cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INFLUENCE OF BIOMATERIAL SURFACE TEXTURE ON BONE INGROWTH IN THE RABBIT FEMUR

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine both the histologic and the mechanical characteristics of bone apposition to an experimental surface, arc-deposited titanium, in a rabbit model and to compare them with those of four previously studied surfaces: one layer of cobalt-chromium beads, three layers of cobalt-chromium beads, plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium, and uncoated titanium alloy. Bilateral cylindrical implants were press-fit into the lateral femoral condyles of 70 adult New Zealand White rabbits, which were allowed unrestricted activity and then killed at 6 or 12 weeks. The distal femora were harvested, radiographed, and prepared for either mechanical or histologic evaluation. All of the implants with coated surfaces had significantly greater shear strength than the implants of grit-blasted titanium alloy after both 6 and 12 weeks. After 6 weeks, maximum bone apposition occurred in the beaded surfaces. After 12 weeks, the shear strengths and bone apposition of implants of arc-deposited titanium and of one and three layers of cobalt-chromium beads were significantly greater than those of implants of plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium and grit-blasted titanium alloy. The histologic studies correlated with the mechanical results. After 12 weeks, the bone apposition and mechanical stability of arc-deposited titanium were similar to those of a single layer of beads. There appeared to be no advantage to multiple layers of beads, and the plasma-sprayed cobalt-chromium and grit-blasted titanium surfaces showed lower shear strength and bone apposition than the other groups.
The fine structural localization of adenosine triphosphatase in the small intestine, kidney, and liver of the rat.

The distribution of the reaction product of a staining method for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in rat small intestine, kidney, and liver was studied with electron microscopy. Several procedures were tried but the best results were obtained from tissue that had been quenched in liquid nitrogen, sectioned at 25 µ in a cryostat, fixed for 30 to 90 minutes at 4°C in formalin-sucrose buffered to pH 7.2, incubated with substrate, and then osmicated and prepared for electron microscopy in the usual way. This procedure enabled the localization of mitochondrial ATPase to be studied. In tissue fixed in small blocks in osmium tetroxide for 3 minutes prior to incubation with substrate, good preservation was noted, and the reaction product for ATPase was localized on the cell membrane and nuclei. The reaction product was present in abundant amount in the nuclei, and particularly within nucleoli, of all tissues studied. Because the histochemical localization of nuclear enzymes poses numerous interpretative problems at the present time, the significance of this nuclear localization is uncertain. Cell (plasma) membranes were the site of localization, especially at areas where it has been proposed that active transport mechanisms may occur, namely, on the microvilli of intestinal epithelium, endothelial lining of capillaries, glomerular epithelial cell membranes, basal infoldings of the cell membrane of renal tubules, on the microvilli of bile canaliculi, and on the microvilli of proximal convoluted tubular epithelial cells. ATPase localization on the cristae mitochondriales was also demonstrated.
Symmetric resonance charge transfer of Ar2+ IN Ar

Abstract Merging beams are used to measure cross sections for the reaction Ar 2+ + Ar → Ar + Ar 2+ at relative energies from 2 to 1000 eV. The results are in fair agreement with the theory of Fetisov and Firsov.
Parent satisfaction in a multi-site acute trial of risperidone in children with autism: a social validity study

Subjects who view experimental procedures as worthwhile are more likely to participate in clinical trials and comply with study procedures. Designing studies that consider the consumer’s perspective will help to forge a better alliance between participants and researchers. Participant satisfaction is seldom assessed in pharmacological research. In this paper, we report on parent satisfaction in a randomized clinical trial in children with autistic disorder and severely disruptive behavior. Parents of 101 children with autism who had participated in a multi-site 8-week double-blind clinical trial of risperidone were given a questionnaire at the end to elicit their perceptions of the appropriateness and acceptability of clinical trial procedures. Ninety-six (95.0%) parents returned the questionnaire. Of these, 80.0 to 96.8%, depending on the question, expressed satisfaction with their child’s research participation regardless of treatment outcome or assignment to active drug or placebo. In all, 90.5% of parents indicated that they would “definitely” recommend the clinical trial to other families with similar children. A total of 92.7% indicated that they would rejoin the clinical trial if they had to do it all over again. Ethnic minority subjects were more satisfied than white participants with the use of “learning tests”. Parents of children participating in this trial were highly satisfied and supportive of the clinical trial procedures. Random assignment to drug or placebo and the clinical response of their children did not appear to influence their views. Further satisfaction studies of this sort are encouraged.
Vitamin B6 in Turkey Breast Muscle Cooked in Microwave and Conventional Ovens

