cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Piezoelectricity, piezoresistivity and dielectricity discovered in solder

The performance and reliability of soldered joints are important for electronic packaging. This work provides the first observation of piezoelectricity (generating electric field and capacitance), piezoresistivity (changing the resistivity) and dielectricity (giving polarization) in solder. These effects influence electrical conduction. The solder may encounter stress (particularly thermal stress) during use in a soldered joint. The solder studied is the tin–lead eutectic alloy. The stress is tensile in the direction of electrical measurement. Although the piezoelectric coupling coefficient d33 of the solder (− (7.5 ± 0.8) × 10−6 pC/N) is very low compared to those of the well-known piezoelectric materials, the resulting electric field and capacitance are substantial and the changes are reversible upon unloading. The relative permittivity (2 kHz) (a dielectric material property) is very high ((3.973 ± 0.017) × 106) compared to those of conventional dielectric materials, but is comparable to those of previously reported steels. The polarization is due to the movement of the free electrons; it opposes the applied electric field. The permittivity increases reversibly with increasing tensile stress and is attributed to an unidentified reversible microstructural change. The permittivity increase contributes to d33 by only + (4.3 ± 0.6) × 10−7 pC/N, which is opposite in sign from the abovementioned overall negative d. The gage factor (fractional change in resistance per unit strain) associated with piezoresistivity is high (85 ± 6). The resistivity increases substantially and reversibly with increasing stress; it is attributed to the microstructural change and is disadvantageous for electrical conduction. However, the piezoelectricity and piezoresistivity enable the solder to sense its own condition (stress) without embedded or attached sensors.
Real-time dynamic and sequential tracking of tumor propagation and associated immune responses in the CNS microenvironment.

9520 Background: Ex vivo experimental systems are often unable to fully capture complex intercellular communication between tumor cells and surrounding tissues - a critical feature in understanding...
Majority of Rural Residents Compost Food Waste: Policy and Waste Management Implications for Rural Regions

A growing number of municipalities and states are implementing household food waste diversion efforts such as curbside compost programs, though these programs present challenges for participation and implementation. While many food waste diversion programs are occurring in densely populated regions, understanding food waste management in rural regions is less studied. This research examines the food waste perceptions and current and future food waste management behaviors of residents in Vermont, one of the most rural U.S. states, through a representative telephone survey of Vermont residents (n=583) in 2018. The findings suggest 55% of residents support banning food waste from landfills. Furthermore, 72% of residents compost at least some of their food waste currently and more than 75% anticipate doing so in the future. Conversely, 34% of residents anticipate using the garbage or a curbside compost pickup program in the future with urban county residents, renters, and those currently using garbage most interested in curbside programs. The majority of respondents were unwilling to pay anything additional for curbside compost pickup programs. These results suggest food waste management strategies in rural regions may be different than densely populated areas, particularly for programs that may require significant investments and have limited participation given the popularity of home composting. As a result, greater investment in education and infrastructure for backyard composting may be an important component of rural food waste management.
Interaction Graph-Based Active Islanding to Mitigate Cascading Outages

In order to mitigate the propagation of cascading outages, an online scheme of interaction graph-based active islanding is proposed. Active islanding will be performed if a critical component is involved in the outage propagation path. The failure of each of critical components can cause a large amount of load loss, and their sets are identified offline based on the interaction graph constructed from simulations or historical data. Test results on cascading outage scenarios of the NPCC power system validate the effectiveness of the proposed active islanding scheme in significantly reducing the amount of load loss compared with that without active islanding.
What do monetary contractions do? Evidence from large tightenings

Abstract As the “Volcker shock” is believed to have generated useful information on the effects of monetary policy, this paper develops a transparent procedure to identify other significant monetary contractions. The approach is applied to a panel data set spanning 162 countries (over the period 1970-2017), in which it identifies 147 large monetary contractions. The procedure selects episodes where a protracted period of loose monetary policy was suddenly followed by sizeable interest rate increases. Focusing on contractions of significant size increases the signal-to-noise ratio, while they are unlikely to be accompanied by confounding “information effects” (markets interpreting a rate hike as the Central Bank being optimistic about the real side of the economy). A subsequent panel VAR analysis suggests that, on average, a 100-basis point rate hike reduces real GDP by 0.5 percent. This reduction in output seems to be persistent, pointing to a certain degree of hysteresis. The price level falls by 1.5 percent, indicating that the medium-/long-run impact of contractionary monetary shocks is not characterized by a neo-Fisherian response. Advanced economies appear to display more price stickiness than emerging/developing countries, as the former combine a more muted price response with a larger effect on output.
Limits of VoC and institutional complementarities in the semi-periphery: comparative analysis of reforms in Brazil and India

