cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Larkin Street Youth Services: Helping Kids Get Off the Street for Good (1982–2007)

Larkin Street Youth Services is a pioneering nonprofit organization that was established in 1981 to serve the growing urban homeless and runaway youth population. What began as a neighborhood effort has evolved into a $12 million organization over the course of its 25-year history. Larkin Street Youth Services delivers a continuum of services to homeless youth including counseling, housing, education, employment, and HIV services. The agency has received significant local and national attention for the success of its targeted program model and continuum of care services. The history of Larkin Street Youth Services provides an example of the important role of internal operations in an agency's ability to re-invent itself and respond to a larger community need.
Failure mechanisms in large-scale integrated circuits

A study was made of the factors affecting the reliability of large-scale integrated (LSI) circuits. Particular attention was given to the effect on array reliability of the additional processing steps required to obtain multilevel metalization. The additional significant steps are low temperature deposition of a second dielectric layer on metalized LSI wafers, etching of vias through the second dielectric, and second level metalization. Consideration was also given to the effect of other trends in LSI, such as the use of smaller geometry and closer spacings. Possible new failure modes in multilevel arrays are: 1) shorts or increased leakage through or along deposited second layer dielectrics, 2) opens or increased series resistance in conductors, and 3) silicon surface effects. A review of literature on LSI was supplemented by results of a number of concurrent LSI programs and experimental studies. Test vehicles were designed to provide fundamental information about each of the categories of failure. Data obtained using these test vehicles to evaluate the multilevel metalized array structures are presented. A discussion concerning the merits and limitations of the specially designed test vehicles for process development, process control, and reliability tests is given. It is concluded that with the proper in-process controls, tests and screens, LSI arrays will be substantially more reliable per function accomplished than are conventional integrated circuits.
Design of adaptive observer for plant under input disturbance and measurement noise

This paper discusses the adaptive observer design of an unknown plant under uncertain input disturbance and output measurement noise. The principal contribution is the design of two classes of adaptive law that render the signals of the overall system uniformly bounded and uniformly ultimately bounded. Their relative merits are also discussed.
Production and Characterization of β-Galactosidase from Streptococcus thermophilus

Crude β-galatosidase was produced by lysis of cells of Streptococcus thermophilus grown on deproteinized whey. The enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography to yield a preparation free of protease activity. Highest activity was observed at pH 7.1, in the presence of potassium and manganese ions. Both monovalent and divalent cations were required for maximum activity but not for stability. The Km for o-nitrophenyl-β-galactopyranoside and lactose was 0.98 mM and 6.9 mM, respectively. Galactose was a competitive inhibitor with Ki of 60 mM. Gel-filtration indicated a molecular weight of 530,000. The enzyme seems well suited to hydrolysis of lactose in milk.
Microstructure and Electrical Characteristics of Plasma Sprayed Thick Film Mn-Co-Ni Oxide Thermistor

Mn-Co-Ni-O spinel, owing to its large temperature dependant resistivity, is an attractive ternary system for negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor applications, particularly in oxygen rich environments. This research explores the potential of plasma spray as a method for the fabrication of thick film Mn-Co-Ni-O thermistors. Nanostructured Mn-Co-Ni-O spinel powders were synthesized by gel combustion method and were air-plasma-sprayed on to alumina substrates. The as-sprayed deposit formed a rocksalt structure rather than a cubic spinel structure. Annealing in air at 600°C for 3 hours resulted in transformation to the spinel structure while higher temperature annealing resulted in phase separation of rocksalt phase at 1250°C and recombination into spinel monophase at 1350°C. Temperature dependent measurement of resistivity showed -4 to -1% temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) from room temperature to 250oC with high reproducibility, making the low temperature annealed coating suitable in thermistor applications.
Thermoviscoplastic response of hypersonic leading edge structures subjected to intense local heating

A hypersonic leading edge structure subjected to intense localized transient heating is modeled using the finite element method and a three-dimensional assembly of CST-DKT plate elements in the shape of a half cylinder and incorporates the large deflection uon Karman assumptions. The thermoviscoplastic material behavior is characterized by the Bodner-Partom constitutive model. This article compares the results of a dynamic structural analysis with a quasi-static structural analysis using a representative transient temperature field similar to that which may be encountered with shock-shock interference on a hypersonic leading edge structure.
The Rhetoric of Dilemma and Cavafean Ambiguity

