cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
iSPUW: A vision for integrated sensing and prediction of urban water for sustainable cities

Many cities face tremendous water-related challenges in this Century of the City. Urban areas are particularly susceptible not only to excesses and shortages of water but also to impaired water quality. Even moderate rainfall can quickly fill and overflow urban water courses. To addresses these challenges, we will over the coming 4 years synergistically integrate advances in computing and cyber-infrastructure, environmental modeling, geoscience, and information science to develop integrative solutions for urban water challenges that will change the way municipalities and stakeholders plan and manage their actions, resources and civil infrastructure for sustainable cities. We will develop a system empowered by distributed computing and cyber-infrastructure for integrative sensing, high-resolution modeling and uncertainty-assessed prediction of water quantity and quality for a large urban area. The resulting system will enable multi-scale and multi-dimensional risk-based decision making related to threats and risks associated with urban water to a wide spectrum of users and stakeholders, and advance general understanding of urban sustainability and associated challenges through environmental, social and economic response of a large city as an uncertain dynamic system to extreme precipitation, urbanization and climate change. This paper details this vision by providing a blueprint for the development of iSPUW: Integrated Sensing and Prediction of Urban Water for sustainable cities.
Intestinal obstruction due to acute pancreatitis. Case report and review of literature.

A patient with intestinal obstruction due to acute pancreatitis, a rare complication, is reported and literature reviewed. Our patient is unique since he developed simultaneous obstruction at two different sites in the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical features and management are discussed.
Testing the durability of silicon carbide heaters in air atmospheres

The life of heating elements consisting mainly of β-SiC at 1400°C is good; their life is longer than that of heaters made ofα-SiC.
The Population Ecology of Man in the Early Upper Pleistocene of Southern Africa

The object of this essay is to study the effect of shifting Pleistocene climates on the numbers and distribution of early man. The geographical setting for the study is southern Africa. Chronologically, it is concerned with the cultures of the First Intermediate Phase—the Fauresmith and the Sangoan, which flourished in this region during the period 50,000–40,000 B.C.The main body of the work is devoted to a description of the ecological zones of southern Africa and an evaluation of these zones in terms of their suitability for hominid occupation. Three maps of ecological zones are employed: the first shows the vegetation as it exists under the present climate; the second and third plot the zones as they might appear under conditions of higher and lower rainfall respectively. The regions of southern Africa are then classified on the basis of their long-term favourability for hominid occupation.The use of this framework enables one to reinterpret the distribution of archaeological materials and to produce revised estimates concerning the numbers of men in the Pleistocene.
Photojournalism and Foreign Policy: Icons of Outrage in International Crises: by David D. Perlmutter, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998, 162 pp.

(2001). Photojournalism and Foreign Policy: Icons of Outrage in International Crises. American Journalism: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 112-114.
A Theoretical Framework for the Understanding of Teams

In his description of the aims of a projected workshop on teamwork the distinguished economist Michael Bacharach included the following examples of teams in the human world: couples, families; workgroups, platoons, sports teams and street gangs; nations in times of war, international military alliances, terrorist cells.1 This list makes it clear how vital it is to understand the nature and functioning of teams if one is to understand and, one might add, cope with the human situation.
Policy Change and Recidivism: The Effects of California’s Realignment and Local Implementation Strategies on Rearrest and Reconviction:

California’s 2011 Public Safety Realignment created an unprecedented policy experiment by transferring the authority over lower level felony offenders from the state correctional system to 58 county jail and probation systems. Realignment provides a unique opportunity to examine the ways that correctional policy change can influence recidivism patterns. We examine two questions about policy change and recidivism: “Did realignment affect change in statewide recidivism patterns?” and “Does county-level variation in implementation strategies help account for differences in recidivism across counties?” We find that statewide recidivism rates actually increased somewhat after realignment. However, we also find that offenders released to counties that prioritized reentry services in their implementation of realignment had better post-realignment recidivism outcomes than offenders released to counties that prioritized traditional enforcement methods. We conclude by considering additional steps needed to understa...
Design of Read Circuit for Built-in SRAM in TFT-LCD Controller Driver IC

Based on the requirements of built-in SRAM in TFT-LCD controller driver IC,a multi-time read-out method was proposed and a two-stage sensing amplifier structure for read circuits was designed.It is aimed at preventing the voltage storm effect caused by reading several kilobit data out from the display ports,once and improving the read-out speed of TCON ports,which decreased due to serious parasitic resistances and capacitances.Results from post simulation based on 0.18 μm CMOS process showed that the read cycle of the SRAM is 13 ns,and the peak current of power supply is below 400 mA.The proposed built-in SRAM has been successfully applied to "Longtium T2",which is a self developed single-chip TFT-LCD driver IC.
Advances in Nanocomposite Permanent Magnet Materials

Nanocomposite permanent magnet exhibits excellent magnetic properties combining high coercivity of permanent magnetic phase with high saturation magnetization of soft magnetic phase. The advances in theory including exchange-coupling interaction between magnetic phases, coercivity mechanism and computer-aided micromagnetic simulation and the effects of components, element additions and fabrication technology on the microstructure and magnetic properties are reviewed in this article. Melt spinning is introduced in detail, which is believed to be the most valuable application method.
On construction and management of practicing base for undergraduates of preventive medicine

