cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Wicked Queen’s Smart Mirror

Once upon a time, there was a tale about artificial intelligence called "Snow White." In the story, the Wicked Queen has a smart mirror. When activated with the command "Mirror, mirror," an embedded voice assistant tells the Queen whether she is the "fairest of them all." Of course, today's technology renders engineering of such a mirror feasible with little effort. It would have a camera, connections to other smart mirrors in the kingdom, and a metric to evaluate the Wicked Queen's appearance against that of other users. This gadget might use a machine learning algorithm with training sets derived from People magazine's Most Beautiful list, or it could be based on a series of upvotes and downvotes. However, the apprehension with this contemporary version of the famous Grimm fairy tale as outlined is not its technical feasibility. Rather, the story reflects outdated values within a modernizing society. A truly smart mirror would tell the Wicked Queen that her obsession with triumphing using a singular beauty standard, one that prizes pale skin and youth, is misguided, reductive, and futile. "While we are on the topic though," the mirror would say, "here are seven products to brighten your skin!"
An Analysis of Risk Factors for Hemolysis in Children on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Objectives Hemolysis is a known complication of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation associated with renal failure and mortality. We sought to identify predictors of hemolysis in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients and determine its influence on outcomes. Design Retrospective, single-center study. Setting Urban, quaternary care center pediatric and neonatal ICU. Patients Ninety-six patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Daily measurements of plasma-free hemoglobin were obtained while patients were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Patients with a prior extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run, on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for less than 24 hours, or without complete medical records were excluded from the study. Ninety-six patients met inclusion criteria, of which, 25 patients (26%) had plasma-free hemoglobin greater than 30 mg/dL. Of those patients, 15 of 25(60%) had plasma-free hemoglobin greater than 50 mg/dL, and 21 of 25(84%) occurred during the first 7 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Compared with patients without hemolysis, those with hemolysis were younger (0.2 mo [0.06-3.2 mo] vs 8.2 mo [0.6-86 mo]; p Conclusions Hemolysis is a common complication of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We found that patients with hemolysis (plasma-free hemoglobin > 30 mg/dL) had a 10-fold increase in in-hospital mortality. In our study cohort, hemolysis was associated with continuous ultrafiltration use, but not continuous renal replacement therapy. Additionally, our results suggest that the degree of coagulopathy (international normalized ratio > 3.5) at the time of cannulation influences hemolysis. Additional prospective studies are necessary to define further strategies to prevent hemolysis and improve outcomes in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients.
Graphene oxide surface modification of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes for improved N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) removal

Abstract In the growing area of wastewater reuse, the performance of reverse osmosis (RO) is limited by poor membrane selectivity towards nitrosamines and other low-molecular weight, neutral contaminants. This study aimed to increase RO membrane rejection of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a carcinogenic nitrosamine that is produced during chlorination and chloramination of secondary wastewater effluent. Toward this goal, we modified commercial polyamide RO membranes with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, and demonstrated that GO functionalization can decrease the NDMA permeability coefficient by 31%, while only decreasing water permeability by 13%. The improved selectivity is likely due to additional steric exclusion derived from the GO nanosheet coating. Moreover, membrane characterization indicated that the GO modification does not change the hydrophilicity or roughness of the interface. The latter interfacial characteristics, combined with the well-established biocidal properties of graphenic nanomaterials, render GO functionalization a promising strategy for the development of highly selective membranes for wastewater reclamation.
Design, fabrication, and testing of a digitally controlled charcoal smoker – A capstone project

There are many smokers available in the market nowadays. The two popular options are either electric or charcoal heated, each with their own downfalls. This capstone project built and tested a self-monitoring smoker that uses the smoke from burnt charcoal box to smoke chicken or meat in a separate smoker chamber. The objective of this capstone project was to design, build and test a charcoal smoker that is capable of maintaining its smoker chamber at a constant temperature that would be set by the user. The temperature of the smoker was controlled by the air flow rate into and out of the chamber using dampers at the inlet and exhaust ports. The project tested three set temperatures: 200˚C, 215˚C, and 250˚C. The temperature was maintained as needed within some margin ±5˚C. This fluctuation was due to airflow dampers opening and closing. To demonstrate the performance of the smoker, a raw chicken was smoked for 3.5 hours and it was smoked as intended. The smoker took approximately eight minutes to reach 200˚C. The project was led by a team of three senior MET (mechanical engineering technology) students. The project revealed the high impact on the level of understanding of students. Students performance and project outcomes were assessed against ABET learning outcomes, such as (1) applying knowledge, techniques, and skills to engineering technology activities, (2) applying knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to engineering technology programs, (3) conducting tests, measurements, calibration and improving processes, (4) problem solving: ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems, (5) teamwork and (6) effective communication: ability to communicate effectively.
Prenatal Substance Use and Perceptions of Parent and Partner Use Using the 4P’s Plus Screener

