cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed and Synchronized Setup towards Real-Time Robotic Control using ROS2 on Linux

A monolithic black-box controller made by the individual robotic manufacturers commonly controls modern industrial robots. The setup’s single components are not accessible nor exchangeable, often due to them being specially tuned and adjusted to fulfill the demanding requirements for robotic control. The open-source framework ROS enables to combine these monolithic controllers with simple interfaces, therefore allowing more complex robotic applications. The next generation, ROS2, targets highly modular systems of sensors, actuators and controllers, each being interchangeable and further providing real-time capabilities by employing DDS as middleware. This study uses system inherent tools alongside non-invasive measurements for comprehensive insights, thereby guiding to ROS2 applications on an underlying distributed and synchronized real-time Linux system.
Testing the feasibility of small multiples of sparklines to display semimonthly income statement data

Abstract This paper tests the ability of 129 accounting students to look up data, perceive and compare data patterns, and detect anomalies when the amount of information in traditional single page three-year comparative income statements is expanded 25-fold by adding semimonthly data to the page in graphical form. Participants were able to use the graphs to perform most tasks correctly more often than not. Tabular presentation of the same 1100 to 2000 data points required six pages. Participants using the one-page income statements with embedded graphs were better able to identify and compare patterns than those using multipage tables, but had less success looking up precise data values. The results on pattern recognition and comparison are consistent with the proximity compatibility principle.
Patterns of physical activity parenting practices among parent-adolescent dyads who participated in a cross-sectional internet-based study.

While research exploring relationships between individual parenting practices and child physical activity (PA) exists, little is known about simultaneous use of practices. Hence, study objectives were to determine patterns of PA parenting practices and their associations with demographic, anthropometric, and PA measures in a large sample of parents and their adolescent children (12–17 years). Dyadic survey data from Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE), a cross-sectional, internet-based study, conducted in 2014 were analyzed using latent class analysis on 5 PA parenting practices – pressuring, guided choice, expectations, facilitation, and modeling. Self-report model covariates included adolescent age and parent and adolescent sex, body mass index category (based on height and weight), legitimacy of parental authority regarding PA (PA-LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Based on 1166 parent-adolescent dyads, four latent classes were identified representing a continuum of practice use (high to low) – Complete Influencers (26%), Facilitating-Modeling Influencers (23%), Pressuring-Expecting Influencers (25%), and Indifferent Influencers (27%). Compared to dyads with parent underweight/healthy weight, dyads with parent overweight/obesity had 84% higher odds of belonging to Indifferent Influencers. Compared to dyads with adolescent underweight/healthy weight, dyads with adolescent overweight/obesity had 50 and 46% lower odds of belonging to Facilitating-Modeling and Indifferent Influencers. Odds of belonging to Pressuring-Expecting and Indifferent Influencers were less than 1% lower for every 1 min/day increase in parent MVPA and 2 and 4% lower for every 1 min/day increase in adolescent MVPA. Compared to dyads with high parental and adolescent agreement with PA-LPA, dyads with low agreement had between 3 and 21 times the odds of belonging to Facilitating-Modeling, Pressuring-Expecting, or Indifferent Influencers. Findings suggest that parents utilize distinct patterns of PA practices ranging from use of many, use of some, to low use of any practice and these patterns are differentially associated with parent and adolescent PA. When planning PA interventions, a counseling or intervening approach with parents to use combinations of practices, like facilitation and modeling, to positively influence their adolescents’ and possibly their own participation in PA may prove more efficacious than parental pressuring or lack of practice use.
White Mischief: The Undoing and Movies About the Precarious Condition of the Dominant Group

The Undoing, a miniseries on the cable channel HBO, is a crime melodrama that presents unannounced background content reflecting the changing multicultural situation in the United States. A dominan...
A Critical Examination of Preservice Music Teachers’ Writing on the edTPA Portfolio:

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between participants’ edTPA writing and edTPA portfolio scores. Specific questions included (a) Is there a relationship between overall wor...
Polyethylene Glycol Wrapped Alginate/Graphene Hollow Microfibers as Flexible Supercapacitors

Carbon-modified fibrous structures with high biocompatibility have attracted much attention as supercapacitors due to their low cost, sustainability, abundance, and excellent electrochemical performance. However, some of these carbon-based materials suffer from low specific capacitance and electrochemical performance, which have been significant challenges in developing biocompatible electronic devices. In this regard, several studies have been reported on the development of 3D carbon-based micro architectures that provided high conductivity, energy storage potential, and 3D porosity frameworks. This study reports manufacturing of microfluidic Alginate hollow microﬁber modified by water-soluble modified Graphene (BSA-Graphene). These architectures successfully exhibited conductivity enhancement conductivity of about 20 times more compared to Alginate hollow microfibers, and without any signiﬁcant change in the inner-dimension values of hollow region (220.0 ± 10.0 µm) in comparison with pure alginate hollow microfibers. In the presence of Graphene, more obtained specific surface permeability and active ion adsorption sites could successfully provide as shorter pathways. These obtained continuous ion transport networks resulted in improved electrochemical performance. These desired electrochemical properties of the microfibers make Alginate/Graphene hollow fibers an excellent choice for further use in the development of lightweight flexible supercapacitors with scalable potential to be used in intelligent health electronic gadgets.
Description of the SSF PMAD DC Testbed Control System Data Acquisition Function

