cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Language learning strategy use of ESL students in an intensive English learning context

Abstract This study investigated the language learning strategy use of 55 ESL students with differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds enrolled in a college Intensive English Program (IEP). The IEP is a language learning institute for pre-admissions university ESL students, and is an important step in developing not only students’ basic Interpersonal Communications Skills (BICS), but more importantly their Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). Proficiency with academic English is a key contributor to students’ success in learning in their second language. Using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), the study examines the relationship between language learning strategy use and second language proficiency, focusing on differences in strategy use across gender and nationality. The study found a curvilinear relationship between strategy use and English proficiency, revealing that students in the intermediate level reported more use of learning strategies than beginning and advanced levels. More strategic language learners advance along the proficiency continuum faster than less strategic ones. The study found that the students preferred to use metacognitive strategies most, whereas they showed the least use of affective and memory strategies. Females tended to use affective and social strategies more frequently than males. Conclusions and pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.
Performance evaluation of thermal energy storage systems

Abstract We have developed two case studies to review and analyze energy performance of thermal energy storage (TES) systems in commercial buildings. Our case studies considered two partial ice storage systems in Northern California. For each case, we compiled historical data on design, installation, and operation of the TES system; and also metered data. This information was further enhanced by data obtained through interviews with the building owners and operators. The performance and historical data of the TES systems and their components were grouped into issues related to design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the systems. Our analysis indicated that (1) almost all problems related to the operation of TES and non-TES systems could be traced back to the design of the system, and (2) the identified problems were not unique to the TES systems. Judging from the problems related to non-TES components identified in these two case studies, it is reasonable to conclude that conventional systems have as many problems as TES systems. After the initial trouble-shooting period, in a typical summer week for Case 1, the TES system saved 640, 780, and 660 on-peak kW compared to the single chiller, split chiller, and two-chiller systems, respectively, at a cost of additional energy use of 20.5, 37.6, 47.2 MWh per week. For Case 2, the diurnal energy performance of the conventional single chiller system and the TES system were comparable; however, the TES system used less power than the conventional system. Once the performances of the TES with split and two chiller conventional systems were compared, the energy penalties increased substantially and the peak power savings diminished.
Interactive simulation with direct - executing language systems:

Truly interactive simulation requires on-line editing and immediate execution of programs without any noticeable delay for translation. These requirements are satisfied by the new MICRODARE III system, which executes high-level equation-language programs at nearly assembly-language speed on a DEC PDP-11/44, and at twice assembly-language speed on a user-micro- programmable LSI-11. Specifically designed for real- time control of laboratory instrumentation, MICRODARE uses fixed-point scaled fractions. A similar language using floating-point arithmetic and offering a choice of several precompiled integration routines is pro posed for future interactive simulation systems.
Postpartum Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: The Potential Role of Fetal Microchimerism

Fetal microchimerism is defined as the presence of fetal cells in maternal tissues established during pregnancy. Immune suppression of maternal immunity during pregnancy by the placenta may play an important role in allowing the establishment of such fetal microchimerism. However, peripheral blood fetal microchimerism that persists in the postpartum period is considered a natural event and implies the induction of tolerance during pregnancy. Identification of fetal cells that persist preferentially in maternal tissues subject to autoimmunity, such as skin and thyroid, has also suggested the possible immune modulation of the autoimmune response at the target tissue by fetal cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that fetal immune cells may be reactive to maternal antigens and, therefore, have the capacity to trigger graft vs. host reactions. This would provide a mechanism for the initiation and/or exacerbation of autoimmune disease. The course and severity of autoimmune thyroid disease have long been known to be profoundly influenced by pregnancy, with disease suppression prepartum and exacerbation postpartum. However, the precise mechanisms involved have not been fully understood. Here we have reviewed recent information on the possible role of fetal microchimerism in autoimmune thyroid disease, focusing on the immunological consequences of intrathyroidal fetal cells and their contribution to postpartum exacerbations.
A geriatric ?growth group?

This paper describes a “growth group” for an unusually well-educated, productive group of normal geriatric (averaging almost 80 years of age) women. Findings from a three year follow-up are also reported.
Reinforcing effects of extended inhalation of a low nitrous oxide concentration in humans.

