cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural Antimicrobials Suitable for Combating Desiccation-Resistant Salmonella enterica in Milk Powder.

Some Salmonella enterica strains survive well in low-water activity (low-aw) foods and cause frequent salmonellosis outbreaks in these products. Methods are needed to overcome such desiccation-resistant Salmonella and to improve the safety of low-aw foods. Building on a recent finding, we hypothesized that natural antimicrobial food additives, which are active against cytoplasmic membrane, could overcome this desiccation resistance phenomenon, and thus, sensitize the pathogen to drying and mild processing. Food additives were screened for the ability to cause leakage of intracellular potassium ions; retention of these ions is vital for protecting Salmonella against desiccation. Two antimicrobial food additives, carvacrol and thymol, caused considerable potassium leakage from the desiccation-resistant S. enterica serovars, Tennessee and Livingstone. Thus, carvacrol and thymol were investigated for their ability to sensitize the desiccation-adapted S. enterica to heat treatment. The combined use of food additives, at their minimum inhibitory concentrations, with heat treatment at 55 °C for 15 min caused 3.1 ± 0.21 to more than 5.5 log colony forming unit (CFU)/mL reduction in desiccation-adapted S. enterica, compared to 2.4 ± 0.53–3.2 ± 0.11 log CFU/mL reduction by sole heat treatment. Carvacrol was the additive that caused the greatest potassium leakage and sensitization of Salmonella to heat; hence, the application of this compound was investigated in a food model against Salmonella Typhimurium ASD200. Addition of carvacrol at 200 or 500 ppm into liquid milk followed by spray-drying reduced the strain’s population by 0.9 ± 0.02 and 1.3 ± 0.1 log CFU/g, respectively, compared to 0.6 ± 0.02 log CFU/g reduction for non-treated spray-dried milk. Additionally, freeze-drying of milk treated with high levels of carvacrol (5000 ppm) reduced the population of Salmonella Typhimurium ASD200 by more than 4.5 log CFU/g, compared to 1.1 ± 0.4 log CFU/g reduction for the freeze-dried untreated milk. These findings suggest that carvacrol can combat desiccation-resistant S. enterica, and thus, potentially improve the safety of low-aw foods.
Port malposition in the azygos vein resulting in a veno-broncho and broncho-esophageal fistula: A case report:

We present a case of a port malposition into the azygos vein resulting in both a broncho-esophageal and veno-bronchial fistula. While complications of central venous catheter malposition into the a...
Numerical analysis of particle dispersion and deposition in coal combustion using large-eddy simulation

Abstract High-fidelity modeling provides a useful approach to investigate the particle dispersion and deposition mechanism in pulverized coal combustion. To be able to analyze these detailed mechanisms, this work couples detailed multiphysics models for poly-dispersed turbulent, particle-laden flow, particle and gas phase reaction chemistry, convective, conductive and radiative heat transfer, ash formation and deposition with a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) approach to numerically simulate coal combustion in a downfired self-sustained oxy-fuel combustor (OFC). It is necessary to explicitly capture all but the highest frequency dynamics of the turbulence and its coupling with each of the other physical phenomena using LES. Effects of subgrid-scale unresolved turbulence on the particle motions are also analyzed by a novel Stokes number analysis. Due to the inherent relation ship between coal combustion and ash deposition, this study integrates the improved ash deposition model into the numerical simulation. Overall simulation results are compared with experimentally measured data from the OFC. The simulation and measured data for the averaged gas temperature and deposition rates agree with 5% and 28%. This study shows that high-fidelity LES coupled with other detailed multiphysics models running on a exascale computing facility can provide a good representation of complex coal combustion and deposition in a laboratory-scale furnace.
Symbolic Analysis of Concurrent Programs with Polymorphism

The current trend of multi-core and multi-processor computing is causing a paradigm shift from inherently sequential to highly concurrent and parallel applications. Certain thread interleavings, data input values, or combinations of both often cause errors in the system. Systematic verification techniques such as explicit state model checking and symbolic execution are extensively used to detect errors in such systems [7, 9]. Explicit state model checking enumerates possible thread schedules and input data values of a program in order to check for errors [3, 9]. To partially mitigate the state space explosion from data input values, symbolic execution techniques substitute data input values with symbolic values [5, 7, 6]. Explicit state model checking and symbolic execution techniques used in conjunction with exhaustive search techniques such as depth-first search are unable to detect errors in medium to large-sized concurrent programs because the number of behaviors caused by data and thread non-determinism is extremely large. We present an overview of abstraction-guided symbolic execution for concurrent programs that detects errors manifested by a combination of thread schedules and data values [8]. The technique generates a set of key program locations relevant in testing the reachability of the target locations. The symbolic execution is then guided along these locations in an attempt to generate a feasible execution path to the error state. This allows the execution to focus in parts of the behavior space more likely to contain an error.
Age-Dependent Changes in the Structure of Alpha Crystallin

