cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent estimation of covariance matrix

This paper considers spatial heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (spatial HAC) estimation of covariance matrices of parameter estimators. We generalize the spatial HAC estimator introduced by Kelejian and Prucha (2007) to apply to linear and nonlinear spatial models with moment conditions. We establish its consistency, rate of convergence and asymptotic truncated mean squared error (MSE). Based on the asymptotic truncated MSE criterion, we derive the optimal bandwidth parameter and suggest its data dependent estimation procedure using a parametric plug-in method. The finite sample performances of the spatial HAC estimator are evaluated via Monte Carlo simulation.
Practice of Telehealth in Otolaryngology: A Scoping Review in the Era of COVID-19.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has spurred widespread adoption and advancement in telehealth activities, representing a marked change in otolaryngology practice patterns. The present study undertak...
Cognitive and Physiological Measures of Listening Effort During Degraded Speech Perception: Relating Dual-Task and Pupillometry Paradigms.

Purpose Listening effort is quickly becoming an important metric for assessing speech perception in less-than-ideal situations. However, the relationship between the construct of listening effort a...
Havel: unfinished revolution

The author has produced a highly readable and engaging personal biography of his subject – in my opinion, the best such personal biography available to date (although I hope it is to be the last: s...
Joint learning for biomedical NER and entity normalization: encoding schemes, counterfactual examples, and zero-shot evaluation

Named entity recognition (NER) and normalization (EN) form an indispensable first step to many biomedical natural language processing applications. In biomedical information science, recognizing entities (e.g., genes, diseases, or drugs) and normalizing them to concepts in standard terminologies or thesauri (e.g., Entrez, ICD-10, or RxNorm) is crucial for identifying more informative relations among them that drive disease etiology, progression, and treatment. In this effort we pursue two high level strategies to improve biomedical ER and EN. The first is to decouple standard entity encoding tags (e.g., "B-Drug" for the beginning of a drug) into type tags (e.g., "Drug") and positional tags (e.g., "B"). A second strategy is to use additional counterfactual training examples to handle the issue of models learning spurious correlations between surrounding context and normalized concepts in training data. We conduct elaborate experiments using the MedMentions dataset, the largest dataset of its kind for ER and EN in biomedicine. We find that our first strategy performs better in entity normalization when compared with the standard coding scheme. The second data augmentation strategy uniformly improves performance in span detection, typing, and normalization. The gains from counterfactual examples are more prominent when evaluating in zero-shot settings, for concepts that have never been encountered during training.
Compounding Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Status, and Other Factors on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A Meta-analysis.

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion is a known risk factor for multiple adverse health outcomes, including disturbed sleep. Although prior studies show adverse effects of TBI on sleep quality, its compounding effect with other factors on sleep is unknown. This meta-analysis aimed to quantify the effects of TBI on subjective sleep quality in the context of military status and other demographic factors. Materials and methods A programmatic search of PubMed database from inception to June 2020 was conducted to identify studies that compared subjective sleep quality measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in individuals with TBI relative to a control group. The meta-analysis included group-wise standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI. Pooled means and SDs were obtained for TBI and non-TBI groups with and without military service, and meta-regression was conducted to test for group effects. Exploratory analysis was performed to test for the effect of TBI, non-head injury, military status, sex, and age on sleep quality across studies. Results Twenty-six articles were included, resulting in a combined total of 5,366 individuals (2,387 TBI and 2,979 controls). Overall, individuals with TBI self-reported poorer sleep quality compared to controls (SMD = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.80). Subgroup analysis revealed differences in the overall effect of TBI on PSQI, with a large effect observed in the civilian subgroup (SMD: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.57 to 1.03) and a medium effect in the civilian subgroup with orthopedic injuries (SMD: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.65) and military/veteran subgroup (SMD: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.71). Exploratory analysis revealed that age and history of military service significantly impacted global PSQI scores. Conclusions Poor sleep quality in TBI cohorts may be due to the influence of multiple factors. Military/veteran samples had poorer sleep quality compared to civilians even in the absence of TBI, possibly reflecting unique stressors associated with prior military experiences and the sequelae of these stressors or other physical and/or psychological traumas that combine to heightened vulnerability. These findings suggest that military service members and veterans with TBI are particularly at a higher risk of poor sleep and its associated adverse health outcomes. Additional research is needed to identify potential exposures that may further heighten vulnerability toward poorer sleep quality in those with TBI across both civilian and military/veteran populations.
Determination and validation of D-values for Listeria monocytogenes and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in cheese milk.

