cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal immune responses to conceptus signals during early pregnancy in ruminants

Pregnancy is an immunological paradox created by the hospitable interaction between the maternal immune system and the allogeneic conceptus in the gravid uterus. The mother is not immunesuppressed during early pregnancy, nor is the conceptus immune-privileged, shielding itself from maternal immune detection by an immunologically inert placenta. Rather, what is becoming clear is that the conceptus and other endocrine mediators, including progesterone, actively shape the maternal immune response during early pregnancy to facilitate growth and development of a functioning placenta. In this regard, conceptual thinking derived from immune cell – pathogen interactions inadequately describe the unique homeorhetic mechanisms mediating early conceptusmaternal interactions. Nonetheless, evidence is mounting that conceptus signals induce a tolerogenic (Th2) bias in immune cell function at the fetal-maternal interface. This is accompanied by tissue remodeling and angiogenesis facilitated by tissue-resident immune cells that sets the trajectory for placental growth and, ultimately, fetal growth. Perturbations in these interactions, including systemic inflammation and various stressors at the earliest stages of pregnancy can interfere with communication between the conceptus and uterus, reducing conception rates and resulting in poor pregnancy outcomes.
Anthropogenic Impacts on Biodiversity in the Arctic

The actions of humans are major determinants (Fig. 1) of the biological composition of the Earth’s ecosystems at scales ranging from the genetic diversity of local populations to the level of landscapes. Although the anthropogenic impacts of modern industrial societies are obvious, early settlers using simple technologies also altered their environments dramatically through such practices as slash-and-burn clearing and the cultivation of crops in the rain forests of Central America; the diversion of riverwater for irrigation in the Near East; the intentional use of fire in the woodlands and prairies of North America’s temperate zones, and alternations in the assemblages of harvested and unharvested species in the far north (Turner et al. 1990)
Laparoscopic Hepatic Transection Using Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation (EnSeal)

Hepatic parenchymal transection under laparoscopic conditions remains a formidable challenge without a defined optimal technique. Because of the unique technical challenges of laparoscopic liver resection, devices that can both coagulate and safely transect small vessels and bile ducts are an important adjunct to the use of endomechanical stapling devices. At present, the authors’ preferred energy device for laparoscopic hepatic parenchymal precoagulation transection (PCT) is the bipolar radiofrequency device (BRF, EnSeal; Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH). The device allows the surgeon to seal and transect small to large vessels and tissue bundles, and is approved for transection of blood vessels up to 7 mm in size. Bipolar radiofrequency energy uses a unique “line-of-sight” form of energy delivery which is described in detail herein. It is ideally suited for laparoscopic use, and has been tested and used in vivo in colorectal surgery, where it has been used to safely transect the inferior mesenteric artery and vein without incident. As with most energy devices, there is a short learning curve and a few caveats that should be considered when using the device, such as the avoidance of staples between the jaws. Overall, the bipolar radiofrequency device offers very secure vessel sealing and excellent ergonomics that provide both tissue sealing and cutting in one surgeon-controlled movement.
Neuroscience and the Future of the Self

Toward the end of the first decade of the 21st century, dynamic theories of personality have been relegated largely to clinical practice in psychology and psychiatry. Experimental research in personality theory has become largely dominated by trait theory, with some call for more narrative, psychobiographical methods from the periphery. Psychoanalysis has become colonized by PhD psychologists and left by the wayside by psychiatrists, who in the medical school curriculum have integrated it into more general “psychodynamically assisted” approaches to psychotherapy. The new focus on neuroscience has barely any reference to personality and has substituted this construct for a more cognitive and behavioral definition of the self. Borrowing a phrase from Fernando Vidal, Sonu Shamdasani has referred to this new focus as the ascendancy of “brainhood.” The person is equal to the brain. 1
MICROBIAL SIDEROPHORES IN THE PLANT RHIZOSPHERE

Siderophores are iron chelating agents that are produced by almost all microorganisms in response to iron deficiency. Due to the requirement of iron for cell growth and metabolism, siderophore mediated acquisition of iron plays a central role in determining the ability of different microorganisms to colonize plant roots and contributes to microbial interactions in the plant rhizosphere. There are now approximately 500 known siderophores, some of which are widely used by a variety of microorganisms, whereas others are used only by the same microbial species and strains that produce them. Siderophores also have been examined for their potential importance in plant iron nutrition and for their ability to mobilize heavy metals. There has been considerable debate over their relative importance for plant iron nutrition that has centered around their ability to release iron by means of chelate reductases that function in Strategy I plants and to exchange iron with phytosiderophores in Strategy II grasses. A key question concerning the relevance of siderophores in plant nutrition has been whether siderophores are produced in sufficient quantities by microorganisms to supply physiologically relevant quantities of iron to plants. Siderophores are generally detected in low concentrations in soil extracts. Molecular methods using reporter genes further show that siderophore production is limited to sites of high microbial activity. There is now general recognition that siderophores have a fundamental role in determining the bioavailability of iron to microorganisms that colonize the rhizosphere and are required for rhizosphere competence in microorganisms that are being developed for biocontrol of plant diseases and plant growth promotion.
A project oriented AI course

