cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neonatal chest wall suspension splint: A novel and noninvasive method for support of lung volume

Surfactant and musculoskeletal immaturity results in lower compliance of the lung relative to the chest wall, with clinical manifestations of low lung volume, marked chest wall retractions (CWR), and thoracoabdominal asynchrony. Inspiratory efforts are dissipated on distorting the chest wall inward rather than recruiting lung volumes. The current study tests the hypothesis that a novel neonatal chest wall suspension splint (SP), designed to provide stability to the compliant chest wall, would reduce inspiratory chest wall retractions and improve lung volumes. Nine preterm infants (29 +/- 1 SE weeks of gestation; 1.59 +/- 0.27 SE kg study weight) were studied at 16 +/- 5 SE days of life at baseline (BL) and following application of the front plate (FP) and the full SP (Hug n Snug Neonatal Chest Splint, Respironics, Inc.). Phase angle of thoracoabdominal motion, CWR, functional residual capacity (FRC), and pulmonary function were evaluated during spontaneous breathing. Compared to BL, there was a significant decrease in anterior CWR (2.21 +/- 0.91 SE vs. 0.25 +/- 0.09 SE mm; P < 0.05), an increase in FRC (16.6 +/- 2.8 SE vs. 27.8 +/- 5.5 SE ml/kg; P < 0.05) and tidal volume (4.8 +/- 1.5 SE vs. 7.3 +/- 1.4 SE ml/kg; P < 0.05), minimal effect on pulmonary compliance (1.98 +/- 0.50 SE vs. 1.72 +/- 0.30 SE ml/cmH2O/kg), and a trend for a decrease in phase angle (128.4 +/- 10.9 SE vs. 111.8 +/- 19.3 SE) with the application of the splint. FRC correlated inversely with severity of CWR across all conditions (P < 0.05, r = -0.68). Phase angle was directly correlated to anterior CWR (r = 0.72; P < 0.05) and correlated inversely with FRC (P < 0.005; r = -0.56). We speculate that by improving CW stability, the use of this splint may reduce the energetic requirements of breathing and, potentially, the need for more invasive ventilatory support in the neonate.
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of antidepressant drugs

The mechanism of action of the antidepressants was reviewed through the summer of 1995. Antagonism of monoamine transport is the primary cellular action associated with many antidepressant medications. However, an increased synaptic concentration of monoamines is not the actual mechanism of antidepressant effects as suggested by the time lapse between treatment initiation and the onset of clinical antidepressant response. Chronic administration of all antidepressants increases the efficiency of 5-HT transmission in the synapse, albeit by different mechanisms. Serotonin transporter antagonists enhance serotonergic neurotransmission by decreasing the functional activity of the 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B autoreceptors. Tricyclic antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy enhance 5-HT neurotransmission by increasing the responsiveness of postsynaptic 5-HT receptors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors and the 5-HT1A agonists increase serotonergic function by desensitizing the somatodendritic autoreceptor; the terminal 5-HT autoreceptor is not affected by these agents. Evidence for both enhanced and diminished noradrenergic transmission following antidepressant treatment exists, although the evidence more strongly supports decreased noradrenergic transmission. Ongoing investigations into intracellular adaptations (e.g., steroid receptors, growth factors, etc.) During chronic antidepressant administration offer the promise of furthering our understanding of the mechanism of action of antidepressants. Depression and Anxiety 4:153–159, 1996/1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
TRACING RIVER INFLUENCES ON PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN TWO LOUISIANA ESTUARIES

To evaluate effects of river inputs on estuarine phytoplankton, we compared particulate organic matter (POM) dynamics in two neighboring estuaries from the Missis- sippi River delta. The two estuaries, Barataria Basin and Breton Sound, have been isolated from the Mississippi River at their upstream ends for most of the last century due to levee construction, but for the last 13 years, Breton Sound has been reconnected to the Mississippi River via a gated diversion at Caernarvon, Louisiana. Thus, Barataria Basin was the ref- erence estuary and Breton Sound was the river-impacted estuary. We focused on POM because it was relatively easy to collect and analyze, and because POM dynamics gave a good ecosystem-level overview of phytoplankton responses to riverine nutrient forcing and hydrologic forcing. A combination of C:N and PO13C analyses indicated that most POM was phytoplankton with smaller contributions of sediment. Estuarine concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) were typically higher than end- member freshwater or marine inputs, indicating the importance of within-system phyto- plankton growth likely fueled by rapid nutrient regeneration in these warm, shallow and well-mixed estuarine systems. Isotopic analyses generally showed typical estuarine gra- dients in the reference Barataria Basin estuary, but the river-influenced upper Breton Sound had elevated PO'3C and PO'5N values useful for following the spatial extent of river impacts. Rapid river-assisted flushing in Breton Sound probably prevented widespread development of algal blooms in response to introductions of the nutrient-rich river water, but study of some isolated lakes suggested that when longer residence times apply, introduction of river water to coastal estuaries can lead to eutrophic conditions and in some cases, harmful algal blooms. Overall, routinely monitoring amounts and isotopic compositions of POM proved an effective way to trace linkages between river inputs and downstream estuarine phyto- plankton dynamics.
Asymptotic properties of dynamic controllers designed by projective controls

