cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Potassium on Silica-Supported Pt and Pt/Sn Catalysts for Isobutane Dehydrogenation

Isobutane conversion was studied over silica-supported Pt, Pt/Sn, and Pt/Sn/K catalysts at temperatures from 673 to 773 K. The addition of tin to Pt/SiO2 suppresses isobutane isomerization and hydrogenolysis reactions, and decreases to a smaller extent the activity for isobutane dehydrogenation. The addition of potassium to Pt/Sn/SiO2 promotes isobutane dehydrogenation, increases the dehydrogenation selectivity, and improves resistance of the catalyst to deactivation. The additions of tin and potassium lead to the formation of smaller ensembles of surface platinum atoms, and the hydrogenolysis, isomerization, and coking reactions are thereby suppressed. Microcalorimetric measurements of hydrogen and carbon monoxide adsorption indicate that the addition of potassium to Pt/SiO2 and Pt/Sn/SiO2 does not significantly alter the heats of adsorption of these molecules, whereas potassium increases the saturation extent of hydrogen adsorption and decreases the extent of carbon monoxide adsorption. The rate of isobutane dehydrogenation becomes zero order with respect to hydrogen pressure over Pt/SiO2 at hydrogen pressures lower than 75 Torr, and dissociative adsorption of isobutane appears to control the dehydrogenation rate. The dehydrogenation reaction is negative order with respect to hydrogen over both Pt/Sn/SiO2 and Pt/Sn/K/SiO2 catalysts, indicating a higher coverage of hydrogen at the active sites. The increased dehydrogenation rate over Pt/Sn/K/SiO2 may be attributed to the increased number of sites available for removal of hydrogen from adsorbed isobutane and perhaps also to the stabilization of molecularly adsorbed isobutane.
VIIIth Nerve Problems

There is some evidence, however, that even though the pattern of speech-sound confusion may not be useful in indicating the kind of loss, separation of cochlear from VIIIth nerve loss may be possible by plotting the kind of performance curves shown in Fig. 74. Jerger and Jerger (1971) ran such curves on a number of patients, using phonetically balanced (PB) monosyllabic words. These patients had hearing loss diagnosed either as cochlear or VIIIth nerve. Patients with cochlear disorders did not usually show the “roll-over” of the curve as suggested in the figure. Instead they reached a plateau and stayed at that level, usually at some percentage of correct responses well below 100. Patients with VIIIth nerve involvement, by contrast, performed more nearly as the “abnormal” curve implies. They reached a maximum at some level well above threshold, but then as the level was further increased they were able to identify a smaller and smaller proportion of the words.
Minimum Node Degree and k-Connectivity of a Wireless Multihop Network in Bounded Area

In a homogeneous wireless multihop network, the transmission range of nodes is an essential design parameter that critically affects the global design of the network. This paper investigates the relationship between the transmission range and two fundamental characteristics of wireless multihop networks: minimum node degree and k-connectivity. Conventional analysis assumes boundless network deployment area, which suffers from undesired border effects in practical applications based on bounded areas. To circumvent the border effect, this paper provides new analysis to accurately assess the network characteristics, including the upper bound and lower bound of both the minimum node degree and the k-connectivity. The analytical expressions hold for any arbitrary two-dimensional deployment area, when the nodes are densely deployed in a large and regular area. Simulation results corroborate with the derived analytical expressions.
A very fast Kalman filter for image restoration

The application of 2-D Kalman filtering to the restoration of images degraded by linear space invariant blur and additive white Gaussian noise is described. R.P. Roesser's 2-D local state space model (1975) is used to represent the image process and the blur process. As a result, a simple procedure for establishing the Kalman filter equations is obtained. This scalar filtering algorithm provides a computationally feasible procedure for the restoration of large images. To speed up the Kalman filtering procedure, a VLSI systolic array structure is presented. For higher speed and higher utilization of this processor, a diagonal scanning method is suggested. The filter scheme can be easily extended to the causal image model and the causal blur model with nonsymmetric half-plane support. >
The Representation of Spatial Attention in Human Parietal Cortex Dynamically Modulates with Performance

The control and allocation of attention is an essential, ubiquitous neural process that gates our awareness of objects and events in the environment. Neural representations of the locus of spatial attention have been previously demonstrated in parietal cortex. However, the behavioral relevance of these neural representations is not known. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, subjects performed a covert spatial attention task that yielded a wide range of performance values. Voxels in parietal cortex selective for attended target location also dynamically modulated, becoming more or less responsive as performance levels changed. Surprisingly, this relationship was not linear. Responses peaked at intermediate performance levels and dropped both when performance was very high and when it was very low. Such dynamic modulation may represent a mechanism for organizing neural control signals according to behavioral task demands.
Love all, trust a few: link prediction for trust and psycho-social factors in MMOs

