cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Education majors’ expectations and reported experiences with inquiry-based physics: Implications for student affect

To address a perennial need to provide K-8 teachers with a solid foundation in science, there are many physics content courses throughout the United States. One such course is Physics and Astronomy for Teachers (PAT), which relies heavily on active-learning strategies. Although PAT is successful in teaching physics content, students sometimes report dissatisfaction with the course. Such instances of poor affect are worrisome because they may influence how teachers present science in their own classrooms. Therefore, this study investigates students' affect in terms of their pedagogical expectations and potential personal learning outcomes with respect to PAT. Two sections of PAT, each containing approximately 40 students, were observed. Students in those sections were surveyed, and a sample were interviewed ($N=10$). An analysis of the data in terms of an expectancy violation framework shows that while students' expectations regarding the hands-on and interactive components of PAT were met, they received substantially fewer lectures, class discussions, and opportunities to make class presentations than they had expected, even after they had been presented with the course syllabus and informed about the specific nature of the course. Additionally, students expected PAT to be more directly linked with their future teaching careers and therefore expected more opportunities to practice teaching science than they reported receiving. This investigation serves as a case study to provide insight into why students are sometimes frustrated and confused when first encountering active-learning classes, and it implies that instructors should be cognizant of those feelings and devote resources toward explicit orientation that emphasizes the purpose of the course and reasons behind their pedagogical choices.
Patient-specific insulin-resistance-guided infusion improves glycemic control in cardiac surgery.

Background Maintenance of appropriate capillary blood glucose in cardiovascular surgery patients has been associated with improved outcomes, including lower mortality. Interpatient variability in insulin resistance can make management difficult, leading to unexpected episodes of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. To improve postoperative glucose control at our institution, a patient-specific insulin-resistance–guided (IRG) protocol was developed. Methods Prospective data were gathered on 100 consecutive cardiovascular surgery patients managed with our standard insulin infusion protocol and 100 patients managed using the IRG protocol. Clinical characteristics and glycemic indices were analyzed for the two groups. Primary endpoints included (1) percentage of time spent in the target range, (2) number of hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes, (3) time to achievement of target blood glucose, and (4) the total daily dose of insulin required. Results The IRG protocol resulted in significant improvements, including increased percentage of time spent in the normoglycemic range (82.5% versus 65.8%, p p 126 mg/dL: 4.8 versus 8.2, p p = 0.32). Conclusions Use of the IRG protocol led to improved glycemic indices while reducing episodes of hypoglycemia in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients. The ability to adjust a patient's insulin dosing based upon factors related to their insulin resistance results in improved blood glucose control and safety in cardiovascular surgery patients.
The phospholipid and fatty acid composition of platelets in patients with primary defects of platelet function

Platelet phospholipid and fatty acid composition was determined in nine normal subjects and in 11 patients with primary defects in platelet function. Two of the patients had thrombasthenia (Glanzmann) and nine had various types of abnormalities in platelet aggregation and platelet factor 3 availability attributed to impairment of the platelet release reaction. The values observed for platelet lipids in the normal subjects were similar to those reported by others. Four of the patients with a disturbance in the platelet release reaction were in the same family and showed the same abnormal pattern of platelet lipid composition. Phospholipid analysis showed a decrease in the relative amount of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and an increase in lecithin. Abnormalities in fatty acids consisted of an increase in the relative amounts of 18∶1ω9, 20∶0 and 20∶1ω9 and a decrease in the 22∶4ω6+24∶1 fraction. Similar changes in PE and 18∶1ω9 were also observed in another patient with a similar defect in platelet function. In this patient the relative amount of platelet sphingomyelin was also increased. The platelet lipid composition in the other six patients and in one normal subject given aspirin was essentially normal.
A Quantitative Basis for Building Instrumentation Specifications

Abstract A quantitative basis for key building instrumentation specifications—namely, sample rate, system resolution, and time synchronization—is established by quantifying the sensitivities of engineering demand parameters of peak floor acceleration and peak interstory drift to the errors associated with data acquisition. Details of the realistic simulation and digitization of structural responses are provided and automation of the seemingly signal-dependent procedure of high-pass digital filtering of relative displacements obtained by double numerical integration of accelerations is presented. Results from these studies, along with prior results from similar sensitivity analyses with respect to intensity measures of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and peak spectral acceleration, are used to recommend potential updates to structural instrumentation specifications of major strong-motion instrumentation programs.
Comparison of Fracture Methodologies for Flaw Stability Analysis for High Level Waste Storage Tanks

The analysis to determine flaw stability requires inputs of material properties and stress conditions to a fracture mechanics methodology. Activities in the Life Management Program for the Type I and II high level waste tanks cover the development of these inputs at tank-specific conditions. This report provides a comprehensive review of fracture mechanics methods that are appropriate for the Type I and II tanks.
DFT Calculations of the Electron Affinities of Nucleic Acid Bases: Dealing with Negative Electron Affinities

