cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Low Frame Error Rate Performance of LDPC Codes Using Importance Sampling

We present an importance sampling method for the evaluation of the low frame error rate (FER) performance of LDPC codes under iterative decoding. It relies on a combinatorial characterization of absorbing sets, which are the dominant cause of decoder failure in the low FER region. The biased density in the importance sampling scheme is a mean-shifted version of the original Gaussian density, which is suitably centered between a codeword and a dominant absorbing set. This choice of biased density yields an unbiased estimator for the FER with a variance lower by several orders of magnitude than the standard Monte Carlo estimator. Using this importance sampling scheme in software, we obtain good agreement with the experimental results obtained from a fast hardware emulator of the decoder.
Comparison of serum vascular endothelial growth levels between patients with and without ovarian malignancies.

The objective of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and ovarian malignancies by contrasting a population with ovarian malignancies and a population free of gynecological neoplasms. Two hundred forty four serum samples were obtained from the US National Cancer Institute9s Prostate, Lung, Colon, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Project. These samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in duplicate, and on completion of the assays, the samples were decoded for age and disease type. Average VEGF values for the nongynecological control group was 4.399 ng/ml; for benign gynecologic cases, 2.515 ng/ml; and for patients with malignancies, 4.287 ng/ml. Specifically, there was no difference between the mean value of VEGF in patients with ovarian malignancies and the patients with benign gynecological tumors (P = 0.8823). Also, there was no difference between the mean value of VEGF in patients with ovarian malignancies and the control patients who did not have gynecological disease (P = 0.3110). Using the Mann–Whitney U-test, no significant differences were found between the three populations of this study. Based on our data, due to the lack of significant difference in mean serum VEGF values between patients with and without ovarian malignancies, we feel that serum VEGF cannot be used as a possible screening tool for ovarian cancer.
Vertical heat flux and lateral mass transport in nonlinear internal waves

[1] Comprehensive observations of velocity, density, and turbulent dissipation permit quantification of the nonlinear internal wave (NLIW) contribution to vertical heat flux and lateral mass transport over New Jersey's shelf. The effect of NLIWs on the shelf heat budget was significant. On average, heat flux in NLIWs was 10 times larger than background at the pycnocline depth. NLIWs were present at midshelf <10% of the time, yet we estimate that they contributed roughly one−half the heat flux across the pycnocline during the observation period, which was characterized by weak to moderate winds. Lateral transport distances due to the leading 3 waves in NLIW packets were typically (100 m) but ranged several kilometers. The month-averaged daily onshore transport (per unit alongshelf dimension) by NLIWs is estimated as 0.3 m2s−1. This is comparable to a weak downwelling wind, but sustained over an entire month.
Sinoatrial Node Pacemaker Activity Requires Ca 2+ /Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Activation

Cardiac beating arises from the spontaneous rhythmic excitation of sinoatrial (SA) node cells. Here we report that SA node pacemaker activity is critically dependent on Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). In freshly dissociated rabbit single SA node cells, inhibition of CaMKII by a specific peptide inhibitor, autocamtide-2 inhibitory peptide (AIP, 10 micromol/L), or by KN-93 (0.1 to 3.0 micromol/L), but not its inactive analog, KN-92, depressed the rate and amplitude of spontaneous action potentials (APs) in a dose-dependent manner. Strikingly, 10 micromol/L AIP and 3 micromol/L KN-93 completely arrested SA node cells, which indicates that basal CaMKII activation is obligatory to the genesis of pacemaker AP. To understand the ionic mechanisms of the CaMKII effects, we measured L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca, L)), which contributes both to AP upstroke and to pacemaker depolarization. KN-93 (1 micromol/L), but not its inactive analog, KN-92, decreased I:(Ca, L) amplitude from 12+/-2 to 6+/-1 pA/pF without altering the shape of the current-voltage relationship. Both AIP and KN-93 shifted the midpoint of the steady-state inactivation curve leftward and markedly slowed the recovery of I(Ca, L) from inactivation. Similar results were observed using the fast Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA, whereas the slow Ca(2+) chelator EGTA had no significant effect, which suggests that CaMKII activity is preferentially regulated by local Ca(2+) transients. Indeed, confocal immunocytochemical imaging showed that active CaMKII is highly localized beneath the surface membrane in the vicinity of L-type channels and that AIP and KN-93 significantly reduced CaMKII activity. Thus, we conclude that CaMKII plays a vital role in regulating cardiac pacemaker activity mainly via modulating I(Ca, L) inactivation and reactivation, and local Ca(2+) is critically involved in these processes.
Stimulation of DOPA Synthesis in the Superior Cervical Ganglion by Veratridine

