cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A filter for the circuit constraint

We present an incomplete filtering algorithm for the circuit constraint. The filter removes redundant values by eliminating nonhamiltonian edges from the associated graph. We identify nonhamiltonian edges by analyzing a smaller graph with labeled edges that is defined on a separator of the original graph. The complexity of the procedure for each separator S is approximately O(|S|5). We found that it identified all infeasible instances and eliminated about one-third of the redundant domain elements in feasible instances.
Application of Kalman filtering on a vector signal processor

The paper presents the implementation of the Kalman filtering algorithm on a Zoran ZR34161 vector signal processor (VSP). The VSP is a microprocessor that is designed to manage mathematical operations on complex arrays (vectors) of data. Thus, the VSP is able to manipulate vectors of real or complex data as easily as conventional microprocessors can manipulate a single element of data. The vector format of the VSP makes the processor ideal for various filtering applications. Kalman filtering is a discrete optimal estimator that has found a wide variety of applications and is the method employed in this paper. >
Finite-Amplitude Evolution of Instabilities Associated with the Coastal Upwelling Front

Abstract A primitive equation model is used to study the finite-amplitude evolution of instabilities associated with the coastal upwelling front. Simulations of increasing complexity are examined that represent idealizations of summer conditions off the Oregon coast, including cases with steady and with time-variable wind in a domain with alongshore-uniform bathymetry and with time-variable wind in a domain with realistic Oregon coast bathymetry. The numerical results indicate that the fastest-growing mode in this system has approximately an 8–10-km alongshore wavelength but that, once the disturbances grow to finite amplitude, the predominant alongfront scale increases rapidly because of nonlinear effects. Separation of the total kinetic energy into contributions from the alongshore average flow and perturbation about that average shows that the initial growth of the perturbation kinetic energy is due to potential energy conversion, but transfer of energy from the kinetic energy of the alongshore average...
Impacts of the clean air action plan on the port trade industry

The Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), implemented by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in 2006, was an unprecedented effort to reduce air pollution emissions associated with port operations. We conduct a case study to understand why the ports developed the CAAP, how it was structured, and how it affected stakeholder relations. We identify those with the most influence in the international trade supply chain - 'dominant actors' - and hypothesise that they are the key participants in the CAAP development process and are least likely to be the subject of costly requirements or changes in operations. We find that the CAAP led to a restructuring of stakeholder relations, with new alliances formed between the ports and regulatory agencies and old alliances strained by what was perceived as a closed process utilised to develop the plan and as a lack of consideration of industry borne costs.
Enhanced Electrical Properties of Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive With $\pi$ -Conjugated Self-Assembled Molecular Wire Junctions

We have investigated the electrical properties of anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) joint using submicrometer-sized (~500 nm in diameter) silver (Ag) particle as conductive filler with the effect of π-conjugated self-assembled molecular wires. The ACAs with submicrometer-sized Ag particles have higher current carrying capability (~3400 mA) than those with micro-sized Au-coated polymer particles (~2000 mA) and Ag nanoparticles (~2500 mA). More importantly, by construction of π-conjugated self-assembled molecular wire junctions between conductive particles and integrated circuit (IC)/substrate, the electrical conductivity has increased by one order of magnitude and the current carrying capability of ACAs has improved by 600 mA. The crucial factors that govern the improved electrical properties are discussed based on the study of alignments and thermal stability of molecules on the submicrometer-sized Ag particle surface with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), providing a fundamental understanding of conduction mechanism in ACA joints and guidelines for the formulation of high-performance ACAs in electronic packaging industry.
Soil fertility and crop yields in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems in Eastern Nebraska

Organic agriculture aims to build soil quality and provide long-term benefits to people and the environment; however, organic practices may reduce crop yields. This long-term study near Mead, NE was conducted to determine differences in soil fertility and crop yields among conventional and organic cropping systems between 1996 and 2007. The conventional system (CR) consisted of corn (Zea mays L.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)‐soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)‐sorghum or corn‐soybean, whereas the diversified conventional system (DIR) consisted of corn or sorghum‐ sorghum or corn‐soybean‐winter wheat (wheat, Triticum aestivum L.). The animal manure-based organic system (OAM) consisted of soybean‐corn or sorghum‐soybean‐wheat, while the forage-based organic system (OFG) consisted of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)‐alfalfa‐corn or sorghum‐wheat. Averaged across sampling years, soil organic matter content (OMC), P, pH, Ca, K, Mg and Zn in the top 15 cm of soil were greatest in the OAM system. However, by 2008 OMC was not different between the two organic systems despite almost two times greater carbon inputs in the OAM system. Corn, sorghum and soybean average annual yields were greatest in either of the two conventional systems (7.65, 6.36 and 2.60 Mg ha - 1 , respectively), whereas wheat yields were greatest in the OAM system (3.07 Mg ha - 1 ). Relative to the mean of the conventional systems, corn yields were reduced by 13 and 33% in the OAM and OFG systems, respectively. Similarly, sorghum yields in the OAM and OFG systems were reduced by 16 and 27%, respectively. Soybean yields were 20% greater in the conventional systems compared with the OAM system. However, wheat yields were 10% greater in the OAM system compared with the conventional DIR system and 23% greater than yield in the OFG system. Alfalfa in the OFG system yielded an average of 7.41 Mg ha - 1 annually. Competitive yields of organic wheat and alfalfa along with the soil fertility benefits associated with animal manure and perennial forage suggest that aspects of the two organic systems be combined to maximize the productivity and sustainability of organic cropping systems.
Adaptive least square kernel algorithms and applications

