cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunodeficient Mouse Strains Display Marked Variability in Growth of Human Melanoma Lung Metastases

Purpose: Immunodeficient mice serve as critical hosts for transplantation of xenogeneic cells for in vivo analysis of various biological processes. Because investigators typically select one or two immunodeficient mouse strains as recipients, no comprehensive study has been published documenting differences in human tumor engraftment. Taking advantage of the increased metastatic potential of RhoC-expressing human (A375) melanoma cells, we evaluate four immunodeficient mouse strains: severe combined immunodeficiency ( scid ), nonobese diabetic (NOD)- scid , NOD- scid β2m null , and NOD- scid IL2Rγ null as xenograft tumor recipients. Experimental Design: Bioluminescence, magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathology were used to monitor serial tumor growth. Natural killer (NK) cell function was examined in each mouse strain using standard 51 Chromium release assays. Results: Melanoma metastases growth is delayed and variable in scid and NOD- scid mice. In contrast, NOD- scid β2m null and NOD- scid IL2Rγ null mice show rapid tumor engraftment, although tumor growth is variable in NOD- scid β2m null mice. NK cells were detected in all strains except NOD- scid IL2Rγ null , and in vitro activated scid , NOD- scid , and NOD- scid β2m null NK cells kill human melanoma lines and primary melanoma cells. Expression of human NKG2D ligands MHC class I chain–related A and B molecules renders melanoma susceptible to murine NK cell–mediated cytotoxicity and killing is inhibited by antibody blockade of murine NKG2D. Conclusions: Murine NKG2D recognition of MICA/B is an important receptor-ligand interaction used by NK cells in immunodeficient strains to limit engraftment of human tumors. The absolute NK deficiency in NOD- scid IL2Rγ null animals makes this strain an excellent recipient of melanoma and potentially other human malignancies.
A Method for Chemical‐Shift‐Selective Imaging

Selective suppression of a given resonance in an NMR image can be obtained with a π/2 pulse whose excitation spectrum in zero at the appropriate chemical shift. The selective π/2 pulse presented here is composed of two nonselective π/2 pulses of opposite phase. The two pulses are separated by a short interval which determines the excitation spectrum.© 1985 Academic Press,Inc.
Consumption embedded in culture and language: implications for finding sustainability

In this article I ask how deeply consumer culture has become embedded in contemporary American society. I suggest that we need to begin with greater conceptual clarity, particularly on terms that a...
What Does It Mean to Engage in Identity Exploration and to Hold Identity Commitments? A Methodological Critique of Multidimensional Measures for the Study of Identity Processes

In this article, the processes of identity exploration and commitment are considered in terms of theoretical conceptualizations and the operational definitions used in research. The perspectives of Erikson, Marcia, Luyckx, and Meeus are reviewed with respect to the multiple dimensions of these processes. Attention is focused on four exploration dimensions: (a) exploration in breadth, (b) exploration in depth, (c) reconsideration of commitment, and (d) ruminative exploration, and three dimensions of identity commitment: (a) presence versus absence of commitment, (b) extent of commitment-related activity, and (c) commitment quality. Identity status interviewing, as a methodology for the study of the identity status paradigm, and a variety of multidimensional questionnaires for research on identity, are compared for points of correspondence and divergence. A methodological critique of the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, and the Utrecht-Management of Identity ...
Correlation between hydration of cement and durability of natural fiber-reinforced cement composites

Abstract The influence of cement hydration on the durability of natural fiber-reinforced cementcomposites and the deterioration of the embedded natural fibers were investigated by incorporating four supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Cement hydration was presented to be a crucial factor in understanding natural fiber degradation behavior. The results indicated that the incorporation of SCMs slowed down both mineralization and alkaline hydrolysis of fiber cell walls by promoting the hydration of cement. This is attributed to the reduced alkalinity of pore solution and calcium hydroxide content. Degradation of natural fiber was significantly mitigated and the durability of cement composites was improved consequently.
Contested Ontologies of Software: The Story of Gottschalk v. Benson, 1963-1972

In 1972, the US Supreme Court issued Gottschalk v. Benson, one of the most prominent decisions in the history of software patenting. It ruled that a computer program developed at Bell Laboratories by Gary Benson and Arthur Tabbot was ineligible for patent protection. This article argues that the journey of Benson and Tabbot's program through the patent system from 1963 to 1972 consists of a series of "ontological contests"--that is, clashes between attorneys and federal agents who proposed mutually incompatible conceptions of the nature of software, each one designed to serve as a philosophical underpinning for patent law. This argument invites a new historical approach to the study of the history of software patenting, one that reveals how the nature of computer programs as technologies and inventions was shaped by public administrators, judges, corporate attorneys, and trade associations.
Exploring the relationship between the proportion of seriously delinquent mortgages and the proportion of single and/or female borrowers at the census tract level in the Philadelphia MSA