In VoC theories, adopted in OECD countries, the state does not fulfill an important role in the productive system. On the other hand, by analyzing the trajectory of the semi-periphery countries, there is no way to describe the mechanisms of institutional complementarity without holding the state in the center of the model. That’s the trajectories of Brazil and India. To evaluate the role of the state as a strategic actor in semiperipheral institutional complementarity this proposal suggests analyze the role of the state in the commanding heights of economic liberalization. In particular, the role of public banks and pension funds as anti-cyclical and coordinators actors of the new corporate ownership restructuring and external insertion adopted by large conglomerates in Brasil and India in the past ten years. Understanding this is crucial to point out the limits of theories of varieties of capitalism, providing assistance to expand its analytical scope.
Evolution of the Bicoid homeodomain required amino acid substitutions in three subdomains and epistatic interactions between them

Summary Gene duplications contribute to the evolution of biological diversity. The ancestor of the Drosophila Homeodomain (HD) protein Bicoid (AncBcd) emerged after a duplication of a Zerknullt (Zen)-like ancestral protein (AncZB) in a suborder of flies. AncBcd evolved and diverged from AncZB, gaining novel transcriptional and translational activities. Here, we focus on the evolution of the AncBcd HD, which binds DNA and RNA, and is comprised of four subdomains, an N-terminal arm (NT) and three helices: H1, H2, and Recognition Helix (RH). Using gene rescue assays in Drosophila, we show that robust patterning activity of the HD (high frequency rescue to adulthood) is achieved only when amino acid substitutions in three separate subdomains (NT, H1, and RH) are combined. Other combinations of subdomains also yield full rescue, but with lower and different penetrance. Our results suggest that there are multiple intermediate solutions for the evolution of the Bcd HD that constrain and enable further evolutionary changes. They also demonstrate how intramolecular epistasis and complementary but not completely redundant functions of subdomains contribute to the robust function of an evolving transcription factor.
Weight Loss Disparities Among Hispanic and Underserved Participants, Colorado, 2015–2018

Introduction The National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is an evidence-based strategy to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in adults at high risk through education and behavior modifications that promote weight loss. This evaluation aimed to determine if National DPP participants' weight-related outcomes varied across demographic subgroups, including sex, age, race/ethnicity, and insurance status, after controlling for program attendance and physical activity. Methods Our cross-site evaluation used participant-level data from 11 organizations during July 2015 through June 2018. A modified Poisson regression model was used to examine the relationship between demographic subgroups, controlling for physical activity (minutes per week) and program attendance. Results A total of 1,007 National DPP participants were included in the analyzed sample. Participants lost an average of 4% of their initial body weight, approximately 8 pounds. About one-third of participants achieved greater than 5% weight loss. In the unadjusted estimates, participants who were Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, young, and uninsured were significantly less likely to achieve 5% or greater weight loss. Demographic differences in achieving 5% or greater weight loss, however, were not significant after adjusting for program attendance and physical activity level. Conclusions Disparities in National DPP weight-related outcomes were not observed across demographic groups after adjusting for program attendance and physical activity levels. However, non-Hispanic Black participants had lower attendance and Hispanic participants reported less physical activity than participants of other races/ethnicities. Strategies to improve National DPP participation and increase physical activity, therefore, should be prioritized among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants.
A genetic approach to the increase of methionine content in legume seeds.

In many developing counties legumes contribute a significant part of dietary protein. Total protein consumed is small in instances of low food intake (e.g., in children), and any nutritional deficiency of that protein prevents its complete utilization. As recently reemphasized by Boulter (1975) and others, an improvement of protein quality is essential in such a situation, whether the diet be cereal-or legume-based.
Design Requirements of a CD-ROM Based Reference System Capable of Replacing Print Materials in a Field of Law

This paper was presented at an Expert Systems in Law Conference held at the University of Bologna in 1989. It draws on the author's initial work conceptualizing how legal commentary of the scope suggested by the word "treatise" might be redesigned if placed in a digital environment together with all or most of the primary authority it analyzed and to which it referred. The desktop technology and online systems of the period and the possibilities opened by CD-ROM as a medium of data distribution figure prominently in the discussion of format, function, and structure. The authorial challenges addressed by the paper include: setting the domain boundaries, achieving a proper balance between selectivity and completeness, and dealing with the effects of later legal developments on prior ones.
Conversion: what agency executive directors rate as incentives and disincentives to supported employment systems change

An Integrated Employment Survey was developed in order to gather data concerning incentives and disincentives to systems change from executive directors of agencies in New Jersey which provide employment and vocational training services to persons with severe disabilities. The results of the questionnaire suggest that most agencies have developed a small degree of supported employment services as an add-on, appendage service rather than the agency shifting a large amount of resources to comprehensively engage in integrated employment services. The most commonly identified incentive to systems change was the commitment of the agency's executive director to supported employment, while the most commonly identified disincentive to systems change was the attitudes of parents and family members of the worker with disabilities.
A study of the placenta in pregnancy treated by stilbestrol.

