cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“We” Are Not All Alike: Consequences of Neglecting National Origin Identities Among Asians and Latinos

Two studies investigated the experiences U.S. Asians and Latinos have with national origin identity neglect, which occurs when others fail to recognize distinctions among national origin groups that comprise the shared, pan-ethnic category. Participants considered situations in which another individual (1) failed to acknowledge or (2) appropriately acknowledged their national origin identity. Individuals in the neglect condition reported stronger negative emotions and partner evaluations. Conversely, participants in the recognition condition reported stronger positive emotions and partner evaluations. These effects generalized such that those who experienced neglect rated the partner’s ethnic group more negatively. The effects were stronger among those highly identified with their national origin group. Nearly all participants (91%) reported having experienced national origin identity neglect in daily life. These findings suggest that treating members of distinct social groups as interchangeable parts of ...
Spectroscopy and Photometry of the Double-lined Binary HD 149420

We have used new spectroscopic and photometric observations of HD 149420 to obtain an improved orbital element solution and determine some basic properties of the system. This double-lined binary has an orbital period of 3.39430 days, a circular orbit, and a mass ratio of 0.52. The primary is somewhat evolved, with an A9 IV spectral type, while the secondary is estimated to be an F5: dwarf. The secondary may be synchronously rotating, but the primary is rotating substantially slower than its synchronous velocity. Our photometric observations confirm the light variability and period found by Hipparcos. We determine a photometric period of 1.698 days, essentially half the value of the orbital period, with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.028 mag in V. In addition to this ellipsoidal light variation, we also detect more rapid, low-amplitude variability with a period of 0.076082 days and a peak-to-peak V amplitude of 0.008 mag, as well as a possible second short 0.059256 day period with a peak-to-peak amplitude of only 0.005 mag. This indicates that the A9 IV primary in HD 149420 is a pulsating δ Scuti variable. Our binary model that best fits both the radial velocity and photometric observations indicates the possibility of extremely shallow grazing eclipses, a circumstance not unexpected given the large minimum masses from the orbital solution, the evolved nature of the primary, and the short orbital period.
Exploratory Map Animation for Post-Event Analysis of Wildfire Protective Action Recommendations

This paper examines the timing of protective action recommendations in relationship to the distance of wildfire to a threatened community using exploratory map animation. The 2003 Southern California Wildfires were animated to assist in understanding the complex interaction between fire progression and warnings to threatened communities. Exploratory map animation provides a useful post-event analysis platform for hypothesis generation. A new method is introduced for interpolating the distance from a wildfire to a threatened community using geospatial data. The results are used to examine incident commander decision-making in regards to the estimated time of arrival of a wildfire at a community. The exploratory map animations were successful in generating an intriguing hypothesis concerning the timing of protective action recommendations and the proportional distance of a wildfire to a threatened community. Following a wildfire, emergency responders can use exploratory map animation as a training tool to evaluate protective action recommendations of wildfires.
Trajectories of Neighborhood Change: The Case of Gentrification

Our understanding of the comparative dynamics of neighborhood change is relatively undeveloped. In order to disentangle various trajectories, the complex processes which constitute gentrification are explored both quantitatively and qualitatively in four neighborhoods in Philadelphia for the postwar period. The analysis reveals quite diverse forms of gentrification, varying in potential and pace, that pivot around the structural forces of capitalism and the particularities of place. Emphasis is placed on the actions of agents of property and finance capital, governments, and individual households in bringing about gentrification; and those of neighborhood groups in resisting it. The implications for the merging of structure and contingency in neighborhood theory and for political action are addressed briefly.
Radiation effects in analog CMOS analog-to-digital converters

Analog CMOS circuitry is becoming common in the marketplace. Two commercial ADC are tested in the total dose and dose rate environments. Test results and applicability to system use are discussed.
Nucleolin inhibits Fas ligand binding and suppresses Fas-mediated apoptosis in vivo via a surface nucleolin-Fas complex

Resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis is associated with poor cancer outcomes and chemoresistance. To elucidate potential mechanisms of defective Fas signaling, we screened primary lymphoma cell extracts for Fas-associated proteins that would have the potential to regulate Fas signaling. An activation-resistant Fas complex selectively included nucleolin. We confirmed the presence of nucleolin-Fas complexes in B-cell lymphoma cells and primary tissues, and the absence of such complexes in B-lymphocytes from healthy donors. RNA-binding domain 4 and the glycine/arginine-rich domain of nucleolin were essential for its association with Fas. Nucleolin colocalized with Fas on the surface of B-cell lymphoma cells. Nucleolin knockdown sensitized BJAB cells to Fas ligand (FasL)-induced and Fas agonistic antibody-induced apoptosis through enhanced binding, suggesting that nucleolin blocks the FasL–Fas interaction. Mice transfected with nucleolin were protected from the lethal effects of agonistic anti-mouse Fas antibody (Jo2) and had lower rates of hepatocyte apoptosis, compared with vector and a non-Fas-binding mutant of nucleolin. Our results show that cell surface nucleolin binds Fas, inhibits ligand binding, and thus prevents induction of Fas-mediated apoptosis in B-cell lymphomas and may serve as a new therapeutic target.
Processing of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 solar cells from electrodeposited precursors

