cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corpus-based knowledge representation

A corpus-based knowledge representation system consists of a large collection of disparate knowledge fragments or schemas, and a rich set of statistics computed over the corpus. We argue that by collecting such a corpus and computing the appropriate statistics, corpus-based representation offers an alternative to traditional knowledge representation for a broad class of applications. The key advantage of corpus-based representation is that we avoid the laborious process of building a (often brittle) knowledge base. We describe the basic building blocks of a corpus-based representation system and a set of applications for which such a paradigm is appropriate, including one application where the approach is already showing promising results.
Schema Based XML Compression

XML has grown into a widely used and highly developed technology, due in part to the subcomponents built around the technology (advanced parsers, frameworks, libraries, etc). The use of XML reduces development time and increases the robustness of distributed applications. Due to these advantages, a large and growing range of distributed applications, such as Web-services, use XML as the basic unit of communication. This paper surveys the topic of XML compression and proposes a new method that uses schema information for the compression algorithm. The schema provides valuable information to the compressor by specifying the data type and format of each element in the XML document. For example, if the compressor knows that a portion of data is numeric, it can intelligently save it using a binary representation instead of trying to compress the string representation.
Electrochemical and Diffusion Assisted Dispersion Methods for Lithium-7 Enrichment from Liquid Media

Isotopes are critical to a variety of applications including physical science analyses, biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and national security. In most cases isotopes must be relatively pure or highly enriched before they become useful. Current isotope separation technologies are relatively inefficient, capital and labor intensive, and often produced by a limited number of suppliers. In the category of isotopes, lithium is among other important candidates. Lithium is found naturally in two isotopes, 6Li which accounts for 7.5% of all lithium, and 7Li which makes up the balance of 92.5%. Each of these isotopes is important to the nuclear industry. 7Li is often used in the form of lithium hydroxide which is used to control pH in pressurized water reactors. The current supply of 7Li is based mostly outside of the United States, and its long-term supply is uncertain. Apart from supply issues, the use of mercury for 7Li separation is also a concern in commercial processing using the most common and efficient approach [1, 2, 3]. Hence, a reliable, environmentally friendly, and efficient technique is needed to produce 7Li. In this line of investigations, the authors used a two-compartment system and significant separation was achieved. In this piece of research, some preliminary results are presented including cell design and actual isotope ratio after enrichment. Applying an electro-potential across two electrodes can be used to drive electromigration of Li isotopes. The electromigration is in addition to normal diffusion. Note that 6Li diffuses faster and hence there will be a lowering of the 6Li concentration near the positively charged electrode and an enhancement in 6Li near the negative electrode during the separation process. Similarly, 7Li will be more prevalent near the positive electrode and less prevalent near the negative electrode during the initial separation stage [1].
Error Tolerant ASCA on FPGA

Algebraic Side-Channel Attack (ASCA) is a side-channel attack that models the cryptographic algorithm and side-channel leakage from the system as a set of equations, then solves for the secret key. Unlike pure side-channel attacks, ASCA has low data complexity and can succeed in unknown plaintext/ciphertext scenarios. However, past research on ASCA has been done on either 8-bit microcontroller data or simulated data. In this paper, we explore the application and feasibility of error tolerant ASCA on different platforms, such as field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and examines the error model of Hamming weights in terms of success of the attack. FPGA runs faster and is more difficult for encryption power trace to be isolated so it presents more of a challenge for the attacker. Since FPGA is as susceptible to ASCA as 8-bit micro-controllers, the attack could have widespread implications since it may be applicable to other hardware platforms as well.
Early Extubation Without Increased Adverse Events in High-Risk Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Background Previous reports of early extubation after cardiac surgical procedures vary in the definition of “early” and may limit findings to patients with less preoperative risk. This study sought to determine whether an eight-tier multidisciplinary early extubation protocol with the goal of extubating within 6 hours postoperatively would be successful without increasing adverse events in patients with increased preoperative risk. Methods Postoperative adult cardiac surgical patients in a tertiary care intensive care unit (n = 459) were analyzed 6 months before and 6 months after implementation of the protocol. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk scores were used as surrogate markers of risk. Patients with STS scores (n = 333) were stratified into four equal groups from lowest to highest score. A composite of acute renal failure, reintubation, stroke, and mortality was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, reoperation, and sternal wound infection. Results In all patients, ventilation times were significantly decreased from a median of 7.4 hours to 5.7 hours after protocol implementation. When stratified by STS scores, higher-risk patients (groups 3 and 4) had the largest reduction in ventilation times from a median of 9.2 hours to 5.7 hours (p 40%; n = 14) all had extubation times shorter than 6 hours after the protocol with no significant increase found in adverse events (p = 0.138). Conclusions A prudent and diligent multifaceted early extubation protocol may be successful in high-risk cardiac surgical patients without an increase in adverse outcomes. A larger study is needed in the future to confirm the finding.
Mammary analog secretory carcinoma of salivary gland with high-grade histology arising in hard palate, report of a case and review of literature