ABSTRACTWhile race and ethnicity have been analyzed often in the recent literature on the national foreclosure crisis, there has been little focus on gender and marital status in studies that focus on seriously delinquent mortgages. Merging data sets from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Census, we examined differences in the proportion of mortgages that are seriously delinquent at the Census tract level in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Division by gender and marital status. We found that Census tracts with a high proportion of single female borrowers have relatively high proportions of seriously delinquent mortgages, controlling for many other factors.
Demonstration of Strong Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer between Nanostructures

We demonstrate near-field radiative heat transfer between nanostructures and show that it dominates over other on-chip conduction channels. The measured heat transfer behavior matches the predictions of boundary element method simulations for parallel nanobeams.
Empowering Preservice Music Teachers Through the Dialogue-Centered Methods Class

The front-loaded lecture can be a dangerous thing. It creates passivity among students and disengages them in the teaching learning process. Many teachers believe frontal lecturing to be the most e...
Abstract A7: Young adult cancer survivors and substance abuse: Results from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2009

Introduction: The five-year survival rates for young adult cancers continue to increase. Nonetheless, these young adult survivors may experience health complications or physical late effects that contribute to negative lifestyle behaviors potentiating the use of gateway drugs (e.g. alcohol and cigarettes). Examination of these negative behaviors during emerging adulthood (i.e., ages 18–24) may be particularly critical, as this developmental period is characterized by significant change, instability, identity exploration, and experimentation. In the present study, we examine the use of cigarettes and risky alcohol consumption among U.S. young adult cancer survivors. Methods: We analyzed data on 39,433 U.S. young adults age 18–24 participating in the 1997–2009 National Health Interview Survey, who reported on their cigarette use and alcohol consumption, and socio-demographic characteristics. Results: Among all youth, youth workers are almost twice as likely to smoke cigarettes when compared to their unemployed peers and Whites were more likely to engage in these negative behaviors when compared to their Black peers. There was no significant difference in alcohol or cigarette use by cancer history among young people. Approximately 35% of young cancer survivors were smokers and 70% current drinkers. Analyses did not reveal any significant reports of risky drinking. Conclusions: Periodic clinical assessments for substance use among cancer survivors is important, particularly during the transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood when baseline rates are relatively high compared to other ages. Research on processes involved in a young cancer survivors’ decisions to use substances will provide better insight regarding how best to intervene and who to include in educational interventions. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20(10 Suppl):A7.
267 THIRTEEN YEARS OF DIABETES MANAGEMENT IN A MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL SYSTEM.

Since poor glycemic control is a particular problem for ethnic minority patients in urban environments, the Grady Diabetes Clinic has attempted to improve outcomes by emphasizing both regular assessment and aggressive management by providers. To evaluate the impact of this quality improvement program, we reviewed care in this setting between 4/1/1991 and 12/31/2004. 10,874 patients with type 2 diabetes and first visits to the clinic had an average age of 52 yrs, BMI of 33 kg/m2, and diabetes duration of 5.2 yrs. Sixty-one percent were female and 89% were African American. A1c at presentation fell from 9.0% in 1991 to 8.3% in 2004 (p Conclusions In a municipal hospital diabetes clinic, self-assessment strategies improved provider behavior significantly over 13 years, in association with better glycemic control—close to ADA goals. Translating these approaches to enhance diabetes care across the US may require a similar emphasis on evaluation and improvement of management by providers.
Rational approaches to combating resistance

Traditional treatment paradigms based on national guidelines and administrative policies, such as restricted formularies, that are intended to guide antibiotic selection for empirical therapy of community- and hospital-acquired infections have been largely unsuccessful in curbing the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Evidence suggests that restricting antibiotic availability may lead to potential misuse of unrestricted agents as well as to increased adverse drug reactions, costs and, potentially, increased antibiotic resistance. New treatment paradigms, such as that embodied in the LDS Hospital computer-based "automated antibiotic assistant", that address antibiotic use from a process-of-care approach, using local clinician-derived solutions implemented at the patient's bedside, may offer strategic advantages over traditional approaches based on restricting antibiotic use. By using patient- and institution-specific data to tailor therapy to individual patient circumstances, such systems can help reduce the dosage, duration, frequency of adverse events and cost of antibiotic therapy as well as improving clinical outcomes and potentially avoiding drug resistance.
Athlete Burnout: Potential for Research and Intervention Strategies

Burnout research has predominately focused on individuals within the helping professions, such as teachers and social workers. Only recently have studies been conducted to include the sports world. However, these studies focus only upon coaches (Capel, Sisley, & Desertrain, 1987) and athletic trainers (Capel, 1986), not on athletes. This review examines the literature on burnout and specifically relates it to athletes. Major findings from the literature are identified. In addition, future directions in athlete burnout research are recognized, and possible variables contributing to athlete burnout are examined.
Dance in SHAPE America Is Alive and Well

