cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the plasma sheet electron pitch angle distribution by whistler-mode chorus waves in non-dipole magnetic fields

Abstract. We present a detailed numerical study on the effects of a non-dipole magnetic field on the Earth's plasma sheet electron distribution and its implication for diffuse auroral precipitation. Use of the modified bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck equation developed in the companion paper by Ni et al. (2012) for 2-D non-dipole magnetic fields suggests that we can adopt a numerical scheme similar to that used for a dipole field, but should evaluate bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients and bounce period related terms in non-dipole magnetic fields. Focusing on nightside whistler-mode chorus waves at L = 6, and using various Dungey magnetic models, we calculate and compare of the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients in each case. Using the Alternative Direction Implicit (ADI) scheme to numerically solve the 2-D Fokker-Planck diffusion equation, we demonstrate that chorus driven resonant scattering causes plasma sheet electrons to be scattered much faster into loss cone in a non-dipole field than a dipole. The electrons subject to such scattering extends to lower energies and higher equatorial pitch angles when the southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) increases in the Dungey magnetic model. Furthermore, we find that changes in the diffusion coefficients are the dominant factor responsible for variations in the modeled temporal evolution of plasma sheet electron distribution. Our study demonstrates that the effects of realistic ambient magnetic fields need to be incorporated into both the evaluation of resonant diffusion coefficients and the calculation of Fokker-Planck diffusion equation to understand quantitatively the evolution of plasma sheet electron distribution and the occurrence of diffuse aurora, in particular at L > 5 during geomagnetically disturbed periods when the ambient magnetic field considerably deviates from a magnetic dipole.
An approach to designing reusable service frameworks via virtual service machine

This paper proposes a new service-computing platform named Virtual Service Machine (VSM). Service computing is a new paradigm for manufacturing IT artifacts, lifting up traditional focus of software development from the level of applications to that of services. Applications are constructed for machines; services are built for people. Applications are targeted to run on a particular platform; services are aimed for serving user's needs. While service computing is getting much more attention than before, its progress is slow and outcomes are not so gratifying. Many service-computing developers are striving to solve the same problems encountered in their counterparts on application development. Middleware is one of many means to address the issue of development barriers for services. However, current forms and functions of middleware software are still impeded by customary mindsets that have been exercised for last couple of decades. We need a new breed of platforms that can further relieve the developers from low-level platform concerns, e.g. hardware, OS, or even middleware itself. VSM is a way towards more effective service- computing development. It provides developers with a reusable service- computing platform to develop their service- based frameworks and applications. This paper proposes an approach of designing reusable service- computing platform via VSM. VSM works by taking incoming service requests and converting them to the executable tasks of the underlying middleware or machine that it is running on. This paper emphasizes on presenting the functionality and major components inside VSM. The comparative study with other service- computing platforms with not be the focus of this paper.
Evaluation of a Scatter/Gather Interface for Supporting Distinct Health Information Search Tasks

Web search engines are important gateways for users to access health information. This study explored whether a search interface based on the Bing API and enabled by Scatter/Gather, a well-known document-clustering technique, can improve health information searches. Forty participants without medical backgrounds were randomly assigned to two interfaces: a baseline interface that resembles typical web search engines and a Scatter/Gather interface. Both groups performed two lookup and two exploratory health-related tasks. It was found that the baseline group was more likely to rephrase queries and less likely to access general-purpose sites than the Scatter/Gather group when completing exploratory tasks. Otherwise, the two groups did not differ in behavior and task performance, with participants in the Scatter/Gather group largely overlooking the features (key words, clusters, and the recluster function) designed to facilitate the exploration of semantic relationships between information objects, a potentially useful means for users in the rather unfamiliar domain of health. The results suggest a strong effect of users' mental models of search on their use of search interfaces and a high cognitive cost associated with using the Scatter/Gather features. It follows that novel features of a search interface should not only be compatible with users' mental models but also provide sufficient affordance to inform users of how they can be used. Compared with the interface, tasks showed more significant impacts on search behavior. In future studies, more effort should be devoted to identify salient features of health-related information needs.
Feeding Relationships Foodways and Social Networks in a Women’s Prison

Research has demonstrated the importance of supportive relationships and social networks to prisoners’ psychosocial outcomes, especially for women. Understanding how these relationships are constru...
Root proteomic responses to heat stress in two Agrostis grass species contrasting in heat tolerance

