cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to assist patients' adherence to prescribed medications is limited.

(2002) JAMA 288, 2868. McDonald HP, Garg AX, Haynes RB. . Interventions to enhance patient adherence to medication prescriptions: scientific review. . ; . : . –79 . [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] QUESTION: In patients with medical or mental disorders (but not addictions), are interventions designed to assist patients’ adherence to self administered prescribed medications effective? Studies were identified by searching Medline, CINAHL, PsycLIT, SOCIOFILE, IPA, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, and the Cochrane Library (all from 1967 to August 2001). Bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed, and authors of included studies were asked to suggest other published or unpublished trials that had been missed. Studies were selected if they were unconfounded randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of an intervention to improve adherence with self administered prescribed medications for a medical or psychiatric disorder, measured both medication adherence and treatment outcome, had ≥80% follow up of each group studied, and duration of follow up for studies with positive initial findings was ≥6 months. Data were extracted on sample size, details of intervention strategies for adherence, details of treatment for the underlying medical or mental disorder, study quality, and outcomes … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.stitle%253DJAMA%26rft.issn%253D0002-9955%26rft.aulast%253DMcDonald%26rft.auinit1%253DH.%2BP.%26rft.volume%253D288%26rft.issue%253D22%26rft.spage%253D2868%26rft.epage%253D2879%26rft.atitle%253DInterventions%2Bto%2BEnhance%2BPatient%2BAdherence%2Bto%2BMedication%2BPrescriptions%253A%2BScientific%2BReview%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.288.22.2868%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12472329%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.288.22.2868&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=12472329&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F6%2F3%2F78.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000179732600032&link_type=ISI
Laboratory testing for endometriosis

Background: Typically, endometriosis is diagnosed surgically by laparoscopy. CA-125 is the principal serum marker used in the diagnosis and management of late-stage endometriosis. The search for a body fluid marker of early stage disease has included studies of serum, peritoneal fluid (PF), and/or tissue levels of secretory proteins, cell adhesion molecules, cytokines, tumor necrosis and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), chemokines, antiendometrial antibodies, autoantibodies to oxidized lipoproteins, aromatase P-450 expression, cytokeratins, and hormone receptors. We compared the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of these various types of substances in the non-surgical identification of patients with endometriosis. Method: We reviewed the MEDLINE database for all publications on serum, peritoneal fluid and tissue markers of endometriosis. Results: Except for serum interleukin (IL)-6 and peritoneal fluid tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a levels, the diagnostic accuracy of other markers of endometriosis was either similar or worse than that of CA-125 (sensitivity 24–94%; specificity 83–93%). The diagnostic accuracy of IL-6 and TNF-a was 90–100% (sensitivity) and 67–89% (specificity). Conclusion: CA-125 has limited diagnostic accuracy in the identification of early stage endometriosis and none of the other markers we reviewed dramatically outperformed CA-125 in this regard with the possible exception of serum IL-6 and peritoneal fluid TNF-a levels. D 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Amphotericin B—Induced Seizures in a Patient with AIDS

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of multiple episodes of seizure activity in an AIDS patient following amphotericin B infusion.CASE SUMMARY:A 46-year-old African-American man experienced recurrent grand mal seizures during intravenous infusion of amphotericin B, then petit mal seizures as the infusion was stopped and the drug concentrations decreased with time. The patient's concurrent medications included didanosine, hydroxyzine, promethazine, hydrocortisone, and prochlorperazine. Despite administration of phenytoin and lorazepam, the seizures persisted and occurred only during amphotericin B administration.DISCUSSION:AIDS and cryptococcal meningitis, both of which the patient had, can potentially cause seizures. The patient had a history of alcohol abuse; alcohol intake as well as withdrawal can also cause seizures. Didanosine also has a potential for inducing seizures. However, these other potential causes of seizure were ruled out. The time course of events suggested that amphotericin B was the cause of the...
Applying the transtheoretical model to a representative sample of smokers

Interrelationships among key constructs of the Transtheoretical Model are examined for the first time on a large (N = 4,144) representative sample of smokers. The posited relationships between the early Stages of Change (Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation) and the Processes of Change, Decisional Balance, and Situational Temptation are generally supported. Precontemplators are found to use the Processes of Change the least and those in Preparation use them the most. Precontemplators also have the least negative attitudes toward their smoking behavior. Precontemplators and Contemplators are tempted to smoke in more situations than those in Preparation. Precontemplators are also the most addicted to smoking, followed by those in Contemplation and Preparation, respectively, when examined on traditional measures of smoking behavior. The implications for smoking cessation efforts are also discussed.
Stepping into new territory: Three essays on agent-based computational economics and environmental economics