Background Prenatal substance use screening is recommended. The 4 P’s Plus screener includes questions on perceived problematic substance use in parents and partner that are not considered in risk stratification. Objectives This research examined the: (1) prevalence of self-reported problematic parental and partner substance use and associations with biochemically-verified prenatal substance use; (2) utility of self-reported perceptions of parent/partner substance use as proxies for prenatal substance use; and (3) degree to which the sensitivity of the 4P’s Plus can be augmented with consideration of parent/partner questions in risk stratification. Methods A convenience sample of 500 pregnant women was recruited between January 2017 and January 2018. Participants completed the 4P’s Plus and provided urine for drug testing. Diagnostic utility of problematic parent/partner substance use questions was assessed, then compared to the 4P’s Plus used as designed, and to the 4P’s Plus used with these 2 questions included in risk stratification. Results Half (51%) of respondents reported either partner or parental problematic substance use. When partner or parent problematic substance use were considered as proxies for prenatal substance use, sensitivity was 65% and specificity was 55%. When used as intended, sensitivity was 94% and specificity was 29%. Including partner/parent questions increased sensitivity to 96% but lowered specificity (19%). Partner substance use and combined partner/parent use were associated with prenatal substance use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.0 (1.2, 2.4; p = 0.006); aOR = 1.6 (1.1, 2.5, p = 0.04)]. Conclusions for Practice Sensitivity of the 4P’s Plus may improve with inclusion of self-reported problematic partner/parent substance use items in risk stratification.
Sex distribution and sex data handling in published otolaryngology research.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To characterize the sex distribution and sex data handling in published otolaryngology research. STUDY DESIGN Published research data analysis. METHODS The total number of male and female participants, study characteristics, and sex data handling were abstracted from all original studies containing human participants published in five major otolaryngology journals from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 and January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006. RESULTS Of the 1,128 studies from 2016 included in the analysis, 88.5% specified the sex of participants. There were 3,605,636 (42.1%) men and 4,515,508 (52.8%) women, with 429,006 (5.0%) participants unspecified. However, the average proportions of male and female participants (wherein studies are weighted the same, regardless of number of participants) were 0.579 and 0.421, respectively. Studies from the United States had a significantly higher proportion of women than studies from outside the United States. Subspecialties varied significantly in proportions. Average sex proportions in 2016 remained similar to those in 2006. For all studies, fewer than 40% of studies used any sex data for reporting of outcomes, for any sex-related analysis, or for discussion of results. CONCLUSIONS There was a higher average proportion of male participants than female. Studies originating in the United States included a greater number of female participants than those originating elsewhere, a possible result of explicit sex-inclusion policies governing research in the United States. Inclusion of women did not changed from 2006 to 2016, but analysis of sex data improved. Improvement of reporting, analysis, and discussion with regard to sex would benefit otolaryngology research and improve treatment for both sexes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 129:E420-E427, 2019.
What Really Matters: Assessing Individual Problem-Solving Performance in the Context of Biological Sciences

The evaluation of higher-level cognitive skills can augment traditional discipline-based knowledge testing by providing timely assessment of individual student problem-solving abilities that are critical for success in any professional development program. However, the wide-spread acceptance and implementation of higher level cognitive skills analysis has been delayed by the lack of rapid, valid, and reliable quantified-scoring techniques. At the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, we have developed an examination format that can be routinely and sequentially implemented for both formative and summative assessments of individual students in large classes. Rather than providing results in terms of an individual student’s knowledge base in a single academic discipline or group of disciplines, this type of examination provides information on performance in the application of specific problem-solving skills, which we term “domains,” to a contextual clinical or scientific problem. These domains, derived from the scientific method, are tested across various academic disciplines, and are reported in terms of the following: Initial and sequential hypothesis generation, investigation of these hypotheses, evaluation of newly acquired data, integration of basic science mechanisms with new information to explain the basis of the problem, and reflection on one’s own professional development in the context of the examination. The process for criterionreferenced quantified grading of the examination is outlined in this paper. This process involves relatively rapid scoring, and permits the timely use of the resulting information for individual student feedback as well as curricular improvement. Data regarding grading consistency and comparison with other measures of student performance is also presented in this paper. An analysis of the performance characteristics of this examination, which has been utilized for over 10 years in a variety of course settings, indicates that it is valid, reliable, and utilizable. As such, the methodology is now routinely used in several undergraduate and graduate level biochemistry classes to monitor the development of individual student problem-solving abilities.
Diversity, Physiology, and Biotechnological Potential of Halo(alkali)philic Methane-Consuming Bacteria

Nature supplies us with a large array of microbes, known as methanotrophs, as efficient factories for methane capturing and conversions. Among them, the halo(alkali)philic methanotrophs stand out as the most favorable systems for industrial explorations as new sources of salt/pH stable enzymes and as native producers of amino acids, sugars, and osmoprotectants. In recent years, the array of halo(alkali)philic methanotroph applications has been extended to fuels and chemicals, fostering thorough investigations of their physiology, genetics, genomics and systems biology. Here we summarize four decades of research on halo(alkali)philic methanotrophic bacteria, as well as provide our vision of further developments.
Molecular control limiting sensitivity of sweet taste neurons in Drosophila .

