cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capsule loss by Haemophilus influenzae type b results in enhanced adherence to and entry into human cells.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a leading cause of systemic bacterial disease in children, and the type b capsule is a major determinant of virulence [1,2]. Nevertheless, Hib readily become nonencapsulated both in vivo and in vitro [3, 4]. This instability of encapsulation is a consequence of the genetic configuration of the Cap b locus, which is organized as directly repeated 17-kb segments joined by a 1.3-kb bridge region [5, 6]. Recombination between the two copies of the repeated DNA results in deletion of one copy and disruption of the bridge region [5, 7]. The bridge region contains a gene encoding a protein required for the export of capsule [7]. To investigate the potential biological relevance of the predisposition to capsule loss, we compared the adherent and invasive abilities of several strains of Hib and their isogenic capsule-deficient mutants using cultured human epithelial cells (Wong-Kilbourne derivative of Chang conjunctiva, clone l-5c-4; ATCC CCL 20.2, Rockville, MD). In initial experiments, we examined Hib strain C54, a nasopharyngeal isolate that constitutively expresses pili [8]. Despite piliation, this strain demonstrated minimal adherence (1.0 ? 0.1 bacteria/epithelial cell) and virtually no invasion (6.0 ? 5.3 X 101 bacteria/epithelial monolayer). In contrast, a spontaneous capsule-deficient mutant, confirmed by Southern analysis to have lost a copy of the duplication at the Cap b locus, showed a 50-fold increase in adherence and a nearly 300-fold increase in invasion. To confirm this relationship between encapsulation and adherence and invasion, we restored encapsulation to the capsule-deficient mutant by transformation with a plasmid containing the entire Cap b locus (pSKH5 [5]). As predicted, restoration of encapsulation resulted in a marked decrease in adherence and invasion.
Traffic management in the Copenhagen Metro System

Traffic Management Systems (TMS) are highly automated, software based tools that allow for centralised control of the movement of trains. TMS functionality can range from the functions strictly necessary to run the train traffic in accordance with the timetable to highly integrated systems that provide enhanced levels of control such as automated passenger information, condition monitoring, security and performance management. This paper will examine the Traffic Management System implemented in the Copenhagen Metro System.
Partisan Social Pressure and Voter Mobilization

Social voting norms persistently impel citizens to the polls. To date, most research in this field has focused on norms coming from the community at large rather than voters’ particular social grou...
New methods and materials for terminating power cables

1. This “shortie” termination based on the track resistance of pressure-sensitive silicone tape and the hiding-of-the-ground is expected to find wide use in areas where space Iimitations prohibit the use of the 30″ taped termination. Examples of such Iocations are pad mounted transformers, switch gear, motor leads and portable high voltage cable couplers. 2. This design is versatile. It can be used on either shielded or concentric neutral cables and will perform on cable insulations such as butyl rubber, oil-based rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, polyethylene, and cross-linked polyethylene. 3. The “shortie” termination qualified for 15 kv rating under the AIEE No. 48, Standard For Potheads. 4. Shortened terminations are more susceptible to failure due to poor workmanship and therefore must always be constructed with care.
Positive T wave in lead aVR as an independent predictor for 1-year major adverse cardiac events in patients with first anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Positive T wave in lead aVR has been shown to predict an adverse in-hospital outcome in patients with anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the prognostic value of positive T wave in lead aVR on a long-term outcome has not been fully explored. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 190 consecutive patients with first anterior wall STEMI who underwent an emergent coronary angiogram. Patients were divided into those with positive T wave > 0 mV and those with negative T wave ≦ 0 mV in lead aVR. Baseline and angiographic characteristics, and in-hospital revascularization procedures were recorded. In addition, in-hospital and 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization were recorded. RESULTS Among 190 patients, 37 patients (19%) had positive T wave and 153 patients (81%) had negative T wave in lead aVR. Patients with positive T wave had higher rate of left main disease defined as stenosis ≥50% (11% vs. 2%, p = .028) than those with negative T wave. Patients with positive T wave had higher rate of 1-year MACE (38% vs. 13%, p < .001) driven by higher all-cause mortality (27% vs. 5%, p < .001). Positive T wave was an independent predictor for 1-year MACE (OR 2.74; 95% CI 1.04-7.15; p = .04). CONCLUSION Positive T wave in lead aVR was an independent predictor for 1-year MACE in patients with first anterior wall STEMI.
Intertwined and vestigial order with ultracold atoms in multiple cavity modes

Atoms in transversely pumped optical cavities ``self-organize'' by forming a density wave and emitting superradiantly into the cavity mode(s). For a single-mode cavity, the properties of this self-organization transition are well characterized both theoretically and experimentally. Here, we explore the self-organization of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of two cavity modes---a system that recently was realized experimentally [L\'eonard et al., Nature (London) 543, 87 (2017)]. We argue that this system can exhibit a ``vestigially ordered'' phase in which neither cavity mode exhibits superradiance but the cavity modes are mutually phase locked by the atoms. We argue that this vestigially ordered phase should generically be present in multimode cavity geometries.
Keeping it together and falling apart: Women's dynamic experience of birth.