Abstract Portions of turkey breast muscle were heated to 75 or 85° C. internal temperatures in microwave or conventional electric ovens. Cooking losses and time, percentage moisture, and total vitamin B6 were determined. Cooking time was longer, total cooking loss less, and moisture content greater for turkey muscle cooked in an electric oven than for that cooked in a microwave oven. Although samples cooked in the microwave oven had more vitamin B6 calculated on a cooked weight basis, differences were not significant when calculations were on a dry weight basis.
Residential energy system control and management using adaptive dynamic programming

In this paper, we apply adaptive dynamic programming to the residential energy system control and management, with an emphasis on home battery use connected to power grids. The proposed scheme is built upon a self-learning architecture with only a single critic module instead of the action-critic dual module architecture. The novelty of the present scheme is its ability to improve the performance as it learns and gains more experience in real-time operations under uncertain changes of the environment. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve the minimum electricity cost for residential customers.
Analysis and modeling of conductive EMI noise of power electronics converters in electric and hybrid electric vehicles

In developing a complex power electronic system, proper modeling at prototype sample level can save the time and cost to develop final product. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is equipped with several high powered electric devices such as DC/DC converters and DC/AC inverters. Considering that there are many restrictions in mounting and wiring the electric power system in engine room, analysis and modeling of electromagnetic interference (EMI) coupling path is crucial in designing optimal electric power system satisfying various EMC regulations. In this paper, conductive common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) equivalent models for those electric power converters used in HEV were developed and evaluated through the simulation both in time domain and frequency domain using FFT. It is confirmed that the suggested model followed the actual circuit in the point of conducted CM and DM EMI view.
Regional and Fine-Scale Strata Formation in a Major Accretionary Environment: Amazon Continental Shelf: ABSTRACT

Investigation of Amazon shelf sedimentation demonstrates that strata is presently accumulating on the inner shelf (210Pb, 137Cs, 234Th) techniques on more than 60 box cores from the deltaic deposit. On the basis of sedimentary structure, three distinct sedimentary environments have been delineated within the topset region: (1) interbedded mud and sand in a corridor extending from the river mouth acr ss the inner shelf, (2) faintly laminated muds to both flanks of this corridor, and (3) bioturbated muds comprising the remainder of the deltaic deposit. The interbedding of mud and sand may result from short-term fluctuations in a turbulent jet emanating from the Amazon River mouth. Faintly laminated muds are deposited from suspension on the flanks of the turbulent jet and have the highest accumulation rates found on the inner shelf (> 2 cm/year). Where accumulation rates are reduced, bioturbated muds are present. 234Th data from the bioturbated muds indicate rapid mixing down to 5 cm with a mixing coefficient of about 30 cm2/year. Observations of sedimentation on the foreset and bottomset regions are not as comprehensive because of their relatively small areal xtent. However, accumulation rates are found to decrease from topset (> 2 cm/year) to bottomset ( End_of_Article - Last_Page 590------------
Computer aided design of sub-100 nm strained-Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ NMOSFET through integrated process and device simulations

Integrated process and device simulations were performed to design sub-100 nm strained-Si/Si/sub 75/Ge/sub 25/ devices. The process and device models were carefully calibrated according to various physical and electrical device characterizations. It is observed that the dopant behavior is highly sensitive to the presence of the SSi/SiGe heterointerface, especially when the SSi thickness is reduced below 10 nm. This points to SSi thickness as a new source of process variation and careful control of the SSi layer is important to maintain consistent device performance. In addition, the Type-II energy-band alignment at the heterointerface also contributes strongly to the short-channel device behavior. This work illustrates the need for accurate heterostructure-based process and device models in order to simulate and design aggressively-scaled strained-Si devices.
Response of NonNative Invasive Plants to Large Scale Wind Damage

Non-native invasive plant species pose a serious threat to forest ecosystems around the world. Forest edges are associated with non-native invasive plants and forest interiors are often regarded as more resistant to invasion. The objective of this study was to determine if a large-scale wind disturbance facilitated the invasion of forest interiors by non-native invasive plant species. The northern portion of LaRue Pine Hills — Otter Pond Research Natural Area in the Shawnee National Forest of southern Illinois, was severely damaged by high winds during a powerful storm event on 8 May 2009. In the summer of 2011, 53 permanent research plots, as well as 20 additional plots located along roads that form the boundaries of the study site, were surveyed for the presence of 20 non-native invasive plant species. Only three of 53 interior plots (5.6%) contained invasive plant species (Lonicera japonica Lonicera maackii, and Rosa multiflora). Sixteen of 20 road plots contained a non-native invasive species (80%), and six species were identified (Dioscorea oppositifolia, Lactuca serriola, Lonicera maackii, Microstegium vimineum, Rosa multiflora, and Sorghum halepense). These findings indicate that wind damage does not appear to have facilitated invasion of forest interiors in the first two years following the storm. The spatial distribution of non-native invasive plants in the study area fits the pattern of other studies conducted in southern Illinois with non-native invasive plants associated primarily with forest edges and diminishing in the forest interior despite the apparent opportunity for establishment following the wind disturbance.
Hunter vena cava balloon: Rationale and results