Abstract The reinforcing, subjective, and psychomotor effects of 30 min of inhilation of 20% nitrous oxide were determined in 12 healthy volunteers using a choice paradigm with 100% oxygen as placebo. Nitrous oxide was chosen on only 22% of choice occasions, indicating that, in general, this concentration did not function as a reinforcer. Nitrous oxide produced changes in mood, but had no effect on psychomotor performance. Three out of the 12 subjects chose nitrous oxide on at least two out of the three choice sessions, and during a poststudy debriefing interview, reported pleasant effects of the drug. The other nine subjects reported unpleasant acute effects of the drug (e.g. drowsiness) or residual (postsession) effects of the drug which, they said, influenced their drug choice. The present results are compared to those results obtained in a previous study in which higher concentrations of nitrous oxide (30 and 40%) also produced relatively low choice rates. The apparent lack of reinforcing effects of extended inhalation of nitrous oxide is discussed.
Scaling of the urban heat island intensity using time-dependent energy balance

The urban heat island intensity (UHI) can be scaled with the urban length scale and the wind speed, through the time-dependent energy balance. The heating of the urban surfaces during the daytime sets the initial temperature, and this overheating is dissipated during the night-time through mean convection motion over the urban surface. The energy balance shows that this cooling effect can be quantified in an exponential decay in time. The minimum temperature reached at the end of this cooling period corresponds to the UHI, which increases with increasing urban length scale and decreasing wind speed. The temporal data for Phoenix, Arizona are reasonably accurately traced by this model, for the time period, from 1983 to 2010 during which Phoenix has undergone substantial expansion and therefore an increase in the urban length scale. Comparisons with the data in several cities around the world also yield quantitatively correct results for the effect of the wind speed. This model does require one correction factor to account for different urban topology in different cities. Thus, using a small number of readily available data for the urban length scale and the wind speed, the UHI intensity can be described with possible predictions for future trends.
Components of change in the number of female family heads ages 15 to 44, an update and reanalysis: United States, 1940 to 1983☆

Abstract We review the literature dealing with the various components of change in the number of female family heads and conclude that P. Cutright's (1974 , Journal of Marriage and the Family 36 , 714–721) four components of change in the number of ever-married female family heads can be usefully applied to a reanalysis of decade-by-decade changes in this quantity among white and nonwhite women ages 15–44, from 1940 through 1980. However, we substantially revise and update Cutright's (1974) original data. Our findings include the fact that while the relative importance of the various components of increases in ever-married female family headship vary from decade to decade, overall trends are fairly similar for white and nonwhite women. Moreover, the rapid rise between 1970 and 1980 in the number of white and nonwhite female family heads among the never-married (single) continued through the 1980 to 1983 period. A decade ago, Cutright (1974) predicted that a change in the number of female family heads from 1970 on would reflect little more than changes in the numbers of ever- and never-married women ages 15–44. We discuss this inaccurate prediction and conclude that wishful thinking is a poor guide in forecasting the future.
464 PREHATAL CARRIAGE OF GBS: IMPORTANCE OF THE GUT AS A RESERVOIR

Studies on the natural history of group B streptococcal (GBS) infection, initiated in 1977, have revealed an attack rate of neonatal sepsis of 4/1000 live births. Intrauterine and intrapartum acquired infections were demonstrated; sources of late onset infection remain less certain. We now report a longitudinal study of prenatal carriage involving 2541 women enrolled over a 3 year period, from whom anal and vaginal cultures were taken. Carrier rates, according to culture site, were: anal only, 17%; vaginal only, 4%; anal and vaginal, 15%, with an overall rate of 36%. Overall rates calculated yearly for 1977, 1978 and 1979, were 37%, 36%, 33%, respectively. The serotype distribution (3 yr total) was: Type III (31%); II (24%); Ia (23%); Ib (10%) and lc (6%). Among 310 instances of simultaneous anal-vaginal carriage, serotype concordance was 85%. Further analysis of data by positive site for 913 carriers revealed the importance of the gut as a reservoir for GBS. 89% had positive GBS anal cultures (± pos vaginal) compared to 52% with positive GBS vaginal cultures (± pos anal). The gut is the likely source for birth canal colonization, and may also be an important source of GBS in infants who develop late onset disease.
The effect of pressure loading on the blood flow rate in human skin.

This article first appeared in Bedsore Biomechanics and is reproduced by kind permission of Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan Publishers Ltd
Reflection profiling of Arctic lake ice using microwave FM-CW radar

X- and C-band FM-CW radar reflection profiles were obtained across frozen lakes in northern Alaska using a single elevated high-gain antenna. Clear returns were obtained from the air/snow, snow/ice, ice/water, and ice/ground interfaces. Surface-to-bottom signal intensity ratios are within ranges predicted by plane wave reflection theory, use of which also gives plausible permittivity values for the ice-rich bottom silts. Scattering losses are interpreted for the X-band ice-bottom signals, but evidence of increased volumetric scattering loss with increasing ice thickness may have been masked by changes in bottom dielectric contrasts. The results suggest that this type of radar is superior to conventional transient GPR systems for this application and ice grounded to almost any type of bottom sediments could be profiled from an airborne platform. Such a system could help inventory wetland water volume in northern regions.
Myocardial preconditioning using adenosine: review and clinical experience:

Adenosine is an endogenous nucleotide and a breakdown product of adenosine triphosphate. Adenosine has been proposed as a mediator of the ischaemic preconditioning phenomenon. Ischaemic reperfusion injury incurred during and following cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to depressed myocardial function after cardiac surgery. It is believed that administering adenosine via the aortic root, immediately following aortic crossclamping as well as just prior to removal of the aortic crossclamp, provides myocardial preconditioning resulting in improved cardiac protection during ischaemic arrest and retarding ischaemic reperfusion injury. A retrospective analysis was done utilizing consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting performed by the same surgeon. Some of the patients received myocardial preconditioning with adenosine. A comparison was made in postoperative cardiac function between patients who underwent myocardial preconditioning and those who did not receive adenosine. Results demonst...
Identity salience: a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict

This study proposes and tests models in which the salience of gender serves as a moderator of the relationship between group gender composition and work group conflict. The numerical distinctiveness of gender group composition was found to trigger the salience of group members' gender identities for men in the group. Identity salience was found to affect work group conflict beyond what one would predict on the basis of gender diversity alone. Support was found for gender identity salience as a moderator variable with respect to the linkage between numerical distinctiveness in gender work group composition and relationship conflict in work groups for men. This study offers an explanation for the differing effects found across studies regarding the effect of group composition on work group conflict: the extent to which gender is relied upon by group members in describing those in their group. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Movie genre classification by exploiting audio-visual features of previews

We present a method to classify movies on the basis of audio-visual cues present in previews. A preview summarizes the main idea of a movie providing a suitable amount of information to perform genre classification. In our approach movies are initially classified into action and non-action by computing the visual disturbance feature and average shot length of every movie. Visual disturbance is defined as a measure of motion content in a clip. Next we use color, audio and cinematic principles for further classification into comedy, horror drama/other and movies containing explosions and gunfire. This work is a step towards automatically building and updating a video database, thus resulting in minimum human intervention. Other potential applications include browsing and retrieval of videos on the Internet (video-on-demand), video libraries, and rating of movies.
An organic geochemical record of Sierra Nevada climate since the LGM from Swamp Lake, Yosemite

Abstract Sediment records from Swamp Lake (SL) in the central Sierra Nevada, California, provide evidence of climatic change on millennial and centennial timescales over the last ∼20,000 years. Total organic carbon (TOC) abundance varied in concert with elemental and isotopic tracers of organic matter (C/N, δ 13 C org , δ 15 N), biogenic silica content, total magnetic susceptibility, and sediment lithology. We interpret the down-core proxy records as representing the response of the lake environment, in terms of temperature, seasonal ice cover, mixing regimes, runoff and in situ OM and nutrient cycling, to shifting climate states. These environmental factors in turn drove changes in algal productivity, OM sources, microbial OM regeneration and secondary production, and detrital input. The late Pleistocene (∼19.7–10.8 cal. kyr BP) was dominated by fluctuations between relatively warm/dry intervals with high TOC (17.4–16.5, 15.8–15.0, 13.9–13.2, 11.4–11.0 cal. kyr BP) and cold/wet intervals (16.5–15.8, 14.8–13.9, 13.1–11.6, 11.0–10.7 cal. kyr BP) characterized by low TOC and high detrital input. The Holocene (∼10.7 cal. kyr BP – present) was characterized by three abrupt increases in TOC (after ∼10.8, 8.0, and 3.0 cal. kyr BP) and numerous century-scale fluctuations. TOC increases reflected enhanced lake productivity and OM recycling, and reduced detrital input, in response to changing winter temperature and hydrologic regimes. Inferred environmental changes at SL correlate with other Sierra Nevada paleorecords, and with reconstructed sea surface temperatures along the California margin. Parallel changes in the SL and SST records over the past ∼20,000 years provide new evidence that continental climate in the Sierra Nevada and the California Current system have responded, on multiple timescales, to common drivers in North Pacific ocean-atmospheric circulation.
Two Novel Techniques for Determination of Polysaccharide Cross-Links Show that Crh1p and Crh2p Attach Chitin to both β(1-6)- and β(1-3)Glucan in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cell Wall

Previous work, using solubilization of yeast cell walls by carboxymethylation, before or after digestion with beta(1-3)- or beta(1-6)glucanase, followed by size chromatography, showed that the transglycosylases Crh1p and Crh2p/Utr2p were redundantly required for the attachment of chitin to beta(1-6)glucan. With this technique, crh1Delta crh2Delta mutants still appeared to contain a substantial percentage of chitin linked to beta(1-3)glucan. Two novel procedures have now been developed for the analysis of polysaccharide cross-links in the cell wall. One is based on the affinity of curdlan, a beta(1-3)glucan, for beta(1-3)glucan chains in carboxymethylated cell walls. The other consists of in situ deacetylation of cell wall chitin, generating chitosan, which can be extracted with acetic acid, either directly (free chitosan) or after digestion with different glucanases (bound chitosan). Both methodologies indicated that all of the chitin in crh1Delta crh2Delta strains is free. Reexamination of the previously used procedure revealed that the beta(1-3)glucanase preparation used (zymolyase) is contaminated with a small amount of endochitinase, which caused erroneous results with the double mutant. After removing the chitinase from the zymolyase, all three procedures gave coincident results. Therefore, Crh1p and Crh2p catalyze the transfer of chitin to both beta(1-3)- and beta(1-6)glucan, and the biosynthetic mechanism for all chitin cross-links in the cell wall has been established.
Different “routes” to a cognitive map: dissociable forms of spatial knowledge derived from route and cartographic map learning