ABSTRACT Certain cheeses can be legally produced in the United States using raw milk, but they must be aged for at least 60 d to reduce pathogen risks. However, some varieties, even when aged for 60 d, have been shown to support growth of Listeria monocytogenes or survival of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Thermization, as a subpasteurization heat treatment, has been proposed as a control to reduce the risk of pathogens in raw cheese milk while retaining some quality attributes in the cheese. However, the temperature and time combinations needed to enhance safety have not been well characterized. The objective of this research was to determine and validate decimal reduction values (D-values) for L. monocytogenes and STEC at thermization temperatures 65.6, 62.8, and 60.0°C; a D-value at 57.2°C was also determined for L. monocytogenes only. Nonhomogenized, pasteurized whole-milk samples (1 mL) were inoculated with 8-log cfu/mL L. monocytogenes or STEC (5- or 7-strain mixtures, respectively), vacuum-sealed in moisture-impermeable pouches, and heated via water bath submersion. Duplicate samples were removed at appropriate intervals and immediately cooled in an ice bath. Surviving bacteria were enumerated on modified Oxford or sorbitol MacConkey overlaid with tryptic soy agar to aid in the recovery of heat-injured cells. Duplicate trials were conducted, and survival data were used to calculate thermal inactivation rates. D65.6°C-, D62.8°C-, and D60.0°C-values of 17.1 and 7.2, 33.8 and 16.9, and 146.6 and 60.0 s were found for L. monocytogenes and STEC, respectively, and a D57.2°C-value of 909.1 s was determined for L. monocytogenes. Triplicate validation trials were conducted for each test temperature using 100 mL of milk inoculated with 3 to 4 log cfu/mL of each pathogen cocktail, A 3-log reduction of each pathogen was achieved faster in larger volumes than what was predicted by D-values (D-values were fail-safe). Data were additionally compared with published results from 21 scientific studies investigating L. monocytogenes and STEC in whole milk heated to thermization temperatures (55.0–71.7°C). These data can be used to give producers of artisanal raw-milk cheese flexibility in designing thermal processes to reduce L. monocytogenes and STEC populations to levels that are not infectious to consumers.
Dark Web Attribute System

Terrorists and extremists are increasingly utilizing Internet technology to enhance their ability to influence the outside world. Due to the lack of multilingual and multimedia terrorist/extremist collections and advanced analytical methodologies, our empirical understanding of their Internet usage is still very limited. To address this research gap, we explore an integrated approach for identifying and collecting terrorist/extremist web contents. We also propose a Dark Web Attribute System (DWAS) to enable quantitative Dark Web content analysis from three perspectives: technical sophistication, content richness, and web interactivity. Using the proposed methodology, we identified and examined the Internet usage of major Middle Eastern terrorist/extremist groups. More than 200,000 multimedia web documents were collected from 86 Middle Eastern multilingual terrorist/extremist web sites. In our comparison of terrorist/extremist web sites to US government web sites, we found that terrorist/extremist groups exhibited levels of web knowledge similar to that of US government agencies. Moreover, terrorists/extremists had a strong emphasis on multimedia usage, and their web sites employed significantly more sophisticated multimedia technologies than government web sites. We also found that the terrorist/extremist groups are as effective as the US government agencies in terms of supporting communications and interaction using web technologies. Advanced Internet-based communication tools such as online forums and chat rooms are used much more frequently in terrorist/extremist web sites than government web sites. Based on our case study results, we believe that the DWAS is an effective tool to analyze the technical sophistication of terrorist/extremist groups’ Internet usage and could contribute to an evidence-based understanding of the applications of web technologies in the global terrorism phenomena.
Introduction to Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As)

The first decade of the new millennium heralded an era of global megamergers, followed by a period of extended turbulence in the global credit markets. As was true of the frenetic levels of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the 1980s and 1990s, the level of activity through mid-2007 was fueled by readily available credit, historically low interest rates, rising equity markets, technological change, global competition, and industry consolidation. The intent of this chapter is to provide an understanding of the underlying dynamics of M&A (merger and acquisition) in the context of an increasingly interconnected world. The chapter begins with a discussion of M&As as a change agent in the context of corporate restructuring. The focus in the chapter is on M&As, why they happen, and why they tend to cluster in waves. It also introduces various legal structures and strategies employed to restructure corporations. Moreover, the role of the various participants in the M&A process is explained. Using the results of the latest empirical studies, the chapter addresses the question of whether mergers pay off for target and acquiring company shareholders and bondholders, as well as for society. Finally, the most commonly cited reasons some M&As fail to meet expectations are discussed.
Dollar rich and time poor?: Some problems in interpreting changing food habits

