cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black hole superradiance of self-interacting scalar fields

Black hole superradiance is a powerful probe of light, weakly coupled hidden sector particles. Many candidate particles, such as axions, generically have self-interactions that can influence the evolution of the superradiant instability. As pointed out in [A. Gruzinov, arXiv:1604.06422.] in the context of a toy model, much of the existing literature on spin-0 superradiance does not take into account the most important self-interaction-induced processes. These processes lead to energy exchange between quasi-bound levels and particle emission to infinity; for large self-couplings, superradiant growth is saturated at a quasi-equilibrium configuration of reduced level occupation numbers. In this paper, we perform a detailed analysis of the rich dynamics of spin-0 superradiance with self-interactions, and the resulting observational signatures. We focus on quartic self-interactions, which dominate the evolution for most models of interest. We explore multiple distinct regimes of parameter space introduced by a nonzero self-interaction, including the simultaneous population of two or more bound levels; at large coupling, we confirm the basic picture of quasiequilibrium saturation and provide evidence that the ``bosenova'' collapse does not occur in most of the astrophysical parameter space. Compared to gravitational superradiance, we find that gravitational wave ``annihilation'' signals and black hole spin-down are parametrically suppressed with increasing interactions, while new gravitational wave ``transition'' signals can take place for moderate interactions. The novel phenomenon of scalar wave emission is less suppressed at large couplings, and if the particle has Standard Model interactions, then coherent, monochromatic axion wave signals from black hole superradiance may be detectable in proposed axion dark matter experiments.
General Management of Pediatric Knee Injuries

General management of pediatric knee injuries includes initiating treatment for the relief of symptoms; determining the suitable activity and timetable for an appropriate return to sport and activity; choosing relevant protection, if indicated (examples including bracing, casting, and/or the use of crutches); and addressing any underlying causative factors, if present, to prevent future injuries through rehabilitation and/or physical therapy.
Bacterial pericarditis and empyema caused by Cutibacterium acnes in a patient with metastatic lung cancer.

Abstract Bacterial pericarditis and empyema due to Cutibacterium acnes has rarely been reported. C.acnes, a normal component of human skin flora, is often considered a contaminant when isolated from body fluids and thus cases may be underreported. We report the first case of concurrent purulent pericarditis and empyema caused by C. acnes in a patient with newly diagnosed metastatic lung cancer. Our patient underwent pericardial window creation and placement of pericardial and bilateral chest tubes and was successfully treated with culture directed antibiotic therapy.
Review of 'Preparing for Life in Humanity 2.0' by Fuller

This is a book review of Fuller's "Preparing for Life in Humanity 2.0." "There are two potential outcomes on which the book briefly touches but which it does not fully consider. First, the potential economic impact of Humanity 2.0 deserves a dedicated chapter. Understanding the value of the enhanced versus the unenhanced, from students in IHEs to national workforces, will become a large undertaking in preparing for transhuman initiatives. For instance, could underdeveloped countries rapidly advance through economic development hinged upon human enhancement? The second area with inadequate coverage is the role of Humanity 2.0 for the future of disabled individuals. Virtual worlds provide a level playing ground for people with varying abilities. Similar to Ed Anglesey – Poul Anderson’s fictional character who decides to leave his disabled body and become the physically strong creature he controls telepathically – disabled individuals are seeing the potential for technology and innovation to assist in equalizing ability. What are the social, political and economic implications for an ability-equalizing Humanity 2.0?" (p. 173).
Analysis of Two Randomized Field Trials Testing the Effects of Online Vocabulary Instruction on Vocabulary Test Scores

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. september 2011. Major: Educational Psychology. Advisor: Dr. Mark L. Davison, Dr. S. Jay Samuels. vii, 106 pages, appendices A-E.
Measurement of anteriorly flexed trunk posture in Parkinson's disease (PD): a systematic review

AbstractBackground:Anteriorly flexed posture is a common impairment with negative consequences for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Identification of objective non-radiologic procedures for measuring flexed trunk posture is therefore important.Objective:Summarise available information on objective non-radiologic procedures for measuring anterior trunk flexion in PD.Methods:A systematic review using six relevant databases was conducted. Two reviewers independently examined the search output using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles determined to be relevant were abstracted for participant characteristics, measurement technique, test position and findings and were graded using a critical appraisal checklist.Results:Seventeen studies revealed information on objective, non-radiologic procedures for measuring sagittal plane-flexed posture in PD. Participants were primarily older adults with Hoehn and Yahr scale scores of 1–5. Five different measures were reported: linear distance betwee...
Kinematics of flow within headcut scour holes on hillslopes

