cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond Lyme: Aetiology of Tick-borne Human Diseases with Emphasis on the South-Eastern United States

particular tick species. We then use reports from the litera- ture and data collected at military installations throughout the eastern United States to document marked regional variation in the abundance of these tick species and show that this leads to corresponding state-by-state variation in which TBDs pose the greatest risk to human health. We conclude by discussing the implications of these regional differences for education and outreach efforts concerning TBDs in the eastern United States. Summary Since its emergence in the north-eastern and upper mid-western United States in the 1970s, Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, has captured the public's attention as the nation's most prevalent vector-borne zoonotic disease. In contrast, recent publications on tick-pathogen systems in the eastern United States, and findings from Department of Defense investigations of ticks found biting military personnel, indicate that residents of the south-eastern United States are primarily at risk from emerging diseases caused by tick-borne patho- gens other than B. burgdorferi. The risk of contracting these diseases varies greatly among states as a consequence of regional variation in the abundance of the key vector tick species. Moreover, this risk is changing, because tick dis- tributions are in flux. To improve health outcomes, health providers need bet- ter information and awareness regarding which tick species bite humans in each state and which zoonotic pathogens are prevalent in these ticks. Effective diagnosis, treatment, control and reporting of tick-borne disease in the south- eastern United States require that health providers think 'beyond Lyme' and consider the marked regional differences in the tick species that bite humans and in the pathogens that these ticks carry.
Computational electronics and nanotechnology in NASA IT program

Summary form only given. NASA missions for the 21st century require increased degree of autonomy and Intelligent Systems will play a key role in enabling these missions. Miniaturization, and revolutionary electronic devices and sensors that deliver high performance in harsh and limited-resource environments are critical elements in the enabling technology. NASA programs to develop these capabilities-Intelligent Systems, High Performance Computing, Information Power Grid-will be described. Computational modeling will play an important role in the design and discovery of revolutionary devices and sensors and the expectations will be outlined.
Analyzing forced unfolding of protein tandems by ordered variates, 1: Independent unfolding times.

Statistical analyses of forced unfolding data for protein tandems, i.e., unfolding forces (force-ramp) and unfolding times (force-clamp), used in single-molecule dynamic force spectroscopy rely on the assumption that the unfolding transitions of individual protein domains are independent (uncorrelated) and characterized, respectively, by identically distributed unfolding forces and unfolding times. In our previous work, we showed that in the experimentally accessible piconewton force range, this assumption, which holds at a lower constant force, may break at an elevated force level, i.e., the unfolding transitions may become correlated when force is increased. In this work, we develop much needed statistical tests for assessing the independence of the unobserved forced unfolding times for individual protein domains in the tandem and equality of their parent distributions, which are based solely on the observed ordered unfolding times. The use and performance of these tests are illustrated through the analysis of unfolding times for computer models of protein tandems. The proposed tests can be used in force-clamp atomic force microscopy experiments to obtain accurate information on protein forced unfolding and to probe data on the presence of interdomain interactions. The order statistics-based formalism is extended to cover the analysis of correlated unfolding transitions. The use of order statistics leads naturally to the development of new kinetic models, which describe the probabilities of ordered unfolding transitions rather than the populations of chemical species.
Performance estimation of distributed real-time embedded systems by discrete event simulations

Key challenges in the performance estimation of distributed real-time embedded (DRE) systems include the systematic measurement of coverage by simulations, and the automated generation of directed test vectors. This paper investigates how DRE systems can be represented as discrete event systems (DES) in continuous time, and proposes an automated method for the performance evaluation of such systems. The proposed method also provides a way for the verification of dense time properties for a large class of DRE systems. This approach provides a formal executable model allowing to bridge the gap between simulations and formal verification. Our results show that the proposed DES-based evaluation method can achieve better coverage in large-scale DRE systems than alternative methods.
An Integrated Robotic Multi-Modal Range Sensing System

Creating 3-D surface representation of large objects or wide working areas is a tedious and error-prone process using the currently available sensor technologies. The primary problem comes from the fact that laser range sensors allow to capture at most one line of points from a given position and orientation, and stereo vision systems accuracy is dependent upon the initial camera calibration, the extraction of features, and the matching of features. When the registration process is not properly controlled, registration errors tend to significantly degrade the accuracy of measurements, which is revealed to be critical in telerobotic operations where occupancy models are built directly from these range measurements. The reliability of range measurements within a singular range sensor technique can drastically distort the registration process, especially within environments unsuitable for the system. Instead of utilizing a single range sensor, we adopt the use of a multi-modal system allowing diverse modes of range sensing techniques to complement each other in the hope that one system's strength could be used to compensate for another system's weakness. Using a mixture of active and passive range sensing techniques, both giving dense and sparse datasets, this multi-modal range sensing system is integrated seamlessly with minimal processing overhead and optimal workspace
Correlation between behavior and extracellular dopamine levels in rat striatum: comparison of microdialysis and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Recently, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has been adapted for real-time measurements of evoked dopamine (DA) release and uptake in freely moving rats. Using the advantages of this experimental design in combination with behavioral measures, we examined the effect of GBR 12909 (20 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective DA uptake inhibitor, on striatal extracellular DA dynamics and compared these data to that obtained by microdialysis. These studies established that both techniques report changes in DA that correlate with the kinetics of GBR 12909-induced behavioral effects. However, the time course of changes in evoked DA levels detected by FSCV was more closely linked with the changes in stereotypy than microdialysis measurements.
From Business Dining To Public Speaking: Tips For Acquiring Professional Presence And Its Role In The Business Curricula