This paper discusses adaptive online kernel algorithms and an application of these algorithms to signal processing problems. The support vector machine (SVM) is a kernel method technique that has gained widespread acceptance in solving pattern classification and regression problems. SVM solutions generally involve solving a quadratic programming problem making it more difficult for applying these methods to adaptive signal processing problems. In previous work a variant of the SVM has been developed called the least squares SVM (LS-SVM). A solution to the algorithm can be found by solving a set of linear equations which makes an online adaptive implementation of the algorithm feasible. After discussing some of the differences between the SVM and the LS-SVM we present an adaptive LS-SVM solution and discuss signal processing applications of these algorithms.
Efficacy and Persistence of Steinernema carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinemematidae) Applied through a Center-Pivot Irrigation System Against Larval Com Rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

We evaluated control of natural and artificially infested populations of larval com rootworms (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and D. barberi Smith & Lawrence) in corn ( Zea mays L.) treated with entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser); All strain, applied after planting through a center-pivot irrigation system at 2.5 and 1.2 x 109 infective juvenile nematodes per hectare. We compared control achieved with nematodes with that achieved with planting time applications of terbufos (Counter 15G [granular]; 9.9 kg [AI]/ha) and chlorpyrifos (Lorsban 4E [emulsion]; 1.12 kg [AI]/ha) applied after planting through an irrigation system, and with an untreated (water only) control. In 1989 studies with natural rootworm populations, chlorpyrifos and both nematode rates provided significantly lower root damage ratings than terbufos and the untreated control. Chlorpyrifos was significantly more effective than the low nematode rate. In 1990 studies with a natural rootworm infestation, the high nematode rate, terbufos, and chlorpyrifos provided Significantly lower root damage ratings than the untreated control. Effectiveness of the low rate of nematodes was not significantly different from that of the untreated control. In both years, all treatments were generally less effective under higher rootworm pressure in artificially infested plots. In 1989, the high rate of nematodes significantly reduced adult western corn rootworm emergence compared with terbufos, the low rate of nematodes, and the untreated control. In 1990, all treatments significantly reduced western com rootworm adult emergence compared with the untreated control. In 1989, viable nematodes were commonly found 1-3 d after application and at low levels 28 d after application. However, in 1990, no viable nematodes were found >7 dafter application.
Trends in the utilization of, spending on, and prices for outpatient antifungal agents in US Medicaid programs: 1991-2009.

Background The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has increased substantially in the recent past. Advances in medical technology, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, may increase the risk for fungal infections. Moreover, immunocompromised patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and/or transplants are susceptible to IFIs. Meanwhile, superficial fungal infections (SFIs) are common and can be difficult to cure. Objective To provide a historical perspective on a dynamic market with expensive medications, this study describes trends in the utilization of, spending on, and average per-prescription spending on outpatient antifungal medications individually, in classes (for IFIs or SFIs), and overall, by the US Medicaid programs from 1991 to 2009. Methods The publicly available Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data, maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, were used. Annual prescription counts and reimbursement amounts were calculated for each of the antifungals reimbursed by Medicaid. Average per-prescription spending as a proxy for drug price was calculated by dividing reimbursement by the number of prescriptions. Results Overall utilization for Medicaid beneficiaries remained steady, with 4.56 million prescriptions in 1991 and 4.51 million in 2009. Expenditures rose from $93.87 million to $143.76 million (in current-year US$) over the same time period. The drop in the utilization of first-generation azoles over the last 5 years of the study period can be explained in part by the movement of dual-eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare Part D and in part to a rise in fungal infections better treated with second-generation azoles or echinocandins. Whereas the average per-prescription price for generic (oral) fluconazole was $8 in 2009, the price per prescription of branded (intravenous) voriconazole was $2178. Conclusions Overall spending by Medicaid on outpatient antifungal medications increased more slowly than did the growth of the Medicaid programs from 1991 to 2009. However, the utilization of antifungal agents for IFIs increased almost 10-fold over this period, far outpacing the rise in the number of Medicaid beneficiaries.
B‐MODE GRAY‐SCALE ULTRASOUND: IMAGING ARTIFACTS AND INTERPRETATION PRINCIPLES

The production and identification of gray-scale ultrasonic imaging artifacts and some basic principles of ultrasonic interpretation are reviewed, discussed, and demonstrated with canine ultrasonograms. Imaging artifacts produced by ultrasound matter interactions include:reverberations, shadowing, through transmission and refractive and reflective zones. Technical imaging artifacts discussed include: off-normal incidence defects, echo displacement, and improper time gain compensation settings. Interpretation principles to distinguish mass lesions, cystic structures, and calculi within abdominal parenchymal organs are presented.
Breath holding duration and self-reported smoking abstinence intolerance as predictors of smoking lapse behavior in a laboratory analog task.

