cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet-derived growth factor promotes endometrial epithelial cell proliferation☆

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the effects of platelet-derived growth factor on the proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells. Platelet-derived growth factor and its receptors have been identified in the endometrium, and platelet-derived growth factor is a mitogen for endometrial stromal cells. Released from macrophages and platelets at sites of ectopic endometrial growth, platelet-derived growth factor could promote the progression of endometriosis and endometrial cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Endometrial epithelail cell lines were developed from proliferative-phase endometria from two patients without endometrial lesions. Cell lines were confirmed to be epithelial. Proliferation assays were conducted on both lines with recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-AA, AB, and BB. Assays were also performed at different doses, times, and cell densities with platelet-derived growth factor-AB. RESULTS: All isoforms of platelet-derived growth factor were potent mitogens for both endometrial epithelial cell lines. The greatest proliferative responses were achieved at 10 ng/ml and at 24 hours. Responses decreased significantly in confluent cultures. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that endometrial epithelial cells have functional platelet-derived growth factor-α receptors that signal cell replication. The greater activity of platelet-derived growth factor in subconfluent cultures may indicate that receptor numbers or affinity are up-regulated when cell-cell contact is disrupted. These data support a role for platelet-derived growth factor in normal endometrial proliferation and in pathologic proliferation such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer.
Riding the Wave to Excellence in Engineering Education: 2007 ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education Engineering) ELD (Engineering Libraries Division) Annual Conference

Purpose – To share information about the American Society for Engineering Education Engineering (ASEE) Engineering Libraries Division (ELD) Annual Conference on instruction, training and support for engineering education. A conference report that touches on disciplines of engineering, technology education and engineering librarianship.Design/methodology/approach – Conference report.Originality/value – The paper provided a review of programs and technology presentations by engineering librarians of interest to libraries and information professionals.
Teacher Accountability: Myths and Realities

(1976). Teacher Accountability: Myths and Realities. The Educational Forum: Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 49-60.
A lucite plate method for 3-dimensional reconstruction of neuronal populations.

Abstract A Lucite plate reconstruction method is described which, when combined with HRP histochemistry, provides an excellent means of visualizing, in 3-dimensional fashion, the functional organization of neuronal populations. Color photomicrographs of representative serial sections were made through the baboon oculomotor nucleus. Each color slide was then projected onto a 9 × 12 in. Lucite plate and the configuration of the nucleus at each representative level drawn to scale on the plates. These plates were then stacked one in front of the other yielding a see-through, 3-dimensional reconstruction of the entire nucleus. Color transparencies of every sixth HRP-processed section were made and the image of each section projected onto the Lucite plates on which the configuration of the oculomotor nucleus was previously outlined. Using different colored stars to represent the neurons which supply different oculomotor muscles, the number and location of HRP-positive neurons was then plotted. The end result was an anatomically accurate 3-dimensional reconstruction of the entire labeled population of the oculomotor nucleus including the location of subnuclei that can be viewed from any side or at any angle. With adequate reference points these data can be entered into a computer graphics device, then viewed and manipulated in 3-dimensional fashion.
Steric, electronic and integrative factors in enzymic regulation

Abstract Steric separation of enzyme and substrate underlies the regulation of enzymic systems connected with the repair of mechanical damage. Two examples, the polyphenoloxidase and glyoxalase, are discussed.
Interleukin-32β Propagates Vascular Inflammation and Exacerbates Sepsis in a Mouse Model

Background Inflammation is associated with most diseases, which makes understanding the mechanisms of inflammation vitally important.
Plasma-initiated laser deposition of polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon films

This paper reports a new method of silicon deposition using the interaction between the radiation from a pulsed ultraviolet excimer laser and the plasma species produced in a glow discharge in silicane (SiH/sub 4/). Examination of the deposited film by laser Raman spectroscopy and by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the morphology ranged from polycrystalline silicon at laser fluences of 0.13 to 0.17 J/cm/sup 2/ to epitaxial silicon at fluences of 0.4 to 0.6 J/cm/sup 2/. Growth rates of 100 nm/min for polycrystalline silicon and 30 nm/min for monocrystalline silicon were achieved.
U.S. DOE hydrogen code and standards program

The presentation will provide an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, and Infrastructure Technologies program with a focus on DOE's work to develop a unified domestic program and agenda for hydrogen codes and standards. This program involves the DOE, key standards development and model code development organizations, industry and industry associations, other federal agencies, and national laboratories. The paper will describe the objectives, approach, and major elements of this collaborative effort. Recent accomplishments and on-going activities will also be discussed.
Agrarian legacy in soil nutrient pools of urbanizing arid lands

