cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real Time with the Librarian: Using Web Conferencing Software to Connect to Distance Students

A pilot program to provide real-time library webcasts to Regis University distance students using Adobe Connect software was initiated in fall of 2011. Previously, most interaction between librarians and online students had been accomplished by asynchronous discussion threads in the Learning Management System. Library webcasts were offered in targeted courses in addition to asynchronous interaction through discussion forums. Students had the option to attend the live webcast or view a recording of it later. Students were surveyed about their webcast experience and results indicated that despite experiencing occasional technical difficulties, they found the library webcasts helpful and relevant to their research assignments. Encouraged by the feedback from students, the authors are looking to expand the use of library webcasts into other aspects of their work serving distance students.
THE CAPACITY OF THE CORONARY BED IN CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY

After eliminating vascular rigor, perfusing human hearts with kerosene under pressure postmortem gives values for coronary flow which seem an index of the maximum possible flow during life. This is 3.1 cc. per gm. per minute at 100 mm. Hg in normal men under 40. It is 35 per cent lower in the hearts of those 60 to 80 years old, and also falls in hypertrophied hearts. In old people it is 30 per cent lower in hearts over 600 gm. than in those under 350; in patients 40 to 60 years old it is 37 per cent less in hearts over 600 as compared with those under 350 gm. In discussion it is brought out that while the decrease in coronary capacity associated with age or hypertrophy may play a part in predisposing some hearts to congestive failure, there is no evidence that the hypertrophied heart has an inadequate oxygen supply or that its fibers are too thick for adequate oxygen diffusion. Congestive failure cannot be ascribed to anoxia except in the presence of severe anemia, coronary occlusion, or tachycardia with low blood pressure. Decrease in perfusibility with age and growth may be a perfectly normal adaptation to the needs of the tissue; the perfusibility of the heart of the young adult is about half that of an infant at 2 years.
N-15 NMR study of the immobilization of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluene in aerobic compost.

Large-scale aerobic windrow composting has been used to bioremediate washout lagoon soils contaminated with the explosives TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) and RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) at several sites within the United States. We previously used 15N NMR to investigate the reduction and binding of T15NT in aerobic bench -scale reactors simulating the conditions of windrow composting. These studies have been extended to 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4DNT) and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6DNT), which, as impurities in TNT, are usually present wherever soils have been contaminated with TNT. Liquid-state 15N NMR analyses of laboratory reactions between 4-methyl-3-nitroaniline-15N, the major monoamine reduction product of 2,4DNT, and the Elliot soil humic acid, both in the presence and absence of horseradish peroxidase, indicated that the amine underwent covalent binding with quinone and other carbonyl groups in the soil humic acid to form both heterocyclic and non-heterocyclic condensation products. Liquid-...
Visual observations of the sea floor subduction line in the middle-america trench.

Four dives were made to the floor of the Middle-America Trench with the U.S. Navy's deep research submersible DSV Turtle. The area investigated is located between Costa Rica and the Cocos Ridge where the depth of the trench floor does not exceed the 2000-meter capability of the submersible. At the axis of the trench floor a series of steep northeast-facing scarps 10 to 20 meters high lie parallel to the trench axis. Here oceanic crust appears to have been carried down by near-vertical normal vaults of small displacement. Between these small scarps and the landward wall of the trench a narrow line of recent deformation interrupts a smooth apron. Unconsolidated sediments are thrust in sharply serrated piles and cut by sharp-edged chasms. This line of deformation is interpreted as the present sea floor trace of crustal subduction.
Life history of Choristoneura lambertiana subretiniana Obraztsov (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attacking Lodgepole Pine.

The life history of a tortricid cone moth Choristoneura lambertiana subretiniana Obraztsov in California is described. The larvae feed primarily on staminatc flowers and cones of lodgepole pine although some needle- and tip-mining occurs. The only other recorded host is ponderosa pine.Eggs are deposited in late July to early August; first-instar larvae migrate from the needles to protected locations on the branches and spin hibernacula. The larvae overwinter predominantly as second-instar larvae in the hibernaculum. They emerge from the hibernacula in April, and mature in four to six weeks. There are six larval instars. The pupal period lasts approximately two weeks; adult emergence begins in mid-July and extends through the end of August.
Fetal magnetic resonance imaging in isolated diaphragmatic hernia: volume of herniated liver and neonatal outcome

Objective We sought to use magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) to estimate percentage of fetal thorax occupied by lung, liver, and other abdominal organs in pregnancies with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Study Design This was a retrospective study of pregnancies with isolated CDH referred for MRI between August 2000 and June 2006. Four regions of interest were measured in the axial plane by an investigator blinded to neonatal outcome, and volumes were then calculated. The percentages of thorax occupied by lung, liver, and all herniated organs were then compared with neonatal outcomes. Results Fifteen CDH fetuses underwent MRI at a median gestational age of 29 weeks. Liver herniation was found in 93%. When the liver occupied > 20% of the fetal thorax, neonatal deaths were significantly increased. Percentages of lung and other herniated organs were not associated with outcome. Conclusion In our MR series of isolated CDH, neonatal deaths were significantly increased when > 20% of the fetal thorax was occupied by liver.
Biochemical basis of the temperature-inducible constitutive protease activity of the RecA441 protein of Escherichia coli.

