cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Visualizing Bacterial Colony Purification Without the Use of Bacteria or Laboratory Equipment

Microorganisms typically exist in diverse and heterogeneous communities within their various environmental niches. The isolation of an individual species from these communities is an essential laboratory skill to study of the properties and behaviors of that organism. To achieve this separation, the “quadrant streak” for single colony purification is often included in undergraduate microbiology laboratory curricula. To aid student mastery of this technique, I have developed a simulated culture purification activity that allows students to immediately visualize the dilution and separation of an artificial microbial community with the goal of isolating purified colonies. This tool uses readily available, inexpensive, art supplies to simulate a mixed bacterial culture. The “mixed culture” consists of craft glitter of at least two distinct colors, held together with water-soluble, highly pigmented watercolor or gouache paint. Students practice aseptic technique by using a paintbrush to mimic an inoculating loop to streak and dilute the culture on a piece of cardstock. Sterilization of the “loop” is simulated by rinsing the brush. Students will immediately self-assess whether they are correctly performing the quadrant streak, rather than having to wait until the next laboratory session for bacteria to grow, which may allow them to master the technique sooner.
Combining bodies of dependent information

Recently, Hummel and Landy proposed a variation on the Dempster/Shafer theory of evidence that tracks only the first and second order statistics of the opinions of sets of experts. This extension permits the tracking of statistics of probabilistic opinions, however, as opposed to tracking merely Boolean opinions (or possibilities within the "frame of discernment"). Both the Dempster/Shafer formulation and the Hummel/Landy formulation assume that bodies of experts that are combined to form new statistics have independent information. We give a model for parameterizing degree of dependence between bodies of information, and extend the Hummel/Landy formulation for combining evidence to account for sets of experts having dependent information sources.
Genetics of hypertension

Hypertension is a prevalent complex polygenic disease mandating directive concerted multidisciplinary efforts in the dissection of its genetic basis. Identification of the genes involved in the etiology of genetic hypertension (hypertension genes) will lead to an elucidation of primary pathogenic mechanisms of hypertension, target organ complications, and interactions with environmental factors. This can thus form the basis for directive integrated management of hypertension.
Upper Urinary Tract Transitional Cell Cancer after Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer

AbstractWe studied 425 patients who had undergone radical cystectomy for transitional cell cancer of the bladder and were followed for 5 years or more, or until death. Upper urinary tract urothelial cancer developed in 14 patients (3.3 per cent), 3 of whom had bilateral disease: 2 synchronous and 1 asynchronous. The interval between cystectomy and emergence of the upper tract tumor ranged from 8 to 100 months (mean 40 months). There was a declining incidence of upper tract cancer relative to cystectomy P stage for carcinoma in situ (9.1 per cent), papillary stages O and A (3.6 per cent), stages B1, C and D1 (2.6 per cent) and no residual cancer (0 per cent). Of the 14 patients 8 (57 per cent) had features of multifocal carcinoma in situ in the cystectomy specimens. In 4 of the 14 patients (29 per cent) ipsilateral disease developed when the distal ureteral margins were involved with cancer at cystectomy. Only 3 of the 14 patients (21.4 per cent), all with stage I disease, were alive at the time of this re...
EEG-Based Classification of Emotional State Using an Autonomous Vehicle Simulator

Societal acceptance of self-driving cars (SDC) is predicated on a level of trust between humans and the autonomous vehicle. Although the performance of SDCs has improved dramatically, the question of mainstream acceptance and requisite trust is still open. We are exploring this question through integration of virtual reality SDC simulator and an electroencephalographic (EEG) recorder. In order for a passenger to build and maintain trust, the SDC will need to operate in a manner that elicits positive emotional response and avoids negative emotional response. In our experiment, a test subject was exposed to scenarios designed to induce positive and negative emotional responses, quantified by the EEG beta wave to alpha wave power ratio. As predicted, an increase in the beta to alpha power ratio was observed when the test subject was exposed to stress inducing situations inside the SDC simulator. Our results are expected to inform the design and operation of an EEG-based supervisory feedback control module or artificial intelligence (AI) that monitors the emotional state of passengers and adjusts the AI control parameters accordingly.
Abstract 2040: Withaferin A inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in non-small lung cell cancer cells via regulation of SMAD and NFkB signaling