Today’s worldwide expansion of dry land cities consumes cultivated and native ecosystems, providing laboratories for investigating imprints of former land use in places where people now live. Around Phoenix, USA, we compared soil nutrient pools in residential yards converted from farms with nutrient pools in yards developed on native desert. Organic matter, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and soluble ions were 42-fold greater in yards that were previously agrarian than in yards that were not. These pools remain elevated 40 years after land conversion to residential use. Present N accumulation (1.5gm � 2 yr � 1 ) is not affected by prior land use, suggesting that rates of residential fertilizer application and retention are not affected by antecedent soil fertility. Bioavailable, inorganic phosphorus (Pav) is elevated in soil with a recent agrarian past, but this signal disappears after 10–30 years of residential use owing to an accumulation of Pav in never-farmed yards. Our results indicate a ‘direct agrarian legacy,’ wherein agrarian amendment of nutrient pools endures urbanization, more so than an ‘indirect legacy,’ wherein present land management is molded by former land use. Agriculture in dry lands thus sequesters material in soils, and—as we also found higher material contents in residential soils than in contemporary agrarian soils—residential land use simply adds to the agrarian legacy these soils already bear. Intense human use of arid lands may cause increases in material pools in soils, a condition with potential global consequence.
An application framework for synchronous collaboration using JavaBeans

This paper presents a JavaBeans framework that supports real-time synchronous collaborative applications. We contribute a generic collaboration bus as an enabling virtual "channel" that spans network fabrics and integrates collaborating clients. The bus provides a component-based plug-and-play environment that enables collaboration with applications that may or may not be collaboration aware. Any (including single-user) applications can be plugged in as is and made collaborative with no modifications to the application or to the collaboration bus. One of the activities supported by the framework is multi-user visual programming using JavaBeans: the users at geographically separate locations can collaboratively compose complex applications using component Beans. The framework has been implemented and tested on a variety of applications.
A professor’s reflection on the value of student reflections in a service-learning research project within a university science course

A well-established university Biology course that addresses among its several cores the impact of indoor air pollution on human health, involved 29 undergraduate students in a dynamic service-learning research project. The students were prepared academically through intensive course lectures and in-class training then guided into the community to gauge its awareness of indoor air pollution. The students took with them into the community especially designed brochures that highlighted the health effects of eight major indoor air pollutants and questionnaires that community participants were asked to complete anonymously. In addition to teaching the course and training the students in service-learning practices, the professor’s role included: (a) being available to respond to students’ questions and concerns for the duration of the service-learning research activity; (b) directing data compilation, analysis, and storage; and (c) categorizing, assessing, and reflecting on the students’ learning journeys, the last of which is of immediate relevance to this publication. The students submitted their reflections under the headings of lessons learned, challenges faced, and recommendations, as part of the course grade. These student reflections indicated that the students acquired a new understanding of the community, their course material, and themselves. These reflections also effected the professor’s reflection presented here. The professor reflected on the students’ learning the value of investing in three “O’s” of good research practices: originality, objectivity, and openness; and on the students’ earning the rewards of three “A’s” of meaningful service: altruism, awareness, and appreciation.
Structural and dynamic interfacial properties of the lipoprotein initiating domain of apolipoprotein B

To better understand the earliest steps in the assembly of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins, we compared the biophysical and interfacial properties of two closely related apolipoprotein B (apoB) truncation mutants, one of which contains the complete lipoprotein initiating domain (apoB20.1; residues 1-912), and one of which, by virtue of a 50 amino acid C-terminal truncation, is incapable of forming nascent lipoproteins (apoB19; residues 1-862). Spectroscopic studies detected no major differences in secondary structure, and only minor differences in conformation and thermodynamic stability, between the two truncation mutants. Monolayer studies revealed that both apoB19 and apoB20.1 bound to and penetrated egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) monolayers; however, the interfacial exclusion pressure of apoB20.1 was higher than apoB19 (25.1 mN/m vs. 22.8 mN/m). Oil drop tensiometry revealed that both proteins bound rapidly to the hydrophobic triolein/water interface, reducing interfacial tension by ∼20 mN/m. However, when triolein drops were first coated with phospholipids (PL), apoB20.1 bound with faster kinetics than apoB19 and also displayed greater interfacial elasticity (26.9 ± 0.8 mN/m vs. 22.9 ± 0.8 mN/m). These data establish that the transition of apoB to assembly competence is accompanied by increases in surface activity and elasticity, but not by significant changes in global structure.
Role for precursor Pro-B type natriuretic peptide in assessing response to therapy and prognosis in patients with decompensated heart failure treated with nesiritide.

