cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavior of ceramics at 1200 C in a simulated gas turbine environment

This report summarizes programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center evaluating several classes of commercial ceramics, in a high gas velocity burner rig simulating a gas turbine engine environment. Testing of 23 ceramics in rod geometry identified SiC and Si3N4 as outstanding in resistance to oxidation and thermal stress and identified the failure modes of other ceramics. Further testing of a group of 15 types of SiC and Si3N4 in simulated vane shape geometry has identified a hot pressed SiC, a reaction sintered SiC, and hot pressed Si3N4 as the best of that group. SiC and Si3N4 test specimens were compared on the basis of weight change, dimensional reductions, metallography, fluorescent penetrant inspection, X-ray diffraction analyses, and failure mode.
Is ABCA1 a lipid transfer protein

ABCA1 functions as a lipid transporter because it mediates the transfer of cellular phospholipid (PL) and free (unesterified) cholesterol (FC) to apoA-I and related proteins present in the extracellular medium. ABCA1 is a membrane PL translocase and its enzymatic activity leads to transfer of PL molecules from the cytoplasmic leaflet to the exofacial leaflet of a cell plasma membrane (PM). The presence of active ABCA1 in the PM promotes binding of apoA-I to the cell surface. About 10% of this bound apoA-I interacts directly with ABCA1 and stabilizes the transporter. Most of the pool of cell surface-associated apoA-I is bound to lipid domains in the PM that are created by the activity of ABCA1. The amphipathic α-helices in apoA-I confer detergent-like properties on the protein enabling it to solubilize PL and FC in these membrane domains to create a heterogeneous population of discoidal nascent HDL particles. This review focuses on current understanding of the structure-function relationships of human ABCA1 and the molecular mechanisms underlying HDL particle production.
The chloroethylnitrosourea, BCNU, activates the ATR-Chk1 pathway in medulloblastomas independent of the DNA mismatch repair pathway

1069 The chloroethylnitrosoureas are an important class of antitumor agents whose cytotoxicity is believed to be largely a result of the DNA interstrand cross-links that are formed subsequent to their reaction with cellular DNA. One of these agents, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosouear (BCNU), has been commonly used in adjunct therapy of brain tumors. Though its mechanisms of action have been well defined, the DNA damage response pathway to BCNU remains unelucidated. Human checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is a major effector of normal S-phase progression and is involved in the G2/M-phase checkpoint signaling in response to genotoxic stress. In response to DNA damage, Chk1 is phosphorylated by ATR, a member of the phosphatidyalinositol-3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family. We hypothesized that DNA damage response to BCNU involved the ATR-Chk1 pathway as BCNU-induced DNA interstrand cross-links pose a replication stress to the cell. In the current study, we exposed medulloblastoma cell lines (D341 MED, Daoy MED, D487 MED and D283 MED) to 2-20 μM BCNU and assessed the activation of the ATR-Chk1 pathway in these cells. We observed the activation of Chk1 as evidenced by phosphorylation of Chk1 at serine 345 as early as 4 hours after treatment of the cells with BCNU with a peak occurring between 16 and 24 hours. Inhibition of the ATR kinase activity can be effected by treatment with caffeine or wortmannin, which are broad spectrum inhibitors of the PIKKs. These inhibitors were found to reduce substantially the phosphorylation of Chk1. Small interfering RNA knockdown of ATR also decreased the level of Chk1 phosphorylation, indicating a specific requirement for ATR in Chk1 activation. Other investigators have found that Chk1 activation by ATR in response to DNA damage is dependent upon a functional DNA mismatch repair apparatus. However, two of these medulloblastoma cell lines (D283 MED and D341 MED) are deficient in DNA mismatch repair, specifically lacking the MutLα protein. This result suggests that activation of the ATR-Chk1 pathway in response to the DNA damage induced by BCNU is independent of the DNA mismatch repair pathway.
Probabilistic risk, sustainability, and utility associated with ship grounding hazard