Mammary gland analog secretary carcinoma (MASC) of salivary gland is typically a tumor of low histologic grade and behaves as a low-grade malignancy with relatively benign course. This tumor shares histologic features, immunohistochemical profile, and a highly specific genetic translocation, ETV6-NTRK3, with secretory carcinoma of breast. Histologically, it is often mistaken as acinic cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified, and other primary salivary gland tumors. Here we report a case of MASC with high-grade transformation and cervical lymph node metastases confirmed with ETV6-NTRK3 translocation arising in the hard palate of a 41 year-old adult. Interestingly, the metastatic carcinoma has lower grade than the original tumor which strongly support malignant transformation of the original tumor. Most commonly, MASC arises from the parotid gland and less often in minor salivary glands. Metastasis is relatively uncommon and high-grade histology has only been reported in four cases with three of them arising from the parotid gland and the location of the fourth one has not been reported. This is the first case with high grade histology that arise from minor salivary gland and it emphasizes the importance of molecular screening of salivary gland tumor with high-grade histology for ETV6-NTRK3 translocation. In our literature of 115 cases that includes the current case, MASC occurred predominantly in adult with only a few cases under 18 years of age and a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. Parotid gland is more commonly affected but there is also significant occurrence in minor salivary glands. Except for the cases with high grade histology, the overall prognosis is good.
MANAGEMENT OF NON-OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE DISCOVERED BY CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Evidence suggests coronary CT angiography (CCTA) improves cardiovascular risk stratification, use of preventive therapies, and outcomes. However, contemporary management of non-obstructive coronary disease (CAD) found on CCTA in the emergency department (ED) is not well described. We included
Taste Receptors in Upper Airway Innate Immunity

Taste receptors, first identified on the tongue, are best known for their role in guiding our dietary preferences. The expression of taste receptors for umami, sweet, and bitter have been demonstrated in tissues outside of the oral cavity, including in the airway, brain, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive organs. The extra-oral taste receptor chemosensory pathways and the endogenous taste receptor ligands are generally unknown, but there is increasing data suggesting that taste receptors are involved in regulating some aspects of innate immunity, and may potentially control the composition of the nasal microbiome in healthy individuals or patients with upper respiratory diseases like chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). For this reason, taste receptors may serve as potential therapeutic targets, providing alternatives to conventional antibiotics. This review focuses on the physiology of sweet (T1R) and bitter (T2R) taste receptors in the airway and their activation by secreted bacterial products. There is particular focus on T2R38 in sinonasal ciliated cells, as well as the sweet and bitter receptors found on specialized sinonasal solitary chemosensory cells. Additionally, this review explores the impact of genetic variations in these receptors on the differential susceptibility of patients to upper airway infections, such as CRS.
Utilizing Process Improvement Methodology to Improve Inpatient Access to MRI.

A process improvement project to improve the MRI inpatient scheduling and screening workflow reduced MRI inpatient access times and resulted in a sustained 20.3% decrease in time from MRI request t...
Methodology for selection of optical parameters as wastewater effluent organic matter surrogates.

Abstract Absorbance- and fluorescence-based optical parameters are commonly used as surrogates in engineered systems, but there is no systematic approach for selecting robust parameters. This study develops a methodology that is applied to a case study of differentiating wastewater effluent organic matter from naturally-derived organic matter. The methodology defines criteria to identify optical parameters that could detect statistically significant compositional differences in organic matter, independent of organic matter concentration, and measure fluorescence-based parameters with low susceptibility to inner filter effects. The criteria were applied to 26 parameters that were measured for 11 pairs of source water and conventionally-treated wastewater samples collected from sites with varied spatial and temporal conditions. Only two parameters, apparent fluorescence quantum yield measured at excitation 370 nm and fluorescence peak ratio A:T, met the criteria across all sites. These results demonstrate and encourage an objective and robust process for selecting optical surrogates for organic matter characterization.
Fathers in Jail and their Minor Children: Paternal Characteristics and Associations with Father-Child Contact