[1] The development and migration of headcuts in rills and gullies can adversely impact soil resources in agricultural areas and accelerate landscape degradation worldwide. Analytical treatments of this erosion process have been based on a turbulent impinging jet analogue, though partially validated by field and laboratory data. Experiments were conducted using fixed headcut models to define the mean flow structure within these erosional features and to assess the applicability of similarity arguments for jets to characterize this flow domain. These data show that (1) flow within headcut scour holes is analogous to plane turbulent reattached wall jets and (2) similarity arguments used to define the limits, length scales, and velocity distributions in classical free jets and wall jets are applicable within discrete regions of the headcut scour hole domain but are affected by the ventilation characteristics of the overfall. This study contributes new knowledge on the hydrodynamics within headcut scour holes, and it confirms the applicability of jet theory for analyzing such soil erosion processes.
Patient‐centered outcomes research and nurse practitioners’ role in shared decision making

This article provides a brief overview of a new program from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) called the Effective Healthcare Program. This program has supported more than 70 research projects since its inception and published more than 50 products, including guides for clinicians and patients that provide a comprehensive analysis of treatment options for common, chronic illnesses. Research summaries are also available for mobile devices.
On Minimum Cost Recovery from System Deadlock

In this paper we consider the problem of finding a minimum cost deadlock recovery. We show that the problem is NP-complete and hence an efficient algorithm is unlikely to exist for this problem. We propose three fast heuristics and analyze their worst case performance relative to optimal solutions. Finally, we perform some simulation tests to get a feel for the average performance of these heuristics.
Obese and lean Zucker rats differ in preferences for sham-fed corn oil or sucrose

Obese Zucker rats show greater preference for fatty foods in dietary selection studies than do lean rats. We wished to evaluate the preference for dietary fats in Zucker rats in the absence of postingestive cues. Zucker rats (6 lean and 6 obese) were fitted with gastric cannulas for sham feeding. All sham-feeding tests lasted for 30 min. On training days, rats were sham fed 100% corn oil or, on alternate days, rats were sham fed various concentrations of sucrose in volumes yoked to intakes of corn oil. On preference test days, rats were offered 100% corn oil and one sucrose concentration simultaneously for sham feeding. During preference tests, obese rats preferred 100% corn oil to 10% sucrose, whereas lean rats preferred 10% sucrose to 100% corn oil. Obese rats equally preferred 17.5% sucrose and 100% corn oil, whereas lean Zucker rats equally preferred 2.5% sucrose and 100% corn oil. When sucrose concentration was increased to 20% both obese and lean Zucker rats preferred sucrose to 100% corn oil. These results combined with our previously reported results showing that intraduodenally administered fats do not differ in satiating potency for obese and lean Zucker rats (6) strongly suggest that the preference of obese rats for fatty foods is largely mediated by orosensory mechanisms.
Mothers and Fathers in the Workplace: How Gender and Parental Status Influence Judgments of Job-Related Competence

We investigated the influence of gender and parental status on employment decisions. The shifting standards model predicts that parenthood polarizes judgments of women and men such that mothers are held to stricter employment standards than fathers. Social role theory predicts that parenting role, rather than gender, guides judgments of mothers and fathers. One hundred ninety-six undergraduates at two universities evaluated a job applicant; the applicant was either male or female and was either single or married with two children. Results showed that parents were judged less agentic and less committed to employment than non-parents. Parental status also interacted with gender, indicating that fathers were held to more lenient standards than mothers and childless men. We discuss theoretical and practical implications.
Probabilistic reasoning in patients with body dysmorphic disorder.

Abstract Background and Objectives Many patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have poor insight into their condition. Indeed, their conviction in their ugliness is often delusional. Perhaps the most robust information-processing abnormality associated with delusions is a jumping to conclusions (JTC) reasoning bias such that delusional individuals request significantly less information before making a decision relative to healthy controls. We investigated whether patients with BDD (n = 20) demonstrate a JTC reasoning style relative to patients with OCD (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). Methods Participants completed a clinician-rated measure of delusionality and two tests of probabilistic reasoning: the beads task and the survey task. Results Patients with BDD did exhibit higher delusionality than the patients with OCD. They did not, however, exhibit a JTC reasoning bias relative to the patients with OCD or the healthy controls. Patients with poor insight BDD requested significantly less information before making a decision than did patients with fair insight BDD. Limitations The clinical groups were characterized by multiple comorbidities and concomitant medications. The BDD group had relatively good insight as compared to other studies examining delusionality in BDD. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that although a JTC reasoning bias was not present in all patients with BDD, a modest JTC reasoning bias may be present among patients with poor insight BDD. Future studies could provide additional information on this hypothesis.
Structure of a constitutively activated RhoA mutant (Q63L) at 1.55 A resolution.

