cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The elastic constants and their temperature and pressure derivatives of AgBr-AgCl mixed crystals

Abstract The three independent second-order elastic constants and their temperature and pressure derivatives have been measured for four AgBr-AgCl mixed crystals, with 19.5, 39.1, 56.6 and 78.7 mole % AgCl, using the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique at room temperature. The explicit temperature dependence of the elastic constants is calculated and is found to be much larger than that of other NaCl structure crystals. The violation of the Cauchy relation C 12 = C 44 is found to be significant and increases between AgBr and AgCl. The high temperature limit of the Gruneisen parameter is calculated from the elastic data. A comparison is made between the elastic properties of the silver halides and the alkali halides.
Effects of dielectric liners on TDDB lifetime of a Cu/ low-k interconnect

Thin films of silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon carbonitride (SiCN) were deposited as liners at metal-1 in a dual level metal Cu/organosilicate glass interconnect. Breakdown field and time dependent dielectric breakdown lifetime testing of comb/serpent test structures with SiN or SiCN liners showed improvements in performance, relative to a baseline no liner split. Two dimensional electric field simulations demonstrated that the dielectric liner significantly reduced the electric field at the Cu/OSG/etch stop interface.
Magnetic field shimming, measurement and control for the BNL muon (g-2) experiment

An ultraprecise superferric magnet, 14 m in diameter, was built for the muon (g-2) experiment currently in progress at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The principal quantities to measure in the experiment are the frequency of (g-2) oscillations and the average magnetic field, which imply stringent requirements on the homogeneity of the magnetic field as well as on the precision of its measurement and control system. This paper describes (g-2) magnet, shimming techniques used to improve it and advanced NMR and Hall probes systems to measure and monitor magnetic field.
Choice of an optimal shape parameter when smoothing noisy data

The necessity of using the data to determine the shape parameter m, as well as the smoothing parameter λ is studiedwhen a smoothing periodic spline of degree 2m-1 is used to fit a periodic curve from noisy data. Two special classes of functions are considered:Bernoulli polynomials and functions with finite Fourier expansions. Theoretical and numerical results show the importance of obtaining any optimal value form.
Mutations Affecting Motifs of Unknown Function in the Central Domain of Nitrogen Regulatory Protein C

The positive control function of the bacterial enhancer-binding protein NtrC resides in its central domain, which is highly conserved among activators of s 54 holoenzyme. Previous studies of a small set of mutant forms specifically defective in transcriptional activation, called NtrC repressor [NtrC(Rep)] proteins, had enabled us to locate various functional determinants in the central domain. In this more comprehensive survey, the DNA encoding a major portion of the central domain was randomly mutagenized and mutated ntrC genes were introduced into the cell via multicopy expression plasmids. DNA sequencing of 95 isolates identified by a preliminary phenotypic screen revealed that the lesions in them caused 55 distinct single amino acid substitutions at 44 different positions. Assays of glnA transcription in vivo and in vitro yielded two conclusions. First, of the 41 mutant proteins that could be purified, 17 (1 known, 16 new) showed no detectable activity in either assay, thus qualifying them as true NtrC(Rep) proteins. These contained residue changes in six of the seven highly conserved regions in the central domain, including two never studied before. Second, some mutant proteins were inactive in vivo but were either marginally or fully active in vitro. Their surprising lack of activity in vivo may be accounted for by high levels of expression, which apparently decreased activation by these mutant proteins but not by wild-type NtrC (NtrC WT ). Of particular interest were a subset of these proteins that exhibited greater transcriptional activation than NtrC WT at low concentrations. Their elevated activation
User interface dependability through goal-error prevention

User interfaces form a critical coupling between humans and computers. When the interface fails, the user fails, and the mission is lost. For example, in computer security applications, human-made configuration errors can expose entire systems to various forms of attack. To avoid interaction failures, a dependable user interface must facilitate the speedy and accurate completion of user tasks. Defects in the interface cause user errors (e.g., goal, plan, action and perception errors), which impinge on speed and accuracy goals, and can lead to mission failure. One source of user error is poor information representation in the interface. This can cause users to commit a specific class of errors - goal errors. A design principle (anchor-based subgoaling) for mitigating this cause was formulated. The principle was evaluated in the domain of setting Windows file permissions. The native Windows XP file permissions interface, which did not support anchor-based subgoaling, was compared to an alternative, called Salmon, which did. In an experiment with 24 users, Salmon achieved as much as a four-fold increase in accuracy for a representative task and a 94% reduction in the number of goal errors committed, compared to the XP interface.
Zona pellucida domain proteins.

