cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved three point integration schemes for triangular finite elements

Symmetric three point quadrature schemes are at present available for triangles for exact integration of polynomials of degree 2. There are other possible symmetries, which provide higher accuracies. Exact integration of polynomials of a higher degree is possible. General formulations are made and a set of three integration points for improved accuracy is given.
Regulation of innate immunity through RNA structure and the protein kinase PKR

Molecular recognition of RNA structure is key to innate immunity. The protein kinase PKR differentiates self from non-self by recognition of molecular patterns in RNA. Certain biological RNAs induce autophosphorylation of PKR, activating it to phosphorylate eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), which leads to inhibition of translation. Additional biological RNAs inhibit PKR, while still others have no effect. The aim of this article is to develop a cohesive framework for understanding and predicting PKR function in the context of diverse RNA structure. We present effects of recently characterized viral and cellular RNAs on regulation of PKR, as well as siRNAs. A central conclusion is that assembly of accessible long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) elements within biological RNAs plays a key role in regulation of PKR kinase. Strategies for forming such elements include RNA dimerization, formation of symmetrical helical defects, A-form dsRNA mimicry, and coaxial stacking of helices.
Increased fairness in cellular networks through baste station cooperation

The inherent trade-off between maximizing the overall throughput and achieving user fairness in cellular networks is well known. This trade-off does not only affect the choice of scheduling objective, but is also relevant for other system design choices. In this paper we extend the standard sum throughput to a family of metrics placing varying emphasis on fairness. We use the proposed metric both for performance evaluation and as a tool for optimization of user scheduling. We then propose a base station coordination scheme targeted primarily for cell edge users. Specifically we allow two neighboring base stations to serve a single user opportunistically by coherent transmit combining. The proposed strategy shows significant performance gains using “fairness-rewarding” metrics.
Patterns of physical and relational aggression in a school-based sample of boys and girls

The current study investigated the patterns of aggressive behavior displayed in a sample of 282 students in the 4th through 7th grades (M age = 11.28; SD = 1.82). Using cluster analyses, two distinct patterns of physical aggression emerged for both boys and girls with one aggressive cluster showing mild levels of reactive aggression and one group showing high levels of both reactive and proactive aggression. Both aggressive clusters showed problems with anger dysregulation, impulsivity, thrill and adventure seeking, positive outcome expectancies for aggression, and higher rates of bullying. However, the combined cluster was most severe on all of these variables and only the combined aggressive group differed from non-aggressive students on their level of callous-unemotional traits. Similar patterns of findings emerged for relational aggression but only for girls.
An Adaptive Multiresolution Approach to Fingerprint Recognition

We propose an adaptive multiresolution (MR) approach to the classification of fingerprint images. The system adds MR decomposition in front of a generic classifier consisting of feature computation and classification in each MR subspace, yielding local decisions, which are then combined into a global decision using a weighting algorithm. In our previous work on classification of protein subcellular location images, we showed that the space-frequency localized information in the MR subspaces adds significantly to the discriminative power of the system. Here, we go one step farther; We develop a new weighting method which allows for the discriminative power of each subband to be expressed and examined within each class. This, in turn, allows us to evaluate the importance of the information contained within a specific subband. Moreover, we develop a pruning procedure to eliminate the subbands that do not contain useful information. This leads to potential identification of the appropriate MR decomposition both on a per class basis and for a given dataset. With this new approach, we make the system adaptive, flexible as well as more accurate and efficient.
Effect of exercise on protein requirements

Abstract The effect(s) of exercise on dietary protein requirements has (have) been a controversial topic for many years. Although most expert committees on nutrition have not provided an additional allowance of protein for active individuals, a considerable amount of experimental evidence has accumulated during the past 15 years which indicates that regular exercise does in fact increase protein needs. Part of the confusion is due to methodological difficulties and inadequate control of several interacting factors including: diet composition, total energy intake, exercise intensity, duration and training, ambient temperature, gender, and perhaps even age. Although definitive dietary recommendations for various athletic groups must await future study, the weight of current evidence suggests that strength or speed athletes should consume about 1.2–1.7 g protein/kg body weight · d‐1 (approximately 100–212% of current recommendations) and endurance athletes about 1.2–1.4 g/kg · d‐1 (approximately 100–175% of ...
On disk-planet interactions and orbital eccentricities

