cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological Control Potential of Taphrocerus schaefferi (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a Leaf-miner of Yellow Nutsedge

Yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L., is a serious weed in the U.S. and other temperate regions of the world. Considerable research has been conducted on both the biology of this weed and the potential of insect biological control. Research presented here assesses the biological control potential of Taphrocerus schaefferi Nicolay and Weiss, an indigenous leafmining buprestid of yellow nutsedge. The investigation was conducted in Montgomery Co., VA, in 1976. The life cycle and adult behavior of the beetle were well synchronized with the growth pattern of yellow nutsedge. Females preferred the uppermost, newly-emerged leaves as oviposition sites. Larval cannibalism occurred when more than one egg/leaf was present. Mymarid parasites were reared from eggs, and Chrysocharis sp. parasitized the larvae and pupae. T. schaefferi has little or no biological control potential against yellow nutsedge because cannibalism limits the amount of larval damage to plant leaves; parasitism by Chrysocharis sp. increases mortality; and most larval feeding, and all vascular bundle destruction, occurs as leaves approach senescence.
Demodicids (Trombidiformes: Demodicidae) of Medical and Veterinary Importance

Incomplete descriptions have led to considerable confusion in the literature concerning species identification within the genus Demodex. Concomitant with a paucity of morphological information is an incomplete knowledge of the life cycle of most of these species. Phase microscopy has revealed useful characteristics not reported or incorrectly interpreted by earlier workers. It is the intention of this paper to present pertinent information and a key which will aid in identification of species and of life stages of demodicids from human and domestic mammalian hosts.
Genome Sequences of Ralstonia insidiosa Type Strain ATCC 49129 and Strain FC1138, a Strong Biofilm Producer Isolated from a Fresh-Cut Produce-Processing Plant.

ABSTRACT Ralstonia insidiosa is an opportunistic pathogen and a strong biofilm producer. Here, we present the complete genome sequences of R. insidiosa FC1138 and ATCC 49129. Both strains have two circular chromosomes of approximately 3.9 and 1.9 Mb and a 50-kb plasmid. ATCC 49129 also possesses a megaplasmid of approximately 318 kb.
Scholar-Bureaucrats Realize Their Power (1481–1530)

The five decades from Mehmed II's death through the first decade of Suleyman's reign can be viewed as a time of crises as far as the supreme authority of the sultan was concerned. Mehmed II's reforms had established the Ottoman family's superior position and significantly curbed the influence of centrifugal groups and all other families in the polity. Yet, for almost fifty years after his death, intermittent periods of political uncertainty and power vacuums encouraged bureaucratic and aristocratic groups, both inside and outside the center, to acquire some influence in the empire's affairs and to restrict the sultan's authority. I suggest that the discursive and practical responses made by the sultans and their competitors to solve these problems helped strengthen the scholar-bureaucrats’ authority in the polity. The frequent calls to follow sharia and realize justice elevated the status of scholar-bureaucrats, who could claim to be holders of moral authority and defenders of sharia and justice. In addition, the need to receive the scholar-bureaucrats’ religio-legal sanction to justify military action against fellow Muslims (viz., the Safavids and the Mamluks) further strengthened their position. Furthermore, beginning with Bayezid II, the sultans' articulation of the dedication to the Ottoman dynastic tradition and continuity confirmed the normative status of Mehmed II's reforms. This meant that the hierarchical order of scholar-bureaucrats was not a transitory arrangement and would continue as long as the dynasty did. The hierarchical order involved scholar-bureaucrats’ relationship with the Ottoman government through a link of institutional nature, regulated and protected by impersonal laws. Scholar-bureaucrats were both participants and beneficiaries of the developing discourse and policies. Having their rights recorded in the now unchallengeable law code ( kanunname ), not to mention their providing significant services to legitimize the dynasty and its policies, they increasingly appeared as the constituent elements of the polity. In conjunction with these changes, their attitudes began to change. Becoming fully aware of the advantages that their positions could bring, they sought to underline their distinction from those scholars who remained outside the government service (nonbureaucratic scholars). In addition, they tended to perceive their hierarchical order as something restricted and superior, and thus wanted to limit membership in it to their own students and proteges.
The Role of Flood-Frequency Analysis in the U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey is involved in several flood-related activities as part of its mission to monitor the Nation’s water resources. This paper describes techniques and approaches utilized in (1) archiving flood data, (2) analyzing flood data at gaging stations, (3) documenting extreme floods, (4) estimating flood-peak discharges at ungaged sites, (5) estimating flood-peak depths at ungaged sites, and (6) developing flood-hazard maps. A brief description of the future direction of flood-frequency analysis within the U.S. Geological Survey is also given.
LZAP is a novel Wip1 binding partner and positive regulator of its phosphatase activity in vitro

