cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Techniques: Microarrays

Current techniques for viral detection and discovery, which include culture and serological methods as well as polymer chain reaction (PCR)-based protocols, possess a variety of inherent limitations. In an effort to augment the capabilities of existing diagnostic methodologies, the use of virus-specific DNA microarray technology has been recently applied in both research and clinical settings with favorable results. The primary advantage of this approach is that DNA microarrays containing literally thousands of virus-specific sequences allow simultaneous testing for essentially all known viral species. While previous methods have been limited to testing for a single pathogen, or small numbers of specific pathogens, a panviral assay is less biased and can be designed to detect variant or even novel members of existing viral families. The use of DNA microarrays in both research and clinical settings has the potential to substantially increase the number of instances in which a virus may be identified in biological samples. With the proper bioinformatics methodologies, this technology will also maximize the probability that previously uncharacterized pathogens are detected potentially leading to an improved understanding of the etiology for many chronic human diseases. This article focuses on all aspects of virus-specific DNA microarray implementation, from array design to sample processing, amplification, and data analysis.
Thermodynamics According to the Kinetic Theory Of Gases

Most mechanical and civil engineers and students of continuum mechanics have learnt little about the kinetic theory. As a result, when they are made to hear their ideas and methods denigrated by physicists and specialists in statistical mechanics, they are often at a loss to reply. For example, if they are told that (according to statistical mechanics) temperature exists only in bodies at equilibrium or nearly so, or that invariance under superposed rigid-body motions is contradicted by the kinetic theory, comments which aim to make their life’s work seem vain, they may remain speechless in misery and have recourse to strong drink or keep back their tears by staring incessantly at high frequency blood and/or sex on television. Critics of continuum mechanics upon being left victorious with nobody so much as challenging them, become heady in triumph. Usually their claims reflect dimly some half-understood truth but are stated with breadth untenable and finality undeserved by any mathematical theory for natural science, be it theirs or ours. Sometimes the claims are just plain false; such is the case with the two popular ones I have mentioned. All too often the critic himself has drunk but a few drops at the spring of statistical knowledge and is just bluffing, reckless because he can sling the lingo.
Assessment of Results Following Total Knee Replacement: A Comparison of Systems

Total knee replacement is now widely used, but great difficulties still remain concerning the clinical evaluation of results. In fact, a large number of rating systems exist, often very different from each other. Clearly, it is extremely important to be able to compare results from different centers, using different prosthetic models, just as it is also necessary to define the severity of the arthritic condition before surgery. At the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) we have used a scoring system [1] that was developed in 1972: it has recently been suggested that our method may be too lenient [5].
Fungal spores affecting vineyards in Montilla-Moriles Southern Spain

The most common Vitis vinifera diseases are powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola). Greater knowledge of the factors involved in fungus reproduction and plant infection will help to fine-tune treatment application calendars, thus cutting farmers’ costs and reducing adverse environmental effects. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between airborne spore concentrations, weather-related parameters and grapevine phenology. Phenological observations and airborne spore detection were carried out during the Vitis vinifera growing period (February–August) from 2015 to 2017. Phenological data were collected weekly for four grape varieties (Pedro Ximenez, Verdejo, Muscat a petit grains and Chardonnay). Airborne fungal spores were monitored using one Hirst-type volumetric spore trap, following the standard protocol developed by the Spanish Aerobiology Network (REA) and the European Aeroallergen Society (EAS), and 4 Passive Spore Traps (PST), following the protocol proposed by Kelly et al. (Phytopathology, 105, 905–916, 2015). During this study, U. necator was the most common, followed by B. cinerea and P. viticola. A significant correlation was found between the all PSTs weekly spore concentrations and the Hirst sampler but the seasonal spore integral was always higher for the Hirst-type sampler than for PSTs. Airborne U. necator spore concentrations were higher prior to blooming, and correlated with average temperature and rainfall. B. cinerea recorded the highest concentrations during leaf development, inflorescence emergence and flowering; airborne spore concentrations were correlated with both dew point and daily average temperature. P. viticola presented lower concentration but it was most frequently recorded spore during the stages prior to blooming, and displayed stronger correlations with humidity, dew point and average temperature. Weather conditions over the study period in the Montilla-Moriles Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area probably gave rise to spore concentrations lower than those reported for vineyards elsewhere in Spain, but higher than those recorded locally in areas where not associated with vineyards. The Hirst-type sampler yielded spore data representative of the whole study area. Knowledge of the factors influencing fungal spore concentration will help to fine-tune treatment calendars, and thus reduce the economic and environmental effects of treatment.
Fully printed memristors from Cu-SiO 2 core-shell nanowire composites