In his article "The Rhetoric of Dilemma and Cavafean Ambiguity" Anthony Dracopoulos examines the techniques of expression developed in Cavafy's poem "Young men of Sidon." By the beginning of the twentieth century, Cavafy, like other modernist poets, had become acutely aware of the human inability to grasp essence in its entirety and developed various techniques of expression to accommodate the polyphony of perspectives and the ambiguity inherent in modern society. The article argues that Cavafy structures a number of his poems in the form of binary oppositions or dilemmas. However, contrary to expectation, this form of expression does not aim to privilege one side over the other but rather, to engage the reader in a journey for the search of meaning. His poems inhabit an in-between zone and the resultant ambiguity constructs a topography that remains suspended to attempts at resolution and reduction. Anthony Dracopoulos, "The Rhetoric of Dilemma and Cavafean Ambiguity" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 12.4 (2010): Thematic Issue Ambiguity in Culture and Literature. Ed. Paolo Bartoloni and Anthony Stephens
Network design and flow problems with cross-arc costs

Network design and flow problems appear in a wide variety of transportation applications. We consider a new variation to this important class of problems, in which the cost associated with an arc depends not only on the amount of flow moving across that arc, but on the amount of flow on other arcs in the network as well. We formulate an integer program to address this problem, discuss a real-world application in which cross-arc costs are found, and conduct computational experiments on a broad class of problems to analyze how the model performs as network characteristics vary.
A meso measure? Examination of the levels of analysis of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)☆

Abstract Critical review of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Form 5X (MLQ5X), reveals serious problems related to specification of the theoretical level of analysis at which it measures its underlying constructs. Data from two separate samples indicate that items of the commonly used MLQ5X are ambiguous with respect to level of analysis. It appears unclear in many instances whether the items reflect individual, group, or organizational referents. Based upon our analyses and the literature, we present specific propositions concerning the level(s) at which each MLQ5X dimension appears most appropriately conceptualized and measured, along with suggestions for future research and revision of the MLQ5X.
Information Science Research: The Search for the Nature of Information.

High-level scientific research in the information sciences is illustrated by a sample of recent discoveries involving the design of information-processing algorithms, bibliometric scaling, and flows of information in biological systems and in countries. It is pointed out that when the concept of information first assumed an independent identity, the only known information processing systems were biological; now, after four decades of vigorous development of electronic information systems, the search for the essential nature of information is focussing again on biological systems and on sociotechnological systems as well.
The effects of alcohol outcome expectancy on a carbon-dioxide challenge in patients with panic disorder

This study examined the effects of alcohol outcome expectancy on panic symptoms, subjective anxiety, and heart rate after a 35% carbon dioxide panic challenge in patients with panic disorder after consuming either an alcoholic or placebo beverage. Competing predictors of challenge response included beverage group and anxiety sensitivity. We found that alcohol outcome expectancies predicted severity of self-reported panic symptoms after the challenge, while controlling for alcohol and anxiety sensitivity; participants with greater positive expectancies reported fewer panic symptoms. In addition, participants who drank alcohol reported less subjective anxiety after the challenge, and self-reported anxiety prior to the challenge mediated this relationship; individuals with greater anticipatory anxiety reported greater anxiety after the challenge. Anxiety sensitivity did not predict challenge response. The results suggest that individual differences in alcohol outcome expectancies, as well as pharmacological effects of alcohol use, influence the experience of panic in patients with panic disorder.
Risks and returns from soil conservation: evidence from low-income farms in the Philippines

Abstract This paper examines risks and returns associated with soil conservation on hillside farms in the Philippines. Stochastic efficiency analysis is combined with a heteroskedastic regression model to assess the impacts of contour hedgerows on low-income corn farms. Regression analysis indicates that, over time, contour hedgerows can improve yields up to 15% compared with conventional practices. The analysis also provides weak support for a hypothesis that hedgerows are variance reducing. However, results show that the reduction in yield variability afforded by hedgerows is modest, and that yield variability may increase by as much as 5% as hedgerow intensity rises. Tests for stochastic dominance show that, compared with the conventional tillage system, hedgerows do not constitute an unambiguously dominant production strategy. Stochastic efficiency with respect to a function is used to identify a range for the coefficient of relative risk aversion within which hedgerows dominate conventional tillage. Results suggest this range would be rather high; hedgerows dominate the conventional cropping strategy only for decision-makers with relative risk aversion coefficients in the range 3–5.5. Implications for soil conservation adoption in low-income settings are discussed.
Host-controlled variation in NDV.

Abstract Newcastle disease virus grown in embryonic chicken fibroblasts (Fb-V) differed significantly from chorioallantoic membrane-grown virus (CAM-V) in its sensitivity to inactivation by heat, acid, and ultraviolet irradiation. Alteration of CAM-V to Fb-V, and reversion of Fb-V to CAM-V, occurred under conditions of normal yield in a single growth cycle. The selection of pre-existing mutants in the two populations was excluded. Medium or lysate components, as well as the mode of tissue culture growth, did not contribute to the modification. It is suggested that the host-induced characteristics of the virus may be due to inclusion of materials in the virus particle which are host specific.
EFFICIENT ALGORITHMS FOR DEGENERATE PRIMER SEARCH