To assess the biological value of environmental stimuli, animals’ sensory systems must accurately decode both the identities and the intensities of these stimuli. While much is known about the mechanism by which sensory neurons detect the identities of stimuli, less is known about the mechanism that controls how sensory neurons respond appropriately to different intensities of stimuli. The ionotropic receptor IR76b has been shown to be expressed in different Drosophila chemosensory neurons for sensing a variety of chemicals. Here, we show that IR76b plays an unexpected role in lowering the sensitivity of Drosophila sweet taste neurons. First, IR76b mutants exhibited clear behavioral responses to sucrose and acetic acid (AA) at concentrations that were too low to trigger observable behavioral responses from WT animals. Second, IR76b is expressed in many sweet neurons on the labellum, and these neurons responded to both sucrose and AA. Removing IR76b from the sweet neurons increased their neuronal responses as well as animals’ behavioral responses to sucrose and AA. Conversely, overexpressing IR76b in the sweet neurons decreased their neuronal as well as animals’ behavioral responses to sucrose and AA. Last, IR76b’s response-lowering ability has specificity: IR76b mutants and WT showed comparable responses to capsaicin when the mammalian capsaicin receptor VR1 was ectopically expressed in their sweet neurons. Our findings suggest that sensitivity of Drosophila sweet neurons to their endogenous ligands is actively limited by IR76b and uncover a potential molecular target by which contexts can modulate sensitivity of sweet neurons.
Reproductive Traits and Their Heritabilities in Beef Cattle

Fertility is a complex trait in beef production systems and genetic evaluation procedures, which is partly due to the numerous measures used to assess reproduction. Beyond beef cattle, fertility measures vary according to animal species, and even within beef cattle, they vary by breed, location, sex, and class. Fertility is of significant economic importance to beef cattle producers, and therefore should be included in their breeding objective. However, traits considered indicative of fertility are in general of low heritability, are expressed late in the life of an animal, or both. Complicating genetic analyses is the binary nature of many of these traits because of truncation of data from short-controlled breeding seasons (typically 60 to 90 d long). Additionally, implementation of genetic prediction of reproductive traits in beef cattle has previously been hampered by a lack of total-herd data reporting systems. This review evaluates historic and current measures of assessing fertility and the heritabilities of these traits in beef cattle. Successful implementation of fertility traits into genetic improvement programs is dependent on whole-herd reporting and improved analysis techniques.
‘Digging in the water?’ Grassroots urbanism, the Egyptian state, and the politics of heritage-making in post-revolution Cairo

This article analyzes a week-long workshop held in 2016 in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of ‘Historic Cairo’. Organised by an informal ‘heritage association’ known as the Cairo Heritage School (CH...
Effectiveness of in vitro primary coronal caries prevention with silver diamine fluoride - Chemical vs biofilm models.

Abstract Objectives The main goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of SDF and its individual components, silver (Ag+) and fluoride (F−) ions, in preventing enamel demineralization using biofilm and chemical models. Methodes Polished human enamel specimens were assigned to five treatment groups (n = 18 per group): SDF (38 %); SDF followed by application of a saturated solution of potassium iodide (SDF + KI); silver nitrate (AgNO3; silver control, 253,900 ppm Ag+); potassium fluoride (KF; fluoride control, 44,800 ppm F); deionized water (DIW). Treatments were applied once to sound enamel. In the biofilm model, specimens were demineralized by aerobic overnight incubation using cariogenic bacteria isolated from human saliva in brain heart infusion supplemented with 0.2 % sucrose for three days. In the chemical model, enamel specimens were immersed in a demineralizing solution containing 0.1 M lactic acid, 4.1 mM CaCl2, 8.0 mM KH2PO4, 0.2 % Carbopol 907, pH adjusted to 5.0 for five days. Vickers surface microhardness was used to determine the extent of enamel demineralization. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Results In the chemical model, there was no statistically significant difference between SDF and SDF + KI in preventing coronal caries (p Conclusion KI application after SDF treatment appears to impair SDF’s ability to prevent biofilm-mediated but not chemically induced demineralization. Clinical significance SDF may be a viable option in preventing primary coronal caries.
Micro-EDM machinability of difficult-to-cut Ti-6Al-4V against soft brass

