cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volatile Fatty Acid Production by the Hindgut Microbiota of Xylophagous Termites

Acetate dominated the extracellular pool of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the hindgut fluid of Reticulitermes flavipes, Zootermopsis angusticollis, and Incisitermes schwarzi, where it occurred at concentrations of 57.9 to 80.6 mM and accounted for 94 to 98 mol% of all VFAs. Small amounts of C3 to C5 VFAs were also observed. Acetate was also the major VFA in hindgut homogenates of Schedorhinotermes lamanianus, Prorhinotermes simplex, Coptotermes formosanus, and Nasutitermes corniger. Estimates of in situ acetogenesis by the hindgut microbiota of R. flavipes (20.2 to 43.3 nmol · termite−1 · h−1) revealed that this activity could support 77 to 100% of the respiratory requirements of the termite (51.6 to 63.6 nmol of O2 · termite−1 · h−1). This conclusion was buttressed by the demonstration of acetate in R. flavipes hemolymph (at 9.0 to 11.6 mM), but not in feces, and by the ability of termite tissues to readily oxidize acetate to CO2. About 85% of the acetate produced by the hindgut microbiota was derived from cellulose C; the remainder was derived from hemicellulose C. Selective removal of major groups of microbes from the hindgut of R. flavipes indicated that protozoa were primarily responsible for acetogenesis but that bacteria also functioned in this capacity. H2 and CH4 were evolved by R. flavipes (usually about 0.4 nmol · termite−1 · h−1), but these compounds represented a minor fate of electrons derived from wood dissimilation within R. flavipes. A working model is proposed for symbiotic wood polysaccharide degradation in R. flavipes, and the possible roles of individual gut microbes, including CO2-reducing acetogenic bacteria, are discussed.
An experimental investigation of the flow of non-Newtonian fluids between rotating disks

The results of an experimental investigation on the flow of a non-Newtonian fluid between rotating, parallel disks are described in this paper. These results are qualitatively different from those exhibited by linearly viscous fluids in that a narrow layer of exceedingly high velocity gradients appears in the non-Newtonian fluid.
Small signal modeling and networked control of a PHEV charging facility

The introduction of communication systems to power system controllers have brought in another layer of complexity in their design and operation. In this paper a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) charging facility is studied. A linearized model of the facility is built including both the dc/dc and dc/ac converters of the Distributed Energy Resources (DER). In addition, a control strategy that includes both local and networked loops is proposed to monitor and control the dc bus voltage of a Local Energy Storage (LES) unit. This dc bus voltage is crucial to the self-sustaining capabilities of the system. Impacts of different communication factors to the system stability are analyzed. Lastly, the small signal model, control strategy, and stability analysis are verified with real time simulations.
Discovery and Physics of Superconductivity Above 90K

The search for superconductivity with a practically high transition Tc, i.e. above 7 7K-the liquid nitrogen temperature, has been one of the most challenging tasks of physicists and material scientists ever since the discovery of superconductivity in 1911. In spite of the great efforts over the last three quarters of a century, until 1986 T had been raised by only 20K, to 2 3.2K first observed1 in 1973. In view of the slow progress, many non-conventional approaches have been proposed and tested. They fall into the general categories of synthesizing and investigating novel materials under normal and extreme conditions, and the search for novel superconducting mechanisms. There exist, to date, no definitive guidelines to predict material systems that will exhibit high Tc and/or novel superconducting mechanisms. In this respect, an empirical search for new high-Tc materials remains the most effective approach. It has been suggested2 that it may be fruitful to investigate superconductivity under various conditons in compounds generally not favorable for conventional superconductivity. The superconducting oxides are examples of such systems, since the great majority of the known superconductors are inter-metallic compounds.
The Seasonal Incidence of Culicoides in Southern Louisiana (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

This study is based on collections from light traps at more than 30 widely distributed stations in southern Louisiana. Most of the traps were operated throughout the year by the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association. Of the 22 Culicoides species identified, 15 constitute new records for the State. The seasonal incidence is given for each species, and particularly for C. hollensis (Melander and Brues), which is the most prevalent Culicoides in this area.
The contribution of individual and pairwise combinations of SNPs in the APOA1 and APOC3 genes to interindividual HDL-C variability

Apolipoproteins (apo) A-I and C-III are components of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), a quantitative trait negatively correlated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We analyzed the contribution of individual and pairwise combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the APOA1/APOC3 genes to HDL-C variability to evaluate (1) consistency of published single-SNP studies with our single-SNP analyses; (2) consistency of single-SNP and two-SNP phenotype–genotype relationships across race-, gender-, and geographical location-dependent contexts; and (3) the contribution of single SNPs and pairs of SNPs to variability beyond that explained by plasma apo A-I concentration. We analyzed 45 SNPs in 3,831 young African–American (N=1,858) and European–American (N=1,973) females and males ascertained by the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. We found three SNPs that significantly impact HDL-C variability in both the literature and the CARDIA sample. Single-SNP analyses identified only one of five significant HDL-C SNP genotype relationships in the CARDIA study that was consistent across all race-, gender-, and geographical location-dependent contexts. The other four were consistent across geographical locations for a particular race–gender context. The portion of total phenotypic variance explained by single-SNP genotypes and genotypes defined by pairs of SNPs was less than 3%, an amount that is miniscule compared to the contribution explained by variability in plasma apo A-I concentration. Our findings illustrate the impact of context-dependence on SNP selection for prediction of CVD risk factor variability.
A new learning approach to enhance the storage capacity of the Hopfield model

