cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of an Eye Tracking System Enabling Communication for TBI and SCI Patients

Some patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or a spinal cord injury (SCI) lose the ability to operate a computer via traditional methods (mouse and keyboard) or common alternative methods (voice control). The inability to move or speak makes it extremely difficult to communicate. Currently patients must rely on blinking yes or no to a series of questions that the caretaker asks in order to communicate their wants and needs. This system relies on the caretaker anticipating the patient’s needs in a timely manner which is not ideal. The purpose of this Senior Capstone Design project is to develop an eye tracking system to allow TBI and SCI patients to operate a computer exclusively using eye movements. Occupational Therapists at Craig Hospital, a recognized leader in TBI and SCI patient care, have provided the design team with access to a focus group of patients and insight into the needs and constraints of their patient population. With the ability to operate a computer, the patient will have the ability to more fully engage in communication by typing words on a screen for their caretakers to read and in a broader sense: e-mail and instant message family and friends as well as engage in social networking sites. The ability to control a computer allows for choices in entertainment from music to television to newspapers and magazines.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
A Centroid Molecular Dynamics Approach for Nonadiabatic Dynamical Processes in Condensed Phases: the Spin-Boson Case†

A centroid molecular dynamics (CMD) approach [J. Chem. Phys. 1999 111, 2357; 111, 2371] is developed to study nonadiabatic dynamics in condensed phases, as represented by the spin-boson model. The CMD variables for both electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom are defined on the basis of the concept of a quasi-density operator. The initial distribution of the system investigated is not at thermal equilibrium, and the quasi-density operator is therefore constructed using a mixed centroid and Wigner representation. The CMD approximation is employed for the motion of both electronic and nuclear variables, and a set of nonadiabatic CMD equations are then derived. For the case of the spin-boson model, consisting of two electronic states bilinearly coupled to a harmonic bath, a set of nonadiabatic CMD spin-boson stochastic (generalized Langevin-like) equations can also be obtained by integrating out the bath centroid variables. From the numerical simulations, good agreement is found between the CMD calculation...
InGaAs‐GaAs‐AlGaAs gain‐guided arrays operating in the in‐phase fundamental array mode

We compare the operation of single‐stripe gain‐guided InGaAs‐GaAs‐AlGaAs strained‐layer quantum well heterostructure lasers emitting at wavelengths ≳1.0 μm to five‐element gain‐guided arrays with 8 μm stripe width and center‐to‐center spacings S from 14 to 30 μm. Arrays with large interelement spacings exhibit a twin‐lobed far‐field pattern corresponding to the highest order supermode with 180° phase shift between adjacent elements. Devices with smaller interelement spacing exhibit a single lobe in the far field suggestive of in‐phase operation. Pulsed L‐I characteristics show kink‐free operation of arrays with S=15 μm to 730 mW per uncoated facet at 1.8 A.
The Hausdorff separation axiom for fuzzy topological spaces

Abstract We develop a theory of α -Hausdorff fuzzy topological spaces which is compatible with α -compactness and fuzzy continuity, and for α a certain type of member of a given lattice we obtain characterizations of the α -Hausdorff subspaces of the fuzzy unit interval, the fuzzy open unit interval, and the fuzzy real line. In route we give an easy proof of the Fuzzy Tychonov Theorem for α -compactness and extend the theory of one-point α -compactifications.
A single evoked afterdischarge produces rapid time-dependent changes in connexin36 protein expression in adult rat dorsal hippocampus.

Abstract Gap junctions between neurons contribute to synchronous neuronal firing and may play a role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. We examined the expression of a number of gap junction subunits, including the neuronal gap junction forming protein connexin36 (Cx36), in the hippocampus at various time points following an electrically stimulated afterdischarge (AD) in freely-moving animals. Once recovered from electrode implantation, animals were tested with an escalating series of stimulations until an AD was evoked. Suprathreshold stimulation produced a brief AD with no convulsion. Groups of animals were sacrificed at 3, 12, and 24 h post-stimulation, and connexin expression was assessed via semiquantitative immunoblotting. Compared to implanted non-stimulated controls, a significant decrease in Cx36 expression was observed in the stimulated dorsal hippocampus at 3 h post-stimulation, which returned to control levels by 24 h. No changes were seen in the ventral hippocampus. As well, no changes were seen in other selected connexin proteins including Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43, thought to be expressed primarily in glia, in either dorsal or ventral hippocampus. These data suggest that a relatively brief hypersynchronous neuronal discharge can produce rapid and specific changes in Cx36 expression, which may have implications for both normal brain function and the pathophysiology of epilepsy.
Structural and mechanistic studies of bis(phenolato)amine zinc(II) catalysts for the polymerization of ε-caprolactone

