cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Beta-Lactamase-Producing-Bacteria in Mixed Infections I Children

Beta-lactamase-producing bacteria (BLPB) can play an important role in polymicrobial infections. They can have a direct pathogenic impact in causing the infection as well as an indirect effect through their ability to produce the enzyme beta-lactamase. BLPB may not only survive penicillin therapy but can also, as was demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo studies, protect other penicillin-susceptible bacteria from penicillin by releasing the free enzyme into their environment. This phenomenon occurs in upper respiratory tract, skin, soft tissue, surgical and other infections. The clinical, in vitro, and in vivo evidence supporting the role of these organisms in the increased failure rate of penicillin in eradication of these infections and the implication of that increased rate on the management of infections is discussed. Penicillins have been the drugs of choice for the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections in children. However, within the past six decades, an increased resistance to these agents has been observed. In addition to organism long known to resistant beta-lactamases, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacteriaceae, other previously susceptible bacteria became increasingly resistant to these agents due to several mechanisms including the production of the enzyme beta-lactamase (BL). These organisms include aerobic and facultative bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, as well as anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli (AGNB, i.e. Bacteroidesfragilis group, pigmented Prevotella and Porphyromonas, Prevotellabivia, and Prevotella disiens) and Fusobacterium spp.) [1-3]. Beta-lactamase-producing bacteria (BLPB) can have an important clinical role in clinical infections. These bacteria can be pathogenic in their own merit as well as have an indirect effect through their ability to produce the enzyme BL into their surroundings. BLPB may not only survive penicillin therapy but also may shield other beta-lactamesusceptible bacteria from these agents by releasing the enzyme into their surroundings ( Figure 1) [4]. *Corresponding author: Itzhak Brook, Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, MD, MSc, 4431 Albemarle St. NW, Washington DC 20016, USA, Tel : 202 363 4253; E-mail: ib6@georgetown.edu Received August 08, 2011; Accepted January 05, 2012; Published January 09, 2012 Citation: Brook I (2012) The Role of Beta-Lactamase-Producing-Bacteria in Mixed Infections I Children. Pediatr Therapeut 2:e105. doi:10.4172/2161-0665.1000e105 Copyright: © 2012 Brook I. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Single-Pulse Performance of the SparkJet Flow Control Actuator

A need exists for a robust flow control actuator that is capable of penetrating supersonic boundary layers. Under Air Force Office of Scientific Research sponsorship, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is investigating a promising device for high-speed flow control called the SparkJet actuator. This actuator, which produces a synthetic jet with high exhaust velocities, holds the promise of manipulating high-speed flows without active mechanical components. Computational and experimental techniques are being used to investigate the operating characteristics of a cavity SparkJet device for control of supersonic flows over external surfaces. This paper focuses on the detailed characteristics of the SparkJet’s discharge and cooling stages after a single energy deposition pulse. Previous experimental and numerical parametric studies of the current design characterized the performance attributes of the device as a function of orifice size, chamber volume, and energy deposited. Current experimental efforts include the application of high-resolution particle image velocimetry to quantify quiescent air operation of the mm-scale device and to provide validation data for computational models. NOMENCLATURE
A Simulation Framework for Virtual Prototyping of Robotic Exoskeletons

A number of robotic exoskeletons are being developed to provide rehabilitation interventions for those with movement disabilities. We present a systematic framework that allows for virtual prototyping (i.e., design, control, and experimentation (i.e. design, control, and experimentation) of robotic exoskeletons. The framework merges computational musculoskeletal analyses with simulation-based design techniques which allows for exoskeleton design and control algorithm optimization. We introduce biomechanical, morphological, and controller measures to optimize the exoskeleton performance. A major advantage of the framework is that it provides a platform for carrying out hypothesis-driven virtual experiments to quantify device performance and rehabilitation progress. To illustrate the efficacy of the framework, we present a case study wherein the design and analysis of an index finger exoskeleton is carried out using the proposed framework.
A 19th Century Brazilian botanical dictionary

Joaquim de Almeida Pinto's Diccionario de botanica brasileira was published in 1873. The new scientific names in it have not appeared in the principal indices of phanerogamic scientific names. There are 12 new generic names, 317 new specific epithets, 6 new varieties, and 1 new specific combination in the book. Seven of the specific epithets have later homonyms: Elephantopus littoralis, Erythroxylum stipulosum, Heliconia sylvestris, Hyptis incana, Paspalum aquaticum, Passiflora involucrata, and Salacia corymbosa.
Cause and countermeasure of slab cracks of pre-stressed concrete continuous box girder

In order to find out the causes of cracks appearing in slab of the girder during the construction of prestressed concrete continuous box girder, monitoring technology with optical fiber was used for the monitoring of the course of prestressing, and the finite software ANSYS was adopted to simulate and calculate the structure. Results show that the first principal stress in most area of the slab is over 2.60 MPa, so the cause of cracks is that the main tensile stress in slab exceeds the standard value of tensile strength of concrete, which is affected by the layout of lengthways prestress steels in slab.
Premalignant Diseases of the Breast