A new learning technique is introduced to solve the problem of the small and restrictive storage capacity of the Hopfield model. The technique exploits the maximum storage capacity. It fails only if appropriate weights do not exist to store the given set of patterns. The technique is not based on the concept of function minimization. Thus, there is no danger of getting stuck in local minima. The technique is free from the step size and moving target problems. Learning speed is very fast and depends on difficulties presented by the training patterns and not so much on the parameters of the algorithm. The technique is scalable. Its performance does not degrade as the problem size increases. An extensive analysis of the learning technique is provided through simulation results. >
Switching prioritized packets

The authors investigate methods of increasing the suitability of packet switching for time-critical, applications (for example, packet video or voice) and of specifying packets that can be discarded in the event of resource exhaustion. They introduce and expand the notion of packet priority and explore the suitability of a number of switch models for prioritization: input queuing, output queuing, input smoothing, and shared buffer approaches. Implementation issues for each of the models are also discussed, and sample implementations are given. >
Intramolecular C–H activation by air-stable Pt(II) phosphite complexes

Abstract Air-stable L 2 PtMe 2 complexes ligated by bulky aryl phosphite ligands were synthesized and characterized. The aryl phosphite ligands were prepared from substituted phenols and PCl 3 or P(NMe 2 ) 3 without the use of an external base. The steric environment of the phenol controlled the number of substitutions at P(NMe 2 ) 3 , resulting in selective formation of P(NMe 2 )(O-2,6-Me 2 C 6 H 3 ) 2 . The phosphite ligands and their corresponding platinum(II) complexes were found to be air stable and robust. X-ray diffraction structures of the platinum(II) complexes were obtained in order to determine the steric environment around the metal centers. Thermolysis of the L 2 PtMe 2 complexes in C 6 D 6 at 100 °C results in loss of methane and formation of one major platinum-containing product in high yield. The products of thermolysis were found to be a result of cyclometalation by C–H activation of a sp 3 C–H bond in the ligand to form a 6-membered ring, as confirmed by X-ray crystallography.
Lasting Effects of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

The number one cause of death and disability in children and teenagers is traumatic brain injury. Despite this fact, this clinical scourge receives limited research investigation. Given the remarkable recovery often seen after focal childhood brain injuries (infarction, hemorrhage, surgical excision), there is a common misconception that the younger brain is always more resilient. However, increasing evidence suggests that this assumption is incorrect. First, TBI represents a diffuse type of brain injury, and both clinical and laboratory studies suggest that the immature brain is less capable of recovering from such damage. Second, there appear to be developmental windows wherein diffuse injury can result in lost potential; at time this loss may only be detectable at a later stage of brain maturation. In addition to understanding these complex concepts of TBI sustained during development, consideration will also be given to relating these concepts to chronic sequelae of pediatric TBI, including cell death and regional brain atrophy, cognitive and behavioral deficits, and altered trajectories of brain maturation.
Weak production of nuclear resonances in relativistic quark model

The cross-section for neutrino excitation of a nucleon resonance can be expressed by three partial cross-sectionsσR, σL andσS. These are directly given in terms of matrix elements of the weak currents. Taking the current matrix elements from a relativistic quark model, we calculate the production cross-sections for all the nucleon resonances of the harmonic-oscillator baryon spectrum with massM < 1750 MeV. It is found that outside the forward direction whereσS dominates,σR andσS are small compared withσL in the whole resonance region considered. The calculated cross-section and density matrix elements for the P33(1236) resonance are in good agreement with the recent Argonne experiment.
Effects of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring and film cooling on the passage flowfield in a linear turbine cascade

The time-resolved flowfield is measured in the passage of a linear turbine cascade to show the effects of endwall film cooling and non-axisymmetric endwall contouring on the passage secondary flows. A particle image velocimetry system is used in three measurement planes: the plane at the exit of the passage and two streamwise planes along the blade suction side. In the downstream half of the passage, the passage vortex moves away from the endwall toward the midspan, but closely follows the profile of the blade suction side. The secondary velocity vectors and vorticity fields in the passage exit plane indicate the large size of the passage vortex. The measured velocities in the streamwise measurement planes reveal the trajectory of the passage vortex as well as steep gradients in the direction normal to the blade surface. The passage vortex can also be identified by elevated flow unsteadiness as reported by turbulent kinetic energy levels. When passage film cooling is added, the size of the passage vortex, secondary velocities, and exit plane turbulent kinetic energy are all increased. Endwall contouring has the opposite effect, reducing the passage vortex size, the secondary velocities, and exit plane turbulent kinetic energy.
Patient With Slow-Growing Mediastinal Mass Presents With Chest Pain and Dyspnea.