More than five million children have experienced a co-resident parent leaving to spend time behind bars. Most incarceration occurs in jails, yet little is known about contact between parents in jail and their minor children. Such information is essential to inform programming and policy to support families in the context of incarceration. In the present study, 315 fathers in jail with minor children (3–17 years old) were recruited from four jails in the Midwest region of the United States. Fathers in jail reported their demographic information, incarceration-related characteristics (e.g., number of prior arrests), children’s exposure to incarceration-related events, and frequency of contact with their children. Four main findings emerged: (1) telephone contact was the most common modality for engaging with children during a paternal jail stay, with 22% of fathers reporting daily phone contact with children, (2) types of contact were correlated, so that more phone contact and letter writing were associated with more frequent visits, (3) White, non-Hispanic fathers and those who did not plan to live with their children upon release were less likely to report telephone contact with their children, and (4) children who witnessed their fathers’ arrest were less likely to write and children who witnessed their fathers’ criminal activity were less likely to visit. Contact between fathers in jail and children has implications for the parent-child relationship. Future research should explore quality of and barriers to contact, including incarceration-related events.
Correlation between Surface Chemistry and Optical Properties in Colloidal Cu2O Nanoparticles

Nanostructured Cu2O can catalyze or photocatalyze various organic transformations and is a model photocathode for the reduction of protons or carbon dioxide. The performance of Cu2O nanomaterials i...
Cardiovascular complications in COVID-19.

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While systemic inflammation and pulmonary complications can result in significant morbidity and mortality, cardiovascular complications may also occur. Objective This brief report evaluates cardiovascular complications in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Discussion The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over one million infected worldwide and thousands of death. The virus binds and enters through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). COVID-19 can result in systemic inflammation, multiorgan dysfunction, and critical illness. The cardiovascular system is also affected, with complications including myocardial injury, myocarditis, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, dysrhythmias, and venous thromboembolic events. Current therapies for COVID-19 may interact with cardiovascular medications. Conclusions Emergency clinicians should be aware of these cardiovascular complications when evaluating and managing the patient with COVID-19.
Neighborhood Deprivation Moderates Shared and Unique Environmental Influences on Hazardous Drinking: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Co-Twin Study

Background: There has been increased interest in the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the development of problematic alcohol use, including socioeconomic conditions of the neighbor...
Mapping perceptions of human rights and cultivating Boston as a human rights city

Human rights cities (HRCs) are local initiatives in which people learn to translate and implement international human rights norms in their local realities to advance social justice in their commun...
Baseline sensitivity of Cercospora sojina and Corynespora cassiicola to pydiflumetofen

Abstract Pydiflumetofen is a new fungicide that belongs to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) class. This novel fungicide can help protect soybean plants against infection by foliar pathogens, including Cercospora sojina (causal agent of frogeye leaf spot) and Corynespora cassiicola (causal agent of target spot). A total of 88 single-spore isolates of C. sojina collected from soybean fields between 2007 and 2019 from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Tennessee and a total of 76 C. cassiicola single-spore isolates collected from soybean fields in Kentucky between 2017 and 2019 were evaluated for their sensitivity to pydiflumetofen. For this purpose, in vitro bioassays were conducted using different doses of pydiflumetofen (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/ml). The effective concentrations of pydiflumetofen in which C. sojina and C. cassiicola isolates were inhibited by 50% (EC50) were calculated. The C. sojina EC50 values ranged from 0.335 to 4.335 μg/ml, the mean value was 1.616 μg/ml and median was 1.309 μg/ml. The range, mean and median of C. cassiicola EC50 were 0.037–0.248 μg/ml and 0.086 and 0.069 μg/ml, respectively. Establishing a baseline sensitivity is essential to identify any shifts in sensitivity of fungal populations over time. The findings in this current paper could be used to help monitor the sensitivity of C. sojina and C. cassiicola to pydiflumetofen over time.
Brightness Motivates Healthy Behaviors: The Role of Self-Accountability:

A growing literature suggests the possibility that brightness (vs. darkness) affects myriad human behaviors and how people think. One stream suggests that brightness increases self-awareness. We ex...
Measurable Challenges in Smart Grid Cybersecurity Enhancement: A Brief Review

This paper aims to provide a brief summary of measurable factors affecting the adoption of cybersecurity enhancement techniques. From the practicality perspective, it is important to know that “to what degree” the cyber resilience will be improved by adopting a resilience enhancement scheme that requires a certain amount of financial investment. Numerous strategies have been proposed in different sets of literature to make smart grids more resilient against cyber attack. In this paper, the recent proposed techniques published within the past few years are further discussed in terms of three measurable factors including accuracy, computational time, and robustness with an emphasis on false data injection attacks. There is no single solution that would fit all needs in the power industry. Therefore, recently proposed attack detection and recognition schemes are compared and discussed quantitatively.
Modeling a high-speed pin-on-disk experiment:

The purpose of this work is to analyze the heat transfer characteristics of Vascomax®C300 during high-speed sliding. This work extends previous research that is intended to help predict the wear-ra...
Patient Interactions With an Automated Conversational Agent Delivering Pretest Genetics Education: Descriptive Study