Abstract Background ProBNP, the precursor peptide to BNP and NT-proBNP (NP), circulates in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and appears to be the predominant form of NP. This heterogeneity may confound interpretation of NP concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response to therapy and prognostic influence of proBNP in a cohort of patients admitted to hospital for decompensated HF. Methods We prospectively evaluated 40 Class III–IV patients who received clinically-indicated nesiritide infusions as part of their care. Blood was drawn before, during, and post-infusion, and assayed for proBNP, BNP, and NT-proBNP. Results All biomarkers were increased at baseline consistent with HF. ProBNP and NT-proBNP demonstrated significant reductions in response to therapy (42% and 18% post-infusion, respectively). In the patients who experienced post-hospital mortality (40% at 6 months), baseline proBNP and BNP concentrations were significantly lower than in survivors. This paradoxical finding may be explained by the end-stage nature of this patient cohort possibly experiencing exhaustion of their NP systems. Conclusions Circulating concentrations of proBNP are increased in decompensated HF and similar to NT-proBNP are reduced in response to acute therapy. Paradoxically and similar to BNP, baseline proBNP concentrations were lower in post-hospital non-survivors. While hypothesis generating, the results of this study support a role for proBNP in monitoring therapy and predicting short-term outcome. These findings need to be confirmed in a patient cohort without nesiritide therapy and more moderate HF.
A student mentoring and development program for underrepresented groups in engineering

The graduate, undergraduate initiative for development and enhancement (GUIDE) program creates a supportive environment for first year engineering students from underrepresented groups. This 4 year NSF program has just completed its second year of funding. GUIDE provides first year students with student mentors, financial assistance and faculty advisors to assist them with the transition to university life. In addition, the GUIDE scholars attend engineering seminars and career workshops. This paper describes the GUIDE program and the skills students gain from participating in the program. It also outlines the logistics involved in a student mentoring program that is coupled with seminars and workshops.
Time-resolved synchrotron X-ray study of crystalline phase transition in poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing alternated terephthalic/isophthalic moieties

Unique crystallization and melting behavior in poly(aryl ether ketone ketone) containing alternated terephthalic and isophthalic moieties were studied by time-resolved synchrotron x-ray methods. Recently, this material has been shown to exhibit three polymorphs (forms I, II, and III). In this work, we further investigated their distinctive thermal properties and found that form I is the dominating and the most thermally stable phase while form II is favored by fast nucleation conditions and is the least stable phase. On the other hand, form III represents a minor intermediate phase that usually coexists with form I and can be transferred from form II and to form I. Structural and morphological changes in form I have been followed by simultaneous wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD)/small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements during cold- or melt-crystallization and subsequent melting. In all cases, a larger dimensional change was found in the crystallographic than the b-axis during heating and cooling. This may be due to the greater lateral stress variation with respect to temperature along the a direction of the primary lamellae which is induced by either the formation of secondary lamellae or the preferential chain-folding direction in poly(aryl ether ketone ketone)s. During the phase transitions of form II → III in the cold-crystallized specimen and form III → I in the melt-crystallized samples, lamellar variables (long period, lamellar thickness, and invariant) obtained from SAXS remain almost constant. This indicates that the density distribution in the long spacing is independent of the melting in form II or III. For melt-crystallization, the corresponding changes in unit-cell dimensions and lamellar morphology during the annealing-induced low endo-therm are most consistent with the argument that these changes are due to the melting of thin lamellar population.
A New Automatic Concavity Extraction Model

This paper develops a new hierarchic definition of the notion concavity and provides an algorithm to determine the different level of concavities. To find the shape of first level concavities an active concavity model is developed. The model is based on the geometric heat differential equation, which evolves a curve in the direction of the difference between normal and tangent force, and normal force alone. To validate the theory a set of experiments is performed using groundwater and medical X-ray and MRI images
High-Value, Cost-Conscious Medical Education

1. Jumani K, Advani S, Reich NG, Gosey L, Milstone AM. Risk factors for peripherally inserted central venous catheter complications in children. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167(5):429-435. 2. Keren R, Shah SS, Srivastava R, et al. Comparative effectiveness of intravenous vs oral antibiotics for postdischarge treatment of acute osteomyelitis in children [published online December 15, 2014]. JAMA Pediatr. doi:10.1001 /jamapediatrics.2014.2822.
From emergency departments to cottage cheese to fire departments: learning simulation experimentation through WebGPSS

An important component of any simulation course is the discussion of experimental design. WebGPSS has been used by the author for two years to discuss experimentation in an introductory course in discrete-event simulation. This paper discusses how to set up simulation experiments using WebGPSS by presenting three business problems whose solutions require careful attention to experimental design. The first problem looks at staffing an emergency department of a hospital with physicians. The second problem involves the optimal method for stocking a perishable food product such as cottage cheese on a supermarket shelf, showing that under realistic conditions, spoilage can be minimized by placing newer containers in the front. The third problem involves analysis of a proposal for two neighboring communities currently operating completely separate fire departments to integrate their two systems in a way that could reduce the amount of time that fires are unattended.
Additions to Anacardium (Anacardiaceae). Anacardium amapaënse, a new species from French Guiana and eastern Amazonian Brazil

