cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Game Changer: Rendering and Testing the Game

This chapter dives into the specifics of creating the physical game with varying levels of technology. The chapter provides ways the reader can create a no-technology version of the curricular game. This no-tech version is then used to playtest the game with peers and with potential students. Once this feedback has been used to revise and refine the game, the chapter then discusses ways to repurpose technologies the reader is likely to be familiar with, such as PowerPoint, in order to make a low-technology version of the game. How to do this with medium technology, or technology readers may be unfamiliar with, and with programming, or high technology, is also explored.
Minimizing flowtime for paired tasks

Abstract Certain service and production systems require that a single processor complete, for each job, a pair of ordered tasks separated in time by a minimal required delay. In particular, circumstances, this mode of operation can characterize a physician in a hospital Emergency Department, a painting crew at a construction site, or a work station in a job shop. Motivated by these scenarios, we formulate an applicable scheduling problem and investigate its solution. To determine an optimal schedule, we formulate an appropriate mixed integer model in which the key lever for process improvement is the batching of tasks. We further show that two special cases of this problem can be optimally solved efficiently. To expedite decision-making, we propose heuristic approaches supported by spreadsheet based software. Numerical results are then presented and insights discussed.
Toward steric control of guest binding modality: a cationic Co(ii) complex exhibiting cation binding and zero-field relaxation.

We present the syntheses and characterization of several salts of a trigonal prismatic cobalt(II) complex with a 1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane (tach)-derived ditopic ligand. The air- and moisture-stable tetraphenylborate salt (2) shows slow magnetic relaxation under both zero and applied dc fields. This complex also exhibits an unexpected ability to interact with a cationic sodium guest ion, highlighting the ambifunctional binding nature of amide groups within an iminopyridine scaffold.
Peer Network Dynamics and the Amplification of Antisocial to Violent Behavior Among Young Adolescents in Public Middle Schools

This study examined longitudinal changes in peer network selection and influence associated with self-reported antisocial behavior (AB) and violent behavior (VB) over the course of middle school in...
What Kind of Book is The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution

Most scholarship on the ideology of the American Revolution asks the question: “What did American patriots think about politics”? But The Ideological Origins asks instead: “How did patriots think about politics”? At issue here is the distinction between political theory and political consciousness. Once we get this distinction properly into view, we can rethink the relationship between two great, and apparently rivalrous, historiographies on early American political thought.
Toward a discursive marketplace of ideas: Reimaging the marketplace metaphor in the era of social media, fake news, and artificial intelligence

The marketplace of ideas metaphor remains one of the Supreme Court’s most enduring tools for communicating understandings regarding freedom of expression. For nearly a century, justices from a vari...
Making Us See Time

This chapter looks closely at Rita Dove’s and Robert Lowell’s different ways of exploiting the part-whole relation between the sequence and its constituent poems. In Thomas and Beulah, the lyric biography of a forty-year marriage, a larger national narrative is brought to bear as the horizon of a series of “apprehended moments,” chronologically sequenced from each partner’s perspective in turn. In For Lizzie and Harriet, a self-consciously aging husband wrestles in first person, in the present tense, with time as the medium of entropy.
A computational model of analogical problem solving

This paper outlines a theory of analogical reasoning based on a process-model of problem solving by analogy and the hypothesis that problem solving and learning are inalienable, concurrent processes in the human cognitive system. The analogical problem solver exploits prior experience in solving similar problems, and, in the process, augments a hierarchically-structured epsiodic long term memory. An analogical transformation process is developed based on a modified version of Means-Ends Analysis in order to map past solutions from similar problems into solutions satisfying the requirements of the new problem.
Interventional Uroradiologic Procedures in Children

Interventional radiologists and urologists have worked together over the past decades to treat diseases of the urinary tract in children. Since congenital upper tract dilation most commonly presents in the first months of life and adult-sized cystoscopes and ureteral catheters were too large for treating small pediatric patients, percutaneous nephrostomy was the only minimally invasive way to access the kidney and ureter for many years. As devices have grown smaller, retrograde techniques to access the infant bladder and ureter have become mainstays of pediatric urologic practice. Although placement of ureteral stents from below is now routine, percutaneous access to the kidney and ureter remains helpful in the postoperative or transplanted bladder, where access from above allows placement of antegrade ureteral or nephroureteral stents which can be difficult to place from below. In addition, percutaneous techniques can be used to biopsy, drain, dilate, or stent many other urologic conditions in children including postoperative complications such as urinoma or infection. In this chapter, we will review the available imaging modalities for the urologist and radiologist with emphasis on radiation dose and safety and then discuss the common interventional procedures performed on the pediatric urinary tract.
Utility of Magnetic Resonance Perfusion Imaging in Quantifying Active Tumor Fraction and Radiation Necrosis in Recurrent Intracranial Tumors.

