cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A biomechanical comparison of two arthroscopic suture techniques in biceps tenodesis: whip-stitch vs. simple suture techniques.

Background The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical performance of whip-stitch (WS) and simple suture techniques (SST) of the long head of the biceps tendon in suprapectoral intraosseous tenodesis with interference screw fixation. Methods A total of 10 paired cadavers (61.1 ± 4.6 years) were randomized to receive WS or SST biceps tenodesis beginning at the musculotendinous junction. Both groups implemented a No. 2 FiberLoop wire and underwent suprapectoral fixation with a polyetheretherketone interference screw at the bicipital grove. A Materials Testing System performed cyclic testing (500 cycles), followed by load to failure at 1 mm/s. Load, displacement, and time were recorded during cyclic and failure testing. A 2-tailed Student’s t-test and χ2 analysis were performed for failure load and mode of failure, respectively. Results Two SST specimens and 1 WS specimen failed during cyclic loading via tendon rupture at the screw-tendon interface. There was no significant statistical difference in the cyclic displacement after 500 cycles between the WS (12.9 mm ± 4.4 mm) and SST groups (14.0 mm ± 3.8 mm, P = .2); cyclic strain, defined as the peak displacement at the 500th cycle divided by the initial gauge length, between the WS (0.4 ± 0.2) and SST groups (0.7 ± 0.7, P = .3); maximal load (162.7 N ± 56.8 N vs. 153.1 N ± 39.3 N, respectively, P = .6); and stiffness (50.5 N/mm ± 17.7 N/mm vs. 43.3 N/mm ± 10.9 N/mm, respectively, P = .3). All specimens ruptured at the screw-tendon interface. Conclusion The WS technique can provide equivalent biomechanical performance to the SST in suprapectoral intraosseous biceps tenodesis with interference screw fixation.
Nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) antagonists induce ROS-dependent inhibition of mTOR signaling in endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objectives NR4A1 is overexpressed in many solid tumors, and the objectives of this study were to investigate the expression and functional role of this receptor in endometrial cancer cells and demonstrate that NR4A1 antagonist inhibit mTOR. Methods Ishikawa and Hec-1B endometrial cells were used as models to investigate the parallel effects of NR4A1 knockdown by RNA interference (siNR4A1) and treatment with bis-indole-derived NR4A1 ligands (antagonists) on cell growth and survival by determining cell numbers and effects on Annexin V staining. Western blot analysis of whole cell lysates was used to determine effects of these treatments on expression of growth promoting, survival and apoptotic genes and mTOR signaling. Effects of NR4A1 antagonists on tumor growth were determined in athymic nude mice bearing Hec-1B cells as xenografts. Results siNR4A1 or treatment with bis-indole-derived NR4A1 antagonists inhibited growth of endometrial cancer cells in vitro and endometrial tumors in vivo and this was accompanied by decreased expression of growth promoting and survival genes and mTOR inhibition. Conclusions NR4A1 exhibited pro-oncogenic activity in endometrial cells due, in part, to regulation of cell growth, survival and mTOR signaling, and all of these pathways and their associated gene products were inhibited after treatment with bis-indole-derived NR4A1 antagonists. Moreover, these compounds also blocked endometrial tumor growth in vivo demonstrating that NR4A1 is a potential novel drug target for treatment of endometrial cancer.
Retrospective study to identify associations between clinician training and dental implant outcome and to compare the use of MATLAB with SAS

The aim of this study was to identify any associations between predictor variables, mainly clinician training and dental implant outcome, among the residents in different departments and to compare statistical analysis with the use of MATLAB R2017a™ to SAS version 9.4. Dental records were reviewed from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015. Two thousand forty-eight dental implants were placed on 471 patients seen by residents from the departments of Periodontics, Prosthodontics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry. The following parameters were investigated by means of multilevel logistic regression analysis: demographics, implant parameters, department, and residents’ year of training. A total of 1449 implants were included in the study. Overall, within a 1–5-year time period, 1343 (92.6%) implants had survived and 106 (7.4%) implants failed. Discipline (p = 0.0004), residents’ year of training (p < 0.0001), and implant systems (p = 0.0024) showed significant associations with implant outcome. Periodontics had a survival rate of 94.14% followed by Prosthodontics (91.48%) and OMFS (89.64%). The survival rates of implants by year of training were as follows: third-year Periodontics and OMFS (94.20%), second-year (89.38%), and first-year (88.6%). The level and type of clinician training had an impact on implant outcome in different residency programs. Further studies will be necessary to identify the reasons for the differences in implant failure rates.
Developing a program for social work with Latino populations: a case study

This paper presents a case study of the development of a program in a large U.S. School of Social Work to train social work students to work with Latina/o populations entitled ‘Latino/a Initiatives...
Secrecy Analyses of a Full-Duplex MIMOME Network