This article describes all the ways in which dance is currently being supported and promoted by SHAPE America through events, publications and other resources.
The Archives of the Order of the Golden Fleece and Music

Even though no medieval chivalric order was known to have patronized musicians, there was reason to believe that music had played a prominent role in the ceremonies of the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece in the fifteenth century. The first two sovereigns of the Order, Dukes Philip and Charles of Burgundy, were enthusiastic patrons of skilled composers and performers. And the meetings of the Order were unusually splendid, to judge from contemporary accounts, chronicles and paintings. Chronicles describing the Feast of the Pheasant organized by the Order in Lille in 1454 to launch a crusade are especially full of details about the performance of polyphonic music.
Retinal pigment epithelial transplantation in exudative age-related macular degeneration: what do in vivo and in vitro studies teach us?

Subfoveal choroidal neovascularization remains a leading cause of severe visual loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)1–4. Unfortunately, most patients who develop choroidal neovascularization in AMD have subfoveal choroidal neovascularization at the time of presentation, or ill-defined choroidal neovascularization which is not readily amenable to laser treatment. Studies of the natural history of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in AMD indicate that 70% of eyes achieve a visual acuity of 20/200 (6/60) or worse within 2 years of presentation1. In 1991, the Macular Photocoagulation Study group demonstrated a treatment benefit of laser photocoagulation compared with no treatment for a select subgroup of eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with AMD3,4, but there is a significant postoperative reduction in visual acuity which is an unavoidable consequence of subfoveal laser photocoagulation. In addition, 51% of eyes with subfoveal membranes in AMD demonstrate persistent or recurrent choroidal neovascularization by 24 months after treatment3.
Evaluation of constraints to water quality improvements in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

Severe environmental and health impacts have been experienced in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) because of eutrophication and associated proliferation of harmful algae blooms. Efforts to improve water quality within the WLEB have been on-going for several decades. However, water quality improvements in the basin have not been realized as anticipated. In this study, factors affecting water quality within the WLEB were evaluated with a view to differentiating their impacts and informing further assessments in the basin. Over the long-term (1966-2015) and basin-wide, total annual precipitation increased significantly by about 2.4 mm/year while mean monthly streamflows also increased during the same period although the increase was not significant (p = 0.36). There was, however, a significant increase in spring streamflows during this period (p = 0.003). Patterns in water quality parameters showed significant reductions in total suspended solids (TSS) (p < 0.001) and total phosphorus (TP) (p = 0.018) while soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) increased significantly (p < 0.001), and in particular from about 1995. Results of near-term (2005-2015) analysis showed a non-significant (p = 0.262) reduction in TSS concentrations of about 0.25 mg/L/year. TP concentrations did not vary substantially during the same period while a 0.11 mg/L/year increase in nitrate and a 0.001 mg/L/year increase in SRP were observed, with increases in nitrates being significant (p = 0.013). TP and SRP concentrations, however, remained high within the basin with daily values ranging between 0.03 and 1.84 mg/L and less than 0.002-0.52 mg/L, respectively. Basin-wide, both spring precipitation and spring streamflows increased significantly during the period 2005-2015 (p < 0.001). Overall, no substantial changes in land use were observed, suggesting that water quality responses might be attributable to management. Based on recent data, corn acreage in the basin and fertilizer applied to corn increased by 33% and 10% respectively. Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and impoundments were also important factors due to their prevalence in the basin. Based on the analysis, changes in agricultural management, increase in spring precipitation, CSOs, legacy phosphorus, and the presence of dams were thought to present constraints to water quality improvements despite conservation efforts within the basin.
Whose Knowledge? Representing Indigenous Realities in Library and Archival Collections

Librarians are fond of the saying “a good library has something to offend everyone.” However, too often, in regards to Indigenous communities and knowledge, our collections seem to offer nothing bu...
Application of the Streaming Current Detector in Sludge Conditioner Selection and Control

The streaming current detector (SCD) can be utilized to measure charge characteristics of a suspension or sludge which can be related to zeta potential. In this study, the SCD was used as a tool for polymer selection and dose control toward improved sludge conditioning prior to centrifugation. In laboratory studies, polymer addition to sludges was followed by controlled mixing then measurement of streaming current (SC) and capillary suction time (CST). Plant studies employed facilities at an 18.8 MGD wastewater treatment facility in Warminster, PA, USA. Anaerobically digested sludge was conditioned with varying doses of cationic polymer and dewatered using two parallel solid-bowl centrifuges. The polymer caused a transition from negative to positive charge in both conditioned sludge and centrate. The polymer dose range for optimum dewaterability, as indicated by CST and solids recovery, corresponded to near-zero SC in all cases. Even when greater mixing intensities or times increased the polymer demand, the charge transition was similarly related. This correspondence was used to successfully confirm a calculation method establishing velocity gradient and mixing time similitude between jar tests and in-line mixing prior to the centrifuge.
Lipids and Membranes

