cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature rise in thick PMMA resists during x-ray exposure

Temperature measurements of thick PMMA resist during X-ray (1 to 5 keV) exposure are presented in this paper. Thin metal (gold) film thermal sensors were fabricated directly on the resist surface and on the resist/substrate interface using micro-lithography methods. The temperature measurements were conducted in vacuum (< 10-4 Torr) and in 1 to 25 Torr helium pressure--conditions corresponding to typically X-ray lithography exposure. The results of temperature rise measurements performed with thermal sensors and with miniature conventional thermocouples are compared.
Bispectral index monitoring during infant cardiac surgery: relationship of BIS to the stress response and plasma fentanyl levels.

Background: We evaluated the relationship of the bispectral index (BIS) to commonly used indices of depth of anaesthesia in 19 infants enrolled in a prospective study of the stress response to hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: Group 1 (n=8) received high-dose fentanyl by bolus technique; group 2 (n=6) received high-dose fentanyl by continuous infusion; and group 3 (n=5) received a fentanyl–midazolam infusion. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, ACTH, glucose, lactate and fentanyl were analysed 15 min postinduction, 15 min poststernotomy, 15 min on CPB during cooling and during skin closure. Results: Mean BIS (SD) values for all 19 patients were 45.3 (12.3), 40.4 (14.5), 24.4 (12.4) and 47.9 (13.9), at the successive time points. No significant differences were observed in changes in BIS over time between the groups. A significant correlation was found 15 min postinduction between BIS and BP (systolic r=0.51, mean r=0.56) in all groups, but not between BIS and HR. BIS did not correlate with BP or HR at any other time point. There was no significant correlation between BIS and hormonal, biochemical or plasma fentanyl levels for any group at any time point. Conclusions: We were unable to demonstrate a relationship between the BIS and haemodynamic, metabolic or hormonal indices of anaesthetic depth. Further evaluation of the BIS algorithm is required in neonates and infants.
Clinical outcomes of percutaneous drainage of breast fluid collections after mastectomy with expander-based breast reconstruction.

Abstract Purpose To determine clinical outcomes of patients who underwent imaging-guided percutaneous drainage of breast fluid collections after mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Materials And Methods A retrospective review was performed including all consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous drainage of fluid collections after mastectomy with tissue expander–based reconstruction between January 2007 and September 2012. During this period, 879 mastectomies (563 patients) with expander-based breast reconstruction were performed. Fluid collections developed in 28 patients (5%), which led to 30 imaging-guided percutaneous drainage procedures. The median follow-up time was 533 days. Patient characteristics, surgical technique, microbiology analysis, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Results The mean age of patients was 51.5 years (range, 30.9–69.4 y), and the median time between breast reconstruction and drainage was 35 days (range, 4–235 d). Erythema and swelling were the most common presenting symptoms. The median volume of fluid evacuated at the time of drain placement was 70 mL. Drains were left in place for a median 14 days (range, 6–34 d). Microorganisms were detected in the fluid in 12 of 30 drainage procedures, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common microorganism. No further intervention was needed in 21 of 30 drainage procedures (70%). However, surgical intervention (removal of expanders) was needed after 6 (20%) drainage procedures, and additional percutaneous drainage procedures were performed after 3 (10%) drainage procedures. Conclusions Percutaneous drainage is an effective means of treating postoperative fluid collections after expander-based breast reconstruction and can obviate the need for repeat surgery in most cases.
LH RIA DOSE-RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS CHANGE DURING PUBERTY

We have shown that the ratio of bioactive to immunoreactive LH increases during puberty. To test whether this change is in the immuno- or biopotency of LH, we tested dose-response characteristics in both assays. Results: 1) In the bioassay (RICT), the dose-response characteristics of basal and GnRH-stimulated plasma samples from pubertal (PUB) and adult subjects and the LER-907 and I-1 standards were parallel; prePUB basal and GnRH-stimulated samples were less steep (-0.75 v. -1.00, p<0.05). Turner syndrome samples had slopes 8% greater. 2) Using an RIA with a bioactive 125I-hLH and NIADDK antiserum we found that the dose-response relationship of plasma I-LH changes through puberty. The logit-log transformed dose-response curve for LER-907 was less steep than I-1 (-0.73 v. -1.05, p<0.05); potency estimates at the extremes of the standard curves differed by a factor of 1.7. There was no difference in slopes before and after GnRH infusion, but 7/14 prePUB samples, 3/14 PUB and 0/15 adult were parallel to LER-907, while 1/14 prePUB, 6/14 PUB and 12/15 adult were parallel to I-1. Turner syndrome samples had slopes similar to prePUB samples (-0.74 v. -0.79, NS). Changing LH RIA dose-response characteristics is the principal factor in the changing ratio of bioactivity to immuno-reactivity during puberty. This may reflect the structural heterogeneity of LH.
Methodological Rigor in the Study of Transfer: Identifying L1 Influence in them Interlanguage Lexicon