An area of printed electronics in which additional development is necessary is printable non-volatile memory, which will be essential for the development of fully printed RFID tags and sensors with integrated data storage.[1] An approach to making a printable memory is to utilize materials that exhibit resistive switching; devices based on this mechanism are often referred to as memristors.[2] However, existing fully-printed memories using memristors have properties that do not allow for practical application, with inadequate cycling endurance ( 10 μs), or short retention times ( 2 NWs). When coated from solution, these devices have modest switching voltages (2 V), a fast switching speed (50 ns), good endurance (>104 cycles), and data retention times (4 days) comparable to other fully printed memristors.[6] This work reports the fabrication and characteristics of a Cu-SiO 2 NW/ethylcellulose composite that is aerosol printed in a fully-printed memristor array.
What Can we do about Student Cheating

Technology is bringing us more and better ways to deter and detect cheating These techniques may be effective, but they cannot help us do the more important job of teaching students the value of ho...
High Right Ventricular Afterload is Associated with Impaired Exercise Tolerance in LVAD Patients

Purpose Exercise tolerance, measured by pVO 2 during cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET), is impaired in patients with LVAD. After LVAD, the right heart is more sensitive to afterload. We hypothesize that high RV afterload during exercise is associated with lower pVO 2 . Methods At routine right heart catheterization (RHC), LVAD patients performed supine bicycle exercise to maximal effort. Hemodynamics and echocardiograms at rest and peak exercise were collected. The same patients underwent CPET on different days as part of routine post-operative monitoring. We used effective arterial elastance (Ea = systolic PAP/stroke volume) to measure RV afterload, as it incorporates both pulsatile and resistive loads. Results Between 11/17 and 9/18, 10 patients (median age 54 years) had RHC, 8 of them had CPET. Time between LVAD and RHC was 244 days (IQ 223-299) and between CPET and RHC was 55 days (IQ 35-126). Work achieved (Watts) during CPET and RHC correlated linearly (α=1.1, p=0.003, R²=0.60). Patients had low pVO 2 (13.2 L/kg/min, IQ 11-18) and high VEVCO 2 slope (34, IQ 32-43) despite normal filling pressures and cardiac output (CO) after LVAD. They had no chronotropic incompetence (reaching 89.5% of max predicted heart rate, IQ 66.4-95.4). Compared to resting state, at peak exercise, filling pressures, CO, RV stroke work index, and RV tissue Doppler (S’) increased. Notably, pVO 2 negatively correlated with Ea at peak exercise and the change in Ea from rest to stress, while VEVCO 2 slope had the inverse correlations (Figure). pVO 2 did not correlate with changes in PCWP, CO, or LVAD flow. Moderate-severe baseline RV dysfunction and mild-moderate TR are associated with worse pVO 2 and VEVCO 2 slope. Conclusion This pilot study is the first to suggest that poor baseline RV function and high RV afterload at peak exercise are associated with worse pVO 2 and VEVCO 2 slope in LVAD patients. The practice of increasing pump speed may not be adequate to improve exercise tolerance and may be harmful to RV function.
Alcohol Use and Ethnicity Independently Predict Antiretroviral Therapy Nonadherence Among Patients Living with HIV/HCV Coinfection.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important to counter synergistic effects of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) in patients living with coinfection. Predictors of ART nonadherence among patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection are not well established. This knowledge would be advantageous for clinicians and behavioral health specialists who provide care to patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection. The purpose of this study was to assess prevalence and predictors of ART nonadherence in a sample of patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection who were actively in HIV clinical care. A sample of patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection who received care at a university-affiliated HIV clinic (n = 137) between January 2013 and July 2017 were included in the study. Computerized patient-reported data or outcomes (PROs) and electronic medical record data of these respective patients were collected and analyzed. Binomial logistic regression was used to examine predictors of ART nonadherence. The prevalence of ART nonadherence was 31%. In multivariate analysis, African American ethnicity (OR = 3.28, CI 1.241–8.653, p = 0.017) and a higher number of alcoholic drinks per drinking day (OR = 1.31, CI 1.054–1.639, p = 0.015) were positively associated with ART nonadherence. Behavioral health providers are encouraged to incorporate alcohol use reduce interventions in HIV clinical settings to reduce ART nonadherence among patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection. Additionally, public health professionals and researchers, and clinicians are encouraged to use inductive methods to discover why ART nonadherence disproportionately impacts African American patients living with HIV/HCV coinfection and to develop approaches that are sensitive to those respective barriers.
TGF-β1, pSMAD and TGFβ-related markers in Patients with advanced metastatic cancer