Background Ancillary criteria to identify tumor recurrence such as the McDonald criteria or Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria can provide false diagnoses. Magnetic resonance perfusion (MRP) imaging has been proposed to differentiate post-treatment changes from recurrence. We investigated the utility of MRP to quantify the histological fraction of active tumor (AT), treatment-related changes, and radiation necrosis in recurrent post-treatment intracranial tumors. Methods We conducted an exploratory single-blind study of patients with intracranial glioblastoma or metastases with previous radiation therapy and MRP before surgery. Biopsy specimens (n = 19) were analyzed for the percentage of AT, radiation necrosis, and treatment effect. Nonparametric Spearman's rho analysis and multivariable analysis of covariance were performed to assess the correlation between quantitative MRP and AT histological fraction. Results The mean patient age was 58 ± 11.5 years. The mean relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were 1.33 ± 0.71 and 1.34 ± 0.73, respectively. On analysis of covariance, significant associations were identified between increased rCBF (P = 0.0004) and increased rCBV (P = 0.007) and percentage of AT. A significant interaction was identified between rCBF and rCBV and tumor histological features (glioblastoma vs. metastases; P = 0.003 and P = 0.03, respectively). An rCBF >1 predicted a mean AT fraction of ≥53% for all intracranial tumors and 74% for glioblastoma. Conclusion MRP can help quantitatively predict tumor recurrence and/or progression for glioblastomas. The AT histological fraction correlated with quantitative radiologic measurements, including rCBV and rCBF. For metastases, MRP might not be as useful in predicting the AT fraction. Clinicians must be judicious with their use of MRP in predicting tumor recurrence and radiation necrosis.
Filling the Data Gap – A Pressing Need for Advancing MPA Sustainable Finance

Reaching protected area (PA) coverage goals is challenged by a lack of sufficient financial resources. This funding gap is particularly pervasive for marine protected areas (MPAs). It has been suggested that marine conservationists examine examples from terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) for potential solutions to better fund MPAs. However, the funding needs for MPAs and TPAs have not been directly compared, and there is risk of management failures if any such differences are not properly considered when designing MPA financial strategies. We perform an in-depth literature review to investigate differences in distribution of costs incurred by MPAs and TPAs across three primary categories; establishment, operational, and opportunity costs. We use our findings to conduct a snapshot quantitative comparison, which we complement with theoretical support to provide preliminary insight into differences between MPA and TPA costs, and how these may influence financial strategies most appropriate for each type of PA. Our research suggests that TPA costs, and thereby funding requirements, are greater for the time period leading up to and including the implementation phase, whereas MPAs have higher financial requirements for meeting long-term annual operational costs. This may be primarily due to the prevalence of private property rights for terrestrial regions, which are less frequently in place for ocean areas, as well as logistical requirements for enforcement and monitoring in a marine environment. To cement these suggestions in greater analytical certainty, we call for more thorough and standardized PA cost reporting at all stages, especially for MPAs and PAs in developing countries. The quantity and quality of such data presently limits research in PA sustainable finance, and will need to be remedied to advance the field in future years.
Percentage of Time in Range 70 to 139 mg/dL Is Associated With Reduced Mortality Among Critically Ill Patients Receiving IV Insulin Infusion.

Background In addition to hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and glycemic variability, reduced time in targeted blood glucose range (TIR) is associated with increased risk of death in critically ill patients. This relation between TIR and mortality may be confounded by diabetic status and antecedent glycemic control. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed critically ill patients managed with the same IV insulin protocol at multiple centers. The percentage of TIR between 70 and 139 mg/dL was calculated. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis, patients who had Results A total of 9,028 patients, 53.2% of whom had diabetes, were studied. Median TIR was 84.1% for nondiabetic patients and 64.5% for patients with diabetes. Mortality was lower in those with TIR > 80% compared with those with TIR ≤ 80% (12.4% vs 19.2%; P 80% was independently associated with reduced mortality in nondiabetic patients (OR, 0.52; P Conclusions TIR was independently associated with mortality in critically ill patients, particularly those with good antecedent glucose control.
Passion of Love, Erotic, and Sexual Experience

This chapter describes passion as a salient emotional experience of love, along with erotic and sexual feelings, frequently associated with it. The cross-cultural universality and variety of passions are shown. The chapter discusses the evolutionary and cultural factors affecting experience and expression of passion. Erotic experience in love, as aesthetic feeling, is described in comparison with sexual attraction and sensual love, as yearning and longing for bodily pleasure. Erotic experience and understanding of relations between love and sex are reviewed across cultures.
Identification of a pH Sensor in Influenza Hemagglutinin using X-ray Crystallography.