Abstract Objective To explore the complexity of women's birth experiences in the context in which they occur and to describe how these influence women's well-being in labor. Design Qualitative method with a phenomenological approach, following the analysis principles of van Manen. Participants and setting Eight women from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in Atlanta, Georgia, United States with a recent, healthy birth were interviewed twice about their experience of the labor journey. The first interview was 3–12 weeks post-partum, with the second interview at 10–22 weeks post-partum. Findings The phenomenon of childbirth was a dynamic fluctuating between keeping it together and falling apart. The changes in emotion were created by a sensitive feedback loop between the woman and her environment, the physical space, and interactions with humans present. Four characteristics supported and created this phenomenon: confidence, comfort, agency and connection. Confidence was believing in one's physical ability to birth the baby while at the same time, having the emotional resources to cope with the experience. Comfort was essential to manage pain and difficult emotions. The presence of comfort changed the meaning and experience of pain and increased relaxation. Agency was overtly supported in labor, but compromised by hospital routine and unresponsive caregiver practices, and was diminished by women's vulnerability in labor. When agency was compromised, falling apart increased, and there was a move towards intense negative emotion. In labor, women wanted an authentic human connection, being known as a person. This connection was a mechanism to support the other characteristics of comfort, confidence, and agency. Implications for practice Clinicians need to accommodate the complex, dynamic fluctuations of emotion during birth addressing both the physical and non-physical aspects of the person. Birth care practices and childbirth research need to account for the complexity of birth as a holistic experience, specifically regarding the emotional shifts as well as the women's sensitivity to the environment and everything contained in it. There is a need for more research related to the dynamics of emotional changes in labor, how these changes affect labor physiology and influence normal birth and birth outcomes.
The epidermal growth factor family in the mammary gland and other target organs for ovarian steroids

The influence of ovarian steroids on the growth and development of the normal mammary gland and mammary tumors in laboratory rodents is well known to the research investigator, and has emphasized the need to understand the pathways by which these compounds exert their effects on target organs. The clinical significance of the ovaries to breast cancer was evident around the turn of the century, when ovariectomy was shown to ameliorate the course of this disease in some women [1]. The high incidence of breast cancer in women in the United States and the marked reduction in incidence of this disease in women ovariectomized an early age suggest a permissive or promotional role for ovarian steroids [2, 3, 4]. Similarly, the influence of age at menarche or menopause on breast cancer risk may be explained by the duration or extent of exposure to ovarian steroids [5]. The long-term use of estrogens to relieve postmenopausal symptoms in women has already been linked with an increased incidence of endometrial carcinoma [6]. This exogenous use of natural or synthetic ovarian steroids and their antagonists for the purposes of estrogen replacement therapy, contraception, or cancer treatment and prevention has become a major health issue and dilemma, especially when we consider the millions of women treated with this category of drugs.
Adaptations for pressure and temperature effects on loop motion in Escherichia coli and Moritella profunda dihydrofolate reductase

Determining how enzymes in piezophilic microbes function at high pressure can give insights into how life adapts to living at high pressure. Here, the effects of pressure and temperature on loop mo...
What influences outcomes in pediatric and congenital cardiovascular disease?: A healthy lifestyle; obesity and overweight

Abstract The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has risen dramatically over the past forty years. Despite significant public health efforts, over one third of children in the United States are presently overweight or obese (Hales et al., 2017). Obesity also impacts children with congenital and acquired heart disease (HD). In otherwise healthy children, obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and future cardiovascular disease (Dietz, 1998). Much less is known about the cardiovascular implications of obesity in children with HD. Given that structural abnormalities related to HD and past cardiac surgery cannot be altered, obesity may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for preventing future cardiovascular disease in this patient population.
Evaluation of Uncertainty in Detection of Nitrate by Ion Chromatography

[Objective]To develop a method for uncertainty evaluation in detection of nitrate in water by ion chromatography,based on evaluation of uncertainty in measurement theory.[Methods]Taking detection of nitrate in water by ion chromatography as example,application of regressive equation for uncertainty evaluation was analyzed and introduced in detail.[Results]The uncertainty of each variant was calculated,and the expanded uncertainty was finally obtained. [Conclusion]This method can be the reference of uncertainty evaluation with the application of regressive equation.
Effects of Dark Mode on Visual Fatigue and Acuity in Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays

Light-on-dark color schemes, so-called “Dark Mode,” are becoming more and more popular over a wide range of display technologies and application fields. Many people who have to look at computer screens for hours at a time, such as computer programmers and computer graphics artists, indicate a preference for switching colors on a computer screen from dark text on a light background to light text on a dark background due to perceived advantages related to visual comfort and acuity, specifically when working in low-light environments. In this paper, we investigate the effects of dark mode color schemes in the field of optical see-through head-mounted displays (OST-HMDs), where the characteristic “additive” light model implies that bright graphics are visible but dark graphics are transparent. We describe a human-subject study in which we evaluated a normal and inverted color mode in front of different physical backgrounds and among different lighting conditions. Our results show that dark mode graphics on OST-HMDs have significant benefits for visual acuity, fatigue, and usability, while user preferences depend largely on the lighting in the physical environment. We discuss the implications of these effects on user interfaces and applications.
Wear reduction mechanisms within highly wear-resistant graphene- and other carbon-filled PTFE nanocomposites

Abstract In recent years, a few select carbonaceous fillers with nanometer-size dimensions, such as graphene platelets, activated carbon nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, have been shown to reduce the wear rates of PTFE to levels approaching 10−7 mm3/Nm and below. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode IR spectroscopy are used to show that these highly effective fillers provide wear resistance to PTFE through shared mechanisms. These mechanisms are also shown to operate in highly wear-resistant composites of PTFE with nanometer-sized particles of α-phase alumina. Addition of these highly effective fillers to PTFE results in a greater resemblance of the crystalline structure of PTFE at room temperature with a tougher and higher temperature phase. When slid against steel countersurfaces under ambient conditions, these fillers embedded within the PTFE matrix also enable the formation of robust transfer films through the formation of metal chelates.
High-speed consolidation and repair of carbon fiber/epoxy laminates through ultrasonic vibrations: A feasibility study:

Ultrasonic welding is a common fusion bonding technique to join unreinforced and reinforced thermoplastics. It is expected that applying ultrasonic vibrations to thermoset prepregs can produce heat...
An algorithm to reduce a river network or other graph-like polygon to a set of lines

Abstract In many geomorphic applications, it is necessary to reduce a polygon to a set of axial lines. For example, consider a fluvial channel network. On the one hand, this network has a polygonal footprint with reaches of finite width organized into a branching network. On the other hand, measuring the length or sinuosity of these reaches, as examples, requires the reduction of their polygonal footprints to axial lines. Here we present a new algorithm that can objectively reduce a polygon to such a set of axial lines, formally called a skeleton. Across four illustrative test cases, we show that this vector-based algorithm has some advantages over three raster-based algorithms in current geomorphic use because it generates smooth, continuous, well-centered skeletons and supports a useful scale-independent metric for the removal of spurious portions. Skeletons in this algorithm are uniquely constructed using a minimum of two parameters: a sampling interval (similar to a resolution) and a numeric pruning criterion (which determines skeleton complexity). We have implemented the algorithm as a freely available, open-source, GIS-ready Python code package without commercial dependency.
The Importance of the Discussion Method in the Undergraduate Business Classroom

The Discussion Method produces significant student learning outcomes. In a time where we are only beginning to witness artificial intelligence’s disruption of work and the economy, these learning outcomes are crucial to personal and professional success. This paper begins by tracing the role of the Discussion Method within the liberal arts tradition, and by extension the Confucian tradition. Second, this paper examines how the Discussion Method lost its value in higher education as a consequence of the employability problem. In this section, the employability problem is defined as a two-fold misunderstanding among students and parents regarding the purpose of education and how to prepare for the workplace. Third, this paper reframes the purpose of the Discussion Method in an integrated curriculum for preparing students to achieve personal and professional success. Also, in the third section, student generated data serve as evidence to support the argument that (1) discussion-based classes are an important missing element in undergraduate management education and (2) discussion-based classes are superior to large lectures. This paper concludes that a discussion-based business pedagogy anchored by the liberal arts and sciences leads to eight major learning outcomes: (1) how to reconcile opposing arguments; (2) how to think on one’s own two feet; (3) how to formulate cohesive arguments to reach a consensus; (4) how to mitigate fear of sharing individual opinions by building relationship among classmates; (5) how to allow students to learn better by motivating them to prepare more for class; (6) how to enable students to remain engaged during and after class; (7) how to embraces nuance; and (8) how to integrate new ideas from disparate perspectives and disciplines.
Theories of GRB Early Afterglow

The rapid follow-up of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows made possible by the multi-wavelength satellite Swift, launched in November 2004, has put under a microscope the GRB early post-burst behavior, This is leading to a significant reappraisal and expansion of the standard view of the GRB early afterglow behavior, and its connection to the prompt gamma-ray emission. In addition to opening up the previously poorly known behavior on minutes to hours timescales, two other new pieces in the GRB puzzle being filled in are the the discovery and follow-up of short GRB afterglows, and the opening up of the $z\simg 6$ redshift range. We review some of the current theoretical interpretations of these new phenomena.
Membrane nanodomains homeostasis during propofol anesthesia as function of dosage and temperature