Multi-step processing of Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 , incorporating electrodeposition (ED) of single-phase precursors coupled with physical vapor deposition (PVD) to tune film composition, is described. ED conditions for a range of precursors, including CuSe, Cu/In alloys and bi-layers, In 2 Se 3 , and Cu metal, were optimized. Precursors were processed by PVD at ∼500°C for 45–60 minutes. Resultant Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 devices obtained from CuSe precursors showed promising performance, ∼13% efficiency, but only with KCN etching of the absorber layer following PVD. This suggests Cu 2−x Se secondary phases remain in the grain boundaries. The other precursors produced poorly adhered Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 films. E-beam evaporated Cu precursors gave similar results to CuSe precursors. A low toxicity electrochemical-based etch was preliminarily explored, but was less effective than KCN etching.
Cloning and stable maintenance of DNA fragments over 300 kb in Escherichia coli with conventional plasmid-based vectors

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and P1-derived artificial chromosome (PAC) systems were previously developed for cloning of very large eukaryotic DNA fragments in bacteria. We report the feasibility of cloning very large fragments of eukaryotic DNA in bacteria using conventional plasmid-based vectors. One conventional plasmid vector (pGEM11), one conventional binary plasmid vector (pSLJ1711) and one conventional binary cosmid vector (pCLD04541) were investigated using the widely used BAC (pBeloBAC11 and pECBAC1) and BIBAC (BIBAC2) vectors as controls. The plasmid vector pGEM11 yielded clones ranging in insert sizes from 40 to 100 kb, whereas the two binary vectors pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 yielded clones ranging in insert sizes from 40 to 310 kb. Analysis of the pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones indicated that they had insert sizes and stabilities similar to the BACs and BIBACs. Our findings indicate that conventional plasmid-based vectors are capable of cloning and stably maintaining DNA fragments as large as BACs and PACs in bacteria. These results suggest that many existing plasmid-based vectors, including plant and animal transformation and expression binary vectors, could be directly used for cloning of very large eukaryotic DNA fragments. The pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones were shown to be present at at least 4-5 copies/cell. The high stability of these clones indicates that stability of clones does not seem contingent on single-copy status. The insert sizes and the copy numbers of the pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones indicate that Escherichia coli can stably maintain at least 1200 kb of foreign DNA per cell. These results provide a new conceptual and theoretical basis for development of improved and new vectors for large DNA fragment cloning and transformation. According to this discovery, we have established a system for large DNA fragment cloning in bacteria using the two binary vectors, with which several very large-insert DNA libraries have been developed.
Differences in inducibility and prognosis of in-hospital versus out-of-hospital identified nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with coronary artery disease: clinical and trial design implications

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to describe the influence of the clinical setting (in-hospital vs. out-of-hospital) in which nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) is discovered on the rate of inducibility of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), arrhythmic events and survival in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. BACKGROUND In-hospital presentation of sustained VT is independently associated with lower long-term overall survival. The impact of the clinical setting in which NSVT is documented is unknown. METHODS In the Multicenter Unsustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT), designed to assess the benefit of randomized antiarrhythmic therapy guided by electrophysiologic testing in patients with asymptomatic NSVT, CAD and LV dysfunction, eligible patients were enrolled irrespective of the setting in which the index arrhythmia was discovered. In this retrospective analysis, we compared the rate of VT inducibility and outcome of MUSTT-enrolled patients with in-hospital versus out-of-hospital presentation of NSVT. RESULTS Monomorphic sustained VT was induced in 35% and 28% of the patients whose index NSVT occurred in-hospital and out-of-hospital, respectively (adjusted p = 0.006). Cardiac arrest or death due to arrhythmia at two- and five-year follow-ups were 14% and 28% for untreated patients with in-hospital-identified NSVT and 11% and 21% for the out-of-hospital group (adjusted p = 0.10). Overall mortality rates at two- and five-year follow-ups were 24% and 48% for inpatients and 18% and 38% for outpatients (adjusted p = 0.018). In patients randomized to antiarrhythmic therapy, there was no significant interaction between patient status (in-hospital vs. out-of-hospital) and treatment impact on the rates of total mortality (p = 0.98) and arrhythmic events (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS In patients with CAD and impaired LV function, asymptomatic NSVT identified in-hospital, compared with that identified out-of-hospital, is associated with a higher rate of induction of sustained VT and overall mortality. Therefore, in similar patients, the clinical setting in which NSVT is discovered should be taken into account when formulating patient risk, treatment and clinical trial design.
Ureaplasma urealyticum and Premature Birth

