cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The June 2013 Uprisings and the Waning of Lulismo in Brazil Of Antagonism, Contradiction, and Oxymoron

This article takes issue with the common assumption that Dilma Rousseff's impeachment proceedings should be blamed on the revolts of June 2013. Rather than taking the ousting of the former President as the point of arrival of a causal chain, I privilege the June uprisings as the truly unique event in contemporary Brazilian politics. After analyzing the singularity and the multiplicity of the June revolts, I go on to argue that they laid bare and accelerated a profound crisis of Lulismo, emblematized in the collapse of its three major rhetorical strategies: antagonism (the constant search for an antagonist in the body politic), contradiction (the successive alternation between compromise and radicalism), and oxymoron (the simultaneous maintenance of antagonisms and contradictions). Looked at from the point of view of the epochal events of June, Rousseff's impeachment appears as a minor adjustment of the oligarchic pact, a charade that is fairly standard in Brazilian history. On the other hand, June remains open as a source of emancipatory impulses, as an event whose legacy is still in dispute. Este artigo recusa a premissa comum de que a responsabilidade pelo impeachment de Dilma Rousseff deve ser atribuida as revoltas de Junho de 2013. Em vez de tomar a saida da Presidente como o ponto de chegada de uma cadeia causal, o artigo privilegia os levantes de Junho como um acontecimento verdadeiramente singular na politica brasileira contemporânea. Depois de analisar a singularidade e a multiplicidade das revoltas de Junho, proponho a tese de que elas expuseram e aceleraram uma profunda crise do lulismo, emblematizada no colapso de suas tres principais estrategicas retoricas: o antagonismo (a busca constante por um antagonista no campo politico), a contradicao (a repetida alternância entre radicalidade e conciliacao) e o oximoro (a manutencao simultânea de antagonismos e contradicoes). Observado do ponto de vista dos acontecimentos epocais de Junho, o impeachment de Rousseff aparece como um ajuste menor no pacto oligarquico, uma chicana bastante comum na historia brasileira. Por outro lado, Junho permanece aberto como fonte de energia emancipatoria, um acontecimento cujo legado ainda esta em disputa .
Water Markets in Colorado: Past Performance and Needed Changes

The evolution of water law provides a fascinating example of the responses of law to changing social and economic conditions. xcScott and Coustalin 1995 and xcMiller 1996 have provided the details of water law change from Roman times to the 20th century. The law of prior occupancy (an early version of the priority doctrine), wherein the earliest water users had first call on available water, was adopted in England from Roman Law. At the start of the industrial revolution, it became clear that these historical uses were preventing water access for the newer, more technical industries. To accommodate these needs, a “reasonable use” doctrine evolved, allowing new activities access as long as they did not “unreasonably” reduce availability for others or “unreasonably” degrade water quality. This was the “riparian doctrine” of English Common Law that was brought to the eastern U.S. by the English settlers. Until the post World War II period, the doctrine served these well-watered regions well enough, although “reasonable use” remained vague and ultimately had to be defined in court.
Nasal Polyps in Cystic Fibrosis

Nasal polyps are common in cystic fibrosis (CF). Nasal polyps in children should prompt appropriate investigations for the potential diagnosis of CF. Possible etiologies for nasal polyp formation in CF include direct consequence of ΔF508 affecting chromosome 7, colonization with microorganisms including Pseudomonas aeroginosa and fungi, and IgE-mediated inflammation. Neutrophils are more common in polyps from CF patients compared with non-CF nasal polyposis. Conservative management with nasal irrigations and nasal steroids constitute first-line treatment. Surgical management of persistent and symptomatic polyps may also improve lung function, and consequently, quality of life. Simple polypectomy has a high rate of early recurrence, and thus, surgery should include at a minimum uncinectomy, middle meatal antrostomy, and anterior ethmoidectomy. Topical delivery of novel medications may reduce the need for surgery.
A microfluidic device for motility and osmolality analysis of zebrafish sperm

A microfluidic chip is described that facilitates research and quality control analysis of zebrafish sperm which, due to its miniscule (i.e., 2–5 μl) sample volume and short duration of motility (i.e., <1 min), present a challenge for traditional manual assessment methods. A micromixer molded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bonded to a glass substrate was used to activate sperm samples by mixing with water, initiated by the user depressing a transfer pipette connected to the chip. Sample flow in the microfluidic viewing chamber was able to be halted within 1 s, allowing for rapid analysis of the sample using established computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) methods. Zebrafish sperm cell activation was consistent with manual hand mixing and yielded higher values of motility at earlier time points, as well as more subtle time-dependent trends in motility, than those processed by hand. Sperm activation curves, which indicate sample quality by evaluating percentage and duration of motility at various solution osmolalities, were generated with on-chip microfabricated gold floor electrodes interrogated by impedance spectroscopy. The magnitude of admittance was linearly proportional to osmolality and was not affected by the presence of sperm cells in the vicinity of the electrodes. This device represents a pivotal step in streamlining methods for consistent, rapid assessment of sperm quality for aquatic species. The capability to rapidly activate sperm and consistently measure motility with CASA using the microfluidic device described herein will help improve the reproducibility of studies on sperm and assist development of germplasm repositories.
Infantile hemangioma as cause of neonatal gastrointestinal bleeding