Abstract A statistical investigation has been made of effects of stilbestrol therapy in pregnancy upon weights of baby and placenta. Changes in gross and microscopic placental structure due to stilbestrol have also been sought. Stilbestrol-treated and untreated control groups of primiparous full-term and premature births, as well as cases with toxemia of pregnancy, have been included. Evidence is presented that weights of both baby and placenta are increased in stilbestrol-treated full-term and premature births and in the toxemia group. Ratios of baby weight to placental weight were the same for stilbestrol and control groups in the full-term and toxemia cases, and were decreased in the stilbestrol-treated premature birth group. Stilbestrol stimulates increase in weight and presumably size of both infant and placenta. One by-product of placental overgrowth found is an increased proportion of circummarginate placentas in all three stilbestrol groups, as compared to controls. Gross and microscopic study indicated more frequent occurrence of marked placental calcification and intervillous thrombosis in full-term stilbestrol-treated placentas. In premature stilbestrol-treated cases there was similarly a higher incidence of mature chorionic villi and intervillous thrombi. No nontoxic premature separations were encountered after stilbestrol therapy. The toxemia cases with stilbestrol therapy more frequently had thrombosis of decidual sinusoids and intervillous thrombi than controls, but the number of such cases was small. No specific histologic change was observed which was attributable to stilbestrol treatment.
International Space Station Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly Testing

Performance testing of the International Space Station Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly flight hardware in the United States Laboratory during 1999 is described. The CDRA exceeded carbon dioxide performance specifications and operated flawlessly. Data from this test is presented.
Self-Regulation and Economic Stress in Children of Hispanic Immigrants and Their Peers: Better Regulation at a Cost?

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Although there is a well-established relationship between economic stress and children’s self-regulation, few studies have examined this relationship in children of Hispanic immigrants (COHIs), a rapidly growing population. In a sample of preschool children (N = 165), we examined whether economic stress predicted teacher evaluations of children’s self-regulation, whether economic stress predicted children’s physiological reactivity (via cortisol levels), and whether economic stress had a similar effect on self-regulation and children’s cortisol for COHI versus nonimmigrant children. Greater economic stress was associated with poorer child self-regulation and heightened physiological reactivity across a challenging classroom task for the sample as a whole. However, when we examined children by group, greater economic stress was associated with poorer teacher-reported self-regulation for nonimmigrant children only. In contrast, greater economic stress was related to greater cortis...
Perspectives on the Comet-Asteroid-Meteorite Link

We discuss the possibility that CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites are fragments of extinct cometary nuclei. Theoretical and observational work suggests that comets evolve into asteroids, and several extinct cometary nuclei are now suspected to be among the near Earth object population. This population is the most likely source of meteorites and consequently, we may expect that some meteorites are from extinct comets in this population. The mineralogy and chemistry of CI and CM chondrites is consistent with the view that they originate from asteroidal objects of carbonaceous spectral classes, and these objects in turn may have a cometary origin. We do not suggest that CI or CM chondrites are directly delivered by active comets during perihelion passage or that these chondrites come from cometary debris in meteor streams. Instead, we summarize arguments suggesting that CI and CM chondrites represent fragments of cometary nuclei which evolved into near Earth asteroids after losing their volatiles.
Association of Clostridium difficile toxin with symptomatic relapse of chronic inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract We previously reported the association of Clostridium difficile toxin with symptomatic relapse in a group of 6 patients with severe chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The current study was undertaken to determine prospectively the incidence of Clostridium difficile toxin in the stools of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease at different stages of disease activity. The toxin was present in the stools of 11 of 59 patients (19%). The incidence of toxin positively correlated strongly with the activity of the underlying disease, being present in 0 out of 25 mild cases, 2 out of 19 moderate flares, and 9 out of 15 severe flares. Four of the 11 toxin-positive patients had no history of exposure to either sulfasalazine or other antibiotics. Pseudomembranes were found in only 1 toxin-positive patient. Therapy with vancomycin was clearly effective in 5 of 8 patients; symptomatic improvement was accompanied by disappearance of toxin in all patients regardless of the type of therapy. These results indicate that Clostridium difficile infection may accompany symptomatic relapse of chronic inflammatory bowel disease even in the absence of prior antibiotic exposure.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Dextrose and Amino Acids on Gut Mass