Hemagglutnin (HA) mediates entry of influenza virus through a series of conformational changes triggered by the low pH of the endosome. The residue or combination of residues acting as pH sensors has not yet been fully elucidated. In this work, we assay pH effects on the structure of H5 HA by soaking HA crystallized at pH 6.5 in a series of buffers with lower pH, mimicking the conditions of the endosome. We find that HA1-H38, which is conserved in Group 1 HA, undergoes a striking change in side chain conformation, which we attribute to its protonation and cation-cation repulsion with conserved HA1-H18. This work suggests that x-ray crystallography can be applied for studying small-scale pH-induced conformational changes providing valuable information on the location of pH sensors in HA. Importantly, the observed change in HA1-H38 conformation is further evidence that the pH-induced conformational changes of HA are the result of a series of protonation events to conserved and non-conserved pH sensors.
Hsun Chang and Benjamin Penny (eds), Religion in Taiwan and China:Locality and Transmission.

Hsun Chang and Benjamin Penny (eds), Religion in Taiwan and China: Locality and Transmission. Taipei: Institute of Ethnology, AcademiaSinica, 2017, pp. 436, ISBN: 9-107-80098-605-1 (pbk).
Age-related changes in neuromotor function when performing a concurrent motor task

Aging is associated with physiological changes which can manifest as age-related slowing of voluntary movements. Dual-task conditions can magnify this slowing process in older adults. The current study describes healthy adult chewing patterns and examined effects of concurrent chewing on performance of simple reaction time (RT), finger tapping, and gait. Chewing rates were measured from electromyographic (EMG) activity from the masseter muscle. Stepping rates were calculated using accelerometers mounted on the lower trunk and leg. Tapping rates were collected using accelerometers secured to a fixed surface. Simple RT was attained from a purposely designed switch. Results demonstrated that older adults walked slower, tapped slower, and had slower reaction times compared to young individuals, however chew rates were similar. This dichotomy became more pronounced when motor tasks were performed at faster speeds, with the exception being chewing. Additionally, chewing altered performance of secondary motor tasks for all individuals. Strong coupling emerged between cyclical actions (i.e., chewing-gait and chewing-tapping), reflecting entrainment between the respective neural oscillators driving the actions. In contrast, RT responses slowed appreciably when chewing was performed concurrently, indicating an interference effect. Taken together, these results illustrate the contrasting effects of chewing on a secondary motor task and highlights bidirectional effects of dual tasking on performance.
Single-molecule transport kinetics of a glutamate transporter homolog shows static disorder

Kinetic properties of membrane transporters are typically poorly defined because high-resolution functional assays analogous to single-channel recordings are lacking. Here, we measure single-molecule transport kinetics of a glutamate transporter homolog from Pyrococcus horikoshii, GltPh, using fluorescently labeled periplasmic amino acid binding protein as a fluorescence resonance energy transfer–based sensor. We show that individual transporters can function at rates varying by at least two orders of magnitude that persist for multiple turnovers. A gain-of-function mutant shows increased population of the fast-acting transporters, leading to a 10-fold increase in the mean transport rate. These findings, which are broadly consistent with earlier single-molecule measurements of GltPh conformational dynamics, suggest that GltPh transport is defined by kinetically distinct populations that exhibit long-lasting “molecular memory.”
The Franchise Tax Exception to the Federal Exemption Statute

This article examines the origin and history of franchise taxes, the authority of state and local governments to impose such taxes, and the legislative and judicial responses to the problem. It concludes that the franchise tax exception to the exemption statute has created a problem of substance as well as draftsmanship. This article calls for an elimination of the franchise tax exception in order to promote clarity and administrative efficiency.
Additive nanomanufacturing of functional materials and devices

Additive manufacturing (AM) and printing concepts have been employed in various fields, including electronics and functional device manufacturing industries. However, to date, the ability to print multifunctional materials and devices have been limited with the current printing technologies. Here we present a new printing concept for additive nanomanufacturing (ANM) of multifunctional material and structures on various substrates. In this method, we show that a stream of pure nanoparticles can be laser-generated in real-time at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure. These nanoparticles are then directed toward a printer nozzle and laser-sintered in-situ to form crystals with desired patterns and structures. Currently, with our ANM systems, we have achieved printing various materials (TiO2, BTO, ITO) on different substrates, including SiO2, PDMS, and paper. We believe this new ANM concept would bring excitement into the field of printing functional structures devices.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Error-Correction Methodologies for Genome Sequencing Data