Objective:To summarize the experience in construction and managemen of practicing base for undergraduates of preventive medicine to provide basis for people in the field of disease control and prevention.Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted to put forward the optimal way and experience for the construction and management of the practicing base.Results:We have successfully accomplished the task of teaching for the undergraduates in 8 grades of 2 colleges.Conclusion:Our thoughts and experience in the construction and management of the practicing base is successful.
Application of DTI connectivity in lateralization of mTLE

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a noninvasive imaging method for measuring the diffusion properties of the underlying white matter tracts through which epileptiform activity is propagated. This study investigates the structural abnormalities quantified by DTI in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). Fiber tracts passing through 54 anatomical sites in 12 adult mTLE patients and 12 age- and gender-matched controls were identified using DTI tractography. DTI nodal degree (ND) and laterality index were then calculated. ND laterality, after Bonferroni adjustment, showed significant differences for right versus left mTLE in gyrus rectus, insular cortex, precuneus and superior temporal gyrus (p<0.025). None of these anatomical sites showed statistically significant differences in ND laterality between right and left sides of the controls. Laterality models determined by logistic regression on the ND laterality data agreed with the side of epileptogenicity as it pertained to the gyrus rectus, insular cortex, precuneus and superior temporal gyrus for 89%, 72%, 83% and 92% of the patients, respectively. Combining the laterality measures in these four anatomical sites improved the results further with correct lateralization of 100% for all patients. The proposed methodology for using DTI connectivity to investigate diffusion abnormalities related to focal epileptogenicity and propagation can provide a further means of noninvasive lateralization.
Parent-reported stigma and child anxiety: A mixed methods research study

Abstract Background Stigma has been frequently cited as a barrier to service use for various mental health problems. Studies suggest that stigma may be greater for childhood mental health problems that are perceived as more atypical. Aims This study utilized a mixed methods research design (qual + QUAN) to examine parental endorsement of stigma and its impact on service utilization among children with significant anxiety—a common childhood problem frequently perceived as normative. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 parents of anxious children. Qualitative data were coded using a grounded theory approach, and stigma-related responses were examined for emergent themes. Quantitative data was analyzed with frequency counts and chi-square analysis. Results Stigma related to children's anxiety symptoms and seeking mental health services was reported by 41.3% ( n = 12) of parents. Emergent themes included: 1) Parental Concern for Negative Consequences, 2) Parent Internalized Stigma, and 3) Negative Associations with Mental Health Treatment. Latino parents discussed stigma more frequently than non-Latino White parents (70% vs. 17.6%, respectively, X 2 (1, N = 27) = 5.33, p Conclusions Although anxiety is a common childhood problem, stigma is still frequently reported by parents and may be an important barrier to mental health service use, especially among Latino youth.
The Case for Containment

Air-cooled data centers still represent the majority of all data centers. This paper discusses the fundamental aspect of improving efficiency in these data centers, namely, airflow management. At the room and row level, containment systems offer many benefits for reducing computer room air handler fan power, as well as cooling system overhead. This paper explores the history of the development as well as current code and policy issues affecting the use or need of containment systems. Specific efficiency gains are cited, and extensive discussion of practical aspects of containment systems is given.
Object-aware tracking

In this paper, we address the problem of visual tracking in videos without using a pre-learned model of the object. This type of model-free tracking is a hard problem because of limited information about the object, abrupt object motion, and shape deformation. We propose to integrate an object-agnostic prior, called objectness, which is designed to measure the likelihood of a given location to contain an object of any type, into structured tracking framework. Our objectness prior is based on image segmentation and edges; thus, it does not require training data. By extending a structured tracker with the prior, we introduce a new tracker which we call ObjStruck. We extensively evaluate our tracker on publicly available datasets and show that objectness prior improves tracking accuracy.
Kinematic Asymmetrles and the Control of Lagrangian Systems with Oscillatory Inputs

Abstract Some curvature-like geometric invariants of controlled Lagrangian systems are defined and shown to be of interest in determining the systems' response to high frequency oscillatory inputs. The theory is illustrated by several examples of controlled rotating systems. For a rotating two d.o.f. pendulum with unequal cross-sectional moments of inertia, it is shown that a small-amplitude high-frequency oscillatory component ofthe rotational velocity can stabilize the neutral (hanging) equilibrium at average rates of rotation higher than the critical rate at which the neutral equilibrium loses stability for constant-velocity rotations. This and other examples illustrate the ways in which geometric and mechanical asymmetries affect a system's response to oscillatory forcing.
The missing halide: Millimeter-wave spectroscopy of the MgI radical (X 2Σ+)