In today’s dynamic business environment, organizations are beginning to realize the importance of teaching business etiquette, not only to enhance their corporate culture, but also to increase productivity and profitability. Corporations are providing opportunities for executives of today and business leaders of tomorrow to acquire these vital skills. It is just as important that colleges of business recognize the importance of this “hidden curriculum” and teach it as a vital component of their curricula. Practical advice is proffered to assist in developing a positive, professional demeanor in students.
A Surgical Approach to the Ramus of the Mandible in Cattle and Horses Case Reports of a Bull and a Horse

A surgical approach to the ramus of the mandible was developed. Subperiosteal elevation of the masseter muscle from the ramus allowed reduction and plate fixation of ramus fractures in a bull and a horse. Results of follow-up examinations, 2 years after surgery, showed excellent functional and cosmetic results.
Identification of Helicobacter pylori biofilms in human gastric mucosa.

The purpose of this study was to use endoscopically directed biopsies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to document the existence of Helicobacter pylori biofilms in human gastric mucosa. Patients underwent flexible esophagogastroduodenoscopies with three gastric mucosal biopsies. Rapid urease testing was performed to determine the presence or absence of H pylori. Urease-positive and urease-negative control specimens were imaged with SEM to obtain detailed images of gastric mucosa for the identification of biofilm colonies. Samples were obtained from patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopies. Eleven were found to be H pylori positive and nine were H pylori negative. These were imaged at 50O × and 1000 × with electron microscopy. Dense, mature biofilms were present and attached to the cell surface of H pylori-positive specimens and were absent in urease-negative controls. Photomicrographs were obtained. Biofilms are complex microbiological ecosystems where sessile bacteria surround themselves in a protective matrix. This lifestyle affords protection, allows for growth in hostile environments, and alters host physiology. Many have hypothesized that H pylori infections resulting in gastric ulcers may be a manifestation of biofilms. Our investigation is the first to photographically document the existence of H pylori biofilms on human gastric mucosa. This elucidation of the ecology and pathophysiology of the mucosa of the organism is important to our understanding of a potential mechanism of this organism’s resistance to current therapy and how to better eradicate it in the future.
Quasi-optical Josephson-junction oscillator arrays

Josephson junctions are natural voltage-controlled oscillators capable of generating submillimeter-wave-length radiation, but a single junction usually can produce only 100 nW of power and often has a broad spectral linewidth. The authors are investigating 2-D quasi-optical power combining arrays of 10/sup 3/ and 10/sup 4/ NbN/MgO/NbN and Nb/Al-AlO/sub x//Nb junctions to overcome these limitations. The junctions are DC biased in parallel and are distributed along interdigitated lines. The arrays couple to a resonant mode of a Fabry-Perot cavity to achieve mutual phase-locking. The array configuration has a relatively low impedance, which should allow the capacitance of the junctions to be tuned out at the oscillation frequency. >
Unified formulation of dynamics for serial rigid multibody systems

There has been a growing interest in the development of new and efficient algorithms for multibody dynamics in recent years. Serial rigid multibody systems form the basic subcomponents of general multibody systems, and a variety of algorithms to solve the serial chain forward dynamics problem have been proposed. In this paper, the economy of representation and analysis tools provided by the spatial operator algebra are used to clarify the inherent structure of these algorithms, to identify those that are similar, and to study the relationships among the ones that are distinct. For the purposes of this study, the algorithms are categorized into three classes: algorithms that require the explicit computation of the mass matrix, algorithms that are completely recursive in nature, and algorithms of intermediate complexity. In addition, alternative factorizations for the mass matrix and closed form expressions for its inverse are derived. These results provide a unifying perspective, within which these diverse dynamics algorithms arise naturally as a consequence of a progressive exploitation of the structure of the mass matrix.
Affinity chromatography with 25-hydroxycholecalciferol ester in the isolation of the binding protein for vitamin D and its metabolites from human serum