Consumption of ready‐made meals and snacks has rapidly increased in recent years. The increasing importance and value of time resources generates a greater demand for convenience in food. Discusses time budgets and time famines, explanations for which are not self‐evident. Convenience is multifaceted, socially located and related to experience over time. Discusses whose time is being saved by convenience foods, and also changes in the culture of food and eating. Concludes that convenience in modern food habits is a complex and controversial issue. Unless we take the complexity of (post) modern consumer culture seriously, we shall continue to misunderstand, and misrepresent, the changes which are actually under way.
Anti-sDNA antibody purified from sera of human patients with systemic lupus erythematosus—II: Ligand binding properties of purified antibodies

Abstract Anti-sDNA antibodies were purified from various human SLE sera by immunoadsorption and analyzed for their nucleotide binding properties. Equilibrium dialysis studies with radioactivity labeled nucleotides show that the average intrinsic association constants were relatively low (10 4 –10 5 M −1 ). Heterogeneity index values in general indicated that all antibody populations were quite heterogeneous. Comparative r values, calculated for antibody samples displaying multi-base specificity, indicated both mono-specific and cross reactive sub-populations. Antibody samples were also studied for binding properties with 32 P-sDNA, and nucleotide inhibition of the polymer interaction. Certain purified antibody samples were studied using mononucleotide and dinucleotide inhibitors of the apparent homologous nucleotide reaction. Results of binding specificities are discussed in terms of pathological implications.
MO-F-CAMPUS-T-04: Implementation of a Standardized Monthly Quality Check for Linac Output Management in a Large Multi-Site Clinic

Purpose: This work is to investigate the feasibility of a standardized monthly quality check (QC) of LINAC output determination in a multi-site, multi-LINAC institution. The QC was developed to determine individual LINAC output using the same optimized measurement setup and a constant calibration factor for all machines across the institution. Methods: The QA data over 4 years of 7 Varian machines over four sites, were analyzed. The monthly output constancy checks were performed using a fixed source-to-chamber-distance (SCD), with no couch position adjustment throughout the measurement cycle for all the photon energies: 6 and 18MV, and electron energies: 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20 MeV. The constant monthly output calibration factor (Nconst) was determined by averaging the machines’ output data, acquired with the same monthly ion chamber. If a different monthly ion chamber was used, Nconst was then re-normalized to consider its different NDW,Co-60. Here, the possible changes of Nconst over 4 years have been tracked, and the precision of output results based on this standardized monthly QA program relative to the TG-51 calibration for each machine was calculated. Any outlier of the group was investigated. Results: The possible changes of Nconst varied between 0–0.9% over 4 years. The normalization of absorbed-dose-to-water calibration factors corrects for up to 3.3% variations of different monthly QA chambers. The LINAC output precision based on this standardized monthly QC relative to the TG-51 output calibration is within 1% for 6MV photon energy and 2% for 18MV and all the electron energies. A human error in one TG-51 report was found through a close scrutiny of outlier data. Conclusion: This standardized QC allows for a reasonably simplified, precise and robust monthly LINAC output constancy check, with the increased sensitivity needed to detect possible human errors and machine problems.
Economics as Psychology: A Cognitive Assay of the French and American Schools of Risk Theory

Economics is not psychology, nor is it meant to be. But there is no escaping the psychological issues that run through economic risk theory. Likewise, psychological risk theory is bound by its economic origins. These common threads are nowhere more in need of unraveling than in the debate between the French and the American schools of risk theory.
Environmentally Benign Manufacturing

The environmentally benign manufacturing movement addresses the dilemma of maintaining a progressive worldwide economy without continuing to damage the environment. The issue of environmentally benign manufacturing is not isolated on the manufacturing function. Environmental issues abound from tier I and II suppliers to the manufacturing system all the way through the supply chain to the consumer. The transportation function in the supply chain is also important in terms of its environmental impacts. The manufacturing process itself is perhaps the most important stage in the supply chain in terms of overall environmental impact. This chapter considers five manufacturing processes that apply to metals and plastics: machining processes, metal casting, metal forming, metal joining, and plastics injection molding. Any company that is morally and ethically committed to the goals of environmentally benign manufacturing cannot scrutinize its manufacturing processes without first giving due consideration to the manufactured product itself. Keywords: environmentally benign manufacturing movement; machining processes; metal casting; metal forming; metal joining; plastics injection molding; supply chain; transportation function
Isolation and characteristics of flavodoxin from nitrogen-fixing Clostridium pasteurianum.