Protein metabolism plays an important role in plant adaptation to heat stress. This study was designed to identify heat-responsive proteins in roots associated with thermotolerance for two C3 grass species contrasting in heat tolerance, thermal Agrostis scabra and heat-sensitive Agrostis stolonifera L. Plants were exposed to 20 degrees C (control), 30 C (moderate heat stress), or 40 degrees C (severe heat stress) in growth chambers. Roots were harvested at 2 d and 10 d after temperature treatment. Proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seventy protein spots were regulated by heat stress in at least one species. Under both moderate and severe heat stress, more proteins were down-regulated than were up-regulated, and thermal A. scabra roots had more up-regulated proteins than A. stolonifera roots. The sequences of 66 differentially expressed protein spots were identified using mass spectrometry. The results suggested that the up-regulation of sucrose synthase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and heat shock protein Sti (stress-inducible protein) may contribute to the superior root thermotolerance of A. scabra. In addition, phosphoproteomic analysis indicated that two isoforms of fructose-biphosphate aldolase were highly phosphorylated under heat stress, and thermal A. scabra had greater phosphorylation than A. stolonifera, suggesting that the aldolase phosphorylation might be involved in root thermotolerance.
All-optical short pulse translation through cross-phase modulation in a VO_2 thin film

VO2 is a promising material for reconfigurable photonic devices due to the ultrafast changes in electronic and optical properties associated with its dielectric-to-metal phase transition. Based on a fiber-optic, pump-probe setup at 1550 nm wavelength window, and by varying the pump-pulse duration, we show that the material phase transition is primarily caused by the pump-pulse energy. For the first time, we demonstrate that the instantaneous optical phase modulation of probe during pump leading edge can be utilized to create short optical pulses at probe wavelength, through optical frequency discrimination. This circumvents the impact of long recovery time well known for the phase transition of VO2.
Editorial Board Representation: An Alternative Method for Ranking Real Estate Programs

This paper provides a ranking of the academic standing of real estate programs based on faculty representation to the editorial boards of leading core real estate journals for the years 1998 and 2003. The study shows that faculty affiliated with a relatively small group of institutions dominates editorial board representation. The study also shows by comparisons that most of the institutions that are highly ranked for editorial board representation are also highly ranked in previous studies of research productivity based on publications. By focusing only on journals that are universally recognized to be the top journals in real estate, editorial board membership as a ranking method clearly saves time and can be easily done at regular intervals.
Different Mutations in ELOVL4 Affect Very Long Chain Fatty Acid Biosynthesis to Cause Variable Neurological Disorders in Humans

All mammalian cell membranes are characterized by amphipathic lipid molecules that interact with proteins to confer structural and functional properties on the cell. The predominant lipid species are phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipids and cholesterol. These lipids contain fatty acids with variable hydrocarbon chain lengths between C14-C40, either saturated or unsaturated, that are derived from diet, synthesized de novo, or elongated from shorter chain fatty acids by fatty acid elongase enzymes. One member of the family of elongases, ELOngation of Very Long chain fatty acids-4 (ELOVL4), mediates the biosynthesis of both saturated and unsaturated very long chain fatty acids (VLC-FA; > C26) in the retina, meibomian gland, brain, skin, and testis. Different mutations in ELOVL4 cause tissue-specific maculopathy and/or neuro-ichthyotic disorders. The goal of this mini-review is to highlight how different mutations in ELOVL4 can cause variable phenotypic disorder, and propose a possible mechanism, based on the role of fatty acids in membranes, which could explain the different phenotypes.
Semi-empirical modeling and analysis of oil flooded R410A scroll compressors with liquid injection for use in vapor compression systems

Oil flooding is a technique that can be utilized in compression systems to achieve near-isothermal compression. This can lead to a boost in system efficiency and a reduction in compressor power consumption. In this paper a semi-empirical model for oil flooded compressors using liquid injection was developed. The model is validated with experimental data and integrated into a thermodynamic model of a vapor compression system with oil flooding and regeneration. The performance of the heat pump system is predicted and the semi-empirical model is used to identify and estimate the magnitude of the irreversibilities during the compression process. A method for generalizing the model for different working fluids is also presented. Using this model, design recommendations are made to improve the efficiency of the studied liquid flooded compressors for heat pump applications.
An Asymmetric Synthesis of a Chiral Sulfone Acid with Concomitant Hydrolysis and Oxidation to Enable the Preparation of a Glucokinase Activator

This contribution describes the demonstration of an asymmetric synthesis of a glucokinase activator via protonation of the enolate generated from an alkylaryl ketene and (R)-pantolactone. Additionally, a one-pot hydrolysis/oxidation protocol with lithium hydroperoxide was developed to afford a chiral sulfone acid without degradation of the labile stereocenter.
Mitochondrial Quality Control Proteases in Neuronal Welfare