▪ Abstract Many eukaryotic proteins share a sequence designated as the zona pellucida (ZP) domain. This structural element, present in extracellular proteins from a wide variety of organisms, from nematodes to mammals, consists of ∼260 amino acids with eight conserved cysteine (Cys) residues and is located close to the C terminus of the polypeptide. ZP domain proteins are often glycosylated, modular structures consisting of multiple types of domains. Predictions can be made about some of the structural features of the ZP domain and ZP domain proteins. The functions of ZP domain proteins vary tremendously, from serving as structural components of egg coats, appendicularian mucous houses, and nematode dauer larvae, to serving as mechanotransducers in flies and receptors in mammals and nonmammals. Generally, ZP domain proteins are present in filaments and/or matrices, which is consistent with the role of the domain in protein polymerization. A general mechanism for assembly of ZP domain proteins has been pre...
Semantics of type classes revisited

We present a new approach to the semantics of languages with ML-like polymorphic types and type classes. The goals of the new approach are simplicity and generality. Our typing rules are a relatively straightforward extension of the rules for translating core-ML to core-XML. The new features are an encoding of classes as recursive sets of types, and class-membership constraints on types. We show that the soundness of this type of system is independent of the fixedpoint operator used to interpret (recursive) classes, and thus there is no room to engineer a sound notion of well-typing based on other considerations such as decidability. These ideas are applied to investigate the appropriateness of Haskell-style type inference which uses backward chaining for inference of instance relationships. Haskell's algorithm turns out to imply a least fixed point semantics for classes. We show that the Haskell approach is correct and complete for the special case of convergent classes. Although this includes all classes definable in Haskell, most proper extensions of Haskell allow classes that are not convergent, which helps explain the negative results for decidability of type inference for many extensions.
A fast algorithm for linear least-squares smoothing and boundary value problems using number-theoretic transforms

A fast algorithm for linear least-squares smoothing and boundary value problems using number-theoretic transforms (NTT) is presented. The algorithm utilizes the fact that the fixed interval smoother can be imbedded in a boundary value problem, which can be reformulated as a problem of solving a perturbed-circulant system of equations. The new algorithm solves this perturbed-circulant system of equations by decomposing the solution into a circular deconvolution filter, which can be implemented using NTT, and a small-kernel FIR filter, which only involves a small matrix inversion. The major advantages of this algorithm are (1) it avoids roundoff error and attendant conditioning problems, (2) no storage or computation of complex, irrational roots of unity is required, and (3) computations involving large numbers are broken up into computations involving smaller numbers, which can be performed faster and in parallel. Zusammenfassung Ein schneller Algorithmus zur Linearen Least-Squares Gl~ittung und ffir Randwertprobleme mit Hilfe zahlentheoreti- scher Transformationen (ZTT) wird vorgestellt. Der Algorithmus nfitzt die Tatsache aus, dab die Gl~ittung fiber ein festes lntervall in ein Randwert-problem eingebettet werden kann, das wiederum in ein Problem umgeschrieben werden kann, das die L6sung eines gest6rten zirkulanten Gleichungssystems Der Algorithmus 16st dieses System, indem die L6sung in ein zirkulares Entfaltungsfilter, das mit Hilfe der ZTT realisiert wird, und ein kurzes FIR Filter zerlegt wird, bei dem nur eine kleine Matrix invertiert werden muB. Die Hauptvorteile des Algorithmus sind: (1) Er vermeidet Rundungs-fehler und daraus entstehende Konditionierungsprobleme. (2) Man braucht komplexe, irrationale Einheit- swurzeln weder zu berechnen noch zu speichern. (3) Berechnungen, bei denen grol3e Zahlen auftreten, werden in Berechnungen iiberffihrt, bei denen kleinere Zahlen verwendet werden, wobei man dann parallel und deshalb schneller arbeiten kann. R~sume
Identification and Characterization of HTLV-1 HBZ Post-Translational Modifications

Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is estimated to infect 15–25 million people worldwide, with several areas including southern Japan and the Caribbean basin being endemic. The virus is the etiological agent of debilitating and fatal diseases, for which there is currently no long-term cure. In the majority of cases of leukemia caused by HTLV-1, only a single viral gene, hbz, and its cognate protein, HBZ, are expressed and their importance is increasingly being recognized in the development of HTLV-1-associated disease. We hypothesized that HBZ, like other HTLV-1 proteins, has properties and functions regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs) that affect specific signaling pathways important for disease development. To date, PTM of HBZ has not been described. We used an affinity-tagged protein and mass spectrometry method to identify seven modifications of HBZ for the first time. We examined how these PTMs affected the ability of HBZ to modulate several pathways, as measured using luciferase reporter assays. Herein, we report that none of the identified PTMs affected HBZ stability or its regulation of tested pathways.
Reflections on Risk Analysis, Screening, and Contested Rationalities