Evidence related to the association of Ureaplasma urealyticum with premature birth is reviewed. U. urealyticum is a common inhabitant in the vagina of pregnant women. It is recovered from the vaginas of ∼70% of pregnant women. The presence of U. urealyticum in the vagina is not associated with premature birth. Therapy to eradicate U. urealyticum from the vagina during pregnancy does not reduce the incidence of premature birth. Recovery of U. urealyticum from the amniotic fluid has not been associated with prematurity. However, in three of six reports, the recovery of U. urealyticum from the chorioamnion has been associated with prematurity, and U. urealyticum is rather consistently associated with histological chorioamnionitis
Current gain rolloff in graded-base SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors

The authors report the experimental observation of a novel effect in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with graded bases which results in a significant emitter-base bias dependence of the current gain. The nonideal collector current is caused by the interaction of the bias dependence of the emitter-base space-charge region width and the exponential dependence of the collector current on the germanium concentration at the edge of the space-charge region. The resulting current gain rolloff must be taken into account for accurate modeling of bipolar transistors with bandgap grading in the base. >
A study of mediums for the growth and isolation of filamentous mouth organisms.

tous nonbranching organisms which fail to grow or grow with difficulty on laboratory culture mediums has been recognized for some time. The history of these forms dates back to some of the earlier studies reported by Buehlmann,l Robin,2 Trevisan,3 Miller,4 and a few others,bs although their descriptions were not too complete. The first good description of the cultivation of nonbranching filaments was that done by Meunier and Bertherand7 in 1898, while one of the few informative studies on
Reaching out and reining in: Four proposals for planning community

This paper compares two sets of planning paradigms in the Soviet Union and the United States. The projects analyzed are Mikhail Barshch and Moisei Ginzburg’s Zelenyi Gorod (“Green City”) of 1930, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broadacre City of 1935, the anonymously planned Soviet mikrorayon , and William Drummond’s competition entry for a neighborhood unit in Chicago, completed in 1913. The first two projects both propose dissolving the large city and dispersing the population across the land, while the second two envision cities composed of hierarchically structured communities with shared facilities. The paper highlights both the striking similarities and differences between the projects created in two very different national contexts.
Speaking from the Bench: Judicial Campaigns, Judges’ Speech, and the First Amendment

Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal, Inc. (129 S. Ct. 2252, 2009) raised a host of questions about when and if judges must recuse themselves for conflicts of interest based on campaign donations. In addition to the recusal issue, the case raises First Amendment questions. One possible strength of the Caperton holding is that it provides at least some remedy for egregious influence of campaign spending without real First Amendment problems. The First Amendment does influence the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding campaign expenditures and communications; in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010 U.S. LEXIS 766, Jan. 21, 2010), the Court struck down two precedents that limit spending on “electioneering communications” on First Amendment grounds. We offer a multi-element model that takes into account both of these decisions in an attempt to ensure that the public receives election information from both judges and campaign donors while still preserving the integrity of the judiciary through the option of recusal.
Technology and Teacher Education: A Brief Glimpse of the Research and Practice That Have Shaped the Field.

Technology integration, an integral component of teaching and learning, has been widely investigated during the past several decades as teacher education programs have struggled to implement and model best teaching technology integration practices in the preparation of pre-service teachers. Initiatives led by educational organizations at the federal, state, and local levels have recognized these challenges and have, in response, allocated time, money, and effort to develop and incorporate methods to better prepare pre-service teachers to teach with technology. This report provides a brief glimpse at a number of these initiatives and reforms developed by the government, national professional organizations, accreditation agencies, and business collaborations that affect and strengthen the adoption of technology in teacher education programs.
Monomeric Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 Peptides in Solution Adopt Very Similar Ramachandran Map Distributions That Closely Resemble Random Coil

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the aggregation and fibrillation of amyloid peptides Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 into amyloid plaques. Despite strong potential therapeutic interest, the structural pathways associated with the conversion of monomeric Aβ peptides into oligomeric species remain largely unknown. In particular, the higher aggregation propensity and associated toxicity of Aβ1–42 compared to that of Aβ1–40 are poorly understood. To explore in detail the structural propensity of the monomeric Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 peptides in solution, we recorded a large set of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters, including chemical shifts, nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs), and J couplings. Systematic comparisons show that at neutral pH the Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 peptides populate almost indistinguishable coil-like conformations. Nuclear Overhauser effect spectra collected at very high resolution remove assignment ambiguities and show no long-range NOE contacts. Six sets of backbone J couplings...
The Transverse Transmission/Reflection Method: An Experimental/Numerical Prism-Coupling-Based Approach for Leaky Mode Characterization in Planar Waveguides