To better understand the cause of the diversity in reported values of the electron affinities (EAs) for DNA bases, we performed a series of DFT (B3LYP functional) calculations at different basis set sizes. Through investigation of (1) trends in the values of EAs, (2) the excess electron spin distribution of the anion radical dependence on basis set size, (3) effect of the excess electron on ZPEs, we are able to identify the features of a basis set that allows for dipole-bound and continuum states to compete with molecular states for the electron. Smaller basis sets that confine the excess electron to the molecule allow for reasonable estimates of relative valence electron affinities excluding dipole-bound states and suggest the order of adiabatic valence electron affinities to be U ≈ T > C ≈ I (hypoxanthine) > A > G with G nearly 1 eV less electron affinic than U. Combining the best estimates from theory and experiment we place the adiabatic valence electron affinities of the pyrimidines as zero to +0.2 e...
General principle of existence of natural objects

Natural objects, live and inanimate, actively maintain their entities by using their capacities (i.e., properties, internal resources, mechanisms, and experience) adequately to their needs. It is suggested that the principle of adequate function is a law of nature.
Significant modulation of mitochondrial electron transport system by nicotine in various rat brain regions

The mitochondrion is the organelle responsible for generation of most usable energy in a cell. It also plays an important role in a series of physiological processes such as apoptosis and proliferation. Although previous studies have demonstrated that nicotine modulates the morphology and function of mitochondria, the mechanism(s) underlying these effects is largely unknown. In this study, using a microarray consisting of 4793 clones derived from a mouse dopamine cDNA library, we profiled the gene expression patterns for six brain regions (amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, striatum and ventral tegmental area) of female Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to nicotine treatment for 7days through osmotic minipump infusion. We identified a number of genes and pathways, including components of the electron transport system of mitochondria, such as cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (Mt-co1), Mt-co2, Mt-co3, cytochrome b (Mt-cyb), mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 4 (Mt-nd4), and Mt-nd6, that were significantly modulated by nicotine in multiple brain regions. Bioinformatics analysis provided evidence that Gene Ontology categories related to the electron transport system were overrepresented in each brain region. Finally, the results from the microarray analysis were verified by quantitative RT-PCR for four representative genes. Together, our findings imply that mitochondria are involved in neuronal adaptation to chronic nicotine exposure.
The inhibition of platelet adhesion and activation on collagen during balloon angioplasty by collagen-binding peptidoglycans.

Collagen is a potent stimulator for platelet adhesion, activation, and thrombus formation, and provides a means for controlling blood loss due to injury, and recruiting inflammatory cells for fighting infection. Platelet activation is not desirable however, during balloon angioplasty/stent procedures in which balloon expansion inside an artery exposes collagen, initiating thrombosis, and inflammation. We have developed biomimetic polymers, termed peptidoglycans, composed of a dermatan sulfate backbone with covalently attached collagen-binding peptides. The peptidoglycan binds to collagen, effectively masking it from platelet activation. The lead peptidoglycan binds to collagen with high affinity (KD = 24 nm) and inhibits platelet binding and activation on collagen in both static studies and under flow, while promoting endothelial regrowth on collagen. Application for angioplasty is demonstrated in the Ossabaw miniature pig by fast delivery to the vessel wall through a therapeutic infusion catheter with a proprietary PTFE porous balloon. The peptidoglycan is an approach for locally preventing platelet deposition and activation on collagen. It can be used during angioplasty to prevent platelet deposition on target vessels and could be used in any vessel, including those not amenable to stent deployment.
On the dynamic programming approach to the “caterer” problem

Abstract The formulation of the “caterer” problem from the point of view of dynamic programming was given by Bellman in 1957. In this paper we give an explicit solution to the problem and generalize the approach to arbitrary cost of disposal.
Adipose triglyceride lipase is a major hepatic lipase that regulates triacylglycerol turnover and fatty acid signaling and partitioning

Despite advances in our understanding of the ways in which nutrient oversupply and triacylglycerol (TAG) anabolism contribute to hepatic steatosis, little is known about the lipases responsible for regulating hepatic TAG turnover. Recent studies have identified adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) as a major lipase in adipose tissue, although its role in the liver is largely unknown. Thus, we tested the contribution of ATGL to hepatic lipid metabolism and signaling. Adenovirus-mediated knockdown of hepatic ATGL resulted in steatosis in mice and decreased hydrolysis of TAG in primary hepatocyte cultures and in vitro assays. In addition to altering TAG hydrolysis, ATGL was shown to play a significant role in partitioning hydrolyzed fatty acids between metabolic pathways. Although ATGL gain and loss of function did not alter hepatic TAG secretion, fatty acid oxidation was increased by ATGL overexpression and decreased by ATGL knockdown. The effects on fatty acid oxidation coincided with decreased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) and its target genes in mice with suppressed hepatic ATGL expression. However, PPAR-α agonism was unable to normalize the effects of ATGL knockdown on PPAR-α target gene expression, and this suggests that ATGL influences PPAR-α activity independently of ligand-induced activation. Conclusion: Taken together, these data show that ATGL is a major hepatic TAG lipase that plays an integral role in fatty acid partitioning and signaling to control energy metabolism. (HEPATOLOGY 2011)
Seven Reasons Not to Be a Peer Reviewer—And Why These Reasons Are Wrong

