cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of System Structure for Remote Data Center of Photovoltaic Power Station

The basic logical structure and function of the remote data center system of photovoltaic power station for the golden-sun demonstration project is described.The remote data center system is used to monitor the operation conditions of the photovoltaic power station and collect data for analysis,based on which,a discussion is made of the selection of the communication mode and communication protocol as well as the design of the data model and application function.At present,the data center is already in operation in the State Grid Experimental Verification Center.
Evaluation of Drug Concentrations Delivered by Microiontophoresis

Microiontophoresis uses an electric current to eject a drug solution from a glass capillary and is often utilized for targeted delivery in neurochemical investigations. The amount of drug ejected, and its effective concentration at the tip, has historically been difficult to determine, which has precluded its use in quantitative studies. To address this, a method called controlled iontophoresis was developed which employs a carbon-fiber microelectrode incorporated into a multibarreled iontophoretic probe to detect the ejection of electroactive species. Here, we evaluate the accuracy of this method. To do this, we eject different concentrations of quinpirole, a D2 receptor agonist, into a brain slice containing the dorsal striatum, a brain region with a high density of dopamine terminals. Local electrical stimulation was used to evoke dopamine release, and inhibitory actions of quinpirole on this release were examined. The amount of drug ejected was estimated by detection of a coejected electrochemical mar...
SU-F-T-154: An Evaluation and Quantification of Secondary Neutron Radiation Dose Due to Double Scatter and Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

Proton radiation therapy can deliver high radiation doses to tumors while sparing normal tissue. However, protons yield secondary neutron and gamma radiation that is difficult to detect, small in comparison to the prescribed dose, and not accounted for in most treatment planning systems. The risk for secondary malignancies after proton therapy may be dependent on the quality of this dose. Consequently, there is interest in characterizing the secondary radiation. Previously, we used the dual ionization chamber method to measure the separate absorbed dose from gamma-rays and neutrons secondary to the proton beam1, relying on characterization of ionization chamber response in the unknown neutron spectrum from Monte Carlo simulation. We developed a procedure to use Shieldwerx activation foils, with neutron activation energies ranging from 0.025 eV to 13.5 MeV, to measure the neutron energy spectrum from double scattering (DS) and pencil beam scanning (PBS) protons outside of the treatment volume in a water tank. The activated foils are transferred to a NaI well chamber for gamma-ray spectroscopy and activity measurement. Since PBS treats in layers, the switching time between layers is used to correct for the decay of the activated foils and the relative dose per layer is assumed to be proportional to the neutron fluence per layer. MATLAB code was developed to incorporate the layer delivery and switching time into a calculation of foil activity, which is then used to determine the neutron energy fluence from tabulated foil activation energy thresholds.1. Diffenderfer et. al., Med. Phys., 38(11) 2011.
Integrity of Narrow Epithelial Tubes in the C. elegans Excretory System Requires a Transient Luminal Matrix

Most epithelial cells secrete a glycoprotein-rich apical extracellular matrix that can have diverse but still poorly understood roles in development and physiology. Zona Pellucida (ZP) domain glycoproteins are common constituents of these matrices, and their loss in humans is associated with a number of diseases. Understanding of the functions, organization and regulation of apical matrices has been hampered by difficulties in imaging them both in vivo and ex vivo. We identified the PAN-Apple, mucin and ZP domain glycoprotein LET-653 as an early and transient apical matrix component that shapes developing epithelia in C. elegans. LET-653 has modest effects on shaping of the vulva and epidermis, but is essential to prevent lumen fragmentation in the very narrow, unicellular excretory duct tube. We were able to image the transient LET-653 matrix by both live confocal imaging and transmission electron microscopy. Structure/function and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching studies revealed that LET-653 exists in two separate luminal matrix pools, a loose fibrillar matrix in the central core of the lumen, to which it binds dynamically via its PAN domains, and an apical-membrane-associated matrix, to which it binds stably via its ZP domain. The PAN domains are both necessary and sufficient to confer a cyclic pattern of duct lumen localization that precedes each molt, while the ZP domain is required for lumen integrity. Ectopic expression of full-length LET-653, but not the PAN domains alone, could expand lumen diameter in the developing gut tube, where LET-653 is not normally expressed. Together, these data support a model in which the PAN domains regulate the ability of the LET-653 ZP domain to interact with other factors at the apical membrane, and this ZP domain interaction promotes expansion and maintenance of lumen diameter. These data identify a transient apical matrix component present prior to cuticle secretion in C. elegans, demonstrate critical roles for this matrix component in supporting lumen integrity within narrow bore tubes such as those found in the mammalian microvasculature, and reveal functional importance of the evolutionarily conserved ZP domain in this tube protecting activity.
Early Adult Outcomes of Students at “Risk”