The purification, crystallization, and biological activity of flavodoxin is reported. It is a new electron transport protein and has been isolated from extracts of cells of Clostridium pasteurianum grown on nitrogen gas or ammonia and in an iron-deficient medium. Flavodoxin forms yellow crystals from ammonium sulfate solution, has a molecular weight of 14,600, absorption maxima of the oxidized form at 272, 372, 443 mµ with a shoulder at 472 mµ, and contains no iron, molybdenum, cobalt, or labile sulfur. In equimolar amounts, it will substitute for ferredoxin in the metabolism of hydrogen and pyruvate and in the fixation of nitrogen by extracts of C. pasteurianum with an effectiveness of 70, 40, and 30%, respectively. It is suggested that flavodoxin replaces ferredoxin as an electron carrier in cells of C. pasteurianum grown in an iron-deficient medium since these cells contain less than 5% of the ferredoxin found in cells grown in an iron-sufficient medium.
A fixed collector employing reversible vee-trough concentrator and a vacuum tube receiver for high temperature solar energy systems

A solar heat collection system employing non-tracking reflectors integrated with a fixed vacuum tube receiver which achieves modest year-round concentration (about 2) of the sunlight at low capital costs is discussed. The axis of the vee-trough reflector lies in a east-west direction and requires reversal of the reflector surfaces only twice a year without disturbing the receiver tubes and associated plumbing. It collects most of the diffuse flux. The vacuum tube receiver with selective absorber has no convection losses while radiation and conduction losses are minimal. Significant cost reductions are offered since the vee-trough can be fabricated from inexpensive polished or plastic reflector laminated sheet metal covering 2/3 of the collection area, and only about 1/3 of the area is covered with the more expensive vacuum tube receivers. Thermal and economic performance of the vee-trough vacuum tube system, year-round variation of the concentration factor, incident flux, useful heat per unit area at various operation temperatures and energy cost estimates are presented. The electrical energy cost is estimated to be 77 mills/kWh, and the system construction cost is estimated to be $1140/kWe.
Inside Assisted Living: The Search for Home, by J. Kevin Eckert, Paula C. Carder, Leslie A. Morgan, Ann Christine Frankowski, and Erin G. Roth

Inside Assisted Living: The Search for Home uses ethnographic methods to depict the lives of those residing, as well as those working, in six assisted living facilities. The facilities included in ...
Landscapes as patches of plant functional types: An integrating concept for climate and ecosystem models

[1] While most land models developed for use with climate models represent vegetation as discrete biomes, this is, at least for mixed life-form biomes, inconsistent with the leaf-level and whole-plant physiological parameterizations needed to couple these biogeophysical models with biogeochemical and ecosystem dynamics models. In this paper, we present simulations with the National Center for Atmospheric Research land surface model (NCAR LSM) that examined the effect of representing vegetation as patches of plant functional types (PFTs) that coexist within a model grid cell. This approach is consistent with ecological theory and models and allows for unified treatment of vegetation in climate and ecosystem models. In the standard NCAR LSM the PFT composition and leaf area for each grid cell are obtained by classifying grid cells as 1 of 28 possible biomes. Here, we develop a data set from 1-km satellite data that provides each model grid cell a unique PFT composition and leaf area for each PFT. Global simulations at 3° × 3° spatial resolution showed that ground temperature, ground evaporation, and northern high-latitude winter albedo exhibited direct responses to these landscape changes, which led to indirect effects such as in soil moisture and sensible and latent heat fluxes. Additional simulations at 2° × 2° and 1° × 1° spatial resolution showed that low-resolution simulations masked landscape heterogeneity in both approaches but the satellite-based, continuous representation of vegetation reduced model sensitivity to resolution. It is argued that the use of spatially continuous distributions of coexisting PFTs is a necessary step to link climate and ecosystem models.
Authoritarianism, Anger, and Hostile Attribution Bias: A Test of Affect Displacement

Past research has supported the hypothesis that the relationship between harsh childhood punishment and adult political attitudes is due to the displacement of negative emotions that arise onto punitive public policies, e.g., support for the death penalty (Milburn, Conrad, Sala, & Carberry, 1995). Cognitions associated with childhood punishment may also impact adult political attitudes, yet their effects have not yet been examined, despite research that shows that punitive childhood experiences increase the tendency to attribute hostility to others. Thus, we investigated whether the tendency to make hostile attributions about others' behavior influences a person's authoritarianism, controlling for their parents' political orientation. Respondents completed an online survey concerning their childhood punishment experiences, their parents' political orientation, their trait anger, their level of hostile attribution bias (HAB), and their authoritarianism. Multiple regression analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) found that higher childhood punishment has a significant direct effect on higher levels of authoritarianism, even after controlling for parents' political orientation, and that trait anger and HAB appear to mediate the effects of childhood punishment experiences on authoritarianism,. These results support the process of affect displacement as an important influence on adult punitiveness and political orientation.
LIPIDS OF SARCINA LUTEA II. Hydrocarbon Content of the Lipid Extracts