The 3β-hemisuccinate ester of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol was prepared by incubating the sterol with succinic acid anhydride in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine at 4°. The ester was isolated by silica gel column chromatography, and its hydrolysis in ethanolic sodium hydroxide yielded 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. The ester was covalently linked to aminoagarose in the presence of isobutylchloroformate, yielding 16 to 60 g of sterol per packed ml of gel. Normal human serum was applied to the 3β-hemisuccinate-25-OH-D3 aminoagarose gel and elutions with buffer of increasing molarity were carried out. Total protein and DBP content of the 6M guanidine elution fractions revealed a 12 to 134-fold purification of human serum DBP by this technique. Best purifications were achieved by incubating serum with the gel at pH 8.3 and rinsing the gel with 0.3 M KCI prior to its elution with the guanidine. Our results indicate that affinity chromatography with this ligand, or possibly other vitamin D sterol esters, is a practical and useful technique in the analysis and preparative isolation of vitamin D sterol-binding proteins.
Histone-like TAFs are essential for transcription in vivo.

Abstract In yeast, the TBP-associated factors (TAFs) Taf17, Taf60, and Taf61(68) resemble histones H3, H4, and H2B, respectively. To analyze their roles in vivo, conditional alleles were isolated by mutagenizing their histone homology domains. Conditional alleles of TAF17 or TAF60 can be specifically suppressed by overexpression of any of the other histone-like TAFs. This and other genetic evidence supports the model of a histone octamer-like structure within TFIID. Shifting strains carrying the conditional TAF alleles to nonpermissive conditions results in degradation of TFIID components and the rapid loss of mRNA production. Therefore, in contrast to previous studies in yeast that found only limited roles for TAFs in transcription, we find that the histone-like TAFs are generally required for in vivo transcription.
Biomass burning impact on PM 2.5 over the southeastern US during 2007: integrating chemically speciated FRM filter measurements, MODIS fire counts and PMF analysis

Abstract. Archived Federal Reference Method (FRM) Teflon filters used by state regulatory agencies for measuring PM2.5 mass were acquired from 15 sites throughout the southeastern US and analyzed for water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), water-soluble ions and carbohydrates to investigate biomass burning contributions to fine aerosol mass. Based on over 900 filters that spanned all of 2007, levoglucosan and K+ were studied in conjunction with MODIS Aqua fire count data to compare their performances as biomass burning tracers. Levoglucosan concentrations exhibited a distinct seasonal variation with large enhancement in winter and spring and a minimum in summer, and were well correlated with fire counts, except in winter when residential wood burning contributions were significant. In contrast, K+ concentrations had no apparent seasonal trend and poor correlation with fire counts. Levoglucosan and K+ only correlated well in winter (r2=0.59) when biomass burning emissions were highest, whereas in other seasons they were not correlated due to the presence of other K+ sources. Levoglucosan also exhibited larger spatial variability than K+. Both species were higher in urban than rural sites (mean 44% higher for levoglucosan and 86% for K+). Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was applied to analyze PM2.5 sources and four factors were resolved: biomass burning, refractory material, secondary light absorbing WSOC and secondary sulfate/WSOC. The biomass burning source contributed 13% to PM2.5 mass annually, 27% in winter, and less than 2% in summer, consistent with other souce apportionment studies based on levoglucosan, but lower in summer compared to studies based on K+.
Assessing the reliability of an automated dose-rounding algorithm

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted We describe a novel algorithm for converting weight-based dosing guidelines into administerable doses for children.This algorithm features combines medication knowledge, dosing knowledge, and dose administering knowledge.We report the performance of this approach, and discuss the limitations encountered thus far. ObjectivePediatric dose rounding is a unique and complex process whose complexity is rarely supported by e-prescribing systems, though amenable to automation and deployment from a central service provider. The goal of this project was to validate an automated dose-rounding algorithm for pediatric dose rounding. MethodsWe developed a dose-rounding algorithm, STEPSTools, based on expert consensus about the rounding process and knowledge about the therapeutic/toxic window for each medication. We then used a 60% subsample of electronically-generated prescriptions from one academic medical center to further refine the web services. Once all issues were resolved, we used the remaining 40% of the prescriptions as a test sample and assessed the degree of concordance between automatically calculated optimal doses and the doses in the test sample. Cases with discrepant doses were compiled in a survey and assessed by pediatricians from two academic centers. The response rate for the survey was 25%. ResultsSeventy-nine test cases were tested for concordance. For 20 cases, STEPSTools was unable to provide a recommended dose. The dose recommendation provided by STEPSTools was identical to that of the test prescription for 31 cases. For 14 out of the 24 discrepant cases included in the survey, respondents significantly preferred STEPSTools recommendations (p<0.05, binomial test). Overall, when combined with the data from all test cases, STEPSTools either matched or exceeded the performance of the test cases in 45/59 (76%) of the cases. The majority of other cases were challenged by the need to provide an extremely small dose. We estimated that with the addition of two dose-selection rules, STEPSTools would achieve an overall performance of 82% or higher. ConclusionsResults of this pilot study suggest that automated dose rounding is a feasible mechanism for providing guidance to e-prescribing systems. These results also demonstrate the need for validating decision-support systems to support targeted and iterative improvement in performance.
Dissociation dynamics and stability of cyclopentoxy and cyclopentoxide

