cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image integration using intracardiac ultrasound to guide catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Background Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the left atrium (LA) can be performed using real-time intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to facilitate image integration during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Current users of this technology generally image the LA indirectly from the right atrium (RA). Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of image integration with placement of the ICE catheter directly in the LA to visualize the LA. Methods Thirty consecutive patients undergoing an AF ablation with the CARTO-Sound system were enrolled. A 10-Fr phased-array ICE catheter was used to obtain two-dimensional echocardiographic images of the LA; in 15 patients the ICE probe was placed in the LA, and in 15 patients it was placed only in the RA. Sequential images were obtained and merged with a preacquired computed tomography/magnetic resonance image. The accuracy of image integration was assessed by the value of the average image integration error after surface registration. Results Thirty patients (60% paroxysmal AF, LA size=42 ± 7 mm, ejection fraction=62% ± 10%) were studied. There was no difference in the time required to create the LA anatomic map and perform image integration with imaging from the LA versus the RA (22 ± 22 vs. 24 ± 16 minutes; P = .8). The number of ultrasound contours obtained was also similar (LA = 26 ± 17 vs. RA=24 ± 16; P = .7). The average integration error was less with direct LA imaging (LA = 1.83 ± 0.32 vs. RA=2.52 ± 0.58 mm; P = .0004). Conclusion Direct LA imaging with ICE is feasible and results in improved LA visualization and image integration.
Silicomolybdate and silicotungstate mediated dichlorophenyldimethylurea-insensitive photosystem II reaction: electron flow, chlorophyll a fluorescence and delayed light emission changes

SUMMARY We have investigated the possible role of silicomolybdate and silicotungstate as acceptors of electrons in chloroplasts directly from Q, the primary electron acceptor of Photosystem II. Our data show: 1. Either of these compounds can accept electrons directly from Q in a 3-(3',4'dichlorophenyl)-l,l-dimethylurea (DCMU)-insensitive electron transport; however, the DCMU insensitivity is only short-lived, so initial rates must be used exclusively. 2. High concentrations of these silico compounds act as direct chemical quenchers of chlorophyll a fluorescence, but lower concentrations which also mediate 02 evolution affect only the variable component of fluorescence in a manner suggestive of their electron-accepting capabilities. 3. Measurements of delayed light emission confirm the conclusions made from the fluorescence data. Also, they show the role of Q in delayed light emission as hydroxylamine data of other investigations have shown the role of Z, the electron donor of Photosystem II. 4. Silico compounds appear to be acting as electron acceptors and not as simple membrane modifiers allowing other aeceptors to support a DCMU-insensitive electron transport.
DAC quantization noise reduction for servo control systems in hard disk drives

In hard disk drive (HDD) servo control systems, quantization noises due to the finite precision of the D/A converter (DAC) driving the VCM contribute a significant portion of the total track mis-registration (TMR). In this paper, a quantization error feedback (QEF) technique to reduce TMR due to DAC quantization noises is introduced. The QEF technique offers a simple method of reshaping the spectrum of this noise to minimize its contribution to TMR. Despite the name, QEF is an effectively feed-forward technique that means that it does not affect or degrade the servo loop response. In addition, the limitation and optimality of different QEF schemes are examined in detail. Simulations reveal that contribution to TMR on an HDD is reduced by more than a factor often. Tests have verified the improvement.
RCS of two-dimensional structures consisting of both dielectrics and conductors of arbitrary cross section

The problem of determining the electromagnetic field scattered by two-dimensional structures consisting of both dielectric and conducting cylinders of arbitrary cross section is considered. The conductors may be in the form of strips and the dielectrics may be in the form of shells. The conductors may be partially or fully covered by dielectric layers, while the dielectrics may be partially covered by conductors. Only homogeneous dielectrics are studied. Both the transverse electric (TE) and the transverse magnetic (TM) cases are considered. The problem is formulated in terms of a set of coupled integral equations involving equivalent electric and magnetic surface currents radiating in unbounded media. The method of moments is used to solve the integral equations. Simple expansion and testing procedures are used. Numerical results for scattering cross sections are given for various structures. >
ChoroWare: A Software Toolkit for Choropleth Map Classification

Choropleth mapping plays an important role in exploratory spatial data analysis. Several objectives have been suggested to guide choropleth map construction. These objectives, however, often conflict and, consequently, a choropleth map that is best for one objective may not be best for others. Choosing a set of choropleth class intervals is thus a multiobjective problem. This article describes an open-source software toolkit, called ChoroWare that is designed to help cartographers identify class intervals that are suitable for a specific application. The software uses a genetic algorithm to generate a set of nondominated solutions to the multiobjective choropleth class interval problem and uses an interactive visualization tool to display members of this classification set. Using ChoroWare, cartographers can examine trade-offs between alternatives and find desirable choropleth classifications that meet their objectives.
Genomic rearrangements and sporadic disease