Albro, Phillip W. (Ft. Detrick, Frederick, Md.), and Charles K. Huston. Lipids of Sarcina lutea. II. Hydrocarbon content of the lipid extracts. J. Bacteriol. 88:981–986. 1964.—The hydrocarbon fraction from Sarcina lutea lipid extracts was characterized by a combination of thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. A total of 37 components were observed by gas-liquid chromatography of this material. A breakdown of the components into classes indicated a composition consisting of 88.9% n-saturates, 1.2% monoenes, 2.1% dienes, 5.0% trienes, and 0.6% branched-saturates. Less than 0.1% of the hydrocarbon material was aromatic. No attempt was made in this study to relate the composition to either origin or function in the cell.
Benefit transfer with limited data: An application to recreational fishing losses from surface mining

The challenges of applying benefit transfer models to policy sites are often underestimated. Analysts commonly need to estimate site-specific effects for areas that lack data on the number of people who use the resource, intensity of use, and other relevant variables. Here, we address issues of applying transfer functions to sites that have sparse or missing data. We present options for estimating data to apply meta-regression models (MRMs) in ways that are scale-appropriate and sensitive to local conditions. Using a case study of the potential lost welfare to freshwater anglers as a result of mountain top coal mining within West Virginia, we integrate: 1) an empirical ecological model of fish community changes; 2) an MRM that relates changes in catch rates to changes in anglers' utility; and 3) a spatial participation analysis that maps trip distribution using multiple survey datasets. We evaluate two scenarios: partial (20%) and full use of existing mine permits. Our conservative estimates of annual welfare loss are $120,500 for the partial scenario and $627,800 for the full scenario, due to changes in recreational fishing catches. These results are sensitive to catch rate assumptions and socio-demographic characteristics that varied widely depending on the spatial scale of measurement.
Prescription tracking and public health.

INTRODUCTION Monitoring and modifying physicians’ prescribing behavior through prescription tracking is integral to pharmaceutical marketing. Health information organizations (HIOs) combine prescription information purchased from pharmacies with anonymized patient medical records purchased from health insurance companies to determine which drugs individual physicians prefer for specific diagnoses and patient populations. This information is used to tailor marketing strategies to individual physicians and to assess the effect of promotions on prescribing behavior.
METABOLIC BASIS OF VISUAL PIGMENT CONVERSION IN METAMORPHOSING RANA CATESBEIANA.

The phenomenon of photopigment conversion in metamorphosing bullfrog tadpoles has been examined to analyze the biochemical basis of the thyroxine induced chemodifferentiation. Administration of radioactive vitamin A and carotenoids followed by determination of specific activity of the retinene2 and retinene1 chromophores demonstrates that premetamorphic tadpoles can convert vitamin A1 to retinene2. As metamorphosis proceeds, the ability to form retinene2 decreases to a low level. Tadpoles do not utilize carotenoids to form either type of retinene differentially, and selective utilization of carotenoid pools seems an unlikely basis of photopigment conversion. The conversion of vitamin A1 to retinene2 can take place in the isolated eye in vitro. It is concluded that the thyroid hormone effects visual conversion by reducing the ability of ocular tissue to form retinene2 leaving only retinene1 available to form rhodopsin.
Values are not just goals: Online ACT-based values training adds to goal setting in improving undergraduate college student performance

Abstract Goal-setting programs sometimes are defined to include personal values exploration but to date, without specifically testing the impact of values training as an element of the overall package. The present study examined the impact of online goal-setting training with and without personal values exploration (drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) on a measure of undergraduate academic performance (GPA). Psychology majors in their second year or beyond were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: goal-setting training alone, values training plus goal-setting training, and a waitlist. The use of anonymous institutional data allowed non-respondent majors to be included as a non-randomized, non-responders control condition. Participants were exposed to web-based content delivered via media clips and text with questions covering the material presented. After one semester, waitlist participants also received the values training plus goal-setting training. Analyses showed that the combination of goal setting and values training significantly improved GPAs over the next semester. Goal setting alone had no effect as compared to either the wait list or non-randomized, non-responders control condition. Additional research will be needed to determine why values exploration is helpful in enhancing academic performance.
Analysis of the equations of motion of linearized controlled structures

The linearized equations of motion of controlled structures possess coefficient matrices that lack the familiar properties of symmetry and definiteness. A method is developed for the efficient analysis of linearized controlled structures. This constructive method utilizes equivalence transformations in Lagrangian coordinates and does not require conversion of the equations of motion to first-order forms. Compared with the state-space approach, this method can offer substantial reduction in computational effort and ample physical insight. However, it is often necessary to draw upon some type of decoupling approximation for fast solution. Many numerical techniques involve discretized equations resembling those of linearized controlled structures. These numerical techniques can also be greatly streamlined if the method of equivalence transformations is incorporated.
Optomechatronic load cell validation according to the American standards