Abstract Introduction Gastrointestinal infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are extremely rare and represent a diagnostic challenge, especially in newborns for the limited applicability of diagnostic approaches. We report two cases of neonates with gastrointestinal bleeding from intestinal hemangioma and a literature review of gastrointestinal IHs. Case 1: Full-term baby, asymptomatic at birth. On the seventh day of life she experienced failure to thrive, weight loss and hypotonus followed by melena and vomit. The imaging showed an intestinal vascular anomaly. We performed exploratory laparotomy and intestinal resection to remove the lesion. No complication occurred. Case 2: A 20-day old girl had melena and severe anaemia. The scintigraphic evaluation excluded gastric heterotopia. We opt for explorative surgery and we performed a laparoscopy that showed a congested and oedematous intestinal segment that was resected. Post-operative course was uneventful. Discussion Gastrointestinal IHs may cause intractable bleeding, intussusception and intestinal perforations with bad prognosis. A prompt and accurate diagnosis is vital but not always easy. Colour-coded Duplex Scan are a good first-line imaging, MRI and CT give a better definition but the latter exposes to radiation. In the “era” of minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopy can have a role in the management of patients with gastrointestinal IHs. Conclusions Gastrointestinal IHs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonates with anemia and gastro-intestinal bleeding. In selected cases, the minimally invasive approach permits diagnosis and treatment.
Modeling Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Urban Waterways Using Artificial Neural Networks

AbstractFecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are used as proxies to measure the microbial water quality of aquatic ecosystems. Methods of modeling FIB have evolved in order to provide accurate and timely...
Congenital Diabetes: Comprehensive Genetic Testing Allows for Improved Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes and Other Associated Features

The goal of this review is to provide updates on congenital (neonatal) diabetes from 2011 to present, with an emphasis on publications from 2015 to present. There has been continued worldwide progress in uncovering the genetic causes of diabetes presenting within the first year of life, including the recognition of nine new causes since 2011. Management has continued to be refined based on underlying molecular cause, and longer-term experience has provided better understanding of the effectiveness, safety, and sustainability of treatment. Associated conditions have been further clarified, such as neurodevelopmental delays and pancreatic insufficiency, including a better appreciation for how these “secondary” conditions impact quality of life for patients and their families. While continued research is essential to understand all forms of congenital diabetes, these cases remain a compelling example of personalized genetic medicine.
Unshared and Shared Decision Making: Reflections on Helplessness and Healing

In this essay, I will (a) describe some notions about caring and about the central position of what I call “moral community” in deciding and providing care of sick persons; (b) sketch some aspects of the evolution of the role of the modern physician as “captain of the ship” — the ship being hospitals, doctors’ offices, homes, and the people who apply science, technology, and other means to care for the sick; and (c) comment on the role of hospital ethics committees.
Boundaries in digital spaces: Basic theory

We define a digital space to be a pair consisting of an arbitrary nonempty set V and a symmetric binary relation π on V with respect to which V is connected. The boundary between subsets O and Q of V is defined to be the set of those (c, d) in π for which c is in O and d is in Q. We demonstrate that in spite of the extremely general nature of this definition, a nontrivial theory of boundaries can be developed and, in particular, that results regarding the connectedness and separability properties of the interiors and exteriors of boundaries in classical digital topology (concerned with particular tessellations of some finite-dimensional Euclidean space) become corollaries of corresponding theorems in our general environment.
POROUS POLYMER TRAPPING FOR GC/MS ANALYSIS OF VEGETABLE FLAVORS

Flavor profiles of canned and frozen whole kernel sweet corn were obtained by entraining the volatile compounds on Porapak Q traps and by subsequent analysis on temperature-programed, 500′ × 0.03″ ID capillary columns (SF-96 or Carbowax 20M). Identification was based on GC/MS data, retention indices (I E 's), and retention times. The new compounds identified in canned corn included pyridine, methional, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dimethyl sulfone. Various sulfur, nitrogen, and nitrogen-sulfur heterocyclic compounds were also present as previously mentioned by Libbey et al. (l). Qualitative and quantitative varietal differences were observed in both frozen and canned samples. Many of these compounds were typical of roasted foods, such as nuts or roasted meats, and were not found to any extent in samples of frozen or fresh corn. New compounds found in frozen corn included acetoin, 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone, and dimethyl sulfone. Various model systems were heated to simulate the canning process of sweet corn. Mixtures of water, corn starch, and sulfur-containing (l) Libbey, L.M., M.E. Morgan, L.A. Hansen, and R.A. Scanlan. Higher-Boiling Volatiles in Canned Whole Kernel Sweet Corn. A.C.S. Atlantic City, N.J. 1975. amino acids produced the most corn-like aromas. Systems containing glutamic acid, asparagine, proline, aspartic acid, and other amino acids produced earthy, parsnip, or vegetable notes. Pyrazines, furans, and thiophenes were among the compounds identified. Other experiments were conducted to elucidate mechanisms of flavor formation and to simulate sweet corn flavor.
Big Data and Artificial Intelligence: New Challenges for Workplace Equality

