cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subcellular SIMS imaging of gadolinium isotopes in human glioblastoma cells treated with a gadolinium containing MRI agent

Abstract Neutron capture therapy is an experimental binary radiotherapeutic modality for the treatment of brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme. Recently, neutron capture therapy with gadolinium-157 has gained attention, and techniques for studying the subcellular distribution of gadolinium-157 are needed. In this preliminary study, we have been able to image the subcellular distribution of gadolinium-157, as well as the other six naturally abundant isotopes of gadolinium, with SIMS ion microscopy. T98G human glioblastoma cells were treated for 24 h with 25 mg/ml of the metal ion complex diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid Gd(III) dihydrogen salt hydrate (Gd-DTPA). Gd-DTPA is a contrast enhancing agent used for MRI of brain tumors, blood–brain barrier impairment, diseases of the central nervous system, etc. A highly heterogeneous subcellular distribution was observed for gadolinium-157. The nuclei in each cell were distinctly lower in gadolinium-157 than in the cytoplasm. Even within the cytoplasm the gadolinium-157 was heterogeneously distributed. The other six naturally abundant isotopes of gadolinium were imaged from the same cells and exhibited a subcellular distribution consistent with that observed for gadolinium-157. These observations indicate that SIMS ion microscopy may be a viable approach for subcellular studies of gadolinium containing neutron capture therapy drugs and may even play a major role in the development and validation of new gadolinium contrast enhancing agents for diagnostic MRI applications.
New methods for the preparation of nucleic acid molecules for electron microscopy

Abstract A new method for preparing nucleic acids for electron microscopy is described. DNA is adsorbed directly to a carbon film which has been treated with a quaternary ammonium salt. The procedure is quick, avoids a protein monolayer and is suitable for the retrieval of nucleic acid molecules from a wide variety of conditions. Nucleic acid molecules are rendered visible by staining with a solution of the massive cation Ta 6 Br 12 ++ .
Prior beliefs and methodological concepts in scientific reasoning

This investigation focuses on the relations between prior beliefs, methodological concepts, and college students' (N=211) scientific reasoning in different problem contexts. Participants were presented with exercises that described the method and results of experiments, and were asked to draw conclusions about the causal status of variables that violated their prior beliefs. Participants drew conclusions in both abstract (i.e. recommend a conclusion for the fictional experimenter), and personal settings (i.e. draw their own conclusions about the phenomenon). Participants' recommendations for the hypothetical experimenter were predicted by their understanding of two methodological concepts: the function of empirical evidence and experimental control. Students' personal conclusions were predicted by their prior beliefs and their appreciation of the objectivity of inquiry. Thus, even when students understand in the abstract how data should relate to scientific conclusions, prior beliefs often take precedence in their own conclusions, especially when they do not understand the issue of objectivity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Workshop on Computational Studies of Interfacial Phenomena: Nanoscale to Mesoscale

This is a report of a workshop on nanoscale to mesoscale phenomena held at the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL) of the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) in Richland, Washington on September 24 to 25, 1998. Around thirty scientists from physics, chemistry, geology, geophysics, computer science, soil science, and applied mathematics gathered and presented 14 lectures covering many areas, which included interfacial mineral chemistry, large-scale molecular dynamics, constitutive relationships and quantum chemistry, cross-scaling studies, molecular dynamics of interfaces and new approaches in molecular dynamics. This workshop demonstrates a need for an interdisciplinary forum wherein many different issues crossing many scales and disciplinary boundaries can be discussed openly.
Reduced error in σKX via nuclear-Coulomb excited absolute detector efficiency normalization for targets with Z = 29−79

Abstract K X-rays excited by protons (1–3 MeV) and helium ions (2–4.5 MeV) in targets of copper, silver, gold and dysprosium (natural Dy and isotopic 161 Dy enriched) were measured with a HPGe detector (6.4–150 keV range). The largest error in σ KX was in determining the absolute detector efficiency for Dy K X-rays by normalizing the yield via the nuclear-Coulomb excited 43.8 keV gamma ray yield. The absolute production cross sections were determined by normalizing the K X-ray yields to the integrated incident beam flux, Rutherford scattered ions and 43.8 keV gamma ray yield in the case of Dy targets. The multiple normalization technique reduced the overall errors and allowed for checking the consistency among the various normalization methods.
Contending with Border-making in the Social Constructionist Interview

As a part of the border-making process that occurs during the social constructionist interview, realities and various preassumed roles are created by researchers and by their respondents. Arbitrary lines are set between researcher and respondent during the interview as the researcher seeks to better understand and tell the story of his or her interviewee in a clear and controlled manner. The authors do not consider the Romanticist aim of obtaining structure-free experience; rather, they contend with the inevitable border-making process of communication. This article explores the social constructionist interview by examining how to contend with four forms of border making: (a) the borders of control, (b) research agendas as border making, (c) language and discipline as border making, and (d) the border-making influences of roles and socialization. Examples from a multicultural research interview project are used to contextualize the argument.
A Statewide Comparison of Gang and Non-Gang Youth in Public High Schools:

Gang and non-gang youth are often considered distinct for the purposes of prevention and intervention; yet, research shows there are areas of overlap in their risk profiles. This study examines areas of overlap and differences using a statewide representative sample of high school youth from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Gang membership is treated as a predictor variable rather than as an outcome. Results from a latent class analysis show that gang members do not form their own group in the school setting. These findings are discussed in relation to prevention and intervention strategies in the school realm and beyond.
Breast reconstruction. Surgical options and patient selection.