The importance of identifying women at increased risk for developing breast cancer is obvious. Environmental and host factors as well as breast histology are reviewed in this article.
Media Genealogy| The Future of Critique: Mark Andrejevic on Power/Knowledge and the Big Data-Driven Decline of Symbolic Efficiency

Mark Andrejevic, Associate Professor at Pomona College, and J.J. Sylvia, Ph.D. student in the Communication Rhetoric and Digital Media Program at North Carolina State University, discusses the impact of the neo-materialist turn for media studies and the importance of critiquing surveillance through the theoretical framework of power in addition to that of privacy. Although the decline of symbolic efficiency, brought on at least in part by the rise of big data, seems to disrupt the link that Michel Foucault draws between power and knowledge, Andrejevic considers possibilities for reimagining the knowledge structures associated with big data’s infrastructure.
Genetic animal models for Alzheimer's disease

Publisher Summary The central feature of Alzheimer's disease is a remarkably specific loss of cognitive functions in affected individuals. The evidence that links Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration and pathology with APP and/or its Aβ-containing derivatives is the early finding that the APP gene is on chromosome 21, for virtually all individuals trisomic for this chromosome will show AD-like neurodegeneration by the age of 40. It is found that PC12 cells transfected with a retroviral recombinant expressing the carboxyterminal 100 amino acids of APP die when they are induced to acquire a neuronal phenotype with nerve growth factor (NGF), while transfectants expressing exogenous APP-695 or Aβ differentiate normally without cell loss when exposed to NGF. Transplantation of APP-C100-transfected PC12 cells into the brains of newborn mice results in neuropathology. Transgenic mice expressing APP-C100 in the brain display Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathology. Expression of APP-C100 in the brain leads to massive neurodegeneration in aged transgenic mice.
Some Recent Improvements in Electron Fractographic Analyses

Laboratory documentation of the manner in which interactions between environment, structure, and stress produce microscopic fracture surface markings is enabling more informative failure analyses. Cataloging of new features and calibration of the features with stress intensity promises to aid in failure analyses.
Public Secrets, Muzzled Science: Agnotological Practice, State Performance, and Dying Salmon in British Columbia

This article examines recent efforts by the Canadian government to silence a federal scientist from publicly speaking about her research on the decline in Fraser River sockeye salmon. I argue that the information embargo through which Canadian officials silenced government science not only served an agnotological function of demobilizing the opposition by promoting public ignorance about ecological issues, but also functioned as a means of state making by producing an image of the state as a unitary and powerful actor. This performance of secrecy represents a critical component of contemporary governance, and its examination has much to reveal about the central role that the production of a state effect plays in neoliberalism.
The Uncertain Future of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination School Requirements.

* Abbreviation: HPV — : human papillomavirus Ten years after the approval of the first human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, vaccination rates in both males and females continue to fall short of the 80% coverage goals included in Healthy People 2020 .1 In 2015, 62.8% of girls and 49.8% of boys aged 13 to 17 had received at least 1 dose of HPV vaccine, and 41.9% of female adolescents and 28.1% of male adolescents had completed the 3-dose series, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.2 Although recent increases in HPV vaccination rates have been observed (perhaps a result of coordinated recent efforts by vaccination advocates to emphasize the role of these vaccines in cancer prevention) the identification of innovative approaches to promoting widespread use of HPV vaccines remains a priority.3 School vaccination requirements have long been viewed by proponents of vaccination as effective and essential tools in promoting and sustaining high vaccination rates.4 In this issue of Pediatrics , Moss and colleagues show that requirements for meningococcal and tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccines result not only in substantial direct … Address correspondence to Jason L. Schwartz, PhD, MBE, Yale School of Public Health, P.O. Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520. E-mail: jason.l.schwartz{at}yale.edu
Live Cell Imaging of Endogenous mRNA Using RNA-Based Fluorescence “Turn-On” Probe

Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a critical role in cellular growth and development. However, there have been limited methods available to visualize endogenous mRNA in living cells with ease. We have designed RNA-based fluorescence “turn-on” probes that target mRNA by fusing an unstable form of Spinach with target-complementary sequences. These probes have been demonstrated to be selective, stable, and capable of targeting various mRNAs for live E. coli imaging.
Teaching Special Topics in Public Administration Using Select Episodes of NBC’s West Wing to Support and Supplement Class Lecture and Textbook Readings

Using the award-winning series The West Wing, the author argues that education and entertainment can coincide comfortably, but not without a guided cross walk provided by the classroom instructor before, during (at particularly critical points), and after viewing the episode.
Making It About Morals: Pope Francis Shifts the Climate Change Debate