This essay contains remarks delivered in a keynote speech at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law’s 35th Annual Carl A. Warns and Edwin R. Render Labor and Employment Law Institute. Big data and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used by employers in their human resources processes in ways that control access to employment opportunities. This essay describes some of those developments and explains how practices like targeted online recruitment strategies and the use of hiring algorithms to screen applicants raise a significant risk of discriminating against protected groups such as women and racial minorities. It then considers some of the challenges these technologies pose for existing anti-discrimination law and suggests ways that the law should be interpreted to address these new threats to workplace equality.
Engineering principles of cold plasma

Abstract This chapter presents key engineering concepts, including overviews of the plasma state, Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic fields, kinetic theory of plasma, and discharge phenomena. Six common cold plasma reactor types are explained: dielectric barrier, jet, corona, capacitively coupled, inductively coupled, and microwave; the first three predominantly use atmospheric pressure and the last three predominantly use low pressure. Engineering principles and reactor functionalities are then described. Some specific examples of cold plasma processing are presented.
Effects of alcohol and emotions on voice features in Mexican Spanish accented speech: A forensically relevant case study

This is a case study of how alcohol intoxication and emotions affect the speech of a male Mexican Spanish speaker arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, and how his dialectal variety may have influenced the assumption of the arresting officers that alcohol intoxication was revealed by his altered speech patterns. There are still few standards in Forensic Linguistics and Voice Recognition/Identification (cf. the survey by Hollien et al., 2014). We do know, however, that listeners often overestimate the amount of alcohol speakers ingested, sober speakers can successfully mimic drunken speech, and conversely it is possible for a speaker under the influence to sound more sober than s/he actually is by modifying certain parameters (ibid., p. 180). It has also been demonstrated that dialectal differences can impair intelligibility and speaker recognition (Bahr et al. 2002, Betancourt and Bahr, 2010): the present case study analyses the acoustic segmental and suprasegmental aspects of the existing recordings of the arrest, and shows that while the speaker may have been physiologically drunk, he was rather “linguistically sober.” Further correlations are also drawn between dialectal characteristics and “slurred speech,” as well as the influence of emotions and possibly deception on speech rhythm and variations in vocal parameters.This is a case study of how alcohol intoxication and emotions affect the speech of a male Mexican Spanish speaker arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, and how his dialectal variety may have influenced the assumption of the arresting officers that alcohol intoxication was revealed by his altered speech patterns. There are still few standards in Forensic Linguistics and Voice Recognition/Identification (cf. the survey by Hollien et al., 2014). We do know, however, that listeners often overestimate the amount of alcohol speakers ingested, sober speakers can successfully mimic drunken speech, and conversely it is possible for a speaker under the influence to sound more sober than s/he actually is by modifying certain parameters (ibid., p. 180). It has also been demonstrated that dialectal differences can impair intelligibility and speaker recognition (Bahr et al. 2002, Betancourt and Bahr, 2010): the present case study analyses the acoustic segmental and suprasegmental aspects of the existing reco...
Condensation frosting detection and characterization using a capacitance sensing approach

Abstract Frost growth is detected using capacitance sensing approach. A capacitive sensor with interdigital electrodes (IDEs) is designed and fabricated based on the fringing effect. Frost growth experiments under different surface temperatures, air temperatures, and air velocities are conducted with simultaneous frost imaging. The results show that the capacitance sensing approach can accurately reflect not only the characteristics of different frost growth stages but also the differences of frost growth under different conditions. The rate at which the capacitance increases changes for different frost growth stages and fluctuations decrease during the mature growth stage. Changes in the rate at which the capacitance increases are relatively small under a high surface temperatures or high air velocities, and the time it takes to reach to the mature growth stage is shorter at lower cold-surface temperatures, higher air temperatures or higher air velocities. This work has potential for advancing the understanding of frost growth mechanisms and for better defrost control.
Introduction: Why Looking into Student Academic Presentations?