Anacardium amapaense, a new species, is described and segregated fromA. parvifolium. Its leaf domatia are substantially different in morphology from the latter. Based on gross morphological characters,Anacardium amapaense appears to be most closely allied withA. fruticosum. An emended description ofA. parvifolium, distribution maps ofA. amapaense, A. fruticosum andA. parvifolium, and a revised key toAnacardium are included.
Why Women Sit: Determinants of Leisure Sitting Time for Working Women

Abstract Background Sedentary behavior is associated with negative health consequences independent of physical activity levels. Evidence suggests the work environment promotes sedentary behavior regardless of sector, and that employees with occupations requiring longer sitting times differ only marginally in leisure sitting time from those with more active occupations. Because physical activity opportunities may be limited across many work settings, leisure sedentary time may be more easily replaced with physical activity. Understanding correlates of leisure sedentary behaviors could inform interventions, specifically for women who are among the least active in America. Methods Female employees at two universities completed online surveys ( n = 156; mean age, 45.12 [SD = 12.5]; mean BMI, 26.7 kg/m 2 [SD = 5.9]; mean work hours/week, 43.7 [SD = 9.4]). Bivariate correlations and two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine personal and behavioral correlates of weekday and weekend leisure sitting time. Findings Final regression models revealed that greater weekday leisure sitting time ( R 2 = 0.307) was related with being older ( p = .006), having fewer children ( p = .001), self-reporting poorer health ( p = .006), and greater weekend sitting time ( p R 2 = 0.261) was related with greater work-related sitting time ( p = .020) and greater weekday leisure sitting time ( p Conclusions The most prominent correlates of leisure sitting time were other types of sedentary behaviors. This suggests that sedentary time in one segment of life predicts time spent sitting in other areas of life. Future interventions should target decreasing sedentary behaviors during leisure time specifically, in addition to increasing physical activity behavior.
Effects of Pressure on the Electrical Properties of Semiconductors

Measurements have been made of the effects of hydrostatic pressures between one and 2000 atmospheres on the electrical properties of several different semiconductors. The materials studied are germanium, indium antimonide, indium arsenide, gallium antimonide, tellurium, and magnesium stannide. It has been found that the temperature at which the Hall coefficient of $p$-type Ge reverses sign shifts to a higher value under the application of a pressure of 2000 atmospheres, and that the magnitude of the shift is in good agreement with the shift predicted by the known increase of the energy gap from one to 2000 atmospheres. The transverse magnetoresistance of InSb is found to decrease slightly with increasing pressure in accordance with the known decrease of electron mobility. Conductivity and Hall coefficient $\mathrm{vs}$ pressure measurements on extrinsic $n$-type samples of InAs and GaSb show that the electron mobility in InAs decreases by about 7 percent from one to 2000 atmospheres and that there is no such mobility change in GaSb. Conductivity and Hall coefficient $\mathrm{vs}$ pressure measurements on Te indicate that the energy gap is smaller by 0.032 ev at 2000 atmospheres than its value of about 0.336 ev at atmospheric pressure, and that the hole and electron mobilities increase with increasing pressure. A consistent scheme of interpretation of the results of the various pressure experiments on tellurium is proposed. Conductivity $\mathrm{vs}$ pressure measurements on ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Sn show that the energy gap widens with increasing pressure by roughly 0.01 ev between one and 2000 atmospheres.
Reliability of Passive Wrist Flexion and Extension Goniometric Measurements: A Multicenter Study

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine whether passive wrist flexion and extension goniometric measurements using ulnar alignment, radial alignment, and volar/dorsal alignment were similar or dissimilar and (2) to examine which of these three techniques had the greatest intratester and intertester reliability. Subjects. One hundred forty patients (141 wrists) were measured. The testers were 32 therapists from eight different hand/upper-extremity clinical sites around the United States. Methods. Randomly paired testers measured passive wrist flexion and extension. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used as an estimate of agreement for both intratherapist (model 3,1) and intertherapist (model 2,1) reliability. Results. Six of the eight clinics showed significant differences among the various goniometric techniques. Flexion intratherapist mean ICCs for the radial, ulnar, and dorsal alignment techniques were .86, .87, and .92, respectively. Extension intratherapist mean ICCs were .80, .80, and .84 for the three techniques. Intertherapist flexion mean ICCs were .88, .89, and .93 for the radial, ulnar, and volar alignment techniques, respectively. Extension intertherapist mean ICCs were .80, .80, and .84 for the three techniques. The standard error of measurement was also used to quantify reliability, with the volar/dorsal alignment technique consistently producing less error than the ulnar and radial alignment techniques. The generalizability theory statistical model was utilized to identify the sources of error. The patient contributed to variance the most, although inherent error within the study, diagnostic category, therapeutic approach, and goniometric technique also contributed. Conclusion and Discussion. The overall results indicated there were differences among the three goniometric techniques. The volar/dorsal alignment technique is the goniometric technique of choice, as it consistently had the greatest reliability.
On the Network Coding Advantage for Wireless Multicast in Euclidean Space