The quality and value of science do not rest solely on the efforts of researchers who ask important questions and develop novel ways to answer them but also on the efforts of individuals who ensure that the questions are indeed important, the paths to the answers are rigorous, and the message is clear and balanced. At present, the tool most commonly used to judge scientific research is the process known as “peer review.” Peer reviewers play a key role in contributing to the quality, the value, and even the reputation of science. Yet, many individuals come up with a variety of reasons for not participating in this valuable service to the scientific community. Here I present 7 reasons I have heard for not being a peer reviewer—and why these reasons are wrong. Do not be fooled by the idea that only experts can provide good reviews. According to a senior editor at Nature (1), postdoctoral fellows are the best reviewers because “they are at the top of their game, well versed in the literature and politically naive enough to tell the truth.” Additionally, assistant professors have been shown to produce higher-quality reviews than full professors (2), and a 2010 study (3) found that, for one specialty journal, peer-review decisions by graduate students were as stringent as the decisions by faculty peer reviewers. Experience may be a good teacher, but desire and attitude (which are not age dependent) can make up for experience. Therefore, the excuse of too little experience is a weak one. There are 3 ways to get your foot in the door. The first way is to establish a track record of publishing well-written papers that are cited by others. When editors seek potential peer reviewers, they often look at the articles cited in the submitted paper. If …
The American Expedition to Hebron, 1964

The first season of stratigraphic archaeological exploration at El-Khalil (Hebron), Jordan, was undertaken between July and September, 1964, by the American Expedition to Hebron under the direction of Philip C. Hammond of Princeton Theological Seminary. Five educational institutions, three sponsors, and several private donors supported the project.' Most staff members, including area and site supervisors, were from the supporting institutions. Modern Hebron, located about twenty miles south of Jerusalem in the hill country at an altitude of some 2,600 feet, spreads up the eastern hillside from the valley along which the main road runs. Surrounding the city are lush vineyards, orchards, and olive groves, all watered by more than two dozen springs, several pools, and an annual rainfall of eight to ten inches. At the center is a famous mosque said to be built over the tomb of the patriarchs. That the sanctity of this site might be preserved, excavation was prohibited within one kilometer of the Haram.
The California Resource Adequacy Program: Achieving Reliability and Economic Efficiency through Virtual Re-bundling of Generation and Distribution

The primary purpose of the short term RAR is to address local resource adequacy requirements by ensuring that sufficient local generation capacity is contracted and available to the CAISO to meet CAISO's local reliability need in load pockets and to reduce the dependency on RMR contracts. The devastating consequences of the California energy crisis highlighted several fundamental flaws in the California electricity market design and some of the policies adopted by the CPUC in deregulating the California electricity market. The Resource Adequacy (RA) program accomplishes these goals by mandating long term contracting and procurement of generation capacity by the CPUC jurisdictional load serving entities.
Regiospecifically substituted poly(phenylacetylenes) as potential chemical detectors

The synthesis of a series of regiospecifically substituted polyphenylacetylenes via sealed tube thermal polymerization has been accomplished. Measurement of their conductivities alone and in the presence of SO2, NH3, H2O, or dimethyl methylphosphonate vapors shows them to be extremely weakly conductive, contrary to previous reports. Higher conduction in these prior materials is thus attributed to the presence of ionic impurities arising from their method of synthesis. These results cast doubt on the suitability of such materials alone as chemical sensors but suggest that intentional incorporation of ionic species might be effective.
Right ventricular function assessment by cardiac MRI as predictor of outcomes in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery

Methods All patients from 01/2003 to 2/2010 who had CMR ≤30 days prior to CABG were included. RVF was graded as normal (nRVF) or reduced (rRVF). Outcome variables included intensive care unit length of stay ICU-LOS, hospital LOS (H-LOS), 30 day, and long term mortality. Short ICU-LOS was defined as ≤ 24 hours and prolonged ICU-LOS as >48 hours. Short H-LOS was defined as ≤ 5 days and prolonged H-LOS as > 14 days. Society of thoracic surgery (STS) mortality risk scores was calculated. Outcomes were evaluated between the nRVF and rRVF groups using Fisher’s exact test, MannWhitney test and logistic regression for statistical analysis.
The Periodate-Glycol Reaction. 5. Complex Formation and Kinetic Analyses of 1,2-Propanediol and 1,2-Butanediol