Degenerate primers are used to amplify a given set of genomic sequences using a technique called Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (MP-PCR). The problem of minimizing the number of degenerate primers required to amplify a given set of DNA sequences, also known as the Degenerate Primer Design Problem (DPDP), has been extensively studied in the literature and proven to be NP-Complete. In this paper we present efficient algorithms for solving DPDP. For example, one of the algorithms we give in this paper is iterative and has a runtime of O(b|Σ|log|Σ|dn2mp) to select a set of p degenerate primers, each of given length l and degeneracy at most d, for n sequences each of length m in the input, the number of candidates retained in each iteration being b. Σ is the alphabet of the input strings. This is an improvement over the runtime of the best known prior algorithm, MIPS by Souvenir et al. [15], which has a runtime of O(bn3mp). We provide an experimental comparison of MIPS and our algorithms.
Tunneling Cracks in Constrained Layers

A thin, brittle layer bonded between tougher substrates is susceptible to cracking under residual and applied stresses. Such a crack initiates from an equi-axed flaw, confined by the substrates, tunneling in the brittle layer. Although tunneling is a three-dimensional process, the energy release rate at the front of a steady-state tunnel can be computed using plane strain fields. Several technically important problems are analyzed, including tunnels in adhesive joints, shear fracture, and kinked tunnels in a reaction product layer. The concept is finally applied to microcracking in brittle matrix composites caused by thermal expansion mismatch.
Stimulated Raman emission at 9.2 μm from hydrogen gas

Abstract Light at 1.06 μm from a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser has been successfully down-converted by two vibrational stimulated Raman shifts in H2 gas. Approximately 1 MW of power was produced at second-Stokes wavelength, 9.20 μm. Many other rational and vibrational shifts were observed, up to the seventh anti-Stokes at 260 nm.
Functional diversity of GABA activated Cl− currents in Purkinje versus granule neurons in rat cerebellar slices

Abstract In rat cerebellar slices, we compared whole-cell recordings of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) with Cl − currents resulting from pulses of GABA (1 mM, − currents decaying largely with a fast component, but often followed by a slower exponential. GABA concentration steps produced rapidly desensitizing currents in patches from both cerebellar neurons. In distinct cerebellar neurons, specific functional properties of GABA A receptors may relate to the presence of distinct receptor subtypes.
Orbital trapdoor fractures

Orbital trapdoor fractures are commonly encountered in children. Awareness of trapdoor fractures is of particular importance. This is because early recognition and treatment are necessary to prevent permanent motility abnormities. In this article, we will provide a brief overview of orbital fractures. The clinical and radiographic features of trapdoor fractures will then be reviewed, followed by a discussion on their proper management.
SHORT RANGE RESONATING VALENCE BOND THEORIES AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY

We consider the nature of superconductivity near a spin-liquid state with a large spin-excitation-gap. We argue that the quantum-dimer-model with holes is a good approximation in this limit. The insulator is shown to be exactly equivalent to compact quantum electrodynamics, and has a massive spectrum. The doped system is a superconductor with a low density phase characterized by tightly bound pairs and a high density phase with two weakly coupled condensates.
SU‐C‐WAB‐06: Deformable Registration of Post‐Implant MRI to Intra‐Operative Ultrasound Images for Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy Treatment Assessment

Purpose: Transrectal-ultrasound (TRUS) is the most common image modality used in permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPI), while MRI images can provide additional anatomical information. Our goals were to develop a novel method to register post-implant MRI to intra-operative ultrasound (US) images and demonstrate its potential usage for retrospective implant assessment. Methods: TRUS images of prostate and non-isocentric C-arm fluoroscopy (FL) images are captured intraoperatively right after implant. The reconstructed 3D seed cloud from FL images (seeds_FL) will be used as a bridge to register post MRI to US images. The Registration of Ultrasound and Fluoroscopy (RUF) images is done by an intensity-based point to volume algorithm. The day-one post CT and T2-MRI images are co-registered and the 3D seed cloud is segmented from CT (seeds_CT). The iterative-closest-point algorithm is used to compute rigid transformation between seeds_FL and seed_CT. MRI can be transferred to FL coordinate using registration of two seed clouds and then to US coordinate using RUF registration. A thin-plate-spline algorithm is used to deform the MRI contours and images according to deformation of two seed clouds. To demonstrate this registration method, post MRI images from ten patients were registered to US images. The prostate contours were compared between post US and MRI. The planning needle interferences with critical structure like neurovascular bundles (NVB) were investigated. Results: After registration, center of mass of both prostate and urethra were within 3mm between two contour sets. The anterior boundaries of prostate were often overestimated in post US contours. When planning needles were superimposed over contours, there were about 3–4 needles passing through or in close vicinity of NVB in all patients. Conclusion: A novel method to register post-implant MRI to intra-operative US images was developed and demonstrated in evaluating accuracy of intra-operative US contours and accessing needle passages to NVB during PPI.
Differences in paracingulate connectivity associated with epileptiform discharges and uncontrolled seizures in genetic generalized epilepsy