A prism-coupler-based experimental/numerical method is presented to characterize leaky waveguide modes from the transmitted/reflected powers in the transverse direction. The loss is obtained without multi-site longitudinal measurements as in conventional methods.
Potential new drug treatments for congestive heart failure.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The prevalence of heart failure (HF) has increased globally in recent decades. Advances in our understanding of underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms have given rise to new therapies for treating the growing HF population. Nonetheless, morbidity and mortality associated with HF and its financial implications are daunting. Thus, novel therapies that can improve the natural history of HF patients are urgently needed.Areas covered: This article reviews new investigational drugs being developed for the treatment of both acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) and chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). It presents the background of these drugs with a focus on their mechanism of action, their pharmacology, evidence from clinical studies and their potential role in HF management.Expert opinion: The mortality benefit associated with serelaxin treatment in the RELAX-HF trial is being tested in RELAX-AHF II, while two other drugs, ularitide and TRV027, are also being e...
Effects of altering organ of Corti on cochlear distortion products f2 - f1 and 2f1 - f2.

1. Single cochlear nerve fiber recordings from unexposed chinchillas show spatial distributions of amplitude and phase of the distortion products f2 - f1 and 2f1 - f2 similar to those previously re...
Heat-stable protein that stimulates acid α-glucosidase

A hot-water extract of bovine spleen and guinea pig liver exhibited the ability to enhance acid alpha-glucosidase activity, with methylumbelliferyl alpha-glucoside, glycogen or maltose as substrate. The level of activator required for maximal stabilization was similar for all three substrates, indicating direct action on the enzyme rather than on substrate. The stimulator was partially purified by chromatography with gel-permeation (apparent Mr 20,000-24,000), ion-exchange and C4 reverse-phase columns. It was retained by a narrow-pore dialysis tubing and destroyed by treatment with Pronase, and is presumably a protein. The stimulating protein protected the enzyme against denaturation by heat or incubation with a buffer of high ionic strength in the absence of substrate. RNA inhibited the enzyme, and the activator protein was able to counteract the effect. Activating material was found in a variety of mouse and rat tissues, as well as human urine.
Multiple Myeloma Cells Express IL-17A Creating An Autocrine Loop: An Attractive Therapeutic Target

We have previously demonstrated that Th17 cells, which produce IL-17A, are significantly elevated in peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) of patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) and IL-17A promotes MM cell growth and survival, both in vitro and in vivo via IL-17A receptor. We have recently evaluated and observed that anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly inhibited MM cell growth in vitro, while IL-17A induced proliferation of MM cells compared to control. We have also observed significant down-regulation of IL-6 production by anti-IL-17A mAb in MM-BMSC co-culture. Importantly, the administration of anti-IL-17A mAb weekly for 4 weeks in the SCIDhu model of human myeloma, where MM cells grow within the human microenvironment in mice led to a significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to the control mice. This remarkable activity of anti-IL17 mAb raised the question of whether the myeloma cells themselves are a possible source of IL-17. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) data to evaluate the expression of IL-17A in primary CD138+ myeloma cells (N=17) compared to normal plasma cells (NPC) (N=5). Whereas none of the NPCs expressed IL-17A, it was significantly over-expressed in majority of MM cells. In addition, these data also showed that the expression of other IL-17 family members (IL-7B, C, D, E & F) and Th17-associated pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-21, IL-22 & IL-23) were not significantly elevated in primary myeloma cells compared to normal donor plasma cells. We further validated these observations by IL-17 immunoblot showing IL17 expression in all MM cell lines and 10 out of 14 primary patient MM cells; confirmed IL-17 expression in MM cells by quantitative RT-PCR, and flow cytometry and by immuno-histochemistry and confocal microscopy. We observed that IL-17 knock down by IL-17-specific siRNA inhibited MM cell growth as well as their ability to induce IL-6 production in co-cultures with BMSC. Finally, expression profile data from 172 uniformly treated patients showed that patients with lower IL-17A expression had superior overall survival compared to those with higher expression. These data confirms that MM cells express IL-17 and targeting it with a mAb will abrogate the autocrine loop making it an attractive therapeutic target. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Early detection of drought onset using near surface temperature and humidity observed from space