The reactions of periodate with 1,2-propanediol and 1,2-butanediol were investigated in detail. These reactions are similar to that of ethanediol in that there are extensive formations of a periodate−glycol complex, and the IO4- form of periodate appears to be the primary reactant. However, they differ at pH 5.4 in that a small induction period was noted and rate equations previously used with ethanediol were inapplicable. At pH 1.08, the reactions proceeded similarly to ethanediol without a noticeable induction period. All data were fitted using a finite difference simulation (FDS) technique, and rates of the complex's formation, dissociation, and conversion to products have been evaluated at three temperatures. When feasible, the FDS rate constants were found to compare favorably to those obtained from an analytical integration procedure. The activation energies for product formation and the enthalpies of complex formation are similar to those of ethanediol.
Microwell regulation of pluripotent stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.

The fates of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including survival, self-renewal, and differentiation, are regulated by chemical and mechanical cues presented in the three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment. Most PSC studies have been performed on 2D substrates. However, 3D culture systems have demonstrated the importance of intercellular interactions in regulating PSC self-renewal and differentiation. Microwell culture systems have been developed to generate homogenous PSC colonies of defined sizes and shapes and to study how colony morphology affects cell fate. Using microwells, researchers have demonstrated that PSCs remain in a self-renewing undifferentiated state as a result of autocrine and paracrine signaling. Other studies have shown that microwell regulation of embryoid body size affects lineage commitment during differentiation via cell–cell contact and expression of soluble signals. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the design and utilization of 3D microwell platforms for studying intercellular regulation of PSC cell fate decisions and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
A Case for Content Specialists as the Elementary Classroom Teacher

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the growing use of teacher specialists in the elementary schools, particularly in the area of mathematics. The elementary school principals of a large metropolitan school district located in northeastern Florida responded to an online survey that focused on the type of specialist model in use, why the decision was made to use alternative models, the grade levels and content areas of the modified specialist model teaching teams, and criteria for team members. This article describes aspects of why elementary schools changed from a traditional generalist model to a modified specialist model based on the team teaching approach and discusses the inherent benefits and problems.
Heuristic solutions to resource allocation in grid computing: a natural approach

Grid computing connects heterogeneous resources to achieve the illusion of being a single available entity. Charging for these resources based on demand is often referred to as utility computing, where resource providers lease computing power with varying costs based on processing speed. Consumers using this resource have time and cost constraints associated with each job they submit. Determining the optimal way to divide the job among the available resources with regard to the time and cost constraints is tasked to the Grid Resource Broker (GRB). The GRB must use an optimization algorithm that returns an accurate result in a timely manner. The genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm can both be used to achieve this goal, although simulated annealing outperforms the genetic algorithm for use by the GRB. Determining optimal values for the variables used in each algorithm is often achieved through trial and error, and success depends upon the solution domain of the problem.
Global well-posedness and stability of semilinear Mindlin–Timoshenko system☆

Abstract We study long-term behavior of Reissner–Mindlin–Timoshenko (RMT) plate systems, focusing on the interplay between nonlinear viscous damping and source terms. The sources may represent restoring forces, but may also be focusing thus potentially amplifying the total energy which is the primary scenario of interest. This work complements [28] which established local well-posedness of this problem, global well-posedness when damping dominates the sources (in an appropriate sense) and a blow-up in the complementary scenario assuming negative “total” initial energy. The current paper develops the potential well theory for the RMT system: it proves global existence for potential well solutions without restricting the source exponents, derives explicit energy decay rates dependent on the order of the damping exponents, and verifies a blow-up result for positive total initial energy.
Na+/Ca2+ exchanger plays a key role in inducing apoptosis after hypoxia in cultured guinea pig ventricular myocytes

Altered Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) protein expression or activity is thought to contribute to various aspects of cardiac pathology. In guinea pig ventricular myocytes, NCX-mediated Ca2+ entry is almo...
Incidental Prose Learning

Incidental tasks were used to induce limited cognitive processes during reading in two groups. These groups did not expect a test. A control group was informed in detail about all aspects of the fi...
A 20-YEAR ANALYSIS OF HAND AND WRIST RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY IN ASIA

Bibliometric analyses of the hand and wrist research have previously shown a significant increase in research productivity in Asia. We examined the key contributors to this change by performing bibliometric analyses regarding hand and wrist research in all Asian countries producing significant research. Original research articles from 1988 to 2007 were collected from seven English language journals based on the impact factor. Trends in research productivity were determined by country using linear regression analysis. Compared to the rest of the world, Asia produced fewer level I and basic studies, but more level IV studies. Significant increase in both research volume and productivity in Asia was observed, with Japan, Korea, and Taiwan having the highest aggregate productivity in hand and wrist research. From 1988 to 2007, the relative research production among Asian countries showed significant change, in contrary to that of Europe, Latin American, and the United States.
Business, Money, and the Rise of Corporate PACs in American Elections