While Lindblad resonances both within and without a perturber's orbit excite its eccentricity, the present study of the eccentricity evolution due to the density wave interaction between a planetesimal and a Keplerian disk notes that coronation resonances in these regions lose their eccentricity damping effectiveness if the object is embedded in a continuous disk without a gap. Attention is given to another class of Lindblad resonances which, under these conditions, operates on disk material coorbiting with the perturber; these resonances thereby become the most important source of eccentricity damping. A model problem indicates that eccentricity ultimately undergoes decay.
Solving systems of polynomial equations

Geometric and solid modelling deal with the representation and manipulation of physical objects. Currently most geometric objects are formulated in terms of polynomial equations, thereby reducing many application problems to manipulating polynomial systems. Solving systems of polynomial equations is a fundamental problem in these geometric computations. The author presents an algorithm for solving polynomial equations. The combination of multipolynomial resultants and matrix computations underlies this efficient, robust and accurate algorithm. >
A unique approach to methadone maintenance service delivery.

(1976). A Unique Approach to Methadone Maintenance Service Delivery. International Journal of the Addictions: Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 831-860.
Designing a VLSI microprocessor for emulation

The performance of high-speed digital signal processors (DSPs) poses a challenge to real-time in-circuit emulation. Because DSPs are optimized to perform arithmetic calculations in less than 50 ns, internal and external data buses can change at rates in excess of 20 million times per second. The capture and tracking of these signals and the control of the processor is the essence of real-time in-circuit emulation. In order to support high-performance emulation, these issues were emphasized during the specification and design of a DSP. The system-level requirements that drive design considerations to allow emulation of this VLSI circuit are discussed. >
Estimating the true prevalence of hepatitis C in rhode island

Although there is a large health, social, and economic burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the United States, the number of persons infected with HCV in Rhode Island (RI) is unknown. To inform the expansion of HCV-related public health efforts in RI, and because surveillance data are lacking and national surveys, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), likely underestimate true HCV prevalence, we reviewed published peer-reviewed and grey literature to more accurately estimate the prevalence of HCV in RI. The results of our review suggest that between 16,603 and 22,660 (1.7%–2.3%) persons in RI have ever been infected with HCV. Assuming a spontaneous clearance rate of 26%, we estimate that between 12,286 and 16,768 (1.2%–1.7%) have ever been or are currently chronically infected with HCV. Findings suggest the urgent need for improved HCV screening in RI, and that reducing morbidity and mortality from HCV will require a dramatic scale-up of testing, linkage to care, treatment and cure.
Diversity and divergence of dinoflagellate histone proteins

Histone proteins and the nucleosomal organization of chromatin are near-universal eukaroytic features, with the exception of dinoflagellates. Previous studies have suggested that histones do not play a major role in the packaging of dinoflagellate genomes, although several genomic and transcriptomic surveys have detected a full set of core histone genes. Here, transcriptomic and genomic sequence data from multiple dinoflagellate lineages are analyzed, and the diversity of histone proteins and their variants characterized, with particular focus on their potential post-translational modifications and the conservation of the histone code. In addition, the set of putative epigenetic mark readers and writers, chromatin remodelers and histone chaperones are examined. Dinoflagellates clearly express the most derived set of histones among all autonomous eukaryote nuclei, consistent with a combination of relaxation of sequence constraints imposed by the histone code and the presence of numerous specialized histone variants. The histone code itself appears to have diverged significantly in some of its components, yet others are conserved, implying conservation of the associated biochemical processes. Specifically, and with major implications for the function of histones in dinoflagellates, the results presented here strongly suggest that transcription through nucleosomal arrays happens in dinoflagellates. Finally, the plausible roles of histones in dinoflagellate nuclei are discussed.
CORR Insights(®): A Radiation Safety Training Program Results in Reduced Radiation Exposure for Orthopaedic Residents Using the Mini C-arm.