It is commonly assumed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds often drop out of school and that dropping out necessarily leads to low educational attainment and negative labor force outcomes. Using data from the High School and Beyond sophomore cohort from the years 1980 to 1992, this paper assesses the validity of that assumed sequence of educational and labor force outcomes. The analysis is organized around the hypothesis that it is not just dropping out of school but also later actions taken by the students who are at risk that explain their poor early adult outcomes. Comparisons are made between those with many of the specified risk characteristics and those with none of them. For both educational attainment and earnings, the later contingent actions explain more of the difference between high-risk and “no-risk” students than being a high school dropout does. The results show the importance of examining the role of career contingencies and taking multiple life domains into account.
What social media data should i use in my research?: a comparative analysis of Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and the New York Times comments

The emergence of popular social media allows people to generate and share information in unprecedented and multiple ways. While studies concerning social media data are plentiful and can be found across a variety of scholarly disciplines, there has been little research done that compares multiple social media while considering topics and goals of an investigation. We collected and analyzed comparable data from four different social media sources: Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and the New York Times website, across five research topics. We then analyzed these data sets across several criteria, such as richness and the diversity of information that they contain. Our analysis shows the trade-offs between different social media services and also provides a new framework to compare cross-platform data collection and analysis utility.
IMPACT OF BALLOON PRE-DILATATION ON HEMODYNAMICS AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT WITH THE SELF-EXPANDING COREVALVE PROSTHESIS

Background: The Pivotal trials of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the self-expanding CoreValve (CV) prosthesis mandated balloon pre-dilatation (BPD) for every patient. Since then, use of BPD has steadily fallen. However, the impact of BPD on prosthesis hemodynamics and clinical
Public Health Surveillance via Template Management in Electronic Health Records: Tri-Service Workflow's Rapid Response to an Infectious Disease Crisis.

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe the use of template-based screening for risk of infectious disease exposure of patients presenting to primary care medical facilities during the 2014 West African Ebola virus outbreak. Methods: The Military Health System implemented an Ebola risk-screening tool in primary care settings in order to create early notifications and early responses to potentially infected persons. Three time-sensitive, evidence-based screening questions were developed and posted to Tri-Service Workflow (TSWF) AHLTA templates in conjunction with appropriate training. Data were collected in January 2015, to assess the adoption of the TSWF-based Ebola risk-screening tool. Results: Among encounters documented using TSWF templates, 41% of all encounters showed use of the TSWF-based Ebola risk-screening questions by the fourth day. The screening rate increased over the next 3 weeks, and reached a plateau at approximately 50%. Conclusions: This report demonstrates the MHS capability to deploy a standard...
Testing weight motives and guilt/shame as mediators of the relationship between alcohol use and physical activity.

Abstract Objectives Test whether weight motives and guilt/shame mediate the positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use among college-attending young adults. Design A longitudinal design was employed. Method Young adults who were attending college ( N = 371) completed two self-administered questionnaires separated by approximately one month. Heavy episodic drinking was assessed at Time 1. Vigorous physical activity, moderate physical activity, weight motives, and guilt/shame were assessed at Time 2. Results Results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the positive relationship between heavy episodic drinking and vigorous physical activity. Results were inconsistent with guilt/shame as a mediator of this relationship. There was no statistically significant relationship between heavy episodic drinking and moderate physical activity. Conclusions Heavy episodic drinking was related to vigorous but not to moderate physical activity in the subsequent 30-days. Furthermore, the results are consistent with weight motives as a mediator of the relationship between alcohol use and vigorous physical activity.
Understanding School Choice in Canada

It is curious that discussions of educational policy and practice seldom consider Canada and the United States together, close as are the similarities and interesting as are the differences across ...
Algebraic Topology: A First Course, by William Fulton

(1996). Algebraic Topology: A First Course, by William Fulton. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 103, No. 10, pp. 913-916.
Kinematic predictors of loading during running differ by demographic group.

Abstract Objectives To investigate whether previously-determined kinematic predictors of kinetics during running differ between demographic groups. Participants Young male (n = 13, age = 22 (2) yrs), young female (n = 13, age = 25 (4) yrs), older male (n = 13, age = 50 (4) yrs) and older female (n = 13, age = 52 (3) yrs) runners. Main outcome measures Sagittal plane kinematics and kinetics were assessed while participants ran at their preferred pace. Linear regression models were developed to predict kinetics in each group using kinematics as independent variables. Results Step length was positively associated with magnitude of at least one kinetic variable in all groups. Step position was inversely associated with vertical ground reaction force variables in all groups. Step frequency and CoM excursion were also important to all groups, however direction of the associations varied. Foot angle at initial contact was important to all groups except older females. Peak knee flexion was most important to older females, but was not important to any other groups. Conclusion Optimal parameters for gait analysis of runners may depend on demographics of the individual. This provides insight for clinicians into the most effective evaluation and interventions strategies for different types of runners.
Estimate μ 1 — μ 2, Variances Unknown

This continues Chapter 7 but now the population variances are unknown. We will use the notation of Chapter 7. There are three cases to look at and we will discuss each of these below.
A Baccalaureate Program in Toxicology