We have investigated the effect of veratridine on DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) accumulation by the superior cervical ganglion of the rat. Incubation of the ganglion with veratridine (50 microM) causes a 10-fold increase in the rate of DOPA accumulation. Veratridine-stimulated DOPA accumulation is blocked by tetrodotoxin, but not by cholinergic or adrenergic antagonists or by decentralization of the ganglion. The cyclic nucleotide 8-bromo cyclic GMP does not increase DOPA accumulation, and 8-bromo cyclic AMP causes only a 2-fold increase in DOPA accumulation, which is additive with the effect of veratridine. Thus, the action of veratridine appears to be independent of these cyclic nucleotides. The effect of veratridine on DOPA accumulation is probably due to a stable modification of tyrosine hydroxylase, since an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity can be measured in cell-free extracts of veratridine-treated ganglia. Both the increase in DOPA accumulation and the stable activation of tyrosine hydroxylase are dependent upon extracellular Ca2+. The activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by veratridine may be mediated by the depolarization of, and the subsequent entry of Ca2+ into, ganglionic neurons.
Editorial: Vanishing methods

One of my graduate students decided to use a popular commercial software in order to investigate scattering by three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Within a few weeks, he came up with very nice plots of scattering patterns as well as colorful spatial profiles of scattered fields. As the 3-D objects were of complicated shapes and my brain is still wired to analytical treatments of scattering, I asked him to repeat his calculations for a sphere made of an isotropic material. After looking at the diagrams he supplied, I decided that something had gone wrong.
Radiation from transverse sources using coupled vector potentials

Solutions detailing the radiated fields of patch antennas often determine the electric field components. These components are then combined with appropriate coordinate transforms to realize the spherical coordinate representation suitable for plotting radiation patterns. This paper presents a slight variation on this process that eliminates such a tedious calculation and realizes the electric fields directly from the asymptotic evaluation of the z-directed vector potentials “A” and “F”.
Interfaced variance estimators

The sample variance, the usual estimator of the population variance, is biased when the data are autocorrelated. We investigate interlaced variance estimators, the average of k sample variances, each obtained using only every k/sup th/ observation; the sample variance is the special case of k=1. We analyze performance as a function of k for independent data, AR(I) processes, and MA(q) processes. Interfacing reduces bias, in some cases to zero. Variance and mean squared error (mse) are asymptotically not a function of k. Because it is computationally simpler, the sample variance (k=1) is a reasonable choice for most applications.
Kinetics of the reactions of isopropoxy radicals with NO, NO2, and O2

Abstract A fluorescence excitation spectrum of (CH 3 ) 2 CHO (isopropoxy radical) is reported following photolysis of isopropyl nitrite at 355 nm. Rate constants for the reaction of isopropoxy with NO, NO 2 , and O 2 have been measured as a function of pressure (1–50 Torr) and temperature (25–110°C) by monitoring isopropoxy radical concentrations using laser-induced fluorescence. We have obtained the following Arrhenius expressions for the reaction of isopropoxy with NO and O 2 respectively: (1.22±0.28)×10 −11 exp[(+0.62±0.14 kcal)/ RT ]cm 2 /s and (1.51±0.70)×10 −14 exp[(−0.39±0.28)kcal/ RT ]cm 3 /s where the uncertainties represent 2σ. The results with NO 2 are more complex, but indicate that reaction with NO 2 proceeds more rapidly than with NO contrary to previous reports. The pressure dependence of the thermal decomposition of the isopropoxy radical was studied at 104 and 133°C over a 300 Torr range using nitrogen as a buffer gas. The reaction is in the fall-off region over the entire range. Upper limits for the reaction of isopropoxy with acetaldehyde, isobutane, ethylene, and trimethyl ethylene are reported. We have performed the first LIF study of the isopropoxy radical. Arrhenius parameters were measured for the reaction of i -PrO with O 2 , NO, NO 2 , using direct radical measurement techniques. All reactions are in their high-pressure limits at a few Torr of pressure. The rate constant for the reactions of i -PrO with NO and NO 2 reactions exhibit a small negative activation energy. Studies of the i -PrO + NO 2 reaction produce data which indicate that O( 3 P) reacts rapidly with i -PrO. Unimolecular decomposition studies of i -PrO indicate that the reaction is in the fall-off region between 1 and 300 Torr of N 2 and the high-pressure limit is above 1 atmosphere of N 2 .
Design and construction of a neutral point clamped inverter

The design and construction of a neutral point clamped inverter along with its modulation strategy and circuit simulation using PSPICE 6.2 for Windows is presented. This inverter is a subscale (100 kW) prototype for an inverter that is intended to be used in a 1 MW level universal power converter system to produce three-phase AC power at 60 Hz from variable input sources.
Statistical transliteration for english-arabic cross language information retrieval

Out of vocabulary (OOV) words are problematic for cross language information retrieval. One way to deal with OOV words when the two languages have different alphabets, is to transliterate the unknown words, that is, to render them in the orthography of the second language. In the present study, we present a simple statistical technique to train an English to Arabic transliteration model from pairs of names. We call this a selected n-gram model because a two-stage training procedure first learns which n-gram segments should be added to the unigram inventory for the source language, and then a second stage learns the translation model over this inventory. This technique requires no heuristics or linguistic knowledge of either language. We evaluate the statistically-trained model and a simpler hand-crafted model on a test set of named entities from the Arabic AFP corpus and demonstrate that they perform better than two online translation sources. We also explore the effectiveness of these systems on the TREC 2002 cross language IR task. We find that transliteration either of OOV named entities or of all OOV words is an effective approach for cross language IR.
The mass of the zona glomerulosa following complete anterior and posterior hypophysectomy and subtotal removal of the pars tuberalis in the dog.

