cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching computer hardware design using commercial CAD tools

A project currently being implemented that is aimed at significantly enhancing the computer hardware design experience provided to undergraduate students through the use of industrial-grade CAD tools is discussed. A set of tools has been carefully chosen that can be used in a sequence of courses. The tool set is versatile and flexible and enables a designer to use different tools for different portions of a system design and then integrate the various parts together and simulate the overall system. Besides teaching logic design using MSI TTL components, instructors are able to use CAD tools for designing with PLDs, describing modules in VHDL, developing microcode, and designing microprocessor-based systems. >
Using Task Clarification, Checklists and Performance Feedback to Improve the Appearance of a Grocery Store

An intervention package of task clarification, checklists, and posted performance feedback was developed to increase completion of tasks contributing to the appearance of a local grocery store. The intervention package was based on an informal diagnostic assessment that examined antecedents, equipment and processes, knowledge and skills, and consequences in the organizational environment. A multiple baseline design across five departments was utilized to evaluate the effects of the intervention package on employee cleaning behavior related to the appearance of the store. The results suggest overall improvement of task completion across the five departments observed, with substantial increases resulting from application of the intervention. The mean percentage of tasks completed in the deli department increased by 36%; by 93% in the meat department; by 38% in the frozen department; by 25% in the produce department; and by 34% in the front-end department. The average increase of task completion across departments was more than 45%. The results of this study are consistent with those of Anderson, Crowell, Hantula, and Siroky (1988), as well as with La Fleur and Hyten (1995), demonstrating that task clarification, checklists, and feedback have positive effects on work performance.
Supporting shared decision making when clinical evidence is low.

Shared decision making (SDM) is the process of providing the patient with critical information that can support his or her informed participation in decision making. Shared decision making has become accepted as an important component of quality health care. Influenced by its foundations in law and ethics and by empirical work on its value as a tool to reduce variability in care, a perception has developed that SDM is relevant primarily to clinical situations with high-quality clinical evidence. This raises the question of the role of SDM in situations when clinical evidence is lacking or of low quality. This article posits that SDM is equally relevant and important to low-evidence situations in four ways—SDM fosters shared acceptance of uncertainty, closes the gap in knowledge between patient and physician, promotes patient empowerment, and enhances trust through transparent communication.
Voluntary tipping and the selective attraction and retention of service workers in the USA: an application of the ASA model

Gratuities paid by consumers are widely used to compensate workers in the service industry despite the fact that this practice permits and even encourages a variety of negative practices – from customer–employee collusion against the interests of the firm to service discrimination against consumers thought to be poor tippers. Such negative effects of tipping raise a question about why it exists – what benefits (if any) do firms receive from tipping to justify this practice? One common explanation for tipping is that it is the most efficient way to provide service workers with performance-contingent rewards and to motivate them to deliver good service. In this paper, we draw upon the attraction–selection–attrition model to describe and test another benefit to firms of this practice, namely that it helps to selectively attract and retain better service workers. Data from a survey of restaurant servers support this selection effect. Concluding discussion calls for more research on this interesting and unders...
Pathological and Functional Alterations in the Vestibular Labyrinth Following Cryosurgery

Definite pathologic changes were noted within the horizontal crista ampullaris after cryosurgery. The amount of damage was dependent upon the temperature of the crista during cooling. For example, when the horizontal crista was cooled to-70°C (intralabyrinthine temperature + 18°C) exudate was observed in the endolymphatic space. Electron microscopically, however, definite cellular damage (myelin figures) was detected primarily in the specialized cells (dark and light). Ruptures of the membranous wall of the crista was observed at cryosurgical dosage of-90°C (intralabyrinthine temperature + 13°C). Gross histological damage was noted when the horizontal crista was cooled to-120 and-190°C (intralabyrinthine temperature +5 and-6°C respectively). The functional (rotatory tests), ultrastructural and histologic results correlate extremely well. These results indicate that the critical cryosurgical threshold dosage necessary to alter the morphology and function of the semicircular canal system is approximately-70...
Fast processing of digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) metadata using multiseries DICOM format.

The digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) information model combines pixel data and its metadata in a single object. There are user scenarios that only need metadata manipulation, such as deidentification and study migration. Most picture archiving and communication system use a database to store and update the metadata rather than updating the raw DICOM files themselves. The multiseries DICOM (MSD) format separates metadata from pixel data and eliminates duplicate attributes. This work promotes storing DICOM studies in MSD format to reduce the metadata processing time. A set of experiments are performed that update the metadata of a set of DICOM studies for deidentification and migration. The studies are stored in both the traditional single frame DICOM (SFD) format and the MSD format. The results show that it is faster to update studies’ metadata in MSD format than in SFD format because the bulk data is separated in MSD and is not retrieved from the storage system. In addition, it is space efficient to store the deidentified studies in MSD format as it shares the same bulk data object with the original study. In summary, separation of metadata from pixel data using the MSD format provides fast metadata access and speeds up applications that process only the metadata.
Dynamics of periphyton nitrogen fixation in short-hydroperiod wetlands revealed by high-resolution seasonal sampling

Periphyton N2 fixation plays a key role in N cycling of aquatic systems, but temporal studies of this process are often lacking, especially in systems with only seasonal flooding. We used seven samplings to characterize nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction method) of periphyton in short-hydroperiod marl prairies and two wetlands restored from agricultural disturbance in Everglades National Park, USA. We hypothesized that the seasonal drying and rewetting would increase the temporal dynamics of the process. All sites showed significant periphyton N2 fixation, but in restored areas highest rates were observed only in the early wet season (July), while in reference sites fixation was spread throughout the summer. Most N2 fixation in the restored areas was confined to a 3-month-period resulting in large underestimates of annual fixation in previous studies with few seasonal measurements. N2 fixation rates correlated with total P, N and TN:TP ratio, and periphyton moisture content in the dry season. N stable isotopic signature was a good indicator of N2 fixation rates between sites, but did not correctly indicate seasonal patterns. These findings improve our understanding of N cycling in wetlands like the Everglades and indicate a need for more detailed measurements of processes in seasonally flooded systems.
An Empirical Parameterization of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation for Multiple Chemical Species of Aerosol

A novel, flexible framework is proposed for parameterizing the heterogeneous nucleation of ice within clouds. It has empirically derived dependencies on the chemistry and surface area of multiple species of ice nucleus (IN) aerosols. Effects from variability in mean size, spectral width, and mass loading of aerosols are represented via their influences on surface area. The parameterization is intended for application in largescale atmospheric and cloud models that can predict 1) the supersaturation of water vapor, which requires a representation of vertical velocity on the cloud scale, and 2) concentrations of a variety of insoluble aerosol species. Observational data constraining the parameterization are principally from coincident field studies of IN activity and insoluble aerosol in the troposphere. The continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) was deployed. Aerosol species are grouped by the parameterization into three basic types: dust and metallic compounds, inorganic black carbon, and insoluble organic aerosols. Further field observations inform the partitioning of measured IN concentrations among these basic groups of aerosol. The scarcity of heterogeneous nucleation, observed at humidities well below water saturation for warm subzero temperatures, is represented. Conventional and inside-out contact nucleation by IN is treated with a constant shift of their freezing temperatures. The empirical parameterization is described and compared with available field and laboratory observations and other schemes. Alternative schemes differ by up to five orders of magnitude in their freezing fractions (30°C). New knowledge from future observational advances may be easily assimilated into the scheme’s framework. The essence of this versatile framework is the use of data concerning atmospheric IN sampled directly from the troposphere.
GRAIL: Gravity mapping the moon

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission is the most recently selected NASA Discovery mission. The GRAIL mission will utilize two spacecraft flying in tandem to provide a crust-to-core lunar gravity map. This lunar gravity map will provide important insight into the evolution of the Moon and other planetary bodies. The mission is currently in development with a September 2011 planned launch. The GRAIL mission concept is based on heritage from the GRACE instrument being used to map the gravity of the Earth. The spacecraft bus is based on a heritage system used successfully by Lockheed-Martin, the spacecraft contractor. This paper will discuss the science return expected from the GRAIL mission and provide an overview of the spacecraft system and mission design being developed to implement this exciting Discovery mission.
Whalesong: running racket in the browser

JavaScript is the language of the ubiquitous Web, but it only poorly supports event-driven functional programs due to its single-threaded, asynchronous nature and lack of rich control flow operators. We present Whalesong, a compiler from Racket that generates JavaScript code that masks these problems. We discuss the implementation strategy using delimited continuations, an interface to the DOM, and an FFI for adapting JavaScript libraries to add new platform-dependent reactive features. In the process, we also describe extensions to Racket's functional event-driven programming model. We also briefly discuss the implementation details.
A Public Health Approach to Winning the War Against Cancer

The "war on cancer" in the United States has been viewed primarily as an effort to develop and disseminate cancer cures, but cancer is far more easily prevented than cured. There are three major approaches to cancer prevention: Primary prevention, through reduction in risk factors and changes to the environment that reduce human exposure to widely-consumed cancer-promoting agents. The most important actions for primary prevention of cancer are those that reduce tobacco use through taxation, smoke-free environment policies, advertising restrictions, counter-advertising, and cessation programs. The World Health Organization's MPOWER package outlines these actions, each of which covered less than 5% of people in the world in 2007. Similarly, cancer can be prevented by reducing alcohol consumption through policies such as alcohol taxes and limits on alcohol sales, and restoring caloric balance through policies such as creating healthier food environments and engineering the built environment to increase opportunities for physical activity. Vaccination is an effective approach to preventing specific virus-associated cancers, such as using human papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and hepatitis B virus vaccine to prevent hepatocellular cancer. Secondary prevention reduces cancer mortality through screening and early treatment; this approach has been used successfully for breast and cervical cancer but is still underused against colon cancer. Progress can be made in all three approaches to cancer prevention, but will require a greater emphasis on public health programs and public policy. Winning the war on cancer will require a much larger investment in prevention to complement efforts to improve treatment.
Toward Efficient and Simplified Distributed Data Intensive Computing

