cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toolkit for Quickly Generating and Characterizing Molecular Probes Specific for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid as a Primer for Future Coronavirus Pandemic Preparedness.

Generating and characterizing immunoreagents to enable studies of novel emerging viruses is an area where ensembles of synthetic genes, recombinant antibody pipelines, and modular antibody-reporter fusion proteins can respond rapidly. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread through the global population causing widespread morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic chaos. Using SARS-CoV-2 as our model and starting with a gBlocks encoded nucleocapsid (N) gene, we purified recombinant protein from E. coli, to serve as bait for selecting semisynthetic nanobodies from our Nomad single-pot library. Clones were isolated in days and first fused to Gaussia luciferase to determine EC50 in the tens of nM range, and second fused to the ascorbate peroxidase derivative APEX2 for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. To generate inherently fluorescent immunoreagents, we introduce novel periplasmic sdAb fusions made with mNeonGreen and mScarlet-I, which were produced at milligram amounts. The fluorescent fusion proteins enabled concise visualization of SARS-CoV-2 N in the cytoplasm but not in the nucleus 24 h post infection, akin to the distribution of SARS-CoV N, thereby validating these useful imaging tools. SdAb reactivity appeared specific to SARS-CoV-2 with very much weaker binding to SARS-CoV, and no noticeable cross-reactivity to a panel of overexpressed human codon optimized N proteins from other CoV. High periplasmic expression levels and in silico immortalization of the nanobody constructs guarantees a cost-effective and reliable source of SARS-CoV-2 immunoreagents. Our proof-of-principle study should be applicable to known and newly emerging CoV to broaden the tools available for their analysis and help safeguard human health in a more proactive than reactive manner.
Listening to Gender-Diverse People of Color: Barriers to Accessing Voice and Communication Care

Purpose The purposes of this study are to gather and analyze perspectives of people from racial and gender minority groups in order to identify barriers to voice and communication services for thes...
Late Osseointegration Failure of Implant Case

Objective: Dental implants success is indicated by ability to osseointegrate to bone. Failures can be delayed. Methods: Patient received an implant in anterior maxilla. Results: Implant #10 appeared to initially osseointegrate. Signs of failure began 3 weeks after restorative impression. Conclusion: Medication interference with osseointegration or failure due to occlusion.
Eric Klopfer: Augmented Learning: Research and Design of Mobile Educational Games

The history of educational technologies is one of ups, downs and far too many 'no significant effects.' Resnick (2002) writes "In most places where new technologies are being used in education today, the technologies are used simply to reinforce outmoded approaches to learning... ideas about and approaches to teaching and learning remain largely unchanged" (p. 32). To properly investigate the impact of these technologies, a holistic approach to investigating their uses is needed an approach that looks not only at what they can replace, but what affordances they bring and how they can shape the learning and teaching that takes place in the classroom. Into this environment comes Eric Klopfer' s Augmented Learning, published by the MIT Press in 2008. Klopfer' s stated goal for Augmented Learning, to describe "the educational and gaming landscapes" in which mobile learning games are located, directly responds to Resnick' s critique. In Augmented Learning, Klopfer situates us in the larger culture that surrounds the field of educational mobile games. He offers us the historical antecedents of mobile learning games and discusses how they can respond to and shape today's learning needs. By situated the field both historically and culturally in this wider context, Klopfer lays a strong foundation for his assertion that mobile learning games have potential "to make a substantial impact on education" (p ix). While much of the literature on technology integration in education stems from a 'solution looking for a problem,' Klopfer begins his narrative more appropriately by discussing the changing climate in which education exists today: new priorities, philosophies and strategies.
An Index of Interannual Precipitation Variability in the Core of the North American Monsoon Region

Abstract Seasonal precipitation anomalies associated with the continental North American monsoon system are characterized using a land-based dataset derived from in situ observations across the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Coherent regions of interannual continental precipitation variability are derived from principal component analysis, after defining separate “early” and “late” summer monsoon seasons. The gravest mode of late-season interannual variability captures precipitation anomalies in the core of the continental monsoon domain. A simple spatial average is developed as an index of this core variability. The seasonal separation allows examination of persistence of precipitation anomalies as an indicator of practical late-season predictability. Possible influences of large-scale oceanic interannual fluctuations [ENSO and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO)] on core index precipitation anomalies are also considered. The core precipitation index exhibits considerably more early-to...
Acoustic and Temporal Analysis for Assessing Speaking