Atrophy of both the zona glomerulosa and the inner adrenal cortical zones of the dog was observed 6 weeks after complete anterior and posterior hypophyscctomy and subtotal removal of the pars tuberalis. Reimplantation of a portion of the pars distalis resulted in partial maintenance of the mass of eachof the adrenal cortical zones. The degree of atrophy of the zona glomerulosa was less than that observed in the inner cortical zones. Nevertheless, the data demonstrate that in the dog the mass of the zona glomerulosa is not exclusively controlled by cxtrapituitary factors.
Microbial nitrogen cycling response to forest-based bioenergy production

Concern over rising atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases due to fossil fuel combustion has intensified research into carbon-neutral energy production. Approximately 15.8 million ha of pine plantations exist across the southeastern United States, representing a vast land area advantageous for bioenergy production without significant landuse change or diversion of agricultural resources from food production. Furthermore, intercropping of pine with bioenergy grasses could provide annually harvestable, lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks along with production of traditional wood products. Viability of such a system hinges in part on soil nitrogen (N) availability and effects of N competition between pines and grasses on ecosystem productivity. We investigated effects of intercropping loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) on microbial N cycling processes in the Lower Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA. Soil samples were collected from bedded rows of pine and interbed space of two treatments, composed of either volunteer native woody and herbaceous vegetation (pine-native) or pure switchgrass (pine-switchgrass) in interbeds. An in vitro 15N pool-dilution technique was employed to quantify gross N transformations at two soil depths (0-5 and 5-15 cm) on four dates in 2012-2013. At the 0-5 cm depth in beds of the pine-switchgrass treatment, gross N mineralization was two to three times higher in November and February compared to the pine-native treatment, resulting in increased NH4(+) availability. Gross and net nitrification were also significantly higher in February in the same pine beds. In interbeds of the pine-switchgrass treatment, gross N mineralization was lower from April to November, but higher in February, potentially reflecting positive effects of switchgrass root-derived C inputs during dormancy on microbial activity. These findings indicate soil N cycling and availability has increased in pine beds of the pine-switchgrass treatment compared to those of the pine-native treatment, potentially alleviating any negative effects of N competition between pine and switchgrass. We expect that reduced soil C in the pine-switchgrass treatment, effects of pine and switchgrass rooting on soil C availability, and plant N demand are major factors influencing soil N transformations. Future research should examine rooting architecture in-intercropped systems and the effects on soil microbial communities and function.
Assessment of continuous-bed-motion (CBM) and step & shoot (SS) modes for 90Y PET/CT scan

267 Objectives To assess the impact of CBM and SS acquisition modes in mCT PET/CT on quantitative accuracy and image quality of 90Y PET/CT study for limited anatomical region in liver. Methods PET/CT scans of a NEMA IEC phantom (3GBq 90YCl2, sphere uptake ratio of ~7) were acquired in 3D list mode using Siemens mCT scanner: CBM (20min/bed eq.), 1-bed SS (30 & 60 min/bed), and 2-bed SS (30 min/bed). The study was repeated at day 3 and 5. For SS mode, the spheres were placed at the center of the FOV. The images were reconstructed using OSEM with 21 SUB×IT, PSF+TOF corrections, and post reconstruction 5-mm transaxial filter. VOIs were drawn inside the 3 largest spheres and in the background regions at the spheres level and at the edges of the phantom. The accuracy of spheres activity concentration (AC in kBq/mL) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Image noise was measured as the relative standard deviation in the background VOIs. The variation of noise in the z-axis direction was investigated for all modes. Reconstructed images were also evaluated qualitatively for sphere detectability, noise, and artifacts. Results Both CBM and SS modes have comparable quantitative accuracy; the spheres AC converge to 60-70% accuracy. The uncertainty of the convergence level depends only on the time/bed equivalent. The spheres CNRs from both CBM and SS modes are also comparable. The time/bed increases CNR. The images from 2-bed SS mode seem to have slightly higher detectability compared to 1-bed SS and CBM for the same time/bed equivalent. SS has higher noise at the non-overlapping edge of the bed position. The noise variation is more pronounced at low count images. CBM, on the other hand, has fairly uniform noise in z-axis direction. Conclusions The scan length in CBM mode can be tailored to fit only the area of interest; hence potentially increasing the image quality for a fixed study duration, especially for limited anatomical region such as Y90PET/CT liver scan. Y90PET/CT liver scan may also benefit from the z-axis noise uniformity in CBM mode.
Know Your Achilles' Heel: Automatic Detection of Network Critical Services