The functional integrity of mitochondria is a critical determinant of neuronal health and compromised mitochondrial function is a commonly recognized factor that underlies a plethora of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Metabolic demands of neural cells require high bioenergetic outputs that are often associated with enhanced production of reactive oxygen species. Unopposed accumulation of these respiratory byproducts over time leads to oxidative damage and imbalanced protein homeostasis within mitochondrial subcompartments, which in turn may result in cellular demise. The post-mitotic nature of neurons and their vulnerability to these stress factors necessitate strict protein homeostatic control to prevent such scenarios. A series of evolutionarily conserved proteases is one of the central elements of mitochondrial quality control. These versatile proteolytic enzymes conduct a multitude of activities to preserve normal mitochondrial function during organelle biogenesis, metabolic remodeling and stress. In this review we discuss neuroprotective aspects of mitochondrial quality control proteases and neuropathological manifestations arising from defective proteolysis within the mitochondrion.
MSCT Features of Pancreatic Injury in Children

Objective TTo study the value of MSCT examination in diagnosis of pancreatic injury.Methods MSCT features of 18 children with pancreatic injury caused by closed abdominal trauma were analyzed retrospectively.4 patients with pancreatic injury had been confirmed by operation.Pancreatic injury were graded according to injury grading criteria.Results The direct signs of pancreatic injury included pancreas enlargement in 7 cases;pancreatic rupture in 5 cases;pancreatic and pancreatic duct rupture in 2 cases;pancreatic hematoma or fluid in 5 cases).The indirect signs included thickening of pancreatic and renal facial in 6 cases,fluid collected in peri-pancreas small bursa omentalis and peri-renal space in 10 cases;peri-pancreatic and retroperitoneal infection in 3 cases;peri-pancreatic pseudocyst in 10 cases.Pancreatic injury were found complicated with liver contusion in 1 case,kidney injury in 1 case,duodenumor injury in 1 case and spleen injury in 2cases.The number ofⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ grade injury were 7,6,3,and 2 cases.Conclusion MSCT should be choosed as the first examination in the diagnosis of pancreatic injury in children.
The Research and Realization of WAP Gateway

WAP gateway is the key part in the WAP application,and it is the bridge which links mobile communication network and Internet.According to the present status that the WAP application comes from Web application,this paper designs a high performing architecture of the WAP gateway,implements the WML encoder,implements the HTML filter,which translate HTML pages to WML pages,in the WAP gateway.
Development of Unstructured Curved Meshes with G1 Surface Continuity for High-Order Finite Element Simulations

This paper presents a curved meshing technique for unstructured tetrahedral meshes where G1 surface continuity is maintained for the triangular element faces representing the curved domain surfaces. A bottom-up curving approach is used to support geometric models with multiple surface patches where either C0 or G1 geometry continuity between patches is desired. Specific parametrization approaches based on Bezier forms and blending functions are used to define the mapping for curved element faces and volumes between parametric and physical coordinate systems. A preliminary result demonstrates that using G1-continuity meshes can improve the solution results obtained.
Calculation of 239Pu Neutron Inelastic Cross Sections

We have calculated cross sections for neutron-induced reactions on 239Pu between 0.001 and 5 MeV, with particular emphasis on inelastic scattering. Coupled-channel and Hauser-Feshbach statistical models were used. Within the coupled-channel calculations we employed neutron optical parameters derived from simultaneous fits to total, elastic, inelastic, and resonance data. The resulting transmission coefficients were used in Hauser-Feshbach statistical calculations having a fission channel based on a double-humped barrier representation. Barrier parameters and transition state enhancements needed to reproduce well the (n,f) cross sections between 0.001 and 5 MeV were in general agreement with those from other published analyses. Calculated compound-nucleus and direct-reaction components for inelastic scattering were combined incoherently, and the resultant cross sections agreed well with the Bruyeres-le-Châtel measurements for scattering from levels occupying the ground state rotational band. Our results are in substantial disagreement with ENDF/B-V values for these levels. We are presently performing DWBA calculations to determine direct-reaction components for states occupying higher-lying vibrational bands.
Intercorporeity: Enaction, Simulation, and the Science of Social Cognition

In this chapter, I want to address two issues. The first one is a local issue within current debates about social cognition pertaining to differences between simulation theory (ST) and interaction theory (IT) in the understanding of intercorporeity. I then want to use this issue to address a larger, less local one concerning science. More specifically, depending on what one concludes about the debate between ST and IT, the implication is that either one can continue to do science as we have been doing it, or one has to do it differently. This distinction between ways of doing science is not the same as the distinction between normal and revolutionary science described by Thomas Kuhn (1962). Something different is at stake. It’s not simply a paradigm shift that would change our conception of nature (or in this case, the nature of human behavior) in a way that would allow us to do science as usual, but rather a change in our conception of nature that would suggest a different way of doing science. This change, I’ll argue, is prefigured in the thinking of Merleau-Ponty (1967, 2012) concerning the notion of form or structure in his early works.
A Survey of Client-Controlled HetNets for 5G

