cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustainable supply chain design for consumer products

The goal of this research effort is to develop a methodology to design supply chains for the production of consumer products which are as inherently sustainable as possible, to identify areas of the supply chain where changes could improve the sustainability of it, and to prioritize the implementations of those changes in order to affect the most efficient improvements leading towards sustainability. This research effort will focus on evaluating the environmental performance/sustainability of a manufacturing process and its' supply chain and will be conducted in conjunction with an industrial company. An iterative approach to optimal selection of performance indicators and sustainability metrics for consumer product supply chains is proposed. First, the selected manufacturing process will be evaluated to select the performance indicators out of a larger set of indicators that should be applied to the process based on their uniqueness, validity, coverage and interpretability. Process design changes will be simulated using a sensitivity analysis of various process inputs and the design with optimal performance indicators will be identified. This design will be checked with the manufacturer to verify its feasibility and modified as necessary to fit with these constraints. Then the sustainability of the entire supply chain for the consumer product based on the selected manufacturing design will be evaluated both using a subset of performance indicators to analyze the additional industrial processes in the supply chain, and as a whole with a set of environmental impact indicators and sustainability metrics for complex systems. Data on supply chains will be managed and evaluated with life cycle assessment tools along with other tools developed for managing complex supply chain data. In a similar procedure developed at the process level, the sustainability metrics will be selected based on their uniqueness, validity, coverage and interpretability. Ultimately a set of refined indicators and metrics and the tools used to apply them to supply chains will be released in the form of a consumer product supply chain design tool.
Continuous fiber-reinforced titanium aluminide composites

Recent work on a lightweight, elevated-temperature intermetallic-matrix composite (SCS-6 SiC/α2 Ti-14Al-21Nb), including investigations of fabrication techniques, microstructural characteristics and mechanical behavior, indicates that the material appears promising for a number of demanding applications. If successfully implemented, this material, or a derivative, will provide substantial weight savings in aerospace systems. To realize this potential, major challenges must be conquered—low-temperature ductility and environmental resistance must be improved, and the cost must be brought to competitive levels.
Exact solutions for matter enhanced neutrino oscillations

The analogy between supersymmetric quantum mechanics and matter-enhanced neutrino oscillations is exploited to obtain exact solutions for a class of electron density profiles. This integrability condition is analogous to shape invariance in supersymmetric quantum mechanics. This method seems to be the most direct way to obtain the exact survival probabilities for a number of density profiles of interest, such as linear and exponential density profiles. The resulting neutrino amplitudes can also be utilized as comparison amplitudes for the uniform semiclassical treatment of neutrino propagation in arbitrary electron density profiles.
Gastric Epithelial Stem Cells

Advances in our understanding of stem cells in the gastrointestinal tract include the identification of molecular markers of stem and early progenitor cells in the small intestine. Although gastric epithelial stem cells have been localized, little is known about their molecular biology. Recent reports describe the use of inducible Cre recombinase activity to indelibly label candidate stem cells and their progeny in the distal stomach, (ie, the antrum and pylorus). No such lineage labeling of epithelial stem cells has been reported in the gastric body (corpus). Among stem cells in the alimentary canal, those of the adult corpus are unique in that they lie close to the lumen and increase proliferation following loss of a single mature progeny lineage, the acid-secreting parietal cell. They are also unique in that they neither depend on Wnt signaling nor express the surface marker Lgr5. Because pathogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma has been associated with abnormal patterns of gastric differentiation and with chronic tissue injury, there has been much research on the response of stomach epithelial stem cells to inflammation. Chronic inflammation, as induced by infection with Helicobacter pylori, affects differentiation and promotes metaplasias. Several studies have identified cellular and molecular mechanisms in spasmolytic polypeptide–expressing (pseudopyloric) metaplasia. Researchers have also begun to identify signaling pathways and events that take place during embryonic development that eventually establish the adult stem cells to maintain the specific features and functions of the stomach mucosa. We review the cytologic, molecular, functional, and developmental properties of gastric epithelial stem cells.
Long-circulating blood pool imaging agents

Abstract Two generally accepted methods are currently in use to ensure to prolong the circulation of imaging agents in an effort to make them suitable for blood pool (vascular) imaging. The first method uses in vivo or ex vivo labeling of blood cells or plasma components with diagnostic labels. The second method employs synthetic (covalently modified) macromolecules, colloids and/or liposomes capable of carrying diagnostic labels. Current blood pool imaging technologies where both methods may be successfully applied include mainly MR, CT and scintigraphy. Medical applications for the use of vascular imaging include cardiovascular disease (stenosis, aneurysm, atherosclerosis, trauma), abnormal capillary permeability (cancer detection, inflammation) and tumor neovascularity (metastatic potential). However, only selected agents are expected to have the potential of being useful for a variety of potential blood pool imaging tasks. We describe here a novel class of grafted macromolecular agents (methoxy poly(ethylene)glycol-succinyl-(N-e-poly( l -lysy 1) diethylene) pentaacetamide (MPEG-PL-DTPA)) that fulfills the prerequisites of long blood half-life, exclusive intravascular distribution and low immunogenicity/toxicity. We report physico-chemical and biological properties of these agents as well as their major applications in radiology.
Microcystin in Missouri reservoirs