Numerous conflicting claims exist concerning the nature of L1 influence. This article argues that much of the confusion could be eliminated if a unified framework were established for this area of inquiry. Such a framework would minimally require transfer studies to consider at least 3 potential effects of L1 influence: (a) intra-L1-group similarities, (b) inter-L1-group differences, and (c) L1-IL performance similarities. This study examines all three types ofevidence in the English lexical reference of Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking Finns at multiple levels of age and L2 exposure in three different but related elicitation tasks. The results suggest a subtle yet demonstrable presence for L1 influence in this area of interlanguage performance.
Proportional myoelectric control of a virtual object to investigate human efferent control

We used proportional myoelectric control of a one-dimensional virtual object to investigate differences in efferent control between the proximal and distal muscles of the upper limbs. Eleven subjects placed one of their upper limbs in a brace that restricted movement while we recorded electromyography (EMG) signals from elbow flexors/extensors or wrist flexors/extensors during isometric contractions. By activating their muscles, subjects applied virtual forces to a virtual object using a real-time computer interface. The magnitudes of these forces were proportional to EMG amplitudes. Subjects used this proportional EMG control to move the virtual object through two tracking tasks, one with a static target and one with a moving target (i.e., a sine wave). We hypothesized that subjects would have better control over the virtual object using their distal muscles rather than using their proximal muscles because humans typically use more distal joints to perform fine motor tasks. The results indicated that there was no difference in subjects’ ability to control virtual object movements when using either upper arm muscles or forearm muscles. These results suggest that differences in control accuracy between elbow joint movements and wrist joint movements are more likely to be a result of motor practice, proprioceptive feedback or joint mechanics rather than inherent differences in efferent control.
Stepping beyond Sí Se Puede: Dichos as a Cultural Resource in Mother—Daughter Interaction in a Latino Family

This mother—daughter case study focuses on a key feature of discourse within a Mexican immigrant family that links oral traditions to resilience and motivation. I combine observations from a previous ethnographic study with recent follow-up interviews of a Mexican immigrant student building on a funds of knowledge framework and an ecological perspective. Expanding on current mother—daughter pedagogic theory, I map “dichos” as they are emblematic of cultural funds of knowledge and how they assume a relationship to resistance and academic attainment for a young Mexican immigrant. The findings challenge the notion that working-class Latino families do not care about the educational fortunes of their youth and lack knowledge and resources to guide their children academically.
The boom and the bust of the Japanese economy: A quantitative look at the period 1980–2000

Abstract In this paper we quantitatively investigate the boom and the bust of the Japanese economy during 1980–2000 using the business cycle accounting technique. This method helps us identify the distortion margins called “wedges” that played a significant role in accounting for the output fluctuations. Applying our model to Japan, we find that efficiency and investment wedges can almost wholly account for output increases of the 1980s. Labor wedges by themselves would have caused a recession beginning in late 1980s but was overwhelmed by the positive impact of efficiency and investment wedges. In the 1990s, efficiency, labor and investment wedges all contributed to the recession. We next extend the literature by conducting robustness tests to investigate the sensitivity of BCA results to small modifications in methodology.
Mixed Mode Fracture in Brittle Materials for MEMS

Planar defects such as cracks are rarely normal to the loading direction. To investigate the case of arbitrarily oriented cracks mixed mode I/II fracture experiments were conducted on amorphous diamond-like carbon (ta-C) thin films. The mixed mode I/II loading at the crack tip was obtained using oblique edge pre-cracks in uniform gage finite width tensile specimens. The pre-cracks were generated using microindentation in 1μm thick micro-tensile specimens. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed to measure the applied far-field stress at failure and a numerical solution was used to extract the stress intensity factor values. The results were compared against the maximum tensile stress (MTS) and maximum energy release rate (MERR) criteria for mixed mode fracture and the data showed good agreement.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
HYPERBOLIC SYSTEMS OF BALANCE LAWS WITH WEAK DISSIPATION II

By extending the analysis in [C. M. Dafermos, Hyperbolic systems of balance laws with weak dissipation, J. Hyperbolic Differ. Equ.3 (2006) 505–527], this note constructs global BV solutions to the Cauchy problem for strictly hyperbolic systems of balance laws endowed with a convex entropy, under the assumption that the entropy production is positive definite.
Lipid Bilayer–mediated Regulation of Ion Channel Function by Amphiphilic Drugs

Drugs that at pico- to nanomolar concentration regulate ion channel function by high-affinity binding to their cognate receptor often have a “secondary pharmacology,” in which the same molecule at low micromolar concentrations regulates a diversity of membrane proteins in an apparently
A comparison of MMPI profile types with corresponding estimated MMPI‐2 profiles