In recent years, Ti-6Al-4V (titanium alloy grade 5) is found to be one of the most widely used materials for successful applications in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries because of its excellent mechanical and thermal properties, outstanding corrosion resistance, and low modulus of elasticity. However, the machining of Ti-6Al-4V by conventional machining processes has always been a challenge. This study will present a comparative experimental investigation on the micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM) machinability of difficult-to-cut Ti-6Al-4V against easy-to-machine brass materials. As both materials are electrically conductive, they are machinable using micro-EDM process irrespective of their hardness. It was hypothesized that the machining performance as well as quality of micro-features would vary because of the significant differences in thermal and electrical properties of two materials. In this study, the machinability of the two materials was evaluated based on the quality of the micro-features produced by the micro-EDM. Both blind and through micro-holes and micro-slots were machined on brass and Ti-6Al-4V materials. The quality of micro-features was assessed based on the dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and profile accuracy of the features. In addition, the arrays of micro-features were machined and micro patterning was done in both materials to compare the mass production capability of micro-EDM process on those materials. It was found that the dimensional accuracy of the micro-features on the Ti-6Al-4V was slightly inferior compared to those on brass due to significantly higher tool electrode wear during machining of titanium alloy. The machined surface of the micro-features in Ti-6Al-4V was found to suffer from resolidification of molten debris, whereas micro-features on brass was found to produce smoother surface finish. Both brass and Ti-6Al-4V materials were found to produce arrays of micro-features successfully, although the micro-features on Ti-6Al-4V had debris attached to the edge and surface. The study also investigated the causes associated with the challenges in micro-EDM of Ti-6Al-4V.
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Asian American Employment

Recent studies have documented the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor market outcomes for different racial groups. This paper adds to this literature by documenting that the employment of Asian Americans - in particular those with no college education - has been especially hard hit by the economic crisis associated with the onset of the pandemic. This can only partly be explained by differences in demographics, local market conditions, and job characteristics, and it also cannot be entirely explained by possible different selection into education levels across ethnic groups. The burden on Asian Americans is primarily borne by those who are not US-born.
Precision radiotherapy using monochromatic inverse Compton x-ray sources

PURPOSE The dosimetric properties of inverse Compton (IC) x-ray sources were investigated to determine their utility for stereotactic radiation therapy. METHODS Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the egs brachy user code of EGSnrc. Nominal IC source x-ray energies of 80 and 150 keV were considered in this work. Depth-dose and lateral dose profiles in water were calculated, as was dose enhancement in the bone. Further simulations were performed for brain and spine treatment sites. The impact of gold nanoparticle doping was also investigated for the brain treatment site. Analogous dose calculations were performed in a clinical treatment planning system using a clinical 6 MV photon beam model and were compared to the Monte Carlo simulations. RESULTS Both 80 and 150 keV IC beams were observed to have sharp 80-20 penumbra (i.e., < 0.1 mm) with broad low-dose tails in water. For reference, the calculated penumbra for the 6 MV clinical beam was 3 mm. Maximum dose enhancement factors in bone of 3.1, 1.4, and 1.1 were observed for the 80, 150 keV, and clinical 6 MV beams, respectively. The plan quality for the single brain metastasis case was similar between the IC beams and the 6 MV beam without gold nanoparticles. As the concentration of gold within the target increased, the V12 Gy to the normal brain tissue and Dmax within the target volume significantly decreased and the conformity significantly improved, which resulted in superior plan quality over the clinical 6 MV beam plan. In the spine cases, the sharp penumbra and enhanced dose to bone of the IC beams produced superior plan quality (i.e., better conformity, normal tissue sparing, and spinal cord sparing) as compared to the clinical 6 MV beam plans. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this work indicate that inverse Compton x-ray sources are well suited for stereotactic radiotherapy treatments due to their sharp penumbra and dose enhancement around high atomic number materials. Future work includes investigating the properties of intensity-modulated inverse Compton x-ray sources to improve the homogeneity within the target tissue.
On relativistic brane probes in singular spacetimes

We study the relativistic dynamics of brane probes in singular warped spacetimes and establish limits for such an analysis. The behavior of the semiclassical brane probe wave functions implies that unitarity boundary conditions can be imposed at the singularity.
Resource Selection by Wild and Ranched White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) Transmission Season in Florida.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) causes serious disease in wild and privately ranched white-tailed deer (Odocoileusvirginianus) in the United States. In Florida, there is high EHDV prevalence, yet no treatments. There are few management strategies for the disease due to limited knowledge of virus-vector-host interactions. We conducted a telemetry study on white-tailed deer to examine resource use by wild and ranched animals in the Florida panhandle during the 2016 transmission risk period. We built generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to estimate resource selection and map habitat preferences for wild and ranched deer in the study area to reveal how second-order selection may relate to higher disease prevalence in ranched deer. Wild deer preferred areas closer to tertiary roads and supplementary food sources but farther from permanent water. Ranched deer selected bottomland mixed forest and areas closer to tertiary roads, supplementary food sources, and permanent water. Ranched deer behaviors may increase the likelihood of EHDV vector encounters, as these deer selected preferred habitats of several putative vector species, which may increase vector blood meal success and viral transmission risk. Disparate resource selection behaviors may be a factor in observed differential EHDV exposure risk between ranched and wild white-tailed deer in Florida.
Manage a Topology

Heron provides several command-line tools, among which the “heron” command is the most often used for managing the topology life cycle. A Heron job could be in an activated or deactivated state. Six subcommands (submit, kill, activate, deactivate, restart, and update) manage the topology state, from submission to killing and conversion between activated and deactivated. When you submit a Heron job, arguments are required, including a “job key” --luster/role/environment/jobname, which identifies the job in the cluster. “--dry-run” option is encouraged before job submission, which prints the packing plan for resource verification.
Bioresorbable polymer and durable polymer metallic stents in coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis.

