cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classroom demonstration of nonlinear tuning curve vibration and two-tone tests using a column of glass beads vibrating over a clamped elastic plate

A soil plate oscillator (SPO) apparatus consists of two circular flanges sandwiching and clamping a thin circular elastic plate. The apparatus can model the acoustic landmine detection problem. Here, uniform spherical glass beads—representing a nonlinear mesoscopic elastic material—are supported at the bottom by the acrylic plate (4.5 inch diam, 1/8 inch thick) and stiff cylindrical sidewalls of the upper flange. A magnetic disk centered and fastened below the plate is driven by an AC coil placed below the magnet. Nonlinear tuning curves of the magnet’s acceleration are measured by driving the coil with a swept sinusoidal signal applied to a constant current amplifier. Ten (separate) tuning curve experiments are performed using a fixed column of 350 grams of beads using 1,2,3,…,10 mm diameter beads. The backbone curves (peak acceleration vs. corresponding resonant frequency) exhibit a linear region with comparable slopes, while the detailed curvature vs. bead diameter reveals more structure. A bilinear hysteresis model is useful for characterizing results. In two-tone tests, air-borne sound from two 3 inch diameter speakers drives the bead column surface at closely spaced frequencies near the fundamental resonance. Nonlinearly generated combination frequency tones are compared for each of the ten bead diameter experiments.A soil plate oscillator (SPO) apparatus consists of two circular flanges sandwiching and clamping a thin circular elastic plate. The apparatus can model the acoustic landmine detection problem. Here, uniform spherical glass beads—representing a nonlinear mesoscopic elastic material—are supported at the bottom by the acrylic plate (4.5 inch diam, 1/8 inch thick) and stiff cylindrical sidewalls of the upper flange. A magnetic disk centered and fastened below the plate is driven by an AC coil placed below the magnet. Nonlinear tuning curves of the magnet’s acceleration are measured by driving the coil with a swept sinusoidal signal applied to a constant current amplifier. Ten (separate) tuning curve experiments are performed using a fixed column of 350 grams of beads using 1,2,3,…,10 mm diameter beads. The backbone curves (peak acceleration vs. corresponding resonant frequency) exhibit a linear region with comparable slopes, while the detailed curvature vs. bead diameter reveals more structure. A bilinear hy...
Relative option liquidity and price efficiency

Options trading can stimulate price efficiency in underlying stock markets by providing a platform for informed trades, increasing the production of information, and mitigating momentum arbitrage strategies and short-sale constraints. Using a large sample of 8146 firms with option trading from 1996 through 2014, this study examines the extent to which liquidity in option markets relates to the ability for stock prices to reflect all publicly available information. Variance ratio tests document that price efficiency monotonically increases across relative option liquidity deciles, proxied by the option-to-stock volume ratio, progressively becoming closer to random walk benchmarks. Evidence suggests that enhanced price efficiency is pronounced among small company stocks.
Development of KNN-Based Piezoelectric Materials

Piezoelectric materials are technologically important because of their application in various kinds of devices including ultrasonic medical imaging, ultrasonic nondestructive testing, speakers, resonators, gas igniters, gyroscope, pressure sensors etc [1–3]. Piezoelectrics are finding applications in new emerging areas as well such as micromotors, energy harvesting devices, magnetoelectric sensors, and high power transformers [4–6].
Ethics in accountable care organizations.

Some behavioral economists caution that, as ACOs proliferate, their focus on financial incentives could compromise hospitals' mission and organizational behaviors.
Multi-paradigm frameworks for scalable intrusion detection

Research in network security and intrusion detection systems (IDSs) has typically focused on small or artificial data sets. Tools are developed that work well on these data sets but have trouble meeting the demands of real-world, large-scale network environments. In addressing this problem, improvements must be made to the foundations of intrusion detection systems, including data management, IDS accuracy and alert volume. We address data management of network security and intrusion detection information by presenting a database mediator system that provides single query access via a domain specific query language. Results are returned in the form of XML using web services, allowing analysts to access information from remote networks in a uniform manner. The system also provides scalable data capture of log data for multi-terabyte datasets. Next, we address IDS alert accuracy by building an agent-based framework that utilizes web services to make the system easy to deploy and capable of spanning network boundaries. Agents in the framework process IDS alerts managed by a central alert broker. The broker can define processing hierarchies by assigning dependencies on agents to achieve scalability. The framework can also be used for the task of event correlation, or gathering information relevant to an IDS alert. Lastly, we address alert volume by presenting an approach to alert correlation that is IDS independent. Using correlated events gathered in our agent framework, we build a feature vector for each IDS alert representing the network traffic profile of the internal host at the time of the alert. This feature vector is used as a statistical fingerprint in a clustering algorithm that groups related alerts. We analyze our results with a combination of domain expert evaluation and feature selection.
Cytogenetic evolution between diagnosis and relapse and impact on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) reinduction outcomes.