Objectively measurable features of a speaker's speech are certainly relevant to true score variance in assessing speaking skills. Ideally, speech proficiency scores should be more a function of the comprehensibility of speakers' pronunciation and the degree to which speakers' discourse is responsive to the communicative demands of the tasks. Speech science has made progress toward identifying acoustic features of pronunciation that affect comprehensibility. It has become common for elements of speech accent to be detected by instrument and computer-assisted acoustical analysis (e.g., Computer Speech Laboratory [CSL] or Praat), which characterizes different accents by examining patterns of fundamental frequencies or F0 formants. Until somewhat recently, research examining characteristics of second language (L2) speech production had been concerned with phonemic segmental phenomena, that is, the “accuracy” of non-native speaker (NNS) consonant and vowel formation . Accordingly, acoustic characteristics of those productions had mainly focused on single parameters of English: vowel duration differences in voicing contrast, acoustic vowel spaces, and voice onset time of stop consonants. Currently, however, the consensus is moving toward an appreciation of the role that differences in speaking rates, intonation patterns, and other prosodic features (suprasegmentals) may play in intelligibility and listeners' assessments. Non-native temporal (e.g., pause structures) and acoustic patterns (e.g., tone choices) account for native listeners' perception of L2 English learners' speech as “accented.” Acoustic parameters combining rate, pauses, and intonation of speech have been also conjointly investigated for assessing NNS' oral proficiency. This chapter starts with a brief background to acoustic analysis in applied linguistics, introduces various speech recognition and acoustic parameters used in assessing speaking, and illustrates application processes and examples of those analyses. It explores new conceptualizations of acoustic measures in speaking assessment and discusses challenges of this approach and future directions. Keywords: Assessment evaluation; Speaking; Speech Recognition
Green Tea Improves Metabolic Biomarkers, not Weight or Body Composition: A Pilot Study in Overweight Breast Cancer Survivors

Background Overweight status after breast cancer treatment may increase a woman’s risk for recurrent disease and/or early onset cardiovascular disease. Green tea has been proposed to promote weight loss and favourably modify glucose, insulin and blood lipids. This pilot study tested the effect of daily decaffeinated green tea consumption for 6 months on weight and body composition, select metabolic parameters, and lipid profiles in overweight breast cancer survivors.
Programs of the Center on Disabilities at California State University, Northridge

The Center on Disabilities conducts research and demonstration projects into new technologies and new service models. It develops and publishes materials of interest to the field of disability, assesses and trains people with disabilities, and those who serve them, and continues to conduct conferences, seminars and workshops, both in the USA and abroad. The common denominator in all of our work is technology and our mission is to place more assistive technologies in the hands of more people with disabilities. To carry out these mandates, the Center on Disabilities has created three major program areas: (1) Students with Disabilities Resources (SDR), where more than 1,000 students with disabilities are provided with educational support services which are designed to make them successful university students, and to prepare them for employment upon graduation; (2) Technology and Persons with Disabilities, the largest conference of its kind in the world on assistive technologies with more than 2,600 in attendance each year; and (3) the Leadership and Technology Management (LTM) training program, which prepares professionals in the field of disabilities to exercise leadership in the area of assistive technologies by creating new programs such as computer access laboratories.
Regulation of Mitosis: II. Interaction of Isopropyl N-Phenyl-Carbamate and Melatonin

Earlier studies on the effects of the herbicide isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPC) on mitosis revealed blocked metaphases, multinucleate cells, giant nuclei and an increase in number of partly contracted chromosomes. It was assumed that IPC, like colchicine, was causing these effects by disruption of the spindle apparatus by destroying the spindle microtubules. The animal hormone melatonin causes an increase in birefringence of the mitotic spindle in animal cells, presumably by increasing the number of microtubules. We have studied the effects of IPC, melatonin, and combinations of the two on mitosis in dividing endosperm cells of the African blood lily (Haemanthus katherinae Baker) in vivo by phase-contrast and polarization microscopy. Both qualitative and quantitative data are presented. Interpretation of these results has been aided materially by a time-lapse cinemicrographic analysis of dividing cells subjected to 1 and 10 p.p.m. IPC (unpublished) and by an accompanying fine-structural analysis of untreated and IPC-treated cells. Mitosis was disrupted by 0.01-10 p.p.m. IPC, the severity of the effect depending on both concentration and stage of mitosis of the cell at the time of treatment. Concentrations of IPC that caused cessation of chromosome movement also caused loss of birefringence of the mitotic spindle. Melatonin increased birefringence of the mitotic spindle in these plant cells and partly nullified the adverse effects of IPC. The results of this study demonstrate that the herbicide IPC, under our conditions, causes disruption of mitosis and loss of birefringence of the spindle. And it has been established that an animal hormone is capable of increasing the birefringence, and presumably the number of microtubules, of the mitotic spindle in dividing endosperm cells of a higher plant. Although melatonin is capable of partly nullifying the effects of IPC, a competitive antagonism is not postulated.
Improving the Bevatron Vacuum to 10-10 Torr