Drought is associated with severe societal impacts ranging from shortages of water for human consumption to agricultural failure and famine. An important aspect of drought forecast is determining the onset, which is critical for early warning efforts and water resources and agriculture planning. Indices of precipitation shortage have been widely used to detect the onset of drought because precipitation deficits often lead to shortages in other hydrologic variables such as soil moisture and runoff. The present work demonstrates that atmospheric temperature and humidity observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS contain information that can be used to detect drought onset earlier than that obtained from precipitation deficit. By calculating the standardized indices for precipitation, near-surface temperature, vapour pressure deficit, and relative humidity, we show that in many regions of the world signals of drought onset can be detected from near-surface temperature and humidity data a few months earlier than those obtained from precipitation deficit. In particular, vapour pressure deficit showed higher effectiveness than relative humidity or temperature only. The outcome was generally consistent for the three-and six-month accumulations studied here. Further analysis using 65 years 1960–2014 of monthly temperature and humidity data derived from the Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model PRISM data set over the continental United States suggests that there is a good agreement between drought early detection signals obtained from AIRS and that from ground stations during the overlapped 2003–2014 period. Analysis using longer record suggests that the frequency of successful early detection of drought onset using temperature and humidity data shows regional shift towards eastern United States in the recent years.
Multi-Latina’s Leadership Role in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Effort in Latin America

This paper explores multinational firms’ commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and to sustainability development (SD) as displayed by some of the world’s largest multinationals based in Latin America. The Forbes Global 2000 list is used to identify the world’s largest firms based in Latin America, firms which have also come to be known as the “Multi-Latinas”. Given their prominence within the Latin America (intra-regionally) and inter-regionally. The authors seek to study the firms’ CSR and SD initiatives in an effort to gauge the scope of these initiatives. This issue is of interest because as the largest firms in Latin America, these firms likely serve as examples to be emulated by other firms in the region.
Friendly channel-oblivious jamming with error amplification for wireless networks

Privacy has become a major concern in wireless networks, especially in networks with weak or no password protection. While it has been proposed to send jamming signals to thwart the reception of the eavesdropper, the jamming signal typically cannot introduce enough errors to cover the entire packet when the jamming signal is not very strong, mainly due to the use of error correction codes in the system. Fortunately, error amplifiers can be easily constructed using block ciphers to amplify and spread the errors without requiring any secret keys. With error amplification, the jamming strategy needs to be revisited, because introducing a few errors is sufficient protect the privacy of the entire packet, instead of having to jam the entire packet. We propose a novel jamming strategy, called jMax, with proven performance bounds to the optimal jamming signal power. The idea of jMax is to rotate jamming vectors such that the jamming power can be maximized when the jamming vector close to the optimal jamming vector is used. We collect real-world CSI data with the Intel 5300 wireless card and use the Microsoft Sora Software-Defined Radio to process jammed data packets. Our results show that jMax achieves significant gains over other approaches.
The Common Good and Christian Ethics: Christianity in a community of freedom

Religious communities have the capacity to contribute to the common good of a free republic. This chapter will explore how this potentiality can be actualized. Specifically, it will address the question of how pursuit of the common good in a pluralistic context should be an integral part of a Christian religious self-understanding. It will explore why Christians should be actively engaged in building up a community of freedom along with those who are not Christian. A Christian religious understanding of the full human good is not only compatible with commitment to the civic good of a free society but calls Christians to civic engagement that builds solidarity in freedom. One does not have to choose between promotion of a strong understanding of the civic good and full commitment to Christian faith. The two are essentially related. The proposal that Christianity can make genuine contributions to the common good of a free society makes significant demands on both Christians and non-Christians. It cannot be otherwise, for placing conditions only on Christians or only on non-Christians will not lead to a community of mutual freedom and solidarity. The possibility of achieving such a community is a high-stakes affair in the public life of both nation-states and the world as a whole. Past and present religious conflicts provide ample evidence of just how high. Exploring the public role of Christianity from both secular and theological perspectives, therefore, is essential to revitalizing the pursuit of the common good.
P112 Analysis of KAS impact on a single center

Aim The new Kidney Allocation System (KAS) provides additional allocation points for sensitized candidates in an effort to increase transplant rates for this underserved population Following the implementation of KAS, our center lowered the HLA antibody threshold for listing unacceptable antigens from a cytotoxicity level to a flow cytometric crossmatch level. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of KAS following CPRA optimization for our renal waitlist candidates. Methods We examined renal transplants that occurred 11 months prior and post CPRA optimization. We investigated transplant numbers per CPRA category; the average number of Donor Specific Antibodies (DSAs) at transplant; the number of post-transplant specimens submitted, and Virtual Crossmatch (VXM) requests for high CPRA (>97) patients. Results During an 11 month period prior to CPRA optimization our center performed 105 deceased donor transplants. Of these, 84.76% were patients with a CPRA value of 0, while 1.04% were patients with high CPRA values (>97%). Of the 175 deceased donor transplants performed after our laboratory’s CPRA optimization, 26.38% were patients with a CPRA >97%. Transplanted individuals with a 0% CPRA decreased to 57.67%. Patients transplanted pre-optimization versus post-optimization submitted an average of 12 and 48.5 samples per month, respectively. Patients transplanted pre-optimization and post-optimization had an average of 0.46 and 0.47 donor specific antibodies, respectively. Our instances of VXM requests for high CPRA patients more than tripled following the implantation of KAS. VXM numbers: October 2014 (0), April 2015 (10), October 2015 (29), April 2016 (36). Conclusions More high CPRA patients are being transplanted following implementation of KAS. Our laboratory has experienced an increase in VXM assessments and post-transplant DSA testing received while experiencing similar numbers of DSAs prior to transplant. Download : Download high-res image (72KB) Download : Download full-size image
Studies on sweating. IV. A new quantitative method of assaying sweat-delivery to circumscribed areas of the skin surface.