Abstract The majority of patients with venous thromboembolism are successfully managed with anticoagulation therapy, but certain patients require inferior vena cava (IVC) interruption. Traditional open operations on the IVC have important disadvantages, among which are significant morbidity and mortality. Twenty years ago work began to develop a transvenous method to interrupt the IVC. As the requirements for a safe and effective method were defined, it became apparent that the best approach would be with a catheter-delivered detachable balloon secured by hyperinflation in the distensible IVC. The concept of a "filter" was discarded because of predicted problems with thrombosis, induced embolism, and device migration. We have treated 135 patients with the Hunter IVC balloon. Sick patients tolerate the procedure, and it is highly effective in preventing pulmonary embolism. Leg morbidity is acceptable, parallels the extent of the phlebitis, and is lessened by leg care and simultaneous anticoagulation therapy. Long-term results with follow-up to 13 years are excellent. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:491-7.)
An algorithm for reconstruction of Markov blankets in Bayesian networks of gene expression datasets

This work presents an efficient algorithm, of polynomial complexity for learning Bayesian belief networks over a dataset of gene expression levels. Given a dataset that is large enough, the algorithm generates a belief network close to the underlying model by recovering the Markov blanket of every node. The time complexity is dependent on the connectivity of the generating graph and not on the size of it, and therefore yields to exponential savings in computational time relative to some previously known algorithms. We use bootstrap and permutation techniques in order to measure confidence in our finding. To evaluate this algorithm, we present experimental results on S.cerevisiae cell-cycle measurements of Spettman et al. (1998).
Sialidase and Sialoglycoproteases Can Modulate Virulence in Porphyromonas gingivalis

The Porphyromonas gingivalis recombinant VimA can interact with the gingipains and several other proteins, including a sialidase. Sialylation can be involved in protein maturation; however, its role in virulence regulation in P. gingivalis is unknown. The three sialidase-related proteins in P. gingivalis showed the characteristic sialidase Asp signature motif (SXDXGXTW) and other unique domains. To evaluate the roles of the associated genes, randomly chosen P. gingivalis isogenic mutants created by allelic exchange and designated FLL401 (PG0778::ermF), FLL402 (PG1724::ermF), and FLL403 (PG0352::ermF-ermAM) were characterized. Similar to the wild-type strain, FLL402 and FLL403 displayed a black-pigmented phenotype in contrast to FLL401, which was not black pigmented. Sialidase activity in P. gingivalis FLL401 was reduced by approximately 70% in comparison to those in FLL402 and FLL403, which were reduced by approximately 42% and 5%, respectively. Although there were no changes in the expression of the gingipain genes, their activities were reduced by 60 to 90% in all the isogenic mutants compared to that for the wild type. Immunoreactive bands representing the catalytic domains for RgpA, RgpB, and Kgp were present in FLL402 and FLL403 but were missing in FLL401. While adhesion was decreased, the capacity for invasion of epithelial cells by the isogenic mutants was increased by 11 to 16% over that of the wild-type strain. Isogenic mutants defective in PG0778 and PG0352 were more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide than the wild type. Taken together, these results suggest that the P. gingivalis sialidase activity may be involved in regulating gingipain activity and other virulence factors and may be important in the pathogenesis of this organism.
Mechanical behavior of porous polysiloxane with micropores interconnected by microchannels

A microsphere templating process was recently developed for fabrication of open-cell porous elastomer. The material contained a unique cocontinuous structure having micropores interconnected by microchannels. In this work, a follow-up study was conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior of such porous materials. Polysiloxane was chosen as a model material. The deformation characteristics and mechanical properties of the porous elastomer under tension and compression were then studied. For both tensile and compressive tests, the mechanical properties measured were found to largely deviate from those calculated by the additive rule assuming affine deformation. This nonaffine mechanics was further verified by microscopic observations. Cyclic loading and unloading tests were also performed to study the hysteresis of the material. In comparison with the solid elastomer, the hysteresis of the porous elastomer was considerably higher and more sensitive to the strain rate. An attempt was further made to fit the stress-strain curve using existing hyperelastic models, and the results showed that the Arruda–Boyce model, in general, fit both the solid and porous polysiloxane very well. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1512–1522, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
The effect of uncertain time-variant delays in ATM networks with explicit rate feedback: a control theoretic approach

A new, more realistic model for the available bit rate traffic class in ATM network congestion control with explicit rate feedback is introduced and analyzed. This model is based on recent results by M.M. Ekanayake ("Robust stability of discrete time nonlinear systems", Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 1999) regarding discrete time models for time-variant delays. The discrete time model takes into account the effect of time-variant buffer occupancy levels of ATM switches, thus treating the case of time-variant delays between a single congested node and the connected sources. For highly dynamic situations, such a model is crucial for a valid analysis of the resulting feedback system. The new model also handles the effects of the mismatch between the resource management cell rates and the variable bit rate controller sampling rate as well as buffer and rate nonlinearities. A brief stability study shows that an equilibrium in the buffer occupancy is impossible to achieve in the presence of time-variant forward path delays. Stability conditions for the case of time-variant delays in the return path are presented. Finally, illustrative examples are provided.
Primary central nervous system lymphoma of the brain stem responding favorably to radiosurgery: A case report and literature review