Introduction: Distress intolerance (DI) is elevated in smokers and confers increased risk for relapse following a quit attempt. Intolerance of respiratory distress and of nicotine withdrawal may be particularly relevant predictors of smoking cessation outcomes. However, no studies to date have examined the association between smoking relevant DI and smoking lapse behavior in a laboratory setting. The current study examined whether DI was associated with the risk of initiating smoking in a laboratory-based lapse analog task.
The Effect of RNA Inactivator(s) Synthesized from Cu2+ and Hydroquinone on Monoribonucleotides

Preparations containing RNA inactivator(s) synthesized from Cu2+ and hydroquinone were tested for their effect on monoribonucleotides. The preparations caused the disappearance of large fractions of all of the monoribonucleotides tested, which were the 3′-ribonucleotides and the 5-ribonucleotides of adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil, and an impurity identified as the 2′-ribonucleotide of uracil. Control preparations with Cu2+ but without hydroquinone had no effect on the ribonucleotides. Control preparations with hydroquinone but without deliberately added Cu2+ caused the disappearance of relatively small fractions of the ribonucleotides tested. The activity of these control preparations is probably attributable, at least in part, to trace copper impurity or contamination. The addition of L-histidine protected the ribonucleotides against the effect of the RNA inactivator preparations from Cu2+ and hydroquinone, just as the L-histidine protects naked viral RNA against the RNA inactivator(s). The hypot...
Constancy and Change in Scientific Collaboration: Coherence and Integrity in Long-Term Ecological Data Production

The world of science has long been a source of new models, ideas, and technologies in the practice of distributed group collaboration. Recent national-scale investments in 'e-science' or 'cyberinfrastructure, ' continue this trend, promising to extend scientific collaboration through space (geographic and disciplinary) but also time: building new monitoring systems while opening up existing long-term records to new forms of sharing and analysis. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and ethno methodological analysis, this study explores the tensions between continuity and change in long-term ecological monitoring and collaborative research. We observe the work of producing shareable data amidst the ever-present contingencies of day-to-day practice, which must respond to two separate temporal accountabilities: coherence in the short-term and integrity in the long-term. Changing environments, broken instruments, organizational shifts, and turnover in personnel threaten the integrity of the data record, but they also serve as crucial resources for accommodating contingency and change. We argue that the success of current cyber infrastructure investments -- and many other forms of collaborative system development -- will depend on just such delicate and local accommodations between continuity and change.
Spatial and temporal studies of plasmas generated with a fast-pulsed DBD

Dielectric Barrier Discharges (DBDs) produce highly non-equilibrium plasmas that allow for the effective generation of ions, excited species, and radicals from energetic electron-driven processes. DBDs have further proven to be efficient sources of intensive UV and VUV excimer radiation. In an effort to improve the production of the excited species, radicals, and UV radiation, which is strongly influenced by the reduced electric field, it is more effective to use a pulsed high voltage of very short duration, particularly if the aim is to keep the gas temperature low. Operating with short pulses and high reduced electric fields will transfer most of the electron energy into excitation, ionization, and molecular dissociation, while only a minor part into the vibrational and rotational excitation of gas molecules. In an effort to better understand this phenomenon, electrical measurements in conjunction with plasma emission spectroscopy and optical imagining studies of a pulsed DBD were carried out using a fast intensified CCD (ICCD) camera. These investigations allowed for the determination of the temporal and spatial developments of important plasma species such as radicals (OH, NO, and various oxygen radicals) along with the determination of the involved microplasma phenomena.
Energy aware dwelling: a critical survey of interaction design for eco-visualizations

Eco-visualizations (EVs) are any kind of interactive device targeted at revealing energy use in order to promote sustainable behaviours or foster positive attitudes towards sustainable practices. There are some interesting, informative, highly creative, and delightful EVs now available. This paper provides a critical survey of several noteworthy EVs and classifies them in terms of scale and contexts of use. The paper attempts to provide a foundation for practitioners to design new EVs in more varied scales and contexts and for researchers to continue to refine understandings of how effective EVs can be and how EVs can be made to be more effective. The paper describes (i) feedback types and use-contexts for classifying EVs and (ii) strategies for designing effective EVs.
Multiple Instance Learning via Disjunctive Programming Boosting

Learning from ambiguous training data is highly relevant in many applications. We present a new learning algorithm for classification problems where labels are associated with sets of pattern instead of individual patterns. This encompasses multiple instance learning as a special case. Our approach is based on a generalization of linear programming boosting and uses results from disjunctive programming to generate successively stronger linear relaxations of a discrete non-convex problem.
Gout and the risk for incident heart failure and systolic dysfunction.