Oral intake of an elemental diet maintains small intestinal mucosal mass compared to the atrophy seen after intravenous infusion of the same diet. The greatest difference in intestinal mass occurs in the proximal bowel and is thought to occur because of rapid absorption in the proximal small bowel. This study was designed to determine the effects of the individual components of the elemental diet and their site of administration within the small bowel on small intestinal mass. Rats were maintained on intravenous alimentation and the proximal gut (by intragastric infusion) or the ileum was continuously infused with equal volumes of 30% dextrose, 5% dextrose, 5% amino acids, saline, or 30% mannitol. After 1 week of combined intravenous alimentation and gut infusion, the rats were killed and parameters of small intestinal epithelial mass were determined sequentially for the entire bowel. Although saline- and mannitol-infused controls did not differ from uninfused intravenously fed rats, proximal infusion of 30% dextrose reproduced the effects of a complete elemental diet. Proximal infusion of amino acids but not 5% dextrose had a limited effect on the duodenum and jejunum. Ileal infusion of 30% dextrose led to local hyperplasia of the site of infusion and in addition produced hyperplasia of the proximal gut. Ileal amino acid infusion, but not 5% dextrose infusion, led to local ileal hyperplasia. We conclude that: (1) intraluminal dextrose and amino acids have direct effects in maintaining gut mass (2) the gut is more responsive to amino acids compared to 5% dextrose, and (3) ileal 30% dextrose infusion leads to remote effects in the proximal gut, perhaps mediated by hormonal or neurovascular factors.
Gemcitabine induced myositis in patients with pancreatic cancer: case reports and topic review

Gemcitabine potential myotoxicity has been described in several cases of radiation recall and in patients treated with gemcitabine alone or in combination with other chemotherapy agents. We report two cases of gemcitabine related myositis identified at our institution, and perform a literature review of cases which meet the criteria for gemcitabine induced myositis associated to either radiation therapy or chemotherapy alone.
Design and Analysis for a Floating Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter

This paper presents a recent study on the design and analysis of an oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC). A successful wave energy conversion design requires balance between the design performance and cost. The cost of energy is often used as the metric to judge the design of the wave energy conversion (WEC) system, which is often determined based on the device’s power performance; the cost of manufacturing, deployment, operation, and maintenance; and environmental compliance. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the importance of a cost-driven design strategy and how it can affect a WEC design. A set of three oscillating surge wave energy converter designs was analyzed and used as examples. The power generation performance of the design was modeled using a time-domain numerical simulation tool, and the mass properties of the design were determined based on a simple structure analysis. The results of those power performance simulations, the structure analysis, and a simple economic assessment were then used to determine the cost-efficiency of selected OSWEC designs. Finally, we present a discussion on the environmental barrier, integrated design strategy, and the key areas that need further investigation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Multiverses of the past

More than 2000 years ago, Epicurus taught that there are an infinite number of other worlds, both like and unlike ours, and Aristotle taught that there are none. Neither hypothesis can currently be falsified, and some versions of current multiverses perhaps never can be, which has contributed to occasional claims that this isn't science! (a common complaint about cosmology for centuries). Define cosmos , or world , or universe to mean the largest structure of which you and the majority of knowledgeable contemporaries will admit to being a part. This begins with the small, earth-centered worlds of ancient Egyptian paintings, Greek mythology, and Genesis, which a god could circumnavigate in a day and humans in a generation. These tend to expand and become helio- rather than geo-centric (not quite monotonically in time) and are succeeded by various assemblages of sun-like stars with planets of their own. Finite vs. infinite assemblages are debated and then the issue of whether the Milky Way is unique (so that island universes made sense, even if you were against the idea) for a couple of centuries. Today one thinks as a rule of the entire 4-dimensional space-time we might in principle communicate with and all its contents. Beyond are the modern multi-verses, sequential (cyclic or oscillating), hierarchical, or non-communicating entities in more than four dimensions. Each of these has older analogues, and, in every milieu where the ideas have been discussed, there have been firm supporters and firm opponents, some of whose ideas are explored here. Because astronomical observations have firmly settled some earlier disputes in favor of very many galaxies and very many stars with planets, other worlds can now refer only to other planets like Earth or to other universes. The focus is on the latter. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH&Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Algorithm evaluation for an infrared target-detection test bed

As part of the development of a real-time JR target processor test bed, a number of image processing algorithms were developed, simulated in software, and evaluated for implementation. Algorithms performing image pre-processing, target localization, segmentation and target/clutter discrimination were evaluated using an IR image data base. The algorithms selected are being implemented on the test bed using commercially available board-level components, and are capable of pmcessing imagery at real-time rates (30 frames/see).© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Information-theoretic wavelet packet subband selection for texture classification

Wavelet packet decomposition has been successfully applied to image analysis and classification. The most common approach for wavelet packet-based texture classification is to decompose texture images with wavelet packet transform and to extract energy values for all subbands as features for the subsequent classification. Due to the overcomplete representation provided by the wavelet packet transform, it is suitable to select a set of subbands for sparse representation of the texture for classification. For better classification results, it is desired that the energy features corresponding to the selected subbands are as independent from each other as possible. However, most of the current subband selection methods do not take the dependence between energy values from different subbands into account. In this paper, we investigate the dependence between energy values from different subbands, which may be from the same wavelet basis, or from different wavelet bases. Based on the theoretical analysis and simulation, we propose an information-theoretic measure, mutual information, for selecting subbands for sparse representation of textures for classification. Experimental results show that the proposed method yields a sparse representation of the textures and achieves lower classification error rates than the conventional methods, simultaneously.
Characterization of a nutritional variant of human esophageal epithelial cells.