Abstract We compared the biochemical properties of the RecA441 protein to those of the wild-type RecA protein in an effort to account for the constitutive protease activity observed in rec A441 strains. The two RecA proteins have similar properties in the absence of single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB protein), and the differences that do exist shed little light on the temperature-inducible phenotype observed in rec A441 strains. In contrast, several biochemical differences are apparent when the two proteins are compared in the presence of SSB protein, and these are conducive to a hypothesis that explains the temperature-sensitive behavior observed in these strains. We find that both the single-stranded DNA(ssDNA)-dependent ATPase and LexA-protease activities of RecA441 protein are more resistant to inhibition by SSB protein than are the activities of the wild-type protein. Additionally, the RecA441 protein is more capable of using ssDNA that has been precoated with SSB protein as a substrate for ATPase and protease activities, implying that RecA441 protein is more proficient at displacing SSB protein from ssDNA. The enhanced SSB protein displacement ability of the RecA441 protein is dependent on elevated temperature. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the RecA441 protein competes more efficiently with SSB protein for limited ssDNA sites and can be activated to cleave repressors at elevated temperature by displacing SSB protein from the limited ssDNA that occurs naturally in Escherichia coli . Neither the ssDNA binding characteristics of the RecA441 protein nor the rate at which it transfers from one DNA molecule to another provides an explanation for its enhanced activities, leading us to conclude that kinetics of RecA441 protein association with DNA may be responsible for the properties of the RecA441 protein.
Necessary Condition for Temporal Self Imaging in a Linear Dispersive Medium

Abstract It was recently shown that a periodic pulse train will reproduce itself at periodic distances upon propagation in a linear dispersive medium. By drawing an analogy between this temporal self-imaging problem and the well known spatial self-imaging phenomenon, we derive the necessary condition for temporal self-imaging and show that the class of temporally self-reproducing signals is much broader than the subset of periodic signals.
Weights and linear dimensions of the skull and some of the long bones of the Skunk (Mephitis mesomelas avia)

The skull, mandible, atlas, scapula and the six long bones from seventy-four male and sixty-nine female skunk skeletons were weighed. Nine dimensions of the skull, two dimensions of the mandible and of the scapula, the length of the os coxa and the lengths of the same six long bones, were measured from 99 male and 109 female skeletons. The weights of the skull and of the nine bones are significantly heavier in the male skunks and all but one of the linear measurements are likewise significantly greater in the males. The weights and the linear dimensions of the skull and the mandible are more variable in the males but the lengths of the long bones are more variable in the females. The rather high positive correlations of the skull weight and the weights of the other parts of the skeleton studied, show that the weight of the skull is a good criterion of the weights of the other bones. These correlations are slightly higher in the males. The nineteen linear dimensions are likewise well correlated with the skull length. They average somewhat higher in the females. The data on the symmetry of the paired bones are not very conclusive, but there is a preponderance of heavier and longer right bones and a crossed symmetry is suggested.
Universidad de Piura… Topeka in 1894… Construction Institute… New Books… Excavator Trivia… Conferences

At the urging of Prof. ‘‘Emeritus’’ Ronald Woodhead ~University of New South Wales!, I spent the month of April teaching at the Universidad de Piura ~University of Piura!, in Piura, Peru. Prof. Woodhead is an internationally recognized construction professor who in the past has taught at several universities in this country ~University of Illinois, MIT, The University of Texas! and has co-authored half a dozen different construction textbooks, including Critical Path Methods in Construction Practice with James M. Antill and Construction Management with Daniel W. Halpin. Ron has over a period of several years made three visits to the University of Piura ~UDEP! in order to assist the civil engineering department in developing a construction curriculum. But because of health problems he is no longer able to continue that work. Robert ~Bob! Wortman, a friend of mine from TRB and a civil engineering professor at the University of Arizona contacted me about going to Peru in Woodhead’s stead. Bob and Ron are good friends dating back to the early 70s, when they co-authored the book Design and Planning of Engineering Systems. I did not have a clue as to where Piura, Peru, was located or exactly what was expected of a visiting professor; so Bob got peppered with questions, but he had no answers. Bob forwarded my inquiries to Ron and before long I received an e-mail from Gaby Ruiz ~Fig. 1!, professor of construction at the Universidad de Piura. Their needs were in the area of construction equipment and they were seeking someone to help in the development of course syllabi and participate in teaching an undergraduate course. After checking with Marisa Sherard, Senior Manager of International Affairs at ASCE Headquarters, and learning that the uni-
Is FRBR a Domain? Domain Analysis Applied to the Literature of The FRBR Family of Conceptual Models

