cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional boundary detection for particle methods

The three-dimensional exposure method for the detection of the boundary of a set of overlapping spheres is presented. Like the two-dimensional version described in a previous paper, the three-dimensional algorithm precisely detects void opening or closure, and is optimally suited to the kernel-mediated interactions of smoothed-particle hydrodynamics, although it may be used in any application involving sets of overlapping spheres. The principle idea is to apply the two-dimensional method, on the surface of each candidate boundary sphere, to the circles of intersection with neighboring spheres. As the algorithm finds the exact solution, the quality of detection is independent of particle configuration, in contrast to gradient-based techniques. The observed CPU execution times scale as O(MN?), where M is the number of particles, N is the average number of neighbors of a particle, and ? is a problem-dependent constant between 1.6 and 1.7. The time required per particle is comparable to the amount of time required to evaluate a three-dimensional linear moving-least-squares interpolant at a single point.
Frequency modulated switching regulator

A novel switching regulator power supply is de­scribed which uses frequency modulation to accom­plish duty factor control. The circuit resembles a choke-fed dc-dc converter. A distinguishing feature is that the output transformer is designed purposely to saturate. By varying the base drive square wave frequency, the peak value of the secondary voltage can be controlled. Example designs of both high and low voltage power supplies are included. Static and transient responses are shown.
Potassium channels Kv1.1, Kv1.2 and Kv1.6 influence excitability of rat visceral sensory neurons

Voltage-gated potassium channels, Kv1.1, Kv1.2 and Kv1.6, were identified as PCR products from mRNA prepared from nodose ganglia. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated expression of the proteins in all neurons from ganglia of neonatal animals (postnatal days 0-3) and in 85-90 % of the neurons from older animals (postnatal days 21-60). In voltage clamp studies, alpha-dendrotoxin (alpha-DTX), a toxin with high specificity for these members of the Kv1 family, was used to examine their contribution to K(+) currents of the sensory neurons. alpha-DTX blocked current in both A- and C-type neurons. The current had characteristics of a delayed rectifier with activation positive to -50 mV and little inactivation during 250 ms pulses. In current-clamp experiments alpha-DTX, used to eliminate the current, had no effect on resting membrane potential and only small effects on the amplitude and duration of the action potential of A- and C-type neurons. However, there were prominent effects on excitability. alpha-DTX lowered the threshold for initiation of discharge in response to depolarizing current steps, reduced spike after-hyperpolarization and increased the frequency/pattern of discharge of A- and C-type neurons at membrane potentials above threshold. Model simulations were consistent with these experimental results and demonstrated how the other major K(+) currents function in response to the loss of the alpha-DTX-sensitive current to effect these changes in action potential wave shape and discharge.
Recent Chromatographic Methods to Isolate Pyrrolizidime Alkaloids

Abstract The application of recent chromatographic techniques to isolate various pyrrolizidine alkaloids are evaluated. Alkaloids which have been successfully separated include monoesters, diesters, and macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloids exhibiting the retronecine base as well as the otonecine base. Both analytical and preparative high performance liquid chromatography methods are discussed.
TU‐A‐BRA‐05: Lung Cancer Patient Feasibility Study for Emission Guided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: Emission guided radiation therapy (EGRT) is a new concept that allows for online biological targeting with radioactive tracers. The concept was previously demonstrated in phantom experiments involving free breathing trajectories. This study involves the first patient imaging data to assess feasibility and estimate performance in a more realistic context. Methods: A proposed EGRT geometry involves rotating two PET detector arcs with a linear accelerator and binary multi‐leaf collimator on a CT gantry to deliver beamlets of radiation dynamically along detected PET emission paths. A lungcancer patient underwent PET‐CT as part of radiotherapy planning. PET list‐mode data were retrospectively used as an input to simulate the EGRT system's response and Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate the dose to the patient. The gross target volume (GTV) was contoured based on the PET‐CT images and the planning volume (PTV) was defined as a 10 mm extension of the GTV in all directions. The EGRT method was compared to uniformly irradiating the same PTV (IMRT), with both methods normalized for the same integral dose to the chest wall. Physiologic motion was ignored during the dose calculations as the tumor exhibited < 2 mm motion. Results: The dose peaks towards the center of the GTV with the EGRT method. However, even in the presence of this inhomogeneity, the EGRT method resulted in 18% relative increase in dose to 95% of the GTV, and 45% increase in dose to 50% of the GTV, compared to the IMRT method. Both methods were normalized for the same integral dose to the chest wall. Conclusions: The feasibility of EGRT has been demonstrated with PET data from a lungcancer patient. Future work will analyze the ability of EGRT to compensate for motion in PET‐CT patient studies which will include breathing traces to estimate ground truth. RefleXion Medical is a company commercializing PET‐guided radiotherapy. SRM and ASN have financial interest in the company.
Chemical Synthesis of the Gene for Microbial Transglutaminase from Streptoverticillium and Its Expression in Escherichia coli