This paper presents secrecy analyses of a full-duplex MIMOME network which consists of two full-duplex multi-antenna users (Alice and Bob) and an arbitrarily located multi-antenna eavesdropper (Eve). The paper assumes that Eve's channel state information (CSI) is completely unknown to Alice and Bob except for a small radius of secured zone. The first part of this paper aims to optimize the powers of jamming noises from both users. To handle Eve's CSI being unknown to users, the focus is placed on Eve at the most harmful location, and the large matrix theory is applied to yield a hardened secrecy rate to work on. The performance gain of the power optimization in terms of maximum tolerable number of antennas on Eve is shown to be significant. The second part of this paper shows two analyses of anti-eavesdropping channel estimation (ANECE) that can better handle Eve with any number of antennas. One analysis assumes that Eve has a prior statistical knowledge of its CSI, which yields lower and upper bounds on secure degrees of freedom of the system as functions of the number (N) of antennas on Eve and the size (K) of information packet. The second analysis assumes that Eve does not have any prior knowledge of its CSI but performs blind detection of information, which yields an approximate secrecy rate for the case of K being larger than N.
E-071 Percutaneous alcohol embolization of symptomatic vertebral hemangioma using column technique: a case report

Background Hemangiomas are the most common vertebral body tumors typically discovered as incidental findings on spinal imaging. In 1% of patients, hemangiomas can be symptomatic causing persistent back pain that necessitate treatment. Percutaneous alcohol embolization (PAE) is an effective but challenging way of treating these lesions. We hereby report a case of vertebral hemangioma treated with PAE with unique technique. Methods 59-year-old man with chronic back pain refractory to medications, physical therapy and chiropractic maneuvers presented to our clinic. His MRI spine revealed multiple vertebral hemangiomas, most prominent at T8 and T10. On examination, the point of maximum tenderness was at T10. Limited spinal angiogram revealed tumor blush at the sites of vertebral hemangiomas. Under sterile conditions, two 10-gauge needles were advanced in the T10 vertebral body via transpedicular approach. The contrast injection revealed tumor blush and venous outflow into the azygous system. For PAE, we formed columns of contrast-absolute ethanol-contrast to avoid alcohol dilution and for adequate visualization during embolization. (figure 1) A bubble trapped between these columns, initially inadvertently and later intentional, also helped to keep the columns separate. The mixing of contrast to absolute ethanol is an alternative to this technique. However, it could decrease the efficacy of absolute ethanol in obliteration of hemangioma. Patient tolerated the procedure very well and endorsed clinical improvement on day 1. Conclusion During PAE for vertebral hemangiomas, formation of columns of contrast and absolute ethanol during embolization is an effective technique. It helps to preserve higher alcohol concentration and in turn, efficacy of embolization while maintaining adequate visualization. Disclosures S. Male: None. T. Mehta: None. A. Khan: None. A. Grande: None. R. Tummala: None. B. Jagadeesan: None.
Integrating technology and data analytic skills into the accounting curriculum: Accounting department leaders’ experiences and insights

Abstract Recently, accounting professionals have highlighted the need for accounting students to have technology and data analytic skills to be successful in the accounting profession. To meet this demand, AACSB elected to mandate that all accounting departments with supplemental accreditation integrate a minimum level of technology and data analytic skills into their curricula through Standard A7 (now Standard A5). We report survey results of AACSB accredited accounting department leaders concerning their experiences in integrating technology into the curriculum, including their perspectives on implementation status and challenges, as well as their current program offerings. We find that Standard A7 was impactful in eliciting change, but that the method of integration, as well as the available courses, varies across programs. Our findings and discussion should be of interest to the leaders of accounting and business programs accredited by the AACSB or planning to gain accreditation, other accounting programs seeking to integrate technology, the AACSB and other accrediting bodies, as well as other stakeholders (e.g., AAA, AICPA).
COVID-19 and Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported as a complication of COVID-19. However, the epidemiology, management, and associated outcomes have varied greatly between studies. The pathophysiology remains unclear. Summary: The etiology of AKI in the setting of COVID-19 appears multifactorial. Systemic effects of sepsis, inflammation, and vascular injury likely play some role. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor, highly expressed in the kidney, providing a route for direct infection. Older age, baseline comorbidities, and respiratory failure are strong risk factors for the development of AKI. Regardless of etiology, AKI carries a significantly increased risk for in-hospital mortality, especially in those with critical illness. Currently, management of AKI in patients with COVID-19 remains supportive. Key Messages: AKI is common in patients with COVID-19. Future studies are needed to examine the response to anti-viral treatment as well as long-term renal outcomes in patients with AKI.
Motivating Health Behavior Change with Humorous Virtual Agents