This paper describes the author's experiences teaching a junior/senior level computer science course in artificial intelligence during the Fall, 2005 semester at Western Kentucky University. It describes a collection of handson projects that he had the students work with and their reactions to these projects.
Alternative to Multifractal Analysis of Scalable Random Variables Applied to Measured and Estimated Soil Properties at an Arizona Field Site

Many earth, environmental, ecological, biological, physical, astrophysical and financial variables exhibit random space-time fluctuations; symmetric, non-Gaussian frequency distributions of increments characterized by heavy tails that often decay with separation distance or lag; nonlinear power-law scaling of sample structure functions (moments of absolute increments) in a midrange of lags, with breakdown in such scaling at small and large lags; extended power-law scaling at all lags; nonlinear scaling of power-law exponent with order of sample structure function; and pronounced statistical anisotropy. The literature has traditionally considered such variables to be multifractal. Previously we proposed a simpler and more comprehensive interpretation that views them as samples from stationary, anisotropic sub-Gaussian random fields or processes subordinated to truncated fractional Brownian motion or truncated fractional Gaussian noise. The variables thus represent mixtures of Gaussian components having random variances. We apply our novel approach to soil data collected at an Arizona field site and to corresponding hydraulic properties obtained by means of a neural network model and estimate their statistical scaling parameters by maximum likelihood. Our approach allows upscaling or downscaling statistical moments of such variables to fit diverse measurement or resolution and sampling domain scales.
OpenMP 4.5 Validation and Verification Suite for Device Offload

OpenMP has been widely adopted for shared memory systems for over a decade. With the heterogeneity trend in architectures rapidly growing, the programming model needed to evolve such that applications could not only be ported to traditional CPUs but also to accelerators often acting as discrete or integrated devices to CPUs. To that end, OpenMP started to provide support for heterogeneous systems since 2013 when the version 4.0 of the specification was ratified. OpenMP 4.5 is being enhanced to cover major requirements of Exascale Computing Project (ECP) applications. As a result it is time-critical to ensure that the implementations of the 4.5 features are correct and conforming to the specification. This paper focuses on building a Validation and Verification testsuite that will test and present results for several offloading features implemented in compilers such as Clang, IBM XL C/C++, CCE, and GCC. We have results for our testsuite on TITAN, Summitdev and Summit at the Oak Ridge National Lab. We will highlight some of the ambiguities we encountered in the process of validating and verifying feature implementations. We also make the testsuite available for anyone to use and will walk the readers through the infrastructure and the workflow of the testsuite. A website has been built to capture our efforts narrated in this paper https://crpl.cis.udel.edu/ompvvsollve.
Emission Statistics and Optical Transition Dipoles of Semiconductor Nanoplatelets

We report on the emission statistics and optical transition dipoles of quasi-two-dimensional semiconductor nanoplatelets studied by single particle spectroscopy. We find that the emission properties of the nanoplatelets are strongly dependent on their lateral dimensions. © 2019 The Author(s)
P143 Examining Nutrition Practices Across Early Childhood Education Programs in Two Rural Counties of California

Background Early childhood education (ECE) programs are important partners for childhood obesity prevention efforts. Despite signs of progress, racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in obesity rates still persist in California. Current understanding of obesity prevention strategies (e.g. nutrition practices) is limited across ECE programs in Tulare/ Kings counties of California. Objective To characterize nutrition practices of Child Care Centers (CCCs) and Family Child Care Homes (FCCHs). Study Design, Settings, Participants Study design was cross-sectional. Settings included licensed CCCs and FCCHs in Tulare/Kings counties. Participants included CCC Directors (N = 59) and FCCH Providers (N = 58). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Of the 701 nutrition practices surveys administered, 117 were completed and returned. Descriptive and chi-square analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results Results indicated statistically significant differences (P Conclusion Targeting nutrition interventions based on the childcare context (FCCH vs. CCC) is critical to the implementation of nutrition best practices. Overall, FCCH reported higher adherence to best practices as compared to CCC. This could be attributed to a higher participation of FCCHs in CACFP. A focus on nutrition education as well as participation in CACFP in ECE programs may help in obesity prevention efforts. Funding UC ANR.
Electrochemical analysis of an electrodeposited Zn-Ni alloy films contained EDTA stable baths in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions

Abstract The electrochemical analysis of an electrodeposited Zn-Ni alloy coating on steel substrate from a chloride bath containing ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) was investigated in this study. Polarization tests demonstrated that the Zn-Ni alloy deposited from 0.119 M EDTA bath at 20 mA/cm2 current density exhibited lower corrosion current (Icorr) and more positive corrosion potential (Ecorr). The impedance modulus and corrosion resistance were improved with a fine and robust uniform coating. At 24 h of immersion time, the samples exhibit higher corrosion resistance leads to the formation of strong corrosion product layers. The morphological properties, crystalline phases, and topographical structures of Zn-Ni coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The chemical composition analysis revealed that the Zn-Ni coatings deposited from EDTA baths have higher Zn content and intensity of Ni2Zn11 γ-phase, which exhibited better corrosion resistance properties.
Role of iBALT in Respiratory Immunity.