3638 ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the presence and the individual biological variability of phosphorylated SMAD (pSMAD) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1) plasma levels in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer involving the bone. Additionally, secondary markers of the TGF-β1 related-signaling pathway such as parathyroid-hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other biomarkers were evaluated in the same patient population. Experimental Design: This trial was a non-drug interventional study to obtain blood via venapuncture a maximum of four times over a 2 to 4 week period. Parallel samples of PBMC were collected and either 1) stimulated with TGF-β1 at the local institution or 2) shipped overnight to the Sponsor and stimulated the next day. pSMAD levels in the absence and presence of TGF-β1 as well as the plasma levels of the biomarkers were measured. Results: A total of 49 patients enrolled in the study with the most common tumor types being breast and prostate cancer. The bioassay for pSMAD PBMC consistently produced pSMAD levels in all patients and the individual biological variability of this assay was 47%. The geometric mean of TGF-β1 in plasma was 1.97 ng/ml in patients that had normal levels of platelet factor 4 (PF4). The highest TGF-β1 levels were seen almost exclusively in PF4-positive samples indicating a hypercoagulation state. Lastly several differences between levels of analytes in the study population and the normal population were detected in the Rules Based Medicine (RBM) antigen panel. Some of the analytes with statistically significant difference include α2 macroglobulin (p=0.0002), CA125 (p=0.000), PAI-1 (p=0.0129), MMP-3 (p=0.000), and MMP-9 (p=0.0002). Conclusions: A novel ex vivo bioassay for the detection of pSMAD in PBMC provided reliable results in patients with advanced, metastatic cancer involving the bone. This assay consistently produced pSMAD levels in all cancer patients. TGF-β1 levels appear to be elevated for this cancer population.
Chapter 3 – Operators and Waves

Particle variables such as the momentum and the energy are represented in quantum theory by operators. The operator corresponding to the momentum is p^=−iℏddx. Operators corresponding to other particle variables such as the energy are obtained by writing the variable in terms of the momentum and then replacing the momentum with the momentum operator. The possible results of measuring a variable can be obtained by forming the eigenvalue equation for the operator corresponding to the variable operator×function=constant×function.operator×function=constant×function. The results of a measurement are the values of the constant on the right-hand side of the eigenvalue equation for which the equation has a solution satisfying the boundary conditions. The wave function for particles incident upon barriers can be obtained by setting up the Schrodinger equation in each region and requiring that the wave function and its derivative be continuous across each interface. Quantum theory makes the remarkable prediction that particles can tunnel through barriers of finite width. The position and the momentum of microscopic objects cannot be precisely known simultaneously. The product of the uncertainty in the position and the uncertainty in the x-component of the momentum satisfy the following relation: Δx⋅Δpx≥ℏ2, which is known as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Similar relations apply to the other coordinates and the corresponding components of the momentum and to the time and the energy Δt⋅ΔE≥ℏ2. The uncertainty relations may be understood as a fundamental consequence of the wave-particle duality. The idea that waves are associated with particles leads to the following general equation for the average value of an observable: 〈Q〉=∫abψ*(x)Q^ψ(x)dx, where Q is an observable and Q^ is the corresponding operator. This last formula applies to the position, as well as to the momentum and the energy.
Evaluation of musculoskeletal phenotype of the G608G progeria mouse model with lonafarnib, pravastatin, and zoledronic acid as treatment groups

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a uniformly fatal condition that is especially prevalent in skin, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal systems. A wide gap exists between our knowledge of the disease and a promising treatment or cure. The aim of this study was to first characterize the musculoskeletal phenotype of the homozygous G608G BAC-transgenic progeria mouse model, and to determine the phenotype changes of HGPS mice after a five-arm preclinical trial of different treatment combinations with lonafarnib, pravastatin, and zoledronic acid. Microcomputed tomography and CT-based rigidity analyses were performed to assess cortical and trabecular bone structure, density, and rigidity. Bones were loaded to failure with three-point bending to assess strength. Contrast-enhanced µCT imaging of mouse femurs was performed to measure glycosaminoglycan content, thickness, and volume of the femoral head articular cartilage. Advanced glycation end products were assessed with a fluorometric assay. The changes demonstrated in the cortical bone structure, rigidity, stiffness, and modulus of the HGPS G608G mouse model may increase the risk for bending and deformation, which could result in the skeletal dysplasia characteristic of HGPS. Cartilage abnormalities seen in this HGPS model resemble changes observed in the age-matched WT controls, including early loss of glycosaminoglycans, and decreased cartilage thickness and volume. Such changes might mimic prevalent degenerative joint diseases in the elderly. Lonafarnib monotherapy did not improve bone or cartilage parameters, but treatment combinations with pravastatin and zoledronic acid significantly improved bone structure and mechanical properties and cartilage structural parameters, which ameliorate the musculoskeletal phenotype of the disease.
Message from the General Chair: IEEE SmartCloud/ISRL 2019