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) where millions of people can interact with one another have been described as mirrors of human societies and offer excellent venues to analyze human behavior at both the psychological as well as the social level. Within the context of predictive analysis (link prediction as a classification task) in MMOGs, the connection between psycho-sociological theories of communication networks. A mapping of how various elements of trust and other social interactions (mentoring, adversarial relationship, trade) relate to prediction tasks is also established. Results from classification experiments indicate that social environments affect prediction tasks in cooperative vs. adversarial environments in MMOGs and the implications of these results for generalizability of link prediction algorithms is also analyzed.
Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors.

article i nfo Objective: Existing research suggests that walkable environments are protective against weight gain, while sprawling neighborhoods may pose health risks. Using prospective data on displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors, we provide the first natural experimental data on sprawl and body mass index (BMI). Methods: The analysis uses prospectively collected pre- (2003-2005) and post-hurricane (2006-2007) data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) project on 280 displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors who had little control over their neighborhood placement immediately after the disaster. The county sprawl index, a standardized measure of built environment, was used to predict BMI at follow-up, adjusted for baseline BMI and sprawl; hurricane-related trauma; and demographic and economic characteristics. Results: Respondents from 8 New Orleans-area counties were dispersed to 76 counties post-Katrina. Sprawl increased by an average of 1.5 standard deviations (30 points) on the county sprawl index. Each one point increase in sprawl was associated with approximately .05 kg/m 2 higher BMI in unadjusted models (95%CI: .01-.08), and the relationship was not attenuated after covariate adjustment. Conclusions: We find a robust association between residence in a sprawling county and higher BMI unlikely to be caused by self-selection into neighborhoods, suggesting that the built environment may foster changes in weight.
Effect of Prebuckling Deformations on Buckling of Laminated Composite Circular Cylindrical Shells

Laminated composite materials are rapidly replacing metals in contemporary shell applications. Thus, the structural behavior of such shells must be predicted, and, in particular, we must be able to predict the buckling behavior. The orthotropy of the fiber-reinforced laminae and the composition of the laminae lead to coupling stiffnesses between forces and changes in curvature as well as between moments and in-surface strains. These coupling stiffnesses do not occur for isotropic shells except when the boundary supports are not in the middle surface. The effect of prebuckling deformations for isotropic shells is to lower the actual buckling load below the classical buckling load by up to 20% for some loading and boundary conditions. The effect of prebuckling deformations on the axial and lateral pressure buckling loads of circular cylindrical shells made of fiberreinforced composite laminates is found to decrease as the orthotropy increases and as the laminate coupling stiffnesses decrease. Variations in the elastic and geometric parameters are studied for both antisymmetric and unsymmetric laminates. Generally, the effect of prebuckling deformations is far less important for laminated shells than for isotropic shells.-
Development of an androgen-deprivation induced and androgen suppressed human prostate cancer cell line.

BACKGROUND Emergence of recurrent cells during androgen-deprivation therapy and intermittent androgen suppression therapy suggest that a subset of prostate cancer cells survive and proliferate in the androgen deprivation condition. Some of the recurrent cells that emerge during the androgen-deprivation therapy and intermittent androgen suppression therapy could be suppressed by replacement of androgen. In an attempt to recapitulate the clinical phenomenon, we developed an androgen-deprivation induced and androgen suppressed human prostate cancer cell line. METHODS LNCS, an androgen-deprivation induced and androgen suppressed human prostate cancer cell line, was generated from an androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells cultured in PRMI-1640 media containing charcoal-stripped FBS for a prolong period for more than a year. The responsiveness to androgen in vitro and in vivo was examined. The characteristics of this subline including activation of signaling pathways were investigated. RESULTS LNCS, an androgen-deprivation induced and androgen suppressed human prostate cancer cell line, was developed. LNCS cells express considerably lower levels of androgen receptor than LNCaP cells and grow vigorously in androgen deprived condition in vitro, and develop tumors in castrated male mice in vivo. Addition of androgen inhibits cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. LNCS cells are more resistant to etoposide, a typical apoptotic inducing agent. Although AR signaling is less active in LNCS cells, Stat3 is constitutively activated. Down regulation of Stat3 activation inhibits LNCS cell growth in vitro. CONCLUSIONS We have developed an androgen-deprivation induced and androgen suppressed human prostate cancer cell line. This cell line is a valuable tool to study molecular mechanisms of the progression of androgen refractory prostate cancer and intermittent androgen suppression therapy. Prostate 67: 1293–1300, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence forH202 mediating the irreversible action of acetylenic inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis

Oxidizing intermediates formed during prostaglandin biosynthesis can be detected by ferrocytochrome c and epinephrine. Different intermediates were responsible for the oxidative colorimetric changes with epinephrine and ferrocytochrome c, and submicromolar amounts of oxidant were detectable. Catalase diminished the absorbance change with epinephrine, but it did not stop the conversion of arachidonate to prostaglandins. This result indicates that small amounts of H2O2 were formed when producing the colorimetric change, and these had no apparent effect upon the enzyme stability. No colorimetric changes were detected during the time-dependent loss of oxygenase activity caused by various acetylenic acids, indicating that negligible amounts of H2O2 were formed. Nevertheless, the destructive action of the acetylenic acid was prevented by catalase, and it thereby appeared due to small amounts of H2O2 generated in situ as a result of a metastable complex of enzyme, oxygen and the acetylenic substrate analog.
Slow slip events and seismic tremor at circum-Pacific subduction zones

[1] It has been known for a long time that slip accompanying earthquakes accounts for only a fraction of plate tectonic displacements. However, only recently has a fuller spectrum of strain release processes, including normal, slow, and silent earthquakes (or slow slip events) and continuous and episodic slip, been observed and generated by numerical simulations of the earthquake cycle. Despite a profusion of observations and modeling studies the physical mechanism of slow slip events remains elusive. The concurrence of seismic tremor with slow slip episodes in Cascadia and southwestern Japan provides insight into the process of slow slip. A perceived similarity between subduction zone and volcanic tremor has led to suggestions that slow slip involves fluid migration on or near the plate interface. Alternatively, evidence is accumulating to support the notion that tremor results from shear failure during slow slip. Global observations of the location, spatial extent, magnitude, duration, slip rate, and periodicity of these aseismic slip transients indicate significant variation that may be exploited to better understand their generation. Most slow slip events occur just downdip of the seismogenic zone, consistent with rate- and state-dependent frictional modeling that requires unstable to stable transitional properties for slow slip generation. At a few convergent margins the occurrence of slow slip events within the seismogenic zone makes it highly likely that transitions in frictional properties exist there and are the loci of slow slip nucleation. Slow slip events perturb the surrounding stress field and may either increase or relieve stress on a fault, bringing it closer to or farther from earthquake failure, respectively. This paper presents a review of slow slip events and related seismic tremor observed at plate boundaries worldwide, with a focus on circum-Pacific subduction zones. Trends in global observations of slow slip events suggest that (1) slow slip is a common phenomena observed at almost all subduction zones with instrumentation capable of recording it, (2) different frictional properties likely control fast versus slow slip, (3) the depth range of slow slip may be related to the thermal properties of the plate interface, and (4) the equivalent seismic moment of slow slip events is proportional to their duration (Moατ), different from the Moατ3 scaling observed for earthquakes.
Structural dimensions of knowledge-action networks for sustainability

Research on the influence of social network structure over flows of knowledge in support of sustainability governance and action has recently flourished. These studies highlight three challenges to evaluating knowledge-action networks: first, defining boundaries; second, characterizing power distributions; and third, identifying obstacles to knowledge sharing and connectivity. We present concepts from social network analysis (SNA) commonly found to influence knowledge flows. We examine applications of SNA from across the social sciences and use the case of land governance in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as an illustration of how all three challenges affect knowledge-action networks. SNA is a useful way to understand and overcome many challenges to knowledge flow and thus help improve informational governance strategies for sustainability.
Respiratory Care: A Decade of Challenge and Progress

As 2007 ends, I hand the Journal’s reins to Dean Hess, and the editorship shifts from Seattle to Boston. This transition after my 10 years as editor in chief is a long-planned and carefully arranged process, one that should be seamless and uneventful from the perspective of RESPIRATORY CARE‘s readers. Quite a lot has happened in the last decade, but the Journal is healthy and in good hands. In an editorial at the beginning of 1998, I discussed 3 distinct meanings for the words “respiratory care”: a medical subject area, a distinct health care profession, and the Journal in which the editorial appeared. 1 After 10 years, it may be useful to review some of the things that have happened in respiratory care as defined in each of these 3 ways. In this context, respiratory care refers to the application of the principles, skills, apparatus, and therapies used in evaluating and managing disorders that affect the respiratory system. Respiratory care includes patient assessment, airway management, the support or augmentation of oxygenation and ventilation, aerosol therapy, chest physical therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, and numerous other modalities, all applied in the context of respiratory physiology and how it becomes deranged in patients. Depending on the health care system and clinical setting, these components are applied by different professions or combinations ofprofessions,includingpulmonologists,anesthesiologists, intensivists, physiatrists, nurses, physical therapists, and others. In the United States this subject area most directly involves respiratory therapists, working under medical direction and in concert with other professionals. The rapid evolution of respiratory care as a subject area has continued during the last decade. In Table 1 I have listed some of the changes that have been most apparent to those working in this field. The table is not intended to be all-inclusive. A number of the trends and developments it lists were underway prior to 1998, but all of them have affected the field in important ways during this time.
Big Banks, Big Shadow Banks? A New Model of Regulatory Arbitrage