Pressure of ~10-10 torr is needed in the Bevatron to accelerate partially-stripped very-heavy ions (e.g. U69+) in the Bevatron without significant loss due to interactions with the residual gas. This ultra-high vacuum will be achieved by installing (summer and fall 1981) a cryogenic liner, mostly 12°K, surrounding the Bevatron circulating beam. The novel construction features are presented along with results from successful tests of prototype sections. This is believed to be the largest application of cryogenic pumping to particle accelerators yet undertaken.
Vertically Segregated Polymer Blends: Their Use in Organic Electronics

In this paper results on the formation and stability of vertically segregated polymer blend structures applied to organic‐based electronic devices are reviewed. In all examples illustrated here, phase separation in a direction normal to the substrate was obtained by a combination of surface treatment, viscosity, solvent evaporation, and blend composition control. It is found that vertically segregated blends form the optimized structure for photovoltaic devices, in which exciton dissociation is enhanced by the composition of the phases and transport of charges is improved by the position of the phases relative to the electrodes. Vertical segregation is shown to reduce leakage current and enhance charge injection and recombination in light emitting diodes resulting in highly luminescent devices. In addition, film composition and morphology analysis together with device characteristics show that the environmental stability of bottom gate polymer‐based TFTs is greatly enhanced by a self‐encapsulation method ...
Phosphinyliminodithiolane insecticides: Oxidative bioactivation of phosfolan and mephosfolan

Abstract 2-(Diethoxyphosphinylimino)-1,3-dithiolane (phosfolan) and its 4-methyl analog (mephosfolan) are proinsecticides as determined by microsomal mixed-function oxidase (MFO) activation to potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. They are similarly activated by peracid oxidation which yields the sulfoxide and sulfone derivatives. The hydrolytically unstable S -oxides are irreversible AChE inhibitors that are 160- to 47,000-fold more potent than phosfolan and mephosfolan. MFO S -oxidation is indicated for both proinsecticides by (a) NADPH-dependent increases in potency as AChE inhibitors to an extent expected of sulfoxides, and (b) formation of the S -oxide hydrolysis product diethyl phosphoramidate.
Congenital correlates of distractibility

The present research reports correlations between ratings of distractibility and minor physical anomalies and gross motor incoordination. For an original and two replication samples of preschool children, there were significant average weighted correlations between distractibility and both minor physical anomalies and gross motor incordination for boys. Also, the magnitude of the correlation between distractibility and the congenital characteristics was significantly higher for boys. Although neither parental rejection nor parental restrictiveness was related to boys' distractibility, parental rejection was marginally related to girls' distractibility.
Queens of the Paper Wasp Polistes fuscatus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Discriminate among Larvae on the Basis of Relatedness

The ability of queens of the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus to recognize larvae on the basis of colony origin was investigated in the laboratory. In a blind, binary choice paradigm, queens discriminated between larvae from their own colony and unrelated larvae, and between larvae from a sister colony and unrelated larvae. However, queens failed to discriminate between larvae from their own colony and larvae from a sister colony, indicating that queens of multiple-foundress colonies may lack the ability to make intracolonial brood discriminations on the basis of relatedness. These results demonstrate that recognition of larvae is mediated by larval-borne, genetically specified odors. Gas chromatograph/mass spectral analysis revealed that adults and larvae have similar cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, suggesting that the cues mediating larval and adult recognition may be the same.
Very hot nuclear matter and pion production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract The thermal properties of nuclear matter at density ρ ⩽ 0.32fm−3 and temperature T ⩽ 100 MeV are studied by the variational method. The contribution of the nucleon degrees of freedom to the free energy is calculated microscopically with a realistic nuclear hamiltonian, while that of pionic excitations is obtained from their spectrum ω(ρ, k) in cold nuclear matter. The density of pionic excitations in very hot matter is greatly enhanced by the strong πNΔ coupling, and a qualitative understanding of the pion-to-nucleon ratio observed in heavy-ion collisions is obtained. The specific heat of matter increases very rapidly with temperature at T > 50 MeV due to pionic excitations. Thus they help to keep the temperature of the participant formed in heavy-ion collisions down, and give reasonable blast wave temperatures.
From point cloud data to the continuum model of geometry

The quantum calculus of [6] gives discrete approximations to continuum models of geometry. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Inactivation Kinetics of Tomato Juice Lipoxygenase by Pulsed Electric Fields