Abstract Cyclopentoxide c-C5H9O− undergoes photodetachment to stable cyclopentoxy or the ring-opened 5-oxo-pentan-1-yl radical and dissociative photodetachment, yielding C3H5O and C2H4 photofragments, at both 532 and 355 nm. The adiabatic electron affinity of c-C5H9O− is estimated from the experimental results and ab intio calculations to be 1.5±0.1 eV. The results show that c-C5H9O− is stable relative to dissociation into C3H5O− and C2H4 by 1.23±0.07 eV , whereas c-C5H9O is unstable relative to C3H5O and C2H4 by −0.12±0.12 eV . These results are discussed in terms of the factors affecting the stability of cyclic alkoxides and the corresponding alkoxy radicals.
Global Bifurcation of Shilnikov Type in a Double-Gyre Ocean Model

Abstract The dynamics of an idealized wind-driven double-gyre circulation in an ocean basin are studied from a dynamical systems point of view in an effort to better understand its variability. While previous analyses of this circulation have mostly dealt with local bifurcations of steady states and limit cycles, this study demonstrates the importance of considering global bifurcations as well. In one case, a coherent picture of the global dynamics spanning a range of parameters from where there are only stable steady-state solutions to where there is chaotic eddy shedding is presented. A simple but novel use of power spectra along with dynamical projections of the dynamics suggests that just beyond the regime in which there are only stable steady states, the system exhibits a complicated global bifurcation known as the “Shilnikov phenomenon.”
Privacy implications of database ranking

In recent years, there has been much research in the adoption of Ranked Retrieval model (in addition to the Boolean retrieval model) in structured databases, especially those in a client-server environment (e.g., web databases). With this model, a search query returns top-k tuples according to not just exact matches of selection conditions, but a suitable ranking function. While much research has gone into the design of ranking functions and the efficient processing of top-k queries, this paper studies a novel problem on the privacy implications of database ranking.The motivation is a novel yet serious privacy leakage we found on real-world web databases which is caused by the ranking function design. Many such databases feature private attributes - e.g., a social network allows users to specify certain attributes as only visible to him/herself, but not to others. While these websites generally respect the privacy settings by not directly displaying private attribute values in search query answers, many of them nevertheless take into account such private attributes in the ranking function design. The conventional belief might be that tuple ranks alone are not enough to reveal the private attribute values. Our investigation, however, shows that this is not the case in reality.To address the problem, we introduce a taxonomy of the problem space with two dimensions, (1) the type of query interface and (2) the capability of adversaries. For each subspace, we develop a novel technique which either guarantees the successful inference of private attributes, or does so for a significant portion of real-world tuples. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our techniques through theoretical analysis, extensive experiments over real-world datasets, as well as successful online attacks over websites with tens to hundreds of millions of users - e.g., Amazon Goodreads and Renren.com.
Determination of shape anisotropy in embedded low contrast submonolayer quantum dot structures

We describe a procedure for the morphological characterization of hard-to-image submonolayer quantum dot structures. This procedure employs high resolution x-ray diffraction based reciprocal space mapping, accompanied by rigorous diffraction modeling for precise determination of the morphology of submonolayer quantum dots. Our modelling results and experimental data clearly show that the investigated quantum dots are anisotropically elongated along the [110] orientation. Complementary polarization dependent photoluminescence measurements, combined with our previously reported magneto-photoluminescence data, confirm this conclusion. Our formalism enables direct extraction of structural information of complex embedded three-dimensional structures, which, due to their low electron density contrast with respect to the surrounding host matrix, cannot be readily investigated by traditional electron diffraction techniques.
Identifying product defects from user complaints: A probabilistic defect model

The recent surge in using social media has created a massive amount of unstructured textual complaints about products and services. However, discovering and quantifying potential product defects from large amounts of unstructured text is a nontrivial task. In this paper, we develop a probabilistic defect model (PDM) that identifies the most critical product issues and corresponding product attributes, simultaneously. We facilitate domain-oriented key attributes (e.g., product model, year of production, defective components, symptoms, etc.) of a product to identify and acquire integral information of defect. We conduct comprehensive evaluations including quantitative evaluations and qualitative evaluations to ensure the quality of discovered information. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed model outperforms existing unsupervised method (K-Means Clustering), and could find more valuable information. Our research has significant managerial implications for mangers, manufacturers, and policy makers. [Category: Data and Text Mining]
Making Metadata: The Case of MusicBrainz