Literature on bioresorbable-polymer-stents (BPS) and second-generation durable-polymer-stents (DPS) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for all comer CAD is conflicting.Randomized controlle...
Cardiac mechanics and incident ischemic stroke: the Cardiovascular Health Study

Recent evidence indicates that our understanding of the relationship between cardiac function and ischemic stroke remains incomplete. The Cardiovascular Health Study enrolled community-dwelling adults ≥ 65 years old. We included participants with speckle-tracking data from digitized baseline study echocardiograms. Exposures were left atrial reservoir strain (primary), left ventricular longitudinal strain, left ventricular early diastolic strain rate, septal e’ velocity, and lateral e’ velocity. The primary outcome was incident ischemic stroke. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for demographics, image quality, and risk factors including left ventricular ejection fraction and incident atrial fibrillation. Among 4,000 participants in our analysis, lower (worse) left atrial reservoir strain was associated with incident ischemic stroke (HR per SD absolute decrease, 1.14; 95% CI 1.04–25). All secondary exposure variables were significantly associated with the outcome. Left atrial reservoir strain was associated with cardioembolic stroke (HR per SD absolute decrease, 1.42; 95% CI 1.21–1.67) and cardioembolic stroke related to incident atrial fibrillation (HR per SD absolute decrease, 1.60; 1.32–1.95). Myocardial dysfunction that can ultimately lead to stroke may be identifiable at an early stage. This highlights opportunities to identify cerebrovascular risk earlier and improve stroke prevention via therapies for early myocardial dysfunction.
Magnetospheric Active Wave Measurements

The magnetospheric community has conducted active wave measurements, which are made by radiating known signals to space and measuring the dispersion of the signals when propagating through magnetospheric plasma, for more than three decades. Because of the advances in space electronics and signal processing technology, active wave experiments can now cover a large dynamic range in frequency and be made in a large spatial range for versatile applications. They are becoming a promising new technique to probe the space plasma conditions. In this review we demonstrate the capability of magnetospheric sounding technique employed by the radio plasma imager (RPI) on board the IMAGE satellite. This new technique, combined with the mathematical density inversion algorithm, measures the plasma density in situat the satellite location and remotely and instantaneously along the magnetic field line from one hemisphere to the other down to as low as half an Earth radius (Re) in altitude. The technique has been formally validated. The database from the RPI active measurements covers all local times from 1.5 Re to 5 Re under different geomagnetic activities. Empirical models that are being developed specify the density as functions of radial distance, latitude, local time, distance along the field line from the earth's surface, solar wind conditions, geomagnetic indices, and other possible variables that affect the density distribution. The models can describe the statistical behaviors of the plasma distribution and can also provide snapshots of the plasma conditions on occasions. Dynamical processes that cause variations from the average models, such as depletion/refilling processes and plasma convection tail formation, can be studied. When applied to multiple satellites, or a constellation of satellites, the active wave measurements also make it possible for magnetospheric tomography, in which transmissions and reception of various waves within the constellation are used to derive the plasma density and magnetic field component in the constellation plane.
Approximate Euclidean shortest paths amid convex obstacles

We develop algorithms and data structures for the approximate Euclidean shortest path problem amid a set P of K convex obstacles in R2 and R3, with a total of n faces. The running time of our algorithms is linear in n, and the size and query time of our data structure are independent of n. We follow a "core-set" based approach, i.e., we quickly compute a small sketch Q of P whose size is independent of n and then compute approximate shortest paths with respect to Q.
Single pulse output of partially depleted SOI FETs

Summary form only given. The floating body of partially depleted SOI FETs leads to variation of the threshold voltage, which, in turn, gives rise to variations of drain current depending on bias conditions and device history. This is apparent in the kink effect in I/sub D/-V/sub D/ output curves, and in various reports of transient effects. It has recently been shown that measured I-V curves are history dependent. Thus, for accurate circuit simulation, the history of the partially depleted SOI FET must somehow be taken into account. A method has been developed by which it is possible to measure drain currents, and full I-V curves, for single pulses. Using this technique, it is possible to obtain the device characteristics of any one of a series of pulses, thus accounting for the effect of the prior activity of a device on its output. The method is an extension of the technique which was previously developed for measuring I-V curves without self-heating. The basis of the technique is to apply a short pulse to the gate of the FET, measure the resulting voltage drop at the oscilloscope, and construct an I-V curve from a 50 ohm loadline. This measurement eliminates self-heating because of the short pulse length and low duty cycle. In the case of partially depleted FETs, this measurement method shows that I-V curves also depend on the period between pulses.
Reliability of the Conners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale across Raters and across Time: Use with Learning Disabled Students.