Summary Objective Patients with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) frequently continue to have seizures despite appropriate clinical management. GGE is associated with changes in the resting-state networks modulated by clinical factors such as duration of disease and response to treatment. However, the effect of generalized spike and wave discharges (GSWDs) and/or seizures on resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is not well understood. Methods We investigated the effects of GSWD frequency (in GGE patients), GGE (patients vs. healthy controls), and seizures (uncontrolled vs. controlled) on RSFC using seed-based voxel correlation in simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (EEG/fMRI) data from 72 GGE patients (23 with uncontrolled seizures) and 38 healthy controls. We used seeds in paracingulate cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, and posterior cingulate cortex to examine changes in cortical-subcortical resting-state networks and the default mode network (DMN). We excluded from analyses time points surrounding GSWDs to avoid possible contamination of the resting state. Results (1) Higher frequency of GSWDs was associated with an increase in seed-based voxel correlation with cortical and subcortical brain regions associated with executive function, attention, and the DMN; (2) RSFC in patients with GGE, when compared to healthy controls, was increased between paracingulate cortex and anterior, but not posterior, thalamus; and (3) GGE patients with uncontrolled seizures exhibited decreased cerebellar RSFC. Significance Our findings in this large sample of patients with GGE (1) demonstrate an effect of interictal GSWDs on resting-state networks, (2) provide evidence that different thalamic nuclei may be affected differently by GGE, and (3) suggest that cerebellum is a modulator of ictogenic circuits.
Nanofibers as carrier systems for antimicrobial microemulsions. Part I: fabrication and characterization.

Antimicrobial nanofibers were prepared by solubilizing an antimicrobial essential oil (eugenol; 0.75−1.5 wt %) in surfactant micelles (Surfynol 465; 5−10 wt %) to form eugenol-containing microemuls...
Pulsatile aspects of coronary sinus blood flow in closed-chest dogs

Abstract Phasic aspects of the velocity of coronary sinus blood flow were studied in closed-chest dogs by means of an electromagnetic flow measuring device located at the tip of a cardiac catheter. In agreement with observations in open-chest dogs, it was noted that flow was predominantly systolic, and the wave form was characterized by marked variability. Peak flow velocity occurred at various phases of systole. Small presystolic reversals of coronary sinus flow seemed to occur occasionally in some dogs. Cyclic respiratory changes of coronary sinus blood velocity were not infrequently observed. This study demonstrates a suitable method for the measurement of the velocity of flow within the coronary sinus of closed-chest animals, and perhaps, more importantly, demonstrates a method potentially applicable to human subjects.
Electron transfer and energy transfer reactions in photoexcited a-nonathiophene/C60 films and solutions

Abstract Photoexcitation of a nonathiophene in film or solution across the π-π* energy gap produces a metastable triplet state. In the presence of C60, on the other hand, an ultra fast electron transfer from the photoexcited nonathiophene onto C60 is observed in films, whereas in solution C60 is involved in an efficient energy transfer reaction with the triplet-state nonathiophene.
1400 - 1480 nm ridge-waveguide pump lasers with 1 watt CW output power for EDFA and Raman amplification

High power ridge-waveguide (RWG) lasers with emission wavelengths from 1400 to 1480 nm have been developed to meet the demands of high channel density EDFA and Raman amplification systems. Output power levels as high as 1 watt from the RWG device can be effectively coupled to single-mode optical fiber producing ex-fiber powers as high as 710 mW.
Towards systematic and accurate environment selection for emerging cloud applications

As cloud computing is gaining popularity, many application owners are migrating their applications into the cloud. However, because of the diversity of the cloud environments and the complexity of the modern applications, it is very challenging to find out which cloud environment is best fitted for one’s application. In this dissertation, we design and build systems to help application owners select the most suitable cloud environments for their applications. The first part of this thesis focuses on how to compare the general fitness of the cloud environments. We present CloudCmp, a novel comparator of public cloud providers. CloudCmp measures the elastic computing, persistent storage, and networking services offered by a cloud along metrics that directly reflect their impact on the performance of customer applications. CloudCmp strives to ensure fairness, representativeness, and compliance of these measurements while limiting measurement cost. Applying CloudCmp to four cloud providers that together account for most of the cloud customers today, we find that their offered services vary widely in performance and costs, underscoring the need for thoughtful cloud environment selection. From case studies on three representative cloud applications, we show that CloudCmp can guide customers in selecting the best-performing provider for their applications. The second part focuses on how to let customers compare cloud environments in the context of their own applications. We describe CloudProphet, a novel system that can accurately estimate an application’s performance inside a candidate cloud environment without the need of migration. CloudProphet generates highly portable shadow programs iv to mimic the behavior of a real application, and deploys them inside the cloud to estimate the application’s performance. We use the trace-and-replay technique to automatically generate high-fidelity shadows, and leverage the popular dispatcher-worker pattern to accurately extract and enforce the inter-component dependencies. Our evaluation in three popular cloud platforms shows that CloudProphet can help customers pick the best-performing cloud environment, and can also accurately estimate the performance of a variety of applications.
Market Uncertainty: Correlated and Sunspot Equilibria in Imperfectly Competitive Economies