Multicast is a fundamental communication operation in wireless sensor networks whereby a source sensor transmits its information to a relevant subset of sensors in the network. Motivated by this, we study the advantage of network coding for minimizing the total power needed for multicast in wireless networks. We show that there is an absolute constant, depending only on the power gradient and the dimension of the underlying Euclidean space, that bounds the maximum advantage of network coding. An interesting aspect of our result is that it shows that the advantage of coding remains bounded by a constant even when compared to a multicast scheme without coding that is restricted to do only point-to-point transmissions.
Quantification of rafting of γ′ precipitates in Ni-based superalloys

Abstract Rafting, the directional coarsening of γ′ precipitates in a γ/γ′ microstructure, can affect the mechanical performance and lifetime of Ni-based superalloys. While rafting has been commonly observed in many systems, a criterion for the onset and completion of rafting has not been fully established. In this work, we employ 2D and 3D moment invariants (MIs) to track the evolution of a synthetic γ/γ′ microstructure under a tensile load as a function of time. Systems with negative and positive misfit are considered. Under normal conditions, γ′ precipitates have high MI values characteristic of cuboidal shapes, while rafted precipitates have low MI values. The onset of rafting is defined as the time at which more than half of the γ′ precipitates have 2D MIs in particular regions of interest of the MI density maps. The rafting completion time is defined as the time at which the initial linear trend slows down with time. The MI approach is also compared to other shape parameters and is shown to provide a convenient “all-in-one” shape descriptor that can detect the elongation and wavy morphology of the rafted precipitates, as well as the morphological changes in the γ/γ′ microstructure as a function of time.
Sex differences in science learning: Closing the gap through animations

Abstract Males traditionally outperform females on measures of both visuospatial ability and science achievement. This experiment directly tests a manipulation designed to compensate for such differences through the presentation of relevant illustrations or animations to support the construction of understanding of a specific scientific phenomenon. Males and females read a scientific text about plate tectonics that contained static illustrations, animated versions of the static illustrations, or no illustrations. Participants were assessed on their visuospatial ability and also working memory capacity. Results indicated that while males outperformed females on both the visuospatial measure and overall science learning, the presence of animations effectively eliminated performance differences for this science topic. These results suggest that sex differences in learning outcomes can be overcome by supporting the visualization of scientific phenomena.
Implementing the Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity in University Counseling Center Internships

This article examines the potential contribution of the Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity (henceforth the “Values Statement”) to predoctoral internship training programs housed in university counseling centers. The purpose of this article is to present recommendations for how to best implement the Values Statement in counseling center internship training programs. The authors begin by summarizing the commitment to diversity-related training and values espoused by the major training organizations relevant to internship training. They then describe issues internship training directors must consider when implementing the Values Statement into their training sites and provide recommendations for how to most effectively implement the Values Statement.
Calculation of Radiation from a Helically Cut Waveguide for a Gyrotron Mode Converter in the Quasi-Optical Approximation

We present results of calculations of the radiation from a helically cut waveguide launcher, a so-called Vlasov launcher, which is commonly used either internal or external to a gyrotron for purposes of mode conversion. A gyrotron internal mode converter consists of such a launcher that radiates the waveguide mode as a nearly Gaussian beam in free space followed by a set of mirrors to focus and direct the radiation. The radiation from the launcher is first calculated using a geometric optics representation of the waveguide mode. Then the radiation is calculated in the quasi-optical limit, including diffraction. These analytic results are compared to a rigorous calculation using the computer code SURF3D, which uses an electric field integral equation (EFIE) approach. Good agreement is obtained between the quasi-optical theory and the SURF3D calculation. The present results provide new insights into the accuracy of the quasi-optical theory and may be useful for the design and improvement of Vlasov-type mode converters.
Measuring surface roughness on wood: a comparison of laser-scatter and stylus-tracing approaches

Many wood products manufacturing processes require a 3-dimensional measure of surface roughness to determine processing parameters and product grades and values. Currently, on- line measurement of wood surface roughness is limited to visual inspection and single-point laser-based triangulation or ultrasonic systems, while most off-line analysis is based on stylus tracing. Wood has unique characteristics that complicate surface texture measurement and analysis such as the need to separate distinct causes of error of form, waviness, and roughness as well as to correlate visual grades of processing standards with 1-dimensional (1-D), 2-D, and 3-D measures. This paper discusses the performance characteristics of a laser scatter/optical imaging system for wood roughness measurement and compares them to those of a stylus tracing system. The abilities of both approaches to capture the types of roughness information required in wood manufacturing processes are discussed as well as the functionality of 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D roughness descriptors.
Gravitational Waveforms for Precessing, Quasicircular Compact Binaries with Multiple Scale Analysis: Small Spin Expansion