Administrators need effective tools to quickly and automatically obtain a succinct, yet informative, overview of the status of their networks to make critical administrative decisions in a timely and effective manner. While the existing tools might help in pointing out machines that are heavily used or services that are failing, more subtle relationships, such as indirect dependencies between services, are not made apparent. In this paper, we propose novel techniques to automatically provide insights into the state of a network and the importance of the network components. We developed a tool, called Paris, which receives traffic information from various off-the-shelf network monitoring devices. Paris computes an importance metric for the network's components based on which the administrators can prioritize their defensive and prohibitive actions. We evaluated Paris by running it on a mid-size, real-world network. The results show that Paris is able to automatically provide situation awareness in a timely, effective manner.
Lessons in Hope

A couple of months ago, my 85-year old father passed away. He had a heart attack, developed pneumonia, and significant blockage of the cerebral aqueduct, probably brought on by invasive cancer that had spread throughout his body. Through all of this, and through the many trials in his life, he maintained a wonderfully positive attitude—always answering the “how are you doing” queries with a self-convincing “fantastic” answer—even when he could feel the cancer eating away inside. He and my mother were consummate optimists and spent their whole lives working hard for a better tomorrow for their children, grandchildren, and humanity in general. Despite their infirmities, they made it to the polls this past November and proudly cast their ballots for “change” and “hope” for the future. I miss my father dearly, but his lessons of hope will always remain close at heart. I lean on these lessons more right now than ever before. Like too many Americans, I have seen the value of my retirement investments plummet to new lows. I sometimes feel like I am banging my head against the wall trying to garner funds so I can engage my students in hands-on, inquiry-based research. I worry about the job market for my son and daughter and for my students. It is hard to make sense (or cents) and to find a “silver lining” in an economy in which it literally costs about a dime to make a nickel and a nickel to make a dime! Nonetheless, I am hopeful, and though the job ahead will be monumental, I am grateful we have an intelligent, bold new leader who will help guide our country through the rough waters ahead. I am also grateful to my FUN colleagues who impart hope for the next generation of neuroscientists. Your contributions to JUNE represent a plethora of new and innovative ideas to help in the education of our students. This issue is no exception—from laboratory simulations (SWIMMY and the digital microscope and a virtual EEG)--to the clever use of distorted images in a neuroscience lab--to new ways of involving students in a cost-saving, yet instructive exercise of building their own microdialysis probes—our contributors have, yet again, broadened our perspectives in pedagogy. I am also thankful for the reviewers and editorial board members who contribute their time and talents to make each issue of JUNE a helpful tool for all of us. It is this strong network of support that keeps me hopeful that JUNE will not only survive, but actually thrive, in the hard times ahead. Although we have faced some setbacks, such as the rather extensive damage done by hackers this past year, I am confident that JUNE will continue to flourish—precisely because of the support engendered by such a wonderful group of colleagues—who continue to hope and prepare for a better future for our students.
A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study of spirulina supplementation on indices of mental and physical fatigue in men.

AbstractSpirulina may increase people’s ability to resist mental and physical fatigue. This study tested that hypothesis in a randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled study in men. After 1 week, a 3 g/day dose of spirulina produced a small, but statistically significant increase in exercise output (Kcals consumed in 30 min exercise on a cross trainer machine). A mathematical based mental fatigue test showed improved performance 4 h after the first time of supplementation as well as 8 weeks later. Similarly, a subjective survey for a sense of physical and mental fatigue showed improvement within 4 h of the first supplementation as well as 8 weeks later. These results show that spirulina intake can affect fatigue in men.
Aromatic Poly(amides) for Reverse Osmosis