Mutants of the small G protein RhoA that are deficient in GTPase activity and thereby exhibit constitutive molecular signaling activity are commonly used to discover its cellular functions. In particular, two such mutants, Gly14→Val (G14V) and Gln63→Leu (Q63L), are often used interchangeably for such studies. However, while their in vitro rates of GTP hydrolysis are very similar, differences are observed in their other functional properties. The structure of G14V-­RhoA is known; in order to assess whether structural variations are responsible for functional differences, the crystal structure of a Q63L-RhoA bound to the GTP-analog 5′-guanylylimidodiphosphate (GMPPNP) was determined at 1.5 A resolution. Overall, the structure is very similar to that of G14V-RhoA, but the significantly higher resolution data permit an improved basis for structural analysis and comparison. The data support the notion that differences observed between the mutants in vivo are likely to arise from altered affinities for RhoGDI and not from direct structural differences.
The Significance of the Hawthorn Branch in Wordsworth's Peter Bell

William Wordsworth's Peter Bell (1819) remains one of the least-examined poems in the Wordsworthian canon. Best remembered, perhaps, for the parodies it inspired, 1 Peter Bell has been seriously ex...
Lysosome rich cells contain the lytic activity of lymphokine-activated killer cell populations.

Little is known regarding the effectors of lymphokine-activated killer activity. Lysosomotropic agents such as quinacrine can be used to positively sort for lysosome rich cells in natural killer (NK) cell populations. We therefore decided to use this agent to sort lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells to characterize their lysosomal content. We found that the positively sorted population contained all the LAK activity, i.e., lysis of NK-resistant tumor cells (B16 melanoma cell line), with the negatively sorted cells having no killing activity. Therefore separation of interleukin-2-incubated cells for LAK activity could be accomplished using sorting after quinacrine staining. The treatment of positively sorted LAK cell populations with L-leucine methyl ester, a lysosomotropic dye which inhibits killing by lysosome rich cells, caused abrogation of killing of the B16 tumor by the treated populations. Single cell conjugate assays were also done on these sorted cells, with positively sorted cells forming the highest and negatively sorted cells the lowest percent of conjugates. Our data therefore indicates the important role of lysosome rich cells in the LAK cell population in the murine system.
Influence functions and goal‐oriented error estimation for finite element analysis of shell structures

In this paper, we first present a consistent procedure to establish influence functions for the finite element analysis of shell structures, where the influence function can be for any linear quantity of engineering interest. We then design some goal-oriented error measures that take into account the cancellation effect of errors over the domain to overcome the issue of over-estimation. These error measures include the error due to the approximation in the geometry of the shell structure. In the calculation of the influence functions we also consider the asymptotic behaviour of shells as the thickness approaches zero. Although our procedures are general and can be applied to any shell formulation, we focus on MITC finite element shell discretizations. In our numerical results, influence functions are shown for some shell test problems, and the proposed goal-oriented error estimation procedure shows good effectivity indices. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An evaluation of Congo red fluorescence for the diagnosis of amyloidosis

Congo red stain apple-green birefringence under polarized light is the most popular method for detecting amyloid; however, it has limitations. The goal of this study was to evaluate if examination of Congo red stain by fluorescent microscopy (FM) significantly enhances the diagnostic yield. Congo red-stained tissue sections were retrospectively and prospectively examined by light microscopy (LM) with and without polarizer and by FM using the Texas red filter and results by each method compared. Congo red-stained amyloid recognized by LM was unequivocally and easily identified by FM in each of 48 cases. In 22 of them, FM either confirmed the presence of a small amount of amyloid or lead to a definitive diagnosis, which was otherwise missed. Eight cases with Congo red-negative by LM were also negative by FM. In 8 cases with a false-positive Congo red stain, FM still detected the signal in 5, but it was absent in 3 cases. In conclusion, Congo red fluorescence improves the diagnostic yield of LM for both positive and negative cases.
Fulfillment of sport spectator motives: The mediation effect of well-being

Spectator motives have been conventionally used to explain sport spectator behavior, such as word-of-mouth recommendations and revisit intention. A review of the literature suggests that the predictability of spectator motives is both inconsistent and context dependent. We proposed that these factors can be reconciled by directly examining the role of spectator well-being in the relationship between spectator motives and repatronage behavior. Our findings revealed that spectator well-being significantly mediates the effects of 5 motives, that is, achievement, aesthetics, knowledge, family, and escape, on sport spectator revisit intention and word-of-mouth recommendations. Future research directions are also discussed.
Fasting plasma insulin modulates lipid levels and particle sizes in 2- to 3-year-old children.