Lipids (from the Greek, meaning “fat”) comprise a heterogeneous group of organic compounds, insoluble (or sparingly soluble) in water, but soluble in nonpolar solvents such as chloroform, ether, and benzene. Lipids differ in their structure, but all have pronounced nonpolar groups, or both nonpolar and polar groups. Thus, lipids are either hydrophobic or amphipathic compounds. Unlike proteins and polysaccharides, lipids are small molecules, but they have a strong tendency to associate through noncovalent interactions. As major parts of their structure, many lipids have long hydrocarbon chains that may be saturated or unsaturated. Some lipids have specific roles and high biological activity. Among these, we find several vitamins and hormones. In addition, lipids have a number of general biological functions.
Educational Change and Demographic Change: Immigration and the Role of Educational Leadership

Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, having been populated largely through waves of migration by people from nations and territories throughout the world (people of African and indigenous descent being the most notable exceptions to this pattern), immigration has historically been a source of controversy and conflict. Throughout American history, each wave of immigration has been greeted by hostility, discrimination, and, in some cases, fierce opposition from groups who arrived not long before. In each case, the right of new migrants to settle and reside in the United States has been challenged both on the basis of the perceived threat they posed to the economic security and well-being of those who came before and on their presumed cultural incompatibility with American social norms (Roediger, 1991). Ironically, even groups that today seem to be completely accepted and integrated within the social fabric of American society – Germans, Italians, Irish, and Jews – were once subjected to attacks and concerted opposition to their entry and settlement by others that charged they were unwanted and “unassimilable” (Brodkin, 1991; Takaki, 1989).
Eavesdropping on the conversation between immune cells and the skin epithelium

The skin epithelium covers our body and serves as a vital interface with the external environment. Here, we review the context-specific interactions between immune cells and the epithelium that underlie barrier fitness and function. We highlight the mechanisms by which these two systems engage each other and how immune-epithelial interactions are tuned by microbial and inflammatory stimuli. Epithelial homeostasis relies on a delicate balance of immune surveillance and tolerance, breakdown of which results in disease. In addition to their canonical immune functions, resident and recruited immune cells also supply the epithelium with instructive signals to promote repair. Decoding the dialogue between immunity and the epithelium therefore has great potential for boosting barrier function or mitigating inflammatory epithelial diseases.
The tyrosine phosphorylated carboxyterminus of the EGF receptor is a binding site for GAP and PLC-gamma.

Abstract Phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) and GTPase activating protein (GAP) are substrates of EGF, PDGF and other growth factor receptors. Since either PLC-gamma or GAP also bind to the activated receptors it was suggested that their SH2 domains are mediating this association. We attempted to delineate the specific region of the EGF receptor that is responsible for the binding, utilizing EGF receptor mutants, PLC-gamma, and a bacterially expressed TRP E fusion protein containing the SH2 domains of GAP. As previously shown, tyrosine autophosphorylation of the wild-type receptor wsa crucial in mediating the association and in agreement, a kinase negative EGF receptor could bind PLC-gamma or TRP E GAP SH2, but only when cross tyrosine phosphorylated by an active EGF receptor kinase. The importance of autophosphorylation for association was confirmed by demonstrating that a carboxy-terminal deletion of the EGFR missing four autophosphorylation sites bound these proteins poorly. To study the role of EGF receptor autophosphorylation further, a 203 amino acid EGF receptor fragment was generated with cyanogen bromide that contained all known tyrosine autophosphorylation sites. This fragment bound both TRP E GAP SH2 and PLC-gamma but only when tyrosine phosphorylated. This data localizes a major binding site for SH2 domain containing proteins to the carboxy-terminus of the EGF receptor and points to the importance of tyrosine phosphorylation in mediating this association.
Agroforestry for a vibrant future: connecting people, creating livelihoods, and sustaining places

The North American Agroforestry Conference is a biennial meeting of agroforestry researchers, producers, extension and agency professionals, non-governmental organizations, investors, and policy-makers. The conference is organized and conducted with the Association for Temperate Agroforestry, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to promote the adoption of agroforestry by landowners in temperate regions. Formed in 1991, members of the Association for Temperate Agroforestry are worldwide and constitute a longstanding network of temperate agroforestry professionals and organizations. The 15th North American Agroforestry Conference occurred at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA in 2017 with nearly 200 agroforestry professionals from six continents representing a broad range of perspectives and interests. They shared agroforestry research, experiences, and visions, and shaped future agroforestry networking, engagement, education, and policy. Manuscripts in this special issue reflect the breadth and depth of the presentations and contribute valuable insights that cut across initiatives ranging from basic production science, applied adoption research, ecosystem services, and policy. This special issue is part of a tradition of publishing papers from the biennial conference that advance our understanding of temperate agroforestry and its role in the future of farming and forestry.
Direct Laser Patterned Electroplated Copper Contacts for Interdigitated Back Contact Silicon Solar Cells