e18509Background: Changes in the subclonal composition of AML may occur after diagnosis and be a mechanism of relapse. Cytogenetic changes between diagnosis and relapse may reveal evolution in clon...
Preview Control of Switched Systems

This paper considers the preview control problem for switched systems for tracking a previewable reference input. First, an augmented closed-loop system model is developed in order to transform the asymptotic tracking problem into a stabilization problem. Then, by applying results from the multiple Lyapunov functional theory and average dwell time technique, sufficient conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities and a lower bound on the switching signal are established to ensure asymptotic stability for the augmented closed-loop system with a prescribed l 2 − l ∞ disturbance attenuation performance level γ. A numerical example on a switched electrical circuit is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design approach.
Ottomania: Televised Histories and Otherness Revisited

This article discusses the ways in which the spread and the overwhelming popularity of Turkish television series in Southeastern Europe influence the change in perception of Turks and Turkey, as well as how the serials are transforming the image of the Balkans and the Ottoman legacy in Turkey. Television serials significantly contributed to the shifting popular image of the “other,” and initiated interactions unimaginable even a decade ago. These exchanges are both following and encouraging the breakdown of geohistorical boundaries that were set by the nationalist narratives in these regions at the turn of the 20th century, toward a more nuanced understanding of a shared past and a postnational future.
Adaptive radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Although there have been dramatic improvements in radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), including robust intensity modulation and daily image guidance, these advances are not able to account for inherent structural and spatial changes that may occur during treatment. Many sources have reported volume reductions in the primary target, nodal volumes, and parotid glands over treatment, which may result in unintended dosimetric changes affecting the side effect profile and even efficacy of the treatment. Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) is an exciting treatment paradigm that has been developed to directly adjust for these changes. Adaptive radiotherapy may be divided into two categories: anatomy-adapted (A-ART) and response-adapted ART (R-ART). Anatomy-adapted ART is the process of re-planning patients based on structural and spatial changes occurring over treatment, with the intent of reducing overdosage of sensitive structures such as the parotids, improving dose homogeneity, and preserving coverage of the target. In contrast, response-adapted ART is the process of re-planning patients based on response to treatment, such that the target and/or dose changes as a function of interim imaging during treatment, with the intent of dose escalating persistent disease and/or de-escalating surrounding normal tissue. The impact of R-ART on local control and toxicity outcomes is actively being investigated in several currently accruing trials. Anatomy-adapted ART is a promising modality to improve rates of xerostomia and coverage in individuals who experience significant volumetric changes during radiation, while R-ART is currently being studied to assess its utility in either dose escalation of radioresistant disease, or de-intensification of surrounding normal tissue following treatment response. In this paper, we will review the existing literature and recent advances regarding A-ART and R-ART.
Individual initiative and burnout as antecedents of employee expediency and the moderating role of conscientiousness

Abstract In this study, we extend the nomological network of employee expediency by identifying antecedents of this specific form of unethical behavior in the workplace. We draw on the conservation of resources theory to argue that employee expediency may be the result of employee engagement in individual initiative—a specific type of organizational citizenship behavior, which induces higher levels of burnout and, ultimately, leads to employee engagement in expedient behavior at work. We further argue that the personality trait of conscientiousness serves as a valuable resource that buffers the relationship between employee burnout and expediency, which then conditionally moderates the indirect effect of individual initiative onto employee expediency though the resource depletion process as indicated by employee burnout. Findings from a time-lagged, multisource (i.e., employee—supervisor—spouse triads) field study obtained from numerous organizations within different industries in the United States provide full support for the entire moderated-mediation model. We discuss implications for theory and practice and identify avenues for future research.
Survival and dispersal of the stem-boring weevil, Listronotus setosipennis, and the leaf-feeding beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata, one year after their release for the control of the invasive weed, Parthenium hysterophorus, at two locations in Ethiopia.

The presence and spread of Listronotus setosipennis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) released in 2017 for the control of Parthenium hysterophorus (L.) (Asteraceae: Heliantheae) at two locations in Ethiopia (Arba Minch and Mojo) were assessed twice (July, September) in 2018. At Arba Minch, no L. setosipennis was found, only Z. bicolorata established and the number of eggs varied from 1.4±0.71/plant (July) to 7.41±4.52/plant (September) at the release site and from 0.52±0.18/ plant (July) and 0.68±0.24/plant (September) at the dispersal site. At Mojo, only L. setosipennis established with 3.87±1.18 eggs/plant (July) at the release spot and 10.76±1.64 eggs/plant in September whereas after dispersal the eggs numbered 8.69±3.2/plant (July) and 14.98±1.73/ plant (September). After one year, L. setosipennis and Z. bicolorata were found 51.75±3.95 m and 94.15±13.66 m away from the release spots, respectively. The results show that the biocontrol agents have started to establish and have dispersed at the two locations in Ethiopia.
Comparing maximal forces in resorbable poly-L-lactic acid and titanium plates for mandibular fracture fixation.