The syntheses, characterization, e-caprolactone (CL) polymerization activity, and kinetics investigation of two zinc(II) bis(phenolato)amine complexes L2Zn2 are reported (L = methylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4,6-di-tert-butylphenolato) and/or methylamino-N,N-bis(2-methylene-4-adamantyl-6-tert-butylphenolato)). X-ray crystallographic and 1H NMR studies, including NOESY and PGSE experiments, provided insight into the solid and solution state structures, respectively, as well as evidence for the catalytically active species responsible for the ring-opening polymerization of CL. Additionally, solution polymerizations and kinetic experiments involving (L1)2Zn2 in the presence of benzyl alcohol (BnOH) were performed to elucidate the influence of catalyst structure, solvent, and the concentration dependence of the catalytically active species, CL, and BnOH on the rate and control of poly-e-caprolactone (PCL) formation. The structural, polymerization, and kinetic data support equilibria involving both mononuclear ...
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in rabbit retina: effect of fixation.

The binding of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antigenic sites in the rabbit retina was shown to be sensitive to aldehyde fixation. In chemically unfixed retina, the polyclonal anti-GFAP labeled Muller cells, astrocytes, and unidentified profiles in the outer plexiform layer; the monoclonal anti-GFAP labeled Muller cell endfeet and astrocytes only. The outer plexiform layer label with the polyclonal antibody was lost after fixation for 1 hr in 1% paraformaldehyde; elsewhere, the label was reduced. Fixation also reduced labeling by the monoclonal antibody. Such fixation sensitivity may underlie the different patterns reported for retinal GFAP immunoreactivity in the literature.
Probing single cells using flow in microfluidic devices

Enabling fluids to be manipulated on the micron-scale, microfluidic technologies have facilitated major advances in how we study cells. In this review, we highlight key developments in how flow in microfluidic devices is exploited to investigate the behavior of individual cells, from trapping and positioning single cells to probing cell deformability. Exploiting the properties of fluids and flow patterns in microchannels makes it possible to study large populations of single cells at micron-length scales with increased throughput and efficiency.
Online Methods and Analyzing Knowledge-Production: A Cautionary Tale.

Currently, many scholars have increasingly turned to the Internet to examine diasporic communities and corresponding identities. While I am happy that social scientists have embraced the use of onl...
Effect of surface orientation and sulfur coverage on the oxidation of carbon on Ni surfaces

Abstract The reaction between adsorbed oxygen and segregated carbon on a cylindrical nickel single-crystal has been examined with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD), for a range of surface orientation, oxygen exposure, and sulfur coverage. It was found that for small oxygen exposures, surface carbon and surface oxygen react during TPD to form a CO desorption peak, labeled β 1 . The β 1 CO peak temperature and peak shape vary with orientation. At higher oxygen coverages, the CO desorption peak split into low-temperature and high-temperature peaks. The behavior of the β 1 CO desorption peak for large oxygen exposures is consistent with a model of the carbon-oxygen recombination reaction in which the morphologies of the initial carbon and oxygen phases change during oxygen exposure as a result of repulsive lateral interactions. High oxygen exposures result in the formation of large regions of contact between the two phases; this is believed to produce the low-temperature β 1 CO desorption peak. Small segregated-sulfur coverages, and low oxygen exposures, caused the β 1 CO peak to shift to lower temperatures for all orientations. Sulfur is believed to cause more frequent contact between carbon and oxygen for small oxygen exposures because it compresses the adsorbed oxygen and segregated carbon into the sulfur-free areas of the surface. Large coverages of segregated sulfur inhibited carbon segregation on some, and oxygen adsorption on most, orientations. The absence of reactant species explains the disappearance of the β 1 CO peak during TPD from orientations which had a high sulfur coverage.
Preparation of Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing a Diastereoisomer of α-(N2-2‘-Deoxyguanosinyl)tamoxifen by Phosphoramidite Chemical Synthesis

Women treated with an antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) for endocrine therapy or prevention of breast cancer show an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. TAM-DNA adducts have been detected i...
Frequency of QT recording and the reliability of QT prolongation assessments

With the known high intra-subject chaotic, circadian and day-to-day variabilities of QT intervals, we investigated the frequency (n) of QT replications per time point, T (or per dose/concentration) and the corresponding detectable limit for QT prolongation assessment (QTPA). Baseline only QT data were obtained from several prospectively designed QTPA trials in healthy young male and/or female subjects (N≥40 in all trials), with n up to 6 at each of the multiple T per day (intervals ranged from minutes to hours) for 2-6 treatment periods. For each trial, 1 to 6 Jackknife randomly re-sampled QTs were drawn from each of the T and the means, standard deviation (SD), changes of means from T to T, and rate of QT outliers were determined. The inter-/intra- subject QT variabilities (ITERV, ITRAV) and the corresponding lowest detectable limit for a reliable QTPA were estimated from 1000 Jackknife datasets. Results show that with n = 1 to 6 per T, the ITRAV SD nonlinearly decreased from 6.82±4.31 (range 1.52-13) to 3.08±1.85 (range 0.44–8.35) ms, respectively. At any n, the mean absolute QT changes from T to T never equaled zero, with the min/max ranged 0.8/49 ms., respectively. When n=1, mean absolute change is 16±6.64. The ITERV SD is less affected by the n when N≥40. At best, the rate of QT changes >30 ms is about 3%, and that of QT changes >60 ms about 1% from beat-to-beat, T to T, or day to day. This study suggests n >3 per T is the limit for a reliable QTPA. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P48–P48; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.182
Westmijze's 'thin' gap head revisited