Laser patterning of seed layers for Cu electroplated interdigitated contacts on Ni/a-SiN x :H/Si substrates is presented. Damage was controlled by varying the laser conditions. Cu growths shorted the contacts due to conductive residues in the scribe lines, but were attenuated with pre-deposition etching yielding electrically-isolated plated fingers. Parasitically-plated Cu stripes were now observed in laser cuts, postulated due to Cu nucleation from high current densities at pinholes originating from laser and etch damage to the resistive a-SiN x :H. While a promising approach for contact processing, laser conditions must be carefully optimized to minimize substrate damage.
Application of health education pathway in hospitalized children with unintentional injury and their caregivers

Objective To explore the effect of health education pathway on hospitalized children with unintentional injury and their caregivers. Methods From January to December 2015, a total of 100 children with unintentional injuries and their caregivers admitted to ICU in a class Ⅲ grade A hospital were selected as the research objects. They were divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table, with 50 cases in each group. Patients and their caregivers in the control group received routine health education, while patients and their caregivers in the observation group were given the pathway of health education based on the control group. The health education knowledge, hospitalization expenses, hospitalization days, rehospitalization rate and nursing satisfaction of children and caregivers in the two groups before and after intervention were compared. Results The degree of mastery of health education knowledge of children and the caregivers was 98% , 98% in the observation group and 86% , 80% in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (χ2=4.89, 9.55; P< 0.05) . The hospitalization expenses, hospitalization days and rehospitalization rate of the observation group were lower than those of the control group, the differences were statistically significant (t=2.56, 2.67, 9.82; P< 0.05) . The nursing satisfaction of the patients and the caregivers of the observation group was 94%, which was higher than 76% of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (χ2=15.78, P<0.05) . Conclusions The pathway of health education can reduce the hospitalization expenses, rehospitalization rate and improve the nursing satisfaction of hospitalized children with unintentional injury, worthwhile for clinical use. Key words: Children; Unintentional injury; Health education pathway; Caregivers
Toward an Anti-Imperialistic Critical Race Analysis of the Model Minority Myth:

Over the past three decades, many higher education scholars have engaged in efforts to counter the stereotype that Asian Americans achieve universal and unparalleled academic success. While most of...
Hurdles in quality neonatal health care provision in an urban city of India: providers’ perspective - a cross sectional study

Background: Improving the quality of neonatal intensive care should be an important health policy priority. A formal assessment of barriers and priorities for quality improvement has not been undertaken. Objectives: To identify various barriers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hindering the provision of quality neonatal care as identified by clinicians working in the NICU. Study population: Doctors working in the Level 2 and Level 3 NICUs, Hyderabad. Study duration: One year from November 2018 to November 2019. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Method: Questionnaires were distributed to each eligible clinician working in level 2 and level 3 NICUs. Completed questionnaires were collected back within one week. Results: Most of the respondents identified family inability to pay (63, 83%), lack of health insurance (52, 68%) as the principal barriers to quality health care provision. Poor remuneration (35, 46%) and team member burnout were pointed out as institutional barriers to quality care. Conclusions: In this study, clinicians identified family inability to pay and lack of health insurance as the principal clinical barriers to quality health care provision. They also identified poor remunerationand team member burnout as the principal institutional barriers to quality care. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2021; 50(2): 228-232
Student Perceptions of an Open Educational Resource for an Introduction to Criminal Justice Course

Open Educational Resources (OER) are revolutionizing the delivery and access of learning in higher education around the world. This, in part, is in response to the outcry from students. That is– on...
New Water for Northern Plains

Current research follows a plan to progress from experimental projects on individual clouds (or areas less than 1,000 sq miles) to pilot projects involving several thousand square miles to operational projects over areas which could involve tens of thousands of square miles. Research to date has shown that individual clouds exist that can be made to produce additional precipitation by seeding, and a beginning has been made on defining the meteorological conditions for which cloud seeding can produce additional useable precipitation. Results of cloud seeding for hail suppression are mixed. Pilot project extending over several thousand square miles are now needed to determine whether the effects found on experimental projects can be extended to larger areas. There is a need to leave a limited number of cases (randomly selected) unseeded as controls to monitor the effects of the weather modification treatment. It is proposed that the fraction left unseeded change from 50% for experimental projects to 25% for pilot projects to 10% for operational projects.
Limits of Functions