The gene coding for microbial transglutaminase (TGase) from Streptoverticillium, which consists of 331 amino acids, was chemically synthesized. The codons have been substituted for those mainly favored in yeast. Our strategy involved the construction of the TGase gene in five sections (54 oligomers) that contained unique restriction enzyme sites at both ends, which could readily be ligated to form the full-length product. The chemically synthesized gene was inserted downstream from the ompA signal peptide of the E. coli expression vector, pIN-III-ompA, which carries lpp and lac promotors. The resultant plasmid directed the expression of TGase, with the activity being secreted mainly into the periplasmic space of E. coli. The induced gene product was identical with native TGase in size and in immunological properties, though the enzyme activity was low.
A parent administered token program for dietary regulation of phenylketonuria

Abstract This case study presents a parent-administered token reinforcement program which successfully increased the Lofenalac consumption of a 3 1 2 year old boy with phenylketonuria. This increase was maintained at follow-up after one year.
Method of polarographic in vivo continuous recording of blood oxygen tension.

A catheter-type PO2 electrode has been developed which permits the polarographic continuous recording of the blood oxygen tension in vivo. The electrode has been tested in model experiments in vitro and applied in animal experiments lasting several hours. It yielded a continuous tracing of PO2 with good reproducibility.
Colonial Differentiation between Escherichia coli B and Escherichia coli B/r

A GREAT deal of radiobiological research has been carried out on Escherichia coli, strain B, and its radiation resistant counterpart, Escherichia coli, strain B/r1. Aside from the fact that E. coli B/r demonstrates increased resistance to various physical and chemical agents1–4 when it is compared to the more sensitive parental type, there is little else to distinguish one strain from the other.
Physical and mechanical properties of flexible polybenzoxazine resins : Effect of aliphatic diamine chain length

A series of linear aliphatic diamine-based benzoxazine monomers has been polymerized into transpar- ent, crosslinked specimens that are free of voids and have good mechanical integrity. The density of these polybenzo- xazines is measured as a function of the amine chain length. Dynamic mechanical analysis of these linear aliphatic poly- benzoxazines shows two, chain length dependent transi- tions. Properties, such as room temperature modulus, glass transition temperature, crosslink density, thermal degrada- tion temperature, and char yield, of the polybenzoxazines are investigated as a function of the chain length. All these properties exhibit strong dependence on the chain length. These aliphatic amine-based polybenzoxazines are found to be much more flexible than the bisphenol-type polybenzox- azines. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2798 -2809, 2006
Regional Variation of Racial Disparities in Mental Health Service Use Among Older Adults

Purpose: Given the paucity of research on the role of geography in mental health care, this study examined whether racial differences in mental health service use varied across geographic regions among older adults. Design and Methods: Drawn from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), blacks (n = 1,008) and whites (n = 1,870) aged 60 and older were selected for analysis. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Results showed significant racial disparities in mental health service use in the overall sample, as well as significant variation by region. Although no racial differences were observed in the Northeast, West, or Midwest regions, black elders in the South were significantly less likely than whites to use mental health services (odds ratios [OR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34–3.23). Implications: The findings suggest that improving the access to mental health care in certain regions, the South in particular, may be essential to reduce racial disparities at the national level. Policy implications are discussed.
Public Health Implications of Recent Research in Periodontal Diseases

Knowledge of the epidemiology, natural history, and bacterial etiology of the periodontal diseases has advanced considerably as a result of research conducted through the 1980s. Prevention and control of these conditions, however, remains mechanical, cumbersome, and often impractical, based as it is on bacterially nonspecific plaque removal for an indeterminate period. This research has not yet changed the content of public health programs, but it does affect the way the programs are applied. Because severe, generalized disease seems to be less prevalent than previously thought, the need of regular, routine professional care for everybody is questioned. Professional care in a public health context is likely to be more efficient when targeted toward those with severe disease. Dental health education for personal oral hygiene is still supported by scientific studies, though a targeted approach and careful assessment of educational content is needed. Until predictive screening methods for identifying susceptible individuals are developed, selection of priority groups for education and treatment should be guided by epidemiologic data.
Measuring outcomes in adult weight loss studies that include diet and physical activity: a systematic review.