MusicBrainz is a 'community music metadatabase' and an 'open music encyclopedia' to which users contribute information about artists, releases, tracks, and other aspects of music toward the goal of creating a 'comprehensive music site'. As a peer-produced music metadatabase, MusicBrainz is a constructed cultural commons where users develop and distribute musical knowledge through the community website, an institution that supports and manages the pooling of metadata into a database. Studying how MusicBrainz works and why people contribute builds on a growing body of research that seeks to understand how contributors cooperate to create and sustain constructed cultural commons. Understanding how these projects develop, thrive, and sometimes fail sheds light on potential solutions to collective action problems and other social dilemmas relating to cooperation, specifically in regard to information pools and collective knowledge systems. This case study provides a point of comparison between other constructed cultural commons as well as links between cultural taste, social habits, and peer-production. It also emphasizes the socio-cultural importance of music metadata. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods, beginning with a survey administered to the MusicBrainz community and data scraped from user profiles, followed by observation and qualitative interviews with registered users, called editors. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted at the same time. The study sought to answer the following research questions about MusicBrainz: Contribution: Why do people contribute? Who are the MusicBrainz contributors? What characterizes editors’ participation? How is contribution linked to cultural preference? How can one compare contributors’ motivations in MusicBrainz to other constructed cultural commons? Music Information: How does MusicBrainz negotiate guidelines and standards? What is the relationship of MusicBrainz to other music resources? What is the role of metadata in music technology? Findings are split into four categories: Demographics, including information about age, gender, region, and overall editing statistics; How MusicBrainz Works, an overview of the technical components and governance structure; Patterns & Processes, which describes the links between musical taste and contribution, how MusicBrainz serves as a tool for discovery, and the ways editors’ decisions mimic those made by information professionals; and Attitude & Motivation, which examines intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that drive users to contribute, from their belief in the philosophy of open source to a compulsion for accuracy and consistency.
GEON (GEOscience Network): A First Step in Creating Cyberinfrastructure for the Geosciences

A new buzz-word that we will be hearing in the future is cyberinfrastructure. This term refers to the information technology infrastructure that is needed to (1) manage, preserve, and efficiently access the vast amounts of Earth science data that exist now and the vast data flows that will be coming online as projects such as EarthScope get going; (2) foster integrated scientific studies that are required to address the increasingly complex scientific problems that face our scientific community; (3) accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and facilitate innovation; (4) create an environment in which data and software developed with public funds are preserved and made available in a timely fashion; and (5) provide easy access to high-end computational power, visualization, and open-source software to researchers and students. The task of creating a cyberinfrastructure for the geosciences is daunting due to the large volume and diversity of our data, as well as the extreme differences in data formats, storage, and computing systems, plus differing conventions, terminologies, and ontological frameworks across disciplines. One way to think about this is that the ultimate goal is to provide you with the tools and data that you need to do better, more creative science by minimizing the effort needed to look for data, research the background of a topic, and make software run properly. Another consideration is that when data and information are entered into an organized system, they can be easily found and unexpected relationships can be discovered via queries in a Google-like fashion. Think about discovering many of the relationships between phenomena that led to understanding plate tectonics in days instead of years. Within the Division of Earth Sciences of the National Science Foundation, the effort to create the cyberinfrastructure that we need is referred to as Geoinformatics (http://www.geoinformatics.org), which arose out of …
Needlestick Injury Rate Reduction During Phlebotomy: A Comparative Study of Two Safety Devices

Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Lab Liaison Services evaluated two phlebotomy devices designed to reduce needlestick injuries in phlebotomy. Analysis during the 17- month evaluation period showed the rate of needlestick injuries using a standard phlebotomy device was 28 injuries per 100 employees, use of a recapping device decreased the rate to 26 injuries per 100 employees, and use of a needle-sheathing device that eliminates recapping and disassembly reduced the rate to only five injuries per 100 employees. This represents an 82% reduction in the needlestick injury rate. The use of a needlesheathing device eliminated all recapping, disassembly, and disposal injuries. The dramatic reduction of needlestick injuries has led to a safer working environment for laboratory employees.
Nanostructured Si(1-x)Gex for Tunable Thin Film Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Both silicon and germanium are leading candidates to replace the carbon anode of lithium ions batteries. Silicon is attractive because of its high lithium storage capacity while germanium, a superior electronic and ionic conductor, can support much higher charge/discharge rates. Here we investigate the electronic, electrochemical and optical properties of Si(1-x)Gex thin films with x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1. Glancing angle deposition provided amorphous films of reproducible nanostructure and porosity. The film’s composition and physical properties were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, four-point probe conductivity, Raman, and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The films were assembled into coin cells to test their electrochemical properties as a lithium-ion battery anode material. The cells were cycled at various C-rates to determine the upper limits for high rate performance. Adjusting the composition in the Si(1-x)Gex system demonstrates a trade-off between rate capability and specific...
C/NOFS: A Satellite Mission to Forecast Equatorial Ionospheric Scintillation