Breast reconstruction has undergone a steady evolution since the introduction of the silicone gel prosthesis in the early 1960s. Current restrictions of the use of breast implants have increased the reliance on autologous tissue reconstruction. The improvement in the quality of breast reconstruction can be attributed in part to a refinement in mastectomy technique. There is an increasing emphasis on skin preservation, which makes it easier to match the remaining breast. In this paper, various methods, including tissue expansion, the latissimus dorsi flap, the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap, and free flaps, are described. The indications as well as potential complications for each methods also are discussed
Emergent Obligations to the Former Fetal Research Subject

Since it can sometimes seem necessary to undertake research that might affect a developing fetus, it would be useful to have a satisfactory ethical framework governing such efforts. Frank Chervenak...
Double excitation of He by fast ions.

Autoionization of He atoms following double excitation by electrons, protons, C{sup {ital Q}+} ({ital Q}=4--6), and F{sup {ital Q}+} ({ital Q}=7--9) ions has been studied. The electron-emission yields from the doubly excited 2{ital s}{sup 2}({sup 1}{ital S}), 2{ital s}2{ital p}({sup 1}{ital P}), and 2{ital p}{sup 2}({sup 1}{ital P}) states were measured at the reduced projectile energy of 1.5 MeV/nucleon for observation angles between 10{degree} and 60{degree}. The results indicate excitation to the 2{ital s}{sup 2}({sup 1}{ital S}) and 2{ital p}{sup 2}({sup 1}{ital D}) states increases as approximately {ital Q}{sup 3}, while excitation to the 2{ital s}2{ital p}({sup 1}{ital P}) state varies as approximately {ital Q}{sup 2}, where {ital Q} is the charge of the projectile. These charge dependences are significantly less than the {ital Q}{sup 4} dependence expected in the independent-electron model, suggesting the interaction between the two target electrons is important in creating the doubly excited states.
Control of low-speed turbulent separated flow using jet vortex generators

A parametric study has been performed with jet vortex generators to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation associated with low-speed turbulent flow over a two-dimensional rearward-facing ramp. Results indicate that flow-separation control can be accomplished, with the level of control achieved being a function of jet speed, jet orientation (with respect to the free-stream direction), and jet location (distance from the separation region in the free-stream direction). Compared to slot blowing, jet vortex generators can provide an equivalent level of flow control over a larger spanwise region (for constant jet flow area and speed).
An Adaptive State Filtering Algorithm for Systems With Partially Known Dynamics

On-line filtering of stochastic variables that are difficult or expensive to directly measure has been widely studied. In this paper a practical algorithm is presented for adaptive state filtering when the underlying nonlinear state equations are partially known. The unknown dynamics are constructively approximated using neural networks. The proposed algorithm is based on the two-step prediction-update approach of the Kalman Filter. The algorithm accounts for the unmodeled nonlinear dynamics and makes no assumptions regarding the system noise statistics. The proposed filter is implemented using static and dynamic feedforward neural networks. Both off-line and on-line learning algorithms are presented for training the filter networks. Two case studies are considered and comparisons with Extended Kalman Filters (EKFs) performed. For one of the case studies, the EKF converges but it results in higher state estimation errors than the equivalent neural filter with on-line learning. For another, more complex case study, the developed EKF does not converge. For both case studies, the off-line trained neural state filters converge quite rapidly and exhibit acceptable performance. On-line training further enhances filter performance, decoupling the eventual filter accuracy from the accuracy of the assumed system model. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1485747#
Use of Hypertonic Saline in Ischemic Stroke

To the Editor: We read with interest the article recently published by Schwarz et al.1 In a small prospective study (n=8 patients), the authors report that an intravenous bolus injection of 10% hypertonic saline lowered intracranial pressure (ICP) (with or without clinical herniation) in patients with stroke for a duration of 4 hours after failure to observe such a response to intravenous administration of 20% mannitol. The conclusions reached by the authors are difficult to reconcile for 2 reasons: (1) the criterion for ICP reduction to <10% of pretreatment values is arbitrary; and (2) patients received different combinations of ICP-lowering therapies (2 patients with decompressive hemicraniectomy, 4 patients with hypothermia, and 2 patients with cerebrospinal fluid drainage via intraventricular catheter), and timing of these interventions remains unclear. Various concentrations of hypertonic saline solutions have been used for the treatment of cerebral edema and elevated ICP from diverse etiologies.2 We3,4⇓ and others have previously reported a similar beneficial effect of hypertonic saline in patients with elevated ICP, although the patient populations in our reports were more heterogeneous, including patients with traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, intracerebral hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke. Thus, the reported efficacy of hypertonic saline …
Real-time car-to-car communication protocol for intersecting roads