Abstract The pure rotational spectrum of the MgI radical in its ground electronic state ( X 2 Σ + ) has been measured using millimeter/submillimeter wave direct absorption techniques in the region of 200–300 GHz. The molecule was created in a DC discharge by the reaction of magnesium vapor, produced in a Broida-type oven, with CH 3 I. Between five to twelve transitions were recorded for the v = 0, 1, and 2 vibrational states of 24 MgI, as well as the v = 0 state for the isotopologues 25 MgI and 26 MgI, measured in their natural magnesium abundance. All observed transitions exhibited large spin-rotation splittings. Rotational, centrifugal distortion, and spin-rotation constants were determined for each isotopologue and the excited vibrational states of 24 MgI. Equilibrium parameters B e , α e , D e , β e , γ e and γ e ′ were derived for the main isotopologue, as well as the equilibrium bond length, r e = 2.5730 (1) A. The large spin-rotation constant of γ ∼ 300 MHz in MgI is thought to arise from second-order spin-orbit coupling originating in the nearby A 2 Π state, with possible contributions from other excited 2 Π states.
Water-soluble clickable nucleic acid (CNA) polymer synthesis by functionalizing the pendant hydroxyl

Synthetic biomacromolecules that mimic natural polymeric structures are of significant interest. For most applications of these materials, however, aqueous solubility is a necessity. Here, we present the synthesis of an intrinsically water soluble single stranded DNA analog formed by the synthesis of a Clickable Nucleic Acid (CNA). These molecules are formed with pendant hydroxyl groups present on the main polymer backbone, and subsequent modification of those hydroxyls with sulfonate moieties further enhances the hydrophilicity of these molecules.
New Research on Cross-Cultural and Cross-National Comparisons in Advertising and Consumer Behavior

I am glad to share the good news that we are experiencing a positive trend both in the quality and quantity of manuscripts received and published in the Journal. The estimated growth we experienced...
Occult urolithiasis in asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism.

Objective: Recent international guidelines suggest renal imaging to detect occult urolithiasis in all patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), but data regarding their prevale...
Immune Infiltrates Expressing Podoplanin (PDPN) are Present in Multiple Sclerosis but not Glioblastoma (S12.002)

OBJECTIVE To characterize expression of PDPN and PDPN ligands in multiple sclerosis (MS) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) inflammatory infiltrates and to delineate their function in human lymphocytes. BACKGROUND The transmembrane glycoprotein podoplanin (PDPN) plays a critical role in the development of the lymphatic system and the biology of immune cells. Recent work suggests that PDPN is specifically expressed under Th17 conditions in mouse models of MS and rheumatoid arthritis. Additional work suggests that Th17 cells are present in GBM and PDPN is expressed by glioblastoma tumor cells. DESIGN/METHODS MS, GBM, and control tissues were labeled with antibodies against PDPN, CLEC-2, and Galectin-8 and against cellular markers for lymphocytes and microglia/macrophages. In in vitro experiments, naive CD4+ T cells from healthy donors were isolated and sorted by FACS Aria. Cells were cultured under Th17 polarizing conditions in the presence and absence of CLEC-2 and evaluated with flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and ELISA. RESULTS PDPN was expressed in lymphocytic infiltrates in MS lesions but not GBM. Expression of the PDPN-ligand CLEC-2 was significantly higher in MS as compared to GBM-associated inflammation. The PDPN-ligand Galectin-8 was expressed by lymphocytes in both MS and GBM. In addition, PDPN was expressed by endothelial cells in active MS lesions and meningeal stromal cells but not in GBM or control CNS. In vitro, PDPN was present on a sub-population of CD4+ T cells under Th17 polarizing conditions. Stimulation of these cells with CLEC-2 promoted T cell proliferation and a shift away from a Th17 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify a qualitative difference in the inflammatory responses in MS and GBM. PDPN may provide co-regulatory signaling in MS infiltrates but not in GBM-associated inflammation, suggesting that different immunoregulatory pathways are utilized in autoimmune and tumor microenvironments. Disclosure: Dr. Nylander has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ramanan has nothing to disclose. Dr. DeBartolo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Park has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hafler has received personal compensation for activities with Genzyme, NKT Therapeutics, and Novartis as a consultant. Dr. Pitt has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a consultant and/or speaker.
Angiogenesis in human gliomas: prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Angiogenesis is fundamental to the growth of all solid tumors, and efforts at elucidating the critical elements of this process have yielded a wealth of information about the biology, clinical behavior and potential treatment of these neoplasms. This information is particularly relevant for brain tumors, which are among the most highly vascular of human neoplasms, and undoubtedly much of what is known about systemic cancers also applies to brain tumors. However, these factors must be evaluated differently with regard to tumors of the central nervous system and within the context of the unique character of cerebrovascular physiology and glioma biology. The nature and significance of glioma angiogenesis are yet to be fully explored, but already important insights into its clinical implications have been developed. Further clarification of the association between angiogenesis and clinical behavior holds exciting promise for novel anti-angiogenic strategies for glioma therapy.
Malformaciones vasculares y tumores de partes blandas. Parte 2: lesiones de bajo flujo