ABSTRACT Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies like Illumina and third generation sequencing (TGS) technologies like PacBio and Oxford Nanopore Technology use different techniques for sequencing and provide reads of different lengths and error profiles. Many tools exist for error correction of such sequencing data, improving the quality of downstream analyses. In this chapter, we evaluate the performance of 23 error-correction tools, providing insight into their strengths and weaknesses. This is accomplished through a set of algorithms we have developed and implemented as SPECTACLE, a Software Package for Error Correction Tool Assessment on nuCLEic acid sequences, and a dataset for NGS and TGS reads that we compiled emphasizing challenging scenarios for error correction tools. This chapter provides the reader an understanding of available tools, including advice on selecting appropriate tools for different circumstances. It also provides insights regarding aspects of sequencing data to be addressed to improve tool accuracy.
Using Dialogue Analysis to Predict Women's Stress During Remote Collaborative Learning in Computer Science

The computer science education community strives to improve equity and representation within the field, yet the proportion of women earning CS bachelor's degrees in countries such as the US remains low. In addition to recruitment and retention initiatives that support women, we need to better understand women's experiences within CS. This paper makes a novel contribution toward this effort by examining women's self-reported stress during remote collaborative programming with a peer. Women reported significantly more stress than men, so we analyzed the women's collaborative dialogues and identified the most common dialogue acts and sequences of dialogue acts. We used these dialogue acts to predict women's stress and found six significant patterns of dialogue. Women reported less stress with higher frequencies of offering suggestions, having their partner provide explanations, and having their own rapport-building messages reciprocated by their partner. In contrast, women reported more stress with higher frequencies of their own explanations, having their partner answer their questions, and having their partner send a rapport-building message that they reciprocated. Understanding the nuances of these experiences allows us to make better predictions of when women might be feeling stressed and what we might be able to do to relieve these feelings. Improving women's CS experiences holds the potential to, in turn, improve gender equity within CS.
Active operator inference for learning low-dimensional dynamical-system models from noisy data.

Noise poses a challenge for learning dynamical-system models because already small variations can distort the dynamics described by trajectory data. This work builds on operator inference from scientific machine learning to infer low-dimensional models from high-dimensional state trajectories polluted with noise. The presented analysis shows that, under certain conditions, the inferred operators are unbiased estimators of the well-studied projection-based reduced operators from traditional model reduction. Furthermore, the connection between operator inference and projection-based model reduction enables bounding the mean-squared errors of predictions made with the learned models with respect to traditional reduced models. The analysis also motivates an active operator inference approach that judiciously samples high-dimensional trajectories with the aim of achieving a low mean-squared error by reducing the effect of noise. Numerical experiments with high-dimensional linear and nonlinear state dynamics demonstrate that predictions obtained with active operator inference have orders of magnitude lower mean-squared errors than operator inference with traditional, equidistantly sampled trajectory data.
Effect of Extended Thromboprophylaxis with Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant on the Risk of Stroke and Major Bleeding in Acutely Ill Hospitalized Medical Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (S54.001)

Objective: The study aims to assess the effect of extended thromboprophylaxis with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) on the risk of stroke and major bleeding among patients hospitalized with an acute medical illness based on data from randomized controlled trials. Background: Among acutely ill hospitalized medical patients, treatment with NOAC for 30–42 days is effective in preventing symptomatic deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism compared with standard-of-care enoxaparin for 6–14 days. The risk-benefit profile of NOAC on stroke prophylaxis has not been studied in this setting. Design/Methods: We performed a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of extended-duration NOAC with standard-duration enoxaparin on the stroke and bleeding endpoint. Three Phase III studies were identified: ADOPT (NCT00457002), MAGELLAN (NCT00571649), and APEX (NCT01583218). The relative risk of stroke and major bleeding at 30 to 90 days was compared between NOAC and enoxaparin using the Mantel-Haenszel test in a random effects model. Results: A total of 21,831 hospitalized medical patients randomized to either extended NOAC (apixaban, rivaroxaban, or betrixaban) or enoxaparin were included. Compared with enoxaparin, NOAC reduced the risk of stroke at 30 to 90 days by 35% (RR=0.65 [95% CI: 0.47–0.91]; P=0.01) but doubled the risk of major bleeding (RR=1.99 [95% CI: 1.08–3.65]; P=0.03). Betrixaban at 80 mg daily demonstrated a significant benefit in stroke prevention (RR=0.47 [95% CI: 0.25–0.88]; P=0.02) without causing more major bleedings (RR=0.94 [95% CI: 0.47–1.90]; P=0.86). There was no significant heterogeneity across studies in stroke (I2=0%; P=0.76) or bleeding (I2=58%; P=0.09). Conclusions: Extended thromboprophylaxis with NOAC reduces stroke but is associated with a greater risk of major bleeding up to 90 days compared to standard-of-care enoxaparin. Future prospective trials are required to identify the high-risk subsets in which the benefit of NOAC significantly outweighs the associated hemorrhagic risk among hospitalized medical patients. Disclosure: Dr. Marszalek has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jamil has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jamil has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kumar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kahe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Karimi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chi has received research support from Portola, Bayer, and Janssen Research.
Abdominal free fluid in acute pancreatitis predicts necrotizing pancreatitis and organ failure.