The NASA LeRC in Cleveland, Ohio has completed the development and integration of a Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) DC Testbed. This testbed is a reduced scale representation of the end to end, sources to loads, Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF EPS). This unique facility is being used to demonstrate DC power generation and distribution, power management and control, and system operation techniques considered to be prime candidates for the Space Station Freedom. A key capability of the testbed is its ability to be configured to address system level issues in support of critical SSF program design milestones. Electrical power system control and operation issues like source control, source regulation, system fault protection, end-to-end system stability, health monitoring, resource allocation, and resource management are being evaluated in the testbed. The SSF EPS control functional allocation between on-board computers and ground based systems is evolving. Initially, ground based systems will perform the bulk of power system control and operation. The EPS control system is required to continuously monitor and determine the current state of the power system. The DC Testbed Control System consists of standard controllers arranged in a hierarchical and distributed architecture. These controllers provide all the monitoring and control functions for the DC Testbed Electrical Power System. Higher level controllers include the Power Management Controller, Load Management Controller, Operator Interface System, and a network of computer systems that perform some of the SSF Ground based Control Center Operation. The lower level controllers include Main Bus Switch Controllers and Photovoltaic Controllers. Power system status information is periodically provided to the higher level controllers to perform system control and operation. The data acquisition function of the control system is distributed among the various levels of the hierarchy. Data requirements are dictated by the control system algorithms being implemented at each level. A functional description of the various levels of the testbed control system architecture, the data acquisition function, and the status of its implementationis presented.
Chapter 3 Optical Properties of Defect States in a-Si: H

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the utility of photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) in obtaining information about the density of states in a-Si:H. The power of measuring optical absorption arises from the fact that it is a fundamental and well-understood process occurring in all solids. Typically, absorption measurements do not require contacts, doping conditions, Fermi-level positions, special temperatures, and device structures. The effect of almost any material parameter on the density of states can be assessed by measuring the effect of the parameter on the optical absorption. Photothermal deflection spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool for the investigation of very small optical absorptions. By overcoming the inherent limitations of conventional absorption techniques, PDS enables the direct and reliable determination of the energy and number of defects in a-Si:H. Furthermore, it is an excellent tool for the characterization of material parameters such as doping concentration, defect level, and film homogeneity.
Entrepreneurship as a Critical and Missing Factor in Economic Development of Poor Nations: A Systematic Analysis of Factors of Production

The role of entrepreneurship as the driving force among other factors of production is the focus of this study. Entrepreneurship and knowledge are listed as the last two factors of production, but are not often assessed for the role they play in economic development. This study highlights the needs for government policy makers to understand the role entrepreneurship and knowledge (innovation) play in the creation of an environment where national economic growth can thrive. China’s most pragmatic 7th National Development Plan and Nigeria’s 5th National Development Plan were examined and compared. Overall findings include the evidence of Chinese government’s plan to create infrastructures (physical and otherwise) that promoted entrepreneurship and innovative activities. The study also reveals that China’s economic development (based on the statistics of 2004 estimate of select economic indicators) has far surpassed that of Nigeria as a result of China’s entrepreneurial emphasis.
BUDDHISM, NATURALISM, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Owen Flanagan's important book The Bodhisattva's Brain presents a naturalized interpretation of Buddhist philosophy. Although the overall approach of the book is very promising, certain aspects of its presentation could benefit from further reflection. Traditional teachings about reincarnation do not contradict the doctrine of no self, as Flanagan seems to suggest; however, they are empirically rather implausible. Flanagan's proposed “tame” interpretation of karma is too thin; we can do better at fitting karma into a scientific worldview. The relationship between eudaimonist and utilitarian strands in Buddhist ethics is more complex than the book suggests. Flanagan is right to criticize incautious and imprecise claims that Buddhism will make practitioners happy. We can make progress by distinguishing between happiness in the sense of a Buddhist version of eudaimonia, and happiness in the sense of attitudinal pleasure. Doing so might result in an interpretation of Buddhist views about happiness that was simultaneously philosophically interesting, historically credible, and psychologically testable.
Regional blood flow changes in response to mildly pressor doses of triglycyl desamino lysine and arginine vasopressin in the conscious dog.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is used to treat esophageal variceal hemorrhage but has the drawbacks of rebleeding and reported coronary insufficiencies. In conscious dogs (n = 23) we compared AVP and an analog, triglycyl desamino lysine vasopressin (TDLVP), for arterial pressor responses and changes in regional blood flow. Dogs were infused with saline (n = 5), AVP (n = 7) or TDLVP (n = 7), and blood flow was measured with microspheres during control, infusion and postinfusion in 46 tissue sections including pieces of the esophagus, stomach, liver, kidney, spleen, heart, skin, muscle and brain. TDLVP (1.0 micrograms/kg/min) and AVP (0.025 micrograms/kg/min) produced a similar mean arterial pressure increase of 23 mm Hg and a heart rate decrease of 38 beats/min. TDLVP sustained the increase in mean arterial pressure and reduction in heart rate at 30 min postinfusion whereas AVP did not. Neither AVP nor TDLVP showed a reduction in brain, kidney or liver flow; however, both produced reductions (73 and 61%, respectively, P less than .01) in mucosal-esophageal flow. Only TDLVP reduced mucosal-fundus blood flow (P less than .01). Endocardial flow was reduced (27%) in both TDLVP and AVP groups; however, heart rate also decreased during this time and a linear correlation between these two measurements yielded a value for r2 of 0.83. Thus, TDLVP offers a therapeutic alternative to AVP in treating gastroesophageal varices due to its longer duration of action as represented by the sustained reduction in esophageal and mucosal-fundus flow.
Predicting the Required Number of Training Samples