Pulmonary respiration inevitably exposes the mucosal surface of the lung to potentially noxious stimuli, including pathogens, allergens, and particulates, each of which can trigger pulmonary damage and inflammation. As inflammation resolves, B and T lymphocytes often aggregate around large bronchi to form inducible Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (iBALT). iBALT formation can be initiated by a diverse array of molecular pathways that converge on the activation and differentiation of chemokine-expressing stromal cells that serve as the scaffolding for iBALT and facilitate the recruitment, retention, and organization of leukocytes. Like conventional lymphoid organs, iBALT recruits naive lymphocytes from the blood, exposes them to local antigens, in this case from the airways, and supports their activation and differentiation into effector cells. The activity of iBALT is demonstrably beneficial for the clearance of respiratory pathogens; however, it is less clear whether it dampens or exacerbates inflammatory responses to non-infectious agents. Here, we review the evidence regarding the role of iBALT in pulmonary immunity and propose that the final outcome depends on the context of the disease.
II.6 – Gears

Publisher Summary Gears are generally rugged and durable and their power transmission efficiency is as high as 98%. Gears are usually more costly than chains and belts. Spurs gears are the simplest and most common type of gears that are used to transfer motion among parallel shafts. Gears have teeth that are parallel to the shaft axes. The basic requirement of gear-tooth geometry is the condition of angular velocity ratios that are exactly constant. The action of a pair of gear teeth satisfying this criterion is called conjugate gear-tooth action. The law of conjugate gear-tooth action can be satisfied by various tooth shapes, but the one of current importance is the involute of the circle. The contact of segments of tooth profiles, which are not conjugate, is called interference. The involute tooth form is only defined outside the base circle. In some cases, if the “dedendum” extends below the base circle, the portion of tooth below the base circle is not an involute and interferes with the tip of the tooth on the meshing gear, which is an involute.
Authentication and Key Agreement via Memorable Password.

This paper presents a new password authentication and key agreement protocol, AMP, based on the ampli ed password idea. The intrinsic problems with password authentication are the password itself has low entropy and the password le is very hard to protect. We present the ampli ed password proof and the ampli ed password le for solving these problems. A party commits the high entropy information and ampli es her password with that information in the amplifed password proof. She never shows any information except that she knows it. Our ampli ed password proof idea is very similar to the zero-knowledge proof in that sense. We adds one more idea; the ampli ed password le for password le protection. A server stores the ampli ed veri ers in the ampli ed password le that is secure against a server le compromise and a dictionary attack. AMP mainly provides the password-veri er based authentication and the Di e-Hellman based key agreement, securely and e ciently. AMP is easy to generalize in any other cyclic groups. In spite of those plentiful properties, AMP is actually the most e cient protocol among the related protocols due to the simultaneous multiple exponentiation method. Several variants such as AMP, AMP, AMP, AMP, AMP, and AMP are also proposed. Among them, AMP is actually the basic protocol of this paper that describes the ampli ed password proof idea while AMP is the most complete protocol that adds the ampli ed password le. AMP simply removes the ampli ed password le from AMP. In the end, we give a comparison to the related protocols in terms of e ciency. This manuscript is a preliminary version of our paper available from the IACR eprint archive, http://eprint.iacr.org/2000/026. The protocols described in this paper were submitted as a contribution to the IEEE P1363 study group for future PKC standards, Ultimate Solution to Authentication via Memorable Password[23]. It is available from the website, http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1363/StudyGroup/Passwd.html#amp.
Normalized measures and patient characteristics to identify undernutrition in infants and young children treated for cancer.

Summary Background Various measures and definitions for undernutrition are used in pediatrics. Younger children treated for cancer are at high risk, but lack well-defined risk-based screening and intervention. Methods A retrospective study collected weight longitudinally for patients less than three years-old over two years after initiating cancer treatment. We included those diagnosed 2007–2015 at a large pediatric cancer center. Exclusion criteria included treatment starting outside our system, secondary or relapsed malignancy, or incomplete information. A decrease ≥1 in weight-for-age or weight-for-height z-score signified clinically significant weight loss. Univariate and multivariate models assessed hazards for developing first episode of clinically significant weight loss. Results Of 372 patients, only 24.6% of patients lost 10% of weight, but 58.6% lost weight-for-age z-score ≥1 and 64.8% lost ≥1 weight-for-height z-score within two years of treatment initiation. Patients who lost weight were younger (median age 15 vs. 24 months, p Conclusions Using normalized z-scores is more sensitive for identifying weight loss. Younger children are more likely to lose weight with higher intensity cancer therapy. Patient and treatment specific information should be used in risk stratifying weight loss screening and nutritional interventions.
β-Lactam Combinations That Exhibit Synergy against Mycobacteroides abscessus Clinical Isolates.