A 52-year-old white woman presented with severe pain over the right upper abdomen and nonpleuritic, right-sided, lower chest-wall pain. Her pain had progressively gotten more frequent and severe over the last 5 months. It was also associated with a nonexertional, pressure-like sensation in the central chest. The patient denied any shortness of breath, fevers, cough, or any sputum production. She was taking levothyroxine for hypothyroidism and was a 30-pack-year current smoker; there was no history of drug abuse or occupational exposure. Previous chest radiographs dating back to 5 years consistently showed an elevated right-sided hemidiaphragm without any infiltrates or effusions; cardiomediastinal structures were unremarkable. She had not had a previous workup for these abnormal findings.
Optimal precursors of different types of ENSO events

Not all El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are the same. Their global impacts can differ substantially depending on whether the associated sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are stronger in the central Pacific (CP) or the eastern Pacific (EP). The predictability of such differences is therefore of interest. In this study, the optimal two-season precursors of different ENSO types are investigated in a linear inverse modeling framework using observational SST and thermocline depth data for 1958–2007. It is shown that different SST precursor types alone do not favor the generation of different ENSO types. However, initial subsurface conditions characterized by a deeper thermocline in the eastern Pacific and a shallower thermocline in the central Pacific favor the generation of EP-type events, while a shallower thermocline in the east and a deeper thermocline in the central/western Pacific are conducive to CP-type events. The predictability of different ENSO types thus depends importantly on initial subsurface conditions.
Municipal Borrowing Costs and the Differential Impact of Accounting Information Across Rating Categories

Prior research (Wallace, 1981 Wilson and Howard, 1984) has implicitly as­sumed that the impact of accounting information on municipal borrowing costs is the same across all bond rating groups. This paper provides empirical evidence that the demand for accounting information is a function of default risk and suggests a means for improving the power of bond default risk models to detect accounting effects.
Beam manipulation techniques, nonlinear beam dynamics, and space charge effect in high energy high power accelerators

We had carried out a design of an ultimate storage ring with beam emittance less than 10 picometer for the feasibility of coherent light source at X-ray wavelength. The accelerator has an inherent small dynamic aperture. We study method to improve the dynamic aperture and collective instability for an ultimate storage ring. Beam measurement and accelerator modeling are an integral part of accelerator physics. We develop the independent component analysis (ICA) and the orbit response matrix method for improving accelerator reliability and performance. In collaboration with scientists in National Laboratories, we also carry out experimental and theoretical studies on beam dynamics. Our proposed research topics are relevant to nuclear and particle physics using high brightness particle and photon beams.
Seizure prediction using cross-correlation and classification

Prediction of seizures is a difficult problem as the EEG patterns are not wide-sense stationary and change from seizure to seizure, electrode to electrode, and from patient to patient. This paper presents a novel patient-specific algorithm for prediction of seizures in epileptic patients. Cross-correlation coefficients are extracted every 2 seconds using a 4-second window with 50% overlap from focus electrodes identified by the epileptologist. Features are further processed by a second-order Kalman filter and then input to three different classifiers which include AdaBoost, radial basis function kernel support vector machine (RBF-SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The algorithm is tested on the long-term intra-cranial EEG (iEEG) database collected at the UMN epilepsy clinic. This database includes EEG recordings from 2 patients sampled from varying number of electrodes sampled at 2kHz. It is shown that the proposed algorithm achieves a high sensitivity and a low false positive rate.
Inhibition of Experimental Auricular Fibrillation by Procaine and Other Substances.

SummaryAt least three local anesthetics, procaine, pontocaine and nupercaine can inhibit experimental auricular fibrillation in dogs.
An Elementary Development of the Jordan Canonical Form

(1962). An Elementary Development of the Jordan Canonical Form. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 391-393.
Imaging the dimers in Si(111) 7×7

Recent work has demonstrated that high resolution electron microscopy in plan-view imaging mode is capable of directly imaging surfaces at a resolution of better than 2 A. For the particular case of the Si (111) 7x7 surface, we have been able to image not only the adatoms visible in STM images, but all the atoms in the top three atomic layers including the dimers. The potential applications of this approach and its limitations will be discussed.
Sympathetic activation induces asynchronous contraction in awake dogs with regional denervation