Background Abdominal free fluid is frequently encountered on cross-sectional imaging for acute pancreatitis and may be a sign of increased severity and complications. This study examines the ability of free fluid to predict necrotizing pancreatitis and other adverse outcomes. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective study of patients with acute pancreatitis and multiple cross-sectional imaging studies. Patients were divided into those who demonstrated free fluid on initial imaging and those without free fluid. The primary outcome was developing necrotizing pancreatitis. Logistic regression analysis assessed the performance of several predictors. Results A total of 245 acute pancreatitis patients were included. Pancreatic necrosis occurred more frequently in the free fluid group (31.3 vs. 1.3%, P<0.001). The free fluid group also had higher rates of transient organ failure (17.7 vs. 3.4%, P<0.001), persistent organ failure (17.7 vs. 2.0%, P<0.001), in-hospital mortality (7.3 vs. 1.3%, P=0.016), length of stay (16.2 vs. 5.5 days, P<0.001), and intensive care unit admission (30.2 vs. 4.7%, P<0.001). On multivariate logistic regression, free fluid was the strongest predictor (adjusted odds ratio 17.11, 95% confidence interval 3.68-79.65; P<0.001) for necrotizing pancreatitis, with an excellent performance (area under the curve 0.92). When neither fluid on initial imaging nor persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome was present, the negative predictive value for developing pancreatic necrosis was 100%. Conclusions Free fluid in acute pancreatitis is a strong predictor for necrotizing pancreatitis, organ failure and mortality, and outperformed current predictors. Patients who lacked both free fluid on imaging and persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome are at low risk for adverse outcomes and may be considered for early discharge.
Cheating the cheater: Suppressing false positive enrichment during biosensor-guided biocatalyst engineering

ABSTRACT Transcription factor (TF)-based biosensors are very desirable reagents for high-throughput enzyme and strain engineering campaigns. Despite their potential, they are often difficult to deploy effectively as the small molecules being detected can leak out of high-producer cells, into low-producer cells, and activate the biosensor therein. This crosstalk leads to the overrepresentation of false positive/cheater cells in the enriched population. While the host cell can be engineered to minimize crosstalk (e.g., by deleting responsible transporters), this is not easily applicable to all molecules of interest, particularly those that can diffuse passively. One such biosensor recently reported for trans-cinnamic acid (tCA) suffers from crosstalk when used for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme engineering by directed evolution. We report that desensitizing the biosensor (i.e., increasing the limit of detection, LOD) suppresses cheater population enrichment. Further we show that, if we couple the biosensor-based screen with an orthogonal pre-screen that eliminates a large fraction of true negatives, we can successfully reduce the cheater population during the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using the approach developed here, we were successfully able to isolate PAL variants with ~70% high kcat after a single sort. These mutants have tremendous potential in Phenylketonuria (PKU) treatment and flavonoid production.
Not just neighbours: positive feedback between tumour-associated macrophages and exhausted T cells.

A preprint by Kersten et al. describes a positive-feedback loop promoting the mutual formation of tumour-associated macrophages and exhausted T cells as they move towards the tumour core.
Timed Out: Temporal Struggles between the State and the Poor in the Context of U.S. Welfare Reform

Welfare reform, in its attempts to order the lives of women on cash assistance, uses time as a means of controlling women. Single mothers living in poverty experience, perceive and use time in ways that the state welfare bureaucracy fails to recognize and/or refuses to work with. Poverty is anchored in a historical and cyclical dynamic based on low valuations of people's time, structured by race, class and gender. This essay shows how specific temporal sequences, orderings and flows are implicated in the etiology of poverty, forming cumulative feedback loops that challenge the linear trajectory of the welfare-to-work model. It argues that the welfare state bureaucracy practices a powerful politics of time, consisting in the imposition of forms of order and rigid temporal structures on the highly contingent and unpredictable lives of the poor. These temporal devices of control, rather than facilitating women's efforts to move from dependence to self-reliance, only exacerbate their struggles to manage the vagaries and irregularities of time in their lives. Time thus constitutes a locus of struggle in the welfare relationship, between women on welfare and the welfare agency.
Second-order theory for nonlinear dielectric composites incorporating field fluctuations