Background. Measuring success of obesity interventions is critical. Several methods measure weight loss outcomes but there is no consensus on best practices. This systematic review evaluates relevant outcomes (weight loss, BMI, % body fat, and fat mass) to determine which might be the best indicator(s) of success. Methods. Eligible articles described adult weight loss interventions that included diet and physical activity and a measure of weight or BMI change and body composition change. Results. 28 full-text articles met inclusion criteria. Subjects, settings, intervention lengths, and intensities varied. All studies measured body weight (−2.9 to −17.3 kg), 9 studies measured BMI (−1.1 to −5.1 kg/m2), 20 studies measured % body fat (−0.7 to −10.2%), and 22 studies measured fat mass (−0.9 to −14.9 kg). All studies found agreement between weight or BMI and body fat mass or body fat % decreases, though there were discrepancies in degree of significance between measures. Conclusions. Nearly all weight or BMI and body composition measures agreed. Since body fat is the most metabolically harmful tissue type, it may be a more meaningful measure of health change. Future studies should consider primarily measuring % body fat, rather than or in addition to weight or BMI.
The effect of antidepressant medication treatment on serum levels of inflammatory cytokines: a meta-analysis

Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, for example, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1 beta (IL-1β), are elevated in subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). The reason why this occurs is unclear. Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines could be a result of brain dysfunction in MDD. It is also possible that inflammatory cytokines contribute to depressive symptoms in MDD. If the first assumption is correct, one would expect levels to normalize with resolution of the depressive episode after treatment. Several studies have measured changes in cytokine levels during antidepressant treatment; however, the results vary. The purpose of this study was to pool all available data on changes in serum levels of TNFα, IL-6, and IL-1β during antidepressant treatment to determine whether these levels change. Studies were included if they used an approved pharmacological treatment for depression, patients had a diagnosis of MDD, and serum levels of TNFα, IL-6, and/or IL-1β were measured before and after treatment. Twenty-two studies fulfilled these criteria. Meta-analysis of these studies showed that, overall, while pharmacological antidepressant treatment reduced depressive symptoms, it did not reduce serum levels of TNFα. On the other hand, antidepressant treatment did reduce levels of IL-1β and possibly those of IL-6. Stratified subgroup analysis by class of antidepressant indicated that serotonin reuptake inhibitors may reduce levels of IL-6 and TNFα. Other antidepressants, while efficacious for depressive symptoms, did not appear to reduce cytokine levels. These results argue against the notion that resolution of a depressive episode is associated with normalization of levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines; however, the results are consistent with the possibility that inflammatory cytokines contribute to depressive symptoms and that antidepressants block the effects of inflammatory cytokines on the brain.
Proxies for anonymous routing

Using traffic analysis, it is possible to infer who is talking to whom over a public network. This paper describes a flexible communications infrastructure, called onion routing, which is resistant to traffic analysis. Onion routing lies just beneath the application layer, and is designed to interface with a wide variety of unmodified Internet services by means of proxies. Onion routing has been implemented on a Sun Solaris 2.4; in addition, proxies for World Wide Web browsing (HTTP), remote logins (RLOGIN), e-mail (SMTP) and file transfers (FTP) have been implemented. Onion routing provides application-independent, real-time and bi-directional anonymous connections that are resistant to both eavesdropping and traffic analysis. Applications making use of onion routing's anonymous connections may (and usually should) identify their users over the anonymous connection. User anonymity may be layered on top of the anonymous connections by removing identifying information from the data stream. Our goal is anonymous connections, not anonymous communication. The use of a packet-switched public network should not automatically reveal who is talking to whom; this is the traffic analysis that onion routing complicates.
Time-frequency segmentation of bird song in noisy acoustic environments

Recent work in machine learning considers the problem of identifying bird species from an audio recording. Most methods require segmentation to isolate each syllable of bird call in input audio. Energy-based time-domain segmentation has been successfully applied to low-noise, single-bird recordings. However, audio from automated field recorders contains too much noise for such methods, so a more robust segmentation method is required. We propose a supervised time-frequency audio segmentation method using a Random Forest classifier, to extract syllables of bird call from a noisy signal. When applied to a test data set of 625 field-collected audio segments, our method isolates 93.6% of the acoustic energy of bird song with a false positive rate of 8.6%, outperforming energy thresholding.
PDF: A Public-key based False Data Filtering Scheme in Sensor Networks