ABSTRACT: Pulsed electric field (PEF) inactivation models for tomato juice lipoxygenase (LOX) were studied. Tomato juice was treated by PEF with the combinations of electric field strength (0, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35 kV/cm), PEF treatment time (20, 30, 50, 60, 70 μs), and PEF treatment temperature (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 °C). The first-order inactivation models, Hulsheger's model, Fermi's model, and the 2nd-order polynomial equation adequately described the LOX inactivation. Calculated D values were 161.0, 112.9, 101.0, and 74.8 μs at 15, 20, 30, and 35 kV/cm, respectively, at 30 °C. The activation energy for the inactivation of LOX by PEF was 35.7 kJ/mol. Applied electric field strength was the primary variable for the inactivation of LOX.
Acceptance or Rejection of Male Skin by Isologous Female Mice: Effect of Injection of Sperm

Female C57B1/6J mice given one intraperitoneal injection of 1 to 8 million isologous epididymal sperm cells may exhibit either delayed or accelerated rejection of isologous male skin, depending on both the number of sperm cells injected and the time of application of the graft. A long time interval or a large dose of sperm cells results in maintenance of the male graft or delayed rejection, while a small dose and short time interval produces an accelerated rejection phenomenon.
Poverty reduction, economic growth and inequality in Africa

We study the relationships among economic growth, inequality and poverty. Economists agree that growth is fundamental to reducing poverty. But the links among growth, distribution and poverty is still a subject of debate because the growth elasticity of poverty seems to differ from one country to another. Using a data set for 16 African countries, based on household budget surveys, we find strong support that poverty decreases in response to economic growth, with the estimated elasticity ranging between −0.5 and −1.10. Other variables, albeit important in varying degrees, are much less significant as determinants of poverty.
Limited transfer of podokinetic after-rotation from kneeling to standing.

Following stepping in place on a rotating treadmill, subjects inadvertently rotate when asked to step in place without vision. This response is called podokinetic after-rotation (PKAR). The purpose of this study was to determine whether PKAR transfers across tasks with different lower limb configurations, that is, from kneeling to stepping. We hypothesized that PKAR would transfer from kneeling to stepping for two reasons. First, there have been several demonstrations of robust PKAR transfer from forward to backward walking, stepping to hopping, running to walking, and from one limb to another. Second, we thought that afferent information regarding hip rotation was likely a key source of information to guide podokinetic adaptation and since hip rotation would be preserved in both stimulation conditions we expected to see little difference between the conditions. We compared the PKAR responses recorded in standing from 13 healthy young volunteers after either standard stepping on a rotating treadmill or st...
Uptake of free fatty acids by skeletal muscle during stimulation.

SummaryUptake of free fatty acids by skeletal muscle was determined by simultaneously measuring blood flow through profunda femoris veins, and arteriovenous fatty acid difference. Thigh muscles of ...
Composition of Anomalous Cosmic Rays

The “classic” anomalous cosmic ray (ACR) component originates as interstellar neutral atoms that drift into the heliosphere, become ionized and picked up by the solar wind, and carried to the outer heliosphere where the pickup ions are accelerated to hundreds of MeV, presumably at the solar wind termination shock. These interstellar ACRs are predominantly singly charged, although higher charge states are present and become dominant above ∼350 MeV. Their isotopic composition is like that of the solar system and unlike that of the source of galactic cosmic rays. A comparison of their energy spectra with the estimated flux of pickup ions flowing into the termination shock reveals a mass-dependent acceleration efficiency that favors heavier ions. There is also a heliospheric ACR component as evidenced by “minor” ACR ions, such as Na, Mg, S, and Si that appear to be singly-ionized ions from a source likely in the outer heliosphere.
The Politics of Community-Based Conservation in Natural Resource Management: A Focus for International Comparative Analysis

The promotion of increased community participation in natural resource management and conservation by international and state natural resource agencies rests on the assumption that local communitie...
Embryo Transfer Catheter Contamination With Intravaginal Progesterone Preparations in a Simulated Embryo Transfer Model Impairs Mouse Embryo Development Are There Implications for Human Embryo Transfer Technique

To study the effect of embryo transfer (ET) catheter contact with intravaginal progesterone preparations on mouse embryo development. In a simulated ET model, ET catheters were loaded with culture medium, placed in contact with intravaginal progesterone gel (Crinone 8%) or micronized progesterone intravaginal inserts (Endometrin 100 mg), and the intracatheter culture medium flushed. Embryos were cultured in the flushed culture medium at variable dilutions for variable lengths of time. Proportion of embryos progressing to blastocyst, embryo cell number, and apoptotic index was analyzed. None of the embryos cultured in undiluted progesterone-exposed medium progressed to blastocyst. The likelihood of achieving blastocyst status and the average embryo cell number increased significantly as culture media exposed to intravaginal progesterone was diluted. A significant decrease in cell number became apparent between 1 and 2 hours of exposure. Interestingly, the apoptotic index was significantly higher in progesterone-exposed embryos as compared to unexposed embryos. The contamination of ET catheter with intravaginal progesterone significantly impairs mouse embryo development, likely due in part to increased programmed cell death.
The Second Red Scare and the Unmaking of the New Deal Left. By Landon R. Y. Storrs. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2013. Pp. 404. $39.50.)