Objective: Obesity and hyperinsulinemia are associated with dyslipidemia in adults and older children, but little is known about these relationships in very young children. We examined the relation of fasting insulin to lipid levels and lipid particle size in young healthy children. Research Methods and Procedures: Analyses were performed on data from 491 healthy 2- and 3-year old Hispanic children enrolled in a dietary study conducted in New York City, 1992–1995. Obesity measures included BMI, ponderal index, skinfold thickness, and waist circumference. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol particle size were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance. Results: Fasting insulin level was positively correlated with triglyceride levels (r = 0.24 for boys and r = 0.23 for girls; p < 0.001 for both) and inversely correlated with HDL-cholesterol level in boys (r = −0.20; p < 0.01). Higher fasting insulin level was also correlated with smaller mean HDL particle size in both boys (r = −0.21; p < 0.001) and girls (r = −0.14; p < 0.05) and smaller mean LDL particle size in boys (r = −0.13; p < 0.05). The associations of fasting insulin level with triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol levels and HDL and LDL particle size remained significant after multivariate regression adjustment for age, sex, and BMI or ponderal index. Discussion: Fasting insulin level is associated with relative dyslipidemia in healthy 2- and 3-year-old Hispanic children.
An alternate calculation of the discrete-time Kalman filter gain and Riccati equation solution

We describe an algorithm to calculate the steady-state Kalman filter gain and Riccati equation solution for a discrete-time Kalman filter. Our algorithm makes use of an approximate autoregressive model for the one-step predictor and only requires the solutions to linear equations. All of the nonlinear calculations can be made explicitly.
Local behavior of solutions of an elliptic-parabolic equation

Abstract : Consideration of the nonsteady filtration of an incompressible fluid in a homogeneous, partially saturated, porous medium leads to a degenerate nonlinear parabolic equation which is of elliptic type in the space variables in the region of degeneracy, i.e. in the saturated region. Results concerning the existence of weak solutions of such equations have been established. Here the local properties of weak solutions are studied. In particular it is shown that under the realistic assumption that the hydrostatic potential is bounded, the solution (moisture content) can be defined pointwise and is continuous. (Author).
Isolation and characterization of naturally occurring hairpin structures in single-stranded DNA of coliphage M13

With precise conditions of digestion with single-strand-specific nucleases, namely, endonuclease S1 of Aspergillus oryzae and exonuclease I of Escherichia coli, nuclease-resistant DNA cores can be obtained reproducibly from single-stranded M13 DNA. The DNA cores are composed almost exclusively of two sizes (60 and 44 nucleotides long). These have high (G + C)-contents relative to that of intact M13 DNA, and arise from restricted regions of the M13 genome. The resistance of these fragments to single-strand-specific nucleases and their nondenaturability strongly suggest the presence of double-stranded segments in these core pieces. That the core pieces are only partially double-stranded is shown by their lack of complete base complementarity and their pattern of elution from hydroxyapatite.
Photodynamic therapy of atherosclerosis and restenosis: a potentially exciting new treatment method

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the result of an interaction between light and a photoactive drug. The interaction produces cytotoxic oxygen radicals and radicals and microvascular collapse, resulting in tissue death. A number of photoactive drugs have been shown to accumulate in greater concentration in atherosclerotic plaque than in normal arterial wall and are potentially useful for PDT. The newer generation agents are safe and have brief skin phototoxicity as the only significant side effect. PDT in several animal models of atherosclerosis has shown plaque removal without damage to the artery wall if appropriate light energy is used, with no perforation, and no distal embolization or obstruction. In one such study we found that PDT using Photofrin and 630 nm laser light reduced the mean percent stenosis of 12 stenoses in 8 pigs from 63% to 40%, and in 7/12 of the segments from 63% to 16%, whereas in 2 untreated control lesions the mean stenosis progressed from 60% to 85%. PDT requires several days for tissue destruction, and immediate luminal enlargement by an adjunct angioplasty intervention may be appropriate. Animal studies suggest that PDT also inhibits the intimal hyperplasia process which follows vascular injury, and PDT may inhibit restenosis following clinical coronary angioplasty. The enthusiasm for PDT of atherosclerosis, therefore, stems from three important potential advantages of the technique: the apparent selectivity and safety of the process, the potential for effective debulking of plaque and the possibility of reduction or inhibition or restenosis.
Ascorbate Offsets the Inhibitory Effect of Inositol Phosphates on Iron Uptake and Transport by Caco-2 Cells:

Differentiated monolayer cultures of Caco-2 human intestinal cells were used as a model to examine interactions between various dietary factors related to the intestinal uptake and absorption of nonheme Fe. Caco-2 cells accumulated 91-98 pmol Fe/mg protein from uptake buffer containing 12 nmol of Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetate during a 1-hr incubation at 37 degrees C. Addition of a 10-fold molar excess of inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and its lesser phosphorylated derivatives (IP3, IP4, and IP5) decreased cellular uptake and transport of Fe from the lumenal compartment. Addition of ascorbic acid (AA) to the solution containing IPs stimulated Fe uptake and transport in a manner dependent upon the ratio of AA to IP and inversely proportional to the degree of phosphorylation of inositol (i.e., IP3 > IP4 > IP5 > IP6). A mixture of essential amino acids had minimal impact on Fe uptake in either the absence or presence of IPs. Cellular acquisition of Fe from solutions containing IPs was further enhanced by simultaneous addition of essential amino acids and AA. The stimulatory influence of ascorbic acid on Fe uptake from solutions containing IP6 was associated with an increase in the level of ferrous ion. These data further support the usefulness of Caco-2 cells as a model for investigating the effects of various dietary factors on mineral bioavailability.
Diffusion of Kyoto's clean development mechanism