The phosphatase Wip1 attenuates the DNA damage response (DDR) by removing phosphorylation marks from a number of DDR proteins (p53, MDM2, Chk1/2, p38). Wip1 also dephosphorylates and inactivates RelA. Notably, LZAP, a putative tumor suppressor, has been linked to dephosphorylation of several of these substrates, including RelA, p38, Chk1, and Chk2. LZAP has no known catalytic activity or functional motifs, suggesting that it exerts its effects through interaction with other proteins. Here we show that LZAP binds Wip1 and stimulates its phosphatase activity. LZAP had been previously shown to bind many Wip1 substrates (RelA, p38, Chk1/2), and our results show that LZAP also binds the previously identified Wip1 substrate, MDM2. This work identifies 2 novel Wip1 substrates, ERK1 and HuR, and demonstrates that HuR is a binding partner of LZAP. Pleasingly, LZAP potentiated Wip1 catalytic activity toward each substrate tested, regardless of whether full-length substrates or phosphopeptides were utilized. Since this effect was observed on ERK1, which does not bind LZAP, as well as for each of 7 peptides tested, we hypothesize that LZAP binding to the substrate is not required for this effect and that LZAP directly binds Wip1 to augment its phosphatase activity.
The Gaussian CEO Problem for Scalar Sources With Arbitrary Memory

In this paper, we consider the achievable sum-rate/distortion tradeoff for the Gaussian central estimation officer (CEO) problem with a scalar source having arbitrary memory. We describe how the arbitrary memory problem can be fully characterized by using known results for the vector CEO problem, and then we formulate the variational problem of minimizing the sum-rate subject to a distortion constraint. To solve the problem, we extend the conventional Lagrange method and show that if the solution exists, it should consist of a zero part and a non-zero part, where the non-zero part is determined by solving a set of Euler equations. By calculating the second variation of the min-sum-rate problem, a sufficient condition is also found that can be used to determine if the necessary solution results in the minimal sum rate. The special case of two terminals is examined in detail, and it is shown that an analytical solution is possible in this case. Analysis and discussion with examples are provided to illustrate the theoretical results. The general solution obtained in this paper is shown to be compatible with the previous results for cases such as the problem of rate evaluation for sources without memory.
Accomplices in the academy in the age of Black Lives Matter

While a growing number of white scholars and activists identify themselves as allies to people of color as they engage in movements to end institutional racism, others have criticized this alignment. Instead, an emerging and alternative framework calls for white scholars and activists to act as accomplices, working in solidarity with people of color within social justice and anti-racists movements. This paper discusses the differences between these two stances, with implications for white educators and scholars in the teaching and social work professions. We aim to provide a framework for moving conversations around race and justice forward, as well as highlight examples of accomplice work in scholarship, teaching, and service, from both the education and social work perspectives.
Safety and efficacy of uninterrupted perioperative enteral feeding in pediatric burn patients.

Abstract Introduction Burn injuries are a significant cause of morbidity. Early enteral nutrition has been shown to improve outcomes, however enteral nutrition is often held for procedures receiving general anesthesia. Limited data is available on uninterrupted perioperative nutrition in pediatric burn patients. Methods A single, American Burn Association verified burn center database was queried for patients ≤18 years of age with ≥15% total body surface area (TBSA) burn injuries who underwent surgeries with general anesthesia. Demographic and clinical details were analyzed comparing patients who were fed continuously and those with interrupted feeds. Results Thirty-one patients met inclusion criteria. Eighteen had continuous feeds and thirteen had interrupted feeds. We found perioperative enteral feeds safe as there were no aspiration events in these patients. Patients with interrupted feeds lost an average of 119.1 kcal/kg and 1.4 days of estimated energy needs. This was a 125% fall below metabolic needs. This loss was more pronounced with multiple operations and for patients Conclusions The metabolic demands of burn patients are above most critically ill patients. To meet these demands, we implemented uninterrupted perioperative feeding. There were no aspiration events. Continuous feeds were an effective means to achieve caloric demands and moderate catabolic injury. We demonstrated safety and efficacy of uninterrupted perioperative feeding of pediatric burn patients.
Molecular pathogenesis of skeletal muscle abnormalities in marfan syndrome

MFS is a common autosomal dominant systemic disorder of connective tissue with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 5,000–10,000 individuals. It is caused by mutations in FBN1 , the gene encoding the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin-1. Clinical manifestations of MFS include bone overgrowth, ocular lens dislocation, emphysema, and cardiac complications such as aortic aneurysm. A large subset of patients with MFS exhibits a significant decrease in muscle mass, which is often associated with hypotonia, particularly during early childhood. The majority of patients with MFS experience a life-long inability to increase muscle mass despite adequate nutrition and physical exercise. Evidence suggests that the pathogenesis of Marfan syndrome involves excessive activation of and signaling by transforming growth factor-β. The following chapter will discuss how excessive TGF-β signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of muscular abnormalities in Marfan syndrome and other inherited and acquired forms of myopathy.
Reconstitution of TCR/CD3 expression in B cell lymphoma to dissect the contribution of CD3 conformational change from downstream signaling events in the process of TCR/CD3 downregulation. (IRM7P.714)