The concept of risk and modelling it (imagining possible outcomes with negative consequences) has a long history in social science and crisis management. Risk lies in the shadow between the known and the unknown. This article reflects discussions of low-probability, high-cost events such as those reflected in the conventional tactics associated with terrorism. Risks and fear of them are shaped extraordinarily by "big bang events" such as 9/11, and these shape imagined future deciding, prevention tactics, and organizational routines. Short-time crisis deciding is guided inordinately by "group effects," pressure for consensus, and action over cogitation, difference, and muddling through. The attraction of risk analysis to security matters is clear: It makes simple decisions that are not. It easily fits with the technological conceit that assumes electronic-computer-based surveillance, artifice, and models can reduce human judgement to questions easily answered by a computer with a database. It enables a fro...
Where are the Metals for the Future? The Metal Provinces: An Essay on Global Metallogeny

This interesting book is chiefly concerned with global metallogeny, rather than with metals for the future. The author draws on an extremely broad experience with mineral deposits throughout the world to attempt a synthesis of the many complex, interrelated metallogenic factors that control the notably irregular distribution of the earth's mineral resources. The approach is extremely broad and comprehensive; the attempt extremely ambitious. The result is only partially successful in elucidating the importance and the main elements of a global metallogenic approach to mineral resource problems.
School Enrollment and Attendance in Central South Somalia

1. Peter Moyi[1][1] 1. 1University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA 1. Peter Moyi, Department of Educational Leadership and Policies, University of South Carolina, 305 Wardlaw College, Columbia SC 29208, USA Email: moyi{at}mailbox.sc.edu A civil war has raged in Somalia for the past 20 years. The civil war fragmented the country into three zones: the Central South region, Somaliland, and Puntland. Puntland and Somaliland are relatively stable; however, Central South Somalia remains unstable. How has the ongoing civil war affected educational access in the Central South region of Somalia? This article examines 3,100 households, presents the extent of the education access in this increasingly unstable region of Somalia, and identifies the major challenges of expanding education access. [1]: #aff-1
Surface electromagnetic-wave enhancement of nonlinear optical phenomena in metals

We present a general formulation of the enhancement of nonlinear phenomena, such as second-harmonic generation and parametric mixing, which results when surface electromagnetic waves are used as the incident and/or outgoing radiation in attenuated-total-reflection prism configurations. This formulation is also applicable to Raman scattering by optical and acoustical phonons in metals.
Solvents Level Dipole Moments

The dipole moments of highly polar molecules measured in solution are usually smaller than the molecular dipole moments that are calculated with reaction field methods, whereas vacuum values are routinely calculated in good agreement with available vapor phase data. Whether from Onsager’s theory (or variations thereof) or from quantum mechanical methods, the calculated molecular dipoles in solution are found to be larger than those measured. The reason, of course, is that experiments measure the net dipole moment of solute together with the polarized (perturbed) solvent “cloud” surrounding it. Here we show that the reaction field charges that are generated in the quantum mechanical self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method give a good estimate of the net dipole moment of the solute molecule together with the moment arising from the reaction field charges. This net dipole is a better description of experimental data than the vacuum dipole moment and certainly better than the bare dipole moment of the po...
Russians into Iakuts? “Going Native” and Problems of Russian National Identity in the Siberian North, 1870s-1914

As far as the Russian state and most educated Russians were concerned, assimilation in the eastern borderlands of the Russian empire in the late imperial period was supposed to be a one-way street. “Backward” eastern peoples were generally supposed to become more like Russians, while Russians, for their part, were expected to change others while themselves maintaining their language, customs, religion, and overall Russianness. In reality, of course, things were rarely so straightforward. In the mixed settlement worlds of the borderlands, both Russians and non-Russians influenced one another in multiple ways, and Russian influences were not always strongest. In fact, in certain cases, contrary to official and elite expectations, it was not so much the Russians who “Russianized” the “natives” as the “natives” who “nativized” the Russians. By the late imperial period, “nativized” Russians of one kind or another could be found throughout the imperial east. In the northern Caucasus, for example, whole Russian villages looked and lived like gortsy; in the Volga-Ural region, other Russian peasants performed “pagan” sacrifices like Voguls and Maris; on the Kazakh steppe, still others had converted to Islam; and on just about every frontier one came across supposedly “Russian” cossacks who lived according to native ways and preferred to speak native languages.
Personal network on the Internet

The impacts of socio-demographics on online personal network were investigated.Internet access interacted with socio-demographics on network diversity.The effects of network multiplicity on personal wellbeing differed by background.The benefits of online personal network hinged upon existing social positions. The Internet by its asynchronous and non-spatial nature may facilitate the diverse and multiple personal networks, but we hypothesize that this network affordance will be heavily influenced by one's socio-demographic positions. To test this hypothesis, we used a large survey data set of Internet users (n=3,120) and examined how users' socio-demographic positions interact with Internet access to shape the affordance of network diversity and multiplicity. We found significant interactive effects, while network diversity, as indicated by homogeneity and heterogeneity, was not directly impacted by social positions. The effects of network multiplicity on personal wellbeing also differed by socio-demographic background. We argue that, without an understanding of socio-demographic disparities, a focus on Internet affordance fails to recognize the social reproduction in the creation and the benefits of personal networks.
Study on genotoxicity of broad bean paste