Abstract To date, developed countries can only tap mitigation opportunities in developing countries by investing in projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Yet CDM investments have so far failed to reach all of the high-potential sectors identified in IPCC reports. This raises doubts about whether the CDM will be able to generate an adequate supply of credits from the limited areas where it has proved successful. Our paper examines the current trajectory of potential mitigation entering the CDM pipeline and projects it forward under the assumption that the diffusion of the CDM will follow a path similar to other kinds of innovations. Projections are then compared to pre-CDM predictions of the mechanism's potential market size used to assess Kyoto's cost, in order to discern whether limits on the types of project entering the pipeline will also limit the eventual supply of certified emission reductions (CERs). The main finding of the paper is that the mechanism is on track to deliver an average annual flow of roughly 700 million CERs by the close of 2012 and nearly to 1100 million tons by 2020. Parameter tests suggest that currently identified CDM investments will exceed early model predictions of the potential market for CDM projects.
Quantifying Social Influence in Epinions

In many eCommerce websites and consumer review websites, users can review products they purchased as well as the reviews others wrote. Users can also rate each other as trusted or untrusted relationships. By studying a data set from Epinions, we examine and quantify the correlation between trust/distrust relationships among the users and their ratings of the reviews. We discover that there is a strong alignment between the opinions of one's friends and his/her ratings. Our findings also suggest that there is a strong alignment between the collective opinion of a user's friends and the formation of his/her future relationships.
How many kinds of consciousness

Ned Block's influential distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness has become a staple of current discussions of consciousness. It is not often noted, however, that his distinction tacitly embodies unargued theoretical assumptions that favor some theoretical treatments at the expense of others. This is equally so for his less widely discussed distinction between phenomenal consciousness and what he calls reflexive consciousness. I argue that the distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness, as Block draws it, is untenable. Though mental states that have qualitative character plainly differ from those with no mental qualities, a mental state's being conscious is the same property for both kinds of mental state. For one thing, as Block describes access consciousness, that notion does not pick out any property that we intuitively count as a mental state's being conscious. But the deeper problem is that Block's notion of phenomenal consciousness, or phenomenality, is ambiguous as between two very different mental properties. The failure to distinguish these results in the begging of important theoretical questions. Once the two kinds of phenomenality have been distinguished, the way is clear to explain qualitative consciousness by appeal to a model such as the higher-order-thought hypothesis.
208 REPROGRAMMING OF BOVINE SOMATIC CELLS WITH CELLULAR EXTRACTS FROM ADIPOSE-DERIVED ADULT STEM CELLS AND HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

The differentiation potential of adult stem cells (ASC) has long been considered limited to the cell types present in the organ or tissue from which they are derived. Several studies have challenged this notion by demonstrating that ASC exhibit a high degree of plasticity; therefore, it is likely that these cells possess an epigenomic regulatory pattern more like pluripotent cells than somatic cells. In the present study, we used quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to analyse bovine adipose-derived adult stem cells (ADAS) and bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFF) for the presence of Oct-4, Nanog and Sox-2. The ADAS cells were isolated from the stromal fraction of bovine adipose tissue from adult cows and BFF were isolated from 50-d-old fetuses. Both cell types were expanded through 3 passages in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Transcripts for these pluripotency-associated genes were detected in all samples, supporting the hypothesis that ADAS and BFF cells are less differentiated than other somatic cell types. To induce reprogramming we exposed BFF cells to ADAS cell extracts and human ESC (hESC) extracts. Cellular components of ADAS cells and hESC were extracted using cell lysis buffer and Dounce homogenization. Individual quanta of BFF cells were permeabilized with streptolysin O and allowed to incubate with 100 μL of ADAS cell extracts or hESC extracts containing an ATP regenerating system. BFF cells were then resealed with complete culture medium containing 2 mM CaCl2 and cultured for 72 h before mRNA isolation. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to determine transcript levels for Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and poly adenylate polymerase (PAP) as a reference gene in untreated BFF cells, ADAS cells and treated BFF cells. Transcript levels were quantified by relative quantification using the ΔΔCT method and expressed as ratios of the target genes (Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog) to the reference gene (PAP) and normalized against a calibrator consisting of untreated BFF cells. Differences between normalized ratios were analysed by Student's t-test. We did not detect a difference in Oct-4 and Nanog transcript levels between untreated BFF cells and BFF cells exposed to ADAS cell extracts. Comparison between untreated BFF cells and BFF cells treated with ADAS cell extracts revealed a higher (P ≤ 0.05) Sox-2 expression in the extract-treated cells. The BFF cells were then exposed to extracts derived from hESC. Unlike other studies that have reported the up-regulation of Oct-4, Nanog and Sox-2 in cells treated with hESC extracts, we did not detect a difference in Oct-4, Nanog and Sox-2 expression levels between untreated BFF cells and BFF cells treated with hESC extracts. This may be due to expression differences between species. Currently, we are assessing the ability of mouse ESC extracts to reprogram bovine ADAS cells. This work was financed in part by a grant from the LSU System for the ACRES/LSU Collaborative Research Program.
Fostering Learning Gains Through Personalized Robot-Child Tutoring Interactions