T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation induces conformational change in CD3 (CD3Δc), followed by phosphorylation of ITAMs that leads to receptor downregulation among other T cell responses. To begin to dissect the contribution of CD3Δc from downstream signal transduction mechanisms associated with these events, we have transduced the mouse B cell lymphoma X63.Ag8.653, which lacks expression of the src-family kinase Lck required for proper ITAM phosphorylation, with the OT-I TCR chains Vα2 and Vβ5, together with all CD3 subunits and the coreceptor CD8αβ, generating the cell line X63.OT1.CD8. Stimulation of the OT-I TCR with anti-CD3 antibody or the cognate antigen SIINFEKL-H2K b induces CD3Δc in this cell line. As expected by the absence of Lck, CD3 ITAM phosphorylation was undetectable in our cell line and no calcium mobilization was found upon antibody stimulation. Unexpectedly, stimulation with either SIINFEKL-H2K b or anti-CD3 did induce TCR/CD3 downregulation in our cells. These data suggest CD3ϵ PRS exposure via CD3Δc might be sufficient to transduce some signals that contribute to TCR downregulation in the absence of CD3 ITAM phosphorylation.
Effects of Rotation on Convection in a Porous Layer During Alloy Solidification

The topic of this chapter is that of the effects of an external constraint of rotation on convection, driven mainly by compositional buoyancy, in a porous layer adjacent to the solid–liquid interface during directional solidification of a binary alloy. In the solidification literature such a porous layer is referred to as a mushy layer. The analyses carried out by several studies in the past on the subject of this chapter and the subsequent results are reviewed first, the latest results unpublished elsewhere are presented briefly, and then in the second-half of the chapter the investigation of effects of rotation on convection in a horizontal porous layer of melt and dendrite solids is carried out subject to a simple model. The results based on this simple model indicate that the Coriolis force can have stabilizing effects on both the stationary and oscillatory mode of convection, while the oscillatory mode of convection experiences an additional destabilization due to the Coriolis force effect.
Impure concepts and non-qualitative properties

Some properties such as having a beard and being a philosopher are intuitively qualitative, while other properties such as being identical to Plato and being a student of Socrates are intuitively non-qualitative. It is often assumed that, necessarily, a property is qualitative if and only if it can be designated descriptively without the aid of directly referential devices (such as demonstratives, indexicals, or proper names). I argue that this linguistic thesis fails in both directions: there might be non-qualitative properties that can be designated descriptively, and there appear to be qualitative properties that can only be designated directly. I conclude that while the linguistic thesis is ultimately untenable as stated, it can be plausibly recast as a thesis about our concepts rather than the properties they designate.
Response to “Computer Applications for Test Administration and Scoring”

(1986). Response to “Computer Applications for Test Administration and Scoring”. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development: Vol. 19, COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN TESTING AND ASSESSMENT, pp. 15-17.
Association of Perioperative Transfusion with Recurrence and Survival After Resection of Distal Cholangiocarcinoma: A 10-Institution Study from the US Extrahepatic Biliary Malignancy Consortium.

Perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion is associated with poor oncologic outcomes in multiple malignancies. The effect of blood transfusion on recurrence and survival in distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) is not known. All patients with DCC who underwent curative-intent pancreaticoduodenectomy at 10 institutions from 2000 to 2015 were included. Primary outcomes were recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Among 314 patients with DCC, 191 (61%) underwent curative-intent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Fifty-three patients (28%) received perioperative blood transfusions, with a median of 2 units. There were no differences in baseline demographics or operative data between transfusion and no-transfusion groups. Compared with no-transfusion, patients who received a transfusion were more likely to have (+) margins (28 vs 14%; p = 0.034) and major complications (46 vs 16%; p < 0.001). Transfusion was associated with worse median RFS (19 vs 32 months; p = 0.006) and OS (15 vs 29 months; p = 0.003), which persisted on multivariable (MV) analysis for both RFS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–3.0; p = 0.031] and OS (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1–3.3; p = 0.018), after controlling for portal vein resection, estimated blood loss (EBL), grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and major complications. Similarly, transfusion of ≥ 2 pRBCs was associated with lower RFS (17 vs 32 months; p < 0.001) and OS (14 vs 29 months; p < 0.001), which again persisted on MV analysis for both RFS (HR 2.6; 95% CI 1.4–4.5; p = 0.001) and OS (HR 4.0; 95% CI 2.2–7.5; p < 0.001). The RFS and OS of patients transfused 1 unit was comparable to patients who were not transfused. Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with decreased RFS and OS after resection for distal cholangiocarcinoma, after accounting for known adverse pathologic factors. Volume of transfusion seems to exert an independent effect, as 1 unit was not associated with the same adverse effects as ≥ 2 units.
Procreative well-being and pornography – analyzing the script. Public health implications revealed through an ethological lens