Abstract Treatment for mandibular fractures is commonly performed via open reduction fixation with mini titanium or resorbable plates and screws. The investigators hypothesized differences in maximum mechanical stress forces and deflection with each plating material; however, it was proposed that the experimental forces withstood by the resorbable system would be enough to withstand normal forces produced during mastication. The sample was composed of fresh cadaver mandibles that were harvested, fractured, and fixated with plates and screws. The predictor variable was fracture fixation and included a titanium plating or resorbable poly-L-lactide plating system. The primary outcome measure was maximum load withstood before plating failure measured in Newtons (N). Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, P value was set at .05. The sample was composed of six mandibles with and grouped by type of fixation modality, Titanium (T) (n = 3) and Resorbable (n = 3). There was a statistically significant correlation between the T group and increased maximum load (N) before failure as compared to the R group, (P = 0.023). The results suggest that fracture fixation with titanium plates and screws can withstand greater maximum forces before failure; however, the resorbable plating system withstood forces similar to/or greater than the maximum forces produced during normal mastication.
Posttraumatic growth of pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory tract infection and its influencing factors

Objective To investigate the posttraumatic growth (PTG) of pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory tract infection, to analyze its influencing factors and to provide a reference for further clinical interventions. Methods The pediatric outpatients and inpatients with recurrent respiratory tract infection from the Children's Hospital of Hangzhou from March 2016 to May 2017 were selected using convenient sampling, and investigated with the general information questionnaire and Revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children (PTGI-CR) . Totally 97 questionnaires were distributed, and 95 valid questionnaires were collected. Results The PTGI-CR score of the 95 children with recurrent respiratory tract infection totaled (16.13±5.69) . There was statistically significant difference in PTG levels between pediatric patients with different sex, age, disease condition and parents' educational background (P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that children's sex, age and their parents' educational background were the main factors affecting the PTG of pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory tract infection. Conclusions The pediatric patients' sex, age and parents' educational background were the main influencing factors for their PTG. It is recommended nursing workers take targeted measures according to the influencing factors so as to improve the quality of life of the children and their parents. Key words: Children; Respiratory tract infection; Traumatology; Influencing factors
Alkali-activated slag characterization by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract The alkali activation of blast furnace slag has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of cementitious materials and to be applied in geographic zones where weather is a factor that negatively affects performance of materials based on Ordinary Portland Cement. Blast furnace slag is a highly heterogeneous material. It is well known that its chemical composition affects the physical properties of the alkali activated material, however there is little work on how these inhomogeneities affect the microstructure. In this study we characterize blast furnace slag activated with KOH using several methods: X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nuclear resonance magnetic spectroscopy (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and quantitative element mapping. Attention is focused on delineating the phases before and after the alkali activation. The unactivated slag shows two distinctive phases. After alkali activation, several chemical changes were detected. One of the phases of the unactivated slag splits into three new phases with distinct chemical composition—one is rich in hydrotalcite and two phases where calcium aluminum silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) is predominant. A fourth phase was the particles carried over from the unactivated slag, but with significant changes in the chemical composition. NMR results show the formation of tobermorite-like structure in which Al substitutes for Si.
Test your knowledge submission

What is this stain?What are the pink/purple filamentous structures?What substance results in the positive pink stain? Chromic Acid-SchiffFungal hyphaeCarbohydrates in the walls of the fungal cell walls
Cancer cachexia is associated with decreased responsiveness of immune cells to immunomodulatory cytokines

3792 Cachexia is characterized by loss of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, occurs in half of all cancer patients and is associated with decreased survival. A number of cytokines including IL-6, IL-1b, IFN-g and TNF-a play a role in mediating cachexia, and are elevated in cancer patients with cachexia. We hypothesized that cytokines implicated in cachexia also function to suppress the host response to other endogenously produced or exogenously administered cytokines. The C26 adenocarcinoma model of cancer cachexia was used to study whether this syndrome is accompanied by a reduced responsiveness of immune cells to IFN-a and IFN-g. The IFNs modulate tumor immunosurveillance and are induced in response to or used as immune-based therapeutic agents. In the C26 model, cachexia develops ~20 days following subcutaneous tumor injection in immune competent mice. Twenty-five days following tumor injection, splenocytes were harvested from cachectic, C26-bearing mice or age-matched controls. C26-bearing mice displayed marked weight loss and significantly elevated plasma IL-6 (Mean = 256.6 pg/mL,; Range = 11.6 - 1263 pg/mL) as compared to controls (Mean = 2.2 pg/mL; Range = 0 - 6.3 pg/mL; n = 23 mice/group, p
Ban the Box in Higher Education: Lessons From Louisiana on Changing Laws and Leading Movements:

In 2017, Louisiana became the first state to pass legislation to remove criminal history questions from college applications, commonly known as ban the box in higher education. This victory hinged ...
The Folklore of Unfairness

The Federal Trade Commission Act’s ban on “unfair . . . acts and practices” would, on its face, seem to give the FTC an awesome power to define proper treatment of consumers in changing conditions. But even in a world of widespread corporate surveillance, ongoing racial discrimination, impenetrably complex financial products, pyramid schemes, and more, the unfairness authority is used rarely, mostly in egregious cases of wrongdoing. Why? The standard explanation is that the more expansive notion of unfairness was tried in the 1970s, and it failed spectacularly. The FTC of this era was staffed by bureaucrats convinced of their own moral superiority and blind to the self-correcting dynamics of the market. When the FTC finally reached too far and tried to ban television advertising of sugary cereals to children, it undermined its own legitimacy, causing Congress to put pressure on the agency to narrow its definition of unfairness. This Article argues that this standard explanation gets the law and the history wrong, and, thus, that the FTC’s unfairness authority is more potent than commonly assumed. The regulatory initiatives of the 1970s were actually quite popular. The backlash against them was led by the businesses whose profit margins they threatened. Leaders of these businesses had become increasingly radicalized and well-organized and brought their new political clout to bear on an unsuspecting FTC. It was not the re-articulation of the unfairness standard in 1980 that narrowed unfairness to its current form, but rather the subsequent takeover of the FTC by neoliberal economists and lawyers who had been supported by these radicalized business leaders. The main limitation on the use of the unfairness authority since then has been the ideology of regulators charged with its enforcement. In fact, the conventional morality tale about the FTC’s efforts in the 1970s are part of what keeps this ideology dominant. A reconsideration of the meaning of unfairness requires situating the drama of the 1970s and 80s in a longer struggle over governance of consumer markets. Since the creation of the FTC, and even before, an evolving set of coalitions have battled over what makes markets fair. These coalitions can be divided roughly into those who favor norm setting by government agencies informed by experts held accountable to democratic publics and those who favor norm setting by business leaders made accountable via the profit motive. The meaning of “unfair . . . acts and practices” has been defined and redefined through these struggles, and it can and should be redefined again to reconstruct the state capacity to define standards of fair dealing.
Creating Real Time Water Leasing Market Institutions: An Integrated Economic and Hydrological Methodology

: Explosive population growth coupled with stable or decreasing water supplies has often led to stress upon already over-allocated watersheds in the western United States. Water markets that allow the temporary transfer (i.e., lease) of a water right are a possible mechanism to provide flexibility to water managers to fulfill water demands in these over-allocated watersheds. This paper addresses the need for an integrated (hydrologic and economic) model to examine the feasibility of a water leasing market. We propose a five stage procedure to designing and implementing a real time water leasing market.
Imaging Protein‐Protein Interactions by Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Microscopy in Live Cells

This unit describes an acceptor-sensitized emission FRET method using a confocal microscope for image acquisition. In contrast to acceptor photobleaching, which is an end-point assay that destroys the acceptor fluorophore, the sensitized emission method is amenable for FRET measurements in live cells and can be used to measure changes in FRET efficiency over time. The purpose of this unit is to provide a basic starting point for understanding and performing the sensitized emission method with a simple teaching tool for live-cell imaging. References that discuss the vagaries of acquiring and analyzing FRET between individually tagged molecules are provided.
Software usability metrics and methods

Potential customers usually want to know how they will benefit if they hire a usability professional, and they may want numbers to measure those benefits, or calculate a return on investment. However, many professionals become confused when customers ask them to measure the usability of a software application, software program, web site, or other software product. In order to clarify the process of measuring usability, this tutorial first offers a definition of software usability metrics, gives examples of usability metrics, and reviews reasons for usability metrics. Next, the tutorial steps through the process of deciding what metrics and methods to use as well as when, where, and how to use them.
Sex, Violence and Crime: Foucault and the 'Man' Question

On the Popularity of Sex and the Topicality of Violence. Sex, Violence and Method. Sex, Violence and Criminology. Pierre Rivire: A Postmodern Case Study (or For and Against Foucault). 'Strange' Men: From Sex to Sex Killers in the 'Age of Sex Crime'. Putting Men on the Agenda: Racializing Sexual Violence. Naming and Un-Naming Men's Violence: 'Domestic Violence' and other Discursive Strategies. The 'Discovery' and 'Rediscovery' of Child (Sexual) Assault. The 'Woman Question' in Sexed Crime: Woman as Victim/Killer/Agent
Chattering alleviation in variable structure control systems