Abstract Objective To explore various therapeutic alternatives and evaluate the clinical results of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). We report a case of PCNSL with involvement of the brain stem managed with radiosurgery using the Leksell gamma knife as the treatment modality. Case Description A 55-year-old white woman presented with complaints of weakness on the left side of her body and double vision associated with a frontal headache. Nervous system examination revealed right-sided oculomotor palsy and left-sided motor paresis, grade 2/5, in both upper and lower limbs. Her Karnofsky performance score was 50. A contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain revealed an irregular space-occupying lesion in the pons that enhanced uniformly with gadolinium. A frame-based stereotactic biopsy was performed revealing a B-cell malignant lymphoma. Subsequently, stereotactic radiosurgery using the Leksell gamma knife was performed. A dose of 11 Gy was delivered to the tumor margin. A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scan after 2 months revealed a 50% reduction in the size of the enhancing lesion. Conclusion Our own results and limited evidence from the literature suggest stereotactic radiosurgery as a potentially safe and effective treatment option in patients with PCNSL.
Smoking Cessation Among People Seeking Mental Health Treatment

ObjectiveThis study examined smoking cessation characteristics of smokers who reported seeking mental health treatment.MethodsData for adult current smokers (N=18,939) were combined from the 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Multivariate regressions were used to assess associations between smoking cessation behaviors, cessation-related social norms, and mental health treatment.ResultsSmokers (N=1,897) who reported seeing mental health professionals for mental health problems had higher odds of having made attempts to quit in the past year (odds ratio [OR]=1.17), of having used nicotine replacement therapy (OR=1.28), and of using face-to-face counseling (OR=2.40), telephone quit lines (OR=1.81), and support groups (OR=1.63) to assist smoking cessation. They were more likely to have been advised by health professionals to quit smoking (OR=1.62) but less likely to live in a smoke-free home (OR=.78). Use of smoking cessation treatments and prevalence of smoke-free homes increased over the...
Large-eddy simulations of the wind-induced turbulent Ekman layer

At urbulent Ekman layer created by a steady wind near the water surface is investigated using the numerical method of large-eddy simulations. The classical case of a flow unaffected by density stratification and surface waves is revisited to understand the internal structure of the flow and implications of the traditional assumptions of constant effective viscosity and the ‘f -plane’ approximation. A series of numerical experiments reveals that the Ekman solution needs correcting even in this case. The examination of the effective viscosity hypothesis confirms its validity but shows that the viscosity varies strongly with depth. It increases in the subsurface layer of thickness about 1/4 the turbulent length scale and decreases below this level. A Bessel function solution is proposed that corresponds to the approximate effective viscosity profile and matches with the LES results. Strong flow dependence on the latitude and wind direction is detected and explained by the effects of redistribution of turbulent kinetic energy between the velocity components and modification of the vertical transfer of turbulent momentum. In this paper, we consider the classical problem of a turbulent flow generated near the ocean surface by a steady wind stress in the presence of Earth’s rotation. Interest in this flow goes back to Ekman’s landmark work published in 1905. (An interesting historical review of Fridtjof Nansen’s polar expedition and other events preceding Ekman’s paper is given by Walker (1991).) Ekman assumed a balance between the Coriolis force, viscous friction and the pressure gradient, adopted the approximation of constant vertical eddy viscosity Az ,a ndderived a solution now known as the ‘Ekman spiral’. In the case of a steady wind in the x-direction, the steady-state Ekman velocity profile in the open ocean is (for the northern hemisphere) u = V0 cos π + π D z
We see only what we look for: imaging cardiac inflammation.

Myocarditis is responsible for a substantial minority of cases of sudden death and nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. In clinical case series of sudden death, myocarditis is often the third leading cause after hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congenital and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.1 In autopsy studies of young adults, myocarditis is responsible for 5% to 20% of sudden deaths.2 Nine percent to 40% of acute nonischemic cardiomyopathy cases are a result of myocarditis, a rate that varies depending on the histological or clinical diagnostic criteria used.3 A recent analysis based on hospital dismissal International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision , codes estimated that between 0.5% and 4% of prevalent heart failure is caused by myocarditis.4 This value is likely an underestimate because the diagnostic test, endomyocardial biopsy, is not widely performed outside of tertiary care medical centers. Article see p 277 Timely diagnosis of myocarditis can refine estimates of cardiac risk and permit tailored treatment for heart failure. Several studies suggest that more severe myocardial inflammation predicts progression to dilated cardiomyopathy, increased risk of arrhythmias, …
Studies on the Composition of the Secretions of the Uropygial Gland of Some Avian Species