First version received June 1988; final version accepted November 1990 (Eds.) An imperfectly competitive economy is very prone to market uncertainty, including uncertainty about the liquidity (or "thickness") of markets. We show, in particular, that there exist stochastic equilibrium outcomes in nonstochastic market games if (and only if) the endowments are not Pareto optimal. We also provide a link between extrinsic uncertainty arising in games (e.g. correlated equilibria) and extrinsic uncertainty in market economies (e.g. sunspot equilibria). A correlated equilibria to the market game is either a sunspot equilibrium or a non-sunspot equilibrium to the related securities games, but the converse is not true in general.
Uptake of Dissolved Organic Carbon by Gammaproteobacterial Subgroups in Coastal Waters of the West Antarctic Peninsula

ABSTRACT Heterotrophic bacteria are well known to be key players in the turnover of dissolved organic material (DOM) in the oceans, but the relationship between DOM uptake and bacterial clades is still not well understood. Here we explore the turnover and single-cell use of glucose, an amino acid mixture, N -acetylglucosamine (NAG), and protein by gammaproteobacterial clades in coastal waters of the West Antarctic Peninsula in summer and fall. More than 60% of the cells within two closely related gammaproteobacterial clades, Ant4D3 and Arctic96B-16, were active in using the amino acid mixture, protein, and NAG. In contrast, an average of only 7% of all SAR86 cells used amino acids and protein even in summer when DOM use was high. In addition to DOM uptake within a group, we explored the contribution of the three gammaproteobacterial groups to total community uptake of a compound. SAR86 contributed 5- to 10-fold less than the other gammaproteobacterial subgroups to the uptake of all compounds. We found that the overall contribution of the Ant4D3 clade to DOM uptake was highest, whereas the SAR86 clade contributed the least to DOM turnover in West Antarctic Peninsula waters. Our results suggest that the low growth activity of a bacterial clade leads to low abundance, fewer active cells and a low contribution to the turnover of DOM components.
Errors, Reversals, and Questionable Dental Caries Diagnoses Based on a Longitudinal Study in Children

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUAERRORES, REVERSIONES, E QUESTIONABILE DIAGNOSES DE CARIE DENTAL A BASE DE UN STUDIO LONGITUDINAL IN JUVENILES.—Errores diagnostic, reversiones del diagnose, e diagnoses de character questionabile esseva tabulate pro 588 scholares de internatos pro indianos american a base de serial examines oral effectuate in le curso de un periodo de 4 annos. Esseva trovate nulle predicibile configurationes de occurrentia del mentionate variabiles in relation al etate, al sexo, al schola, o al gruppo de studio, excepte post standardisationes del numeros de subjectos, del numeros de dentes erupite, e del numeros de dentes decadite, absente, e replenate. Le numero de diagnoses questionabile declinava in subsequente examines e pareva esser relationate al precoce recognition e al subsequente resolution ad in carie dental. Reversiones e errores de diagnose non afficeva significativemente le resultatos de un controlate essayo clinic sed deberea esser reportate con le datos final.
Visualizing fewer than 10 mouse T cells with an enhanced firefly luciferase in immunocompetent mouse models of cancer

Abstract Antigen specific T cell migration to sites of infection or cancer is critical for an effective immune response. In mouse models of cancer, the number of lymphocytes reaching the tumor is typically only a few hundred, yet technology capable of imaging these cells using bioluminescence has yet to be achieved. A combination of codon optimization, removal of cryptic splice sites and retroviral modification was used to engineer an enhanced firefly luciferase (ffLuc) vector. Compared with ffLuc, T cells expressing our construct generated >100 times more light, permitting detection of as few as three cells implanted s.c. while maintaining long term coexpression of a reporter gene (Thy1.1). Expression of enhanced ffLuc in mouse T cells permitted the tracking of <3 × 104 adoptively transferred T cells infiltrating sites of vaccination and preestablished tumors. Penetration of light through deep tissues, including the liver and spleen, was also observed. Finally, we were able to enumerate infiltrating mouse lymphocytes constituting <0.3% of total tumor cellularity, representing a significant improvement over standard methods of quantitation including flow cytometry. bioluminescence immunology molecular biology
A Delayed Return to Historical Norms: Congressional Party Polarization after the Second World War

Although a rich body of research has explored the sources of party polarization in the US House of Representatives, it has focused primarily on the House since the late 1970s. Drawing on a dataset of historical election outcomes, legislative voting and survey data, this article takes an alternative approach that examines both the US Senate and the House in their broader historical contexts. It is argued that the unusually bipartisan era of the 1950s created a set of circumstances that enabled congressional parties to remain relatively unpolarized throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Although the national parties became more ideologically distinct in the mid-1960s, congressional parties lagged behind. As a result, a group of moderate legislators emerged who were cross-pressured between their national parties and their constituencies. Only when natural patterns of electoral loss and retirement replaced these legislators did congressional party polarization re-emerge.
Ascorbic acid content of frozen and canned fruits before and after preparation for quantity serving.