Given the extremely limited hardware resources on sensor nodes and the inclement deploying environment, the adversary denial-of-service (DoS) attack becomes a serious security threat toward wireless sensor networks. Without adequate defense mechanism, the adversary can simply inundate the network by flooding the bogus data packets, and paralyze the partial or whole sensor network by depleting node battery power. Prior work on false packet filtering in sensor networks are mostly based on symmetric key schemes, with the concern that the public key operations are too expensive for the resource constrained sensors. Recent progress in public key implementations on sensors, however, has shown that public key is already feasible for sensors. In this paper, we present PDF, a Public-key based false data filtering scheme that leverages Shamir's threshold cryptography and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), and effectively rejects 100% of false data packets. We evaluate PDF by real world implementation on MICAz motes. Our experiment results support the conclusion that PDF is practical for real world sensor deployment.
Time-resolved nonlinear optical spectroscopy of a strongly correlated insulator

Summary form only given. Recently, we have shown how time-resolved nonlinear optical spectroscopy can be utilized to study the spin wave dynamics in strongly correlated systems. Here, we demonstrate how the same techniques can reveal physical properties of higher-energy features, such as the charge transfer (CT) gap. We have performed both linear and nonlinear, time-resolved optical spectroscopy of the charge-transfer exciton on optically thin Sr/sub 2/CuO/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ single crystals over a wide range of excitation energies and temperatures. We find an anomalously large temperature dependence of the CT exciton in this material, and excitation dynamics, which indicate a two-component decay process. Under photoexcitation at low temperatures, we observe an increase in spectral weight within the energy range of our probe, a property which we ascribe to the strongly correlated nature of the gap.
Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta.

h STEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA (OI) is an inherited disease of the connective tissue.1-4 Because the incidence of I in the general population is low, the literature on manageent of patients undergoing cardiac surgery and particularly eep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is scarce. The isorder of the collagen helix makes the connective tissues of eart valves, aorta, and capillaries very fragile.5-8 Redundant itral valve (MV) leaflets predispose for development of sysolic anterior motion (SAM) of the MV, which may be part of he connective tissue disturbance. The authors present a case eport of the general and cardiac anesthetic considerations of HCA in a patient with OI scheduled for coronary artery ypass graft surgery, aortic valve (AV) replacement, and asending aortic aneurysm repair associated with MV regurgitaion and SAM.
How does a visual simulation program support students creating science models

This study has grown out of a research project working with 4th and 5th graders to create animated computer models of scientific concepts covered in their science curriculum. We are using a visual simulation program called KidSim developed by Apple Computer. In the grid-based KidSim environment, children employ programming by demonstration to create graphical rewrite rules which control the movements and appearance of the objects in their models. KidSim offers children the basic functionality of a programming language in predominately visual form. The students use KidSim as a modeling tool to design their own concrete representation of an interesting science phenomenon. Due to the accessibility of picture-based software, students can create, manipulate and revise their own models. By taking a more active role in the learning process, students can develop a more in-depth understanding of scientific concepts. After working with the children for one semester, we wanted to determine how well KidSim supported them in their model-building efforts. We report here our own observations of what challenged the children, results of a survey completed by the children and an analysis of programming language features used in their models compared to an experienced programmer's models.
A technique for summarizing longitudinal data

Many studies collect longitudinal data but do not use them efficiently. We propose a technique for reducing a set of longitudinal data into four common summary statistics together with time. These statistics can be used in place of the raw data in further analyses, for example in a regression analysis. Instead of arbitrarily choosing the summary statistics, we derive them mathematically, thus justifying their use. This simplifies the subsequent analyses, and also improves the interpretation of the results. An example from the Framingham Heart Study illustrates the procedure.
Composition and Acceptability of Meat from Bobwhite Quail

Abstract BOBWHITE quail are being reared in increasing numbers for production related research and by a limited number of commercial growers for specialty markets. Information concerning cooked meat yield and meat characteristics is very limited, and a search of the literature revealed no publications containing pertinent data in this field. Processing procedures and raw meat yields of Bobwhite quail 10–18 weeks of age were reported by Dawson et al. (1971). These same birds were further processed to determine the cooked meat yields, the protein, fat and moisture composition of the meat and its acceptability. PROCEDURE This study was planned and conducted as two separate parts. One group of birds was used to evaluate cooked meat yields and physical and chemical characteristics of the meat. The other group of birds was used to evaluate sensory characteristics and acceptability of the cooked product. All birds were battery-reared by the Poultry Science Department…
Role of Chemotherapy and Rituximab for Treatment of Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in Solid Organ Transplantation