Research on the psychology of humor indicates that humor can increase the impact of persuasive messages in certain circumstances, suggesting that virtual agents could use humor to improve the effectiveness of motivational counseling with users. To explore this idea, we developed two virtual agents that attempt to motivate users to perform healthy behaviors - either to increase exercise or fruit and vegetable consumption - and systematically vary whether they use humor or not in their counseling conversations. Human-authored jokes were selected from a large corpus based on the nature of the humor (empathetic affiliative humor that serves to build relational closeness), health topic relevance, and subjective ratings of funniness, as well as relevance to user stage of behavior change. We evaluated our agents in a two-treatment counterbalanced within-subjects experiment, where participants interacted with a humorous and non-humorous agent motivating either exercise or healthy diet. We found the interaction with the humorous agent led to a significantly greater change in motivation to engage in the target behavior than interacting with the non-humorous agent.
Monte Carlo Simulation of a Three-Terminal RRAM with Applications to Neuromorphic Computing

We developed a Monte Carlo simulator to compute the state-dependent I-V characteristics of three-terminal (3T) RRAM devices. State switching in these devices is modeled using a combination of vacancy migration and trap-assisted-tunneling mechanisms. We describe key elements of the simulator, compute hysteresis curves under typical voltage cycling conditions, and demonstrate agreement with experimental results. We then study the response of 2T- and 3T-RRAMs under pulsed operation and show that 3T-RRAM conductance values have both greater dynamic range than 2T-RRAMs and the potential to deliver superior inference accuracy in neuromorphic applications.
Nuclear PTEN and p53 suppress stress-induced liver cancer through distinct mechanisms.

Abstract PTEN and p53 are highly mutated in many cancers. These two tumor suppressors have critical functions in the nucleus, such as DNA repair, cell cycle progression, and genome maintenance. However, the in vivo functional relationship of nuclear PTEN and p53 is unknown. Here, we analyzed the liver of mice in which nuclear PTEN and p53 are individually or simultaneously depleted. We found that nuclear PTEN loss greatly upregulates p53 expression upon oxidative stress, while the loss of p53 potentiates stress-induced accumulation of PTEN in the nucleus. Next, we examined oxidative stress-induced DNA damage in hepatocytes, and found that nuclear PTEN loss aggravated the damage while p53 loss did not. Notably, mice lacking nuclear PTEN had increased hepatocellular carcinoma under oxidative stress, while mice lacking p53 in hepatocytes had accelerated hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The formation of cholangiocarcinoma appears to involve the transformation of hepatocytes into cholangiocarcinoma. Simultaneous loss of nuclear PTEN and p53 exacerbated both types of liver cancers. These data suggest that nuclear PTEN and p53 suppress liver cancers through distinct mechanisms.
Assessment of water quality in ponds across the rural, peri-urban, and urban gradient

The Prairie Pothole Region is one of the most wetland rich areas of the world and has experienced intense disturbance from increased agricultural demands and urban sprawl. This study assessed ponds across the urban gradient for the first time in the region to determine the impacts of urbanization on water quality. Thirty ponds (ten rural, ten peri-urban, and ten urban) were randomly selected and compared based on land use type and the impervious to pervious surface ratio within 1.6 km of each pond. Water quality samples were taken monthly in 2015 and 2016, across 3 and 6 months respectively. Assessment included chemical and physical parameters, which were compared spatially across the gradient and temporally between sampling periods. Results indicate disturbance from urbanization negatively impacts water quality. Spatially across the gradient, rural pond water quality was significantly different from both peri-urban and urban ponds, whereas peri-urban and urban pond water quality was not significantly different. Temporally, differences between water quality parameters and sampling periods indicate that surrounding land use, land cover, and precipitation influence parameter concentrations across the urbanization gradient. Information from this study is useful to water professionals dealing with urban development and sprawl that continue to impact water and natural habitat.
Microspore culture of Brassica species

The production of haploid plants from isolated microspores of Brassica napus (L.) was first reported by Lichter in 1982 (Lichter, 1982). The embryo yields from these initial experiments were low but have since increased through manipulation of the culture technique. Methods for achieving chromosome doubling and producing doubled haploid plants have also been developed. Microspore culture is about ten times more efficient than anther culture and is the preferred method for doubled haploidy. The microspore doubled haploid methodology is now employed routinely in many B. napus breeding programmes around the world. The varieties ‘Q2’, ‘Quantum’, and ‘Armada’ have been developed via microspore culture. The production of double haploids from buds to fertile plants is shown in Figure 2.30-1. The developmental sequence of a microspore to an embryo is shown in Figure 2.30-2.
Cap and Dividend: How to Curb Global Warming While Protecting the Incomes Of American Families