This chapter reviews the chemical stability of artificial membranes synthesized for use in reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration. The synthetic work was often aimed at obtaining chlorine-resistant polyamide membranes with similar performance to the FT-30 membrane. The FT-30 membrane is made from the interfacial synthesis of 1,3-phenylene diamine (MPD) and the 1,3,5-benzene triacid chloride. This included primarily work on aromatic polyamides and also related polymers such as polyureas, polyesters, polyurethanes, and so on. Solution synthetic work showed a wide variety of polyamide linkages stable to chlorine and chlorine oxide attack. Membranes made from these synthetic routes were not chlorine or chlorine oxide stable. In the cases studied in detail, Koval et al. determined that the amine end groups left over from the synthesis of these polymers produced chloramine derivatives and produced other chlorine derivatives that would be similar to those reported from the digestion of chlorinated aromatic polyamide RO membranes. There were large changes in the reported flux from membranes made with different polymer classes. Some of these changes in flux could be attributed to the change in hydrophobicity of the polymers. The hydrophobicity was estimated by the octanol–water partition coefficient of representative polymer fragments. The review included a study of the relatively large expected change in p K of the expected amine end groups left over from the synthesis and if they substantially changed the extent of chlorination. The data showed that these changes may affect the rate of chlorination but they were unable to substantively affect the final chlorine/chlorine oxide stability of aromatic polyamide membranes. The wide variety of polyamides produced and tested for membrane performance encompasses 25 years of synthetic work and a wide variety of different possible polymers. Estimates of the end group p K and how they affect apparent rejection at near-neutral pHs show why the fully aromatic polyamide polymers epitomized by the FT-30 aromatic polyamide have an optimum structure for use in the majority of sources for drinking water.
PTU-169 Comparison between sphincteroplasty and sacral nerve stimulation for treat-ment of anal incontinence patients with sphincter injuries

Introduction This study aimed to compare outcomes of patients with anal sphincter defects treated by sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) or sphincteroplasty (SP). Method After IRB approval, patients treated for FI with a sphincter defect were identified from a prospective database; treatment groups were matched and stratified by SNS or SP. Primary outcome was change in Wexner FI Score (FIS). Demographic variables, past medical history and complication rates were also reviewed. Sphincter defects were assessed by endoanal ultrasound and ranged from 45°–180°. Continuous variables were compared with independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests based on evidence of Gaussian distribution. Categorical variables were compared with Chi-squared analyses. Paired within group analyses were performed with paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In order to perform a paired assessment of the role of each intervention in affecting the FIS, an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was performed. Results 26 female patients were included, 13 each underwent sphincteroplasty or SNS. The groups were similar with regards to age (62.2 vs 57.2 years, p = 0.16), BMI (26.2 vs 26.5, p = 0.33), initial FIS (15.9 vs 16.8, p = 0.39) and follow-up (14 vs 10 months, p = 0.72). The groups were similar for >1 vaginal delivery or rates of urinary incontinence (p = 1.00 and p = 0.62, respectively). Early postoperative complications included 1 patient in each group with wound infection. Within group analyses revealed a significant improvement of FIS in SNS patients (15.9 to 8.4; p = 0.003) but not observed in the SP group (16.9 to 12.9; p = 0.078). Between groups, a trend towards lower FIS was seen in the SNS group as compared to SP but was not significant (8.4 vs 12.9; p = 0.06). ANCOVA analysis did reveal either procedure as superior in reducing FIS. Conclusion This study demonstrates that within each group SNS is effective at reducing FI in patients with a sphincter defect. Larger sample sizes will be required to better compare the difference in scores and assess for superiority between procedures. Disclosure of interest None Declared.
ACS based differentiated service routing algorithm in wireless sensor network

Aiming at the different requirements of data transmission in wireless sensor networks, QoS was divided into three services. By using game theory, the relationship among the delay, reliability and energy consumption during the process of data transmission was analyzed. Based on ACS(ant colony system), ACS based differentiated service and game-theory routing(ADSGR) was proposed. In accordance with the diverse QoS requirements, the ADSGR chooses the suitable paths, and improves network performance and resource utility. Experimental results show the ADSGR has better performance than some other routing algorithms in terms of the delay, reliability and energy consumption.
Characteristics of Depreciation in Commercial and Multifamily Property: An Investment Perspective

This article reports empirical evidence on the nature and magnitude of real depreciation in commercial and multifamily investment properties in the United States. The article is based on a much larger and more comprehensive database than prior studies of depreciation in such properties, and it is based on actual transaction prices rather than appraisal estimates of property or building structure values. The article puts forth an “investment perspective” on depreciation, which differs from the tax policy perspective that has dominated the previous literature in the United States. From the perspective of the fundamentals of investment performance, depreciation is measured as a fraction of total property value, not just structure value, and it is oriented toward cash flow and market value metrics of investment performance such as internal rate of return and holding period return. Depreciation from this perspective includes all three age-related sources of long-term secular decline in real value: physical, functional and economic obsolescence of the building structure. The analysis based on 107,805 transaction price observations finds an overall average depreciation rate of 1.5%/year, ranging from 1.82%/year for properties with new buildings to 1.12%/year for properties with 50-year-old buildings. Apartment properties depreciate slightly faster than nonresidential commercial properties. Depreciation is caused almost entirely by decline in the property's current real income, only secondarily by increase in the capitalization rate (“cap rate creep”). Depreciation rates vary considerably across metropolitan areas, with areas characterized by space market supply constraints exhibiting notably less depreciation. This is particularly true when the supply constraints are caused by physical land scarcity as distinct from regulatory constraints. Commercial real estate asset market pricing, as indicated by transaction cap rates, is importantly related to depreciation differences across metro areas.
Stresses in a Pressurized Box