Abstract Ship grounding is a major maritime hazard that poses great consequences. Risk and sustainability associated with ship grounding need to be rationally assessed for a safe and sustainable maritime traffic. This paper presents a probabilistic risk analysis of ship grounding hazard considering damage caused by bottom penetration. Sustainability is introduced for ship grounding risk analysis for a synthesized assessment of the damage consequences. Sustainability indicators assess the economic, social, and environmental performance following a hazard event. In terms of ship grounding incident this includes the ship damage repair, operational delay, cargo loss, injury or fatality of crew, and environmental impact such as clean-up of oil spill. The economical, social, and environmental metrics are evaluated separately and then converted into an integrated monetary metric. Utility function that can incorporate attitude towards risk taking is used in the analysis for decision making purposes in risk control. The proposed approach is illustrated using a hypothetical oil tanker grounding in the Delaware Bay region.
Classification of endangered languages using decision tree based algorithms

Over all 7,000 languages around the world, nearly one third of them are at the risk of extinction while some others may suffer from other vulnerable dangers. Global efforts are needed to conserve the human language and culture. In this paper we selected the features with suggested causes of the danger of those languages from the Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages, and the actual data were obtained from various authoritative sources. We analyzed the data to check which features contributing the classification of endangered languages, we found that GDP, latitude and longitude were associated with language endangerment. Finally, we applied decision tree algorithm and its ensemble learning algorithms including Bagging, RandomForest and AdaBoosting for classification. We compared the performance of the four algorithms, and our evaluation indicates that ensemble algorithms overall have better higher accuracy rate compared to the base classifier, decision tree.
In Vitro Expression of Serpins

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the in vitro expression of serpins. All serpins do not inhibit proteinases but those that do show a distinctive unfolding tendency at relatively low denaturant concentration. Upon cleavage in the reactive site loop (RSL), the conformation is dramatically stabilized, which is unusual because proteolysis usually has the opposite effect on most proteins. This transition from an unstable to a stable conformation is almost certainly caused by the formation of a unit of secondary structure known as the A-sheet. Inhibitory serpins are conformationally unstable in the virgin form but stabilized by proteolysis in the RSL. Checks of conformational stability before and after RSL cleavages are, thus, a useful tool in assessing serpin integrity. Many serpins form complexes with proteinases that resist dissociation under conditions that are expected to unravel proteinases. This is a characteristic not shared by other natural active-site-directed proteinase inhibitors.
We Are Radiologists: What Business Are We in?

The title of this essay on its face seems contradictory. Of course we know what business we are in. Don’t we? Well how should we answer that? You and I are experts in the interpretation of images of the human body generated by a variety of energy sources. We are also experts in the implications of the abnormalities we recognize and in the appearances of the spectrum of normality. And increasingly in both of these manifestations of illness and lack of illness, we gain perception of both its static and dynamic configurations.
A Smart Service Rebuilding Scheme across Cloudlets via Mobile AR Frame Feature Mapping

Mobile edge computing platforms, such as cloudlets, bring computation resources closer to mobile users, as compared to the cloud, which decreases the end-to-end network latency. This benefit enables a myriad of real-time mobile applications, especially augmented reality (AR), that require low latency and high computation power. However, when mobile users move away from the attached cloudlet, the offloaded services have to be migrated or rebuilt on a new nearby cloudlet. However, this service rebuilding process takes a lot of time and may deteriorate user experience. In this paper, we propose a smart service rebuilding scheme which seamlessly restores the offloading services on the target cloudlet while the mobile user is moving. The service rebuilding process includes the radio handoff stage and service handoff stage. A seamless service rebuilding process is achieved via predicting user's target cloudlet before being triggered a radio handoff, by leveraging extracted features from the captured frames of the mobile user's camera. Furthermore, based on the proposed service rebuilding scheme, we design a feature mapping algorithm to achieve a high prediction precision and a short prediction latency. We implement our scheme on a testbed and conduct experiments using real world AR applications. The experimental results show that our proposed scheme decreases the service rebuilding latency by around 65.8%, as compared to the conventional rebuilding process. In addition, we conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of our proposed feature mapping algorithm. Simulation confirms that our algorithm is robust and can predict users' target cloudlet with high precision and low latency.
Socioeconomic status and early childhood aggression: moderation by theory of mind for relational, but not physical, aggression