This essay examines the distributional effects of a “cap-and-dividend" policy for reducing carbon emission in the United States: a policy that auctions carbon permits and distributes the revenue to the public on an equal per capita basis. The aim of the policy is to reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the main pollutant causing global warming, while at the same time protecting the real incomes of middle-income and lower-income American families. The number of permits is set by a statutory cap on carbon emissions that gradually diminishes over time. The sale of carbon permits will generate very large revenues, posing the critical question of who will get the money. The introduction of carbon permits – or, for that matter, any policy to curb emissions – will raise prices of fossil fuels and have a regressive impact on income distribution, since fuel expenditures represent a larger fraction of income for lower-income households than for upper-income households. The net effect of carbon emission-reduction policies depends on who gets the money that households pay in higher prices. We find that a cap-and-dividend policy would have a strongly progressive net effect. Moreover, the majority of U.S. households would be net winners in purely monetary terms: that is, their real incomes, after paying higher fuel prices and receiving their dividends, would rise. From the standpoints of both distributional equity and political feasibility, a cap-and-dividend policy is therefore an attractive way to curb carbon emissions.
Ligation of the diiron site of the hydroxylase component of methane monooxygenase. An electron nuclear double resonance study

Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy is used to probe the coordination of the mixed valence (Fe(II).Fe(III)) diiron cluster of the methane monooxygenase hydroxylase component (MMOH-) isolated from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. ENDOR resonances are observed along the principal axis directions g1 = 1.94 and g3 = 1.76 from at least nine different protons and two different nitrogens. The nitrogens are strongly coupled and appear to be directly coordinated to the cluster irons. The ratio of their superhyperfine coupling constants is roughly 4:7, which equals the ratio of the spin expectation values of the Fe(II) and Fe(III) in the ground state and suggests that at least one nitrogen is coordinated to each iron of the mixed valence cluster. Moreover, the superhyperfine and quadrupole coupling constants assigned to the Fe(III) site (AN = 13.6 MHz, PN = 0.7 MHz) are comparable with those observed for semimethemerythrin sulfide (AN = 12.1 MHz, PN = 0.7 MHz), for which the nitrogen ligands are histidines. At least three of the coupled protons exchange slowly when MMOH- is incubated in D2O, and 2H ENDOR resonances are subsequently observed. These observations are also consistent with histidine ligation of the iron cluster. On addition of the inhibitor dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) to MMOH- the EPR spectrum sharpens and shifts dramatically. Only one set of 14N ENDOR resonances is observed with frequencies equal to those assigned to the Fe(III)-histidine resonances of uncomplexed MMOH- suggesting that the nitrogen coordination to the Fe(II) site is altered or possibly lost in the presence of Me2SO. 2H ENDOR resonances are observed in the presence of d6-Me2SO indicating that the inhibitor Me2SO binds near or possibly to the diiron cluster. In contrast, no 2H ENDOR resonances are observed from d4-methanol upon addition to MMOH-. Thus, the changes observed in the EPR spectrum of MMOH- upon addition of methanol may result from binding to a site away from the diiron cluster or from bulk solvent effects on the protein structure.
Trends Analysis of Topics Based on Temporal Segmentation

Extracting interesting information from large unstructured document sets is a time consuming task. In this paper, we describe an approach to analyze the temporal trends of a given topic in a time-stamped document set based on time series segmentation. We consider topics containing multiple keywords and use a fuzzy set based method to compute a numeric value to measure the relevance of a document set to the given topic. The measure of relevance is then used to assign a discrepancy score to a segmentation of the time period associated with the document set. The discrepancy score of a segmentation represents the likelihood of the topic across all segments in a segmentation. Given a user specified value k , we then define a min different k segmentation to capture the k -segmentation with the maximum possible discrepancy score and describe a dynamic-programming based algorithm to compute it. The proposed approach is illustrated by several experiments using a subset of the TDT-Pilot Corpus data set. Our experiments show that the min difference k segmentation successfully highlights the temporal trends of a topic using k segments.
Nano-plasmonics: Chirality transfer takes a jump

The transfer of chirality is known to occur through chemical bonds. Now, chiral biomolecules have been observed to impart some of their optical properties to a spatially separated achiral dye — with the transfer mediated by plasmon resonance from an achiral metallic nanostructure.
Studies on the ability of 65-kDa and 92-kDa tumor cell gelatinases to degrade type IV collagen.

Two major gelatinolytic metalloproteinases (gelatinases) of 65 kDa and 92 kDa were purified from a tumor cell line. Analysis of collagen degradation showed that native full-length Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) type IV collagen was not cleaved by the purified gelatinases under conditions where native pepsin-extracted human placental type IV and V collagen and heat-denatured collagens were markedly degraded. However, EHS type IV collagen degradation was noted at 37 degrees C, i.e., under conditions that would favor denaturation of the collagen molecule in solution. The pattern of degradation of human placental type IV and V collagen appeared similar for both gelatinases. Zymogram analysis of gelatinase activity in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (to eliminate possible SDS-mediated denaturation of type IV collagen) confirmed the inability of 65 and 92-kDa gelatinases to degrade native full-length EHS type IV collagen. Under the same conditions and in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis zymograms the gelatinases degraded pepsin-predigested EHS type IV collagen and pepsin-extracted human placental type IV collagen. These data suggest that the 65- and 92-kDa tumor cell gelatinases are not true type IV collagenases. Their ability to degrade pepsin-solubilized, or denatured, type IV collagen suggests a specificity for telopeptide precleaved or conformationally altered forms of this molecule.
Perioperative management of pediatric patients on mechanical cardiac support.