Studies upon alpha crystallin have indicated that it is composed of at least three dhtinct sized populations of macromolecules. Investigation of the relative amounts of these populations in bovine lenses has shown that with increasing age the proportion of the largest-sized population with molecular weights above 1 x 10 7 increases more than fivefold. This dramatic change in the relative proportion of the high molecular weight fraction occurred only in alpha crystallin isolated from the inner 30 per cent of the lens. No difference in amino acid composition or subunit size was observed between the three populations. However, the high molecular weight species was shown to contain approximately three per cent hexose, while the low molecular weight species had only trace amounts of hexose. This sugar was shown to be glucose. Reaggregation of the deaggregated high molecular weight protein in the absence of glucose resulted in transformation to the low molecular weight population, but in the presence of glucose the original population of macromolecules appeared to be reconstituted. Reconstitution of the deaggregated low molecular weight species in the presence of glucose only gave the high molecular weight species with alpha crystallin isolated from older lens nuclear material. In the absence of glucose the original population was again reconstituted.
Risk of Recurrence for Clinical Stage I and II Patients With Teratoma Only at Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection.

Objective To evaluate the oncologic outcomes of patients with retroperitoneal teratoma only at primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods Between 1979 and 2010, 23 patients with clinical stage (CS) I and II disease underwent primary RPLND at our institution with teratoma only in the retroperitoneum. No patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and the minimum follow-up was 2 years. Results At the initial diagnosis, 13 patients (56.5%) had CS I disease and 10 patients (43.5%) had CS II disease. Pathologic staging demonstrated IIA in 13 patients (56.5%), IIB in 8 patients (34.8%), and IIC in 2 patients (8.7%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 100% with a median follow-up of 5.8 years (range, 2.1-25.4). DFS was not significantly different comparing pathologic stage IIA vs IIB/IIC disease ( P = .73). Two patients (14%) developed late relapses. One patient had a pelvic recurrence 11 years after primary RPLND. Final pathology from the pelvic resection demonstrated embryonal carcinoma. He remains disease free after his second surgery. The second patient had a contralateral retroperitoneal recurrence with yolk-sac tumor and teratoma 11 years after primary RPLND. He was treated with chemotherapy followed by postchemotherapy RPLND. Conclusion The relapse rate for patients with teratoma only at primary RPLND is low irrespective of PS. Adjuvant chemotherapy is therefore not recommended in the management of these patients.
Comments on Morozov’s Discrepancy Principle

The choice of regularization parameter by Morozov’s principle is characterized in a new way and is related to another parameter choice strategy. An asymptotic order of accuracy is derived which is essentially best possible and a discrepancy principle is developed in a finite element context.
Symposium: Shrinking Tinker: Students are Persons under Our Constitution - Except When They Aren't

The central proposition of this Article is that the school/student relationship is a distinctive one, and that student speakers on school property stand in a fundamentally different posture than do pamphleteers on the public sidewalk. This unique relationship has been recognized by the courts, but only selectively, where the uniqueness works to the disadvantage of the speaker. It is time that courts acknowledge that, because students are “captive” in school for the best hours of their day, and because students have a legally enforceable right to be on school grounds for purposes that expressly include the exchange of ideas, student speech disputes are not susceptible to analysis under the same framework that applies to picketing in a park. It is especially vital that Tinker be invigorated and that school regulatory decisions be subject to meaningful review now that school officials have begun asserting, at times successfully, the authority to police entirely off-campus speech based on the rationale that the speech can enter or impact the school by means of the Internet. The better view is that off-campus speech is just that—off campus—and that none of the rationales for expansive school authority can justifiably apply to speech off school property. But a number of courts are accepting uncritically the proposition that the special First Amendment infirmities under which students labor on school premises during school time follow these young people everywhere they go by dint of their student status. In other words, the schoolhouse gate that once cabined school authority now swings in the other direction. If it becomes accepted that Tinker supplies the standard for review of school regulation of students’ speech on Saturday in their own bedrooms, then that standard must necessarily stand for something more than “reasonableness-minus.” Otherwise, courts will have created a constitutional underclass who must graduate, or drop out, to be treated as full-fledged citizens.
Francisco Varo's Grammar of the Mandarin Language (1703): An English translation of ‘Arte de la lengua Mandarina’. With an Introduction by Sandra Breitenbach