In June 1968 the Bureau of Health Manpower of the United States Public Health Service awarded a grant to the College of Pharmacy of St. John's University, Jamaica, N.Y., for the purpose of establishing a four-year undergraduate training program leading to the B.S. degree with a major in toxicology. The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the rationale and curriculum for this program, as well as to discuss experiences with the program over that period.
Some Monte-Carlo Studies of the Ising Model

The Markov property method of speeding up standard Monte Carlo methods can yield about an order of magnitude improvement for the two-dimensional Ising model. We also study the effects of finite size in the three-dimensional Ising model on the computation of the renormalized coupling constant and find, so long as the correlation length is less that about one-tenth the system width, that an accuracy of one percent or better can be expected.
How to start a human rights film festival: Expertise, training and collective media activism:

In this article, I examine how stakeholders in the Human Rights Film Network (the Network) support and mentor activists around the world in how to start a human rights film festival. I focus on the...
Agency Legitimacy: A Reputational Power Analysis of the Bureau of Land Management:

This article examines the organizational reputation of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) using Daniel Carpenter’s reputation and power theory as a theoretical and methodological base. Federal Lan...
Fecal microbiota transplantation donation: the gift that keeps on giving

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is being studied and utilized for various medical conditions including Clostridium difficile colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), obesity, myasthenia gravis, and so on. Yet, FMT donation, whether from an individual or a stool bank, can be challenging given the numerous requirements and donor costs. Furthermore, data outcomes on recipients of FMT regarding donor's health co-morbidities, age, and weight are limited but emerging. The purpose of this review is to evaluate cost, safety, and accessibility in FMT donation.
The annihilation of time by space

In disciplines that overlap in their interest in urbanization, settler colonialism and racial capitalism, there is a sense that we need new narrations of space, place, and time. In my response to D...
Improved metal remediation using a combined bacterial and nanoscience approach.

Abstract Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were used to explore the potential for improved bioremediation of metals by interaction with the Gram-negative bacterium Halomonas sp. The combined approach improved metal removal and shortened metal remediation times (approx. 100% removal of Pb after 24 h, of Cd after 48 h) compared with bacteria- or NP-only controls. NPs also demonstrated the ability to reduce metal toxicity to bacteria and enhance bacterial growth efficiencies in an additive manner. Cd, Pb, and Fe (from NPs) were analyzed in the following operationally-defined components: EPS, cell-wall, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic fractions; EPS was most important in metal removal. There was a significant promotion of Cd intracellular transportation, but not Pb, by NPs. Reduced Pb internalization may have resulted from EPS acting as an uptake barrier coupled with an effective efflux system of Halomonas sp. as a resistance mechanism. In addition, the majority of Fe was present in bacterial membranes, compared with Cd or Pb, suggesting that bacteria may take up iron oxide NPs as a potential nutrient while recognizing Cd or Pb as toxicants.
Smartphone-based clinical diagnostics

Abstract Rapid development in biomedical science, consumer electronics, and software algorithm, has led to the fast growth in smartphone-based diagnostics. Given the advantages of cost-effectiveness, easy sample handling, and rapid readout of results, smartphone devices have become an ideal candidate in the application of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. In this chapter, fundamental principles and clinical applications of smartphone-based diagnostics are discussed. Optical methods remain to be the dominant approach in smartphone-based detection. A number of imaging and quantitative analysis methods, including bright-field imaging, fluorescence imaging, computational imaging, colorimetric sensing, and fluorometric sening, are introduced. Quantification of biomarker concentrations, as well as direct imaging of pathogenic microbes and cells, provide essential information in disease diagnostics. Based on these techniques, various diagnostic applications of smartphone devices are surveyed, including detection of nutrient ions, small molecules, proteins, nucleic acids, bacteria, parasites, and human cells. This transformative tool timely fills the gap between advanced diagnostic technologies and patients in resource-limited settings.
Clinical Course and Prognosis of Smoldering (Asymptomatic) Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia

Smoldering Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (SWM) is defined as a serum IgM monoclonal protein ≥3 g/dL and/or ≥10% bone marrow lymphoplasmacytic infiltration but no evidence of constitutional symptoms, symptomatic anemia, or hyperviscosity. Forty-eight patients with SWM were identified at Mayo Clinic from 1974 to 1995. Patients with a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia or lymphoma or history of any antineoplastic therapy before diagnosis of SWM were excluded. The median age at diagnosis was 63 years (range 39–87 years). Only one patient (2%) was 9 /L (median 5.7), and platelets ranged from 101 to 578 × 10 9 /L (median 285.5). Only one patient had a serum creatinine > 2.0 mg/dL and it was unrelated to SWM. The serum monoclonal protein level at the time of diagnosis ranged from 1.5 to 5.2 g/dL (median 3.3); 12 (25%) were
Many-Body Electric Multipole Operators in Extended Systems