Asymptotic properties of closed-loop systems controlled by low order dynamic controllers based on projective controls approach are studied. Asymptotic eigenvalue locations and time-scale separation properties are studied for p ? r (controller dimension smaller than the number of available outputs) as well as for p > r. For p ? r it is shown that the asymptotic controller is a multivariable PD controller, while the generalized PID controller introduced in earlier papers to control systems with constant disturbances reduces asymptotically to a multivariable PID controller.
Determination for inflorescence development is a stable state, separable from determination for flower development in Pisum sativum L. buds.

Terminal meristems of Pisum sativum (garden pea) transit from vegetative to inflorescence development, and begin producing floral axillary meristems. Determination for inflorescence development was assessed by culturing excised buds and meristems. The first node of floral initiation (NFI) for bud expiants developing in culture and for adventitious shoots forming on cultured meristems was compared with the NFI of intact control buds. When terminal buds having eight leaf primordia were excised from plants of different ages (i.e., number of unfolded leaves) and cultured on 6-benzylaminopurine and kinetin-supplemented medium, the NFI was a function of the age of the source plant. By age 3, all terminal buds were determined for inflorescence development. Determination occurred at least eight nodes before the first axillary flower was initiated. Thus, the axillary meristems contributing to the inflorescence had not formed at the time the bud was explanted. Similar results were obtained for cultured axillary buds. In addition, meristems excised without leaf primordia from axillary buds three nodes above the cotyledons of age-3 plants gave rise to adventitious buds with an NFI of 8.3 ±0.3 nodes. In contrast seed-derived plants had an NFI of 16.5 ±0.2. Thus cells within the meristem were determined for inflorescence development. These findings indicate that determination for inflorescence development in P. sativum is a stable developmental state, separable from determination for flower development, and occurring prior to initiation of the inflorescence at the level of meristems.
Specificity of Intramuscular Activation During Rhythms Produced by Spinal Patterning Systems in the In Vitro Neonatal Rat With Hindlimb Attached Preparation

In intact adult vertebrates, muscles can be activated with a high degree of specificity, so that even within a single traditionally defined muscle, groups of motor units can be differentially activ...
Whole-genome analysis of Drosophila gastrulation.

Microarray assays and bioinformatics methods have identified many of the genes and associated regulatory DNAs that control the early phases of gastrulation in Drosophila. The localized activities of these genes are coordinated by a nuclear gradient of the maternal regulatory factor, Dorsal, that is established shortly after fertilization. At least half of the Dorsal target genes encode transcription factors or signaling components that lead to the restricted activation of FGF, EGF, and TGF-β signaling pathways in the mesoderm, neurogenic ectoderm and dorsal ectoderm, respectively. Recent work has yielded insights into how these signaling pathways control gastrulation, particularly in the context of the Dorsal-mediated gene regulation network.
VISIBLE LASERS WITH SUBHERTZ LINEWIDTHS

We report a visible laser with a subhertz linewidth for use in precision spectroscopy and as a local oscillator for an optical frequency standard. The laser derives its stability from a well-isolated, high-finesse, Fabry-P\'erot cavity. For a 563 nm laser beam locked to our stable cavity, we measure a linewidth of 0.6 Hz for averaging times up to 32 s. The fractional frequency instability for the light locked to the cavity is typically $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ at 1 s. Both the linewidth and fractional frequency instability are approximately an order of magnitude less than previously published results for stabilized lasers.
Roles of Humidity and Temperature in Shaping Influenza Seasonality

Experimental studies in guinea pigs demonstrated that influenza virus transmission is strongly modulated by temperature and humidity. A number of epidemiological studies have followed up on these findings and revealed robust associations between influenza incidence in temperate regions and local conditions of humidity and temperature, offering a long-awaited explanation for the wintertime seasonality of influenza in these locales. Despite recent progress, important questions remain as to the mechanism(s) by which humidity and/or temperature affects transmission.
P‐15: The Innovational Manufacturing