Background: Cancer genetic testing to assess an individual’s cancer risk and to enable genomics-informed cancer treatment has grown exponentially in the past decade. Because of this continued growth and a shortage of health care workers, there is a need for automated strategies that provide high-quality genetics services to patients to reduce the clinical demand for genetics providers. Conversational agents have shown promise in managing mental health, pain, and other chronic conditions and are increasingly being used in cancer genetic services. However, research on how patients interact with these agents to satisfy their information needs is limited. Objective: Our primary aim is to assess user interactions with a conversational agent for pretest genetics education. Methods: We conducted a feasibility study of user interactions with a conversational agent who delivers pretest genetics education to primary care patients without cancer who are eligible for cancer genetic evaluation. The conversational agent provided scripted content similar to that delivered in a pretest genetic counseling visit for cancer genetic testing. Outside of a core set of information delivered to all patients, users were able to navigate within the chat to request additional content in their areas of interest. An artificial intelligence–based preprogrammed library was also established to allow users to ask open-ended questions to the conversational agent. Transcripts of the interactions were recorded. Here, we describe the information selected, time spent to complete the chat, and use of the open-ended question feature. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative measures, and thematic analyses were used for qualitative responses. Results: We invited 103 patients to participate, of which 88.3% (91/103) were offered access to the conversational agent, 39% (36/91) started the chat, and 32% (30/91) completed the chat. Most users who completed the chat indicated that they wanted to continue with genetic testing (21/30, 70%), few were unsure (9/30, 30%), and no patient declined to move forward with testing. Those who decided to test spent an average of 10 (SD 2.57) minutes on the chat, selected an average of 1.87 (SD 1.2) additional pieces of information, and generally did not ask open-ended questions. Those who were unsure spent 4 more minutes on average (mean 14.1, SD 7.41; P=.03) on the chat, selected an average of 3.67 (SD 2.9) additional pieces of information, and asked at least one open-ended question. Conclusions: The pretest chat provided enough information for most patients to decide on cancer genetic testing, as indicated by the small number of open-ended questions. A subset of participants were still unsure about receiving genetic testing and may require additional education or interpersonal support before making a testing decision. Conversational agents have the potential to become a scalable alternative for pretest genetics education, reducing the clinical demand on genetics providers.
Ballast Fouling Identification Through Statistical Pattern Recognition Techniques on Ballast Particle Movement

Ballast fouling is one of the most common undesirable conditions in tracks that adversely impact ballast performance. Poor performing ballast can cause rough track geometry and accelerate the deterioration rate of other track components such as rail, tie, and fasteners. Real-time monitoring of ballast condition can assist in providing responsive maintenance planning and safe train operation. Several studies have been done till date with the aim of providing an automatic and continuous monitoring of ballast. SmartRock is a wireless sensor that has proven capable of serving as a continuous monitoring system for ballast condition. This sensor closely resembles the ballast particle, and while embedded in the ballast layer, it can provide information regarding ballast particle movement under the load of passing trains in real time. In this study, a field experiment was conducted on a clean and a mud spot section with the same traffic and weather conditions. Four SmartRocks were placed in each of these sections, and data recorded was analyzed using statistical pattern recognition technique. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is the algorithm deployed in this study to predict fouling of ballast through SmartRock data. The results of this study are encouraging toward the use of the SmartRock system together with LDA algorithm as a monitoring tool on the state of track ballast.
Case 81: A New Breathing System

You have started work in a small hospital as an intern in northern South Africa. Since you are the latest hire, you are the anesthesiologist. You are trying to make sense of the three anesthesia systems that are available, namely, Mapleson A, the Bain (Mapleson D), and Mapleson F (Jackson-Rees modification of the Ayre’s T-piece).
Probabilistic modeling of quantum-dot cellular automata