With the rise and widespread deployment of a vast array of wireless radio access technologies (e.g., 3G, 4G/LTE, 802.11, Bluetooth, and Femto) and the growth of interest in potential 5G technologies such as millimeter-wave radio, coupled with the rapid increase in the number of network edge devices with multiple radio interfaces, the question of network control and client-to-base-station association becomes an important issue. Older, well-studied centralized control schemes where a single computational entity harvests channel information from individual clients in order to determine optimal resource allocations for each client is no longer tenable: such methods require significant signaling overhead which does not scale well with the expected number of hundreds of thousands of smart client devices with multiple radio interfaces capable of leveraging many different radio access technologies (RATs). With the rise of these smart devices, which come with significant computational power, it is now possible to ask the question: can the network allow the client control over RAT selection and association in order to meet some client-driven or network-driven objective, and to what degree does the network assist the client in making these choices? This question becomes particularly important given the increasing interest in standardization and deployment of client-controlled edge networking, or Fog networking. In this paper, we explore the spectrum of client-controlled HetNets for 5G networks: from the fully devolved distributed local control approach, where clients make local decisions without any assistance from the network, to the hybrid control approach where clients may make decisions given some global information provided by the network.
Intraoperative PTH Monitoring for Parathyroid Surgery

Intraoperative PTH monitoring is now a commonly utilized tool in the surgical management of patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism. Its use during parathyroidectomy guides the surgeon in operative decision making and is an often critical aspect of the surgery itself. The use of intraoperative PTH monitoring has several benefits over traditional bilateral neck exploration, including shorter operative times and hospital stays, and the reduced potential for complications. Most surgeons recommend using a greater than 50 % PTH drop criterion from the pre-incision PTH value to a 10 min post-excision PTH value for measuring operative success. Additionally, many surgeons recommend a post-excision PTH value that returns to the normal reference range. This criterion has improved accuracy in identifying parathyroid adenomas with reduction of unnecessary bilateral neck exploration. Further investigation is required into the utility and efficacy of intraoperative PTH monitoring for parathyroid disorders other than sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism.
Cranioskeletal Features in Tupaiids and Selected Eutheria as Phylogenetic Evidence

Anyone hoping to illustrate current difficulties with mammalian systematics might well recruit the problem of tree shrew relationships as an heuristic example. Despite the numerous, and often excellent, taxonomic and comparative studies on the subject, the phyletic position of tupaiids within the Eutheria is far from satisfactorily ascertained. The relationships of these animals have been investigated through studies of a broad spectrum of morphological and biochemical evidence, but osteological features are emphasized in many published interpretations (see Luckett, this volume).
Force-induced cleavage of a labile bond for enhanced mechanochemical crosslinking

We introduce a simple, yet powerful approach towards force-induced healing polymers. While most synthetic polymers fail in response to stress and have no recovery mechanism, we demonstrate that polymers containing a thiocarbonylthio group exhibit amplified mechanochemical activity. In the presence of a crosslinker, the radicals generated from homolytic cleavage are exploited to trigger a ‘healing’ response within minutes.
Rotating Hinge Implants for Complex Primary and Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Contemporary rotating hinge knee (RHK) prosthesis has shown improved survival rates over earlier generations. However, reports of high complication and mechanical failure rates highlight the need for more clinical outcome data in the complex primary and revision setting. The purpose of this study is to report our results of using a contemporary rotating hinge for complex primary and revision total knee arthroplasty. Methods Using a prospectively maintained surgical database, 79 knees in 76 patients who underwent an RHK of a single design for either a complex primary (14 knees) or revision total knee arthroplasty (65 knees) were identified. This included 19% undergoing an RHK for periprosthetic joint infection and 32.9% who had concomitant extensor mechanism repair. The cohort consisted of 60 women and 16 men with a mean age of 66.7 years (range 39-89) at the time of surgery. Patient outcomes were assessed using Knee Society Scores and radiographs were reviewed for signs of wear and loosening. Failure rates were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results At a minimum of 2 years, 13 patients had died and 4 were lost to follow-up, leaving 62 knees in 59 patients who were followed for a mean of 55.2 months (range 24-146). The mean Knee Society Scores improved from 35.7 to 66.2 points ( P Conclusion Despite improvements in design and biomaterials, there remains a relatively high complication rate associated with the use of a modern RHK implant. While aseptic loosening was rare, periprosthetic fracture, infection, and extensor mechanism failure were substantial emphasizing the complex nature of these cases.
Developing Occupation-Centered Programs with the Community (3rd Edition)

Considering the changing health care environment and emphasis on home and community, “Developing Occupation-Centered Programs With the Community, Third Edition,” provides timely updates to communit...
Race and the Epigenetics of Memory