With nearly half of all children under age six living in poverty, it is imperative to explore the development of income-related childhood aggression. Here, we specifically examine how family socioe...
Comparative seismic fragility estimates of steel moment frame buildings with or without superelastic viscous dampers

Superelastic viscous damper is a passive hybrid control device that combines shape memory alloy cables and a viscoelastic damper to mitigate dynamic response of structures subjected to multi-level ...
αvβ3 Integrin drives fibroblast contraction and strain stiffening of soft provisional matrix during progressive fibrosis

Fibrosis is characterized by persistent deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) by fibroblasts. Fibroblast mechanosensing of a stiffened ECM is hypothesized to drive the fibrotic program; however, the spatial distribution of ECM mechanics and their derangements in progressive fibrosis are poorly characterized. Importantly, fibrosis presents with significant histopathological heterogeneity at the microscale. Here, we report that fibroblastic foci (FF), the regions of active fibrogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are surprisingly of similar modulus as normal lung parenchyma and are nonlinearly elastic. In vitro, provisional ECMs with mechanical properties similar to those of FF activate both normal and IPF patient-derived fibroblasts, whereas type I collagen ECMs with similar mechanical properties do not. This is mediated, in part, by αvβ3 integrin engagement and is augmented by loss of expression of Thy-1, which regulates αvβ3 integrin avidity for ECM. Thy-1 loss potentiates cell contractility-driven strain stiffening of provisional ECM in vitro and causes elevated αvβ3 integrin activation, increased fibrosis, and greater mortality following fibrotic lung injury in vivo. These data suggest a central role for αvβ3 integrin and provisional ECM in overriding mechanical cues that normally impose quiescent phenotypes, driving progressive fibrosis through physical stiffening of the fibrotic niche.
Lake Level Estimation using Machine Learning and Physically-based Approaches in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

This study aims to estimate the monthly water levels of Lake Tana, Ethiopia, which is the source of the Blue Nile and as such is of great importance not only for the local communities but for all the countries depending on its waters. Two different approaches are used for this purpose: a physically-based model and a data-driven algorithm which uses support vector regression. A comparative analysis of their errors, applicability, ease of use and computational speed is performed. Although the physically-based model outperformed the data-driven model in all but the bias metric, the latter has multiple competitive advantages such as reduced computational effort, shorter training/calibration time, and the fact that it requires the selection of fewer model parameters.
VLSI Architectures and Implementations for Vector Quantization

Abstract Several architectural strategies for the implementation of vector quantization algorithms are reviewed. These include full search and tree search algorithms. The required processor complexity is analyzed as a function of desired system parameters. The tradeoffs with several implementations reported in the literature are also analyzed. General guidelines for integrated circuit design are presented.
Alcohol Dependence and Reproductive Onset in Women, Updated: Analyses of Research and State-Level Administrative Data.

Objective:The present study updates prior research, incorporating state-level administrative data to examine associations between self-reported history of alcohol dependence and birth record–derive...
Infective endocarditis: Don't forget the ICE.

To the Editor : We read with great interest the article by Mgbokikwe et al about newer and more sophisticated imaging modalities for the evaluation of infective endocarditis.[1][1] As outlined in Table 1 of the article, each imaging method has its advantages and limitations. One further imaging
Leadership Style and Performance of Employees