High frequency chattering about the sliding line in variable structure control systems is undesirable in practice. In this paper, a method is proposed to eliminate this chattering. The system is allowed to switch once on crossing the switching line, after which the trajectory follows a path that closes in on the slower eigenvector. The loss of speed is compensated for by tailoring the eigenvector (achieved by feedback design) such that the eigenvalues are sufficiently negative. Theoretical analysis is confirmed by simulations.
Cerebroretinal vasculopathy: a new hereditary syndrome

A new hereditary syndrome characterized by a frontoparietal lobe pseudotumor and retinal capillary abnormalities is described. A pedigree is presented in which characteristic ophthalmic findings have been found in ten family members and are suspected in eight additional family members spanning a total of four generations. Typical retinal findings include perifoveal capillary obliteration, peripheral focal capillary occlusion, and microvascular abnormalities, particularly involving the posterior pole. Eight patients spanning three generations had a central nervous system pseudotumor with identical histopathology. Histopathologic analysis of brain tissue shows a characteristic pattern of an unusual vasculopathy without vasculitis characterized by fibrinoid necrosis and resulting in necrosis of white matter with sparing of cortical brain tissue. The pedigree shows an apparent autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with delayed expression of abnormalities. Of note, two patients unrelated to the pedigree having similar neuropathologic and retinal findings also have been seen at the authors' institution.
Regulation of Synthesis of the Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Cognate Aminoacyl-Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetases of Escherichia coli: a Common Regulatory Element

Regulation of isoleucine, valine, and leucine biosynthesis and isoleucyl-, valyl-, and leucyl-transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase formation was examined in two mutant strains of Escherichia coli. One mutant was selected for growth resistance to the isoleucine analogue, ketomycin, and the other was selected for growth resistance to both trifluoroleucine and valine. Control of the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids by repression was altered in both of these mutants. They also exhibited altered control of formation of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.15, isoleucine:sRNA ligase, AMP), valyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.9, valine:sRNA ligase, AMP), and leucyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.4, leucine:sRNA ligase, AMP). These results suggest the existence of a common element for the control of these two classes of enzymes in Escherichia coli.
HBT Model Scaling for Different Epi Materials and Geometries

In this paper, we extend our previous physics-based scalable models to include the scaling of transit time with base thickness and base doping based on a design of experiment (DOE) and to include the variation of ledge length as a device design parameter.
Phase-Interference Effects in Inelastic He + + He Collisions

In the collision ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ + He \ensuremath{\rightarrow} ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ + He*, excitation at low incident ion energies (\ensuremath{\lesssim}1 keV) proceeds via a pseudocrossing of the elastic $^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{g}$ diabatic potential with excited-state $^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{g}$ potentials. In addition, pseudocrossings of inelastic potentials at large internuclear separations mix the amplitudes of the excited-state channels coherently. This many-state mechanism provides qualitative understanding of diverse experimental observations.
Nano-, NanoBio- and NanoBioMedical- Technologies: Enabling sensing, communication and processing paradigms

This invited talk covers fundamentals of nano-technologies, engineering and science thereby enabling unprecedented advancements and transformative development for engineered and natural (living) systems. Novel consistent, cohesive and coherent paradigms of actuation, communication, processing and sensing are considered and examined. For living organisms, we study macroscopic and microscopic systems which exhibit fundamentally distinct phenomena and utilize different mechanisms. The classical ↔ quantum-mechanical consistency must be guaranteed.
Starting Actin Filaments Anew - Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Is an Actin Nucleator

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein has emerged as a complex, multifunctional regulator in the Wnt-signaling pathway and in controlling the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton during basic cellular events such as cell polarization, migration, adhesion, chromosome segregation, and apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that APC directly binds F-actin and also affects actin dynamics by acting as a potent actin nucleator regulated by the microtubule (+)-end tracking protein, EB1. In addition, we show APC mediates the formation of cytoskeletal networks by actin bundling and regulated crosslinking of actin filaments with microtubules (MTs). These newly-identified functions of APC suggest that APC may function at the intersection of microtubule (+) - ends and actin rich zones to direct cell polarity and motility, and that these cytoskeletal APC-based functions may be important for the initiation and progression of cancerous tumors.
Isolation of dominant negative mutants and inhibitory antisense RNA sequences by expression selection of random DNA fragments