This is a crucial book for anyone interested in the midcentury victory of conservatives over the socialist possibilities once held by leftist New Dealers committed to feminism, racial equality, and...
Controlling three-axis attitude rates on a pointing system using nonlinear observer and two axis measurements

A new observer design method that allows for estimating the angular rates along a vehicle's three principal axes is described. The observer uses measurements from a single two-axis angular rate sensor (gyro) and determines the rates for the third axis using a nonlinear ob- server. Unlike conventional approaches where the equations governing vehicle motion (Euler's equations) are linearized and then an observer is constructed based on the linear model, this method does not require linearization of the system. Instead, a pseudo-linear representation is used. The pseudo-linear model is obtained by systematically decompos- ing a nonlinear system into linear and nonlinear terms. The nonlinear components are then redefined as an auxiliary set of state variables and/or inputs. This leads to an augmented linear system representation that is mathematically equivalent to the original nonlinear system. This method enables standard linear observer design techniques to be ap- plied and develops observers that are capable of estimating the third- axis angular rates using measurements corresponding to the other two axes. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated with an example. The case studied is the complete attitude rate determination and control of a spinning spacecraft. Computer simulation results show that the new approach provides excellent three-axis attitude control, yet requires an- gular rate sensors for only two axes. © 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumen- tation Engineers. (S0091-3286(97)03004-3)
Membrane-Based Emitter for Coupling Microfluidics with Ultrasensitive Nanoelectrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry

An integrated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membrane-based microfluidic emitter for high-performance nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry has been fabricated and evaluated. The ∼100-μm-thick emitter was created by cutting a PDMS membrane that protrudes beyond the bulk substrate. The reduced surface area at the emitter enhances the electric field and reduces wetting of the surface by the electrospray solvent. As such, the emitter enables highly stable electrosprays at flow rates as low as 10 nL/min and is compatible with electrospray solvents containing a large organic component (e.g., 90% methanol). This approach enables facile emitter construction and provides excellent stability, reproducibility, and sensitivity as well as compatibility with multilayer soft lithography.
Multiple forms of lactic dehydrogenase in tissues of the mouse: their specificity, cellular localization, and response to altered physiological conditions.

There is increasing evidence that many enzymes exist in tissues and cells in multiple molecular forms (Markert and Moller, 1959). Of less certainty, however, is the question of differences between these multiple molecular forms in terms of their catalytic and physiological activities. Indeed Markert and Moller felt that these forms, termed isozymes, possessed identical substrate specificities although the pattern of the isozymes possessed by a tissue changed radically during development. The question of the degree of heterogeneity existing between the multiple molecular forms of an enzyme is one of considerable importance. Such heterogeneity may be reflected in several diverse ways: (1) differences in substrate specificity, (2) dzerences in capacity to utilize cofactor analogs, (3) differences in sensitivity to inhibitors, (4) differences in response to varied physiological conditions, or (5) differences in the site of localization within or between cells. An examination of these possible points of difference between the multiple forms of lactic dehydrogenase in the tissues of the mouse comprises the content of this paper. Department of Zoology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Time-dependent Asymmetries in the Atmosphere of the Mira Variable R Trianguli through Infrared Interferometry

We report high-resolution (<0.05 mas) angular size measurements of the Mira variable star R Tri using the Palomar Testbed Interferometer. Observations were conducted in the K band (2.0-2.4 μm) between the visual phases of 0.77 and 0.88, and one period later at phase 0.91. The spatial coverage of the measurements spans 40° in position angle. Three simple geometries were modeled: a uniform ellipse model and a uniform sphere with a brighter "disk" model have lower χ than the uniform spherical disk model by factors of 5-10. For the axially symmetric models, the axis of symmetry is clustered between 20° and 35°. The position angles are roughly perpendicular to visual polarization position angles, which supports an axially symmetric source of light scattering. For the elliptical geometry, averaging the semimajor and semiminor axes throughout the data set yields an ensemble average angular diameter of 5.22 ± 0.30 mas; the ensemble average axial ratio of 2a/2b = 0.75 is similar to that previously determined for other Mira and semiregular variable stars.
Three Identities of One Action

The following speculations do not pretend to state a complete doctrine of the Trinity, though they do state decisive parts of one. The first section is an account of what is, in my view, the function of a Trinity-doctrine, and will to some extent repeat work also published elsewhere. The second section is an interpretation of the trinitarian word ‘hypostasis’, that tries to display the conceptual revolution made by the traditional trinitarian assertion of ‘three hypostases of God’. The third considers the oneness of God, by analysing a famous argument of Gregory of Nyssa. And the fourth draws some further conclusions.
Design of Low Voltage Tunneling-FET Logic Circuits Considering Asymmetric Conduction Characteristics

Tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) digital circuits present the opportunity for energy efficient logic operation at low voltage due to the TFET's steep subthreshold slope (SS) At a 400 mV supply voltage, TFET circuits have 4X higher performance than MOSFET circuits with process variation considered. Additional circuit operation effects arise because TFETs have asymmetric source-drain conduction. The N-TFET (P-TFET) has low conduction with negative (positive) V DS bias. As shown for the first time, this asymmetric conduction can be the cause of potential circuit failures and reliability risks if not properly avoided. It is revealed that relatively large voltages can be bootstrapped within digital TFET circuits. These bootstrapped voltages are dependent on the ratio of fixed capacitance to coupling capacitance times V DD . The bootstrapped voltages may exceed 2*V DD , but TFET's lower supply voltage (e.g., V) may mitigate reliability concerns. Circuit checks and redesign are proposed to avoid these problems. This bootstrapping phenomenon is unique to TFETs and may have significant speed and reliability impacts. A second, and favorable, aspect of TFET's asymmetric source-drain conduction is that it enables compact implementations of MUX gates. Separate pull-up and pull-down networks may be shared without concern for short circuit currents only present in MOSFETs with bi-directional conduction. Circuit considerations of TFET's asymmetric conduction are considered in detail.
The Influence of Nurse Wage Differentials on Nursing Home Staffing and Resident Care Decisions

This study examines the extent to which nursing homes adjust staffing and care practices relative to local market conditions. Weighted two-stage least squares regression results suggest that facilities employ more nonprofessional nursing staff in markets in which professional nurse wages are higher. RN staffing levels are higher in markets with a higher percentage of self-pay nursing home residents and a lower percentage of for-profit nursing homes. Controlling for resident characteristics, the use of labor-saving practices is higher in markets with higher average nursing home wages, suggesting that there are economic incentives to hire fewer nursing personnel.
Unsupervised reduction of random noise in complex data by a row-specific, sorted principal component-guided method

Background Large biological data sets, such as expression profiles, benefit from reduction of random noise. Principal component (PC) analysis has been used for this purpose, but it tends to remove small features as well as random noise.
Rapid measurement of light-scattering diagrams from single particles in an aerosol stream and determination of latex particle size

Abstract Our new high-speed photometer determines the scattering diagram of a single aerosol particle from 7 to 173° and 187 to 353° in as little as 14·5 msec. The light which each particle scatters from an intense laser beam is reflected from a narrow band on an ellipsoidal mirror. It passes through a rotating aperture to fall on a star-tracker photomultiplier whose amplified output yields the scattering diagram. This is stored as an oscillogram. The diameter of a spherical particle of known refractive index is found by comparison with diagrams calculated from Mie's theory for various diameters. Study of 28 particles of polystyrene latex (Dow Chemical Run LS-1028-E) with the new high-speed photometer gives a mean dia. of 1·196 ± 0·0065 μm, 10 per cent above the nominal electron microscope value but agreeing excellently with other recent light-scattering results. Light scattering seems to be the best method for standardizing such latex aerosols on an absolute basis.
Computational design and characterisation of artificial enzymes for Kemp elimination

De novo design of enzymes for the catalysis of reactions that interest humankind has been long desired. In this field, one of the most successful recent efforts, and the subject of this paper, is t...
Sliding Mode MRAS Speed Estimators for Sensorless Control of Induction Machine under Improper Rotor Time Constant

The paper discusses the speed estimation accuracy of two Sliding Mode Model Reference Adaptive System observers under improper rotor time constant. The SM MRAS observers are used for speed estimation in a sensorless direct field oriented (DFO) induction machine (IM) drive. In a sensorless DFO drive, the rotor fluxes are estimated based on the measured voltages/currents and are used for field orientation. Speed estimation by the rotor flux MRAS method is attractive since the reference quantities (rotor fluxes) are already available. Classic MRAS or SM MRAS speed estimators are viable alternatives and they work well under ideal conditions. The paper analyzes the speed estimation error of the SM MRAS observers under real conditions (improper rotor time constant and nonideal integration) and compares it with the Classic MRAS method.
Knowledge sourcing in IT support services

Indiana University uses technology and knowledge management to provide abundant leveraged IT support.
Calculation of optical excitations in cubic semiconductors. III. Third-harmonic generation.