Abstract During summers (May–Aug) 2004–2006, 177 Missouri reservoirs were sampled monthly at open pelagic locations to assess regional patterns in microcystin concentration, frequency of occurrence over successive summer seasons and relations with environmental factors. Microcystin was detected in 58% of Missouri reservoirs and 23% of samples (n = 1402). Total microcystin concentrations, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ranged from ≤ 0.1 to 21 μg/L. Concentrations ≥ 1 μg/L were detected in 10% of reservoirs and exceeded the human health concern limit of 20 μg/L once in a single sample. Microcystin occurred throughout summer, with maximum concentrations in individual reservoirs observed in each month. Occurrence was consistent across years, with about one-half of Missouri reservoirs having detectable microcystin each summer. Eleven reservoirs with microcystin maxima ≥1 μg/L were sampled multiple seasons; of these, 8 had detectable microcystin each summer, which indicates that short-term surve...
A 7-turn multi-step quadrifilar helix antenna providing high phase center stability and low angle multipath rejection for GPS applications

A 7-turn, multi-step quadrifilar helix antenna is presented that is designed to provide wide angle, hemispheric coverage, while at the same time exhibiting very sharp pattern roll-off near the horizon to enhance multipath signal rejection. Providing near uniform pattern coverage over the entire upper hemisphere, the antenna exhibits a very stable phase center location as a function of observation angle. The quadrifilar helix antenna design presented was developed to a preliminary prototype stage in 1996 as part of an early proposal effort to support the development of the GPS wide area augmentation system (WAAS). Both simulated and measured results are presented. Additionally, some of the practical considerations associated with developing this type of antenna are discussed.
Cytoreduction of Diaphragmatic Metastases Using the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator

Abstract The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator was used to reduce the volume of diaphragmatic metastases in 33 patients. Thirty patients had epithelial carcinoma of the ovary and one each had tubal adenocarcinoma, papillary peritoneal tumor, and mesothelioma. Twenty-seven patients had Stage IIIC disease, and six had Stage IV. Initially, 13 patients had diaphragmatic disease greater than 15 mm diameter (of any single nodule), and 2 had disease 6–15 mm diameter. After cytoreduction using standard means, 11 patients had disease greater than 15 mm diameter and 2 patients had disease from 6 to 15 mm in greatest diameter. After using the Cavitron, 1 patient had no gross diaphragmatic residual disease, and 30 patients had disease 1–5 mm diameter. No complication resulted from the cytoreduction of diaphragm disease using the Cavitron. The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator is invaluable to obtain minimal residual disease of diaphragmatic metastases.
Correlation of binary interaction energies for polymer repeat unit pairs via connectivity indices

Abstract Departures from the geometric mean assumption for the interaction energy between unlike polymer repeat unit pairs i/j computed from experimental data, were correlated with the molecular connectivity indices for the repeat units. The effects of various factors on the correlation results were investigated. A better correlation is obtained when terms involving the solubility parameters for the repeat units are included. This empirical scheme provides a viable way to predict interaction energies, and, thus, blend phase behavior and interfacial parameters. The limitations of this scheme and possible ways to improve the correlation are discussed.
Using pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR to analyze microbial communities

New high-throughput technologies continue to emerge for studying complex microbial communities. In particular, massively parallel pyrosequencing enables very high numbers of sequences, providing a more complete view of community structures and a more accurate inference of the functions than has been possible just a few years ago. In parallel, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) allows quantitative monitoring of specific community members over time, space, or different environmental conditions. In this review, the principles of these two methods and their complementary applications in studying microbial ecology in bioenvironmental systems are discussed. The parallel sequencing of amplicon libraries and using barcodes to differentiate multiple samples in a pyrosequencing run are explained. The best procedures and chemistries for QPCR amplifications are also described and advantages of applying automation to increase accuracy are addressed. Three examples in which pyrosequencing and QPCR were used together to define and quantify members of microbial communities are provided: in the human large intestine, in a methanogenic digester whose sludge was made more bioavailable by a high-voltage pretreatment, and on the biofilm anode of a microbial electrolytic cell. The key findings in these systems and how both methods were used in concert to achieve those findings are highlighted.
Teaching Quantitative Literacy through a Regression Analysis of Exam Performance