Abstract Selective inhibition of specific genes can be accomplished using genetic suppressor elements (GSEs) that encode antisense RNA, dominant negative mutant proteins, or other regulatory products. GSEs may correspond to partial sequences of target genes, usually identified by trial and error. We have used bacteriophage lambda as a model system to test a concept that biologically active GSEs may be generated by random DNA fragmentation and identified by expression selection. Fragments from eleven different regions of lambda genome, encoding specific peptides or antisense RNA sequences, rendered E. coli resistant to the phage. Analysis of these GSEs revealed some previously unknown functions of phage lambda, including suppression of the cellular lambda receptor by an 'accessory' gene of the phage. The random fragment selection strategy provides a general approach to the generation of efficient GSEs and elucidation of novel gene functions.
Glucose homeostasis in children with severe cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Six children with severe forms of cyanotic congenital heart disease underwent a series of challenge studies in an attempt to clarify the pathophysiology of the hypoglycemia observed in these disorders. The glycemic response to intravenous glucagon positively correlated with the fasting glucose concentration ( P P P P P P
Competitive comparison and PISA bragging rights: sub-national uses of the OECD's PISA in Canada and the USA

Participation in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has continuously expanded: from 43 systems in 2000 to 65 systems in the 2012 cycle, with 71 signed up for PISA 2015. There also has been a growth in sub-national participation, expanding PISA's reach beyond the nation-state. This paper explores sub-national PISA participation in Canada and the USA, asking how PISA is being used within sub-national education policy spaces. We draw on analysis of documents and data from interviews with officials at sub-national, national, and international levels. Findings illustrate some of the diverse motivations and uses of PISA, providing insights into the effects of PISA at the sub-national scale. As such, we argue that competitive comparison in education has deepened through the enhanced granularity of international large-scale assessment data to new scales beyond the nation-state.
Orthoferrite crystal flux-growth morphology and perfection effects

Abstract Orthoferrite single crystal growth in PbO-PbF 2 and Pb0-PbF 2 -B 2 O 3 fluxed melts has been studied with particular attention being given to crystal morphology and perfection. Dendritic structures and bands (striae) were observed and are discussed in terms of possible {110} and {001} crystal growth modes. Optically visible bands are associated with variations in the lead impurity but not with the silicon impurity which is constant throughout these crystals. These bands impede bubble domain motion selectively, according to the relative band and domain wall orientations, but not as seriously as grain boundaries or twins. On the basis of these considerations, the effects of bands can be minimized by selecting crystal platelets grown in a {001} mode when the net magnetization is oriented 〈001〉.
Susceptibility of hamsters to infection by historic and epidemic BI Clostridium difficile strains during daily administration of three fluoroquinolones

Abstract Background The recent epidemic of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been attributed largely to the REA strain group BI (aka NAP1/027). Current isolates of the BI group differ from historic non-epidemic BI strains in that they have developed resistance to the newer fluoroquinolone (FQ), moxifloxacin. The acquisition of moxifloxacin resistance has been associated with the rise in frequency of CDI caused by these isolates. In order to explore the effect of FQ resistance on CDI we compared colonization and mortality in hamsters challenged with a historic (BI1 – susceptible to moxifloxacin) and a recent epidemic (BI17 – resistant to moxifloxacin) BI strain of CD during continuous administration of 3 different FQs. Methods Groups of 6 hamsters were treated with a 5 day course of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, or moxifloxacin given orally once per day. Each hamster was then challenged with 1 × 104 CFU of either BI1 or BI17 on day 3 or day 5. Colonization and time to death were recorded. Results Colonization efficiency (CE) following moxifloxacin (92%) was significantly greater than following levofloxacin (50%, p Conclusions For the epidemic BI17 strain, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin have similar colonization rates, suggesting that the acquisition of high-level FQ resistance increases colonization rates in association with any FQ. Historic strain BI1 which does not carry high-level FQ resistance colonized efficiently only in the presence of moxifloxacin, possibly explaining lower rates of CDI historically prior to the widespread clinical use of moxifloxacin (and gatifloxacin). Current high rates and severity of CDI from 2000 to 2010 may in part be associated with the acquisition of high-level FQ resistance in BI strains and higher patient exposure rates of all FQs, especially moxifloxacin.
Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Discriminates Between Cytotoxic and Vasogenic Edema in a Patient With Eclampsia

Background The pathophysiology of eclampsia remains unclear. While the majority of patients develop reversible T2 hyperintense signal abnormalities on MR scans and reversible neurological deficits, some patients do develop infarctions (permanent T2 hyperintense abnormalities) and permanent neurological impairment. Routine MRI cannot prospectively differentiate between these two patient groups. Echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging, however, is a new technique that clearly differentiates between cytotoxic and vasogenic edema. Case Description A 30-year-old woman developed symptoms consistent with eclampsia 24 hours after delivering premature twins. An MRI demonstrated extensive, diffuse T2 hyperintense signal abnormalities involving subcortical white matter and adjacent gray matter with a posterior predominance, consistent with either infarction or hypertensive ischemic encephalopathy. Diffusion-weighted images demonstrated increased diffusion, consistent with vasogenic edema and hypertensive ischemic enc...
Liquid-to-particle convective heat transfer in non-Newtonian carrier medium during continuous tube flow