This dissertation explores various new tools and methodologies in economic research to study real-world social and economic systems. I am interested in developing research tools tailor-made to solve important social and economic issues. I am also interested in designing tools that are flexible and adaptable enough to be used in future research. The tools explored in the dissertation include agent-based computational modeling, meta-analysis methodology, as well as other analytic and empirical methodologies. In addition to tool building, I am interested in studying the complex and evolving nature of real-world social and economic systems. The issues studied in the dissertation range from water protection to housing market crises. The dissertation aims to expand the available toolkit for economic research, to establish a connection between conventional and new tools and push the research frontier, to answer important research questions and to solve real-world problems.
Editorial: Technology Leadership for the Teacher Education Initiative

Teacher education leaders must attend to leadership practices that set direction, develop people, and redesign their programs of teacher education in order to develop technology, pedagogy, and technology knowledge and skills in preservice teachers. A planning framework to be used at the 2012 National Technology Leadership Summit is presented here. It highlights focus group results from deans and other college of education leaders as to the context-specific products and processes they would need to create at the local level.
Going Viral with Fluorescent Proteins

Many longstanding questions about dynamics of virus-cell interactions can be answered by combining fluorescence imaging techniques with fluorescent protein (FP) tagging strategies. Successfully creating a FP fusion with a cellular or viral protein of interest first requires selecting the appropriate FP. However, while viral architecture and cellular localization often dictate the suitability of a FP, a FP's chemical and physical properties must also be considered. Here, we discuss the challenges of and offer suggestions for identifying the optimal FPs for studying the cell biology of viruses.
The beginning resident and supervision.

THE initial year of training for a psychiatric resident represents a period of professional transition. The manner in which the transition is negotiated will have a profound effect on both his personal well-being and professional adequacy. As a number of authors have pointed out, supervision plays a central role in the negotiations. 1-3 In the following pages, the initial supervisory experience will be examined from the point of view of the beginning resident. By contrasting the resident's perception of the supervisory process with the supervisor's intent, the present paper aims at clarifying the nature of the interplay between the parties so as to better understand the relevance of supervision to the student's professional development. To accomplish this aim, 12 psychiatric residents in the Department of Psychiatry of the Yale University School of Medicine were interviewed during their initial year of training. The
Measuring offender attributes and engagement in treatment using the client evaluation of self and treatment

Monitoring drug-abuse-treatment delivery and progress requires the use of validated instruments to measure client motivation, psychosocial and cognitive functioning, and other treatment-process dyn...
The Role of Biological Implants in the Repair and Prevention of Parastomal Hernia

Parastomal herniation is an often encountered consequence of stoma formation. Most parastomal hernias never require surgical intervention. Of the numerous procedures for the repair of parastomal hernias, the best outcomes have been obtained with the application of synthetic mesh. The potential for serious complications arising from synthetic mesh has prompted investigations of biological implants as an alternative. These grafts provide an acellular collagen scaffold into which host cells migrate, producing the appropriate native tissue. The experience with the biomaterials AlloDerm, Permacol, Surgisis Gold, and Veritas for parastomal hernia repair has yielded satisfactory results in small, nonrandomized, short-term studies and case reports. Similarly, limited audits suggest the promise of these bioprostheses in the prevention of parastomal hernias. However, in light of their expense, further inquiries are warranted before adopting biological implants as a routine substitute for synthetic mesh.
Prion Protein Expression Differences in Microglia and Astroglia Influence Scrapie-Induced Neurodegeneration in the Retina and Brain of Transgenic Mice

Activated microglia and astroglia are known to be involved in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including prion diseases. In the present experiments, we studied activation of astroglia and microglia after intraocular scrapie infection in transgenic mice expressing prion protein (PrP) in multiple cell types (tg7 mice) or in neurons only (tgNSE mice). In this model, scrapie infection and protease-resistant PrP deposition occurs in the retinas of both strains of mice, but retinal degeneration is observed only in tg7 mice. Our results showed that the retinas of tg7 and tgNSE mice both had astroglial activation with increased chemokine expression during the course of infection. However, only tg7 retinas exhibited strong microglial activation compared to tgNSE retinas, which showed little microglial activation by biochemical or morphological criteria. Therefore, microglial PrP expression might be required for scrapie-induced retinal microglial activation and damage. Furthermore, microglial activation preceded retinal neurodegeneration in tg7 mice, suggesting that activated microglia might contribute to the degenerative process, rather than being a response to the damage. Surprisingly, brain differed from retina in that an altered profile of microglial activation markers was upregulated, and the profiles in the two mouse strains were indistinguishable. Microglial activation in the brain was associated with severe brain vacuolation and neurodegeneration, leading to death. Thus, retinal and brain microglia appeared to differ in their requirements for activation, suggesting that different activation pathways occur in the two tissues.
When compressive sampling meets multicast: Outage analysis and subblock network coding