Changes in mean elevation, dispersion, overall configuration, and code type of well-defined MMPI profiles were examined after transformation to estimated MMPI-2 profiles. A total of 34 MMPI profiles from both Gilberstadt and Duker (1965) and Marks, Seeman, and Haller (1974) were analyzed using contemporary MMPI-2 T-scores. Results yielded a reduction in mean elevation and both increases and decreases in scatter about the mean upon transformation to MMPI-2 norms. The total configuration of linear MMPI and estimated MMPI-2 T-score profiles correlated highly with each other and manifested a similar pattern of correlation with the total configuration of Skinner and Jackson's (1978) three modal MMPI types.
Who needs surveillance of the contralateral carotid artery

Background Although the value of carotid end arterectomy has been proven, postoperative sur veillance remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the natural history of disease progression in the contralateral carotid artery by duplex surveillance, and to assess the cost of stroke prevention on this contralateral side. Methods Vascular laboratory records were reviewed to identify carotid endarterectomy patients who had two or more duplex studies between 1984 and 1995. Critical stenosis was defined as 5% area reduction. Results In all, 324 patients were followed up with duplex scans for 1 month to 11 years (mean 30.3 months). The only factors that correlated with progression to critical stenosis were age and initial stenosis. Overall, 19.5% of patients progressed to critical stenosis within 5 years while the high-risk groups with age 65 years o initial stenosis ≥50% progressed to critical disease in 27% and 39%, respectively (P ≤ 0.05). The cost per stroke prevented ranged from $143,500 to $418,200 when stratified by initial stenosis. Conclusion Patients who have undergone a carotid endarterectomy demonstrate a propensity for progression of carotid stenosis in the unoperated (contralateral) artery. The cost/benefit ratio may be improved by varying the intensity of duplex surveillance of the contralateral carotid based on the patient's age and initial degree of stenosis.
Simple and accurate expressions for diffuse reflectance of semi-infinite and two-layer absorbing and scattering media

We present computationally efficient and accurate semiempirical models of light transfer suitable for real-time diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The models predict the diffuse reflectance of both (i) semi-infinite homogeneous and (ii) two-layer media exposed to normal and collimated light. The two-layer medium consisted of a plane-parallel slab of finite thickness over a semi-infinite layer with identical index of refraction but different absorption and scattering properties. The model accounted for absorption and anisotropic scattering, as well as for internal reflection at the medium/air interface. All media were assumed to be nonemitting, strongly forward scattering, with indices of refraction between 1.00 and 1.44 and transport single-scattering albedos between 0.50 and 0.99. First, simple analytical expressions for the diffuse reflectance of the semi-infinite and two-layer media considered were derived using the two-flux approximation. Then, parameters appearing in the analytical expression previously derived were instead fitted to match results from more accurate Monte Carlo simulations. A single semiempirical parameter was sufficient to relate the diffuse reflectance to the radiative properties and thickness of the semi-infinite and two-layer media. The present model can be used for a wide range of applications including noninvasive diagnosis of biological tissue.
Pediatric Surfer's Myelopathy.

Abstract Background We present the case of the youngest known patient diagnosed with surfer's myelopathy. Surfer's myelopathy is a rare nontraumatic myelopathy. The most likely etiology, presumably, is arterial insufficiency related to spine hyperextension. Symptoms consist of back pain, urinary incontinence or retention, paraplegia, and sensory loss. Case Report A 7-year-old girl presented with back pain, urinary retention, and lower extremity weakness after doing backbends during a cheerleading practice the day prior to presentation. Why Should an Emergency Medicine Physician Be Aware of This? With the trend of children becoming increasingly active in competitive sports at a younger age, surfer's myelopathy is a diagnosis that should be considered when the symptoms are present and the history consists of hyperextending the back. As in our case, a seemingly benign trauma can lead to the diagnosis of surfer's myelopathy.
A step out of the dark: improving the sleep medicine knowledge of trainees.

Objective: Over 40-million Americans are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or untreated for sleep disorders. Despite the growing need to integrate sleep medicine knowledge into the medical education curriculum, educational leaders have struggled to incorporate contemporary medical topics such as sleep medicine into the already packed curricula. We set out to examine the efficacy of an online, self-paced, sleep medicine learning module as an educational tool for medical students. Methods: We studied 87 Johns Hopkins medical students. Participants were randomly assigned to the sham module (SM, n = 40) or learning module (LM, n = 47). The efficacy of the tool was assessed based on changes in performance (pre- and post-module completion) on a validated sleep knowledge questionnaire (the Dartmouth Sleep Knowledge and Attitude Survey). Results: Improvement in overall sleep knowledge, as measured by the Dartmouth Sleep Knowledge and Attitude Survey, was significantly higher in the LM group compared to the SM group (F(1,84) = 9.71,
Substrate-assisted catalysis of peptide bond formation by the ribosome