Space-division multiple access (SDMA) protocols provide a bounded delay communication medium that is collision free. In these protocols, there is one-to-one mapping between a specific location on the road to a bandwidth division (i.e. a specific timeslot). An implicit assumption is that there is no interference among vehicles traveling on different roads that could be within the sensing range of each other. Although this assumption is generally valid for highway scenarios, it does not always hold for urban road scenarios such as intersecting roads. Message losses due to packet collisions can take place near intersections when vehicles from different approaching roads attempt to transmit at the same time. Hence, in this paper, we address the extension of SDMA protocols for intersecting roads. We present and compare two algorithms for this problem based on a set of evaluation criteria for real-time car-to-car communication systems.
The ethics of early stopping rules: who is protecting whom?

Well-conducted clinical investigation, in concert with basic laboratory research, is the cornerstone for progress in medicine. Without it, we are forced to depend solely on experience and bias in the choice of proper treatment, which can sometimes be misleading. Our well-intended predecessors from the time of Hippocrates would envy our analytic approach to clinical investigation, releasing them from the limitations of leeches, bad humors, and evil spirits inthemanagementofpatientswithlife-threateningdisease. Giventheimportanceoftheclinicaltrialprocess,ourgreatest challenge as clinical investigators is to ensure that trials yield interpretable results while preserving the safety of study participants. For phase III randomized trials, these issues are typically under the purview of an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), composed of statisticians and clinical investigators not directly involved with the study. The DSMB is responsible for reviewing the data, performing interim analyses when the study reaches its specified number of events, and deciding whether or not to close the study on the basis of predetermined early stopping rules that relate to toxicity or outcome. If excess harm is observed, or if a statistically significant benefit is observed, the study is stopped early and the patient is informed of the results. If treatment is ongoing, the patient is
Rare Detection of Fat Emboli During Venous Duplex Sonography

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is defined as a variant of posttraumatic pulmonary insufficiency following long-bone musculoskeletal trauma or surgical repair. FES is a serious life-threatening complication characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of pulmonary and neurological symptoms as well as skin and mucosal petechiae. Although frequently asymptomatic and commonly seen following bone manipulation, fatty emboli are rarely found in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Embolic signals from fatty emboli have been detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TTE) and transcranial Doppler (TCD); however, they have rarely been documented in the lower extremity. A patient is described with multiple fatty emboli demonstrated during a venous duplex examination.
Analysis of MIMO Systems With Receive Antenna Selection in Spatially Correlated Rayleigh Fading Channels

We consider a receive antenna selection multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system, where only one out of N r receive antennas is selected. Spatial channel correlation will be considered at the receiver side only. Our goal is to investigate the capacity performance of this system. In particular, we will derive a closed-form expression for the outage probability and an upper bound for the ergodic (average) capacity. These quantities will be expressed using an infinite series representation. To do so, we will first derive the joint cumulative distribution function and the joint probability density function of the squared row norms of the channel matrix. This is enabled by taking advantage of the statistical properties of multivariate chi-squared random variables. Using the outage expression derived, we demonstrate that the considered antenna selection system achieves a full diversity order that is similar to a MIMO system without antenna selection. Next, we derive the probability density function of the maximum of the squared row norms of the channel matrix and its moments, which is straightly related to the system ergodic capacity. We also analyze the error rate performance of the aforementioned receive antenna selection MIMO system while using orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) at the transmitter. Our simulation results are shown to validate our analytical findings.
Doping and Undoping of OH − during Redox Processes of Poly(vinyl ferrocene)

Poly(vinyl ferrocene) (PVF) electro-oxidation proceeds via coupled oxidation of uncharged ferrocene sites and entry of counterions and solvent into the film. Studies of PVF in the literature often neglect the OH - doping in salt solutions due to its relatively low concentration compared to other major counterions. In this report, the role of OH - ion in the redox processes of PVF in NaClO 4 solutions was studied by monitoring the dynamic changes of the pH near the PVF-modified electrode surface. Our study demonstrated that the OH - ions share an important portion in the counterion doping/undoping processes in neutral NaClO 4 solution.
Acute toxicity of binary‐metal mixtures of copper, zinc, and nickel to Pimephales promelas: Evidence of more‐than‐additive effect