The present study investigated the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Corners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale (CATRS). Teachers and classroom aides of LD pupils were asked to complete ...
Fiberoptically Multiplexed Medium Resolution Spectroscopy from the WIYN Telescope, Singlet D Neutral Oxygen, NH2, and H2O+

The WIYN 3.5-meter telescope and its Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) have been used to obtain simultaneous spectra at many points in the coma of Comet Hale-Bopp. Between 1996 October and 1997 April in excess of 7500 individual spectra were obtained, typically 96 at a time. On six nights the “Hydra” fiber positioner was used to sample a ring pattern of points about the nucleus with a minimum spacing of 40 arc seconds and a maximum radius of 22.5 arc minutes. On four nights a new “Densepak” fiber cable was used. In this configuration a 7 × 13 rectangular pattern of 91, 3 arc second fibers on 4 arc second centers was used. In most cases the bench spectrograph was used in the echelle mode with an interference filter to isolate a single order. The wavelength range from 6100 A to 6400 A was recorded with resolution of approximately 15,000. This spectral region contains the emission features of [OI], C2, NH2and H2O+. From this mass of data we are beginning to extract the radial, azimuthal and temporal variations of many different spectral features. The radial profiles of [O I] λ6300 A and NH2 are reasonably well representable by the Haser model formalism, that of H2O+ is not.
The Intersection of Corporate Governance Practices and National Culture in Emerging Markets

Corporate governance practices vary widely based on country, worldview, and national culture. This theoretical work specifically considers the intersection of all these variables in four specific emerging markets – Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC). These countries had generally been closed to outside influence and understanding the fundamental differences in corporate governance may assist companies in more developed countries to maximize goals to expand their business opportunities into these countries. The fact that many BRIC countries exhibit a broad range of governance definitions and models may be a reflection of how national culture may influence those models. While increasing the discourse in this area, the authors seek not to only provide ethereal deliberations, but incorporate empirical data for the most salient level of analysis. Each aspect will be approached from a global perspective, recognising the special attributes and necessity for each.
Reflexes from Respiratory Muscles and Costovertebral Joints

The sections in this article are: 1 Reflexes from Thoracic Wall 1.1 Spinal Segmental and Intersegmental Effects of Intercostal Muscle Proprioceptors 1.2 Supraspinal Effects of Intercostal Muscle Proprioceptors on Respiratory Control 1.3 Intercostal Muscle Mechanoreceptors Other Than Tendon Organs and Muscle Spindle Endings 1.4 Cutaneous Reflex Effects on Respiratory Activity 1.5 Supraspinal Effects of Costovertebral Joint Mechanoreceptors on Respiratory Control 2 Reflexes from Abdominal Respiratory Muscles 2.1 Spinal Segmental and Intersegmental Effects of Abdominal Respiratory Muscle Proprioceptors 2.2 Supraspinal Effects of Abdominal Muscle Proprioceptors on Respiratory Control 3 Reflexes from Diaphragm 3.1 Spinal Segmental and Intersegmental Effects of Diaphragm Proprioceptors 3.2 Supraspinal Effects of Diaphragm Proprioceptors on Respiratory Control
A complete video-atlas of five robotic-assisted lobectomies.

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2012;1(1):100-101 www.annalscts.com Advances in technology have allowed minimally invasive approaches for pulmonary lobectomy to be utilized increasingly over traditional thoracotomy for the purported benefits of decreased surgical trauma resulting in shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, less pain and decreased morbidity. While video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy was initially developed in the early 1990s, it has taken two decades for VATS lobectomy to become a more widely available and reproducible technique. This is in part because of the training required to teach and learn a different approach to handle hilar dissection in a closed chest. It may also be because of the limitations of VATS technology and instrumentation. Telerobotic surgical technology with a binocular visual system and wristed instrumentation was developed in order to overcome the limitations in the established minimally invasive technology. While initially developed and first reported for closed chest coronary revascularization, robotics has enabled rapid and nearly uniform adoption of a minimally invasive approach for pelvic procedures, such as prostatectomy and hysterectomy, where vision and maneuverability are limited. The capital costs of these systems and the question of whether clear-cut benefits exist, aside from those to the operating surgeon, are important and unresolved issues. In the arena of general thoracic surgical procedures, the development of robotic approaches has been slowly increasing, as more emphasis is placed on minimally invasive surgery. However, much like the early experiences with VATS lobectomy there only a few centers of excellence in robotic thoracic surgery exist worldwide. Teaching materials, training courses and opportunities for mentoring are sparse. These narrated videos represent an effort to demonstrate one approach in utilizing robotic technology to perform minimally invasive lobectomy. Video 1 reviews the docking process. Videos 2 to 6 demonstrate the technical aspects of right upper lobectomy (video 2), right middle lobectomy (video 3), right lower lobectomy (video 3), left upper lobectomy (video 5) and left lower lobectomy (video 6), Masters of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Comment on "Modeling a shared-load k-out-of-n*G system