To determine effects of regional left ventricular (LV) denervation on regional contractile responses to sympathetic activation, dogs with posterior LV wall denervation (posterior wall-denervated group) and dogs with innervated posterior LV walls (intact group) were studied during excitement, exercise, bilateral sympathetic nerve stimulation, and norepinephrine infusion. In intact conscious dogs, all modes of sympathetic activation increased the magnitude and decreased the time of onset of systolic wall thickening (WT) similarly in the anterior and posterior wall. In the denervated group, excitement failed to increase posterior WT during systole but instead elicited asynchronous contraction, i.e., postsystolic WT, as well as delayed onset of contraction. Asynchronous contraction was not observed with excitement after beta-adrenergic receptor blockade. Asynchronous contraction of the posterior wall was also observed during the initial phase of exercise in conscious dogs and during bilateral stellate stimulation in anesthetized dogs in the posterior wall-denervated group. In comparison to neural activation, adrenergic receptor activation with norepinephrine (0.2 microgram/kg-1.min-1 iv) induced a supersensitive increase in systolic WT in the denervated posterior wall (36 +/- 5%) compared with the anterior wall (17 +/- 2%) and a delay in the end of contraction in the anterior region. Thus asynchronous contraction can be elicited in dogs with regional LV denervation as a result of an early and enhanced contraction in the innervated region during neural sympathetic activation. The reverse was observed with systemic administration of norepinephrine because of catecholamine supersensitivity in the denervated posterior wall.
Effects of pulsatile injection of GnRH into 6- to 14-wk-old Holstein bulls.

With the goal of hastening puberty, we evaluated the effects of dose of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) during pulsatile injection on luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in bulls 6, 10 or 14 wk old, and of pulsatile administration of GnRH every 2 h to bulls from 6 to 12 wk of age on reproductive development. Based on response to the last three of 12 bihourly injections of 20, 200 or 2,000 ng GnRH/kg, only the two higher doses of GnRH induced secretion of LH at 6 wk. At all ages, 200 ng GnRH/kg induced maximal discharges of LH. Based on comparisons between seven treated bulls and their identical twins, bihourly injections of GnRH starting on d 42 elicited discharge of LH for less than or equal to 4 d in progeny of one sire and greater than 28 d but less than 42 d in progeny of another sire. After 14 d of treatment, both elicited and spontaneous discharges of LH were smaller in all treated bulls. Within 2 d after cessation of GnRH injections on d 84, LH discharges were similar in frequency and amplitude in treated and control twins. Testicular and body growth were similar in treated and control bulls, but puberty was delayed (P less than .05) in bulls in which exogenous GnRH suppressed endogenous discharges of LH.
Bortezomib for the prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the standard treatment for a variety of benign and malignant conditions. However, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) continues to present a major barrier to the success and wide applicability of this procedure. Although current GvHD prevention and treatment regimens exclusively target T cells, bortezomib, a reversible proteasome inhibitor, possesses unique immune regulatory activities that span a wide variety of cellular processes of T and dendritic cells essential for the development of GvHD. Herein, we review the current understanding of the effects of bortezomib in vitro and in animal models and summarize the clinical data relevant to its use in the prevention and treatment of GvHD. We conclude with an outline of the remaining challenges and opportunities to optimize bortezomib's potential role in this setting.
Emotional intelligence characteristics in a cohort of faculty, residents, and medical students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess emotional intelligence (EQ) and the construct validity of the EQ Appraisal survey among academic faculty, residents, and medical students. STUDY DESIGN: From 2007 to 2011, 155 medical education personnel participated in 4 self-administered surveys. The EQ Appraisal survey measures Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. The DISC survey defines 4 personality domains: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness/ Submissiveness, and Conscientious/Compliance. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Instrument defines 5 conflict styles: Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Accommodating, and Avoiding. The Interpersonal Influence Inventory categorizes 4 behavior styles: Openly Aggressive, Assertive, Concealed Aggressive, and Passive behaviors. Statistical analysis was done as indicated. The p value of < 0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS: The overall mean EQ score was 75.9 (SD 8.2), and components scores were: Self-Awareness = 74.6 (SD 10), Self-Management = 74.8 (SD 10.6), Social Awareness = 77.0 (SD 9.6), and Relationship Management = 76.8 (SD 9.9). Faculty and residents had higher Social Awareness scores as compared to medical students (79.33 [SD 8] vs. 75.59 [SD 10.3], p = 0.01). Mean EQ scores correlated positively with Collaborating conflict style, Assertive Behavior, Influence, and Steadiness/Submissiveness but correlated negatively with Dominance personality domain, Passive, and Concealed Aggressive behaviors. CONCLUSION: EQ varied with level of training. EQ competence may occur by Collaborating and Assertive Behaviors utilizing Influence and Steadiness/Submissiveness personality domains.
ATR- and ATM-Mediated DNA Damage Response Is Dependent on Excision Repair Assembly during G1 but Not in S Phase of Cell Cycle