It is our pleasure and honor as General Chairs of IEEE SmartCloud/ISRL 2019 to welcome you to the 4th IEEE International Conference on Smart Cloud (IEEE SmartCloud 2019), the 3rd International Symposium on Reinforcement Learning (IEEE ISRL 2019), and the co-located events. IEEE SmartCloud/ISRL 2019 Committees organize these two co-located conferences. It is a great honor and privilege for us to organize SmartCloud/ISRL 2019 in the heart of Tokyo, from December 10th to 12th, 2019. On behalf of the organizing committees of IEEE SmartCloud/ISRL 2019, we would like to express to all participants who attend the conference and the associated workshops and summit our cordial welcome and gratitude. IEEE SmartCloud/ISRL 2019 is an annual academic get-together and prior events include SmartCloud/ISRL 2018 (New York, USA), SmartCloud/ISRL 2017 (New York, USA), and SmartCloud/ISRL 2016 (New York, USA). The theme of this academic gathering was born out of an in-depth exploration in computing resource-oriented services covering big data, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. The conferences and the associated workshops have attracted high-quality research papers, which highlight the most recent research work that strives to push beyond the limits of the existing smart computing technologies, which include experimental evaluations, innovative systems, and investigations identifying weaknesses in the existing cloud computing systems.
On Methods: “The Situation’s in Control”

The situation is always, already in control. Drawing inspiration from jam bands and artists such as Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, this article leverages “jamming” as a way to playfully and ...
The 22nd National School on Neutron & X-ray Scattering 2020 – Upsides of going virtual

The National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering (NXS) has become a yearly ‘institution’ for North American graduate students interested in neutron and X-ray scattering. Like other schools and c...
Intrathecal catheter and port placement for nusinersen infusion in children with spinal muscular atrophy and spinal fusion

Spinal administration of medications is challenging in patients with complete posterior spinal fusion. We describe percutaneous image-guided intrathecal port placement for administration of the antisense oligonucleotide nusinersen for children and young adults with spinal muscular atrophy. To describe and present our initial experience with a new technique for administering nusinersen in patients with spinal muscular atrophy and posterior spinal fusion. We reviewed medical records of 13 patients who received intrathecal ports using DynaCT, biplane fluoroscopy and iGuide from April 2018 through June 2019, and we describe the clinical course over 1 year. Image-guided catheter and port implantation was successful in all cases. Two ports were subsequently removed, one for persistent cerebrospinal fluid leak and one for superficial infection. The other 11 have functioned successfully for a minimum of 23 months. We report our experience with image-guided intrathecal port placement in children with complete posterior spine fusion. The implanted port permits dosing in an outpatient setting and avoids the need for multiple future radiologic procedures, and it reduces discomfort, procedural costs and potential risks and sequelae of multiple anesthetics and radiation exposures. Further studies are needed to define the relative risks and benefits of intrathecal ports compared to other approaches such as repeated transforaminal lumbar punctures.
A physical model for the origin of the diffuse cosmic infrared background

We present a physical model for origin of the cosmic diffuse infrared background (CDIRB). By utilizing the observed stellar mass function and its evolution as input to a semi-empirical model of galaxy formation, we isolate the physics driving diffuse IR emission. The model includes contributions from three primary sources of IR emission: steady-state star formation owing to isolated disk galaxies, interaction-driven bursts of star formation owing to close encounters and mergers, and obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). We find that most of the CDIRB is produced by equal contributions from objects at z=0.5-1 and z>1, as suggested by recent observations. Of those sources, the vast majority of the emission originates in systems with low to moderate IR luminosities (L_{IR} 2). All star formation in ongoing mergers accounts for 1 TeV) \gamma-rays, the model provides predictions for the optical depth of the Universe to the most energetic photons. We find that these predictions agree with observations of high-energy cutoffs at TeV energies in nearby blazars, and suggest that while the Universe is extremely optically thick at >10 TeV, the next generation of VHE \gamma-ray telescopes can reasonably expect detections from out to 50-150 Mpc.
Changes in Psych-verbs: A reanalysis of little v

The present paper examines psych-verbs in the history of English. As is well-known, object experiencers are reanalyzed as subject experiencers in many of the modern European languages. I discuss one such change in detail, namely the change in the verb fear from meaning ‘to frighten, cause to fear’ to meaning ‘to fear’. The reason for the change may be the loss of the morphologically overt causative and a change in the set of light verbs. Object experiencers are constantly lost but I show there is also a continual renewal through external borrowing and internal change from physical to mental impact. A last change I discuss is the one where Subject Experiencers are reanalyzed as Agents in a V(oice)P.
Comparison of Titan's north polar lakes with terrestrial analogs