Objective To test the hypothesis that gouty arthritis (gout) is a risk factor for incidence of heart failure and for echocardiographic measures signifying subclinical heart failure. Design Post-hoc, longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses of a prospective cohort study where data were collected in 4-year intervals since 1971. Settings The population-based Framingham Offspring Study. Participants 4989 adults (mean age 36 years, 52% women) free of clinical heart failure at baseline. Outcome measures Incident heart failure, echocardiographic measures of left ventricular systolic dysfunction, dilatation and hypertrophy. Results Participants with gout (n=228) had two to three times higher incidence of clinical heart failure and echocardiographic measures of systolic dysfunction compared with those without. In Cox regression analyses, gout was associated with an adjusted HR of 1.74 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.93) for incident heart failure and RRs of 3.70 (95% CI 1.68 to 8.16) for abnormally low left ventricular ejection fraction and of 3.60 (95% CI 1.80 to 7.72) for global left ventricle systolic dysfunction. These risk relationships were consistently observed in all clinical subgroups. Overall, participants with gout had greater mortality than those without (adjusted HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.78). Mortality was elevated in subgroup of patients with gout and heart failure (adjusted HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.73) compared to those with heart failure but without gout. Conclusion Gout is associated with increased risk for clinical heart failure, subclinical measures of systolic dysfunction and mortality.
Molybdenum nitride catalysts: II. H2 temperature programmed reduction and NH3 temperature programmed desorption

Abstract The surface chemistries of a series of Mo nitride catalysts with surface areas ranging up to 193 m 2 /g were characterized using thermal desorption spectroscopies. These materials were prepared by the temperature programmed reaction of MoO 3 with NH 3 . The passivated catalysts contained up to one monolayer of oxygen on or in the surface. This oxygen was removed as H 2 O via two pathways during temperature programmed reduction: (a) reaction with hydrogen from decomposed NH 3 and hydrogen residue left on the surface after synthesis at temperatures less than ∼550 K and (b) reaction with gas phase H 2 at higher temperatures. Nitrogen and/or surface NH x species also reacted with gas phase H 2 producing NH 3 . The NH 3 adsorption capacities were different for each of the reduced Mo nitrides; however, other variations in the temperature programmed desorption spectra were qualitatively similar. At low coverages, all of the NH 3 decomposed and the products desorbed as H 2 at 500–700 K and N 2 above 600 K. Following saturation of the surface, most of the NH 3 desorbed molecularly at 300–500 K and the balance decomposed. The ratio of molecularly desorbed to decomposed NH 3 was approximately 3 : 1 for all the catalysts suggesting a connection between the desorption and decomposition of NH 3 . We have interpreted the results, in particular for the high surface area materials where the saturation coverage was low, in terms of localized NH 3 adsorption perhaps forming islands at high coverage. The pyridine HDN reaction rate increased linearly with the amount of NH 3 chemisorbed. The corresponding turnover frequency was 4.1 × 10 −4 s −1 at 633 K. Finally, the number of types of NH 3 and H 2 desorption sites was a function of the surface area. The low surface area, high activity Mo nitrides possessed low and high temperature desorption sites. Only the low temperature sites were observed for the high surface area, low activity materials. The rate limiting step for NH 3 desorption from the Mo nitrides was first order with desorption energies for the low and high temperature sites of 24 ± 4 and 32 ± 5 kcal/mol, respectively.
Physical interpretation and stability of paraxial boundary conditions

We derive in this paper the dynamic impedance matrices associated with some paraxial boundary conditions for wave motions in unbounded homogenous elastic media and use them to establish the existence of directions of propagation of waves for which the boundaries supply rather than dissipate energy. Also, we explore the existence of solutions of exponential growth and discuss conditions under which they can arise. These considerations may be used to provide a physical interpretation to the paraxial boundaries and to understand possible sources of instability that can develop in time-domain implementations of these schemes with finite differences.
Obliterative LeFort colpocleisis in a large group of elderly women.