The Technology of Flatron CDT has been developed by LG Electronics. While we are developing the FLATRON, in spite of knowing that the flat screen CDT give many merits to PC(Personal Computer) and Workstation users, we find why conventional CDT have spherical and cylindrical face. One reason is that it is much more difficult to make glass in flat rather than spherical or cylindrical shapes. The other is a flat shadow mask expands or domes more severely by electrons than a rounded one. LG FLATRON conquered the difficulties by applying perfectly flat panel and using the flat tensioned mask. Also we can adopt interchange ability process in mask and faceplate. We will show how to accomplish innovational process which are NCE(Near Contact Exposure) and ICM (Interchangeable Mask) for Flatron CDT.
Real Estate Investment Trusts, Small Stocks, and Bid-Ask Spreads

This study examines the liquidity of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), as measured by their bid-ask spread. We find that REIT spreads have increased over the period 1986–1990, are inversely related to market capitalization, and are similar in magnitude to spreads on other stocks of comparable size. Analysis of variance tests indicate that REIT spreads are similar across equity, mortgage and hybrid asset types. Multivariate regression results indicate that market capitalization is the primary determinant of REIT bid-ask spreads, and spreads are larger for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) REITs than for New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) REITs. The regression results also indicate that spreads are lower for equity REITs than for mortgage or hybrid REITs, and are inversely related to the fraction of the REIT's shares held by institutional investors. The similarity between REIT spreads and those of other common stocks holds in both bull and bear real estate markets and suggests that, from a liquidity perspective, REITs are similar to other common stocks.
Moving Toward Racial Equity: The Undoing Racism Workshop and Organizational Change

Since 2002, social workers and others in New York City have attended Undoing Racism™ Workshops (URW) designed to encourage participants to advance racial equity in the organizations in which they work. However, little is known about the extent to which participants pursued these goals following the workshop. Drawing on a participatory action model, this study explored the impact of URW by examining the participants’ (1) change in knowledge and attitudes about structural racism, (2) engagement in job-related racial equity activities, and their (3) view of their organization’s progress toward racial equity. The study also explored (4) factors that might be associated with personal engagement and progress toward organizational change and (5) the role of race in the outcomes. Findings include increased knowledge and attitude change, considerable individual engagement, mixed organizational progress, and identification of facilitators and barriers with some differentiations by race.
Integration of a 3-D capacitor into a logic interconnect stack for high performance embedded DRAM SoC technology

A 22 nm generation technology is described incorporating transistor and interconnects with performance suitable for the needs of both high density DRAM and high-performance logic devices. We have integrated a 0.029 µm2 DRAM cell capable of meeting >100µs retention at 95°C. The process technology utilizes our leading edge 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistor as described previously [1–4]. We review the interconnect choices to enable the implementation of a high-aspect ratio 3-D capacitor into a SoC interconnect stack. Results will be reported for a test-vehicle with best-reported array density at 17.5Mb/mm2 based on a 128Mb macro in a 1Gbit eDRAM testchip [5].
Volume Change in the Polymerization of Spirocyclic Monomers: Causes, Effects, and Applications

Abstract Addition polymerization at constant temperature normally proceeds with reduction in the volume of the reactants. Polymerization shrinkage frequently diminishes the performance and durability of polymeric materials. In adhesives, coatings, and encapsulating materials, voids are created which serve as channels for the penetration of foreign substances and destructive agents. Matrix polymers in composite materials or surface coatings retract from reinforcing fibers and fillers, thereby reducing the bond area between them. In bulk polymers, shrinkage produces voids which reduce the strength and useful life of the end product, and molded products do not conform to molds or dies.
Does Mangrove Leaf Chemistry Help Explain Crab Herbivory Patterns

ABSTRACT We examined feeding by the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii in Tampa Bay, Florida, in relation to the percent dry weight of carbohydrate, protein, phenolics, condensed tannins, ash, carbon, nitrogen, carbon:nitrogen ratio, water content, and sclerophylly for leaves of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle. Comparisons of leaf chemistry were made among leaves that experienced variable levels of crab damage. Because R. mangle is the crab's preferred food source based on damage patterns in the field, comparisons of R. mangle leaf chemistry were made in relation to that of the black mangrove Avicennia germinans and the white mangrove Laguncularia racemosa. We observed a negative relationship between level of leaf damage and percent dry weight of nitrogen, carbohydrates, condensed tannins, and sclerophylly. In contrast, a positive relationship was found between leaf damage and the carbon:nitrogen ratio. The chemical constituents that provided the best explanation for differences in damage among the thre...
Chain: operator scheduling for memory minimization in data stream systems

In many applications involving continuous data streams, data arrival is bursty and data rate fluctuates over time. Systems that seek to give rapid or real-time query responses in such an environment must be prepared to deal gracefully with bursts in data arrival without compromising system performance. We discuss one strategy for processing bursty streams --- adaptive, load-aware scheduling of query operators to minimize resource consumption during times of peak load. We show that the choice of an operator scheduling strategy can have significant impact on the run-time system memory usage. We then present Chain scheduling, an operator scheduling strategy for data stream systems that is near-optimal in minimizing run-time memory usage for any collection of single-stream queries involving selections, projections, and foreign-key joins with stored relations. Chain scheduling also performs well for queries with sliding-window joins over multiple streams, and multiple queries of the above types. A thorough experimental evaluation is provided where we demonstrate the potential benefits of Chain scheduling, compare it with competing scheduling strategies, and validate our analytical conclusions.
Of Sad Men and Dark Comedies: Mood and Gender Effects on Entertainment Media Preferences