Francisco Varo’s Arte de la Lengua Mandarina , completed ca. 1680, is the earliest published grammar of any spoken form of Chinese and the fullest known description of the standard language of the seventeenth century. It establishes beyond doubt that this “Language of the Mandarins” was not Pekingese or Peking-based but had instead a Jiang-Huai or Nankingese-like phonology. It also provides important information about the nature and formation of pre-modern standard forms of Chinese and will lead to revisions of currently held views on Chinese koines and their relationship with regional speech forms and the received vernacular literature. Finally, it provides a wealth ot information on stylistic speech levels, honorific usage, and social customs of the elite during the early Qing period. The book provides a full translation of the 1703 text of the Arte , an extensive introduction to the life and work of Varo, an index of Chinese characters inserted into the translation, and an index of linguistic terms and concepts. It should be of interest to a diverse readership of Chinese historical, comparative, and descriptive linguists, students of Qing history and literature, historiographers of linguistics, and specialists in early Western religious and cultural contact with China.
A Review of “Civic Literacy: How Informed Citizens Make Democracy Work”

Americans love democracy, but this passion does not seem to carry over into their every–day behavior. The American people celebrate their democratic heritage with a religious passion (including a m...
Hume's Positive Argument on Induction

Discussion on whether Hume's treatment of induction is descriptive or normative has usually centred on Hume's negative argument, somewhat neglecting the positive argument. In this paper, I will buck this trend, focusing on the positive argument. First, I argue that Hume's positive and negative arguments should be read as addressing the same issues (whether normative or descriptive). I then argue that Hume's positive argument in the Enquiry is normative in nature; drawing on his discussion of scepticism in Section 12 of the Enquiry, I explain a framework by which he provides what I call consequent justification for our inductive practices in his positive argument. Based on this, I argue that his negative argument in the Enquiry should similarly be read as normative in nature.
Revictimization rates and method variance: a meta-analysis.

The present meta-analytic review examined revictimization rates and sources of variance among rates provided by 19 empirical studies of adult females. In this review, revictimization refers to the occurrence of at least one incident of childhood sexual abuse followed by a subsequent incident of adult sexual victimization. Studies were included in the review if they provided rates of revictimization and had a comparison sample of nonrevictimized women. The overall effect size for revictimization was .59, a moderate effect, suggesting a definite relationship between childhood victimization and adult victimization experiences. The overall effect size was heterogeneous and various study characteristics and definition issues were examined to determine their effect on revictimization rates. The most striking, although not surprising finding, was that studies in which more inclusive definitions of abuse were utilized yielded smaller effect sizes than studies that used more restrictive definitions of abuse. Studies that examine victimization or revictimization are often concerned with learning more about the phenomenon with the expectation that by understanding the underlying mechanism, prevention and treatment can be better focused. The interpretation given to results from past and future studies should take into account those factors found to influence estimations of revictimization rates.
What is Really Being Debated in the Debate on the Distancing Hypothesis

“Trends in American Jewish Attachment to Israel” and “Thinking about Distancing from Israel” purportedly represent the two sides of a debate about whether American Jews are becoming more distant from Israel. But the authors are not really debating whether the distance is increasing; they are debating how to investigate that distance. And there are three sides to the debate, not two: the side that limits its conclusions to what carefully collected and analyzed data show, the side that says “it’s not about the data,” and the side that believes we could better understand American Jews if we put our studies in the context of broader theoretical work and investigations of other groups. This article describes how the articles’ approach to data affect their conclusions, and suggests what should be done next in pursuing the question of Jews’ attachment to Israel.
Aneurysm of the Membranous Ventricular Septum Producing Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction and Left Ventricular Failure

An unusual case of aneurysm of the left ventricular septum associated with corrected transposition of the great vessels, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and left ventricular failure is presented. The clinical, hemodynamic and cineangiographic features have been described. Surgical correction immediately abolished the pressure gradient and the patient has had symptomatic improvement
Quantum Theory of Interband Faraday and Voigt Effects

A quantum-mechanical analysis of the Faraday rotation and the Voigt effect has been carried out for both the oscillatory and long-wavelength regions. Expressions have been developed for these effects from the offdiagonal and diagonal components, respectively, of the conductivity tensor; the latter has been obtained in the form of the Kramers-Heisenberg dispersion relations through the use of first-order time-dependent perturbation theory. The results, which have been calculated for a simplified two-bandmodel, are generalized to apply in the high-field case as well as the low-field limit. Through the introduction of a phenomenological relaxation time, $\ensuremath{\tau}$, line shapes have been calculated for both the direct and indirect transition for the Faraday and Voigt effects. These have been obtained as a function of frequency for various values of magnetic field and relaxation times. The results obtained enable the evaluation of $g$ factors from experimantal line shapes.
Exhumation rates in the St. Elias Mountains, Alaska