This paper studies multicasting compressively sampled signals from a source to many receivers, over lossy wireless channels. Our focus is on the network outage from the perspective of signal distortion across all receivers, for both cases where the transmitter may or may not be capable of reconstructing the compressively sampled signals. Capitalizing on extreme value theory, we characterize the network outage in terms of key system parameters, including the erasure probability, the number of receivers and the sparse structure of the signal. We show that when the transmitter can reconstruct the compressively sensed signal, the strategy of using network coding to multicast the reconstructed signal coefficients can reduce the network outage significantly. We observe, however, that the traditional network coding could result in suboptimal performance with power-law decay signals. Thus motivated, we devise a new method, namely subblock network coding, which involves fragmenting the data into subblocks, and allocating time slots to different subblocks, based on its priority. We formulate the corresponding optimal allocation as an integer programming problem. Since integer programming is often intractable, we develop a heuristic algorithm that prioritizes the time slot allocation by exploiting the inherent priority structure of power-law decay signals. Numerical results show that the proposed schemes outperform the traditional methods with significant margins.
A soft-error hardened process portable embedded microprocessor

An embedded microprocessor core designed to have high soft-error immunity is presented. The design achieves hardness via architectural, micro-architectural, and circuit techniques. The basis of the machine is a dual-redundant speculative pipeline that detects mismatches at their commission to architectural state. Added instructions allow software controlled recovery and restart of upset instructions. Key architectural state is stored in triple-mode redundant, self-correcting logic. Special automated place and route flows afford robustness against multiple node charge collection. Full clock gating allows low power, while redundant clocks mitigate clock upset induced errors. Register file based caches allow near-threshold low voltage operation. The design is implemented on a commercial 90-nm bulk CMOS process. Silicon results, including error correction examples, are presented.
Mental Disability and the Death Penalty: The Shame of the States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2012) (in Press) Chapter 1: An Introduction and the Dilemma of Factual Innocence

There is no question that the death penalty is disproportionately imposed in cases involving defendants with mental disabilities. There is clear, systemic bias at all stages of the prosecution and the sentencing process – in determining who is competent to be executed, in the assessment of mitigation evidence, in the ways that counsel is assigned, in the ways that jury determinations are often contaminated by stereotyped preconceptions of persons with mental disabilities, in the ways that cynical expert testimony reflects a propensity on the part of some experts to purposely distort their testimony in order to achieve desired ends. These questions are shockingly underdiscussed in the literature, and I have written this book to explore the relationship between mental illness and the death penalty so as to explain why and how this state of affairs has come to be, why it is necessary to identify the factors that have contributed to this scandalous and shameful policy morass, to highlight the series of policy choices that need immediate remediation, and to offer some suggestions that might meaningfully ameliorate the situation.In this introductory chapter, I set out the roadmap of the book, and look, substantively, at the issue of factual innocence in cases involving defendants with mental disabilities, stating the reality that it is more likely that a person with a serious mental disability will be convicted and sentenced to death in a case in which he is factually innocent.In later chapters, I consider:• the ways that sanism and pretextuality dominate this entire area of law and social policy, • the role that dignity should play in this consideration and the meaning of therapeutic jurisprudence in this context,• the significance of the “future dangerousness” inquiry in death penalty decisionmaking, • the textures of the mitigation doctrine, • questions of execution competency, involving defendants with intellectual disabilities and with mental illness, with special focus on the question of whether a defendant with severe mental illness can be medicated as to make him competent to be executed, and the potential role of neuroimaging evidence in such cases,• the roles of the jury, the prosecutor, and counsel (focusing on the abject and global failure of counsel to provide effective assistance in this cohort of cases), and • the potential significance of international human rights conventions and caselaw.I conclude with some recommendations and some policy suggestions.All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Short-Stalked Prosthecomicrobium hirschii Cells Have a Caulobacter-Like Cell Cycle.

ABSTRACT The dimorphic alphaproteobacterium Prosthecomicrobium hirschii has both short-stalked and long-stalked morphotypes. Notably, these morphologies do not arise from transitions in a cell cycle. Instead, the maternal cell morphology is typically reproduced in daughter cells, which results in microcolonies of a single cell type. In this work, we further characterized the short-stalked cells and found that these cells have a Caulobacter-like life cycle in which cell division leads to the generation of two morphologically distinct daughter cells. Using a microfluidic device and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, we observed that motile short-stalked cells attach to a surface by means of a polar adhesin. Cells attached at their poles elongate and ultimately release motile daughter cells. Robust biofilm growth occurs in the microfluidic device, enabling the collection of synchronous motile cells and downstream analysis of cell growth and attachment. Analysis of a draft P. hirschii genome sequence indicates the presence of CtrA-dependent cell cycle regulation. This characterization of P. hirschii will enable future studies on the mechanisms underlying complex morphologies and polymorphic cell cycles. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cell shape plays a critical role in regulating important behaviors, such as attachment to surfaces, motility, predation, and cellular differentiation; however, most studies on these behaviors focus on bacteria with relatively simple morphologies, such as rods and spheres. Notably, complex morphologies abound throughout the bacteria, with striking examples, such as P. hirschii, found within the stalked Alphaproteobacteria. P. hirschii is an outstanding candidate for studies of complex morphology generation and polymorphic cell cycles. Here, the cell cycle and genome of P. hirschii are characterized. This work sets the stage for future studies of the impact of complex cell shapes on bacterial behaviors.
Apolipoprotein E Receptor 2 Mediates Activated Protein C–Induced Endothelial Akt Activation and Endothelial Barrier Stabilization