Quantitative literacy is increasingly essential for both informed citizenship and a variety of careers. Though regression is one of the most common methods in quantitative sociology, it is rarely t...
Resistance to Antimicrobial Drugs—A Worldwide Calamity

The introduction of penicillin 50 years ago was followed by an extraordinary period of discovery, exuberant use, and predictable obsolescence. Resistant bacterial strains have emerged and have spread throughout the world because of the remarkable genetic plasticity of the microorganisms, heavy selective pressures of use, and the mobility of the world population. New and more expensive drugs have appeared almost in the nick of time, but it is doubtful that they will keep pace. The problem of resistance to antimicrobial drugs is particularly troublesome in developing countries. The underlying problems are largely economic and societal, and no ready solutions are available. An urgent need exists for more appropriate selection and use of antimicrobial drugs in the developed as well as in developing countries. The focus in developing countries should be on the availability of safe and effective drugs and on the enforcement of more responsible national drug policies. These issues must be addressed by the collective action of governments, the pharmaceutical industry, health care providers, and consumers. The developed countries have an important stake in the ways in which antibiotics are used in developing countries because resistant microorganisms do not recognize national boundaries.
Altered spherules of impact melt and associated relic glass from the K/T boundary sediments in Haiti

Partially to wholly altered glass spherules produced by impact-induced shock melting have been found in the K/T boundary sediments of Haiti which also contain grains of shocked quartz. The relic glass has an approximately dacitic composition, and although grossly similar in composition to most previously described tektite glasses, it is slightly enriched in Ca and slightly depleted in Si, suggesting the Haitian glass was produced either from a target with a greater fraction of carbonate and anhydrite lithologies and fewer silicate units than the targets from which most other tektites were produced, and/or from one with a significant mafic component. The composition of the glass can best be reconciled with a continental margin terrane, consistent with studies of shocked mineral phases reported elsewhere. The thickness of the deposit in which the impact spherules occur indicates the source of the ejecta was in the proto-Caribbean region.
Bank Ownership and Lending Patterns in New York and Pennsylvania, 1781–1831

Unlike most contemporary New England banks, early commercial banks of the Middle Atlantic region were widely owned and frequently traded corporations. They lent to a broad segment of the business community, including artisans, farmers, and women. Banks lent widely, first, because their large capitalization made it difficult for a few privileged insiders to control a substantial percentage of loanable funds and, second, because banks were able to acquire reliable credit information on a variety of customers in an efficient manner. As a result, small enterprises had access to bank credit.
Haemodynamic changes and circulating histamine concentrations following protamine administration to patients and dogs

Haemodynamic changes and the circulating concentrations of histamine associated with the intravenous infusion of protamine were measured in six adult patients undergoing elective aortocoronary bypass graft. surgery and twelve halothane-anuesthetized dogs. Administration of protamine (4.7 mg-kg-1) over five minutes to patients at the conclusion of cardiopulmonary bypass did not produce haemodynamic changes or alterations in the arterial or mixed venous concentrations of histamine, Likewise, the administration of protamine (4.5 mg-kg~’) over five minutes to six dogs produced no haemodynamic changes or alterations in the arterial concentrations of histamine. Conversely, administration of protamine (4.5 tng-kg-1) as a rapid intravenous injection to six other dogs produced a decrease (about 30 per cent below control) in systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure (p < 0.05) at 2.5 minutes following the injection. These decreases in blood pressure were paralleled by increases in the arterial concentration of hi stamine from 295 ± 71 pg.(mean ± SD) before protamine to 860 ±6 465 pg.(p < 0.05)2.5 minutes after protamine. Haemo-dynamic changes and the arterial concentration of histamine were not different from control five minutes after protamine administration.
Mesoscale Simulation of Blood Flow in Small Vessels

Computational modeling of blood flow in microvessels with internal diameter 20-500 microm is a major challenge. It is because blood in such vessels behaves as a multiphase suspension of deformable particles. A continuum model of blood is not adequate if the motion of individual red blood cells in the suspension is of interest. At the same time, multiple cells, often a few thousands in number, must also be considered to account for cell-cell hydrodynamic interaction. Moreover, the red blood cells (RBCs) are highly deformable. Deformation of the cells must also be considered in the model, as it is a major determinant of many physiologically significant phenomena, such as formation of a cell-free layer, and the Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect. In this article, we present two-dimensional computational simulation of blood flow in vessels of size 20-300 microm at discharge hematocrit of 10-60%, taking into consideration the particulate nature of blood and cell deformation. The numerical model is based on the immersed boundary method, and the red blood cells are modeled as liquid capsules. A large RBC population comprising of as many as 2500 cells are simulated. Migration of the cells normal to the wall of the vessel and the formation of the cell-free layer are studied. Results on the trajectory and velocity traces of the RBCs, and their fluctuations are presented. Also presented are the results on the plug-flow velocity profile of blood, the apparent viscosity, and the Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect. The numerical results also allow us to investigate the variation of apparent blood viscosity along the cross-section of a vessel. The computational results are compared with the experimental results. To the best of our knowledge, this article presents the first simulation to simultaneously consider a large ensemble of red blood cells and the cell deformation.
Inherited somatic mosaicism caused by an intracisternal A particle insertion in the mouse tyrosinase gene