Although traditional mood management theory suggests we use media to deflect sad moods and maintain good moods, various research findings reflect a more complex picture. The present study took a mixed-method, nuanced approach to basic mood management questions and investigated both open and close-ended media preferences among college students (N = 157) immediately following a positive or negative mood induction. Results show that sad (vs. happy) participants showed a preference for viewing a dark comedy or a social drama, whereas happy (vs. sad) participants showed a preference for viewing a slapstick comedy or an action adventure. Women (vs. men) showed an increased preference for romantic genres regardless of mood, whereas men showed a preference for action, suspense, and dark comedy genres. An interaction between gender and mood also emerged; sad men in particular showed a preference for dark comedies. Results are discussed in light of the emotional gratifications that mood-reflecting media may afford ...
Factors Influencing Epidemiology and Management of Blackberry Rust in Cultivated Rubus laciniatus

Johnson, K. B., and Mahaffee, W. F. 2010. Factors influencing epidemiology and management of blackberry rust in cultivated Rubus laciniatus. Plant Dis. 94:581-588. The blackberry rust pathogen Phragmidium violaceum was first observed in Oregon in spring 2005 on both commercially cultivated Rubus laciniatus (Evergreen blackberry) and naturalized R. armeniacus (Himalayan blackberry). Several commercial plantings suffered severe economic losses. In 2006 to 2008, all five spore stages of this autoecious, macrocyclic rust pathogen were observed annually, and asexual perennation of the pathogen on old leaves or in leaf buds was not evident in the disease cycle. In field experiments, teliospore germination and infection by basidiospores occurred mostly during April. On potted “trap” plants exposed for periods of 1 week under dense collections of dead leaves bearing teliospores, basidiospore infection was associated with wetness durations of >16 h with mean temperatures >8°C. Trap plants placed under the bundles of collected leaves frequently developed spermagonia, whereas only 1 of 630 trap plants placed in a production field of R. laciniatus became diseased, an indication that the effective dispersal distance of basidiospores may be limited. In growth chambers programmed for constant temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C, a minimum of six continuous hours of leaf wetness was required for infection by urediniospores, with >9 h required for moderate infection (>4 pustules/cm2) at 15 and 20°C. With diurnal temperature regimes averaging 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25°C, urediniospore germination and infection was highest in the range of 5 to 15°C; similarly, in the diurnal environment, >9 h of leaf wetness was required to attain moderate infection. In the field, lime sulfur applied as a delayed dormant treatment significantly suppressed teliospore germination and basidiospore infection. Over two seasons, one application of myclobutanil, a demethylation-inhibitor fungicide, applied in early May near the time of spermagonial appearance provided effective suppression of the summer epidemic.
Bivariate and multivariate growth allometry: statistical and biological considerations

Bivariate and multivariate analyses of 55 cranial dimensions were completed on ontogenetic series of Pygmy chimpanzees (Pan paniscus), Common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). Subanalyses described here were specifically designed to compare and crosscheck quantitative assessments of relative growth as determined using the bivariate and multivariate (principal components analysis—PCA) approaches. Results indicate a strong concordance between the bivariate and multivariate patterns, empirically supporting the claim that PCA provides an effective multivariate approach to analysing growth allometry. Comparison of bivariate and multivariate results also suggests that in multi-group PCA, the first component summarizes shape variation resulting from the sharing and extension of common patterns of growth allometry, while the second and subsequent components summarize shape variation resulting from divergent growth trajectories, reflected in bivariate comparisons as either vertical shifts and/or slope differences. Examination of non-normalized first component loadings, plus a comparison with estimates of logarithmic growth in the cranial dimensions, reveals that the non-normalized loadings are proportional to coefficients of specific growth. This finding further links the bivariate and multivariate approaches, grounding both in Huxley's theoretical notions of multiplicative and relative growth.
Dependence of critical properties on dimensionality of spins

We consider a new model Hamiltonian ${\mathcal{H}}^{(\ensuremath{\nu})}$ for interacting $\ensuremath{\nu}$-dimensional classical "spins"; ${\mathcal{H}}^{(\ensuremath{\nu})}$ reduces to the Ising, planar, and Heisenberg models, respectively, for $\ensuremath{\nu}=1, 2, \mathrm{and} 3$. Certain critical properties of ${\mathcal{H}}^{(\ensuremath{\nu})}$ are found to be monotonic functions of $\ensuremath{\nu}$.
Computational modeling of interacting VEGF and soluble VEGF receptor concentration gradients