I n their retrospective comparative study, Gendelberg et al. shed light on a key topic with ties to resident education, patient safety, and quality of care in orthopaedic surgery: Radiation safety. Although it is possible to rely on radiologists and radiology technologists, an understanding of methods that limit unnecessary radiation exposure to patients and staff should be of the utmost importance to the orthopaedic surgeons who frequently direct its use. This is even more important in settings such as the emergency room where fluoroscopy is frequently used for fracture reductions but the assistance of a radiology technologist is often not available. While it is known that interventions such as lead shielding, patient positioning, beam collimation, limiting magnification, and increasing distance between the radiation source and nonessential personnel all help limit unnecessary radiation, [5, 6] recent research has shown striking variation in use [8], awareness [12], and attitudes [9] about diagnostic radiation in orthopaedic surgery. Despite several of these studies’ recommendations for educating orthopaedic surgeons to standardize and minimize fluoroscopy use, few reports to date have evaluated specific interventions in the clinical setting. One study by Baumgartner et al. [2] assessed the use of real-time dosimetry to inform users of exposure levels, and Bar-On et al. [1] evaluated a compliment of lectures, preoperative briefings, and visual cues with a review of radiation exposure data at postoperative conferences. Both of these studies were set in the operating room with surgeons and technologists who had a variety of experience. Until this publication by Gendelberg et al., little was known about how reduction of unnecessary emergency room radiation exposure could be achieved by proper education of orthopaedic trainees. This CORR Insights is a commentary on the article ‘‘A Radiation Safety Training Program Results in Reduced Radiation Exposure for Orthopaedic Residents Using the Mini C-arm’’ by Gendelberg and colleagues available at: DOI: 10.1007/s11999-015-4631-0. The author certifies that he, or any member of his immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/ licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. This CORR Insights comment refers to the article available at DOI: 10.1007/s11999-0154631-0. P. D. Fabricant MD, MPH (&) Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA e-mail: fabricantp@hss.edu CORR Insights Published online: 8 December 2015 The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons1 2015
Fire Elicits an Adaptive Reproductive Strategy Shift from Host Plant Quantity to Quality in a Capital Breeding Species

Capital breeding species, those that do not acquire resources over their reproductive period, are hypothesized to have more flexible reproductive strategies than income breeding species, enabling the former to better cope with environmental changes. Yet, empirical study of this life history attribute in a changing environment is rare. Hemileuca eglanterina (Saturniidae), a strict capital breeding, day-flying moth, should employ a different reproductive strategy to exploit temporary increases in host plant nutrient quality following fire. In wetlands, where one half was burned and the other left unburned, the number of eggs/clutch was positively correlated with host plant abundance in the absence of fire, suggesting that H. eglanterina uses a resource abundance matching reproductive strategy by default. However, following fire, H. eglanterina laid greater numbers of eggs/clutch and did not adjust clutch size to host plant abundance, appearing to shift to a host plant quality based reproductive strategy. Coinciding with the fire-induced shift in reproductive strategy, host plants from burned habitat contained a greater proportion of N-containing compounds in their foliage than plants from unburned habitat, and larvae fed only leaves from the burned habitat had significantly greater survival than siblings fed unburned foliage. These results suggest the shift in reproductive strategy by H. eglanterina following fire was adaptive and that capital breeding species can cope with sudden environmental changes via alternative reproductive strategies.
Bridging the Medieval-Modern Divide: Medieval Themes in the World of the Reformation . Ed. James Muldoon. Catholic Christendom, 1300–1700. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate, 2013. xiii + 241 pp. $119.95 cloth.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Bridging the Medieval-Modern Divide: Medieval Themes in the World of the Reformation . Ed. James Muldoon . Catholic Christendom, 1300-1700. Burlington, Vt. : Ashgate , 2013. xiii + 241 pp. $119.95 cloth.Book Reviews and NotesMedievalists are a rather defensive lot. We often try to justify what we do to people who think of the Middle Ages as a thousand years of barbarism and superstition, a millennium when hardly anyone ever bathed. We find ourselves fending off both classicists who only want to talk of decline and Renaissance/Reformation scholars who argue for a rather deep rupture between the period we study and the birth of modernity. As the title suggests, this book is interested in exploring the continuity of medieval thought and ideas and thus their role in shaping modernity. I must disagree one of Muldoon's arguments for the importance of the book, when he writes that "many historians have little interest in the period beyond their narrow specialties" (5). Most of us think beyond our specialties constantly, in large part because we teach general courses and even upper level courses in areas outside our specialization.Alas, the idea behind the book is better than the book itself. James Muldoon's introduction is promising, and he lays out the basic historiographical background as a demonstration of the need for a book such as the one he edited. The conclusion by Paul Monod is more a summary and a plea than an attempt to synthesize a collection of quite diverse and uneven articles and to draw broad conclusions about the medieval-modern divide from them.Before looking at individual essays, let me point out two omissions that affect the entire book. First, there is no list of authors with brief descriptions of their work and their affiliations. Second, although the first article contains a full bibliography, none of the others do; nor is there a general bibliography. Sifting through the footnotes for a workable collection of works to consider is tiresome and should be unnecessary.The subtitle contains the phrase "The World of the Reformation," but there is surprisingly little about the Reformation in this collection. Only one article focuses specifically on the medieval-Reformation theme, Burton Van Name Edwards' study of the revival of interest in Carolingian biblical commentaries in the Reformation period. It is too technical for such a collection, evidence for which is the 14-page list of all printed editions of such commentaries in the 16th century. Two other articles certainly examine issues relating to the Reformation; but one, Bruce Braisington's study of the use of "Quod omnes tangit" in medieval canon law and 18th-century American political thought, really is tangential to the theme and intention of the book. The other, Jeannine Olson's study of the care of the poor, is interesting but a bit too ambitious in trying to survey the issue over more than a millennium. …
Scientists flip-flop: Vitamin C suppresses immunity