As was pointed out in Chap. 2, the central idea in analysis is that of limit, which was introduced and studied for sequences of real numbers, i.e., for functions \(x:\mathbb{N}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}.\) In particular, the behavior of the term x n ​: = x(n) was studied under the assumption that the element n in the domain of our sequence was approaching infinity.
Hardware/Software Co-Design of Run-Time Schedulers for Real-Time Systems

Wepresent the Serra Run-Time Scheduler Synthesis and AnalysisTool which automatically generates a run-time scheduler froma heterogeneous system-level specification in both Verilog HDLand C. Part of the run-time scheduler is implemented in hardware,which allows the scheduler to be predictable in being able tomeet hard real-time constraints, while part is implemented insoftware, thus supporting features typical of software schedulers. Serra's real-time analysis generates a priority assignment forthe software tasks in the mixed hardware-software system. Thetasks in hardware and software have precedence constraints, resourceconstraints, relative timing constraints, and a rate constraint.A heuristic scheduling algorithm assigns the static prioritiessuch that a hard real-time rate constraint can be predictablymet. Serra supports the specification of critical regions insoftware, thus providing the same functionality as semaphores.We describe the task control/data-flow extraction,synthesis of the control portion of the run-time scheduler inhardware, real-time analysis and priority scheduler template.We also show how our approach fits into an overall tool flowand target architecture. Finally, we conclude with a sample applicationof the novel run-time scheduler synthesis and analysis tool toa robotics design example.
Pivot Algorithm and Push‐off Method for Efficient System Generation of All‐Atom Polymer Melts: Application to Hydroxyl‐Terminated Polybutadiene

Procedures used to generate initial conditions for all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of amorphous polymer systems are described. The pivot algorithm is applied directly to produce unbranched hydroxyl-terminated cis-1,4-polybutadiene molecules with chain lengths ranging from 8 to 64 monomeric units (32 to 256 carbon atoms), based on the OPLS all-atom force field. The generated molecular configurations are characteristic of (pseudo-) ideal conditions and therefore exhibit the same properties as polymer chains in a melt. We analyze both the mean squared chain dimensions and their distributions in order to validate the correctness of this approach. The chains are efficiently packed into 3d-periodic simulation cells using the push-off method and subsequently equilibrated by standard MD. Together, the pivot algorithm and push-off method provide the means for efficient generation of equilibrated dense polymer melts for multi-million-atom systems.
Exploring technical vocational education and training systems in emerging markets: A case study on Ghana

– The purpose of this study was to explore trends and changes in technical vocational education and training (TVET) in emerging economies as a national human resource development (NHRD) approach and its practical applications using Ghana as an example. , – A case study approach was used to develop an in-depth analysis of TVET practices in Ghana. The study utilizes a targeted review of literature, analysis of government documents and interviews with key informants as illustrative sources of evidence for developing the case study. , – TVET has been identified as a major contributor to skills development in Ghana. Capitalizing on the potential of TVET requires addressing the challenges of increasing employer participation in TVET, improving TVET curriculum to enhance student ' s employability and reflect labor market needs. Additionally, informal TVET plays a major role in skills development therefore it is recognized as part of the TVET planning process. , – Data for this research were gathered from key informant interviews and archival records. Additional methods such as observations would further enhance this study. Further research of trends in Ghana to validate implications drawn from this research is recommended. , – This research provides an overview for HRD professionals to understand the potential of TVET as an approach to human capital development within emerging markets. This is because developing comprehensive plans that address national and employer needs regarding talent acquisition, development and retention will re-emerge as a critical objective for TVET system as nations compete in the global market place. , – This study provides a unique perspective of current TVET practices in Ghana and its implications for human resource development (HRD). Furthermore, it adds to the small but growing literature on HRD in Ghana and in the African context.
Is Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress A Freestanding Tort

Liability for negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) is often taken to be a freestanding tort, which guards our interest in emotional tranquility against careless injury. Scope of duty determinations - settling who owes a legal obligation to exercise reasonable care and to whom they owe that obligation - are paramount on this account. Gruesome accidents may traumatize hundreds and even thousands of people. Unless the duty to exercise reasonable care not to inflict emotional harm is carefully controlled, liability will be excessive.In this paper, prepared for a conference on the Restatement 3rd of Torts, I argue that courts have come to conceptualize NIED doctrine as a doctrine of proximate cause. Proximate cause doctrine takes the existence of obligation for granted, and addresses the extent of the defendant’s liability for breach of obligation. Proximate cause doctrine settles the scope of defendants’ responsibility when defendants have failed to conduct themselves as they should. When courts address NIED liability, they are asking whether and when liability for breach of an antecedently existing duty should extend to encompass the infliction of emotional harm. In accidents among strangers, the pertinent preexisting duty is the general tort obligation to exercise reasonable care in order to avoid otherwise foreseeable physical harm. Liability for emotional harm is parasitic on the prospect of physical harm. In cases where the parties have a preexisting relationship, the pertinent duties are imposed by other bodies of law (e.g., by contract law). NIED doctrine does not impose new obligations; it extends liability for breach of preexisting obligations.The prospect of excessive liability is the central threat to a flourishing body of law imposing liability for negligently inflicted emotional distress. Conceptualizing NIED liability as proximate cause disarms this threat and arms courts with doctrinal tools devised to construct an appropriate domain of liability.
Performance of an OFDM Based Downlink Multiple Access System for Indoor Wireless Communications