Background: Metastasis remains the primary cause in lung cancer. Epithelial-to-mesenchyme transition (EMT) has been identified as the hallmark for metastasis in NSCLC, and is being explored for drug targeting. Aberrant signaling mechanisms for cytokines such as TGF-β1 and TNFα are known to induce EMT. In this study we demonstrate the effect and mechanisms of WFA inhibition of EMT in NSCLC cell lines. Objective: The present study was done to determine the effect of WFA on TGF-β1 and TNFα induced EMT, migration and invasion in human NSCLC cells. Furthermore, to determine underlying the mechanisms of WFA inhibition of EMT. Methods: Two human NSCLC cell lines (H1299 and A549) were cultured in DMEM media. To induce the EMT, cells in serum free media were challenged with TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL) or TNFα (5 ng/mL) alone or in combination. To determine the effects of WFA, cells were either pre- or co-treated with different concentrations of WFA for various time points. Western blot analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were used to determine effects of WFA on Smad2/3 and NFkB activation. Cell adhesion, migration and invasion assays were used to assess in vitro anti-metastatic activity. Results: Our findings indicate that the cytokines TGF-β1 and TNFα cooperate to promote the acquisition of EMT phenotype, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro. There was a marked increase in the expression of EMT transcription factors Snail, Slug, ZEB and EMT markers such as vimentin and N-cadherin. Cells treated with TGF-β1/TNFα had significantly increased migratory and invasive capacities. WFA treatment significantly inhibited the TGF-β1 induced Smad2/3 activation and TNFα-induced translocation of NFkB into the nucleus. We observed a dose and time dependent inhibition of the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and NFkB in both cell lines. The cell adhesion, migratory and invasive capacities of both H1299 and A549 cells were greatly diminished by WFA in the presence or absence of cytokines. Conclusion: Based on the current finding, it can be concluded that WFA inhibits EMT via negative regulation of Smad2/3 and NFkB signaling in NSCLC cells. Citation Format: Al Hassan Kyakulaga, Farrukh Aqil, Radha Munagala, Ramesh Gupta. Withaferin A inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in non-small lung cell cancer cells via regulation of SMAD and NFkB signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2040.
Tailoring the Discharge Reaction in Li-CO2 Batteries through Incorporation of CO2 Capture Chemistry

Summary The search for viable end-uses of CO2 has motivated considerable research into CO2 utilization in energy storage devices such as alkali metal-based O2/CO2 and -CO2 batteries. However, efforts have been stymied by the low electrochemical activity of CO2 in most organic media. In this work, we report a mediated CO2 capture and conversion process, based on amine (e.g., 2-ethoxyethylamine) chemisorption, which provides a new electrolyte system for facilitating the discharge reaction in Li-CO2 batteries. Our results indicate that electrochemical reduction of CO2-loaded amines proceeds at significantly higher discharge potentials (∼2.9 V versus Li/Li+) compared with physically dissolved CO2, which is inactive in the amine's absence. The discharge reaction forms solid-phase Li2CO3 as the primary discharge product and yields high discharge capacities (>1,000 mAh/gc), highlighting the coupling of CO2 capture chemistry to nonaqueous batteries as a promising approach for the design and manipulation of CO2 conversion reactions.
Valuing climate damages at the country level

A new estimate of the costs of CO2 emissions at the country level identifies the winners and losers under climate change.
Impact of Quality Assessment on Clinical Practice, Intermountain Healthcare

Intermountain Healthcare has steadily improved outcomes and reduced the cost of care by providing physicians and other care providers validated and meaningful information about their quality and cost metrics compared to their peers. Clinicians voluntarily improve their performance as the best interests of their patients and their communities given their prime motivation for being in medicine. This chapter demonstrates the ways in which reliable data systems can be effectively used for clinician insight into the systems they practice in, which had not been transparent to them before. A top-tier healthcare delivery organization will commit substantial resources to collecting and sharing data on all aspects of healthcare delivery. This data spans the organizational level to the hospital level, to the specific unit level, and most importantly to the individual clinician level. Healthcare organizations need to commit substantial personnel and data analytic resources to build actionable reports that can be shared with clinicians in as close to real time as possible. Physician leaders need to be chosen, trained, empowered, and supported for their time to then educate their colleagues in the understanding of these reports and metrics. These clinician leaders are the best ones to educate their colleagues, who then voluntarily seek to improve their own patient care delivery and of their teams.
Diagnosing, modeling, and testing a multiplicative stochastic Gent-McWilliams parameterization

Abstract A depth-independent isotropic Gent-McWilliams (GM) transport parameter κ is diagnosed from an idealized eddy-resolving primitive equation simulation. The optimal depth-independent isotropic GM parameterization is only able to model less than 50% of the diagnosed total tendency of temperature induced by unresolved mesoscale eddies. A spatio-temporal stochastic model of the GM parameter is developed based on the diagnosed values; the graphical lasso is used to estimate the spatial correlation structure. The stochastic model is used as a stochastic parameterization in low-resolution model simulations. The low-resolution stochastic simulation does a poor job of reproducing the temporal mean of large-scale temperature. Deterministic GM parameterizations and multiplicative stochastic GM parameterizations with unrealistic structure result in significantly more-accurate large-scale temperature in the low-resolution simulations. These results suggest that either the depth-independence or the isotropy of the GM parameterization are unrealistic as models of the eddy tracer transport, or that a stochastic GM parameterization should include an additive component.
Comparison of nutrient management recommendations and soil health indicators in southern Idaho