The present study was undertaken to compare the ascorbic acid content of canned and frozen fruits before and after preparation for quantity use.
Mesenchymal cell survival in airway and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis

Fibrotic reactions in the airways of the lung or the pulmonary interstitium are a common pathologic outcome after exposure to a wide variety of toxic agents, including metals, particles or fibers. The survival of mesenchymal cells (fibroblasts and myofibroblasts) is a key factor in determining whether a fibroproliferative response that occurs after toxic injury to the lung will ultimately resolve or progress to a pathologic state. Several polypeptide growth factors, including members of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) family and the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, are prosurvival factors that stimulate a replicative and migratory mesenchymal cell phenotype during the early stages of lung fibrogenesis. This replicative phenotype can progress to a matrix synthetic phenotype in the presence of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The resolution of a fibrotic response requires growth arrest and apoptosis of mesenchymal cells, whereas progressive chronic fibrosis has been associated with mesenchymal cell resistance to apoptosis. Mesenchymal cell survival or apoptosis is further influenced by cytokines secreted during Th1 inflammation (e.g., IFN-γ) or Th2 inflammation (e.g., IL-13) that modulate the expression of growth factor activity through the STAT family of transcription factors. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the survival or death of mesenchymal cells is central to ultimately developing therapeutic strategies for lung fibrosis.
Fluorescence measurement of benzene to cyclohexane conversion catalyzed by carbon nanotube-supported platinum nanoparticles

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-supported Pt nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.8 {plus minus} 0.7 nm are synthesized using water-in-hexane microemulsion as a template. The Pt nanoparticles are distributed evenly on the outside surface of every CNT and exhibit high catalytic activities for hydrogenation reactions including conversion of benzene to cyclohexane. The kinetics of the conversion of benzene to cyclohexane catalyzed by the CNT-supported Pt catalyst was studied by proton NMR and by fluorescence, which is a good way of monitoring the decrease of benzene concentration in the system. The catalytic hydrogenation process follows a zero order reaction with a rate constant of 1.16 × 10-3 mole/h for neat benzene and 3.58 x 10-3 mole/h for benzene dissolved in ethanol.
Balloon test occlusion in the setting of vessel sacrifice: procedural refinements and adjunct assessment measures.

he ability to efficiently occlude the carotid artery with an endovascular approach represents a technical advanceT ment in the treatment of select cerebrovascular and intracranial pathologies. The Amplatzer Vascular Plug II is an occlusion device that can decrease time and limit cost associated with these procedures. Clinical indications, patient selection criteria, and anatomic considerations are of significant importance in the planning of vessel sacrifice. Here we review the modern techniques of balloon test occlusion (BTO) with a focus on adjunct techniques to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of this test.
Hoxb1 neural crest preferentially form glia of the PNS.

The vertebrate cranial neural crest cells give rise to many complex derivatives of the head, neck, and face, including neuronal and glial cells that act in concert for proper development of the anterior-peripheral nervous system. Several genes have been implicated in the processes of neural crest specification, migration, and differentiation; among these are the hox gene clusters. To determine the fates of hox-expressing cranial neural crest, we describe the results of a genetic lineage analysis by using the Cre/loxP system to drive the activation of different ROSA26 reporter alleles under the regulation of the hoxb1 locus. By targeting the 3' untranslated region of the hoxb1 gene, we have preserved endogenous gene activity and have been able to accurately follow the fates of the cells derived from the hoxb1 expression domain. Emphasis was placed on identifying the cell and tissue types that arise from the rhombomere 4-derived neural crest. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to forming much of the cartilage, bones, and muscle of the ears and neck, a significant population of rhombomere 4-derived neural crest is fated to generate the glial component of the seventh cranial nerve.
A fluorescent, multiplex solid-phase minisequencing method for genotyping cytochrome P450 genes