The commenter states that there is no reason to perform the steady-state analysis as attempted by J. Shao and L.R. Lamberson (see ibid., vol.40, no.2, p.205-9, June 1991) for a Markov chain that has an absorbing failure state. Corrected expressions are provided. >
Accuracy of [18F]fluorodopa positron emission tomography for diagnosing and localizing focal congenital hyperinsulinism.

Objectives: Focal lesions in infants with congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) represent areas of adenomatosis that express a paternally derived ATP-sensitive potassium channel mutation due to embryonic loss of heterozygosity for the maternal 11p region. This study evaluated the accuracy of 18 F-fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine ([ 18 F]DOPA) positron emission tomography (PET) scans in diagnosing focal vs. diffuse disease and identifying the location of focal lesions. Design:Atotalof50infantswithHIunresponsivetomedicaltherapy were studied. Patients were injected iv with [ 18 F]DOPA, and PET scans were obtained for 50–60 min. Images were coregistered with abdominal computed tomography scans. PET scan interpretations were compared with histological diagnoses. Results: The diagnosis of focal or diffuse HI was correct in 44 of the 50 cases (88%). [ 18 F]DOPA PET identified focal areas of high uptake of radiopharmaceutical in 18 of 24 patients with focal disease. The locations of these lesions matched the areas of increased [ 18 F]DOPA uptake on the PET scans in all of the cases. PET scan correctly located five lesions that could not be visualized at surgery. The positive predictive value of [ 18 F]DOPA in diagnosing focal adenomatosis was 100%, and the negative predictive value was 81%. Conclusions: [ 18 F]DOPA PET scans correctly diagnosed 75% of focal cases and were 100% accurate in identifying the location of the lesion. These results suggest that [ 18 F]DOPA PET imaging provides a useful guide to surgical resection of focal adenomatosis and should be considered as a guide to surgery in all infants with congenital HI who have medically uncontrollable disease. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 92: 4706–4711, 2007)
Evaluation of Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Aortic Coarctation With 4D Flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Time-resolved, 3D, phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (4D flow) is an effective means of evaluating dynamic multidirectional blood flow in the thoracic aorta.1 We have used the technique for characterization of abnormal flow features in a 14-year-old boy with aortic coarctation and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) but without evidence of aortic stenosis or regurgitation. In addition to the expected flow disturbance in the region of the juxtaductal coarctation (Figure 1), we show an unusual flow feature in the ascending aorta that has not been previously reported in this clinical setting and that may be unique to BAV: 2 discrete nested helices of midsystolic blood flow in a nonaneurysmal aorta (Figure 2). Figure 1. Fourteen-year-old boy with BAV and aortic coarctation. A, Three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography that demonstrates a focal juxtaductal coarctation and prominent internal mammary and …
Micromachined thick permanent magnet arrays on silicon wafers

Using micromachining and electroplating techniques, micromachined thick CoNiMnP-based permanent magnet arrays have been designed, fabricated, and characterized for magnetic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device applications. The electroplated magnet arrays contain 1,500 magnets of 40 /spl mu/m/spl times/40 /spl mu/m/spl times/50 /spl mu/m in a cubic shape on the silicon substrate of 2.5 mm/spl times/2.5 mm, where the magnets have shown a fairly high magnetic vertical coercivity of 800-1300 Oe, a retentivity of 2.0-3.0 kG, a maximum flux saturation of 12.0-13.0 kG, and a maximum energy density of 14 kJ/m/sup 3/.
Thermal Equilibrium in a General Gravitational Field.

In the absence of any appreciable gravitational field the conditions satisfied by the temperature of a medium having no thermal flow from one portion to another, are well known to be those of uniformity throughout the system. In the presence of a gravitational field, however, the conditions imposed at thermal equilibrium on the proper temperature -- as measured at different points of the medium by local observers -- are considerably more complicated, owing to the association of inertia and weight with all forms of energy and the consequent tendency for heat to flow from regions of higher to those of lower gravitational potential. Nevertheless, for the special case of static gravitational fields, these more complicated conditions have already been obtained,(1,2) and it is the purpose of the present article to investigate the conditions for thermal equilibrium in the general case of any kind of gravitational field.
Enantioselective Demethylation of Nicotine as a Mechanism for Variable Nornicotine Composition in Tobacco Leaf