After decades of debate, immunologists agree that a specific class of T cells naturally functions to suppress immune responses in an antigen-specific manner. Like perfect diamonds, these regulatory T cells (Tregs) are rare, which limits their use as an immunosuppressive agent to treat autoimmune
EFFECTS OF PARENTAGE AND SIZE OF THE POLLEN LOAD ON PROGENY PERFORMANCE IN CAMPANULA AMERICANA

To examine the effects of maternal and paternal parentage and the size of the pollen load on seed size and weight and on progeny performance we conducted a controlled crossing experiment using a natural population of Campanula americana. We found that seed size was positively correlated with early seedling performance for all but one of traits we measured (days to emergence), but was not significantly correlated with any of the later vegetative measures or reproductive output. We detected significant effects due to the maternal parent for the vegetative traits days to emergence, days to first leaf, and final plant height, as well as total seed weight, and mean seed weight per fruit. Significant paternal effects were found for all of the seedling traits except number of leaves after vernalization. The progeny from fruits receiving high pollen loads significantly outperformed the progeny from fruits receiving low pollen loads for the traits days to first and second leaf, numbers of leaves after vernalization, and days to first flower. These results not only demonstrate the importance of parentage and seed weight on progeny performance, but also indicate that variations in the size of the pollen load may be important in seedling establishment in natural populations.
Bromine-sensitized solar photolysis of CO2.

Direct photochemical reduction of CO2 has generally been accomplished by using transition-metal compounds as electron transfer reagents. Here, we show that elemental bromine can function as an alternative photosensitizer. When sunlight is tightly focused on mixtures of CO2 and Br2, in the presence of a polar adsorbent such as silica gel, glass wool, alumina, or titania, a metastable red adduct is formed within seconds and concentrates at the point of illumination. Further illumination causes deposition of a stable black film on the polar adsorbent. Mass spectrometry of the cold-trapped red intermediate shows clusters of peaks corresponding to the expected distribution of isotopomers of C2O4Br4+, as well as of C2O4Br3+. DFT computations indicate that the lowest-energy species with the formula C2O4Br4 is trans-2,4-dibromo-2,4-dihypobromo-1,3-dioxetane. Formation of this molecule from (2CO2 + 2Br2) would require a minimum of 3 visible photons, two of which would hypothetically be used in formation of as-yet ...
DORRA the Europa Explorer: An Orbital and In-Situ Investigation of Habitability

The icy Jovian moon Europa is considered a top priority target by the scientific community because it appears to have the conditions necessary to harbor life. Deployable Orbiter Rover Reconnaissance Assembly (DORRA) the Europa Explorer is a conceptual mission which would examine the moon’s environment, composition, internal structure, and potential habitability using a two pronged approach. An orbiter will collect scientific data at an altitude of 200 km while a rover simultaneously provides ground truth measurements. An outline is provided for the systems engineering process used to define the mission’s science objectives and top level requirements, which led to the baseline architecture. This design encompasses orbital trajectory optimization, spacecraft mass and power sizing, subsystems development, and cost analysis. The extensive use of existing technologies ensures feasible operational readiness for the 2018 launch opportunity, while demonstrated advances in real time reconnaissance and high level navigation autonomy will pave the way for future robotic landing missions. DORRA will be a huge leap forward in understanding not only the origin, evolution, and interaction of giant planets and their satellites; but also the potential for life to exist beyond our own planet.
Cyberplace: Conceptualizing Power and Politics in Extended Reality