While the capability of computing systems has been increasing at Moore's Law, the amount of digital data has been increasing even faster. There is a growing need for systems that can manage and analyze very large data sets, preferably on shared-nothing commodity systems due to their low expense. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a distributed file system called Sector and an associated programming framework called Sphere that processes the data managed by Sector in parallel. Sphere is designed so that the processing of data can be done in place over the data whenever possible. Sometimes, this is called data locality. We describe the directives Sphere supports to improve data locality. In our experimental studies, the Sector/Sphere system has consistently performed about 2-4 times faster than Hadoop, the most popular system for processing very large data sets.
Mechanical and hydration properties of Nafion®/ceramic nanocomposite membranes produced by mechanical attrition

A solid state method of Nafion V R /ceramic nanocomposite membrane preparation is described. A nano- composite powder from Nafion pellets and a zirconium phosphate ceramic is formed by mechanical milling. The nanoparticles are then consolidated into membrane form by mechanical pressing. Cross-sectional analysis by scanning electron microscopy indicates that the ceramic particles exist in agglomerates that are evenly dispersed across the mem- brane. Dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing found the membranes to be mechanically equivalent, and in some cases superior, to a commercial extruded membrane. Increasing ceramic content is accompanied by an increase in modulus and shift in the alpha peak to higher temperature. Maximum water uptake of the membranes, as measured by thermal gravimetric analysis, is double that of values reported for the commercial membrane, and complete dehy- dration is postponed to higher temperature. The proton con- ductivity of fully hydrated membranes, measured by the 4- probe method at 60 � Ci n water, is comparable with that of
Parallel methods for integrating ordinary differential equations

This paper is dedicated to the proposition that, in order to take full advantage for real-time computations of highly parallel computers as can be expected to be available in the near future, much of numerical analysis will have to be recast in a more “parallel” form. By this is meant that serial algorithms ought to be replaced by algorithms which consist of several subtasks which can be computed without knowledge of the results of the other subtasks. As an example, a method is proposed for “parallelizing” the numerical integration of an ordinary differential equation, which process, by all standard methods, is entirely serial.
From Slaves to Citizens? Tannenbaum and the Debates on Slavery, Emancipation, and Race Relations in Latin America

Why is Slave and Citizen, Frank Tannenbaum's influential comparative book on slavery and race relations, still referenced by modern scholars? How is it that a book that is frequently described as flawed continues to inform contemporary scholarship on race and slavery? This article seeks to answer these questions by reconstructing some of the scholarly debates sparked by Slave and Citizen. Specifically, the article discusses how some of the central premises of Tannenbaum's approach continue to inform the work of current scholars. Three of these premises are discussed in some detail: first, that “Anglo” and “Latin” America constituted two separate entities; second, that race relations in each area were fundamentally different; and third, that differences in modern race relations could only be explained by their divergent “slave systems.”
Entropy cost of information

An entropy analysis of Szilard's (1929) one-molecule Maxwell's demon suggests a general theory of the entropy cost of information. The entropy of the demon increases due to the decoupling of the molecule from the measurement information. In general, neither measurement nor erasure is fundamentally a thermodynamically costly operation; however, the decorrelation of the system from the information must always increase entropy in the system-with-information. This causes a net entropy increase in the universe unless, as in the Szilard demon, the information is used to decrease entropy elsewhere before the correlation is lost. Thus information is thermodynamically costly precisely to the extent that it is not used to obtain work from the measured system. >
Can the Blind See? Participant Guess about Treatment Arm Assignment may Influence Outcome in a Clinical Trial of Bupropion for Smoking Cessation

In a placebo-controlled bupropion smoking cessation trial, we examined blind integrity, the link between blind integrity and quit rates, and whether side effects and changes in nicotine withdrawal symptoms or mood were mechanisms through which blind integrity is threatened. At a 12-month follow-up, 498 participants indicated whether they thought they received bupropion, placebo, or were not sure. Potential mediators of treatment effects on treatment arm guess (i.e., side effects, withdrawal, and mood) were measured during treatment, and 7-day point prevalence cessation was assessed at the end of treatment (EOT) and at 6 and 12 months after quit date. Overall, 55% of participants guessed their randomization correctly. Compared to guessing not sure, participants who guessed they were taking bupropion were more than twice as likely to have been randomized to bupropion. Similarly, participants who guessed placebo were twice as likely to have been randomized to placebo. Treatment arm guess was associated with quit rates. Including treatment arm guess with actual treatment arm in models of quit rates significantly reduced the odds ratio for bupropion efficacy at the EOT and at 6 and 12 months after quit date. There was no evidence for mediation. In bupropion smoking cessation trials, blind failure may occur and participant guess about treatment arm assignment is associated with quit rates.
Biophysical modulations of functional connectivity.