Vascular malformations and tumors, also known as "vascular anomalies", comprise an extensive variety of lesions involving all parts of the body. Due to a lack of a complete understanding of the origin and histopathology of such lesions, this field has been traditionally obscured by the use of an unclear nomenclature. Knowledge of the classification and clinical and imaging characteristics of this group of lesions is paramount when managing these patients. The objective of this series of two articles is to review the current classification of vascular anomalies, to describe the role of imaging in their diagnosis, to summarize their distinctive histopathologic, clinical and imaging features, and to discuss the treatment options. High-flow lesions were discussed in the first article of this series. In this second article, we will focus on low-flow lesions, including complex syndromes with associated low-flow malformations.
Outcomes of Catheter-Directed Therapy Plus Anticoagulation Versus Anticoagulation Alone for Submassive and Massive Pulmonary Embolism

Abstract Background Catheter-directed therapy (CDT) offers an alternative treatment to systemic thrombolysis for patients with massive and submassive pulmonary embolism. Methods A retrospective review of 105 consecutive massive and submassive pulmonary embolisms over 2 years was performed. Thirty-six patients (9 massive, 27 submassive) were treated with CDT, consisting of aspiration thrombectomy (18), ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis (8), or both (10). Forty-three patients (8 massive, 35 submassive) were treated with heparin anticoagulation alone. Primary outcome was improvement of RV/LV ratio 24-48 hours after treatment. Safety outcomes included 90-day mortality, bleeding complications, and hospital readmissions. Subgroup analysis based on severity of RV dilation was performed. Results Mean RV/LV ratio decreased from 1.91±0.61 to 1.28±0.45 (P 1.9), no difference was noted between the 2 treatment groups. Ninety-day mortality (11% and 14%, p = 0.7) and incidence of major bleeding complications did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. Thirty-day readmission rates were 8% in the CDT group and 26% in the anticoagulation group (P = .04). Conclusion CDT for acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism significantly improves RV/LV ratio at 24-48 hours compared with anticoagulation alone and may lower hospital readmission rates. CDT may be more advantageous in patients with mild to moderate RV dilation.
The Language and Social Psychology of Savoring: Advancing the Communication Savoring Model:

Savoring is a well-established construct in positive psychology referring to one’s capacity to recognize and appreciate enjoyable life experiences. Guided by phenomenological inquiry and constructi...
Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Aegeline after Oral Administration in Mice

Aegeline is claimed to be a biologically active constituent of Aegle marmelos. Preclinical studies have reported possible therapeutic potential for aegeline against obesity and diabetes. In recent years, aegeline has been added to several weight loss products. However, the consumption of aegeline-containing supplements such as OxyELITE Pro and VERSA-1 has been linked to multiple cases of acute and chronic liver failure. This study was carried out to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of aegeline in ND4 mice. Two doses of aegeline, a human equivalent dose (1×) 30 mg/kg and a 10× dose (300 mg/kg), were orally administered to the mice, and blood and tissue samples were collected over 8 h. The quantitative analysis of plasma and tissue homogenates (liver, kidney, and brain) was done by UHPLC-QTOF to determine aegeline concentrations. The peak plasma level of aegeline was achieved at a Tmax of 0.5 h, indicating its rapid absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Aegeline was not detected in the plasma at 8 h after oral administration, with a half-life of 1.4 ± 0.01 and 1.3 ± 0.07 h for the 30 and 300 mg/kg doses, respectively. The half-life of aegeline in the liver was 1.2 h and 1.7 h for 30 and 300 mg/kg doses, respectively, with a Tmax of 1.9 h, which indicates relatively fast elimination of aegeline from the liver.
Correction to “Evolution, Challenges and Attributes of Near Micron Sized TaN Resistors for Mixed Signal IC Applications From a Lithography Perspective” [Nov 18 460-466]

The abstract in [1] is incorrect. The word “photograph” was used in error rather than the more correct, “photo.” The abstract should read: In this paper, the evolution of various lithographic processes aimed at fabricating robust tantalum nitride (TaN) resistors in GaAs-based BiFET and BiHEMT technologies are discussed in detail. Such approaches include the common image reverse photo process (via amine poisoning) using a positive tone resist, the use of a chemically amplified negative tone resist, and also straight patterning of a positive tone resist. The aforementioned approaches were found to have their own unique challenges as it applied to printing robust TaN-based resistors approaching nearly a micron in width which is needed for high density mixed signal designs. We will explore many of these challenges in detail for the various lithography schemes.
Beginnings: Why the Doctrine of Creation Matters for the Integration of Psychology and Christianity:

This article considers what integration efforts in psychology would look like if informed by a trinitarian account of creation. Further theological reflection about the doctrine of creation reveals...
Integrative molecular analysis of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma to identify predictive biomarkers of response to avelumab.