An analysis of Westmijze's thin gap head which is useful because it leads to the formulation of an algorithm for the noniterative calculation of regular semi-infinite gap head fields accurate to better than any specified error is described. With regard to the practical realization of heads with the thin gap head field configuration, it is shown that two potentially interesting devices would become possible if superconducting materials with ideal diamagnetic properties could be used in their construction. A variation of the resistance paper technique for measuring the fringing field configuration of heads containing superconducting materials is described. The very-high-permeability material is simulated with very-high-conductivity metal foil or paint, and the unit permeability regions are represented by the resistance paper itself. The superconducting regions of the head structure may be simulated perfectly by cut-outs in the resistance paper. The cut-out regions, having infinite electrical resistance, simulate correctly the perfectly diamagnetic superconductive regions. >
Vertical Silicon p-n-p-n Tunnel nMOSFET With MBE-Grown Tunneling Junction

Tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) can potentially achieve sub-60-mV/dec SS, but their performance strongly depends on the dopant profile at the tunneling junction. In this paper, very sharp (~.2 nm/dec) optimized tunneling-junction dopant profile for the silicon p-n-p-n TFET is demonstrated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Devices are fabricated with a low-thermal-budget ( <; 620°C) vertical process flow to preserve the as-grown channel profile. Compared with a p-i-n TFET, the p-n-p-n TFET has 30% lower subthreshold swing, ION three times higher, and 50% reduced tunneling voltage drop.
Recent advances in conjugated pneumococcal vaccination

This article reviews the current literature and recent updates with regard to childhood vaccination for Streptococcus pneumonia including: studies in immunology with antibody titres, dosages of conjugated vaccines, carriage rates of Streptococcus, side effects, comparison in certain disease states and comparison between vaccines.
Work, stress, and well-being.

Work-related stress may lead to injuries and psychological disorders. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has identified psychological disorders as one of the ten leading work-related diseases and injuries during the 1980s (Sauter, Murphy, & Hurrell, 1990). This article sets out a framework, strategy, and recommendations for enhancing stress management skills and the psychological well-being of individuals in occupational environments. Central to the strategy are attention to work design variables, such as control, uncertainty, conflict, and task demands, surveillance of psychological disorders in the workplace, education of managers and workers concerning psychological well-being and stress in the workplace, and treatment of individuals in distress.
A cytotoxicity assay for evaluation of candidate anti-Pneumocystis carinii agents.

A series of over 60 agents representing several different classes of compounds were evaluated for their effects on the ATP pools of Pneumocystis carinii populations derived from immunosuppressed rats. A cytotoxicity assay based on an ATP-driven bioluminescent reaction was used to determine the concentration of agent which decreased the P. carinii ATP pools by 50% versus untreated controls (IC50). A ranking system based on the IC50 value was devised for comparison of relative responses among the compounds evaluated in the cytotoxic assay and for comparison to in vivo efficacy. With few exceptions, there was a strong correlation between results from the ATP assay and the performance of the compound in vivo. Antibiotics, with the exception of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), were ineffective at reducing the ATP pools and were not active clinically or in the rat model of P. carinii pneumonia. Likewise, other agents not expected to be effective, e.g., antiviral compounds, did not show activity. Standard anti-P. carinii compounds, e.g., TMP-SMX, pentamidine, and dapsone, dramatically reduced ATP levels. Analogs of the quinone and topoisomerase inhibitor groups were shown to reduce ATP concentrations and hold promise for further in vivo investigation. The cytotoxicity assay provides a rapid assessment of response, does not rely on replicating organisms, and should be useful for assessment of structure-function relationships.
Metataxon Concepts and Assessing Possible Ancestry Using Phylogenetic Systematics

Three classes of metataxa are recognized-metaspecies, mixotaxa, and ambitaxa. Until such time that a metaspecies is shown to be monophyletic, paraphyletic, polyphyletic, or a mixotaxon or ambitaxon, it is considered to include organisms that are potential direct (but not necessarily the closest) ancestors to taxa subsequent to it on the cladogram. Metaspecies are recognized only at the species level, where potential ancestry must be from some group of organisms within this taxonomic level. The constituent members of a metaspecies are always organisms; if not, any larger clusters such as populations would dissolve to organisms because such clusters in a metaspecies (and a potential ancestor) do not possess autapomorphies
Electrode systems for measuring cardiac impedances using optical transmembrane potential sensors and interstitial electrodes-theoretical design