Experimental data indicates that soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 1 (sFlt-1) modulates the guidance cues provided to sprouting blood vessels by VEGF-A. To better delineate the role of sFlt-1 in VEGF signaling, we have developed an experimentally based computational model. This model describes dynamic spatial transport of VEGF, and its binding to receptors Flt-1 and Flk-1, in a mouse embryonic stem cell model of vessel morphogenesis. The model represents the local environment of a single blood vessel. Our simulations predict that blood vessel secretion of sFlt-1 and increased local sFlt-1 sequestration of VEGF results in decreased VEGF–Flk-1 levels on the sprout surface. In addition, the model predicts that sFlt-1 secretion increases the relative gradient of VEGF–Flk-1 along the sprout surface, which could alter endothelial cell perception of directionality cues. We also show that the proximity of neighboring sprouts may alter VEGF gradients, VEGF receptor binding, and the directionality of sprout growth. As sprout distances decrease, the probability that the sprouts will move in divergent directions increases. This model is a useful tool for determining how local sFlt-1 and VEGF gradients contribute to the spatial distribution of VEGF receptor binding, and can be used in conjunction with experimental data to explore how multi-cellular interactions and relationships between local growth factor gradients drive angiogenesis.
Toward functional genomics in bacteria: Analysis of gene expression in Escherichia coli from a bacterial artificial chromosome library of Bacillus cereus

As the study of microbes moves into the era of functional genomics, there is an increasing need for molecular tools for analysis of a wide diversity of microorganisms. Currently, biological study of many prokaryotes of agricultural, medical, and fundamental scientific interest is limited by the lack of adequate genetic tools. We report the application of the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vector to prokaryotic biology as a powerful approach to address this need. We constructed a BAC library in Escherichia coli from genomic DNA of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus cereus. This library provides 5.75-fold coverage of the B. cereus genome, with an average insert size of 98 kb. To determine the extent of heterologous expression of B. cereus genes in the library, we screened it for expression of several B. cereus activities in the E. coli host. Clones expressing 6 of 10 activities tested were identified in the library, namely, ampicillin resistance, zwittermicin A resistance, esculin hydrolysis, hemolysis, orange pigment production, and lecithinase activity. We analyzed selected BAC clones genetically to identify rapidly specific B. cereus loci. These results suggest that BAC libraries will provide a powerful approach for studying gene expression from diverse prokaryotes.
Restoration in the presence of multiplicative noise with application to scanned photographic images

A linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) deconvolution filter is derived in the presence of a multiplicative noise in order to incorporate the nonlinear sensor characteristics into the restoration of noisy and blurred scanned photographic images. Image restoration is proposed in the exposure domain where a linear convolutional relationship between the original and the observed images can be established at the expense of having a multiplicative observation noise. Examples of photographically blurred images are provided to demonstrate that images can be identified and restored in the exposure domain which cannot be identified or restored in the optical density domain. >
Multidimensional spatial solitons in a laser cavity with a quadratic nonlinearity

Summary form only given. Recently, the observation of multidimensional quadratic solitons was achieved with micro-joule input pulse energies and input irradiances in excess of 10 GW/cm/sup 2/. In order to reduce the input power requirements for multidimensional quadratic-soliton formation, we show experimentally the formation of (2+1) solitons in a CW laser cavity containing a quadratic nonlinear element. In order to compensate for the intracavity losses a linear gain mechanism is introduced via a diode-pumped Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser crystal. Assuming cylindrical symmetry being preserved, a single transverse dimension is sufficient to model the transverse evolution of the fields involved in our cavity.
Optimal control of freeway corridors

Hierarchical traffic control that adapts to exogenous changes, optimizes system performance, and reduces local disturbances is one of the most effective advanced traffic management system methods for relieving congestion in freeway corridors. Optimal ramp‐metering control lies at the center of such a hierarchical control system. However, current ramp‐metering control strategies are not truly dynamic, are not optimal, or consider only parts of the freeway corridor. This paper presents an optimal ramp‐metering control method to alleviate congestion in the interacting corridor components, including freeway, parallel arterials, and connecting streets. The control formulation employs a continuum traffic‐flow model of the corridor dynamics, and the conjugate gradient method to search for optimal ramp‐metering rates according to the total travel time in the corridor. A test of the optimal metering for a simple one‐ramp segment of a freeway corridor is presented.
Fire feedbacks facilitate invasion of pine savannas by Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius).