An important, but as yet incompletely resolved, issue is whether spatial knowledge acquired during navigation differs significantly from that acquired by studying a cartographic map. This, in turn, is relevant to understanding the generalizability of the concept of a "cognitive map," which is often likened to a cartographic map. On the basis of previous theoretical proposals, we hypothesized that route and cartographic map learning would produce differences in the dynamics of acquisition of landmark-referenced (allocentric) knowledge, relative to view-referenced (egocentric) knowledge. We compared this model with competing predictions from two other models linked to route versus map learning. To test these ideas, participants repeatedly performed a judgment of relative direction (JRD) and a scene- and orientation-dependent pointing (SOP) task while undergoing route and cartographic map learning of virtual spatial environments. In Experiment 1, we found that map learning led to significantly faster improvements in JRD pointing accuracy than did route learning. In Experiment 2, in contrast, we found that route learning led to more immediate and greater improvements overall in SOP accuracy, as compared to map learning. Comparing Experiments 1 and 2, we found a significant three-way interaction effect, indicating that improvements in performance differed for the JRD versus the SOP task as a function of route versus map learning. We interpreted these findings as suggesting that the learning modality differentially affects the dynamics of how we utilize primarily landmark-referenced versus view-referenced knowledge, suggesting potential differences in how we utilize spatial representations acquired from routes versus cartographic maps.
Performance analysis of a high-speed dynamically reconfigurable LAN

We present the design of a dynamically reconfigurable switch that will be used to build a highspeed multi-link ring local area network. Using FPGAs technology, switch reconfigurability can be exploited to implement different interconnection topologies and support different application requirements. We present two approaches to analyze the multi-link ring network performance. In the first approach, we develop an analytical model that uses the M/M/n and M/D/n queuing systems to study the virtual channels access delay. In this approach, the virtual channel occupancy probabilities are found using an infinite state Markov model. In the second approach, we introduce an analytical model based on a finite state Markov model developed for analysing networks with virtual channels flow control. Simulation, using the OPNET tool, indicates that the second approach is more accurate in analyzing the behavior of the packet transfer time. Furthermore our performance analysis shows that the use of wormhole routing and virtual channel flow control improves the system throughput and decreases the packet transfer time.
Mechanism of sudden cardiac death in pigs with viable chronically dysfunctional myocardium and ischemic cardiomyopathy

Pigs with viable chronically dysfunctional myocardium and ischemic cardiomyopathy are at high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). We sought to identify the arrhythmic mechanism of SCD, the relation...
Self-limiting reflex luteinizing hormone release and sexual behavior during extended periods of unrestricted copulatory activity in estrous domestic cats.

Estrous female cars (queens) were permitted 36-h periods of unrestricted mating activity; they then were injected with various doses of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRII) at 36 h and allowed single copulations at 48 or 72 h of study. Serum luteinizing hormone (LII) levels were determined in samples collected prior to and 2 h after the initial copulation, before and 30 mm after selected copulations during the next 10 h, and before and 30 mm after copulations occurring at 20-24, 36, and 48-72 h, as well as 0, 15, and 30 mm after the GnRH injections (0.3-3.0 p.g/kg) at 36 h of study. Copulations occurred 14-20 times in 12 h and 20-36 times in 36 h. Copulation frequency (mean ± SEM) decreased (p<O.O5) from 55 ± 0.6/2 h initially to 1.5 ± 0.6/2 h during the subsequent 2-h period, and was 1.4 ± 0.2/2 h at 12-36 h of study. Intromissions lasted 1-27 (8 ± 0.3) s. Variation in durations of mounting by males (1.7 ± 0.1 mm; range, 0.3-10 mm) or of the postcoital behavioral reactions displayed by the queens (2.5 ± 0.1 mm; range, 1-17 mm) could not be related to animals or time of study. Peak serum LH levels (11-280 rig/mI; mean, 112 ± 30 ng/ml) were observed at 2-4 h after the first mating. Mean LH steadily declined thereafter, reached basal values (�3 rig/mi) by 20-24 h, and remained low at 36 h. Distinct increases in serum LII above precopulation levels were observed at 30 mm after copulation in 5 of 10 cats at 2 h, 3 of 5 at 4 h, 2 of 20 at 8 h, and in 0 of 10 thereafter, although all copulations were followed by typical postcoital behavior reactions. Copulations at 36 h failed to increase LII levels, but GnRH given immediately thereafter did increase LII. The results suggest that during unrestricted mating activity in estrous queens LH release patterns differ considerably from those observed when copulation frequency is regulated; initial, frequent copulations facilitate surge release of LII in a self-priming manner; and continued copulations after 2-4 h fail to elicit further reflex LII release, despite the presence of GnRH-releasable LU in the pituitary.
Avalonian proximity of the Ordovician Miramichi Terrane, northern New Brunswick, northern Appalachians: Paleomagnetic evidence for rifting and back-arc basin formation at the southern margin of Iapetus