9569Background: Avelumab, an FDA-approved human anti–PD-L1 IgG1 monoclonal antibody for patients (pts) with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, showed an objective response rate (ORR; by RECIST v1.1)...
Cardiac Pacing and Defibrillation

After reading this chapter you should be able to do the following: Be familiar with the coding of implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Understand the basic operations of implantable devices. Be familiar with the indications of implantable pacemakers and ICDs. Be familiar with the indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Be able to systematically evaluate possible device malfunctions. Be able to better manage patients with implantable devices.
177Lu-labeled NTR1-targeted peptide for cancer diagnosis and therapy: the effect of charge distribution on the receptor binding and kidney retention

1375 Objectives Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTR1) has been shown to be overexpressed in pancreatic cancer (1), colon cancer (2) and breast cancer (3). We and others have explored the development of NTR1-targeted agents, based on the neurotensin (NT) peptide, for cancer diagnosis and therapy (4). A major obstacle for clinical translation of NT analogs for radiotherapeutic applications is the potential nephrotoxicity due to the high kidney retention. Studies have demonstrated the relationship between positively charged peptides and kidney uptake (5). In this work, we investigated the effect of charge distribution on the receptor binding and kidney retention. Methods To this end, we synthesized three peptides with linking groups consisting of Lysine (K) and D-Leucine (DL) inserted in the paradigm DOTA-X-NT. Specifically, we synthesized K2, K4 and K6 where X= K-DL-DL-DL-DL, DL-DL-K-DL-DL, and DL-DL-DL-DL-K, respectively. To evaluate the binding affinity to the NTR1, competitive binding, internalization and efflux studies were conducted on the 177Lu-radiolabeled K2, K4 and K6 using the NTR1-positive HT-29, human colon cancer cell line. The biodistribution studies at 1, 4 and 24 hours post-injection of 177Lu-radiolabeled K2, K4 and K6 (370 kBq, 10 µCi) were examined using CF-1 mice. The collected kidneys were processed for autoradiography. Results From the in vitro studies, the binding affinity was significantly different with the positional translation of the positively charged amino acid. The K6 showed the highest binding affinity (21.8 ± 1.2 nM) and highest amount of internalization (4.06% ± 0.20% of the total added amount). In vivo biodistribution studies demonstrated that the 177Lu-K4 (64.81±10.81%ID/g) and 177Lu-K6 (68.99±6.22%ID/g) accumulated lower than 177Lu-K2 (127.51±13.15%ID/g) in kidney at 1 hour post-injection. Autoradiography studies of the kidneys indicated that 177Lu-K4 distributed homogenously in the whole kidney. In contrast, the 177Lu-K2 and 177Lu-K6 were mostly distributed in the cortex of kidney. Conclusions We conclude that the distribution of the positively charged amino acid (Lys) influences the receptor binding and kidney retention profile of the NTR1-targeted peptide. The studies to reveal the underlying mechanism of the kidney retention is still ongoing. $$graphic_C12216AD-E7D8-4978-BDC0-795A66022013$$
Validation and Refinement of Noninvasive Methods to Assess Hepatic Fibrosis: Magnetic Resonance Elastography Versus Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Index.

Noninvasive fibrosis markers are routinely used in patients with liver disease. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is recognized as a highly accurate methodology, but a reliable blood test for fibrosis would be useful. We examined performance characteristics of the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Index compared to MRE in a cohort including those with HCV, HIV, and HCV/HIV. Subjects enrolled in the Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort underwent MRE and blood sampling. The ELF Index was scored and receiver–operator curves constructed to determine optimal cutoff levels relative to performance characteristics. Cytokine testing was performed to identify new markers to enhance noninvasive marker development. The ELF Index was determined in 459 subjects; more than half were male, non-white, and HIV-infected. MRE was obtained on a subset of 283 subjects and the group that had both studies served as the basis of the receiver–operator curve analysis. At an ELF Index of > 10.633, the area under the curve for cirrhosis (Metavir F4, MRE > 4.62 kPa) was 0.986 (95% CI 0.994–0.996; p < 0.001) with a specificity of 100%. For advanced fibrosis (Metavir F3/4), an ELF cutoff of 10 was associated with poor sensitivity but high specificity (98.9%, 95% CI 96.7–99.8%) with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.749–0.845). ELF Index performance characteristics exceeded FIB-4 performance. HCV and age were associated with increased fibrosis (p < 0.05) in a multivariable model. IP-10 was found to be a promising biomarker for improvement in noninvasive prediction algorithms. The ELF Index was a highly sensitive and specific marker of cirrhosis, even among HIV-infected individuals, when compared with MRE. IP-10 may be a biomarker that can enhance performance characteristics further, but additional validation is required.
Low-Fee Private Schools: Case Studies from Ghana.

Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPSs) have been controversial globally. This paper examines Christian Low-Fee Private Schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. This qualitative study uses four schools as cases. Specifically, the researchers examine how these schools come into existence, who they serve and why parents choose to send their children to these schools. Findings reveal that the school proprietors do not operate schools to make profits and that parents choose Christian LFPSs for spiritual, financial, quality, and proximity reasons. The study demonstrates that these Christian LFPSs provide families with an alternative choice that fits their beliefs, values and perceptions.
Fixation Using Acrylic Cement

Acrylic cement was successfully used for rigidly fixing artificial hip components to the bones. This fixation method was therefore used in the first artificial knees that were invented, starting in the late 1960s. However it was soon found that loosening at the bone-cement interfaces frequently occurred with most designs. This was attributed to the combinations of compressive and shear forces acting across the knee, to inadequate surface area of certain components, and to ineffective fixation posts. Later, experiments showed that in order to improve the bonding over the entire interface, the cement needed to penetrate the trabecular bone surfaces by at least 2–3 mm. Subsequently cement fixation became much more reliable, but loosening can still occur due to extreme situations. Whether a cemented interface would be durable indefinitely was investigated by Kenneth Mann at Syracuse University. It was shown that over time, the interface weakens due to bone resorption, but whether this will eventually result in symptomatic failure remains to be determined.
MetaCL: Automated “Meta” OpenCL Code Generation for High-Level Synthesis on FPGA