Many clinical phenotypes occur sporadically despite genetics contributing partly or entirely to their cause. To what extent are de novo mutations the cause of sporadic traits? Locus-specific mutation rates for genomic rearrangements appear to be two to four orders of magnitude greater than nucleotide-specific rates for base substitutions. Widespread implementation of high-resolution genome analyses to detect de novo copy-number variation may identify the cause of traits previously intractable to conventional genetic analyses.
Shortening of a laser pulse with a self-modulated phase at the focus of a lens

We found that, at the focus of a chromatic lens, a laser pulse with a self-modulated phase can be shortened due to the radial dependence of the group delay imposed by the lens. Normally, this group delay stretches a short pulse into a long pulse by spreading the arrival time of the pulse at the focus. However, for a pulse with a self-modulated phase, it causes the fields with different phases to overlap, thus resulting in destructive interference that shortens the pulse.
Oral rehydration therapy: an epithelial transport success story.

Oral rehydration therapy prevents death from acute watery diarrhea except in the most severe 1-3% of cholera cases. Poor countries have rapidly expanded their use of this treatment while wealthy nations use more hazardous hospitalization and intravenous therapy. The origin of rehydration treatment was from home or folk remedies; unfortunately they were often not constituted adequately to prevent deaths or to be effective without the hazards of hypertonicity or hypotonicity. Subsequently when orogastric glucose-electrolyte solutions with well defined boundaries of composition were administered to cholera patients it was shown that oral solution could successfully rehydrate and maintain hydration. This treatment administered by briefly trained volunteers dropped the death rate to less than 3% in Calcutta and where there was medical supervision and intravenous fluid was used for the most severe cases mortality was less than 1%. Since most households have cereals and salt for solutions except in famine conditions with the communication of present knowledge there should be few deaths due to acute watery diarrhea. Through research and technology new polymeric solutions can be produced and conveniently packaged at low cost to aid developing as well as developed countries in the use of oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea.
Reference system for vehicular lateral guidance

A lateral reference/sensor configuration is described which appears to have overcome the problems caused by steel reinforcing in concrete. Previously used reference/sensor systems performed as predicted on nonreinforced road surfaces but exhibited gain and lateral offset variations as a function of distance along a steel-reinforced highway. An automatic lateral guidance system using the new configuration has been successfully tested on continuously reinforced concrete at speeds up to 80 mi/h.
Bulk and In-Circuit Dielectric Characterization of LTCC Tape Systems Through Millimeter Wave Frequency Range

Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) material systems offer a highly versatile microwave and millimeter wave packaging platform. Extremely low microwave loss, excellent control of dielectric constant, uniform dielectric thickness, non-existent water absorption leading to very high hermeticity, ability to support multilayer structure leading to 3-dimensional packaging, ability to embed passive functions within the tape layers, availability of a wide range of metallizations, etc. are some of the key advantages of LTCC for microwave packaging. One of the important parameters which needs to be determined at the very early stages of circuit designs are the dielectric properties - dielectric constant and loss tangent, both of which are functions of frequency. These properties need to be known accurately over the entire frequency range of operation for the circuit. For LTCC based designs, the use of dielectric constant of bulk material can lead to deviations between the performance expected at the design stag...
Optimal Portfolio Choice with Dynamic Asymmetric Correlations and Transaction Constraints

This paper develops a framework for constructing portfolios with superior out-of-sample performance in the presence of estimation errors. Our framework relies on solving the classical mean-variance problem with dynamic portfolio rebalancing at a comparatively-high frequency level. With the employment of A-DCC GARCH model, we found that the usage of turnover constraints will tend to enhance the performance of the portfolios sufficiently high to overcome transaction costs in practice. For a long-only optimal portfolio based on a linear combination of two different strategies we find a return exceeding 51% per annual with annual volatility equal to 35% over the 1998-2007 period. We argue that the advantage of our framework comes from the mean-reverting nature of the stock market and the impact of the estimation errors in high frequency level. Our works indicate that one can successfully move from ordinary monthly or weekly adjusting strategies to high frequency and dynamic asset management without the significant increase of transaction costs.
To Stand on Their Own Legs: Independence and Other Motivations for Women's Pursuit of Post-Graduate Studies, and Their Parents’ Influence on Them, in Vishakhapatnam India