Abstract The uncloned line of human esophageal epithelium grew well in a yeast-treated, 10 per cent human serum, glucose medium but not in galactose medium. A variant was obtained that could be cultivated in glucose or galactose medium. Capability of the variant to grow in galactose medium was not attenuated by serial subculture in other sufficient media. The variant grew in xylose, galactose or lactose medium but not in medium lacking added sugar. Variant or parental cells did not utilize significant amounts of galactose. The variant represents a heritable modification for increased efficiency for utilization of glucose.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of cystic hypersecretory ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: A case report

Cystic hypersecretory intraductal carcinoma is an unusual, cystic form of intraductal breast carcinoma affecting middle-aged women. Cytopathologists have rarely encountered this lesion, with only 2 other cases having been previously reported (Colandrea et al., Arch Pathol Lab Med 1988;112:560–563; Kim et al., Acta Cytol 1997;41:892–896). In our case, the cytologic findings of both air-dried, Diff-Quik-stained and ethanol-fixed, Papanicolaou-stained smears are presented. The cytologic hallmarks of this entity include the presence of a few scattered epithelial cells with bland nuclear morphology in a background of extensive, amorphous, pink-staining material. Cytomorphologically, the differential diagnosis includes other entities containing pink-staining material such as colloid carcinoma, mucocele-like lesion of the breast, and benign fibrocystic change. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;20:160–163. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reliability predictions — more than the sum of the parts

Reliability predictions have been the subject of much discussion over the prior 20 years. Some articles have proclaimed them to be valueless while other articles suggest importance. Spending a great amount of time calculating numbers does not present value directly. Using the numbers as the basis for additional positive activities would seem to be one reason for predictions. Any reliability prediction should be considered as a single tool in a larger reliability improvement tool box that often feeds other more important activities. This role of predictions in a larger reliability world will be explored here. Examples of follow-on improvement activities include, lessons learned about components, identification of critical components, identification of critical design features, estimation of high-stress conditions, approaches for derating, design for reliability, design for manufacture, input to an FMEA, input to a verification test plan, and warranty and repair estimates. The prediction is not an end of the process, but rather the beginning of the larger reliability improvement and design review process. Here, the value of predictions will be tied to lessons learned and outcomes. Predictions have fundamentally changed over the last 20 years for several reasons. As Failure-in-Time (FIT) numbers have declined in most handbooks, the MTBF prediction didn't always match subsequent field data on an absolute scale. It is possible to be a factor of three different or more. Each successive issue of Telcordia or the Mil Handbook 217 (now 217Plus), appears rather similar to the prior ones. This simplicity masks some of the evolution in numerical content and models. There is much to be learned from a short review of the prediction process itself. Failure rate estimates from tables are not trustworthy for they depend upon experience, customer applications, models and other unknown items. At some point it is time to wrap up the prediction phase and move onto improvement and feed other reliability tools. The ldquoLessons Learnedrdquo based upon knowledge of the design, manufacture, customer environment or are valuable. Items in lessons learned might cover a variety of situations that can enhance or detract from estimated reliability. Other lessons learned are contained in design guidelines, derating standards. All of these should be addressed early in any project, once a Bill of Materials (BOM) has been generated. Each has an impact on the prediction estimate but are not overtly included in the process.
Adaptation of Ca2+-Triggered Exocytosis in Presynaptic Terminals

Rapid increases in Ca2+ concentration, produced by photolysis of caged Ca2+, triggered exocytosis in squid nerve terminals. This exocytosis was transient in nature, decaying with a time constant of approximately 30 ms. The decay could not be explained by a decline in presynaptic Ca2+ concentration, depletion of synaptic vesicles, or desensitization of postsynaptic receptors. Experiments in which Ca2+ was increased either in a series of steps or continuously at different rates suggested that the decay is caused by adaptation of the exocytotic Ca2+ receptor to higher levels of Ca2+. This adjustable sensitivity to Ca2+ represents a novel property of the triggering mechanism that can be used to evaluate molecular models of exocytosis. Adaptation can limit the amount of transmitter released by a nerve terminal and permit the speed of a presynaptic Ca2+ rise to serve as a critical determinant of synaptic efficacy.
Implications of solar ν flux modulation