Abstract Resting-state low frequency oscillations have been detected in many functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies and appear to be synchronized between functionally related areas. Converging evidence from MRI and other imaging modalities suggest that this activity has an intrinsic neuronal origin. Multiple consistent networks have been found in large populations, and have been shown to be stable over time. Further, these patterns of functional connectivity have been shown to be altered in healthy controls under various physiological challenges. This review will present the biophysical characterization of functional connectivity, and examine the effects of physical state manipulations (such as anesthesia, fatigue, and aging) in healthy controls.
Frequency-Domain Analysis of Super-Regenerative Amplifiers

Since its invention in 1922, the super-regenerative amplifier (SRA) has been used in a variety of short-range, low-power, and/or low-cost wireless systems due to its simple implementation and excellent performance for a given power budget. Growing demand for ultralow-power receivers for short-range radios has recently reawakened an interest in the theory and design of SRAs. Building on recent work and using reasonable assumptions and approximations, we present a frequency-domain model for analyzing SRAs. We then use these models to predict the response of an SRA to arbitrary deterministic and stochastic signals including sinusoids, pulsed-sinusoids, and additive white Gaussian noise. Using the results, we present formulas for calculating the sensitivity and selectivity of SRAs. We also introduce the concept of a trigger-time that is particularly useful for accurately determining the optimal threshold in on-off keying (OOK) receivers and helps avoid the problems introduced by nonlinearity in SRAs. Finally, we present a prototype OOK SRA that achieves a sensitivity of -90 dBm at a bit rate of 300 kbps (BER of 10-3) while consuming 500 ?W, and show that its measured sensitivity matches theory within 1 dB.
State-Based Scheduling of Real-Time UAV Flight Control Avionics Tasks

*† With the coalescence of the advanced technologies such as powerful processors, fast networks, and concurrent programming, it is possible to begin to challenge traditional avionics architectures used for navigation and flight control, particularly on UAV platforms. Timing uncertainty in data delivery and computational rates is a challenge in these new architectures. This paper looks specifically at variance task computational rates. A control application is decomposed into tasks, which are managed by a scheduler. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to move task scheduling from a design-time activity to a runtime activity. This paper outlines the design of state-based schedulers to adjust the computational update periods of periodic tasks. The schedulers are shown to produce performance results comparable with static schedulers but with substantially lower processor utilization. Moreover, the processor utilization is dynamic and responds to the system based on specified system performance metrics.
Electrochemically Grown Wires for Individually Addressable Sensor Arrays

We report on the electrochemical growth of micro/nanowire devices using e-beam-patterned electrolyte channels, potentially enabling the controlled fabrication of individually addressable arrays. The concept of growing single wires and small arrays using this technique is demonstrated by single and double wires of Pd and polypyrrole with 500-nm and 1-μm widths up to 7-μm lengths and 200-nm thicknesses. The use of Pd wires as hydrogen sensors and polypyrrole wires as pH sensors is demonstrated.
Structure in RF Hydrogen Plasma Induced by Magnetic Field

Images of the spatial structure of a capacitively coupled hydrogen discharge are presented for various strengths of applied magnetic field. With increasing magnetic field, we find that not only does the distribution of emission change because of the confinement of the electrons by the magnetic field, but we also find "dark-bands" regions that form in the discharge. By using narrowband interference filters (~10 nm bandwidth), we examine how the relative optical emission centered on Halpha and Hbeta (with respect to the total optical emission) change with the applied magnetic field.
Activation of protein kinase C reduces GLAST in the plasma membrane of rat Müller cells in primary culture.