In this paper a criterion which measures the quality of the estimate of the covariance matrix of a multivariate normal distribution is developed. Based on this criterion, the necessary number of training samples is predicted. Experimental results which are used as a guide for determining the number of training samples are included.
Simultaneous retrieval of cloud motion and height from polar‐orbiter multiangle measurements

For the first time, the fully automated retrieval of cloud motion from a polar orbiter is possible using a unique technique based on multiangle imagery. The main advantages of the method are the ability to simultaneously determine cloud height along with the wind and the capability of obtaining retrievals at high latitudes (up to 82°). The first results are consistent with the prelaunch error estimates of ±3 ms−1 for wind and ±400 m for height.
Five-coordinate isomers of pentakis(aromatic isocyanide)cobalt(I)

Abstract Pentakis (phenyl- and para-substituted phenylisocyanide)cobalt(I) has been re-crystallized from various solvent types to study further the five-coordinate conformational isomerism observed for [Co(CNC6H5)5]ClO4 re-crystallized from chlorohydrocarbons. Characterization is primarily through the −NC i.r. pattern and proton-NMR. Perchlorate and tetrafluoroborate salts are used. The aromatic isocyanides include C6H5NC, p-FC6H4NC, p-ClC6H4NC, p-BrC6H4NC, p-IC6H4NC, and p-CH3C6H4NC. Three isomeric structures are maintained with phenylisocyanide but only one geometry is observed with para-substituted phenylisocyanides.
Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Accounting for Diversity in Environmental Justice Screening Tools: Toward Multiple Indices of Disproportionate Impact

To comply with President Bill Clinton's Executive Order 12898 addressing environmental justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working for over two decades to deve...
Effects of dopamine indirect agonists and selective D1-like and D2-like agonists and antagonists on cocaine self-administration and food maintained responding in rats

A procedure is described for comprehensive evaluation of the effects of acute drug pretreatments on the reinforcing effects of cocaine using the rat self-administration assay in combination with a novel control assay of liquid-food maintained responding. In sessions comprised of five 20-min components, either complete dose-effect functions for cocaine self-administration or complete concentration-effect functions for liquid-food maintained responding were evaluated. The schedule of reinforcement (FR 5 TO 20-s), drug pretreatment doses and time intervals (0-30 min), and duration of sessions (108 min) were identical for cocaine- and food-reinforced test sessions. Whereas acute pretreatment with indirect dopamine agonists (D-amphetamine, GBR 12909) and D2-like agonists (7-OH-DPAT, quinelorane) produced dose-dependent leftward shifts in dose-effect functions for cocaine self-administration, D1-like agonists (SKF 82958, R-6-Br-APB) and dopamine antagonists (D1-like, SCH 39166; D2-like, eticlopride) shifted dose-effect functions for cocaine downward and rightward, respectively. Interestingly, with the indirect dopamine agonists but not the D2-like agonists, increased responding maintained by low cocaine doses was paralleled by increased responding maintained by low food concentrations. Moreover, three of the four direct agonists were moderately selective (< or =5-fold more potent) in decreasing cocaine self-administration relative to food maintained responding. When data were analyzed according to alterations in total cocaine intake, all of the agonists uniformly decreased total cocaine intake, whereas both antagonists increased total cocaine intake. Overall, this procedure was sensitive to leftward, downward and rightward shifts in cocaine dose-effect functions and should be useful for evaluating the nature of pharmacological interactions between novel compounds and self-administered cocaine, as well as the potential for altering cocaine self-administration selectively with candidate treatments for cocaine abuse and dependence.
Current modalities and new advances in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is one of the most common cancers. Surgical extirpation is currently the standard of care for BCC, which is associated with several advantages and disadvantages. Procedures such as surgical excision used to treat superficial BCC (sBCC) and nodular BCC (nBCC) may have high 5-year recurrence rates if tumors are not completely excised. Curettage with electrodesiccation is a common method for treating primary BCC. However, multiple cycles are recommended and the procedure can have unsatisfactory cosmetic results (e.g. scarring and hypopigmentation). Mohs micrographic surgery has a low rate of disease recurrence but is a specialized procedure usually limited to specific indications (e.g. high-risk tumors). Cryosurgery and photodynamic therapy require multiple cycles and are associated with variable cosmetic outcomes and recurrence rates. As with any procedure, potential risks and patient quality-of-life issues need to be considered. In addition, substantial patient and healthcare provider inconvenience limit the practical utility of some modalities. Pharmacologic interventions provide another treatment option as adjunctive or monotherapy. Investigations of imiquimod, a novel immune response modifier, have indicated that this topical, noninvasive agent is safe and well tolerated and may be efficacious in the treatment of BCC. This review will highlight the role of standard treatment modalities and introduce new advances in the treatment of BCC.
Genotype-specific prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in underserved Latino women with abnormal Papanicolaou tests