The forecasting of low -latitude i onospheric irregularities that have detrimental effect on communication, navigation and surveillance systems will be achieved by a n AF satellite mission called Communication / Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS). The satellite, scheduled for lau nch in 2005 into a low inclination (13°), elliptical (~ 375 x 710 km) orbit, is the main component of the C/NOFS Mission. Complementary ground -based measurements are also part of the Mission. C/NOFS sensors will measure the following parameters: ambient and fluctuating electron densities; ion and elect ron temperatures; neutral winds; AC and DC electric and magnetic fields. C/NOFS will also be equipped with a GPS occultation receiver, and a radio beacon. Ionospheric irregularities often occur after sunse t. They can be fairly benign, causing a small amount of scintillation and perturbing only UHF/VHF communications, or they can be very severe, causing L -band scintillation that prevents GPS receivers to function. In these severe cases, the ionospheric irr egularities can extend beyond 1000 km altitude. They are associated with large equatorial plasma bubbles. Sophisticated physics -based simulation models have been developed to forecast the ambient ionosphere and the ionospheric turbulence.
International Weather Highlights 2015: Historic El Niño, Record Warmth, Record Hurricanes, Lower Damages

Water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific steadily rose through November, reaching levels not seen since the 1997–1998 El Nino, ensuring the 2015–2016 El Nino a ranking as one of the three...
THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF PROPRANOLOL ENANTIOMERS AND THEIR STEREOSELECTIVE DIFFERENCES

The pharmacokinetics of S(-)-propranolol and R(+)-propranolol was studied innine subjects who received 40 mg of racemic propranolol. The plasma concentrations of propranolol enan-tiomers were measured by high performance liquid chromatography using a pre-column chemical derivati-zation. The results showed as follows: the plasma level of S(-)-propranolol was higher than that of R(+)-propranolol, resulting in significantly higher peak plasma concentration Cmax (S(-): 25.7±10.1versus R(+): 17.2±7.7 μg/l. p0.01) and larger area under concentration-time curve AUC (S(-):169±56 versus R(+): 128±62 μg·h/l, p0.05). The apparent oral clearance of S(-)-propranololwas significantly lower than that of R(+)-propranolol (S(-): 129±59 versus R(+):191±89 l/h,p0.05). but the half-life of elimination did not differ significantly between the two isomers (S(-): 5.53±1.56 versus R(+): 5.44±2.92 h, p0.05). To compare the racemate with two isomers ofpropranolol in the same individual. the differences of the pharmacokinetic parameters were not significant(p0.05). This observation suggests that the differences of stereoselective disposition of propranolol cannot explain the interindividual variability in Chinese individuals.
Research on Supercritical CO_2 Extraction of Available Medical Composition from Dalbergia Wood Leaf and Comparison With Water Vapour Distillation

Dalbergia Wood Extract is a component of Chinese medicine complex prescription.It can treat cardiovascular disease.It obtains from root or stem of Dalbergia Wood by the method of Water Vapour Distillation.The paper researches on supercritical CO2 extraction of available medical composition from dalbergia wood leaf.Its optimum technical conditions from the design of orthogonal experiments are:extracting pressure at 30 MPa,temperature 40℃,entrainer volume 400ml,particle size of raw material 0.8mm.The yield of Water Vapour Distillation from Dalbergia Wood is very low.It shows that Supercritical CO2 Extraction is prior to water vapor distillation.
Resolving the Hopi-Navajo Land Dispute: Official and Unofficial Interventions

All serious ethnic conflicts involve both competing interests and threatened identities. This chapter examines a complicated long-term land conflict between the Hopi and Navajo, two sovereign native American nations. The problem, d’Estree argues, is that the conflict is not only about land, but also the identities of two peoples already coping with the impact of American conquest and the delineation of tribal reservations in the late-nineteenth century.
Staying in Touch while on the Go.

While chemical forms of cell-to-cell communication are well recognized to coordinate bacterial populations, electrical signaling has been relatively ignored. Humphries et al. show that Bacillus subtilis biofilms utilize potassium production to attract far away, motile cells of even phylogenetically distant species by altering their membrane potential.
Multiorgan involvement of chemotherapy-induced sarcoidosis mimicking progression of lymphoma on FDG PET/CT

A 35-year-old woman with biopsy-proven recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma in the neck lymph nodes received salvage chemotherapy of brentuximab/insulin growth factor-methotrexate. Although the patient continued doing well clinically with no constitutional symptoms or significant laboratory abnormalities following the second recurrence, subsequent FDG PET CT examinations over the next 2 years revealed multiple new FDG-avid foci including lymph nodes above/below the diaphragm, liver, spleen, lungs, and bone. An alternate diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced sarcoidosis was suggested and confirmed on both bone marrow and right inguinal node biopsy.
Overview of human vital signs detection using radar techniques