The ribosome accelerates the rate of peptide bond formation by at least 10(7)-fold, but the catalytic mechanism remains controversial. Here we report evidence that a functional group on one of the tRNA substrates plays an essential catalytic role in the reaction. Substitution of the P-site tRNA A76 2' OH with 2' H or 2' F results in at least a 10(6)-fold reduction in the rate of peptide bond formation, but does not affect binding of the modified substrates. Such substrate-assisted catalysis is relatively uncommon among modern protein enzymes, but it is a property predicted to be essential for the evolution of enzymatic function. These results suggest that substrate assistance has been retained as a catalytic strategy during the evolution of the prebiotic peptidyl transferase center into the modern ribosome.
Evolution and Function of the Globin Intergenic Regulatory Regions of the Antarctic Dragonfishes (Notothenioidei: Bathydraconidae)

As the Southern Ocean cooled to � 1.8 C over the past 40 My, the teleostean clade Notothenioidei diversified and, under reduced selection pressure for an oxygen-transporting apparatus, became less reliant on hemoglobin and red blood cells. At the extreme of this trend, the crown group of Antarctic icefishes (Channichthyidae) lost both components of oxygen transport. Under the decreased selection scenario, we hypothesized that the Antarctic dragonfishes (Bathydraconidae, the red-blooded sister clade to the icefishes) evolved lower blood hemoglobin concentrations because their globin gene complexes (a- and b-globin gene pairs linked by a regulatory intergene) transcribe globin mRNAs less effectively than those of basal notothenioids (e.g., the Nototheniidae [notothens]). To test our hypothesis, we 1) sequenced the a/b-intergenes of the adult globin complexes of three notothen and eight dragonfish species and 2) measured globin transcript levels in representative species from each group. The typical nototheniid intergene was ;3‐4 kb in length. The bathydraconid intergenes resolved into three subclasses (long [3.8 kb], intermediate [3.0 kb], and short [1.5‐2.3 kb]) that corresponded to the three subclades proposed for the taxon. Although they varied in length due to indels, the three notothen and eight dragonfish intergenes contained a conserved ;90-nt element that we have previously shown to be required for globin gene transcription. Using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we found that globin mRNA levels in red cells from one notothen species and from one species of each dragonfish subclade were equivalent statistically. Thus, our results indicate that the bathydraconids have evolved adult globin loci whose regulatory intergenes tend to be shorter than those of the more basal nototheniids yet are equivalent in transcriptional efficacy. Their low blood hemoglobin concentrations are most likely due to reduction in hematocrit.
PROJECTING POVERTY RATES IN 2020 FOR THE 62 AND OLDER POPULATION: WHAT CHANGES CAN WE EXPECT AND WHY?

This paper analyzes the factors that may be related to increased or decreased poverty among the 62- to 89-year-old population in 2020 using the Social Security Administration's Model of Income in the Near Term (MINT). The authors find that price-adjusted poverty is projected to decline from 7.8 percent in the early 1990s to 4.2 percent in 2020, but that wage-adjusted poverty is projected to increase from 7.8 percent to 9.9 percent. The increase in the normal retirement age and changes in marital composition each explain about 25 percent of the projected increase in wage-adjusted poverty. The changes in the relative earnings of men and women did not affect the poverty rateit only affected who was in poverty. The rise in earnings inequality had almost no effect on poverty rates largely because of the progressive Social Security payment formula.
Fabrication of a compensated pulsed alternator for a rapid fire railgun system

This paper presents a detailed description of fabrication of the compensated pulsed alternator (compulsator) for a rapid-fire railgun system. Presented are fabrication techniques and assembly processes developed specifically for a large pulsed power generator, including stator lamination assembly and armature and field winding fabrication techniques. The horizontal shaft, six pole compulsator design incorporates a rotating field and passive compensation. When completed, the compulsator will generate a 2-kV open-circuit voltage and supply 944-kA, 2.45-ms pulses to the 3-m railgun. Since high energy per unit volume ratios are desirable in pulsed power generators, emphasis is put on reducing weight and volume. Consideration for these areas are evident throughout the machine.
Systemic and uterine responses to chronic infusion of estradiol-17 beta

Human and ovine pregnancies are associated with increases in plasma levels of estrogens and angiotensin II (ANG II), cardiac output (CO), blood volume (BV), and uterine blood flow (UBF), as well as...
Transgender community belongingness as a mediator between strength of transgender identity and well-being