Objective—Activated protein C (APC), a plasma serine protease, initiates cell signaling that protects endothelial cells from apoptosis and endothelial barrier disruption. Apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2; LRP8) is a receptor known for mediating signaling initiated by reelin in neurons. ApoER2 contributes to APC-initiated signaling in monocytic U937 cells. The objective was to determine whether ApoER2 is required for APC’s beneficial signaling in the endothelial cell surrogate EA.hy926 line. Approach and Results—We used small interfering RNA and inhibitors to probe requirements for specific receptors for APC’s antiapoptotic activity and for phosphorylation of disabled-1 by Src family kinases and of Akt. When small interfering RNA for ApoER2 or endothelial cell protein C receptor or protease activated receptor 1 was used, APC’s antiapoptotic activity was ablated, indicating that each of these receptors was required. In EA.hy926 cells, APC induced a 2- to 3-fold increased phosphorylation of Ser473-Akt and...
Evaluating the effect of SWITCH PE on physical activity and sedentary behavior in and out of physical education classes

Physical education (PE) is a key channel to influencing youth physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) but it has proven difficult to improve the quality of PE lessons. SWITCH PE is a concept-based PE curriculum that helps shape healthy behaviors in relation to the energy-balanced lifestyle. The purposes of this study are to evaluate (a) whether a SWITCH PE can provide recommended amounts of PA in PE and (b) whether SWITCH PE can impact children’s daily PA and SB levels. Data were collected from fourth and fifth grade students at four elementary schools in Iowa (with two schools in the experimental group and two in the control group; n = 475). Children’s in-class PA during PE were monitored via Actigraph GT3X+w accelerometer. Their overall PA and SB were preand post-measured using the Youth Activity Profile (YAP). Descriptive statistics and two-way (time and group) repeated measure analyses of variance were conducted to address the research questions. The SWITCH PE lessons yielded similar distributions of SB, light PA (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) as regular PE lessons. The SWITCH PE lessons did not meet the absolute standard for in-class PA (i.e., MVPA for 50% of the PE time) but neither did the regular PE lessons. There was no statistical difference in PA levels at home by time or group (p>.05) between youth in SWITCH PE or traditional PE classes. There was a significant group difference in PA at school (Pre: F1, 926=6.36, p<0.01; Post: F1, 926=9.42, p<0.01, η 2 = .017) but this difference was driven by the significantly lower scores at one SWITCH PE school (i.e., School 1). The time effect for PA at school was not significant. The levels of SB at both SWITCH PE and regular PE schools decreased over time. However, only the SWITCH PE schools demonstrated significant decrease from baseline (F1, 928=7.33;
Ab initio study of the unusual thermal transport properties of boron arsenide and related materials

Recently, using a first principles approach, we predicted that zinc blende boron arsenide (BAs) will have an ultrahigh lattice thermal conductivity, \ensuremath{\kappa}, of over 2000 Wm${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$K${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at room temperature (RT), comparable to that of diamond. Here, we provide a detailed ab initio examination of phonon thermal transport in boron arsenide, contrasting its unconventional behavior with that of other related materials, including the zinc blende crystals boron nitride (BN), boron phosphide, boron antimonide, and gallium nitride (GaN). The unusual vibrational properties of BAs contribute to its weak phonon-phonon scattering and phonon-isotope scattering, which are responsible for its exceptionally high \ensuremath{\kappa}. The thermal conductivity of BAs has contributions from phonons with anomalously large mean free paths (\ensuremath{\sim}2 \ensuremath{\mu}m), two to three times those of diamond and BN. This makes \ensuremath{\kappa} in BAs sensitive to phonon scattering from crystal boundaries. An order of magnitude smaller RT thermal conductivity in a similar material, zinc blende GaN, is connected to more separated acoustic phonon branches, larger anharmonic force constants, and a large isotope mixture on the heavy rather than the light constituent atom. The striking difference in \ensuremath{\kappa} for BAs and GaN demonstrates the importance of using a microscopic first principles thermal transport approach for calculating \ensuremath{\kappa}. BAs also has an advantageous RT coefficient of thermal expansion, which, combined with the high \ensuremath{\kappa} value, suggests that it is a promising material for use in thermal management applications.
Mitochondrial NAD(P)H In vivo: Identifying Natural Indicators of Oxidative Phosphorylation in the 31P Magnetic Resonance Spectrum