Advanced soil tests are being developed to help improve the estimation of plant available nutrients in order to better match fertilizer additions with plant needs as well as provide a measure of soil health, in some instances. The Soil Health Tool (SHT) has been developed with both goals in mind, yet it has not been tested for use in semi-arid regions such as southern Idaho. In the present study, we compared the use of the SHT for making fertilizer recommendations vs. using the standard regional method as well as evaluated the SHT soil health score (SHS) relative to crop yields and quality. The SHT was designed to analyze samples for 0-15 cm depth and regional guidelines call for deeper soil sampling (0-30 cm or 0-60 cm). In order to determine N fertilizer applications, use of the tool without accounting for depth, would recommend greater N application (~138 kg/ha) than the current regional methodology. However, it does appear that by accounting for depth in the SHT can provide similar available N estimates for the top 30 cm of soil. While N mineralization was not well predicted utilizing the method included in the SHT or from the regional methodology, the average estimated available N for these soils (47 kg/ha) was similar to the N mineralization value used in the current regional methodology (50 kg/ha). The P fertilizer recommendations were more similar between the two methodologies with the SHT recommending, on average 4.7 kg/ha less P than the regional method. The lower P recommendation are likely due to a lack of accounting for the effects of high calcium carbonate levels on the P availability from fertilizers in this region. The SHS was highly correlated with measures of soil C but was not positively correlated to crop yield. In some instances, increasing SHS resulted in decreases in crop quality as the addition of manure increased soil C but also created other potential problems such as high salt contents and release of late season N. With modification to more accurately represent irrigation conditions and including sampling to greater soil depths, this test may be tailored to better estimate soil nutrient status and provide better fertilizer recommendations for the region.
Myasthenic crisis in COVID-19.

• Myasthenic crises is a potentially severe complication of COVID-19. • Hydroxychloroquine can aggravate myasthenia crises. • IVIg is a potential treatment for both Myasthenic crises and COVID-19. • IVIg treatment may cause thrombosis in susceptible patients.
Thinking outside the nucleus: Mitochondrial DNA copy number in health and disease

Mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) is a biomarker of mitochondrial function and levels of mtDNA-CN have been reproducibly associated with overall mortality and a number of age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and cancer. Recent advancements in techniques for estimating mtDNA-CN, in particular the use of DNA microarrays and next-generation sequencing data, have led to the comprehensive assessment of mtDNA-CN across these and other diseases and traits. The importance of mtDNA-CN measures to disease and these advancing technologies suggest the potential for mtDNA-CN to be a useful biomarker in the clinic. While the exact mechanism(s) underlying the association of mtDNA-CN with disease remain to be elucidated, we review the existing literature which supports roles for inflammatory dynamics, immune function and alterations to cell signaling as consequences of variation in mtDNA-CN. We propose that future studies should focus on characterizing longitudinal, cell-type and cross-tissue profiles of mtDNA-CN as well as improving methods for measuring mtDNA-CN which will expand the potential for its use as a clinical biomarker.
Complete endoscopic sinus surgery followed by aspirin desensitization is associated with decreased overall corticosteroid use

Background Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is an aggressive respiratory tract inflammatory disorder manifesting as asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and a respiratory sensitivity to aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Corticosteroids, both systemic and topical/inhaled, are used to treat inflammation of the upper and lower airways. Our objective was to examine the potential impact of complete endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and aspirin desensitization (AD) on short-term and long-term corticosteroid use. Methods For this pilot study, a retrospective chart review of all patients with AERD who underwent ESS followed by AD was performed. Daily prednisone use, average daily prednisone dose, and inhaled corticosteroid use were analyzed at the following time points: preoperative, postoperative/pre-AD, and 2 to 3 months, 4 to 6 months, 7 to 12 months, and 13 to 24 months following AD. Results A total of 125 patients underwent ESS followed by AD. Compared to preoperatively, patients who underwent ESS and AD were less likely to be on daily prednisone at all time points and upon long-term follow-up (32% preoperatively vs 10% at 13 to 24 months, McNemar's test = 9.00, p = 0.009). Average daily prednisone dose decreased from 10.6 ± 7.9 mg preoperatively to 3.8 ± 2.6 mg at 13 to 24 months following AD (Mann-Whitney U; W = 122, p = 0.01). Similarly, high-dose and medium-dose inhaled corticosteroid use decreased from 18% to 7% and from 36% to 22% respectively (Pearson's chi-square = 8.06, p = 0.05). Conclusion In our AERD cohort who underwent ESS followed by AD, there was an observed decrease in overall systemic and topical/inhaled corticosteroid use. These findings can have implications for treatment given the potentially hazardous side effects of corticosteroid use.
Digital Accessibility as a Core Competency for E-Resources Librarians