Social robots can be used to tutor children in one-on-one interactions. It would be most beneficial for these robots to adapt their behavior to suit the individual learning needs of children. Each child is different; they learn at their own pace and respond better to certain types of feedback and exercises. Furthermore, being able to detect various affective signals during an interaction with a social robot would allow the robot to adaptively change its behavior to counter negative affective states that occur during learning, such as confusion or boredom. This type of adaptive behavior based on perceived signals from the child (such as facial expressions, body posture, etc.) will create more effective tutoring interactions between the robot and child. We propose that a robotic tutoring system that can leverage both affective signals as well as progress through a learning task will lead to greater engagement and learning gains from the child in a one-on-one tutoring interaction.
Petechiae and urticaria after DTP vaccination: detection of circulating immune complexes containing vaccine-specific antigens.

Circulating immune complexes are mediators of inflammatory events and have been demonstrated in human diseases such as glomerulonephritis, autoimmune disorders, various malignancies, and certain bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections ~3. CICs are formed by the interaction of soluble antigen with specific antibody in the circulation. They are usually cleared rapidly from the circulation by the reticuloendothelial system. However, when CICs are of a size or quantity that is not adequately cleared, they deposit in vascular beds and activate complement, producing inflammation and tissue injury. Despite ample evidence for the pathogenic potential of CICs and their mediation of many disease entities, little is known about their antigenic composition. Current assays for CICs are not antigen specific; rather, they rely on several immunochemical properties of the CICs (ability to activate complement, and interaction with specific immunochemical probes) for detection. We have recently developed techniques for detection of antigen-specific CICs 4 by utilizing the classic immunochemical principles of Kabat and Heidelberger? Antigen-specific CICs are detected by their ability to be solubilized by preincubation with specific antigen, resulting in diminution in size and number of CICs with reduced binding in the CIC assays. With these techniques, we detected CICs in a 4-
Effects of mental activity on vestibular nystagmus and the electroencephalogram.

MOWRER1 noted differences in head nystagmus elicited by rotation under conditions of ‘excitement’ and ‘rest’ in pigeons. Wendt2 has indicated that “inward-directed revery states” reduce nystagmus and that the subject must “maintain an environment-directed orientation” to avoid replacement of nystagmus by wandering, autogenous eye movements. The present work was undertaken to ascertain how nystagmus, produced by a standard vestibular stimulus, is modified by different sets of instructions and, further, to determine the effects of these conditions on the electroencephalogram.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Fetal Outcome

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is reported in 0.5–2% of all pregnancies. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship of maternal HG, neonatal birth weight, and birth outcomes. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 45 patients diagnosed, by Fairweather's criteria, with HG compared with 306 non-HG control pregnant patients with singleton pregnancies. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from the pregnant patients. Neonatal data were also collected, including indicators of neonatal wellness. Results: Significantly higher incidences of being nonwhite (33% vs 16%; p < .05) and of attaining post–high school education (60% vs 38%) were noted in the HG group, relative to controls. Mothers in the control group experienced greater gestational weight gain, 14.9 ± 0.3 kg (mean± SEM) relative to mothers in the HG group (10.6 ± 1.3 kg). Infants from HG pregnancies manifested significantly lower birth weight (3.23± 0.09 kg vs 3.52 ± 0.03 kg), younger gestational age (38.4 ...
The hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory system of the guinea pig. III. Ultrastructure of the fetal neural lobe.