In June 2015, Pope Francis released his papal encyclical, Laudato si’: On Care of our Common Home, urging global action toward climate change mitigation. The official Catholic document was widely praised for its unique rhetorical approach that emphasized climate change mitigation as a moral obligation shared among all people (Maxwell & Miller, 2015). As the spiritual leader of over 1 billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis was well-positioned not only to appeal to his followers’ moral sensibilities, but to instigate an even broader impact among non-Catholics. Here we present two studies that examine the viability of its rhetorical strategy as a proximal metric of the encyclical’s success. In the first study, we used Moral Foundations Theory to analyze the text of Laudato si’ and categorize some of its moral arguments according to how those arguments might have appealed to different ideological groups. In the second study, we used nationally-representative survey data to examine to what extent these different ideological groups accepted the moral arguments offered in Laudato si’.
Green's function of periodic scatterers applied to scattering by finite periodic arrays of scatterers

The Green's function is an important physical concept and is key to the formulation of integral equations. In the past, the free space Green's function and the Green's function of an empty lattice were used to study wave behavior in periodic structures such as metamaterials and photonic crystals. In this paper, the Green's function of periodic scatterers are calculated and next used to formulate integral equations for scattering by finite periodic arrays. The Green's function of periodic scatterers is expressed in terms of band solutions. A low wavenumber component is subtracted out from the Green's function. The low wavenumber component represents the slowly converging reactive near field. The remaining part is shown to have no singularity and to converge rapidly with respect to the number of modes included. It is efficient to be evaluated over a wide range of wavenumbers. Multiple band solutions are derived from a linear eigenvalue problem, converted from a surface integral equation, where the technique of broadband Green's function with low wavenumber extraction (BBGFL) is used to represent the propagator. The Green's function of periodic scatterers satisfies boundary conditions on the scatterers. When it is used to formulate a surface integral equation of scattering from a finite periodic array, the unknowns are limited to the boundaries of the finite structure. We demonstrate such applications by computing the reflections from a half-space of periodic scatterers. The results are compared to that of half space Green's function of an effective medium for the half space medium.
Learning an Embedding Space for Transferable Robot Skills

We present a method for reinforcement learning of closely related skills that are parameterized via a skill embedding space. We learn such skills by taking advantage of latent variables and exploiting a connection between reinforcement learning and variational inference. The main contribution of our work is an entropy-regularized policy gradient formulation for hierarchical policies, and an associated, data-efficient and robust off-policy gradient algorithm based on stochastic value gradients. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on several simulated robotic manipulation tasks. We find that our method allows for discovery of multiple solutions and is capable of learning the minimum number of distinct skills that are necessary to solve a given set of tasks. In addition, our results indicate that the hereby proposed technique can interpolate and/or sequence previously learned skills in order to accomplish more complex tasks, even in the presence of sparse rewards.
Welcome or Not: Comparing #Refugee Posts on Instagram and Pinterest:

The Syrian refugee crisis, started in 2011, has resulted in millions of Syrians fleeing their homes: 6.6 million have been internally displaced and more than 4.6 million have fled the country. This...
Deptor Is a Novel Target of Wnt/β-Catenin/c-Myc and Contributes to Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth

Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway drives colorectal cancer (CRC) growth by deregulating expression of downstream target genes including the c-Myc proto-oncogene. The critical targets that mediate the functions of oncogenic c-Myc in CRC have yet to be fully elucidated. Previously, we showed that activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR contributes to CRC growth and metastasis. Here we show that Deptor, a suppressor of mTOR, is a direct target of Wnt/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling in CRC cells. Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin or knockdown of c-Myc decreased, while activation of Wnt/β-catenin or overexpression of c-Myc increased, the expression of Deptor. c-Myc bound the promoter of Deptor and transcriptionally regulated Deptor expression. Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling increased mTOR activation, and the combination of Wnt and Akt/mTOR inhibitors enhanced inhibition of CRC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Deptor expression was increased in CRC cells; knockdown of Deptor induced differentiation, decreased expression of B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 (Bmi1), and decreased proliferation in CRC cell lines and primary human CRC cells. Importantly, our work identifies Deptor as a downstream target of the Wnt/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling pathway, acting as a tumor promoter in CRC cells. Moreover, we provide a molecular basis for the synergistic combination of Wnt and mTOR inhibitors in treating CRC with elevated c-Myc.
Impact of Yeast Flocculation and Biofilm Formation on Yeast-Fungus Coadhesion in a Novel Immobilization System