We obtain analytical gravitational waveforms in the frequency-domain for precessing, quasi-circular compact binaries with small spins, applicable, for example, to binary neutron star inspirals. We begin by calculating an analytic solution to the precession equations, obtained by expanding in the dimensionless spin parameters and using multiple-scale analysis to separate timescales. We proceed by analytically computing the Fourier transform of time-domain waveform through the stationary phase approximation. We show that the latter is valid for systems with small spins. Finally, we show that these waveforms have a high overlap with numerical waveforms obtained through direct integration of the precession equations and discrete Fourier transformations. The resulting, analytic waveform family is ideal for detection and parameter estimation of gravitational waves emitted by inspiraling binary neutron stars with ground-based detectors.
An Overview of Modern Botnets

Botnets, a network of malware-infected computers, have been used for a range of malicious activities. Evolving from fast fluxing to employing anonymous networks, they have matured and have become exceedingly sophisticated over the years. Understanding and dismantling these networks has become a global effort that requires active research and cooperation between private and government sectors. In this paper, we provide the latest overview of modern botnets in terms of structure, purpose, formation, detection, and mitigation. We also review recent developments on botnets and related research in combating this phenomenon.
Prophylactic Use of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline in Mechanically Ventilated Children: A Randomized Blinded Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: Mucolytic agents, such as nebulized hypertonic saline, may improve airway clearance and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation, but prospective blinded studies in children undergoing mechanical ventilation are lacking. METHODS: Children 48 additional h were prophylactically given 3 mL of either nebulized hypertonic saline or placebo (0.9% saline) 4 times/d. The primary outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation. Ventilator parameters and the presence of wheezing were recorded before and after study drug administration. RESULTS: The duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly longer in children treated with hypertonic saline (208.1 [interquartile range 136.3–319.8] h) versus those treated with placebo (129.5 [interquartile range 74.4–146.1] h) ( P = .03 by Wilcoxon rank-sum test). After adjusting for baseline levels of PEEP, the duration of mechanical ventilation did not differ between groups. Mechanical ventilation parameters, including dead space and dynamic compliance, did not differ between measurements taken before study drug administration versus measurements taken after. New onset wheezing following study drug administration was rare (1.0% with hypertonic saline vs 3.0% with placebo, P = .36 by chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS: Administering prophylactic nebulized hypertonic saline to mechanically ventilated children did not improve clinically relevant outcomes, including duration of mechanical ventilation. Wheezing after hypertonic saline treatment was rare.
Validierung bei dem Hersteller

In diesem Kapitel wird am Beispiel von Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Chemical Analysis -Group (CAG) aufgezeigt, wie Software und Computersysteme bei der Entwicklung validiert werden. Das Beispiel kann auch allgemein als Anleitung fur die Entwicklung und Validierung von komplexen Softwareprojekten herangezogen werden. Hewlett-Packard’s Chemical Analysis Group fuhrt alle Validierungsaktivitaten entsprechend dem CAG Product Life Cycle Dokument durch. Zu dessen Erstellung wurden verschiedene Softwareentwicklungsstandards herangezogen und fur die speziellen Gegebenheiten bei Hewlett-Packard optimiert. Das in der Waldbronn (Deutschland) Division verwendete Verfahren wurde von Weinberg, Spelton & Sax, Inc., einer Firma, die sich auf die Validierung von Computersystemen spezialisiert hat, uberpruft, und von KEMA nach ISO 9001 zertifiziert. Es wurde auch von Vertretern der pharmazeutischen Industrie im Zuge von Vorbereitungen auf eine US FDA Inspektion uberpruft. Das Konzept wurde in einem Primer [76] und in einer Produktnote [77] kurz beschrieben und wird in naheren Details in diesem Kapitel erlautert.
Fragile structural transition in Mo3Sb7

${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{7}$ single crystals lightly doped with Cr, Ru, or Te are studied in order to explore the interplay between superconductivity, magnetism, and the cubic-tetragonal structural transition. The structural transition at 53 K is extremely sensitive to Ru or Te substitution which introduces additional electrons, but robust against Cr substitution. No sign of a structural transition was observed in superconducting ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{2.91}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{0.09}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{7}$ and ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{6.975}{\mathrm{Te}}_{0.025}$. In contrast, 3 at.$%$ Cr doping only slightly suppresses the structural transition to 48 K while leaving no trace of superconductivity above 1.8 K. Analysis of magnetic properties suggests that the interdimer interaction in ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{7}$ is near a critical value and essential for the structural transition. All dopants suppress the superconductivity of ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{7}$. The tetragonal structure is not necessary for superconductivity.
Autoantibodies Specifically Against β1 Adrenergic Receptors and Adverse Clinical Outcome in Patients With Chronic Systolic Heart Failure in the β-Blocker Era: The Importance of Immunoglobulin G3 Subclass.