In India, traditional views of gender are still very widespread, causing female education levels to be extremely low. Despite these rates, a minority of women in India are pursuing higher education. At a women’s college dorm for Andhra University, a high ranked post-graduate university, I interviewed female students from diverse majors and backgrounds to gain a greater understanding of what set these women apart, enabling them to continue their studies, when so many women could not. To do so, I studied the girls’ reasons for gaining such a high level of education and their parents’ influence on that pursuit. Among female students earning their post-graduate degrees at Andhra University in Vishakhapatnam, India, the desire for independence was the most common motivation for continuing education, an aspiration strengthened by the widespread dependence of young women on their parents.
PLEOMORPHISM IN THE DERMATOPHYTES

the early 1900's, before the introduction of the principles of microbial genetics prerequisite to a solution of the problem. There is the added difficulty of the lack of any recent critical attempt at a reexamination of these early findings. It is, consequently, the purpose here to correlate these results with the more recent work of pleomorphism, including my own observations, and to see whether such principles as mutation, selection, and norm of reaction can be used in a reexamination of the phenomenon. Since my experience has been limited to a study of one species, Trichophyton mnentagrophytes, this paper will deal specifically with pleomorphism in this species and in general terms with pleomorphism in the dermatophytes as a whole. The original biological material in this study was one strain of T. mentagrophytes, the N form, first described by Robbins (1945, 1949) and kept in culture, apparently unchanged, up to the present time. It will be referred to here as the N, normal, or conidial form, to distinguish it from the pleomorphic variants derived from it. The nutrient medium used, a thiamine-neopeptone agar (McVeigh and Cambell,
Guanazolo in the therapy of Hodgkin's disease.

Five patients with active Hodgkin’s disease were treated for a period varying from four to eighteen days with an antiguanine preparation, guanazolo (5-amino-7-hydroxy-1H-v-triazolo[d]pyrimidine) with a total dosage of 400 mg. to 800 mg. intramuscularly. No therapeutic effect was observed. The only toxic manifestations were pain and tenderness at the site of injection in 4 of the 5 cases. The effect of guanazolo on tissue cultures of an involved node was tested. No inhibition of growth was observed, thus paralleling the lack of in vivo effect.
Replacement of the canine tricuspid valve with a semilunar heterograft.

Summary Semilunar valves of pigs were prepared in either of two ways: (1) storage in buffered formalin, and (2) sterilization in ethylene oxide and preservation in Hank's solution. The tricuspid valves of two groups of dogs, 15 in each, were replaced with the respective heterograft preparations. Congestive heart failure accounted for the death of 21 of the animals at postoperative intervals ranging from 43 to 160 days. The salient findings among postmortem specimens included cicatricial reduction of the valve orifice, degeneration of the stroma of the cusps, and thrombus formation. Especially noteworthy was the histologic observation of small foci of myocardial necrosis. These lesions were virtually identical to those produced in the hearts of rabbits which have been immunized with beef, rat, or homologous myocardium. The evidence for the occurrence of an immune or autoimmune process in these canine recipients of pig valves is inferential. It is, however, provocative in the light of current interest in the transplantation of homograft and heterograft heart valves.
Transport of pigs different with respect to the halothane gene: stress assessment

Two transport experiments were carried out with 18 pigs each. These pigs originated from three genetic lines (homozygous halothane-positive and -negative and heterozygotes). Half the pigs were unfed for 12 h before transport. All pigs were transported twice for 2 h. Before and after transport pigs were anesthetized to take blood samples from the jugular vein and biopsies from the biceps femoris. At the same time equipment to measure body temperature and heart rate were attached or detached. Plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin concentrations were measured as well as the glycogen concentration in the muscle sample. Line differences were detected with respect to body temperature (P < .04), heart rate (P < .05), and cortisol (P < .01). The withholding of feed influenced (P < .04) plasma beta-endorphin concentration. Body temperature (P < .02), heart rate (P < .001), cortisol (P < .01), and beta-endorphin (P < .001) were different before and after transport, whereas a training effect of the transport number was observed for heart rate (P < .07) and plasma beta-endorphin (P < .02). No interactions between treatments were observed. The relationship between cortisol and beta-endorphin suggests a nonconcomitant release of ACTH and beta-endorphin.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: summary of the proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the International Tinnitus Forum.

he theme of the Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting of the International Tinnitus Forum (ITF) that took place in Chicago, Illinois, on September 20, 2008, was “Translational Research in Tinnitus Therapy IV—Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.” For the first time, principal investigators from three of the five major centers in several countries were able, in a roundtable format, to present and discuss among an audience of tinnitus professionals their involvement with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) attempting tinnitus relief. Each speaker who presented at the meeting is a notable leader in the field of TMS and tinnitus, and each presented his individual experiences to date and speculated on his expectations for the future. The presentations, panel discussion, and questions and answers that comprised the meeting are summarized here. Claus F. Claussen, MD, PhD, affiliated with the University of Wurzburg and the Neurootologisches Forschungsinstitut der 4-G-Forschung e.V., Bad Kissingen, Germany, presented “Tinnitus-Related Changes in Equilibrium Dysregulations Such As Vestibular Recruitment and Decruitment.” Prof. dr. Claussen classified tinnitus into two types—endogenous (responding to tinnitus maskers) and exogenous (responding to hearing aids)— for tinnitus relief. He reminded the audience that Hippocrates considered tinnitus to be related to epilepsy and presented the interaction in the brain of auditory and vestibular inputs as a working “human space concept,” focusing on the clinical application of the results of vestibular testing for diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus. Professor Claussen described caloric vestibular testing with electronystagmography and simultaneous electrocardiography, recording the nystagmus in a “butterfly” format. Diagnostic differentiation is achieved between a
Update on Germanium-Doped CH Capsule Production for NIF: Scale-Up Issues and Current Yields