Object:It provided some references for the safety assessment of Broad bean paste. Methods:Vicia faba root tip cells micronucleus test and Ames test. Results:MCN of 8 kinds of broad bean paste was significantly different,the micronucleus index was over 1.5 times compare with the negative control. This remined that broad bean paste probably contained mutational material. Histidine contained in broad bean paste could not affect the result of Ames test. Reverse mutation of TA97,TA100 could not be effect by 7,8.broad bean paste. Reverse mutation of TA98,TA102 exceeded 2 times of their negative control by 7 broad bean paste. Reverse mutation of TA98 was exceeded 2 times of the negative control by 8 broad bean paste. Conclusion:some dose of broad bean paste could induced frameshift mutation,but mutagenicity was different with the different brand of broad bean paste.
Neural Representation of Odor-Guided Behavior in the Rat Olfactory Thalamus.

The mediodorsal thalamus (MDT) is a higher-order corticocortical thalamic nucleus involved in cognition and memory. However, anatomically, the MDT is also the primary site of olfactory representation in the thalamus, receiving strong inputs from olfactory cortex and having reciprocal connections with orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Nonetheless, its role in olfaction remains unclear. Here, we recorded single units in the MDT, as well as local field potentials in the MDT, piriform cortex (PCX), and OFC in rats performing a two-alternative odor discrimination task. We show that subsets of MDT units display odorant selectivity during sampling, as well as encoding of spatio-motor aspects of the task. Furthermore, the olfactory trans-thalamic network rapidly switches functional connectivity between MDT and cortical areas depending on current task demands, with, for example, MDT-PCX coupling enhanced during odor sampling and MDT-OFC coupling enhanced during the decision/goal approach compared with baseline and presampling. These results demonstrate MDT representation of diverse sensorimotor components of an olfactory task. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mediodorsal thalamus (MDT) is the major olfactory thalamic nucleus and links the olfactory archicortex with the prefrontal neocortex. The MDT is well known to be involved in higher-order cognitive and memory functions, but its role in olfaction is poorly understood. Here, using single-unit and local field potential analyses, we explored MDT function during an odor-guided decision task in rats. We describe MDT odor and multisensory coding and demonstrate behavior-dependent functional connectivity within the MDT/sensory cortex/prefrontal cortex network. Our results suggest a rich representation of olfactory and other information within MDT required to perform this odor-guided task. Our work opens a new model system for understanding MDT function and exploring the important role of MDT in cortical–cortical communication.
Abdominal aortic stiffness as a marker of atherosclerosis in childhood-onset asthma: a case-control study.

Background: Asthma is one of the chronic inflammatory diseases. It is known that chronic inflammation accelerates atherosclerosis. Abdominal aortic stiffness parameters can be used to detect the early development of atherosclerosis. Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate abdominal aortic stiffness parameters in childhood-onset asthma compared with a control group. Methods: In this cross-sectional, case-control study, we evaluated 50 patients with childhood-onset asthma, and 57 healthy children as controls. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma of at least three years' duration were included in the study. Children with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, a history of smoking contact, or systemic disease were excluded. The study and control groups were evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography, and abdominal aorta diameters were measured. Using the measured data, abdominal aortic stiffness parameters (aortic distensibility: DIS, aortic strain: S, pressure strain elastic modulus: Ep, and pressure strain normalised by diastolic pressure: Ep*) were calculated. Statistical evaluation was done with the Student's t-test, chisquared test and Pearson's correlation test. Results: The study group consisted of 50 children (24 female, 26 male) with asthma. According to the GINA guidelines, 26 of the patients had mild intermittent asthma, six had mild persistent asthma and 18 had intermediate persistent asthma. None of the patients had severe asthma. In 37 of the asthma patients, spIgE was positive and these patients were accepted as having atopic asthma; 27 of these patients received immunotherapy. We did not detect any differences between the study and control groups in terms of gender, age and body mass index. No differences were evident between the groups with regard to systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, blood cholesterol levels and respiratory function test parameters. There was no difference between the asthma and control groups in the measurement of abdominal aortic stiffness parameters. There was no significant correlation between aortic stiffness parameters and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, blood total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. Conclusion: We did not find any difference between the asthma patients and control group with regard to aortic stiffness parameters (DIS, S, Ep and Ep*) and there was no difference in these parameters when we compared patients with mild asthma with those with moderate asthma. These results may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of inhaled steroids. Further studies are needed to validate these results.
An Integrated Computer Workstation for Epilepsy Monitoring: Technical Concept