Abstract Some anesthetics bind and potentiate γ-aminobutyric-acid-type receptors, but no universal mechanism for general anesthesia is known. Furthermore, often encountered complications such as anesthesia induced amnesia are not understood. General anesthetics are hydrophobic molecules easily dissolving into lipid bilayers. Recently, it was shown that general anesthetics perturb phase separation in vesicles extracted from fixed cells. Unclear is whether under physiological conditions general anesthetics induce perturbation of the lipid bilayer, and whether this contributes to the transient loss of consciousness or anesthesia side effects. Here we show that propofol perturbs lipid nanodomains in the outer and inner leaflet of the plasma membrane in intact cells, affecting membrane nanodomains in a concentration dependent manner: 1 μM to 5 μM propofol destabilize nanodomains; however, propofol concentrations higher than 5 μM stabilize nanodomains with time. Stabilization occurs only at physiological temperature and in intact cells. This process requires ARP2/3 mediated actin nucleation and Myosin II activity. The rate of nanodomain stabilization is potentiated by GABAA receptor activity. Our results show that active nanodomain homeostasis counteracts the initial disruption causing large changes in cortical actin. Significance statement General anesthesia is a routine medical procedure with few complications, yet a small number of patients experience side-effects that persist for weeks and months. Very young children are at risk for effects on brain development. Elderly patients often exhibit subsequent amnesia. Here, we show that the general anesthetic propofol perturbs the ultrastructure of the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane in intact cells. Initially propofol destabilized lipid nanodomains. However, with increasing incubation time and propofol concentration, the effect is reversed and nanodomains are further stabilized. We show that this stabilization is caused by the activation of the actin cortex under the membrane. These perturbations of membrane bilayer and cortical actin may explain how propofol affects neuronal plasticity at synapses.
Association of Diet Quality Indices with Longitudinal Changes in Kidney Function in U.S. Hispanics/Latinos: Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Background: Recent studies suggest an association between diet quality and incident chronic kidney disease. However, Hispanics/Latinos were under-represented in these studies. We examined the relationship of diet quality with change in kidney function in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Methods: Individuals who participated in HCHS/SOL Visits 1 (2008-2011) and 2 (2014-2017) were analyzed (n=9921). Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean Diet (MeDS) scores were used as measures of dietary quality and were calculated from two 24-hour dietary recalls administered at Visit 1 and categorized into quartiles of each dietary score (higher quartiles correspond to a healthier diet). Kidney function was assessed at both visits using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). Annualized change was computed as the difference in eGFR or UACR between visits divided by follow-up time in years. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between quartiles of each dietary quality index and annualized change in eGFR and UACR adjusted for potential confounders. Results: At Visit 1, mean (SD) age was 41 (SD=0.28) years and 56% were female. The baseline mean eGFR was 107.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 and baseline median UACR was 6.1 mg/g. On average, eGFR declined by 0.65 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year and UACR increased by 0.79 mg/g per year over a 6-year period. Lower AHEI-2010 quartiles were associated with eGFR decline in a dose-response manner (p trend=0.02). Higher AHEI-2010 quartiles showed trend toward lower annualized change in UACR, but the result was not significant. Neither MeDS nor DASH scores were associated with eGFR decline or change in UACR. Conclusions: Unhealthy diet assessed by AHEI-2010 was associated with kidney function decline. Improving the quality of the foods/nutrients comprised within the AHEI-2010 may help maintain kidney function in the Hispanic/Latino community
Carbon dioxide hydrate in a microfluidic device: Phase boundary and crystallization kinetics measurements with micro-Raman spectroscopy

Various emerging carbon capture technologies depend on being able to reliably and consistently grow carbon dioxide hydrate, particularly in packed media. However, there are limited kinetic data for carbon dioxide hydrates at this length scale. In this work, carbon dioxide hydrate propagation rates and conversion were evaluated in a high pressure silicon microfluidic device. The carbon dioxide phase boundary was first measured in the microfluidic device, which showed little deviation from bulk predictions. Additionally, measuring the phase boundary takes on the order of hours compared to weeks or longer for larger scale experimental setups. Next, propagation rates of carbon dioxide hydrate were measured in the channels at low subcoolings (<2 K from phase boundary) and moderate pressures (200–500 psi). Growth was dominated by mass transfer limitations until a critical pressure was reached, and reaction kinetics limited growth upon further increases in pressure. Additionally, hydrate conversion was estimated from Raman spectroscopy in the microfluidics channels. A maximum value of 47% conversion was reached within 1 h of a constant flow experiment, nearly 4% of the time required for similar results in a large scale system. The rapid reaction times and high throughput allowed by high pressure microfluidics provide a new way for carbon dioxide gas hydrate to be characterized.
Intermediates in allosteric equilibria of DnaK–ATP interactions with substrate peptides