Abstract Reprocessing and interpretation of seismic profiles from the Gulf of Alaska in the vicinity of the St. Elias Mountains indicate that over 3000 km 3 of sediment were deposited on the ocean shelf since the end of the last glacial epoch, approximately 10,000 years ago. This estimate of the sediment volume does not include material moved out of the region by long shore currents, transportation from the shelf to deeper waters, or material trapped in fiords and basins on and near land. Thus, an estimated sedimentation rate offshore of 7.9 mm/year and the average erosion rate of 5.1 mm/year from the St. Elias Mountains, derived from the estimated sedimentation rate, represent minimum estimates. We infer that these estimated rates are not typical of the approximately 5 m.y. history of mountain building in the area, but rather, they represent the result of efficient erosion by glaciers during this interglacial period.
New scientific ocean drilling depth record extends study of subseafloor life

The Japanese deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu set a new depth record for scientific ocean drilling and core retrieval by reaching a depth of 2119.5 meters below the seafloor (mbsf) on 6 September. This is 8.5 meters deeper than the prior record, set 19 years ago. Three days later, on 9 September, Chikyu set another record by reaching a drilling depth of 2466 mbsf, the maximum depth that will be attempted during the current expedition. The 6 September record was set on day 44 of the Deep Coalbed Biosphere off Shimokita expedition, which is expedition 337 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). It occurred at drilling site C0020 in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, approximately 80 kilometers northeast from Hachinohe, Japan. The expedition is scheduled to conclude on 30 September.
Optimization of the Alternating Voltage Passivation Process for Stainless Steel

Abstract In the alternating voltage passivation process (AVPP), a potential square wave is applied for a certain time at a constant direct current (DC) bias potential. Effects of the process parame...
Prostate Cancer Screening-Reply

In Reply. —Dr Atkins takes issue with the implications of our article and presents the often-cited concerns about screening for prostate cancer with PSA testing. Further, he incorrectly states that our report implies no risk of detecting harmless cancers. In fact, our data suggest that serial screening may increase slightly the detection of clinically unimportant cancers. This issue is influenced to some extent by the definition of clinically unimportant cancer. We believe that basing the definition solely on the cancer mortality rate is too narrow. The suffering that patients experience from cancer progression and its treatment also must be considered. Dr Atkins mistakenly suggests that the dramatic increase in prostate cancer incidence is due to increasing performance of transurethral resection of the prostate. The increase in prostate cancer detection during the past 10 years is due largely to increased PSA testing, while the number of transurethral resections performed has decreased markedly.1
New Approaches to Solvent-Mediated Molecular Interactions

Recently developed integral equation methods for the evaluation of intermolecular and intramolecular interactions in a polar solvent medium are discussed and representative applications are presented. Examples include solvent modification of interionic interactions between atomic or molecular ions in water and liquid environment induced shifts in conformational equilibria for both non-polar and polar flexible molecules in water. Emphasis is placed on the features of these phenomena which can be traced specifically to the molecularity of the solvent and hence cannot be adequately reproduced by a simple continuum dielectric solvent representation.
The mechanisms of decomposition of the 1‐ and 2‐phenyltetralin radical cations

Mechanisms for decomposition of 1- and 2-phenyltetralins were investigated using low resolution mass spectrometry and metastable ion techniques. Four primary decompositions were observed for 1-phenyltetralin radical cations: (1) the loss of C6H6 via a 1,4-elimination; (2) the elimination of ethene via competing losses from carbons 3 + 4 and carbons 2 + 3; (3) the loss of C8H8, probably through a stepwise Diels-Alder cycloreversion to expel styrene; and (4) the loss of methyl radical involving carbon 2 and possibly carbon 4. Three major decompositions were observed for 2-phenyltetralin radical cations: (1) the loss of C8H8, possibly through a Diels-Alder cycloreversion to expel styrene; (2) the loss of C6H6 via a 1,3 elimination; and (3) the loss of methyl radical from carbon 1. Various exchange reactions occur prior to these losses, but they proved to be incomplete even for metastable ions.
The Effects of Overfeeding on Spontaneous Physical Activity in Obesity Prone and Obesity Resistant Humans

Despite living in an environment that promotes weight gain in many individuals, some individuals maintain a thin phenotype while self-reporting expending little or no effort to control their weight. When compared with obesity prone (OP) individuals, we wondered if obesity resistant (OR) individuals would have higher levels of spontaneous physical activity (SPA) or respond to short-term overfeeding by increasing their level of SPA in a manner that could potentially limit future weight gain. SPA was measured in 55 subjects (23 OP and 32 OR) using a novel physical activity monitoring system (PAMS) that measured body position and movement while subjects were awake for 6 days, either in a controlled eucaloric condition or during 3 days of overfeeding (1.4× basal energy) and for the subsequent 3 days (ad libitum recovery period). Pedometers were also used before and during use of the PAMS to provide an independent measure of SPA. SPA was quantified by the PAMS as fraction of recording time spent lying, sitting, or in an upright posture. Accelerometry, measured while subjects were in an upright posture, was used to categorize time spent in different levels of movement (standing, walking slowly, quickly, etc.). There were no differences in SPA between groups when examined across all study periods (P > 0.05). However, 3 days following overfeeding, OP subjects significantly decreased the amount of time they spent walking (−2.0% of time, P = 0.03), whereas OR subjects maintained their walking (+0.2%, P > 0.05). The principle findings of this study are that increased levels of SPA either during eucaloric feeding or following short term overfeeding likely do not significantly contribute to obesity resistance although a decrease in SPA following overfeeding may contribute to future weight gain in individuals prone to obesity.
Studies on the role of carotenoid pigments in a chemoheterotrophic bacterium, corynebacterium poinsettiae

