughout a range of ground slope angles, was designed and developed. The varying slope movable ground plane wind tunnel is comprised of an elongated platform balanced on a rectangular base that holds both a test section and its adjoining fan. The test section floor is comprised of a rotating belt that mimics the influence of the ground on a vehicle moving over the ground plane and is used in conjunction with a fan that provides the air movement that represents the relative velocity of the model’s environment. The base itself is designed to set at a point in which the platform, in its horizontal position, would be balanced. In addition, the base is designed to position to various angles of ground slope and be able to adjust to any angle within the prescribed range of -5 degrees and 50 degrees. With the exception of the fan, all components of the tunnel were designed and constructed in this research effort.
Intergenerational relations among the Samia of Kenya: culture and experience

Culture in the sense of beliefs or norms for behaviour may be at variance with the actual experience of individuals, as is the case with intergenerational relationships among the Samia of rural Western Kenya. Samia has undergone enormous changes in the 20th century; these changes have created differences in the knowledge and experiences of older and younger generations. While there is consensus across generations about behavioural norms based on principles of seniority, respect and reciprocity, views diverge regarding how well ideals are lived up to in actual behaviour. Young people say that elders often do not understand modern life and they prefer being with other young people; many older people say that the young do not respect their elders, nor do they want to walk or sit and talk with elders. However data reported here indicate that contacts between generations are frequent, providing opportunities for social interaction, skill acquisition, emotional support and reciprocal exchanges. Examples given include patterns of association in daily activities, the nature of intergenerational discourse, and family decision making involving two or more generations. Though not always smooth, relationships between generations are important sources of social interaction and mutual assistance, and frequent contacts provide a sense of generational continuity in a fast-changing world.
Hard Exploration on Three Agricultural Problems since 1949

Agriculture,rural areas and farmers are always issues which should be concerned during the period of Chinese Communist revolution,construction,and reform.Since the establishment of new China,Chinese goverment paid much attention on "three rural"issues.Difficult exploration has been made from 1949 to 1979,which has an important inspiration to "three issues".
Successful palliation using partial cardiopulmonary bypass in a two-day-old infant with type B interruption of the aortic arch

Partial cardiopulmonary bypass from the pulmonary artery to the descending aorta was used successfully for resuscitation and aortic arch reconstruction in a 2-day-old infant with type B interrupted aortic arch. Partial cardiopulmonary bypass interrupted the fatal progression to acidosis and death caused by hypoperfusion of structures distal to the ductus arteriosus in this “ductus dependent” infant, and this approach provided time for an accurate dissection and anastomosis. The natural history, pathophysiology, and currently available surgical alternatives are considered in suggesting a possible role for partial bypass in the treatment interrupted aortic arch.
An examination of student outcomes in studio chemistry

Twenty years ago, a major curriculum revision at a large, comprehensive university in the Western United States led to the implementation of an integrated lecture/laboratory (studio) experience for our engineering students taking general chemistry. Based on these twenty years of experience, construction of four purpose-built studio classrooms to house the majority of the remaining general chemistry courses was completed in 2013. A detailed study of the effects of the entire ecology of the studio experience on student success was initiated at that time. Data from content knowledge pre- and post-tests, learning attitudes surveys, and student course evaluations show positive effects on student performance, the development of more expert-like learning attitudes, increased student engagement, and increased student–instructor interactions vs. the previous separate lecture and laboratory instruction for non-engineering students. Our data also show that an associated new peer Learning Assistant program increases student engagement while also having positive impacts on the Learning Assistants themselves.
Human CD39+ Treg Cells Express Th17-Associated Surface Markers and Suppress IL-17 via a Stat3-Dependent Mechanism