Metal mixture toxicity has been studied for decades. However, the results are not consistent, thus making it difficult for ecological risk assessment and regulation purposes. The objective of the present study was to use a systematic experimental design to characterize the toxicity of binary-metal mixture of Cu, Zn, and Ni to Pimephales promelas, typically to determine if the effect of these binary-metal mixtures to P. promelas is more-than-additive. Standard 96 h toxicity tests were conducted with larval P. promelas based on USEPA methods to determine metal mixture effects. All experiments were conducted in synthetic moderately hard water with no addition of dissolved organic matter. Three different effect analysis approaches; the MixTox Model, the Finney Model, and the Toxic unit method were used for comparison. Results of the present study indicate that the toxicity of Cu + Zn, Cu + Ni, and Zn + Ni mixtures to P. promelas was more-than-additive. Among the three mixtures, the effect of the Cu + Ni mixture was the most profound. Results of the present study are useful for model application such as the metal mixture Biotic Ligand Model. More research should be conducted to determine the mechanisms of acute and chronic toxicity of metal mixtures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Movement and Longevity of Imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae)

Movement and longevity studies inform management and conservation plans for imperiled organisms. We used a mark–recapture study to reveal information about these key biological characteristics for imperiled Okaloosa Darters (Etheostoma okaloosae). Okaloosa Darters were captured from 20 m reaches at six separate streams, marked with VIE on the left or right dorsum according to the side of the stream from which they were captured, and released on the same side where they were captured. Okaloosa Darters were recounted (but not recaptured) at 24 h and one month, and then recaptured once per year for the following eight years. During the final recapture year, we measured standard length of all Okaloosa Darters and constructed length frequency distributions to identify distinct cohorts. We found that significant numbers of Okaloosa Darters remained within their 20 m reaches after 24 h (31%), one month (45%), and one year (22%) and rarely crossed open, sandy stream channels from one side to the other. Our recapt...
Significance of Steroid Receptor Immunoassay in Breast Cancer

Human breast cancers that contain estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors are more likely to respond to antihormone therapy than are carcinomas that lack steroid receptors (1–10). This difference proviDe S the basis for the present use of ER and PR assays in determining the endocrine dependence of breast cancers (8–11). The absence of steroid receptors in breast carcinoma tissue is also of prognostic significance in that receptor-negative tumors generally recur more quickly (12–14).
How do biological systems discriminate among physically similar ions

This paper reviews the history of understanding how biological systems can discriminate so strikingly among physically similar ions, especially alkali cations. Appreciation of qualitative regularities ("permitted sequences") and quantitative regularities ("selectivity isotherms") in ion selectivity grew first from studies of ion exchangers and glass electrodes, then of biological systems such as enzymes and cell membranes, and most recently of lipid bilayers doped with model pores and carriers. Discrimination of ions depends on both electrostatic and steric forces. "Black-box" studies on intact biological membranes have in some cases yielded molecular clues to the structure of the actual biological pores and carriers. Major current problems involve the extraction of these molecules; how to do it, what to do when it is achieved, and how (and if) it is relevant to the central problems of membrane function. Further advances are expected soon from studies of rate barriers within membranes, of voltage-dependent ("excitable") conducting channels, and of increasingly complex model systems and biological membranes.
Performance evaluation of medium access control for multiple-beam antenna nodes in a wireless LAN

We consider the medium access control (MAC) protocol design for nodes in a wireless LAN that use a wide-azimuth switched beam smart antenna system comprised of a multiple beam antenna array. The one-hop performance of carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) as well as slotted aloha for such a system is presented analytically and through simulation. The problem of synchronization of multiple beams in CSMA is investigated in our analysis. Our results show that, under heavy offered load conditions, CSMA is a good choice with nodes that have multiple-beam smart antennas, despite the performance loss due to the beam synchronization, providing a stable throughput that approaches unity and is invariant to fluctuations in the offered load. Slotted Aloha, on the other hand, is capable of higher peak throughput in a narrow range of offered loads as more switched beams are employed, but performance drastically reduces beyond optimum offered loads. We also introduce a method, expanded receive rule (ERR), whereby the tight synchronization among different beams of a receiver node in CSMA is relaxed, which is observed to provide better throughput. Finally, we also present performance results for a 4-way-handshake-type carrier sense mechanism using multiple beam antennas.
Phase Noise of Distributed Oscillators

In distributed oscillators, a large or infinite number of voltage and current variables that represent an oscillating electromagnetic wave are perturbed by distributed noise sources to result in phase noise. Here we offer an explicit, physically intuitive analysis of the seemingly complex phase-noise process in distributed oscillators. This study, confirmed by experiments, shows how the phase noise varies with the shape and physical nature of the oscillating electromagnetic wave, providing design insights and physical understanding.
A gradient approach for smartly allocating computing budget for discrete event simulation