A recessive, fully penetrant mutation (cm1OR) at the mouse albino locus that results in coat-color mottling has been characterized at the molecular level. Restriction mapping and DNA sequencing analyses provide evidence that mutants carry a 5.4-kb intracisternal A particle (IAP) element insertion upstream of the tyrosinase (Tyr) promoter. Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription–PCR results show that the tyrosinase gene is expressed at much lower levels in mutant than in wild-type mice. The mutant Tyr gene still retains the tissue-specific expression pattern, and the Tyr transcript is not initiated from the IAP long terminal repeat promoter. We propose that the IAP insertion isolates the promoter of the tyrosinase gene from upstream cis-acting regulatory elements, leading to a substantially decreased level of Tyr gene expression in mutants.
The dark side of the universe: From Zwicky to accelerated expansion

Abstract More than 60 years ago Zwicky made the case that the great clusters of galaxies are held together by the gravitational force of unseen (dark) matter. Today, the case is stronger and more precise: dark, nonbaryonic matter accounts for 30±7% of the critical mass density, with baryons (most of which are dark) contributing only 4.5±1% of the critical density. The large-scale structure that exists in the universe indicates that the bulk of the nonbaryonic dark matter must be cold (slowly moving particles). The SuperKamiokande detection of neutrino oscillations shows that particle dark matter, in the form of massive neutrinos, actually exists and accounts for as much mass as bright stars. An important threshold has been crossed ; particle dark matter is no longer hypothetical. Over the past few years a case has developed for dark energy. This dark, relativistic component contributes about 80±20% of the critical density and is characterized by very negative pressure ( p X ρ X ). Consistent with this picture of dark energy and dark matter are measurements of CMB anisotropy that indicate that matter and energy together account for the critical density (within 10%). Fundamental physics beyond the standard model is implicated in both the dark matter and dark energy puzzles: new fundamental particles (e.g., axion or neutralino) and new forms of relativistic energy (e.g., vacuum energy or a light scalar field). Dark matter and dark energy are central issues in both cosmology and particle physics. Over the next two decades a flood of precision cosmological observations and laboratory experiments will shed light on the dark side of the universe. As they do they will advance our understanding of both the universe and the laws of physics that govern it.
The Design of Derandomizing Buffer Stores for High Data Rates

Derandomizing buffer stores for parallel digital data, and their applicability when the arrival distribution is Poisson, are discussed. It is shown that resolving time rather than size may typically be the major cause of data loss. A logical design for buffer organization is presented which lends itself to high speed operation. The organization is simple, requires only high speed bistable elements and logical gates, and may be used to design derandomizing buffers out of a variety of electronic devices. The highest speed of operation can be closely predicted as the propagation delay of the bistable device plus two times the propagation delay of the gates used. A number of buffers have been constructed using commercially available integrated circuits. One version has been operated at word rates of 114 mHz. Series-parallel organizations are discussed for use in large buffers operated at the highest speeds.
High-Q Silicon Microcavities for Chip Scale Integrated Optics

Fabrication and experimental characterization of high Q silicon microdisk resonators with planar-integrated input-output coupling waveguides is reported. Resonator-on-substrate devices are compared with undercut resonators. A record high Q of 0.5x106 for resonator-on-substrate is experimentally measured.
Barriers and Facilitators to Colorectal Cancer Screening in Vietnamese Americans: A Qualitative Analysis

Vietnamese Americans are the fourth largest Asian ethnic group in the USA. Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as one of the most common cancers in Vietnamese Americans. However, CRC screening rates remain low among Vietnamese Americans, with 40 % of women and 60 % of men reporting never having a sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or fecal occult blood test (FOBT). We partnered with a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Seattle, WA, to conduct focus groups as part of a process evaluation. Using interpreters, we recruited and conducted three focus groups comprised of six women screened for CRC, six women not screened for CRC, and seven men screened for CRC, which made up a total of 19 FQHC patients of Vietnamese descent between 50 and 79 years old. Three team members analyzed transcripts using open coding and axial coding. Major themes were categorized into barriers and facilitators to CRC screening. Barriers include lack of health problems, having comorbidities, challenges with medical terminology, and concerns with the colonoscopy. Participants singled out the risk of perforation as a fear they have toward colonoscopy procedures. Facilitators include knowledge about CRC and CRC screening, access to sources of information and social networks, and physician recommendation. Our focus groups elicited information that adds to the literature and has not been previously captured through published surveys. Findings from this study can be used to develop more culturally appropriate CRC screening interventions and improve upon existing CRC screening programs for the Vietnamese American population.
METHODS OF SINGLE-STEP AND MULTISTEP PARTICLE SWITCHING IN SIMULATIONS OF MIXTURES