An ethological model of human procreative well-being is proposed and the goodness-of-fit of pornography’s script to that model is considered. Deducing an evolutionary template for procreative well-...
Understanding TCR affinity, antigen specificity, and cross-reactivity to improve TCR gene-modified T cells for cancer immunotherapy

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using T cell receptor (TCR) gene-modified T cells is an exciting and rapidly evolving field. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated various levels of feasibility, safety, and efficacy using TCR-engineered T cells to treat cancer and viral infections. Although evidence suggests their use can be effective, to what extent and how to improve these therapeutics are still matters of investigation. As TCR affinity has been generally accepted as the central role in defining T cell specificity and sensitivity, selection for and generation of high affinity TCRs has remained a fundamental approach to design more potent T cells. However, traditional methods for affinity-enhancement by random mutagenesis can induce undesirable cross-reactivity causing on- and off-target adverse events, generate exhausted effectors by overstimulation, and ignore other kinetic and cellular parameters that have been shown to impact antigen specificity. In this Focussed Research Review, we comment on the preclinical and clinical potential of TCR gene-modified T cells, summarize our contributions challenging the role TCR affinity plays in antigen recognition, and explore how structure-guided design can be used to manipulate antigen specificity and TCR cross-reactivity to improve the safety and efficacy of TCR gene-modified T cells used in ACT.
“They Think You Should Be Able to Do It All:” An Examination of Black Women College Athletes’ Experiences with Role Conflict at a Division I Historically White Institution (HWI)

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of Black women college athletes at a Division I historically White institution (HWI) to understand their role negotiation pr...
The Impact of Frailty on Long‐Term Patient‐Oriented Outcomes after Emergency General Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES Few studies examine the impact of frailty on long-term patient-oriented outcomes after emergency general surgery (EGS). We measured the prevalence of frailty among older EGS patients and examined the impact of frailty on 1-year outcomes. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study using 2008 to 2014 Medicare claims. SETTING Acute care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Patients 65 years or older who received one of the five EGS procedures with the highest mortality burden (partial colectomy, small bowel resection, peptic ulcer disease repair, adhesiolysis, or laparotomy). MEASUREMENTS A validated claims-based frailty index (CFI) identified patients who were not frail (CFI < .15), pre-frail (.15 ≤ CFI < .25), mildly frail (.25 ≤ CFI < .35), and moderately to severely frail (CFI ≥ .35). Multivariable Cox regression compared 1-year mortality. Multivariable Poisson regression compared rates of post-discharge hospital encounters (hospitalizations, intensive care unit stay, emergency department visit) and home time over 1 year after discharge. All regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, admission from facility, procedure, sepsis, inpatient palliative care delivery, trauma center designation, hospital bed size, and teaching status, and they were clustered by patient and hospital referral region. RESULTS Among 468 459 older EGS adults, 37.4% were pre-frail, 12.4% were mildly frail, and 3.6% were moderately to severely frail. Patients with mild frailty experienced a higher risk of 1-year mortality compared with non-frail patients (hazard ratio = 1.97; confidence interval [CI] = 1.94-2.01). In the year after discharge, patients with mild and moderate to severe frailty had more hospital encounters compared with non-frail patients (7.8 and 11.5 vs 2.0 per person-year; incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 4.01; CI = 3.93-4.08 vs IRR = 5.89; CI = 5.70-6.09, respectively). Patients with mild and moderate to severe frailty also had fewer days at home in the year after discharge compared with non-frail patients (256 and 203 vs 302 mean days; IRR = .97; CI = .96-.97 vs IRR = .95; CI = .94-.95, respectively). CONCLUSION Older EGS patients with frailty are at increased risk for poor 1-year outcomes and decreased home time. Targeted interventions for older EGS patients with frailty during the index EGS hospitalization are urgently needed to improve long-term outcomes. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1037-1043, 2020.
Semi-automated Analysis of Reflections as a Continuous Course