The limited number of procedures affording results in units of weight [Y. Kuno (l', G. E, Burch and collab. (2, a and b), J. S. Weiner (3)1 does not include any method which would be sufficiently convenient for extensive use under the ordinary conditions of a clinical laboratory. Quite recently E. Cohen (4) devised a quantitative method for determining the amount of palmar sweat by weighing a square of blotting paper before and 1) involves the risk of a weight loss through evaporation before the weighing is ended (4); 2) hardly eliminates the possibility of an admixture of "insensible sweat", fatty matter, or cellular and horny particles. In addition, the technic is still too inconvenient and time consuming for a great number of examinations within limited periods of time. In recent years we obtained accurate measurements by means of a special electrohygrometer, but its use was likewise hardly practicable for medical examinations on a large scale, since too much time was consumed by a single determination; moreover, the intricate construction of the apparatus necessitated frequent adjustments. The only procedure known to us for examining the degree of sweating which can be employed with relative ease, is the application of reagents which produce color changes in the presence of water. Their use also affords a most valuable means for direct examination of outpouring sweat, exclusive of "insensible" cutaneous perspiration. Until the present time, however, color indicators could be used only for approximations for which more or less arbitrary standards (5, 6) were chosen. Another handicap in the application of indicator-methods is the usually strong objection of both the subjects under test and those performing the examination, to the unavoidable discoloration of clothing, skin, etc., with staining products formed by the indicatorsubstances in use. Thus, the dark blue salt resulting from the reaction of ferric chloride with tannic acid in the presence of traces of water [method of J. J. Silverman and V. E. Powell (7)1 often causes irreparable damage to clothing and leaves stains on the skin which are removable only with difficulty. Similarly, though to a somewhat milder degree, the purple product of the starch-iodine reaction [methods of Minor (8), W. C. Randall (9), and othersl is apt to soil clothing. One of the greatest disadvantages of almost all the indicator-methods employed thus
Past Events, Current Teens, Future Skills: Producing Digital Oral History

Public libraries can use digital oral history projects (1) to teach digital literacy skills to teens in accordance with national and state information literacy standards and (2) to develop local digital collections. The technical standards for such projects are modest, and the Library of Congress Veterans History Project provides an ideal template with which to begin. This article highlights the benefits of using the Veterans History Project for library programs and events and summarizes how the Veterans History Project can be collaboratively implemented across libraries. Suggestions for curriculum-based program development for young adult users of public libraries are also outlined.
Internet of underground things: Sensing and communications on the field for precision agriculture

The projected increases in World population and need for food have recently motivated adoption of information technology solutions in crop fields within precision agriculture approaches. Internet of underground things (IOUT), which consists of sensors and communication devices, partly or completely buried underground for real-time soil sensing and monitoring, emerge from this need. This new paradigm facilitates seamless integration of underground sensors, machinery, and irrigation systems with the complex social network of growers, agronomists, crop consultants, and advisors. In this paper, state-of-the-art communication architectures are reviewed, and underlying sensing technology and communication mechanisms for IOUT are presented. Recent advances in the theory and applications of wireless underground communication are also reported. Major challenges in IOUT design and implementation are identified.
The Structure of Cognitive Representations

The most significant area of debate separating Classical and Connectionist theories of cognition has been the family of systematicity and productivity arguments best known from Jerry Fodor and Zenon Pylyshyn’s paper, “Connectionism and Cognitive Architecture: A Critical Analysis.” These arguments are not the sole basis upon which to try to determine the nature of human cognitive architecture, but they are currently among the most prominent. In roughest outline, the arguments are quite simple. Thought displays certain features, namely, it is systematic, compositional, inferentially coherent, and productive. These features of thought can be better explained by a Classical theory of cognition than they can be by a Connectionist theory, hence there is some defeasible reason to prefer Classicism to Connectionism. Beyond this, however, there are ambiguities, vagaries, and confusions at all levels of detail. At the most general level, therefore, the aim of the present work is simply to clarify and refine the systematicity and productivity arguments, showing how the central ideas of these arguments may be applied to a range of theories of cognitive architecture.
Hybrid Solar Cells: Materials, Interfaces, and Devices