We have analyzed the downlink performance of a multiuser Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing based multiple access system for indoor wireless communications. The optimization problem for minimizing the total transmit power from a base station while satisfying the bit-rate and bit-error rate criterion of the various portable users in the system has been outlined. The analytical solution obtained cannot be realized in a simple manner and we present a realizable method for the combined allocation of subcarriers, modulation mode, and power to the signals transmitted to the different users. Simulation results are used to compare the performance of the analytical solution with that using the new method under various channel conditions. Performance comparisons between the new method and an OFDM-TDMA system clearly indicate the advantages of the new algorithm under most conditions. The correlation of the frequency-domain channel strengths among the various users is shown to have an influence on the performance of the new algorithm.
Optimization of coordinated control system for 600MW ultra-supercritical coal fired units

According to the problems exited in the coordinated control system for primary frequency regulation and AGC, the optimal solution for a 600MW ultra-supercritical coal fired units is proposed in details. It has been proved by experiments to improve the stability of the grid, reduce the grid frequency fluctuations, and enhance the ability of the grid to against accidents, which should be widely used.
Mechanistic insights into nitrogen fixation by nitrogenase enzymes

Biological nitrogen fixation by nitrogenase enzymes is a process that activates dinitrogen (N2) one of the most inert molecules in nature, within the confines of a living organism and at ambient conditions. Despite decades of study, there are still no complete explanations as to how this is possible. Here we describe a model of N2 reduction using the Mo-containing nitrogenase (FeMoco) that can explain the reactivity of the active site via a series of electrochemical steps that reversibly unseal a highly reactive Fe edge site. Our model can explain the 8 proton–electron transfers involved in biological ammonia synthesis within the kinetic scheme of Lowe and Thorneley, the obligatory formation of one H2 per N2 reduced, and the behavior of known inhibitors.
Chronic Salicylate Administration in Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Aspirin "Hepatitis" and Its Clinical Significance

Salicylates provide the backbone of therapy in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They are effective in controlling the disease approximately 75% of the time if they are properly used. Salicylate administration is relatively safe if carefully done. Serum salicylate levels should not exceed 30 mg/dl routinely. Patients, physicians, and parents should be alert to early clinical signs of toxicity. Chief hazards of chronic salicylate administration other than salicylism (which should be uniformly preventable) include gastric irritation with questionable relationship to peptic ulcer disease, and rare serious hepatotoxicity, bleeding diatheses, or hypersensitivity reactions.
Antenna design considerations for LTE enabled tablets

Long-term evolution (LTE) is a series of wireless communication standards that provides a roadmap for integrating several innovative technologies. These technologies offer the flexibility to operate at frequencies ranging from 400 to 4000 MHz and utilize multiple antennas on both ends of the wireless channel to support high data rate 4G applications. Primary design challenges include maintaining suitable performance characteristics (i.e. reflection coefficient, isolation, mean effective gain (MEG) and envelope correlation coefficient (ECC)) for miniaturized multi-band antennas. In addition, optimal multiport matching networks can be integrated to improve performance. Finally, specific absorption rate (SAR) must meet FCC guidelines pertaining to LTE enabled mobile devices. This paper demonstrates an effective workflow to overcome these complicated and often conflicting challenges.
Enumeration of fetal red blood cells, F cells, and F reticulocytes in human blood.

First page of article Keywords: fetal red cells; fetomaternal hemorrhage; flow cytometry; fetal hemoglobin; Freticulocytes
Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L. (Spanish moss) water storage and leachate characteristics from two maritime oak forest settings