This article will outline the electronic resources life cycle and identify key elements involved in e-resource management that exhibit potential for growth in terms of accessibility remediation. Th...
PM2.5 chemistry, organosulfates, and secondary organic aerosol during the 2017 Lake Michigan Ozone Study

Abstract The Lake Michigan Ozone Study from 21 May to 23 June 2017 (LMOS 2017) aimed to better understand the anthropogenic and biogenic sources that contribute to ozone and fine particles (PM2.5) along the coast of Lake Michigan. Here, we focus on the chemical composition of daytime and nighttime PM2.5—especially organic carbon, inorganic ions and organosulfates—at a ground-based supersite in Zion, Illinois. PM2.5 mass concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 12.9 μg m−3 with an average (±standard error) of 5.2 ± 0.4 μg m−3. The most significant contributor to PM2.5 mass was organic matter (OM; calculated as 1.7 × organic carbon [OC]; contributing an average of 59 ± 2%), followed by sulfate (17 ± 1%), ammonium (6.3 ± 0.3%), nitrate (3.5 ± 0.4%), and elemental carbon (EC; 3.4 ± 0.2%). During each of the three periods of high ozone, PM2.5 had different regional characteristics. Period A (2–3 June) was impacted by lake breeze and south-easterly air masses that travelled over major urban areas. Period A had the highest daily PM2.5 mass concentrations (11.4 ± 1.5 μg m−3) and EC with a relatively low OC:EC ratio of 7.0, indicating the influence of sources with low OC:EC ratios, which includes the anthropogenic combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Period B (10–13 June) was impacted by air masses traveling from the southern US. It had a relatively high OC:EC ratio of 18, the highest PM2.5 sulfate concentrations and aerosol acidity, and elevated mixing ratios of isoprene along with its oxidation products methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methacrolein (MACR). Peak concentrations of organosulfates, including methyltetrol sulfate (m/z 215; C5H11SO7−), were also observed throughout period B. Period C (13–17 June) followed a change to northerly winds. PM2.5 concentrations decreased along with decreases in sulfate, acidity, and most organosulfates. Throughout the study, organosulfates accounted for an average of 4% of OM and up to 15% of OM in Period B. Organosulfates were largely isoprene-derived, with lessor contributions from monoterpenes (0.3%) and anthropogenic sources (0.5%). Through these measurements of organosulfates in the Great Lakes region, we demonstrate the importance of anthropogenic sulfate emissions and aerosol acidity on SOA formation, and establish that isoprene-derived organosulfates, in particular, contribute significantly to PM2.5. With other LMOS observations, the chemical signatures of PM2.5, and back trajectories show that ozone episodes cooccur with localized lake-breeze meteorology within air masses that vary from episode to episode in chemical history and source region.
A multi-institutional analysis of sternoclavicular joint coverage following osteomyelitis

BACKGROUND Sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) osteomyelitis is a rare pathology requiring urgent intervention. Several operative approaches have been described with conflicting reports. Here, we present a multi-institutional study utilizing multiple surgical pathways for SCJ reconstruction. METHODS A multi-institutional retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify patients who underwent surgical repair for sternoclavicular osteomyelitis between 2008 and 2019. Patients were stratified according to reconstruction approach: single-stage reconstruction with advancement flap and delayed-reconstruction with flap following initial debridement. Demographics, operative approach, type of reconstruction, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS Thirty-two patients were identified. Mean patient age was 56.2±13.8 years and 68.8% were male. The average body mass index (BMI) was 30.0±8.8 kg/m2. The most common infection etiologies were intravenous drug use and bacteremia (both 25%). Fourteen patients (43.8%) underwent one-stage reconstruction and 18 (56.2%) underwent delayed twostaged reconstruction. Both single and delayed-stage groups had comparable rates of reinfection (7.1% vs. 11.1%, respectively), surgical site complications (21.4% vs. 27.8%), readmissions (7.1% vs. 16.6%), and reoperations (7.1% vs. 5.6%; all P>0.05). The single-stage reconstruction group had a significantly lower BMI (26.2±5.7 kg/m2 vs. 32.9±9.1 kg/m2; P<0.05) and trended towards shorter hospital length of stay (11.3 days vs. 17.9 days; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both single and delayed-stage approaches are appropriate methods with comparable outcomes for reconstruction for SCJ osteomyelitis. When clinically indicated, a single-stage reconstruction approach may be preferable in order to avoid a second operation as associated with the delayed phase, and possibly shortening total hospital length of stay.
Modal Analysis of Turbulent Flow near an Inclined Bank–Longitudinal Structure Junction

AbstractThe present study examines the effect of upstream channel bank angle on the turbulent flow characteristics and the underlying coherent structures associated with the development of local sc...
Data-driven decision support tools for assessing the vulnerability of community water systems to groundwater contamination in Los Angeles County