Objective:To evaluate the role of chemotherapy and/or rituximab for treatment of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in solid organ transplantation.Data Sources:A MEDLINE search (1966–May 2007) was conducted using the key words posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder, solid organ transplantation, chemotherapy, and rituximab. References of relevant articles and abstracts from recent hematology, oncology, and transplantation scientific meetings (2004–May 2007) were also reviewed.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Prospective and retrospective studies identified from the data sources were evaluated, and all information deemed relevant was included for this review.Data Synthesis:Overall response rates ranged from 53% to 68%, 25% to 83%, and 74% to 100% for rituximab monotherapy, chemotherapy, and chemotherapy plus rituximab, respectively. Positive response to treatment was influenced by prognostic factors, including presence of Epstein-Barr virus in tumor cells, normal lactate dehydrogenas...
Guiding neuron development with planar surface gradients of substrate cues deposited using microfluidic devices

Wiring the nervous system relies on the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic signaling molecules that control neurite extension, neuronal polarity, process maturation and experience-dependent refinement. Extrinsic signals establish and enrich neuron-neuron interactions during development. Understanding how such extrinsic cues direct neurons to establish neural connections in vitro will facilitate the development of organized neural networks for investigating the development and function of nervous system networks. Producing ordered networks of neurons with defined connectivity in vitro presents special technical challenges because the results must be compliant with the biological requirements of rewiring neural networks. Here we demonstrate the ability to form stable, instructive surface-bound gradients of laminin that guide postnatal hippocampal neuron development in vitro. Our work uses a three-channel, interconnected microfluidic device that permits the production of adlayers of planar substrates through the combination of laminar flow, diffusion and physisorption. Through simple flow modifications, a variety of patterns and gradients of laminin (LN) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated poly-l-lysine (FITC-PLL) were deposited to present neurons with an instructive substratum to guide neuronal development. We present three variations in substrate design that produce distinct growth regimens for postnatal neurons in dispersed cell cultures. In the first approach, diffusion-mediated gradients of LN were formed on cover slips to guide neurons toward increasing LN concentrations. In the second approach, a combined gradient of LN and FITC-PLL was produced using aspiration-driven laminar flow to restrict neuronal growth to a 15 microm wide growth zone at the center of the two superimposed gradients. The last approach demonstrates the capacity to combine binary lines of FITC-PLL in conjunction with surface gradients of LN and bovine serum albumin (BSA) to produce substrate adlayers that provide additional levels of control over growth. This work demonstrates the advantages of spatio-temporal fluid control for patterning surface-bound gradients using a simple microfluidics-based substrate deposition procedure. We anticipate that this microfluidics-based patterning approach will provide instructive patterns and surface-bound gradients to enable a new level of control in guiding neuron development and network formation.
California’s Electric Deregulation and Its Implications:

This article addresses the difficulties faced by states when they uncouple electric generation from distribution to foster industry competition. The complexities of restructuring became evident when California implemented its restructuring approach under Assembly Bill 1890. Prior to California’s difficulties, industry leaders dominated the energy agenda by promising additional power, competition, andlower prices. Using publications from the Department of Energy in tandem with state utility commission reports andmedia cover age, a pattern of implementation concerns, unique to electricity, becomes apparent. Whereas deregulation may provide all that has been promised, getting to deregulation may still be a process inadequately addressed.
Vaccination for Laryngotracheitis

(1954). Vaccination for Laryngotracheitis. World's Poultry Science Journal: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 358-358.
Representing and extracting lung cancer study metadata

This paper describes the information retrieval step in Casama (Contextualized Semantic Maps), a project that summarizes and contextualizes current research papers on driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. Casama?s representation of lung cancer studies aims to capture elements that will assist an end-user in retrieving studies and, importantly, judging their strength. This paper focuses on two types of study metadata: study objective and study design. 430 abstracts on EGFR and ALK mutations in lung cancer were annotated manually. Casama?s support vector machine (SVM) automatically classified the abstracts by study objective with as much as 129% higher F-scores compared to PubMed?s built-in filters. A second SVM classified the abstracts by epidemiological study design, suggesting strength of evidence at a more granular level than in previous work. The classification results and the top features determined by the classifiers suggest that this scheme would be generalizable to other mutations in lung cancer, as well as studies on driver mutations in other cancer domains. HighlightsWe propose to improve retrieval by representing and extracting study metadata.Multiple expert readers produced a gold standard of 430 abstracts on lung cancer.Automatic classification performed better than or comparable to PubMed?s filters.Study design classification was robust to differences in vocabulary across corpora.Top-ranked features were not domain-specific and could generalize to other domains.
Hypertensive Encephalopathy and Acute Blood Pressure Management After Hemorrhagic Stroke

In the USA, hypertension affects approximately 76% of men and 64% of women by 75 years of age. Among the 73 million individuals in the USA with hypertension, almost 80% are aware of their high blood pressure and 69 % receive antihypertensive treatment. However, less than 50% have controlled blood pressure, placing these individuals at risk for developing neurological emergencies such as hypertensive crisis and intracerebral hemorrhage (1).
The 1709 Palatine Migration and the Formation of German Immigrant Identity in London and New York