In this study, a Muller cell culture preparation from young rats was used to investigate the regulation of GLAST transport activity in native cells. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed GLAST to be the predominant glutamate transporter expressed by the cells through five passages. [3H]-glutamate uptake assays showed the typical Na+-dependent glutamate transport which was blocked by L-(-)-threo-3-hydroxyaspartate (L-THA), a competitive inhibitor. Glutamate transport was decreased significantly in Muller cells exposed to phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator. A similar effect on [3H]-D-aspartate (nonmetabolizable glutamate analog) uptake ruled out the possibility that the decrease was a consequence of altered metabolism. However, PMA did not affect Na+-dependent [3H]-glycine transport, indicating the absence of a nonspecific change in the electrochemical gradients. The PMA effect on glutamate uptake was evidenced by partial blocking with a specific PKC inhibitor, bisindolymaleimide II (Bis II). Activation of PKC did not change the Km, but the Vmax was significantly reduced. Image analysis of Muller cells with biotinylated cell membranes immunolabeled with GLAST shows a reduction of GLAST in the plasma membrane. In conclusion, these data show that rat Muller cells in primary cultures express GLAST and that PKC activation affects GLAST transport activity by decreasing cell surface expression.
DID TRAWLING ON THE BROOD STOCK CONTRIBUTE TO THE COLLAPSE OF ALASKA'S KING CRAB?

The 1976 U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act effectively eliminated the no-trawl zone known as the Bristol Bay Pot Sanctuary, located in the southeastern Bering Sea, Alaska. Implemented by the Japanese in 1959, the boundaries of the Pot Sanctuary closely matched the well-defined distribution of the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) population's mature-female brood stock, thus affording a mea- sure of protection to the reproductive potential of the stock. In 1980, the point at which the commercial harvest of Bristol Bay legal-male red king crab reached an all-time high after a decade-long increase, domestic bottom trawling in the brood-stock sanctuary began in earnest with the advent of a U.S.-Soviet, joint-venture, yellowfin sole fishery. In the first year of trawling in the Pot Sanctuary, the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) red king crab bycatch increased by 371% over the 1977-1979 average; in 1981 the BSAI bycatch increased another 235% over that in 1980, most of which were mature females. As the number of unmonitored domestic trawls in the brood-stock area increased rapidly after 1979 and anecdotal reports of ''red bags'' (trawl cod-ends plugged with red king crab) began to circulate, the proportion of males in the mature population (0.25 in 1981 and 0.16 in 1982) jumped to 0.54 in 1985 and 0.65 in 1986. It is unlikely that normal demographics caused this sudden reversal in sex ratio. Our hypothesis is that sequential, sex-specific sources of fishing mortality were at work. Initially there were ten years (1970-1980) of increasing, male-only exploitation in the directed pot fishery, followed by a drastic reduction in the male harvest after 1980 (to zero in 1983). Then, beginning around 1980, there was an increase in bottom trawling among the highly aggregated, sexually mature female brood stock concentrated near the western end of the Alaska Peninsula, an area documented by previous investigators to be the most productive spawning, incubation, and hatching ground for Bristol Bay red king crab. There has been considerable discussion about possible natural causes (e.g., meteorological regime shifts, increased groundfish predation, epizootic dis- eases) of the abrupt collapse of the Bristol Bay red king crab population in the early 1980s. The purpose of our study was to conduct a rigorous examination of existing data in order to evaluate the relative likelihood that the collapse was caused by human fishing instead of natural mortality. Our discussion focuses on the association between record harvests of male crab in the directed fishery, the onset of large-scale commercial trawling within the population's primary reproductive refuge, and the population's collapse.
Terahertz Emission Spectroscopy of Ultrafast Demagnetization in Iron

We have observed ultrafast demagnetization of ferromagnetic metals after femtosecond pump pulse excitation by both transmission and emission spectroscopy. We observe demangtization occuring in iron with a 2 ps time constant.
The Perils of Paper: Attempts for Survival

Early papermaking activities are described. This is followed by a discussion of how the use of woodpulp papers in the manufacture of books is creating a serious problem for libraries because of the highly acidic content of the papers. Steps being taken by the Library of Congress and other organizations to bring about the use of permanent, durable papers are mentioned, and LC's deacidfication program is outlined. Finally, attention is given to LC's Teknekron pilot project in the use of optical digital disks in the storage of information.
ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF FARM ANIMALS IN THE UNITED STATES

The American Minor Breeds Conservancy and the National Council on Gene Resources are organizations in the United States whose activities are either wholly or in part directed to the conservation of rare and threatened breeds of farm animals. Past and current projects, goals, and the kinds of services provided by the AMBC and the NCGR are presented in brief form.
Teaching Latin-American Philosophy

THERE ARE SEVERAL motives for giving a course in Latin-American philosophy. Of these, the most immediately practical in intent, and the one which directly led to the formation of the course at the University of Missouri, was a desire to furnish a relevant course in philosophy for the use of students in Spanish, history and the Latin-American studies area. This factor has turned out to be of secondary importance at Missouri, since only a small part of the students who take the course are from the fields named. The value of this motive will necessarily vary from campus to campus, and it may well be of considerable magnitude in many situations.
Thermal conductivity via atomistic modeling for epoxy-SWNT composites