A novel method of yeast immobilization, called “biocapsules”, has been developed in which cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae become attached to the hyphae of the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum, remaining adhered following loss of viability of this fungus. Yeast immobilization facilitates higher cell densities than traditional fermentation methods, improves yield, and allows the reuse of the biocatalyst. Yeast cells may adhere to each other via specific cell-surface molecular interactions (flocculation) or may attach to surfaces (biofilm formation), and the roles of these two distinct attachment mechanisms in biocapsule formation is unknown. To elucidate the influence of biofilm formation versus flocculation on the yeast-fungus coimmobilization, a screening of selected strains from the Viticulture and Enology Department collection at the University of California, Davis, was carried out, and their ability to flocculate and form biofilm was quantified. Eighteen yeast strains capable of flocculation and biofilm formation were identified in this screening. Strains displaying differential capabilities in flocculation or biofilm formation and two control strains were further evaluated for their ability to specifically immobilize with P. chrysogenum. Seven strains exhibiting different patterns of flocculation and biofilm formation were identified. Biofilm-forming yeast strains displayed higher rates of immobilization with P. chrysogenum and formed more consistent biocapsules. In contrast, strains able to flocculate developed smaller, inconsistent biocapsules. Although the size and number of biocapsules formed varied by yeast strain, the total mass of biocapsules generated was similar for all strains. These results shed light on parameters that influence yeast-fungus coimmobilization, which may lead to an improvement of biocapsule consistency and advance the field of application for this new immobilization system.
Osmotic stabilization prevents cochlear synaptopathy after blast trauma

Traumatic noise causes hearing loss by damaging sensory hair cells and their auditory synapses. There are no treatments. Here, we investigated mice exposed to a blast wave approximating a roadside bomb. In vivo cochlear imaging revealed an increase in the volume of endolymph, the fluid within scala media, termed endolymphatic hydrops. Endolymphatic hydrops, hair cell loss, and cochlear synaptopathy were initiated by trauma to the mechanosensitive hair cell stereocilia and were K+-dependent. Increasing the osmolality of the adjacent perilymph treated endolymphatic hydrops and prevented synaptopathy, but did not prevent hair cell loss. Conversely, inducing endolymphatic hydrops in control mice by lowering perilymph osmolality caused cochlear synaptopathy that was glutamate-dependent, but did not cause hair cell loss. Thus, endolymphatic hydrops is a surrogate marker for synaptic bouton swelling after hair cells release excitotoxic levels of glutamate. Because osmotic stabilization prevents neural damage, it is a potential treatment to reduce hearing loss after noise exposure.
Affordance Discovery using Simulated Exploration

Allowing robots to understand their world in terms of affordances allows for generalization, learning, and complex planning, while also being intuitive for humans to understand. In recent work, affordances are often learned with hand-coded robot actions, which can limit or bias the model. Real-world training has also been used to learn affordances and manipulation models, but is timeconsuming and unsafe for the robot and its environment.
GABAA and GABAB receptors and the ionic mechanisms mediating their effects on locus coeruleus neurons.

Anatomical, neurochemical, and electrophysiological studies have provided evidence that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the locus coeruleus (LC) nucleus. We have used intracellular recording to study the actions of GABA on putative noradrenergic neurons of the rat LC, in a brain slice preparation. GABA application in the bath, or more locally by micropressure ejection inhibited spontaneous firing and increased the conductance of LC neurons. In addition, GABA could hyperpolarize or depolarize LC neurons; the size of these responses depended on the Cl− gradient across the membrane. GABA responses were antagonized by bicuculline. These data indicate that the actions of GABA on LC neurons are primarily mediated by activation of GABAA receptors which increases the Cl− conductance. When GABA is applied to LC neurons after blockade of GABAA receptors with bicucullline, a residual action mediated by GABAB type receptors can be seen. Similar responses can be obtained with the GABAB-selective agonist baclofen. GABAB activation inhibits spontaneous firing and causes membrane hyperpolarization due to an increase in K+ conductance. Single-electrode voltage clamp experiments were used to study the voltage dependency of GABA responses in LC neurons. GABA-induced current showed outward rectification. The conductance increase caused by a given amount of GABA decreased with membrane hyperpolarization. The time constant of decay of the GABA current also decreased with membrane hyperpolarization. Due to the voltage dependency of GABA responses, GABA exerts a stronger inhibitory effect on LC neurons at depolarized potentials than at hyperpolarized potentials, which could serve as a negative feedback mechanism to control excitability of these neurons.
Provenance in modifiable datasets

The provenance of derived data, which explains the derivation and retrieves or captures the source data, is valuable information for the data consumers possibly due to different purposes, e.g., audit requirements, error tracing, data reproduction and etc. The provenance of a derived datum should include all the details about how it is derived, including in particular, the source data used in its derivation. The provenance of a derived datum can be recorded during the original derivation process but storing it explicitly can incur very high storage cost. Therefore, techniques have been developed to record only a small amount of information, which can be used later to retrieve the full provenance from the source dataset. Such provenance retrieval relies on the provenance being present in the dataset in order to be retrieved by tracing queries. However, many datasets are subject to modifications, e.g, new experimental data is collected and stored. In this thesis, we investigate the retrieval of the provenance of a derived datum from a modifiable dataset, specifically we consider the following four questions: (i). Can we explain what a particular derived datum depends on, even if a value used in its derivation has since been modified. (ii). Can we determine if a particular derived datum is still valid upon the source dataset modifications without performing full view maintenance but through examining its provenance. (iii). Can we retrieve part of the provenance of a given datum due to the users' request or the fact that the rest of the provenance is missing. (iv). Can we retrieve the provenance of a derived datum without predefined granularity in an unstructured dataset. In this thesis, we provide affirmative answers to the above questions in the form of new techniques that use limited space and computational effort.
Are Children Who Do Not Go to School “Bad,” “Sick,” or “Happy”?: Shifting Interpretations of Long-Term School Nonattendance in Postwar Japan