Hsp70 molecular chaperones facilitate protein disaggregation and proper folding through iterative cycles of polypeptide binding and release that are allosterically coupled to ATP binding and hydrolysis. Hsp70s are ubiquitous and highly conserved across all of life; they bind ATP at an N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and client peptides in the substrate-binding domain (SBD). The NBD and SBD are connected by a highly conserved linker segment that is integrated into the NBD when ATP is bound but is flexible when the NBD is nucleotide-free or bound with ADP. Allosteric coupling is lost when the linker is flexible, and the freed SBD binds peptide clients with high affinity. It was recently discovered that Hsp70-ATP is in an equilibrium between a restraining state (R) with little affinity for peptides and a low ATPase activity, and a stimulating state (S) that binds peptides efficiently, but with rapid kinetics, and has a relatively high ATPase activity. While attempting to characterize the S state, crystal structures of DnaK-ATP were obtained that demonstrate intrinsic Hsp70 plasticity that affects binding interactions with substrate peptides. These structures provide insights into intermediate states along transition pathways in the Hsp70 chaperone cycle.
von Kries, Johannes Adolf 1853–1928

Johannes von Kries was a German physiological psychologist, or what might now be called a neuroscientist, and student of Helmholtz. In color science, he is known as the father of chromatic adaptation models for his work on the coefficient theory of adaptation.
Intersectional Tech: black users in digital gaming

One of the things I really enjoy doing with other scholars is taking a walk. The movement from one space to another is nice and I find that it jars loose conversational elements that may not come u...
Cutaneous microvascular vasodilatory consequences of acute consumption of a caffeinated soft drink sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.

This study tested the hypotheses that compared to drinking water, consumption of a caffeinated soft drink sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) attenuates the cutaneous vasodilatory response to local skin heating without (Protocol 1) and following ischemia-reperfusion injury (Protocol 2). In a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design, 14 healthy adults (25 ± 3 year, 6 women) consumed 500 ml of water (water) or a caffeinated soft drink sweetened with HFCS (Mtn. Dew, DEW). Thirty minutes following beverage consumption local skin heating commenced on the right forearm (Protocol 1), while on the left forearm ischemia-reperfusion commenced with 20 min of ischemia followed by 20 min of reperfusion and then local skin heating (Protocol 2). Local skin heating involved 40 min of heating to 39℃ followed by 20 min of heating to 44℃. Skin blood flow (SkBf, laser Doppler) data were normalized to mean arterial pressure and are presented as a cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) and as percentage of the CVC response during heating to 44℃ (%CVCmax ). Protocol 1: During local heating at 39℃, no differences were observed in CVC (water: 2.0 ± 0.6 PU/mmHg; DEW: 2.0 ± 0.8 PU/mmHg, p = 0.83) or %CVCmax (water: 59 ± 14%; DEW 60 ± 15%, p = 0.84) between trials. Protocol 2: During local skin heating at 39℃, no differences were observed in CVC (water: 1.7 ± 0.5 PU/mmHg; DEW: 1.5 ± 0.5 PU/mmHg, p = 0.33) or %CVCmax (water: 64 ± 15%; DEW 61 ± 15% p = 0.62) between trials. The cutaneous microvascular vasodilator response to local heating with or without prior ischemia-reperfusion injury is not affected by acute consumption of a caffeinated soft drink sweetened with HFCS.
The Experience of Working With Individuals Who Sexually Offend.

Providing treatment to those who have committed sexual offenses can be difficult and challenging work. Older studies have suggested that service providers may experience changes in mood, symptoms o...
Implementation and testing of International Space Station flight software for the pointing and support portion of guidance, navigation and control

Boeing engineers designed and implemented these algorithms using MOODS (Multibody On-Orbit Dynamics Simulation), a Boeing/NASA Ada non-realtime simulation running on a DEC Alpha platform in Boeing Tower 2 in Houston, Texas. The Ada flight software was then written in MatrixX superblocks on Hewlett Packard computers, using the MatrixX autocode capability to generate the Ada code. After Flight Stage 5A of the International Space Station (ISS), the Pointing and Support (P&S) subsystem is activated and provides the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) interface for most of the other U.S. subsystems. P&S supplies state vector (ISS position and velocity), attitude, and attitude rate data to other ISS systems.
Self-Describing context-based pixel ordering

In this paper we introduce a novel self-describing context-based pixel ordering for digital images. Our method is inherently reversible and uses the pixel value to guide the exploration of the two-dimensional image space, in contrast to universal scans where the traversal is based solely on the pixel position. The outcome is a one-dimensional representation of the image with enhanced autocorrelation. When used as a front-end to a memoryless entropy coder, empirical results show that our method, on average, improves the compression rate by 11.56% and 5.23% compared to raster-scan and Hilbert space-filling curve, respectively.
Semantic streams: a framework for composable semantic interpretation of sensor data