In my brief response to Terence Keel’s essay “Race on Both Sides of the Razor,” I focus on something as pertinent as alleles and social construction: how we write history and how we memorialize the past. Current DNA analysis promises to remap our past and interrogate certainties that we have taken for granted. For the purposes of this commentary I call this displacing of known histories the epigenetics of memory. Just as environmental stimuli rouse epigenetic mechanisms to produce lasting change in behavior and neural function, the unearthing of forgotten bodies, forgotten lives, has a measurable effect on how we act and think and what we believe. The act of writing history, memorializing the lives of others, is a stimulus that reshapes who and what we are. We cannot disentangle the discussion about the social construction of race and biological determinism from the ways in which we have written—and must write going forward—about race. To the debate about social construction and biological variation we must add the heft of historical context, which allows us to place these two ideas in dialogue with each other. Consequently, before addressing the themes in Keel’s provocative opening essay and John Hartigan’s response, I speak about dead bodies—specifically, cemeteries for Black bodies. Three examples—one each from Atlanta, Georgia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Mexico—illustrate how dead bodies must enter our current debates about race, science, and social constructions.
Social Equity in the Twenty-First Century: An Essay in Memory of Philip J. Rutledge

(2008). Social Equity in the Twenty-First Century: An Essay in Memory of Philip J. Rutledge. Journal of Public Affairs Education: Vol. 14, Symposium on Social Equity and Diversity, pp. 1-8.
The slow motion of two particles symmetrically placed about the axis of a circular cylinder in a direction perpendicular to their line of centers

Numerical values are provided which enable the trictional force and torque on the reference sphere to be computed for the particular case when two spheres move in a direction perpendicular to their line of centers symmetrically placed about the axis of a circular cylinder. Results for this motion are also expressed in terms of the ratio of frictional forces experienced by 1) a body of arbitrary shape in a bounded fluid with another particle and 2) the body now moving alone with the same speed and orientation in the same but unbounded fluid. The computation furnishes the interaction and wall corrections correct to the first order in the ratios of characteristic particle dimension to characteristic distance of the particle from another object.
Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcome Of CNS Involvement (Bing-Neel Syndrome) In Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia

Background Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinaemia (WM) is an IgM secreting lymphoplasmocytic lymphoma characterized by involvement mainly in the bone marrow, and occasionally in the lymph nodes and spleen. Central nervous system involvement of WM, known as Bing-Neel syndrome (BNS), is very uncommon and as such the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes remain to be clarified. Methods We evaluated the incidence, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcome of BNS among patients with WM who were diagnosed at our Institution. Results We identified 13 patients with BNS from our database of 1,523 patients diagnosed with WM from 1999 -2013. The median age at diagnosis of BNS was 60 (range 51-75 years). The median time to development of BNS after WM diagnosis was 6.3 (range 0.3-11.9 years). Patients presented with a variety of neurological signs and symptoms including seizures, hearing loss, cognitive impairment, gait instability and lower extremity weakness. The diagnosis of BNS was confirmed by MRI in 11, and by examination of the CSF in 12 patients. CSF cytopathologic analysis demonstrated definitive evidence of malignant lymphoplasmacytic cells in 6 patients, and was suspicious for malignant cells in 2 patients. CSF flow cytometry was positive in 8, and a clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement was identified in 6 patients. MYD88 L265P was identified in CSF sample of two patients in whom this examination was undertaken, and who demonstrated malignant disease by flow cytometry and cytological examination. Seven patients were treated with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), 2 with intrathecal liposomal cytarabine, 1 with rituximab and intrathecal methotrexate, and 1 with rituximab and bendamustine. One patient was recommended treatment with HD-MTX and was lost to follow-up, 1 has been initiated on HD-MTX. Of 11 patients, 5 had a response in CSF and/or MRI, 4 had stable disease and 1 progressed following therapy. Of the responders, 2 patients had received HD-MTX, 2 intrathecal liposomal cytarabine and 1 rituximab-bendamustine. Four patients with stable disease had received HD-MTX. One patient who received intrathecal MTX developed treatment related “chemical meningitis”, and was subsequently treated with HD-MTX to which she had a CSF response. The median overall survival was not reached. Eleven patients are alive, 1 died and 1 was lost to follow-up. Conclusions BNS is an uncommon late complication of WM. MYD88 L265P may help in the diagnosis of BNS, and may represent a novel approach for targeted therapy of WM. HD-MTX is active in the treatment of BNS, though prospective studies are required to standardize treatment and improve outcomes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Chapter 23 Immunoprecipitation Procedures