The cardiac electrical substrate is a challenge to direct measurement of its properties. Optical technology together with the capability to fabricate small electrodes at close spacings opens new possibilities. Here, those possibilities are explored from a theoretical viewpoint. It appears that with careful measurements from a well-designed set of electrodes one can obtain structural conductivities, separating intracellular from interstitial values, and longitudinal from transverse. Resting membrane resistance also can be obtained.
The Effect of Unequal Ionic Size on the Swelling Pressure in Clays

In this paper, we use the unequal radius modified Gouy-Chapman theory to evaluate the effect of the ionic size of the electrolyte on the swelling pressures (H) in different clay systems immersed in electrolytic solutions. First the model is applied to a l:l electrolyte to show that the coion size is only important at surface charge densities much lower than those found in typical clay systems. The swelling pressure is calculated and the results are compared with experimental data. Literature ionic radii values are used to show the dependence of the swelling pressure on the specific counterions present. Next the model is applied to a 1:1 and 2:1 electrolyte mixture with unequal-sized counterions to show the swelling pressure is highly dependent on both counterion sizes. The unequal and same-sized cases are compared.
Model-driven generative techniques for scalable performabality analysis of distributed systems

The ever increasing societal demand for the timely availability of newer and feature-rich but highly dependable network-centric applications imposes the need for these applications to be constructed by the composition, assembly and deployment of off-the-shelf infrastructure and domain-specific services building blocks. Service oriented architecture (SOA) is an emerging paradigm to build applications in this manner by defining a choreography of loosely coupled building blocks. However, current research in SOA does not yet address the per for mobility (i.e., performance and dependability) challenges of these modern applications. Our research is developing novel mechanisms to address these challenges. We initially focus on the composition and configuration of the infrastructure hosting the individual services. We illustrate the use of domain-specific modeling languages and model weavers to model infrastructure composition using middleware building blocks, and to enhance these models with the desired performability attributes. We also demonstrate the use of generative tools that synthesize metadata from these models for performability validation using analytical, simulation and empirical benchmarking tools.
Threads of Thinking: Young Children Learning and the Role of Early Education

As a student of the early childhood education profession, I understand the critical need to further explore basic topics in the field. One such extension of the basics is the text provided by Cathy...
Organizing for Delivery of IT Services Having Moderate Task Novelty

The grouping of IT Services by degrees of novelty and the appropriate organizational structures are explained. For IT Services having moderate levels of novelty, the cellular model of delivery may be appropriate, and the considerations involved in designing the appropriate organizational structure for cellular delivery is explained. A simulation framework is proposed for determining the appropriate organizational structure. This simulation framework includes a model for determining the optimal way to allocate tasks to cells, and also a procedure for determining a optimal design of cells.
Relax or Contract: What’s Right?

Right heart size and function at baseline and follow-up are important predictors of outcome in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The traditional imaging indicators of right heart health include metrics of right ventricular (RV) systolic function under resting conditions. Transthoracic echocardiography is commonly used; RV size and function are often qualitatively described and may be quantifiable as well. Cardiac MRI is the "standard of reference" for RV morphology, whereas nuclear imaging techniques were used historically and have been employed more recently to measure RV metabolism. These techniques vary in technologic complexity, necessary equipment, and required expertise, yet all generally focus on systolic function of the RV at rest.
Real-time atmospheric turbulence profile estimation using modal covariance measurements from multiple guide stars

An accurate and timely model of the atmospheric turbulence profile is an important input into the construction of tomographic reconstructors for laser tomography adaptive optics (LTAO) and multi-conjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) using multiple guide stars. We report on a technique for estimating the turbulence profile using the correlations between the modal reconstructions of open-loop wavefront sensor (WFS) measurements from natural or laser guide stars. Laser guide stars can provide an estimate of the turbulence profile along the line of sight to any suitable science target. Open-loop WFS measurements, acquired at the MMT telescope, have been analyzed to recover an estimate of the C2n profile. This open-loop WFS data can be used to yield turbulence estimates in near real-time, which can be used to update the tomographic reconstructor prior to closed-loop operation. This method can also be applied in closed-loop, using telemetry data already captured by multi-guide star adaptive optics (AO) systems, by computing estimates of the wavefront modal covariances from the closed-loop WFS residual error signals and the deformable mirror (DM) actuator positions. This will be of particular value when implemented with accurate position feedback from the AO system's DMs, rather than the input actuator commands, as is possible with an adaptive secondary mirror. We plan the first tests of the technique with the MMT's adaptive secondary and five Rayleigh laser guide stars.
Self-Prophecy Effects and Voter Turnout: An Experimental Replication

Psychological research has found that being asked to predict one'sfuture actions can bring about subsequent behavior consistent with the prediction but different from what would have occurred had no prediction been made. In a 1987 study, Greenwald, Carnot, Beach, and Young induced an increase in voting behavior by means of such a "self-prophecy" effect: Undergraduates who were asked to predict whether they would vote in an upcoming election were substantially more likely to go to the polls than those who had not been asked for a prediction. This paper reports on a replication of the Greenwald study conducted among a larger group of respondents more representative of the American elec
A gigahertz silicon-on-insulator Mach-Zehnder modulator