Bank holding companies invest in risky projects through regulated bank entities and sell projects for a fee, thus engaging in shadow banking. To increase the fee income, BHCs guarantee sold projects with bank proceeds. When demand for financial assets is high, BHCs expand their own bank investments to increase the value of guarantees and to boost the income from off-balance intermediation. The banking sector and the shadow banking sector both expand, bank defaults are more frequent, and guarantees effectively provide recourse to government guarantees enjoyed by regulated banks. By adjusting the minimum capital requirement for banks the regulator can eliminate some of the negative effects of the guarantees.
Evidence of m = 1 density mode (plasma cam) in Saturn's rotating magnetosphere

Cassini field and plasma data measured in the rotating Saturn Longitude System 3 (SLS3) coordinate system show positive evidence of structure whose dominant azimuthal wave number is m = 1: a long-lived, nonaxisymmetric, cam-shaped, global plasma distribution in Saturn's magnetosphere. Previous studies have identified evidence of this plasma cam in wave-derived electron density data and in Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) W+ ion counts data. In this paper we report the first comprehensive analysis of CAPS ion moments data to identify the m = 1 density cam. We employ a multiyear, multispecies database of 685,678 CAPS density values, binned into a 1 RS by 4.8° discretized grid, spanning 4–19 RS. Fourier (harmonic) analysis shows that at most radial distances the dominant azimuthal mode is m = 1, for both W+ and H+ ion distributions. The majority (63%) of m = 1 ion peaks are clustered in an SLS3 quadrant centered at 330°. The plasma cam's existence has important implications for the global interchange-driven convection cycle and is a clue to solving the mystery of the rotational periodicities in Saturn's magnetosphere.
Technic for the Study of Secretions from the Oral Mucosa in Humans

To our knowledge the secretion from the oral mucosa of humans has been observed1, 2 but has neither been collected nor measured. Shafer3 wrote that, “Secretion of the mucus glands of the mouth have not been obtained in man.” However, Montgomery and Stuart4 found that secretions from the oral mucus membrane can be directly observed in dogs and humans. They reported that, “Like the salivary glands they do not secrete continuously, but only in response to a large number of unconditioned and conditioned reflex stimuli.” But the repeatedly confirmed findings of a continuous parotid gland flow in humans in the absence of marked exterostimulation and the fact that the oral mucosa and the parotid glands have a similar type of neural innervation suggested the possibility that more accurate measures would be more revealing. We were able to collect and measure both inactivated as well as activated secretion from the oral mucosa of human subjects by means of the following technic:Small discs similar to those used for...
Passage Independence in Reading Achievement Tests: A Follow-up

38 college undergraduates were administered reading-comprehension items from a major standardized achievement test with corresponding passages deleted. Analysis indicated that, after 20 years of si...
Morphology of the genus Cephalosporium, with description of a new species and a variety

(1911). Morphology of the Genus Cephalosporium, with Description of a New Species and a Variety. Mycologia: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 170-174.
Analysis the incidence of syphilis Chifeng City Aohanqi in 2004-2010

Objective 2004-2010 Aohanqi Chifeng epidemiology of syphilis,a complete set of flags and the implementation of my recommendations STD prevention and control strategies.Methods disease surveillance information reporting Management reporting system Aohan syphilis epidemic and epidemiological data analysis.Results of seven years the incidence of syphilis Aohanqi rapid growth,the annual incidence of 0.17/10 from 2004 million to 2010 4.33/10 million,the average annual incidence rate of increase of 90.69%.Latent stage of syphilis cases,accounting for 48.81%.Male to female ratio of 1.4:1.Mainly concentrated in the age group 20～39 years of age,accounting for 55.95%.Conclusion is in the incidence of syphilis Aohanqi hidden rapid growth phase,according to their epidemiological characteristics,adopt appropriate prevention and control measures to effectively control the syphilis epidemic.
Simulation Comparison of Location Extension Services in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Nodes in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks using Location Aided Routing Protocol need to obtain location information of other nodes in the network. The selection of location information service will remarkably influence the performances of routing protocol. Based on simulation, recent location extension information services in Mobile Ad-hoc Network are discussed and compared in four aspects: average location error, error distribution, packets number overhead, and bytes number overhead. The most location extension information services have ever been compared in this paper. Simulation results show that Simple New Location Update Service (SNLUS) consumes the least packets number, and Prediction-based Update Location Service (PULS) produces the most accurate average location information. The simulation results are not only of reference value for location information services' choice, but also of significance for improving existing protocols and put forwarding new protocols.
The influence of ultra high voltage on short circuit currentin Jiangxi power grid