The quantum mechanical position operators, and their products, are not well-defined in systems obeying periodic boundary conditions. Here we extend the work of Resta [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 1800 (1998)], who developed a formalism to calculate the electronic polarization as an expectation value of a many-body operator, to include higher multipole moments, e.g., quadrupole and octupole. We define $n\mathrm{th}$-order multipole operators whose expectation values can be used to calculate the $n\mathrm{th}$ multipole moment when all of the lower moments are vanishing (modulo a quantum). We show that changes in our operators are tied to flows of $n\ensuremath{-}1\mathrm{st}$ multipole currents, and encode the adiabatic evolution of the system in the presence of an $n\ensuremath{-}1\mathrm{st}$ gradient of the electric field. Finally, we test our operators on a set of tight-binding models to show that they correctly determine the phase diagrams of topological quadrupole and octupole models, capture an adiabatic quadrupole pump, and distinguish a bulk quadrupole moment from other mechanisms that generate corner charges.
In-law relationships among interracial couples: A preliminary view

Rates of inter-marriage between races have dramatically increased in the United States over the past 50 years. Despite this shift, the relationships between interracial couples and their in-laws re...
Anticipated consequences as the primary causes of suicidal behavior: Evidence from a laboratory study.

Abstract Due to the limitations of conducting experimental studies on suicide, little is known about its causes. Based on basic behavioral research, we hypothesized that the anticipated consequences of suicidal behavior (e.g., stress relief) are the primary causes of suicidal behavior, and experienced antecedents (e.g., stress) are secondary causes. We evaluated this general hypothesis by testing the causal effects of these two broad phenomena on virtual reality (VR) suicide in 497 participants across five groups. On their own, experienced antecedent manipulations (i.e., stress and rejection) did not significantly increase VR suicide rates relative to the control group. On its own, the anticipated consequence manipulation (i.e., instruction that engaging in VR suicide would allow one to avoid a future stressor) caused a large increase in the VR suicide rate. In the context of an experienced antecedent manipulation (i.e., stress), this anticipated consequence manipulation caused an even larger increase in the VR suicide rate. These findings suggest that the anticipated consequences of suicidal behavior (e.g., avoidance or escape from something unpleasant, attaining something pleasant) are the primary causes of suicidal behavior, and that experienced antecedents (e.g., stress) serve as secondary causes when they make an anticipated consequence of suicidal behavior seem more appealing.
Reforming Capital Taxation in Italy1

This paper reviews capital taxation issues in Italy based on a comprehensive definition encompassing taxes on income, transactions, and ownership. It discusses options to enhance the neutrality of the capital income tax system, followed by a detailed analysis of the property tax, the inheritance tax, and various transaction taxes. The paper also examines the case for replacing the set of existing taxes on financial and real assets with a single net wealth tax. JEL Classification Numbers: H2, H21, H31
PROSPECTS FOR DIESEL EXHAUST ENERGY UTILIZATION ABOARD GREAT LAKES BULK CARRIERS

The rise of fuel prices above their traditional levels suggests that the thermal energy in diesel exhaust gas (waste heat) should be used by the Great Lakes ships in a manner similar to established ocean practice. This paper discusses the important generalities in this use, the magnitude of the energy source from several Great Lakes propulsion engines, and then outlines two schemes for its application by a self-unloading ore carrier of contemporary design. Brief economic analyses show that one scheme is attractive enough to justify more detailed consideration of its use in future ships.
IgG4-Related Orbital Inflammation

IgG4-related inflammation is a recently recognized fibro-inflammatory condition, characterized by tumefactive lesions containing dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates rich in IgG4+ plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis that are associated with elevated serum IgG4. Orbital and adnexal tissues are the fifth most common extrapancreatic site. It is mostly seen in middle-aged patients with equal involvement of men and women. IgG4-related inflammation can affect any tissue in the orbit, but the lacrimal gland (88 %) is the most commonly involved, followed by trigeminal nerve branch enlargement (39 %), extraocular enlargement (25 %), and diffuse infiltration of orbital fat (23 %). Patients usually present with a mass or mass-related symptoms and mild or no signs of inflammation. The diagnostic criteria include diffuse/localized masses in single or multiple organs, elevated serum IgG4 concentrations (≥135 mg/dl), and histopathological examination showing marked lymphocytes and plasma cell infiltration and fibrosis, with IgG4+ plasma cells comprising more than 40 % of the total plasma cell population and with at least 10 IgG4+ plasma cells per high-power microscopic field. On magnetic resonance imaging, orbital lesions are hyperintense on T1-weighted and hypointense on T2-weighted images. They enhance with gadolinium and have no destructive bony lesion. IgG4-related inflammation is thought to be a particular Th-2-mediated inflammatory response that may be initiated by particular autoantigens that become recognized during the inflammatory process. There is a delicate balance between Th-2 and Treg cells in the evolving inflammatory responses, and IgG4 behaves as a surrogate marker of a particular type of pro-fibrotic inflammatory process in which it serves to mitigate inflammatory response. IgG4-related inflammation shows a good initial response to corticosteroids, but as the disease evolves into sclerotic phase, it becomes resistant. In these cases, immunosuppressants and rituximab have been used with some success.
Graduate Student Training and the Reluctant Internationalism of Social Science in the USA