The ultrastructure of the fetal guinea pig neural lobe was studied from day 40 to day 60 of gestation. Pituitaries were taken every five days and at least four glands from each gestational period were examined. Bundles of nerve fibers had invaded the periphery of the gland on day 40. By day 50 axon profiles were distributed throughout the entire posterior pituitary though pituicyte processes continued to act as a barrier between axons and the perivascular space of capillaries. Neural processes established contact with the capillaries between days 55 and 60. Neurosecretory granules (NSG) were present within a few axons on day 40. The number of axons with NSG and the total quantity of granules increased gradually throughout fetal development. Electron-lucent granules (microvesicles) were observed infrequently until the day of birth. A population of dense-cored vesicles, 70–80 mμ in diameter, was present from day 50 onward; a second population with larger diameters was also present throughout the developmental sequence and these increased from 90–130 mμ in diameter to 170–220 mμ in diameter between days 40 and 60. The presence of neurosecretory granules is discussed in relation to the onset of synthesis and storage of neurohypophysial hormones.
Amino acid and protein changes in the haemolymph of developing fourth instar Chironomus tentans.

Abstract The concentration of free amino acids, total soluble protein, and haemoglobin in the haemolymph of fourth instar Chironomus tentans was investigated. The concentration of the free amino acid pool increases between the early (15.7 mM/l) and mid-(33.9 mM/l) fourth larval stages followed by a decline during the late (16.9 mM/l) fourth larval period. Alanine, serine, and the amides of aspartic acid and glutamic acid are the predominant free amino acids at all stages. Physiological fluid analysis of late fourth instar haemolymph detected 32 ninhydrin positive components including 18 common amino acids plus homoarginine, ornithine, citrulline, β-alanine, α-aminoadipic acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, and sarcosine. The concentration of total soluble protein steadily increases during fourth instar larval development to a maximum of 9.3 g 100 ml followed by a decline during the pharate pupal period. A similar pattern of variation occurs in haemoglobin content which comprises from 51 to 66% of Chironomus tentans haemolymph protein. The mM percentage of individual amino acids of total haemolymph protein varies little during the fourth instar. At all stages alanine and aspartic acid are the predominant amino acids.
A Validated Grade-Placement Outline of the Basic Essentials of Spanish

This article outlines by semesters the fundamentals of grammar that deserve special stress in the first three years of high school Spanish (ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades) as determined from (1) a survey of current practice and opinion in cities of 365,000 population or over,1 and (2) a regrouping of the grammatical topics (thus derived) in terms of their merit-ratings in Keniston's Spanish Syntax List.2
The chemical synthesis of glutamic acid specifically labelled with deuterium or tritium in the alpha or 2 position

Glutamic acid specifically labelled with isotopic hydrogen in the 2 position was produced by exchange equilibration with labelled protons during the reaction of acetylglutamic acid with acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The position of label was established by n.m.r. and mass spectrometry of the deuterium-labelled compound, and by transaminase-catalyzed exchange with protons in the case of tritium-labelled compound. The specific and complete exchange obtained in our experiments contrasts with the previously reported virtual nonlabelling under somewhat different conditions in which the presumed azlactone enolized and hydrolysed in an aqueous medium.
Pancreatic stenting for malignant ductal obstruction.

Abstract Pain is a major issue of palliative treatment in many patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. ‘Obstructive’-type pain identified by correlation with meals, back radiation and dilation of main pancreatic duct upstream the stricture may be treated by endoscopic stent placement into the pancreatic duct in order to by-pass the stricture. The clinical experience reported in the literature shows that pancreatic plastic stenting for ‘obstructive’ pain may provide complete relief of pain in about 60% of patients and partial relief in 25%.
Right-Sided Extrapleural Hematoma: An Unusual Presentation of Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm

An unusual radiographic presentation of a ruptured descending thoracic aortic aneurysm is discussed and illustrated with its related anatomy. This case involved a massive hematoma, which was confined entirely to the right posterior extrapleural space.
Application of terminal box optimization of single‐duct air‐handling units

Terminal boxes maintain room temperature by modulating supply air temperature and airflow in building heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Terminal boxes with conventional control sequences often supply inadequate airflow to a conditioned space, resulting in occupant discomfort, or provide excessive airflow that wastes significant reheat energy. In this study, the procedure for the optimal minimum airflow setpoint was developed to improve thermal comfort and reduce energy consumption. The determined minimum airflow setpoint was applied in an office building air-conditioning system. Improvements in indoor thermal comfort and energy reduction were verified through measurement. The results show that the minimum airflow reset can stably maintain room temperature, satisfy comfort standards and reduce energy consumption compared with the conventional control. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The dating game: Similarities and differences in dating scripts among college students

Prior studies found that men’s and women’s dating expectations include many similar activities. Here, two studies are reported focusing on activities included in scripts for a “typical date” using first a more qualitative method and then a more quantitative method. Results were highly consistent across method, showing many similarities across the three dating scenes presented (initiation/meeting, date activities, and date outcomes/conclusions). Consistent with the traditional view of dating, greater expectations for sexual activities on a date were found for men while expectations for limiting of sexual activities were found to be the responsibility of women. These findings were further explored to focus on the effects of prior sexual experience, college experience, and membership in a Greek social organization in Study 2. Clear differences are found with sexual experience and Greek membership across the three dating scenes. It is especially notable that membership in Greek organizations for men created dating scripts that were discrepant with both those of younger men as well as younger and older women regardless of Greek status. Understanding these differences in expectations becomes critical when older men date younger women, an event fairly typical in colleges and universities.
Information systems fitness and risk in IS development: Insights and implications from chaos and complex systems theories