A germanium-doped CH capsule is one of the capsule designs for the National Ignition Facility. Eight batches were made to evaluate yields and reproducibility for production. When larger batches (more than 20 capsules) were made, numerous nanometer-height domes, together with many nanometer-sized seeds and micrometer-sized beads, were observed on the capsule surface. These domes originate from abrasion-induced nanometer-sized seeds. Large batch sizes tend to slide as cohesive groups that enhance friction and abrasion. Limiting the batch size to 15 capsules prevented formation of nanometer-height domes. Roughly 80% of the capsules from 15 capsule batches meets the surface roughness specification, and 85% meets the isolated defect specification. The wall thickness and outer diameter yields, currently at 58% and 28 to 40%, respectively, are affected by variables that will be discussed. The average concentrations of the two Ge-doped layers are 0.77 and 0.50 at. %, with standard deviations of 0.15 at. %. The overall Ge-doping yield, with both layers within the most recent tolerance specification of ±0.2 at. %, is 20%. The best overall yields of 15 shell batches are currently 40 to 55%. The yield-limiting factors are wall-thickness accuracy and high mid-mode in outer surface power spectra.
Large-Scale Assessment and English Language Learners With Disabilities:

This article highlights a set of principles and guidelines, developed by a diverse group of specialists in the field, for appropriately including English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in large-scale assessments. ELLs with disabilities make up roughly 9% of the rapidly increasing ELL population nationwide. In spite of the small overall percentage of students that they represent, this group experiences significant learning and assessment challenges. In the context of successfully educating all students to high standards, it is important for state education agencies, policymakers, and local education agencies to improve achievement outcomes for these students. One of the first steps in improving test performance is to design and implement comprehensive and accessible assessment policies, and consequently assessments, that address the specific needs of ELLs with disabilities. Doing so will give them the chance to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have, thus allowing the test results to mo...
Field-of-view characteristics and resolution matching for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI)

Abstract. Representative parameters of the scan geometry are empirically determined for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI). Effective fields of view (EFOVs) are computed for the GMI's 13 channels, taking into account the blurring effect of the measurement interval on the instantaneous fields of view (IFOVs). Using a Backus–Gilbert procedure, coefficients are derived that yield an approximate spatial match between synthetic EFOVs of different channels, using the 18.7 GHz channels as a target and with due consideration of the tradeoff between the quality of the fit and noise amplification and edge effects. Modest improvement in resolution is achieved for the 10.65 GHz channels, albeit with slight ringing in the vicinity of coastlines and other sharp brightness temperature gradients. For all other channels, resolution is coarsened to approximate the 18.7 GHz EFOV. It is shown that the resolution matching procedure reduces nonlinear correlations between channels in the presence of coastlines as well as enables the more efficient separation of large brightness temperature variations due to coastlines from the much smaller variations due to other geophysical variables. As a byproduct of this work, we report accurate EFOV resolutions as well as a self-consistent set of parameters for modeling the scan geometry of the GMI.
HIGH VERSUS STANDARD PROTEIN DIETS IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: EFFECTS ON CHRONIC DISEASE RISKS

Background: There is controversy over dietary protein's effect on long-term chronic disease risks in obese patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this RCT was to compare the effects of two calorie-restricted diets differing in protein content on chronic disease risks. Methods: Ninety-seven
Neurological Aspects of Cocaine and the Suprachiasmatic Circadian Clock

Abstract Drug addiction is a debilitating condition that affects the health and welfare of many people. The conditions that contribute to the development of cocaine addiction are complex. In this chapter we focus on how cocaine interacts with the mammalian circadian timing system, and how a focus on such interactions could lead to novel treatments. It has become increasingly clear that cocaine has direct and profound effects on the circadian system. Conversely, the circadian system strongly modulates the use and effects of cocaine. Recent work using both in vivo and in vitro preparations has demonstrated that cocaine affects circadian rhythms through actions within and external to the mammalian circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, and that at least some of these effects involve cocaine inhibition of the serotonin transporter. They further demonstrate long-lasting effects of chronic cocaine use on the circadian clock. Given the difficulties of treating cocaine abuse in humans, even after long-term withdrawal, determining the cellular/molecular underpinnings of these cocaine effects is an important area of research that could dramatically expand the types of treatments currently being tested.
The Design And Manufacture Of Large Beryllium Optics