Cell cycle checkpoint is mediated by ATR and ATM kinases, as a prompt early response to a variety of DNA insults, and culminates in a highly orchestrated signal transduction cascade. Previously, we defined the regulatory role of nucleotide excision repair (NER) factors, DDB2 and XPC, in checkpoint and ATR/ATM-dependent repair pathway via ATR and ATM phosphorylation and recruitment to ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced damage sites. Here, we have dissected the molecular mechanisms of DDB2- and XPC- mediated regulation of ATR and ATM recruitment and activation upon UVR exposures. We show that the ATR and ATM activation and accumulation to UVR-induced damage not only depends on DDB2 and XPC, but also on the NER protein XPA, suggesting that the assembly of an active NER complex is essential for ATR and ATM recruitment. ATR and ATM localization and H2AX phosphorylation at the lesion sites occur as early as ten minutes in asynchronous as well as G1 arrested cells, showing that repair and checkpoint-mediated by ATR and ATM starts early upon UV irradiation. Moreover, our results demonstrated that ATR and ATM recruitment and H2AX phosphorylation are dependent on NER proteins in G1 phase, but not in S phase. We reasoned that in G1 the UVR-induced ssDNA gaps or processed ssDNA, and the bound NER complex promote ATR and ATM recruitment. In S phase, when the UV lesions result in stalled replication forks with long single-stranded DNA, ATR and ATM recruitment to these sites is regulated by different sets of proteins. Taken together, these results provide evidence that UVR-induced ATR and ATM recruitment and activation differ in G1 and S phases due to the existence of distinct types of DNA lesions, which promote assembly of different proteins involved in the process of DNA repair and checkpoint activation.
Spectres of Civil War Trauma: Chris Abani’s Song for Night

No exploration of Nigerian civil war literature, or indeed of the postcolonial historical novel, would be complete without discussing the significance of trauma. In a work of literary reportage describing Nigeria’s multilayered crises of the 1990s, journalist Karl Maier quotes former Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Ojukwu describing the civil war as a catastrophe with after-effects that plague the Igbo population: ‘Part of our problem is that we don’t realize that we have survived’, Ojukwu explains. ‘You can imagine the frenzy with which the Igbo people went into the struggle for survival, and after so many years, it has become almost a reflex’ (Maier 283–4). These words recall Cathy Caruth’s (64) characterisation of trauma as ‘the endless attempt to assume one’s survival’. Ojukwu describes a history that refuses to stay in the past, marking the consciousness of those still afraid that the war, decades finished, may yet claim their lives. In Maier’s (283) gloss, such trauma is like being ‘caught in a sort of time warp’. As an experience that unsettles taken-for-granted notions of temporality and challenges traditional historical narrative, trauma names both the devastating impact of the civil war, and its problematic status for those who wish to represent it — including the novelists for whom Nigeria’s most self-destructive moment is a ubiquitous subject.
On generalized hoops, homomorphic images of residuated lattices, and (G)BL-algebras

Right-residuated binars and right-divisible residuated binars are defined as precursors of generalized hoops, followed by some results and open problems about these partially ordered algebras. Next we show that all complete homomorphic images of a complete residuated lattice A can be constructed easily on certain definable subsets of A. Applying these observations to the algebras of Hajek's basic logic (BL-algebras), we give an effective description of the HS-poset of finite subdirectly irreducible BL-algebras. The lattice of finitely generated BL-varieties can be obtained from this HS-poset by constructing the lattice of downward closed sets. These results are extended to bounded generalized BL-algebras using poset products and the duality between complete perfect Heyting algebras and partially ordered sets. We also prove that the number of finite generalized BL-algebras with n join-irreducible elements is, up to isomorphism, the same as the number of preorders on an n-element set, hence the same as the number of closure algebras (i.e., S4-modal algebras) with $$2^{n}$$2n elements. This result gives rise to a faithful functor from the category of finite GBL-algebras to the category of finite closure algebras that is full on objects, providing a novel connection between some substructural logics and classical modal logic. Finally, we show how generic satisfaction modulo theories solvers (SMT-solvers) can be used to obtain practical decision procedures for propositional basic logic and many of its extensions.
Mouse Curve Biometrics

A biometric system suitable for validating user identity using only mouse movements and no specalized equlipment is presented. Mouse curves (mouse movements with little or no pause between them) are individually classified and used to develop classification histograms, which are representative of an individual's typical mouse use. These classification histograms can then be compared to validate identity. This classification approach is suitable for providing continuous identity validation during an entire user session.
Pt-induced high density PtSi nanocrystals and their application in nonvolatile memory

Nonvolatile memories with semiconductor or metal nanocrystals as storage elements in metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) have been researched intensively by researchers in both industry and academic institutions. Compared with semiconductor nanocrystals, metal nanocrystal devices should have better performance due to the higher storage capacity as a result of higher density of states. However the drawback of the poor thermal stability makes the application of metal nanocrystal memory difficult. Metallic silicide nanocrystals are more thermally stable than metal nanocrystals. TiSi 2 [1], CoSi 2 [2–3], and NiSi [4] nanocrystals have been synthesized by other methods, which have a common process, i.e., high-temperature annealing. In this presentation, we report novel fabrication process of the formation of high density silicide nanocrystals and their prototype device.
An association of peripheral nerve sheath tumors and lipomas