The article reviews the book “Business, Money and the Rise of Corporate PACs in American Elections,” by Theodore J. Eismeier and Philip H. Pollock.
Experience Report: A Component-Based Data Management and Knowledge Discovery Framework for Aviation Studies

Organizations are beginning to apply data mining and knowledge discovery techniques to their corporate data sets, thereby enabling the identification of trends and the discovery of inductive knowledge. Since traditional transaction databases are not optimized for analytical processing, they must be transformed. This article proposes the use of modular components to decrease the overall amount of human processing and intervention necessary for the transformation process. Our approach configures components to extract data-sets using a set of â€œextraction hints.â€ Our framework incorporates decentralized, generic components that are reusable across domains and databases. Finally, we detail an implementation of our component-based framework for an aviation data set.
Expression of the Leptin Receptor outside of Bone Marrow-Derived Cells Regulates Tuberculosis Control and Lung Macrophage MHC Expression

Leptin is a pleiotropic hormone proposed to link nutritional status to the development of strong Th1 immunity. Because Mycobacterium tuberculosis control is affected by starvation and diabetes, we studied the role of the leptin receptor in regulating distinct immune cells during chronic infection. Infected db/db mice, bearing a natural mutation in the leptin receptor, have a markedly increased bacterial load in their lungs when compared with that of their wild-type counterparts. In response to M. tuberculosis infection, db/db mice exhibited disorganized granulomas, neutrophilia, and reduced B cell migration to the lungs, correlating with dysfunctional lung chemokine responses that include XCL1, CCL2, CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL13. In a db/db lung, myeloid cells were delayed in their production of inducible NO synthase and had reduced expression of MHC I and II. Although the Th1 cell response developed normally in the absence of leptin signaling, production of pulmonary IFN-γ was delayed and ineffective. Surprisingly, a proper immune response took place in bone marrow (BM) chimeras lacking leptin receptor exclusively in BM-derived cells, indicating that leptin acts indirectly on immune cells to modulate the antituberculosis response and bacterial control. Together, these findings suggest that the pulmonary response to M. tuberculosis is affected by the host's nutritional status via the regulation of non-BM-derived cells, not through direct action of leptin on Th1 immunity.
Achieving superlinear speedup on a heterogeneous, distributed system

The CASA Gigabit Network Testbed, part of NSF and ARPA's Gigabit Project, is investigating whether a metacomputer consisting of widely distributed, heterogeneous supercomputers connected by a high-speed network is viable for large scientific applications. A particular challenge is to determine if such a metacomputer can produce superlinear speedup despite latency and communication overheads. One of the applications in the CASA testbed is a model we developed that couples a global atmosphere model to a world ocean model. Simulations using such coupled general circulation models for climate studies demand considerable computer resources. When distributing such a model, we need to consider the methods for masking latency with computation, the communications bandwidth requirements for different decomposition strategies, the optimal computer architecture for each major phase of the computation, and the effects of latency and communication costs for different decomposition strategies. Here we focus an the last two issues, and demonstrate that choosing the appropriate computer architectures and masking communication with computation can produce superlinear speedup. >
Task Complexity: A Review and Analysis

In an attempt to identify those qualities that make a task complex, four fundamental task attributes are identified and are distinguished from other attributes usually associated with this concept. A typology of complex tasks is derived from the identified attributes. Finally, the implications of the analysis for both basic and applied research are considered.
Studies on Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Vaccination of 5-Day-Old Piglets

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccines have become widely used since they became available in 2006. It is not uncommon for producers to use PCV2 vaccines in pigs younger than what is approved by manufacturers. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a chimeric and a subunit PCV2 vaccine administered at 5 or 21 days of age. Forty-eight PCV2-naive piglets were randomly divided into six groups of eight pigs each. Vaccination was done at day 5 or day 21, followed by triple challenge with PCV2, porcine parvovirus (PPV), and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) at day 49. Vaccinated pigs seroconverted to PCV2 approximately 14 days postvaccination and had a detectable neutralizing antibody response by 21 days postvaccination regardless of age at vaccination. At day 49, the pigs vaccinated with the chimeric vaccine had significantly higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than the pigs vaccinated with the subunit vaccine. After challenge, vaccinated pigs had significantly decreased levels of PCV2 viremia and a decreased prevalence and severity of microscopic lesions compared to the positive-control group, which had severe lymphoid lesions associated with abundant PCV2 antigen, compatible with PCV-associated disease. The results of this study indicate that, under the conditions of this study, vaccination of PCV2-naive pigs at day 5 or day 21 resulted in development of a detectable humoral immune response and provided reduction or complete protection against PCV2 viremia and PCV2-associated lesions after triple challenge with PCV2, PPV, and PRRSV.
Very low grazing angle radar backscatter from the ocean surface