Summary • Fire disturbance can mediate the invasion of ecological communities by nonnative species. Nonnative plants that modify existing fire regimes may initiate a positive feedback that can facilitate their continued invasion. Fire-sensitive plants may successfully invade pyrogenic landscapes if they can inhibit fire in the landscape. • Here, we investigated whether the invasive shrub Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) can initiate a fire-suppression feedback in a fire-dependent pine savanna ecosystem in the southeastern USA. • We found that prescribed burns caused significant (30‐45%) mortality of Brazilian pepper at low densities and that savannas with more frequent fires contained less Brazilian pepper. However, high densities of Brazilian pepper reduced fire temperature by up to 200ϒC, and experienced as much as 80% lower mortality. • A cellular automaton model was used to demonstrate that frequent fire may control low-density populations, but that Brazilian pepper may reach a sufficient density during fire-free periods to initiate a positive feedback that reduces the frequency of fire and converts the savanna to an invasive-dominated forest.
Lagniappe: Country Music in North Carolina: Pickin' in the Old North State

While all Southern states share historical connections in culture and geography, North Carolina is in many ways unique. From the Outer Banks to the industrial Piedmont to the High Country of the west, the state has a unique mix of regions and cultures. Music figures prominently in North Carolina, and its musicians reflect the diversity of the geography. The state’s earliest musicians were the Native Americans, especially the Cherokee, whose music has been recorded and studied in some detail. European-American music has flourished since colonial days: in Salem, the Moravian church has sponsored the development of sacred choral and instrumental music for over 200 years. In the early twentieth century a distinct African American blues style originated from the textile mill and tobacco towns of the Piedmont region.
Applying NURBs-Based Surrogate Models for Performance Forecasting in Manufacturing Systems

Manufacturing companies require systems that can respond to disruptions and be reconfigured quickly. The use of simulation to improve efficiency is particularly common; however, realistic and accurate simulations are computationally expensive. To save on computational expense, a facility manager can make use of a computationally efficient surrogate model that approximates the response of the simulation. This work implements a novel method of approximating throughput of a simulated manufacturing environment using Non-Uniform Rational B-splines (NURBs) as the basis for surrogate models. In three scenario studies, NURBs-based surrogates accurately approximate simulation outputs, with surrogate model query times ranging from 2 to 4 orders of magnitude faster than estimated evaluation times for corresponding simulations. These findings indicate that NURBs-based surrogates are a promising method of approximating manufacturing simulations for performance forecasting.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
SPECT imaging in dementias [3] (multiple letters)

TO THE EDITOR: We wish to comment on certain aspects of an interesting recent paper by Hoffman et al. ([1][1]). In initial evaluation of new patients who might be suffering from one of the dementias, it is common practice in many institutions to obtain an MRI scan of the head, largely to rule out
The first bismuth(II)–rhodium(II) oxypyridinate paddlewheel complexes: synthesis and structural characterization

AbstractThe first examples of heterobimetallic Bi–Rh bonded complexes supported by heteroatom ligands have been synthesized and structurally characterized. BiRh(hp)4 (1) and BiRh(chp)4 (2) each adopt a [4,0]O polar geometry with Bi–Rh bond distances of 2.5409(4) and 2.5848(1) A, respectively (hp = 2-hydroxypyridine, chp = 6-chloro-2-hydroxypyridine). The relative oxophilicity of bismuth compared to rhodium clearly influences the selective formation of the [4,0]O arrangement, even for the sterically crowded 2.
Mechanoenergetic studies in isolated mouse hearts

We tested the feasibility of an isolated, balloon-in-ventricle, isovolumically contracting, crystalloid-perfused mouse heart preparation (n = 10) for studies of cardiac mechanoenergetics using the ...
Evaluation of phenotypic tests for detection of Amp C beta-lactamases in clinical isolates from a tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate sensitivity and specificity of disc approximation test compared to three-dimensional extract test as a phenotypic gold standard test for detection of AmpC beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. METHODS The cross-sectional validation study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) were isolated from various clinical specimens. Screening for AmpC beta-lactamases was done by using cefoxitin disc (30µg) showing inhibition zone diameter of <18mm. Screen-positive isolates were subjected to disc approximation test (DAT) and three-dimensional extract test(3-DET).SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 120 ESBL producing Gram negative rods were included in the study. Out of these 120, 82(68.33%) were found to be AmpC beta-lactamase producing on screening with cefoxitin disc. Amongst these 82 isolates, Escherichia coli were identified in 57(69.51%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae in 25 (30.48%). Phenotypic confirmation by disc approximation test (DAT) identified 43(52.43%). AmpC beta-lactamase producing isolates, whereas gold standard 3-DET showed 38(46.34%) of AmpC beta-lactamase producing isolates. Hence, sensitivity of disc approximation test (DAT) was found to be 88%, specificity was 92%, positive predictive value was 92.68%, negative predictive value was 87.80% and diagnostic accuracy was 90.24%. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of disc approximation test in the laboratories can help in identifying AmpC beta-lactamase harbouring organisms.
Agriculture Must Change