We present a framework called Semantic Streams that allows users to pose declarative queries over semantic interpretations of sensor data. For example, instead of querying raw magnetometer data, the user queries whether vehicles are cars or trucks; the system decides which sensor data and which operations to use to infer the type of vehicle. The user can also place constraints on values such as the the amount of energy consumed or the confidence with which the vehicles are classified. We demonstrate how this system can be used on a network of video, magnetometer, and infrared break beam sensors deployed in a parking garage with three simultaneous and independent users.
End-diastolic wall thickness as a predictor of recovery of function in myocardial hibernation: Relation to rest-redistribution Tl-201 tomography and dobutamine stress echocardiography

Abstract OBJECTIVES The study assessed whether end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT), measured with echocardiography, is an important marker of myocardial viability in patients with suspected myocardial hibernation, and it compared this index to currently established diagnostic modalities of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and rest-redistribution thallium-201 (Tl-201) scintigraphy. BACKGROUND Because myocardial necrosis is associated with myocardial thinning, preserved EDWT may provide a simple index of myocardial viability that is readily available from the resting echocardiogram. METHODS Accordingly, 45 patients with stable coronary artery disease and ventricular dysfunction underwent rest 2D echocardiograms, DSE and rest-redistribution Tl-201 tomography before revascularization and a repeat resting echocardiogram ≥2 months later. RESULTS Global wall motion score index decreased from 2.38 ± 0.73 to 1.94 ± 0.82 after revascularization (p 0.6 cm had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 48% for recovery of function. Similarly, a Tl-201 maximal uptake of ≥60% had a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 50%. Receiver operating characteristic curves for prediction of recovery of regional and global function were similar for EDWT and maximum Tl-201 uptake. Combination of EDWT and any contractile reserve during DSE for recovery of regional function improved the specificity to 77% without a significant loss in sensitivity (88%). CONCLUSIONS End-diastolic wall thickness is an important marker of myocardial viability in patients with suspected hibernation, and it can predict recovery of function similar to Tl-201 scintigraphy. Importantly, a simple measurement of EDWT ≤0.6 cm virtually excludes the potential for recovery of function and is a valuable adjunct to DSE in the assessment of myocardial viability.
A characterization of exponential distribution and the Sukhatme–Rényi decomposition of exponential maxima

A new characterization of the exponential distribution is established. It is proven that the well-known Sukhatme–Renyi necessary condition is also sufficient for exponentiality. A method of proof due to Arnold and Villasenor based on the Maclaurin series expansion of the density is utilized.
Structural characterization of product ions by electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry to support regulatory analysis of veterinary drug residues in foods

RATIONALE Monitoring of veterinary drug residues in foods is often conducted using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Results have high economic stakes for producers, but the ions monitored are usually selected due to signal intensities without structural interpretation. In this study, the ion transitions were characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry. METHODS The 62 veterinary drugs from the LC/MS/MS method consisted of sulfonamides, β-lactams, phenicols, macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroids. They were individually infused into a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer using electrospray ionization (ESI) operated in positive mode. The MS and collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS/MS spectra for each analyte were obtained for structural elucidation. The Q-TOF instrument was calibrated to obtain a mass accuracy error <5 ppm for the MS and MS/MS spectra. RESULTS The use of high-resolution ESI-Q-TOF-MS for the generation of the MS/MS product ions allowed for the determination of chemical formulae for the analytes, some of which led to new findings. Assigned structures were based on rational interpretation of the most stable possible products with comparison with the scientific literature. In difficult cases, isotopically labeled drugs or hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange experiments were used to help confirm the structures of the product ions. CONCLUSIONS The use of ESI-Q-TOF-MS in this study has allowed structure elucidation of 186 MS/MS product ions previously selected for the LC/MS/MS analysis of 62 veterinary drugs. This serves to reduce the chances of false positives and negatives in the monitoring program, and provides justification and defense in regulatory enforcement actions. Published in 2014. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
STAR FORMATION RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Stars form in the dense, dusty cores of molecular cloudss shrouded from view at optical wavelengths. The University of Florida (UF) has a strong program in infrared instrumentation that has been exploited to observe the early phases of star formation and protostellar evolution. In addition, millimeter wavelength radio observations allow the cool components of the interstellar medium to be studied and provide an essential complement to the infrared work. This article highlights recent UF star formation research and ongoing projects and concludes with a list of potential future projects for the GTC.
Understanding RUTH: creating believable behaviors for a virtual human under uncertainty