Simulation plays a vital role in analyzing many discrete event systems. Usually, using simulation to solve such problems can be both expensive and time consuming. We present an effective approach to smartly allocate computing budget for discrete-event simulation. This approach can smartly determine the best simulation lengths for all simulation experiments and significantly reduce the total computation cost for obtaining the same confidence level. Numerical testing shows that our approach can obtain the same simulation quality with one-tenth the simulation effort.
Detection of Bacillus Anthracis Spores Using Magnetostrictive Microcantilever-based Biosensor

Recently, the magnetostrictive microcantilever (MSMC) as a high performance biosensor platform was introduced. The MSMC is a wireless acoustic wave (AW) sensor and exhibits a high Q value. More importantly, the MSMC works well in liquid. In this paper, the detection of Bacillus anthracis spores using MSMCs with filamentous phage as the bioprobe is reported. The phage-coated MSMC biosensors were exposed to cultures containing target spores with increasing concentrations ranging from 5 x 10 4 to 5 x 10 8 spores/mL. By monitoring the shift in the resonance frequency of the MSMCs, the spores were detected in a real-time manner and a detection limit of 10 5 spores/mL was obtained for the MSMCs used in this research. Higher sensitivity is expected for the MSMCs with smaller size.
Control of nonlinear dynamical systems modeled by recurrent neural networks

An integrated methodology was presented, for the modeling and controller design of nonlinear dynamical systems. The methodology, which comprises three steps (model the nonlinear plant using an RNN (recurrent neural network); exact-linearize the nonlinear RNN; design a linear controller for the exact-linearized model, and implement it on the real plant), was tested on a CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactor) and shown to perform better than a linear, optimally-tuned controller. A number of theoretical issues remain to be investigated, most notably robust stability and performance
A Code Assignment Algorithm for Nonblocking OVSF Codes in WCDMA

OVSF codes are used as channelization codes in WCDMA. Due to code blocking property of OVSF codes, the bandwidth available in the system is severely limited. Code reassignments mitigate the impact of the blocking property at the expense of causing delays and decreasing the throughput of the system. Nonblocking OVSF (NOVSF) codes have been proposed to alleviate the adverse effect of code reassignments. This paper presents a code assignment algorithm for NOVSF codes, which does not require any code reassignments. Simulation results show that NOVSF codes achieve better throughput than OVSF codes, even though code reassignments are allowed in the assignments of OVSF codes.
Man, Woman, Artist? Rethinking the Muse in Vienna 1900

Veni, CreatorSpiritus! From the triumphant chorus of Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony to the muse-choir adorning Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze, the Vienna Moderns celebrated the inspirational powers of the feminine. Muses, or the spiritual forces guiding acts of artistic and literary creation, have long been associated with the creative output of the Vienna Moderns, the groups and individuals responsible for the development of modernism in the arts and literature in Vienna from 1890 to 1910. These inspiring women—commonly personified as femmes fatales, femmes fragiles, and femmes savantes—played a crucial role in bringing the art, architecture, and writing of Viennese Modernism to fruition.
Spatial Ability: A Neglected Dimension In Talent Searches For Intellectually Precocious Youth

Students identified by talent search programs were studied to determine whether spatial ability could uncover math-science promise. In Phase 1, interests and values of intellectually talented adolescents (617 boys, 443 girls) were compared with those of top math-science graduate students (368 men, 346 women) as a function of their standing on spatial visualization to assess their potential fit with math-science careers. In Phase 2, 5-year longitudinal analyses revealed that spatial ability coalesces with a constellation of personal preferences indicative of fit for pursuing scientific careers and adds incremental validity beyond preferences in predicting math-science criteria. In Phase 3, data from participants with Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores were analyzed longitudinally, and a salient math-science constellation again emerged (with which spatial ability and SAT-Math were consistently positively correlated and SAT-Verbal was negatively correlated). Results across the 3 phases triangulate to suggest that adding spatial ability to talent search identification procedures (currently restricted to mathematical and verbal ability) could uncover a neglected pool of math-science talent and holds promise for refining our understanding of intellectually talented youth.
Knowledge Acquisition Following Exposure to Cancer News Articles: A Test of the Cognitive Mediation Model

To test the cognitive mediation model (CMM), a virtual lab study was carried out where participants (N = 602) read 1 of 5 cancer news articles and completed a knowledge posttest (assessing recognition and comprehension). Results were consistent with the CMM and past news learning research, as (a) news surveillance motivation was positively related to story comprehension (but not recognition of specific facts), (b) elaboration mediated the relationship between surveillance and comprehension, and (c) attention to health news moderated the size of the indirect relationships. The results support and extend the CMM as well as validate past research suggesting a connection between attention and cancer information gain.
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of the Cardiomyocyte Adhesion to Extracellular Matrix on Micro-Fabricated Biosensors