The academic presentation is one of the fairly under-researched spoken academic varieties, especially with regard to certain linguistic features that reveal presenters’ attempts to accommodate their listeners. The chapter offers a brief summary of some of the benefits of academic presentations for degree-seeking college students. It also discusses a connection between the strong audience orientation, promoted by many published manuals and materials on giving effective presentations, and the notion of audience accommodation as proposed by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). The discussion is followed by a brief overview of the register perspective taken in the analysis of the corpus of student academic presentations (SAP) used in the book and an overview of the rest of the chapters.
Dual-drug loaded phase-changing nanodroplets for image-guided tumor therapy

Phase-changing nanodroplets are sub-micron constructs with perfluorocarbon liquid cores that can be remotely vaporized with optical or acoustic energy to form gaseous microbubbles and expel their contents. This process can generate shock waves, shear forces, and microstreams in the interstitial tumor space, enhancing intratumoral drug delivery1. Furthermore, the resulting microbubbles can act as ultrasound contrast agents, enabling imaging with high sensitivity to guide the delivery of therapeutics. In order to leverage these phenomena for drug co-delivery, we developed lipid-shell nanodroplets (NDs) with a liquid perfluoropentane core by a double emulsion technique. The droplets were loaded with cisplatin and paclitaxel as active agents, as well as indocyanine-green dye to allow for light-triggered drug release and enable photoacoustic imaging2. Both the composition of the shell and of the core emulsion were optimized in order to develop nanoparticles with sizes lower than 300 nm (mean diameter 153 ± 77 nm) to enhance accumulation in tumors. The triggered release of both drugs from the nanodroplets was assessed by laser activation with NIR-light (750 nm). The viability of FaDu cells was used to measure in vitro drug delivery, showcasing the laser triggered release of drugs. The double drug formulation outperformed empty nanodroplets (p= 0.0006), PTX-loaded NDs (p < 0.0001), as well as combinations of paclitaxel and cisplatin in concentrations equivalent to the loaded droplets’ in terms of cell cytotoxicity effects. With these in mind, our long-term goal is to employ the nanodroplets to quantify delivered drug dose, while at the same time minimizing off-target effects.
Expanded neuromuscular morbidity in Hodgkin lymphoma after radiotherapy.

Our study aims to quantitate neuromuscular morbidity from radiotherapy in Hodgkin lymphoma including: (i) frequency and (ii) time of onsets for neurological localizations; (iii) degree of disabilities and (iv) number of clinical visits compared to cardiopulmonary Hodgkin lymphoma-radiation complications. Medical records from Mayo Health systems were retrieved; identifying neuromuscular radiation treated Hodgkin lymphoma-complications from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2016. Of an estimated 4100 post-radiotherapy Hodgkin lymphoma patients, 4.6% (189) were identified with complications. Mean latency to physician visit for symptoms was 23.7 years (range: 1-50). Most commonly identified complications included: head drop 10% (19) with or without myopathy, myopathy 39% (73), plexopathy 29% (54), myelopathy 27% (51) and polyradiculopathy 13% (24). Other findings included benign and malignant nerve sheath tumours 5% (9), phrenic and long thoracic mononeuropathies 7% (14) and compressive spinal meningioma 2% (4). Patients frequently had multiple coexisting complications (single = 76% [144], double = 17% [33], triple = 4% [8], quadruple = 2% [4]). Cardiac 28% (53) and pulmonary 15% (29) complications were also seen in these patients. History of Hodgkin lymphoma was initially overlooked by neurologists (14.3%, 48/336 clinical notes). Hospital and outpatient visits for complications were frequent: neuromuscular 19% (77/411) versus cardiopulmonary 30% (125/411). Testing was largely exclusionary, except when imaging identified secondary malignancy. Modified Rankin score at diagnosis varied: 0-1 (55.8%), 2-3 (5.8%) and 4-5 (38.3%). Neuromuscular complications among post-radiation Hodgkin lymphoma are diverse, occurring in ∼1 of 20 having markedly delayed onsets often eluding diagnosis. Frequent care visits and major morbidity are common. Survivorship recommendations should recognize the diverse neurological complications.
Wildlife response to recreational trail building: An experimental method and Appalachian case study