In this paper, we present an overview on the use of different radar types for vital signs detection. Our results using step frequency continuous wave radar for detecting heart rate and respiration rate and associated detection errors relative to reference measurements will be discussed in detail.
Comparison of clinical features among Parkinson's disease subtypes: A large retrospective study in a single center

Abstract Introduction Tremor dominant (TD), postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD), and akinetic-rigid (AR) subtypes are widely used in classifying patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods We compared clinical characteristics between PD subtypes in a large retrospective cohort. Between 1998 and 2016, we included a total of 1003 patients with PD in this retrospective study. Six hundred ninety-four patients had more than one visit. Data were collected regarding motor/non-motor symptoms at the initial/final visits. Based on the prominent symptom at the initial visit, we classified patients into one of the four subtypes: TD, AR, gait difficulty, and mixed. Rapid progression was defined by emergence of falls, dementia, or dependency within 5 years after onset. Results TD was the most prevalent subtype (44%), followed by AR (29%), mixed (18%), and gait difficulty (9%). Rapid progression was observed more frequently in gait difficulty compared to AR (OR: 3.59 P Conclusions Our findings provide support for a distinction of four different PD subtypes: TD, AR, gait difficulty, and mixed. The gait difficulty subtype was distinguishable from the AR subtype.
RENAL ARTERY STENOSIS CAUSING RENAL DYSFUNCTION AND HEART FAILURE, CONFOUNDED BY SEVERE AORTIC STENOSIS

An 82 year old female with uncontrolled hypertension and chronic kidney disease presented with symptoms of heart failure (HF). Examination was significant for an aortic stenosis (AS) murmur, distended jugular veins and pedal edema. Echocardiography showed preserved ejection fraction and severe AS (
Energy Flow Calculation of Energy Internet

In this chapter, an integrated energy network based on the Newton-Raphson method technique is developed to solve the energy flow problem. Referring to initial guess sensitivity issues of Newton method, a convergence theorem of Newton power flow is presented to improve the efficiency of calculation. Meanwhile, the proposed maximum iterations estimation theorem can ensure the rate of convergence. Proposed two theorems can be used to determine the convergence before calculation and directly select optimal initial guess from the feasible region. A case study is utilized to validate correctness and effectiveness of the proposed theorem. Furthermore, to solve the problem of low computing speed and high requirements of computing equipment in large-scale integrated energy networks, a distributed parallel computing method suitable for integrated energy networks is applied. By splitting the coupling nodes, the whole network is decomposed into many subnetworks. At the same time, multiple processors are used in parallel computing to improve the computation speed of energy flow and reduce the demand for a single processor.
Context in a bottle: Language-action cues in spontaneous computer-mediated deception

Abstract Context always matters in online deception. This study conceptualizes language-action cues as a dynamic and interactive representation of context, and explores indicators of interpersonal deception in spontaneous computer-mediated communication. An online game was designed and developed to simulate computer-mediated deception scenarios in pairwise interactive dialogue that is difficult to capture in the real world. The study was conducted with 40 research participants in 80 game sessions during 2014 and 2015. Research results demonstrate the efficacy of language-action cues in revealing deception during pairwise interaction. The study contributes a novel perspective on viewing interaction using language-action cues to define context, with a sociotechnical research design that can computationally differentiate between deceivers and truth-tellers in spontaneous pairwise interaction.
Adaptive Software Reliability Growth

Abstract Software reliability is defined as the probability that a software system successfully accomplishes all the designed functions as specified for a given period when used under specified operating conditions. This implies that the during the design, development and implementation phases, the prediction depends on the apriori data collected or supplied but during the system life cycle this data has to be updated with new data. Hence the software reliability model has to be adapted with posterior data from the data collection process. This paper will describe a model that will analyze the software system throughout the software system life cycle and demonstrate the software reliability of the software system as a function of its operational use and incremental modifications. The model’s primary focus will be to develop the dependency of the software reliability with usage, environment, and the type of data being processed.
Robust estimation and selection for single-index regression model

In this paper, we consider a single-index regression model for which we propose a robust estimation procedure for the model parameters and an efficient variable selection of relevant predictors. Th...
The Trump Administration and Lessons Not Learned from Prior National Monument Modifications

In the debate surrounding President Trump’s monument reductions, a critical and as-yet unanswered question is whether prior presidential monument reductions create a precedent for contemporary actions through the doctrine of congressional acquiescence. This article undertakes a historical survey of prior presidential reductions to determine whether—and if so to what extent—there is a pattern of presidential action sufficient to support the congressional acquiescence argument.
Histoplasmosis-related Healthcare Use, Diagnosis, and Treatment in a Commercially Insured Population, United States.