Abstract Regulatory bodies that monitor community water systems (CWS) can be strained for time and resources, making it difficult to take science-informed preventative action before contamination affects local populations. This research aims to develop an easy to deploy, data-driven method to identify CWS that are vulnerable to drinking water quality degradation from groundwater contamination. We focus on a case study of Los Angeles County (LA County) in California to explore the utility of machine learning methods, specifically random forest models (RF) and artificial neural networks (ANN), as quickly deployable decision support tools based on publicly available data. We also aim to provide insight into which factors contribute to vulnerability to groundwater contamination, which may be useful in understanding how vulnerability to contamination emerges. The results of this analysis, which are based entirely on publicly available data, can help policymakers and planners target specific systems, as well as better tailor the type of support needed. We find that both RF and ANN methods can produce relatively low prediction errors but differ in what they predict and how they weigh the relative importance of input variables. The results also suggest that model results can provide stakeholders with a starting point for prioritizing at-risk service areas, but it is important to remember that the model results are most useful in combination with expert opinion.
The Role and Impact of Minimal Residual Disease in NSCLC

There has been a huge development in the assessment of malignancies through liquid biopsies last years, especially for NSCLC, where its use has become part of clinical practice in some settings. We aim to summarize current evidence about minimal residual disease and its use in lung cancer. Recent studies using ctDNA in NSCLC but also in other types of cancer found strong correlations between the presence of ctDNA and the risk of disease progression or death after curative intent, despite current technical difficulties in performing this analysis (high sensitivity and specificity required). Evaluation of MRD in NSCLC, especially through ctDNA, could be an important point in future trial designs and could permit a more “targeted” adjuvant treatment.
Somatostatin and the Cerebral Cortex

A unique subset of interneurons which are rich in immunoreactive somatostatin (IRS) exists in the cerebral cortex. The regulation of IRS secretion by these cells is reviewed. Acetylcholine, glutamic acid and several neuropeptides including VIP, CCK, and metenkephalin have been identified as IRS secretagogues. The types of molecules which stimulate IRS release, the electrophysiologic effects of somatostatin, and the recognition of abnormal IRS levels in human CNS diseases were all used to formulate a working model of the role of the somatostatinergic cell in ongoing cerebral cortical function.
Materials and crystal growth for photovoltaics

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the crystal growth advances and the related technical issues, specifically in developing large-scale, potentially low-cost approaches to module manufacturing for the various photovoltaics (PV) technologies. The PV is the solar electric power , a semiconductor-based technology that converts sunlight to electricity. Progress over the years have been made in areas of crystal growth and materials science from discovering and demonstrating new PV materials and device structures to identifying and developing scalable and potentially low-cost manufacturing approaches. Controlling the chemistry and defect structures in the materials is a major factor for the improvements in solar cell efficiencies in all PV technologies. While the progress in laboratory solar cell efficiencies is impressive, significant differences remain between the best performances and the theoretically predicted values for each solar cell technology.
An incremental interactive algorithm for regular grammar inference

We present provably correct interactive algorithms for learning regular grammars from positive examples and membership queries. A structurally complete set of strings from a language L(G) corresponding to a target regular grammar G implicitly specifies a lattice of finite state automata (FSA) which contains a FSA MG corresponding to G. The lattice is compactly represented as a version-space and MG is identified by searching the version-space using membership queries. We explore the problem of regular grammar inference in a setting where positive examples are provided intermittently. We provide an incremental version of the algorithm along with a set of sufficient conditions for its convergence.
Pharmaceutical informatics: A novel paradigm for pharmaceutical product development and manufacture

The compelling drivers for the pharmaceutical industry are minimizing the time between a drug's discovery and its delivery to the marketplace, and maintaining high productivity in the manufacturing processes. During a product's lifecycle many complex decisions must be made to achieve these goals. To better support the development and manufacturing processes at each stage, we have proposed a new paradigm to facilitate the management and transfer of data, information and knowledge. A prototype for the informatics paradigm has been successfully developed. As a first step, the feasibility of the proposed informatics framework is demonstrated using a case study based on a pilot plant operation.
Cosmic Background Radiations

The photon is the best probe we have of the distant regions of the universe. There are two regions in the electromagnetic spectrum where one can expect to see far back into the universe. In both of these windows there are backgrounds which are now being explored and studied. These observations have led to suprisingly strong statements about the nature of our universe.
Ordered phases of the anisotropic kagome-lattice antiferromagnet in a magnetic field

The antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on an anisotropic kagome lattice may be a good minimal model for real magnetic systems as well as a limit from which the isotropic case can be better understood. We therefore study the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnet on an anisotropic kagome lattice in a magnetic field. Such a system should be well described by weakly interacting spin chains, and we motivate a general form for the interaction by symmetry considerations and by perturbatively projecting out the interchain spins. In the spin-$1∕2$ case, we find that the system exhibits a quantum phase transition from a ferrimagnetic ordered state to an $XY$ ordered state as the field is increased. Finally, we discuss the appearance of magnetization plateaux in the ferrimagnetic phase.
Incorporating commercial electronic design automation into electrical and computer engineering curriculum

American engineering colleges and universities are serving two types of clients; directly, our students and indirectly, our industry. Traditional formal instructional education has fulfilled the needs of our students, but only partially addressed the needs of our industries. Incorporating commercially available integrated Electronic Design Automation(EDA) software into the engineering curriculum will provide our graduating students not only the necessary formal training but also the hands-on commercial EDA experience to effectively contribute to our workforce. Teachers have long known what researches have only recently confirmed about the value of active learning: students do learn more and better by becoming actively involved. Early exposure to commercial EDA tools will allow our students to become actively involved during their freshman year and progresses further to handle advanced project-oriented courses in later years. Continued use of this integrated commercial EDA environment throughout the curriculum minimized student's learning curve and reinforces EDA proficiencies and its methodologies. Furthermore, new information can be meaningfully connected to prior knowledge and skills, and students will be able to transfer their previous knowledge and skills to new context meeting their goals as well as the teacher's goals. This paper presents an approach to utilize an integrated set of commercially available EDA tools to supplement formal learning through early introduction of EDA tools. Electrical and Computer Engineering courses that can benefit through the use of the EDA tools are identified. Key issues and concerns will also be discussed such as commercial EDA tools requirements, courseware development, faculty training and support, etc. >
The Realization of an Oxidative Dearomatization-Intramolecular Diels-Alder Route to Vinigrol

Abstract Detailed in this chapter is the Njardarson group vinigrol total synthesis saga. Even though the Njardarson group synthetic strategy had undergone multiple modifications over time, it remained faithful to several key reaction design elements, namely: (a) oxidative dearomatization/Diels–Alder cascade, (b) radical or palladium cascade, (c) creation of a tetracyclic cage for substrate control purposes, and (d) a late-stage C C bond fragmentation reaction to unravel the vinigrol core. The saga begins with the earliest oxidative dearomatization explorations followed by detailed descriptions of the modifications that were made in response to the obstacles encountered en route to the completed total synthesis of vinigrol.
Contextualizing Disclosure's Effects: Wikileaks, Balancing and the First Amendment

This essay responds to Professor Fenster’s article in the Iowa Law Review, Disclosure’s Effects: WikiLeaks and Transparency, assessing the effects of the recent WikiLeaks disclosures. The essay agrees with many of Professor Fenster’s conclusions regarding the promise and peril of those disclosures, especially his concern regarding the problematic balancing approaches used to assess the likely impact when confidential information is revealed. It specifically elaborates on courts’ current application of the Espionage Act, a criminal law likely to be applied to the WikiLeaks disclosures, and the implications of that deferential application for WikiLeaks, Julian Assange and journalists in general.
Attitudes Toward Product Messages on Social Media: An Examination of Online Shopping Perspectives Among Young Consumers

This study investigates consumers' motivations behind social media usage and attitudes toward product messages on social media sites and how the product messages affect consumer online shopping perspectives. An integrated conceptual model is proposed based on the Uses and Gratifications theory and the concepts of hedonic shopping value and impulsive shopping behavior. Structural Equation Modeling SEM is used to test the structural model and hypotheses. The proposed conceptual model shows a good model fit. The results and findings found from this study are explained in detail further in the article.
Surface photochemistry: Monolayer versus multilayer for alkyl halides on Ag{111}

Abstract The UV photodissociation of CH 3 Br and C 2 H 5 Cl on Ag{111} has been studied at 1 and 2 monolayer coverages. As compared to the first monolayer, the second layer has much lower photodissociation rates and a different wavelength dependence.
Convective and radiant heat transfer for flow of a transparent gas in a tube with a gray wall

Convective and radiant heat transfer for flow of a transparent gas in a tube with a gray wall
The Use of Web of Knowledge to Study Publishing and Citation Use for Local Researchers at the Campus Level

This paper provides information on a research project undertaken at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to study publications by the campus researchers with an emphasis on the STEM (agricultural sciences, physical science, biological sciences, engineering and mathematics, etc.) disciplines at the macro level for a 3-year period. The overall objective of the study was to provide evidence-based data of periodical use to assist with collection decisions and to identify collection strengths at the university level. We used the Web of Knowledge database (Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts and Humanities Citation Index) to identify the periodical literature in which our researchers published and those that they cite in their publications. We also determined the extent to which our researchers are publishing in and citing periodicals from the Elsevier, Wiley, and IEEE journal packages. A methodology for extracting citations from Web of Knowledge into an Excel spreadsheet is al...
Innovative approach to teaching undergraduate reinforced concrete design