Summary The population of children with end-stage heart failure requiring mechanical circulatory support is growing. These children present for diagnostic imaging studies, various interventions and noncardiac surgical procedures that require anesthetic care. This article is a review of the population demographics of children on mechanical cardiac support, the alternative devices available, and the important concepts for safe perioperative management of these patients. The discussion will be limited to devices for short- and long-term cardiac support, excluding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for respiratory support.
Constraints on scale-dependent non-Gaussianity

We review why detection of non‐Gaussianity in the spectrum of primordial fluctuations would be an indication of interesting inflationary physics and discuss the observational constraints on a simple type of scale‐dependent non‐Gaussianity. In particular, if the amount non‐Gaussianity increases during inflation then observations on scales smaller than those probed by the Cosmic Microwave Background may provide important constraints. Clusters number counts can be a useful tool in this context.
Enhancing First-Grade Children's Mathematical Development with Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a dyadic peer-mediated treatment, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), on first-grade children's mathematics development. Within schools...
Cutting Edge: Soluble IL-6R Is Produced by IL-6R Ectodomain Shedding in Activated CD4 T Cells

IL-6 trans-signaling via the soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R) plays an important role in the progression of several autoimmune diseases and cancer by providing IL-6-responsiveness to cells lacking IL-6R. However, the potential sources of sIL-6R are less understood. In this study we show that sIL-6R is produced by both naive and memory CD4 T cells upon TCR activation. The production of sIL-6R by activated CD4 T cells is mediated by shedding of the membrane-bound IL-6R, and this process correlates with the expression of the metalloproteinase ADAM17 in these cells. In contrast to CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells do not express ADAM17 and their production of sIL-6R is negligible. Thus, during an immune response CD4 T cells are an important source of sIL-6R. Production of sIL-6R by autoreactive CD4 T cells may contribute to their role in the development of autoimmune disease by conferring IL-6-responsiveness to cells lacking IL-6R such as synoviocytes.
Amoeba host-Legionella synchronization of amino acid auxotrophy and its role in bacterial adaptation and pathogenic evolution.

Summary Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, invades and proliferates within a diverse range of free-living amoeba in the environment, but upon transmission to humans, the bacteria hijack alveolar macrophages. Intracellular proliferation of L. pneumophila in two evolutionarily distant hosts is facilitated by bacterial exploitation of conserved host processes that are targeted by bacterial protein effectors injected into the host cell. A key aspect of microbe–host interaction is microbial extraction of nutrients from the host, but understanding of this is still limited. AnkB functions as a nutritional virulence factor and promotes host proteasomal degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins generating gratuitous levels of limiting host cellular amino acids. Legionella pneumophila is auxotrophic for several amino acids including cysteine, which is a metabolically preferred source of carbon and energy during intracellular proliferation, but is limiting in both amoebae and humans. We propose that synchronization of bacterial amino acids auxotrophy with the host is a driving force in pathogenic evolution and nutritional adaptation of L. pneumophila and other intracellular bacteria to life within the host cell. Understanding microbial strategies of nutrient generation and acquisition in the host will provide novel antimicrobial strategies to disrupt pathogen access to essential sources of carbon and energy.
Pseudocyst of the pancreas with perirenal extension: Demonstration by computed tomography

Abstract An uncommon case of a patient with a pseudocyst of the pancreas clinically mimicking a renal mass is demonstrated by CT including the extent of dissection. Once the cyst in the pancreas was known, other radiographic methods helped to confirm the diagnosis. A review of the literature concerning pseudocyst extension to the kidney is also presented.
A H-infinity Control Approach for Oil Drilling Processes

Abstract This paper presents a robust optimization framework to improve the Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) process for safer and superior economical and environmental operations while removing risk-prone conventional drilling limitations such as a need for constant monitoring of the system parameters. The nonlinear MPD process considers the mud pump flow rate and the differential flow rate of the backpressure pump and the choke as the two inputs while the process downhole pressure rate as the output. The MPD process unmodeled disturbances, uncertain geological parameters and related model nonlinearities are considered to be the corresponding system uncertainties in a closed loop robust control and optimization framework for real-time operations. Moreover, the MPD process inputs are formulated to remain within practical bounds by introducing performance weighting functions. The proposed framework numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the closed loop robust control implementations for efficient drilling operations in operator guidance systems and provide a low-computational complexity design algorithm for safer drilling operations in regions with a-priori unknown geological properties.
Hypnosis versus Relaxation: Accuracy and Confidence in Dating International News Events.