In 2013,the 1 000 kV Nanchang ultra high voltage(Hereinafter referred to as UHV) station will be constructed in Jiangxi power grid.This paper compares the short circuit current calculation of Jiangxi power grid without the UHV to within the UHV in detail based on network planning design and the power grid construction project schedule.At last,this paper analyzes the effect of the UHV on short circuit current in Jiangxi power grid,then put forward some measures and suggestions to reduce the short circuit current in Jiangxi power grid and guarantee the safety and steady of power network's operation.
The effect of polymer additives on the critical thicknesses of mullite thin films obtained from the monophasic sol–gel precursors

The critical thickness, a maximum thickness of a non-repeating film deposition, above which cracking occurs, is an important characteristic of sol–gel-coating process. In this paper, we used mullite films prepared from the monophasic sol–gel precursors as an example system to study the effects of polymer additives on the coating’s critical thickness. The mullite and mullite–polymer hybrid gels demonstrated monophasic characteristics, enabling low-temperature processing of nanocrystalline, phase-pure mullite films at 1000 °C. The cracking in the films was only observed at the temperatures below 400 °C. Increasing film thickness caused a decrease in the cracking onset temperature. Adding polymers, such as PVP, PEO, and PVA, in the precursor increased the critical thickness. We demonstrated that the reasons of the crack prevention caused by the polymer additives were because they not only slowed down the sol–gel polycondensation process, but also relaxed the stresses during heat treatment. The polymer decomposing in a wider temperature range had a greater critical thickness. The polymer additives also showed optimal concentrations in improving the critical thicknesses. Dense, crack-free, and phase-pure mullite films with thickness up to 450 nm were achieved after firing at 1000 °C.
Typical Reading Instructional Practices Provided to Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in a Residential and Day Treatment Setting: A Mixed Methods Study

ABSTRACTThe current study investigated the typical reading practices provided to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) at a residential and day treatment setting in the Northeast. Observations of reading instruction and teacher interviews were completed over the course of the 2013 to 2014 school year. The majority of students in observed reading groups were in the early elementary grades. Study findings include a considerable amount of lost instructional time due to problem behaviors and task transitions. Reading comprehension instruction and time spent reading text were observed infrequently. Fluency practice and phonological awareness activities were not observed. This study highlights the need for additional reading intervention studies for students with EBD and continued efforts to disseminate information on effective practices to educators who work with students that have pervasive behavioral difficulties. Teacher interviews revealed the need for strong models of professional develop...
Prevention in 1989: the state of the nation.

Substantial gains have been made in the health of Americans since 1970, notably the 50% decline in infant mortality; the increase of nearly 4 years in life expectancy for both men and women; the declines in stroke and coronary heart disease mortality of 54% and 43%, respectively; the decline of injury deaths by about 30%; and the decline in deaths from nontobacco related cancers by about 10%. These improvements in the overall national health profile have been accompanied by enhanced public awareness of the relationship between behavior and health outcomes as well as sustained behavior change among certain groups. On the other hand, the research advances of the last two decades have given the nation an even keener understanding of how short of our full potential we are falling. International comparisons as well as data on the status of minority and disadvantaged groups in the United States confirm some of these shortfalls—in particular with respect to infant mortality, diabetes, motor vehicle deaths, suicide, and homicide. The complex etiologies of these problems require the forging of strong alliances with sectors outside the health arena, such as business and education, to seek solutions.
The 27 Club: Music Lyrics Reflect Psychological Distress

People in psychological distress communicate differently than those who are free from psychological pain. We examine whether this phenomenon extends to musicians in popular media by investigating the lyrics of artists in the 27 Club, a notorious group of musicians who either committed suicide or who died of nonsuicidal causes at the age of 27. As predicted, the lyrics of suicidal musicians contained more self-references, more emotion terms, and were written with more verbal immediacy and in a more dynamic style compared to the lyrics of nonsuicidal musicians. These findings replicate and extend prior work on suicidal poets, suggesting that communication patterns in popular media can provide insights into the private psychological states of the artists who write them.
Charmed particles at the double

Particle physicists from all over the world met in Amsterdam recently for the International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP), the flagship conference of the field. One result that stood out at the conference came not from the big collider collaborations working at the highest energies, or even from the new "B factories" that explore charge–parity violation, but from SELEX – an experiment at Fermilab in the US. In the SELEX experiment a 600 Ge V particle beam strikes a fixed target made of copper or diamond foil to produce interactions of relatively modest energy.
National Survey Indicates that Individual Vaccination Decisions Respond Positively to Community Vaccination Rates.