This paper highlights innovative teaching techniques aimed at improving understanding and comprehension of reinforced concrete design theory. These techniques include: 1) Use of American Concrete Institute (ACI) building code-based analysis and design techniques, which focus on strain compatibility and equilibrium concepts; 2) students are required to develop five sets of team-based spreadsheet programming assignments; and 3) incorporation of a term project requiring students to design, construct, and test full-scale reinforced concrete beams. This course focuses on improving student's abilities to think critically and apply their knowledge of fundamental engineering principles to solve reinforced concrete design problems. Taught with the same pedagogical techniques for the past ten years, the course regularly earns positive feedback from current students and graduates, and is rated as one the most valuable undergraduate courses taken during their four-year educational program.
Sintering Behavior of Doped Lanthanum and Yttrium Manganite

The sintering behavior of doped manganite powders was found to be highly dependent on changes in calcination conditions and A/B cation ratio. Coarsening of combustion, synthesized powders by calcination allowed for higher green densities in dry-pressed compacts, which resulted in higher sintered densities for powders calcined in the temperature range 800--1,200 C. Sintered densities decreased for calcination temperatures greater than 1,200 C. Preparation of manganites with a deficiency of A-site cations improved the densification behavior substantially. This effect was attributed to an increased concentration of A-site vacancies which enhanced the diffusion of A-site cations during sintering. Modification of doped manganites by alteration of composition and calcination condition s allowed their sintering shrinkage to be ``tailored`` to more closely match the shrinkage of yttria-stabilized zirconia.
The C331A Mutant of Neuronal Nitric-Oxide Synthase Is Defective in Arginine Binding

It has been proposed that Cys99 of human endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is responsible for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) binding. To examine this possibility rigorously, we expressed rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) in Escherichia coli, with the homologous Cys331 to Ala mutation, and characterized structural and functional attributes of the purified, mutated enzyme. C331A-nNOS, as isolated, was catalytically incompetent. Upon prolonged incubation with L-arginine (L-Arg), not only BH4 binding but also catalytic activity could be restored. In contrast to wild-type nNOS (WT-nNOS), which exhibits an absorbance maximum at 407 nm that shifts immediately upon L-arginine addition to a high spin form, the C331A-nNOS mutant, as isolated, exhibited an absorbance maximum at 420 nm. C331A-nNOS, as isolated, did not bind detectable levels of either [3H]Nomega-nitro-L-arginine or [3H]BH4, but [3H]BH4 binding was reinstated after extended incubation with excess L-arginine. On the other hand, C331A-nNOS and WT-NOS were identical with regard to imidazole binding affinity, CaM binding affinity, and rates of cytochrome c and 2, 6-dichlorophenolindophenol reduction. EPR spectroscopy revealed conversion of low to high spin heme after extended incubation with high concentrations of L-arginine (0.1-10 mM). The estimated Kd for L-arginine binding to C331A-nNOS was two orders of magnitude greater than WT-nNOS (>100 microM versus 2-3 microM). Here we propose that Cys331 plays an important role in stabilizing L-arginine binding to nNOS. Our findings suggest that the primary dysfunction in the C331A mutant of nNOS, as isolated, is disruption of the BH4-substrate binding interactions as broadcast from this mutated cysteine residue. Prolonged incubation with L-arginine appears to cause remodeling of the mutant protein to a form similar to that of WT-nNOS, allowing for normalized BH4 binding and nitric oxide synthetic activity.
A multivariate approach to laboratory practice.

The application of multivariate statistical technics to laboratory data analysis is a recent development in clinical pathology. The proliferation in number and type of diagnostic tests requires a simple method to extract predictors of clinical states from data generated by existing laboratory procedures, as well as a method to assess the usefulness of new tests as they are proposed. A series of algorithms can select a “best predictor” subset of laboratory tests and verify this reduced group's predictive diagnostic worth. The established predictive ability of existing laboratory tests can serve as a reference scale when a newly available laboratory test is evaluated. The proposed new test is included with the best predictors already identified and confirmed. In multivariate analysis the usefulness of the proposed new procedure in the predictive diagnosis scheme is determined.
Identification of a novel sterol-independent regulatory element in the human low density lipoprotein receptor promoter.