This work-in-progress paper proposes a semiautomated method to analyze students’ reflections. It is challenging to include reflection activities in computing classes because of the amount of time required from students to answer the reflection questions and the amount of effort required for instructors to review the students’ responses. These challenges inspired us to adopt Digital Minute Paper (DMP) as a way to give students multiple, quick opportunities to stop and reflect on their experiences in class. In this way, students are given an opportunity to develop metacognitive skills and to potentially improve their performance in the class. In addition, we used these DMPs as formative feedback for the instructors to address students’ problems in the class and to continuously improve the course design. Reading reflections is tedious, time-consuming, and does not scale to large classes. To extract insights from the DMPs, we created a semi-automated process for analyzing DMPs by applying natural language processing (NLP). Our process extracts unigrams and bigrams from the reflections and then visualizes related quotes from the reflections using a treemap visualization. We found that this semi-automatic analysis of the reflections is a good, low-effort way to capture student feedback in addition to helping students be more self-regulating learners.
Anti-coagulant and anti-platelet therapy in the COVID-19 patient: a best practices quality initiative across a large health system.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has challenged health-care systems and physicians worldwide to attempt to provid...
Beetle-killed spruce utilization in the Kenai peninsula

Infestation of the Dendroctonus rufipennis beetle has resulted in large stands of dead and dying timber on the Kenai peninsula in Alaska. Tests were conducted to evaluate the value of beetle-killed spruce as pulpwood. The results showed that live and dead spruce wood can be pulped effectively. The two least deteriorated classes and the most deteriorated class of logs had similar characteristics when pulped; the remaining class had somewhat poorer pulpability. The more deteriorated wood required the same or slightly less refining energy to achieve a certain level of freeness. The presence of sap rot decay was found to be an important indicator of pulping efficiency and resultant pulp quality. Log deterioration had mixed effects on paper
On minor black holes in galactic nuclei

Small- and intermediate-mass black holes should be expected in galactic nuclei as a result of stellar evolution, minor mergers and gravitational dynamical friction. If these minor black holes accrete as X-ray binaries or ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) and are associated with star formation, they could account for observations of many low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN) or low-ionization nuclear emission regions (LINERs). Accreting and inspiralling intermediate-mass black holes could provide a crucial electromagnetic counterpart to strong gravitational wave signatures, allowing tests of strong gravity. Here we discuss observational signatures of minor black holes in galactic nuclei, and we demonstrate that optical line ratios observed in LINERs or transition-type objects can be produced by an ionizing radiation field from ULXs. We conclude by discussing constraints from existing observations as well as candidates for future study.
Safety and effectiveness of a risk-stratified venous thromboembolism prophylaxis algorithm in young people with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Background People with cystic fibrosis (CF) have an increased risk of thrombosis due to acquired thrombophilia secondary to chronic systemic inflammation and central venous catheter use for treatment of pulmonary infections. The objective of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of a risk-stratified, venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis intervention. Methods This single-center, IRB-approved, retrospective study assessed patients with CF admitted to our institution for treatment of a pulmonary exacerbation from 2017 to 2019. Data and outcomes were manually extracted from the electronic medical record and internal CF clinical database. Subject characteristics, calculated VTE risk, prophylaxis interventions prescribed, VTE incidence, and adverse events were captured. Results A total of 135 CF patients had 354 admissions for pulmonary exacerbations in the time frame of the study. The majority of admissions (88.7%) were classified as moderate or high risk for VTE using the algorithm. Overall, VTE prophylaxis intervention determined by the algorithm was initiated in 36.2% of admissions. During the study period, no VTE events occurred. Four minor bleeding adverse effects were reported in patients receiving VTE chemical prophylaxis with enoxaparin (4.2%). Conclusions This study provides the first reported outcomes following implementation of a risk-stratified VTE prophylaxis algorithm in hospitalized young people with CF. In this population at increased risk, use of risk-stratified prophylaxis was safe and effective in preventing VTE. Additional work to improve and maintain adherence to the algorithm and VTE prophylaxis interventions at our institution is planned and similar care should be considered at other pediatric CF care centers.
Detecting Granular Eating Behaviors From Body-worn Audio and Motion Sensors

Wearable sensor technology has made it possible to gain insight into dietary activity, learning not only when people are eating, but identifying fine-grained behaviors such as chews per minute, and causes of food choices. This may enable interventions to maintain health and assist individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes (e.g. by providing insulin dosing assistance). However, existing work on dietary monitoring has focused on identifying meal times, rather than fine grained behavior such as chewing. A key barrier is the difficulty of obtaining granular ground truth. In free-living environments it is difficult to obtain the high-quality video needed, and annotating large datasets is labor intensive and does not scale well. To address this, we introduce a new multi-stage initialization approach for Stochastic Variational Deep Kernel Learning (SVDKL) that enables learning from data with a mix of coarse labels (meal times) and granular ones (chews, intakes). Our approach outperforms the state of the art on both free-living and laboratory datasets, with 84% recall and 67% precision for detecting chews compared to prior results of 73% precision and 34% recall on the same data. Ultimately, our work may enable more types of human activity recognition from real-world environments at a lower cost.
Testing and simulation of laminated composites subjected to impact loading