Traditionally, FPGA programming has been done via a hardware description language (HDL). An HDL provides fine-grained control over reconfigurable hardware but with limited productivity due to a steep learning curve and tedious design cycle. Thus, high-level synthesis (HLS) approaches have been a significant boon to productivity, and in recent years, OpenCL has emerged as a vendor-agnostic HLS language that offers the added benefit of interoperation with other OpenCL platforms (e.g., CPU, GPU, DSP) and existing OpenCL software. However, OpenCL's productivity can also suffer from tedious boilerplate code and the need to manually coordinate the host (i.e., CPU) and device (i.e., FPGA or other device). So, we present MetaCL, a compiler-assisted interface that takes OpenCL kernel functions as input and automatically generates OpenCL host-side code as output. MetaCL produces more efficient and readable host-side code, ensures portability, and introduces minimal additional runtime overhead compared to unassisted Openf.L development.
Bei Anruf: Kundenbindung

Jeder Anruf im Call Center ist eine Chance, die Kundenbindung zu starken oder Cross-Selling-Potenziale auszuschopfen. Dies gelingt jedoch nur, wenn die Agents genau uber die Interessen der Kunden Bescheid wissen. Analytische Business Intelligence-Systeme liefern den Service-Mitarbeitern sekundenschnell die notigen Informationen.
A comparative Scripture-reading analysis of Latter-day Saint experts and novices:

This study employs an expert--novice research design to examine how five Latter-day Saint scholars and five Latter-day Saint youths read Scripture. Qualitative analyses of semi-structured interview...
The Copycat Effect: Do Hotel-Like Features Drive Airbnb Performance?:

While touting its distinctiveness from conventional hotels, Airbnb listings are appearing increasingly like hotels with professional features such as “instant booking” and “work collection” distinc...
X-ray Diagnostic Development for Electron Beam Driven WDM Experiments

A platform for characterizing the equation-of-state of the warm dense matter (WDM) regime is being developed on an intense, relativistic electron accelerator1,2. DARHT Axis-I generates a 100-ns-long electron pulse with a beam current of 1.7 kA and energy of 19.8 MeV that deposits energy into a thin metal foil heating it to a warm dense plasma. The collisional ionization of the target by the electron beam produces an anisotropic angular distribution of K- and L-shell radiation, in addition to a continuum of both scattered electrons and Bremsstrahlung up to the beam energy of 19.8 MeV. A bolometer3 and an array of diamond photo-conducting detectors will be calibrated on a 1-MA linear transformer driver at the University of Michigan4. These diagnostics will then be fielded on the Axis-I electron linac to characterize the background Bremsstrahlung and scattered electrons. Additionally, a gated X-ray imager is under development to acquire temporal and spatial measurements of X-rays. The goal of these diagnostics is to provide temperature and density measurements of the warm dense plasma for the first time with this heating technique.
PAC-Learning Uniform Ergodic Communicative Networks

This work addressed the problem of learning a network with communication between vertices. The communication between vertices is presented in the form of perturbation on the measure. We studied the scenario where samples are drawn from a uniform ergodic Random Graph Process (RGPs for short), which provides a natural mathematical context for the problem of interest. For the binary classification problem, the result we obtained gives uniform learn-ability as the worst-case theoretical limits. We introduced the structural Rademacher complexity, which naturally fused into the VC theory to upperbound the first moment. With the martingale method and Marton's coupling, we establish the tail bound for uniform convergence and give consistency guarantee for empirical risk minimizer. The technique used in this work to obtain high probability bounds is of independent interest to other mixing processes with and without network structure.
Biosynthesis-Guided Discovery of Enteropeptins, Unusual Sactipeptides Containing an N-Methylornithine

The combination of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have revitalized natural product discovery. Using a new bioinformatic search strategy, we recently identified ~600 gene clusters in animal microbiomes that code for ribosomal peptide natural products synthesized by radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes. These grouped into 16 subfamilies and pointed to an unexplored microbiome biosynthetic landscape. Herein, we report the structure, biosynthesis, and function of one of these natural product groups, that we term enteropeptins, from the gut microbe Enterococcus cecorum. We elucidate three novel reactions, each catalyzed by a different family of metalloenzymes, in the biosynthesis of enteropeptins. Among these, we characterize the founding member of a widespread superfamily of Fe-S-containing methyltransferases, which, together with a di-Mn-dependent arginase, installs an N-methylornithine in the peptide sequence. Biological assays with the mature product revealed bacteriostatic activity only against the producing strain, extending an emerging theme of fratricidal or self-inhibitory metabolites in microbiome firmicutes.
Finite Element Techniques in Transport Phenomena