This study examined transgender community belongingness as a mediator between strength of transgender identity and well-being. A total of 571 transgender adults (n = 209 transgender women, n = 217 transgender men, and n = 145 nonbinary-identified individuals) completed an online survey assessing transgender community belongingness, strength of transgender identity (operationalized as the extent to which a person self-categorizes their identity as transgender and the extent to which they believe their gender transition to be important to their self-definition), and well-being (using measures of self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. When controlling for participants' income, age, and stage of gender transition, transgender community belongingness fully mediated the relationship between strength of transgender identity and well-being. Strength of transgender identity was indirectly and positively related to well-being through community belongingness, but was not directly related to well-being. Results suggest that transgender community belongingness is an important construct in the mental health of transgender people. The strength of a person's transgender identity also appears to be a significant construct in transgender people's well-being via its relationship with transgender community belongingness. Implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
Liquid Embolic Agents

It is easy to understand how particles, coils, and other solid agents can lead to vascular occlusion. Liquid embolic agents can also be very effective at occluding vessels and act by a variety of mechanisms.
Hot deformation of particulate reinforced Al-4Li-1Mg-0.5Ge-0.2Zr

Lithium additions to aluminum give the greatest reduction in density and increase in elastic modulus per wt.% of any known alloying element. The potential for aluminum alloy density reduction through lithium additions is evident by comparing its atomic weight (6.94) to that of aluminum (26.98). Over the past decade, considerable research efforts have been directed towards developing aluminum-lithium alloys, with lithium contents of up to 2.5 wt.%, for aircraft applications, where their low density and increased stiffness can lead to significant improvements in payload capacity. A recent notable example has been the development of a quarternary aluminum-lithium alloy containing silver, (A1-(4.5-6.3) Cu-1.3Li-0.4Ag-0.4Mg-0.14Zr, in wt.%). In an effort to further decrease the density and increase the modulus of aluminum-lithium alloys, research efforts have progressively shifted towards alloys containing higher concentrations of lithium ({gt}3.0 wt.%). Furthermore, aluminum-lithium alloys are being studied as potential candidate matrix materials in metal matrix composites (MMCs), as a result of the observation that lithium effectively enhances the ability of the aluminum matrix to wet the ceramic reinforcement. The extreme reactivity associated with high additions of lithium, and the difficulties associated with processing MMCs, have prompted the development of alternate synthesis approaches. One such approach, spray atomization andmore » co-deposition, is actively being studied as a result of its ability to rapidly quench, reinforce, and consolidate in a single step, thus avoiding the difficulties associated with the handling of fine reactive particulates. The object of the paper is to provide insight into the elevated temperature deformation behavior of high lithium (4 wt.%) aluminum alloys reinforced with SiC particles prepared by spray atomization and co-deposition. The selection of the A1-4Li-1Mg-0.5Ge-0.2Zr wt.« less
Studying ultrafast laser parameters to deter self-focusing for deep tissue ablation

ABSTRACT Ultrafast pulsed lasers are a promising tool for precise and noninvasive tissue surgery . The high peak intensity of the pulses allows nonlinear interaction with tissue, causing three -dimensional confined ablation without thermal damage. However, deep tissue ablation has been limited to a few scattering lengths due to laser beam extinction. As pulse energies are increased to overcome attenuation, unwanted side effects can occur su ch as self -focusing, where the highly intense pulse alters the refractive index of the material, causing a lensing effect and long filaments of damage or complete beam collapse before the focus. Here, we examine laser parameters to overcome self -focusing f or deep tissue ablation. Through imaging ablation voids with third harmonic generation, we show that increasing the pulse width from 200 -fs to 2 -ps reduces self -focusing induced focal plane shifting and avoids multiple filamentation altogether, resulting in deeper ablation without extended axial damage. Additionally, we simulate beam propagation for pulses of different central wavelengths, and show that longer wavelengths can ablate deeper because of decreased scattering in tissue and a subsequent reduction in self -focusing. Keywords: Tissue surgery, ablation, self -focusing, nonlinear imaging
Influence of Corn Plant Density on Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Population Estimates

Influence of corn plant densities (37,000, 54,600, and 71,300 plants/ha), time of day, and plant growth stage on adult western (WCR) ( Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) and northern (NCR) ( D. barheri Smith & Lawrence) corn rootworm population estimates was studied in eastern Nebraska during 1981 and 1982. Populations of both NCR and WCR adults were affected by plant density. Smaller populations of beetles were present in low plant density plantings. Adjusting beetle counts (whole-plant and ear zone) for plant density resulted in better estimates of the beetle population. Beetle counts for both species were significantly correlated with the actual beetle population. However, there were higher correlations between beetle counts and actual beetle population when counts were adjusted for plant density and expressed on an area basis. WCR beetle counts adjusted for plant density were highly and significantly correlated with number of eggs laid. With only one exception, NCR beetle counts adjusted for plant population were also highly correlated with number of eggs laid. Unadjusted counts were not significantly correlated with egg numbers.
Anionic Polymerization of Isoprene at Low Concentrations of Polyisoprenyllithium.