This study compared participants who were administered either a hypnosis (n=50) or a relaxation (n=44) recall priming procedure in terms of the ability to estimate the dates of 20 relatively memorable (‘easy’) vs. less memorable (‘difficult’) international news events. The hypnosis and relaxation groups performed comparably in terms of the accuracy of estimates of when the events occurred, self-reported confidence in estimates, and the memorability and emotionality of the events that were reported during hypnosis and relaxation. After these initial ratings, participants were informed that ‘at least one’ of their estimates was incorrect, and they were given the opportunity to change their estimates of the date of when one or more of the events occurred. Participants who generated their initial estimates during hypnosis were less likely to change their previous estimates of both easy and difficult events, than were participants in the relaxation condition. The measure of self-reported confidence and a behavioural measure of willingness to change initial reports were largely dissociated from one another. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of single, homologous prime-boost and heterologous prime-boost immunization strategies against H5N1 influenza virus in a mouse challenge model

Preparation for an H5N1 influenza pandemic in humans may involve priming the population with a vaccine produced from an existing, available H5N1 strain. We have used a mouse challenge model to compare the immunogenicity and efficacy of inactivated, Vero cell-derived, whole virus H5N1 vaccines in single immunization and homologous or heterologous prime-boost regimes. A single immunization was sufficient to protect against a lethal challenge with strains from matched and unmatched H5N1 clades. Homologous and heterologous prime-boost regimes induced cross-neutralizing antibodies and cross-protection against representative viruses of H5N1 clade 1, clade 2.1, clade 2.2 and clade 2.3. Moreover, the results indicate that heterologous prime-boost immunization regimes might broaden the specificity of the anti-H5N1 antibody response.
Design and comparison of NML systolic architectures

Nanomagnet Logic (NML) is a device architecture that utilizes the magnetization of nano-scale magnets to perform logical operations. NML has been experimentally demonstrated and operates at room temperature. Because the nanomagnets are non-volatile, as data flows through a circuit, it is inherently pipelined. This feature makes NML an excellent fit for systolic architectures, which could enable low-power, high-throughput systems that can address a variety of application-level tasks. When considering possible NML systolic systems, the underlying systolic clocking scheme affects both architectural design and performance. In this paper we explore these issues in the context of two NML designs for convolution. One design is based on a 3-phase clocking scheme and uni-directional dataflow, and another is based on a 2-phase clocking scheme and bi-directional dataflow. We compare the two NML systolic designs in terms of area, delay, and energy. We also compare the NML and CMOS implementations of the design in terms of energy and delay. Results are supported by physical level simulation.
sMAP: simple monitoring and actuation profile

We present the architecture, specification, and implementations of a simple monitoring and action profile (sMAP), optimized for sensors, meters, and actuators in building environments. Our architecture is built on HTTP/REST and uses JSON as the object format for interoperability. We implement sMAP on a variety of resource monitors and actuators inside a commercial building, including mote-based wireless sensors and meters running IPv6/6LowPAN, Modbus based panel meters, and external data sources. We show that sMAP is widely implementable and efficient, and our API and schema definitions are expressive and concise. We demonstrate that our architecture is well suited for resource constrained devices using compressed JSON and proxies.
Estimation of Gravitation Parameters of Saturnian Moons Using Cassini Attitude Control Flight Data

A major science objective of the Cassini mission is to study Saturnian satellites. The gravitational properties of each Saturnian moon is of interest not only to scientists but also to attitude control engineers. When the Cassini spacecraft flies close to a moon, a gravity gradient torque is exerted on the spacecraft due to the mass of the moon. The gravity gradient torque will alter the spin rates of the reaction wheels (RWA). The change of each reaction wheel's spin rate might lead to overspeed issues or operating the wheel bearings in an undesirable boundary lubrication condition. Hence, it is imperative to understand how the gravity gradient torque caused by a moon will affect the reaction wheels in order to protect the health of the hardware. The attitude control telemetry from low-altitude flybys of Saturn's moons can be used to estimate the gravitational parameter of the moon or the distance between the centers of mass of Cassini and the moon. Flight data from several low altitude flybys of three Saturnian moons, Dione, Rhea, and Enceladus, were used to estimate the gravitational parameters of these moons. Results are compared with values given in the literature.
Temporal variation and feeding ecology of juvenile Sebastes in rocky intertidal tidepools of northern California, with emphasis on Sebastes melanops Girard

This study examined the seasonal use of rocky intertidal areas by young-of-the-year (YOY) Sebastes spp. at three locations in northern California, 2003 to 2005. Six species of Sebastes were noted during the study with black rockfish Sebastes melanops comprising >99% of the total number sampled. Sebastes melanops were noted in rocky intertidal areas from May to August with peak abundances occurring in May or June. Variation in recruitment and feeding was evident among years. Diet analysis, using the index of relative importance (%IRI) and the modified index (%IM), showed that YOY S. melanops and Sebastes mystinus consumed a variety of prey items with harpacticoid copepods and gammaridean amphipods being the dominant prey categories. The rocky intertidal appears to serve as an important habitat for YOY S. melanops in northern California.
Step-wise lengthening for delayed repair of avulsion of the flexor pollicis longus