In an earlier paper, we applied a procedure combining the energy difference method with a modified Kirkwood−Buff fluctuation theory to extrapolate chemical potential differences in three directions (T, P, x). The results showed that the extrapolations in pressure and concentration were successful and the linear temperature extrapolations were moderate in determination of the phase separations. In this paper we have tried to calculate the second order of the temperature dependence of the chemical potential difference using the energy difference methods of single-step and multistep switchings. Due to large fluctuations in calculation of the second orders, the method can only predict qualitatively or semiquantitatively the second-order terms.
Expert Internet Information Access

Expert users of the Internet were studied to identify the strategies they used to locate specific information. Participants' searching actions were recorded, including counts of each movement from Web page to Web page and within Web pages. Three patterns appeared: keyword searching, hierarchical searching, and meandering. Implications for the design of curriculum for Internet use in classrooms are suggested.
Immobilization of a sulfide-oxidizing bacterium in a novel adsorbent biocatalyst support

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions are used in petroleum refining to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from various hydrocarbon streams. Once H2S reacts with the majority of NaOH, the solution becomes known as a spent sulfidic caustic. Spent caustics typically have a pH >13.0, sulfide concentrations exceeding 2-3 wt%, and a large amount of residual alkalinity. Depending on the source, spent caustic may also contain phenols, mercaptans, amines, and other organic compounds that are soluble or emulsified in the caustic (1).
Mechanisms for solids ejection from gas‐fluidized beds

The bubble eruption process was studied in two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) beds using a high-speed video system for flow visualization. The results show the existence of four different ejection mechanisms; one occurring with singlebubble eruptions in both 2D and 3D beds, two others occurring in 2D and 3D beds with two bubbles coalescing at the bed-free surface, and the fourth occurring only in 3D beds with bubbles coalescing at the bed surface.
Valproate prescriptions for nonepilepsy disorders in reproductive‐age women

BACKGROUND Scientific evidence has consistently shown taking valproate during pregnancy increases risks of congenital malformations and cognitive impairment. As such, elimination of its use would be an important step in birth defects prevention. There are guidelines discouraging its use among women with epilepsy, but none exists for women without epilepsy, nor is the prevalence of valproate for nonepilepsy indications known. METHODS Using de-identified data from the National Hospital and Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (1996–2007), we examined individual prescriptions for reproductive-age adolescent girls and adult women ages 15 to 44 years in the United States, and estimated the number of antiepileptic drug and valproate prescriptions in the aggregate. We classified our study population using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes, as women with epilepsy and women without epilepsy. The prevalence of antiepileptic drug and valproate prescriptions among women without epilepsy was estimated as prescriptions per 1000 patient visits for every 3-year time interval and the overall study period. RESULTS We found 83% of valproate prescriptions were issued to women without epilepsy and 74% of these were for psychiatric diagnoses. The prevalence of antiepileptic drug prescriptions among women without epilepsy tripled during the study period (10.3 [1996–1998] vs. 34.9 [2005–2007] per 1000 patient visits), whereas valproate prescriptions remained relatively stable (3.1 [1996–1998] vs. 3.7 [2005–2007] per 1000 patient visits). CONCLUSION Most women of reproductive age who receive a valproate prescription do not have epilepsy. Valproate prescriptions did not decline, despite increasing knowledge of its teratogenicity. Reducing valproate use among women of reproductive age, especially among those who use the drug for psychiatric indications, would prevent birth defects and cognitive deficits. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 97:403–408, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Breeding New Light into Old Machines (And New)

Photons produced by lasers or wigglers backscattered on high energy electron or proton beams can provide high energy, high luminosity photon-electron, photon-photon or photon-proton collisions. This allows the study of short-distance QCD processes such as high transverse momentum photon-photon and photo-production reactions, deep inelastic Compton scattering, the photon structure function, direct photon reactions, or searches for pseudo-Goldstone bosons and supersymmetry particles like the photino or goldstino. The relative reaction rates should be quite high since (1) photo-production cross sections are significantly larger than the corresponding electroproduction cross sections and (2) absence of the conventional beam-beam interaction allows significantly higher currents and smaller interaction areas. It thus seems possible to have photon luminosities much larger than for electrons. Examples are given using the PEP storage ring with the SLAC linac beam.
Environmental Fate and Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Proteins from Transgenic Crops: a Review

This paper reviews the scientific literature addressing the environmental fate and nontarget effects of the Cry protein toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), specifically resulting from their expression in transgenic crops. Published literature on analytical methodologies for the detection and quantification of the Cry proteins in environmental matrices is also reviewed, with discussion of the adequacy of the techniques for determining the persistence and mobility of the Bt proteins. In general, assessment of the nontarget effects of Bt protein toxins indicates that there is a low level of hazard to most groups of nontarget organisms, although some investigations are of limited ecological relevance. Some published reports on the persistence of the proteins in soil show short half-lives, whereas others show low-level residues lasting for many months. Improvements in analytical methods will allow a more complete understanding of the fate and significance of Bt proteins in the environment.
Heliox in children with croup: a strategy to hasten improvement.