The hypothesis that colored carotenoids can protect chemoheterotrophic microorganisms from damage by visible light has been investigated.
Liver fatty acid binding protein gene ablation enhances age-dependent weight gain in male mice

Although studies performed in vitro and with transfected cells in culture suggest a role for liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) in regulating fatty acid oxidation and fat deposition, the physiological significance of this possibility is not completely clear. To begin to address this question, the effect of L-FABP gene ablation on phenotype of standard rodent chow-fed male mice was examined with increasing age up to 18 months. While young (2-3 months old) L-FABP null mice displayed no visually obvious phenotype, with increasing age >9 months the L-FABP null mice were visibly larger, exhibiting increased body weight due to increased fat and lean tissue mass. Liver lipid concentrations were unaffected by L-FABP gene ablation with the exception of triacylglycerol, which was decreased by 74% in the livers of 3-month-old mice. Likewise, serum lipid levels were not altered in L-FABP null mice with the exception of triacylglycerol, which was increased in the serum of 18-month-old mice. Increased body weight, fat tissue mass, and lean tissue mass in 18-month-old L-FABP null mice were accompanied by increased hepatic levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, and PPARalpha-regulated proteins such as fatty acid transport protein (FATP), fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). A key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, was down-regulated in L-FABP null mice. These findings were consistent with a proposed role for L-FABP as an important physiological regulator of PPARalpha.
THERMAL EXPANSION AND CHANGE IN VOLUME OF URANIUM DIOXIDE ON MELTING

Thermal expansion and specific volume measurements were made on UO/sub 2/ at 1280 to 3100 deg C in intervals of 100 to 500 deg C. Radiographs taken at 3000 deg C (200 deg C above the melting point) and at room temperature after cooling qualitatively illustrate the shrinkage that occurred on solidification. The density of the solid at 2800 deg C was 9.67 plus or minus 0.13; that of the liquid at 2800 deg C was 8.74 plus or minus 0.16. The decrease in density on melting was 9.6%. Molten UO/sub 2/ had a coeificient of linear expansion of 3.5 x 10/sup -5/ in. per in. deg C between 2800 and 3100 deg C. Expansion data from 0 to 2800 deg C were used to derive an empirical equation for specific volume as a function of temperature: V/sub T/ = V/sub O/(1 + 9 x 10/sup -6/ T plus or minus 6 x 10/s up -9/ T/sup 2/ + 3 x 10/sup -12/ T/sup 3/) where V/sub T/ = specific volume (g per cm/ sup 3/) at temperature T, V/sub O/ = specific volume at 0 deg C, and more » T = temperature ( deg C). (P.C.H.) « less
Transgenic farm animals : progress report

Abstract The transfer of genetic material by recombinant DNA technology is an innovative method designed to produce animals with an altered genotype. Transgenic animals may demonstrate a variety of new phenotypes through the expression of the exogenous DNA molecule. Mice developed by these methods have shown that a wide range of promoter elements result in predictable patterns of tissue-specific and hormonally regulated fusion gene products. However, only a limited number of promoter elements have been introduced into domestic farm animals. Although several experiments were initially designed to alter the phenotype through increased rate of growth and improved carcass composition, the lack of specificity and regulation of fusion genes has generally resulted in negative side effects. The commercial sector, however, has invested in this new technology with the goal of producing large amounts of valuable human pharmaceutical drugs in a more efficient manner. If this is to be successfully accomplished transgenic animals must maintain their normal physiological characteristics. The challenge we face is to apply this novel approach to the large domestic species without altering their inherent genetic competence. This report updates the research on transgenic farm animals and outlines a strategy for the production of transgenic goats.
Evidence for ring-faults around the Orientale basin on the Moon from gravity