Human CD4+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) are a population of phenotypically and functionally diverse cells that downregulate inflammatory and autoimmune responses. As Th17 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, it is critical to elucidate the mechanisms regulating these cells. In this study, we examined the molecular basis underlying the phenotypic and functional diversity of human Tregs expressing the ectonucleotidase CD39. CD4+CD25hiCD39+ Tregs inhibit the proliferative response and the secretion of IL-17 and IFN-γ of autologous CD4+ T effector cells, while CD4+CD25hiCD39- Tregs only suppress IFN-γ production. We demonstrate that activated human CD4+CD25hiCD39+ Tregs express the Th17-associated surface markers CCR6 and IL-23R, and phosphorylate the transcription factor Stat3. Moreover, suppression of IL-17 by CD4+CD25hiCD39+ Tregs occurs via a Stat3-dependent mechanism as inhibition of Stat3 activation in the CD39+ Tregs reverses their ability to suppress IL-17. CD4+CD25hiCD39- Tregs are not endowed with the ability to inhibit IL-17 as they do not upregulate CCR6 or the IL-23R, and furthermore, they secrete IL-17. Our findings provide the first evidence that human Treg functional diversity is matched to the type of immune response being regulated and reveal a new role for Stat3 in controlling Treg function.
Prolonged corrected QT interval in the donor heart: Is there a risk?

BACKGROUND Assessing the QT interval in donors is important to exclude long QT syndrome as the cause of death. A donor heart with a corrected QT (QTc ) >500 milliseconds is often concerning. We sought to evaluate first year outcomes for donors with a QTc interval >500 milliseconds. METHODS Between 2010 and 2014, we assessed 257 donor hearts for QTc interval >500 milliseconds. Post-transplant outcomes included 1-year survival, 1-year freedom from any-treated rejection, 1-year freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) defined as stenosis ≥30% by angiography, and 1-year freedom from nonfatal major adverse cardiac events. RESULTS Patients with QTc interval >500 milliseconds had a significantly lower 1-year freedom from CAV development. There were no significant differences for other outcomes. A significantly higher percentage of donors with QTc >500 milliseconds had a stroke or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Multivariate analysis found that donor QTc >500 milliseconds was associated with a 6.7-fold increased risk of developing CAV (P=.029, 95% CI 1.21-36.6) after adjusting for other known risk factors. CONCLUSION QTc >500 milliseconds in the donor heart appears to be an independent risk factor for the development of early CAV after heart transplantation possibly due to a higher immunological risk.
Current Usage of the HELP System

The HELP system plays an integral role in the clinical, administrative, and financial functioning of LDS Hospital. As is described in detail in other chapters of this book, the system is used for patient registration, surgery scheduling, charge capture, order communications, management of clinical patient data (including laboratory, pharmacy, bedside monitoring, nursing, and respiratory care charting data), results review, and other functions, and new functions are constantly being added. The HELP system has required a significant effort to develop it and it has impacted the manner in which care is delivered at LDS Hospital. This chapter examines some of the ways in which routine medical practice at LDS Hospital has been affected by HELP.
Environmental Impacts of Energy Production, Distribution and Transport

This chapter provides an overview of the life cycles of energy systems and the damage incurred by the various stages, from extraction to disposal. All energy production causes insults to the environment, a differing amount and type of pollution. Future decisions on appropriate energy production and conservation must be based on sound science and factual comparisons of available options.
Behavioral Consultation in a Secondary Class: Using DRL to Decrease Negative Verbal Interactions.

(1982). Behavioral Consultation in a Secondary Class: Using DRL to Decrease Negative Verbal Interactions. School Psychology Review: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 428-432.
Impact of Pathways Triple P on Pediatric Health-Related Quality of Life in Maltreated Children.