The Green-Kubo method was used to investigate the thermal conductivity as a function of temperature for epoxy/single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanocomposites. An epoxy network of DGEBA-DDS was built using the ’dendrimer’ growth approach, and conductivity was computed by taking into account long-range Coulombic forces via a kspace approach. Thermal conductivity was calculated in the direction perpendicular to, and along the SWNT axis for functionalized and pristine SWNT/epoxy nanocomposites. Inefficient phonon transport at the ends of nanotubes is an important factor in the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites, and for this reason short, discontinuous nanotubes were modeled in addition to long nanotubes. The thermal conductivity of the long, pristine SWNT/epoxy system is equivalent to that of a SWNT along its axis, but there was a 27% reduction perpendicular to the nanotube axis. The functionalized, long SWNT/epoxy system had a very large increase in thermal conductivity along the nanotube axis (∼700%), as well as the directions perpendicular to the nanotube (64%). The discontinuous nanotubes displayed an increased thermal conductivity along the SWNT axis compared to neat epoxy (103% for the pristine SWNT/epoxy, and 91% for functionalized SWNT/epoxy system). The functionalized, discontinuous system also showed a 42% improvement perpendicular to the nanotube, while the pristine, discontinuous SWNT/epoxy system had no improvement over epoxy. These simulations demonstrate there exists a threshold of the SWNT length where the best improvement for a composite system would transition from pristine SWNTs to functionalized SWNTs.
Thrombin inhibits myosin light chain dephosphorylation in endothelial cells

Histamine and thrombin increase myosin light-chain kinase-mediated phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The increase in MLC phosphorylation caused by thrombin persists longer (330 min) than the increase caused by histamine (<5 min), although both increase cell calcium similarly. We hypothesized that some of the longer duration of the increase in MLC phosphorylation caused by thrombin was because of inhibition of myosin dephosphorylation by thrombin. Calyculin A, an inhibitor of type 1 and 2A protein phosphatases, caused a time-dependent increase in MLC phosphorylation in unstimulated HUVEC. As thrombin-stimulated phosphorylation approached its peak at 15 min, calyculin A caused progressively less of an increase in MLC phosphorylation in thrombin-stimulated HUVEC, and no increase at the peak of thrombin stimulation. In HUVEC in which cell calcium was maintained at 600 nM, thrombin increased MLC phosphorylation above the level caused by increased cal...
Genetic variations and miRNA–target interactions contribute to natural phenotypic variations in Populus

Variation in regulatory factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), contributes to variation in quantitative and complex traits. However, in plants, variants in miRNAs and their target genes that contribute to natural phenotypic variation, and the underlying regulatory networks, remain poorly characterized. We investigated the associations and interactions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs and their target genes with phenotypes in 435 individuals from a natural population of Populus. We used RNA-seq to identify 217 miRNAs differentially expressed in a tension wood system, and identified 1196 candidate target genes; degradome sequencing confirmed 60 of the target sites. In addition, 72 miRNA-target pairs showed significant co-expression. Gene ontology (GO) term analysis showed that most of the genes in the co-regulated pairs participate in biological regulation. Genome resequencing found 5383 common SNPs (frequency ≥ 0.05) in 139 miRNAs and 31 037 SNPs in 819 target genes. Single-SNP association analyses identified 232 significant associations between wood traits (P ≤ 0.05) and SNPs in 102 miRNAs and 1387 associations with 478 target genes. Among these, 102 miRNA-target pairs associated with the same traits. Multi-SNP associations found 102 epistatic pairs associated with traits. Furthermore, a reconstructed regulatory network contained 12 significantly co-expressed pairs, including eight miRNAs and nine targets associated with traits. Lastly, both expression and genetic association showed that miR156i, miR156j, miR396a and miR6445b were involved in the formation of tension wood. This study shows that variants in miRNAs and target genes contribute to natural phenotypic variation and annotated roles and interactions of miRNAs and their target genes by genetic association analysis.
Time-resolved reflectivity measurements of electron heat conduction and hydrodynamics in an ultrashort pulse plasma

In plasmas produced by ultrashort-pulse lasers, electron heat transport down steep thermal gradients carries absorbed laser energy away from the plasma and into cold bulk target regions. Supersonic electron conduction is predicted to be the limiting factor for both the peak and the duration of the initial plasma heating.1 Therefore, a quantitative understanding of electron-energy transport rates and heat-wave details is important to studying these plasmas as high-energy-density, strongly coupled matter and to their application as high-brightness x-ray sources. Hydrodynamic expansion, at the speed of sound, follows most electron conduction, lowering the plasma temperature and density and obscuring the experimental reflection signal. The transition between these two primary plasma energy channels exists on a several- picosecond time scale, which can be probed only by femtosecond pulses.
SU-D-209-07: Measure the Average Glandular Dose of a 2D+3D Breast Imaging Protocol Using GE SenoClaire Breast Tomosynthesis System