This paper explores the nature of power, disruption, and the political in "cyberplaces." The focus of our analysis is on a website called 4chan (www.4chan.org) and specifically on an image board called /b/ on that site. This cyberplace is particularly interesting for two reasons. First, the political culture of /b/ is topsy-turvy: what in other places is considered bad behavior (nasty interactions, pornography, misogyny, racism) is wholly accepted according to the explicit rules and instantiated by a set of practices. In short, it is good to be bad. /b/ is, we suggest, a transgressive cyberplace. Such transgressive norms and practices are not contained within the site; rather, they spill out into other cyberplaces and into the physical world when members of the /b/ community (dubbed "/b/tards") form hacktivist coalitions. Second, /b/ is a community of kindred spirits, and yet almost all are anonymous and their interactions (contra the permanence of information exchanges on a site like Facebook) are ephemeral: there is no archiving and posts disappear quickly Despite or because of anonymity and ephemerality, an aesthetic of place and an associated politics of place emerges. We draw on the work of John Dewey and Davide Panagia to explore how shocking sensory information creates the possibility of radical contestation and the emergence of politics.
Study on Map Decoration Technique Based on Geographical Information Metadata-Driven

To improve the map production efficiency, geographic information metadata-driven map production is aimed to bring in an integrative production system between basic geographical data and map data, instead of separation between map data and basic geographical data in traditional map producing process. The design of integrative digital data model of geographical information data and map data, as well as the design of self-alerting dynamic graphic decoration elements, can thoroughly mine information from the geographical data and metadata, so as to drive the map decoration; these two techniques can also realize the automatic adjustment of map decorating elements allocation and the dynamic updating of the map contents. Both research results and map production practice have proved that these techniques can not only improve the efficiency of map production, but also bring in a new dynamic updating mechanism for the graphic data.
The Breadth of Theatrical Territory

While performance makers frequently respond to social issues as their subject matter, they do not typically do so in close partnership with people outside the art world or as a form of action, other than at all-consuming moments of social turmoil.1 More prevalent in the US has been an “either social or aesthetic” conception of performance, in the context of which artists committed to the social, beyond subject matter, have risked marginalization.
Hydrothermal synthesis of Zn2Sn1 − xTixO4 as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

A novel electrode material, Zn2Sn1 − xTixO4 (x = 0 and 0.1), which is superior in its electrochemical characteristics to the reverse spinel Zn2SnO4, is synthesized by hydrothermal method. The admixture of TiO2 levels out the volume expanding caused by the Li-Sn and Li-Zn alloy formation thus improving the material’s cyclability.
Differential heme release from various hemoglobin redox states and the upregulation of cellular heme oxygenase-1.

Despite advances in our understanding of the oxidative pathways mediated by free hemoglobin (Hb), the precise contribution of its highly reactive redox forms to tissue and organ toxicities remains ambiguous. Heme, a key degradation byproduct of Hb oxidation, has recently been recognized as damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule, able to trigger inflammatory responses. Equally damaging is the interaction of the highly redox active forms of Hb with other biological molecules. We determined the kinetics of heme loss from individual Hb redox states – ferrous (Fe2+), ferric (Fe3+) and ferryl (Fe4+) –using two different heme receptor proteins: hemopexin (Hxp), a naturally occurring heme scavenger in plasma, and a double mutant (H64Y/V86F), apomyoglobin (ApoMb), which avidly binds heme released from Hb. We show for the first time that ferric Hb (Fe3+) loses heme at rates substantially higher than that of ferryl Hb (Fe4+). This was also supported by a higher expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) when ferric Hb was added to cultured lung alveolar epithelial cells (E10). The reported cytotoxicity of Hb may therefore be attributed to a combination of accelerated heme loss from the ferric form and protein radical formation associated with ferryl Hb. Targeted therapeutic interventions can therefore be designed to curb specific oxidative pathways of Hb in hemolytic anemias and when Hb is used as an oxygen-carrying therapeutic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Culturally Competent Informed-Consent Process to Evaluate a Social Policy for Older Persons With Low Literacy: The Mexican Case

The informed-consent process seeks to provide complete information to participants about a research project and to protect personal information they may disclose. In this article, we present an informed-consent process that we piloted and improved to obtain consent from older adults in Yucatan, Mexico. Respondents had limited fluency in Spanish, spoke the local Mayan language, and had some physical limitations due to their age. We describe how we adapted the informed-consent process to comply with U.S. and Mexican regulations, while simplifying the forms and providing them in Spanish and Mayan. We present the challenges and lessons learned when dealing with low-literacy older populations, some with diminished autonomy, in a bilingual context and a binational approach to the legal framework.
87. Rationally Designed Inverted Terminal Repeats Enhance Transduction of Embryonic Stem Cells