Processing of EEG signals recorded from epileptic patients under prolonged video-EEG monitoring can be routinely applied to detect and localize interictal abnormalities, and to analyze ictal EEGs. In our Epilepsy Monitoring Units (EMUs) at the Epilepsy Center Bethel (FRG) and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (USA), this processing has already been done successfully for years. In the search for useful and cost effective new enhancements to our current hardware and software framework, we are now concentrating efforts on the development of the concept of a workstation at the physicians’ hands, which consists of implementation and integration of workstations to this basic system. Desirable features of these integrated workstations are expendability, graphic interface, communication with data acquisition system, communication with patients’ data bank, and possibilities of multiple clinical applications. Currently a “prototype” including some of these features has already been implemented (HP 9000/800 and 9000/400 Workstations). In this report we describe the technical concept and the current stand of this development including examples of some clinical applications on EEG filtering, mapping, reformatting, signal measurements, etc.
Modeling drying in thin porous media after coupling pore-level drying dynamics with external flow field

ABSTRACTThis article uses a novel, fully coupled method to solve the isothermal slow drying of porous media in laminar flow. The film effect is included and a novel logistic equation is used to relate the pore network variables with the external field variables. The model is used to simulate the drying of several thin porous media with different aspect ratios in a flow. One, two, or all sides of the pore network are opened to the flow. The studies show that the higher exposed area vs. total volume ratio leads to faster drying while the orientation of the porous media is immaterial.
Statistical Databases for Research on the Financing of Small and Start-Up Firms in the United States: An Update and Review

Academic and policy makers’ interest in start-up business financing originated from two areas of concern – capital requirements for a start-up and the availability of external sources of private financing for a start-up. The former is important because underestimation of capital requirements has been mentioned by most small business management professional as one of the most critical deficiencies in start-up planning affecting the prospect for success or survival of a start-up (Studies on “new firm creation” using the Panel Study Entrepreneur Dynamics (PSED) data concluded that majority of nascent entrepreneurial start-ups failed to become operational businesses (Reynolds 2007).) Many nascent entrepreneurs have lost their lifetime savings in starting a business by being overly optimistic about the time and the resources it takes to develop and operate a viable business. The amount of capital required relative to the availability of internal resources will determine the need for external sources of capital. (Internal resources include monetary resources such as personal savings, other income (from the spouse as well), personal credit lines, as well non-monetary resources such as an office/work place at home, office equipment and telecommunication facilities, and personal transportation.) Unavailability of external sources of financing from private capital markets has been blamed for the high failure rate among start-ups.
WHAT KIND OF HISTORY IS THE HISTORY OF THE SELF? NEW PERSPECTIVES FROM THE HISTORY OF MIND AND BRAIN MEDICINE

In a recent forum contribution to the American Historical Review on the relationship between history and biology, Lynn Hunt proposed that the future of academic scholarship devoted to exploring the origins and development of modern selfhood would depend on the disciplinary alliance between history and neuroscience. Tabling, for the moment, the cogency of her central assertion, we can nevertheless agree that Hunt espouses a sentiment shared by many historians: “the question of the self is a huge and difficult subject on its own,” she writes, and historical analysis of some sort can help us make better sense of it. The effort to do precisely that over the past several decades, through a variety of historiographic approaches, has engendered a remarkably sizable corpus of writings on the history and conceptual development of the modern, typically Western, self.
CEO Overconfidence and Earnings Management: Evidence from Property-Liability Insurers' Loss Reserves

This study investigates the relation between managerial overconfidence and loss-reserving practices in the U.S. property-liability insurance industry. We find robust evidence that CEO overconfidenc...
Adaptive and Roll-Forward Error Recovery in MEDA Biochips Based on Droplet-Aliquot Operations and Predictive Analysis

Digital microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) are being increasingly used in biochemistry labs for automating bioassays. However, traditional DMFBs suffer from some key shortcomings: 1) inability to vary droplet volume in a flexible manner; 2) difficulty of integrating on-chip sensors; and 3) the need for special fabrication processes. To overcome these problems, DMFBs based on micro-electrode-dot -array (MEDA) have recently been proposed. However, errors are likely to occur on a MEDA DMFB due to chip defects and the unpredictability inherent to biochemical experiments. We present fine-grained error-recovery solutions for MEDA by exploiting real-time sensing and advanced MEDA-specific droplet operations. The proposed methods rely on adaptive droplet-aliquot operations and predictive analysis of mixing. In addition, a roll-forward error-recovery method is proposed to efficiently utilize the unused part of the biochip and reduce the time required for error recovery. Experimental results on three representative benchmarks demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed error-recovery strategy.
National Assistive Technology Research Institute