Purpose: To measure the average glandular dose (AGD) of a 2D+3D breast imaging protocol using GE SenoClaire breast tomosynthesis system. Methods: This study used a GE SenoClaire breast tomosynthesis unit, a Gammex ACR mammography accreditation phantom, 5 cm thick PMMA phantom, an Unfors RaySafe X2 mammography detector. The breast imaging protocol includes a regular 2D CC view and a 3D MLO view at 45 degree, using AUTO mode. Both ACR phantom and PMMA phantom were scanned under AUTO mode with 10 daN compression to obtain the techniques of 2D CC view, 3D MLO view, and 3D CC view. The techniques of ACR phantom were used for the following manual scan with only RaySafe X2 detector being positioned under the same compression paddle at the same height as the ACR phantom. The detector is at 3 cm from the chest wall edge and laterally centered in the X-ray field. Measurements were repeated with detector at 6 cm and 9 cm from the chest wall edge. The above procedure were repeated using the manual techniques of PMMA phantom. The measured entrance skin air Kerma was then converted to the AGD using two Methods: one was listed in GE QC manual; the other was based on AAPM Report 223. Results: The AGD from 2D+3D imaging for both breasts using AUTO mode is approximately 4.25 mGy for ACR phantom and approximately 6 mGy for 5 cm thick PMMA phantom. The difference between 3D MLO view and 3D CC view is less than 2%. The difference between two methods is also less than 3%. Conclusion: The AGD of a 2D +3D breast imaging using GE SenoClaire is comparable to two regular 2D images if both are scanned using AUTO mode.
Ultrafast THz conductivity dynamics: spinlattice relaxation in colossal magnetoresistive oxides

Ultrafast measurements of optically induced changes in the conductivity (0.4-1.0 THz) of La0.7M0.3MnO3 films (M = Ca, Sr) from -10K to -0.9Tc reveal a spin-lattice relaxation that follows the temperature dependence oftbe spin specific heat.
A Mechanism-Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model for Bococizumab, a Humanized Monoclonal Antibody Against Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9, and Its Application in Early Clinical Development

Bococizumab (RN316/PF-04950615), a humanized monoclonal antibody, binds to secreted proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and prevents its downregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor, leading to improved clearance and reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in plasma. A mechanism-based drug-target binding model was developed, accounting for bococizumab, PCSK9, and LDL-C concentrations and the effects of concomitant administration of statins. This model was utilized to better understand the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data obtained from 3 phase 1 and 2 phase 2a clinical studies. First, simulations performed with this model demonstrated that the conventional method of the area-under-the-curve ratio for bioavailability determination underestimated the subcutaneous bioavailability of bococizumab due to its target-mediated disposition. Second, a covariate model component for statin effects on bococizumab PK/PD was characterized, including a description of the decreased baseline LDL-C, increased baseline PCSK9, and increased LDL-C lowering with concomitant use of statins. Last, the impact of the dosing regimens with and without a dose holiday on bococizumab's LDL-C-lowering effectiveness was shown to be predictable due to the well-characterized PK-PD relationship.
Recovery of lead after electron irradiation at 1.5 K

The low-temperature recovery of lead following an electron irradiation at 1.5 K shows the same features observed for all face-centered-cubic metals except for gold. The stage I occurs below 5.5 K. The ${I}_{D}$ recovery substage occurs at 4.15 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.05 K with an activation energy of 0.010 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.001 eV. The ${I}_{E}$ substage shifts with defect concentration in lead as it does in copper. The ${I}_{E}$ activation energy is 0.010 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.001 eV. Since platinum and lead anneal in stage I in the normal fashion, the strange behavior of gold is clearly not determined by its position in the periodic table.
Moving toward an intelligent interactive social engagement framework for information gathering

The objective of this research is to investigate the use of robots as intermediaries to gather sensitive information from children. The research is multidisciplinary in nature. The goals will be accomplished through the development of an integrated robotic framework that includes a novel architecture and an interactive user interface to gather information using methodologies recommended for forensic interviews with children. The Interactive Social Engagement Architecture (ISEA) is designed to integrate behavior-based robotics, human behavior models, cognitive architectures, and expert user input to increase social engagement between a human and system (e.g., robot, avatar, etc.). ISEA provides for the autonomous generation of robot behaviors for self-preservation and to convey social intelligence. The framework is designed to be modular and adaptable to different applications and domains; however for this project, the focus is on social engagement for information gathering. The interactive user interface provides interviewers with the ability to use a robot as an intermediary for gathering this information. The interface and framework have been iteratively improved through observations from user studies conducted to date with 186 children ages 8–12. This project compares the effectiveness of robot versus human interviewers to gather sensitive information from children using situations in which this would commonly occur — cases of child eyewitness memory and child reports of bullying. This research has the potential to transform how sensitive information is gathered as it relates to criminal investigations and proceedings.
Reliability of PMMA bone cement fixation: fracture and fatigue crack-growth behaviour.