In the US academy, there is significant disciplinary variation in the extent to which graduate students are encouraged to or discouraged from studying abroad and doing fieldwork overseas. This article examines this issue, focusing on US graduate training in the social sciences and the extent to which students are discouraged from developing international expertise. Data is drawn from a mixed-methods study conducted from 2005–2010 by the Social Science Research Council and funded by the US Department of Education's International Research and Studies Program. This article argues that key cultural dynamics in the nomothetic social science disciplines in the USA steer graduate students away from contextual international study and thus work against university internationalization efforts more broadly. Scholars of comparative and international education need to be aware of these kinds of disciplinary cultural dynamics in order to fully understand how university internationalization efforts succeed or fail.
Autoimmune pancreatitis: Current diagnostic criteria are suboptimal

Background and Aims: The preoperative diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is difficult, given its similar clinical presentation to pancreatic cancer. The aims of the study are to describe our center's experience with AIP and apply the Japanese AIP diagnostic criteria to a cohort of patients with histologically-proven AIP in order to assess their performance characteristics. Methods: A prospective pathology database was queried for AIP patients who were evaluated and/or treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2002 to 2009. AIP histology was defined by the presence of lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, periductal inflammation, fibrosis, and periphlebitis. Imaging, clinical, and biochemical data were analyzed. Results: Thirty patients had pancreatic resection with pathological confirmation of AIP. Imaging revealed pancreatic mass (45%), focal prominence without mass lesion (24%), diffuse enlargement (17%), and normal pancreas (14%). Twenty-four patients underwent an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and/or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and 4/24 (17%) had pancreatic ductal narrowing or irregularity. Extrapancreaticobiliary organ involvement was found in 6% (n = 2) of patients. Biliary strictures were present in 87% of patients. Of 16 patients who underwent preoperative tissue biopsy, 10 had non-diagnostic pathology, five had cellular atypia, and one had AIP. Serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) levels were elevated in 12 of 29 (41%) patients. Three (10%) patients had evidence of extrapancreatic manifestations of AIP. When applying the Japanese criteria to the 27 patients who had serum IgG4 measurement, preoperative biopsy, and cross-sectional abdominal imaging, only 44% of the patients would have been diagnosed accurately. Conclusions: When applied to a highly-selected single-center referral population in the USA, current Japanese guidelines for the diagnosis of AIP are found to have suboptimal sensitivity.
An Empirical Approach to Tokamak Transport

ABSTRACT This lecture will present an overview of the important considerations related to particle and energy transport in a tokamak. Transport in tokamaks can be inferred by analyzing the experimental data in terms of the one dimensional magnetic field diffusion equation and the particle and energy conservation equations. This approach will be illustrated by considering current penetration during the startup phase, density buildup in high density discharges, as well as the ion and electron energy balance in PLT ohmically heated discharges. Areas requiring further research will be discussed.
Human γδ T cells as mediators of chimaeric‐receptor redirected anti‐tumour immunity

Human peripheral blood gammadelta T cells (Vgamma9(+) Vdelta2(+)) can be selectively expanded in vivo by the systemic administration of aminobisphosphonates without prior antigen priming. To assess the potential of human gammadelta T cells to serve as effector cells of specific anti-tumour immunity, we expanded peripheral blood-derived gammadelta T cells and transduced them with recombinant retrovirus encoding G(D2)- or CD19-specific chimaeric receptors. Flow cytometric analysis of T cells from four individual donors cultured in the presence of zoledronate at day 14 of culture showed selective enrichment of the gammadelta T cell population (Vgamma9(+) Vdelta2(+) CD3(+) CD4(-) CD8(-)) to 73-96% of total CD3(+) T cells. Retroviral gene transfer resulted in chimaeric receptor surface expression in 73 +/- 12% of the population. Transduced gammadelta T cells efficiently recognized antigen-expressing tumour cell targets, as demonstrated by target-specific upregulation of CD69 and secretion of interferon-alpha. Moreover, transduced gammadelta T cells efficiently and specifically lysed the antigen-expressing tumour targets. They could be efficiently expanded in vitro and maintained in culture for prolonged periods. Zoledronate-activated human gammadelta T cells expressing chimaeric receptors may thus serve as potent and specific anti-tumour effector cells. Their responsiveness to stimulation with aminobisphosphonates may enable the selective re-expansion of adoptively transferred T cells in vivo, permitting long lasting anti-tumour immune control.
Optical-Fiber Measurements

In the following sections, we shall discuss a variety of field and laboratory measurements on telecommunication fibers, largely excluding sources, detectors and electronics. Certain of these measurements, especially bandwidth and attenuation, will often yield different results for different launching conditions. Therefore, there has been no little attempt to determine a set of launching conditions that will give substantially the same results among laboratories as well as give representative results when compared to field measurements. Because the fibers used for telecommunications tend to be comparatively long, say 1 to 5 km, the industry has largely agreed to make certain measurements using either the 70–70 condition or some sort of equilibrium mode simulator.
Cryptic Herbivores of the Rainforest Canopy