We report a modulator in which a polysilicon-oxide-silicon capacitor forms a ridge waveguide to achieve unprecedented performance in silicon: 2.5 GHz small-signal bandwidth and a driver-limited extinction ratio of 5 dB at 1 gigabit per second.
The sequential 2′,3′-cyclic phosphodiesterase and 3′-phosphate/5′-OH ligation steps of the RtcB RNA splicing pathway are GTP-dependent

The RNA ligase RtcB splices broken RNAs with 5'-OH and either 2',3'-cyclic phosphate or 3'-phosphate ends. The 3'-phosphate ligase activity requires GTP and entails the formation of covalent RtcB-(histidinyl)-GMP and polynucleotide-(3')pp(5')G intermediates. There are currently two models for how RtcB executes the strand sealing step. Scheme 1 holds that the RNA 5'-OH end attacks the 3'-phosphorus of the N(3')pp(5')G end to form a 3',5'-phosphodiester and release GMP. Scheme 2 posits that the N(3')pp(5')G end is converted to a 2',3'-cyclic phosphodiester, which is then attacked directly by the 5'-OH RNA end to form a 3',5'-phosphodiester. Here we show that the sealing of a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate end by RtcB requires GTP, is contingent on formation of the RtcB-GMP adduct, and involves a kinetically valid RNA(3')pp(5')G intermediate. Moreover, we find that RtcB catalyzes the hydrolysis of a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate to a 3'-phosphate at a rate that is at least as fast as the rate of ligation. These results weigh in favor of scheme 1. The cyclic phosphodiesterase activity of RtcB depends on GTP and the formation of the RtcB-GMP adduct, signifying that RtcB guanylylation precedes the cyclic phosphodiesterase and 3'-phosphate ligase steps of the RNA splicing pathway.
Surgical Treatment of Vascular Occlusive Disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) describes the spectrum of disease, from asymptomatic to severe, of diminished or absent arterial blood flow to the lower extremities or abdominal viscera. PAD is usually distinguished from extracranial and intracranial carotid disease, as well as coronary disease, although all of these entities are usually and most commonly caused by atherosclerosis. Symptoms of PAD can be present either acutely, caused by plaque rupture releasing distal emboli, or chronically, caused by the progressive intimal thickening leading to decreased luminal diameter and subsequent reduced distal blood flow. As atherosclerotic intimal thickening is ­typically indolent, slowly accumulating plaque reducing blood flow over many years, the elderly population is commonly affected with PAD. This chapter focuses on the impact of PAD in the lower extremity and visceral circulations in elderly patients. Recent advances in minimally invasive technologies, particularly endovascular treatments, have increased options for treatment of PAD in the elderly patient. However, the evidence for the efficacy of these newer technologies is rarely established in the elderly population.
Optimize Storage Placement in Sensor Networks

Data storage has become an important issue in sensor networks as a large amount of collected data need to be archived for future information retrieval. Storage nodes are introduced in this paper to store the data collected from the sensors in their proximities. The storage nodes alleviate the heavy load of transmitting all data to a central place for archiving and reduce the communication cost induced by the network query. The objective of this paper is to address the storage node placement problem aiming to minimize the total energy cost for gathering data to the storage nodes and replying queries. We examine deterministic placement of storage nodes and present optimal algorithms based on dynamic programming. Further, we give stochastic analysis for random deployment and conduct simulation evaluation for both deterministic and random placements of storage nodes.
Left anterior fascicular block: electrocardiographic criteria for its recognition in the presence of inferior myocardial infarction.

Although the vectorcardiographic criteria for recognizing left anterior fascicular block in the presence of inferior myocardial infarction are well established, comparable electrocardiographic criteria have not been studied. From vectorcardiographic criteria, it was hypothesized that in patients with left axis deviation but without bundle branch block the presence of a deep negative terminal deflection (S wave) in lead II accompanied by a positive terminal deflection (r wave) in lead aVR should indicate left anterior fascicular block whether or not inferior infarction is present. The electrocardiograms of 75 patients with unequivocal vectorcardiographic evidence of either left anterior fascicular block or inferior infarction, or both, were reviewed. Of the 47 patients who met strict vectorcardiographic criteria for left anterior fascicular block, 44 (94 percent) showed the predicted electrocardiographic pattern, including 24 of 26 (92 percent) who had both this conduction defect and inferior myocardial infarction. There was only one patient with vectorcardiographic evidence of inferior myocardial infarction alone with the findings of left axis deviation and the electrocardiographic pattern of combined infarction and fascicular block (that is, only one false positive). Thus, if bundle branch block is excluded, the proposed electrocardiographic pattern permits recognition of left anterior fascicular block whether or not there is coexistent inferior myocardial infarction.
Problems in Solid State Physics with Solutions, by Fuxiang Han: Scope: guide. Level: postgraduate.