Information Systems Development often takes place within a complex and uncertain socio-technical environment. The use of methodologies is considered an appropriate way of reducing risks of failures of the ISD projects, allowing for managing of the complexity of the process and product of ISD. Traditional functionalist methodologies, however, are not adequately equipped for dealing with non-linear interactions endemic to such complex social systems as IS. This paper examines IS development from the perspective of the complex systems behavior and chaos theory. It offers insights and implications for augmenting traditional approaches to ISD that could lead to better strategies for managing complexities in the ISD process and the behavior of an IS.
Real-Time Software Design for Safety- and Mission-Critical Systems with High Dependability

For open distributed and embedded systems, the end-to-end real-time quality of service (QoS) is crucial since they are usually safety- and mission-critical applications. Due to the constrained system resources such as computing capacity and network bandwidth, an intermediate software layer called middleware is being adopted to manage the limited system resources in an adaptive fashion in order to meet the QoS demands under the uncertain and dynamic operating environment. In this paper, a distributed and embedded real-time control architecture with middleware support for software-intensive systems is discussed, which aims to achieve the end-to-end QoS-ensured control performance in a wide range of real-world operation scenarios. The adaptive resource management is detailed, which is implemented based on the feedback control mechanism. A real-world application for distributed and embedded vibration mitigation is also discussed.
Net uptake of rat serum protein by Sf > 400 lymph chylomicrons in vitro

To study the net uptake of serum protein by lymph chylomicrons in vitro, whole chyle obtained from the thoracic duct of rats fed olive oil was incubated for 30 min at 37° with rat serum from which Sf > 400 lipoproteins had been removed or with one of the following fractions of that serum: total low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins, an albumin-rich fraction, or a globulin-rich fraction. Sf > 400 lipoproteins were then isolated in a swinging-bucket rotor using a non-linear density gradient, and their protein contents determined by elemental N, C and H analysis. Distinct increments in the protein content of the isolated Sf > 400 lipoproteins were observed after incubating chyle with serum, both lipoprotein fractions and the globulin-rich fractions. (The protein content of these Sf > 400 lipoproteins isolated after incubating chyle with serum was similar to that of Sf > 400 lipoproteins isolated from serum of fat-fed rats.) The results indicated that the major portion of the protein taken up by lymph chylomicrons was derived from lipoproteins rather than other serum proteins.
28nm node process optimization: a lithography centric view

Many experts claim that the 28nm technology node will be the most cost effective technology node forever. This results from primarily from the cost of manufacturing due to the fact that 28nm is the last true Single Patterning (SP) node. It is also affected by the dramatic increase of design costs and the limited shrink factor of the next following nodes. Thus, it is assumed that this technology still will be alive still for many years. To be cost competitive, high yields are mandatory. Meanwhile, leading edge foundries have optimized the yield of the 28nm node to such a level that that it is nearly exclusively defined by random defectivity. However, it was a long way to go to come to that level. In my talk I will concentrate on the contribution of lithography to this yield learning curve. I will choose a critical metal patterning application. I will show what was needed to optimize the process window to a level beyond the usual OPC model work that was common on previous nodes. Reducing the process (in particular focus) variability is a complementary need. It will be shown which improvements were needed in tooling, process control and design-mask-wafer interaction to remove all systematic yield detractors. Over the last couple of years new scanner platforms were introduced that were targeted for both better productivity and better parametric performance. But this was not a clear run-path. It needed some extra affords of the tool suppliers together with the Fab to bring the tool variability down to the necessary level. Another important topic to reduce variability is the interaction of wafer none-planarity and lithography optimization. Having an accurate knowledge of within die topography is essential for optimum patterning. By completing both the variability reduction work and the process window enhancement work we were able to transfer the original marginal process budget to a robust positive budget and thus ensuring high yield and low costs.
Three-dimensional shock-shock interactions on the scramjet inlet

The effects of shock impingement on the inlet of a scramjet engine are investigated numerically. The impinging shock is caused by the vehicle forebody. The interaction of this forebody shock with the inlet leading edge shock results in a very complex fully three-dimensional flowfield containing local regions of high pressure and intense heating. In the present investigation, this complex flowfield is calculated by solving the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations using a finite-volume flux splitting technique due to van Leer. For zero or small sweep angles a Type IV interaction occurs while for moderate sweep of about 25 deg, a Type V interaction occurs. Both Type IV and Type V interactions are investigated.