The cytokine oncostatin M (OM) activates human low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene transcription through a sterol-independent mechanism. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory have narrowed the OM-responsive element to promoter region −52 to +13, which contains the repeat 3 and two TATA-like sequences. We now identify LDLR promoter region −17 to −1 as a sterol-independent regulatory element (SIRE) that is critically involved in OM-, transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)-, and second messenger cAMP-mediated activation of LDLR transcription. The SIRE sequence overlaps the previously described TATA-like element and consists of an active C/EBP-binding site (−17 to −9) and a functional cAMP-responsive element (CRE) (−8 to −1). We demonstrate that (a) mutations within either the C/EBP or CRE site have no impact on basal or cholesterol-mediated repression of LDLR transcription, but they completely abolish OM-mediated activation of LDLR transcription; (b) replacing the repeat 3 sequence that contains the Sp1-binding site with a yeast transcription factor GAL4-binding site in the LDLR promoter construct does not affect OM inducibility, thereby demonstrating that OM induction is mediated through the SIRE sequence in conjunction with a strong activator bound to the repeat 3 sequence; (c) electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift assays confirm the specific binding of transcription factors C/EBP and cAMP-responsive element-binding protein to the SIRE; (d) cotransfection of a human C/EBPβ expression vector (pEF-NFIL6) with the LDLR promoter construct pLDLR234 increases LDLR promoter activity; and (e) OM and dibutyryl cAMP synergistically activate LDLR transcription through this regulatory element. This study identifies, for the first time, acis-acting regulatory element in the LDLR promoter that is responsible for sterol-independent regulation of LDLR transcription.
Hermite expansions in Monte-Carlo computation

The expansion of estimators and estimands in Hermite (or Wiener-Hermite) series can substantially improve the accuracy and efficiency of Monte-Carlo algorithms.
The significance of positive chorionic gonadotropins in apparently pure seminoma of the testis.

Abstract Between January, 1969 and December, 1975, 20 patients with Stage I and 8 with Stage II pure seminoma of the testes were treated at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. Six of these patients had elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels prior to orchiectomy. In addition, 2 of the 6 patients presented with pre-orchiectomy gynecomastia. Patients were treated with radiation therapy to the retroperitoneum; additional mediastinal irradiation was given in some patients. In 4 of the 6 patients, post-orchiectomy HCG titers were measured and were normal. At this writing, all patients were alive without disease 20–98 months following initiation of treatment. The prognosis of patients with pure seminoma and positive pre-orchiectomy HCG titers does not appear to differ from that of pure seminoma patients without elevated HCG levels.
Assessment of Seismic Slope Stability Using GIS Modeling

Abstract In recent years there has been a growing interest in developing GIS based models for mapping and identification of seismically-induced landslide hazards. A review of assumptions in the relationships and the data typically used in GIS seismic slope stability models, shows that there are three components which are commonly used together: pseudo-static slope stability analysis, attenuation of ground shaking models, and Newmark's displacement method (Newmark 1965). These relationships are typically combined in a raster or vector data model to produce a map of seismically-induced landslide displacements. To produce a map of ground displacement, a digital coverage of the geology and a high resolution DEM are needed at the very least. Additional data layers such as shear strength parameters and soil depth can be estimated from the geology and they can add to the sophistication and accuracy of the model. A case study was developed which combines the components of site and slope response in a vector data ...
Mechanisms of Interaction Between Vanillin and Milk Proteins in Model Systems

ABSTRACT: The effects of milk proteins on vanillin intensity reduction were studied in a phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) using urea and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as bond disrupting agents. The reduction of vanillin occurred immediately as the protein was introduced to the system. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) interacted more with vanillin than sodium caseinate (CAS) did. Heat treatment had no effect on vanillin reduction of the CAS system; however, free vanillin content was higher in the heated than nonheated BSA system. Hydrogen bonding appeared to be a major force for the interaction of vanillin and CAS. However, hydrophobic interaction seemed to be more important than hydrogen bonding in the vanillin and BSA system.
Adolescents' thoughts about abstinence curb the return of marijuana use during and after treatment.

Despite some evidence showing that readiness to change substance use predicts reductions in substance use among treated adolescents, there is little research on month-to-month changes in adolescents’ thoughts about abstinence and marijuana use during and after substance use treatment. The current study provides a test of the “snares” hypothesis, which posits that time-varying changes in adolescents’ motivation to abstain and perceived difficulty to abstain from marijuana use hinder, or snare, the return of regular marijuana use during and after treatment. Monthly data on thoughts about abstinence, marijuana use, and treatment utilization were collected over 6-month follow-up from 142 adolescents recruited from intensive outpatient treatment for substance use. Results provided some support for the snares hypothesis in that higher motivation to abstain (but not perceived difficulty) predicted fewer days of marijuana use, over and above both the adolescent’s average trajectory of marijuana use, the initial severity of their marijuana involvement, and the effects of treatment utilization. Moreover, this association was bi-directional, such that past-month marijuana use influenced both motivation to abstain and perceived difficulty to abstain. Study findings highlight the importance of abstinence-related cognitions as a key target of intervention during and after addictions treatment, and underscore the importance of considering recovery from substance use disorders as a dynamic process of change over time.
Advances in the simulation of Transition Radiation Detectors

Different techniques used to simulate the behaviour of the Transition Radiation Detectors are discussed.