Abstract Objective To elucidate the prevalence and role of β 1 adrenergic receptor autoantibodies (β 1 AR-AAb) belonging to the immunoglobulin (Ig)G3 subclass in patients with heart failure (HF) treated with β-adrenergic blockers. Background Several cardiac AAbs have been reported to be present in sera from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and other etiologies. Among AAbs, those recognizing β 1 AR-AAbs show agonist-like effects, have detrimental effects on cardiomyocytes, and may induce persistent myocardial damage. Methods We quantify total IgG and IgG3 subclass β 1 AR-AAb in subjects with chronic stable HF with long-term follow-up. Results In our study cohort of 121 subjects, non-IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb and IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb were found to be positive in 20 (17%) and 26 patients (21%), respectively. The positive rate of IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb was significantly higher for those with nonischemic compared with ischemic HF etiology (27% vs 8%, P = .01), but the positive rate for non-IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb was similar between the 2 groups (18% vs 16%, respectively, P = NS). There were no significant differences in clinical and echocardiographic measures among total β 1 AR-AAb negative, non-IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb positive, and IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb positive groups at baseline. During 2.2 ± 1.2 years of follow-up, we observed similar rates of the composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, cardiac transplantation, or hospitalization resulting from HF between total IgG-β 1 AR-AAb negative and positive patients. However, the composite endpoint events were significantly more common in the patients without than in those with IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb ( P = .048, log-rank test). Conclusions Presence of IgG3-β 1 AR-AAb, not total IgG, was associated with paradoxically more favorable outcomes in our cohort of patients with chronic systolic HF largely treated by β-blockers.
Using Science in a Political World: The Importance of Transparency in Natural Resource Regulation

The process of using scientific information to make natural resource policy decisions is a complex one necessarily involving both political and scientific judgments. The fundamental challenge is to ensure that political judgments match societal goals and remain accountable to the public, while scientific judgments match our best understanding of the natural world and remain accountable to the relevant scientific community. Transparency is an important tool for ensuring both types of accountability. Transparency about who makes regulatory decisions, about the scientific basis for those decisions, and especially about the value choices made in the translation step from science to policy are essential to the effective use of scientific information in the political world of policymaking. Yet transparency is notably lacking in natural resource regulatory decisions that bridge the worlds of science and policy. In particular, the value choices underlying those decisions are often hidden. In addition, it is often very difficult for outsiders to discover what role agency scientific advice ultimately played in a decision, or even what the substance of that advice was. I argue that the courts can and should address both problems, the first by applying well established principles of administrative law to demand that regulatory agencies reveal and explain their value choices, and the second by limiting the use of the deliberative process privilege to prevent disclosure of scientific reports and recommendations.
Universal-diverse orientation of business, education, and social work students in a north-eastern comprehensive university

Purpose of this interdisciplinary research was to measure the level of multicultural awareness, sensitivity to and understanding of difference, and intercultural competence when working in diverse environments in the undergraduate and graduate Business, Education and Human Development, and Social Work students using the Universal-Diverse Orientation (UDO) (MGUDS-S survey). Convenient purposive sampling was utilised to invite students enrolled in these three schools to participate in web-based descriptive survey research. Students in Social Work had the greatest UDO, followed by students in Education and Human Development, and the Business students. Interdisciplinary differences in context of variables, such as degree, number of prior diversity courses, exposure to diverse cultures, gender, spirituality, and political affiliation, are discussed, along with recommendations for education and practice.
Fungal sinusitis in healthy and immunocompromised individuals.