Ants are generally considered to be predators or scavengers, not herbivores. As Hunt explains in his Perspective, it now seems that ants of the rainforest canopy are cryptic herbivores that feed indirectly on plant sap by milking the exudates of sap-sucker insects such as aphids ( Davidson et al.). These cryptic herbivores contribute to the burden of herbivory on rainforest plants and thus are an important part of the rainforest carbon cycle.
Exposure of Hydrophobic Surfaces on the Chaperonin GroEL Oligomer by Protonation or Modification of His-401

Hydrophobic exposure on the chaperonin GroEL is increased 6-10-fold after the protein is treated with the His-reactive reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEP), or the solution pH is lowered to 5.5. The induced hydrophobic surfaces have the same 1,1′-bis(4-anilino)naphthalene-5,5′-disulfonic acid (bis-ANS) binding characteristics as unperturbed GroEL: a Kd≅ 3.5 μM, a maximum intensity at ∼500 nm, and an average fluorescence lifetime of ∼8.0 ns. The pKa for the pH-induced transition is 6.6, most likely attributable to the only histidine in GroEL, His-401, located in the intermediate domain. The modification of one histidine residue per monomer upon DEP treatment is supported by the correlation between the change in the absorbance at 242 nm for the N-carbethoxyhistidyl derivative and the increase in bis-ANS fluorescence. GroEL at pH 5.5 is tetradecameric and can capture urea-denatured rhodanese and release it as active enzyme. The GroEL-rhodanese complex is more stable to dissociation by 2.25 M urea than the complex formed at pH 7.8. We propose that His-401 is in a conformationally sensitive region such that protonation or modification can lead to increased exposure of hydrophobic surfaces capable of binding folding intermediates.
A longitudinal study of idiopathic exudative lymphocytic pleural effusion in older people.

Objectives: To assess the long-term prognosis of older patients with idiopathic exudative lymphocytic pleural effusion. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: A university-affiliated tertiary care center. Participants: Forty-seven consecutive patients (aged 74.9±5.4) with idiopathic exudative lymphocytic pleural effusion were enrolled over a 42-month period. Measurements: Baseline sociodemographic information, clinical data, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score were obtained. After an exhaustive examination, clinical evaluation and periodic chest radiographs were taken until one of the endpoints was met: complete resolution of the pleural effusion, death from all causes, or the end of the study period. Results: The mean follow-up period was 16.3±17.0 months. During the course of the study, complete resolution of the pleural effusion occurred in 17% of the patients, whereas it remained stable in 45%, and progressed in 38%. In seven cases, the cause of the effusion was established after an average of 84 days, and in another two, the diagnosis was made postmortem. Malignancy was documented in eight of the nine cases. Although the burden of comorbidities and cardiac function at baseline were similar in the three categories, the 3-year survival rate was 63%, 5%, and 0%, respectively. None of the patients developed active tuberculosis, although 15% had positive tuberculin test. Conclusion: By categorizing the presence of idiopathic effusion into resolving, persistent, or progressive, this study may provide a more practical approach to the long-term prognosis of older patients with idiopathic exudative lymphocytic effusion who refuse or are considered too frail to undergo an invasive procedure.
Ambedkar, Marx and the Buddhist Question

This essay tries to frame one question, which at its most abbreviated can be posed thus: why does Ambedkar convert to Buddhism? Given Ambedkar's militant secularism, to ask this question is also to ask: what assumption of responsibility does that conversion enable which exceeds secular responsibility? This essay tracks how Ambedkar's religion questions both the liberal concept of minority, and the dissolution of the minor that is staged in Marx's critique simultaneously of religion and secularism. Buddhism becomes in the process a religion of the minor.
Valve replacement in patients with endocarditis and acute neurologic deficit

Background. Acute neurologic deficits occur in up to 40% of patients with left heart endocarditis. Appropriate evaluation and management of patients with acute neurologic dysfunction who require valve operations for endocarditis remain controversial. This retrospective review was undertaken to develop recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of these challenging patients. Methods. From 1983 to 1995, 247 patients underwent operations for left heart native valve endocarditis at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. From a review of medical and pathology records, 34 patients (14%) with preoperative neurologic deficits were identified. Data on these 34 patients were recorded and analyzed. Results. Causes of neurologic dysfunction included embolic cerebrovascular accident (n = 23, 68%), embolic cerebrovascular accident with hemorrhage (n = 4, 12%), ruptured mycotic aneurysm (n = 3, 9%), transient ischemic attack (n = 2, 6%), and meningitis (n = 2, 6%). Preoperative diagnostic studies included computed tomography (32 patients), magnetic resonance imaging (11 patients), cerebral angiogram (14 patients), and lumbar puncture (2 patients). Computed tomography demonstrated structural lesions in 29 of 32 patients; in only 1 patient did magnetic resonance imaging reveal a lesion not already seen on computed tomography. Of 14 patients having cerebral angiograms, 7 had a mycotic aneurysm. Three mycotic aneurysms had ruptured, and these were clipped before cardiac operations. The mean interval from onset of neurologic deficit to cardiac operation was 22.2 ± 2.8 days for all patients and 22.1 ± 3.0 days for those with embolic cerebrovascular accident. The hospital mortality rate was 6%. New or worse neurologic deficits occurred in 2 patients (6%). Conclusions. Neurologic deficits are common in patients with endocarditis referred for cardiac operations. Despite substantial preoperative morbidity, most of these patients do well if the operation can be delayed for 2 to 3 weeks. Computed tomography scan is the preoperative imaging technique of choice, as routine magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral angiogram are unrewarding. Cerebral angiogram is indicated only if computed tomography reveals hemorrhage.
In-plane vibration of spinning disks