Abstract THE skin of birds is very thin and contains only one gland, the uropygial gland, commonly known as the preen gland. The uropygial gland is embedded beneath the skin in a mass of fatty tissue, just dorsal to the levator muscle of the tail, and over the dorsal surface of the free coccygeal vertebrae. Although the shape varies greatly among species, the gland is bi-lobed and is approximately 5–10 mm. in diameter. Each lobe has a central cavity from which radiate numerous tubules, each of which ends blindly against the gland capsule (Granvik, 1913). The parts of the tubules nearest the capsule constitute the sebaceous zone and the parts nearest the cavity constitute the glycogen zone (Cater and Lawrie, 1951). The structure of the gland is comparable to the structure of the sebaceous gland of mammals (de Jonge, 1879; Cater and Lawrie, 1951). The oily secretion is used by…
Republication of The Journal of Physiology (2009) 587, 2733-2741: an introduction to the work of David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel.

It is with enormous pleasure that I add my voice to that of others of my generation in celebrating the semicentenary of the 1959 publication of Hubel and Wiesel’s first paper in The Journal of Physiology entitled: ‘Receptive fields of single neurons in the cat’s striate cortex’ (Hubel & Wiesel, 1959). This paper set the stage for the continuous flow of outstanding papers that emerged over the next twenty-odd years from the Hubel and Wiesel collaboration. Their work and that of Vernon Mountcastle opened up the modern study of the cerebral cortex. As a result of their extraordinary accomplishments, Hubel and Wiesel received the Gross Horwitz Prize together with Vernon Mountcastle in 1975, and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1981 together with Roger Sperry. It was on the occasion of the Gross Horwitz Prize, on whose committee I served, that I was invited to introduce Mountcastle, Hubel and Wiesel. My initial comments in that introduction were in fact directed toward an excellent scientist, a member of our Prize committee, who commented during our deliberations that Mountcastle, Hubel and Wiesel seemed to represent superb science, but their work had limited biological generality. To which I replied: ‘You are right, it does not apply to the kidney or the spleen. It is much more restricted. It only helps to explain the workings of the mind.’ Hubel and Wiesel’s names are enshrined together in the Pantheon of Creative Collaborations in Biological Sciences, much like Hodgkin and Huxley, Watson and Crick, and Brown and Goldstein. In each case, equal partners joined forces bringing unique skills to their collaboration to produce a new level of science and a new family of insights. I first met Torsten and David in 1957, and we became friends in the period 1960–1965 when I overlapped with them at the Harvard Medical School. That friendship continues to this day, as does my admiration for the work, scientific and administrative, that they have accomplished since going their own directions in the early 1980s. In 1983 Torsten moved to New York, first as Professor and then in 1999 as President of Rockefeller University. I served on the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller during much of Torsten’s tenure and this provided me with the additional opportunity to toast his 80th birthday. What follows in the ensuing set of papers in this issue is an outpouring of affection, respect, and gratitude for Torsten and David, for who they are, for what they have given us, and for setting the tone of our science for my generation in the United States.
Smart CARs engineered for cancer immunotherapy.

Purpose of reviewChimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are synthetic immunoreceptors, which can redirect T cells to selectively kill tumor cells, and as ‘living drugs’ have the potential to generate long-term antitumor immunity. Given their recent clinical successes for the treatment of refractory B-cel
The Effect of Continuous Wave Ultrasonic Therapy on Myocardial Infarction in the Dog

Previous studies have indicated that ultrasonic therapy has some beneficial effects on wound healing specifically with increased vascularity and decreased fibrosis formation. To investigate potential benefits in myocardial healing after ischemic and infarcted events, 24 dogs were studied after coronary artery ligation. Mongrel dogs weighing from 20 to 30 kg. were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) and a left thoracotomy was performed at the fifth intercostal space. A portion of the fifth rib was removed and the pericardium incised. The heart was suspended by suturing the pericardium to the thoracic wall at five or six points to form a cradle. The pericardium so attached retained the lung from the anterior surface of the heart and thus provided a very good window for the post-operative ultrasonic treatment. The left anterior descending coronary artery or one or two of its anterior branches were ligated depending on the distribution pattern. The dogs were divided into three groups of eight animals each. Group A was studied for four weeks post-operatively, Group B for three weeks and Group C for two weeks. Each group contained four dogs that were treated with the ultrasound and four control dogs that received placebo massage with no ultrasound therapy.
A Systematic Framework and Nanoperiodic Concept for Unifying Nanoscience: Hard/Soft Nanoelements, Superatoms, Meta-Atoms, New Emerging Properties, Periodic Property Patterns, and Predictive Mendeleev-like Nanoperiodic Tables