Considering each of the six sides of a closed, pressurized box as a thin plate subjected to an unknown distribution of edge moments, the latter may be found by assuming that the rotations of adjacent edges of the plates are the same. The effect of tensile end loads on the bending of the plates is ignored, and the edges of the plates are kept straight. If the box is square-based, this leads to a doubly infinite set of equations in the Fourier coefficients of the edge moments, which may be conveniently solved by means of a digital computer after suitable truncation of the series. Numerical values of the deflections and stresses of the plates found in this manner are tabulated for five different height-to-width ratios. A similar procedure for a generalized box leads to the triply infinite set of equations which are included.
Multiscale computational electromagnetics and applications

Electromagnetic sensing and system-level design problems are often multiscale and very challenging to solve. They remain a significant barrier to system-level sensing and design optimization for a foreseeable future. Such multiscale problems often contain three electrical scales, i.e., the fine scale (geometrical feature size much smaller than a wavelength), the coarse scale (geometrical feature size greater than a wavelength), and the intermediate scale between the two extremes. Most existing commercial solvers are based on single methodologies (such as finite element method or finite-difference time-domain method), and are unable to solve large multiscale problems. We will present our recent work in solving realistic multiscale system-level EM design simulation problems in time domain. The discontinuous Galerkin method is used as the fundamental framework for interfacing multiple scales with finite-element method, spectral element method, and finite difference method. Numerical results show significant advantages of the multiscale method.
Millets, milk and maggi: contested processes of the nutrition transition in rural India

The nutrition transition—a process of dietary change that describes the shift to calorie-dense, higher fat and protein diets from cereal based ones—is happening in India. This paper argues that relatively little is known about the nature of nutrition transition in India. This is a result of both a lack of adequate and timely data and a consequence of national and state-level statistics, which render an incomplete and potentially misleading picture of how these processes are unfolding in local contexts. This may be especially true in India where very little ethnographic research has documented the dual edges of nutrition transitions. Analyzing data collected from the Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand in 2013, this paper suggests the ways in which aspects of the nutrition transition have developed unevenly over space and time. In particular, while new types of calorie dense foods have infiltrated these rural, remote areas, the process has been uneven and fraught with contestation due to preexisting social practices. More troubling is the evidence that though incomes are rising, the predicted increases in high value, protein rich foods may actually be declining. This paper concludes by arguing that the widely influential nutrition transition literature needs look to ethnographic and in-depth qualitative methods to form better policies relevant to the contingencies of dietary and epidemiological change.
Critical SFL Praxis With Bilingual Youth: Disciplinary Instruction in a Third Space

ABSTRACTThe authors explore the theoretical and pedagogical premises of their critical systemic functional linguistics approach, which they developed to challenge the deficit positioning of bilingual students in the Southeast of the United States. As multilingual educators from postcolonial Ireland and India, the theoretical framework has helped the authors conceptualize and design interventions that support the incorporation of the linguistic and cultural repertoires of students while acknowledging that disciplinary literacy needs an explicit form of linguistic instruction. Key tenets of this approach include fostering a third space where voices, languages, and registers of students and teachers interweave to make and challenge disciplinary knowledge domains. The authors’ pedagogical and professional work, which they illustrate through discussion of data from a larger ethnographic study, has encouraged their students to switch among registers and languages while appropriating academic discourses in a hig...
Regioselective and Enantioselective Intermolecular Buchner Ring Expansions in Flow

The first example of a regioselective and enantioselective intermolecular Buchner ring expansion is reported using continuous flow. The practicality and scope of the reaction are greatly improved under flow conditions. Reactions of ethyl diazoacetate with symmetric and nonsymmetric arenes afford cycloheptatrienes in good yield and excellent regioselectivity. The first example of an asymmetric intermolecular Buchner reaction is demonstrated with disubstituted diazo esters in good to excellent enantioselectivity. The asymmetric reactions proceed with absolute regioselectivity to afford cycloheptatrienes with an all-carbon quaternary center.
Collaboration tools in a one-semester software engineering course: what worked? what didn't?

Collaboration tools play an important role in the development of software applications. This is especially true as development endeavors are more frequently being conducted in geographically distributed environments. Requiring students to use such tools helps in preparing them for their careers after graduation. This paper describes the experiences of using collaboration tools in a one-semester software engineering course which requires group work throughout the semester. After exploring various open source and closed source solutions, Basecamp by 37signals has been used successfully for several semesters as students work collaboratively to develop a real application for a real, on-campus client. Basecamp provides an easy way for (1) instructors to keep abreast of group and individual progress, (2) on-campus clients to be integrated into the development process, and (3) students to embrace a technology which enhances their collaborative efforts.
Solution processed CuSbS 2 films for solar cell applications