Background Infections with Histoplasma can range from asymptomatic to life-threatening acute pulmonary or disseminated disease. Histoplasmosis can be challenging to diagnose and is widely underrecognized. We analyzed insurance claims data to better characterize histoplasmosis testing and treatment practices and its burden on patients. Methods We used the IBM MarketScan Research Databases to identify patients with histoplasmosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes 115.00-115.99) during 2012-2014. We analyzed claims in the 3 months before to the 1 year after diagnosis and examined differences between patients with probable (hospitalized or >1 outpatient visit) and suspected (1 outpatient visit) histoplasmosis. Results Among 1935 patients (943 probable, 992 suspected), 54% had codes for symptoms or findings consistent with histoplasmosis and 35% had ≥2 healthcare visits in the 3 months before diagnosis. Overall, 646 (33%) had any fungal-specific laboratory test: histoplasmosis antibody test (n = 349 [18%]), Histoplasma antigen test (n = 349 [18%]), fungal smear (n = 294 [15%]), or fungal culture (n = 223 [12%]); 464 (24%) had a biopsy. Forty-nine percent of probable patients and 10% of suspected patients were prescribed antifungal medication in the outpatient setting. In total, 19% were hospitalized. Patients' last histoplasmosis-associated healthcare visits occurred a median of 6 months after diagnosis. Conclusions Some histoplasmosis patients experienced severe disease, apparent diagnostic delays, and prolonged illness, whereas other patients lacked symptoms and were likely diagnosed incidentally (eg, via biopsy). Low rates of histoplasmosis-specific testing also suggest incidental diagnoses and low provider suspicion, highlighting the need for improved awareness about this disease.
MOCVD epitaxy of β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 thin films on (010) Ga2O3 substrates and N-type doping

(010) β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 thin films were grown on (010) β-Ga2O3 substrates via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition with up to 40% Al incorporation by systematic tuning of the Trimethylaluminum (TMAl)/triethylgallium molar flow rate ratio and growth temperature. High crystalline quality with pure β-phase (AlxGa1−x)2O3 was achieved for films with Al composition x < 27%, while a higher Al composition induced phase segregation which was observed via X-ray diffraction spectra. Al incorporation was highly dependent on the growth temperature, chamber pressure, oxygen partial pressure, and TMAl molar flow rate. Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging demonstrated a high crystalline quality β-(Al0.15Ga0.85)2O3 film with an epitaxial interface. High resolution STEM imaging of (AlxGa1−x)2O3/Ga2O3 superlattice (SL) structures revealed superior crystalline quality for the 23% Al composition. When the Al composition reaches 40%, the SL structure maintained the β-phase, but the interfaces became rough with inhomogeneous Al distribution. N-type doping using Si in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films with the Al composition up to 33.4% was demonstrated.
Supernovae: a new selection effect.

A sample of 228 supernovae that occurred in galaxies with known redshifts is used to show that the mean projected linear supernova distance from the center of the parent galaxy increases with increasing redshift. This effect is interpreted as an observational bias: the discovery rate of supernovae is reduced in the inner parts of distant, poorly resolved galaxies. Even under the optimistic assumption that no selection effects work in galaxies closer than 33 Mpc, about 50% of all supernovae are lost in the inner regions of galaxies beyond 150 Mpc. This observational bias must be taken into account in the derivation of statistical properties of supernovae.
Outcome Trajectories after Primary Perinatal Hemorrhagic Stroke

Abstract Background Perinatal hemorrhagic stroke in late preterm and term neonates is understudied. We describe two-month and two-year neurological outcomes in a prospective cohort. Methods Neonates ≥36 weeks’ gestation with spontaneous hemorrhagic stroke (parenchymal and intraventricular) presenting at age ≤28 days were enrolled between March 2007 and May 2015 at three tertiary pediatric centers. Hemorrhagic transformation of arterial ischemic stroke or cerebral sinovenous thrombosis was excluded. The Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) assessed outcomes. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests evaluated change over time. Results Twenty-six neonates were included (median age: 1 day, interquartile range [IQR] 0 to 16; median gestational age: 38.3 weeks, IQR 37.0 to 39.0). Hemorrhage was isolated intraventricular in seven (27%), isolated intraparenchymal in six (23%), and a combination in 10 (39%). Three neonates (12%) died during hospitalization; one died later due to cardiac disease. Among 22 survivors, outcomes were assessed at a median of 2.1 months (IQR 1.7 to 3.3) in 96% and 1.9 years (IQR 1.3 to 2.0) in 73%. Median PSOM scores were 0.0 (IQR 0.0 to 1.0) and 0.25 (IQR 0.0 to 1.3), respectively. At two years, 45% of patients had no or nonimpairing deficits (PSOM Conclusions Perinatal hemorrhagic stroke survivors had favorable outcomes in early childhood; at two years moderate to severe deficits occurred in 5%. Language deficits may emerge over time, warranting close follow-up.