Abstract Liquid-to-particle convective heat transfer coefficients (hfp) were determined in non-Newtonian carriers during continuous flow using three different experimental techniques. Process parameters such as carrier viscosity, flow rate, particle size, and radial location were found to influence hfp values. Minimum and maximum values of hfp were found to be 363 W/m2 °C and 2010 W/m2 °C respectively over a fluid Reynolds number range of 14·5 to 798. Significant fluid-particle relative velocities (0·02 to 0·19 m/s) were measured during visualization studies of fluid flow around a moving particle. The relative velocity and consequently hfp values were influenced by particle radial location and the local flow field about the particle.
Habitat selection of two gobies (Microgobius gulosus, Gobiosoma robustum): influence of structural complexity, competitive interactions, and presence of a predator

Herein I compare the relative importance of preference for structurally complex habitat against avoidance of competitors and predators in two benthic fishes common in the Gulf of Mexico. The code goby Gobiosoma robustum Ginsburg and clown goby Microgobius gulosus (Girard) are common, ecologically similar fishes found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. In Florida Bay, these fishes exhibit habitat partitioning: G. robustum is most abundant in seagrass-dominated areas while M. gulosus is most abundant in sparsely vegetated habitats. In a small-scale field survey, I documented the microhabitat use of these species where their distributions overlap. In a series of laboratory experiments, I presented each species with structured (artificial seagrass) versus nonstructured (bare sand) habitats and measured their frequency of choosing either habitat type. I then examined the use of structured versus nonstructured habitats when the two species were placed together in a mixed group. Finally, I placed a predator (Opsanus beta) in the experimental aquaria to determine how its presence influenced habitat selection. In the field, G. robustum was more abundant in seagrass and M. gulosus was more abundant in bare mud. In the laboratory, both species selected grass over sand in allopatry. However, in sympatry, M. gulosus occupied sand more often when paired with G. robustum than when alone. G. robustum appears to directly influence the habitat choice of M. gulosus: It seems that M. gulosus is pushed out of the structured habitat that is the preferred habitat of G. robustum. Thus, competition appears to modify the habitat selection of these species when they occur in sympatry. Additionally, the presence of the toadfish was a sufficient stimulus to provoke both M. gulosus and G. robustum to increase their selection for sand (compared to single-species treatments). Distribution patterns of M. gulosus and G. robustum likely result from a synthesis of various biotic and abiotic filters, including physiological tolerances to environmental factors, dispersal ability of larvae, and availability of food. Selection for structural complexity, competition, and presence of predators may further define the resulting pattern of distribution observed in the field.
CORNEAL DEVELOPMENT. 3. THE ROLE OF THE THYROID IN DEHYDRATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPARENCY.

During the second half of embryonic development the cornea of the chick embryo loses water; at the same time its ability to transmit light increases. The partial dehydration of the cornea is a necessary condition for the development of corneal transparency. It occurs during the same period in development when the entire embryo is undergoing a relative dehydration. This dehydration begins as the thyroid gland becomes active, and is probably under the control of thyroxine. Exogenously supplied thyroxine, given prior to this time, accelerates both the dehydration of the cornea and its increase in transparency. On the other hand, 2-thiouracil, which inhibits the thyroid, slows down these changes. In untreated corneas, as well as in corneas treated with endocrine substances, the ability of the cornea to transmit light is an inverse linear function of its level of hydration.
A phenomenological model for surface diffusion: Diffusive dynamics across incoherent stochastic aperiodic potentials

The dynamics of Brownian particles diffusing across a one-dimensional, incoherent stochastic potential of mean force in the Smoluchowski regime has been intensely investigated by several groups. In recent work, we have developed a phenomenological equation of motion that extends this representation throughout the friction regime and, in particular, extends it to the low-friction regime relevant to surface diffusion. Resonant activation is observed throughout; it is manifested by a peak in the transport as a function of the correlation time in the potential fluctuations. The phenomenological equation of motion has now been utilized to probe the dynamics on a variety of one- and two-dimensional surfaces in order to provide a qualitative description of the fundamental factors that govern the surface hopping events of an adsorbate weakly bound to a metal surface. The primary focus is placed on differences that may arise when the substrate is modeled using a one-or two-dimensional potential of mean force, thereafter the effects of spatially coherent or incoherent barrier heights are also addressed. The two-dimensional behavior can be adequately described by the direct product of two separable one-dimensional analogues, as might naively be expected, provided the lattice spacing is sufficient to decouple the two degrees of freedom. Coherency between the barriers affects the rates to a smaller degree and is significant only when the barriers are strongly correlated in time.
The Vinyl + NO Reaction: Determining the Products with Time-Resolved Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