Objective Child maltreatment is an adverse childhood experience associated with reductions in child well-being. This study examines whether an evidence-based parenting intervention delivered to families served by the child welfare system (CWS) affects pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Method This study is a randomized controlled trial of Pathways Triple P (PTP) delivered to families with open child welfare cases for child physical abuse or neglect (N = 119). Children were 5 to 11 years old and remained in the home after the investigation. The primary outcome measure for this study was the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0, which measures HRQoL across 4 subdomains: physical functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, and school functioning. Child- and parent-reported PedsQL 4.0 was assessed at baseline and post-test after the 14-week intervention. Results Controlling for other factors, children in families randomly assigned to the PTP condition had a significant improvement in overall HRQoL after the intervention compared with families receiving usual services (βchild-report = 6.08, SE = 2.77, p = 0.03; βparent-report = 3.83, SE = 1.88, p = 0.04). Subdomain effect sizes differed when considering children's self-report or parents' proxy report. Children's self-report yielded the largest improvement in emotional functioning, whereas social functioning had the largest gain based on parents' proxy report. Conclusion The PTP parenting intervention was associated with higher pediatric HRQoL as reported by both the child and parent. This intervention holds promise to improve child well-being when implemented in the CWS.
Defense against adversarial spectroscopic attacks (Conference Presentation)

Raman spectra were perturbed such that an intentional misclassification was induced when using a dimension reduction classifier such as linear discriminate analysis (LDA). These perturbations were primarily targeted at patterning the noise within the spectra such that detection is difficult to detect by visual inspection. Data-intensive decisions are increasingly important to mine the increasing volume of information accessible by modern instrumentation. These decisions are conceptually performed through projection of measurements on high dimensional manifolds to low-dimensional outcomes. This dimension reduction provides suppression of stochastic random noise to better inform the decision. However, non-stochastic patterning of the “noise” can induce intentional misclassification that is difficult to easily detect by visual inspection. Such digital attacks could result in intentional changes in decisions made from many routine automated classifiers. Preliminary results using Raman spectra showed that misclassification can be induced by picking a target classification and patterning the noise in the spectra such that in a reduced dimensional space, it is moved towards the target classification. Development of approaches for optimizing the attacks serves as a prelude for generation of robust classification strategies less susceptible to intentional attacks.
Adherence Monitoring Tool for Controlled Feeding Studies

ObjectiveTo devise a dietary adherence monitoring tool for use in controlled human feeding trials involving free-living study participants. MethodsA scoring tool was devised to measure and track di...
Development of Russian Driverless Electric Vehicle

This article overviews the history of development of driverless vehicles both in Russia and the World. Foreign experience of development of driverless vehicles, including electric traction, is analyzed. Main stages of creation of experimental NAMI driverless electric vehicle are revised. Main engineering solutions are described concerning development of advanced NAMI driverless electric vehicle, its major components and control systems. Projects aimed at environmental safety of passengers in NAMI driverless electric vehicle are exemplified. Results of bench scale and running tests of NAMI driverless electric vehicle are summarized. Major advantages of driverless energy efficient and environmentally clean transport are demonstrated.
Energy Efficiency and Electricity Reliability

Overloaded electrical systems are a major source of unreliable power. Using a randomized saturation design, we estimate the impact of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) on electricity reliability and...
Diagnosing HIT: the need for speed

In this issue of Blood, Marchetti et al describe a novel diagnostic algorithm for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) based on the 4Ts score and 2 rapid immunoassays (IAs) that correctly classified >95% of patients within a 60-minute analytical window.
Global Approaches in Studying RNA-Binding Protein Interaction Networks

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play crucial roles in almost all aspects of cellular biology. RBP binding at specific target sites impacts expression of functionally coordinated sets of mRNAs and involves combinatorial and dynamic interactions with other RBPs. The complexity and principles of these regulatory networks are only beginning to be understood. In recent years, transcriptome-wide experimental and computational methods to study RBPs and their interactions with RNA provided new insights into their function. Here, we review the approaches used in examining RBPs and their networks and the concepts that have been developed. We emphasize studies focusing on RBP–RNA interactions and higher-order RBP coregulation and describe approaches that integrate multiple types of transcriptome-wide data to form a global picture of these regulatory pathways.
Rising waves in informal education: women of color with educationally oriented podcasts