Natural indicators provide intrinsic probes of metabolism, biogenesis and oxidative protection. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide metabolites (NAD(P)) are one class of indicators that have roles as co-factors in oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis and anti-oxidant protection, as well as signaling in the mitochondrial biogenesis pathway. These many roles are made possible by the distinct redox states (NAD(P)+ and NAD(P)H), which are compartmentalized between cell and mitochondria. Here we provide evidence for detection of NAD(P)+ and NAD(P)H in separate mitochondrial and cell pools in vivo in human tissue by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS). These NAD(P) pools are identified by chemical standards (NAD+, NADP+ and NADH) and by physiological tests. A unique resonance reflecting mitochondrial NAD(P)H is revealed by the changes elicited by elevation of mitochondrial oxidation. The decline of NAD(P)H with oxidation is matched by a stoichiometric rise in the NAD(P)+ peak. This unique resonance also provides a measure of the improvement in mitochondrial oxidation that parallels the greater phosphorylation found after exercise training in these elderly subjects. The implication is that the dynamics of the mitochondrial NAD(P)H peak provides an intrinsic probe of the reversal of mitochondrial dysfunction in elderly muscle. Thus non-invasive detection of NAD(P)+ and NAD(P)H in cell vs. mitochondria yield natural indicators of redox compartmentalization and sensitive intrinsic probes of the improvement of mitochondrial function with an intervention in human tissues in vivo. These natural indicators hold the promise of providing mechanistic insight into metabolism and mitochondrial function in vivo in a range of tissues in health, disease and with treatment.
Developmental stability of rainbow trout hybrids: genomic coadaptation or heterozygosity?

I compare the developmental stability of first generation hybrids between hatchery strains of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) to that of the three pure parental strains raised in a common environment. Two of three reciprocal hybrid pairs show significantly less fluctuating asymmetry of four meristic characters than is found in parental strains. In contrast, the third hybrid pair shows reduced but not significantly lower developmental stability compared to pure strains. These hybrids had previously been found to develop slower than their maternal parental strains, indicating divergence of parental regulatory mechanisms controlling early ontogeny. A significant positive association between the degree of relative delay in hybrid developmental rate and their degree of developmental instability supports this view. For example, the only hybrid pair with decreased developmental stability also had the largest relative delay in development time of all hybrids. Neither absolute developmental rate nor enzyme heterozygosity at 42 loci alone can explain the degree of fluctuating asymmetry in these hybrids. The developmental stability of hybrids is apparently a result of the interaction between the developmental divergence between parental strains and their genomic heterozygosity due to hybridization.
A visually-evoked roll response in the housefly

1. A flying, tethered housefly exhibits a turning response about its long axis when presented with a visual stimulus consisting of a rotating radial grating. This roll response is isometrically measured as a torque (Fig. 2). 2. Comparison of the dynamic characteristics of the roll response with those of the classical optomotor response reveals that similar neuronal mechanisms mediate visual stabilization of roll and yaw motions. 3. The changes of wingbeat amplitude that are elicited by a rotating radial grating are photographically measured and compared to those elicited by a vertically-moving, linear grating (Fig. 4). This data reveals that the flight mechanism generates a roll torque by creating an asymmetry in the lift-forces produced by the two wings. 4. The manner in which a fly detects and responds to roll is consistent with a scheme in which the lift produced by a given wing is controlled by the vertical component of motion seen by the ipsilateral eye (Table 1). 5. Under closed-loop conditions the flying, tethered fly exhibits a strong tendency to orient visual patterns consisting of a stripe or a linear grating along a direction perpendicular to the equatorial plane of the eyes (Figs. 5, 6).
One-Step Reverse Microemulsion Synthesis of Pt−CeO2/C Catalysts with Improved Nanomorphology and Their Effect on Methanol Electrooxidation Reaction

Pt−CeO2/C catalysts have been synthesized by a one-step reverse microemulsion (RME) method and compared with Pt−CeO2/C prepared by conventional borohydride reduction (CBR) method. The Pt and CeO2 contents in both the synthesized samples are close to the nominal values. Scanning transmission electron microscopic (STEM) images with energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS) elemental mapping analysis reveal that the Pt−CeO2/C sample prepared by the RME method has a homogeneous distribution of Pt and CeO2 with an intimate contact between the Pt and CeO2 nanoparticles, whereas the Pt−CeO2/C sample prepared by the CBR method consists of large aggregations of Pt and CeO2. The advantage of the improved nanoparticle morphology of the RME samples is manifested in higher catalytic activity for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The RME samples exhibit higher mass and specific activities for MOR, compared with the CBR samples. An analysis of the effect of Pt/CeO2 ratio on the MOR activity indicates that the Pt−CeO2/C sam...
X-ray computed tomography of planetary materials: A primer and review of recent studies