This paper deals with the development of an improved second-order theory for estimating the effective behavior of nonlinear composite dielectrics. The theory makes use of the field fluctuations in the phases of the relevant "linear comparison composite" to generate improved Maxwell-Garnett (MGA) and effective-medium (EMA) types of approximations for nonlinear media. Similar to the earlier version of the theory, the resulting MGA and EMA predictions are exact to second-order in the contrast, but—unlike the earlier version—the estimates satisfy all known bounds. In particular, the EMA estimates exhibit a nonlinearity-independent percolation threshold, and critical exponents that are consistent with recently developed bounds on these exponents. In addition, the MGA and EMA estimates are shown to yield reasonable predictions for strongly nonlinear composites with "threshold-type" nonlinearities, which are extreme cases where earlier methods have been known to sometimes fail. Comments Copyright American Physical Society. Reprinted from Physical Review B, Volume 64, Issue 21, Article 214205, December 2001, 14 pages. Publisher URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v64/e214205 This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/meam_papers/124 Second-order theory for nonlinear dielectric composites incorporating field fluctuations P. Ponte Castaneda* Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6315 ~Received 2 June 2001; published 2 November 2001! This paper deals with the development of an improved second-order theory for estimating the effective behavior of nonlinear composite dielectrics. The theory makes use of the field fluctuations in the phases of the relevant ‘‘linear comparison composite’’ to generate improved Maxwell-Garnett ~MGA! and effective-medium ~EMA! types of approximations for nonlinear media. Similar to the earlier version of the theory, the resulting MGA and EMA predictions are exact to second-order in the contrast, but—unlike the earlier version—the estimates satisfy all known bounds. In particular, the EMA estimates exhibit a nonlinearity-independent percolation threshold, and critical exponents that are consistent with recently developed bounds on these exponents. In addition, the MGA and EMA estimates are shown to yield reasonable predictions for strongly nonlinear composites with ‘‘threshold-type’’ nonlinearities, which are extreme cases where earlier methods have been known to sometimes fail. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.64.214205 PACS number~s!: 77.84.Lf, 77.84.2s, 72.20.Ht, 05.40.2a
Strategic implementation of nutritional programs for foodservice establishments: guidelines, recommendations, and examples

The purpose of this article is to show how strategic planning can assist in the implementation of nutritionally sound strategies and policies, based on facts and organized thinking rather than on a decision-maker's presumption. A nutritionally related strategic plan for a foodservice facility will be presented to demonstrate the required decisions and process. Additionally, the majority of the information needed for the plan's situational analysis can be integrated into an on-going management information system, shortening and simplfying the process for future plans, and hastening the recognition of potential opportunities and threats.
Detection of protein unfolding and fluctuations by native state hydrogen exchange

Publisher Summary Hydrogen exchange can monitor protein fluctuations and opening events in many protons throughout the molecule simultaneously. Protein amide hydrogen exchange is an extremely powerful technique for studies on protein folding, stability, and structure. It allows probing different regions of a protein simultaneously and has a high degree of sensitivity. Because of this, amide hydrogen exchange presents a unique merging of energetic and structural information. Recently, several studies have examined protection as a function of dilute amounts of denaturant. This technique is termed “native state hydrogen exchange” as the small levels of denaturant have no influence on the protein when monitored by standard probes of stability, such as circular dichroism or fluorescence. These new studies reveal that hydrogen exchange from an amide site in proteins can be modeled by two different processes. This chapter shows how this new method greatly increases the understanding of protein energetics and dynamics using the example of E. coli ribonuclease H1* (RNase H*). The data on RNase H* were collected at guanidine concentrations in which RNase H* appears fully native by circular dichroism. The hydrogen exchange samples contained up to 1.3 M guanidine, but the unfolding transition starts around 1.5 M guanidine. These data demonstrate the problem with trying to interpret hydrogen exchange results without following exchange as a function of denaturant.
Inactivation of Enterobacter sakazakii in reconstituted infant formula by monocaprylin.

Enterobacter sakazakii is an emerging pathogen that causes meningitis, bacteremia, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and children, with a mortality rate of 14%. Epidemiological studies have implicated dried infant formula as the principal source of the pathogen. Caprylic acid is a natural eight-carbon fatty acid present in breast milk and bovine milk and is approved as generally recognizable as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The objective of this study was to determine the antibacterial effect of monocaprylin (monoglyceride ester of caprylic acid) on E. sakazakii in reconstituted infant formula. A five-strain mixture of E. sakazakii was inoculated into 10-ml samples of reconstituted infant formula (at 6.0 log CFU/ml) followed by 0, 25, or 50 mM (1%) monocaprylin. The samples were incubated at 37 or 23°C for 0, 1, 6, and 24 h and at 8 or 4°C for 0, 6, 24, and 48 h, and the surviving populations of E. sakazakii at each sampling time were counted. The treatments containing mon...
Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a type of research involving human subjects or data from them that compares the effectiveness of one preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, or care delivery modality model to another. The purpose of this research is to improve health outcomes by developing and disseminating evidence-based information to patients, clinicians, and other decision-makers to improve decisions that affect medical care. CER studies utilize a variety of data sources and methods to conduct timely and relevant research that can be disseminated in a quickly usable form to improve outcomes and value for health care systems.
Influence of Neurological Medication on Nutritional Status