We have studied the vinyl + NO reaction using time-resolved Fourier transform emission spectroscopy, complemented by electronic structure and microcanonical RRKM rate coefficient calculations. To unambiguously determine the reaction products, three precursors are used to produce the vinyl radical by laser photolysis: vinyl bromide, methyl vinyl ketone, and vinyl iodide. The emission spectra and theoretical calculations indicate that HCN + CH2O is the only significant product channel for the C2H3 + NO reaction near room temperature, in contradiction to several reports in the literature. Although CO emission is observed when vinyl bromide is used as the precursor, it arises from the reaction of NO with photofragments other than vinyl. This conclusion is supported by the absence of CO emission when vinyl iodide or methyl vinyl ketone is used. Prompt emission from vibrationally excited NO is evidence of the competition between back dissociation and isomerization of the initially formed nitrosoethylene adduct...
The sedimentary geochemistry of the beryllium isotopes

The sedimentary geochemistry of beryllium was investigated with a view toward the use of cosmic-ray-produced Be/sup 10/ for geochronology. Analyses of some Pacific ocean water samples give an average total beryllium content of 6 x 10/sup -13/ parts per part (ppp), less than half of which is retained by a Millipore filter. The concentration of Be/sup 9/ in five deep ocean sediment cores ranges from 2 to 3 ppm. These data indicate an ocean residence time for beryllium of about a few hundred years. Analyses of river water give concentrations of about 10/sup -10/ ppp, substantiating this residence time. An abrupt change in Be/sup 10/ content with depth in a Pacific sediment core correlates with a change in the ionium-thorium ratio reported by Goldberg and Koide for the same core. (auth)
Evolutionary profiling reveals the heterogeneous origins of classes of human disease genes: implications for modeling disease genetics in animals.

The recent expansion of whole-genome sequence data available from diverse animal lineages provides an opportunity to investigate the evolutionary origins of specific classes of human disease genes. Previous studies have observed that human disease genes are of particularly ancient origin. While this suggests that many animal species have the potential to serve as feasible models for research on genes responsible for human disease, it is unclear whether this pattern has meaningful implications and whether it prevails for every class of human disease. We used a comparative genomics approach encompassing a broad phylogenetic range of animals with sequenced genomes to determine the evolutionary patterns exhibited by human genes associated with different classes of disease. Our results support previous claims that most human disease genes are of ancient origin but, more importantly, we also demonstrate that several specific disease classes have a significantly large proportion of genes that emerged relatively recently within the metazoans and/or vertebrates. An independent assessment of the synonymous to non-synonymous substitution rates of human disease genes found in mammals reveals that disease classes that arose more recently also display unexpected rates of purifying selection between their mammalian and human counterparts. Our results reveal the heterogeneity underlying the evolutionary origins of (and selective pressures on) different classes of human disease genes. For example, some disease gene classes appear to be of uncommonly recent (i.e., vertebrate-specific) origin and, as a whole, have been evolving at a faster rate within mammals than the majority of disease classes having more ancient origins. The novel patterns that we have identified may provide new insight into cases where studies using traditional animal models were unable to produce results that translated to humans. Conversely, we note that the larger set of disease classes do have ancient origins, suggesting that many non-traditional animal models have the potential to be useful for studying many human disease genes. Taken together, these findings emphasize why model organism selection should be done on a disease-by-disease basis, with evolutionary profiles in mind.
Randomized compact routing in decomposable metrics

We study the compact routing problem in networks whose shortest path metrics are decomposable. Decomposable metrics are more general than doubling metrics, growth-bounded metrics, and metrics induced by graphs excluding Kr,r as a minor. In this work, we present both name-dependent and name-independent constant stretch compact routing schemes for bounded decomposable metrics with polylogarithmic storage requirements at each node and polylogarithmic packet headers. Our work is the first to design compact routing schemes with constant stretch for networks as general as decomposable metrics.
Polyelectrolyte nanocages via crystallized miniemulsion droplets

Polyelectrolyte nanocages were synthesized by interfacial cross-linking of monolayers of vinyl-functionalized surfactant molecules adsorbed by crystallized miniemulsion droplets. The monolayer-thick shell of these nanocages was confirmed by AFM analysis.
Seasonality of Vertical Structure in Radar-Observed Precipitation over Southern Switzerland

AbstractOperational radar data reveal that precipitation systems occurring on the southern side of the Alps near Locarno, Switzerland, follow seasonal patterns of vertical reflectivity structure. Storms occurring in summer are more convective than winter season storms as indicated by more frequent observation of reflectivity at higher altitudes during summer. Individual precipitation events occurring year-round are classified by comparison to average seasonal vertical reflectivity structure. Seasonal classification of individual storms reveals a transition between winter- and summer-type storms during spring and fall that follows changes in average daily surface temperature. In addition to distinct vertical structure, summer- and winter-type storms have differences in duration, intensity, and interval between storms. Although summer- and winter-type storms result in a similar amount of total precipitation, summer-type storms have shorter duration, and therefore greater intensity. The dependence of storm t...