This chapter examines postwar debates in Japan around long-term school absence at the level of discourse and practice. The chapter begins by unpacking postwar official statistics and policy discourses on long-term school absence in relation to competing medical and citizens’ discourses, with a particular focus on changes in terms used to refer to school nonattendance. I show how moves toward the medicalization of absenteeism as an individual “sickness” in the 1980s were met with criticism from citizens promoting alternative school movements, leading to encouragement for noninterventionist approaches at policy level. I then outline the “emergence” of hikikomori (social withdrawal) as a youth social problem in the 2000s, which prompted a revision of these approaches, shifting the blame back to the individual children and their families. This chapter reveals how policy and popular discourse have resonated with each other and how various stakeholders of education have led competing discourses and practices on long-term school nonattendance, both positive and negative, shedding light on a larger question of whom education is for. The chapter concludes by introducing the latest debates and issues around school absenteeism and by highlighting the diversification of alternative schooling opportunities.
A Study on SADP Process Refresh for Patterning Correction

SADP/SAQP are important patterning techniques for all the FEOL/BEOL line levels at 7 nm technology node and beyond. Therefore, an accurate CD and profile control of mandrel patterning is the key of a successful SADP/SAQP integration and an incorrect mandrel CD or profile could cause a huge loss due to wafer scrap. In this paper, a novel methodology utilizing multiple etch steps is presented to remove the incorrect patterning stack and to refresh the SADP patterning from the beginning. As a result, the misprocessed wafer could continue the process without loss. Two approaches were discussed in this paper. The results were showing that using dry etch to clear the mandrel stack instead of wet etch then took out the hard-masks and stopping on the IMD is the best way for removing the incorrect patterning stack. This methodology has been tested for up to three passes of refresh to verify the repeatability of both physical and electric data. In addition, a 34 passes prolonged test on the same wafer was conducted over a year showing successful refreshes with consistent physical CD.
The Effect of Azithromycin on Relapse in Patients with Moderate-Severe Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (CGVHD)

BACKGROUND A recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety communication (Aug 2018) warned prescribers of the risk of relapse in patients receiving azithromycin as prophylaxis for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) following hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). However, the FDA warning was based upon a single multicenter trial, in which patients were randomized to receive azithromycin for 2 years, starting at the time of conditioning. We now examine relapse rates in a cohort of patients treated with azithromycin for management of moderate-severe CGVHD. PATIENT POPULATION A retrospective review of our HCT database (2010-2017) identified 239 patients (median age 55 years, range 4-72) with moderate-severe CGVHD following an allogeneic HCT for a primary hematologic malignancy. NIH consensus criteria (2015) were used for CGVHD grading. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts, a) those receiving an extended course of azithromycin (≥ 14 days) for CGVHD management (cohort 1, n=86) and b) those who did not (cohort 2, n=153). Patients in cohort 2 either did not receive any azithromycin (n=122) or had received an abbreviated ( RESULTS Decreased rates of relapse and improved survival were noted for patients treated with azithromycin for CGVHD. At 2 years, the cumulative incidence of relapse was 2% (95% CI:1-9%) for patients in cohort 1 vs 16% (95% CI: 11-23%) in cohort 2, p=0.001. Overall survival (2-year OS) in cohort 1 was 93% (95%CI: 88-99%) vs 78% (95% CI:72-85%) for cohort 2, p=0.003. Overall, 7 of 86 (8.1%) CGVHD patients treated with an extended course of azithromycin (cohort 1) have relapsed, the median time to relapse 876 days (range 379-1303) post-HCT. In comparison, 28 of 153 (18.3%) in cohort 2 have relapsed, a median 371 days (range 98-1252) post-HCT. CONCLUSION The use of azithromycin for the management of moderate to severe CGVHD was not associated with an increased risk of relapse in patients undergoing HCT for a hematologic malignancy. Azithromycin therapy for patients with CGVHD should not be contra-indicated in this patient population.
Reading the world – teaching visual analysis in higher education

This article provides a practical guide for teaching visual analysis to university students. By adapting Serafini’s curricular and pedagogical framework for teaching multimodal representations to i...
Reaction Na 23 ( α , p ) Mg 26 from E α = 2.3 − 3.7 MeV and the corresponding thermonuclear reaction rate