In recent years historians have begun to examine closely the emergence of distinct ethnic identities among the various peoples of British North America. Such identities, they note, are not inherent to groups of people but instead are constructed by them, or sometimes for them, usually in ways that define them in contrast to some other group of people. Immigrant identity in particular is usually defined in contrast to the more powerful host society the immigrant enters. It is not surprising then that historians who have sought to delineate the characteristics that defined German ethnic identity in colonial America have most often used British-American society as their foil.1 But by focusing on elements common to all the German immigrants, the studies have often overlooked the differences that divided immigrants who came not from a cen tral German state but from dozens of small principalities, each with different dialects, customs, religions, and political structures. Such differences ensured that the process by which German-speaking immigrants developed a sense of group identity did not just pit German-speak ers against a British other. German immigrants were also defined against many German others. Although some historians argue that most German-speaking immigrants came from territories with histories of frequent, massive in-mi grations that consequently left the inhabitants with very weak territorial af finities, the history of the Balkans demonstrates that people of diverse back grounds jumbled together for hundreds of years can still maintain a strong sense of difference and cling to identities that remain immune to changes in government, shifts in national boundaries, and the influx of strangers. When Hessians, Palatines, and Badeners moved to colonial America, nothing guar anteed that they would eventually share a common identity in the New World. The process of making Germans out of the diverse people of the eigh teenth-century Holy Roman Empire is illustrated by the so-called Palatine migration of 1709, when perhaps as many as 30,000 German-speaking mi grants left their homes hoping for a better life in America. Out of this mass migration slightly over 3,000 people eventually reached America in 1710. Though the percentage crossing the Atlantic was small, the 3,000 settlers rep resented the first substantial migration of German-speakers to colonial America.2 As such they became the first large group of immigrants to become "German" in America, taking on a common identity earlier and in a far differ ent manner than those who remained behind in their homes along the Rhine.3
Analogy tutor: a tutoring system for promoting conceptual learning via comparison

A major challenge in artificial intelligence is building intelligent, interactive learning environments that can support students in human-like ways. Analogical reasoning can be a catalyst for conceptual learning, yet very few systems support analogical reasoning as an instructional activity. In my thesis, I plan to demonstrate that an analogy tutor can assist conceptual learning by guiding students through instructional comparisons.
Evaluation of Cold—Moist Stratification Treatments for Germinating Eastern and Carolina Hemlock Seeds for ex Situ Gene Conservation

Abstract Populations of Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) and Tsuga caroliniana (Carolina Hemlock) are declining due to infestation by Adelges tsugae (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid), an exotic insect pest. A better understanding of the environmental conditions required for seed germination is needed to more efficiently utilize the seeds collected for genetic-resource conservation and the establishment of seed orchards. This study examined the effect of cold—moist stratification treatments of varying duration (0, 1, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days) on total germination (%) and the number of days to first and peak germination (germination speed) on seeds of both species in experiments conducted at 22 °C and 16 h:8 h, light:dark photoperiod. Overall total germination for Eastern Hemlock was 33.3% and increased with increasing duration of the stratification treatments. Carolina Hemlock total germination was 17.1% and varied little among the treatments, although fewer seeds tended to germinate following longer duration...
Micro-Machining of the Ceramics: Can Lasers Match the Performance of Diamond Saws?

ABSTRACT The advent of commercial grade picosecond and femtosecond lasers has opened the way for laser micromachining of metals. There has however been no or little work reported on the cerami cs. Use of diamond saws is still the preferred way of cutting the ceramics such as an Al2O3-TiC composite (referred to as N58 hereafter) that is widely used in the manufacture of read/write heads for magnetic recording hard disk drives. These read/write heads are commonly referred to as sliders. We report here attempts to cut rows of sliders using various lasers. The cut length was 0.85 mm and the thickness was 0.23 mm. We found that all the nanosecond pulse range lase rs, left slag at the laser input edge of the cut and on the cut wall. In many cases the slag deposit doesnt allow one to cut through the entire thickness as the slag interferes with successive laser pulses. Our best results were obtained with picosecond and fe mtosecond lasers. We were able to cut through entire thickness of the strip with these lasers. The slag was much less than that from the nanosecond lasers, but not low enough for our application. There were slag deposits or loose-appearing material on the cut walls also. The roughness was at best in the micron range. In all the cases studied the cut quality as measured by cut surface roughness and slag formation as well as the cutting speed was worst than that obtained from the diamond saws currently used in the industry. Keywords: Al2O3-TiC, N58, Magnetic Recording heads, Hard Disk Drives, Lasers, Sliders, Air Bearing, Picosecond, Femtosecond.
Paleoecology of Framebuilders in Early Silurian Reefs (Brassfield Formation, Southwestern Ohio)