OBJECTIVE: To report on anatomical and functional outcomes, patient satisfaction, and associated morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing LeFort colpocleisis. METHODS: This was a retrospective case series of LeFort colpocleisis performed from January 2000 to October 2011. Data obtained from a urogynecologic database included demographics, comorbidities, medications, and urinary and bowel symptoms. Prolapse was quantified using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) examination. Operative characteristics were recorded. All patients underwent pelvic examination and POP-Q assessment at follow-up visits. Patients also were asked about urinary and bowel symptoms as well as overall satisfaction. All intraoperative and postoperative surgical complications were recorded. RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-five patients underwent LeFort colpocleisis. Fifteen patients were excluded from the analysis because of incomplete data. The mean age was 81.3±5.3 years. Comorbidities were common, with 74.1% of the patients having at least one concomitant medical condition. The procedure was performed under spinal anesthesia in 67%. Additional procedures at the time of colpocleisis included incontinence procedures (79%) and dilation and curettage (46%). Mean follow-up was 45 (range 2–392) weeks. Anatomical success rate was 98.1% and patients were highly satisfied, with 92.9% reported being “cured” or “greatly improved.” Complication and mortality rates were 15.2% and 1.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Colpocleisis is an effective and low-risk procedure with high anatomical success rates and patient satisfaction. Associated morbidity and mortality related to the procedure are low. Colpocleisis remains an excellent surgical option for the elderly patient with advanced pelvic organ prolapse. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III
Therapy for Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris, or acne, as it is generally called, is the most common skin disease, affecting nearly 80 percent of persons at some time between the ages of 11 and 30 years.1 It can persist for years and result in disfigurement and permanent scarring, and it can have serious adverse effects on psychosocial development, resulting in emotional problems, withdrawal from society, and depression.2 The pathogenesis of acne is multifactorial, and therapy can now be directed at many of these factors. This review summarizes current concepts of the rational treatment of acne vulgaris. Pathophysiology of Acne Acne vulgaris is the result . . .
Retention of Amphoteric Polyacrylamide in Core

The retention effects of amphoteric polymer concentration, salinity and the permeability of the core are researched. The results show that retention increased with the increasing concentration of amphoteric polymer. In the salinity range of experiment, retention decreases along with the increasing salinity. With the increasing of the core permeability, retention is reduced.
Treatment of persistent trophoblastic tissue after salpingostomy with methotrexate.

Observation d'une primigeste de 26 ans dont le GEU a pu etre traitee avant rupture par salpingostomie. Apres l'intervention, l'elevation des taux de BHCG fait suspecter une persistance du tissu trophoblastique, qui a ete traitee par methotrexate. L'hysterosalpingographie trois mois apres montre la permeabilite tubaire. La patiente est actuellement enceinte de 18 semaines (gestation intra-uterine)
Valproate in status epilepticus.

Abstract In patients with intractable status epilepticus who have not responded to therapy with benzodiazepines, phenytoin, and barbiturates, valproate may be a reasonable option. Extemporaneously prepared valproate rectal suppositories or retention enemas have been given in dosages of 200-1200 mg q6h in addition to phenytoin, phenobarbital, or both in adults. The pediatric dose used was 15-20 mg/kg, in addition to phenytoin and/or phenobarbital.
Biosignals as Social Cues: Ambiguity and Emotional Interpretation in Social Displays of Skin Conductance

This paper explores the social meaning of clothing-based displays of biosignals. How do friends make sense of their own and each other's skin conductance display in the context of a conversation? We developed Hint, a dynamic thermochromic t-shirt whose ambiguous pattern changes color when its wearer's skin conductance increases, an indication of sudden arousal. We investigated how pairs of friends each wearing the shirt conversed and interpreted the display. Participants shared a broad range of interpretations; e.g., joy and embarrassment were associated with an increase in skin conductance. Additionally, participants expressed desires for their skin conductance display to help validate their feelings and show emotional engagement with others. We explore ambiguity in the context of clothing-based information displays and discuss how skin conductance display became part of social performance in our study. From there, we suggest framing biosignals as social cues along with facial expression, gestures, etc., and begin to question what design territories this might uncover.
Application of root cause analysis in healthcare

The main purpose of this study was to explore various aspects of root cause analysis (RCA), including its definition, rationale concept, main objective, implementation procedures, most common analysis methodology (fault tree analysis, FTA), and advantages and methodologic limitations in regard to healthcare. Several adverse events that occurred at a certain hospital were also analyzed by the author using FTA as part of this study. RCA is a process employed to identify basic and contributing causal factors underlying performance variations associated with adverse events. The rationale concept of RCA offers a systemic approach to improving patient safety that does not assign blame or liability to individuals. The four-step process involved in conducting an RCA includes: RCA preparation, proximate cause identification, root cause identification, and recommendation generation and implementation. FTA is a logical, structured process that can help identify potential causes of system failure before actual failures occur. Some advantages and significant methodologic limitations of RCA were discussed. Finally, we emphasized that errors stem principally from faults attributable to system design, practice guidelines, work conditions, and other human factors, which induce health professionals to make negligence or mistakes with regard to healthcare. We must explore the root causes of medical errors to eliminate potential RCA system failure factors. Also, a systemic approach is needed to resolve medical errors and move beyond a current culture centered on assigning fault to individuals. In constructing a real environment of patient-centered safety healthcare, we can help encourage clients to accept state-of-the-art healthcare services.
Nonlinear all-optical modulation in a GaAs/AIGaAs multiple quantum well vertical directional coupler