Introduction Knowledge about the prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in cervical premalignant and malignant lesions is crucial to guide development of clinical management strategies and prophylactic vaccines. The aim of this study was to determine HPV genotype-specific prevalence and distribution in an underserved cohort of Latino women. Materials and methods From December 2009 to April 2011, 808 SurePath cervicovaginal specimens were collected from women who were referred from charity clinics for abnormal Papanicolaou tests. The patients' average age was 36.5 years (range 19-85 years). The specimens were tested for HPV genotypes by DNA microarray and sequencing assays. Results The HPV infection rate was extremely high (93% for any HPV and 64% for high-risk [HR]-HPV), with frequent multiple-strain infection (39%). Younger age ( Conclusions The HPV genotype-specific prevalence and distribution pattern in this cohort of underserved Latino women differed significantly from previously published data in the United States. Understanding the potentially changing trends in HPV distribution pattern will help guide the development of appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies for both underserved and general populations.
Nano Science and Engineering in Mechanics and Materials

The transcendent technologies include nanotechnology, microelectronics, information technology and biotechnology as well as the enabling and supporting civil infrastructure systems and materials. These technologies are the primary drivers of the twenty first century and the new economy. Mechanics and materials are essential elements in all of the transcendent technologies. Research opportunities, education and challenges in mechanics and materials, including nanomechanics, carbon nano-tubes, bio-inspired materials, coatings, fire-resistant materials as well as improved engineering and design of materials are presented and discussed in this paper.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
SCAI Interventional Cardiology Board Review – Second Edition

Morton J. Kern, ed. 472 pages. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014. $154.99 Preparation for a board certification examination is a stressful and demanding process, whether for initial board certification or recertification as required every 10 years for most American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) specialists. In many fields, including Interventional Cardiology, the demand is accentuated by the need to review large amounts of material, much of which is rapidly evolving, while working long hours in clinical practice or a training program. The knowledge base required includes an understanding of data that are of historical importance or relate to basic mechanisms as well as those that impact routine clinical decision-making and patient care. There is a requirement to understand the findings of past and contemporary clinical studies that impact clinical practice and to know the latest standards of care that have been compiled into practice guidelines. Thus, there is a clear need for a concise, detailed review tool that is ample in historical and basic material and up to date regarding current evidence. The Society of Cardiac Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) Interventional Cardiology Board Review , in its second edition, edited by Morton J. Kern, accepts this challenge. The book is not designed as a textbook of Interventional Cardiology with an exhaustive discussion of the field, but as noted in the preface, is designed as …
Randomized Comparison Between Traditional and Traditional Plus Interactive Web-Based Methods for Teaching Seizure Disorders

Background: Teaching seizure disorders requires use of multiple formats including pictures and videos. Web technology permits combination of formats and interactive features to deliver information. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the benefits of incorporating Web-based interactive methodology into a neurology clerkship to enhance the teaching about seizure disorders to 3rd-year medical students. Methods: A Web-based interactive program was created and administered by the University of Florida blackboard. A multiple-choice questionnaire about epileptic disorders was utilized to assess the degree of learning. Participants were randomized to a Web group or control. Twenty-two students in each group were enrolled. The control group was assigned to a traditional written material. In the Web study group 4 students failed to complete the test. Results: The Web group obtained better scores on Multiple Choice Questionnaire than the control group (p = .03). Conclusions: This small study suggests...
Un-making artificial moral agents