The kinetics of polymerization of isoprene with n-butyllithium initiator was investigated in n-hexane solution over an extended concentration range of poly-organolithium. The propagation reaction was found to be first-order with regard to monomer and half-order with respect to chain anion concentration. The degree of chain anion aggregation, in the association equilibrium between active single chains and inactive associated chains, was concurrently scrutinized. The evidence accrued from the studies indicates that the associated chains exist only as binary aggregates. These experimental findings are in concert with those results obtained at higher concentrations of polyorganolithium.
Reproducibility in Quality Control of Protein (Western) Immunoblot Assay for Antibodies to Human

The protein (Western) immunoblot assay (IB) for antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, like other laboratory procedures, sometimes gives variable results. In the Transfusion Safety Study, indistinguishable aliquots of four quality control (QC) samples have been routinely submitted for IB with each group of patient specimens. A false negative IB result was obtained for 1.7% of 179 assays of two known positive (QC) standards and a false positive result for 2.0% of 101 assays of two known negative (QC) standards. In addition, a test panel of 24 samples was sent on a single occasion to three widely used laboratories. A false positive result was reported by one laboratory and a false negative by a second. Although generally reliable, IB results may occasionally be in error. There is much more technical variability in the relative frequencies of antigen-antibody bands than has been recognized. These interlaboratory and intralaboratory comparisons show quality control checks are essential for all laboratories, and more than one specimen should be tested if its applicability to a specific patient is questionable. Specific bands are sufficiently inconstant for the same specimen to make appearance or disappearance on successive specimens prognostically unreliable.
Enhancement of sow reproductive performance by beta-carotene or vitamin A.

Two experiments were conducted at separate commercial farms. In Exp. 1, all primiparous sows and an equal number of multiparous sows weaned each week were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Treatments consisted of one i.m. injection on the day of weaning of 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg of beta-carotene. Sows were checked for estrus with boars once daily and mated at first estrus after weaning. A sample of sows (n = 100) was selected for determination of plasma beta-carotene and vitamin A. Blood samples were obtained from another group (n = 120) 14 d after injection to determine plasma progesterone. In Exp. 2, treatments consisted of i.m. injection of 200 mg of beta-carotene, 50,000 IU of vitamin A, or vehicle on the day of weaning, on the day of mating, and on d 7 after mating. In both experiments, the sow diet was supplemented with 11,000 IU/kg of vitamin A. In Exp. 1, there was no effect of dose of beta-carotene on the interval from weaning to estrus or on the repeat service rate. There was a dose x parity interaction on the number of pigs born dead (P < .01) and born alive (P < .10), because treatment with beta-carotene did not affect reproduction in primiparous sows, but litters subsequently farrowed by multiparous sows had more pigs born alive and fewer pigs born dead. There was a dose x day interaction (P < .05) on plasma beta-carotene; beta-carotene was elevated on d 6 and 13 after injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Final Report, 2011-2014. Forecasting Carbon Storage as Eastern Forests Age. Joining Experimental and Modeling Approaches at the UMBS AmeriFlux Site

At the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) AmeriFlux sites (US-UMB and US-UMd), long-term C cycling measurements and a novel ecosystem-scale experiment are revealing physical, biological, and ecological mechanisms driving long-term trajectories of C cycling, providing new data for improving modeling forecasts of C storage in eastern forests. Our findings provide support for previously untested hypotheses that stand-level structural and biological properties constrain long-term trajectories of C storage, and that remotely sensed canopy structural parameters can substantially improve model forecasts of forest C storage. Through the Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET), we are directly testing the hypothesis that forest C storage will increase due to increasing structural and biological complexity of the emerging tree communities. Support from this project, 2011-2014, enabled us to incorporate novel physical and ecological mechanisms into ecological, meteorological, and hydrological models to improve forecasts of future forest C storage in response to disturbance, succession, and current and long-term climate variation
De-escalation training in an augmented virtuality space

This poster describes the TeachLivE paradigm, its application to de-escalation training, especially for law enforcement personnel, and the realization of this in a four-walled augmented virtuality space. Emphasis is placed on how the resulting physical presence increases co-presence and social presence, leading to an immersive and effective learning environment.
The influence of visual processing on phonetically driven saccades in the “visual world” paradigm

Publisher Summary This chapter presents analyses of a large set of eye–movement data that examine how factors associated with the processing of visual information affect eye movements to displayed pictures during the processing of the referent's name. Eye movements have increasingly become a measure of choice in the study of spoken language comprehension, providing fine-grained information about how the acoustic signal is mapped onto linguistic representations as speech unfolds. Research has established that eye movements are a powerful tool for investigating the processes by which speech is perceived and interpreted, especially the time course of these processes. It is found that phonetically driven fixations are affected by display preview, by the ongoing uptake of visual information, and by the position of pictures in the visual display. Importantly, lexical frequency associated with a picture's name affects the likelihood of refixating this picture and the timing of initiating a saccade away from this picture, thus supporting the use of eye movements as a measure of lexical processing. The chapter also describes how the display might influence lexical processing and help mitigate concerns about potential task-specific strategies. The results are encouraging for researchers who want to exploit the properties of the eye-tracking paradigm to explore issues of representation and process in spoken-word recognition.
Single-Photon Ionization Soft-X-Ray Laser Mass Spectrometry of Potential Hydrogen Storage Materials