A very low grazing angle (~0.2~) sea clutter measurements program was conducted with the L- and S-band TRADEX and C-band ALCOR Radars on Roi Namur, Marshall Islands. Using a variety of waveforms, coherent circularly polarized data were recorded in contiguous steps from 8 ta 60 km ranges under conditions of sea states 2,4 and 6. Twenty second dwells were made at four intermediate ranges. Measurements were taken looking upwind, 30° off-upwind, and across the wind direction. In addition ta sea clutter, weather and birds returns were also observed. The data were analyzed for high amplitude persistent returns (sea spikes), mean backscatter coefficient oo, amplitude statistics and spectral properties as a function of radar frequency, range, sea state, polarization and wind aspect direction.
Staphylococcus epidermidis: Emerging Resistance and Need for Alternative Agents

Previously, Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from the blood of hospitalized patients were often considered contaminants. Now, coagulase-negative staphylococci are among the leading causes of nosocomial blood infections. Multidrug resistance could predict a true nosocomial infection rather than a blood culture contaminant. Recent studies indicated the emergence of resistance to the quinolones, particularly to ciprofloxacin. Tolerance and occasional resistance to vancomycin have been reported recently. In addition, several reports indicated that vancomycin and other glycopeptide antibiotics lose their effectiveness against S. epidermidis organisms embedded in the biofilm environment on the surface of medical devices. Alternative agents have been proposed in the prevention and treatment of device-related and glycopeptide-tolerant S. epidermidis infections. These agents include minocycline, rifampin, and, more recently, quinupristin/dalfopristin and the oxazolidinones.
Male-Skewed Sex Ratio in Saltmarsh Sparrow Nestlings

Abstract. Sex ratios of adult birds are frequently skewed, but in few species is the sex ratio of offspring also skewed. Adult females, however, should modify their offspring's sex ratio and invest more in the sex with the greatest future reproductive potential. We investigated the relationship between nestlings' morphology, timing of reproduction, and sex ratios in broods of the Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus), a species with extreme levels of multiple paternity: males provide no parental care and sex ratios of adults may be highly skewed. By molecular methods, we sexed 157 nestlings from 52 Saltmarsh Sparrow nests in Connecticut over 2 years. Their sex ratio was significantly skewed toward males (59%) and did not vary with brood size, but this imbalance is insufficient to fully explain the reported skew in adults' sex ratio. Just prior to fledging, male nestlings were larger than female nestlings, which may suggest that they are more costly to produce. Survivorship is greater in nests initiate...
Reassessing American Casualty Sensitivity The Mediating Influence of Inequality

Scholars have long conceptualized public support for war as the product of a cost–benefit calculation in which combat casualties factor significantly. This article argues that, when calculating the human costs of conflict, Americans care about more than just the number of war dead; they also care about the distribution of those casualties across society. Using two original survey experiments, we show that inequalities in sacrifice affect Americans’ casualty sensitivity. We find strong evidence that learning about socioeconomic inequalities in casualties in previous wars decreases Americans’ casualty tolerance toward future military endeavors. These effects are stronger for some mission types, particularly non-humanitarian interventions, than others. The effects are also concentrated among Americans from states that suffered high casualty rates in the Iraq War. Our results suggest that raising public awareness of inequalities in wartime sacrifice could significantly strengthen popular constraints on policy...
Multiple Aortic Thrombi Associated With Protein C and S Deficiency

We describe a woman with an unusual case of thromboembolism of the mesenteric artery in whom multiple thrombi were subsequently found in the aorta and right heart chambers on transesophageal echocardiography. Further evaluation revealed a deficiency of protein C and S plasma proteins, inhibitors of the clotting system. The patient was treated successfully with systemic anticoagulation. Aortic thrombus is common in the setting of underlying atherosclerosis. However, the association of aortic thrombus with a deficiency of protein C and S is rare. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mural thrombus of the thoracic aorta associated with combined protein C and S deficiency. Our report underscores the important role of transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of patients with arterial thromboembolism.
Fluid resuscitation using the intraosseous route: infusion with lactated Ringer's and hetastarch.