Nicotine and its N-demethylation product nornicotine are two important alkaloids in Nicotiana tabacum L. (tobacco). Both nicotine and nornicotine have two stereoisomers that differ from each other at 2′-C position on the pyrrolidine ring. (S)-Nicotine is the predominant form in the tobacco leaf, whereas the (R)-enantiomer only accounts for ∼0.2% of the total nicotine pool. Despite considerable past efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the factors responsible for generating an elevated and variable enantiomer fraction of nornicotine (EFnnic of 0.04 to 0.75) from the consistently low EF observed for nicotine has been lacking. The objective of this study was to determine potential roles of enantioselective demethylation in the formation of the nornicotine EF. Recombinant CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2, and CYP82E10, three known tobacco nicotine demethylases, were expressed in yeast and assayed for their enantioselectivities in vitro. Recombinant CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2, and CYP82E10 demethylated (R)-nicotine 3-, 10-, and 10-fold faster than (S)-nicotine, respectively. The combined enantioselective properties of the three nicotine demethylases can reasonably account for the nornicotine composition observed in tobacco leaves, which was confirmed in planta. Collectively, our studies suggest that an enantioselective mechanism facilitates the maintenance of a reduced (R)-nicotine pool and, depending on the relative abundances of the three nicotine demethylase enzymes, can confer a high (R)-enantiomer percentage within the nornicotine fraction of the leaf.
Detection of antibody and antigen in the milkweed bug,Oncopeltus fasciatus

Mit Hilfe der Fluoreszenzmarkierung von Proteinen und Ouchterlonys Methode wurde festgestellt, dass Insekten keine Immunitat besitzen; Blutserum des Kaninchens blieb wahrend 197 h im Hamolymph der Insekten.
Experience with microchannel and pin-post water cooling of silicon monochromator crystals

Using special channel geometries, the efficiency of water cooling of silicon crystals at room temperature can be improved to the point where it becomes very attractive for use with x-ray monochromators at high-power synchrotron radiation beamlines. Prototype monochromators using two different geometries have been built and tested. The microchannel geometry uses long, parallel channels approximately 50 μm in width. The pin-post geometry creates a two-dimensional network of submillimeter water passages. Both geometries have excellent thermal performance, though preparing strain-free crystal assemblies containing such small features remains problematic. When perfected, water cooling using microchannel or pin-post geometries should be particularly suited to monochromator crystals used at wiggler beamlines.
THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS FOR SOLID CATALYZED GAS PHASE OLEFIN POLYMERIZATION

Abstract The dynamic behaviour of fluidized bed reactors for ethylene and propylene polymerization is studied through detailed modelling and simulation. Both static and Hopf bifurcation behaviour is observed and can lead to temperature runaway if special care is not taken in start-up and in normal operation. A feedback control scheme can be used to control transients, but it is limited by recycle gas cooling capacity.
Right-to-left shunts with right ventricular hypertrophy: Pathologic aspects☆

Abstract When a right-to-left shunt occurs on the basis of congenital cardiac disease, a major dividing point in differential diagnosis is whether or not right ventricular hypertrophy is present. When right ventricular hypertrophy is present, the shunt may occur either at the ventricular or atrial level. When the shunt occurs at the ventricular level, cases may be subdivided according to the vascular connections with the right ventricle into the following groups: (1) connection of the ascending aorta and of the pulmonary trunk with the right ventricle, (2) connection of the ascending aorta alone with the right ventricle, and (3) connection of the pulmonary trunk and of the descending aorta (through a PDA) with the right ventricle. When a transatrial right-to-left shunt occurs, it is on the basis either of 1.(1) right ventricular hypertrophy incident to pulmonary stenosis or atresia or 2.(2) total anomalous connection of the pulmonary veins.
Predicting the Emergence of Innovations from Technological Convergence: Lessons from the Twentieth Century

This article takes a historical perspective to examine technological convergences that occurred throughout the twentieth century in an attempt to gain insights that may be helpful today. It analyzes five case histories where experts predicted that two or more existing technologies would converge to create an entirely new product and market. The cases are studied for their unique points of difference as well as for their commonalities. They lead to the conclusion that despite the confidence and enthusiasm in the forecasts, the convergences typically took decades longer than expected and often materialized in forms that bore little resemblance to the original predictions. Failures occurred for a variety of reasons, ranging from a lack of market acceptance to a waning of one of the original technologies prior to the convergence. The results have implications for businesses and consumers concerned with current predictions of new technological convergences.
The smoke-free workplace.

Abstract As the significance of drug use and/or abuse in the workplace is explored, and the public is encouraged to embrace the War on Drugs. policymakers and treatment personnel must not concentrate only on illicit drugs but on licit drugs as well. This article explores the impact of cigarette smoking in the workplace and reviews alternatives for decreasing or eliminating exposure to involuntary smoke in the workplace.