In the previous chapter a few of the recent changes in agriculture in the industrial countries were described. The purpose was primarily to emphasize the rapidity with which agriculture has adjusted in the period since the Second World War. It was shown that the organization of agriculture in Western Europe, North America, Japan and Oceania was capable of large and numerous adjustments to changing conditions and that many of these adjustments were made with remarkable speed. The chapter was also intended to make clear that policy-makers who fail to recognize the speed of adjustment that is possible in modern agriculture do so at considerable risk. Policies that are based on the assumption that agriculture is relatively static and subject to slow rates of change will have a series of effects that are largely unintended and undesired; and such policies will become far more costly than anticipated.
Imaging Energy Transfer in Pt-Decorated Au Nanoprisms via Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy

Driven by the desire to understand energy transfer between plasmonic and catalytic metals for applications such as plasmon-mediated catalysis, we examine the spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) of both pure Au nanoprisms and Pt-decorated Au nanoprisms. The EEL spectra and the resulting surface-plasmon mode maps reveal detailed near-field information on the coupling and energy transfer in these systems, thereby elucidating the underlying mechanism of plasmon-driven chemical catalysis in mixed-metal nanostructures. Through a combination of experiment and theory we demonstrate that although the location of the Pt decoration greatly influences the plasmons of the nanoprism, simple spatial proximity is not enough to induce significant energy transfer from the Au to the Pt. What matters more is the spectral overlap between the intrinsic plasmon resonances of the Au nanoprism and Pt decoration, which can be tuned by changing the composition or morphology of either component.
Does liking explain variance above and beyond LMX? A meta-analysis

Abstract Although liking or affect was a central construct during the 1980's and 1990's in supervisor-subordinate dyadic research, a review of the literature suggests that since the turn of the century leader-member exchange (LMX) has emerged as the primary construct to assess relational quality. A question exists whether liking, as a reflection of interpersonal attraction, should continue to be included in organization research that focuses on dyadic relations and whether liking is redundant to LMX. To answer this question, we examined the incremental validity and construct redundancy of liking in relation to LMX based on meta-analyses. Results indicated that liking and LMX have similar patterns with common correlates with respect to effect sizes and significance. Moderator analysis revealed that reporting source of liking and LMX result in significantly higher correlations with antecedent and outcome variables when common reporting source data is used. Incremental variance analysis results demonstrated that liking can potentially explain additional variance over LMX for consequences. Overall, our results suggest that liking is an important and distinct construct that facilitates the development of LMX and therefore should not be abandoned in organizational research that examine supervisor-subordinate relational quality.
Producing a worthy illness: Personal crowdfunding amidst financial crisis

Abstract For Americans experiencing illnesses and disabilities, crowdfunding has become a popular strategy for addressing the extraordinary costs of health care. The political, social, and health consequences of austerity--along with fallout from the 2008 financial collapse and the shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)--are made evident in websites like GoFundMe. Here, patients and caregivers create campaigns to solicit donations for medical care, hoping that they will spread widely through social networks. As competition increases among campaigns, patients and their loved ones are obliged to produce compelling and sophisticated appeals. Despite the growing popularity of crowdfunding, little research has explored the usage, impacts, or consequences of the increasing reliance on it for health in the U.S. or abroad. This paper analyzes data from a mixed-methods study conducted from March–September 2016 of 200 GoFundMe campaigns, identified through randomized selection. In addition to presenting exploratory quantitative data on the characteristics and relative success of these campaigns, a more in-depth textual analysis examines how crowdfunders construct narratives about illness and financial need, and attempt to demonstrate their own deservingness. Concerns with the financial burdens of illness, combined with a high proportion of campaigns in states without ACA Medicaid expansion, underscored the importance of crowdfunding as a response to contexts of austerity. Successful crowdfunding requires that campaigners master medical and media literacies; as such, we argue that crowdfunding has the potential to deepen social and health inequities in the U.S. by promoting forms of individualized charity that rely on unequally-distributed literacies to demonstrate deservingness and worth. Crowdfunding narratives also distract from crises of healthcare funding and gaping holes in the social safety net by encouraging hyper-individualized accounts of suffering on media platforms where precarity is portrayed as the result of inadequate self-marketing, rather than the inevitable consequences of structural conditions of austerity.
Theory of free, spin-(1/2) tachyons

A quantized, spin-\textonehalf{}, free-tachyon theory is developed from the Dirac equation using Tanaka's pseudoscalar Lagrangian density. The tachyon spinors are found with their orthogonality relations. The similarity between the transcendental frame for tachyons and the rest frame for tardyons is noted. Using Fermi-Dirac statistics and including negative-energy states yields a theory which reduces to the four-component neutrino theory in the massless limit. We are able to find only a conserved pseudoscalar, helicity, and a conserved axial vector, related to the energy and momentum of left- and right-handed states. Scalar and polar vector quantities are constructed but are found to either vanish or vary in time.
DIY tDCS: a need for an empirical look