Publisher Summary Immunoprecipitation is a procedure useful in the determination of many of the properties of proteins for which specific antibodies are available. These include the presence and quantity of a protein in a cell, the molecular weight, the rate of synthesis or degradation, posttranslational modification, and the association of proteins in native hetero-oligomers. Immunoprecipitation consists of several steps: (1) preparing the cells, (2) labeling the antigen, (3) lysis of the cells, (4) preabsorption of the lysate, (5) formation of the antigen-antibody complex, (6) precipitation of the primary antibody with protein A attached to a matrix, (7) washing the immunoprecipitate, and (8) electrophoresis of the immune complex. Metabolic labeling with [ 35 S] methionine is the most commonly used method for labeling antigens in studies involving immunoprecipitation. The 35 S signal is easy to detect, and the intracellular pool of methionine is small. Labels that detect post-translational modifications can also be used.
Controversial Science Issues

Concepts, such as evolution, stem cell research, clone research, climate change,and the existence of great lengths of geologic time may conflict with students’ personal, religious, or political views and ideologies causing discomfort, uncertainty, denial, or changing in one’s thinking based on the data or facts presented.
Fusion of Digital Engineering and Statistical Approach

Thank you, Dr. Nishina, for that introduction. It is a real pleasure to speak to you all today!
Elevated Nitrite Occurrence in Biological Wastewater Treatment Systems

The initial conversion of ammonium to nitrite by Nitrosomonas has traditionally been regarded as the rate-limiting step for nitrification metabolism. This perspective implicitly assumes that subsequent oxidation of nitrite by Nitrobacter occurs more rapidly, and that NO2 concentrations are consequently maintained at low, sub-mg/L values. However, numerous bench- and full-scale nitrification systems have reportedly encountered elevated nitrite concentrations. Several concerns are generated by this circumstance, including: a) an increased chlorine demand, b) an increased effluent nitrogenous oxygen demand, c) potential nitrite toxicity, and d) possible nitrosamine formation. This paper consequently provides an overview of seven conditions which could lead to elevated nitrite occurrence in biological nitrification systems.
The rapid effects of estrogen are implicated in estrogen-mediated neuroprotection

A review of the literature reveals an impressively broad spectrum of effects of the hormone estrogen in the CNS. One of the more recently documented is the ability of estrogen to protect neurons from cell death associated with a variety of insults. While some of these actions can be attributed to nuclear effects of the hormone, mediated by the estrogen receptors alpha and/or beta, an increasing number of these effects appear to result from actions of the hormone mediated by signal transduction pathways traditionally associated with activation of membrane receptors. Here, we review current findings on actions of estrogen mediated by two pathways: those dependent on cAMP and Protein Kinase A, and those related to activation of the Mitogen Acivated Protein Kinase cascade. The evidence that estrogen can rapidly activate either pathway, and the potential involvement of the estrogen receptors alpha or beta acting in the vicinity of the cell membrane will be discussed. The possible role of MAP-Kinase activation and BCL-2 induction in the phenomenon of estrogen-neuroprotection will also be addressed.
Leukopenia and lack of ribavirin predict poor outcomes in patients with haematological malignancies and respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Objectives Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection causes morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. However, studies describing this infection in patients with haematological malignancies are scarce. We sought to evaluate the clinical impact of RSV infection on this patient population. Methods We reviewed the records of patients with haematological malignancies and RSV infections cared for at our institution between January 2000 and March 2013. Results Of the 181 patients, 71 (39%) had AML, ALL or myelodysplastic syndrome, 12 (7%) had CML or CLL, 4 (2%) had Hodgkin lymphoma, 35 (19%) had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 59 (33%) had multiple myeloma. Most patients [117 (65%)] presented with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and 15 (13%) had a subsequent lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). The overall LRTI rate was 44% and the 90 day mortality rate was 15%. Multivariable regression analysis showed that having both neutropenia and lymphocytopenia (adjusted OR = 7.17, 95% CI = 1.94-26.53, P < 0.01) and not receiving ribavirin-based therapy during RSV URTI (adjusted OR = 0.03; 95% CI = 0.01-0.11, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for LRTI. Having both neutropenia and lymphocytopenia at RSV diagnosis was also a risk factor for death at 90 days after RSV diagnosis (adjusted OR = 4.32, 95% CI = 1.24-15.0, P = 0.021). Conclusions Patients with haematological malignancies and RSV infections, especially those with immunodeficiency, may be at risk of LRTI and death; treatment with ribavirin during RSV URTI may prevent these outcomes.
Effect of music tempo on operating room preparation time.