Mycobacteroides abscessus (Mab) is an opportunistic environmental pathogen that can cause chronic pulmonary disease in the setting of structural lung conditions such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. These infections are often incurable and associated with rapid lung function decline. Mab is naturally resistant to most of the antibiotics available today, and current treatment guidelines require at least 1 year of daily multidrug therapy, which is often ineffective and is associated with significant toxicities. β-Lactams are the most widely used class of antibiotics and have a demonstrated record of safety and tolerability. Here, using a panel of recent clinical isolates of Mab, we evaluated the in vitro activities of dual-β-lactam combinations to identify new treatments with the potential to treat infections arising from a wide range of Mab strains. The Mab clinical isolates were heterogeneous, as reflected by the diversity of their genomes and differences in their susceptibilities to various drugs. Cefoxitin and imipenem are currently the only two β-lactams included in the guidelines for treating Mab disease, yet they are not used concurrently in clinical practice. However, this dual-β-lactam combination exhibited synergy against 100% of the isolates examined (n = 21). Equally surprising is the finding that the combination of two carbapenems, doripenem and imipenem, exhibited synergy against the majority of Mab isolates. In the setting of multidrug-resistant Mab disease with few therapeutic options, these combinations may offer viable immediate treatment options with efficacy against the broad spectrum of Mab strains infecting patients today.
Traumatic events and mental health: The amplifying effects of pre-trauma systemic inflammation

Abstract Background Traumatic experiences are strongly predictive of adverse mental health outcomes. Experimental studies have demonstrated that systemic inflammation can increase reactivity to threatening stimuli. It is not known whether naturally occurring inflammation amplifies the impact of traumatic experiences on mental health. Here we test whether incident traumatic events are more predictive of adverse mental health outcomes for individuals with greater pre-trauma systemic inflammation in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort study of youth assigned male at birth who identify as sexual or gender minorities (ages 16–29, n = 518), a group at high risk for trauma exposure. Methods Measures of inflammation, depression symptom severity, and perceived stress were measured at baseline. One year later, depression symptom severity and perceived stress were measured again, and participants reported the traumatic events they had experienced in the intervening year. Results In a model adjusted for baseline depression symptom severity and other key covariates, we found that higher baseline levels of interleukin-1β amplified the effect of incident trauma exposure on depression symptom severity at follow-up (β = 0.234, SE = 0.080, P = 0.004). In a model adjusted for baseline perceived stress and other key covariates, we found that higher baseline scores on a multi-marker inflammatory index amplified the effect of incident trauma exposure on perceived stress at follow-up (β = 0.243, SE = 0.083, P = 0.003). Conclusions These findings suggest that greater pre-trauma inflammation may predict poorer mental health following trauma exposure. Understanding how inflammation interacts with trauma to shape mental health may generate novel insights for preventing and treating the debilitating psychological consequences of trauma.
Removing dynamic distortions from laser speckle flowgraphy using eigen-decomposition and spatial filtering

Laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) has been widely used in the investigation of blood flows in ophthalmology. However, the dynamic changes of the ocular optics can impose artificial contrasts to the LSFG, corrupting the detection of both retinal vasculature and blood pulsation at the posterior segment of the human eye. In this study, we propose to use Eigen-decomposition method to separate the spatially and temporally varying speckle patterns from the static tissues. Spatial filtering is further applied to remove the distortion-correlated modulation of the speckle patterns. We experimentally show that with the proposed method, the integrity of blood vessels is significantly improved and the distortions in pulse waveforms can be well corrected.
Shared State for Distributed Interactive Data Mining Applications