In this paper, we report to use a novel method based on electrical cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to obtain accurate and quantitative indicators of cardiomyocyte adhesion by analyzing impedance of cardiomyocyte layer cultured on gold-coated electrodes of micro-fabricated biosensors. Development of ECIS technique was made to inhibit the great electric noise generated by cardiomyocytes due to its excitable cell membrane. The impedance spectrum was fit to our equivalent circuit model and isolated to electrical parameters corresponding to clear physical pictures.
Consumer Satisfaction: A Survey of Individuals with Severe Disabilities Who Receive Supported Employment Services

Supported employment has been demonstrated to be a successful rehabilitation model for individuals with severe disabilities. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this employmen...
UV-Absorption-Based Measurements of Ozone and Mercury: An Investigation on Their Mutual Interferences

Continuous mercury monitors (CMMs) have the advantage of performing real-time or near real-time measurement, although they are often vulnerable to measurement interferences. For example, CMMs based on atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) are subject to interferences by components of the sample gas, such as ozone, if they happen to have strong absorption bands or lines overlapping the Hg absorption line. Studies on a selected commercially available CMM showed that 120 ppb of ozone could exert an interference of approximately 63 ng/m 3 on Hg measurement. This interference may consequently affect the risk assessment of human exposure to Hg. On a similar basis, it was found that Hg can also result in significant interferences on an ozone analyzer based on UV absorption. Results showed that Hg at a concentration of 300 ng/m 3 can potentially cause a bias in ozone measurement of approximately 35 ppb, comparable to the average ambient ozone concentration. It should be noted that interferences discussed in this paper are applicable only to UV-absorption-based Hg and ozone analyzers. It is also possible that certain models of such analyzers are not compromised by the reported interferences, and thus, the findings in this work should be considered as analyzer-specific.
Implementation of Inverse-Scattering Algorithms for Characterizing Voids in Gas Turbine Rotor Discs

This paper describes the progress that has been made during the first nine months on a program to demonstrate the reliability, accuracy and precision of the Born ultrasonic-backscattering-data-inversion technique to characterize a statistically large number of irregular voids and inclusions simulating those found in turbine-engine materials. The major effort of the program to date was to adapt zero-of-time and Born inversion algorithms developed at the Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University. Preliminary results are presented for eight model flaws: three spherical voids in curved (doorknob) specimens and two spherical and three spheroidal voids in flat specimens. The robustness of the Born inversion algorithm (BIA) with respect to transducer center frequency and bandwidth and other variables has been investigated. Several limitations of the BIA have been identified.
Electronic correlations in monolayer VS 2

The layered transition metal dichalcogenide vanadium disulfide (${\mathrm{VS}}_{2}$), which nominally has one electron in the $3d$ shell, is potent for strong-correlation physics and is possibly another realization of an effective one-band model beyond the cuprates. Here monolayer ${\mathrm{VS}}_{2}$ in both the trigonal prismatic and the octahedral phases is investigated using density functional theory plus Hubbard $U$ ($\mathrm{DFT}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}+\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}U$) calculations. Trigonal prismatic ${\mathrm{VS}}_{2}$ has an isolated low-energy band that emerges from a confluence of crystal-field splitting and direct V-V hopping. Within spin density functional theory, ferromagnetism splits the isolated band of the trigonal prismatic structure, leading to a low-band-gap, $S=\frac{1}{2}$, ferromagnetic Stoner insulator; the octahedral phase is higher in energy. Including the on-site interaction $U$ increases the band gap, leads to Mott insulating behavior, and, for sufficiently high values, stabilizes the ferromagnetic octahedral phase. The validity of DFT and $\mathrm{DFT}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}+\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}U$ for these two-dimensional materials with potential for strong electronic correlations is discussed. A clear benchmark is given by examining the experimentally observed charge density wave in octahedral ${\mathrm{VS}}_{2}$, for which DFT grossly overestimates the bond length differences compared to known experiments; the presence of charge density waves is also probed for the trigonal prismatic phase. Finally, we investigate why only the octahedral phase has been observed in experiments and discuss the possibility of realizing the trigonal prismatic phase. Our work suggests that trigonal prismatic ${\mathrm{VS}}_{2}$ is a promising candidate for strongly correlated electron physics that, if realized, could be experimentally probed in an unprecedented fashion due to its monolayer nature.
CT/MRI Fusion for Vascular Mapping and Navigated Resection of a Paraspinal Tumor

Background Computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) fusion is used increasingly in the surgical treatment of cranial pathology. The merging of these complementary modalities provides excellent visualization of the bony anatomy and clear delineation of the soft tissues, including neurovascular structures. To our knowledge, the application of CT/MRI fusion for the surgical management of spinal pathology has not been reported previously. Case Description A 70-year-old woman presented with a paraspinal tumor that originated from the right psoas muscle and extended into the lumbar neuroforamina, with intricate involvement of the lumbar plexus and retroperitoneal vasculature. CT/MRI fusion was used to map out the vessels surrounding the tumor and for intraoperative navigation during resection of this invasive paraspinal tumor. Conclusions This case highlights both the feasibility and the advantages of applying CT/MRI fusion technology to the surgical treatment of spinal pathology.
Privacy-preserving spectral estimation in smart grid