Singapore, World Scientific, 2011, 668 pp., $78/£51 (paperback), ISBN 9789814366878. Scope: guide. Level: postgraduate. Most teachers of Solid State Physics will find this wonderful collection of p...
Music as a mediator between ethnicity and substance use among college students

The current study examined the relationship between substance use references contained in music lyrics and videos and the attitudes and behaviors regarding substance use of White non-Hispanic, African American, and Hispanic emerging adults from a cultivation and social norms framework by assessing 425 male and female college students. It was hypothesized that there would be ethnic variations in perceived harm from substance use and reported recent substance use and that exposure to substance use references contained in music could mediate this relationship. Results confirmed ethnic differences in perceived risk associated with substance use as well as reported substance use with White non-Hispanic college students reporting the least perceived risk and the most substance use. African American college students reported the most perceived risk associated with substance use and the least amount of reported substance use. Results of the Test of Joint Significance confirmed the mediational model in that participant ethnicity was associated with exposure to substance use references in music lyrics and music videos. Substance use references in music lyrics, then, was able to predict actual reported substance use of participants but not perceived risk associated with substance use.
IMPACT OF TRANSITIONING FROM SPECT TO PET ON MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA DETECTION: EXPERIENCE FROM A HIGH VOLUME “REAL WORLD” PRACTICE

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) with PET technology has been shown to improve ischemia detection compared to SPECT, however limited data are available comparing the modalities in clinical practice. We report the impact of transitioning from SPECT testing to PET on the ability to assess myocardial
Comparison of media for agar dilution susceptibility testing of Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the fastidious speciesBordetella pertussis andBordetella parapertussis is not standardized. In an attempt to find the optimal medium for agar dilution testing, the activity of erythromycin againstBordetella pertussis andBordetella parapertussis (34 isolates each) was assessed using homologous broth/agar combinations of Bordet-Gengou, charcoal, Iso-Sensitest (Oxoid) and Mueller-Hinton media. Each medium was supplemented with 5 % and 20 % whole defibrinated horse blood. Mueller-Hinton medium supplemented with 5 % horse blood performed best overall.
Water-Soluble Reserve Polysaccharides from Achlya Are (1->3)-[beta]-Glucans

The cytoplasmic water-soluble p-glucans of Achlya bisexualis are (1?>3)-linked polysaccharides of two types: a small neutral and a large phosphorylat- ed. The carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of neutral glucan is consistent with a (l-^3)-(3-glucan with some (1?>6)-(3-linkages. Meth- ylation analysis suggests a similar structure, but also shows about 6% each of other linkages and other sugars. Acid and enzyme hydrolysis data also support a moderately branched (1??3)-p-glucan probably with single (1?>6)-p-glucopyranosyl segments. The data, however, do not exclude the possibility that the branches are extended (1?>3)-linked residues. The molecular mass of neutral glucan is approximately 9000 with a dp of 50, when compared with algal 1am- inaran by gel filtration chromatography. The carbon- 13 NMR spectrum of phosphoglucan is qualitatively similar to that of neutral glucan. Aqueous hydrofluor- ic acid effectively cleaves phosphate from the phos? phoglucan and produces a polymer of the size of neutral glucan. This material is both qualitatively and quantitatively identical to neutral glucan in its car? bon-13 NMR spectrum. The phosphorus-31 NMR spectrum of the phosphoglucan reveals both mono- and diphosphoester linkages. We propose that the phosphodiester covalent bonds convert the smaller polymer into the very large phosphoglucan.
Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 22-2003. A 22-year-old man with chills and fever after a stay in South America.

Presentation of Case A 22-year-old man was examined in the clinic because of fever, chills, and thrombocytopenia. Five months earlier, the patient, who was late in planning a six-week trip to South America, had received vaccines against hepatitis B and yellow fever and had begun taking doxycycline daily for prophylaxis against malaria. One week later, he and a group of others traveled to northern Ecuador, had a prolonged stay in the jungle, and swam in the “dark water” of lakes and rivers. At night, they used mosquito netting and applied a 30 percent N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) spray, but the patient . . .
Health Care Experiences of Rural Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence and Substance Abuse

Primary health care providers are often some of the only helping professionals in rural communities, where community resources to treat substance abuse or shelter survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) are scarce. This article reports on qualitative findings from a larger study examining the responsiveness of rural health care providers to IPV and substance use. FINDINGS from 27 interviews revealed that providers rarely assessed for IPV or substance use, and patients with a history of substance abuse described their health care encounters in negative terms. Providers and patients differed in their descriptions of typical health care encounters involving women concurrently experiencing IPV and substance abuse, but agreed on several basic points, among them the severity of IPV when substances were involved and the unfortunate shortage of social services to address violence and addiction. The article concludes with suggestions for future research on addressing IPV and substance use in primary care settings and the implications for social work. Language: en
Towards Musicdiff: A Foundation for Improved Optical Music Recognition Using Multiple Recognizers.