Fracture mechanics tests were performed to characterize the fracture toughness and fatigue crack-growth behaviour of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, commonly used in joint replacement surgery. Compact tension specimens of various thicknesses were prepared and tested in both air and Ringer’s solution. Contrary to previous reports citing toughness as a single valued parameter, the PMMA was found to exhibit resistance-curve behaviour with a plateau toughness of ∼0.6 MPa m1/2 in air, and ∼2.0 MPa m1/2 in Ringer’s solution. The increased toughness in Ringer’s solution is thought to arise from the plasticizing effect of the environment. Under cyclic loads, the material displayed true mechanical fatigue failure in both environments; fatigue crack-growth rates, da/dN, were measured over the range ∼10-10 to 10-6 m/cycle and found to display a power-law dependence on the stress intensity range, ΔK. The cement was found to be more resistant to fatigue-crack propagation in Ringer’s solution than in air. Wear debris was observed on the fatigue fracture surfaces, particularly those produced in air. These findings and the validity of using a linear-elastic fracture mechanics approach for viscoelastic materials are discussed in the context of providing more reliable and fracture-resistant cemented joints.
Evaluation of Quenching Methods for the Purpose of Acoustic Data Collection

Abstract Using data pertaining to the audible emission of processes has become a growing area of research in recent years. This principle has been applied to the monitoring of the heat treatment process during quenching. This work highlights the importance of a proper testing methodology when collecting such data. The primary purpose of this research paper is to compare and contrast three different methodologies for controlling the experimental process and limiting variation. The first method is manual quenching, the second method automates the process by lowering the sample into the quenching medium, and the third method automates the process by raising the quenching medium container while the sample to be quenched remains fixed. In each of these methods, a spherical acoustic microphone array was used as a beam former directed at the location in which the sample entered the quenching medium. The comparisons in this work indicate that the third option yields the most consistent and repeatable results.
Modeling and analysis of a meso-hydraulic climbing robot with artificial muscle actuation

This paper presents a fully coupled electro-hydraulic model of a bio-inspired climbing robot actuated by fluidic artificial muscles (FAMs). This analysis expands upon previous FAM literature by considering not only the force and contraction characteristics of the actuator, but the complete hydraulic and electromechanical circuits as well as the dynamics of the climbing robot. This analysis allows modeling of the time-varying applied pressure, electrical current, and actuator contraction for accurate prediction of the robot motion, energy consumption, and mechanical work output. The developed model is first validated against mechanical and electrical data collected from a proof-of-concept prototype robot. The model is then employed to study the system-level sensitivities of the robot locomotion efficiency and average climbing speed to several design and operating parameters. The results of this analysis demonstrate that considering only the transduction efficiency of the FAM actuators is insufficient to maximize the efficiency of the complete robot, and that a holistic approach can lead to significant improvements in performance.
Allosteric modulation of α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: Desformylflustrabromine potentiates antiallodynic response of nicotine in a mouse model of neuropathic pain.

Background Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels. The α4β2 subtype of nAChRs plays an important role in the mediation of pain and several nicotine-evoked responses. Agonists and partial agonists of α4β2 nAChRs show efficacy in animal pain models. In addition, the antinociceptive properties of nicotine, a non-selective nAChR agonist with a high affinity for α4β2 nAChRs, is well-known. There is a growing body of evidence pointing to allosteric modulation of nAChRs as an alternative treatment strategy in experimental pain. Desformylflustrabromine (dFBr) is a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) at α4β2 nAChRs that enhances agonist responses without activating receptors. We hypothesized that dFBr may enhance nicotine-induced antinociception. Methods The present study investigated whether dFBr could attenuate mouse chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain by increasing endogenous cholinergic tone or potentiating the nicotine-evoked antiallodynic response. Results We found that subcutaneous administration of dFBr failed to reduce pain behaviour on its own. However, the combination of dFBr with nicotine significantly reversed neuropathic pain behaviour dose- and time-dependently without motor impairment. Our data revealed that this effect was mediated by the α4β2 nAChRs by using competitive α4β2 antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine. In addition, dFBr failed to potentiate the antiallodynic effect of morphine, which shows the effect of dFBr is unique to α4β2 nAChRs. Conclusions The present results suggest that allosteric modulation of α4β2 nAChR may provide new strategies in chronic neuropathic pain. Significance α4β2 nAChRs are involved in pain modulation. dFBr, a PAM at α4β2 nAChRs, potentiates the nicotine response dose-dependently in neuropathic pain. Thus, the present results suggest that allosteric modulation of α4β2* nAChR may provide new strategies in chronic neuropathic pain.