As CMOS scaling faces a technological barrier in the near future, novel design paradigms are being proposed to keep up with the ever growing need for computation power and speed. Most of these novel technologies have device sizes comparable to atomic and molecular scales. At these levels the quantum mechanical effects play a dominant role in device performance, thus inducing uncertainty. The wave nature of particle matter and the uncertainty associated with device operation make a case for probabilistic modeling of the device. As the dimensions go down to a molecular scale, functioning of a nano-device will be governed primarily by the atomic level device physics. Modeling a device at such a small scale will require taking into account the quantum mechanical phenomenon inherent to the device. In this dissertation, we studied one such nano-device: Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA). We used probabilistic modeling to perform a fast approximation based method to estimate error, power and reliability in large QCA circuits. First, we associate the quantum mechanical probabilities associated with each QCA cell to design and build a probabilistic Bayesian network. Our proposed modeling is derived from density matrix-based quantum modeling, and it takes into account dependency patterns induced by clocking. Our modeling scheme is orders of magnitude faster than the coherent vector simulation method that uses quantum mechanical simulations. Furthermore, our output node polarization values match those obtained from the state of the art simulations. Second, we use this model to approximate power dissipated in a QCA circuit during a non-adiabatic switching event and also to isolate the thermal hotspots in a design. Third, we also use a hierarchical probabilistic macromodeling scheme to model QCA designs at circuit level to isolate weak spots early in the design process. It can also be used to compare two functionally equivalent logic designs without performing the expensive quantum mechanical simulations. Finally, we perform optimization studies on different QCA layouts by analyzing the designs for error and power over a range of kink energies. To the best of our knowledge the non-adiabatic power model presented in this dissertation is the first work that uses abrupt clocking scheme to estimate realistic power dissipation. All prior works used quasi-adiabatic power dissipation models. The hierarchical macromodel design is also the first work in QCA design that uses circuit level modeling and is faithful to the underlying layout level design. The effect of kink energy to study power-error tradeoffs will be of great use to circuit designers and fabrication scientists in choosing the most suitable design parameters such as cell size and grid spacing.
Quantifying mechanical properties in a murine fracture healing system using an inverse geometric nonlinear elasticity modeling framework

Understanding bone remodeling and mechanical property characteristics is important for assessing treatments to accelerate healing or in developing diagnostics to evaluate successful return to function. The murine system whereby mid-diaphaseal tibia fractures are imparted on the subject and fracture healing is assessed at different time points and under different therapeutic conditions is a particularly useful model to study. In this work, a novel inverse geometric nonlinear elasticity modeling framework is proposed that can reconstruct multiple mechanical properties from uniaxial testing data. This is investigated within the context of a murine cohort (n=3) that are 14 days post fracture. This work is the first to report mechanical properties of a callus using an inverse problem methodology whereby 2758.4 ± 682.5 kPa, 0.467 ± 0.009 were found to be the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, respectively. In addition better consistency of the reconstructed metrics over more traditional metrics is demonstrated.
Release from Parasites as Natural Enemies: Increased Performance of a Globally Introduced Marine Crab

Introduced species often seem to perform better than conspecifics in their native range. This is apparent in the high densities they may achieve or the larger individual sizes they attain. A prominent hypothesis explaining the success of introduced terrestrial species is that they are typically free of or are less affected by the natural enemies (competitors, predators, and parasites) they encounter in their introduced range compared to their native range. To test this hypothesis in a marine system, we conducted a global assessment of the effect of parasitism and predation on the ecological performance of European green crab populations. In Europe, where the green crab is native, crab body size and biomass were negatively associated with the prevalence of parasitic castrators. When we compared native crab populations with those from introduced regions, limb loss (an estimator of predation) was not significantly lower in introduced regions, parasites infected introduced populations substantially less and crabs in introduced regions were larger and exhibited a greater biomass. Our results are consistent with the general prediction that introduced species suffer less from parasites compared to populations where they are native. This may partly explain why the green crab is such a successful invader and, subsequently, why it is a pest in so many places.
Warmer and Wetter 6000 Years Ago

Measurement of past climate by looking at oxygen isotope ratios in marine material is a potentially powerful but problematic technique. Such an oxygen isotope "thermometer" is subject to variability because of changes in ocean salinity and the inherent isotope ratios of seawater. In his research commentary, Beck discusses results reported in the same issue by [ Gagan et al ][1]. in which a strontium/calcium isotope measurement was combined with an oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio measurement to better define and calibrate the paleoclimate determination. This double-tracer technique promises to offer important clues about the dynamics of the coupled ocean-atmosphere-climate system. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/279/5353/1014
Optociliary veins, disc pallor and visual loss. A triad of signs indicating spheno-orbital meningioma.

Four middle-aged women presented with unilateral long-standing blindness. All four had a poorly demarcated and atrophic optic disc, and prominent optociliary veins. All had meningioma of the cranio-orbital junction. It is postulated that the optociliary veins, in this setting, indicate indolent tumor growing in the distal perioptic meninges.
Tailoring XP for Large System Mission Critical Software Development

A plethora of subjective evidence exists to support the use of agile development methods on non-life-critical software projects. Until recently, Extreme Programming and Agile Methods have been sparsely applied to Mission Critical software products. This paper gives some objective evidence, through our experiences, that agile methods can be applied to life critical systems. This paper describes a Large System Mission Critical software project developed using an agile methodology. The paper discusses our development process through some of the key components of Extreme Programming (XP).
Fermented Ammoniated Condensed Whey as a Nitrogen Supplement for Lactating Cows