In pursuing the ultimate goal of enabling intelligent conversation with a virtual human, two key challenges are selecting nonverbal behaviors to implement and realizing those behaviors practically and reliably. In this paper, we explore the signals interlocutors use to display uncertainty face to face. Peoples' signals were identified and annotated through systematic coding and then implemented onto our ECA (Embodied Conversational Agent), RUTH. We investigated whether RUTH animations were as effective as videos of talking people in conveying an agent's level of uncertainty to human viewers. Our results show that people could pick up on different levels of uncertainty not only with another conversational partner, but also with the simulations on RUTH. In addition, we used animations containing different subsets of facial signals to understand in more detail how nonverbal behavior conveys uncertainty. The findings illustrate the promise of our methodology for creating specific inventories of fine-grained conversational behaviors from knowledge and observations of spontaneous human conversation.
The tides: masculinity and climate change in coastal Papua New Guinea

.. In the wake of severe coastal erosion in 2007, views about rising sea-levels and climate change took on urgency among the Murik, a coastal people in Papua New Guinea. A theoretical question is raised by their discourse: how to conceptualize the relationship among multiple understandings of this event that would not silence local voices? Bakhtin’s concepts of chronotopes and dialogue, referring to contested images of man in space and time, are used for this purpose. It is argued that, in this culture of climate change, chronotopes of modernity and global risk interrogated chronotopes of ancestral masculinity and doubt. Murik ethnography is adduced and analysed in support of this argument. In the literature about climate change, it has become a truism to rue the inequality of it all. Rather than the culpable, wealthy economies of the global North, populations who had nothing to do with producing it – people living in politically marginal, small island states and along coasts in the global South – are paying and will pay its price. 1 As a long-term fieldworker in coastal Papua New Guinea, my agenda here is partly motivated by this kind of ethical, if not eschatological, anxiety. However much climate change reduces one’s alterity in, as well as from, the space and time of the other, I remain fixed on that part of the emerging tragedy which Malinowskian relativism advocates: to grasp what it means to the people living on far shores such as these (Crate & Nutall 2009: 12). 2 A methodological problem then arises. If climate change has cultural dimensions, development of a conceptual strategy for thinking about how to fit together semantically, ontologically, or ideologically discrepant views of its constituent science may be of use. My solution to this latter issue derives from a self-evident inference, or at least one that becomes self-evident once stated. Climate change discourse makes claims about the consequences of industrial capitalism on processes of various kinds in nature. These claims may be more broadly viewed as representations of the effects of human agency on space and in time. In other words, this discourse may be seen as assertions about the decaying position of ‘man’ 3 in nature and society. In order to be able to discriminate multiple claims about this decay, I return to the idea of chronotope that I borrowed from Bakhtin (1981) as part of another project (Lipset 2004; 2007).
Rictor Negatively Regulates High-Affinity Receptors for IgE-Induced Mast Cell Degranulation

Rictor is a regulatory component of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 (mTORC2). We have previously demonstrated that rictor expression is substantially downregulated in terminally differentiated mast cells as compared with their immature or transformed counterparts. However, it is not known whether rictor and mTORC2 regulate mast cell activation. In this article, we show that mast cell degranulation induced by aggregation of high-affinity receptors for IgE (FceRI) is negatively regulated by rictor independently of mTOR. We found that inhibition of mTORC2 by the dual mTORC1/mTORC2 inhibitor Torin1 or by downregulation of mTOR by short hairpin RNA had no impact on FceRI-induced degranulation, whereas downregulation of rictor itself resulted in an increased sensitivity (∼50-fold) of cells to FceRI aggregation with enhancement of degranulation. This was linked to a similar enhancement in calcium mobilization and cytoskeletal rearrangement attributable to increased phosphorylation of LAT and PLCγ1. In contrast, degranulation and calcium responses elicited by the G protein-coupled receptor ligand, C3a, or by thapsigargin, which induces a receptor-independent calcium signal, was unaffected by rictor knockdown. Overexpression of rictor, in contrast with knockdown, suppressed FceRI-mediated degranulation. Taken together, these data provide evidence that rictor is a multifunctional signaling regulator that can regulate FceRI-mediated degranulation independently of mTORC2.
Ovary preservation in the treatment of childhood Meigs syndrome

Meigs syndrome, the combination of benign ovarian tumor, ascites, and pleural effusion, is present in a small percentage of ovarian fibromas and is infrequently reported in children. When associated with elevated CA-125 suspicion is raised for malignancy, often prompting aggressive surgical intervention. We present a case of childhood Meigs syndrome and review the relevant literature with emphasis on ovary preservation. Out of nine identified pediatric cases, one involved ovary sparing treatment and none recurred or progressed to malignancy. Our report highlights the importance of presurgical identification of Meigs syndrome in order to curtail salpingo-oophorectomy when feasible.
A study of 28Si(α, γ)32S resonances below Eα = 3.83 MeV