Domain analysis helps visualize the semantic intellectual content of a coherent group, or domain. A domain is a group with an ontological base, an underlying teleology, common hypotheses and epistemology, and social semantics. FRBR has spawned a family of conceptual models, and much writing. A recent second anthology about the FRBR models raises the question of whether a coherent domain has formed around the FRBR family. Domain analysis is used here to visualize the semantic content of the FRBR family domain, and to compare its two main component groups, scholar authors and practitioner authors. Results show a common teleology with some subtle differences surrounding implementation of the FRBR family of models.
Cratering on Mars. II. implications for future cratering studies from Mariner 4 reanalysis

Abstract The technique of studying diameter-frequency relations of craters, distinguished by morphology, is a powerful tool which deserves wider application to Mariner 9 imagery, Lunar Orbiter photography, the recent Mariner 10 imagery of Mercury, and radar mapping of Venus. This is demonstrated by examining Mariner 4 cratering data in the light of Mariner 6, 7, and 9 imagery. Despite widely expressed opinions that crater counts by different investigators were inconsistent and that little could be learned about Martian cratering history from the small sample of craters photographed, we show that: (1) the criticized crater counts are in excellent agreement with each other; (2) that Mariner 4 crater counts, including those distinguished by morphological class, agree with Mariner 6 and 9 counts from cratered terrains; and (3) that much of the fundamental picture of Martian cratering history now emerging from Mariner 9 can be deduced from the Mariner 4 imagery.
An event recorder for infant feeding research.

An Event Recorder program was developed for the HP 48 calculator to record the durational events associated with breastfeeding behavior. The Event Recorder menu structure is flexible and allows for the recording of response variables such as menstrual history and fertility symptoms. A Windows™ program was written in Visual C++ to give a graphical representation of the time-series data and to extract useful measures of breastfeeding activity from the raw data for each 24-h day postpartum. These time varying covariates include the mean and median bout length, median interbout interval, breastfeeding frequency and total 24-h suckling duration. The HP 48 calculator has proven to be a robust instrument for the self-recording of breastfeeding data collected as part of a prospective study on the factors that maintain postpartum amenorrhea. We have found also that the behavioral data collected are easily transferred electronically each month when our field workers make home visits.
Enhanced GIS Procedure as a Screening Tool for Watershed-Scale Assessments of On-Site System Nutrient Loading

Watershed assessment of nutrient loading from on-site systems is an important issue for a state such as North Carolina, where approximately 50% of the total housing units rely on these systems for household wastewater treatment. Integration of spatially incongruent data sets has always been a major obstacle for environmental studies dealing with interdisciplinary data sets. A geographical information system (GIS)-based area normalization procedure was developed to transfer demographic information from census blocks to watersheds. The GIS-based area normalization procedure improved statewide estimates by 5 and 12%, respectively, for housing units using on-site systems and resulting nitrogen loadings compared to a visualization procedure. A parametric test conducted using a univariate procedure indicated that there were significant differences between the number of housing units using on-site systems (p=0.0014) , nitrogen loadings (p=0.0012) , and total population (p=0.0065) estimated by the visualization p...
Examining the Impact of Proximate Culpability Mitigation in Capital Punishment Sentencing Recommendations: The Influence of Mental Health Mitigators

In spite of the ruling in Atkins v. Virginia (2002), concerns remain that individuals with mental illness and reduced capacity are eligible for the death penalty. When mental illness or reduced capacity is not enough to preclude death-eligibility, these factors are often discussed at the sentencing phase as mitigators. Mitigation remains an under-researched avenue in the sentencing literature, particularly when it comes to the influence of specific types of mitigation. The present study contributes to knowledge on mental health mitigation by examining five mitigators relevant to the mental health and capacity of defendants. Using data from 834 capital sentences in North Carolina, the influence of these proximate culpability mitigators on jury sentence recommendations is examined. Results indicate that acceptance of certain mental health mitigators reduces the probability of death, but acceptance of others is not significantly related to death recommendations. These findings and their implications are discussed.
Comparative ultrastructure and blood-brain barrier in diapause and nondiapause larvae of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner).