Because composite laminates are very susceptible to impact loading even at low velocity, low-velocity impact is an important subject in laminated composite analysis. The impact-induced damage is usually invisible to the naked eye and can cause serious structural degradation. Many low-velocity impact tests were performed in previous studies; however, most were phenomenological analysis. In an effort to further understand the responses of composite laminates under low-velocity impact and to develop an accurate and efficient quantitative simulation in the future, this study was aimed at performing instrumented impact tests and computer simulations. A commonly used computer code-LS-DYNA3D-was evaluated in this study, and the results are valuable for future development of a new computer code. In the study, a low-velocity impact event investigated by Sun and Chen with an indentation law and verified by experiments was used to justify the finite element model and contact parameters. Once the computational scheme was established, it was used for a broader investigation consisting of composite laminates with various thicknesses, fiber angles, and impact velocities. Computational results revealed that the peak contact force and maximum deflection were strongly affected by the thickness of composite laminates, while the fiber angles investigated seemed to play a less significant role. In addition, it was concluded that because delamination modeling was not included in the LS-DYNA3D, the computer code needed to be modified if it was to be used for accurate impact simulations.
Magnetic and structural phase transitions in the spinel compound Fe 1 + x Cr 2 − x O 4

Neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements have been used to investigate the magnetic and structural phase transitions of the spinel system Fe1+xCr2 xO4 (0.0 x 1.0). The temperature versus Fe concentration (x) phase diagram contains two magnetically ordered phases and four structural phases below 420 K. The complicated transitions are closely related to the change in the spin and orbital degrees of freedom induced by substitution of Fe ions for Cr ions. The systematic change in the crystal structure is explained by the combined effects of Jahn-Teller distortion, spin-lattice interaction, Fe2+-Fe3+ hopping, and disorder among Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cr3+ ions.
Sibyl – AAC system using NLP techniques

This paper presents Sibyl, a new AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) computer system, that aims at improving text typing for persons with sever speech and motor impairments. Typical AAC systems display virtual keyboard on screen which enables key selection via a few switches device. However, text typing is cumbersome. Sibyl aims at allowing faster typing by means of two predictive modules SibyLetter and SibyWord. SibyLetter facilitates key selection through a dynamic keyboard by predicting next letter. It takes advantage of a n-gram statistical model applied on letters. SibyWord allows keystroke saving by word completion. It predicts next word using natural language processing techniques. A robust chunk parsing (non-recursive constituent) is achieved and prediction is based on the last chunk heads occurrences. Best predictions are displayed in a word list. This paper presents the two predictive modules and the Sibyl software used in the Kerpape French rehabilitation center.
Bacteriophage Tail Components IV. Pteroyl Polyglutamate Synthesis in T4D-Infected Escherichia coli B

Abstract The nature of pteroyl polyglutamates in uninfected and T4D bacteriophage-infected Escherichia coli B has been examined. 3H-p-aminobenzoic acid has been used to label the folate compounds and gel permeation chromatography on glass beads to separate the folate compound by molecular size. It has been found that, although the major folate compound in uninfected bacteria is pteroyl triglutamate, E. coli B cells also contain folate compounds having as many as six glutamate residues. Infection with T4D stimulated the addition of glutamate residues to the lower-molecular-weight host pteroyl compounds, resulting in the conversion of the host compounds into the hexaglutamate form. This viral-induced conversion is chloramphenicol sensitive and appears to be due to a late phage gene product. The phage gene responsible for this conversion has not been identified. In cells infected with a T4D mutant defective in gene 28, there was an apparent production of the large pteroyl polyglutamates equivalent in size to pte(glu)9-12. These high-molecular-weight forms were converted into pte(glu)6 by incubation with bacterial extracts made after infection with T4D 28+. Apparently, the product of T4D gene 28+ is capable of specifically cleaving the high-molecular-weight polyglutamates to the form necessary for phage tail assembly.
Transfer of ampicillin into fetus and amniotic fluid from maternal plasma in late pregnancy