Abstract Seventy-five lactating Holstein cows were fed rations differing in the following additions of nitrogen to concentrate: none, 17% soybean meal, 2.5% urea, 9% and 18% fermented ammoniated condensed whey. The whey product contained 48% crude protein and was prepared by inoculating cheese whey with Lactobacillus bulgaricus , fermenting at 43C for 24h while infusing aqua ammonia (22% nitrogen) to maintain a pH of 5.5, and condensing to 54% solids. Treatments began about 130 days postpartum and lasted for 70 days. Corn silage was fed ad libitum and concentrate at .4 kg/kg milk. Dry-matter intakes of silage were lower for the negative control than supplemented rations. All nitrogen additions increased milk yields, particularly for high producing cows. Persistencies averaged .80, .89, .92, .86, and .89 for the respective treatments as compared to the pretreatment period. Milk yields increased linearly with increased whey. Liveweight gains were lower for negative controls than supplemented groups. Treatment did not affect content of milk fat, protein, or solids-not-fat, but production of these constituents was greater for supplemented groups. Rumen ammonia and urea nitrogen of plasma reflected nitrogen in rations. Fermented ammoniated condensed whey and urea equalled soybean meal in maintaining milk yields of cows when these sources furnished 27% of the total nitrogen for lactating cows fed rations containing about 13% crude protein.
Fibroblast growth factors as multifunctional signaling factors.

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family consists of at least 15 structurally related polypeptide growth factors. Their expression is controlled at the levels of transcription, mRNA stability, and translation. The bioavailability of FGFs is further modulated by posttranslational processing and regulated protein trafficking. FGFs bind to receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFRs), heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), and a cysteine-rich FGF receptor (CFR). FGFRs are required for most biological activities of FGFs. HSPGs alter FGF-FGFR interactions and CFR participates in FGF intracellular transport. FGF signaling pathways are intricate and are intertwined with insulin-like growth factor, transforming growth factor-β bone morphogenetic protein, and vertebrate homologs of Drosophila wingless activated pathways. FGFs are major regulators of embryonic development: They influence the formation of the primary body axis, neural axis, limbs, and other structures. The activities of FGFs depend on their coordination of fundamental cellular functions, such as survival, replication, differentiation, adhesion, and motility, through effects on gene expression and the cytoskeleton.
Woodpecker pecking: how woodpeckers avoid brain injury

Woodpeckers are capable of repeated pecking on a tree at remarkably high decelerations (on the order of 10 000 m s−2 or 1000 g). In this paper, I re-examine previous studies of pecking and scaling effects in brain injury. I find that there are three keys to woodpeckers' ability to withstand high decelerations: their small size, which reduces the stress on the brain for a given acceleration; the short duration of the impact, which increases the tolerable acceleration; and the orientation of the brain within the skull, which increases the area of contact between the brain and the skull.
Micro-twin Defects in InSb/AlInSb layers grown on (001) GaAs ∼ Application of the 〈1̄16〉-directional TEM analysis ∼

Abstract Methods for the reduction of micro-twin defects in InSb/AlInSb epilayers were investigated by using 〈 1 16 〉 -directional TEM analysis. The use of a 2°off-axis GaAs (001) substrate which has been known as an effective way to reduce micro-twin densities was combined with another approach, the use of an As 2 beam for oxide desorption from a GaAs substrate surface. The combined method yields a micro-twin density of 3.3×10 2 /cm, which is 3.0 times smaller than for a similar previous method with an Sb 2 flux. This study also demonstrates the usefulness of 〈 1 16 〉 -directional TEM analysis for investigating micro-twin defects in (001) thin films.
High school teacher perspectives and practices: second language writing and language development

Teachers’ understandings of second language learning influence their practices in the classroom. This paper analyzes interview and classroom data collected during a year-long ethnographic study of two high school English language development classes to identify (1) what the teachers understood about second language (L2) development and L2 academic writing, and (2) to what extent these perspectives manifested in the teachers’ writing instruction. Analyses suggest that both the teachers felt that language could be learned inductively through exposure to models and that writing instruction should focus on essay structure and correctness. Their teaching, however, was also constrained by accountability pressures from high stakes writing assessments. I argue that the teachers’ approaches reflected a restrictive understanding not aligned with a situated perspective on language and writing development and therefore denied their multilingual students’ opportunities to learn academic language for writing.
Sensor-aided mobile information management and retrieval

The number of "smart" mobile devices such as wireless phones and tablet computers has been rapidly growing. These mobile devices are equipped with a variety of sensors such as camera, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, NFC, WiFi, GPS, etc. These sensors can be used to capture images and voice, detect motion patterns, and predict locations, to name just a few. This keynote depicts techniques in configuration, calibration, computation, and fusion for improving sensor performance and conserving power consumption. We also present novel mobile information management and retrieval applications that can benefit a great deal from enhanced sensor technologies.
Induction of a mutation in the male fertility gene of the preferentially transmitted Aegilops sharonensis chromosome 4S1 and its application for hybrid wheat production