I an earlier investigation, the effect of "rigid body" rotation on the vibration of elastic bodies was discussed in general terms. It was shown that the rotation couples the transverseand longitudinal-type vibrations and that it tends to increase the natural frequency of the longitudinal vibration while decreasing the natural frequency of the transverse vibration. Analytically, this effect is produced primarily by terms commonly referred to as Coriolis acceleration. Recently, Di Taranto and Lessen have studied this effect in rotating cylindrical shells. The object here is to investigate this effect in the "in-plane" vibration of rotating circular disks, f
Detection Probabilities for Beta-Distributed Scattering Cross Sections

ABSTRACT The generalized beta probability distribution provides an important description of the fluctuation of radar scattering cross sections of realistic targets. Consequently, there is a need to determine the probabilities of detection using the generalized beta distribution target model. These probabilities of detection are derived using Swerling's method Involving the use of characteristic functions. A numerical procedure IS developed for calculating arbitrarily accurate detection probabilities. This procedure involves algorithms that evaluate an inverse Laplace transform and the confluent hypergeometric function. Detection probabilities are derived for either the fast or slow fluctuation case, for any number of pulses per scan, for any false alarm probability, for any average signal-to-noise ratio, and for any choice of the two shape parameters of the generalized beta distribution.
Comparative pharmacokinetics of two prodrugs of zidovudine in rabbits: enhanced levels of zidovudine in brain tissue.

Abstract The pharmacokinetics of two prodrugs of zidovudine (AZT), 1,4-dihydro-1-methyl-3-[(pyridylcarbonyl)oxy] ester and isoleucinyl ester (DPAZT and IAZT, respectively), were investigated in a rabbit model to determine their potential utility as drugs against human immunodeficiency virus. Drugs were administered by intravenous infusion over 5 min at doses equal to 10 mg of AZT per kg of body weight. The levels of the prodrugs and of released AZT in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and brain were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. DPAZT disappeared rapidly from plasma, whereas IAZT maintained a sustained level in plasma for up to 4 h. The levels in plasma of AZT released from DPAZT were consistently lower than the levels of AZT released from IAZT or AZT itself. At 75 min after infusion of AZT, DPAZT, and IAZT, the CSF plasma AZT ratios were 0.23, 0.30, and 0.25, while the brain/CSF AZT ratios were 0.32, 0.63, and 0.64, respectively. These results indicate that the administration of each of the prodrugs produced a higher concentration of AZT in the brain than did the direct administration of AZT. Both prodrugs therefore may be superior to AZT itself with respect to achieving anti-human immunodeficiency virus concentrations within the central nervous system.
Achievable performance in multivariable feedback systems

The fundamental limits on achievable performance of feedback systems are explored through an extension to the multivariable case of the scalar Bode gain-phase relations. This paper is a brief summary of the research results reported in [1].
General Theory for Integrated Analysis of Growth, Gene, and Protein Expression in Biofilms

A theory for analysis and prediction of spatial and temporal patterns of gene and protein expression within microbial biofilms is derived. The theory integrates phenomena of solute reaction and diffusion, microbial growth, mRNA or protein synthesis, biomass advection, and gene transcript or protein turnover. Case studies illustrate the capacity of the theory to simulate heterogeneous spatial patterns and predict microbial activities in biofilms that are qualitatively different from those of planktonic cells. Specific scenarios analyzed include an inducible GFP or fluorescent protein reporter, a denitrification gene repressed by oxygen, an acid stress response gene, and a quorum sensing circuit. It is shown that the patterns of activity revealed by inducible stable fluorescent proteins or reporter unstable proteins overestimate the region of activity. This is due to advective spreading and finite protein turnover rates. In the cases of a gene induced by either limitation for a metabolic substrate or accumulation of a metabolic product, maximal expression is predicted in an internal stratum of the biofilm. A quorum sensing system that includes an oxygen-responsive negative regulator exhibits behavior that is distinct from any stage of a batch planktonic culture. Though here the analyses have been limited to simultaneous interactions of up to two substrates and two genes, the framework applies to arbitrarily large networks of genes and metabolites. Extension of reaction-diffusion modeling in biofilms to the analysis of individual genes and gene networks is an important advance that dovetails with the growing toolkit of molecular and genetic experimental techniques.
Inhibition of Tumor Cell Proliferation by Dexamethasone: 31P NMR Studies of RIF-1 Fibrosarcoma Cells Perfused In Vitro