Most operating rooms around the world play music, both during the surgeries and in between cases. We investigated whether music tempo (fast or slow) can affect the operating room preparation time i...
The competitive uncertainty, marketing and non-market roots of capability deployment and organisational performance in Turkey

This paper assesses how competitive uncertainty shapes strategic emphasis, capability development, and organisational performance in an emerging economy. Non-market strategy (NMS) is introduced as a strategic orientation focused on strategic liaison, corporate political activity (CPA), and environmental management. Data collection occurred in Turkey, an emerging economy known historically as a regional centre of commerce, but increasingly defined by political and economic uncertainty. Analyses demonstrated that competitive uncertainty impacts emphasis on NMS, marketing strategy, and marketing capabilities, but an unexpected, positive link between NMS and marketing capabilities was also observed. Although no direct NMS-performance link was found, evidence points to NMS as a necessary, but insufficient ingredient for success in an emerging economy environment.
Contributions of Graham Jullien and William Miller to Modified Quadratic Number System Arithmetic

Quadratic Residue Number System (QRNS) arithmetic became very popular in the early 1980’s. QRNS allows one to compute the multiplication of two complex numbers with only two real multiplies as compared to the four multiplies required in normal complex multiplication. This is particularly useful in the computation of Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), Complex Number Theoretic Transforms (CNTT) and digital filters with complex coefficients. However, QRNS requires the RNS moduli to be prime numbers of the form 4k + 1 or composite numbers with prime factors of that form. This restriction eliminates some of the most desirable moduli for RNS number systems. In 1986, Graham Jullien and William Miller introduced what they called Modified Quadratic Number Systems (MQRNS) which allowed any set of valid RNS moduli to be used in an MQRNS system in which two complex numbers could be multiplied with three real multiplications: one more that QRNS, but one less than normal complex multiplication. This MQRNS system lent itself well to applications in FFT, CNTT and digital filters with complex coefficients including complex heterodyne tunable filters.
Scn4b regulates the hypnotic effects of ethanol and other sedative drugs

The voltage-gated sodium channel subunit β4 (SCN4B) regulates neuronal activity by modulating channel gating and has been implicated in ethanol consumption in rodent models and human alcoholics. However, the functional role for Scn4b in ethanol-mediated behaviors is unknown. We determined if genetic global knockout (KO) or targeted knockdown of Scn4b in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) altered ethanol drinking or related behaviors. We used four different ethanol consumption procedures (continuous and intermittent two-bottle choice (2BC), drinking-in-the dark and chronic intermittent ethanol vapor) and found that male and female Scn4b KO mice did not differ from their wild-type (WT) littermates in ethanol consumption in any of the tests. Knockdown of Scn4b mRNA in the CeA also did not alter 2BC ethanol drinking. However, Scn4b KO mice showed longer duration of the loss of righting reflex induced by ethanol, gaboxadol, pentobarbital and ketamine. KO mice showed slower recovery to basal levels of handling-induced convulsions after ethanol injection, which is consistent with the increased sedative effects observed in these mice. However, Scn4b KO mice did not differ in the severity of acute ethanol withdrawal. Acoustic startle responses, ethanol-induced hypothermia and clearance of blood ethanol also did not differ between the genotypes. There were also no functional differences in the membrane properties or excitability of CeA neurons from Scn4b KO and WT mice. Although we found no evidence that Scn4b regulates ethanol consumption in mice, it was involved in the acute hypnotic effects of ethanol and other sedatives.
Detecting Disengagement From HIV Care Before It Is Too Late: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Novel Index of Engagement in HIV Care.

Background:Engagement in care is critical to achieving and sustaining optimal benefits of efficacious antiretroviral therapies for HIV infection. Current metrics of engagement in care, including problematic patterns of retention in care, adherence to treatment, and viral suppression, are often detec
Classwide Investigation of Absolute and Relative Scaling Conceptions of Students in Introductory College Chemistry.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has outlined four themes that define science literacy; these are systems, models, constancy and change, and scale. More recently, the ...
Assessment of Adolescent and Adult Intelligence

In general adult and adolescent intelligence is assessed for reasons similar to those for children. In a survey of American Psychological Association (APA) members, Harrison, Kaufman, Hickman, and Kaufman (1988) found that the main reason for the use of intelligence tests with adults was to measure an individual“s cognitive potential or capacity. This is usually the overarching reason that children are assessed. The second reason cited by respondents in the Harrison et al. study was to gather clinically useful information. Respondents also listed assessment of the functional integrity of the brain as important. In this survey, respondents indicated that they assess a rather normal distribution of adults across all IQ levels, except for a relative bulge in the category listed as below 70. Fewer than half of the APA respondents used intelligence tests for the purpose of either educational or vocational placement or intervention. As most school-age children and adolescents are tested for the purpose of educational placement and intervention, this last finding clearly highlights a difference between the assessment of children or adolescents and adults.
Perceptions of scheduled vs. unscheduled directly observed visits in an internal medicine residency outpatient clinic