Abstract Objective Upper airway obstruction is responsive to the reduction in airflow turbulence provided by helium/oxygen (heliox) admixture. Our pediatric critical care transport team (PCCTT) has used heliox for children with upper airway obstruction from croup. We sought to describe our experience with heliox on transport and hypothesized that heliox-treated children with croup would show a more rapid clinical improvement. Methods Children with croup transported by our PCCTT and admitted to the PICU were evaluated. We analyzed pretransport care, transport interventions, and outcomes. Croup scores (Modified Taussig) were assigned retrospectively according to respiratory therapy charting. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests, including Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U rank comparison, and two-sample t-test. Results Thirty-five children met inclusion criteria. Demographics were similar between groups. The pretransport medical care was similar between groups. Children receiving heliox had a higher baseline croup score [mean (SD) = 5.7(2.3) vs no heliox 2.9 (2.0), P P P = 0.59) and hospital length of stay (P = 0.64) were similar between groups. Conclusion Heliox added to standard transport treatment for critically ill children with croup provides a more rapid improvement in croup scores. Heliox for croup during transport does not prolong intensive care unit stay. A prospective clinical trial is warranted to evaluate heliox in pediatric transport.
Modulation wavelength dependence of ion mixing in metallic superlattices

Ion mixing was studied in polycrystalline Nb/V and single-crystal Mo/V superlattices and in bilayers of the same materials. Systematic variation in the modulation wavelength, A, revealed a factor of three decrease in mixing efficiency at small A for Nb/V. The decrease appears to coincide with a structural transition in which the Nb/V superlattices become coherent. The results are consistent with a diffusion-induced grain boundary migration interpretation of mixing during irradiation.
Ku prevents Exo1 and Sgs1‐dependent resection of DNA ends in the absence of a functional MRX complex or Sae2

In this study, we investigate the interplay between Ku, a central non-homologous end-joining component, and the Mre11–Rad50–Xrs2 (MRX) complex and Sae2, end-processing factors crucial for initiating 5′-3′ resection of double-strand break (DSB) ends. We show that in the absence of end protection by Ku, the requirement for the MRX complex is bypassed and resection is executed by Exo1. In contrast, both the Exo1 and Sgs1 resection pathways contribute to DSB processing in the absence of Ku and Sae2 or when the MRX complex is intact, but functionally compromised by elimination of the Mre11 nuclease activity. The ionizing radiation sensitivity of a mutant defective for extensive resection (exo1Δ sgs1Δ) cannot be suppressed by the yku70Δ mutation, indicating that Ku suppression is specific to the initiation of resection. We provide evidence that replication-associated DSBs need to be processed by Sae2 for repair by homologous recombination unless Ku is absent. Finally, we show that the presence of Ku exacerbates DNA end-processing defects established in the sae2Δ sgs1Δ mutant, leading to its lethality.
Porcine intact and wounded skin responses to atmospheric nonthermal plasma.

Thermal plasma is a valued tool in surgery for its coagulative and ablative properties. We suggested through in vitro studies that nonthermal plasma can sterilize tissues, inactive pathogens, promote coagulation, and potentiate wound healing. The present research was undertaken to study acute toxicity in porcine skin tissues. We demonstrate that floating electrode-discharge barrier discharge (FE-DBD) nonthermal plasma is electrically safe to apply to living organisms for short periods. We investigated the effects of FE-DBD plasma on Yorkshire pigs on intact and wounded skin immediately after treatment or 24 h posttreatment. Macroscopic or microscopic histological changes were identified using histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The changes were classified into four groups for intact skin: normal features, minimal changes or congestive changes, epidermal layer damage, and full burn and into three groups for wounded skin: normal, clot or scab, and full burn-like features. Immunohistochemical staining for laminin layer integrity showed compromise over time. A marker for double-stranded DNA breaks, γ-H2AX, increased over plasma-exposure time. These findings identified a threshold for plasma exposure of up to 900 s at low power and <120 s at high power. Nonthermal FE-DBD plasma can be considered safe for future studies of external use under these threshold conditions for evaluation of sterilization, coagulation, and wound healing.
Probabilistic transfer matrices in symbolic reliability analysis of logic circuits