Distributed data mining applications involving user interaction are now feasible due to advances in processor speed and network bandwidth. These applications are traditionally implemented using ad-hoc communication protocols, which are often either cumbersome or inefficient. This paper presents and evaluates a system for sharing state among such interactive distributed data mining applications, developed with the goal of providing both ease of programming and efficiency. Our system, called InterAct, supports data sharing efficiently by allowing caching, by communicating only the modified data, and by allowing relaxed coherence requirement specification for reduced communication overhead, as well as placement of data for improved locality, on a per client and per data structure basis. Additionally, our system supports the ability to supply clients with consistent copies of shared data even while the data is being modified. We evaluate the performance of the system on a set of data mining applications that perform queries on data structures that summarize information from the databases of interest. We demonstrate that providing a runtime system such as InterAct results in a 10–30 fold improvement in execution time due to shared data caching, the applications' ability to tolerate stale data (client-controlled coherence), and the ability to off-load some of the computation from the server to the client. Performance is improved without requiring complex communication protocols to be built into the application, since the runtime system uses knowledge about application behavior (encoded by specifying coherence requirements) in order to automatically optimize the resources utilized for communication. We also demonstrate that for our benchmark tests, the quality of the results generated is not significantly deteriorated due to the use of more relaxed coherence protocols.
ANTICONVULSANT-INDUCED SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE) AND NEPHROTIC SYNDROME (MS)

A 3 year old boy was treated with diphenylhydantoin (DPH), ethosuximide (E), and phenobarbital for convulsions following herpes encephalitis. After 3 months of anticonvulsant treatment he developed NS (24 hour uriae protein-9.1 grams, serum albumin-0.76 gms.%, cholesterol-356 mg.%), positive ANIF (1:800), “suspiciously” positive LE preparation, positive skin biopsy (dermalepidermal IgG), and high total eosinophil count (985 - nl 50-250)., After withdrawal of DPH and E there was gradual resolution of NS and normalization of urine, serum protein, cholesterol, ANIF and eosinophilla. Renal function and serum complement levels remained normal. Corticosteroids were not given. Although anticonvulsants have been associated with SLE-like syndromes, serologic abnormalities, nephritis or NS, no previously reported patient developed SLE and NS concurrently. The urgency in discontinuing DPH and E prevented our identifying the offending drug. It is likely that this patient sustained a syndrome of drug-induced SLE with immune-mediated reversible glomerulonephritis and NS.
Structure of Escherichia coli exonuclease I suggests how processivity is achieved

Exonuclease I (ExoI) from Escherichia coli is a monomeric enzyme that processively degrades single stranded DNA in the 3′ to 5′ direction and has been implicated in DNA recombination and repair. Determination of the structure of ExoI to 2.4 A resolution using X-ray crystallography verifies the expected correspondence between a region of ExoI and the exonuclease (or proofreading) domains of the DNA polymerases. The overall fold of ExoI also includes two other regions, one of which extends the exonuclease domain and another that can be described as an elaborated SH3 domain. These three regions combine to form a molecule that is shaped like the letter C, although it also contains a segment that effectively converts the C into an O-like shape. The structure of ExoI thus provides additional support for the idea that DNA metabolizing enzymes achieve processivity by completely enclosing the DNA.
A clinical look at the problem of drugs in pregnancy and their effect on the fetus

The first annual W. E. Upjohn Lecture concerned itself with the interrelationship between administration of drugs to the pregnant woman and fetal outcome. The epidemiology of drug intake (both prescribed and self-administered drugs) during pregnancy is reviewed, using data derived from several surveys conducted both in the United States and in Scotland. The complexities of establishing a causal relationship between drug intake during pregnancy and effects upon the fetus are considered. Special emphasis is given to the adverse effects of aspirin and cigarette smoking. The shortage of data is critical and the need for further research is stressed.
The C. elegans POU-domain transcription factor UNC-86 regulates the tph-1 tryptophan hydroxylase gene and neurite outgrowth in specific serotonergic neurons

A fundamental question in developmental neurobiology is how a common neurotransmitter is specified in different neuronal types?. We describe cell-specific regulation of the serotonergic phenotype by the C. elegans POU-transcription factor UNC-86. We show that unc-86 regulates particular aspects of the terminal neuronal identity in four classes of serotonergic neurons, but that the development of the ADF serotonergic neurons is regulated by an UNC-86-independent program. In the NSM neurons, the role of unc-86 is confined in late differentiation; the neurons are generated but do not express genes necessary for serotonergic neurotransmission. unc-86-null mutations affect the expression in NSM of tph-1, which encodes the serotonin synthetic enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase, and cat-1, which encodes a vesicular transporter that loads serotonin into synaptic vesicles, suggesting that unc-86 coordinately regulates serotonin synthesis and packaging. However, unc-86-null mutations do not impair the ability of NSM to reuptake serotonin released from the ADF serotonergic chemosensory neurons and this serotonin reuptake is sensitive to the serotonin reuptake block drugs imipramine and fluoxetine, demonstrating that serotonin synthesis and reuptake is regulated by distinct factors. The NSM neurons in unc-86-null mutants also display abnormal neurite outgrowth, suggesting a role of unc-86 in regulating this process as well.
Hot Spots and Blind Spots: Geographical Clusters of Firms and Innovation