A wide spectrum of processes involving transport of physical quantities of a variety of types can be successfully modeled by assuming that the transport takes place mainly through the basic processes of diffusion and convection.
Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music

CONTENTS Preface Contributors Acknowledgments 1. The Chamber Music of Beethoven 2. Schubert's Chamber Music 3. The Chamber Music of Spohr and Weber 4. The Chamber Music of Medelssohn 5. "Beautiful and Abstruse Conversations": The Chamber Music of Schumann 6. Discourse and Allusion: The Chamber Music of Schumann 7. Chamber Music in France: From Cherubini to Debussy 8. The Chamber Music of Smetana and Dvorak 9. Fin de siecle Chamber Music and the Critique of Modernism Index
Screening Historical Sexualities: A Roundtable on Sodomy, South Africa, and Proteus (with Brassel, Garrett, Greyson, Lewis, Newton-King)

Proteus (2003; 100 min., Canada and South Africa) is a low-budget feature film, directed by John Greyson (Toronto) and Jack Lewis (Cape Town), that made the international rounds of "art cinema" and queer festivals in 2003 and 2004, with limited theatrical release in New York, Toronto, and other cities. The film advances Greyson's and Lewis's experiments with political essay-narrative forms both in their respective documentary, experimental, and dramatic videos dating back to the early 1980s (including Lewis's Apostles of Civilized Vice [1999]) and in Greyson's theatrical feature films beginning with Urinal in 1988. Based on an early-eighteenth-century court record, Proteus narrates the meeting, sexual relationship, and eventual trial and execution for sodomy of two prisoners in the Dutch Cape Colony, the Dutchman Rijkhaart Jacobsz and the Khoi Claas Blank. Subsidiary narratives focus on the Scottish botanist Virgil Niven, who observed the prisoners, and on the contemporaneous crackdown on sodomites in Amsterdam. GLQ initiated the following "virtual conversation" among the two directors, queer legal theorist Noa Ben-Asher, American film scholar R. Bruce Brasell, American film critic Daniel Garrett, and South African historian Susan Newton- King. Though it will "spoil" the plot for readers who have not seen the movie, we offer it as a lively debate about one of the more interesting entries in the new "new queer cinema." The debate explores the precarious and artful interrelationship of histories, nations, narratives, and the law; cinematic intent and spectatorial interpretation; same-sexuality, conjugality, and difference; and even, as one participant dares to put it, love.
A global approach to provide magnitude estimates for earthquake early warning alerts

[1] We examine five different methods to estimate an earthquake's magnitude using only P wave data for use in earthquake early warning systems. We test two input parameters: the maximum predominant period of the P wave (τpmax) and the displacement amplitude of the P wave's vertical component (Pd). We apply our algorithms to 174 earthquakes 3.0 < M < 8.0 from California and Japan that have also been used in previous calibration studies. We also apply them to 1992 0.2 < M < 5.7 earthquakes that were processed by the real-time Earthquake Alarm Systems in California. We find that τpmax does not scale with magnitude for small earthquakes (M < 3) and is less accurate for large-magnitude earthquakes than using Pd alone. We derive a global scaling relation between Pd and magnitude and conclude that this global relationship provides the most accurate and robust magnitude estimate. This relationship could be applied in earthquake source zones around the world.
RNA content and volume of nerve cell bodies in human brain. II. Subiculum in aging normal patients.

The subiculum of the hippocampal formation was sampled from 16 patients aged 8 months to 94 years at postmortem examination. An analysis of 960 single nerve cell bodies dissected from the subiculum showed a significant difference in the RNA content, the volume, and the RNA concentration measured at different ages. Both the neuronal RNA and the volume showed an adult value at 9 years of age and remained unchanged until 52 years of age. The mean RNA content and the volume was 44 pg and 5271 μm3, respectively, during this period. A high neuronal RNA content was a characteristic feature of the subiculum in patients between the ages of 56 and 94 years. The onset of increased neuronal RNA coincided with an appearance of neurofibrillary tangles in the subiculum, implying that the substantial increase in RNA content may be related to subsequent synthesis of the neurofibrillary protein, which accumulates as neurofibrillary tangles.
Ecological aspects of antioxidant enzymes and Glutathione-S-transferases in Three Papilio Species

Abstract Phototoxins are compounds capable of absorbing light to form an excited state molecule, which can itself react with macromolecules to cause toxicity or react with molecular oxygen to form toxic oxygen species such as singlet oxygen, superoxide anion, and other oxyradicals. Aerobic organisms possess a suite of antioxidant enzymes to protect against reactive oxygen damage. Significant differences in activities of antioxidant enzymes as well as glutathione -S- transferases were found in larvae of three species of Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Levels of catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione transferase were high in P. polyxenes , intermediate in P. cresphontes , and low in P. glaucus glaucus . Levels of superoxide dismutase were similar in P. polyxenes and P. cresphontes and significantly higher than in P. glaucus glaucus . The overall hierarchy of antioxidant enzyme activity level in these species is consistent with the phytochemical composition of their host plants: P. polyxenes and P. cresphontes feed almost exclusively on plants (in the Apiaceae and Rutaceae, respectively) that contain phototoxic compounds; P. glaucus glaucus feeds almost exclusively on plants that lack phototoxins. The presence of considerable antioxidant enyme activity in the integument of P. polyxenes and P. cresphontes suggests that these enzymes may protect cuticle, which is not only exposed to sunlight but also to toxic oxyradicals generated from phototoxins at the leaf surface.
Invariant properties of solid oxide fuel cell systems with integrated reformers