Wheat plants nullisomic for chromosome 4B are male sterile due to the absence of the male fertility gene Ms1. However, plants in which chromosome 4B has been substituted by the preferentially transmitted chromosome 4S1 of Ae. sharonensis are male fertile due to the compensating effect of Ms4 on the alien chromosome. This substitution line has been mutated and three recessive mutation of Ms4 have been selected. Plants homozygous for these mutations are male sterile. The implication of these mutations for hybrid wheat production is discussed.
Assessing the viability of cross-layer modeling for asynchronous, multi-hop, ad-hoc wireless mesh networks

Recent research on wireless network design has advocated the use of cross-layer modeling as a basis for optimizing network performance. However, it is not clear if cross-layer modeling is even viable in the presence of certain network characteristics, which raises questions about the real-world applicability of such optimization techniques. This paper attempts to assess the viability of cross-layer modeling for wireless mesh networks having three (commonly found) characteristics - asynchronous transmission, multi-hop communication, and ad-hoc connectivity. Our analytical study reveals that such modeling techniques have to solve an equation with higher order than a quintic equation in the case of a moderate queue size at each mesh node. As a result, our study uncovers a key finding that comprehensive cross-layer modeling for asynchronous, multi-hop, ad-hoc wireless mesh networks is simply not viable. Consequently, we point out a possible simplification of the model pertinent for non-congested wireless mesh networks and also perform an approximation analysis based on the simplification.
Characterization of arsenic-resistant bacteria from the rhizosphere of arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata

Arsenic hyperaccumulator fern Pteris vittata L. produces large amounts of root exudates that are hypothesized to solubilize arsenic and maintain a unique rhizosphere microbial community. Total hete...
Effective Nutrient Sources for Plant Growth on Bauxite Residue: II. Evaluating the Response to Inorganic Fertilizers

An integral part of managing dust emissions from bauxite residue storage areas in Western Australia is the establishment of native vegetation and dust control crops. Recent changes to local health department regulations preclude the routine use of poultry manure, the previous standard fertilizer for growing dust control crops on bauxite residue sand. This paper reports on a field evaluation of different forms of inorganic fertilizer, to assess their effectiveness as alternatives to poultry manure for supplying nutrients to dust control crops. We compared plant growth and nutrient uptake under different forms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers with additional potassium (K) and trace elements.
Partition coefficients of organic solutes between supercritical carbon dioxide and water: Experimental measurements and empirical correlations

CO2/H2O partition coefficients ( ) of 18 compounds have been measured at t = 300 K and P = 80 bar, which is equivalent to a carbon dioxide fluid density of 0.76 g cm-3. This expands the range of compounds for which such data are available to include aldehydes, ketones, esters, and halides. With this contribution, data for 49 compounds are now available. Three correlation methods were tested to estimate partition coefficients based on molecular structure and/or physicochemical properties: (1) comparison to water solubility; (2) comparison to solvent/water partition coefficients; and (3) linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) estimation. Correlations (to within ±0.30 log units) between and either water solubility or octanol/water partition coefficients were found using the first two methods provided that hydrogen-bond donors were excluded from the regression. A correlation (±0.30 log units) was found between and carbon disulfide/water partitioning, with benzyl alcohol as the lone exception. The LSER a...
When to let go.

The step-by-step process of clinical problem-solving is the subject of this new Journal feature. The author presents information about a real patient (boldface type) to an expert clinician in stages to simulate the way such information emerges in everyday clinical practice. The clinician responds (regular type) as each piece of information is presented, sharing his or her reasoning extemporaneously with the reader. The author's commentary on the process follows. A 53-year-old married man, the father of one son, has been admitted for the treatment of recurrent acute leukemia. His illness was diagnosed four years earlier and was initially treated successfully . . .
Aquaporin-4 Gene Disruption in Mice Protects against Impaired Retinal Function and Cell Death after Ischemia