Hot spots are fast-growing geographic clusters of competing firms. Drawing on several literature streams, we develop an evolutionary model that contrasts hot spot and non-hot spot competitors within the same industry. Initially, economies of agglomeration, institutional forces, and managers' mental models create an innovative environment within the hot spot. Over time, those same forces create a homogeneous macroculture that suppresses innovation, making hot spot competitors more susceptible than non-hot spot competitors to environmental jolts.
Increased avalanche breakdown voltage and controlled surface electric fields using a junction termination extension (JTE) technique

Extremely high breakdown voltages with very low leakage current have been achieved in plane and planar p-n junctions by using an ion-implemented junction extension for precise control of the depletion region charge in the junction termination. A theory is presented which shows a greatly improved control of both the peak surface and bulk electric fields in reverse biased p-n junctions. Experimental results show breakdown voltages greater than 95 percent of the ideal breakdown voltage with lower leakage currents than corresponding unimplanted devices. As an example, diodes with a normal breakdown voltage of 1050 V and a 0.5 mA leakage current become 1400 V (1450 ideal) devices with a 5 µA leakage current. Applications of the junction termination technique is feasible in MOS technology, but is more attractive in power devices where reduced surface fields are as important as the extremely high breakdown voltages. Reduced surface fields allow more flexibility in passivation techniques, two of which we have used to date. Our results also show that the implant can be activated at a variety of temperatures with a good degree of success; process flexibility being the goal of these tests.
Consortium Solutions to Distance Education Problems: Utah Academic Libraries Answer the Challenges

The Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC) is continuing to develop cooperative projects to serve both on campus and distance learners. By cooperating rather than competing, UALC libraries are developing a package of services available to all academic students in Utah to support new and existing distance education programs. This paper describes collaborative efforts to increase information resource access statewide to meet the needs of distance learners and take advantage of changing technologies.
Optimization of temperature of polysilicon rods

The problem of synthesis of optimal control for temperature of polysilicon rods is solved taking heat emission into account. A method of dynamic programming for linear systems with distributed parameters (SDP), a modified performance criterion, and a moderated form of solution to the functional Bellman equations for SDP are used. The obtained control algorithms for polysilicon were numerically realized earlier.
Combined effects of organic reactivity and NMHC/NOx ratio on photochemical oxidant formation—a modeling study

Abstract A modeling study was undertaken to assess the effect of organic reactivity on photochemical oxidant formation. A six-component hydrocarbon model was developed and tested against data collected in a smog chamber study of irradiated auto exhaust and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) mixtures. The model was then adjusted to conditions that more closely approximated those of the urban environment. The adjusted model was used to assess the relative reactivity of various organic constituents when present in an urban-like air mass. Twelve organics were investigated in the study: ethane, propane, n-butane, ethylene, propylene, trans-2-butene, toluene, m-xylene, methanol, ethanol, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The findings of this study indicate that the reactivity of organics depends strongly on the hydrocarbon-to-NOx ratio of the mix in which they are reacting. At low hydrocarbon-to-NOx ratios, the organics investigated in this study displayed significantly different O3-forming potential. At high hydrocarbon-to-NOx ratios, however, all organics exhibited comparable O3-forming potential.
Tests of statistical hypotheses and their use in studies of natural phenomena

Contrary to ideas suggested by the title of the conference at which the present paper was presented, the author is not aware of a conceptual difference between a “test of a statistical hypothesis” and a “test of significance” and uses these terms interchangeably. A study of any serious substantive problem involves a sequence of incidents at which one is forced to pause and consider what to do next. In an effort to reduce the frequency of misdirected activities one uses statistical tests. The procedure is illustrated on two examples: (i) Le Cam’s (and associates’) study of immunotherapy of cancer and (ii) a socio-economic experiment relating to low-income homeownership problems.
Nuclear and hypernuclear particle-hole states in the relativistic σ-ω mean field theory: Nuclear matter formalism

Studies of the closed core response to a perturbation in the Dirac Hamiltonian (due to an out-of-core baryon) are extended to particle-hole states in nuclear matter. Both isoscalar nucleon-particle--nucleon-hole states and \ensuremath{\Lambda}-particle--nucleon-hole hypernuclear states are considered. Core-response effects on the nuclear baryon current and the vector and scalar densities are studied, using both a perturbative treatment and linear response theory. While no essentially new physical insight is encountered by considering particle-hole states, there are many new and interesting applications. In particular, we mention applications to hypernuclei, meson-nucleus (especially ${\mathit{K}}^{+}$) interactions, meson photoproduction on nuclei, nuclear reactions, and nuclear transitions in inelastic scattering and weak interactions in nuclei. We point out interest in core-response effects related to nuclear transitions, where new physical insight is expected.
Crack: new directions in drug research. Part 1. Differences between the marijuana economy and the cocaine/crack economy.