Abstract While KamLAND apparently rules out Resonant-Spin-Flavor-Precession (RSFP) as an explanation of the solar neutrino deficit, the solar neutrino fluxes in the Cl and Ga experiments vary with solar rotation. Also, a power spectrum analysis of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data reveals variation in the flux matching a dominant rotation rate observed in the solar magnetic field in the same time period. Four frequency peaks, all related to this rotation rate, can be explained quantitatively. A recent SK paper reported no time variation of the flux, but showed the same peaks with lower sensitivity, resulting from an inappropriate analysis. This modulation would be small for RSFP as a subdominant solar neutrino process in the convection zone. The data shows effects that correspond to solar cycle changes in the magnetic field, typical of the convection zone. This subdominant process requires not only a large neutrino transition magnetic moment, but also sterile neutrinos, improving fits to the solar data.
Reduced order modeling in iTOUGH2

The inverse modeling and uncertainty quantification capabilities of iTOUGH2 are augmented with reduced order models (ROMs) that act as efficient surrogates for computationally expensive high fidelity models (HFMs). The implementation of the ROM capabilities involves integration of three main computational components. The first component is the ROM itself. Two response surface approximations are currently implemented: Gaussian process regression (GPR) and radial basis function (RBF) interpolation. The second component is a multi-output adaptive sampling procedure that determines the sample points used to construct the ROMs. The third component involves defining appropriate error measures for the adaptive sampling procedure, allowing ROMs to be constructed efficiently with limited user intervention. Details in all three components must complement one another to obtain an accurate approximation. The new capability and its integration with other analysis tools within iTOUGH2 are demonstrated in two examples. The results from using the ROMs in an uncertainty quantification analysis and a global sensitivity analysis compare favorably with the results obtained using the HFMs. GPR is more accurate than RBF, but the difference can be small and similar conclusion can be deduced from the analyses. In the second example involving a realistic numerical model for a hypothetical industrial-scale carbon storage project in the Southern San Joaquin Basin, California, USA, significant reduction in computational effort can be achieved when ROMs are used to perform a rigorous global sensitivity analysis.
Drug combinations for visceral leishmaniasis.

Purpose of reviewSeveral attempts have been made to combine drugs for treating visceral leishmaniasis, but only recently have effective drugs become available and combinations been tested systematically.Recent findingsSequential treatments with liposomal amphotericin B followed by miltefosine or par
The alternative media: open sources on what’s real

To ignore the alternative press is perilous. The Cold War may have ended, but social protest literature abounds, not just on the Web. Grey political left literature deserves more attention as a counterpoint to the misinformation churned out by the corporate media.
Pre-harvest risk factors for Salmonella enterica in pork production ☆

Abstract Salmonella is an important issue to the pork industry worldwide. Although Salmonella has been identified in all links of the pork production chain, there has been increasing focus on the pre-harvest phase (on-farm). Many investigations have been conducted to identify risk factors for Salmonella infections in pigs. In this review, we surveyed the literature to present a compilation of the scientific knowledge currently available about potential pre-harvest risk factors for Salmonella infection in swine populations, and discussed some of the potential fundamental issues associated with this type of on-farm studies. Because of the dynamic relationship between the host (the pig), the agent (Salmonella), and the environment, definitive statements regarding transmission, shedding, and carrier states are difficult. The number of potential sources of Salmonella infections for a swine population is endless, and the pattern of Salmonella transmission and shedding in swine populations is the result of the combination of a variety of factors resulting in a multitude of potential scenarios. Pigs may be infected with Salmonella during any of the production stages on-farm, and as shown in this review, a variety of risk factors may affect the probability of infection. Moreover, between the farm and the abattoir, additional factors can further increase the risk of Salmonella infections. Therefore, at the time of slaughter, the probability of Salmonella infections in pigs results from the occurrence of risk factors on-farm and between the farm and slaughter. Although a variety of risk factors has been reported, the lack of consistency, the methodological limitations, as well as the complex and dynamic epidemiology of Salmonella in swine populations prevent definitive conclusions. Based on the evidence available at the moment, we conclude that pre-harvest Salmonella control programs must be based essentially on strict measures of biosecurity and hygiene, which should minimize the risk of exposure of the pigs to potential infection sources, as well as the persistence of the bacteria in the herd. Moreover, particular attention must be given to the pre-slaughter process of transportation and lairage, where rigorous washing and disinfection programs should be applied.
Forced expression of the homeobox-containing gene Pem blocks differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Similarities in the differentiation of mouse embryos and ES cell embryoid bodies suggest that aspects of early mammalian embryogenesis can be studied in ES cell embryoid bodies. In an effort to understand the regulation of cellular differentiation during early mouse embryogenesis, we altered the expression of the Pem homeobox-containing gene in ES cells. Pem is normally expressed in the preimplantation embryo and expressed in a lineage-restricted fashion following implantation, suggesting a role for Pem in regulating cellular differentiation in the early embryo. Here, we show that the forced expression of Pem from the mouse Pgk-1 promoter in ES cells blocks the in vitro and in vivo differentiation of the cells. In particular, embryoid bodies produced from these Pgk-Pem ES cells do not differentiate into primitive endoderm or embryonic ectoderm, which are prominent features of early embryoid bodies from normal ES cells. This Pgk-Pem phenotype is also different from the null phenotype, as embryoid bodies derived from ES cells in which endogenous Pem gene expression has been blocked show a pattern of differentiation similar to that of normal ES cells. When the Pgk-Pem ES cells were introduced into subcutaneous sites of nude mice, only undifferentiated EC-like cells were found in the teratomas derived from the injected cells. The Pem-dependent block of ES cell differentiation appears to be cell autonomous; Pgk-Pem ES cells did not differentiate when mixed with normal, differentiating ES cells. A block to ES cell differentiation, resulting from the forced expression of Pem, can also be produced by the forced expression of the nonhomeodomain region of Pem. These studies are consistent with a role for Pem in regulating the transition between undifferentiated and differentiated cells of the early mouse embryo.
Structure of 51Cr via 48Ti(4He, nγ) and 51V(p, nγ) prompt γ-ray spectrometry