Despite the prevalence of AAV vectors in gene therapy, treatments combining AAV vectors and cell therapy have not progressed into the clinic despite previous reports of successful transduction of stem cells by AAV vectors. One potential explanation is AAV vector toxicity in stem and stem-like cells, as demonstrated in previous studies. In particular, the AAV inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequence was shown to induce apoptosis in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in a p53 dependent manner. A bioinformatic analysis of putative transcription factor binding sites in the AAV2 ITR sequence revealed six putative p53 binding sites. A panel of rationally designed AAV2 ITRs was generated which abrogated putative p53 binding sites and demonstrated reduced p53 binding in an in vitro binding assay. The synthetic ITRs were capable of all of the vector production requirements and were verified by sequencing directly from vector preparations. AAV vector transduction and the hESC DNA damage response was altered by the synthetic ITRs. Importantly, our ITRs demonstrated reduced toxicity in hESCs compared to an AAV vector having the AAV2 ITR sequence. The collective results allude to modulation of the host's DNA damage response using rationally designed ITRs, which may enhance the relevancy of AAV vectors in stem cell therapies.
Performance Summary of Continuous Mining Machine Proximity Detection Systems

Since 1984, remote controlled continuous mining machines (CMM) have caused 40 crushing and pinning fatalities in the United States. Due to limited space in the underground environment and visibility needs, CMM operators typically work close to the machine which exposes them to the danger of being struck or pinned by it. Because of these fatalities, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has published a rule requiring proximity detection systems (PDSs) on all CMMs except for full-face machines. To test PDS performance, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a series of field tests in underground coal mines throughout the United States on CMMs equipped with PDSs. The field tests collected data under a variety of conditions to evaluate the warning and shutdown zone performance of these systems. A baseline test condition was measured when the machine was operating in non-mining mode. Three additional conditions discussed in this paper include testing of the PDS while the machine was operating in mining mode, examining the possibility of parasitic coupling to the trailing cable, and examining the effects of the presence of a shuttle car. The results of this study indicate that the average warning and stop zones vary minimally between non-mining mode and trailing cable influence measurements, as well as between the mining mode and shuttle car presence tests. A majority of the measurements for warning and stop zones showed repeatability within +/− 5 inches (12.7 cm). Additionally, parasitic coupling to the trailing cable was not experienced during this field testing. However, these results show that the range of stop zone measurements varied by 4.7 ft on average and as much as 11.7 ft in different field sites. This is most likely due to individual preferences by operators during installation when the warning and stop zone distances are set. While a PDS should effectively stop a CMM when an operator gets too close to the machine, the large variations between field test measurements indicate that there is a wide variation of performance established during system installation.
Efficient satisfiability solver

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii CHAPTER 1. OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.
Spintronics: Sources and Challenge. Personal Perspective

Spintronics emerged very recently as a quickly developing interdisciplinary field in the framework of solid-state physics with tempting technological perspectives. This promise is based on the active involvement of the electron spin, side by side with its charge, in the operation of nanometer scale electronic devices. It is a remarkable feature of spintronics that it is growing coherently from several different fields of solid-state physics (semiconductor physics, magnetism, superconductivity, etc.) and involves a multiplicity of rather diversified phenomena. This unique property of spintronics makes it a fascinating field for research and applications but also creates a challenge for researchers. In this short note, I concentrate on the physical background of spintronics and some historical roots of it but avoid making specific prognosis about technological applications.
Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: A review of the evidence from Asian countries

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Asian women suffer the largest proportion of the world's maternal deaths. To reduce this, policymakers and healthcare providers must encourage women with traditionally low rates of maternal health care utilization to access services. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the most common traditional practices in Asia relating to pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. DESIGN: We conducted a literature search of articles: a) focusing on Asia; b) relating to pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum, c) relating to traditional beliefs and/or cultural practices; and 4) published in English in the year 2000 or more recently. FINDINGS: A total of 74 articles are included in this review; 20 articles related to pregnancy, 44 to childbirth, and 45 to postpartum. More than one-half (38) of the articles focused on South Asia and 13 related to China. In the pregnancy category, the majority of the studies focused on dietary recommendations and behavioral taboos. For the childbirth category, many articles examined beliefs and practices that helped to explain women's aversion to institutional births, such as preference for traditional birth positions, and fear of medical interventions. In the postpartum period, confinement was common because postpartum women were perceived to be weak, fragile and vulnerable to illness. Other prevalent beliefs and practices across Asian countries included massage, the state of pollution after childbirth, the use of traditional healers and traditional medicine and herbs, beliefs relating to hot/cold imbalance, behavioral taboos, magic, and superstition. KEY CONCLUSIONS: Many Asian women continue to practice a wide range of traditional beliefs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. More information is needed on the benefits of formal maternal healthcare services; such educational programs should be geared towards not only women but also husbands, parents, and in-laws. By recognizing and appreciating common local beliefs, providers can be better positioned to provide culturally competent care. Instead of reducing the choices available to women during the birth experience, providers should understand, respect, and integrate cultural interpretations of childbirth and the needs of women and their families.
Introduction: Han Fei and the Han Feizi