PURPOSE. Water channel aquaporin (AQP>4 is expressed in Muller cells in retina, which are similar to astroglial cells in the central nervous system, where AQP4 deletion protects against cytotoxic brain edema after cerebral ischemia. A transient ischemia-reperfusion model was used to determine whether AQP4 deletion in mice protects the retina. METHODS. Retinal function and morphology were assessed in wild-type versus AQP4-deficient mice after ischemic damage produced by a 45- to 60-minute elevation of intraocular pressure to 120 mm Hg. Retinal function was assessed by electroretinography, and retinal structure by light microscopy. Extracellular space (ECS) size in fluorescently stained retinal slices was assessed by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. RESULTS. Retinal function and cell survival were significantly improved in AQP4-deficient mice in both inbred (C57/b16) and outbred (CD1) genetic backgrounds. By electroretinography, b-wave amplitude was reduced by 75% to 83% at 1 to 4 days after ischemia in wild-type mice versus 48% to 51% in AQP4-null CD1 mice. Reductions were 53% to 72% versus <34% in C57/b16 mice. Retinal structure and cell count were preserved in AQP4-null mice, particularly in the inner nuclear and plexiform layers of the retina, where Muller cells are concentrated. At 4 days after ischemia, inner retinal thickness was thinned by 43% in wild-type mice versus 11% in AQP4-null mice. Several mechanisms for retinal protection were investigated, including ECS expansion, reduced early swelling, and altered Kir4.1 K + channel expression. CONCLUSIONS. AQP4 deletion in mice is neuroprotective in a transient ischemia model of retinal injury, suggesting the possible use of AQP4 inhibitors in retinal vascular occlusive and ischemic diseases.
The Proto-Oncogene c-maf Is Responsible for Tissue-Specific Expression of Interleukin-4

The molecular basis for the distinctive cytokine expression of CD4+ T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) subsets remains elusive. Here, we report that the proto-oncogene c-maf, a basic region/leucine zipper transcription factor, controls tissue-specific expression of IL-4. c-Maf is expressed in Th2 but not Th1 clones and is induced during normal precursor cell differentiation along a Th2 but not Th1 lineage. c-Maf binds to a c-Maf response element (MARE) in the proximal IL-4 promoter adjacent to a site footprinted by extracts from Th2 but not Th1 clones. Ectopic expression of c-Maf transactivates the IL-4 promoter in Th1 cells, B cells, and nonlymphoid cells, a function that maps to the MARE and Th2-specific footprint. Furthermore, c-Maf acts in synergy with the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-ATp) to initiate endogeneous IL-4 production by B cells. Manipulation of c-Maf may alter Th subset ratios in human disease.
High Pressure Study of Ru3(CO)12 by X-ray Diffraction, Raman, and Infrared Spectroscopy

The single-crystal X-ray structure of Ru3(CO)12 is reported at 8 pressures ranging from 1 atm (0.0 GPa) to 8.14(5) GPa. Although intramolecular bonding parameters remain relatively constant, intramolecular and intermolecular nonbonding contact distances decrease by an average of 4% and 15%, respectively. At 8.14 GPa, O···O, C···O, and C···C intermolecular distances as short as 2.54(4), 2.64(6), and 3.07(4) A, respectively, are observed, and the unit cell compresses to 75% of the ambient pressure volume. Raman and infrared spectroscopic measurements show that carbonyl stretching frequencies shift to higher wavenumber values by as much as 80 cm-1, even though Ru−C and C−O distances stay roughly constant throughout the entire pressure range studied. Compression of the sample to above 18 GPa with laser radiation results in an irreversible transformation due to either decomposition or a total collapse of D3h molecular geometry accompanied by color darkening.
Desulfurization of dibenzothiophene to 2-hydroxybiphenyl by some newly isolated bacterial strains

Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, non-acid-fast, rod-shaped aerobic bacteria with the ability to desulfurize dibenzothiophene (DBT) or dibenzosulfone (DBTO2) were isolated from soil samples contaminated with fossil fuels. Using a bioavailability method, cells with the desired DbtS+ phenotype were enriched. Modified fluorescence and colorimetric assays were used for the initial detection of 2-hydroxybiphenyl (OH-BP) in microtiter plates; subsequently, isolates were grown in wells of microtiter plates and screened for the production of desulfurization product. Fluorescence under UV light and the production of colored product in the phenol assay were used as presumptive indications of production of OH-BP. Confirmation of the presence of OH-BP was achieved with HPLC, UV-absorbance, and mass spectrometry. Nutrient utilization and fatty acid composition (as discerned with Biolog plates and gas chromatography, respectively) were used to identify presumptively the strains as Rhodococcus erythropolis; colony and cell morphology may not be consistent with the identification achieved by nutrient utilization and fatty acid composition. The desulfurization end product, OH-BP, can not be used as carbon source by the tested strain, N1-36.
An Alternative Research and Science Teacher Preparation Agenda for Urban Science Education: An Insider’s Call for a Focus on Success

There are some small urban high schools that have high levels of student engagement in science. However, much of the science education research and student teacher placement in urban areas is done in large, somewhat dysfunctional schools. Those who have created these effective environments for science show that it is only in the whole school context in which these effective science classrooms exist and the matrix of interactions organized by the teachers outside the science classroom that leads to this success. The theory and research behind the success of this matrix of interactions that differentiates these effective classrooms from traditional inner city science classrooms is presented. Implications for science teacher educators are also presented.