ABSTRACTObjective: The effectiveness of the intraosseous (IO) route for fluid resuscitation remains uncertain. This study compares IO infusion rates and estimated volume expansion using clinically relevant infusion pressures with lactated Ringer's (LR) and hetastarch (HES). Methods: IO needles were placed in the sternum or tibia for infusion of HES and LR in 8 Yorkshire pigs. Pressures were recorded at variable flow rates and linear regression used to identify flow rates at 100 and 400 mm Hg. Volume expansion was calculated for a 10-minute infusion. Results: Mean LR flow rates (mL·min−1) were 24/111 (tibia—100/400 mm Hg) and 8/34 (sternum—100/400 mm Hg). The HES flow rates (mL·min−1) of 10/44 (tibia—100/400 mm Hg) and 6/26 (sternum—100/400 mm Hg) were significantly lower or ∼40% (p < 0.01) of the LR flow rates into the tibia and ∼70% (p < 0.05) into the sternum. Mean volume expansion (mL) for a 10-min infusion of LR was estimated to be 80/369 (tibia—100/400 mm Hg) and 27/112 (sternum—100/400 mm Hg). In co...
Topological optimization of coronary stents

The structural topological optimization method is an effective way to find the optimal topology of stents, which could be tailored for targeted stent performance, such as scaffolding ability, foreshortening, potential restenosis rate, etc. The radial stiffness is one of the major characteristics about stent performance. In this work, the homogenization method was utilized for the optimization of stent designs with the objective of maximizing the scaffolding ability of stent, i.e. its radial stiffness. A few design choices were presented by changing the number and distribution of strut connectors while keeping the void volume as 80%. The obtained optimal topology illustrated that the material distribution was mainly determined by the radial stress applied onto the stent. The optimal topology design in this work paves the way for the following dimension design, which can be targeted to the customized stent design for patient-specific lesions.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Fatal Agranulocytosis Following Therapy with Presidon (3,3-Diethyl-2,4-Dioxotetrahydropyridine), a New Sedative Hypnotic Agent

AMONG the nonbarbiturate sedative drugs that have recently been introduced has been 3,3-diethyl-2,4-dioxotetrahydropyridine (pyrithyldione), which has been marketed under the trade name of Presidon. The drug was advertised as a sedative hypnotic predictable in its effect, rapid in onset, with negligible side effects, little tendency to habit formation, slight properties of tolerance and completely nontoxic and safe. A case of fatal agranulocytosis is presented below, since it is believed that Presidon was the etiologic agent responsible for the patient's fatal illness. It indicates that this sedative hypnotic may not be the safe drug it is believed to be. Since most . . .
Dynamic properties of polyurea-milled glass composites Part I: Experimental characterization

Abstract Polyurea (PU) is an elastomer, which exhibits unique thermo-mechanical properties. It is synthesized from a di-functional amine, e.g. Versalink P-1000 and a diisocyanate, e.g. Isonate143L. In this study, various volume fractions milled glass (MG) was added to create polyuria-milled glass composites (PU-MG). Milled glass is a micro fiber with cylindrical shape. The distribution of the milled glass in the polyurea matrix was observed under the scanning electron microscope. The dynamic properties of pure polyurea and the PU-MG composites were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in the low frequency range (1–20 Hz) and by ultrasonic wave measurement in the high frequency range (0.5–1.5 MHz). Both experiments show that increasing the milled glass volume fraction drastically increases both the storage and loss moduli of the composites. DMA results show that dynamic Young’s modulus increases with increasing frequency. However, longitudinal and shear moduli from ultrasonic wave measurement appears to be insensitive to frequency within the range of 0.5–1.5 MHz. The experimental dynamic moduli master curves of PU and PU-MG composites were constructed and compared. The relaxation function or creep compliance are generally useful than dynamic moduli for modeling of material response under complex histories. It is of practical use to convert dynamic mechanical data from the frequency domain into the time domain. The discrete relaxation spectra of the composites were calculated by fitting Prony series to the master curves, using least square nonlinear regression. Retardation spectra were then calculated using the interrelation between relaxation modulus and creep compliance in Laplace domain. Finally, the time domain relaxation modulus and creep compliance for each composite were obtained from the two spectra. In order to extend our understanding of the dynamic behavior of the PU-MG composite, micromechanical models have been created and are discussed in the accompanying paper Nantasetphong (2016a).
Randomized double blind clinical trial on the effect of oral α-cyclodextrin on serum lipids

This single center, double-blinded, cross-over, placebo controlled clinical trial investigated the effect of oral α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), a soluble dietary fiber, on blood lipid and lipoprotein levels in healthy human subjects. α-CD, a cyclical polymer containing 6 glucose subunits, is currently sold as an over the counter food supplement and is also a common additive in many foods. α-CD forms a hydrophobic central cavity that binds lipids and has been shown in animal studies and in previous clinical trials to alter plasma lipid levels. We screened for healthy subjects, males and females, between ages 18 to 75. Out of total 103 subjects interviewed, 75 subjects completed the study. Qualified individuals in each gender group were randomized into two groups in terms of which treatment arm they received first (placebo vs. α-CD, receiving 6 grams P.O. a day, for 12–14 weeks with a 7 day wash out between arms). The primary outcome variable, plasma total cholesterol, as well as other tests related to lipids and lipoprotein and glucose metabolism, were measured at baseline and at the end of each arm of the study. α-CD was well tolerated; no serious adverse events related to α-CD were observed. Approximately 8 % of the subjects on α-CD complained of minor gastrointestinal symptoms versus 3 % on placebo (p = 0.2). Small-LDL particle number decreased 10 % (p < 0.045) for subjects on α-CD versus placebo. Fasting plasma glucose (1.6 %, p < 0.05) and Insulin resistance index (11 %, p < 0.04) were also decreased when on α-CD versus placebo. α-CD treatment appears to be safe and well tolerated in healthy individuals and showed a modest reduction in small LDL particles, and an improvement in glucose related parameters. NCT01131299
US Counterpoint to Chapter 18