This introduction to the volume distinguishes between Han Fei, the man, and Han Feizi, the text purporting to contain his writings. While most modern scholars, including the contributors to this collection, accept the bulk of the Han Feizi as genuine, one cannot simply assume that Han Fei was the author of everything in its pages. Moreover, even if Han Fei is responsible for the lion’s share of the extant Han Feizi, a reader must be careful not to identify the philosophy of Han Fei himself with the philosophy (or philosophies) advanced in the Han Feizi, as though these were necessarily the same thing. What Han Fei said varied with his expected audience, a point that most scholarship on the Han Feizi—from the beginnings right down to the present day—has not taken seriously into account.
pH gradient-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric assay for determination of underivatized polyamines in cancer cells.

Abstract Altered levels of polyamines in biological specimens have been suggested as potential biomarkers for cancer. Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase) is reported to modulate polyamines to potentially attenuate proliferation of neuroblastoma cells. A clinical trial is being conducted to evaluate DFMO in various cancers. To determine the pharmacodynamics effect of DFMO, an analytical assay is needed to accurately measure the changes in polyamines in cancer cells. In this study, a novel pH gradient LC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the quantitation of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) in cancer cells. To separate polar and basic polyamines, a multi-mode column composed of ODS and weak ionic ligands was used. The pH gradient was generated from pH 5.3 to pH 2.7 with 2 mM ammonium acetate and 0.4% acetic acid in 10% acetonitrile as mobile phase. The detection of polyamines was performed utilizing multiple reaction monitoring on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry operated in positive ion mode. A pH gradient method increased resolution and decreased peak width of conventional analytical assays, resulting in 10–250-fold higher detection limits. Mobile phases without ion-pairing reagents were LC-MS compatible and eliminated possible signal suppression and MS contamination. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of polyamines in neuroblastoma and leukemia cells treated with DFMO. Putrescine levels were significantly (p
New Educational Modules Using a Cyber-Distribution System Testbed

At Washington State University, a modern cyber–physical system testbed has been implemented based on an industry-grade distribution management system (DMS) that is integrated with remote terminal units, smart meters, and a solar photovoltaic array. In addition, the real model from the Avista Utilities distribution system in Pullman, WA, is modeled in DMS. The proposed testbed environment allows students and instructors to utilize these facilities for innovations in learning and teaching. For power engineering education, this testbed helps students understand the interaction between a cyber system and a physical distribution system through industrial level visualization. The testbed provides a distribution system monitoring and control environment for students. Compared with a simulation-based approach, the testbed brings the students’ learning environment a step closer to the real world. The educational modules allow students to learn the concepts of a cyber–physical system and an electricity market through an integrated testbed. Furthermore, the testbed provides a platform in the study mode for students to practice working on a real distribution system model. This paper describes the new educational modules based on the testbed environment. Three modules are described together with the underlying educational principles and associated projects.
Anionic ring opening polymerization of 3,4-benzo-1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclopentene

Treatment of 3,4-benzo-1,1-dimethyl-1-silacyclopentene with a catalytic amount of n-butyllithium and HMPA in THF yields poly(3,4-benzo-1,1-dimethyl-1-silapentene). This polymer has the highest melting temperature, glass transition temperature and thermal stability of any poly (1-silapent-3-ene) yet prepared.
REVERSE OSMOSIS: APPLICATION TO POTATO-STARCH FACTORY WASTE EFFLUENTS

One of the major problems of our country, and most others, is pollution of the water supplies. In this paper, we hope to describe for you a specific pollution problem of great importance, a possible means of alleviating this problem, and a possible role of reverse osmosis in the technology under consideration.
Do Males and Females Report Similar Constructs of Rap Music? A Cross-Gender Validity Study of the Rap Music Attitude and Perception Scale

The popularity and pervasiveness of rap music is one of the most interesting social realities of the 21st century and interpretations of the effects of rap music lyrics have been given considerable attention in the literature in recent years. This study examined the cross-gender validity of a scale designed to measure rap music attitudes and perceptions. Findings suggest that measurement invariance of the modified rap music scale was supported by these data. Also, the criterion-related validity and reliability of the rap music scores were similarly adequate for both males and females. Future directions for research in this area are forwarded.
MODELS OF USER PRE-TRIP AND EN-ROUTE SWITCHING DECISIONS IN RESPONSE TO REAL-TIME INFORMATION