A paleomagnetic investigation of the Middle Ordovician Tetagouche Group in northern New Brunswick was undertaken to determine the paleogeo~aphi~ position of the Miramichi Terrane. Stepwise thermal demagnetization of pillow basahs reveals a high-temperature characteristic ~gnet~tion with a mean direction of B = W, Z = +69”, k = 22, aas = 13” (tih-corrected, N= 7 sites; 73 samples). A positive fold test and the presence of antipodal normal and reversed polarity directions indicate that this ancient direction is Ordovician in age, with a paleopole position of 52”N, 352”E. The corresponding pateolatitude of 535 places these vokanic rocks near the southern margin of the Iapetus Ocean, at paleolatitudes similar to those revealed by Avalon for the Middle to Late Ordovician. The mafic and felsic volcanic rocks and marine sedimentary rocks of the Tetagouche and Fournier groups have been interpreted to be remnants of a rifted continental margin and a Middle Ordovician back-arc basin. Our results show that the process of rifting and back-arc basin formation occurred at the Avalonian margin of Iapetus, which implies that Ordovician subduction was not restricted to the Laurentian margin, but also marks the southern margin of Japetus.
Determination of indenter tip geometry and indentation contact area for depth-sensing indentation experiments

The phenomena of pile-up and sink-in associated with nanoindentation have been found to have large effects on the measurements of the indentation modulus and hardness of copper. Pile-up (or sink-in) leads to contact areas that are greater than (or less than) the cross-sectional area of the indenter at a given depth. These effects lead to errors in the absolute measurement of mechanical properties by nanoindentation. To account for these effects, a new method of indenter tip shape calibration has been developed; it is based on measurements of contact compliance as well as direct SEM observations and measurements of the areas of large indentations. Application of this calibration technique to strain-hardened (pile-up) and annealed (sink-in) copper leads to a unique tip shape calibration for the diamond indenter itself, as well as to a material parameter, a, which characterizes the extent of pile-up or sink-in. Thus the shape of the indenter tip and nature of the material response are separated in this calibration method. Using this approach, it is possible to make accurate absolute measurements of hardness and indentation modulus by nanoindentation.
Maternal obesity eliminates the neonatal lamb plasma leptin peak

A neonatal peak in rodent plasma leptin plays a central role in regulating development of the hypothalamic appetite control centres. Maternal obesity lengthens and amplifies the peak in altricial rodent species. The precise timing and characteristics of the neonatal leptin peak have not been established in offspring of either normal or obese mothers in any precocial species. We induced obesity by feeding female sheep for 60 days before conception, and throughout pregnancy and parturition with 150% of the diet consumed by control ewes fed to National Research Council recommendations.We have reported that mature offspring of obese sheep fed similarly exhibited increased appetite, weight gain and obesity in response to ad libitum feeding at 19 months of age. We observed a leptin peak in lambs of control ewes between days 6 and 9 of postnatal life, earlier than reported in rodents. This peak was not present in lambs born to obese ewes. The leptin peak in lambs born to control ewes was not clearly related to any changes in plasma cortisol, insulin, triiodothyronine, IGF-1 or glucose. However, there was a significant increase in cortisol at birth in lambs born to obese ewes related to an increase in leptin in the first day of life. We conclude that the increased cortisol seen in lambs of obese sheep plays a role in disrupting the normal peak of leptin in lambs born to obese ewes thereby predisposing them to increased appetite and weight gain in later life.
Lorentz Accelerations in the Earth Flyby Anomaly

DOI: 10.2514/1.47413 Mission engineers have detected an unexpected anomaly on six spacecraft during low-altitude gravity-assist maneuvers around Earth. This Earth flyby anomaly involves an acceleration that, to date, researchers cannot account for based on known forces or errors in measurement or modeling. This paper evaluates Lorentz accelerationsassociatedwithspacecraftelectrostaticchargingasapossibleexplanationfortheEarth flybyanomaly. This analysis does not explicitly address plasma physics but, instead, bases its conclusions on fundamental six-state flight dynamics. The analysis focuses on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft, because it exhibited the largest anomalous error with the smallest estimated residuals. The analysis takes the form of a boundary-value probleminwhichvector-disturbance timehistoriesarefoundnumerically throughnonlinearoptimizationmethods. The analysis identifies the unknown, but required, acceleration based on a model of the Lorentz-force interaction. The algorithm cannot converge on a solution that fully reproduces the anomalous error in all six orbital states. It is unlikely, based on this analysis, that Lorentz forces cause the flyby anomaly.
Time-course imaging of rat embryos in utero with magnetic resonance microscopy.

Magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy was used to noninvasively investigate the development of live rat embryos in utero. The difficulty in making sequential observations of a developing mammalian embryo has frustrated developmental biologists for many years. Most current technologies analyze normal and abnormal development by observing end point phenotypes (in fixed specimens) rather than investigating the live embryo. MR microscopy was adapted to allow rat litters to be scanned three times each (at 1- to 3-day intervals) and has produced images of live developing embryos. It was demonstrated that repeated anesthesia and imaging protocols produced no gross malformations in the rat pups that were subsequently delivered and observed. Three-dimensional projection encoding with phase rewinders produced isotropic (256 3 ) image data sets in about 30 minutes with excellent tissue contrast arising from steady-state effects in the amniotic fluid.
All-Digital Outphasing Modulator for a Software-Defined Transmitter

An all-digital outphasing modulator to be used in a software-defined radio (SDR) transmitter is presented. A digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) followed by two digital phase rotators (DPR) are the main building blocks. The DCO and DPRs are enclosed, respectively, by a phase-locked loop and two delay-locked loop. All functions, including filtering and calibration are performed in a digital signal processor (DSP). The chip was fabricated in a 90 nm CMOS process and tested for GSM and WCDMA. The total active area of the chip is 3 mm2 . Semi-analog blocks (DCO core, DPR core and their buffers) and digital processor consume 30 mA and 25 mA, respectively. Current consumption of the phase-to-digital converter is 70 mA, which can be reduced to 30% by gating off the circuit during idle times.
The Thermal-Chemical Damage in Biological Material under Laser Irradiation

A mathematical model for thermal-chemical damage to biological materials excited by laser irradiation is described. The chemical rate equations for protein denaturization are used to predict radii of damage for cases where the input-laser-energy distribution results in the uniform heating of a small sphere or a disk. These rate equations are limited to a single-hit process. Experimental checks on this model are presented for ruby-laser irradiation of small carbon particles in egg albumin and for CO 2 ?laser surface heating of egg albumin.
Methods of reducing chromatic aberration in metal-plate microwave lenses

Microwave lenses of the waveguide type are subject to a pronounced degree of chromatic aberration because of the inherent dispersion of the waveguides. However, this aberration can be substantially eliminated over an appreciable bandwidth by making the lens of slot-loaded ridged waveguides with special properties. This type of lens design makes it possible to achieve additional benefits as well, such as improved scanning capability and elimination of discontinuities in the surfaces at the junction of adjacent "zones" or "steps." The ridged waveguides are periodically loaded by means of transverse slots in the ridges. The ridges may be relatively wide and hollow, or quite thin and solid. Additional desirable properties are obtainable by placing a relatively small strip of dielectric material above the ridge. Experimental data on the propagation characteristics of several of these structures and on the effect of varying such parameters as ridge height, slot width, slot depth, slot spacing, frequency, and size of dielectric strip are given. An analysis of the phase errors which result from changes in the operating frequency shows that the aberrations may conveniently be separated into one type in which the phase front from each zone of the lens is distorted, and a second independent type in which the desired phase relationship between the zones is destroyed. Methods of eliminating either or both of these types of aberration by suitable design of the ridged waveguides are described. In addition, it is shown how the ridged waveguides can conveniently be used to achieve "zoning" or "stepping" by changing the effective index of thereby eliminating discontinuities in the lens surfaces and avoiding the undesirable diffraction which would otherwise occur at the boundaries between adjacent zones. The superiority of this type of lens structure in wide-angle scanning applications is also discussed. Numerical examples which illustrate the advantages of the loaded ridged waveguide lens are included.
Luciferase Imaging of a Neurotropic Viral Infection in Intact Animals

The identification of viral determinants of virulence and host determinants of susceptibility to virus-induced disease is essential for understanding the pathogenesis of infection. Obtaining this information requires infecting large numbers of animals to assay amounts of virus in a variety of organs and to observe the onset and progression of disease. As an alternative approach, we have used a murine model of viral encephalitis and an in vivo imaging system that can detect light generated by luciferase to monitor over time the extent and location of virus replication in intact, living mice. Sindbis virus causes encephalomyelitis in mice, and the outcome of infection is determined both by the strain of virus used for infection and by the strain of mouse infected. The mode of entry into the nervous system is not known. Virulent and avirulent strains of Sindbis virus were engineered to express firefly luciferase, and the Xenogen IVIS system was used to monitor the location and extent of virus replication in susceptible and resistant mice. The amount of light generated directly reflected the amount of infectious virus in the brain. This system could distinguish virulent and avirulent strains of virus and susceptible and resistant strains of mice and suggested that virus entry into the nervous system could occur by retrograde axonal transport either from neurons innervating the initial site of replication or from the olfactory epithelium after viremic spread.
Suppressor Mutation Analysis of the Sensory Rhodopsin I-Transducer Complex: Insights into the Color-Sensing Mechanism