Define the potential nutritional risks associated with chronic antiepileptic drug therapy. Understand the possible nutrition interactions in critically ill patients requiring aggressive pharmacologic therapy in the acute management of neurologic insults, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage. Recognize the potential treatment strategies to prevent negative health outcomes related to specific drug–nutrient interactions in neurologically impaired patient populations.
Quelling Cabin Noise in Turboprop Aircraft via Active Control

Cabin noise in turboprop aircraft causes passenger discomfort, airframe fatigue, and employee scheduling constraints due to OSHA standards for exposure to high levels of noise. The noise levels in the cabins of turboprop aircraft are typically 10 to 30 decibels louder than commercial jet noise levels. However. unlike jet noise the turboprop noise spectrum is dominated by a few low frequency tones. Active structural acoustic control is a method in which the control inputs (used to reduce interior noise) are applied directly to a vibrating structural acoustic system. The control concept modeled in this work is the application of in-plane force inputs to piezoceramic patches bonded to the wall of a vibrating cylinder. The goal is to determine the force inputs and locations for the piezoceramic actuators so that: (1) the interior noise is effectively damped; (2) the level of vibration of the cylinder shell is not increased; and (3) the power requirements needed to drive the actuators are not excessive. Computational experiments for data taken from a computer generated model and from a laboratory test article at NASA Langley Research Center are provided.
Polyaniline-related ion-barrier anticorrosion coatings: I. Ionic permeability of polyaniline, cationic, and bipolar films

Ionic permeabilities of coating films were studied with a variety of experimental methods including measurements of membrane potential, salt diffusion, and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The results show that polyaniline (PAn) allows diffusion of anions (if PAn is dispersed in a cationic polymer matrix, the resulting film may have cationic defects that allow the passage of cations), a cationic film is permeable to cations, and the combination of a PAn containing primer with the cationic topcoat is an ion-barrier which delays penetration of both anions and cations.
Escherichia coli Strains with Nonimmune Immunoglobulin-Binding Activity

We have identified several strains of Escherichia coli which contain immunoglobulin-binding activity on the cell surface. Affinity-purified antibodies ordinarily used as secondary antibodies in immunodetection protocols were bound by 6 of 72 strains of the ECOR reference collection of E. coli. The Fc fragments of both human and sheep immunoglobulin G (IgG) were also bound, demonstrating the nonimmune nature of the phenomenon. Binding of conjugated IgG Fc directly to unfixed cells was observed by fluorescence microscopy. Western blots showed that the immunoglobulin-binding material occurs in the form of multiple bands, with the apparent molecular masses of the most prominent bands exceeding 100 kDa. No two of the strains have the same pattern of bands. The binding activity in extracts was sensitive to proteinase K. The binding activity of intact cells was reduced preferentially by trypsin digestion, demonstrating exposure at the cell surface. Expression of binding activity in Luria-Bertani broth cultures was favored by a temperature of 37 degrees C and entry into stationary phase of growth.
Post-treatment (not interim) positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan status is highly predictive of outcome in mantle cell lymphoma patients treated with R-HyperCVAD

BACKGROUND: Although convincing data exist regarding the prognostic utility of positron emission tomographic (PET)-computed tomographic (CT) imaging in Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, its prognostic utility both during treatment and immediately after treatment have not been systematically evaluated in a large mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patient cohort to support its use in clinical practice. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study to examine the prognostic utility of PET-CT imaging in a uniform MCL patient cohort undergoing dose-intensive chemotherapy (R-HyCVAD) in the frontline setting. The primary study endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PET-CT images were centrally reviewed for the purposes of this study using standardized response criteria. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients with advanced stage MCL with PET-CT data were identified. With median follow-up of 32 months, 3-year PFS and OS estimates were 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64%-84%) and 84% (95% CI, 72%-90%), respectively. Interim PET-CT status was not associated with PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.9; 95% CI, 0.3-2.7; P = .8) or OS (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.1-2.9; P = .5). Post-treatment PET-CT status was statistically significantly associated with PFS (HR, 5.2; 95% CI, 2.0-13.6; P = .001) and trended toward significant for OS (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 0.8-9.6; P = .07). CONCLUSIONS: These data do not support the prognostic utility of PET-CT in pretreatment and interim treatment settings. A positive PET-CT after the completion of therapy identifies a patient subset with an inferior PFS and a trend toward inferior OS. Cancer 2012;3565–3570. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Growth Mechanisms of Octadecylphosphonic Acid Self-Assembled Monolayers on Sapphire (Corundum): Evidence for a Quasi-equilibrium Triple Point