Development of a central paradigm is undoubtedly the single most influential force responsible for advancing Dalton’s 19th century atomic/molecular chemistry concepts to the current maturity enjoyed by traditional chemistry. A similar central dogma for guiding and unifying nanoscience has been missing. This review traces the origins, evolution, and current status of such a critical nanoperiodic concept/framework for defining and unifying nanoscience. Based on parallel efforts and a mutual consensus now shared by both chemists and physicists, a nanoperiodic/systematic framework concept has emerged. This concept is based on the well-documented existence of discrete, nanoscale collections of traditional inorganic/organic atoms referred to as hard and soft superatoms (i.e., nanoelement categories). These nanometric entities are widely recognized to exhibit nanoscale atom mimicry features reminiscent of traditional picoscale atoms. All unique superatom/nanoelement physicochemical features are derived from quan...
Mathematical models in new process development

Mathematical modeling is now established as a growing discipline which offers important tools for tackling process development and process optimization problems. The use of mathematical models for the screening of new ideas in new process development and, in particular, for tackling the inverse problem, where appropriate input parameters are defined by working backwards from an optimum result, offers very attractive and potentially rewarding possibilities. The major barriers to widespread implementation of mathematical models are the lack of constitutive relationships and the lack of information on the properties of many materials.
H2 Isotherms and Diffusion Parameters of H in fcc Pd–Mg Alloys

Hydrogen isotherms, pH2-H content relationships, have been obtained for fcc Pd–Mg alloys. One set of alloy compositions was employed for isotherm measurements from 273 to 343 K and another set of c...
Repeat spine imaging in transferred emergency department patients.

Study design Retrospective study. Objective Assess frequency of repeat spine imaging in patients transferred with known spine injuries from outside hospital (OSH) to tertiary receiving institution (RI). Summary of background data Unnecessary repeat imaging after transfer has started to become a recognized problem with the obvious issues related to repeat imaging along with potential for iatrogenic injury with movement of patients with spine problems. Methods Consecutive adult patients presenting to a single 1-level trauma center with spine injuries during a 51-month period were reviewed (n = 4500), resulting in 1427 patients transferred from OSH emergency department. All imaging and radiology reports from the OSH were reviewed, as well as studies performed at RI. A repeat was the same imaging modality used on the same spine region as OSH imaging. Results The overall rate of repeat spine imaging for both OSH imaging sent and not sent was 23%, and 6% if repeat spine imaging via traumagram (partial/full-body computed tomography [CT]) was excluded as a repeat. The overall rate of repeat CT was 29% (7% dedicated spine CT scans and 22% part of nondedicated spine CT scan).An observation of only those patients with OSH imaging that was sent and viewable revealed that 23% underwent repeat spine imaging with 23% undergoing repeat spine CT and 41% repeat magnetic resonance imaging.In those patients with sent and viewable OSH imaging, a lack of reconstructions prompted 14% of repeats, whereas inadequate visualization of injury site prompted 8%. In only 8% of the repeats did it change management or provide necessary surgical information. Conclusion This study is the first to investigate the frequency of repeat spine imaging in transfers with known spine injuries and found a substantially high rate of repeat spine CT with minimal alteration in care. Potential solutions include only performing scans at the OSH necessary to establish a diagnosis requiring transfer and improving communication between OSH and RI physicians. Level of evidence 4.
Systematic analysis of qualitative data in security

This tutorial will introduce participants to Grounded Theory, which is a qualitative framework to discover new theory from an empirical analysis of data. This form of analysis is particularly useful when analyzing text, audio or video artifacts that lack structure, but contain rich descriptions. We will frame Grounded Theory in the context of qualitative methods and case studies, which complement quantitative methods, such as controlled experiments and simulations. We will contrast the approaches developed by Glaser and Strauss, and introduce coding theory - the most prominent qualitative method for performing analysis to discover Grounded Theory. Topics include coding frames, first- and second-cycle coding, and saturation. We will use examples from security interview scripts to teach participants: developing a coding frame, coding a source document to discover relationships in the data, developing heuristics to resolve ambiguities between codes, and performing second-cycle coding to discover relationships within categories. Then, participants will learn how to discover theory from coded data. Participants will further learn about inter-rater reliability statistics, including Cohen's and Fleiss' Kappa, Krippendorf's Alpha, and Vanbelle's Index. Finally, we will review how to present Grounded Theory results in publications, including how to describe the methodology, report observations, and describe threats to validity.
Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Relation to All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Mortality in the Black Women's Health Study.