The second-harmonic generations in 15 noncentral symmetric cubic semiconductors are systematically studied by the first-principles full band-structure method. The crystals studied are the III-V compounds AlP, AlAs, AsSb, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InP, InAs, InSb; and the II-VI compounds ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, CdS, CdSe, and CdTe. Calculations are focused on the frequency-dependent complex second-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) up to 10 eV and their zero-frequency limits ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$(0). A simple scissor operator is applied to adjust the band gaps from the local-density calculations to the experimental values. Large numbers of k points in the sum over Brillouin zone are used which are important in resolving structures in the dispersion curves. Comparison with available experimental data on ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$(0) and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(2)}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) shows general good agreement. It is shown that for a well-converged result, sufficiently high conduction-band (CB) states at least 40 eV from the top of the valence band must be included because of the large CB-CB transition-matrix elements. Correlations between the calculated nonlinear optical parameters and other physical parameters such as band-gap and static dielectric constants are also investigated. It is shown that the validity of the Miller's rule with regard to the ratio between linear and nonlinear susceptibilities is limited to the low-frequency range.
The plurilingual tradition and the English language in South Asia

There has been a plurilingual tradition of communication in South Asia since precolonial times. Local scholars consider pluringualism as ‘natural’ to the ecology of this region. In plurilingualism, proficiency in languages is not conceptualized individually, with separate competencies developed for each language. The different languages constitute an integrated system to constitute a repertoire. After distinguishing plurilingualism from other forms of multilingual communication, the article shows how English has been accommodated in this tradition. What I label Plurilingual English is not an identifiable code or a systematized variety of English. It is a highly fluid and variable form of language practice. Speakers negotiate their different Englishes for intelligibility and effective communication. The article goes on to define plurilingual competence. For communication to work across such radical differences, it is important that acquisition and use go hand and hand. Such a competence is always in a state of becoming and, therefore, acquisition is emergent. Plurilingual communication works because competence does not rely solely on a form of knowledge, but rather, encompasses interaction strategies. In the final section, the article discusses how learner strategy training and language awareness go some way toward facilitating such interactional strategies and repertoire development.
Devastation of prey diversity by experimentally introduced predators in the field

HISTORICAL ecology contains various examples of how predators introduced onto islands by man have apparently exterminated native prey species1–6. Conversely, a pioneering experiment7 showed an increase in number of species with predator presence. Subsequent experiments have shown both increases and decreases in prey diversity8–10. Here we investigate how predator introduction affects one aspect of prey diversity (number of species or species richness), and prey abundance. We ran a seven-year experiment on an entirely natural system of small islands, using the commonest local lizard as the predator and web spiders as prey. Lizard introduction caused rapid and devastating effects on spider diversity and abundance: within two years, islands onto which lizards had been introduced became almost identical to islands with natural lizard populations. The proportion of species becoming extinct was 12.6 times higher on lizard-introduction' islands than on islands without lizards. Locally common and rare species were both reduced by the introduction of lizards, but nearly all of the latter became permanently extinct.
Impact of Screencast Technology: Connecting the Perception of Usefulness and the Reality of Performance

PURPOSE This study explores how and why students use screencasts, as well as why some students choose not to use them. The study also investigates whether the perception that screencasts are helpful aligns with the reality of students’ course performance. DESIGN/METHOD A quantitative study was conducted throughout two semesters in an undergraduate engineering survey course at a large public university. The investigation used a student perceptions survey and case study analysis to explore the connection between screencast use, the perception of having gained a deeper understanding of the course material based on this use, and actual course performance. RESULTS Findings indicate that students’ preferred strategies for using screencasts are related to the frequency of use and the degree of understanding. Students who use the screencasts more and perceive them to have increased their understanding demonstrate increased competence on particular exam questions. Only those students who actively chose not to use screencasts (compared to those who forgot or ran out of time) show no detrimental effects on their performance.
Knowledge-assisted BIM-based visual analytics for failure root cause detection in facilities management

Abstract Facilities managers need to identify failure cause–effect patterns in order to prepare corrective and preventive maintenance plans. This task is difficult because of the complex interaction and interdependencies between different building components. Standardization based on Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides new opportunities to improve the efficiency of facilities management (FM) operations by sharing and exchanging building information between different applications throughout the lifecycle of the facilities. This paper aims to utilize BIM visualization capabilities to provide FM technicians with visualizations that allow them to utilize their cognitive and perceptual reasoning for problem solving. It investigates a knowledge-assisted BIM-based visual analytics approach for failure root-cause detection in FM. For this purpose, the inspection and maintenance data of Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) are integrated with a BIM. Moreover, various sources of building knowledge such as fault trees and relationships between components are formally represented. These resources are used to create custom visualizations through an interactive user interface which helps in exploiting the heuristic problem solving ability of field experts to find root causes of failures in a building.
Neurologic and gastrointestinal dysfunction in cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome: identification of a severe phenotype.