Floridi and Sanders, seminal work, "On the morality of artificial agents" has catalyzed attention around the moral status of computer systems that perform tasks for humans, effectively acting as "artificial agents." Floridi and Sanders argue that the class of entities considered moral agents can be expanded to include computers if we adopt the appropriate level of abstraction. In this paper we argue that the move to distinguish levels of abstraction is far from decisive on this issue. We also argue that adopting certain levels of abstraction out of context can be dangerous when the level of abstraction obscures the humans who constitute computer systems. We arrive at this critique of Floridi and Sanders by examining the debate over the moral status of computer systems using the notion of interpretive flexibility. We frame the debate as a struggle over the meaning and significance of computer systems that behave independently, and not as a debate about the `true' status of autonomous systems. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that while levels of abstraction are useful for particular purposes, when it comes to agency and responsibility, computer systems should be conceptualized and identified in ways that keep them tethered to the humans who create and deploy them.
Physician recruitment and retention in rural and underserved areas

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges when recruiting and retaining rural physicians and to ascertain methods that make rural physician recruitment and retention successful. There are studies that suggest rural roots is an important factor in recruiting rural physicians, while others look at rural health exposure in medical school curricula, self-actualization, community sense and spousal perspectives in the decision to practice rural medicine. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review was performed using Academic Search Complete, PubMed and The Cochrane Collaboration. Key words were rural, rural health, community hospital(s), healthcare, physicians, recruitment, recruiting, retention, retaining, physician(s) and primary care physician(s). Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed full-text articles written in English, published from 1997 and those limited to USA and Canada. Articles from foreign countries were excluded owing to their unique healthcare systems. F...
A TBP complex essential for transcription from TATA-less but not TATA-containing RNA polymerase III promoters is part of the TFIIB fraction

The TATA box-binding protein TBP directs transcription by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases. In mammalian cells, TBP is found in at least three different complexes: SL1, D-TFIID, and B-TFIID. While SL1 and D-TFIID are involved in RNA polymerase I and II transcription, respectively, no unique function has been assigned to the B-TFIID complex. Here we show that the TFIIIB fraction required for RNA polymerase III transcription contains two separable components, one of which is a TBP-containing complex that may correspond to B-TFIID. For transcription of TATA-less RNA polymerase III genes such as the VAI, 5S, and 7SL genes, this complex cannot be replaced by either TBP alone or the D-TFIID complex. In contrast, TBP alone is active for basal transcription from the TATA-containing U6 promoter. This indicates different requirements for recruiting TBP to TATA-less and TATA-containing RNA polymerase III promoters.
Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for the treatment of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B.

Abstract Background & Aims: Lamivudine resistance occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis B at rates of 16%–32% after 1 year and 49% after 3 years. Adefovir dipivoxil, a nucleotide analogue recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, is effective against hepatitis B virus (HBV) but has been associated with renal toxicity at high doses. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate is another nucleotide analogue with demonstrated antiviral activity against both wild-type and lamivudine-resistant HBV. Tenofovir, at its licensed dose, has not been associated with renal dysfunction. Methods: We describe a series of 9 patients with lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B treated with tenofovir, 300 mg, once daily before the availability of adefovir. Levels of HBV DNA, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) were monitored. Results: The addition of tenofovir to the existing regimen of lamivudine resulted in a median decline of 4.5 log10 copies/mL in HBV DNA levels (range, 3.2–6.3 log10 copies/mL) after a median treatment duration of 12 months (range, 6–16 mo). HBeAg seroconversion was observed in 2 patients, with a third patient undergoing HBeAg loss while remaining anti-HBe negative. In 4 of 7 patients with elevated ALT levels at baseline, ALT levels normalized. No significant adverse events were encountered during treatment. Conclusions: In patients with lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B, treatment with tenofovir is well tolerated and results in significant virological, serological, and biochemical improvements on par with those seen with high-dose adefovir (30 mg/day) therapy, without the complication of renal toxicity.
Early Infant Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Detection Suitable for Resource-Limited Settings with Multiple Circulating Subtypes by Use of Nested Three-Monoplex DNA PCR and Dried Blood Spots