Abstract The level structure of 51Cr has been studied in some detail via prompt γ-ray energy and intensity measurements utilizing a NaI(Tl)-Ge(Li) anti-Compton spectrometer and a 511-γ-511 escape peak spectrometer via the 51V(p, nγ) reaction with proton energies in the range 2.6–6.0 MeV and via the 48Ti(4He, nγ) reaction with t4He++ energies in the range 12.0–15.0 MeV. Many of the γ-rays associated with levels in 51Cr were identified with the (4He, nγ) or the (p, nγ) reaction by means of nγ coincidence measurements employing an organic phosphor as the fast neutron detector and a Ge(Li) γ-ray detector. Characterization of many levels populated in the (p, nγ) reaction was achieved by means of thresholds for individual γ-rays obtained from measurement of excitation functions of individual γ-rays and from the γγ coincidence relationships established in on-beam γγ coincidence measurements in the 51V(p, nγ) reaction at Ep = 5.0 MeV employing a NaI(Tl) and a Ge(Li) detector. It was thus established that 39 levels in 51Cr are populated in these reactions. The levels at 2255.7, 2385.6, 2767.1 and 3001.6 or 3004.1 keV which were observed in these experiments have not been reported previously. The rest of the levels studied in this work have been studied previously by means of (d, p), (p, d) and (nth, γ) reactions. With the exception of the first six levels, the levels reported here have not been reported previously in the (p, nγ) or the (4He, nγ) reactions. For the levels below 2704 keV in 51Cr branching ratios for deexcitation of these levels by γ-decay were obtained by averaging the measured angular correlation of each γ-ray about the beam direction. The new γ-ray information from the present study was used in conjunction with the results of previously reported (d, p) reaction studies to make definite Jπ assignments to many stripping levels in 51Cr and to place limits to the Jπ values for many levels which were reported earlier to exhibit proton angular distribution patterns from the (d, p) reaction non-characteristic of a stripping reaction. In this work a number of γ-rays were assigned to deexcite levels in 51V that are populated via the 51V(p, p'γ) and 48Ti(4He, pγ) reactions and which were found to compete to a small extent with the (p, nγ) and (4He, nγ) reactions. A tentative decay scheme for the deexcitation of levels in 51V is offered. The level structure of 51Cr and of 51V is compared with previously reported results of the Coriolis coupling model for the f 7 2 . shell and good qualitative agreement in the level ordering is found.
Lattices on parabolic trees

ABSTRACT Let X be a locally finite tree, and . Then G is a locally compact group. A non-uniform X-lattice is a discrete subgroup such that the quotient graph of groups is infinite but has finite covolume, and a non-uniform G-lattice is a discrete subgroup such that is not compact yet has a finite G-invariant measure. We show that if X has a unique end and if G contains a non-uniform X-lattice, then G contains a non-uniform G-lattice if and only if any path directed towards the end of the edge-indexed quotient of X has unbounded index.
The Detection of Single Positive Ions, Electrons and Photons by a Secondary Electron Multiplier