Background : Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with adverse health outcomes, but longitudinal data among Black Americans, who tend to live in more deprived neighborhoods, is lacking. Objectives: We prospectively assessed the relation of neighborhood SES to mortality in the Black Women’s Health Study. Design : A prospective cohort of 59,000 Black women was followed from 1995-2011. Participant addresses were geocoded and US Census block group was identified. Neighborhood SES was measured by a score based on US Census block group data for six indicators of income, education and wealth. Main outcome measures: Deaths were identified through the National Death Index. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs with control for covariates. Results : Based on 2,598 deaths during 1995-2011, lower neighborhood SES was associated with increased all-cause and cancer mortality irrespective of individual education: among those with 16 or more years of education, HRs for lowest relative to highest neighborhood SES quartile were 1.42 (95% CI 1.18-1.71) for all-cause and 1.54 (95% CI 1.14-2.07) for cancer mortality. Neighborhood SES was associated with cardiovascular mortality among lesseducated women. Conclusions : Lower neighborhood SES is associated with greater risk of mortality among Black women. The presence of the association even among women with high levels of education suggests that individual SES may not overcome the unfavorable influence of neighborhood deprivation. Ethn Dis . 2016;26(2):157-164; doi:10.18865/ ed.26.2.157
Studies on Controlling Pest and Weeds by Integrated Rice-Duck Farming Technology

The experiment was carried out to cultivate the production environment for organic rice by means of no-tillage and light harrow technology.Through setting different population level of duck,effect of the rice-duck farming technology on the weeds increment and reduction,pest insect communities in the field and natural enemy communities was studied.The results showed that controlling weeds by duck was a long-term and continuous process.The prosperity and perish of rice paddy weed can be controlled and the eco-balance between the rice and weeds can be maintained when the population of 15 ducks per 667m2 adopted.Integrated rice-duck farming technology was optional for destroying the rice pest.It was not as effective as the chemical pesticides but had apparent choice for destroying rice pest.Integrated rice-duck farming technology has certain positive effect on the natural pest insects in the rice field.There was a trend of decrease of natural enemy communities without the devastating effect of chemical pesticides.
Stability of Networked Control Systems with PI Output Feedback

Exponential stability and controller design of Proportion-Integral(PI) output feedback networked control system(NCS) with the dropped out packets are studied.The model for such PI output feedback NCS with time-delay and data packet dropout and with data packet dropout and no time-delay are presented.The NCS is modeled as asynchronous dynamical systems constrained by event rates.Based on the theory of asynchronous dynamical system,Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality method,the negative semi-definite matrix condition for exponential stability of the NCS and the controller design method for PI output feedback are presented.Numerical examples show that the negative semi-definite matrix condition of exponential stability and the controller design method are feasible.
Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses

In response to the Ebola scare in 2014, many people evinced strong fear and xenophobia. The present study, informed by the pathogen-prevalence hypothesis, tested the influence of individualism and collectivism on xenophobic response to the threat of Ebola. A nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans completed a survey, indicating their perceptions of their vulnerability to Ebola, ability to protect themselves from Ebola (protection efficacy), and xenophobic tendencies. Overall, the more vulnerable people felt, the more they exhibited xenophobic responses, but this relationship was moderated by individualism and collectivism. The increase in xenophobia associated with increased vulnerability was especially pronounced among people with high individualism scores and those with low collectivism scores. These relationships were mediated by protection efficacy. State-level collectivism had the same moderating effect on the association between perceived vulnerability and xenophobia that individual-level value orientation did. Collectivism-and the set of practices and rituals associated with collectivistic cultures-may serve as psychological protection against the threat of disease.
Stillness in Motion: Italy, Photography and the Meaning of Modernity

Stillness in Motion: Italy, Photography and the Meaning of Modernity provides a fascinating exploration of Italy’s complex relation with Modernity and of Italy’s relationship with photography. The ...
Comparing Amide-Forming Reactions Using Green Chemistry Metrics in an Undergraduate Organic Laboratory.

In this laboratory experiment, upper-division undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry majors investigate amide-bond-forming reactions from a green chemistry perspective. Using hydrocinnamic acid and benzylamine as reactants, students perform three types of amide-forming reactions: an acid chloride derivative route; a coupling reagent promoted method; and a boric acid catalyzed condensation. After isolation of the common product, students assess the reactions using the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and several green chemistry metrics: atom economy; reaction mass efficiency; process mass intensity; and the EcoScale. In addition to assessing what route is the greenest, students also compare the metrics to discern what aspects of green chemistry each metric captures. In order to extend sustainability to economic considerations, the projected “front-end” cost of synthesizing a kilogram of the amide is calculated based on data from each reaction. The experimental work is conducted over two 3 h laboratory pe...
Why Don't They Just Change? Contract Farming, Informational Influence, and Barriers to Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation

Using a mixed-methods study of contract seed-corn farmers in southwest Michigan, we examine the effect of interlocking macro and micro social forces on climate change behavior and apply the theoretical frames of treadmills of production and informational influence. We find that competitive agricultural contracts in the seed-corn industry impose significant structural barriers to adopting climate change mitigation behaviors. Seed-corn contracts constrain adoption of those behaviors through competitive rankings based solely on net commodity production and by limiting farmers’ access to information to make judicious management decisions. At the micro level, our findings suggest that informational influence—that is, where farmers turn for trusted information—also affects climate change mitigation behaviors, and that these informational networks are embedded within structural constraints. Our findings suggest that agricultural contracts serve as a significant structural constraint on the adoption of mitigation practices and that climate scholarship and policy must address both macro and micro dimensions simultaneously to encourage adoption of climate change mitigation.
Nswap2L: Transparently Managing Heterogeneous Cluster Storage Resources for Fast Swapping

To support data intensive cluster computing, it is increasingly important that node virtual memory (VM) systems make effective use of available fast storage devices for swap or temporary file space. Nswap2L is a novel system that transparently manages a heterogeneous set of storage options commonly found in clusters, including node RAM, disk, flash SSD, PCM, or network storage devices. Nswap2L implements a two-level device driver interface. At the top level, it appears to node operating systems (OSs) as a single, fast, random access device that can be added as a swap partition on cluster nodes. It transparently manages the underlying heterogeneous storage devices, including its own implementation of Network RAM, to which swapped out data are stored. It implements data placement, migration, and prefetching policies that choose which underlying physical devices store swapped-out page data. Its policies incorporate information about device capacity, system load, and the strengths of different physical storage media. By moving device-specific knowledge into Nswap2L, VM policies in the OS can be based solely on typical application access patterns and not on characteristics of underlying physical storage media. Nswap2L's policy decisions are abstracted from the OS, freeing the OS from having to implement specialized policies for different combinations of cluster storage---Nswap2L requires no changes to the OS's VM system. Results of our benchmark tests show that data-intensive applications perform up to 6 times faster on Nswap2L-enabled clusters, and show that our two-level device driver design adds minimal I/O latency to the underlying devices that Nswap2L manages. In addition, we found that even though Nswap2L's Network RAM is faster than any other backing store, its prefetching policy that distributes data over multiple devices results in increased I/O parallelism and can lead to better performance than swapping only to a single underlying device.
Sparse common spatial patterns with recursive weight elimination

The past decade has shown the importance of adapting spatial patterns of neural activity while decoding it in a Brain Machine Interface (BMI) framework. The common spatial patterns (CSP) algorithm tackles this problem as feature extractor in binary BMI setups in which a number of spatial projections are computed while maximizing the variance of one class and minimizing of the other. Recent advances in data acquisition systems and sensor design now make recording the neural activity of the brain with dense electrode grids a possibility. However, high density recordings also pose new challenges such as overfitting to data as the number of recording channels increases dramatically compared to the number of training trials. In this study, we tackle this problem by constructing a sparse CSP algorithm through recursive weight elimination (CSP RWE), in which the spatial projections are computed using a subset of the recording channels. The sparse projections are expected to yield increased robustness and eliminate overfitting. We show promising results towards the classification of multichannel Electrocorticogram (ECoG) and Electroencephalogram (EEG) datasets with CSP RWE for a BMI.
Signal Integrity Analysis and Validation of GHz I/O Interface on Wire Bond Ball Grid Array Technology Package

Wire bond ball grid array technology is widely used in the Intelreg South Bridge, or I/O controller hub (ICH) for a few generations. With the continuing scaling speed of the I/O interfaces, ICH has SATA Gen 2 links and PCI express links operating at 2.5 Gbits/s and 3 Gbits/s respectively within one chip. Due to the heavy traffic and new features, it pushes the electrical performance of wire bond ball grid array technology to the limit. Comprehensive analysis and measurement covering high volume manufacturing is desired to ensure the product can meet industry electrical performance spec and operate without failure. Due to complexity level in the package, each package interconnect segment is required to be modeled in 2D or 3D models. The paper discusses the package electrical modeling methodology used in GHz I/O device modeling in more robust and accurate way to support high volume manufacturing and signal integrity design. The package models are then evaluated across frequency and timing analysis to find out the optimized design to signal integrity performance. S-parameter technique is used for frequency analysis while eye diagram for timing analysis. The relationship between S-parameter and eye diagram helps in understanding the contribution to the I/O performance from each package attributes including wirebonds, ballmap pins, traces and plating bars. The paper also describes the measurement setup and result using time domain reflectometry (TDR) methodology for the I/O channel characterization. The measurement result improves the device modeling technique thus closes the gap between the simulation and the validation result and increases the confidence level of the interconnect modeling methodology used. These efforts ensure the launch of the ICH in delivering reliable and fast GHz I/O interface to the customer.
Evolution of solid/aqueous interface in aqueous sodium-ion batteries

The microstructural and compositional evolution at the solid/aqueous solution interfaces are investigated to monitor the electrical properties of superionic conducting phosphates and the electrochemical failure of aqueous sodium-ion batteries.