Photovoltaic technologies could play a pivotal role in tackling future fossil fuel energy shortages, while significantly reducing our carbon dioxide footprint. Crystalline silicon is pervasively used in single junction solar cells, taking up ~80 % of the photovoltaic market. Semiconductor-based inorganic solar cells deliver relatively high conversion efficiencies at the price of high material and manufacturing costs. A great amount of research has been conducted to develop low-cost photovoltaic solutions by incorporating organic materials. Organic semiconductors are conjugated hydrocarbon-based materials that are advantageous because of their low material and processing costs and a nearly unlimited supply. Their mechanical flexibility and tunable electronic properties are among other attractions that their inorganic counterparts lack. Recently, collaborations in nanotechnology research have combined inorganic with organic semiconductors in a “hybrid” effort to provide high conversion efficiencies at low cost. Successful integration of these two classes of materials requires a profound understanding of the material properties and an exquisite control of the morphology, surface properties, ligands, and passivation techniques to ensure an optimal charge carrier generation across the hybrid device. In this chapter, we provide background information of this novel, emerging field, detailing the various approaches for obtaining inorganic nanostructures and organic polymers, introducing a multitude of methods for combining the two components to achieve the desired morphologies, and emphasizing the importance of surface manipulation. We highlight several studies that have fueled new directions for hybrid solar cell research, including approaches for maximizing efficiencies by controlling the morphologies of the inorganic component, and in situ molecular engineering via electrochemical polymerization of a polymer directly onto the inorganic nanowire surfaces. In the end, we provide some possible future directions for advancing the field, with a focus on flexible, lightweight, semitransparent, and low-cost photovoltaics.
The Use of a Pylon Mounted Transducer for Investigating the Gait of Transtibial Amputees

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi TABLE OF CONTENTS vii LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES xii CHAPTER
Wildfire Susceptibility Maps Flexible Querying and Answering

Forecasting natural disasters, as wildfires or floods, is a mandatory activity to reduce the level of risk and damage to people, properties and infrastructures. Since estimating real-time the susceptibility to a given phenomenon is computationally onerous, susceptibility maps are usually pre-computed. So, techniques are needed to efficiently query such maps, in order to retrieve the most plausible scenario for the current situation. We propose a flexible querying and answering framework by which the operator, in charge of managing an ongoing disaster, can retrieve the list of susceptibility maps in decreasing order of satisfaction with respect to the query conditions. The operator can also describe trends of the conditions that are related with environmental parameters, assessing what happens if a dynamic parameter is increasing or decreasing in value.
Identifikation und Gestaltung von Services

An einen Service, der in einer Serviceorientierten Architektur eines Unternehmens zur Verfugung gestellt werden soll, werden oftmals die folgenden fachlichen Anforderungen gestellt: Er soll ubergreifend uber mehrere Auspragungen einer Problemstellung einsetzbar sein. Er soll die redundante Implementierung von Funktionalitaten weitgehend vermeiden. Er soll moglichst schnell und unkompliziert genutzt werden konnen.
Rate-cost tradeoffs in scalar LQG control and tracking with side information

Consider a control problem in which a remote controller chooses its control action based on two kinds of information about the system state: the information it receives from the system via a rate-constrained feedback link, and side information - a noisy measurement of the system state it observes directly. The goal of the controller is to minimize a quadratic cost function in the state variables and control signal, known as the linear quadratic regulator (LQR). We study the fundamental tradeoff between the communication rate, the expected cost b and the quality of side information. Due to a separation principle between estimation and control, we focus on the tracking problem, where the goal is to track the system state rather than to control it. We introduce the causal rate-distortion function with side information at the decoder. It is expressed in terms of directed mutual information, and it extends the classical (noncausal) Wyner-Ziv rate-distortion function to real-time tracking problems with causality constraints and memory of the past at both encoder and decoder. We compute that function in the scalar linear Gaussian setting; we draw a link with the Kalman filter; we show that making side information available also at the encoder does not help to improve the optimal tradeoffs.
Energy-interaction diagrams: Fostering resources for productive disciplinary engagement with energy