This paper summarizes development of large, lightweight, beryllium optical components pursued for nearly three years under a U.S. Air Force contract. The entire process of large beryllium optical technology is described, beginning with materials development, through the design and fabrication process, and final optical surface figuring. The results achieved to date are presented, and finally, the future direction and expectations of ultralightweight optical technologies that will eventually derive from this initial effort are addressed.
Dark matter haloes in the multicomponent model – II. Density profiles of galactic haloes

The multicomponent dark matter model with self-scattering and inter-conversions of species into one another is an alternative dark matter paradigm that is capable of resolving the long-standing problems of $\Lambda$CDM cosmology at small scales. In this paper, we have studied in detail the properties of dark matter halos with $M \sim 4-5 \times10^{11} M_{\odot}$ obtained in $N$-body cosmological simulations with the simplest two-component (2cDM) model. A large set of velocity-dependent cross-section prescriptions for elastic scattering and mass conversions, $\sigma_s(v)\propto v^{a_s}$ and $\sigma_c(v)\propto v^{a_c}$, has been explored and the results were compared with observational data. The results demonstrate that self-interactions with the cross-section per particle mass evaluated at $v=100$ km s$^{-1}$ being in the range of $0.01\lesssim \sigma_0/m\lesssim 1$ cm$^2$g$^{-1}$ robustly suppress central cusps, thus resolving the core-cusp problem. The core radii are controlled by the values of $\sigma_0/m$ and the DM cross-section's velocity-dependent power-law indices $(a_s,a_c)$, but are largely insensitive to the species' mass degeneracy. These values are in full agreement with those resolving the substructure and too-big-to-fail problems. We have also studied the evolution of halos in the 2cDM model with cosmic time.
Seismic Tomography Applied to Surface Wave Analysis

A method to tomographically image the spatial variation of group velocity across a region of geologic interest has been developed. The tomographic algorithm used represents a development of the Simultaneous Iterative Reconstruction Techniques (SIRT). It includes a ray tracing capability. The principal advantage of this method over previously described methods is that it permits the dispersion function to vary continuously over the region. Computer simulations and the results from some field tests in Texas demonstrate the utility of this method.
LANGUAGE AND ENJOYMENT : HEIDEGGER AND ELIOT

Martin Heidegger’s quest in life, his overwhelming joy, was in his experience of language. In his book, On the Way to Language, he claims that we are all called to come face to face with the possibility of “undergoing an experience with language.” He says that: “To undergo an experience with something, be it a person, a thing, or a god, means that this experience befalls us, strikes us, comes over us, overwhelms us and transforms us. When we talk of ‘undergoing’ an experience, we mean specifically that the experience is not of our own making; to undergo here means that we endure it, receive it as it strikes us, and submit to it.”1 At once, in the enjoyment that Heidegger found in language, one senses the transformational power it possesses. Coming “face to face” with a possibility has reverberations of the meaning of discovering ultimate knowledge in a “beatific vision.” It has no floor. Actually, Heidegger maintains that “In experiences we undergo with language, language itself brings itself to language.”2
A role for Gic1 and Gic2 in Cdc42 polarization

The conserved Rho-family GTPase Cdc42 is a master regulator of polarity establishment in many cell types. Cdc42 becomes activated and concentrated in a region of the cell cortex, and recruits a variety of effector proteins to that site. In turn, many effectors participate in regulation of cytoskeletal elements in order to remodel the cytoskeleton in a polarized manner. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as a tractable model system for studies of cell polarity. In yeast cells, Cdc42 polarization involves a positive feedback loop in which effectors called p21-activated kinases (PAKs) act to recruit a Cdc42-directed guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), generating more GTP-Cdc42 in areas that already have GTP-Cdc42. The GTPase-interacting components (GICs) Gic1 and Gic2 are also Cdc42 effectors, and have been implicated in regulation of the actin and septin cytoskeleton. However, we report that cells lacking GICs are primarily defective in polarizing Cdc42 itself, suggesting that they act upstream as well as downstream of Cdc42 in yeast. Our findings suggest that feedback pathways involving GTPase effectors may be more prevalent than had been appreciated.
Midostaurin administration in two hemodialysis patients.