Along subtropical and tropical coastlines, Tillandsia usneoides L. (Spanish moss) can heavily cover tree crowns, altering the volume, timing and chemical composition of rainwater reaching soils as throughfall. It is well-established that throughfall amount, dissolved ion and dissolved organic matter (DOM) enrichment, as well as the chemical character of DOM, can influence a host of ecological processes – e.g. litter decomposition and fine root patterns. However, no study known to the authors has holistically examined the water storage capacity, dissolved ions and DOM derived from T. usneoides. This study examined 60 T. usneoides samples from two maritime live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.) forest settings for water absorbency, maximum water storage capacity, dissolved solutes (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, F−, Cl−, NO3−, PO43−, SO42−, dissolved organic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen) and DOM optical properties using ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Thirty samples were collected from each study site: downtown Savannah (SAV) and St. Catherine's Island (SCI), GA, USA. Results show that T. usneoides coverage can increase canopy water storage more markedly (up to 3 mm) than most other epiphyte communities, tree leaf forms or bark structures previously studied. Ion wash off/leaching was greater for N species from SAV samples; yet, base cation macronutrients (Mg2+, Ca2+) and sea salts (Na+, Cl−) were more enriched from SCI samples. Spectrophotometry revealed that T. usneoides leachates contained DOM with low-specific UV absorbance at 254 nm per unit carbon (SUVA254) and high percentage of protein-like fluorescent material compared with literature values for other throughfall and vegetation leachates. In other natural waters, these optical characteristics indicate highly biolabile DOM, suggesting that T. usneoides DOM may also be highly biolabile (i.e. highly relevant to soil microbial functions, like mineralization). Cluster analysis linked fluorescent DOM (FDOM) to ion concentrations of primarily anthropogenic source (F−, SO42−). Correlation analyses including both sites' data indicated that log-transformed FDOM intensities indirectly relate (p < 0.01, r = −0.5) – and enrichment of major sea salt ions directly relate (Na+: p < 0.000001, r = 0.83; Cl−: p < 0.000001, r = 0.80) – to T. usneoides maximum water absorbency. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Location of the prostatic apex and its relationship to the ischial tuberosities

Abstract Purpose : Although modern computerized tomography scans have revolutionized the three-dimensional treatment planning for external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer, the prostate apex is often difficult to precisely define. Some institutions routinely use the ischial tuberosities to define the lower border of external beam fields for prostate cancer, while others recommend a retrograde urethrogram. This study was undertaken to estimate the accuracy of using the bottom of the ischial tuberosities to define the lower border of the external beam fields for Stages T1, T2, and T3 prostate cancer. Methods and Materials : The anatomic location of the apex of the prostate was determined in 153 implant patients either by direct surgical exposure of the prostate (133 patients) or by using transrectal ultrasound (20 patients). The prostate apex position relative to the ischial tuberosities was determined and plotted on a schematic of the bony pelvic structures drawn to scale. Results : There was excellent agreement in the estimate of the location of the prostate apex between the two methods (surgery vs. ultrasound) used. The prostate apex was located above the ischial tuberosities in 152 of the 153 patients studied (99.3%). Seven of the 153 patients (4.6%) had a prostate apex which was less than 1.5 cm above the ischial tuberosities and 3 of the 153 patients (2%) had an apex-tuberosity distance of less than 1 cm. Conclusion : This study indicates that locating the inferior border of the external beam fields at the ischial tuberosity adequately treats at least 95.4% of all prostate patients with a margin of 1.5 centimeters or more below the prostate apex. In addition, the external beam policy of locating the inferior border at the ischial tuberosities has produced: (a) excellent 10-year clinical local control rates of 88% for Stage T1 and T2 patients and 82% for Stage T3 patients, and (b) 5-year and 10-year biochemical (normal prostate specific antigen) and clinical disease free survival rates for T1 and T2 patients which are similar to surgery.
Effects of concentration, temperature, and coupling on pervaporation of dilute flavor organics

Pervaporation is a novel method to extract flavor organics from dilute distillates and extracts. Selection of operating conditions and membranes is critical for the process design and scale-up. In the current study, the effects of feed concentration and operating temperature on membrane separation performance were investigated. Four polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) membranes and one polyoctylmethyl siloxane (POMS) membrane were tested for pervaporation and their separation performances were compared. Flavor loss rate due to evaporation was determined from a batch operation experiment. Experimental study was extended from single component to multicomponent (ethyl butyrate, trans-2-hexenal, benzaldehyde, cis-3-hexenol, phenethyl alcohol, and methyl anthranilate) mixtures that resembled real flavor systems. The total mass transfer resistance was divided into two parts: one in the liquid boundary layer and the other in the membrane. Specific mass transfer driving forces and resistances were defined based on the nonequilibrium thermodynamic formalisms. Using the concentration polarization model, the liquid boundary layer thickness on the feed side and the intrinsic membrane permeance were calculated for various pervaporation systems. The effects of operating conditions and membrane properties on concentration polarization were analyzed. It was concluded that the boundary layer thickness was affected not only by the bulk flow parallel to the membrane surface, but also by the permeation flow perpendicular to the membrane surface. When separation performances of multicomponent systems were compared to those obtained from single component systems, no obvious coupling effects were detected for the pervaporation of dilute multiple flavor organics. It was, thus, concluded that no coupling terms need to be included in the mass transfer equations for dilute flavor pervaporation. Therefore, same flux equations and concentration polarization models can be applied to both single- and multi-component pervaporation systems.