Abstract X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is a powerful 3D imaging technique that has been used to investigate meteorites, mission-returned samples, and other planetary materials of all scales from dust particles to large rocks. With this technique, a 3D volume representing the X-ray attenuation (which is sensitive to composition and density) of the materials within an object is produced, allowing various components and textures to be observed and quantified. As with any analytical technique, a thorough understanding of the underlying physical principles, system components, and data acquisition parameters provides a strong foundation for the optimal acquisition and interpretation of the data. Here we present a technical overview of the physics of XCT, describe the major components of a typical laboratory-based XCT instrument, and provide a guide for how to optimize data collection for planetary materials using such systems. We also discuss data processing, visualization and analysis, including a discussion of common data artifacts and how to minimize them. We review a variety of recent studies in which XCT has been used to study extraterrestrial materials and/or to address fundamental problems in planetary science. We conclude with a short discussion of anticipated future directions of XCT technology and application.
Downlink channel estimation and precoding for FDD 3D Massive MIMO/FD-MIMO systems

Accurate downlink channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is essential to utilize the benefit of 3D Massive MIMO/FD-MIMO systems. Conventional approaches to obtain CSIT for FDD MIMO systems require downlink training and CSI feedback. However, such training will cause a large overhead for 3D Massive MIMO/FD-MIMO systems because of the large dimensionality of the channel matrix. In this paper, we design an efficient downlink beamforming method based on partial CSI. By exploiting the relationship between uplink (UL) direction-of-arrivals (DoAs) and downlink (DL) direction-of-departures (DoDs), we derive an expression for estimated downlink DoDs, which will be used for downlink beamforming to compare the performance with traditional method in terms of downlink achievable rate that we derived. Simulation results also verifies that, in terms of achievable rate, our proposed method outperform the traditional beamforming method.
Electronic and Microbiological Detection, Investigation, and Surveillance for Potential Hospital- Acquired Device Associated Infections at ERCP.

Background Duodenoscopy, done 700,000 times annually, is potentially life saving in biliary and pancreatic disease. ERCP is prone to device associated infections due to a complex elevator mechanism and slim margin of safety in scope reprocessing with a high microbial burden. Nosocomial infections are difficult to detect without a marker organism or antibiotic phenotype. A cluster of ESBL infections was detected by electronic surveillance in 2014 in a large 865 bed facility.
Evaluation of β-Amino Acid Replacements in Protein Loops: Effects on Conformational Stability and Structure.

β-Amino acids have a backbone that is expanded by one carbon atom relative to α-amino acids, and β residues have been widely investigated as subunits in protein-like molecules that adopt discrete and predictable conformations. Two classes of β residue have been widely explored in the context of generating α-helix-like conformations: β3-amino acids, which are homologous to α-amino acids and bear a side chain on the backbone carbon adjacent to nitrogen; and residues constrained by a five-membered ring, such the one derived from trans-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC). Substitution of α residues with their β3 homologues within an α-helix-forming sequence generally causes a decrease in conformational stability. Use of a ring-constrained β residue, however, can offset the destabilizing effect of α→β substitution. Here we extend the study of α→β substitutions, involving both β3 and ACPC residues, to short loops within a small tertiary motif. We start from previously reported variants of the Pin1 WW domain that contain a 2-, 3- or 4-residue β-hairpin loop, and we evaluate α→β replacements at each of the loop positions for each variant. By referral to the φ,ψ angles of the native structure, a stereochemically appropriate ACPC residue can be chosen. Use of such a logically chosen ACPC residue enhances conformational stability in several cases. The crystal structures of three β-containing Pin1 WW domain variants show that a native-like tertiary structure is maintained in each case.
Wireless technology identification using deep Convolutional Neural Networks

With the proliferation of wireless technologies and the ever-increasing growth in Internet of Things (IoT) devices operating the license-free Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, intelligent access systems capable of coexisting in crowded spectrum regions are of vital importance. In this work we study the adaptation of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to the problem of identifying coexisting wireless devices. We develop a machine learning conduit to facilitate the detection and identification of frequency domain signatures for 802.x standard compliant technologies. Spectrum scans across the entire ISM region (80-MHz) are recorded and a data-driven training process for a wide range of Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs) is completed. Model accuracy is compared to that attained using standard feature based classification methods. Results indicate CNN models outperform their counterpart methods in terms of classification accuracy, connoting them to be highly effective tools for detecting and identifying coexisting devices despite acute overlap and interference presence. The proposed approach aims to advance cognitive wireless awareness by enhancing automatic detection and identification accuracy.
Judging Addicts: Drug Courts and Coercion in the Justice System