The use of graphical representations structures students' reasoning about a physical scenario or problem. Different graphical representations for energy in physical situations highlight different aspects of energy and therefore may represent and foster different conceptualizations of energy. One particular representation of energy dynamics in a physical system, the Energy-Interaction Diagram, embodies a Stores and Transfer model of energy. In this paper, I show how the Energy-Interaction Diagram can evoke productive resources for disciplinary engagement with energy. In the presented example, students in an introductory college physics course activated the resources indicator reasoning, systems thinking, and substance metaphor while employing the Energy-Interaction Diagram to make sense of a puzzling scenario: Two billiard balls on parallel incline tracks with different widths—why does one ball roll down the ramp faster than the other?The use of graphical representations structures students' reasoning about a physical scenario or problem. Different graphical representations for energy in physical situations highlight different aspects of energy and therefore may represent and foster different conceptualizations of energy. One particular representation of energy dynamics in a physical system, the Energy-Interaction Diagram, embodies a Stores and Transfer model of energy. In this paper, I show how the Energy-Interaction Diagram can evoke productive resources for disciplinary engagement with energy. In the presented example, students in an introductory college physics course activated the resources indicator reasoning, systems thinking, and substance metaphor while employing the Energy-Interaction Diagram to make sense of a puzzling scenario: Two billiard balls on parallel incline tracks with different widths—why does one ball roll down the ramp faster than the other?
Anomalous "Middle" Meningeal Artery from Basilar Artery and Implications for Neuroendovascular Surgery: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Background The middle meningeal artery (MMA) is an important conduit for the endovascular treatment of skull base and intracranial pathologies including, recently, subdural hematomas. A key aspect of such procedures is to perform a thorough diagnostic angiogram to detect anomalous arterial origins and “dangerous” anastomoses with branches of the internal carotid arteries. Although the most common anomaly related to the MMA is an abnormal origin from the ophthalmic artery, anomalous origin from the posterior circulation is rare. Moreover, its recognition requires a concerted effort at performing a vertebral artery angiogram irrespective of the location of the pathology (e.g., in subdural hematoma). Case Description We describe a case of anomalous origin of MMA from the basilar artery as a lateral pontine artery branch that was detected in a patient with recurrent subdural hematoma who presented for endovascular MMA embolization. Conclusions The embryologic origin of the entity is briefly discussed, along with suggestions for managing such an anomaly during endovascular embolization.
Calorie estimation and the effects of calorie disclosure of the American’s favorite foods

This study investigated if consumers have a reasonable estimate of the calorie content of Americans’ top 10 favorite foods and explored the effects of calorie disclosure on US consumers’ future con...
The Associations between Enrollment Duration and Health Outcomes among Migrant Head Start Children

This study examined the association between enrollment duration and health treatment outcomes among migrant Head Start children. Children (n = 1,399) were divided into two groups: those who enrolle...
Reverse engineering of additive manufactured composite part by toolpath reconstruction using imaging and machine learning

Abstract Development of composite material parts requires significant research and development effort. The fiber size, volume fraction and direction are important in determining the properties of the part. Additive manufacturing (AM) methods are increasingly used for printing composite materials. Advancements in 3D scanning and imaging technology have raised a significant concern in reverse engineering of parts made by AM, which may result in counterfeiting and unauthorized production of high quality parts. This work is focused on using imaging methods and machine learning to reverse engineer a composite material part, where not only the geometry is captured but also the tool path of 3D printing is reconstructed using machine learning of microstructure. A dimensional accuracy with only 0.33% difference is achieved for the reverse engineered model.
Single-Event Effects Test Results of the Intersil ISL73141SEH Precision SAR ADC

We report the results of destructive and nondestructive single-event effects (SEE) testing of the Intersil ISL73141SEH 14-bit 750/1000ksps precision SAR ADC.
A pore-scale study of foam-microemulsion interaction during low tension gas flooding using microfluidics- secondary recovery

Abstract The most commonly used methods for secondary oil recovery have been waterflood and immiscible gas flood. However, these methods leave behind substantial amount of residual oil. Past laboratory scale Low-Tension-Gas (LTG) coreflooding experiments have shown secondary oil recovery up to 80% OOIP (Original Oil in Place) for low permeability (sub 10mD) reservoirs. LTG flooding combines the well-known concepts of Surfactant EOR, where a surfactant solution is injected to lower oil-water IFT to ultra-low values (10−3 dyne/cm), and Foam EOR, where foam is generated in-situ by the co-injection of gas to provide mobility control to the oil displacement. While past LTG coreflooding experiments for secondary recovery have demonstrated promising oil recovery, the exact pore-scale mechanisms involved during secondary LTG flooding are yet to be studied. The most important questions to be addressed are the oil-displacement mechanisms in equilibrated and non-equilibrated microemulsion systems (Winsor Type I and Type III), the impact of foam on the microemulsion equilibration, and the overall oil recovery value and rate as functions of these factors. The study was conducted in a borosilicate water-wet micromodel with a porous network reflective of actual rock pore network. Alternate slugs of microemulsion/surfactant solution and gas were injected into the micromodel to re-create secondary LTG flooding on the pore-scale. Unique oil displacement flow mechanisms were identified for Type I and Type III microemulsion systems. Oil displacement flow mechanisms also varied depending on whether the injected liquid was equilibrated microemulsion or non-equilibrated surfactant solution. Oil-in-water macroemulsions were characteristic of non-equilibrated Type I systems, and water-entrained macroemulsions were characteristic of non-equilibrated Type III systems. Foam generated in-situ was observed to improve microemulsion equilibrium rate and oil recovery rates for secondary LTG flooding.