Ultrastructural examination of diapause and nondiapause larval brains of the European corn borer disclosed anatomical differences that may be related to the insect's "blood-barrier". The perineurial type I cells are quite closely appressed in the diapause brain, but thrown into extensive folds with large intercellular spaces in the nondiapause brain. The perineurial type II cells of diapause and nondiapause larvae are basically similar in general ultrastructure, and most likely form the basis for the "blood-brain barrier." Horseradish peroxidase penetration studies indicated that the outer margin of the perineurial type II cells constitute the limits of infiltration into the brain. An enzymatic component of the "blood-brain barrier" is postulated in this insect. The localization of ATPase in the perineurial type II cells indicates that energy-requiring regulatory mechanisms may be localized here. Metabolic studies with isolated brains, coupled with recent evidence from mammalian systems, suggest that glial cells may be of importance in an enzymatic "blood-brain barrier."
Influence of salinity, temperature, and nutrient availability on the respiration of saprolegniaceous fungi (Oomycetes)

Three isolates representing two species of the Saprolegniaceae were investigated using standard manometric techniques to determine what effect culture temperature and nutrient availability had on respiration following treatment with artificial seawater. All three isolates manifested decreased respiration following treatment in most temperatures and salinities whether or not exogenous nutrient were present, but no treatment prevented test fungi from resuming vigorous growth and infesting sterile bait after the 18.5 h treatment period. In light of previous published reports the present result suggest that saprolegniaceous fungi may become dormant in estuarine salinity regimes, but probably remain viable for prolonged periods. Ecological implications of this phenomenon are discussed.
Non-linear polamzabilities of conjugated chains: regular polyenes, solitons, and polarons

Abstract The hyperpolarizabilities of linear polyenes are shown to be extremely sensitive to confonnational changes and to the presence of charges along the conjugated chain. Geometries corresponding to those of regular polyenes and soliton and polaron defects are examined.
Phase III, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial of Atamestane Plus Toremifene Compared With Letrozole in Postmenopausal Women With Advanced Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Purpose To compare time to progression (TTP) with a steroidal aromatase inhibitor (AI) atamestane (ATA) combined with toremifene (TOR; complete estrogen blockade) versus letrozole (LET) in receptor-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC). Patients and Methods Eligibility included postmenopausal receptor-positive ABC and adjuvant hormonal therapy completed more than 12 months prior to study entry. Participants received daily ATA 500 mg with TOR 60 mg (ATA + TOR), or letrozole 2.5 mg (LET). The primary end point was TTP, whereas secondary objectives included objective response (OR), overall survival (OS), and time to treatment failure (TTF). The study had 80% power to detect a 25% increase in TTP assuming a TTP of 9.4 months in the LET population. Results A total of 865 patients were randomly assigned (434 to ATA + TOR and 431 to LET) in 60 centers in the United States, Canada, Russia, and Ukraine. Baseline characteristics were balanced. Median TTP was identical in the two arms at 11.2 months (P < .92). Media...
Temperature response of C4 species big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is modified by growing carbon dioxide concentration

Climate change factors interact to modify plant growth and development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response to temperature of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) development, growth, reproduction and biomass partitioning under low and high carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]) grown in controlled environmental conditions. Ten sunlit soil–plant–atmosphere-research (SPAR) chambers were used to study the effects of two [CO2] of low (360 LL −1 ) and high (720 LL −1 ), and five different day/night temperatures of 20/12, 25/17, 30/22, 35/27 and 40/32 ◦ C. Big bluestem cv. Bonelli seeds were sown in pure, fine sand, in 11 rows at equal spacing and after emergence were thinned to 10 plants per row. At maturity, individual plants were harvested and divided into leaves, stems, panicles and roots. Biomass decreased either above or below the optimum temperature of 30/22 ◦ C. The effect of high [CO2] on biomass accumulation (12–30% increase) was visible at less than optimum temperature (30/22 ◦ C) and absent at two high temperatures. With increase in temperature, irrespective of the [CO2], biomass partitioned to leaves increased (35%) where as that to stems decreased (33%). Panicle weight was 6–7% of biomass at 25/17 ◦ C and fell to 1.6% at 40/32 ◦ C. The biomass partitioned to roots, across the temperatures, was constant for plants grown at low [CO2] but decreased by 7% for those grown at high [CO2]. The decrease in panicle/seed production at two high temperatures (>30/22 ◦ C) might reduce this species population and dominance in tallgrass prairies. The temperature response functions at different [CO2] will be useful to improve the predictive capabilities of dynamic global vegetation models in simulating dynamics of rangelands, where big bluestem is the dominant species. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Vancomycin MIC creep in non-vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA), vancomycin-susceptible clinical methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) blood isolates from 2001–05

lin. MICs increased for vancomycin, linezolid and oxacillin (P < 0.0001); however, daptomycin MICs decreased slightly (P 5 0.0386). For vancomycin, linezolid and oxacillin, there were significant increases (P < 0.0001) in the percentage of isolates with MICs that were higher than the respective 2001 median MIC, but not for daptomycin (P 5 0.1361). Oxacillin MICs were associated with MICs of linezolid (r 5 0.364, P < 0.0001), vancomycin (r 5 0.353, P < 0.0001) and daptomycin (r 5 0.106, P 5 0.0063). Conclusions: Oxacillin, vancomycin and linezolid MICs increased over time. For vancomycin and linezolid, these MIC increases were not reliably detected by percentage susceptibility as they occurred below the susceptibility breakpoint. Although the MICs of all agents appeared to be associated with increasing oxacillin MICs, the strongest associations were noted for vancomycin and linezolid.
Personality and tonic cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune parameters.