We noticed the coexistence of peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) with lipomas within a subgroup of our patients. Given the prevalence of lipomas in the general population, we sought to investigate the extent of coexistence of the two entities aiming at uncovering any plausible association between both. A retrospective review of all peripheral nerve sheath tumors (sporadic and syndromic forms) treated by a single surgeon between January 2009 and August 2015 was done. We recorded demographics (i.e., gender, age at diagnosis, imaging information, time to diagnosis) in addition to the method of diagnosis, subtype, number and location of lipomas, if present. Over 6 years, 309 patients with PNST were operated/evaluated. These included 141 sporadic (schwannomas, neurofibromas) and 168 syndromic (neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2 and schwannomatosis). We found 32 patients [10.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.43%–14.3%] with coexistent lipomas, some of whom also had a family member with lipoma (n = 3). Of these 26 had schwannomas, 3 had neurofibromas and 3 lacked definitive PNST histopathological diagnosis. Fourteen percent of patients with schwannomas and 2.9% of patients with neurofibromas had coexisting lipomas. We believe there is an increased association of peripheral nerve tumors and lipomas overall.
The Future of Religion

This chapter reviews several possible scenarios for the future of religion in the United States. Outside of a return to traditional Protestant Christianity, five other scenarios are discussed, including the further spread of New Age religion, secularization of megachurches, precipitous decline of communal networks, conflicts between the religious and nonreligious and, lastly, the rise of new religions on the political left and right.
OverTorrent: Anticensorship without centralized servers

Anticensorship continues to be an arms race between citizens who use circumvention systems and the censors that find and block them. Many recently proposed circumvention systems have found ways to hide from deep-packet inspection (DPI), as well as active probing by the censors. However, many circumvention systems have trouble distributing the necessary resources to its users, and often use centralized distribution systems that can be easily blocked.
Women’s Representation: How Bait-and-Switch Male Dominance Promotes, but Then Boxes In Women in Politics

This chapter explains how the influx of women into politics around the world is part of the twenty-first-century bait and switch. Women in Iceland and Russia have been fast-tracked, both formally and informally, but these women are recruited based on what Raewyn Connell has called emphasized femininity. They are then boxed in by informal rules related to their gender and into formal policymaking bodies at the same time that policymaking has been informalized. As a result, while both countries now have more women in parliament than ever before, power is more male dominated.
Design for a Hybrid Absorbing Element in the Time Domain Using PML and Infinite Element Concepts

We introduce an approach blending the Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) and infinite element paradigms, to achieve better performance and wider applicability than either approach alone. In this paper, we address the specific challenges of unbounded problems when using time-domain explicit finite elements:1. The algorithm must be spatially local, to minimize storage and communication cost,2. It must contain second-order time derivatives for compatibility with the explicit central-difference time integration scheme,3. Its coefficient for the second-order derivatives must be diagonal (“lumped mass”),4. It must be time-stable when used with central-differences,5. It must converge to the correct low-frequency (Laplacian) limit,6. It should exhibit high accuracy across typically encountered dynamic frequencies, i.e. at short to long wavelengths,7. Its user interface should be as simple as possible.Here, we will describe the derivation of a time-domain implementation of the hybrid PML/infinite element, and discuss its advantages for implementation.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Observations on research and publishing from nineteen years as editors of the Journal of Corporate Finance

Abstract The authors have been editors of the Journal of Corporate Finance for nineteen years and are now stepping down. Here we offer some observations from our years as editors of the Journal. We hope they are useful to the new editors, the publisher, referees and authors. Thank you to all those who helped us in our task as editors.
Case 38: Unexpected Intraoperative “Oozing”