Repair of late avulsion of the flexor pollicis longus tendon at insertion is a rare but difficult problem. A 52-year-old female labourer presented with a 3-month history of inability to flex her right thumb at the interphalangeal joint. Avulsion of the flexor pollicis longus tendon at its insertion was noted on exploration. Because the tendon had contracted and could not be reinserted directly, a technique of step-wise lengthening was used for reinsertion. Two months after operation, the patient resumed her daily activities and went back to work with satisfactory use of her right thumb. This report highlights the possibility of using a simple technique when there is no other alternative.
RE´SUME´: a temporal-abstraction system for patient monitoring

RESUME is a system that performs temporal abstraction of time-stamped data. The temporal-abstraction task is crucial for planning treatment, for executing treatment plans, for identifying clinical problems, and for revising treatment plans. The RESUME system is based on a model of three basic temporal-abstraction mechanisms: point temporal abstraction, a mechanism for abstracting the values of several parameters into a value of another parameter; temporal inference, a mechanism for inferring sound logical conclusions over a single interval or two meeting intervals; and temporal interpolation, a mechanism for bridging nonmeeting temporal intervals. Making explicit the knowledge required for temporal abstraction supports the acquisition and the sharing of that knowledge. We have implemented the RESUME system using the CLIPS knowledge-representation shell. The RESUME system emphasizes the need for explicit representation of temporal-abstraction knowledge, and the advantages of modular, task-specific but domain-independent architectures for building medical knowledge-based systems.
Relationships Among Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory Frameworks via Factor Analytic Models

There are well-defined theoretical differences between the classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) frameworks. It is understood that in the CTT framework, person and item statistics are test- and sample-dependent. This is not the perception with IRT. For this reason, the IRT framework is considered to be theoretically superior to the CTT framework for the purpose of estimating person and item parameters. In previous simulation studies, IRT models were used both as generating and as fitting models. Hence, results favoring the IRT framework could be attributed to IRT being the data-generation framework. Moreover, previous studies only considered the traditional CTT framework for the comparison, yet there is considerable literature suggesting that it may be more appropriate to use CTT statistics based on an underlying normal variable (UNV) assumption. The current study relates the class of CTT-based models with the UNV assumption to that of IRT, using confirmatory factor analysis to delineate the connections. A small Monte Carlo study was carried out to assess the comparability between the item and person statistics obtained from the frameworks of IRT and CTT with UNV assumption. Results show the frameworks of IRT and CTT with UNV assumption to be quite comparable, with neither framework showing an advantage over the other.
The future of postcolonial approaches to medieval Iberian studies

This article delineates some of the historical characteristics of medieval Iberia that make postcolonial studies especially appealing for a renovation of this multi‐disciplinary field, and it suggests specific openings for future research inflected by postcolonial studies. By discussing in particular the concepts of mimicry and transculturation, this piece exemplifies avenues for nuancing the notion of cultural contact, for rethinking the overused reliance on medieval Iberia’s “three cultures,” and it redirects attention to the fields of Latin American and colonial studies as sources of crucial theoretical debates.
Elastic–plastic spherical indentation: Deformation regimes, evolution of plasticity, and hardening effect

Abstract Deformation of an elastic–plastic half-space by a rigid spherical indenter was examined with the finite element method. Simulation results show that the post-yield deformation behavior comprises four deformation regimes: linear elastic–plastic, nonlinear elastic–plastic, transient fully plastic, and steady-state fully plastic, representing different stages of the plastic zone evolution. Equations for the boundaries between neighboring deformation regimes are given in terms of the dimensionless mean contact pressure and indentation depth. The development of the plastic zone in the nonlinear elastic–plastic deformation regime is interpreted in terms of two characteristic modes of evolution that depend on the effective elastic modulus-to-yield strength ratio. General constitutive relations of the dimensionless mean contact pressure and contact area are derived for each deformation regime from finite element simulation results. The effect of strain hardening on the indentation behavior is shown to be significant for indentation depths larger than those corresponding to linear elastic–plastic deformation. An equation of the effective strain is introduced, and generalized constitutive relations are obtained using the effective yield strength, which accounts for the effect of strain hardening on the yield strength. The constitutive relations of the deformation behavior at the asperity scale derived in this study can be incorporated in contact analyses of elastic–plastic rough surfaces.
Design and Implementation of a VLSI Tactile Sensing Computer