Abstract The Orientale basin is the best-preserved multi-ring impact basin on the Moon, spanning ∼900 km in diameter at its outermost ring. It consists of three concentric ring structures known as the Inner Rook, Outer Rook, and Cordillera. Based on geologic and topographic evidence, the Cordillera ring has been interpreted as forming through listric normal faulting from the inward collapse of the interior basin. A similar mechanism may have been responsible for the formation of the Outer Rook, though it has also been interpreted as the rim corresponding to the collapsed excavation cavity. This study uses gravity and topography data to examine the subsurface structure of the Orientale rings. A Markov chain Monte Carlo approach was implemented to find the best-fit fault dip and displacement, as well as the depth to an intra-crustal density interface and the density contrast across that interface. We find that the data supports the presence of a low-angle normal fault beneath the Cordillera ring that offsets a shallow interface separating a lower density upper crust from a higher density lower crust. The best-fit solution for the case of faults at both the Cordillera and Outer Rook has a vertical component of fault displacement of 7.8 km, a fault dip of 28°, an intra-crustal interface depth of 10.8 km, and a density contrast of 350 kg/m 3 between the upper and lower crust. However, models with faults only at the Cordillera or with faults that do not cross the crust–mantle interface also provide adequate fits to the data. This analysis presents quantitative evidence for the existence of faults beneath the rings of Orientale and for density stratification of the crust beneath the basin based on gravity data.
Adjusting for Nonignorable Drop-Out Using Semiparametric Nonresponse Models

Abstract Consider a study whose design calls for the study subjects to be followed from enrollment (time t = 0) to time t = T, at which point a primary endpoint of interest Y is to be measured. The design of the study also calls for measurements on a vector V t) of covariates to be made at one or more times t during the interval [0, T). We are interested in making inferences about the marginal mean μ0 of Y when some subjects drop out of the study at random times Q prior to the common fixed end of follow-up time T. The purpose of this article is to show how to make inferences about μ0 when the continuous drop-out time Q is modeled semiparametrically and no restrictions are placed on the joint distribution of the outcome and other measured variables. In particular, we consider two models for the conditional hazard of drop-out given (V(T), Y), where V(t) denotes the history of the process V t) through time t, t ∈ [0, T). In the first model, we assume that λQ(t|V(T), Y) exp(α0 Y), where α0 is a scalar paramet...
A new iterative method for determining kinetic parameters from TG data

Abstract An iterative method is described which computes n and E from nonisothermal TG data. The method which requires only three (α, T ) data pairs as input, involves successive iterations of E/R and n using data pairs where Δα is first small, then large. A complete algorithm for implementation of the method on a programmable calculator is presented as well as results of analysis of calculated and experimental (α, T ) data.
An application of tool insertion using model-based vision

Model-based vision is shown to be a viable solution to a tool insertion problem for the nuclear servicing industry. A complete tool insertion system requires: representation of the model, extraction of model parameters from sensor data, quantification of sensor error, transformation of sensor error to model error, sensor calibration techniques, and motion planning for sensor drop out recovery. Each of these topics is considered as a component technology and related as an aggregate system in a technical insertion scenario. While each of these technologies is required in a complete system, the specific technique is application dependent. The requisite technologies are discussed in the context of the general problem, the insertion of a four-pronged tool into four specific holes in a plane, using a vision-corrected CAD model. >
Charting reform in Chicago schools: Pluralistic policy research

The Consortium on Chicago School Research is a unique research enterprise that is attempting to achieve a productive blend of rigorous social science and vital democratic activities. So far, it has facilitated the development of a research agenda on Chicago school reform and completed surveys of teachers and principals.
Suitability of different sling materials for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is defined as leakage of urine with a sudden increase in intra-abdominal pressure, such as that seen with laughing, lifting, or changing position, without a concomitant rise in detrusor (bladder-generated) pressure. The proposed mechanism of SUI is that an increase in intra-abdominal pressure resulting from various activities causes the bladder pressure to rise above the urethral pressure. The pubovaginal sling remains the standard treatment for female SUI in the US. The market has been flooded with innumerable sling materials. This review discusses the currently available sling materials, surgical approaches, and clinical outcomes data. Long-term data on efficacy is lacking, but early results with new materials and delivery techniques indicate that excellent cure rates with minimal morbidity and high patient satisfaction may be achievable.
Implications of convergence rates in Sinkhorn balancing

Abstract Let D N be the set N × N stochastic matrices without zero columns. Starting with a matrix A(0) ϵ D N, Sinkhorn balancing is the iteration of alternately normalizing the column and row sums of A(0). It has been shown that if A(0) has total support then the iteration converges geometrically to a doubly stochastic limit. We show that the converse is true: geometric convergence implies total support.
Measuring flood discharge in unstable stream channels using ground-penetrating radar