Although there is now abundant evidence that certain personality features constitute risk factors for negative health outcomes, personality measures have received little attention to date in the behavioral immunology literature. The present study assessed the relationship between major dimensions of personality and tonic cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immunologic parameters in 276 healthy adults. Participants who scored low in agreeableness tended to have higher levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and epinephrine. Low levels of extraversion were associated with higher blood pressure, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Neuroticism was generally unrelated to physiologic outcomes. Personality was not associated with leukocyte subset counts. The magnitude of relationships between personality and physiology was modest, with personality measures accounting for 1 to 7% of the variance in selected physiological parameters. Health practices did not mediate associations between personality and physiologic outcomes. However, a substantial proportion of the relationship between extraversion and natural killer cell cytotoxicity was accounted for by their common association with epinephrine and to a lesser extent norepinephrine. These findings are consistent with the notion that personality contributes to basal physiology and provide a foundation for further research on the relationship between personality and natural killer cell cytotoxicity. ≈ 1999 Academic Press
Anterior operculum syndrome

The anterior operculum syndrome (AOS) is a well-defined clinical entity that has received little attention in the English literature. We report the clinical and CT findings in 3 cases of AOS; 2 were caused by bilateral cerebral infarctions secondary to bilateral internal carotid occlusion and 1 by the residual effects of viral encephalitis. Although there was variability in the range of deficits found in our cases, each of these patients presented with characteristic facio-pharyngo-glosso-masticatory diplegia with a dramatic automatic-voluntary movement dissociation. This syndrome deserves attention for its characteristic anatomic and prognostic implications.
Effects of substrate on determination of hardness of thin films by nanoscratch and nanoindentation techniques

A comparative study on the effects of the substrate on the determination of hardness of thin films by the use of the nanoscratch and nanoindentation techniques was conducted. Gold films deposited on fused quartz substrates and silicon dioxide films deposited on aluminum substrates with variant film thicknesses were investigated. These two systems correspond to a soft film on a hard substrate and a hard film on a soft substrate, respectively. The effect of substrate interaction on the measurement of hardness using the nanoscratch technique was found to be less pronounced compared to that of the nanoindentation technique due to: (i) the lower normal loads applied to achieve the penetration depths that occur at higher loads when using the nanoindentation method; (ii) the direct imaging of the residual deformation profile that is used in the nanoscratch technique, which allows for the effects of pileup or sink-in to be taken into account, whereas in the nanoindentation technique the contact area is estimated from the load-displacement data, which does not include such effects; and (iii) the account of elastic recovery of the plastically deformed surfaces from scratch tests. The film thickness did not appear to have any effect on the hardness of Au and SiO2 films obtained from nanoscratch data. This observation allowed, for the case of SiO2 films, the determination of the “free substrate effect region” and the derivation of an empirical relationship that relates the composite hardness of the film/substrate system to the contact-depth-to-film-thickness ratio, even when the indenter penetrates into the substrate. Such findings can allow for the determination of the intrinsic hardness of ultrathin hard films (∼1–5 nm thick), where the substrate effect is unavoidable.
The type and yield of lipopolysaccharide from symbiotically deficient Rhizobium lipopolysaccharide mutants vary depending on the extraction method

At least 18 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extraction methods are available, and no single method is universally applicable. Here, the LPSs from four R.etli, one R.leguminosarum bv. trifolii mutant, 24AR, and the R.etli parent strain, CE3, were isolated by hot phenol/water (phi;/W), and phenol/EDTA/triethylamine (phi/EDTA/TEA) extraction. The LPS in various preparations was quantified, analyzed by deoxycholate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (DOC-PAGE), and by immunoblotting. These rhizobia normally have two prominent LPS forms: LPS I, which has O-polysaccharide, and LPS II, which has none. The LPS forms obtained depend on the method of extraction and vary depending on the mutant that is extracted. Both methods extract LPS I and LPS II from CE3. The phi/EDTA/TEA, but not the phi/W, method extracts LPS I from mutants CE358 and CE359. Conversely, the phi;/W but not the phi;/EDTA/TEA method extracts CE359 LPS V, an LPS form with a truncated O-polysaccharide. phi/EDTA/TEA extraction of mutant CE406 gives good yields of LPS I and II, while phi/W extraction gives very small amounts of LPS I. The LPS yield from all the strains using phi/EDTA/TEA extraction is fairly consistent (3-fold range), while the yields from phi/W extraction are highly variable (850-fold range). The phi/EDTA/TEA method extracts LPS I and LPS II from mutant 24AR, but the phi/W method partitions LPS II exclusively into the phenol phase, making its recovery difficult. Overall, phi/EDTA/TEA extraction yields more forms of LPS from the mutants and provides a simpler, faster, and less hazardous alternative to phi/W extraction. Nevertheless, it is concluded that careful analysis of any LPS mutant requires the use of more than one extraction method.
Quantitative Synthesis and Component Analysis of Single-Participant Studies on the Picture Exchange Communication System