The intensity-dependent nonlinear change in the refractive index of multiquantum wells (MQWs) has been recognized as an attractive means for all-optical switching and optical signal processing. We report nonlinear coupling characteristics of the first AIGaAs vertical coupler using a GaAs/AIGaAs MQW as the coupling medium.
Gene Insertion and Deletion in Mosquitoes

Historical genetic control strategies for pest insects have relied upon radiation or chemical mutagens to induce beneficial genetic changes (sterility) in a nontargeted fashion. The characterization of genes and genomes from a diverse number of eukaryotic, prokaryotic, and viral sources has enabled the development of a catalog of naturally occurring mechanisms for manipulating the genomes of organisms such as mosquitoes in highly specific ways. Here, we describe the technologies used to manipulate the mosquito genome, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of each. While transposon-based integrations remain the gold standard for forward genetic experiments aimed at identifying new genetic elements and optimizing chromosomal position for engineered gene expression cassettes, the introduction of targeted mutations/integrations using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 system offers a new and exciting way to design reverse genetic experiments to take advantage of the volumes of genome sequence and expression data currently being generated. Both forward and reverse genetic approaches will benefit genetic control programs both directly, through the development of novel strains carrying beneficial traits, and indirectly, through the development of a greater understanding of the basic biology of mosquitoes.
Status of Clinical PET in the USA and the Role and Activities of the Institute for Clinical PET

Modern Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners were developed in the early 1970s by Kuhl (1, 2), Ter-Pogossian (3) and Phelps (4). The principal motivation for the development of the coincidence imaging technology was to facilitate the study of cerebral physiology using positron emitting tracers such as15O oxygen and 15O water. Studies of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism were almost exclusively the focus of PET imaging until the 1980s when PET tomographs capable of accommodating the torso permitted extension of positron based tracers to cardiology. By the early 1990s studies of glucose metabolism in malignant neoplasms throughout the body emerged. Because PET was developed principally to answer scientific questions in an academic setting rather than provide clinical patient care, as was largely the case with CT and MRI, PET imaging remained in the province of academic institutions, considered primarily a research tool rather than a clinically useful technology. Potential clinical applications were nevertheless recognized and developed in neurology in the early 1980s, cardiology in the mid 1980s and oncology in the early 1990’s. Localization of epileptic foci, assessment of brain tumors, and differentiation of recurrent primary brain neoplasms from radiation necrosis were seen as useful applications of PET in clinical neurology. In cardiology, measurement of myocardial blood flow and determination of myocardial viability in zones of non-contractile myocardium were recognized as suitable clinical applications.
Erving Goffman: A Critical Introduction to Media and Communication Theory

Winkin and Leeds-Hurwitz have succeeded in presenting a succinct, eminently readable introduction to the work of Erving Goffman, whose contributions to the study of performance, interaction, and ex...
The Effect of Interleukin-11 (Oprelvekin, Neumega®) on Thrombocytopenia Associated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKI) in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).

During therapy with Imatinib and other TKI, 20–50% of patients with CML develop grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia. This frequently leads to treatment interruptions and dose reductions that may decrease the probability of achieving a cytogenic response. IL-11 is a megakaryopoietic cytokine that reduces the incidence and the severity of thrombocytopenia associated with chemotherapy. We investigated the efficacy and the safety of low dose IL-11 in improving thrombocytopenia associated with imatinib and other TKI therapy in 13 patients (pts) with CML. Pts were included if they had CML in chronic or accelerated phase receiving therapy with imatinib, nilotinib, or dasatinib; developed grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia (platelets 9 /L) after the first 4 weeks of therapy with TKI, and had thrombocytopenia that was either recurrent or requiring TKI dose reductions. The starting dose of IL-11 was 10mcg/kg 3 times weekly and the dose escalated by 1 dose level every 2 weeks if the patients had no sustained platelet increase ≥10x10 9 /L above the baseline on at least 2 consecutive measures 1 weeks apart. The median age is 52 yrs (range, 34–77 yrs). Median platelet count at diagnosis was 164 x10 9 /L (range, 911–72 x10 9 /L); median platelet count at the time IL-11 was started was 37 x10 9 /L (range, 3–74 x10 9 /L). Eleven pts were in chronic, and 2 in accelerated phase. Eight pts were treated with imatinib with a dose range from 300 to 800 mg/day; 3 pts with dasatinab 70–75 mg twice daily; and 2 pts with nilotinib 400mg twice daily. All pts had dose reduction of the TKI prior to initiation of IL-11. After initiation of IL-11, eight of 13 pts had an increase in platelet count with median peak platelet count of 102 x10 9 /L (range, 51–160 x10 9 /L), including 1 pt that normalized platelet counts. Only one of the 8 responders had further TKI dose reduction after IL-11 was started; one of the 8 responders was taken off study secondary to noncompliance, and 1 had IL-11 therapy discontinued secondary to fatigue. One pt that did not show a platelet increase had however his imatinib dose increased from 300 to 500 mg daily. Seven patients had decrease in the number of days of TKI therapy interruption secondary to thrombocytopenia after initiation of IL-11 (12 % of the total treatment time as compared to 30% before the start of interleukin-11). There was no significant toxicity observed with IL-11 therapy except for grade 4 fatigue in one patient which led to discontinuation of therapy and grade 2 peripheral edema in one patient which led to dose reduction. We conclude that the IL-11therapy in CML pts with ≥ grade 3 thrombocytopenia may lead to improvement in platelet count and minimize treatment interruptions of TKI. At the doses used in this study, IL-11 can be administered with minimal toxicity in most pts.
Understanding the Molecular Basis of Multiple Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Syndrome 1 (MMDS1)—Impact of a Disease-Causing Gly208Cys Substitution on Structure and Activity of NFU1 in the Fe/S Cluster Biosynthetic Pathway