Integrated excitation functions for the reactions $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},{p}_{0})^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ and $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},{p}_{1})^{26}\mathrm{Mg}^{*}$ were measured over the energy range ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=2.3\ensuremath{-}3.7$ MeV. Absolute resonance strengths were determined for 30 new ${p}_{1}$ resonances and 9 new ${p}_{0}$ resonances. The corresponding stellar reaction rate ${N}_{A}l\ensuremath{\sigma}Vg$ is recalculated and found to be enhanced by a factor of 3 at ${T}_{9}=2$ and by a factor of 4 at ${T}_{9}=3$. A multiparameter analytic fit to the new ${N}_{A}l\ensuremath{\sigma}Vg$ as a function of temperature over the range ${T}_{9}=0.3\ensuremath{-}5.0$ is given. The enhanced rate was incorporated in a nucleosynthesis code and the resulting change in $^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ and $^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ abundances at selected temperatures is discussed.[NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},p)$, $E=2.3\ensuremath{-}3.7$ MeV; measured excitation function and deduced resonant strengths for ${p}_{0}$ and ${p}_{1}$ proton groups; NaCl target. Calculated new thermonuclear reaction rate.]
Beat – to - beat variability of stroke volume output velocity measured by an impedance cardiographic method

The study’s idea is to develop an impedance method of assessement of beat-to-beat variability of stroke volume output velocity (SVOV) at rest. An amplitude of systolic section of differential rheogramma ΔZ/Δt, (ohm/sec) reflects peak velocity of SVOV in impedance cardiography [1,2] and though it can be used as a marker of SVOV. Healthy volunteers’s (n=27) the ΔZ/Δt amplitudes were measured automatically in 5 minutes period at the supine position, the same was done for patients 10-14 days after acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n=91). Then the SVOV value for each cardiac beat was calculated. An amplitude of mode, variation range and standard deviation were used to compare and analyze all measured SVOV’s values in 5 minutes ( n = 282 ± 20 for each person). We’ve found the variability of SVOV in both groups, but there was a significant difference between the groups: in a group of MI patients complicated with I-II classes of heart failure the SVOV variability was lower than in a group of healthy persones. We’ve assumed that SVOV variability can be measured by our method.
Millennial attitudes toward online and traditional training methods: the role of training utility and satisfaction.

Because the millennial generation is the largest generation in the U.S. labor force and is the most computer-literate generation, many organizations are investing in online methods for their traini...
Anatomy and Chemistry of Populus trichocarpa with Genetically Modified Lignin Content

Vessel and fiber properties, diameter growth, and chemical compositions were investigated for transgenic Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) trees harvested after six months of growth in a greenhouse. Genetic modifications were cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), cinnamate 3-hydroxylase (C3H), or cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), which resulted in modified lignin composition or content, and changed the syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio. Comparing the genetic groups to the wild-type as the control, trees with reduced lignin content showed different results for vessel and fiber properties measured. Genetic groups with reduced PtrC3H3 and PtrC4H1&2 (with lower lignin content and higher S/G ratio than the control) exhibited splitting perpendicular to the rays, yet had the same fiber lumen diameter and the same fiber cell wall thickness as the control. Changes in lignin structure from modifications to PtrCAD resulted in reductions to the number of vessels, increases in vessel and fiber diameters, and had no consistent impact on stem diameter.
Nanoscale LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode materials for lithium ion batteries via a polymer-assisted chemical solution method

Abstract A novel and facile polymer-assisted chemical solution method is successfully developed for the synthesis of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM) with unique morphology and nanoparticle nature as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. At calcination temperature up to 800 °C and 900 °C, NCM with hexagonal crystal structure of layered α-NaFeO2 ( R 3 ¯ m spacing group) is formed and a lower degree of Ni/Li cation mixing for sample heated at 900 °C is determined by XRD Rietveld refinement. SEM and TEM images reveal the uniform size distribution of nanoparticles. HRTEM confirms the single crystalline nature of particles with layered structure. XPS verifies the oxidation state of Co3+, Mn4+, Ni2+ and Ni3+. As compared with the sample prepared at 800 °C, the sample heated at 900 °C exhibits a higher initial discharge specific capacity of 189 mAh g−1 being charged to 4.5 V at a current rate of 0.05 C, and better cyclability at 4.3 V cutoff voltage at a current density of 1 C. This method has demonstrated easy tuning compositions and particle sizes of cathode materials.
A proposal of information diffusion model using information vitality

In the case of existing information diffusion models, probability of information diffusion only follows parameters of neighbor nodes sending and receiving information. But the momentum of diffusion gains in an exponential fashion whenever the information passes through influential nodes in a real network. For example, when information diffuses through SNS, the speed of diffusion increases whenever information passes nodes that is influential users. This paper quantifies the degree of influence as information vitality, and proposes the model using it. In addition, the paper considers relationship between diffusion speed and information vitality in simulation of the model.
InSb pixel loaded microwave resonator for high-speed mid-wave infrared detection