Abstract Trail networks are common infrastructure in protected areas for visitors to exercise, connect with nature, and learn about natural and cultural resources. However, there are concerns that the presence and construction of trails affect the quality of wildlife habitats, extending human disturbance into secluded areas. In this study, we developed a before-after control-impact experimental design to investigate the impacts of new trail construction on six terrestrial vertebrate species in an Appalachian protected area in the U.S. Using camera traps, we monitored animal use of the study area before, during, and after construction, on the trail, near the trail, and at a control site. Our results indicate statistically significant impacts of trail building and presence on four common species. During trail construction, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) decreased their activity on and/or near the trail, while raccoons (Procyon lotor) increased activity on the trail. These three species returned to the area at pre-building levels once trail construction was complete. After trail building, eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) showed decreased use of the trail area. We also observed altered timing of daily activity patterns for squirrels and deer, both diurnal species. Deer activity became more spread throughout the day within the near-trail zone during construction. After the trail was complete, squirrels shifted activity to earlier in the day, after sunrise and prior to the peak of recreational activity. We conclude that while trail building may alter habitat quality for some species, this mostly occurred during the construction phase, and was fairly minor for our study species. To minimize impacts, we suggest that trail building be restricted to a short time period during a season when species of concern are least sensitive. Our use of control sites allowed us to distinguish experimental effects from natural population fluctuations, and should serve as a foundation for future work investigating the effects of trails and other linear human disturbances on wildlife communities, especially in sensitive habitats and ecosystems.
Review of mass (heat) — transfer measurements using naphthalene sublimation

The naphthalene sublimation method can be used to study mass/heat transfer with confidence for a variety of applications, but with certain restrictions. This method is particularly useful in complex flows and geometries and for flows with large gradients in wall transport rate. Mass transfer boundary conditions analogous to isothermal and adiabatic walls in convective heat transfer can be easily imposed. Furthermore, the nature of mass transfer allows one to impose these boundary conditions such that errors analogous to conductive losses in a wall are not present. The test specimen can be easily prepared by several methods, including dipping, machining, spraying, and casting. The local transfer coefficients can be determined with high accuracy and in detail by automated measurement systems which eliminate most human errors and reduce extraneous sublimation losses during the measurement process. The heat transfer coefficient, which is often desired, can be readily determined from the measured mass transfer results with good confidence via a heat/mass transfer analogy. However, this method can not generally be used in certain flow situations such as high velocity flows due to recovery temperature effects and natural convection due to the thermal buoyancy effects of sublimation latent heat.
Hyper-dominance of the left anterior descending artery—a large territory

Coronary artery anomalies are rare and a potential cause of significant morbidity and mortality. A hyper-dominant left anterior descending artery is extremely rare with only 17 cases reported in th...
Direct 3D Printing of Silica Doped Transparent Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Ceramics

Transparent magnesium aluminate spinel ceramics were additively manufactured via a laser direct deposition method in this study. With a minimum porosity of 0.3% achieved, highly transparent spinel samples with the highest total optical transmittance of 82% at a wavelength of 632.8 nm, were obtained by a 3D printing approach. However, cracking was found to be a major issue affecting printed spinel samples. To control prevalent cracking, the effect of silica dopants was investigated. Increased silica dopants reduced average total crack length by up to 79% and average crack density by up to 71%. However, a high dopant level limited optical transmission, attributed to increased porosity and formation of secondary phase. Further investigation found that with decreased average fracture toughness, from 2.4 MPa·m1/2 to 1.9 MPa·m1/2, the obvious reduction in crack formation after doping was related to decreased grain size and introduction of softer secondary phase during deposition. The study demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed laser direct deposition method in directly fabricating transparent spinel ceramics while dopants showed potentials in addressing cracking issues.
Near-UV light assisted green reduction of graphene oxide films through l-ascorbic acid

Recent studies have highlighted the effects of various stimuli on the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) through green reductant L-ascorbic acid (L-AA); however, the combination of near ultr...
Entrepreneurial Aspirations Among University Students

Entrepreneurship plays a premium role in industrial development. Entrepreneurship development is the key to the economic development of any country. There are two crucial problems in India, i.e., unemployment and scarcity of financial resources. Only entrepreneurial development can provide a solution to these problems. Entrepreneurs not only generate self-employment but also provide employment opportunities for others by setting up enterprises. On the other hand, most of the youth graduating from colleges and universities are aspiring for a job, rather than starting their own enterprise. The present paper is an attempt to find out the entrepreneurial aspirations among the university students and their future aspirations after completion of degree. An attempt has also been made to find out the reasons why students could not opt for entrepreneurship as a career option.
Cycle-based local update method for edge-load balancing problem

In the management network with SDN controllers, a traffic load-leveling method for communication links was considered to avoid congestion on the links for network service. Our study has modeled the network as a flow network, defined the ratio of flow to capacity in an edge as a load factor, and formulated the network flow optimization problem for finding the flow path to minimize the maximal load factor in the entire network as the unsplittable flow edge-load factor balancing problem. Previous work proposed the cycle-based heuristic approach for this problem while this problem is NP-hard. However, the proposed method has a time consumption issue about all combinations of flow routing. Therefore, this paper proposes efficient local update methods in the cycle-based heuristic approach by using meta-heuristic strategies.
Keep it Oakland: e-commerce meets social justice

This article examines the labor involved with the upkeep of social media accounts for Oakland-based brick-and-mortar boutiques and their digital storefronts, particularly as businesses move their w...
Computational prediction and biochemical characterization of novel RNA aptamers to Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein

Display Omitted A family of RNA aptamers selected for their ability to bind to a viral protein, but whose secondary structures were uncharacterized, was folded and numerically scored in silico.The predicted structural characteristics of randomly generated RNA sequences were pairwise compared to those of the bona fide aptamers.The novel in silico aptamers that clustered structurally using multidimensional scaling with the bona fide aptamers were synthesized in the laboratory for further investigation.The in silico aptamers displayed good binding characteristics to Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein in vitro.Several of the in silico aptamers exhibited antiviral activity when transfected into cells prior to infection with RVFV. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a potent human and livestock pathogen endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that has potential to spread to other parts of the world. Although there is no proven effective and safe treatment for RVFV infections, a potential therapeutic target is the virally encoded nucleocapsid protein (N). During the course of infection, N binds to viral RNA, and perturbation of this interaction can inhibit viral replication. To gain insight into how N recognizes viral RNA specifically, we designed an algorithm that uses a distance matrix and multidimensional scaling to compare the predicted secondary structures of known N-binding RNAs, or aptamers, that were isolated and characterized in previous in vitro evolution experiment. These aptamers did not exhibit overt sequence or predicted structure similarity, so we employed bioinformatic methods to propose novel aptamers based on analysis and clustering of secondary structures. We screened and scored the predicted secondary structures of novel randomly generated RNA sequences in silico and selected several of these putative N-binding RNAs whose secondary structures were similar to those of known N-binding RNAs. We found that overall the in silico generated RNA sequences bound well to N in vitro. Furthermore, introduction of these RNAs into cells prior to infection with RVFV inhibited viral replication in cell culture. This proof of concept study demonstrates how the predictive power of bioinformatics and the empirical power of biochemistry can be jointly harnessed to discover, synthesize, and test new RNA sequences that bind tightly to RVFV N protein. The approach would be easily generalizable to other applications.
The Effect of Cold Work on Microstructure and SCC Susceptibility in Simulated BWR Environment for Non-Sensitized Austenitic Stainless Steels

To reveal the effect of cold work on SCC susceptibility in simulated BWR environment for low carbon austenitic stainless steels, a CBB test was performed where the microstructures were analyzed by EBSD. In this study, two of type 316NG and one of type 304NG stainless steel were tested and analyzed. Type 316NG #1 which has relatively higher Ni and Mo content than type 316NG #2 showed higher SCC susceptibility and type 316NG #2 having lower Ni and Mo content than type 316 #1 showed lower susceptibility. But the number of cracks doesn’t change dramatically, then it implies that the cold work prior to CBB test doesn’t increase the SCC initiation sites. Type 304NG has no cracks by CBB test. EBSD parameters concerned with plastic strain within grains or random grain boundaries have no significant difference. ∑3 ratios were also analyzed by EBSD and it was found that the deviation of ∑3 boundaries increases and ∑3 ratio decreases with the applied strain. ∑3 boundaries show the good resistance to intergranular corrosion and cracking so that cold work might accelerate the micro-cracks propagation and coalescence.
Procedures and Variables

In this chapter you will learn how to subdivide a program into primitive action units called “procedures” and to give names to computer memory locations where data can be stored under names that you designate, called “variables”.
WiP abstract: Impact of position inaccuracy on V2V intersection protocols

We have been investigating vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications as a part of co-operative driving in the context of autonomous driving. In this work, we study the effects of position inaccuracy of commonly-used GPS devices on some of our V2V intersection protocols and suggest required modifications to guarantee their safety and efficiency despite these impairments.
Nursing is the Room Rate

Shrinking dollars increase the need for health care stakeholders to clearly understand nursing's worth. For nursing to assure an adequate investment in nurses, it needs to articulate its value drivers. Nursing revenue offers a data source that reflects stakeholder choices and patient needs. The daily nursing billing supports hospital payment and provides cost data, important for hospital financial decision making. This revenue is a tangible asset reflecting nursing value and can be used to justify an investment in the profession. Nursing leadership can use this daily nursing charge data to monitor and measure the impact of efficiencies related to patient care.
Bacteraemia in the elderly: predictors of outcome in an urban teaching hospital

Abstract Objectives To analyze the underlying factors of mortality in elderly adults with bacteraemia. Methods The study included 238 episodes of bacteraemia in an urban public teaching hospital. Retrospective chart review recorded demographic information, comorbid conditions, length of stay, source of infection, and physiologic and laboratory data on admission. Results Of the 238 episodes of bacteraemia, 128 patients were 65–74 years of age and 110 patients were ≧75 years of age. Eighty-one percent came from home. Fifty-four percent had Gram positive cocci detected in blood cultures and 36% had Gram negative bacilli. Factors associated with increased odds of mortality included underlying renal disease, admission to MICU, hypotension and hypoalbuminemia. Decreased odds of mortality were associated with being admitted from home and receiving appropriate antibiotics. Conclusions Bacteraemia in the elderly has a high mortality rate, but is not significantly increased in those ≧75 years of age. The recent microbiology has shifted from Gram negative bacilli to Gram positive cocci. Physiologic abnormalities on admission predict worse outcomes in the elderly bacteraemic patient. Hypoalbuminemia on admission is associated with higher mortality rates in the elderly.
Universal distributed sensing via random projections