This paper addresses path switching decisions made by commuters in response to real-time information, as well as pre-trip departure time and route choices. A multinomial probit model framework is used, allowing us to capture the serial correlation arising from repeated decisions made by the same respondent. The resulting model estimates support the notion that switching decisions are predicated on the expectation of an improvement in trip time that exceeds a certain threshold (indifference band), which varies systematically with the remaining trip time to the destination, subject to a minimum absolute improvement (about one minute). The results also highlight the importance of perceived information quality on user decisions.
Association between Rates of Visual Field Progression and Intraocular Pressure Measurements Obtained by Different Tonometers

Purpose To investigate the associations between intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained by different tonometric methods and rates of visual field loss in a cohort of patients with glaucoma followed over time. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Participants This study included 213 eyes of 125 glaucomatous patients who were followed for an average of 2.4±0.6 years. Methods At each visit, IOP measurements were obtained using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) (Reichert, Inc., Depew, NY), corneal-compensated IOP (IOPcc), and the ICare Rebound Tonometer (RBT) (Tiolat, Oy, Helsinki, Finland). Rates of visual field loss were assessed by standard automated perimetry (SAP) mean deviation (MD). Linear mixed models were used to investigate the relationship between mean IOP by each tonometer and rates of visual field loss over time, while adjusting for age, race, central corneal thickness, and corneal hysteresis. Main Outcome Measures Strength of associations (R2) between IOP measurements from each tonometer and rates of SAP MD change over time. Results Average values for mean IOP over time measured by GAT, ORA, and RBT were 14.4±3.3, 15.2±4.2, and 13.4±4.2 mmHg, respectively. Mean IOPcc had the strongest relationship with SAP MD loss over time (R2 = 24.5%) and was significantly different from the models using mean GAT IOP (R2 = 11.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] of the difference, 6.6–19.6) and mean RBT IOP (R2= 5.8%; 95% CI of the difference, 11.1–25.0). Conclusions Mean ORA IOPcc was more predictive of rates of visual field loss than mean IOP obtained by GAT or RBT. By correcting for corneal-induced artifacts, IOPcc measurements may present significant advantages for predicting clinically relevant outcomes in patients with glaucoma.
Abstract P302: Prevalence of refractory hypertension in the United States from 1999-2014

Background: Refractory hypertension has been defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP at or above 140/90 mmHg) when taking five or more classes of antihypertensive medication. Unbiased estimates ...
Reasonable Academic Accommodation Implementation in Clinical Nursing Education: A Scoping Review.

Aim A scoping review was conducted to answer the question: What is known from existing literature about how reasonable academic accommodations have been implemented within clinical nursing education for prelicensure nursing students with physical disabilities? Background An increased number of students with disabilities are entering nursing education. Many students with disabilities require accommodations to be successful; however, most nursing programs lack a developed framework for accommodation, and many nurse faculty lack knowledge on how to accommodate. These barriers can hinder student success. Method Arskey and O'Malley's 2005 framework was used to explore the nursing literature. Results Four themes emerged from the literature: collaboration, evolving accommodation practices, previously used accommodations, and poorly understood implementation. Conclusion Current nursing research fails to adequately address clinical accommodations for nursing students with physical disabilities. Further research into how accommodations are used in nursing clinical education and how faculty can successfully accommodate students is needed.
PulseNet: Entering the Age of Next-Generation Sequencing

Since 1996, PulseNet has served as the national laboratory-based surveillance system for the rapid detection of outbreaks caused by foodborne bacterial pathogens in the United States. For the past two decades, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was the gold standard subtyping method for the pathogens tracked by PulseNet. A new gold standard is now being implemented with the introduction of cost-effective whole genome sequencing (WGS) for analysis of all the organisms tracked by PulseNet. This transformation is a major undertaking that touches every functional aspect of PulseNet, including laboratory workflows, data storage, analysis management and data interpretation, and language used to communicate information (sequence profile nomenclature system). The benefits of implementing WGS go beyond improved discrimination and precision of the data; it provides an opportunity to determine strain characteristics typically obtained through resource-intensive traditional methodologies, for example, species identification, serotyping, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance profiling, all of which can be consolidated into a single WGS workflow. Such a strategy represents a major shift in the workflows currently practiced in most public health laboratories, but one that brings opportunities for streamlining surveillance activities for the network as a whole. In this study, we provide a brief summary of PulseNet's evolution the past decade along with a general description of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.