Abstract The framebuilding fauna of an Early Silurian (Aeronian, Llandoverian), Brassfield Formation reef from west-central Ohio is examined in detail. Brassfield reefs are among the very few Silurian reefs of the midcontinental United States that are not dolomitized. Species-level taxa identified in the framebuilding fauna include two favositid corals, two proporid corals, two halysitid corals, two colonial rugosan corals, and at least four stromatoporoids. Favositids, halysitids, crinoid holdfasts, and bryozoans are distributed fairly evenly across the reef; colonial rugosans and solitary rugosans are more abundant along the windward side of the reef; and stromatoporoids are more abundant on the leeward side. The Brassfield reef fauna resembles that from the Jupiter Formation (Aeronian), Anticosti Island, and the Manitoulin Formation (Aeronian), Manitoulin Island; however, there are differences in total diversity and composition. Paleogeographic positioning, local water depth, and access to open-ocean c...
Transformative modeling in learning current electricity: a case study of preservice teachers

Research finds that students have many ideas on electricity not aligned with scientific notions (e.g. Eylon & Ganiel, 1990; Thacker, Ganiel, & Boys, 1999; Osborne, 1983; Shen, Gibbons, Wiegers, & McMahon, 2007; Shepardson & Moje, 1994). It is challenging to change these conceptions. Different strategies have been employed by science educators to help students learn current electricity (e.g., Benseghir & Closset, 1996; Shaffer & McDermott, 1992; Gibbons et al., 2003; Shen & Linn, submitted). This paper presents a teaching experiment that incorporates a variety of environments including computerized modeling tools (e.g., WISE, Phet), hands-on activities, role playing, and formative assessments (see Figure 3). The activities are designed based on the transformative modeling framework (TM) used to describe, analyze, and inform learning processes (Shen, submitted). TM delineates learning and teaching as a process of modeling the natural world through chains of operations on materials. At the center of the operations are a set of transformations that alter the nature of physical or symbolic objects by adding or suppressing information (Shen, in press; Shen & Confrey, 2007). The transformed materials, as well as the operations on these materials, render potential for future learning (Shen, submitted).
Repeat HIV testing, risk behaviors, and HIV seroconversion among young men who have sex with men: a call to monitor and improve the practice of prevention.

OBJECTIVES We compared recent risk behaviors and HIV seroconversion among young men who have sex with men (MSM) who were first-time, infrequent, and repeat HIV testers. METHODS Male adolescents and young men aged 15 to 22 years were randomly sampled, interviewed, counseled, and tested for HIV at 194 gay-identified venues in seven U.S. cities from 1994 through 1998. Analyses were restricted to MSM who reported having never tested or last tested HIV-negative. RESULTS Of 3430 participants, 36% tested for the first time, 39% had tested infrequently (one or two times), and 26% had tested repeatedly (> or = three times). Compared with first-time testers, repeat testers were more likely to report recent risk behaviors and to acquire HIV (7% versus 4%). Over 75% of repeat testers who seroconverted acquired HIV within 1 year of their last test. Compared with repeat testers, first-time testers reported similar use of health care but delayed testing for nearly 2 additional years after initiating risk. CONCLUSIONS Many young MSM soon acquire HIV after repeated use of HIV counseling and testing services. Providers must strengthen practices to identify, counsel, and test young MSM and provide enhanced behavioral interventions for those with persistent risks.
A Molecular-based Magnet Test for Malaria

The molecular-based magnet test for malaria is shown to be more sensitive than the thin blood film test. The globally used thin blood film test is less sensitive because it uses preparation steps that result in the reduction of the absolute number of diagnostically pertinent erythrocytes. Several reports of diagnostic error with the thin film test and the thick film test have appeared in the literature. In marked contrast to the commonly accepted tests, the magnet test concurrently partitions and concentrates the infected erythrocytes present in the initial sample. The magnetic test permits a brief and sensitive microscopic-based enumeration of the malaria-infected erythrocytes in the enriched sample. Diagnostically pertinent hemozoin is simply identified through two of its specific molecular properties: paramagnetism and birefringence. The former property mediates the capture and enrichment of malaria-infected erythrocytes within the magnetic flux and the latter property manifests the characteristic birefringence demonstrated by polarized light.
Embracing heterogeneity: parallel programming for changing hardware