A 64-year-old woman (ASA 3) is scheduled for a craniotomy for clipping of a large aneurysm. Her past history includes hypertension, obesity (130 kg, 5′6″, ASA 3), and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. She is alert and orientated and moves all limbs. She claims her exercise tolerance is good, meaning that she can walk half-a-flight of steps without stopping or getting breathless. The size of the aneurysm worries the surgeon. Therefore, he has requested that a femoral arterial sheath be placed by the neuroradiology team in the femoral artery prior to the surgical incision. The reason for this is that, should clipping of the aneurysm prove to be impossible or dangerous, coiling of the aneurysm can then be attempted via the femoral artery. You anesthetize her in a routine manner, and the anesthetic proceeds according to plan with stable vital signs. The interventional radiologist cannulates the femoral artery. After that he slowly infuses the femoral sheath with a heparinized solution (500 ml normal saline with 2000 units of heparin) under pressure via a pressure bag (Infusable Pressure Infusor, Vital Signs, Totowa, NJ 07512, USA). The solution drips via a 60 drops/ml Piggyback Microdrip with a Clair clamp controlling the rate (one to two drops every minute) (LifeShield, Hospira Inc., Lake Forest, IL 60045, USA). There is no transducer system attached. The patient is turned 180 degrees from the anesthetic machine and the surgery begins. After 90 minutes the aneurysm is exposed. The surgeon complains that there is a lot of oozing in the surgical site and that he has difficulty maintaining adequate hemostasis. He asks you if the preoperative coagulation was normal. You answer that it was and tell him that the liver enzymes, etc. were also within normal limits. He says: “Please give her some fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and tell me when you have given it.” You are at a loss to understand the cause of the oozing but order the FFP ASAP. You send off new coagulation studies (INR, PT, and PTT) and an arterial blood gas (ABG). You also place 5 ml of her blood in a glass tube. The results from the ABG, including electrolytes and blood sugar, come back within normal limits. However, the blood in the glass tube is still liquid even after 15 min. Five minutes later, the FFP arrives and you infuse it quickly. The surgeon reports no improvement. You tell him that you are still waiting for the coagulation results from the lab. You are at a loss to understand what is going on and the surgeon is now really unhappy.
Expanding the Educational Toolset for Chemistry Outreach: Providing a Chemical View of Climate Change through Hands-On Activities and Demonstrations Supplemented with TED-Ed Videos

Climate change is a scientifically and chemically complex issue with both global and local impact. Public understanding and awareness of climate change are crucial for building support to address causes and impacts; unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans do not understand the basic science behind climate change. This trend applies even to first-year college students in general chemistry courses. To address this knowledge gap, we have developed a bimodal activity to teach students about the chemistry of climate change. Awareness of the impacts of light–matter interactions, properties that determine albedo and reflectivity, and properties of gases are crucial to understanding climate change. The program described herein shows promise in educating students on these topics. This program utilizes TED-Ed videos, simple demonstrations, and hands-on activities that can be reproduced in a classroom setting to supplement chemistry courses or in public outreach events.
Teaching Medical Educators How to Teach Communication Skills: More than a Decade of Experience.

OBJECTIVES Although opportunities exist for medical educators to gain additional training in teaching, literature that describes how to teach educators to teach communication skills to trainees is limited. The authors developed and evaluated a faculty development course that uses didactics, demonstration, drills, and role-play in a small-group format. METHODS The course has been offered through the Institute for Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh for almost 15 years. Course effectiveness was evaluated with a survey of 62 clinicians who completed the course between 2003 and 2012. RESULTS The response rate was 85%. A total of 98% would recommend the course to a colleague and 98% indicated the course was effective at developing teaching techniques. Their use of standardized patients, teaching in small groups, and role-play increased as a result of participation in the course. A total of 70% went on to formally teach communication skills at various medical education levels. CONCLUSIONS This structured course effectively taught participants how to teach patient-doctor communication in both classroom and clinical settings. The majority put these techniques to use in formal settings. This course also provided educators with the skills necessary to meet the growing needs of training programs charged with teaching the next generation of providers to effectively communicate with patients. The description presented can serve as a framework for faculty development in teaching communication.
Comparison between Mycoplasma bovoculi strains by electrophoretic and immunoblotting techniques: identification of membrane proteins involved in adherence

Six Isolates of Mycoplasma bovocull from cattle herds with Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting techniques. All six strains showed similarity in their protein profiles although no two patterns were Identical. A monoclonal antibody, hyperimmune rabbit serum, and post-exposure sera from three mycoplasma-free calves experimentally infected with one strain were used for immunoblotting analysis. Monoclonal antibody recognized a band of 94,000 molecular-weight designated p94 common to all strains. This p94 was recognized by post-exposure antisera from all three calves. Hyper­ immune rabbit serum detected antigenic differences between these strains ranging from 15k-136k. Trypsin treatment of intact mycoplasma cells re­ sulted in the removal of p94 when tested with monoclonal antibody and calf sera. Trypsin treated cells reacted with hyperimmune rabbit serum revealed the presence of strain-specific and conserved antigens between these strains. These studies identify the presence of a conserved trypsin-sensitive surface protein (p94) of M. bovoculi involved in eliciting antibody response in the infected host.
Super Star Cluster NGC 1705-1: A Local Analog to the Birth Site of Long-Duration γ-Ray Bursts