Some models of vaccination behavior imply that an individual’s willingness to vaccinate could be negatively correlated with the vaccination rate in her community. The rationale is that a higher community vaccination rate reduces the risk of contracting the vaccine-preventable disease and thus reduces the individual’s incentive to vaccinate. At the same time, as for many health-related behaviors, individuals may want to conform to the vaccination behavior of peers, counteracting a reduced incentive to vaccinate due to herd immunity. Currently there is limited empirical evidence on how individual vaccination decisions respond to the vaccination decisions of peers. In the fall of 2014, we used a rapid survey technology to ask a large sample of U.S. adults about their willingness to use a vaccine for Ebola. Respondents expressed a greater inclination to use the vaccine in a hypothetical scenario with a high community vaccination rate. In particular, an increase in the community vaccination rate from 10% to 90% had the same impact on reported utilization as a nearly 50% reduction in out-of-pocket cost. These findings are consistent with a tendency to conform with vaccination among peers, and suggest that policies promoting vaccination could be more effective than has been recognized.
Mechanism-Based Inhibition of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Branched-Chain Aminotransferase by d- and l-Cycloserine.

The branched-chain aminotransferase is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme responsible for the final step in the biosynthesis of all three branched-chain amino acids, l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine, in bacteria. We have investigated the mechanism of inactivation of the branched-chain aminotransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtIlvE) by d- and l-cycloserine. d-Cycloserine is currently used only in the treatment of multidrug-drug-resistant tuberculosis. Our results show a time- and concentration-dependent inactivation of MtIlvE by both isomers, with l-cycloserine being a 40-fold better inhibitor of the enzyme. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) studies revealed that l-cycloserine is a 10-fold better inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth than d-cycloserine. In addition, we have crystallized the MtIlvE-d-cycloserine inhibited enzyme, determining the structure to 1.7 A. The structure of the covalent d-cycloserine-PMP adduct bound to MtIlvE reveals that the d-cycloserine ring is planar and aromatic, as previously observed for other enzyme systems. Mass spectrometry reveals that both the d-cycloserine- and l-cycloserine-PMP complexes have the same mass, and are likely to be the same aromatized, isoxazole product. However, the kinetics of formation of the MtIlvE d-cycloserine-PMP and MtIlvE l-cycloserine-PMP adducts are quite different. While the kinetics of the formation of the MtIlvE d-cycloserine-PMP complex can be fit to a single exponential, the formation of the MtIlvE l-cycloserine-PMP complex occurs in two steps. We propose a chemical mechanism for the inactivation of d- and l-cycloserine which suggests a stereochemically determined structural role for the differing kinetics of inactivation. These results demonstrate that the mechanism of action of d-cycloserine's activity against M. tuberculosis may be more complicated than previously thought and that d-cycloserine may compromise the in vivo activity of multiple PLP-dependent enzymes, including MtIlvE.
Compatibility and Efficacy of Isaria fumosorosea with Horticultural Oils for Mitigation of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

Horticultural oils are an important component of integrated management programs of several phytophagous arthropods and pathogens affecting fruit, ornamentals and vegetables in greenhouse and field production systems. Although effective against the target pest, their incompatibility with biological control agents can compromise efforts to develop eco-friendly management programs for important agricultural pests. In this study, we assessed the in vitro effect of selected refined petroleum oils used in citrus and other horticultural crops with a biopesticide containing the entomopathogenic fungi, Isaria fumosorosea (PFR-97) under laboratory conditions. Further, we used leaf disk bioassays to evaluate the combined efficacy of petroleum oils and I. fumosorosea against the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), a major pest of citrus in the United States. All five petroleum oil treatments (Orchex, Sun Pure, Conoco Blend -1, Conoco Blend -2, and JMS) were compatible with I. fumosorosea blastospores, as none of them were found to affect I. fumosorosea colony-forming units and radial fungal growth measured at 3, 6, 9, and 12 days post-inoculation. All mixed treatments performed better than I. fumosorosea alone against D. citri, where the highest mean survival time of D. citri was 12.5 ± 0.7 days. No significant differences in D. citri survival time and I. fumosorosea growth (fungal development index) on dead cadavers, which is important for determining their horizontal transmission, were observed when mixed with Orchex, Sun Pure, Conoco Blend -2, and JMS. Results indicated that horticultural oils in combination with I. fumosorosea could offer citrus growers an alternative treatment for integrating into their current management programs while battling against D. citri in citrus production systems. Due to their eco-friendly, broad-spectrum effect, it could provide control against various citrus pests, while also encouraging the retention of effective chemistries for a longer period in the marketplace. However promising, these combination treatments need to be tested further with I. fumosorosea under grove conditions to confirm their field efficacy.
The Geometrical Nature of Space and Time