The molecular complex containing the phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin I (SRI) and transducer protein HtrI (halobacterial transducer for SRI) mediates color-sensitive phototaxis responses in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum. One-photon excitation of the complex by orange light elicits attractant responses, while two-photon excitation (orange followed by near-UV light) elicits repellent responses in swimming cells. Several mutations in SRI and HtrI cause an unusual mutant phenotype, called orange-light-inverted signaling, in which the cell produces a repellent response to normally attractant light. We applied a selection procedure for intragenic and extragenic suppressors of orange-light-inverted mutants and identified 15 distinct second-site mutations that restore the attractant response. Two of the 3 suppressor mutations in SRI are positioned at the cytoplasmic ends of helices F and G, and 12 suppressor mutations in HtrI cluster at the cytoplasmic end of the second HtrI transmembrane helix (TM2). Nearly all suppressors invert the normally repellent response to two-photon stimulation to an attractant response when they are expressed with their suppressible mutant alleles or in an otherwise wild-type strain. The results lead to a model for control of flagellar reversal by the SRI-HtrI complex. The model invokes an equilibrium between the A (reversal-inhibiting) and R (reversal-stimulating) conformers of the signaling complex. Attractant light and repellent light shift the equilibrium toward the A and R conformers, respectively, and mutations are proposed to cause intrinsic shifts in the equilibrium in the dark form of the complex. Differences in the strength of the two-photon signal inversion and in the allele specificity of suppression are correlated, and this correlation can be explained in terms of different values of the equilibrium constant (Keq) for the conformational transition in different mutants and mutant-suppressor pairs.
Impediment Profiling for Smoking Cessation: Results of a Pilot Study

Abstract Objective. To test the effectiveness of a smoking cessation program based on “impediment profiling,” the elucidation of an individual participant's personal barriers, with provision of tailored interventions accordingly. Methods. A literature search was conducted to identify established impediments to smoking cessation. A long impediment profiler (LIP) was developed from validated survey instruments and used as a screening tool to identify individuals' barriers to quitting. Once barriers were identified, participants were assigned to up to seven interventions. Self-reported smoking cessation was confirmed with measurements of carbon monoxide concentrations in expired air of ≤10 ppm. Results. Nineteen adults participated in the pilot program. At the year 1 mark, 63.2% of the study population was smoke-free. The mean number of impediments of the study population was 3.5 ± 1.5. There was a negative association between subjects' quit status and the following impediments: stress (p = .0061), anxiety (...
Multifunctional materials and nanotechnology for assessing and monitoring civil infrastructures

Abstract: Multifunctional materials, or material systems intentionally encoded with a multitude of engineering functionalities, are revolutionizing civil engineering practice by offering new materials that can resist loads and self-sense for damage. These new developments have been made possible by technological breakthroughs in the nanotechnology domain. New nanomaterials with impressive properties and scalable manufacturing methods have enabled the design of these multifunctional materials or composite structures. The objective of this chapter is to showcase three types of nanotechnology-enabled multifunctional materials that have impacted, and will continue to impact, the civil engineering community. Particular attention will be paid to materials assembled using two unique nanomaterials, namely carbon black and carbon nanotubes.
A prospective study of a protocol that reduces readmission after liver transplantation

Health care has shifted to placing priority on quality and value instead of volume. Liver transplantation uses substantial resources and is associated with high readmission rates. Our goal was to determine if a protocol designed to reduce readmission after liver transplant was effective. We conducted a prospective study of a protocol designed to reduce readmission rates after liver transplantation by expanding outpatient services and alternatives to readmission. The 30-day readmission rate 1 year after implementing the protocol was compared to the 30-day rate for 2 years prior to implementation. Multivariate analysis was used to control for potential confounding factors. Over the study period, 167 adult primary liver transplants were performed with a mean biological Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 21 ± 8. Fifty-seven (34%) patients were readmitted. The most common reason for readmission was biliary complications (n = 13). The 30-day readmission rate decreased from 40% before implementing the protocol to 20% after implementation (P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, the protocol remained associated with readmission (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.92; P = 0.03). The mean length of stay after transplant was 13 ± 12 days preprotocol and 9 ± 5 days postprotocol (P = 0.09). Alternatives to readmission, including hospital lodging and observation status, were main factors in reducing readmission rates. If the most recent definitions of inpatient admission and observation status were applied over the entire study period, then the readmission rates preprotocol and postprotocol were 31% and 20% indicating that the revised definition of observation status accounted for 45% of the reduction in the readmission rate. Readmission after liver transplantation can be reduced without increasing length of stay by implementing a specifically designed protocol that expands outpatient services and alternatives to inpatient admission. Liver Transplantation 22 765–772 2016 AASLD.
The politics of nation-building: making of co-nationals, refugees, and minorities

In The Politics of Nation-Building, Harris Mylonas explores the various policies that the emerging states in the Balkans used to manage diversity and attain order. To be sure, establishing boundari...
Tree mortality and structural change following mixed-severity fire in Pseudotsuga forests of Oregon’s western Cascades, USA