Learners may subconsciously change their behavior once they know they are being observed, and this Hawthorne effect should be considered when designing assessments of learner behavior. While there is a growing body of literature to suggest direct observation is the ideal standard for formative assessment, the best method to directly observe learners is unknown. We explored scheduled and unscheduled methods of direct observation among internal medicine residents in the outpatient continuity clinic to advance the understanding of both observation methods. We conducted a thematic analysis of faculty and internal medicine residents in an outpatient clinic setting. A semi-structured interview guide for focus group sessions was created. Focus groups were used to explore the internal medicine resident and core teaching faculty perceptions of the scheduled and unscheduled direct observation methods in the outpatient clinc. An experienced qualitative research interviewer external to the internal medicine residency was moderating the sessions. Eight peer focus groups were held. Abstraction of themes from focus group transcripts identified resident and faculty perceptions of the different observation methods. Focus groups had 14 resident participants and 14 faculty participants. Unscheduled observations were felt to be more authentic than scheduled observations since residents perceived their behavior to be unmodified. Unscheduled observations allowed for increased numbers of observations per resident, which permitted more frequent formative assessments. Residents and faculty preferred remote video observation compared to in-room observation. Participants found direct observation a useful learning tool for high-yield, specific feedback. Unscheduled remote direct observation captures authentic clinical encounters while minimizing learner behavior modification. An unscheduled observation approach results in more frequent formative assessment and therefore in more instances of valuable feedback compared to scheduled observations. These findings can help guide the best practice approaches to direct clinical observation in order to enhance residents learning and experience.
Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Predict Transition to Future Adolescent and Young Adult Moderate to Heavy Drinking in the NCANDA Sample

Approximately two-thirds of youth report experiencing or witnessing a trauma. It is not known whether trauma or the posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following trauma increases adolescent drinking risk. We described trauma experienced by the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) longitudinal sample (N = 831) participants and examined drinking over 4 years. We hypothesize that more traumatic events and PTSS will predict transition to moderate/heavy drinking. A total of 658 no/low drinkers at baseline were followed yearly for 4 years for transition to moderate/heavy drinking using logistic regression models. Youth were grouped by no trauma (n = 257), trauma (n = 348), and trauma with PTSS (n = 53). Those with trauma and PTSS showed escalation to moderate/heavy drinking compared with the no trauma group in follow-up years 2, 3, and 4. Number of traumatic events did not predict moderate/heavy drinking. Interventions targeting PTSS may prevent transition to moderate/heavy drinking.
Effects of varying dietary levels of digestible protein and digestible energy on growth performance in juvenile Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkia bouvieri)

Abstract Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) are widely cultured in state and federal hatcheries and private farms throughout the Western United States for stock supplementation or recreational fisheries. Cutthroat Trout culture techniques often rely on methods borrowed from the culture of closely related Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Even though commercial feeds for Rainbow Trout are commonly utilized, these formulations are unlikely to be optimal for Cutthroat Trout growth. Therefore, in an effort to determine an optimal digestible protein to digestible energy ratio for raising Cutthroat Trout more efficiently, eight diets formulated with 4 different levels of digestible protein (DP: 32.5 %, 37 %, 41.7 % and 46 %) and 2 different levels of digestible energy (DE: 4370 kcal/kg and 4770 kcal/kg) were fed to triplicate tanks of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and compared with a commercial Rainbow Trout diet over a 12 week study. All test diets performed better on indices of biomass accrual than the commercially available diet. Results suggest commercially available Rainbow Trout diets are less efficient formulations for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and new formulations should be considered. Optimizing digestibility, protein retention, minimizing lipid accrual, and maintaining high biomass gain in tanks, leads to the conclusion that a diet representing a DP:DE of 68.4 mg kcal−1 performed best. Moreover, protein retention decreased as DP:DE increased across test diets. Retention of lipids and gross energy did not appear to be significantly altered by dietary DP or DE.
Understanding the Impact of a Serrated Trailing Edge on the Unsteady Hydrodynamic Field

AbstractTrailing edge noise is a common noise source in aerodynamic applications. Many prior experiments have shown that trailing edge serrations can reduce this noise, but the mechanism by which s...
First measurement of a 2.5 MeV RFQ output emittance with 1 part-per-million dynamic range

Abstract Accurate characterization and prediction of beam halo has been historically prohibited by an inability to measure beam phase distributions with the required sensitivity level. To address this limitation, a system for measuring transverse beam emittance with very high dynamic range is developed at the Spallation Neutron Source Beam Test Facility. An emittance of a 20 mA H- beam is measured at the 2.5 MeV RFQ exit with the dynamic range larger than 1-part-per-million for the first time. Though no obvious halo is observed within this dynamic range for this particular configuration, the measurement demonstrates a capability to resolve beam distributions at the level required for inspection and characterization of beam halo.