Recent observations suggest that global properties of the host galaxies for long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are particularly well suited for creating the massive star progenitors of these GRBs. Motivated by the hypothesis that massive young star clusters located in metal-poor, low-metallicity galaxies are a natural birth site for GRB progenitors, we present a comparison study of the ISM properties along the sight line toward the super star cluster NGC 1705-1 and those in distant GRB hosts. Using the same set of metal transitions in the UV and applying known ISM structures in NGC 1705, we find that NGC 1705-1 resembles distant GRB host galaxies in its high neutral gas column, low molecular gas fraction, low metallicity, α-element enhancement, and low dust depletion. The lack of molecular gas is due to the enhanced UV radiation field in the starburst environment, consistent with the expectations for GRB progenitors. In addition, the known presence of dense neutral gas clouds at r 500 pc from NGC 1705-1 provides a natural reservoir of C+, Si+, and Fe+ ions that may be subsequently excited by the afterglow UV radiation field to produce excited lines commonly seen in GRB host ISM. We further argue that the apparent offset in the velocity profiles of low- and high-ionization transitions from absorption-line observations alone already offers important clues for related starburst episodes in GRB host galaxies. Our study shows that a statistical comparison between the ISM around star clusters and high-redshift GRB progenitors is important for identifying the key physical parameters that facilitate the formation of GRBs.
Kolsky Compression Bar Experiments on Soft Materials

In this chapter, we present Kolsky-bar techniques modified for soft material characterization in compression. Soft materials typically have low strength, stiffness, and wave impedance, which make it challenging to obtain accurate stress-strain responses at high strain rates. The challenges in characterizing soft materials are introduced in this chapter. Solutions in regard to achieving stress equilibrium, generating proper pulse shapes and sensing low-amplitude forces are then presented. Experimental design for soft material characterization is illustrated with example materials that include PMMA, rubber and rubber-like polymers, brittle and elastic-plastic polymeric foams, and biological tissues.
Enhanced polarization of low pressure 3He through metastability exchange optical pumping at high field

Abstract We report high steady-state nuclear polarization of 1 torr 3 He gas nuclei via metastability exchange optical pumping at magnetic fields above 2 T. The introduction of highly polarized 3 He gas into Brookhaven’s Electron Beam Ion Source would enable a new, polarized 3 He ion source for use at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and a future Electron–Ion Collider facility. By adapting recent developments in high field metastability exchange optical pumping for higher pressure gas, we have successfully polarized 1 torr 3 He sealed cells in the EBIS solenoid. Through careful manipulation of the RF discharge parameters, polarizations above 80% were attained at 2, 3 and 4 T, with 89% being reached at 3 T with a 664 s relaxation time.
Compact structures for continuous time Bayesian networks

Abstract The continuous time Bayesian network (CTBN) is a model capable of describing the probability distribution over a set of variables as it changes in time. The model relies on a directed graph structure to describe direct dependencies between variables, thereby simplifying the underlying parameters that describe the initial distribution and transition behavior. Although this approach can be effective in managing complexity, the size of the model can still be intractable if one variable depends directly on many other variables. To address this issue, we present two methods for imposing additional structure on the model that are capable of capturing regularities in the data that cannot be represented using the CTBN graph structure alone. We demonstrate how these methods can reduce model complexity and compare the representational capabilities of both approaches.
Hydration biomarkers and copeptin: relationship with ad libitum energy intake, energy expenditure, and metabolic fuel selection.

Evidence from non-human species indicate that hydration and arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence fuel selection, energy expenditure (EE), and food intake, but these relationships are unclear in humans. We sought to assess whether hydration biomarkers [24-h urine volume (UVol) and urine urea nitrogen concentration (UUN)] and copeptin (a surrogate for AVP) are associated with 24-h EE, respiratory quotient (RQ), and daily energy intake (DEI). In a secondary analysis of collected data, we selected healthy adults (Group 1, n = 177) who had 24-h whole-room indirect calorimetry measurements in energy balance with 24-h urine collection and fasting copeptin measurements (n = 117), followed by 3 days ad libitum food intake. A separate group (Group 2, n = 284) with hydration markers and calorimetry measurements was also studied. The main outcome measures were 24-h RQ, 24-h EE, DEI, substrate oxidation. In Group 1, lower 24-h UVol and higher 24-h UUN, indicating lower hydration, were correlated with lower 24-h RQ (r = 0.35, p < 0.0001, and r = −0.29, p = 0.0001, respectively; results similar in Group 2) and predicted subsequent reduced DEI (r = 0.20, p = 0.01, and r = −0.27, p = 0.0003, respectively), adjusted for confounders. Copeptin was independently associated with 24-h lipid oxidation (r = −0.23, p = 0.01). In Group 2, lower hydration was associated with reduced 24-h EE (24-h UVol: r = 0.29, p < 0.0001; 24-h UUN: r = −0.25, p < 0.0001). Hydration biomarkers were associated with metabolic differences characterized by altered food intake, fuel selection, and possibly EE. Independently, copeptin was associated with higher lipid oxidation.
Enantioselective Electroreductive Coupling of Alkenyl and Benzyl Halides via Nickel Catalysis.

An electrochemically driven enantioselective nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of alkenyl bromides and benzyl chlorides is reported. The reaction forms products bearing allylic stereogenic centers with good enantioselectivity under mild conditions in an undivided cell. Electrochemical activation and turnover of the catalyst mitigate issues posed by metal powder reductants. This report demonstrates that enantioselective Ni-catalyzed cross-electrophile couplings can be driven electrochemically.