Abstract High-speed mid-wave infrared (MWIR) detectors are of significant interest for a wide range of applications in communication and spectroscopy. High-speed photodetection is conventionally achieved using reverse biased semiconductor p-i-n junction devices. However, implementing such structures in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) is challenging due to both the limited available material platforms and challenges associated with device design. Here we demonstrate a high-speed MWIR detector architecture that uses a microwave resonator circuit loaded with a photoconductive indium antimonide (InSb) pixel, originally grown highly lattice-mismatched on a GaAs substrate. Time domain measurements demonstrate sub-nanosecond detector response at temperatures from 77 K to room temperature. Frequency response measurements demonstrate that optical signals modulated at frequencies as high as 2 GHz can be well resolved up to room temperature. Time domain circuit simulations support the experimentally measured short minority carrier lifetimes in the InSb pixel, while also suggesting a circuit time constant of ~200 ps, which is ultimately the limiting factor for the bandwidth of the presented detector architecture. Our results provide an alternative approach for the development of contact-free, high-speed infrared detectors capable of directly interfacing with microwave components and structures for a range of RF/mid-IR applications.
Manipulation of hydrocortisone tablets leads to iatrogenic cushing syndrome in a 6-year-old girl with CAH

Currently there are no commercially available hydrocortisone formulations for the treatment of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) that allow for smaller doses (0.1-1.25 mg) and incremental adjustments needed to control excess androgen production and avoid the negative effects of overtreatment. This lack of availability has led physicians to recommend dividing hydrocortisone 5-mg tablets into 4 to 6 pieces, compounding capsules or hydrocortisone suspension, or crushing 5- or 10-mg tablets in 5 or 10 mL of water. We report a case of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome in a 6-year 11-month-old girl with salt-wasting CAH treated with hydrocortisone tablets that were administered after crushing and dispersing into water to obtain the prescribed dose. She presented with poor growth, increasing body mass index (BMI), excess downy hair, round facies, and gastric ulcers. Her hydrocortisone dose was 8.1 mg/m2/day. Results for all adrenal steroid concentrations were undetectable at 8 am, 12 hours after her last dose. The year prior to presentation her parents began dissolving 10 mg of hydrocortisone in 10 mL of water and using this preparation over the course of 24 hours, which coincided with rapid increase of BMI. We switched her to a pharmacy-compounded alcohol-free hydrocortisone suspension with total daily doses ranging from 6.5 to 8.2 mg/m2/day, which resulted in resolution of her cushingoid features, a decrease in BMI, and catch-up growth. Our case highlights that manipulation of hydrocortisone tablets by parents can result in great variability in dosing and the need for commercially available pediatric formulations allowing for smaller dosing required in young children.
Patterns and consequences of life history diversity in salinity exposure of an estuarine dependent fish

While it is common knowledge that Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) inhabit oligohaline waters (salinity <5), lifetime reconstructions of salinity histories have been lacking, and this study provides unique insight into interannual and ontogenetic patterns of oligohaline occupancy by this economically valuable sportfish. Growth consequences of oligohaline exposure and the relationship of oligohaline residency with river discharge were also investigated. Oligohaline exposure varied most during years 2 and 3 of life. During this time, 22% (n = 26/120 individuals) of Red Drum were oligohaline residents (≥ 90% of these years spent in oligohaline salinities), 34% (n = 41) were meso-polyhaline residents (< 10% of years 2 and 3 spent in oligohaline waters), and 44% (n = 53) spent time in both oligohaline and meso-polyhaline salinities. Trends in oligohaline residency match putative Red Drum life history. Oligohaline residents were present during years 1–6 of life; however, oligohaline residency peaked during the second year of life (n = 37, 31%) and by year 7 no oligohaline residents remained. Growth of oligohaline resident Red Drum during years 2–3 of life was lower than non-resident fish. However, long-term growth consequences of oligohaline residency were not apparent. The proportion of oligohaline residents during years 2 or 3 of life was positively related to river discharge. This divergence in salinity residency by juvenile Red Drum demonstrates that life history diversity was present in this population and that oligohaline waters provided important nursery habitat for fish that successfully recruited to the adult population.
In Defense of Wild Night

In this piece, I extend a transformative power account to the conservation of dark (and starry) night skies. More specifically, I argue that the transformative power that dark nights bear warrants ...
Gain of PITRM1 peptidase in cortical neurons affords protection of mitochondrial and synaptic function in an advanced age mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the early pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of cerebral and mitochondrial Aβ links to mitochondrial and synaptic toxicity. We have previously demonstrated the mechanism by which presequence peptidase (PITRM1)-mediated clearance of mitochondrial Aβ contributes to mitochondrial and cerebral amyloid pathology and mitochondrial and synaptic stress in adult transgenic AD mice overexpressing Aβ up to 12 months old. Here, we investigate the effect of PITRM1 in an advanced age AD mouse model (up to 19-24 months) to address the fundamental unexplored question of whether restoration/gain of PITRM1 function protects against mitochondrial and synaptic dysfunction associated with Aβ accumulation and whether this protection is maintained even at later ages featuring profound amyloid pathology and synaptic failure. Using newly developed aged PITRM1/Aβ-producing AD mice, we first uncovered reduction in PITRM1 expression in AD-affected cortex of AD mice at 19-24 months of age. Increasing neuronal PITRM1 activity/expression re-established mitochondrial respiration, suppressed reactive oxygen species, improved synaptic function, and reduced loss of synapses even at advanced ages (up to 19-24 months). Notably, loss of PITRM1 proteolytic activity resulted in Aβ accumulation and failure to rescue mitochondrial and synaptic function, suggesting that PITRM1 activity is required for the degradation and clearance of mitochondrial Aβ and Aβ deposition. These data indicate that augmenting PITRM1 function results in persistent life-long protection against Aβ toxicity in an AD mouse model. Therefore, augmenting PITRM1 function may enhance Aβ clearance in mitochondria, thereby maintaining mitochondrial integrity and ultimately slowing the progression of AD.
Ancient Metabolisms of a Thermophilic Subseafloor Bacterium