[1] The discovery of hydrocarbon lakes in the polar regions of Titan offers a unique opportunity to compare terrestrial lakes with those in an extraterrestrial setting. We selected 114 terrestrial lakes formed by different processes as analogs for comparison with the 190 Titanian lakes that we had mapped in our previous study. Using the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) C-band backscatter data and the SRTM Water Body Data (SWBD), we carried out an assessment of manual mapping versus existing automated mapping techniques, and found the automated techniques to produce as good representations of the lake shorelines as the manual mapping in the terrestrial dataset. We then calculated and compared terrestrial and Titanian shoreline statistical parameters including fractal dimension, shoreline development index and an elongation index. We found different lake generation mechanisms on Earth produce “statistically different” shorelines. However, we cannot identify any one mechanism or set of mechanisms to be responsible for forming the depressions enclosing the lakes on Titan, on the basis of our statistical analyses.
Neutral and Charged Higgs Detection: Heavy Quark Fusion, Top Quark Mass Dependence and Rare Decays

Abstract We examine the relevance of heavy quark fusion processes for production of both neutral and charged Higgs bosons. Top quark mass-dependence of these mechanisms as well as of gg fusion production of the neutral Higgs is explored. We find that gg fusion is generally larger than t t fusion for the neutral Higgs and even dominates WW/ZZ fusion in the region m H 0 ≤ 1 TeV for top masses above m t = 150 GeV. For charged Higgs boson production via t b fusion, the rate may be sufficiently large to permit its detection by making use of the H + → τ + ν τ decay mode; other distinctive final states, available in supersymmetric models, are also considered. Finally, we show that backgrounds to heavy quark fusion subprocesses can be reduced by tagging on a lepton emitted from the accompanying spectator t-quark.
Collection of Food and Dietary Supplement Intake Data: What We Eat in America–NHANES

This paper describes the collection process for the integrated dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES) 2002 (entitled What We Eat in America-NHANES), referred to here as the integrated survey. The dietary components of previous NHANES cycles and the Continuing Survey of Food Intake in Individuals (CSFII) are also described. The collection process for foods in the integrated survey consists of an in-person 24-h recall using a computerized 5-step method and a second nonconsecutive 24-h recall via telephone. A food frequency questionnaire is being pilot-tested to provide information on the propensity to consume certain foods. Dietary supplement intakes over the past 30 d are assessed for all persons during the household interview. Other diet-related data are also obtained. Strengths of the integrated survey include information on food and supplement intakes in a representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States that can be linked to anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and disease history information in NHANES. After reviewing the current state of the art on dietary and dietary supplement data collection, discussion groups consisting of members of key stakeholder community concluded that, although the most advanced methods for dietary data collection available are being used, the differences between how information on food and dietary supplement intakes is collected make it challenging to combine data describing nutrients from both sources to obtain estimates of total nutrient intakes. The discussion groups concluded that more research is needed on these issues and provided key recommendations for future efforts in this important area of public health surveillance.
The synthesis of a macromolecular ligand by the modification of polystyrene

Uncrosslinked atactic polystyrene was chemically modified first by acetylation then by a Claisen condensation with ethyl perfluoropropanoate to produce three crosslinked chelating polymers that contained a phenyl, perfluoroethyl, beta-diketone chelating group in 10, 20, and 63 mole % compositions. Cu(II), Ni(II), and uranyl chelates of the macromolecular ligands were prepared and analyzed. The macromolecular ligands and their chelates were compared with the model ligating species 4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-pentanedione with infrared and mass spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance.
Enzyme synthesis directed by nonglucosylated T-even bacteriophages in restrictive hosts.

Abstract Phage T2gt, defective in ability to initiate production of α-glucosyl transferase, elicits the synthesis of other phage-directed early enzymes in the host bacterium Escherichia coli B in which it cannot grow. This early-enzyme synthesis is arrested at about the same time in infection with either T2gt or T2, despite the fact that T2gt DNA is apparently not replicated in E. coli B. A similar pattern of phageenzyme synthesis is observed with other T-even phages with nonglucosylated DNA. Experiments with UV-irradiated phage and with inhibitors of protein synthesis indicate that the arrest of enzyme synthesis in infection with nonglucosylated phage is due not to the regulatory process operative in infection with normal phage, but to a different mechanism. The evidence suggests that this mechanism is the rapid degradation of the nonglucosylated phage DNA. The experiments also provide estimates for the half-life of phage-specific mRNA in the presence or absence of protein synthesis.
Tensor products of symmetric functions over ℤ2

We calculate the homology and the cycles in tensor products of algebras of symmetric function over ℤ2
The effects of deicer salts on the pressure impregnation of bridge deck type concrete with methyl methacrylate