Self-assembled monolayer growth of octadecylphosphonic acid on single-crystal C-face (1000) and R-face (1102) sapphire (corundum) has been investigated by ex situ tapping-mode atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurements, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The process of film formation is highly dependent on the temperature, a phenomenon that is explained by a three-phase model for film deposition. At low temperature, close-packed molecular islands nucleate and grow, surrounded by virtually bare substrate, analogous to a two-dimensional (2D) vapor-to-solid transition. At high temperature, on the other hand, the growth involves a 2D liquid-to-solid transition. Different growth kinetics are observed for the two crystal orientations, which can be related to the surface energetics.
Role of carbonic anhydrase in bone: partial inhibition of disuse atrophy of bone by parenteral acetazolamide.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide blocks the hypercalcemic response to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and to dibutyrul 3′,5′-cyclic AMP in the nephrectomized-parathyroidectomized rat. In addition, we have reported that acetazolamide, when incorporated in the diet, partially prevents denervation-induced bone loss in a rat model of disuse osteoporosis. The present study compares the effectiveness of orally and subcutaneously administered acetazolamide in preventing denervation-induced bone loss in the rat model. The rats were treated with acetazolamide either orally, by incorporation in the diet of concentrations of 0.2, 0.5, or 1.5% for 15 days, or parenterally by two different subcutaneous methods of administration. The latter included either injection twice daily for 15 days or continuous infusion for 8 days using an osmotic minipump. It was found that parenteral administration was as effective in partially preventing denervation-induced bone mass changes as oral administration. In addition, protection by the parenteral route could be accomplished with much smaller daily doses; continuous infusion required the least daily dose. Approximately 50% protection was observed to occur with daily doses of 1,094, 129, and 8 mg/kg body weight for the oral, subcutaneous injection, and subcutaneous infusion routes respectively. These findings are consistent with our concept that carbonic anhydrase plays a significant role in bone metabolism.
Photoelectron holographic derivative transform for increased range of atomic images

A transform-k derivative spectra (KDS) transform---is introduced for construction of an atomic-structure image from photoelectron diffraction data. A phenomenological theory is used to show that the transform of spectrum derivatives enhances the image peaks by the square of the emitter-scatter distance when used in conjunction with the small cone method. In comparison with the standard transform used in photoelectron holography, the KDS transform allows more distant neighbors (scatterers) to be ``seen'' by the emitter and suppresses strong forward scattering. The ability to experimentally observe more neighbors of a photoelectron emitter expands the applicability of holographic imaging. The procedure is applied to experimental data obtained from the $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}(111)\ensuremath{-}(1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$ and ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}(100)\ensuremath{-}(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$ surface structures. The letter results show that ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ adsorption does not break the Si dimer bond.
Ultralow dose computed tomography attenuation correction for pediatric PET CT using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction

Purpose: To develop ultralow dose computed tomography (CT) attenuation correction (CTAC) acquisition protocols for pediatric positron emission tomography CT (PET CT). Methods: A GE Discovery 690 PET CT hybrid scanner was used to investigate the change to quantitative PET and CT measurements when operated at ultralow doses (10–35 mA s). CT quantitation: noise, low-contrast resolution, and CT numbers for 11 tissue substitutes were analyzed in-phantom. CT quantitation was analyzed to a reduction of 90% volume computed tomography dose index (0.39/3.64; mGy) from baseline. To minimize noise infiltration, 100% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) was used for CT reconstruction. PET images were reconstructed with the lower-dose CTAC iterations and analyzed for: maximum body weight standardized uptake value (SUV{sub bw}) of various diameter targets (range 8–37 mm), background uniformity, and spatial resolution. Radiation dose and CTAC noise magnitude were compared for 140 patient examinations (76 post-ASiR implementation) to determine relative dose reduction and noise control. Results: CT numbers were constant to within 10% from the nondose reduced CTAC image for 90% dose reduction. No change in SUV{sub bw}, background percent uniformity, or spatial resolution for PET images reconstructed with CTAC protocols was found down to 90% dose reduction. Patient population effective dosemore » analysis demonstrated relative CTAC dose reductions between 62% and 86% (3.2/8.3–0.9/6.2). Noise magnitude in dose-reduced patient images increased but was not statistically different from predose-reduced patient images. Conclusions: Using ASiR allowed for aggressive reduction in CT dose with no change in PET reconstructed images while maintaining sufficient image quality for colocalization of hybrid CT anatomy and PET radioisotope uptake.« less