Abstract In reformer based SOFCs (solid oxide fuel cells) with hydrocarbon fuels, fuel utilization (U) and STCR (steam-to-carbon-ratio) are important variables indicating conditions inside the anode and reformer respectively. However, both variables are difficult to measure due to their dependence on internal species concentrations, temperatures, pressures and flow rates. In contrast to system-specific model-based techniques for estimating U and STCR, this paper proposes a generalized method for formulating and characterizing these variables, that applies to hydrocarbon fuels of the form CaH2bOd, multiple reformer types, and system configurations. The approach takes advantage of the invariance of quantities, such as potential hydrogen and STCB (steam-to-carbon-balance), with respect to reaction pathways, reaction rates, and aforementioned internal conditions. These conserved quantities can be predicted under steady-state conditions in a model-independent fashion. The invariant relationships so obtained are useful for predicting U and STCB using only system level inputs, namely current, supply rate of unreformed fuel, and rate of recirculation, and without requiring expensive and intrusive sensors. They are also useful for maintaining U and STCB at target values and in addressing their transient fluctuations.
Pediatric cardiology manpower in the 1980s

The allocation of professional time of board-certified pediatric cardiologists in 1980 to 1981 was compared with that of pediatric cardiologists in 1967, by use of a similar questionnaire. At both times, the majority of pediatric cardiologists were in a full-time academic or hospital setting. In 1980 to 1981, the number of hours devoted to professional activities was significantly less than during the earlier period, with the reduction being principally in amount of time devoted to research, either clinical or basic, and teaching. This change has implications for manpower and the scientific aspects of pediatric cardiology. An average of 40 physicians enter pediatric cardiology yearly. With the current number of certified pediatric cardiologists, and a modest number of pediatric cardiologists who will leave the field in the next half decade, we project 900 pediatric cardiologists in 1990. A number of factors are discussed that will influence the needs for pediatric cardiologists.
Deduction of Semi-Optimal Mollifier for Obtaining Lower Bound for N(0)(T) for Riemann's Zeta-Function.

Abstract A mollifier played a key role in showing N0(T) > 1/3N(T) for large T in ref. 1 [Levinson, N. (1974) Advan. Math. 13, 383-436]. A basic problem in ref. 1 was that of obtaining an upper bound for a sum of two terms, one larger than the other. Here a deductive procedure is given for finding a mollifier that actually minimizes the larger term. An Euler-Lagrange equation is obtained. (Optimization of the sum of both the major and minor terms appears to be formidable.) The actual improvement effected by the optimized mollifier over the ad hoc mollifier of ref. 1 is unfortunately only 1.4%. To obtain a usable mollifier it is necessary to blur the optimization procedure by smoothing at several stages of the deduction. The procedure is of more interest than the particular application because of the small improvement in this case.
Composition of Quadratic Forms and Tensor Product of Quaternion Algebras

This paper is concerned with the problem of compsition of quadratic forms (the Generalized Hurwitz Problem). Let F be a field of characteristic different from 2 and let (U, qu) and (V, q”) be non-singular quadratic spaces over F. A composition law is a bilinear map U x V +p V such that q,(p(x, y)) = q”(x) qu(y), x E U, y E V. The basic problem is to describe all pairs of quadratic spaces over F for which a composition law exists. For the complex field or the real field and positive definite forms the problem was solved by, A. Hurwitz [S] and J. Radon [lo]. We describe their result in the form which is convenient for our purposes. Let n + 1 be the dimension of U. Then a composition law exists if and only if the dimen- sion of V is divided by 2”‘“’ where u(n)=: if n = 0,6 (mod 8) =- n+2 2 if n = 2,4 (mod 8), =- n+l 2 if n = 1,3,5 (mod 8), n-l =- 2 ifn=7(mod8). The first results over an arbitrary field F (of characteristics not 2) appeared much later in the book [7] of T. Lam and in the series of papers [13-151 by D. Shapiro. The latter author developed the elegant theory of spaces of similarities which in particular allowed him to prove that the
Role of glandular scales of lepidote rhododendrons in insect resistance.

Glandular scales on selected lepidote rhododendron species varied in density from 109 ± 13 to 4180 ± 60/cm2 of leaf surface. Globules contained within the scales stained with Sudan IV, a lipophilic dye. Essential oil contents of the scales varied with species from 24 ± 8 to 151 ± 35 ng/scale. Black vine weevil [(Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.)] feeding on leaves from a sample of rhododendron species was inversely related to leaf essential oil content, and weevil feeding on membrane filters was inhibited by application of essential oil extracts from leaves of most lepidote rhododendrons tested. Results suggest that the glandular scales of the lepidote rhododendrons function, at least in part, in plant defense against insects.