Iron-sulfur (Fe/S)-cluster-containing proteins constitute one of the largest protein classes, with varied functions that include electron transport, regulation of gene expression, substrate binding and activation, and radical generation. Consequently, the biosynthetic machinery for Fe/S clusters is evolutionarily conserved, and mutations in a variety of putative intermediate Fe/S cluster scaffold proteins can cause disease states, including multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome (MMDS), sideroblastic anemia, and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Herein, we have characterized the impact of defects occurring in the MMDS1 disease state that result from a point mutation (Gly208Cys) near the active site of NFU1, an Fe/S scaffold protein, via an in vitro investigation into the structural and functional consequences. Analysis of protein stability and oligomeric state demonstrates that the mutant increases the propensity to dimerize and perturbs the secondary structure composition. These changes appear to underlie the severely decreased ability of mutant NFU1 to accept an Fe/S cluster from physiologically relevant sources. Therefore, the point mutation on NFU1 impairs downstream cluster trafficking and results in the disease phenotype, because there does not appear to be an alternative in vivo reconstitution path, most likely due to greater protein oligomerization from a minor structural change.
Prophylactic Ankle Bracing in Military Settings: A Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Background: Within athletics and the military, ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries with the potential for long-term functional deficits. Incidence rates for ankle sprains within the military are one of the leading causes of limited duty days, especially during basic combat training, parachute training exercises, and in cadet populations. In 2008, the Department of Defense U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine report recommended that military personnel should wear semirigid ankle braces during parachuting, basketball, soccer, and other similar high-risk activities to reduce ankle sprain injuries. This recommendation was developed using a majority of athletic references with limited data stemming from military works. Of these included military studies, none presented data on ankle braces and their effects on performance, especially in military-specific environments. The purpose of this review was to provide an up-to-date account on the use of ankle braces in ...
Advances in deep learning approaches for image tagging

The advent of mobile devices and media cloud services has led to the unprecedented growth of personal photo collections. One of the fundamental problems in managing the increasing number of photos is automatic image tagging. Image tagging is the task of assigning human-friendly tags to an image so that the semantic tags can better reflect the content of the image and therefore can help users better access that image. The quality of image tagging depends on the quality of concept modeling which builds a mapping from concepts to visual images. While significant progresses are made in the past decade on image tagging, the previous approaches can only achieve limited success due to the limited concept representation ability from hand-crafted features (e.g., Scale-Invariant Feature Transform, GIST, Histogram of Oriented Gradients, etc.). Further progresses are made, since the efficient and effective deep learning algorithms have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to categorize and evaluate different image tagging approaches based on deep learning techniques. We also discuss the relevant problems and applications to image tagging, including data collection, evaluation metrics, and existing commercial systems. We conclude the advantages of different image tagging paradigms and propose several promising research directions for future works.
Threading the needle: when embroidery was used to treat shell-shock

The use of embroidery to provide comfort for victims of trauma goes back several hundred years. An early example is provided by Mary, Queen of Scots, who found “great solace” in prolonged captivity as she dealt with what her doctors called “grief of the spleen” (or obstructio splenis cum
On Joe Bolton