Productive activities require measuring systems as a key tool for manufacturing quality goods. Metal mechanical industries develop their processes based on the control of a high precision fit between two pieces of a pressureassembled product. Therefore, engineering materials are constantly subjected to resistance tests. Balance test equipment and mechanical vibrations work under the principle of force measurements. The most precise stress measurement methods are done with electromechanical devices known as load cells. They basically consist of a tiny electric resistor that is adhered to a mechanical element that may be under stress. Cyclic stresses also directly affect the performance of the measuring element including the resistance itself, which changes as the cyclic fatigue progresses (the measuring element is a very thin coil with limited strength). In this research, we developed an optomechatronic load cell 1 whose operating principle is based on measuring the stress load applied to a mechanical element. The deformation causes a reduction in the distance between the emitter and the receptor producing an electrical signal. It must be established that the distribution of the light intensity varies between the emitter and the receptor due to the generated displacement. An infrared emitter was adapted to the load cell whose signal was received by the receptor at the other end. The second stage included a demonstration that the optoelectronic system is capable of measuring external stresses on a mechanical element by using an indirect method of measuring stresses. Here we present the results from those experiments, which include some adaptations on the mechanical element. We implemented a prototype sensitive to the deformation produced by the mechanical element (load cell). As a result of the two stages, we plan to test the system in academic and industrial applications. The third step in the research is to validate the optomechatronic load cell under the E74-065 ASTM Standard 2 showing the results based on the resolution, sensitivity, and repeatability required by the standard.
TROSY of side-chain amides in large proteins.

By using the mixed solvent of 50% H2O/50% D2O and employing deuterium decoupling, TROSY experiments exclusively detect NMR signals from semideuterated isotopomers of carboxamide groups with high sensitivities for proteins with molecular weights up to 80 kDa. This isotopomer-selective strategy extends TROSY experiments from exclusively detecting backbone to both backbone and side-chain amides, particularly in large proteins. Because of differences in both TROSY effect and dynamics between 15N–HE{DZ} and 15N–HZ{DE} isotopomers of the same carboxamide, the 15N transverse magnetization of the latter relaxes significantly faster than that of the former, which provides a direct and reliable stereospecific distinction between the two configurations. The TROSY effects on the 15N–HE{DZ} isotopomers of side-chain amides are as significant as on backbone amides.
Variability on nucleation and growth of short fatigue cracks due to material anisotropy in aluminum 2024-T351:

Early fatigue life behavior is important for the prediction of residual useful life of aerospace structures via computational modeling. In particular, the influence of rolling-induced anisotropy on...
Protein kinase C-dependent and independent signaling pathways regulate synaptic GluR1 and GluR4 AMPAR subunits during in vitro classical conditioning.

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathways have been implicated in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and learning, however, the roles of the different PKC family isoforms remain to be clarified. Previous studies showed that NMDAR-mediated trafficking of GluR4-containing AMPARs supports conditioning and that the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have a central role in the synaptic delivery of GluR4 subunits. Here, an in vitro model of classical conditioning in pond turtles, Pseudemys scripta elegans, was used to assess the role of PKC isoforms in mechanisms underlying this form of learning. We show that the PKC antagonists chelerythrine and bisindolylmaleimide I attenuated conditioned response (CR) acquisition and expression, as did the PKCζ pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor ZIP. Analysis of protein expression revealed that PKCζ is activated in early stages of conditioning followed shortly afterward by increased levels of PKCα/β and activation of ERK MAPK. Data also suggest that PKCζ is upstream from and activates ERK. Finally, protein localization studies using confocal imaging indicate that inhibitors of ERK, but not PKC, suppress colocalization of GluR1 with synaptophysin while inhibitors of PKC and ERK attenuate colocalization of GluR4 with synaptophysin. Together, these data suggest that acquisition of conditioning proceeds by two stages of AMPAR trafficking. The first is PKC-independent and ERK-dependent synaptic delivery of GluR1 subunits to activate silent synapses. This is followed by PKC-dependent and ERK-dependent synthesis and delivery of GluR4 subunits that supports the acquisition of CRs. Therefore, there is a selective role for PKC and MAPK signaling pathways in multistep AMPAR trafficking that mediates acquisition of classical conditioning.
Invasive Aspergillosis of the Hand Caused by Aspergillus ustus : a Case Report

This is a case report of a 61-year-old cardiac transplant patient who developed a disseminated infection involving the upper extremity with a rare fungus known as Aspergillus ustus. The patient was successfully treated with aggressive serial debridements, antifungal medications, and reduction of immunosuppression. With these interventions, the patient avoided amputation despite the aggressive nature of this infection.
Density distribution of hematopoietic progenitor cells and T lymphocytes from peripheral blood: heterogeneity of the human population.