Field experiments were conducted to test the ability of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to measure stream-channel cross sections at high flows without the necessity of placing instruments in the water. Experiments were conducted at four U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations in southwest Washington State. With the GPR antenna suspended above the water surface from a bridge or cableway, traverses were made across stream channels to collect radar profile plots of the streambed. Subsequent measurements of water depth were made using conventional depth-measuring equipment (weight and tape) and were used to calculate radar signal velocities. Other streamflow-parameter data were collected to examine their relation to radar signal velocity and to clarity of streambed definition. These initial tests indicate that GPR is capable of producing a reasonably accurate (±20%) stream-channel profile and discharge far more quickly than conventional stream-gaging procedures, while avoiding the problems and hazards associated with placing instruments in the water.
ARE NEW DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PERICARDITIS NEEDED

Current criteria for diagnosing pericarditis include non-ischemic chest pain, PR segment depression and/or J point/ST segment deviation on ECG, pericardial rub and pericardial effusion on 2-D echo. Unfortunately, these criteria are transient and difficult to detect. Cardiac MRI is capable of
Medication adherence and health care costs associated with biologics in Medicaid‐enrolled patients with psoriasis

Background: Costs and patients' adherence related to biologics are important factors to consider while making informed decisions regarding therapy with biologics in psoriasis management. Objective: To examine predictors of adherence related to biologics, total health care costs, and service utilization among psoriasis patients. Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study of psoriasis patients (<65 years old) enrolled in North Carolina Medicaid who were prescribed biologics (alefacept, efalizumab, and etanercept). Patients' medication adherence, health care costs, and service utilization patterns in the pre‐ and post‐biologics period were examined. Results: Adherence to biologics was significantly higher compared with the other psoriasis medications (0.66 vs 0.39; p<0.001). Prescription costs were significantly higher in the post‐biologics period ($3796.77 vs $11 706.32; p<0.001). However, total health care costs in the post‐biologics period did not differ significantly from the pre‐biologics period ($14...
Radiation and Diffraction Analysis of the McIver Toroid

A hydrodynamic analysis is performed of a special toroidal body which is known to have a nontrivial solution of the homogeneous linearized free-surface boundary-value problem with oscillatory time- dependence. This solution corresponds physically to unbounded resonant motion of the fluid in the 'moon pool' at the center of the toroid. The added mass, damping, and elevation of the free surface in the moon pool are computed for a range of wavenumbers, with singular results in the resonant regime.
Meeting of minds: Tacit coordination in adolescent and adult twins

Abstract Kin selection theory predicts that cooperative acts should occur more often between individuals sharing a higher proportion of genes than those sharing fewer. This expectation is supported, in part, by the greater social closeness of monozygotic (MZ) twins than dizygotic (DZ) twins. Previous research in 2008, using young twins, suggested that the synchronized MZ twin relationship may partly reflect non-negotiated consensus, occurring as a function of the twins’ shared behavioral similarities. The present study sought to determine if tacit coordination also varies with genetic relatedness in older twins. The sample included 43 MZ twin pairs and 34 DZ twin pairs, ages 12–59 years, who completed a Tacit Coordination Questionnaire under Individual and Coordination conditions. Significant Zygosity and Condition effects were found, with MZ twins outscoring DZ twins, and Coordination matches exceeding Individual matches. Logistic regression analysis identified specific classes of items that discriminated between twin types better than others. The present findings are compared with those from the 2008 study, refining theories concerning genetic contributions to coordination and partner success.
Seasonal Activity of Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Affected by Microbial and Oil Insecticides in an Apple Orchard in California

The objective of this research was to determine if the seasonal activity of carabid ground beetles was affected by microbial or oil insecticides, which were being used to control the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), a major pest of apple. Plots were sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis plus oil, oil alone, or codling moth granulosis virus at predicted egg hatchout periods in spring and Summer 1991. The results of pitfall trapping indicated that Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer adults were significantly more active on the soil surface in plots sprayed with granulosis virus in early July, than in plots sprayed with B. thuringiensis plus oil, or controls (no–spray). Chlaenius sp. (probably C. tricolor Dejean) adults were significantly more active in plots sprayed with oil alone, in early June, than in plots sprayed with granulosis virus, B. thuringiensis plus oil, or controls. The other dominant species, Anisodactylus californicus Dejean, Pterostichus ( Hypherpes ) spp., Agonum punctiforme Say, and Calathus ruficollis Dejean were not significantly more active in any treatment plot at any of the collection dates. The data suggest that the seasonal activity of two species was probably enhanced by granulosis virus or oil insecticides, whereas the activity of the other dominant species was unaffected.
Agents that elevate cyclic AMP induce receptor phosphorylation primarily at serine 331 in HEK 293 cells overexpressing human thromboxane receptor α