Chapter 18 is a comprehensive review of the most commonly used vascular prostheses and the suggested long-term evaluation and follow-up based on the current available literature. In general, we agree with the authors’ recommendations. They concentrate on grafts and devices commonly used in a broadly based peripheral vascular practice. They discuss in detail the topic of graft infection, which is an uncommon but extremely severe complication of vascular reconstructions. They describe in detail the etiology, frequent complications, and potential prevention techniques for prosthetic graft infections based on a wide range of published reports. We agree with their analyses and recommendations (see Tables 1–10). Subsequently, they review the most commonly treated areas of the vascular tree in an organized and thoughtful fashion. The Washington University vascular surgery service feels this list is appropriate and generally concurs with it.
Targeting key data breach services in underground supply chain

Over the past decade, a growing body of cybercriminals have founded an underground supply chain to facilitate data breaches, leading to the leak of personal information for hundreds of millions of individuals. As many service providers in the supply chain are rippers, cybercriminals tend to rely on a few key services. Identifying key services is of great interest to both cybersecurity researchers and practitioners. This study presents a text-mining framework for identifying key data breach services based on analysis of service reviews. The framework includes crawlers with counter anti-crawling measures, text preprocessing, and supervised topic models. In our experiment, more than 70% of the key services were identified by our framework.
Calcium Reduces Liver Injury in Mice on a High-Fat Diet: Alterations in Microbial and Bile Acid Profiles.

A high-fat “Western-style” diet (HFWD) promotes obesity-related conditions including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the histologic manifestation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In addition to high saturated fat and processed carbohydrates, the typical HFWD is deficient in calcium. Calcium-deficiency is an independent risk factor for many conditions associated with the Western-style diet. However, calcium has not been widely evaluated in the context of NAFLD. The goal of the present study was to determine if dietary calcium supplementation could protect mice fed a HFWD from NAFLD, specifically by decreasing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its down-stream consequences. Male C57BL/6NCrl mice were maintained for 18-months on a HFWD containing dietary calcium at either 0.41 gm/kg feed (unsupplemented) or 5.25 gm/kg feed (supplemented). Although there was no difference in body weight or steatosis, calcium-supplemented mice were protected against downstream consequences of hepatic steatosis, manifested by lower inflammation, less fibrosis, and by lower overall histologic NAFLD activity scores (NAS). Calcium supplementation correlated with distinctly segregating gut fecal and cecal microbial communities as defined by 16S rRNA gene sequence. Further, calcium supplementation also correlated with decreased hepatic concentration of the major conjugated murine primary bile acid, tauro-β-muricholic acid (as well as a decrease in the parent unconjugated bile acid). Thus, calcium was protective against progression of diet-induced hepatic steatosis to NASH and end-stage liver disease, suggesting that calcium supplementation may effectively protect against adverse hepatic consequences of HFWD in cases where overall diet modification cannot be sustained. This protective effect occurred in concert with calcium-mediated gut microbial community shifts and alterations of the hepatic bile acid pool.
Abstract 252: Method to Quantify Femoropopliteal Artery Deformation During Knee Flexion

Introduction High failure rates of femoropopliteal reconstructions are commonly attributed to deformations and forces exerted on the artery during movement. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to better quantify these deformations. Methods Custom-made stainless steel markers were deployed in an in situ cadaveric femoropopliteal artery. The artery was then infused with contrast and CT images of the straight and bent (45°, 90°, 135°) leg were acquired. 3D reconstructions of the leg were created using Mimics and identification of the marker position and geometry enabled measurements of axial extension, compression, bending and torsion. After imaging, the artery was surgically exposed, photographed and excised for histological analysis. Results The femoropopliteal artery deformed non-uniformly along its length. No changes with knee flexion were seen proximal to the adductor hiatus and radial compression was minimal throughout the length of the artery. At the adductor hiatus the artery experienced 45° angle of twist, but no axial compression or bending. Distally, buckling and axial compression (36%) were demonstrated, but no torsion. Histology demonstrated intimal thickening corresponding to areas with the largest deformations (Figure 1). Conclusions This method allows quantification of non-uniform arterial deformation in the femoropopliteal artery with knee flexion. This information may assist in the design of better reconstruction techniques and devices for treatment of femoropopliteal arterial disease.