It used to be considered obvious that space is Euclidean and time is an independent variable, Einstein changed that.
Tug-of-war between classical and multicenter bonds in H-(Be)n-H species

Abstract Quantum chemical calculations were performed for beryllium homocatenated compounds [H-(Be)n-H]. Global minimum structures were found using machine searches (Coalescence Kick method) with density functional theory. Chemical bonding analysis was performed with the Adaptive Natural Density Partitioning method. It was found that H-(Be)2-H and H-(Be)3-H clusters are linear with classical two-center two-electron bonds, while for n > 3, three-dimensional structures are more stable with multicenter bonding. Thus, at n = 4, multicenter bonding wins the tug-of-war vs. the classical bonding.
THE CARIBBEAN BEFORE COLUMBUS. By William F. Keegan and Corinne F. Hofman. xx and 332 pp.; maps, ills, bibliog., index. New York. Oxford University Press, 2017. $105.00 (cloth), isbn 9780190605257; $29.95 (paper), isbn 9780190605254; $14.39 (ebook) lccn 2016021992.

Like the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea contains an array of islands settled in prehistoric times by long‐distance, ocean voyaging. Precisely how and when these island migrations occurred is the ...
Justice, Mercy, and Craziness

In Madness and the Criminal Law, Norval Morris addresses the vexing legal problems created by the interaction between mental disorder and criminal behavior. Using short stories in the mode of the early George Orwell, and standard legal analysis, Professor Morris artfully considers the relationship between legal and moral guilt, the insanity defense, the relevance of mental disorder to sentencing, the role of mercy in punishment, and whether the criminal justice system should treat like cases alike. The book is charming, humane, and often elegant. Professor Morris usually, but regrettably not always, recognizes when his exposition requires an argument rather than simply a conclusion. I agree with Professor Morris on many matters. For example, we share an admiration for Orwell and a distaste for current com-
Serious Games Usability Testing: How to Ensure Proper Usability, Playability, and Effectiveness

Usability testing is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of serious game development. Issues in usability can drastically impact user experience and thus the learning outcomes associated with serious games. The goal of this paper is to provide serious game developers with an approach to efficiently and effectively apply usability testing into their development process. We propose a three-tiered approach to the assessment of game usability with the addition of assessments playability and learning to traditional usability. Learning or training is the main objective of a serious game and enjoyment is often required when trying to elicit the necessary usage to achieve this goal. Step-by-step procedures and associated measures are provided to assess usability, playability, and learning outcomes concurrently with game development, while taking into account the unique goals and limitations of time, personnel, and budget that small development companies often encounter.
Lidar Measurement of Boundary-Layer Variables

Lidar is an acronym for light detecting and ranging; it is the optical counterpart to the familiar radar technique for remotely sensing information about a distant target. In our case, the target is a region in the boundary layer, and we seek information about the meteorological state of the region. A lidar system transmits a pulse or pulses of light into the atmosphere and analyzes the backscattered signal for intensity as a function of time. Because the pulses travel at the speed of light, it is possible to convert time to range and consider the lidar signal to be backscattered intensity as a function of range. In addition to being range-dependent (i.e., time-dependent), the returned signal may have a spectral distribution that carries information about the atmosphere. As an alternative to a pulsed system, the backscattered signal from a continuous-wave (CW) beam as a function of the distance at which the lidar system is focused gives a typicallidar signal of backscattered intensity as a function of range. It is possible to transmit at multiple wavelengths and measure atmospheric parameters by differences in the range-dependence of the signals at different wavelengths.
Evaluation of a Visual Localization System for Environment Awareness in Assistive Devices

A major hurdle for the widespread use of wearable assistive devices is determining, moment-by-moment, the control mode appropriate for a given terrain when faced with a complex, multi-terrain environment. Current control strategies focus mainly on measurements of user behavior and less on environment information. Here we demonstrate the application of location estimates from a vision-based localization system to obtain environment awareness by delineating various terrains into regions. Given the current location and region occupied by the user, a controller could be built to select appropriate modes, predict transitions, or to add error correction. We quantify the positional accuracy of location estimates, how well these estimates translate to classifying current region, and transitions. Performance was evaluated on eight participants without amputation wearing the sensor on the shank of the leg. We investigated the performance of an instantaneous region classifier, which used location estimates alone, and a time-history based region classifier, which used a Neural Network on a time history of location and height estimates to accomplish environment awareness. Four types of regions and six types of transitions were tested. The classifier using height estimates and time history provided accurate region labels at least 96% of the time, and accurately detected region transitions within 110 milliseconds. These results demonstrate the promise of localization for control of robotic assistive technology.
A Practical Guide to Improving School Climate in High Schools