Judging Addicts critiques drug courts by examining the ideas and assumptions underlying the drug court model. Tiger notes that drug courts both treat and punish offenders under its auspices. Drug c...
Denial of Engineering Operations Attacks in Industrial Control Systems

We present a new type of attack termed denial of engineering operations in which an attacker can interfere with the normal cycle of an engineering operation leading to a loss of situational awareness. Specifically, the attacker can deceive the engineering software during attempts to retrieve the ladder logic program from a programmable logic controller (PLC) by manipulating the ladder logic on the PLC, such that the software is unable to process it while the PLC continues to execute it successfully. This attack vector can provide sufficient cover for the attacker»s actual scenario to play out while the owner tries to understand the problem and reestablish positive operational control. To enable the forensic analysis and, eventually, eliminate the threat, we have developed the first decompiler for ladder logic programs. Ladder logic is a graphical programming language for PLCs that control physical processes such as power grid, pipelines, and chemical plants; PLCs are a common target of malicious modifications leading to the compromise of the control behavior (and potentially serious consequences). Our decompiler, Laddis, transforms a low-level representation to its corresponding high-level original representation comprising of graphical symbols and connections. The evaluation of the accuracy of the decompiler on the program of varying complexity demonstrates perfect reconstruction of the original program. We present three new attack scenarios on PLC-deployed ladder logic and demonstrate the effectiveness of the decompiler on these scenarios.
Statistical inference of semidefinite programming

In this paper we consider covariance structural models with which we associate semidefinite programming problems. We discuss statistical properties of estimates of the respective optimal value and optimal solutions when the ‘true’ covariance matrix is estimated by its sample counterpart. The analysis is based on perturbation theory of semidefinite programming. As an example we consider asymptotics of the so-called minimum trace factor analysis. We also discuss the minimum rank matrix completion problem and its SDP counterparts.
Thinking with your fingers and touching with your mind: the cognitive dance of Edith Ackermann / Pensando con los dedos y tocando con la mente: la danza cognitiva de Edith Ackermann

Edith Ackermann was one of the most important scholars in the interdisciplinary field of Child-Computer Interaction. Trained as a developmental psychologist and having worked with Jean Piaget in Sw...
Formal models and prototyping

Rapid prototyping is a promising approach for formulating accurate software requirements, particularly for complex systems with hard real-time constraints. Computer aid is needed for realizing the potential benefits of this approach in practice, because the problems associated with software evolution are greatly amplified in the context of iterative prototyping and exploratory design. This paper presents our newest models of software evolution products and processes, and explains the models and engineering automation capabilities they support via examples.
Curved mixed beam elements for the analysis of thin-walled free-form arches

The paper is concerned with the development and application of two curved beam elements for the numerical analysis of arbitrarily shaped arches. The first of these elements has been formulated according to the so-called shallow beam theory, whereas in the case of the second element deep-arch theory was employed. Both elements are based on modified versions of the mixed variational theorem due to Hellinger/ Reissner. Also, for all elements the number of degress-of-freedom equals six. In the final part of the paper, numerical results are presented in order to demonstrate the high accuracy of the solutions obtained herein and to evaluate the performance of the proposed elements in comparison with each other.
Secure Communication Based on Quantum Noise

Advantage creation through intrusion-level detection used by BB84-based QKD protocols is only one possibility permitted by quantum effects. In the early 2000s, another class of quantum cryptography protocols, called keyed communication in quantum noise (KCQ) based on quantum detection and communication theory, was proposed. A main advantage of the KCQ protocols is that they generally allow the use of hundreds or thousands of photons in a signal pulse in contrast to the nominally single photon per pulse in BB84-based QKD protocols. This chapter introduces the concept of KCQ and describes certain implementations of the KCQ protocol.
Feasibility of Distinguishing Performance Among Provider Groups Using Patient-reported Outcome Measures in Older Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions.

Objective:To examine minimum sample sizes and follow-up times required for patient-reported outcome–based performance measures (PMs) to achieve acceptable reliability as PMs.Participants:We used 2 groups of patients age 65+ with at least 2 of 13 chronic conditions. The first was a sample of Medicare
Development of Stable A- $\Phi$ Time-Domain Integral Equations for Multiscale Electromagnetics

Applications involving quantum physics are becoming an increasingly important area for electromagnetic engineering. To address practical problems in these emerging areas, appropriate numerical techniques must be utilized. However, the unique needs of many of these applications require new computational electromagnetic solvers to be developed. The $\mathbf {A}$ - $\Phi$ formulation is a novel approach that can address many of these needs. This formulation utilizes equations developed in terms of the magnetic vector potential ( $\mathbf {A}$ ) and electric scalar potential ( $\Phi$ ). The resulting equations overcome many of the limitations of traditional solvers and are ideal for coupling to quantum mechanical calculations. In this paper, the $\mathbf {A}$ - $\Phi$ formulation is extended by developing time-domain integral equations suitable for multiscale perfect electric conducting objects. These integral equations can be stably discretized and constitute a robust numerical technique that is a vital step in addressing the needs of many emerging applications. To validate the proposed formulation, numerical results are presented, which demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the method.
An Ultra-thin Dual-Band Smart-watch Antenna Compatible with Several Wireless Bands