The impact on tumor cell metabolism of a substantial reduction in cell proliferation rate without acute cytotoxicity was examined in cultured RIF-1 tumor cells following treatment with an antiproliferative steroid, dexamethasone (DEX). After 48 h exposure to 4 mM DEX, acute cell viability was essentially unchanged: cells were 93 +/- 2% trypan blue excluding in both control and treated cultures (all values are mean +/- SD). The fraction of actively proliferating cells in the S phase (as indicated by incorporation of 5-bromodeoxyuridine) was only 4 +/- 3%, compared with 13 +/- 3% in age-matched control cultures (n =4, paired t-test: p < 0.004) and 23 +/- 7% at the beginning of the treatment. Three days of DEX treatment resulted in a limited increase in the level of apoptosis (programmed cell death): cells did not become rounded or detached, but the fraction expressing apoptotic DNA fragmentation (susceptible to nick end labeling by terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase) was 15 +/- 7%, vs 2 +/- 1% in control cultures (p < 0.02). Despite a 75% inhibition of cell proliferation, DEX caused only a modest change in the 31P NMR spectra of RIF-1 cells in vitro. The ratio of phosphocreatine to nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) was 30% higher, on average, in treated than in control cells (n = 8, paired t-test, p < 0.02), even when both treated and control cell densities were low. The level of total phosphomonoester (relative to NTP) was lower at low cell density, but this was independent of whether cells were growing rapidly (control low density) or were growth inhibited by DEX. Neither the ratio of phosphocholine to NTP nor the intracellular pH was significantly different in DEX-treated cells.
Reporting Scan Time Reduces Cardiac MR Examination Duration

CardiacMR(CMR)imagingisusedfor a variety of indications, rangingfrom suspected cardiomyopathy toevaluationofcongenitalheartdefects[1-3].Atourinstitution,theseexam-inations are monitored and tailoredby physicians, with the potential tobecome lengthy and resource inten-sive. CMR examinations have comeunder particular scrutiny in the set-ting of rising health care costs [4,5].Although quality improvementinitiatives typically focus on care im-provement, waste reduction is an al-ternativequalitymeasure [6-9].Onaclinical CMR imaging service, wastetakestheformofaddedscantimeduetoextraneouspulsesequences,repeti-tion of sequences not necessary foraccurate diagnosis, or any extensionof the examination time withoutadded diagnostic value [7]. Waitingtime, whether time spent waiting fora scan to ﬁnish or for a radiologist’sassistance, and consequent “under-utilization” of the scanner are exam-plesofwasteonaclinicalservice [10].We observed low compliancewith allotted time slots for CMRexaminationsatourinstitution,de-spite allotted slot times of 90 min(the longest in the department). In2010, more than half of the 518CMR examinations performed ex-ceeded 90 min in length (Table 1).
The RNA binding protein HuR does not interact directly with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and does not affect reverse transcription in vitro

Lemay et al recently reported that the RNA binding protein HuR directly interacts with the ribonuclease H (RNase H) domain of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and influences the efficiency of viral reverse transcription (Lemay et al., 2008, Retrovirology 5:47). HuR is a member of the embryonic lethal abnormal vision protein family and contains 3 RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) that bind AU-rich elements (AREs). To define the structural determinants of the HuR-RT interaction and to elucidate the mechanism(s) by which HuR influences HIV-1 reverse transcription activity in vitro, we cloned and purified full-length HuR as well as three additional protein constructs that contained the N-terminal and internal RRMs, the internal and C-terminal RRMs, or the C-terminal RRM only. All four HuR proteins were purified and characterized by biophysical methods. They are well structured and exist as monomers in solution. No direct protein-protein interaction between HuR and HIV-1 RT was detected using NMR titrations with 15N labeled HuR variants or the 15N labeled RNase H domain of HIV-1 RT. Furthermore, HuR did not significantly affect the kinetics of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro, even on RNA templates that contain AREs. Our results suggest that HuR does not impact HIV-1 replication through a direct protein-protein interaction with the viral RT.
Rostral trigeminal projections signal perioral facial pain

Abstract Sagittal knife cuts were made interrupting efferent projections of either the rostral or the caudal trigeminal nuclear complex in the rat. Only rostral cuts resulted in significant, specific deficits in ipsilateral facial nociception. These results are not consistent with a well-known view which emphasizes only caudal nuclear projections as critical for orofacial pain.
Bayesian spherical wavelet shrinkage: applications to shape analysis

Multiscale analysis has become indispensable in image processing and computer vision. Our work is motivated by the need to efficiently represent 3D shapes that exhibit a spherical topology. This note presents a wavelet based model for shape denoising and data compression. The 3D shape signal is first encoded using biorthogonal spherical wavelet functions defined on a 3D triangulated mesh. We propose a Bayesian shrinkage model for this type of second generation wavelets in order to eliminate wavelet coefficients that likely correspond to noise. This way, we are able to reduce dimension without losing significant information by estimating a noiseless version of our shape.