Abstract A group of cylindrical concrete specimens, containing various known quantities of deicer salts, were impregnated from the top surface under a pressure of 75 psig (517 KPa) until complete penetration of the concrete (5 in. or 12.7 cm) was achieved. It was found that increasing salt contents, up to 0.75% Cl− by weight of the mortar fraction of the concrete, had no effect on quantity of monomer inbibed, the volume percent of porosity filled with the monomer, nor the degree of water absorptivity of the polymer impregnated concrete. A second group of specimens was impregnated from the top surface at various pressures ranging from 0 to 75 psig (101 to 517 KPa) to a given level of monomer loading. For a given pressure, monomer loading was found to vary directly with the square root of time. Also, it was shown that higher pressures provide denser polymer loadings, higher rates of impregnation, and for a given time period, increased depth of penetration.
Comparison of Laser- and Pressure-Driven Thrust Response of HMX

The laser- and pressure-driven thrust response functions of HMX (cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine) at pressures near 1 atm were measured during laser-supported combustion at mean CO 2 laser heat fluxes of 35 and 60 W/cm 2 . During laser-driven testing, the laser flux was modulated at ′15 W/cm 2 at driving frequencies ranging from 4 to 250 Hz. Pressure-driven thrust measurements were made with a 10% peak-to-peak variation about the mean chamber pressure at driving frequencies ranging from 4 to 100 Hz. Measured steady-state temperature profiles and numerical predictions of the temperature profiles in the gas-phase reaction zone were used to estimate steady and unsteady heat feedback, respectively. Trends in the experimental results are consistent with a condensed-phase response to the unsteady heat fluxes and with results in the literature from similar experiments. Differences in trends with changing mean heat flux between the laser- and pressure-driven results are explained using the unsteady heat feedback estimates. The experimental results are compared to an analytical model, which used one-step reactions in the condensed phase and gas phase, and numerical modeling results that used detailed gas-phase chemistry. The agreement between the analytical model and the data was found to be better than that between the numerical modeling results and the data.
A second order in time, uniquely solvable, unconditionally stable numerical scheme for Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes equation

We propose a novel second order in time numerical scheme for Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes phase field model with matched density. The scheme is based on second order convex-splitting for the Cahn-Hilliard equation and pressure-projection for the Navier-Stokes equation. We show that the scheme is mass-conservative, satisfies a modified energy law and is therefore unconditionally stable. Moreover, we prove that the scheme is unconditionally uniquely solvable at each time step by exploring the monotonicity associated with the scheme. Thanks to the simple coupling of the scheme, we design an efficient Picard iteration procedure to further decouple the computation of Cahn-Hilliard equation and Navier-Stokes equation. We implement the scheme by the mixed finite element method. Ample numerical experiments are performed to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical scheme.
Use and satisfaction with prosthetic devices among persons with trauma-related amputations: a long-term outcome study.

Dillingham TR, Pezzin LE, MacKenzie EJ, Burgess AR: Use and satisfaction with prosthetic devices among persons with trauma-related amputations: a long-term outcome study. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2001;80:563–571.ObjectiveTo document and examine the use, satisfaction, and problems with prosthetic device
Optimal policies, control theory and technology exports

Abstract Can policy operations improve the performance of the economy? This question has a long history in economics, a history marked by conflicts over the appropriate roles for rules and authority, over the benefits of fine tuning, and, in an earlier era, over the benefits of a managed versus an “automatic” standard. Science frequently returns to old problems with new tools. The policy problem can be stated in a very general way. There are risks inherent in nature and trade. Social arrangements can reduce these risks by well-known devices such as pooling, but risks cannot be eliminated entirely. The optimal set of social arrangements minimizes the social costs of bearing risks, but some arrangements increase risk.
Shooting in the Dark: How Computer Software Can Improve the Quality of Public Policies

ABSTRACT Most policy debates are fought largely with volleys of ideological slogans rather than evaluations of the costs and benefits arising from alternative proposals. The failure to measure costs and benefits creates a vacuum, rendering the political process more susceptible to manipulation by special interests. A lack of information regarding costs and benefits can also inhibit negotiations for mutually beneficial compromises. The failure to employ cost benefit analysis arises from the expense and time involved in measuring complicated phenomena. In addition, when decision makers do employ cost benefit analysis, they often omit significant gains and losses due to difficulties encountered in collecting information. In order to remedy these difficulties policy makers must make better use of computer software, which is currently being developed.
Consequences of visual deprivation in the absence of binocular competitive mechanisms in Siamese cat area 17