We propose the probabilistic transfer matrix (PTM) framework to capture nondeterministic behavior in logic circuits. PTMs provide a concise description of both normal and faulty behavior, and are well-suited to reliability and error susceptibility calculations. A few simple composition rules based on connectivity can be used to recursively build larger PTMs (representing entire logic circuits) from smaller gate PTMs. PTMs for gates in series are combined using matrix multiplication, and PTMs for gates in parallel are combined using the tensor product operation. PTMs can accurately calculate joint output probabilities in the presence of reconvergent fanout and inseparable joint input distributions. To improve computational efficiency, we encode PTMs as algebraic decision diagrams (ADDs). We also develop equivalent ADD algorithms for newly defined matrix operations such as eliminate_variables and eliminate_redundant_variables, which aid in the numerical computation of circuit PTMs. We use PTMs to evaluate circuit reliability and derive polynomial approximations for circuit error probabilities in terms of gate error probabilities. PTMs can also analyze the effects of logic and electrical masking on error mitigation. We show that ignoring logic masking can overestimate errors by an order of magnitude. We incorporate electrical masking by computing error attenuation probabilities, based on analytical models, into an extended PTM framework for reliability computation. We further define a susceptibility measure to identify gates whose errors are not well masked. We show that hardening a few gates can significantly improve circuit reliability.
Examining Implementation Issues with New Generation Jails

The podular direct-supervision jail design and supervision strategy has gained popularity amongcriminal justice researchers and administrators duringthe past 20 years. These “new generation” jails are a radical departure from the traditional linear intermittent design that dominated jail architecture for two centuries. The current study involves an examination of characteristics of 76 jails identified by their administrators as podular direct-supervision facilities. The purpose is to determine the extent to which the jails adhere to what researchers and administrators have identified as elements vital to the success of this type of institution. Specifically, jail characteristics will be presented within Gettinger’s (1984) framework of the psychology of new generation jails. Results indicate that few jails are strictly adhering to the trainingand design techniques that have been recommended for the successful operation of these institutions.
NWPerf: a system wide performance monitoring tool for large Linux clusters

We present NWPerf, a new system for analyzing fine granularity performance metric data on large-scale supercomputing clusters. This tool is able to measure application efficiency on a system wide basis from both a global system perspective as well as providing a detailed view of individual applications. NWPerf provides this service while minimizing the impact on the performance of user applications. We describe the type of information that can be derived from the system, and demonstrate how the system was used detect and eliminate a performance problem in an application application that improved performance by up to several thousand percent. The NWPerf architecture has proven to be a stable and scalable platform for gathering performance data on a large 1954-CPU production Linux cluster at PNNL.
BifA, a cyclic-Di-GMP phosphodiesterase, inversely regulates biofilm formation and swarming motility by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14.

The intracellular signaling molecule, cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP), has been shown to influence bacterial behaviors, including motility and biofilm formation. We report the identification and characterization of PA4367, a gene involved in regulating surface-associated behaviors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The PA4367 gene encodes a protein with an EAL domain, associated with c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase activity, as well as a GGDEF domain, which is associated with a c-di-GMP-synthesizing diguanylate cyclase activity. Deletion of the PA4367 gene results in a severe defect in swarming motility and a hyperbiofilm phenotype; thus, we designate this gene bifA, for biofilm formation. We show that BifA localizes to the inner membrane and, in biochemical studies, that purified BifA protein exhibits phosphodiesterase activity in vitro but no detectable diguanylate cyclase activity. Furthermore, mutational analyses of the conserved EAL and GGDEF residues of BifA suggest that both domains are important for the observed phosphodiesterase activity. Consistent with these data, the ΔbifA mutant exhibits increased cellular pools of c-di-GMP relative to the wild type and increased synthesis of a polysaccharide produced by the pel locus. This increased polysaccharide production is required for the enhanced biofilm formed by the ΔbifA mutant but does not contribute to the observed swarming defect. The ΔbifA mutation also results in decreased flagellar reversals. Based on epistasis studies with the previously described sadB gene, we propose that BifA functions upstream of SadB in the control of biofilm formation and swarming.
Alcohol and folate intake and breast cancer risk in the WHI Observational Study