This paper presents work towards a “musicdiff” program for comparing files representing different versions of the same piece, primarily in the context of comparing versions produced by different optical music recognition (OMR) programs. Previous work by the current authors and others strongly suggests that using multiple recognizers will make it possible to improve OMR accuracy substantially. The basic methodology requires several stages: documents must be scanned and submitted to several OMR programs, programs whose strengths and weaknesses have previously been evaluated in detail. We discuss techniques we have implemented for normalization, alignment and rudimentary error correction. We also describe a visualization tool for comparing multiple versions on a measure-by-measure basis.
Nitrogen oxide in the treatment of oxygenation failure in neonates

Oxygenation problems are common in very sick infants, and involve a high risk of mortality or residual morbidity. We describe two infants with severe oxygenation difficulties. In one baby these were caused by meconium aspiration, while in the second, premature (1,500 g birth weight) infant Escherichia coli septicemia had precipitated persistent pulmonary hypertension. Inhaled nitric oxide led to immediate improvement in oxygenation, and the one infant was weaned off mechanical ventilatory support after four days, the other after ten days. There were no discernible side effects in either baby. Nitric oxide treatment should be considered for infants with life-threatening oxygenation problems who do not respond adequately to conventional management.
The learning curve for interpretation of oesophageal high‐resolution manometry: a prospective interventional cohort study

SummaryBackground High-resolution manometry has become the preferred choice of oesophagologists for oesophageal motor assessment, but the learning curve among trainees remains unclear. Aim To determine the learning curve of high-resolution manometry interpretation. Methods A prospective interventional cohort study was performed on 18 gastroenterology trainees, naive to high-resolution manometry (median age 32 ± 4.0 years, 44.4% female). An intake questionnaire and a 1-h standardised didactic session were performed at baseline. Multiple 1-h interpretation sessions were then conducted periodically over 15 months where 10 studies were discussed; 5 additional test studies were provided for interpretation, and results were compared to gold standard interpretation by the senior author. Hypothetical management decisions based on trainee interpretation were separately queried. Accuracy was compared across test interpretations and sessions to determine the learning curve, with a goal of 90% accuracy. Results Baseline accuracy was low for abnormal body motor patterns (53.3%), but higher for achalasia/outflow obstruction (65.9%). Recognition of achalasia reached 90% accuracy after six sessions (P = 0.01), while overall accurate management decisions reached this threshold by the 4th session (P < 0.001). Based on our data, the threshold of 90% accuracy for recognition of any abnormal from normal pattern was reached after 30 studies (3rd session) but fluctuated. Diagnosis of oesophageal body motor patterns remained suboptimal; accuracy of advisability of fundoplication improved, but did not reach 90%. Conclusions High-resolution manometry has a steep learning curve among trainees. Achalasia recognition is achieved early, but diagnosis of other abnormal motor patterns and management decisions require further supervised training.
Weak Foundations in Economic Development Programs

The existing literature on the relationship between employment growth and firm characteristics (such as firm age, size, and sector) has been used to justify a variety of economic development policies and job creation programs. Some of the programs highlight the importance of small firms, others emphasize the importance of young firms, and others highlight the importance of older, more established firms. The fact that each of these programs can find something in the literature that supports its particular focus suggests problems in the connection between the literature and policy formation. The authors find that the empirical support for such programs is weak. The statistical significance of firm characteristics depends critically on the model specification and/or data set used. Moreover, these characteristics explain only a small fraction of the variation in job growth, leaving policy makers with relatively weak policy tools.
Research Interest in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows.

OBJECTIVE Factors predictive of research career interest among pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows are not known. We sought to determine the prevalence and determinants of interest in research careers among PEM fellows. METHODS We performed an electronically distributed national survey of current PEM fellows. We assessed demographics, barriers to successful research, and beliefs about research using 4-point ordinal scales. The primary outcome was the fellow-reported predicted percentage of time devoted to clinical research 5 years after graduation. We measured the association between barriers and beliefs and the predicted future clinical research time using the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS Of 458 current fellows, 231 (50.4%) submitted complete responses to the survey. The median predicted future clinical research time was 10% (interquartile range, 5%-20%). We identified no association between sex, residency type, and previous research exposure and predicted future research time. The barrier that most correlated with decreased predicted clinical research time was difficulty designing a feasible fellowship research project (Spearman coefficient [ρ], 0.20; P = 0.002). The belief that most correlated with increased predicted clinical research time was excitement about research (ρ = 0.69, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Most fellows expect to devote a minority of their career to clinical research. Excitement about research was strongly correlated with career research interest.
Going social: Success in online recruitment of men who have sex with men for prevention HIV vaccine research.