Abstract The Siamese cat is a mutant with abnormally crossed visual pathways, which provides a model for studying the effects of visual deprivation in the absence of binocular competitive interactions. Siamese cats are known to be resistant to the effects of monocular eyelid suture. To further explore the nature of this resistance, the receptive field properties of neurons in area 17 of monocularly (MD) and binocularly (BD) deprived Siamese cats were studied. Neither condition produced a loss of cortical responsiveness, which is a characteristic result of binocular deprivation in normally pigmented cats. Somewhat more units in the deprived hemisphere of MD Siamese cats were orientation-selective, and many more units were direction-selective than in BD Siamese cats. This difference may be due to an effect of visual attentional mechanisms, which can function in MD but not BD Siamese cats. To test whether the resistance to the effects of visual deprivation in Siamese cats might be a more general phenomenon, Siamese and normally pigmented cats were raised in an 8-Hz stroboscopically illuminated environment. Both groups showed a severe loss of direction selectivity. Some of the normally pigmented cats also showed a loss of binocularity, which appeared to be secondary to strabismus.
Do Texas groundwater conservation districts matter

Texas faces a number of issues in an attempt to balance the water needs of a growing population while at the same time trying to conserve its water resources. Some of these issues include infrastructure improvements and provision of new supplies, changing patterns of use, water marketing and aquifer depletion. With aquifers providing 60% of all the water used in Texas, protecting and keeping these sources viable in the future is a key priority in addressing the state9s water issues. With the state9s emphasis on local control and the existence of between 80 and 90 groundwater districts state-wide, this research seeks to answer the question “Do groundwater districts in the State of Texas make a difference in groundwater depletion?” We use panel data from a set of 8,110 observations in a fixed effects regression to help us answer this question. We find evidence to suggest that groundwater districts do make a difference. After taking into consideration a couple of potential threats to validity, we run our model on a per district basis and by groundwater management areas. We also run it on a per aquifer basis and compare results with recommendations in the 2007 Texas Water Plan as a reality check. If we successfully answer the question that districts do in fact matter, the next logical step is to investigate what it is that districts do that makes a difference.
Energy-balanced task allocation for collaborative processing in networked embedded systems

In this paper, we study the problem of allocating a real-time application onto a set of homogeneous processing elements connected by a single-hop wireless network. A periodic application consisting of a set of communicating tasks is considered. Each element is equipped with discrete dynamic voltage scaling for exploring the energy-latency tradeoffs. The time and energy costs of both computation and communication activities are considered. The goal is to balance the energy dissipation of the elements during each period of the application with respect to the remaining energy of elements, such that the system lifetime is maximized. An Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation is first developed, which can be solved to obtain the optimal solution. We then propose an efficient 3-phase heuristic. Experimental results show that for small scale problems, the performance of the heuristic achieves up to 85% of the system lifetime obtained by the ILP-based approach. For large scale problems, the performance of the heuristic shows an improvement of 120-250\% in the system lifetime compared with the case where no voltage scaling is used. Further, we present two extensions of our approaches that consider multiple communication channels and techniques for exploring the energy-latency tradeoffs of the communication activities.
The Adolescent Female Athlete: Current Concepts and Conundrums

The adolescent female athlete has become a common part of the sports environment at all levels from childhood play to professional adult sports. This article considers various issues common to this athlete to help clinicians care for their patients. Basic sports physiology is reviewed and then specific conditions are considered, including iron deficiency anemia, stress urinary incontinence, breast issues (ie, pain, asymmetry, galactorrhea, injury), the female athlete triad (ie, menstrual dysfunction, abnormal eating patterns, and osteopenia or osteoporosis), and injuries. Clinical conundrums are considered including the difficulty in caring for a dedicated athlete whose intense love of her sport may lead to menstrual and bone loss complications. The knowledgeable clinician in the twenty-first century can be of considerable help to the female athlete who is at and beyond puberty.
The feasibility of improving the captive environments of the Pongidae

It is proposed that differences in fertility between naturally living great apes (Pongidae, Primates) and captive individuals are caused, in part, by an absence of naturalistic features in captive habitats. One component of probable importance in the natural habitat of pongids is temporal complexity. This is indicated by description of climate fluctuations over the pongid geographic range. In this paper the introduction of temporal complexity to captive habitats is proposed as an important modification that should contribute substantially to improved fertility of the captive great ape, in addition to greater utilization by researchers. Improvements of this sort are not economically feasible, however, if traditional building designs are utilized. Adoption of an enlightened perspective using appropriate, alternative technologies is a requirement for cost effective improvements. A first priority in such an approach is a revision of attitudes toward appropriate designs, and a collaboration between agencies responsible for establishing building costs and those for setting maintenance costs.
Model attitude measurements at NASA Langley Research Center