Midostaurin is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration for FMS-related tyrosine kinase 3-positive acute myeloid leukemia in combination with standard ...
A Circuit Compatible Accurate Compact Model for Ferroelectric-FETs

In this work we develop a compact model of ferroelectric field-effect-transistors (FeFET) for memory applications, enabling their exploration at the circuit and architecture level. In contrast to Landau-Khalatnikov (L-K) based approaches, the presented model is founded on the combination of a nucleation dominated multi-domain Presiach theory of ferroelectric switching with a conventional transistor model. The model successfully reproduces the evolution of the FeFET memory window as a function of the program and erase conditions (amplitude, pulse width, and history). To calibrate the model, we fabricated 10nm thick Hf 0.4 Zr 0.6 O 2 (HZO) MFM capacitors and FeFETs and characterized the polarization switching dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for the switching history, minor loop trajectory, and coupled time-voltage response of the ferroelectric to quantitatively reproduce the measured FeFET characteristics.
Enantioselective radical allylation reactions using chiral lanthanide Lewis acids

Radical additions to oxazolidinone acrylate followed by allyl trapping were studied with chiral Lewis acids derived from lanthanide salts. Chiral ligands were evaluated to establish the α-stereocenter. Ligands with a prolinol framework along with achiral additives proved to be effective. The observed trends are compared with those in the literature.
Design and commissioning of the Beam Test Facility at the Spallation Neutron Source

Abstract The Beam Test Facility (BTF) originally built to verify the spare RFQs at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) possesses the additional capability to carry out high intensity beam experiments with unique capabilities. These capabilities include a full 6D phase space measurement system, and a beam line extension for studying the propagate beam dynamics including halo development under different match conditions. A phase space density plot method that characterizes beam halo is utilized in the design of the beamline. Simulations demonstrate that the beamline design meets the requirements for conducting beam halo research. Installation and commissioning of the BTF has been completed in stages, with the first stage demonstrating that the RFQ achieves the design parameters. Commissioning of the beamline extension has begun, and a high transmission efficiency has been achieved. More work, e.g. analysis of beam halo formation under different match conditions, will be done in the future.
The Effects of Some Local Cultivars and Pretreatment Solutions on Drying Period and Raisin Grape Quality

In this experiment, ‘Gelin’, ‘Osmanca’ and ‘Razaki’ (Vitis vinifera L.) were used. Control, ash and potassium carbonate (5%) were the pretreatment applications before sun drying. The experiment was planned in completely randomized design with three replications. The weight, length, width, L (lightness/darkness), a (redness/greenness), b (yellowness/blueness), hue, croma, total phenolic compound, total flavonoid, total antioxidant capacity and taste point of raisins were measured. In addition that the effects on drying periods and drying index of applications and cultivars also were recorded.‘Gelin’ had the heighest values, while ‘Osmanca’ had the lowest values in terms of raisin width, length and weight. ‘Razaki’ had the medium values. Potassium carbonate applications caused the highest L, a, b, hue and croma values and also the lowest a/b value. The effects on L, a, b, hue, croma and a/b values of ash and control aplications followed them respectively. The amount of total phenolics showed the differences according to cultivars. ‘Osmanca’ with 1107.32 mg GAE/100 g had the highest total phenolics values. The others, ‘Razaki’ and ‘Gelin’ had similar and lower values than that of ‘Osmanca’ with 681.6 and 670.0 mg GAE/100 g. Total flavonoids and total antioxidants also showed the similar results for cultivars. Potassium carbonate pretreatment solution gave the highest total phenolic and flavonoids contents. Ash pretreatment solution followed the potassium carbonate. Control application gave the lowest values. Potassium carbonate and ash provided the higher antioxidant values than that of control. As parallel phenolic compaunds, taste points were the highest with potassium carbonate. It was followed with ash and control. In all cultivars, potassium carbonate caused the fastest drying time. Ash followed it. Control had the latest drying time. Potassium carbonate can be advised to use pretreatment solution, but wood ash also advised because it is cheap and easy accesible.
Negotiating Cultural Diversity in Afghanistan

This book analyses the problematique of governance and administration of cultural diversity within the modern state of Afghanistan and traces patterns of national integration. It explores state construction in twentieth-century Afghanistan and Afghan nationalism, and explains the shifts in the state’s policies and societal responses to different forms of governance of cultural diversity. The book problematizes liberalism, communitarianism, and multiculturalism as approaches to governance of diversity within the nation-state. It suggests that while the western models of multiculturalism have recognized the need to accommodate different cultures, they failed to engage with them through intercultural dialogue. It also elaborates the challenge of intra-group diversity and the problem of accommodating individual choice and freedom while recognising group rights and adoption of multiculturalism. The book develops an alternative approach through synthesising critical multiculturalism and interculturalism as a framework on a democratic and inclusive approach to governance of diversity. A major intervention in understanding a war-torn country through an insider account, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of politics and international relations, especially those concerned with multiculturalism, state-building, nationalism, and liberalism, as well as those in cultural studies, history, Afghanistan studies, South Asian studies, Middle East studies, minority studies, and to policymakers.
Vulnerability Assessment of InfiniBand Networking