Abstract 1. 1. The transfer of ampicillin, a new semisynthetic penicillin, into fetal serum and amniotic fluid in therapeutic concentrations has been demonstrated. 2. 2. Maternal serum levels of ampicillin disappear relatively rapidly after intravenous infusion of sodium ampicillin and are almost gone within 2 hours. 3. 3. Ampicillin is demonstrable in fetal serum 30 minutes after maternal infusion, reaching equilibration with maternal serum in 1 hour. 4. 4. The concentration of ampicillin in amniotic fluid of normal gravidas continues to rise up to 8 hours and then slowly declines over the next 19 hours. 5. 5. A low level of ampicillin appears in amniotic fluid of dead fetuses and reaches maximum concentration at 6 hours, which is approximately one fifth of the maximal concentrations of normal pregnancy with a live fetus. 6. 6. Active participation by the fetus is suggested as a mechanism in establishing higher levels of ampicillin in amniotic fluid of viable pregnancies, probably by fetal urinary excretion. 7. 7. Ampicillin shows promise as a useful drug in the treatment of amnionitis and intrauterine fetal sepsis.
Testing for Uniformity of the Residual Life Time Based on Dynamic Kullback-Leibler Information

In this article a goodness of fit test for distributional assumptions regarding the residual lifetime is proposed. The test is based on a Vasicek type sum log-spacings estimators of a dynamic version of Kullback-Leibler information. The specific distributional hypothesis considered is of the uniformity over [0,1]. However, the test can be used for testing any simple goodness of fit hypothesis. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic together with a tabulation of the critical points for different sample sizes are given. Finally, the power function of the test is empirically studied in comparison with some competitors, and the test appears to be meritorious.
Development of a knowledge-based model management system

This paper presents a software architecture and a graph-based framework for developing knowledge-based model management systems. The architecture consists of three major components: a model utilization subsystem, a modeling subsystem, and an inference engine. The core of the system is the inference engine that applies the graph-based framework to drive the processes of model integration and selection. The graph-based framework includes a model representation scheme and reasoning mechanisms. The representation scheme depicts a set of data as a node, a set of functions as an edge, and a basic model as a combination of two nodes and one connecting edge. Based on this scheme, mechanisms for model integration and selection are discussed. These mechanisms enable a model management system to create composite models automatically. A prototype implemented in PROLOG is also presented to demonstrate the graph-based framework.
Temporal Trends in Mortality in the United States, 1969-2013.

from 3.9% (95% CI, 3.5%-4.2%) during the 2000-2010 period to 1.4% (95% CI, −3.4% to 0.6%) during the 2010-2013 period (P = .02 for slope difference). Between 1969 and 2013, age-standardized years of potential life lost per 1000 decreased from 1.9 to 1.6 for diabetes (14.5% reduction; 95% CI, 12.6%-16.4%), from 21.4 to 12.7 for cancer (40.6%; 95% CI, 40.2%-41.1%), from 19.9 to 10.4 for unintentional injuries (47.5%; 95% CI, 47.0%-48.0%), from 28.8 to 9.1 for heart disease (68.3%; 95% CI, 68.1%-68.5%), and from 6.0 to 1.5 for stroke (74.8%; 95% CI, 74.4%-75.3%). For COPD, the rate for years of potential life lost did not decrease over this time interval.
Classical conditioning in a simple withdrawal reflex in Aplysia californica

The ability of Aplysia and other gastropod molluscs to exhibit complex behaviors that can be modified by associative learning has encouraged us to search for an elementary behavior controlled by a simple and well analyzed neural circuit that also can be modified by this type of learning. Toward that end, we have now produced classical conditioning in the defensive siphon and gill withdrawal reflex of Aplysia. We used as a conditioned stimulus (CS) a light tactile stimulus to the siphon, which produces weak siphon and gill withdrawal. As the unconditioned stimulus (US), we used a strong electric shock to the tail, which produces a massive withdrawal reflex. Specific temporal pairing of the CS and US endowed the CS with the ability of triggering enhanced withdrawal of both the siphon and the gill. Random or unpaired presentations of the CS and US, as well as presentations of the CS or US alone, produced either no enhancement or significantly less enhancement than paired presentations of the CS and US. The conditioning is acquired rapidly (within 15 trials) and is retained for several days. The conditioned response is abolished completely by removal of the abdominal ganglion and many of the neurons involved in the conditioning have been identified in this ganglion previously. These include the sensory neurons and several interneurons in the CS pathway and the siphon and gill motor neurons of the conditioned and unconditioned response pathways. Moreover, the sensory neurons of the US pathway have been identified in the pleural ganglia. As a result of its simplicity, it should be possible in this reflex to specify neurons that are causally related to the conditioned response. Since this reflex also exhibits nonassociative learning, it also may be possible to compare associative and nonassociative learning on a mechanistic level.
Structural and genetic analysis of the folding and function of T4 lysozyme

The combination of directed mutagenesis with high-resolution structure analysis has made it possible to systematically address fundamental questions of protein folding and stability. Here we briefly review some recent results in this area based on studies of the lysozyme of bacteriophage T4. Extended segments of the polypeptide chain can be substituted with alanine, suggesting that about 50%, or perhaps less, of the overall amino acid sequence protein is necessary to define the 3-dimensional structure of the protein. It is the internal residues that seem to be most important for folding and stability (although not necessarily for function). Substitutions within the core of the protein of large nonpolar side chains with smaller ones have been used to better understand the nature of hydrophobic stabilization. Mutants that produce the largest cavities within the protein tend to be most destabilizing, allowing the energy cost of cavity formation to be estimated. Small, nonpolar ligands bind within such cavities and restore some stability to the protein. Analogous, nonpolar ligands do not bind, however, providing evidence that water molecules do not bind with high occupancy within nonpolar cavities. In a further series of studies it has been possible to re-engineer the active site region of T4 lysozyme to change the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.
Implantable devices as orthodontic anchorage: a review of current treatment modalities.

Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of implantable devices as direct adjuncts to orthodontic treatment. Whereas the use of conventional dental implants has been researched extensively, the body of literature associated with the more recent uses of implantable devices in orthodontics is relatively small. Currently, a limited number of such devices are used to aid in orthodontic treatment. The options include conventional titanium endosseous dental implants, palatal implants, titanium miniscrews (also known as micro- or mini-implants), and mini–bone plates. Integration of dental implants or implantable devices into contemporary orthodontic practice has the following possible advantages: serving as a means of increasing orthodontic anchorage, virtually eliminating patient compliance issues with regard to wearing of appliances, decreasing overall treatment time, and occasionally permitting orthodontic treatments previously thought to be impossible without surgery. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This article is a review of the currently available options for use of implantable devices as sources of temporary skeletal anchorage in orthodontics.
Modern NMR spectroscopy of proteins and peptides in solution and its relevance to drug design

The knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structures and conformational dynamics of proteins and peptides is important for the understanding of biochemical and genetic data derived for these molecules. This understanding can ultimately be of help in drug design. We describe here the role of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in this process for three distinct situations: for small proteins, where relatively simple NMR methods can be used for full 3D structure determination; for larger proteins that require multinuclear multidimensional NMR but for which full 3D structures can still be obtained; and for small peptides that are studied in interaction with macromolecules (receptors) using specialized NMR techniques. A fourth situation, pertaining to large systems where only partial structural information can be obtained from NMR data, is briefly discussed. Molecules of interest to the biomedical field (C5a and stromelysin) are discussed as examples.
Asymmetric interference between components of suprathreshold compound gratings.

Observers were presented with compound gratings consisting of a high- (5.0 cycles/deg, cpd) and a low-frequency (0.5 cpd) sinusoid. The orientation of each component was independent and varied randomly between horizontal and vertical. The observers were instructed to signal the orientation of one component (the target) and ignore the other. The dependent measure was the observers’ choice reaction time (CRT) to signal the orientation of the target grating. CRTs to low-frequency targets were similar whether or not the high-frequency component was present, but CRTs to high-frequency targets were slowed by the presence of the low-frequency component. This asymmetric interference was obtained when the contrasts of the individual components were adjusted so as to produce equivalent CRTs when each was presented alone. Reducing the low-frequency contrast below the level needed to match the CRTs generated less interference, and in some cases generated asymmetric interference favoring the high-frequency component. The magnitude of low-frequency interference was also reduced when the stimulus onsets were gradual rather than abrupt. CRTs to compounds in which the component orientations were always the same but varied randomly across trials produced little evidence of a redundancy gain, and the obtained redundancy effect was less than that predicted from a simple model of suprathreshold probability summation between independent frequency and orientation-specific channels. The results are considered in terms of inhibitory interactions between transient and sustained channels.
Mechanics of plasma exposed spin-on-glass (SOG) and polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) surfaces and their impact on bond strength

Abstract Silicone polymer (PDMS), widely used for micro-fluidic and biosensor applications, possesses an extremely dynamic surface after it is subjected to an oxygen plasma treatment process. The surface becomes extremely hydrophilic immediately after oxygen plasma exposure by developing silanol bond (Si OH), which promotes its adhesion to some other surfaces like, silicon, silicon dioxide, glass, etc. Such a surface, if left in ambient dry air, shows a gradual recovery of hydrophobicity. We have found an identical behavior to occur to surfaces coated with a thin continuous film of SOG (methyl silsesquioxane). The chemistry induced by oxygen plasma treatment of a spin-on-glass (SOG) coated surface provides a much higher density of surface silanol groups in comparison to precleaned glass, silicon or silicon dioxide substrates thus providing a higher bond strength with polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS). The bonding protocol developed by using the spin coated and cured SOG intermediate layer provides an universal regime of multi level wafer bonding of PDMS to a variety of substrates. The paper describes a contact angle based estimation of bond strength for SOG and PDMS surfaces exposed to various combinations of plasma parameters. We have found that the highest bond strength condition is achieved if the contact angle on the SOG surface is less than 10°.