This paper describes the predominant instrumentation used to make precision model attitude measurements in wind tunnel testing at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). It covers all aspects of precision model attitude measurements: the type of sensors, testing and calibration, packaging preparation, signal conditioning, and user instructions. The paper concludes with descriptions of alternate methods to make precision model attitude measurements and future directions in this field.
Towards the ideal programming language

A programming language with good features and notation can help the programmer represent his abstractions in the programming language, and can also help someone else understand the original abstraction. There have been numerous proposals for better features. In this paper we propose several new ideas to improve the notation. First we suggest that class instances be named with a sequence of identifiers consisting of the class name preceded by modifiers. Then we propose that prepositions be placed before procedure parameters to suggest their role. Finally, we suggest that applicative and imperative operations can be separated semantically, and then recombined syntactically through the use of the “which” and passive operators.
Associating fluids with four bonding sites against solid surfaces: Monte Carlo simulations

Abstract We present a Metropolis Monte Carlo study of an associating fluid near a solid surface. Each fluid molecule is modelled as a spherical hard core with four highly anisotropic square-well sites placed in tetrahedral symmetry on the hard core surface. The molecules are placed between two parallel walls, a large enough distance apart to enable a bulk fluid region to appear. We consider flat walls with and without association sites, and molecules with association energies of several strengths. We report the density of molecules and the fraction of unbonded molecules as a function of distance from the wall over a range of molecular densities and temperatures. The profiles at the hard wall show two competing effects. Monomers, which suffer no drop in configurational entropy as they approach the wall, are affected only by the collision forces and tend to pile up at the wall. At lower temperatures the molecular attractions cause the molecules to cluster amongst themselves rather than accumulate against th...
Diel Rhythms in Edaphic Community Metabolism in a Delaware Salt Marsh

An endogenous rhythm in edaphic salt marsh community photosynthesis was demonstrated but no evidence for a similar respiratory rhythm was found. Photosynthesis exhibited both temperature— and light—modulated rhythms. Light saturation of the system did not occur at less than 50% of full sunlight. Respiration also exhibited light— and temperature—induced rhythms. See full-text article at JSTOR
Counseling adolescents with problem pregnancies.

PIP: The whole gamut of problems involved in counseling pregnant teens, from the national statistics and psychosocial context to the goals of counseling and follow-up are discussed. In the U.S. 40% of women have become pregnant by age 20 (1982 data), making this one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy worldwide. Many factors contribute to this problem: adolescent development with its unresolved conflicts; teenage cultural myths about sex roles, such as the idea that it is harmful to deny sex to males; cultural roles for women such as being passive and therefore unprepared with contraception. The teen pregnancy, then, evokes a personal, interpersonal, moral and medical crisis. Goals for counseling are to help the young woman mjake a fully integrated, final decision; provide emotional support and referral information; to help her use the experience for growth. The decision often has to be rapid, because many teens delay revealing their pregnancy out of fear, yet prenatal care is essential, while a second trimester abortion should be avoided. Decisions about whether to bear the child, involve the father, the family, where to live, how to get financial support become complex. Even the counselor's background can be counterproductive, especially when the teen chooses STET unlikely to succeed. Issues of client's autonomy and confidentiality regarding family, the male partner, and even local regulations may confuse the process. Follow-up counseling may be indicated, for post-abortion or pregnancy support, for future contraception, for a committed relationship, or for balancing her needs versus her sexual partner's.
Fundamental Study on Application of Gas-Based Shaft Furnace Direct Reduction Process to High Efficiency and Clean Utilization of Paigeite

The paigeite resources are abundant in China, but most of them are difficult to be utilized efficiently because of the current technical problems on industrial practice. It is necessary to perfected and innovated for comprehensive utilization of paigeite. The new process of gas-based shaft furnace direct reduction-electric furnace smelting separation provides a new way to efficient and clean comprehensive utilization of paigeite resources. In this paper, the pellets are prepared from boron-bearing iron concentrate. The mechanisms of roasting, the rules of reduction, and the properties of reduction swelling are also investigated. And then the pellets after reduction are smelted and separated in electric furnace to study the properties of products and analyze the feasibility and superiority of new technique. The results showed that boron-bearing iron concentrate is a kind of good raw material for pelletizing process. The properties of boron-bearing pellets after roasting for 20 min at 1200°C could meet to the requirements of gas-based shaft furnace direct reduction process, which exhibited fast reaction rate, good reduction swelling properties and high compressive strength both before and after reduction. With the new process, the efficient separation of boron and iron can be realized. The high boron grade and high activity of boron-rich slag obtained from new process can be used directly in boric acid manufacture. The new process shows excellent tech-economy feasibility to achieve efficiency and clean comprehensive utilization of paigeite resources.