Abstract Objective To compare the use of four different social media sites to recruit men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women to a phase 2b HIV prevention vaccine trial, HVTN 505. Design Retrospective, observational study. Methods The University of Pennsylvania HIV Vaccine Trials Unit (Penn HVTU) employed street outreach and online recruitment methods to recruit participants for HVTN 505 using a combination of national recruitment images/messages with Philadelphia-specific language and imagery. We compared the efficiency (number of enrolled participants per number of completed phone screens) and effectiveness (number of enrolled participants per time interval employed) of each strategy, as well as the demographics and risk behaviors of the populations. Results Online recruitment strategies populated 37% (71/191) of trial participants at our site. Among the four social media strategies employed, 45.1% (32/71) were enrolled through Facebook, 16.9% (12/71) through Craigslist, 15.5% (11/71) through a web-based marketing company (WBMC), and 22.5% (16/71) via GRINDR. The number of participants enrolled per month of strategy and the months the strategy was employed were Facebook - 32(33 months), Craigslist - 12(33 months), WBMC - 11(6 months), and GRINDR - 16(0.56 months). In-person and online recruitment strategies yielded participants of similar demographics and levels of risk behavior. Conclusion Use of several social media recruitment modalities produced large numbers of MSM engaging in high risk behavior and willing to participate in an HIV prevention vaccine trial. In comparison to other social media and online strategies, recruitment via GRINDR was the most effective.
The eIF4E inhibitor ribavirin as a potential antilymphoma therapeutic: early clinical data .

Ribavirin, an antiviral drug used to treat infections including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), interferes with the function of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) [1]. EIF4E...
Chronemics in Instructor–Student E-Mail Communication: An Experimental Examination of Student Evaluations of Instructor Response Speeds

Text-based computer-mediated communication (e.g., e-mail) lacks nonverbal cues afforded by traditional face-to-face interaction in the classroom. A lack of cues may cause students to place increase...
A low complexity nonlinear pseudo inverse neural network for short-term wind power prediction

This paper proposes three different efficient wind power prediction algorithms, i.e., Chebyshev neural network (CNN), Legendre neural network (LNN), trigonometric functional link artificial neural net (trigonometric FLANN), passed through functional expansion block (FEB) and trained by ridge pseudo inverse neural net (R-PINN), for 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes ahead prediction. Learning speed rate and computational scalability are very essential in the prediction purpose. Conventional algorithms, such as hybrid models, statistical approaches, and intelligent systems based algorithms are less accurate because they require updation of hidden layer in each iteration. On the contrary, the proposed R-PINN-based prediction algorithm computes the output weight vector in a chunk, where the hidden layer is not being updated. Hence the essential features such as the learning speed and computational scalability has been significantly improved. This allows a faster response. In a comparison study all algorithms are verified using R-PINN technique and it is found that LNN model gives best output results among all algorithms. This is distinguished clearly in the MATLAB%Editor environment and has been illustrated in the simulation and result section by graphical representations.
Technology adoption and organizational culture in public organizations

Organization culture and technology adoption are two of the most critical issues facing organizations in a global society. Increasingly, organizations operate in uncertain, networked, decentralized environments, where adoption and use of information technology has become central to fulfilling organizational missions. To examine the influence of organization culture on individual willingness to adopt technology, this work began by examining theories of behavioral intent, technology adoption, and organization culture and then proposed a model for examining technology adoption in public organizations. The research was based on the responses from an online survey of government, nonprofit, and social service workers from around the United States. The study found that there is a relationship between individual perception of organization culture and individual willingness to adopt technology. Finally, we addressed the limitations of the study design and propose future research.
Study of 1200 V SiC JFET cascode device

This paper is focused on studying a 1200V SiC JFETs cascode device released recently. The gate drive circuit design and switching performance are compared with its counterpart, 1200 V SiC MOSFETs. The research finds out the gate drive circuit design of SiC JFETs cascode is similar to that of SiC MOSFETs. In addition, an optimized gate driver is designed to minimize the device switching loss without causing “crosstalk” issue. The experimental results of DPT (single pulse test) and MPT (multiple pulse test) are provided to verify the proposed optimized gate driver and compare the switching performance of two devices.
SETD2: a complex role in blood malignancy.

In this issue of Blood, Mar et al describe the effect of inactivating mutations of the histone methyltransferase (HMT) SETD2 in accelerating leukemia pathogenesis and conferring therapy resistance. Mutations of epigenetic regulators are among the commonest lesions in malignancy. These include mutations of HMTs that modify histone tails protruding from the nucleosome. For example, inactivation of EZH2, responsible for histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), a modification associated with gene silencing, occurs in myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), whereas mutation of KMT2D, responsible for the H3K4me1 modification found at enhancers, is common in lymphoma. These enzymes change the chemical composition of chromatin at gene regulatory sites, affecting transcriptional initiation. By contrast, SETD2 has a role downstream of the transcriptional start site (TSS).