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has emerged as the augmentative communication intervention of choice for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a supporting body of single-participant studies. This report describes a meta-analysis of 16 single-participant studies on PECS with percentage of nonoverlapping data (PND) as the metric of effect size. Results suggest that PECS was moderately effective in establishing mands (PND = 80.1) for 41 participants up to Phase IV of the system. Higher levels of manding were found when PECS was taught to individuals without ASD diagnoses versus those with ASD diagnoses and in single settings versus multiple settings; however, these differences were not statistically significant. For a smaller subset of participants for whom vocalizations were recorded, PECS appeared to facilitate speech, though considerable variability in speech acquisition was evident. While these results support PECS as an evidenced-based communication intervention, they i...
Instruction Manual for the Aerodynamic Lens Calculator

This is an instruction manual for the aerodynamic lens design tool: the “Aerodynamic Lens Calculator”. We explain how to install and use this software. Examples are provided to use this tool to design or test a lens system. The structures of the source code programming are also provided in this manual. The design tool and its manual mentioned in this article are available in the publisher's online edition of Aerosol Science and Technology. To access this file, click on the link for this issue, then select this article. In order to access the full article on-line, you must either have an institutional subscription or a member subscription accessed through http://www.aaar.org.
Cancer-associated IDH2 mutants drive an acute myeloid leukemia that is susceptible to Brd4 inhibition

Somatic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes IDH1 and IDH2 occur frequently in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other cancers. These genes encode neomorphic proteins that produce the presumed oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Despite the prospect of treating AML and other cancers by targeting IDH mutant proteins, it remains unclear how these mutants affect tumor development and maintenance in vivo, and no cancer models exist to study the action of IDH2 mutants in vivo. We show that IDH2 mutants can cooperate with oncogenic Flt3 or Nras alleles to drive leukemia in mice by impairing the differentiation of cells of the myeloid lineage. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of IDH2 triggers the differentiation and death of AML cells, albeit only with prolonged IDH2 inhibition. In contrast, inhibition of the bromodomain-containing protein Brd4 triggers rapid differentiation and death of IDH2 mutant AML. Our results establish a critical role for mutant IDH2 in leukemogenesis and tumor maintenance and identify an IDH-independent strategy to target these cancers therapeutically.
Cracking and decohesion of a thin Al2O3 film on a ductile Al–5%Mg substrate

Abstract A ductile metal substrate (1 mm thick Al–5%Mg) with a brittle thin film coating (0.1 μm thick Al 2 O 3 ) was quasi-statically stretched to induce an array of parallel cracks in the coating. Additional cracking, decohesion, and buckling of the coating with increasing straining were observed using optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopes. The number of cracks per unit axial distance and the average opening gap of each crack were found to increase with increasing axial strain. A 2D finite element analysis incorporating a cohesive interface model of cracked coating segments was carried out to obtain both the normal stress distribution in coating segments with various widths and the shear stress distribution along coating–substrate interfaces. Both the fracture strength of the coating and the shear strength of the interface were estimated. Several theoretical analyses appeared in the literature on the cracking and decohesion of thin film coatings were critically discussed.
First passage time statistics of Brownian motion with purely time dependent drift and diffusion

Abstract Systems where resource availability approaches a critical threshold are common to many engineering and scientific applications and often necessitate the estimation of first passage time statistics of a Brownian motion (Bm) driven by time-dependent drift and diffusion coefficients. Modeling such systems requires solving the associated Fokker-Planck equation subject to an absorbing barrier. Transitional probabilities are derived via the method of images, whose applicability to time dependent problems is shown to be limited to state-independent drift and diffusion coefficients that only depend on time and are proportional to each other. First passage time statistics, such as the survival probabilities and first passage time densities are obtained analytically. The analysis includes the study of different functional forms of the time dependent drift and diffusion, including power-law time dependence and different periodic drivers. As a case study of these theoretical results, a stochastic model of water resources availability in snowmelt dominated regions is presented, where both temperature effects and snow-precipitation input are incorporated.
A Framework for Solving Hybrid Influence Diagrams Containing Deterministic Conditional Distributions