A desk-top size capillary discharge 46.9 nm lasear is applied in the gas phase study of nanoclusters. The high photon energy allows for single-photon ionization mass spectrometry with reduced cluster fragmentation. In the present studies, neutral Al m C n and Al m C n H x cluster are investigation for the first time. Single photon ionization through 46.9 nm, 118 nm, 193 nm lasers is used to detect neutral cluster distributions through time of flight mass spectrometry. Al m C n clusters are generated through laser ablation of a mixture of Al and C powders pressed into a disk. An oscillation of the vertical ionization energies (VIEs) of Al m C n clusters is observed in the experiments. The VIEs of Al m C n clusters changes as a function of the numbers of Al and C atoms in the clusters. Al m C n H x clusters are generated through an Al ablation plasma-hydrocarbon reaction, an Al-C ablation plasma reacting with H2 gas, or through cold Al m C n clusters reacting with H2 gas in a fast flow reactor. DFT and ab inito calculations are carried out to explore the structures, IEs, and electronic structures of Al m C n H x clusters. C=C bonds are favored for the lowest energy structures for Al m C n clusters. Be m C n H x are generated through a beryllium ablation plasma-hydrocarbon reaction and detected by single photon ionization of 193 nm laser. Both Al m C n H x and Be m C n H x are considered as potential hydrogen storage materials.
High gain 220GHz power amplifier MMICs with minimal footprint

Two power amplifier MMICs, designed for minimal footprint, and a low insertion loss microstrip to waveguide transition are presented at 220GHz. The two-stage power amplifier ((260×1120)µm2) exhibits 13.5mW of output power and 13.3dB of gain at 207GHz. The four-stage power amplifier, designed in a (260×2085)µm2 area, provides an output power higher than 15mW associated with 19.8dB of gain up to 220.5GHz, with a peak output power of 28mW measured at 211.5GHz. The microstrip to waveguide transition was designed to fit within a width of 280µm, in order to limit the excitation of unwanted substrate modes. These three devices were designed for integration on a single, rectangular chip transmitter.
Two-phase flow characterization in a split vane impeller Electrical Submersible Pump

Abstract Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are used in the upstream petroleum industry for pumping liquid-gas mixtures. The presence of gas in the flow reduces the efficiency of ESPs. To investigate the effect of gas in the flow medium, Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) and pressure measurements were utilized on the diffuser stages in a 3-stage split-vane ESP. In an ERT system, the relative conductivity of the fluid mixture is measured which is used to obtain the gas concentration. The measured local gas concentration and gas volume fraction (GVF) were used to characterize the flow for different water and air flow rates, inlet pressures and rotating speeds.
Accuracy control of reconstruction errors in volume slicing

Slicing is a most powerful and useful tool for the exploration of volume data. In the core of the slicing algorithm is a resampling process that produces a set of new samples constituting the desired slice. Reconstruction is imperative whenever an image or a volume needs to be resampled as a result of an affine or perspective transformation, texture mapping, or volume slicing. Traditionally, this reconstruction is performed by using trilinear or cubic interpolation. However, the resulting images suffer from significant artifacts and there exists no way to guarantee some error level at every pixel. We employ a new method for the characterization and measurement of reconstruction error that is based on spatial domain error analysis. Our approach supports also position-adaptive and data-adaptive reconstruction which adjust filter size to the location of resampling point and the data in its vicinity respectively.
Evaluation of multiple tracer methods to estimate low groundwater flow velocities

Abstract Four different tracer methods were used to estimate groundwater flow velocity at a multiple-well site in the saturated alluvium south of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: (1) two single-well tracer tests with different rest or “shut-in” periods, (2) a cross-hole tracer test with an extended flow interruption, (3) a comparison of two tracer decay curves in an injection borehole with and without pumping of a downgradient well, and (4) a natural-gradient tracer test. Such tracer methods are potentially very useful for estimating groundwater velocities when hydraulic gradients are flat (and hence uncertain) and also when water level and hydraulic conductivity data are sparse, both of which were the case at this test location. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the first three methods for their ability to provide reasonable estimates of relatively low groundwater flow velocities in such low-hydraulic-gradient environments. The natural-gradient method is generally considered to be the most robust and direct method, so it was used to provide a “ground truth” velocity estimate. However, this method usually requires several wells, so it is often not practical in systems with large depths to groundwater and correspondingly high well installation costs. The fact that a successful natural gradient test was conducted at the test location offered a unique opportunity to compare the flow velocity estimates obtained by the more easily deployed and lower risk methods with the ground-truth natural-gradient method. The groundwater flow velocity estimates from the four methods agreed very well with each other, suggesting that the first three methods all provided reasonably good estimates of groundwater flow velocity at the site. The advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, as well as some of the uncertainties associated with them are discussed.
CT And MR Imaging Features of a Non-Pancreatic Pseudocyst of the Mesentery