The ancient origins of metabolism may be rooted deep in oceanic crust, and these early metabolisms may have persisted in the habitable thermal anoxic aquifer where conditions remain similar to those when they first appeared. The Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for acetogenesis is a key early biosynthetic pathway with the potential to influence ocean chemistry and productivity, but its contemporary role in oceanic crust is not well established. Here we describe the genome of a novel acetogen from a thermal suboceanic aquifer olivine biofilm in the basaltic crust of the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) whose genome suggests it may utilize an ancient chemosynthetic lifestyle. This organism encodes the genes for the complete canonical Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, but is potentially unable to use sulfate and certain organic carbon sources such as lipids and carbohydrates to supplement its energy requirements, unlike other known acetogens. Instead, this organism may use peptides and amino acids for energy or as organic carbon sources. Additionally, genes involved in surface adhesion, the import of metallic cations found in Fe-bearing minerals, and use of molecular hydrogen, a product of serpentinization reactions between water and olivine, are prevalent within the genome. These adaptations are likely a reflection of local environmental micro-niches, where cells are adapted to life in biofilms using ancient chemosynthetic metabolisms dependent on H2 and iron minerals. Since this organism is phylogenetically distinct from a related acetogenic group of Clostridiales, we propose it as a new species, Candidatus Acetocimmeria pyornia.
Predicting phosphorus dynamics in complex terrains using a variable source area hydrology model

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural watersheds has long been a critical water quality problem, the control of which has been the focus of considerable research and investment. Preventing P loss depends on accurately representing the hydrological and chemical processes governing P mobilization and transport. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a watershed model commonly used to predict run-off and non-point source pollution transport. SWAT simulates run-off employing either the curve number (CN) or the Green and Ampt methods, both assume infiltration-excess run-off, although shallow soils underlain by a restricting layer commonly generate saturation-excess run-off from variable source areas (VSA). In this study, we compared traditional SWAT with a re-conceptualized version, SWAT-VSA, that represents VSA hydrology, in a complex agricultural watershed in east central Pennsylvania. The objectives of this research were to provide further evidence of SWAT-VSA's integrated and distributed predictive capabilities against measured surface run-off and stream P loads and to highlight the model's ability to drive sub-field management of P. Thus, we relied on a detailed field management database to parameterize the models. SWAT and SWAT-VSA predicted discharge similarly well (daily Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies of 0.61 and 0.66, respectively), but SWAT-VSA outperformed SWAT in predicting P export from the watershed. SWAT estimated lower P loss (0.0–0.25 kg ha−1) from agricultural fields than SWAT-VSA (0.0–1.0+ kg ha−1), which also identified critical source areas – those areas generating large run-off and P losses at the sub-field level. These results support the use of SWAT-VSA in predicting watershed-scale P losses and identifying critical source areas of P loss in landscapes with VSA hydrology. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CARCINOMA OF THE CORPUS UTERI.

Abstract In an attempt to evaluate the value of surgical treatment, 525 cases of carcinoma of the corpus occurring over a 30 year period were studied. It was necessary to further divide the series into those receiving no preoperative irradiation of any form (438 cases) and those receiving preoperative irradiation (87 cases). The cases were highly individualized as shown by the many types of surgery performed and the various modes of irradiation employed in their management. Some form of pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 151 cases, 13.9 per cent having positive lymph node involvement. Only 24 per cent of those patients with carcinoma of the corpus involving the cervix or endocervix were alive after 5 years. A total hysterectomy with selective lymphadenectomy followed by postoperative irradiation gave a 5 year survival figure of 68.5 per cent. All of our figures are probably adversely affected by those cases lost to follow-up at the time of this preliminary study. It is hoped that more effective follow-up measures will improve the over-all results in our completed study.
Relativists, Skepticism, and Waves

Traveling at the Speed of Thought. Einstein and the Quest for Gravitational Waves. By Daniel Kennefick. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2007. 333 pp. $35, £19.95. ISBN 9780691117270. The author9s exploration of the evolution of the controversies surrounding gravitational waves illuminates the ways analogical reasoning works in science.