Publisher Summary The specificity of the solid-phase minisequencing method originates from the fidelity of the nucleotide incorporation catalyzed by the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase, whereas the primer annealing reaction is performed at nonstringent conditions. This chapter describes the application of a multiplex, solid-phase minisequencing method for simultaneous detection of four polymorphisms (*3, *4, *5, *6) in CYP2D6 and *2 in 2C19 genes using fluorescently labeled ddNTPs. It should be noted that the CYP2D6*5 allele is a complete gene deletion. It also describes the principle of the multiplex minisequencing method and design and synthesis of primers. Also, a specific protocol for typing four polymorphisms in CYP2D6 and 2C19 genes is provided. All reagents and equipment required for the fluorescent, multiplex minisequencing method described here are available from common suppliers of molecular biological reagents. Therefore, the method is easy to set up both in the research laboratory and for routine analysis of previously known sequence variants. The procedure involves simple and robust treatment procedures. In particular, the manifold format of the minisequencing step, facilities handling procedures and interpretation of the results are simple. Furthermore, the method is highly flexible and mutant alleles may easily be added or subtracted to a given procedure as desired.
Basis set and correlation effects on computed positive ion hydrogen bond energies of the complexes AHn•AHn+1+1: AHn=NH3, OH2, and FH

Basis set expansion and correlation effects on computed hydrogen bond energies of the positive ion complexes AHn · AHn + 1+1, for AHn = NH3, OH2 and FH, have been evaluated. The addition of diffuse functions on nonhydrogen atoms is the single most important enhancement of split-valence plus polarization basis sets for computing hydrogen bond energies. Basis set enhancement effects appear to be additive in these systems. The correlation energy contribution to the stabilization energies of these complexes is significant, with the second order term being the largest term and having a stabilizing effect. The third order term is smaller and of opposite sign, while the fourth order term is smaller yet and stabilizing. As a result, computed MP4 stabilization energies are bracketed by the MP2 and MP3 energies. The overall effect of basis set enhancement is to decrease hydrogen bond energies, whereas the addition of electron correlation increases stabilization energies.
Composition of the Heme Centers in Chromaffin Granule Cytochrome b561

Electron paramagnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectra of cytochrome b(561) from chromaffin granule membranes indicated a 2:1 stoichiometry of high- and low-potential hemes. Recombinant bovine cytochrome b(561) expressed in a baculovirus system retained native spectroscopic characteristics and represents a promising model for further study.
Rural and Nonrural Differences in Providing Care for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions

To better understand the challenges faced by primary care providers in rural locations in providing care for children with complex chronic conditions (CCC), the authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of primary care providers (N = 132), including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, in community settings in 6 counties in northwest North Carolina. Pediatric practices were significantly less likely to be located in rural areas. Practices in rural areas were more likely to be small, with fewer staff members (odds ratio [OR] = 7) and providers (OR = 15) compared with practices in nonrural areas. Additionally, nonrural practices were 3 times as likely as rural practices to have a larger clientele of children with CCC. A majority of primary care providers (77%) reported difficulty caring for children with CCC. Strategies for supporting primary care providers are needed to enable them to provide care for the growing number of children with CCC.
Role of Bacteriocin Immunity Proteins in the Antimicrobial Sensitivity of Streptococcus mutans

Bacteria utilize quorum-sensing systems to modulate environmental stress responses. The quorum-sensing system of Streptococcus mutans is mediated by the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP), whose precursor is encoded by the comC gene. A comC mutant of strain GS5 exhibited enhanced antimicrobial sensitivity to a wide variety of different agents. Since the addition of exogenous CSP did not complement this phenotype, it was determined that the increased tetracycline, penicillin, and triclosan sensitivities resulted from repression of the putative bacteriocin immunity protein gene, bip, which is located immediately upstream from comC. We further demonstrated that the inactivation of bip or smbG, another bacteriocin immunity protein gene present within the smb operon in S. mutans GS5, affected sensitivity to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, both the bip and smbG genes were upregulated in the presence of low concentrations of antibiotics and were induced during biofilm formation relative to in planktonic cells. These results suggest, for the first time, that the antimicrobial sensitivity of a bacterium can be modulated by some of the putative bacteriocin immunity proteins expressed by the organism. The implications of these observations for the evolution of bacteriocin immunity protein genes as well as for potential new chemotherapeutic strategies are discussed.
Dimethylsulfide and major sulfur compounds in a stratified coastal salt pond

We conducted a diurnal study of gradients of dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and bacterial numbers in a stratified coastal salt pond (Salt Pond, Falmouth, Massachusetts). Microlayer samples were collected with a surface skimmer, a partially submerged rotating glass cylinder that allows the collection of a thin layer of water by adherence to the drum. All sulfur compounds and bacteria increased toward the water surface, with a diurnal signal in DMSP and DMSO. Fractionation of DMSP and DMSO in dissolved (d) and particulate (p) pools revealed that any trend in DMSP was due to the p fraction, and trends in DMSO originated from the d fraction. Photoeffects are important for the distribution of DMSPp and DMSOd. In Salt Pond, the production of DMSP is probably linked to photosynthesis, and photooxidation is of greater importance to the production of DMSO than is biological oxidation.
Preferential binding of peptides to graphene edges and planes.