Computer systems are undergoing significant change: to improve performance and efficiency, architects are exposing more microarchitectural details directly to programmers. Software that exploits specialized accelerators, such as GPUs, and specialized processor features, such as software-controlled memory, exposes limitations in existing compiler and OS infrastructure. In this paper we propose a pragmatic approach, motivated by our experience with Merge [3], for building applications that will tolerate changing hardware. Our approach allows programmers to leverage different processor-specific or domain-specific toolchains to create software modules specialized for different hardware configurations, and it provides language mechanisms to enable the automatic mapping of the application to these processor-specific modules. We show this approach can be used to manage computing resources in complex heterogeneous processors and to enable aggressive compiler optimizations.
Positive and negative well-being among adolescents from theological and conventional schools in India

ABSTRACTIn this pilot study, we examined positive and negative well-being among 60 students from theological and conventional schools. Participants included 30 students (50% females) from each school, aged 16–18 years. Self-reported measures included life satisfaction and achievement motivation for positive well-being and stress and anxiety for negative well-being. Results indicated that theological school students reported much lower life satisfaction compared to students in conventional schools with a large effect size. Similar patterns were observed with stress and anxiety, although effects were small. There were no differences in achievement motivation between the two schools. Regarding gender, findings showed that males reported lower stress and anxiety than their female counterparts and these effects were large. Genders did not differ in life satisfaction and achievement motivation.
Understanding Bone Strength from Finite Element Models: Concepts for Non-engineers

Recent clinical studies have reported not only changes in bone mineral density in patient populations but also changes in bone strength determined using finite element modeling. Finite element modeling is a technique well established in engineering but unfamiliar to many clinicians and basic biologists. Here, we provide a conceptual introduction to finite element modeling and its clinical applications to bone that is written for individuals without any background in engineering. Finite element modeling of bone is the net result of over 60 years of effort in the engineering community and over 40 years of effort in the field of bone biomechanics. We discuss the mathematical and theoretical basis for finite element modeling, how finite element models are created from clinical images and the assumptions made in using finite element models to estimate whole bone strength. In addition, we discuss the limitations of finite element modeling in patient populations with altered bone tissue quality. Clinical studies have shown that prediction of fracture risk using finite element modeling is as effective, and in some cases superior, to simple measures of bone mineral density. Further application of finite element modeling to clinical studies has the potential to improve fracture risk assessment beyond what is currently possible with bone mineral density.
Extrafacial lupus miliaris disseminatus

Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF) is an inflammatory dermatosis characterized by 1- to 3-mm red-to-yellow-brown papules on the central and lateral face, particularly on and around the eyelids. Lesions can occur singly or in crops. The discrete papules appear yellow-brown (“apple-jelly”) on diascopy and as epithelioid cell granulomas histologically, thus, resembling tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, or other granulomatous diseases.1 LMDF classically presents on the face; however, an increasing number of cases are reported with extrafacial involvement.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 We describe a unique presentation of LMDF characterized predominantly by bilateral axillae involvement.
SH-SAW transducer analysis on single crystal KNbO/sub 3/ for liquid sensors

A BEM numerical analysis of IDT structures on Euler angles (0/spl deg/, 90/spl deg/, 0/spl deg/) KNbO/sub 3/ has been performed. The analysis considered IDT excitation of both the SH-SAW and SH-BAW modes. The results were targeted at addressing specific issues relevant to liquid sensor applications, such as power partitioning between the SH-SAW and SH-BAW, and SH-BAW power radiation direction into the substrate. The designs with metalized regions outside the IDT seem most promising for liquid sensing applications. Second and third higher order frequency responses for a 5 finger IDT structure showed that 94% and 80%, respectively, of the total input power is converted to the SH-SAW. This result indicates the potential for high frequency applications or sensing platforms that exhibit higher sensitivity at higher operating frequencies. A more rigorous analysis using a combined FEM/BEM tool was also performed, proving there is no need to consider mass loading effects in the analysis of practical IDT structures on the KNbO/sub 3/ propagation direction.
Image reconstruction from a reduced number of projections in Micro-CT specimen imaging

Micro-CT is a useful imaging tool for a wide range of biomedical research and preclinical applications. Accurate three-dimensional images of the subject such as vasculature specimens can be obtained and further be used to derive quantitative anatomic and physiologic information. In this work, we applied the adaptive-steepest-descent-projection-onto-convex-sets (ASD-POCS) algorithm to reconstructing micro-CT images from real data of animal vasculature specimens acquired at reduced number of views. We carried out evaluation studies on sparse-view reconstruction quality, and results show that images with quality comparable to that achieved in standard micro-CT specimen imaging can be obtained with the ASD-POCS algorithm from data much less than that required by current micro-CT scans.