Crack use and trafficking in low-income, minority communities in New York City have pushed into prominence many aspects of drug use/misuse and distribution which had formerly received inadequate at...
The timing of negative symptom exacerbations in relationship to positive symptom exacerbations in the early course of schizophrenia

Although positive and negative symptoms appear to represent independent symptom dimensions of psychopathology when evaluated cross-sectionally among individuals with schizophrenia, it is not known if exacerbations of symptoms on these two dimensions are independent. This prospective longitudinal study examined the temporal relationship between the positive and negative symptom exacerbations among 48 recent-onset schizophrenia or schizoaffective patients who received symptom ratings every 2 weeks on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Patients were followed for a period of at least 1 year and a mean of 3 years. To examine the temporal relationship between positive and negative symptoms, six time periods were defined in relation to psychotic exacerbation or relapse (e.g., prodromal, concurrent, post-psychotic) and used to compare the timing of positive and negative symptom exacerbations. A substantial proportion of patients had exacerbations of positive symptoms (77%) and negative (42%) symptoms. Negative symptom exacerbations occurred simultaneously with positive symptom exacerbations to a significantly greater extent than expected by chance, and occurred less frequently than expected by chance during the time period most temporally removed from positive symptom exacerbations. Results suggest that the timing of some negative symptom exacerbations is linked to that of positive symptom exacerbations during the early course of schizophrenia.
Erythromycin therapy in preterm premature rupture of the membranes: a prospective, randomized trial of 220 patients.

Objective: The use of prophylactic antibiotics in the management of preterm premature rupture of the membranes has not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral erythromycin therapy in the prolongation of latency and reduction of infectious morbidity after preterm premature rupture of membranes. Study Design: In this randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 220 women at 20 to 35 weeks' gestation were evaluated. Subjects received oral erythromycin 333 mg ( n = 106) or indistinguishable placebo ( n = 114) every 8 hours from randomization to delivery. Results: Prolongation of latency was identified with erythromycin therapy ( p = 0.02), particularly for those destined to have chorioamnionitis ( p = 0.003) and those with oligohydramnios ( p = 0.01 ). No decrease in the incidence of maternal or neonatal infectious morbidity was seen. Conclusions: Oral erythromycin delays, but does not prevent, the onset of clinical infection when administered to women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. This regimen does not decrease neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Molecular Mechanics/Continuum Reaction Field/Quantum Mechanics Study of the Intramolecular Diels−Alder Reaction of 2-Furfuryl Derivatives

Molecular mechanics (SIBFA)/continuum reaction field computations have been performed on 2-furfuryl fumarates (1). The results show that the presence of a methyl or gem-dimethyl substituent on the diene−dienophile linker and also polar solvents such as DMSO stabilize the folded conformation precursor of the transition state in the intramolecular Diels−Alder reaction. The calculated variations of the energy difference between the folded and extended conformations are in agreement with experimental and related theoretical data. A detailed analysis of the energy contributions involved in these phenomena has been carried out, taking into account the experimental results. Complementary AM1 computations have also been undertaken on the starting materials, the transition states, and the cycloadducts. Those confirm that the stereochemistry of the lactones obtained is the thermodynamically favored one and that the variation in the activation barrier runs parallel to the SIBFA folding energy values. When the ester ...
Vietnamese Language Education in the United States

Vietnamese, like other immigrant languages, experiences decline in various forms from the time that its speakers first arrive in the US, a process that gathers pace in the second generation, and often leads to a near-complete loss of the language in the third generation. The article deals with the ways in which Vietnamese–Americans have attempted to keep their language alive using Vietnamese language schools and a variety of community initiatives. The benefits of such efforts to maintain the heritage language and its culture are discussed, mostly from the point of view of the Vietnamese community but also in a national perspective in which heritage languages are considered as a linguistic and cultural resource. New pedagogical approaches to the teaching of Vietnamese and also the growing movement to have the language taught in universities are discussed.
A membranous ATPase unique to lysosomes

Abstract Intracellular protein degradation presumably occurs in lysosomes and is known to require energy. ATP effects on proteolysis in lysosomes have been demonstrated in vitro and were attributed to transport of protons (1) or transport of proteins (2). Accordingly a lysosomal ATPase was anticipated and is reported herein. The membranous nature of the ATPase as well as its specific activity would seemingly warrant its consideration as the direct link between energy and protein catabolism. However, intact lysosomes display very little ATPase activity and there is no stimulation by uncoupler. Therefore the existence of an ATP-driven proton pump in lysosomes is improbable.
Fire Performance Assessment of a Fiber Reinforced Polymer Wall Panel Used in a Single Family Dwelling

This paper describes a fire performance assessment of a sandwich panel selected as the primary material in a high-performance house developed for the 2013 China Solar Decathlon competition. The sandwich panel has fiber reinforced polymer skins and a foam plastic core. Evaluation of fire performance showed that the selected panel would not comply with U.S. building code requirements for a single-family dwelling without additional protection. However, the use of an intumescent fire protective coating, coupled with the installation of a residential fire sprinkler system, is shown to be effective in meeting the intent of the fire and life safety requirements of the International Residential Code. Fire testing shows that the application of an intumescent fire protective coating to the panels significantly decreases the heat release rate, the smoke production characteristics, and the extent of flame spread on the panels.
Opposition Beyond the Water's Edge: Liberal Internationalists, Pacifists and Containment, 1945-1953