Inter-area Oscillations pose serious threats to the stability of power transmission grids. Failure to notice or to handle inter-area oscillations may lead to widespread catastrophic blackouts. It is, therefore, critically important to monitor the oscillation conditions such that timely mitigation controls can be applied at the early stage. Recent research shows that it is an effective approach to continuously track the frequency domain of ambient phasor measurement units (PMU) data for the monitoring purpose. However, since inter-area oscillations usually involve multiple utility companies, tracking them requires PMU data from some different trust domains, which raises data privacy concerns. To address these concerns, we proposed privacy-preserving multiparty spectral estimation, which enables power grid operators to obtain the power spectrum of PMU measurement data, while the data remain encrypted. A case study was also carried out, which showed that the proposed scheme is secure, efficient, and practical.
Metabolic consequences of pulmonary artery hypertension in the right ventricle as determined by FDG-PET/CT in patients with COPD

623 Objectives Right heart function is adversely affected by the severity of COPD, and therefore, its assessment using noninvasive imaging modalities could aid in disease prognosis. Recent studies also suggest a possible link between left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction and COPD. The aim of this study was to accurately and reproducibly measure the myocardial function using quantitative measurements of FDG uptake in the right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) of patients with COPD. Methods Forty-four smoker subjects between the ages of 51-81, with history of clinical suspicion of lung cancer and obstructive lung disease, underwent FDG-PET/CT imaging at 1, 2 and 3 hours post radiotracer injection. The normal population consisted of 10 non-smokers between the ages of 38-71 without any known lung or cardiovascular disease. Contrast-enhanced CT (CeCT) of the myocardium in transaxial slices and pulmonary function tests (PFT) that were clinically performed were obtained from all subjects. Structural volume, weighted average of SUVmean (Σ Metabolic volume products / ΣPET Volume = wA-SUVmean) and Global metabolic activity (wA-SUV * anatomical volume = GMA) and were calculated and compared. Results RV wA-SUVmean and GMA were statistically higher in cases than in controls (P Conclusions Metabolic activities in the RV demonstrate a functional correlation with lung function. Furthermore, changes in FDG uptake over time in the LV corresponds with the severity of obstruction.
Experimental sinoauricular block.

SummaryThe subepicardial injection of 0.1 cc of digitalis or of a strophanthin preparation, as well as of other substances, over the sinus area leads to the immediate but transient appearance of sinoauricular block. This phenomenon is attributed to a reflex inhibition of the sinus node centers caused by the mechanical stimulus and not to a specific effect of the injected substances. In some instances the centers of the auriculo-ventricular node are also inhibited.
Precision Micromachining Channels in Highly Elastic Polymers for Applications in Tissue Engineering

The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of elastic recovery on the ability to precisely control depth of cut when micromachining channels in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Both a standard and impact resistant PMMA were machined using an orthogonal micro-slitting arrangement. While holding speed and cutting edge radius constant, the intended depth of cut was varied from 10 μm to 85 μm in order to determine the actual depth of cut due to chip formation and the fraction of material that was ploughed and then elastically recovered. Elastic recovery was determined by using a profilometer to measure step height after machining a partial groove. Results show that intended depth of cut and actual depth of cut are a function of material properties, with greater ploughing occurring in the PMMA material with lower tensile strength and higher strain to yield. When cutting resulted in a permanent trench being formed, actual depth of cut was related in a linear manner to the intended depth of cut. At lower intended depths of cut, the majority of material was ploughed beneath the cutting edge with little evidence of chip formation. In addition, at lower depths of cut a size effect was observed, where thrust force exceeded cutting force. Greater cutting and thrust forces were evident from the PMMA material with higher tensile strength. Resultant forces for both samples were related in a linear manner to the final trench depth. In general, the results indicate that orthogonal micro-slitting experiments may be used to generate process maps to accurately predict the depth of cut achieved when micromachining channels in highly elastic polymers.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Liking Health Reform But Turned Off By Toxic Politics

Six years after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law, the number of nonelderly Americans with health insurance has expanded by twenty million, and the uninsurance rate has declined nearly 9 per...
Effect of mechanical properties on the ballistic resistance capability of Al2O3-ZrO2 functionally graded materials