Clinical and microbiologic aspects of fungal sinusitis occurring in six patients are presented. Three of the six patients were immunosuppressed. Fatal disseminated fungal disease developed in two of those immunosuppressed. The three patients with normal immune function had fungal infections confined to the nasal sinuses. Aspergillus Jumigatus and Aspergillus flavus were recovered from the immunosuppressed patients and Sporothrix schenckii , Alteraaria species, and Pseudallescheria boydii were recovered from the immunocompetent patients. Surgical debridement was performed on all patients; however, anti-fungal therapy only was prescribed in patients who were at risk of progressive fungal disease. The microbiology laboratory aids in the diagnosis of fungal sinusitis by examining surgical biopsy material for fungal organisms and by culturing the material for recovery of the fungal pathogen.
Unilateral Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Study design A case report and literature review is presented of a patient that developed acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) after undergoing spine surgery in the prone position. Objectives To report a case of AACG after undergoing spine surgery in the prone position and describe potential causes and implications for future care. Summary of background data Visual loss is a devastating complication after spine surgery and is most often due to ischemic optic neuropathy. Although far less common, three cases of AACG have previously been reported, all of which were bilateral. Mydriatric agents and prone positioning were hypothesized as precipitating factors as both are known to increase intraocular pressure. In contrast to other visual loss diseases after spine surgery, AACG is amenable to treatment if recognized and treated early; however, its diagnosis is often complicated by patients presenting days after surgery. We report the case of a 65-year-old male who underwent multilevel revision spine surgery in the prone position and developed unilateral AACG after discharge on postoperative day 5. Methods The case report is described. A literature review was performed using PubMed and keywords. The resulting articles were evaluated and references checked for additional cases. Results The case herein resulted in no vision loss after the AACG was treated with laser iridotomy. The patient had a history of ocular issues in the affected side, highlighting the potential role anatomy plays in the development of AACG following spine surgery. Three reports of AACG were found after the literature review was performed. Conclusion Although it is not practical to screen all patients through ophthalmologic referral, there may be a role for targeted preoperative screening of patients with risk factors for AACG. Level of evidence 5.
The Lives of Painted Bowls at Ancestral Pueblos in East-Central Arizona

The appearance of iconographic-style pottery at fourteenth-century Pueblo villages in east-central Arizona marked an important shift in the decoration of pottery. These polychrome containers were painted with elaborate imagery that contrasts with earlier geometric-style traditions. Remarkably, though the type was circulated and copied throughout the region, we still know very little about how it was used. This paper addresses that issue by analyzing surface abrasions on a large corpus of White Mountain Red Ware whole vessels. Our research not only examines changes in the uses of Ancestral Pueblo ceramics during the late prehispanic period, but underscores the importance of use-alteration studies to interpreting the biographies of ancient objects.
Tori Amos’ (re)sounding and (dis)appearing girls: conceptual and sonic approaches to assembled femininity

This project considers the ways in which Tori Amos’ 2007 album American Doll Posse (ADP) conceptually and sonically engages neoliberal scripts of gendered and sexualized femininity. The article examines ADP as a musical-political project sounding a collective configuration of femininity, with emphasis given to how “posse femininity” sounds crowded aggravation as it gathers around the site of Amos as singer-songwriter. In order to discern how posse femininity plays upon neoliberal expectations of individualized and responsibilized self-hood, the analysis is trained upon the political exigencies, conceptual apparatuses, composing strategies, and naming practices that came together in the making of ADP. This piece attends to the potentialities of persona-work as an invention strategy capable of modifying how femininity is made intelligible within neoliberal tenets of possessive and responsible individuality. This project aims to show that ADP revises the idea of personal responsibility as persona respond-abi...
Project CASSI: A Social-Graph Based Tool for Classroom Behavior Analysis and Optimization.

Although educational data mining is a well-established field, it has not yet sought to provide serious, actionable intelligence that can be used by teachers to address bullying in a reasonable amount of time. This paper seeks to propose a system that will streamline the processing and storage of bullying data in social graph form so that it will be available to be mined by expert systems that can help educators in the classroom. In addition, one such expert system will be proposed demonstrating how this data may be used to automate a common classroom management task that may improve students’ classroom experiences.
Material Separation Using Dual-Energy CT: Current and Emerging Applications

Dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) offers the opportunity to generate material-specific images on the basis of the atomic number Z and the unique mass attenuation coefficient of a particular material at different x-ray energies. Material-specific images provide qualitative and quantitative information about tissue composition and contrast media distribution. The most significant contribution of DE CT-based material characterization comes from the capability to assess iodine distribution through the creation of an image that exclusively shows iodine. These iodine-specific images increase tissue contrast and amplify subtle differences in attenuation between normal and abnormal tissues, improving lesion detection and characterization in the abdomen. In addition, DE CT enables computational removal of iodine influence from a CT image, generating virtual noncontrast images. Several additional materials, including calcium, fat, and uric acid, can be separated, permitting imaging assessment of metabolic imbalances, elemental deficiencies, and abnormal deposition of materials within tissues. The ability to obtain material-specific images from a single, contrast-enhanced CT acquisition can complement the anatomic knowledge with functional information, and may be used to reduce the radiation dose by decreasing the number of phases in a multiphasic CT examination. DE CT also enables generation of energy-specific and virtual monochromatic images. Clinical applications of DE CT leverage both material-specific images and virtual monochromatic images to expand the current role of CT and overcome several limitations of single-energy CT. (©)RSNA, 2016.