We describe a framework and an algorithm for approximately solving a class of hybrid influence diagrams (IDs) containing discrete and continuous chance variables, discrete and continuous decision variables, and deterministic conditional distributions for chance variables. A conditional distribution for a chance variable is said to be deterministic if its variances, for each state of its parents, are all zeroes. The solution algorithm is an extension of Shenoy's fusion algorithm for discrete influence diagrams. To mitigate the integration and optimization problems associated with solving hybrid IDs, we propose using mixture of polynomials approximations of conditional probability density and utility functions and piecewise linear approximations of nonlinear deterministic conditional distributions for continuous chance variables. The class of hybrid IDs that can be solved by our framework are those that do not involve divisions. The framework and algorithm are illustrated by solving two small examples of hybrid IDs.
The association of hospital quality ratings with adverse events

Objective To understand how patient-reported quality is related to adverse events (AEs). Design Random sample telephone survey. Setting Sixteen acute care Massachusetts hospitals. Participants Two thousand and five hundred and eight-two of 4163 (62% response rate) eligible adult patients. Main Outcome Measures Patients hospitalized from 1 April 2003 to 1 October 2003 provided global quality ratings and whether they experienced AEs. Service recovery, defined as efforts by a service provider to return customers to a state of satisfaction after a lapse in service, was operationalized as high participation in one's care, timely discharge and disclosure of the circumstances of an AE. Results Of respondents, 82% rated the quality as high and 23% reported one or more AEs. Patients with no AEs gave higher quality ratings (85 vs. 77 or 62% for patients with 1 or 2+ AEs, respectively, P < 0.001). Patients were more likely to rate the quality high if they reported high participation (86 vs. 53%), or felt discharge timing was just right (85 vs. 64%); for those with AEs, ratings were higher among those reporting disclosure (82 vs. 66%) (all P < 0.01). In adjusted analyses, patients with AEs experiencing all three service recovery components rated their quality higher (86 vs. 68%, P < 0.01). Conclusions Patients with AEs rate the quality of care lower than others. However, patients with AEs who experienced ‘service recovery’ as we defined it rated their quality of care at levels similar to those who did not experience AEs. Hospitals seeking to improve quality ratings might consider efforts to ensure patient safety and to address AEs in a transparent and responsive way.
Chronic Headaches In Family Practice

Background: More than 11 million people in the United States have moderate or severe migraine resulting in much suffering and millions of lost work days annually. Staying abreast of current advances in headache management is important for family physicians, who care for most headache patients. Methods: MEDLINE files were searched from 1982 to the present using the key words “headache,” “migraine,” “serotonin,” and “cerebral circulation.” Also searched were the journals Headache and Cephalalgia and the published proceedings of meetings of the American Association for the Study of Headache, the International Headache Society, and the Migraine Trust. Results and Conclusions: A new headache classification based on clinical symptoms has been published by the International Headache Society, which clarifies headache dianoses. Though headaches with serious underlying disease occur only rarely in family practice, physicians must be familiar with the clinical signs indicating the presence of such problems, and any change in or unusual presentation of headache warrants investigation. Headache research has expanded in the past decade, much of which has been directed at raising the standards of treatment. Pharmacologic treatment falls into two categories: acute or abortive treatment and preventive treatment. Analgesic overmedication by headache patients is commonplace and leads to withdrawal symptoms and the development of chronic daily headaches, for which effective treatments are now available at both ambulatory and inpatient levels. At the more basic research level, serotonin receptor studies have provided an impetus for revealing underlying headache mechanisms. A new serotonin agonist, sumatriptan, has proved effective in treating acute migraine and will no doubt be followed by further serotonergic drugs. Patient education, relaxation therapy, and other nonpharmacological approaches, as well as good overall standards of care, are essential ingredients in headache management. Family physicians are well-equipped to offer these approaches to their patients with headache.
Adaptive RGB-D Visual Odometry for Mobile Robots: An Experimental Study

In this paper, experiments are presented in support of an adaptive color-depth (RGB-D) camera-based visual odometry algorithm. The goal of visual odometry is to estimate the egomotion of a robot using images from a camera attached to the robot. This type of measurement can be extremely useful when position sensor information, such as GPS, in unavailable and when error from other motion sensors (e.g., wheel encoders) is inaccurate (e.g., due to wheel slip). In the presented method, visual odometry algorithm parameters are adapted to ensure that odometry measurements are accurate while also considering computational cost. In this paper, live experiments are performed that show the feasibility of implementing the proposed algorithm on small wheeled mobile robots.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Products and Kinetics of Flash Pyrolysis of Peg: A Minimum Smoke Binder

Flash pyrolysis of polyethylene glycol by T-Jump/FTIR spectroscopy to temperatures of the surface during combustion reveals that volatile products arise from approximately equal amounts of C{single_bond}O and C{single_bond}C homolysis. Nine volatile products are discussed. The average number of repeating units in the volatile oligomers is 2.5. A shift in product distribution occurs at 420--480 C resulting from a change in the polymer structure. Below 420 C, di- and mono-ether oligomers and diethylene glycol dominate. Above 480 C, the mono-ethers and ethylene glycol dominate. The Arrhenius constants for decomposition reflect this difference: Ea = 8.8 kcal/mol, ln (A, s{sup {minus}1}) = 2.0 at 370--420 C and Ea = 19 kcal/mol, ln (A, s{sup {minus}1}) = 10 at 480--550 C.
Study and application of fault defence software for power communication