Recent phenomenal advances in neuroscience have spurred technological progress on direct biological brain interventions. One of these intervention technologies gaining momentum is transcranial dire...
Conservatism, Overconfidence and Self-attribution Biases Effect on Venezuelan Purchasing Managers

This paper documents the impact of three cognitive biases (conservatism, overconfidence, and self-attribution) in the process-decision making of Venezuelan purchase managers’, shedding some light over the strategies and debiasing processes required to improve their performance. From an experiment with 212 managers who attended an executive seminar on purchasing management– through structural equation modeling–my results show that our managers are prone to those three biases, and tend to view the bargaining exercise as a transactional activity (here and today)
Treating Sepsis Is Complicated: Are Governmental Regulations for Sepsis Care Too Simplistic?

Regulatory agencies evaluate hospitals' care of patients with sepsis according to their completion of the SEP-1 performance measure. Pepper and colleagues found that evidence is lacking to support ...
Explicit joint attention interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders are successful: But determining a specific strategy requires further evidence

Are joint attention interventions aimed at improving joint attention abilities in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) effective?Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources: S...
ReDefining Gamification: A Process Approach

Gamification is a growing phenomenon of interest to both practitioners and researchers. There remains, however, uncertainty about the contours of the field. Defining gamification as "the process of making activities more game-like" focuses on the crucial space between the components that make up games and the holistic experience of gamefulness. It better fits real-world examples and connects gamification with the literature on persuasive design.
Dynamics of Flexible Machines: A Variational Approach

Recent developments in dynamics of mechanical systems with flexible bodies in spacecraft dynamics [1 and references cited therein] and in flexible machine dynamics [2 and references cited therein] illustrate an emerging capability for coupling geometrically nonlinear gross motion of mechanical systems with elastic deformation. A variational approach for developing the equations of motion of flexible dynamic systems is presented in this paper, using vibration and static correction elastic deformation modes. A slider-crank mechanism with a flexible coupler is used to illustrate the technique and the value of static correction modes in accurate approximation of system dynamic response.
Informational Drugs: A New Concept in Pharmacology

Drugs that contain information encoded in them are intended to interfere with great specificity in the transfer of information within the cell, thus providing selective therapeutic advantage. It is proposed that such drugs can be classified as informational drugs.
Phase I trial of TAS-102 and concurrent radiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent, unresectable or metastatic, rectal cancer.

TPS3623Background: After primary therapy for rectal cancer (chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiotherapy), 7-10% of patients will develop locally recurrent disease. Re-irradiation +/- resection of re...
Clinical Application of a High-Probability Sequence to Promote Compliance with Vocal Imitation in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of the high-probability (high-p) instructional procedure involving motor imitation on the levels of compliance with vocal imitation in a 3-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used a multiple-baseline design across three stimuli sets to demonstrate effects of the procedure over compliance with vocal imitation responses. Results demonstrated that the high-p procedural sequence was effective in increasing the levels of compliance with vocal imitation. We discuss these finding in terms of the operant mechanisms and clinical applications of increased compliance.
Runtime requirements monitoring for state-based hardware: work-in-progress

This paper presents a requirements-driven methodology enabling efficient runtime monitoring of hardware in embedded systems. We present a novel method for extracting hardware verification requirements from state-based hardware models to construct a hierarchical runtime monitoring graph (HRMG) that can be efficiently used at runtime to verify correctness.
EnABLe: An agent-based model to understand Listeria dynamics in food processing facilities

Detection of pathogens in food processing facilities by routine environmental monitoring (EM) is essential to reduce the risk of foodborne illness but is complicated by the complexity of equipment and environment surfaces. To optimize design of EM programs, we developed EnABLe (“Environmental monitoring with an Agent-Based Model of Listeria”), a detailed and customizable agent-based simulation of a built environment. EnABLe is presented here in a model system, tracing Listeria spp. (LS) (an indicator for conditions that allow the presence of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes) on equipment and environment surfaces in a cold-smoked salmon facility. EnABLe was parameterized by existing literature and expert elicitation and validated with historical data. Simulations revealed different contamination dynamics and risks among equipment surfaces in terms of the presence, level and persistence of LS. Grouping of surfaces by their LS contamination dynamics identified connectivity and sanitary design as predictors of contamination, indicating that these features should be considered in the design of EM programs to detect LS. The EnABLe modeling approach is particularly timely for the frozen food industry, seeking science-based recommendations for EM, and may also be relevant to other complex environments where pathogen contamination presents risks for direct or indirect human exposure.