This paper develops a new framework for distributed coding and compression in sensor networks based on distributed compressed sensing (DCS). DCS exploits both intra-signal and inter-signal correlations through the concept of joint sparsity; just a few measurements of a jointly sparse signal ensemble contain enough information for reconstruction. DCS is well-suited for sensor network applications, thanks to its simplicity, universality, computational asymmetry, tolerance to quantization and noise, robustness to measurement loss, and scalability. It also requires absolutely no inter-sensor collaboration. We apply our framework to several real world datasets to validate the framework.
Ibuprofen Metabolism in the Liver and Gill of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has become an important topic of discussion with respect to pharmaceutical absorption, metabolism and elimination in fish. This study investigates the metabolism of ibuprofen by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In vitro metabolic loss of parent compound was measured in gill and liver S9 and microsomal fractions. Metabolite analysis found 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen as the major metabolite in uninduced S9 fractions. Supplementing S9 fractions with UDPGA did not significantly enhance metabolism. Additionally, assays involving the induction and inhibition of specific CYP isozymes support CYP1A2 as a possible metabolic pathway in fish.
Computer-assisted percutaneous fixation of acetabular fractures and pelvic ring disruptions

The complex anatomy of the pelvis contains many vital anatomic structures. In the past, this anatomic complexity has necessitated wide surgical exposures for internal fixation of traumatic disruptions of the pelvis and acetabulum. The availability of computer-assisted surgical technology has made it possible to decrease the invasiveness of internal fixation procedures about the pelvis. Optically tracked surgical instruments can be used to pass cannulated screws percutaneously according to precise preoperative plans, using patient-specific anatomy derived from computed tomography scans. This technique has broad potential for both pure percutaneous procedures and open procedures as well.
Intracranial Pressure Measurement Within the Rat Skull is Sensitive to Shock Wave Intensity and Weight of the Specimen

Blast associated injuries have been quantified into different classes based on the type of trauma that they create [1]. Of these types of trauma, the neuropathology invoked by shock wave exposure is the most ambiguous [1]. The properties associated with shock wave exposure have lead to multiple hypothesized mechanisms for brain trauma including: acceleration-based damage, a thoracic squeeze resulting in pressure pulses to the brain, or transference of energy from the shock wave into the brain via the skull [2, 3].© 2011 ASME
19F NMR Studies of Tryptophan/Serum Albumin Binding

Abstract 19 F NMR provides direct measures of the Trp binding avidity of ‘fatty acid free’ bovine serum albumin when d - and l -6-fluorotryptophan are used as the probes. Both a high and low affinity binding site are present. The addition of octanoate either displaces the ligand from both sites or greatly decreases the affinity such that little binding occurs at 2 mM levels. In the case of l -6-fluorotryptophan separate signals are observed for the high and low affinity binding sites and titrations with competing ligands can be used to establish the relative affinities of ligands at the high affinity site. Binding at this site appears to be hydrophobic and shape specific with l -Phe being a very poor ligand ( K D [ l -Phe]/ K D [ l -Trp]=800) while both GHKαNal and GHKW displace l -6-fluorotryptophan from this site. In tripeptides of the general formula GHK[eNH(CH 2 ) n (CO)W], affinity increases with tether length and binding at the low affinity site is restored. This NMR assay appears well-suited for the discovery of selective binding agents in this and other biorecognition phenomena.
Pain medication management processes used by oncology outpatients and family caregivers part I: health systems contexts.

Abstract Context Oncology patients with persistent pain treated in outpatient settings and their family caregivers have significant responsibility for managing pain medications. However, little is known about their practical day-to-day experiences with pain medication management. Objectives The aim was to describe day-to-day pain medication management from the perspectives of oncology outpatients and their family caregivers who participated in a randomized clinical trial of a psychoeducational intervention called the Pro-Self© Plus Pain Control Program. In this article, we focus on pain medication management by patients and family caregivers in the context of multiple complex health systems. Methods We qualitatively analyzed audio-recorded intervention sessions that included extensive dialogue between patients, family caregivers, and nurses about pain medication management during the 10-week intervention. Results The health systems context for pain medication management included multiple complex systems for clinical care, reimbursement, and regulation of analgesic prescriptions. Pain medication management processes particularly relevant to this context were getting prescriptions and obtaining medications. Responsibilities that fell primarily to patients and family caregivers included facilitating communication and coordination among multiple clinicians, overcoming barriers to access, and serving as a final safety checkpoint. Significant effort was required of patients and family caregivers to insure safe and effective pain medication management. Conclusion Health systems issues related to access to needed analgesics, medication safety in outpatient settings, and the effort expended by oncology patients and their family caregivers require more attention in future research and health-care reform initiatives.
MASS TRANSIT FOR THE FEW