Research focusing on school climate has shown that healthy, safe, and positive school environments are associated with improved psychological, social, behavioral, and academic outcomes for secondar...
Outcomes of Tongue Base Reduction and Lingual Tonsillectomy for Residual Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea after Adenotonsillectomy.

Introduction Upper airway obstruction at multiple sites, including the velum, the oropharynx, the tongue base, the lingual tonsils, or the supraglottis, has been resulting in residual obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (TA). The role of combined lingual tonsillectomy and tongue base volume reduction for treatment of OSA has not been studied in nonsyndromic children with residual OSA after TA. Objective To evaluate the outcomes of tongue base volume reduction and lingual tonsillectomy in children with residual OSA after TA. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain information on history and physical examination, past medical history, findings of drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), of polysomnography (PSG), and surgical management. Pre- and postoperative PSGs were evaluated to assess the resolution of OSA and to determine the improvement in the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (oAHI) before and after the surgery. Results A total of 10 children (5 male, 5 female, age range: 10–17 years old, mean age: 14.5 ± 2.6 years old) underwent tongue base reduction and lingual tonsillectomy. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) revealed airway obstruction due to posterior displacement of the tongue and to the hypertrophy of the lingual tonsils. All of the patients reported subjective improvement in the OSA symptoms. All of the patients had improvement in the oAHI. The postoperative oAHI was lower than the preoperative oAHI (p Conclusions Tongue base reduction and lingual tonsillectomy resulted in subjective and objective improvement of OSA in children with airway obstruction due to posterior displacement of the tongue and to hypertrophy of the lingual tonsils.
The Love/hate Relationship of Tablets in Electronic Medical Records: A Usability Study of a Native Emr Application for Mobile Devices

Mobile devices have tremendous potential in healthcare. They provide interfaces to electronic medical records (EMRs) that are untethered. Tablets are used in home doctor visits and consultations. In Australia, providers have used tablets to access digital information in rural health clinics (Ribot, 2010). In Japan, doctors use tablets during consultations (The Yomiuri Shimbun, 2010). Providers also benefit from medical apps for tablets (Ribot, 2010; Volkmann, 2010). A study of internal medicine residents perceived improved workflow using iPads for EMR access (Patel, et al. 2012). However, …
Elder abuse education in primary care residency programs: a cluster group analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Elder abuse is a serious issue, affecting up to 10% of community-dwelling older adults. This project sought to understand if elder abuse under-reporting was related to physician specialty and residency training. METHODS: A 17-item survey focusing on program demographics, current curriculum, priority of elder abuse education, clinical and didactic experiences, and triage resources was mailed to directors of all Michigan primary care residencies approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. RESULTS: Clustering by program type, family medicine programs were primarily represented in the high-intensity group (standard residual -1.6), while internal medicine programs were primarily represented in the low-intensity group (standard residual 2.5, X2=14.80, df=6). Emergency medicine comprised the mid-intensity groups. The high- intensity group scored very high or high on areas including knowledge of elder abuse facts, elder abuse curriculum and training, and awareness of community resources related to elder abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Family medicine residency programs appear to address elder abuse more comprehensively than do emergency medicine and internal medicine programs. These programs may need to consider additional curriculum and clinical experience in elder abuse. Language: en
Mechanical behavior of cellular networks of fiber bundles stabilized by adhesion

Abstract In this work, we study the mechanical behavior of non-crosslinked networks of fibers that interact adhesively. Adhesion drives fiber organization into bundles and a network of fiber bundles forms as a result of this process. Bundles split and re-connect forming specific triangular features at all bundle intersections, with role in network stabilization. The structure of such networks has been discussed in the literature, but their mechanics remains largely unexplored. We show here that such networks are exceptionally stable, and despite the absence of crosslinks between fibers behave, at relatively small strains, essentially similar to crosslinked networks, in which the role of crosslinks is played by the triangular structures at bundle intersections. We also provide new results regarding the effect of the network architecture on the type of strain stiffening observed in tension. The results apply to carbon nanotube structures, such as buckypaper, and various connective biological tissue in which collagen fibrils form bundles and the tissue is a network of collagen fibril bundles.