InfiniBand is an input/output interconnect technology for high performance computing clusters – it is employed in more than one-quarter of the world’s 500 fastest computer systems. Although InfiniBand was created to provide extremely low network latency with high quality of service, the cyber security aspects of InfiniBand have yet to be investigated thoroughly. The InfiniBand architecture was designed as a data center technology that is logically separated from the Internet, so defensive mechanisms such as packet encryption were not implemented. The security community does not appear to have taken an interest in InfiniBand, but this is likely to change as attackers branch out from traditional computing devices. This chapter discusses the security implications of InfiniBand features and presents a technical cyber vulnerability assessment.
Inhibiting the prostaglandin transporter PGT induces non-canonical thermogenesis at thermoneutrality

Prostaglandins play fundamental roles in adipose tissue function. While prostaglandin F2α inhibits adipogenesis, prostaglandin E2 promotes adipose beiging. PGF2α and PGE2 are both inactivated through uptake by the plasma membrane transporter (PGT). We hypothesized that inhibiting PGT would increase PGF2α and PGE2 levels, thereby reducing white fat expansion and inducing beiging. Consistent with this hypothesis, inhibiting PGT in mice on high fat diet via genetic knockout or pharmacological blockade reduced body fat stores and induced thermogenesis at thermoneutrality. Inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) of these mice exhibited robust UCP1-independent thermogenesis characterized by mitochondrial expansion, coupling of O2 consumption to ATP synthesis, and induction of the creatine pathway. Enhanced coupled respiration persisted in PGT-KO iWAT adipocytes in a creatine shuttle-dependent manner. Thus, inhibiting PGT increases mitochondrial biogenesis and coupled respiration, each supported by the creatine pathway in a system lacking UCP1 expression, revealing PGT as a promising drug target against obesity.
Development of testbed for cyber-manufacturing security issues

ABSTRACTFuture manufacturing systems such as Industry 4.0, Cloud Manufacturing, or Cyber-Manufacturing System (CMS) rely on the seamless integration of cyber and physical domains in the manufacturi...
Statistical Significance Reporting: Current Trends and Uses in MECD.

This article reviews statistical significance reporting and use in educational and psychological research, with an emphasis on research articles published in Measurement and Evaluation in Counselin...
Lung Transplantation for Chronic Lung Disease: Cardiac Considerations

Lung transplantation may be considered for patients with a variety of end-stage lung diseases. Improvements in surgical technique, peri-operative management, and immunosuppressive strategies have resulted in better long-term post-transplant outcomes. However, careful candidate selection, including a thorough assessment of cardiac function, is essential for optimizing the likelihood of survival while awaiting transplantation, and improving the chance of a successful outcome. This chapter will review some of the important cardiac considerations for candidates with end-stage lung disease, including coronary artery disease, diastolic dysfunction, atrial arrhythmias, valvular heart disease, and pulmonary hypertension related to lung disease.
Using computer vision on herbarium specimen images to discriminate among closely related horsetails (Equisetum)

Author(s): Pryer, Kathleen M; Tomasi, Carlo; Wang, Xiaohan; Meineke, Emily K; Windham, Michael D | Abstract: Premise:Equisetum is a distinctive vascular plant genus with 15 extant species worldwide. Species identification is complicated by morphological plasticity and frequent hybridization events, leading to a disproportionately high number of misidentified specimens. These may be correctly identified by applying appropriate computer vision tools. Methods:We hypothesize that aerial stem nodes can provide enough information to distinguish among Equisetum hyemale, E. laevigatum, and E . ×ferrissii, the latter being a hybrid between the other two. An object detector was trained to find nodes on a given image and to distinguish E. hyemale nodes from those of E. laevigatum. A classifier then took statistics from the detection results and classified the given image into one of the three taxa. Both detector and classifier were trained and tested on expert manually annotated images. Results:In our exploratory test set of 30 images, our detector/classifier combination identified all 10 E. laevigatum images correctly, as well as nine out of 10 E. hyemale images, and eight out of 10 E. ×ferrissii images, for a 90% classification accuracy. Discussion:Our results support the notion that computer vision may help with the identification of herbarium specimens once enough manual annotations become available.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Occipital Neuralgia.

Background Chronic headaches are the second most prevalent disease and second most common cause for years lived with disability worldwide. Occipital neuralgia can cause headaches or be present in addition to other more prevalent causes of headache. If these headaches fail to respond to conservative and pharmacological therapy, physicians proceed to more invasive treatments, starting with infiltration of the greater occipital nerve with local anesthetic with or without corticosteroids, followed by nerve ablation or stimulation. Occipital nerve stimulation gained more popularity as the technology improved and more pain physicians received training on interventional procedures. Methods In this manuscript, we are presenting our experience with ultrasound-guided implant of occipital nerve stimulators using peripheral nerve stimulator systems. After confirming appropriateness of treatment by a successful occipital nerve block (i.e., resulting in >50% relief in patients' pain intensity), we implanted five stimulator systems in three patients (two bilateral). Results We followed these patients for an average of eight months, and the average pain reduction was ∼50%. We did not observe any adverse events during or immediately after surgery. One patient developed an adverse reaction to the adhesive of the battery transmitter, but it was not severe enough to stop her from using the stimulator. Conclusions Considering the ease of implant and minimal side effects, implant of peripheral nerve stimulators to stimulate the occipital nerve is a promising treatment modality for patients with chronic headache who present with features of occipital neuralgia. However, wider use of this treatment modality is subject to further studies.
A Rapid Synthesis of Nuclear-Staining Small Fluorescent Molecules for Brain Imaging