The early detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in infants is complicated by the persistence of maternal antibodies and by diverse HIV-1 subtypes. We developed a nested, three-monoplex HIV-1 DNA PCR (N3M-PCR) assay to detect diverse HIV-1 subtypes in infants born to infected mothers. We optimized the test for use with dried blood spot (DBS) samples for ease of storage and transport from rural China to central laboratories. Six pairs of primers were designed that targeted env, gag, and pol genes, and the test was run in three reactions with an analytical sensitivity of 10 copies DNA per reaction to cover nine HIV-1 subtypes, A, B, C, D, F, G, CRF01-AE, CRF08-BC, and CRF07-BC. The assay performance was evaluated on 347 DBS specimens from 151 exposed infants in four diverse provinces of China in which multiple subtypes were circulating. The results of this test were compared to those of HIV antibody enzyme immunoassay and Western blotting confirmation for the infants at ≥18 months of age or to convincing clinical and epidemiologic data for deceased infants. The sensitivity of the N3M-PCR assay was 30.0% (3/10) for infants at 48 h after birth, 91.7% (11/12) at 1 to 2 months of age, and 93.7% (15/16) at 3 to 6 months of age. The specificity was 100% (94/94) at all three time points. The PCR reproducibility in the three DNA regions was 100% for samples at 48 h after birth, 96.7% at 1 to 2 months, and 100% at 3 to 6 months of age. The HIV-1 DNA N3M-PCR assay on DBSs offers a simple and affordable approach for early infant HIV-1 diagnosis in regions with diverse HIV-1 circulating subtypes.
Indirect control of yolk protein genes by 20-hydroxyecdysone in the fat body of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti.

Abstract In response to a blood meal, the fat body of the female mosquito, Aedes aegypti, begins massive production of several yolk proteins which are subsequently stored in the developing oocytes. Although 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is important for initiation and maintenance of expression of the yolk protein genes encoding vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenic carboxypeptidase (VCP), the exact nature of 20E action has not been clearly defined. A primary question is whether this hormone directly stimulates expression of the genes for Vg and VCP or if it acts indirectly through a hormone response cascade. We have demonstrated that 10 −4 M cycloheximide (Chx) reversibly inhibits > 98% of protein synthesis in in vitro fat body culture. 10 −5 M 20E stimulates high levels of the mRNAs for Vg and VCP in previtellogenic fat bodies cultured in vitro, but initiation of this expression is eliminated by Chx. Thus, our results indicate that protein synthesis is required in response to 20E before increased levels of yolk protein mRNAs can be measured. We therefore conclude that the action of 20E is indirect.
Two-dimensional phase transition of styrene adsolubilized in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide admicelles on mica

Abstract The phase behavior of styrene adsolubilized in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C 16 TAB) aggregates adsorbed on mica was studied in situ using repulsive force atomic force microscopy (AFM) at bulk surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentration and without added electrolytes. Two critical phase transitions were observed for the styrene/adsorbed C 16 TAB system by studying the deflection images and force curves. The first critical phase transition occurred when the phase of the two-component admicelle shifted from a lamellar structure, with no discernable surface structure, to patches of swollen admicelle. Force curve analysis shows that the thickness of the C 16 TAB admicelle increases as does force required to penetrate the patches. The strong short-range repulsive force (rupture force) is thought to be attributable to the mechanical deformation of the liquid-like droplet within the admicelle by the AFM tip, described by fitting the data to the Hertz and JKR models. The second critical phase transition occurs when the bilayer with swollen patches transforms to a bilayer containing solute droplets with a thickness of 20 nm or more, a transition explainable by existing solubilization theories. Styrene molecules, being slightly polar, solubilize primarily at the admicelle-water interface. At low concentrations the adsolubilization of styrene results in a reduction of the head–head repulsion which causes the lamella to change to short hemi-cylinders and hemi-spherical structures. At high concentrations, styrene molecules begin to preferentially adsolubilize into the hydrocarbon core of the bilayer causing the lamella-droplet transformation.
Myotonic Response Induced by Inhibitors of Cholesterol Biosynthesis

Steroid inhibitors of cholesterogenesis containing nitrogen-substituted side chains induced electromyographic myotonia in rats. Cholesterol reduction or desmosterol accumulation, per se, did not cause myotonia, and cholestrol feeding prevented drug-induced myotonia. Desmosterol accumulation in combination with a specific drug effect may cause the observed myotonia.
After the Deep Freeze: Confronting “Magdalenian” Realities in Cantabrian Spain And Beyond

The Magdalenian culture-stratigraphic unit in Western Europe, despite being a construct of nineteenth-century prehistoric archeologists, does have reality as a continuous network of human inter-relationships, whose ecologically transcendent range expanded through the course of the Late Last Glacial, in many ways reminiscent of Braudel’s histoire de la longueduree—in this case lasting some 9,000 calendar years. At the scale of the moyenne duree, the Magdalenian underwent several reorganizations [represented by its Initial, Lower, Middle, Upper, Final, and Epi-Magdalenian (i.e., Azilian, Federmesser) stages]—with distinctly regional manifestations and inter-regional connections—that in part can be understood in light of environmental/resource changes and variations at the scales of millennia and natural regions. At the scale of the courte duree, we are dealing with the adaptations of local and regional hunter-gatherer bands and the peculiarities and vicissitudes of their circumstances measured by forager group territories and centuries. Numerous, diverse concrete archaeological manifestations of territories and inter-group contacts support the growing consensus about the social reality of the Magdalenian phenomenon and the changes and variations that characterized it within a range that ultimately stretched from Portugal to Poland during the last millennia of the Pleistocene. Here, the focus is on Cantabrian Spain as one of the core or source areas of the Magdalenian cultural tradition that arose out of the Solutrean experience some 20,000 calendar years ago (about a millennium later than in France) and that was intimately linked to the process of human recolonization of upland and northerly regions of western and ultimately central Europe during the course of Greenland Stadial 2 and early Greenland Interstadial 1. Finally, archaeological and paleobiological indicators clearly point to major breaks in human adaptations and ways of understanding the human place in the universe a few centuries after the onset of Holocene conditions in Vasco-Cantabria, i.e., the development of Mesolithic cultures about 11,000 calendar years ago.
The perils of working at home: IRB “mission creep” as context and content for an ethnography of disciplinary knowledges