This research explored how and why women of color begin and continue educationally oriented podcasts. As the number and reach of podcasts increase, the influence of podcasters as informal educators grows; however, there are relatively few women of color in popular podcasting. The qualitative research examined the work of 10 women of color who produce independent podcasts that cover topics appropriate for adult education and examined their origins and work. The research includes two illustrative cases as well as themes drawn from all 10 women. The data came from interviews with the women, the podcasts themselves, and the podcasts’ web sites and show notes. The findings indicate that these podcasters are driven by a sense of purpose to give voice in an underserved area and are further motivated by their interactions with their audiences. These women tend to focus on building their own networks and capitalizing on the unique features of podcasting. There is a strong sense of personal growth, beyond gaining proficiency with podcasting. Finally, they have diverse experiences as women of color and podcasters.
Transsynaptic Dialogue Between Excitatory and Inhibitory Hippocampal Synapses via Endocannabinoids

Excitatory inputs in the hippocampus can feedback onto inhibitory synapses and induce long-term changes in GABAergic synaptic efficacy via retrograde endocannabinoid signaling (I-LTD). The disinhibition caused by synaptically-driven release of endocannabinoids not only enhances excitability (Chevaleyre and Castillo, 2003) but also mediates metaplasticity. These findings highlight the relevance of endocannabinoids in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and reveal the variety of mechanisms by which these messengers may contribute to the storage of information in the brain. The profound repercussion of THC exposure on endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus provides a mechanism by which cannabis derivatives may alter cognitive functions.
Maternal and infant hospitalization costs associated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index in California, 2007–2011

In the United States, the number of pregnant women who are overweight or obese is increasing. While such individuals are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, data regarding costs associate...
Milestone achievements in a national sample of pediatric emergency medicine fellows: impact of primary residency training.

Background Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowships recruit trainees from both pediatric and emergency medicine (EM) residencies. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) defines separate training pathways for each. The 2015 PEM milestones reflect a combination of subcompetencies from the two residencies. This project aims to compare the milestone achievement of PEM fellows based on their primary residency training. We hypothesize that fellows trained in pediatrics achieve PEM milestones at different rates than EM-trained fellows in the ACGME domains of patient care, medical knowledge, systems-based practice, practice-based learning, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills. Methods This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of fellows from a national sample of U.S. PEM fellowship programs. Basic demographic information and deidentified, biannual milestone scores for 23 competencies were collected for fellows training between 2015 and 2018. Subcompetencies are scored on a 5-point milestone scale. Descriptive and multivariable analyses for longitudinal data were performed to compare milestone assessments by primary residency training. Results Complete data were obtained for 600 fellows; 95% (570) and 5% (30) completed pediatric and EM residency, respectively. In both year 1 and year 2 of fellowship, the mean milestone scores of EM-trained fellows were statistically higher than pediatrics-trained fellows across the majority of subcompetencies. By the final year of training, there were no statistically significant differences in milestone scores for any of the subcompetencies. Conclusions Fellow milestone achievement between groups was not significantly different by graduation. However, fellows entering PEM training from an EM background attained higher scores on the milestones than fellows from a pediatric background in the first year of fellowship.
Systemic glucocorticoid at discharge after hospitalization for pediatric asthma: a prospective pilot study.

Objective: We examined asthma control in children hospitalized for status asthmaticus 7 to 10 days after discharge with or without an additional prescription for systemic corticosteroids. Methods: ...
Algorithms for Convex Optimization

In the last few years, Algorithms for Convex Optimization have revolutionized algorithm design, both for discrete and continuous optimization problems. For problems like maximum flow, maximum matching, and submodular function minimization, the fastest algorithms involve essential methods such as gradient descent, mirror descent, interior point methods, and ellipsoid methods. The goal of this self-contained book is to enable researchers and professionals in computer science, data science, and machine learning to gain an in-depth understanding of these algorithms. The text emphasizes how to derive key algorithms for convex optimization from first principles and how to establish precise running time bounds. This modern text explains the success of these algorithms in problems of discrete optimization, as well as how these methods have significantly pushed the state of the art of convex optimization itself.