Abstract Mixed-severity fires are increasingly recognized as common in Pseudotsuga forests of the Pacific Northwest and may be an important mechanism for developing or maintaining their structural diversity and complexity. Questions remain about how tree mortality varies and forest structure is altered across the disturbance gradient imposed by these fires. Therefore, we sampled live and dead trees at 45–1.0 ha plots, each with four 0.10 ha nested subplots, stratified across an unburned, low, moderate and high-severity fire gradient. Burned plots were primarily sampled 10 and 22 years post-fire, except three plots sampled four years post-fire. We estimated probability of mortality for fire-tolerant (Douglas-fir, incense-cedar, sugar pine) and fire-intolerant (western hemlock, western redcedar, true fir) trees from 5079 samples. The probability of mortality varied across all species and fire-severity classes, but the greatest difference was observed between fire-tolerant and fire-intolerant functional groups. Probability of mortality decreased with increasing DBH for all species except western hemlock that did not increase its fire resistance with increasing size. Some large, fire-tolerant trees survived high-severity fire but only in 31% of our plots. Snag fall and fragmentation was estimated for trees killed by the fire from 2746 sampled snags and logs 10 and 22 years post-fire. The proportion of snags fallen decreased with increasing DBH for all species, and was positively correlated with fire severity, except for Douglas-fir that had a higher proportion felled following low-severity fire. Snag fragmentation rates were positively correlated with DBH and fire severity for all species. Individual tree and snag estimates were scaled to plot-level structural attributes and contrasted by their coefficient of variation within- and among-plots from unburned to moderate-severity, as well as across all sampled conditions. Structural attributes varied more within- than among-plots, likely a result of patchy mortality that increased with fire severity. Although vertical and horizontal structural diversity increased at sub-hectare scales, the highest variability occurred for all structural attributes when compared across all sampled conditions. We conclude that the range of fire effects imposed by mixed-severity fire is important in creating structural diversity in Pseudotsuga forests of the Pacific Northwest and should be promoted through progressive fire management programs aimed at maintaining this forest’s fire regime now and in the future.
Production and inhibition of gas in various regions in the intestine of the dog.

SummaryThe relationship between the small intestinal and colonic flora and the gas volumes and composition resulting from the introduction of navy bean homogenates into surgically prepared intestinal segments of normal and antibiotically pretreated dogs was investigated. Intestinal gas production was effectively inhibited or greatly reduced in animals pretreated with Neomycin Sulfate and Sulfathalidine, Mexaform, and Vioform, following the administration of navy bean homogenates. Mexaform and Vioform effectively destroyed the anaerobic bacteria of the intestinal tract while the normal aerobic and coliform bacteria increased in total numbers, indicating that the increased gas production from a navy bean homogenate was due to the anaerobic intestinal flora. Contrary to some current belief, it has been shown that bacterial action in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of the dog may add significantly to the total intestinal gas volume of animals fed navy bean homogenates.
Neurohospitalists Improve Door to Needle Times for Intravenous tPA in Ischemic Stroke Patients (PD2.009)

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of neurohospitalist evaluation on door to needle times for ischemic stroke patients receiving intravenous tPA presenting within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Background The benefits of tPA in ischemic stroke are time-dependent, and guidelines recommend a door-to-needle time of ≤60 minutes. It is unknown whether neurohospitalist evaluation improves door to needle times in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Design/Methods: We retrospectively identified consecutive ischemic stroke patients who received tPA between 0-4.5 hours. We determined door to needle times for community neurologists vs. neurohospitalists for a 26 month period between July 2009 to September 2011. We analysed differences in proportion of patients receiving tPA within 60 minutes in both groups using categorical, continous and regression analyses. Results: Overall, out of the 107 consecutive ischemic stroke patients analyzed (mean age 67 years) who received intravenous tPA within 4.5 hours, 60 patients were evaluated by non-neurohospitalists and 47 patients were evaluated by neurohospitalists. Mean±SD door to needle times with patients treated by community neurologists were (93±24 minutes) were significantly longer than the door to needle times treated by neurohospitalists were (68±18 minutes). Twenty four (51%) patients treated by neurohospitalists had door to needle times less than 60 minutes, while 9 patients(15%) patients treated by community neurologists had door to needle times less than or equal to 60 minutes. Symptomatic intracranial bleed rates were significantly lower in patients treated by neurohospitalists compared to non-neurohospitalists (2% vs. 8%, p=.021). Multivariate analysis showed that neurohospitalist evaluation (OR 5.9, CI 2.4 to 10.1, p Conclusions: Neurohosptialist evaluation is associated with faster door to needle times in patients with ischemic stroke. Neurohospitalist evaluation could be a part of a multi-dimensional initiative to improve the timeliness of tPA administration. Disclosure: Dr. Bhatt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shatila has nothing to disclose.