Peptides identified from combinatorial peptide libraries have been shown to bind to a variety of abiotic surfaces. Biotic–abiotic interactions can be exploited to create hybrid materials with interesting electronic, optical, or catalytic properties. Here we show that peptides identified from a combinatorial phage display peptide library assemble preferentially to the edge or planar surface of graphene and can affect the electronic properties of graphene. Molecular dynamics simulations and experiments provide insight into the mechanism of peptide binding to the graphene edge.
“She Might be Afraid of Commitment”: Perceptions of Women Who Retain Their Surname After Marriage

The tradition of the wife adopting her husband’s surname continues to be widely endorsed within the U.S. and many other nations. The current research focuses on perceptions of heterosexual women who violate this tradition. Specifically, we examined how women who retain their surname are evaluated with respect to their marriage commitment and personality attributes. We also tested for sources of individual variation in these evaluations. Three studies were carried out with a total of 1201 undergraduates (912 women and 289 men) at two U.S. universities. Participants in Study 1 rated a woman who retained her surname as lower in marriage commitment than a woman who adopted her husband’s surname. They also allocated her a high proportion of agentic traits. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that both women and men high in social dominance orientation (SDO) were especially likely to rate a woman who retained her surname as lower in marriage commitment. Collectively, findings indicate that women who violate the marital surname tradition may encounter negative stereotypes about their marriage commitment and that these stereotypes may be particularly likely to originate from people with a preference for group-based inequality. Implications center on links between marriage traditions and broader patterns of gender inequality.
Context-Based Reputation Management for Service Composition and Reconfiguration

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) provides a framework for service composition and reconfiguration. In addition to making composition decisions by considering functional attributes, technology for composition by meeting non-functional requirements such as QoS is also needed. In this paper, we present an approach to compose business process by considering context-based service reputation. Since some services may perform well only at specific context, we may use context similarity to filter out those services that are not fit given a user's context. We present the design of a Context Manager which works as part of an SOA middleware to compose and reconfigure services. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our design.
Industry and C

After working as a post-doc at various universities, I – like many others – decided that the time had come to enter the commercial world. My initial foray was not terribly successful and I decided that working in software would be the best bet for my future. Unfortunately, my training in FORTRAN did not prove to be of much interest to employers.
What Do Data Librarians Think of the MLIS? Professionals’ Perceptions of Knowledge Transfer, Trends, and Challenges

There are existing studies on data curation programs in library science education and studies on data services in libraries. However, there is not much insight into how educational programs have prepared data professionals for practice. This study asked 105 practicing professionals how well they thought their education prepared them for professional experience. It also asked supervisors about their perceptions of how well employees performed. After analyzing the results, the investigators of this study found that changing the educational model may lead to improvements in future library data services.
SAFEGUARD: Progress and test results for a reliable independent on-board safety net for UAS

As demands increase to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for a broad spectrum of commercial applications, regulatory authorities are examining how to safely integrate them without compromising safety or disrupting traditional airspace operations. For small UAS, several operational rules have been established; e.g., do not operate beyond visual line-of-sight, do not fly within live miles of a commercial airport, do not fly above 400 ft above ground level. Enforcing these rules is challenging for UAS, as evidenced by the number of incident reports received by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This paper reviews the development of an onboard system — Safeguard — designed to monitor and enforce conformance to a set of operational rules defined prior to flight (e.g., geospatial stay-out or stay-in regions, speed limits, and altitude constraints). Unlike typical geofencing or geo-limitation functions, Safeguard operates independently of the off-the-shelf UAS autopilot and is designed in a way that can be realized by a small set of verifiable functions to simplify compliance with existing standards for safety-critical systems (e.g. for spacecraft and manned commercial transportation aircraft systems). A framework is described that decouples the system from any other devices on the UAS as well as introduces complementary positioning source(s) for applications that require integrity and availability beyond what can be provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS). This paper summarizes the progress and test results for Safeguard research and development since presentation of the design concept at the 35th DASC (2016). Significant accomplishments include completion of software verification and validation in accordance with NASA standards for spacecraft systems (to Class B), development of improved hardware prototypes, development of a simulation platform that allows for hardware-in-the-loop testing and fast-time Monte Carlo evaluations, and flight testing on multiple air vehicles. Integration testing with NASA's UAS Traffic Management (UTM) service-oriented architecture was also demonstrated.
Defining Fair Merge as a Colimit: Towards a Fixed-Point Theory for Indeterminate Dataflow

We define the action of the indeterminate dataflow primitive, fair merge, on infinite inputs as a limit. Fair merge is known to embody unbounded indeterminacy and is hence not continuous. Recent results about the expressiveness of indeterminate primitives shows that it is not even monotone in a suitable sense. Given this it is rather surprising that one can give a limiting description of fair merge. The key idea is to define fair merge in terms of the limit of a sequence of “tests”. The approach is suggested by an algebraic theory of distributed computing based on the notion of a bimonoid or bialgebra.