Controversy exists over the distinction between cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome and Noonan syndrome (NS). Several authors have suggested that they are different phenotypes of the same condition. We present the cases of two patients with CFC syndrome to show that it is a distinct condition with a unique combination of findings and a more complex natural history. These patients, both girls, were born with signs of fetal edema following pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios. Each has short stature with relative macrocephaly; fuzzy, sparse hair; and the typical craniofacial features, including a square forehead. Both have heart abnormalities, failure to thrive, and severe feeding problems requiring gastrostomy. They are markedly hypotonic and developmentally delayed. They show signs of frequent eyelid fluttering and have oral aversion, tactile hypersensitivity, and sensory integration abnormalities. Keratosis pilaris, the characteristic skin symptom, is also present in both patients. In a review we identified 56 cases of CFC syndrome. We scored these cases by 10 clinical criteria and identified a subset with a specific, severe phenotype distinct from that of NS. The serious neurologic and gastrointestinal complications, in addition to the skin abnormalities and characteristic facies in this group, clearly separate these patients from the mildly affected ones, most of whom appear to have NS or another syndrome. We discuss the differences between the severe CFC phenotype and those of overlapping conditions. We set forth stringent diagnostic criteria for CFC syndrome, the initial step toward identifying a molecular basis for this condition.
Use of city directories as a source of occupational data in a case-control study.

The association between occupational factors and male breast cancer was investigated in a population-based case-control study conducted in Western New York state. Since 9% of cases and controls were missing occupational information in the tumor registry (usual occupation) and screening clinic (type of work done) files, supplemental occupational data were collected from commercial city directories. Occupational data were located for 69% of participants via the city directory thereby reducing the missing occupational data to 3%. For individuals with occupational listings in both the original source document and the city directories, similar titles were found for 94% of cases. Factors to be considered in assessing the feasiblty of directory usage include purpose of study, degree of directory coverage within the geographic area, gender of participants, and availability of personnel and resources. City directories are a valuable supplemental source of occupational data for hypothesis generating case-control studies or registry-based studies of men conducted in urban areas. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
R&D strategy in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry

Abstract The adverse economic impacts of the 1962 Kefauver-Harris Amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act have transformed the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The key elements of this transformation include declining rates of innovation, huge increases in R&D costs and risks, lowered profitability, and an erosion of U.S. technological leadership. U.S. pharmaceutical firms must develop new, creative R&D strategies in order to cope with this complex and demanding environment. U.S. firms have responded to more stringent domestic regulation by sharply increasing both foreign R&D expenditures and initial clinical testing of new chemical entities at foreign locations. New patterns of project selection strategies have begun to emerge in the 1970s. As the total number of R&D projects has been cut back, pharmaceutical firms have focused resources on those disease areas with the highest epidemiological importance. To cope with the increasing riskiness of drug R&D firms have shifted dollars from research to development. Pharmaceutical firms are also likely to alter their strategies for discovering new drugs. As firms reduce explorative, basic research, more structured, engineering approaches will receive increased emphasis. Because individual drug companies are likely to have reduced capacity for originating drugs within their own laboratories, competition among firms for access to new compounds and research ideas is likely to in tensify.
The Fifteenth-Seventeenth Century Lithic Economy at Progresso Lagoon, Belize

This article examines the fifteenth–seventeenth century lithic economy at Progresso Lagoon, Belize, as a tool for understanding indigenous Maya motivations and conditions before and after Spanish colonialism. The lithic assemblage indicates a high reliance on recycled and refurbished tools from the former tool production center of Colha, and a decrease in the utilization of obsidian obtained through long-distance trade. The increase in projectile point production and use in the fifteenth century suggests conflict between Maya communities even before the arrival of Spaniards in the region. Alongside other archaeological evidence, the lithic material suggests that the Progresso Lagoon community was experiencing an economic decline and political tensions at the point of Spanish contact.
Activation of postsynaptically silent synapses during pairing-induced LTP in CA1 region of hippocampal slice

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is an enhancement of synaptic strength that can be produced by pairing of presynaptic activity with postsynaptic depolarization. LTP in the hippocampus has been extensively studied as a cellular model of learning and memory, but the nature of the underlying synaptic modification remains elusive, partly because our knowledge of central synapses is still limited. One proposal is that the modification is postsynaptic, and that synapses expressing only NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors before potentiation are induced by LTP to express functional AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionate) receptors. Here we report that a high proportion of synapses in hippocampal area CA1 transmit with NMDA receptors but not AMPA receptors, making these synapses effectively non-functional at normal resting potentials. These silent synapses acquire AMPA-type responses following LTP induction. Our findings challenge the view that LTP in CA1 involves a presynaptic modification, and suggest instead a simple postsynaptic mechanism for both induction and expression of LTP.