. Density gradient centrifugation has been used in animal systems to purify stem cells and eliminate T lymphocytes prior to allogeneic transplantation. There is substantial disagreement whether the same approach can be used to purify hematopoietic stem cells obtained from human peripheral blood. The purpose of the present study was to resolve that issue by determining the density distribution of 4 classes of human leucocytes: total mononuclear cells, T lymphocytes, CFUc, and BFUe. To ensure a representative sampling, a large number of randomly selected donors were analyzed. The results show that most T lymphocytes band between 1.068 and 1.071 g/ml, with relatively little variation from individual to individual. In contrast, the density distributions of both CFUc and BFUe fluctuated markedly from donor to donor. As a consequence, there was significant variability in the degree of progenitor-T cell separation. The implications of these results for clinical application of the density separation technique are discussed.
Experimental immuno-alteration.

In the past few years, remarkable advances have been made in preventing rejection of islet allografts and xenografts (rat to mouse) by 6 procedures which do not involve continuous immunosuppressive therapy of recipient rodents. Four methods alter or destroy passenger lymphoid cells in the islets prior to transplantation. These include in vitro culture of donor rat islets at low temperature and a single injection of anti-lymphocyte serum in the recipients, culture of rat or mouse islet aggregates in 95% O2, and pretreatment of mouse islets with Ia antibody and complement or with a monoclonal antidendritic cell antibody and complement. Two methods induce partial tolerance in recipients by preimmunization with donor blood treated either with Ia antibody and complement or ultraviolet irradiation. These preimmunization procedures permit the use of untreated donor islets.
Internal Phosphorus Loading in Shallow Lakes: Importance and Control

Abstract Decreasing the algal biomass and increasing transparency in shallow, unstratified lakes is usually more difficult than for deep, stratified lakes. Eutrophic unstratified lakes (or shallow, stratified lakes susceptible to metalimnion erosion) have typically responded slowly to reduced external nutrient loading, usually because of longevity of internal loading. That is because sediment-released nutrients (especially phosphorus) readily enter the trophogenic zone of shallow lakes during the growing season and result in high lake concentrations. In stratified lakes, metalimnia may serve as barriers to phosphorus transport into the trophogenic zone. Although the whole water column in shallow lakes is usually aerobic, several mechanisms can combine to produce relatively high sediment phosphorus release rates in these lakes. These include: 1) wind resuspension and bioturbation, combined with high pH or low Fe/P ratio that maintains high P solubility, 2) periodic anoxia and reducing conditions promoted b...
Investigation of the impact of stacking pressure on a double-layer supercapacitor

There are two important steps necessary for the optimization of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLC): maximizing the volumetric capacitance and minimizing the ohmic resistance. The application of force during the assembly of an EDLC cell is one way to achieve this optimization. The effect of the application of force on the performance characteristics of EDLC cells, assembled using porous activated carbon electrodes, was determined. It was shown that applying force to the body of the cell during assembly only provides a significant increase in the performance of the EDLC with the initial application. The results showed that any increase in the applied force beyond that initial stage does not result in a subsequent increase in performance and can result in a substantial decrease in the performance characteristics of the EDLC cell. Furthermore, it was concluded that the substantial decrease shown was attributed to an alteration of the physical structure of the porous material, which produced significant decreases in the accessible surface area and the material resistance of the activated carbon electrodes.
Social, Stimulatory and Motivational Factors Involved in Intraspecific Nest Defense of a Primitively Eusocial Halictine Bee

The major releasing stimulus in intraspecific nest defense ofLasioglossum zephyrum is the odor emitted by a non-resident bee. Non-resident bees older than two days emit the releasing odor and elicit aggressiveness by guard bees, whereas younger non-resident bees are accepted more often. Defense motivation is a function of nest age and/or ontogeny. As nests become older and cells are constructed and provisioned, there is a gradual increase in guard aggressiveness, although no one attribute of nest ontogeny (such as cell construction) seems to be a definitive point at which nest defense is initiated, nor is there any specific day after the emergence of the first bee when nest defense begins. The guard plays the major role in rejecting intruders, although other members of the colony may do so if a non-resident bee passes the guard and enters the nest.
Model-based trajectory control of robots with pneumatic actuator dynamics

Pneumatic actuators have many attributes such as natural compliance and high peak power capabilities that make them attractive for research in dynamic legged locomotion. However, the effects of nonlinear flow through the pneumatic components limit the bandwidth of actuators, thus restricting their use in a high-performance control system. We believe that a model-based control design can overcome these bandwidth limitations. In this study, we demonstrate that black-box system identification of actuator dynamics can be effectively combined with nonlinear trajectory optimization and stabilization to accomplish dynamic tasks on underactuated robots. We present two case studies: an underactuated cart-pole system with the cart driven by a pneumatic actuator and a compass gait walking robot with pneumatic toes.
Gradient-based combined structural and control optimization