The Office of Special Education Programs, U. S. Department of Education, provided four years of funding to establish a National Assistive Technology Research Institute (NATRI) at the University of ...
Pragmatics, logic and information processing

David Lewis wrote Convention in order to use game theory to answer Williard van Orman Quine’s skeptical doubts about the conventionality of meaning. Quine’s skepticism was directed at the logical positivists’ conventional theory of meaning in the service of a conventional theory of logic. According to the logical positivists, logical truths were true and logical arguments valid by virtue of the meanings of the terms involved.
A spatiotemporal/spatiotemporal-frequency interpretation of apparent motion reversal

Temporal aliasing artifacts are common in both computer generated and natural motion sequences. One of the most striking manifestations of temporal aliasing is the apparent reversal of motion commonly referred to as the "wagon wheel effect." In this paper, we examine temporal aliasing from the standpoint of joint spatiotemporal/spatiotemporal-frequency representations. We show that apparent motion reversal can be explained using these representations, and demonstrate that a motion estimation algorithm based on such a representation (the 3-D Gabor transform) can accurately predict this illusion.
A Survey of Assistive Technology and Teacher Preparation Programs for Individuals with Visual Impairments

Parker et al. (1990) reported that teachers of students with visual impairments and deaf-blindness had poor or nonexistent knowledge of specific areas of assistive technology, and a study by Mack, Koenig, and Ashcroft (1990) on computer training of students with visual impairments concluded that teacher education programs have an obligation to train teachers in the necessary knowledge, skills, and motivation to provide a bridge between students and technology. A recurring theme of the four studies of the assistive-technology knowledge of teachers of students with visual impairments that have been conducted since 1990 (Abner & Lahm, 2002; Candela, 2003; Edwards & Lewis, 1998; Kapperman, Sticken, & Heinze, 2002) has been that teachers of students with visual impairments are not prepared to use assistive technology and to teach students how to use it.
Evaluation of CO2 Sequestration in Saline Formations Based on Geochemical Experiments and Modeling

Publisher Summary This chapter presents results of a recently completed study in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to conduct research on the feasibility of CO 2 sequestration in deep saline formations. The overall objective of this geochemical study was to enhance understanding of the interactions between injected CO 2 , formation fluids, and rock media based on laboratory experiments and geochemical simulations. Once injected into reservoirs, a large portion of the CO 2 may remain as a separate phase and float towards the top of the reservoir due to density contrasts, while some may dissolve in the formation fluid. It also investigated the potential for long-term sequestration of CO 2 in a deep, regional host rock formation and evaluated the compatibility of overlying caprock with injected CO 2 with regard to its effectiveness as a barrier against upward migration of the injectate. Experiments were conducted using rock samples from different potential host formations and overlying caprocks, as well as certain pure mineral specimens to evaluate specific mineral reactions. Reaction vessels containing a pure solid phase or mechanical mixture of phases, and liquid were pressurized with CO 2 or a mixture of either N 2 and CO 2 , or N 2 , CO 2 , and SO 2 . The duration of the experiments was one to three months at pressures consistent with deep reservoirs, and temperatures of either 50°C (typical) or 150°C (elevated). It was concluded from the experiments and geochemical modeling calculations that the potential for adverse effects of CO 2 injection into capped, sandstone formations is low.
Schizosaccharomyce, Comparative Genomics of the Fission Yeasts

The genus Schizosaccharomyces is a broad and ancient clade within the Ascomycete fungi including the four known fission yeast: Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, Schizosaccharomyces octosporus , and Schizosaccharomyces cryophilus . Although morphologically similar, the Schizosaccharomyces clade spans a greater evolutionary distance than the vertebrates. This large evolutionary distance, and the well-studied biology of S. pombe , makes comparisons between the fission yeast a fruitful venue for understanding the evolution of eukaryotic genomes.
Prevalence of atrial fibrillation with insertable cardiac monitors in cryptogenic stroke: A single-center experience

Abstract Background The use of insertable cardiac monitors (ICM) has increased the rate of detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) among cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients. We describe a single-center experience for AF detection among CS patients receiving ICMs upon discharge after the index stroke event and attempt to identify predictors for AF detection. Methods From April 2014 to October 2017, patients receiving ICMs for CS who underwent >60 days of monitoring were reviewed. Chronic underlying medical illnesses, presence of left atrial enlargement (LAE) on echocardiography, and PR interval on admission electrocardiogram were assessed as predictors of AF detection. Results A total of 234 patients (median age 72 [61, 78] years, 45% women) met inclusion criteria and were followed for a median of 536 [282, 848] days. Among studied patients, 68 patients (29%) were found to have AF at a median of 94.5 [16, 239] days from ICM placement. CS patients with AF were significantly older (p Conclusion Almost one-third of CS patients monitored with an ICM were found to have previously undiagnosed AF. CS patients found to have AF were older and more commonly women. Prospective studies are needed to better identify predictors for early AF among the broader population of all CS patients.
OPHTHALMOLOGY PERSONNEL IN RISK MANAGEMENT: WHAT OFFICE PERSONNEL NEED TO KNOW TO KEEP YOU OUT OF TROUBLE