Wide range of congenital and acquired cysts that arise from various tissue linings of the abdomen are grouped as mesenteric cysts. A non-pancreatic pseudocyst of the mesentery is an uncommon, acquired pathologic entity, developing secondary to trauma or infection. Awareness of the imaging features of non-pancreatic pseudocyst may help radiologists to differentiate them other abdominal neoplastic processes and may prevent unnecessary surgery. We report CT and MR imaging features of a non-pancreatic pseudocyst of the mesentery.
Outcomes of Intraoperative OCT-Assisted Epiretinal Membrane Surgery from the PIONEER Study.

Purpose To assess the retinal architecture changes that occur during epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery, utilizing intraoperative OCT ( i OCT). Design Prospective multisurgeon single-center study. Subjects Subjects from the PIONEER i OCT study who underwent surgical intervention for management of ERM. Methods All subjects underwent vitrectomy with ERM peeling with optional internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative quantitative and qualitative OCT assessments were performed. Clinical characteristics including visual acuity outcomes, central subfield thickness, and complications, including ERM recurrence and need for reoperation, were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery for membrane peeling, as available. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity outcomes, anatomic outcomes, and complications, including ERM recurrence; microarchitectural alterations (i.e., retinal layer changes) after membrane peeling visualized with i OCT. Results Seventy-six subjects were identified and included in this analysis of clinical outcomes and quantitative OCT assessment. Twenty-four eyes were excluded due to insufficient intraoperative OCT quality for quantitative assessment. The mean preoperative visual acuity measured 20/63. The mean postoperative visual acuity at 3 months was 20/41 ( P P P P P P P i OCT identified occult residual membranes in 12% of cases and confirmed complete membrane peeling contrary to surgeon impression in 9% of cases. Reoperation was required for recurrent ERM in 1% of eyes. Conclusions i OCT-assisted ERM peeling resulted in significant improvement in visual acuity, reduction in macular thickness, and low recurrence rate. Additional research is needed with randomized clinical trials to better define the comparative success rates of image-guided ERM surgery to standard surgical visualization techniques.
Assessing the Impact of “Brain Training” on Changes in Driving Performance, Visual Behavior, and Neuropsychological Measures

As the population has become both older and more technologically literate, a new class of “brain training” computer programs have gained in popularity. Though these programs have attracted substantial attention from scientists and consumers, the extent of their benefits, if any, remain unclear. Here we employ neuropsychological tests and behavioral metrics collected during periods of real-world driving (with and without manipulations of cognitive load) to evaluate the effects of training with Posit Science’s DriveSharp software. We find that DriveSharp’s training effects appear in in-lab measures of Useful Field of View but did not translate to changes in actual driving performance or changes in visual behavior in consistent or quantifiable ways in the sample assessed. The implications of these results and relevant limitations of the present research are discussed.
A new genus and species of aphids, Tanyaulus caudisetula gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Burmitaphidae) in mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber

Abstract A new genus and species of aphids, Tanyaulus caudisetula gen. et sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Burmitaphidae), is described from mid- Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Autapomorphies for the new genus are stub-like hind wings, 7-segmented antenna, long rostrum equal to body length, 4 veins departing from the main vein, cubital veins distinctly separated, with a very short, curved basal proximal cubitus, one-branched M vein with distal fork arched at the base, distinct claval folds at wing bases and caudal protuberance with extended setae. The new fossil adds to our knowledge of the morphological diversity of Mesozoic Aphidoidea.
Nondestructive Evaluation Applied to Landmine Detection

The readers of the popular press need little introduction to the worldwide scourge presented by landmines. These insidious devices have been characterized as one of the largest pollution problems created by mankind. The number of mines scattered over regions in most continents and their overall destructive threat make the detection and elimination of land mines of critical importance to humanity.
Studies on Persistence and Enhancement of Targeted Gene Expression

Intravenous injection of DNA-protein complexes into rats has been shown by us previously to result in transient recombinant gene expression in liver, lasting 4–5 days. The eventual deterioration of gene expression is due in part to instability of the targeted DNA. However, we noted retention of transgene sequences in liver and persistent recombinant gene expression, lasting 2–4 months, when the animals were subjected to partial hepatectomy immediately following in vivo gene transfer. Therefore, in an attempt to determine the mechanism(s) responsible for persistent gene expression following partial hepatectomy, we characterized the molecular state of the retained, liver-associated transgenes.