In this paper, a small ultra-thin multiband antenna for wireless handsets is introduced. The suggested antenna with two widebands is able to cover the Galileo/GPS/Glonass/DCSIPCS/UMTS/LTE2400/LTE2500/WLAN (2.4-5.2-5.8 GHz) and WiMAX(2.5-5.5 GHz) bands. Consisting of a driving element on top of the substrate, and a parasitic ground at bottom of the substrate, the proposed antenna has a simple configuration. The wide dual-band operation of the antenna is achieved by coupling between the driven element and parasitic ground. By inserting a strip on the driven element and cutting some slots at the parasitic ground, the operating bands of the antenna have been optimized and widened. Considering the fact that the antenna has a planar and simple configuration, the fabrication of antenna in mass production would be cost effective. The proposed antenna with the small active element size of 9.5 mm×16.5 mm, and the total size of 30 mm x 30 mm×0.5 mm, can be a good choice for portable devices, such as smart-watches.
Should We Be Testing Civics? Examining the Implications of the Civic Education Initiative

Given the importance of developing civically engaged and knowledgeable citizens, many have sought to improve the quality of students’ civic education experiences. This article examines one particul...
Introduction to Poroi 14.1

Volume 14, Issue 1 of POROI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Rhetorical Analysis and Invention makes available three articles on topics of rhetoric.
An optimization-based approach for modeling of complex particles

Abstract Producing of granular media with irregular shapes is one of the significant challenges in different fields related to granular particles. Representing inaccurate and simplified particles can result in wrong predictions. In this paper, a new statistical and optimization-based algorithm is presented by which 3D particles with complex shapes are generated on a random container. Stochastic conditional sampling along with an optimization method are combined such that particle with realistically and controllable shapes are generated. Depending on the initial shape of the container, a pack of spheres is generated. Then, an iterative optimization-based conditional sampling is proposed by which other complex shape descriptors are considered and can help to avoid artifacts and unrealistic shapes. The proposed method is applied to two examples wherein the particles reproduction and controllability of algorithm is demonstrated. The performance of the algorithm, in terms of shape reproduction, is also quantified using various utilized statistical measures.
Abstract 15677: Facilitated Transmembrane Transport of Nitric Oxide in Endothelial Cells

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key endothelial cell (EC) signaling molecule that exerts its actions both within the EC and within heterologous target cells. It has been assumed that NO traverses the plasma membrane of the EC by simple diffusion owing to its relative lipophilicity, and that, in addition, aquaporin 1 (AQP1) facilitates NO transport. In this report, we employed other eNOS activators to rule out the membrane effect of A23187. We measured NO efflux by assaying NO released into the media by nitrite/nitrate determination, correcting for the fraction that was inhibited by L-NAME. To activate eNOS (without the membrane disruption accompanying calcium ionophore), we used acetylcholine (Ach) at 3x10 -4 M, methacholine (Mch) at 3x10 -4 M, serotonin (5HT) at 3x10 -4 M, bradykinin (BK) at 3x10 -5 M, substance P (SP) at 3x10 -5 M, and 1.5 mM ATP. We found that none of them alone can induce detectable nitrite level over 6 hours of incubation. However, a combination of 3x10 -5 M BK and 1.5 mM ATP generated 0.94 ± 0.44 nmol NO/mg protein/6 hrs. Given these results, we next used the combination of BK and ATP was used to induce NO efflux in bovine aortic ECs in order to assess the role of selected transporters in facilitating NO release. We knocked down AQP1, Glut 2 (facilitated glucose transporter 1), or UTB1 (urea transporter B1) with siRNA to each, and found that NO effluxes were 0.09 ± 0.14, 0.18 ± 0.29, and 0.22 ± 0.34 nmoles/mg protein/6 hrs, respectively, whereas SGLT1 (sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1), SGLT2, siRNA scrambled sequence, and buffer control were 0.81 ± 0.78, 0.54 ± 0.70, 0.68 ± 0.63, and 0.99 ± 0.17 nmoles/mg protein/6 hrs, respectively. Nitric oxide efflux at one hour was increased ~ 2-fold by overexpression of SGLT2 and UTB1 in BAECs, as compared to control. These results demonstrate that AQP1, Glut 2, and UTB1 play a role in NO flux in ECs, and suggest that the transfer of NO across the EC plasma membrane can be facilitated via specific membrane channel-dependent mechanisms.