A secondary electron multiplier tube has been developed and used successfully for counting single positive ions, electrons and photons. This tube has twelve electrodes covered with a thin layer of beryllium. Tests have shown that with 330 volts per stage this tube will multiply the primary current by a factor of ${10}^{5}$. The use of guard ring insulation and electrostatic shielding for the final collecting electrode has reduced the background current to an extremely low value. The last electrode was connected to the grid of the first tube in a linear amplifier. In order to count single positive ions or electrons the tube was waxed to the end of a simple magnetic spectrograph. Ions having energies from 50 to 20,000 electron volts and masses from one to 32 were detected. By increasing the gain of the thermionic amplifier electrons could be counted. With still more gain single photons were counted. The multiplier tube has an extremely low background counting rate. Because a pressure of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ mm of Hg is maintained in the counter, it can be connected directly to the vacuum system through which the electrons or positive ions are accelerated. The absence of a thin window between the counter and the vacuum system should be a great advantage in experiments dealing with low energy positive ions or electrons.
The “Highly Satisfied” Teaching Artist in Dance: A Case Study

ABSTRACT What leads a teaching artist to find high levels of satisfaction in her life and work in dance?
A new inversion method to calculate emission inventories without a prior at mesoscale: Application to the anthropogenic CO2 emission from Houston, Texas

[1] We developed a new inversion method to calculate an emission inventory for an anthropogenic pollutant without a prior emission estimate at mesoscale. This method employs slopes between mixing ratio enhancements of a given pollutant (CO2, for instance) with other co-emitted tracers in conjunction with the emission inventories of those tracers (CO, NOy, and SO2 are used in this example). The current application of this method employed in situ measurements onboard the NOAA WP-3 research aircraft during the 2006 Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS 2006). We used 3 different transport models to estimate the uncertainties introduced by the transport models in the inversion. We demonstrated the validity of the new inversion method by calculating a 4 × 4 km2 emission inventory of anthropogenic CO2 in the Houston area in Texas, and comparing it to the 10 × 10 km2 Vulcan emission inventory for the same region. The calculated anthropogenic CO2 inventory for the Houston Ship Channel, home to numerous major industrial and port emission sources, showed excellent agreement with Vulcan. The daytime CO2 average flux from the Ship Channel is the largest urban CO2 flux reported in the literature. Compared to Vulcan, the daytime urban area CO2 emissions were higher by 37% ± 6%. Those differences can be explained by uncertainties in emission factors in Vulcan and by increased emissions from point sources and on-road emitters between 2002, the reference year in Vulcan, and 2006, the year that the TexAQS observations were made.
Significant Life Experiences: A New Research Area in Environmental Education

(1980). Significant Life Experiences: A New Research Area in Environmental Education. The Journal of Environmental Education: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 20-24.
Surgical treatment of laryngomalacia

Laryngomalacia is the most common laryngeal anomaly affecting newborns. It is usually characterized by short aryepiglottic folds, a tightly curled epiglottis, redundant soft tissue overlying the accessory cartilages, and reduced laryngeal tone. It most often presents with high-pitched inspiratory stridor that worsens with feeding, supine positioning, and exertion. Most cases are mild and may be treated successfully with medical and conservative management. More severe cases are often treated with surgical management. This article reviews the indications for surgery and describes various surgical techniques for treatment of laryngomalacia.
Low-power multi-core ATPG to target concurrency

A function-based automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) tool for embedded core testing is presented that reduces test cost and considers test power dissipation of system-on-chip (SoC). Cores are tested concurrently with the use of test functions, as opposed to simple patterns, and by I/O pin allocation on the test access mechanism (TAM) during a compact ATPG process. Turnaround time benefits from pre-existing test vectors, or test functions supplied by the provider of each core. The presented method also targets low-power dissipation by considering the switching activity on the SoC inputs. Experimental results show a significant reduction in the test application time due to the achieved level of concurrency.
Genes and environment: Nosology and psychiatry

Psychiatric syndromal nosology is defined in terms of prototypical symptoms and course. Diagnosis does not depend on knowledge of etiology, pathophysiology or objective tests. Of what use is such a nosology? As formulated by Sydenham, and demonstrated by Kraepelin, certain concatenations of signs and symptoms afford improved prognostic ability. This is highly desirable, especially when treatment is ineffective. More recently, syndromes have provided some guidance for therapeutic choice. However, a syndrome has no claim for etiological homogeneity. Therefore, linkage studies are plagued by phenocopies that amount to false positives. An attempt to deal with the phenocopy problem in the area of depression is presented.
Nicotine and pyrrolidine-induced release of 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine from neoplastic mast cells.

Abstract Nicotine and other pyrrolidines induce the release of the components of the multivesicular granules of mouse neoplastic mast cells, including 5-HT (serotonin), histamine and heparin. The elevation of the pH required for the compounds to show activity makes a mast cell site available for the chemical initiation and the maintenance of the release process. At the optimum pH, only the pyrrolidine ring of the nicotine molecule is needed for activity.