Abstract Because Al 2 O 3 exhibits high strength and hardness, it is prevalently used as a ceramic material. ZrO 2 is often added to increase the toughness of such a material. Therefore, this study mixed Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 to formulate functionally graded materials (FGMs). four-layer and eleven-layer Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 FGM S were produced from Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 mixtures by sintering at 1500 °C. Moreover, testing sheets were created by mixing various ratios of Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 to analyze their fracture toughness and hardness. The results revealed the 90% Al 2 O 3 -10% ZrO 2 sheet to exhibit a hardness of 15.12 GPa, and the 50% Al 2 O 3 -50% ZrO 2 sheet to attain a fracture toughness as high as 4.7 MPa m 0.5 . The impact resistance test involved analyzing various types of testing sheets, including the four-layer Al 2 O 3 -(0%, 10%, 20%, 30%) ZrO 2 FGM, eleven-layer Al 2 O 3 -(0–100%) ZrO 2 FGM, 100% Al 2 O 3 composite material, 90% Al 2 O 3 -10% ZrO 2 composite material, 70% Al 2 O 3 -30% ZrO 2 composite material, and 50% Al 2 O 3 -50% ZrO 2 composite material. The ballistic tests showed that FGMs of the same areal density (4.64 g/cm 2 ) or thickness (11 mm) attained the highest energy absorption. The experimental results confirmed that FGMs can delay the formation and propagation of ceramic cones. Specifically, toughened alumina materials prevent the growth of radial and circumferential cracks, delay the formation of ceramic cones, decrease cones hitting against the back plane, and increase the penetrating resistant capability of the ceramic materials experiencing bullet impact, features important for applications in fields such as aerospace, aviation, automobile, the military industry, and biomedicine
Water, sanitation, and diarrhea incidence among children: evidence from Guatemala

Using household survey data for Guatemala, this paper investigates the role of water and sanitation infrastructure on diarrhea incidence in children. Hierarchical logit models of diarrhea incidence are estimated to account for potential regional heterogeneity of water and sanitation effects. Results indicate that the incidence probability of diarrhea is on average 20% lower in homes connected to a sewerage system. The effect of in-home access to tap water is weaker at 11% and subject to regional heterogeneity. Findings also indicate that consumption of bottled water reduces the incidence probability of diarrhea by 20–22%. In-home water treatments have no effect on incidence of diarrhea. Policy implications are discussed.
The Effects of Different Types of Control in Co-production Experiences

Customer participation has become an important firm strategy (Bendapudi and Leone 2003; Vargo and Lusch 2004). Companies are designing their offering(s) to allow customers to participate to various degrees in the process of creating and delivering the offering(s). In this strategy, not only do providers select a level of customer co-production, but also the level of control available to customers. This study examines the effects of control types (cognitive, behavioral, and decisional) and their interaction on customers’ affective responses in service contexts with varying levels of co-production.
Symmetries and Integrability

On considere les symetries des equations d'evolution non lineaires integrables. On donne une definition de l'integrabilite basee sur des considerations de symetrie
A Context-Driven Rethink of the Fair Information Practice Principles

The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to transform the way we live and work. Intelligent devices, connected to each other and to the network, will provide platforms for new applications and services that are expected to enhance the efficiency and security of our homes, promote the effective distribution of energy, tailor educational opportunities to the needs of individual students, and improve the safety and security our infrastructure and highways. The technical implementation of the IoT will require the deployment of a wide array of sensors and systems that enable the collection, analysis, and sharing of new types of data. To fully realize the IoT’s promise, it is necessary to create an environment in which individuals trust that these innovative technologies are deployed in a protected, privacy-respectful way.Although Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) have long formed the basis for privacy protections, the IoT significantly challenges their effective application.This paper examines how the Fair Information Practices can be applied in IoT environments, to continue to serve as reliable, practical guidance for privacy. In this article, we consider how the implementation of the FIPPs in the IoT might be guided by the analytic privacy framework of Contextual Integrity, which locates principles of appropriate information flows within particular social contexts such as the “smart” home, the modern power grid, and intelligent highways.After briefly reviewing privacy challenges introduced by the IoT, we discuss the privacy framework of Contextual Integrity and consider how this framework could serve as a roadmap for flexibly applying the FIPPs to the deployment of the IoT. The paper does not address other issues related to privacy and IoT deployment such as, for example, government access to data collected and processed via the IoT, or the challenges of applying privacy across interconnected IoT eco-systems.As a case study, we explore one particular IoT solution in detail - smart home “aging-in-place” systems that support independent living for senior citizens. We first identify and describe the nature of the home elder care environment as a social context, considering how individuals’ expectations of appropriate data collection, analysis, and circulation are shaped by social norms related to appropriate information sharing. Building on these observations, we then demonstrate how individual FIPPs might be selectively emphasized or deemphasized to respond to information flow norms, and to preserve or enhance aspects of social contexts that people most value.
Victim Motivations for Disclosing Unwanted Sexual Experiences and Partner Abuse

Sexual assault and partner abuse are major problems on college campuses. While the majority of victims will tell a friend or other informal support about their experience, formal disclosures to aut...