The issue with mass transit planning, as with most other public questions, is still "who benefits and who pays?" A mass transit system can be immediate bread-and-butter transportation for the masses, or it can be luxury transit for the few, paid for by the many. The latter is the way Los Angeles voters saw SCRTD's proposed system twice within the past two years. To prevent the Los Angeles fiasco from recurring, future studies of transportation alternatives--and indeed of any technological choices--must be explicit in addressing the question of benefit and payment. Political and social analysis should become as indispensable a part of transportation decision making as origin and destination studies or studies of technology are today. /GMRL/
Isolation and characterization of Bacillus coagulans associated with half-moon disorder of honey bees

Summary — Nine different isolates of the bacterium Bacillus coagulans were isolated from honey bee larval cadavers collected from colonies afflicted with half-moon disorder (HMD) in New Zealand. One isolate was selected for detailed characterization and pathogenicity testing. Laboratory-reared larvae became infected when inoculated with the test isolate at 1 or 2 d of age. No infection was observed among larvae inoculated in combs placed in small colonies in outdoor cages. Although able to infect larvae under certain conditions, B coagulans is probably not the cause of HMD.
Understanding others and understanding language: how do children do it?

Abstract Does the child’s emerging understanding of other minds interact with his/her growing understanding of language? If so, in what ways? This paper focuses on the recent proposals of Daniel Hutto and colleagues regarding the role played by the child’s developing skills in narrative discourse in his/her acquisition of folk-psychological understanding. What must the child understand about the properties and powers of language in order to become a competent participant in narrative exchanges and so, according to the proponents of Hutto’s narrative-practice approach, acquire an understanding of other people’s thoughts, beliefs, desires, intentions, and reasons for acting?
Tidal stability of gas clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud and M101

The tidal stability of the giant atomic gas clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and in M101 is examined. The giant atomic clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud are found to be unstable against tidal disruption by the gravity of the LMC, but the clouds in M101 are in approximate tidal balance. It is unlikely that there is sufficient unobserved molecular gas to stabilize the LMC clouds, although they may have substantial molecular cores which are tidally stable. The time scale for tidal disruption of the LMC clouds is of the order of 20-30 million years. Because most of the clouds have associated H II regions, the onset of star formation in these clouds must occur rapidly. In order to balance the loss due to tidal disruption, the clouds would have to be forming at a rate of approximately 0.09 solar masses/year per sq kpc, a value comparable to that derived for the Milky Way.
How should a patient with an isolated GGT elevation be evaluated

Given GGT’s extremely low specificity, do not get on a merry-go-round of testing when this liver enzyme is elevated.
An articulatory examination of word-final flapping at phrase edges and interiors

Formulations of flapping as a symbolic phonological rule suggest clear articulatory differences between flaps and stops, and often offer no overt explanation for why phrase boundaries should block the alternation. The present study explores the articulatory foundation of the distinction between flaps and non-flaps in word-final position. We examine kinematic and acoustic data for these articulations in phrase-final and phrase-medial positions and in falling- and level-stress contours. It is shown that a discrepancy exists between acoustic and articulatory durational patterning - while acoustic durations of flaps are shorter than those of non-flaps overall, their articulatory durations are not uniformly so. It is important to consider multiple potential articulatory sources - both spatial and temporal for the acoustic shortness that characterizes flaps, including spatial reduction, temporal articulatory shortening, and changes in intergestural coordination. The kinematic data indicate that different sources of word-final flap shortness exist for different speakers and different prosodic conditions, suggesting that gradient variability in the spatiotemporal patterning of tongue-tip constrictions yields acoustic shortening in word-final flaps.
Structured authoring meets technical comics in techcommix

TechCommix is an XML grammar and GUI that allows technical communicators to build comics based on the principles of structured authoring. TechCommix XML uses elements of two markup languages--ComicsML and DITA--the combination of which offers a means of tagging elements connected to a comics narrative (such as speech, action, narration) and to structured technical documentation (such as context, step, example). The resulting language allows a technical writer to differentiate between instructional and entertainment content, facilitating content analysis and reuse. Additionally, the TechCommix GUI provides assisted means of building web comics from DITA input. In this online environment, a technical writer can transform an XML file into an HTML deliverable with multiple presentation options--extending usability and accessibility beyond the current standard of image-based web comics. Future work will examine the efficacy of these comics in communicating procedural information.