It's amazing to me that Joe Bolton was able to craft the supple and strong poems that he accompUshed in his rather short life, writing as a member of the liminal generation. These are the persons born in the exile days of the late fifties and early sixties, too young to be baby-boomers and too old to be generation-Xers. We were just old enough in the sixties to have some vague awareness of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, and to have inher ited the idealism of those days, but then we had to face coming of age in the midst of Watergate, disco, mood rings, puka shells, and pet rocks, and we inherited none of the gen-X cynicism that could have protected us from unfettered nostalgia. It was still too early for our parents to have known what irreparable damage was being done by all the television we watched. Ours was not so much a cultural moment as a parody of a cultural moment. No doubt, my flyby cultural analysis misses a lot, but it may serve as a kind of metaphor of the somehow familiar world I find myself entering when I read Joe Bolton's poems, in which Bolton often serves as a Virgil guiding us through the flames, pains, faded glories, Lethe waters, and longueurs of his world, one whose contemporary culture grows at times so outrageously thin as to function only as a veneer covering a vast emptiness, leaving the speaker to look back with longing on a world seemingly more real and substantial than our own, but also irrecoverable. "The Dead Gods" (dedicated to "Kennedy, King, Lennon, etc. "), for example, begins, "It is no longer clear where we are going," a state of affairs that leads to a note of despair for this poet who would sing: "Whatever little we had / In us of music has gone out of us. . . ." When the poet then turns to "The New Gods," it may come as no surprise that "for a long time, nothing happened." In fact, the "lush" and "sexual" gods of the new age go unnamed, though we are informed that they come, not from mountains, rivers, or the sky, "But from the scented gloss of maga zines, . . . / To become immortal and then to die." Often, the poems in this collection are imbued with a "sense of something almost over, / Something
Geometry in the Primary Grades: Exploring Geometric Ideas in the Primary Grades

Transferring the shape of an object onto paper by printing can be very exciting for children. Many children are introduced to printing through commercially prepared stamp pads and stamps, but children can also print using spools, cut potatoes, carrots, cheese, nutshells, buttons, wood bits, and cardboard or oaktag pasted to corrugated board. Water-based ink or tempera paint can be brushed on any of these objects, and the pattern can be "stamped" on paper.
Responsibility for Suicide or Violence on Campus

What degree of responsibility do universities have to prevent student suicide or violence on campus? This question was the focus of two recent state supreme court decisions, in Massachusetts and in...
Role of estrogen and stress on the brain-gut axis.

Symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), including fullness, bloating, abdominal pain, and altered gastrointestinal (GI) motility, present a significant clinical problem, with a r...
Non-chromosomal antibiotic resistance in bacteria. II. Molecular nature of R-factors isolated from Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli.

Covalently closed circular species of R-factor† DNA have been isolated by Cs2SO4Hg2+ or CsCl-ethidium bromide centrifugation from both Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli strains which have been subjected to detergent lysis. In Proteus, the fi+ R-factors R1 and R6 consist of at least three independently replicating closed circular species of DNA banding at buoyant densities of 1.709, 1.711 and 1.718 g/cm3; in E. coli, a single molecular species having a buoyant density of 1.711 g/cm3 predominates. The respective buoyant densities and calculated molecular weights of isolated R1 and R6 DNA species suggest that the dominant molecular species present in E. coli is the largest of the three forms found in Proteus, and that this species may represent a composite of the two smaller units. Segregants of the R-factor R6 which have lost drug resistance markers but have retained the capacity for transfer have been isolated, and the circular DNA associated with these segregants in both Proteus and E. coli has been characterized by ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy. The results of these experiments suggest that the R6 DNA species banding at ϱ = 1.709 g/cm3 in Proteus is the transfer unit while the species at ϱ = 1.718 g/cm3 contains the drug resistance markers. These findings are consistent with a model depicting certain R-factors as being composed of separately replicating, genetically independent units of DNA.
Degeneration of injured axons and dendrites requires restraint of a protective JNK signaling pathway by the transmembrane protein Raw

The degeneration of injured axons involves a self-destruction pathway whose components and mechanism are not fully understood. Here, we report a new regulator of axonal resilience. The transmembrane protein Raw is cell autonomously required for the degeneration of injured axons, dendrites, and synapses in Drosophila melanogaster In both male and female raw hypomorphic mutant or knock-down larvae, the degeneration of injured axons, dendrites, and synapses from motoneurons and sensory neurons is strongly inhibited. This protection is insensitive to reduction in the levels of the NAD+ synthesis enzyme Nmnat (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase), but requires the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and the transcription factors Fos and Jun (AP-1). Although these factors were previously known to function in axonal injury signaling and regeneration, Raw's function can be genetically separated from other axonal injury responses: Raw does not modulate JNK-dependent axonal injury signaling and regenerative responses, but instead restrains a protective pathway that inhibits the degeneration of axons, dendrites, and synapses. Although protection in raw mutants requires JNK, Fos, and Jun, JNK also promotes axonal degeneration. These findings suggest the existence of multiple independent pathways that share modulation by JNK, Fos, and Jun that influence how axons respond to stress and injury.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Axonal degeneration is a major feature of neuropathies and nerve injuries and occurs via a cell autonomous self-destruction pathway whose mechanism is poorly understood. This study reports the identification of a new regulator of axonal degeneration: the transmembrane protein Raw. Raw regulates a cell autonomous nuclear signaling pathway whose yet unknown downstream effectors protect injured axons, dendrites, and synapses from degenerating. These findings imply that the susceptibility of axons to degeneration is strongly regulated in neurons. Future understanding of the cellular pathway regulated by Raw, which engages the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and Fos and Jun transcription factors, may suggest new strategies to increase the resiliency of axons in debilitating neuropathies.