The performance of staff in the ophthalmologist's office will influence the risk that an individual patient may someday file a medical malpractice complaint. Areas of identified risk include improper triage of emergency patients, abandonment, problems in confidentiality, improper maintenance of medical records, and perceived lack of compassion and skill on the part of staff members.
Aging in Place: Challenges for Smart & Resilient Communities

Elder individuals who "age in place" report higher quality of life, greater social connectedness, and fewer health care complaints than those who do not. Many smaller communities near rural areas are experiencing a growth of elders moving from rural areas; if elders do not age-in-place successfully, they introduce strain on municipal services and their economic activity is diminished. Therefore, such cities need to adopt smart and resilient city practices to successfully manage the increased pressures on city services, and promote successful aging in place. In this paper, we outline challenges, through the lens of successful aging-in-place, that can be addressed through a smart and resilient cities framework, and indicate research questions that can lead to models for cities to successfully deal with such challenges.
Mesoscopic simulations of thermally-induced phase separation in PVDF/DPC solutions

Abstract We present a phase-field model of thermally-induced phase separation in polymer solutions, calibrated for the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/diphenyl carbonate (DPC) system. Large-scale three-dimensional computer simulations were performed for isotropic and anisotropic thermal quenches, and the evolution and structure of the resulting two-phase morphology is analyzed. Isotropic quenches, in which the temperature is uniformly reduced below the binodal temperature, were conducted to understand the initiation and coarsening of the polymer-rich and polymer-poor phases throughout time. Anisotropic quenches, in which the system is cooled from one particular surface, were also conducted to understand how gradients in the characteristic domain size develop for varying conditions. In these anisotropic quenches, we observe the formation of a dense skin layer adjacent to the cooling surface, the thickness of which depends on several parameters including the polymer volume fraction, the assumed bath temperature that is maintained at the cooling surface, and the rate of thermal conduction through the polymer solution. The model here can be adapted to other polymer/solvent systems by modifying the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters specific to the two species.
Improved identification and differentiation from epileptiform activity of human hippocampal sharpwave-ripples during NREM sleep

In rodents, pyramidal cell firing patterns from waking may be replayed in NREM sleep during hippocampal sharpwave-ripples (HC-SWR). In humans, HC-SWR have only been recorded with electrodes implanted to localize epileptogenesis. Here, we characterize human HC-SWR with rigorous rejection of epileptiform activity, requiring multiple oscillations and coordinated sharpwaves. We demonstrated typical SWR in those rare HC recordings which lack interictal epileptiform spikes (IIS), and with no or minimal seizure involvement. These HC-SWR have a similar rate (~12/min) and apparent intra-HC topography (ripple maximum in putative stratum pyramidale, slow wave in radiatum) as rodents, though with lower frequency (~85Hz compared to ~140Hz in rodents). Similar SWR are found in HC with IIS, but no significant seizure involvement. These SWR were modulated by behavior, being largely absent (<2/min) except during NREM sleep in both stage 2 (~9/min) and stage 3 (~15/min), distinguishing them from IIS. This study quantifies the basic characteristics of a strictly selected sample of SWR recorded in relatively healthy human hippocampi.
A multilevel approach for trace system in HDG discretizations

Abstract We propose a multilevel approach for trace systems resulting from hybridized discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) methods. The key is to blend ideas from nested dissection, domain decomposition, and high-order characteristic of HDG discretizations. Specifically, we first create a coarse solver by eliminating and/or limiting the front growth in nested dissection. This is accomplished by projecting the trace data into a sequence of same or high-order polynomials on a set of increasingly h−coarser edges/faces. We then combine the coarse solver with a block-Jacobi fine scale solver to form a two-level solver/preconditioner. Numerical experiments indicate that the performance of the resulting two-level solver/preconditioner depends on the smoothness of the solution and can offer significant speedups and memory savings compared to the nested dissection direct solver. While the proposed algorithms are developed within the HDG framework, they are applicable to other hybrid(ized) high-order finite element methods. Moreover, we show that our multilevel algorithms can be interpreted as a multigrid method with specific intergrid transfer and smoothing operators. With several numerical examples from Poisson, pure transport, and convection-diffusion equations we demonstrate the robustness and scalability of the algorithms with respect to solution order. While scalability with mesh size in general is not guaranteed and depends on the smoothness of the solution and the type of equation, improving it is a part of future work.
Subterranea: Notes on the notion of a geopolitical unconscious