Among kinds of fieldwork "at home," ethnographies of higher education inevitably draw on informal gleanings of everyday insider experience. Such informality is implicitly outlawed by federal human-subjects research regulations, which presume a clinical biomedical model that formally demarcates research from other activities. Intricately implicated in these circumstances, this article describes a comparative investigation into the methodologically embedded ethical conventions of anthropology and related disciplines for which institutional review board (IRB) participation itself became inadvertently informative, work that also reveals a conflict between the ethics of human-subjects protections (confidentiality) and of collegial exchange (citation).
Cellulose furoate. III. Properties and applications

Cellulose furoates synthesized by a homogeneous reaction was used to make film and fiber. Either colorless or light yellow, transparent cellulose furoate film can be made by solvent cast. Cellulose furoate film with a DS of 2.56 and 20% PEG-400 as the plasticizer displayed 5441 psi maximum tenacity and 21.5% maximum strain. The film without plasticizer has a water vapor permeability of 0.124 ng · m/m2 · s · Pa. DMTA study identified the Tg of cellulose furoate with a DS of 2.77 was 225°C. As the DS decreased, the Tg shifted toward higher temperature. The success of wet-spun fibers from LiCl/DMAc solution of cellulose and cellulose furoate substantiated cellulose furoate is compatible with cellulose. Unfortunately, the wet-spun fibers lost their mechanical and surface properties, and bioresistant property against Myrothecium verrucaria, Cheatomium globosum, and Aspergillus terreus. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 253–257, 2001
A review of the potential environmentally assisted failure mechanisms of austenitic stainless steel storage containers housing stabilized radioactive compounds

The degradation of stainless steel storage containers is a potential problem for 50-year storage of stabilized plutonium-bearing materials. Container materials and their welds will be exposed to ionizing radiation, elevated temperatures, embrittling and/or alloying agents (e.g., gallium and plutonium), chloride-containing compounds, and a limited quantity of moisture. All the above-listed environmental conditions have been shown to be deleterious to material integrity under certain conditions. Although the volume of the literature concerning failure of stainless steels is quite large, the interaction of the environment present within storage containers with stainless steels has not been comprehensively examined. This work attempts to detail selected relevant studies and assess the failure likelihood for storage of stabilized plutonium compounds.
A Tribute to Oliver Williamson: Williamson's Impact on the Theory and Practice of Management:

Although unknown to most CEOs, at least until his recent recognition by the Nobel Economics Prize Committee, Oliver Williamson has had a large impact on management theory and practice. There are many organization and strategy questions where his research is highly relevant. Williamson has spent much of his career trying to understand how things ought to be organized to promote efficiency, minimize manageable contractual risk, and achieve profitability. He developed transaction cost economics as a framework to assist managers in making critical strategic decisions.
Vertical electrostatic force in MEMS cantilever IR sensor

A MEMS cantilever IR detector that repetitively lifts from the surface under the influence of a saw-tooth electrostatic force, where the contact duty cycle is a measure of the absorbed IR radiation, is analyzed. The design is comprised of three parallel conducting plates. Fixed buried and surface plates are held at opposite potential. A moveable cantilever is biased the same as the surface plate. Calculations based on energy methods with position-dependent capacity and electrostatic induction coefficients demonstrate the upward sign of the force on the cantilever and determine the force magnitude. 2D finite element method calculations of the local fields confirm the sign of the force and determine its distribution across the cantilever. The upward force is maximized when the surface plate is slightly larger than the other two. The electrostatic repulsion is compared with Casimir sticking force to determine the maximum useful contact area. MEMS devices were fabricated and the vertical displacement of the cantilever was observed in a number of experiments. The approach may be applied also to MEMS actuators and micromirrors.
Concentration of saline produced water from coalbed methane gas wells in a multiple-effect evaporator using waste heat from the gas compressor and compressor drive engine