Introduction Postwar Pacifism, Internationalism, and Consensus The Early Opposition Opposition to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan Opposition to the North Atlantic Treaty Military Assistance, the Korean War, and McCarthyism The Alternatives Bibliography Index
FORMS OF CALL OVERLAP AND THEIR IMPACT ON ADVERTISEMENT CALL ATTRACTIVENESS TO FEMALES OF THE GRAY TREEFROG, HYLA VERSICOLOR

ABSTRACT Male gray Lreefrogs, Hyla versicolor, advertise for females in choruses in which calls often overlap. Previous research has demonstrated that such acoustic interference among conspecifics can impair the ability of a male to attract a mate. However, the stimulus set used in those studies was quite limited. Here we performed single-speaker and two-speaker tests of phonotaxis with female Hyla versicolor to explore the impact of different degrees and forms of call overlap on the relative attractiveness of male signals. We found that: (1) overlapped calls are recognized as acceptable signals by females, although they are less attractive than calls that are not overlapped; (2) the relative phase of the overlapping calls matters. When calls were time-shifted by 50% of their pulse-period (180 degree offset), attractiveness of overlapped calls was reduced relative to non-overlapped calls as much as it would be by a reduction in intensity of about 12 dB SPL or a drop in call duration of between one third t...
Groundwater-fed irrigation impacts spatially distributed temporal scaling behavior of the natural system: a spatio-temporal framework for understanding water management impacts

Regional scale water management analysis increasingly relies on integrated modeling tools. Much recent work has focused on groundwater?surface water interactions and feedbacks. However, to our knowledge, no study has explicitly considered impacts of management operations on the temporal dynamics of the natural system. Here, we simulate twenty years of hourly moisture dependent, groundwater-fed irrigation using a three-dimensional, fully integrated, hydrologic model (ParFlow-CLM). Results highlight interconnections between irrigation demand, groundwater oscillation frequency and latent heat flux variability not previously demonstrated. Additionally, the three-dimensional model used allows for novel consideration of spatial patterns in temporal dynamics. Latent heat flux and water table depth both display spatial organization in temporal scaling, an important finding given the spatial homogeneity and weak scaling observed in atmospheric forcings. Pumping and irrigation amplify high frequency (sub-annual) variability while attenuating low frequency (inter-annual) variability. Irrigation also intensifies scaling within irrigated areas, essentially increasing temporal memory in both the surface and the subsurface. These findings demonstrate management impacts that extend beyond traditional water balance considerations to the fundamental behavior of the system itself. This is an important step to better understanding groundwater?s role as a buffer for natural variability and the impact that water management has on this capacity.
Channel morphology and sediment origin in streams draining the Georgia Piedmont

Summary Urbanization is common across much of the US However, the Southeast, including the Georgia Piedmont, is developing much faster than other regions ( USDA, NRCS, 2004 ). Consequently, water resources in the Middle Chattahoochee Watershed of western Georgia are threatened by increased sedimentation from extensive urban development as well as from other land covers such as livestock grazing and silviculture. A 2-yr study was developed to assess sediment transport and origin across 16 watersheds draining urban, developing, pastoral, managed forest and unmanaged forest landscapes. Total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) yields and sediment rating curves were measured concomitantly with channel morphometry measurements in each stream. Urban streams featured the lowest baseflow concentrations, but sediment concentrations rose rapidly during stormflow in urban streams. Detailed cross-sections assessed channel stability and showed that pasture streams were the most unstable streams during stormflows. Finally, sediment source tracking was performed in a subset of intermittent streams using amorphous to crystalline ratios of iron to estimate the fraction of sediment coming from instream vs. landscape sources. Artificial stormflows were generated to mobilize bed sediment for the development of an instream sediment signature. If these ratios differed during natural events, it was inferred the differences were due to sediments mobilized from the terrestrial landscape. Results indicated that higher ratios of amorphous:crystalline Fe occurred during artificial floods (urban = 0.60 and unmanaged forest = 0.14) than natural stormflows (urban = 0.08 and unmanaged forest = 0.03) in watersheds dominated by urban and unmanaged forest land cover, suggesting that crystalline (i.e., terrestrial) sources of Fe were transported to the stream during rainfall events.
Advocating for equality for preterm infants

Threatened extremely preterm delivery at the border of viability represents a complex situation for families, caregivers and the fetus. Decisions about the appropriate level of active intervention are complicated by concerns regarding morbidity and mortality risks to the mother and infant, the