Abstract New technologies are increasingly making it possible to colonize and inhabit realms previously deemed beyond-the-human. While airspace and maritime spaces feature particularly prominently in these larger geopolitical formations, subterranean spaces have not elicited the same levels of dynamism, anxiety, or excitement. Unlike air or water, subterranean spaces are often imagined to be static and inhibitive of movement, and are therefore less amenable to geopolitical mobilizations. Focusing precisely on this absence, the paper will look at the subterranean as spatial metaphor for what remains unspoken, unexplored, or forcibly repressed in geopolitical narratives. In doing so, the argument will touch upon nonhuman geographies, insularity, and the “monstrous” through two examples of subterranean sites, namely the UK/France Channel Tunnel and the Korean DMZ.
KITS (CHILDREN INTENSIVE TRANSPORT SERVICE) FOR TRANSPORTING NEWBORNS WITH ACUTE LUNG FAILURE IN PRE-ECMO SITUATION WITH HFO AND INO

Introduction For newborns with acute lung failure the dissemination of advanced technologies like Surfactant, inhaled-nitro-oxide (iNO) and high-frequency-ventilation (HFO) has been shown to decrease the need for ECMO. But consequently also increases the need to promptly transport nonresponders with the same combination of additional therapies to an ECMO enter. For the transporting these very critically ill neonates from units that have already initiated sophisticated level of treatments to our ECMO center we provide a transport service KITS (children-intensive-transport-service). Methods We developed a special transport unit with an ECMO-roller pump, a HFO ventilator, an iNO machine, a heating pump, 12 perfusion pumps (Braun) and a battery pack (180 minutes Power supply). This unit can be transported with an ambulance or a helicopter. For the transport team we have a 24/7 stand by service. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the transport we documented the oxygenation index (OI) and pCO2 before and after the transport. Results In the last two years we transported 50 neonates with acute respiratory failure per year into our ECMO center. 25% of them were supported wit HFO, 51% with iNO and 5% with ECMO during the transport (84% helicopter, 11% fix wing, 5% ambulance). No newborn died during the transport. 68% went on require ECMO within 24 h after admission our unit. The OI and pCO2 level decreased during the transport (OI: 39->35; pCO2 69, 2 mmHg ->64,7 mmHg). Discussion Special equipment and specially trained transport teams are necessary for transporting critically ill children.
Structure of an affinity-matured inhibitory recombinant fab against urokinase plasminogen activator reveals basis of potency and specificity.

Affinity maturation of U33, a recombinant Fab inhibitor of uPA, was used to improve the affinity and the inhibitory effect compared to the parental Fab. Arginine scanning of the six CDR loops of U33 was done to identify initial binding determinants since uPA prefers arginine in its primary substrate binding pocket. Two CDR loops were selected to create an engineered affinity maturation library of U33 that was diversified around ArgL91 (CDR L3) and ArgH52 (CDR H2). Biopanning of the randomized U33 library under stringent conditions resulted in eight Fabs with improved binding properties. One of the most potent inhibitors, AB2, exhibited a 13-fold decrease in IC50 when compared to U33 largely due to a decrease in its off rate. To identify contributions of interfacial residues that might undergo structural rearrangement upon interface formation we used X-ray footprinting and mass spectrometry (XFMS). Four residues showed a pronounced decrease in solvent accessibility, and their clustering suggests that AB2 targets the active site and also engages residues in an adjacent pocket unique to human uPA. The 2.9 A resolution crystal structure of AB2-bound to uPA shows a binding mode in which the CDR L1 loop inserts into the active site cleft and acts as a determinant of inhibition. The selectivity determinant of this binding mode is unlike previously identified inhibitory Fabs against uPA related serine proteases, MTSP-1, HGFA and FXIa. CDRs H2 and L3 loops aid in interface formation and provide critical salt-bridges to remodel loops surrounding the active site of uPA providing specificity and further evidence that antibodies can be potent and selective inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes.
Fostering absorptive capacity and facilitating innovation in hospitality organizations through empowering leadership

Abstract Empowering leadership facilitates a high-quality exchange of knowledge among employees. Although existing research highlights important contributions of empowering leadership at an employee level, there is little understanding of organizational mechanisms that benefit from this type of direction. Specifically, this study examined the connection of empowering leadership to the abilities of hospitality organizations to acquire and apply knowledge, namely absorptive capacity. Also, the relationships between absorptive capacity and multidimensional organizational innovation have been scarcely investigated. To bridge the research gap, this study used a time-lagged data collection method and examined a proposed structural model using the R Lavaan package. The results revealed empowering leadership had a positive relationship with potential and realized absorptive capacity. Absorptive capacity had a positive relationship with the product, process, and administrative innovation. Also, empowering leadership was indirectly associated with innovation through potential and realized absorptive capacity. Accordingly, contributions and implications of this study were discussed.