Being one of the technical support system,power communication network provides safe,stable and reliable transmission channels for power grid services.So the daily operation and maintenance of the power communication network is very important.This paper introduces the three-layer architecture of the power communication fault defence system,defines the operation state of power communication network into safe state,pre-alarm state and fault state,and discusses the conditions of state transition and corresponding technical methods to deal with the faults.
Hospitalization process and its progress on overseas——case study on Epworth Freemasons hospital in Australian,Emory College Hospital and Maine Hospital in United States

Hospitalization process in Epworth Freemasons hospital in Australian is introduced in aspects of patient hospitalization format,hospital provided data and hospitalization preparation.When comes to Emory College Hospital,besides of general process,translation,pain management consultation,priest service,social service and patient communication service are also provided.Details of hospitalization process and its progress in Maine Hospital are also introduced to give reference for hospital management in China.
Association Between Progression and Improvement of Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in Critically Ill Children.

Objective:To determine whether the progression and/or improvement of acute kidney injury in critically ill children is associated with mortality.Design:Retrospective.Setting:Multidisciplinary, tertiary care, 24-bed PICU.Patients: A total of8,260 patients who were 1 month to 21 years old with no chro
Extension of single-frequency tunable UV outputs from intracavity doubled and sum-frequency mixed dye and ion laser beams

Milliwatt-level tunable single-frequency near-UV laser beams of 1-MHz rms linewidth became available commercially in 1984 based on our introduction1 of the smooth-tuning method of angle- phase matching a doubling crystal intracavity to a ring dye laser. We report here (Fig. 1) the details of experiments where five dyes were doubled with this method to cover continuously the spectrum from 267 to 400 nm with peak outputs at 280 and 315 nm of 25 mW, 5 times the photon energy span and 5 times the doubled output power of the earlier work.1
Nuclear Norms for System Identification - a direct input-output approach*

Abstract This paper studies a method for the identification of LTI systems based on the nuclear norm of the Hankel matrix of the model - termed NucID. The nuclear norm has been put forward as a convex proxy to a class of rank-constraints that are hard to work with. The rationale for investigating such approach is that the estimate is more exible/robust in case of low Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs), and other noisy effects in the data. This paper explores the formalisation, gives numerical results and brings up other issues for stimulating the discussion on the use of such approaches.
Marine diatom assemblage variation across Pleistocene glacial-interglacial transitions from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site C9001, Northwest Pacific

Abstract In 2006, D/V-Chikyu cruise CK06-06 drilled Hole C9001C at Site C9001 in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, 80 km east of the Shimokita Peninsula, Japan. An existing chronostratigraphic framework provides a continuous glacial-interglacial (G-I) climate record from which a diatom record of paleoenvironmental changes was developed across several G-I cycles. Species counts, diatom temperature values, and calculated sea-surface temperatures (SST) were produced for each sample and calibrated to prior diatom studies in this region. These features were used to characterize and compare interglacial maxima of Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1, 5e, 9 and 11 and transitions from the preceding glacial maxima. MIS 9 was the longest and warmest of the four interglacials examined, with a peak calculated temperature of 20.2 °C. Maximum temperature for MIS 1 of 14.9 °C is only 1 °C cooler than peak SSTs calculated for MIS 11 and 5e; however, the temperature trend for MIS 1 continues on a linear trajectory toward warmer modern temperatures to the top of the section. A lead/lag relationship between SST and the benthic oxygen isotope record of ice volume was observed at the onset and reversals of major G-I cycles.
The Effects of "Social" Consumer Attributes on Engagement in Social Network Sites

Social network sites (SNSs) are in the center of the current apparel brand’s marketing efforts to engage customers and promote products. Particularly, a growing number of apparel companies implement their brand communities via various SNSs in order to develop a meaningful interaction and relationship with their customers. In consumer side, industry reports recently indicated the emergence of a new consumer group, social consumers (Rucker, 2010). Social consumers seek product/brand information through SNSs, share their ideas about products and brands on SNSs, and value the information provided by like-minded people through online communities. This study proposes a research model that suggests the positive impacts of social consumer attributes on engagement in SNS for apparel brands. Among many SNSs, this study focuses on the brand communities embedded in SNSs (i.e., brand pages on Facebook).
Exploring Customers’ Search Behavior on a Large E-Commerce Website

In this study, we have teamed up with a large e-commerce website, Walmart.com, and analyzed one-day search logs in 2014. Different measures were compared among three different types of devices—desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. The discrepancies as well as similarities regarding search time, search location, click behaviors, and query behaviors are reported. The implications of the findings and the future work are discussed at the end.