Abstract CuSbS2 is a semiconductor with a band gap of 1.5 eV and earth-abundant constituent elements, indicating potential promise as a photovoltaic absorber material. However, strategies to fabricate CuSbS2 films, especially using solution processing, have not been thoroughly developed. We report on two solution-based approaches to deposit CuSbS2 films: chemical bath deposition (CBD) and deposition of colloidal nanoplates. Conditions to directly deposit ternary CuSbS2 (chalcostibite) films were not found, but CuSbS2 films could be formed by annealing CBD-grown bilayers of CuS and Sb2S3. Simultaneous control over phase purity and film morphology proved elusive. To address this challenge, we synthesized colloidal nanoplates of phase-pure chalcostibite CuSbS2 capped with oleylamine ligands following a literature procedure. When colloids are condensed into thin films, these synthesis ligands are insulating and inhibit the inter-crystal charge transfer that is necessary for long-range charge transport. To solve this problem, two approaches were pursued: convective assembly followed by solid-state ligand exchange and a novel process involving solution-phase ligand exchange followed by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Replacement of oleylamine with S2− increased the film conductivity by two orders of magnitude. S2− capping groups also increased the electrophoretic mobility and enabled EPD at bias voltages as low as 5 V. Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy indicated transient photoconductivity persisting beyond 1 ns and carrier mobilities of ~ 1 cm2 V−1 s−1. While many challenges remain, this work indicates the potential promise of solution-processed CuSbS2 nanoplates as building blocks for photovoltaic devices.
Epidemiological Characteristics and Laboratory Findings of Zika Virus Cases in New York City, January 1, 2016–June 30, 2017

Abstract Background: An outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) began in May 2015 in Brazil and rapidly spread throughout the Americas; New York City (NYC) has a diverse population with ∼1.8 million residents who were born in ZIKV-affected areas. Before July 24, 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ZIKV testing recommendations included nucleic acid amplification-based tests for serum and urine specimens collected ≤14 days of illness onset or last potential exposure, and ZIKV immunoglobulin M (IgM) assay when ZIKV RNA is not detected or for specimens collected within 2–12 weeks of illness onset or last potential exposure, followed by a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). However, the New York public health laboratories and commercial laboratories tested specimens collected beyond these time frames. Methods: We analyzed 1080 noncongenital ZIKV cases in NYC residents who met the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologist's ZIKV case definitions. Results: Among cases, 98% were trave...
Antiretroviral drugs in pediatric HIV-infected patients: Pharmacokinetic and practical challenges

Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has been shown to achieve high therapeutic efficacy in treating pediatric HIV disease. The delivery of affordable, child friendly, and easy to store and administer ARV drugs is key to the successful management of HIV in children. In recent years, significant progress has been made in scaling up the access to pediatric ARV therapy among children worldwide. Despite the improved ARV drug access, multiple challenges remain concerning palatability and efficient delivery of ARV drugs to children from infancy into adolescence. Data are limited regarding developmental changes in pharmacokinetics of individual ARV drugs, and pediatric and adult fixed-dose combinations. This review provides a practical discussion regarding the pharmacokinetics of ARV agents in pediatric HIV-infected patients, as well as the practical challenges of currently available formulations, such as palatability of liquid formulations, challenges of crushing tablets, and using adult and pediatric fixed-dose combinations.
Work–Life Equality: The Importance of a Level Playing Field at Home

The division of household labor is important as women continue to enter the workforce in increasing numbers. It is one of the greatest sources of conflict and dissatisfaction among married couples. In fact, almost a quarter of women and men report the division of household chores as a key factor in divorce; currently nearly double the percentage reported in the 1950s and 1960s. Importantly, the gender gap in the reporting of division of labor problems is increasing, with women reporting greater problems than men. Although men and women increasingly participate at similar rates in the workforce, and although women hold half of managerial and professional jobs, little appears to have changed at home in the U.S. as women continue to perform more housework than men. Therefore, whether paid or unpaid, both inside and outside of the home, the division of housework has important implications for working families. The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate that the way in which couples divide paid work and housework is significantly guided by gender norms has significant implications for the upward mobility of women in the workforce while placing tension and jeopardizing the health and well-being of individuals and families. The chapter also discusses specific implications for both the work and family domains.
Patient Reported Improvement After Patch Testing and Allergen Avoidance Counseling: A Retrospective Analysis.