Background Alcohol increases breast cancer risk. Epidemiological studies suggest folate may modify this relationship. Objective To examine the relationship among breast cancer, alcohol and folate in the Women’s Health Initiative-Observational Study (WHI-OS). Methods 88,530 postmenopausal women 50–79 years completed baseline questionnaires between October 1993 and December 1998, which addressed alcohol and folate intake and breast cancer risk factors. Cox proportional hazards analysis examined the relationship between self-reported baseline alcohol and folate intake and incident breast cancer. Results 1,783 breast cancer cases occurred over 5 years. Alcohol was associated with increased risk of breast cancer (RR = 1.005, 95%CI 1.001–1.009). Risk increased with consumption of alcohol (up to 5 g/d, adjusted HR = 1.10, 95%CI 0.96–1.32; >5–15 g/d HR = 1.14, 95%CI 0.99–1.31; and >15 g/d HR = 1.13 95%CI 0.96–1.32). We found no significant interaction between alcohol and folate in our adjusted model. Conclusions We found no evidence for folate attenuating alcohol’s effect on breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Our results may be due to misclassification of folate intake or the relatively short follow-up period.
Changing Schools: Progressive Education Theory and Practice, 1930-1960

Nearly one hundred years ago America's foremost philosopher of education, John Dewey, set in motion the progressive education movement--an effort to enhance both child and community by establishing schools that would focus on the needs and interests of children, thereby turning out more productive citizens. To what degree did these ideas actually change the day-to-day lives of school children? What can the progressive education movement teach us about the conditions that facilitate and impede the implementation of new ideas about schools? Through a focus on actual classroom practices in several school systems in the Chicago area, Zilversmit examines the impact of Dewey's ideas at a national and local level. He looks at the course of progressivism from the 1930s, when its influence was at its height but reform was difficult because of the Depression, through the post-World War II period when the baby boom led to rapid school expansion. The new affluence made reform possible, but the Cold War put progressivism on the defensive. Zilversmit's goal is to illuminate the role of the ideas of the progressives in determining school practices so we can develop a better understanding of the relationship between education ideas and educational practices. This understanding, argues Zilversmit, will better enable us to determine new directions for educational reform, and to determine how reforms can be successfully implemented.
The Policies of State Succession: Harmonizing Self-Determination and Global Order in the Twenty-First Century

In State Succession and Commercial Obligations (2006), Tai-Heng Cheng applies the New Haven School methodology to an opaque and unsettled body of international law: that governing the commercial rights and duties of states, creditors, and other participants in the unruly process of state succession. Rather than work within inherited conceptual and doctrinal frameworks, which have seldom proved either helpful or descriptively accurate, Cheng provides a fresh perspective on the issues. He argues that a policy-oriented perspective on state succession ameliorates the "descriptive inaccuracy" and "normative deficit" of inherited theories. Part I of this review considers the former claim; Part II the latter. I find Cheng's analysis of state succession relative to commercial obligations sophisticated, pragmatic, descriptively comprehensive, and for the most part, normatively compelling. But it may be too ambitious. Defining disruptions to global commerce as the indicia of state succession tends to inflect, and at times to bias, the general analysis of the diverse phenomena that fall within the rubric of state succession. This commercial focus can obscure or normatively predispose our understanding and appraisal of equally vital, but non-economic, dimensions of state succession, including the core policy goals - self-determination and global order - that Cheng identifies and recommends. To a certain extent, this compromises the work's descriptive accuracy and normative appeal. But far from "failing to provide the very guidance that real-life decision makers expect from their lawyers," as critics of the New Haven School often charge, Cheng's policy-oriented analysis strikes me as more helpful to practicing lawyers and decision makers than anything that has preceded it.
Water Regulation in Peromyscus

New-World mice of the genus Peromyscus are nearly ubiquitous, and their omnivorous food habits are accompanied by intermediate efficiency in water regulation when compared to dry-food or moist-food specialists among rodents. In virtually all aspects of water economy thus far studied (weight and urinary responses to water deprivation and saline drinking solutions, rates of evaporative water loss), the performances of Peromyscus are modest, with the single exception of P. crinitus ; this is a small desert species that is nearly independent of dietary preformed water. Among Peromyscus there is considerable interspecific variability in efficiency of water regulation, and nearly as great intraspecihc variability within west coast races of P. maniculatus . This variability appears to be related to food habits and/or habitat climate, but the specific roles of these factors have yet to be elucidated. The most striking adaptation to drought among Peromyscus is the use of torpor and summer dormancy by P. eremicus , enabling prolonged escape from demanding surface conditions of water stress. These thermoregulatory adjustments may be common among arid-inhabiting Peromyscus and contribute substantially to their powers of water regulation.
Spin-Orbit Interactions and the Nematicity Observed in the Fe-Based Superconductors

High-resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is used to examine the electronic band structure of FeTe_{0.5}Se_{0.5} near the Brillouin zone center. A consistent separation of the α_{1} and α_{2} bands is observed with little k_{z} dependence of the α_{1} band. First-principles calculations for bulk and thin films demonstrate that the antiferromagnetic coupling between the Fe atoms and hybridization-induced spin-orbit effects lifts the degeneracy of the Fe d_{xz} and d_{yz} orbitals at the zone center leading to orbital ordering. These experimental and computational results provide a natural microscopic basis for the nematicity observed in the Fe-based superconductors.