A new type of tactile sensor is presented that was designed to give a robot manipulation system information about contact between its hand and objects in the environment. We describe a device that ...
Luminescence of self-trapped excitons induced by single keV ion bombardment

We have studied the light emission from CsI and NH4Cl films that were bombarded simultaneously with H−, low mass organic, and (CsI)nI− (n = 0–2) ions in the keV energy range (25–45 keV) at room temperature. Photons were detected from the impact of individual primary ions with a single photon counting photomultiplier, and were analyzed using time resolved and wavelength analysis. For CsI, fast (τ ≤ 12 ns) and slow (τ ≥ 650 ns) component decays were observed for all projectiles used. The fast component's emission was ∼ 300 nm while the slow component's emission was in the visible. Only a fast component (τ < 3 ns) was observed in the UV region for NH4Cl. Our data suggest that the light emission from both samples is due to the radiative relaxation of self-trapped excitons which are produced by electronic interactions between the primary ions and the target atoms.
Asymmetric Amino Acid Activation by Class II Histidyl-tRNA Synthetase from Escherichia coli

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) join amino acids to their cognate tRNAs to initiate protein synthesis. Class II ARS possess a unique catalytic domain fold, possess active site signature sequences, and are dimers or tetramers. The dimeric class I enzymes, notably TyrRS, exhibit half-of-sites reactivity, but its mechanistic basis is unclear. In class II histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS), amino acid activation occurs at different rates in the two active sites when tRNA is absent, but half-of-sites reactivity has not been observed. To investigate the mechanistic basis of the asymmetry, and explore the relationship between adenylate formation and conformational events in HisRS, a fluorescently labeled version of the enzyme was developed by conjugating 7-diethylamino-3-((((2-maleimidyl)ethyl)amino)carbonyl)coumarin (MDCC) to a cysteine introduced at residue 212, located in the insertion domain. The binding of the substrates histidine, ATP, and 5′-O-[N-(l-histidyl)sulfamoyl]adenosine to MDCC-HisRS produced fluorescence quenches on the order of 6–15%, allowing equilibrium dissociation constants to be measured. The rates of adenylate formation measured by rapid quench and domain closure as measured by stopped-flow fluorescence were similar and asymmetric with respect to the two active sites of the dimer, indicating that conformational change may be rate-limiting for product formation. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments employing differential labeling of the two monomers in the dimer suggested that rigid body rotation of the insertion domain accompanies adenylate formation. The results support an alternating site model for catalysis in HisRS that may prove to be common to other class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.
Chemical nature and molecular weight distribution of the water-soluble fine and ultrafine PM fractions collected in a rural environment

Abstract PM 1–2.5 , PM 0.1–1 , and PM water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fractions of aerosol samples collected during summer and fall 2009 were analyzed by UV/VIS spectroscopy and electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). The focus of this study was to compare optical properties, chemical nature, and molecular weight distribution in samples extracted from different size fractions and collected during different seasons (fall vs. summer). Diurnal patterns were also investigated. An increase in absorptivity, aromaticity, and average molecular weight (AMW) in all size fractions found in the fall samples indicates different formation processes for the organic carbon between the summer and fall periods. The fall ultrafine fraction (PM ) demonstrated characteristics different from the other two PM size fractions and more similar to aquatic fulvic acids. It had the highest HULIS/WSOC ratio, molar absorptivity, and AMWs up to about 700 Da when analyzed by the UV/VIS method and about 475 Da by the ESI/MS. Higher concentrations of organosulfate (OS) compounds and polycarboxylic acids were detected in the summer samples while organonitrate (ON) compounds and monocarboxylic acids were higher in the fall samples.
Importance of Web Functionality Support for the Individual Stages of the Customer Service Life Cycle

Business-to-consumer Web sites have been used for several years. However, limited research has examined the importance of Web functionalities within Web sites. Web functionalities are an integration of firm resources (based on the resource-based view of the firm). This study queried online customers to determine the importance of various Web functionalities that support the stages of the customer service life cycle. Functionalities for simple searching, shipment tracking, exchanging defective products, and locating special deals were considered most important relative to the customer service life cycle stages. Differences by gender exist, but males and females are consistent about the most important Web functionalities.
Comparison of Brief Health Literacy Screens in the Emergency Department

Measuring health literacy efficiently yet accurately is of interest both clinically and in research. The authors examined 6 brief health literacy measures and compared their categorization of patient health literacy levels and their comparative associations with patients’ health status. The authors assessed 400 emergency department patients with the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, the Newest Vital Sign, Single Item Literacy Screen, brief screening questions, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Revised, and the Medical Term Recognition Test. The authors analyzed data using Spearman's correlation coefficients and ran separate logistic regressions for each instrument for patient self-reported health status. Tests differed in the proportion of patients’ skills classified as adequate, but all instruments were significantly correlated; instruments targeting similar skills were more strongly correlated. Scoring poorly on any instrument was significantly associated with worse health s...