Our objectives were to assess patient-reported improvement after patch testing at the 2–3-month follow-up visit in patients referred for patch testing with relevant positive patch test reactions at the University of California, San Francisco. Cross-sectional analyses of patients patch tested between 2013 and 2016 who returned for a follow-up visit approximately 2–3 months after patch testing. We examined positive patch test results considered of definite, probable or possible relevance to the patient’s eczematous eruptions. Patients reported improvement after patch testing as a percentage: 0–100%. Patients were categorized into four groups: (1) those that reported no improvement or worsened, (2) those that reported > 0% and ≤ 60% improvement, (3) those that reported > 60% but < 100% improvement and (4) those that reported 100% improvement. Secondary measures included the association of allergens, gender, age and location of the rash. The majority (81%) of patients seen at follow-up reported improvement after patch testing. Women reported more improvement than men with statistical significance. Notably, there does not appear to be a statistically significant relationship in patient-reported improvement and age, atopy, strength of a the patient’s positive reactions, number of positive reactions and follow-up time or with potential systemic contact allergens (i.e., balsam of Peru, nickel, chrome and cobalt). We find the large percentage of patients that self-report global benefit from patch testing encouraging, as we believe this to be a powerful measure of disease and symptom activity, as well as quality of life. The gender differences we found contradict the previous literature.
Tangible programming in formal and informal educational environments

Real-world learning environments are complex and often chaotic places. Teachers in classrooms must learn to balance the needs of anywhere from 15 to 30 students at a time with the demands of curriculum and the constraints of a regimented school day. In non-school environments such as science museums, the challenge is different. Program developers and exhibit designers must work without the structure and guidance provided by teachers and curriculum, devising activities and exhibits that engage a diverse audience and promote self-guided learning. For educators, the decision to incorporate computational learning activities in these setting can be fraught with risk (AAUW, 2000; Cuban, 2001). Teachers may feel a sense of loss of control and self-doubt about their own proficiency with technology (AAUW, 2000), and desktop computers, designed primarily as single-user productivity tools for businesses, can be less than ideal for many educational applications (Scott, Mandryk, & Inkpen, 2003). Likewise, in museums, although computer-based exhibits can be very engaging for individual visitors, they are often detrimental to the interactions of social groups as a whole (e.g. Hornecker & Stifter, 2006). For the past four years I have been exploring the potential of tangible interaction to address these issues. Here I briefly describe some of this work in both formal and informal educational settings. I conclude with a brief argument for a focus on creating hybrid tangible interfaces that combine tangible and graphical interaction into a single system, thus giving users the freedom to select an input modality to meet their current needs or preferences.
Revisiting the differential freezing nucleus spectra derived from drop-freezing experiments: methods of calculation, applications, and confidence limits

Abstract. The differential nucleus concentration defined in Vali (1971) is re-examined and methods are given for its application. The purpose of this document is to facilitate the use of differential spectra in describing the results of drop freezing, or similar, experiments and to thereby provide additional insights into the significance of the measurements. The additive nature of differential concentrations is used to show how the background contribution can be accounted for in the measurements. A method is presented to evaluate the confidence limits of the spectra derived from given sets of measurements.
Let's Get Digital: Understanding Adolescent Romantic Relationships Using Naturalistic Assessments of Digital Communication

Adolescent romantic relationships involve complex patterns of interaction. Innovative technological advances offer opportunities to capture features and dynamics of these relationships that traditional research methods have not addressed. With the explosion of digital communication platforms (e.g., mobile texting, direct messaging, social media applications), researchers can now observe and understand adolescent relationships in vivo, offering for the first time a naturalistic lens into adolescent worlds. Recognizing this scientific opportunity, in this article, we 1) discuss the potential theoretical and methodological benefits of collecting and coding digital communication data to understand adolescent romantic relationships, 2) suggest ways to use these data to develop innovative prevention tools, and 3) address potential challenges in collecting digital communication data from adolescents.
Dynamical level-crossing model for the time-dependent electron emission from dielectric surfaces in symmetric dielectric barrier discharges

In field emission plasmas, electrons that initiate plasma formation come from the surface of a metallic electrode, or wall, with emission controlled by the electron-work function of the wall, and can be computed via the Fowler-Nordheim formula. Impinging ions modify the rate at which electrons leave the surface, and are accounted via the coefficient of secondary electron emission. However, in the case of dielectric surfaces, the microscopic mechanism by which electrons are emitted is not as well understood. While simulations of dielectric barrier discharge plasmas assume an initial density of electrons in a time-dependent simulation, whether the presence of electrons is a necessary ambient condition or whether it is a result of emission from a surface is not clear. This is particularly relevant in the context of micro and nanoscale plasma generators when surface-related effects become more important. Here we consider electron emission from dielectric surfaces in the context of dielectric barrier discharges. The configuration of interest consists of two parallel-plate metallic electrodes, each covered by a dielectric layer. Assuming that the initial electrons for plasma formation arise from the surface, we compute the rate of charge transfer from surfaces, which is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for plasma formation. This paper presents the application of the theory of nonadiabatic transitions (dynamical level crossing) to the problem of electron emission from dielectric surfaces in dielectric barrier discharges. The microscopic model of electron transfer described here has potential applications in the design of micro and nanoscale plasma generators.
Thermal Wave Measurement of Diamond Films

We describe a thermal wave mirage effect measurement of the thermal properties of diamond films on silicon substrates.