Abstract The use of heat of compression from the gas compressor and waste heat from the diesel compressor drive engine in a triple-effect feed forward evaporator was studied as a means of concentrating saline produced water to facilitate its disposal. The saline water, trapped in deeply buried coal seems, must be continuously pumped from coalbed natural gas wells so that the gas can desorb from the coal and make its way to the wellbore. Unlike conventional natural gas which is associated with petroleum and usually reaches the wellhead at high pressure, coalbed natural gas reaches the wellhead at low pressure, usually around 101 kPa (1 atm), and must be compressed near the well site for injection into gas transmission pipelines. The water concentration process was simulated for a typical 3.93 m3/s (500 MCF/h∗∗), at standard conditions (101 kPa, 289K), at the gas production field in the Warrior Coal Basin of Alabama, but has application to other coalbed gas fields being brought into production throughout the world. The baseline conditions of the study were: feed water dissolved solids content: 0.25 wt% ppm (mostly NaCl); feed water flow rate: 0.84 kg of produced water per m3 (50 lb/MCF) of produced gas; product water dissolved solids content: saturated brine (approximately 26 wt%) at 293 K (68 F); gas pressure in/out of compressor: 101 kPa/3.35 MPa (1 atm/35 atm). The study results showed that a fuel heat input to the diesel compressor drive engine of 6.13 MW (20.9 × 106Btu/h) was required. Heat transfer surface areas of 47.5, 69.1, and 71.0 m2 (511, 744, and 764 ft2) were required in effects I, II, and III,
Autograft or Allograft Aortic Root Replacement in Children and Young Adults With Aortic Valve Disease: A Single-Center Comparison

Background We analyzed the outcome of children and young adults (younger than 40 years) with aortic valve disease who underwent allograft or autograft aortic root replacement (ARR) in our institution and evaluated whether there is a preference for either valve substitute. Methods One-hundred fifty patients younger than 40 years underwent ARR between January 1990 and July 2011. Forty-four patients, aged 18.8 ± 12.4 years, had ARR with allograft conduit (allograft group), whereas 106 patients, aged 17.9 ± 11 years (p = 0.63), had a Ross ARR during the same period of time (autograft group). Echocardiographic data were reviewed to evaluate valve performance. The 2 groups were similar with respect to age, gender, etiology, and previous and concomitant procedures. Results Operative deaths were 3 in the autograft group. There were 6 late deaths in the autograft group and 5 in the allograft group. Survival was 92% and 84% at 5 and 15 years, respectively, in the allograft group versus 93% and 91% in the autograft group (p = 0.42). Freedom from any type of reintervention and from reoperation on aortic valve were similar (autograft, 64% and 72% versus allograft, 66% and 66%; p = not significant) at 15 years. Freedom from explantation were significantly better for Ross patients (autograft, 82% versus allograft, 66%; p = 0.05). Conclusions Aortic valve replacement with either the autograft or allograft provides good clinical results in children and young adults during an intermediate duration of observation. Survival early after ARR does not differ depending on the type of prosthesis. In patients with aortic valve disease, autograft and allograft ARR show comparable satisfactory early and long-term results, with the increasing reoperation risk in the second decade after operation remaining a major concern.
Association of Ig/BCL6 translocations with germinal center B lymphocytes in human lymphoid tissues: implications for malignant transformation.

Chromosomal translocations (CTs) between immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and the BCL6 proto-oncogene are frequently associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) and follicular lymphomas (FLs) and are implicated in the development of these lymphomas. However, whether Ig/BCL6 translocation per se is sufficient to drive malignant transformation is not clear. To understand the biology of Ig/BCL6-translocated cells prior to their malignant transformation, we developed a system capable of detecting 1 to 3 Igμ/BCL6 CT cells in 1 million mixed cells through the detection of chimeric Iμ-BCL6E2 and BCL6E1-Cμ1 transcripts that reflect reciprocal Igμ/BCL6 translocations. The chimeric transcripts that existed in the vast majority of normal lymphoid tissues are due to Igμ/BCL6 CT and were not generated from trans-splicing. Both Iμ-BCL6E2 and BCL6E1-Cμ1 transcripts were coexpressed in the same cell populations. The Ig/BCL6 recombination junctions themselves were isolated from B-cell subpopulations expressing the Iμ-BCL6 transcripts. The appearance of Igμ/BCL6 CT was associated with cells expressing germinal center but not naive B-cell markers. This study shows that Ig/BCL6 translocations occur in germinal center–stage B cells in healthy humans, and that Ig/BCL6 CTs per se are not likely sufficient to cause the malignant transformation in the context of human B cells.
Simple model for nuclear alignment in peripheral nuclear collisions

A nucleon exchange model incorporating both the effects of the relative motion of the target and projectile and the internal motion of the constituent nucleons is developed to calculate the alignment and magnitude of the transferred angular momentum in peripheral heavy ion reactions. The model leads in a natural way to unequal components of angular momentum along the two directions perpendicular to the normal to the reaction plane, and explains the decrease in alignment for small energy losses in a physically transparent manner.