Abstract Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably transfected with the His-tagged thromboxane receptor α (TPα) were used to study the phosphorylation and desensitization of the receptor induced by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or forskolin. These agents are known to increase the intracellular level of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and activate cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Pretreatment of cells with either agent significantly attenuated Ca2+ release induced by the agonist [1S-[1α,2α(Z),3β(1E,3S),4α]]-7-[3-[3-hydroxy-4-(4-indophenoxy)-1-butenyl]-7-oxabicyclo[2,2,1]hept-2-yl]-5-heptenoic acid (I-BOP). These agents also induced concentration-dependent phosphorylation of TPα as demonstrated by increased 32 P -labeling of the receptor from cells prelabeled with 32 P i . To facilitate the identification of the intracellular domains involved in phosphorylation, glutathione S-transferase (GST)-intracellular domain fusion proteins were used as substrates for purified PKA. It was found that only the C-terminal tail fusion protein could serve as a substrate for PKA. To identify the specific serine/threonine residues in the C-terminal tail that are involved in phosphorylation, various alanine mutants of these residues were checked for their ability to serve as substrates. Ser-331 was found to be involved in PKA-mediated phosphorylation. The S331A mutant receptor overexpressed in HEK 293 cells was not phosphorylated significantly following stimulation by PGE1 or forskolin, indicating that Ser-331 was the major site of phosphorylation. Furthermore, cells overexpressing the mutant receptor became responsive to I-BOP-induced Ca2+ mobilization even after pretreatment with PGE1 or forskolin. These results indicate that Ser-331 is the primary site responsible for the phosphorylation and desensitization of the human TPα induced by agents that activate PKA.
Novel techniques to solve sets of coupled differential equations with SPICE

The solution of sets of coupled differential equations using SPICE is treated. The equations are rearranged so that each of the variables appears as a current through a 1- Omega resistor, and the SPICE transient analysis option TRAN is used to invoke the DCTRAN module. This module performs the DC operating point analysis, the initial-condition of transient analysis, the DC transfer characteristic analysis, and the transient analysis. By initially invoking the subroutine LOAD, the linearized system of nodal equations for the specific iteration is constructed. Separate computation of the nonlinear devices' contribution to the Y matrix is carried out by the respective subroutines. >
Learning science through dialogic inquiry: Is it beneficial for English-as-additional-language students?

While the effectiveness of teaching that emphasizes dialogue and inquiry has been well documented with respect to English-as-mother-tongue children, it remains an empirical question as to whether this approach is equally useful when the student body includes a substantial number of English-as-additional-language (EAL) students. Through a longitudinal study of one class in an elementary school in California, we address this question in the context of a science unit that evolved over 4 years in response to the dramatic increase of EAL students in the school. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses carried out on the data strongly suggest that dialogic inquiry can be effective for EAL students as well as for their mainstream peers when the teacher also systematically and strategically integrates literacy with science instruction and strikes a balance between hands-on and text-mediated investigations.
A circuit model of electrostatic discharge generators for ESD and EMC SPICE simulation

A circuit model for electrostatic discharge generator is presented in this paper. The model takes into account circuit loading effect and can be easily implemented in SPICE simulators. The discharge current waveforms generated by the model are in compliance with the specifications of the IEC 61000-4-2 standard and the ESD Association Human Metal Model (HMM) standard.
Cloud Based Content Adaptation System for Mobile Learners

This paper presents a cloud based content adaptation system for mobile learners. Mobile agents are developed to perform content adaptation and they can migrate among hosts in the cloud. Also, a weighted link graph approach is proposed to discover students' access patterns. Weight values are used to arrange layout of links on a web page to reduce mobile learners' clicking and scrolling efforts.
Geometric and electronic structure and magnetic properties of Fe-Au nanoalloys: insights from ab initio calculations.

We have performed density functional theory (DFT) based calculations of Fe–Au nanoalloys containing 113 atoms, FexAu113−x (x = 23, 56, 90), to determine their preferred geometric structure and the ensuing electronic structural and magnetic properties. We find that these nanoalloys prefer the formation of a core–shell structure and the Fe core maintains almost a constant magnetic moment of ∼2.8 μB regardless of the Fe content, which is 27% enhancement from the bulk value and in qualitative agreement with some previous results. The local magnetic moment of Fe atoms is well correlated with the local coordination of the Fe atoms. Furthermore, the enhancement of the magnetic moment may be traced to charge depletion from the Fe atoms in the core to the Au atoms in the shell. The preference for the core–shell structure over one with segregated Fe and Au parts could be the low surface tension at the Fe–Au interface, which is larger for the core–shell structure, and can be attributed to strong Fe–Au interfacial interaction as a result of large charge transfer at the interface.
Effective environmental marketing of green cars: A nested-logit approach

Abstract Using market data, we assess the effectiveness of an eco-marketing campaign on purchases of ‘green’ vehicles. The eco-marketing was designed as a quasi-experiment, having one region exposed to the marketing while the other region was the control. A two-level nested-logit model consistent with utility maximization reveals the campaign had short-term positive effects on green-car sales. Results also indicate green-car buyers come from highly educated communities. Age has a positive but non-linear effect on green car sales.