Summary Fluorescent probes are important tools in cellular imaging. However, many readily available small-molecule imaging probes are either cytotoxic or easily photobleached and thus not compatible with lengthy live cell or tissue-imaging experiments. One particularly limited field of application is neuroscience, in which small-molecule probes for live cell imaging at the brain tissue level are highly scarce. Here, we describe a rapid synthetic route to generate a series of nuclear stains that enable experiments with live brain cells (i.e., water solubility, cell permeability, high quantum yield, high photostability, and most important, negligible cytotoxicity). As a proof of principle, we demonstrate that these probes are compatible with ex vivo and in vivo nuclear labeling experiments, including retrograde transport to monitor and map certain brain regions of the mouse model. The structural versatility and superior non-cytotoxic properties of these probes may suggest their potential use in labeling and tracing of neuronal populations.
Treatment of male genital dysesthesia with botulinum toxin

Scrotal dysesthesia is a common condition characterized by hyperalgesia and burning that can cause significant disruption to social and sexual life. While no standard treatment exists, treatment options typically include topical neuromodulators, corticosteroids, and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors.1 Treatment is challenging, and symptoms may persist for months or years. Botulinum toxin is frequently used for management of diseases characterized by chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, headaches, and arthritis. We present the case of a patient suffering from scrotal and inguinal dysesthesia, who proved refractory to multiple conventional therapies but responded well to treatment with botulinum toxin.
Dynamic Ensembles versus Cones of Uncertainty: Visualizations to Support Understanding of Uncertainty in Hurricane Forecasts:

Visualizations attempt to convey the uncertain track of an approaching hurricane. The current experiment contrasted decision characteristics that resulted from observing hurricane paths presented u...
Youth suicide in the school context

Abstract Across the domains of youth risk behavior, suicidality is a significant concern for parents and professionals alike, requiring ongoing efforts to better understand and prevent rising trends. Recent examinations of suicidal behaviors in the United States over the last decade revealed an increase in emergency and inpatient hospital settings. Of importance, seasonal variations were demonstrated, finding the lowest frequency of suicidality encounters in summer months, and observed peaks in the fall and spring, during the school year. Given these findings and the fact that youth spend nearly half of their time at school, consideration of youth suicide in the school environment is critical. This paper will review the trends of youth suicide within the school context, exploring factors such as at-risk youth, bullying, relevant legal issues, and the current state of crisis response in school settings. Recommendations for prevention, intervention, and postvention will be provided. The authors propose that school professionals play a vital role in addressing youth suicide and will aim to provide guidance on effective crisis response within the school context.
Local Outlier Detection for Multi-type Spatio-temporal Trajectories

Outlier detection has become one of the core tasks in spatio-temporal data mining. It plays an essential role in data quality improvement for the machine learning models and recognizing the anomalous patterns, which may remarkably deviate from expected patterns among the trajectory datasets. In this work, we propose a clustering-based technique to detect local outliers in trajectory datasets by utilizing spatial and temporal attributes of moving objects. This local outlier detection involves three phases. In the first phase, we apply a temporal partition procedure to divide the raw trajectory into multiple trajectory segments and extract trajectory features from spatial and temporal attributes for each trajectory segment. Then, we generate template features of trajectory segments by applying a clustering schema in the second phase. Finally, we use the abnormal score – a novel dissimilarity measure, which quantifies the disparity among the query and template trajectory segments in terms of trajectory features and hence determines the local outliers based on the distribution of abnormal score. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, we conduct three case studies on the real-life spatio-temporal trajectory datasets from the solar astroinformatics domain (i.e., solar active regions, coronal mass ejections, polarity inversion lines (PIL)). Our experimental results show that our local outlier detection approach can effectively discover the erroneous reports from the reporting module and abnormal phenomenon in various spatio-temporal trajectory datasets.
Comparison of multiple oncotype DX® from the same patient

For women with breast cancer in whom multiple Oncotype DX® Recurrence Scores (RS) are obtained, RS concordance utilizing current NCCN recommendations has not been evaluated. Patients with two or more RS were identified. RS were stratified by NCCN guidelines and compared for concordance. Twenty-four patients were evaluated. RS concordance varied by tumor type: 100% in the same tumor, 91.7% in multiple ipsilateral tumors, 71.4% in contralateral tumors, and 66.7% in in-breast recurrent tumors. RS concordance for multiple assays in the same patient is not high enough to omit Oncotype DX® testing for each tumor.