This paper considers the combined structural and control optimization problem for flexible systems. The sum of structural mass and controlled system energy terms is minimized simultaneously in structural and control parameters using gradient searches. The purpose of control is to effectively suppress structural vibrations due to initial excitations. Starting with a baseline structural design, the objectives of the combined structural/control optimization are twofold: 1) to reduce the structure's mass, and 2) to reduce total system strain, kinetic and control energies observed when the structure is excited. The appropriate weighting of energy and structural mass for balanced design and the dependence of optimal designs on initial conditions are discussed. The ideas presented are illustrated through numerical simulations using a 10-bar cantilevered truss.
A method for the mechanical derivation of formulas in elementary geometry

A method for mechanical derivation of formulas and calculation of quantities in geometry is given with several examples to illustrate its applications.
Snow and the ground temperature record of climate change

[1] Borehole temperature-depth profiles contain a record of surface ground temperature (SGT) changes with time and complement surface air temperature (SAT) analysis to infer climate change over multiple centuries. Ground temperatures are generally warmer than air temperatures due to solar radiation effects in the summer and the insulating effect of snow cover during the winter. The low thermal diffusivity of snow damps surface temperature variations; snow effectively acts as an insulator of the ground during the coldest part of the year. A numerical model of snow-ground thermal interactions is developed to investigate the effect of seasonal snow cover on annual ground temperatures. The model is parameterized in terms of three snow event parameters: onset time of the annual snow event, duration of the event, and depth of snow during the event. These parameters are commonly available from meteorological and remotely sensed data making the model broadly applicable. The model is validated using SAT, subsurface temperature from a depth of 10 cm, and snow depth data from the 6 years of observations at Emigrant Pass climate observatory in northwestern Utah and 217 station years of National Weather Service data from sites across North America. Measured subsurface temperature-time series are compared to changes predicted by the model. The model consistently predicts ground temperature changes that compare well with those observed. Sensitivity analysis of the model leads to a nonlinear relationship between the three snow event parameters (onset, duration, and depth of the annual snow event) and the influence snow has on mean annual SGT.
Biokinetic models for radiocaesium and its progeny.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is preparing a series of reports that will provide updated biokinetic and dosimetric models and dose coefficients for occupational intake of radionuclides. The biokinetic modelling scheme continues a trend in ICRP reports towards physiologically realistic descriptions of the time-dependent behaviour of absorbed radionuclides and their radioactive progeny. This paper proposes systemic biokinetic models for caesium isotopes and their ingrowing chain members and examines the dosimetric implications of the proposed models. Comparisons of D68?=?tissue dose per unit input to blood based on current ICRP models for workers (ICRP Publication 68, 1994) with DP?=?corresponding values based on the proposed biokinetic models (but using the dosimetry models of Publication 68) yields the following ranges of the ratios DP:D68 for the tissues addressed in Publication 68: 0.5?25 for 130Cs (T1/2?=?29.2?min), 0.6?9.5 for 134mCs (2.9 h), 0.7?1.7 for 131Cs (9.69?d), 0.7?1.1 for 134Cs (2.06 y), 0.5?1.9 for 137Cs (30.2 y) and 0.2?3.7 for 135Cs (2.3???106?y). The large differences in the derived dose coefficients for some tissues and caesium isotopes, particularly short-lived isotopes, result mainly from differences in predictions of the time-dependent distributions of caesium in the body. For example, the proposed model and the current ICRP model for occupational intake of caesium predict peak kidney contents of ?22% and ?0.4%, respectively, following intravenous injection of stable caesium. Based on the proposed models for caesium and its progeny, the only dosimetrically significant chain members of caesium isotopes with half-life ?10?min are 137mBa, which represents 32?85% of the estimated tissue doses from injected 137Cs, and 134Cs, which represents 4?53% of the estimated tissue doses from injected 134mCs.
PERFECTLY MATCHED LAYERS FOR ELASTODYNAMICS: A NEW ABSORBING BOUNDARY CONDITION

The use of perfectly matched layers (PML) has recently been introduced by Berenger as a material absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for electromagnetic waves. In this paper, we will first prove that a fictitious elastodynamic material half-space exists that will absorb an incident wave for all angles and all frequencies. Moreover, the wave is attenuative in the second half-space. As a consequence, layers of such material could be designed at the edge of a computer simulation region to absorb outgoing waves. Since this is a material ABC, only one set of computer codes is needed to simulate an open region. Hence, it is easy to parallelize such codes on multiprocessor computers. For instance, it is easy to program massively parallel computers on the SIMD (single instruction multiple data) mode for such codes. We will show two- and three-dimensional computer simulations of the PML for the linearized equations of elastodynamics. Comparison with Liao’s ABC will be given.