Abstract The γ-decays of eleven resonances in the 28 Si(α,γ) 32 S reaction below E α = 3.83 MeV have been studied using a large Ge(Li) detector. Results for branching ratios differ considerably from previous NaI work. The previous discrepancy in radiative strengths for the 2.61 MeV resonance is explained by this data. The strengths of the first five resonances at E α = 1.77, 1.99, 2.19, 2.37 and 2.42 MeV appear to be (39 ± 13)% lower than previously reported. Spin-parities of l − , 2 + and 2 + have been assigned to the levels at 8.50, 8.69 and 8.86 MeV respectively. The radiative width of the E p = 1.467 MeV, J π = 3 − resonance in the 31 P(p,γ) 32 S reaction has also been measured.
Mycophenolate mofetil as the primary treatment of membranous lupus nephritis with and without concurrent proliferative disease: a retrospective study of 29 cases.

Studies of immunosuppressive therapy, particularly mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), in membranous lupus nephritis (MLN) are limited. We report on our experience with primary (first-line) MMF therapy to...
Laws of propagation of turbulent jets of a viscous liquid of variable composition

The results of an experimental investigation of the propagation of turbulent isothermal jets of helium and argon discharging into an air-flooded space are presented.
Magnetic Field Enhancement of Heat Transport in the 2D Heisenberg Antiferromagnet K2V3O8

The thermal conductivity and heat capacity of single crystals of the spin $1/2$ quasi-2D Heisenberg antiferromagnet ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{V}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ have been measured from 1.9 to 300 K in magnetic fields from 0 to 8 T. The zero field thermal conductivity data are consistent with resonant scattering of phonons by magnons near the zone boundary. Application of a magnetic field greater than 1 T, however, produces a new magnetic ground state with substantial heat transport by long wavelength magnons.
Modeling of the DC Converter Equipment in the Carrier Band

This paper discusses models of equipment in a HVDC station for the calculation of noise in the carrier frequency range. Comparisons are made between measured and calculated results for individual equipments. Comparison between measured and calculated values of overall station performance is discussed.
Evidence for charge-flux duality near the quantum Hall liquid-to-insulator transition

A remarkable symmetry has been observed between the diagonal, nonlinear, current-voltage (I-Vxx) characteristics taken in the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) liquid state of the two-dimension...
Effectiveness factors for the general non-isothermal case of bimolecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics

Non-isothermal catalyst effectiveness factors are determined for both exothermic and endothermic reactions with rate equations of the form rA = kCA/(1 + KACA)2. It is shown that with such rate equations, multiplicities may occur even for endothermic reactions. In addition, multiple states may arise in regions where the effectiveness factor is less than one. Regions of unique and multiple steady states of bimolecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics have also been defined. Contrary to previous findings for exothermic and/or isothermal reactions, multiplicities in endothermic reactions are likely to occur in systems showing higher reaction temperatures and stronger surface chemisorption characteristics. Criteria (developed by previous investigators) sufficient for uniqueness and multiplicity of catalyst particle steady state are compared and discussed.
On the Tenability of Non‐Factualism with Regard to the A Priori

In a number of recent articles, Hartry Field has attempted to reclaim the a priori for his own brand of non-factualist epistemology by introducing a non-epistemic notion of the a priori based purely upon the position of individual beliefs within belief systems. In this article we examine (i) whether a robust enough notion of aprioricity is available to Field, and, by extension, to the radical empiricist and (ii) whether it is possible to connect up the non-epistemic notion of aprioricity with questions about the epistemic status of those beliefs that happen to be a priori in the non-epistemic sense.
Enhanced Collapse Resistance of Compressed Steel Pipes

Pipe collapse is a primary design consideration for deep water locations and offshore areas with sharp seabed curvatures or spans, where bending reduces collapse resistance due to ovalization. Previous numerical and experimental work has shown that collapse resistance of steel pipes can be enhanced significantly by using compression instead of expansion during the final stage of the pipe forming process.ExxonMobil has recently undertaken a rigorous numerical modeling and experimental testing program to investigate the collapse resistance of compressed (JCOC) steel pipes under combined loading of external pressure and bending, and this paper presents the main results from the program. The first part of the paper presents results of sensitivity studies from three dimensional (3D) finite element analyses (FEA) of the pipe forming process, and the second part focuses on the collapse modeling under combined loading as well as a comparison of the numerical results with the experiments. The results indicate that the collapse envelope for steel pipes under combined external pressure and bending can be enhanced by up to 35% by adopting pipe compression rather than expansion as the final step of the forming process.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Admissible class of basis and testing functions for the method of moments in electromagnetic problems

An effort is made to show mathematically that there is an admissible class of functions for basis (testing) functions depending upon the choice of testing (basis) functions. Since the physical characteristics of the currents involved may require the use of functions that do not belong to the admissible class of functions, the handling of these functions is also addressed. A general microstrip structure is considered. >