Leadership is an important aspect as it usually enables the employee of the organizations to work efficiently and effectively. The current study assesses the relationship between leadership style(s) and the performance of employees working in the banking sector of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This quantitative study is conducted with a sample of 200 employees from 5 different banking institutions of the UAE using simple random sampling techniques. SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data. The results highlighted that democratic and transformational leadership have a significant positive relationship with the performance of employees with a p-value of 0.00, P<0.05. The Cronbach’s alpha was measured between the ranges of 0.7 to 0.8 which is an acceptable range. It is proven that democratic leadership and transformational leadership styles are significant for the banking sector which helps to achieve its goals and enhance the performance of employees. Keywords: Leadership, Democratic leadership, Transformational leadership, Performance of employees, Positive Relationship * European International College, Al Karamah Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates https://doi.org/10.21632/irjbs.13.1.1-14
Impacts of Laboratory Vibrations and Laser Flicker Noise on Digital Holography

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the impacts of laboratory vibrations and laser flicker noise on digital holography (DH). Specifically, we measure both the vibration efficiency and the coherence efficiency of our DH system at various focal-plane array integration times and path-length differences between the signal and reference. These efficiencies, in practice, contribute to the overall mixing efficiency, which is a measure for how well the detected signal and reference interfere. The results show that when the integration time is ≤1ms, the laboratory vibrations are negligible with a vibration efficiency of 100%; however, when the integration time equals 100 ms, the laboratory vibrations lead to a 94% vibration efficiency. In addition, the results show that the effective coherence length of the master-oscillator (MO) laser increases by 280% when the integration time decreases from 100ms to 100 $\mu \text{s}$ . To account for this outcome, we present a model of the coherence efficiency based on the frequency noise of the MO laser. The model fit to the DH data then shows that the frequency of the MO laser is flicker-noise dominated. As a result, decreasing the integration time improves the overall mixing efficiency because of high-pass filtering in both the vibration efficiency and the coherence efficiency. Based on previous published efforts, these results have direct ties to the achievable signal-to-noise ratio of a DH system.
Photogrammetry Method for Fast and Accurate Measurement of Strata Movements and Deformations for Scale Physical Mining Simulations

Scale physical models, constructed according to the principle of similarity theory, have been widely used to simulate the mining disturbances to surrounding strata and to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented ground control techniques. This technique has also been used for studying mining-induced surface and subsurface subsidence. The movements of the observation points installed on the physical model at different mining stages are currently measured using total station which is time-consuming and inaccurate especially on small scale models. A photogrammetry-based measurement system has been developed. During a physical modeling process, photos of the model can be taken during the simulation process reducing survey time from hours to a few seconds. A program, Photogrammetry Analysis for Physical Modeling of Mine Subsidence Process (PAPMMSP), developed based on photogrammetric principle is used to quickly identify the installed observation points and accurately determine their coordinates. The measurement accuracy is well under submillimeter level—an ultra-important advantage as any measurement errors in coordinates are magnified by the model dimension scale (commonly 20 to 400). A physical modeling case of subsurface strata movements and deformations associated with longwall mining operations is presented in the paper to demonstrate the functions and capabilities of the developed photogrammetry program.
Tuning laser wavelength and pulse duration to improve the conversion efficiency and performance of EUV sources for nanolithography

The optimum conditions for efficient extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources in laser-produced plasma (LPP) depend on the ideal combination of several parameters such as laser wavelength, intensity, spot size, and pulse duration. These parameters need to be optimized in relation to the actual target size and geometry. The laser wavelength can play a major role in this regard. While target related effects are not significant in the case of a Nd:YAG laser, the achievable conversion efficiency (CE) of EUV sources produced by a CO2 laser from small Sn droplets can be several times lower compared to that from a flat Sn target. Improving the efficiency and performance of EUV sources requires detailed investigation of various laser/target combinations using comprehensive integrated models. We simulated and characterized in detail plasmas produced from the Sn droplet irradiated by lasers with various wavelengths. The optimum laser intensity with respect to the laser and target sizes was determined for a range of laser wavelengths from 1 μm to 10 μm. This work was inspired by the recent developments of lasers with a 2 μm wavelength. The laser pulse duration is another important parameter in the optimization of LPP for EUV sources. Our comprehensive HEIGHTS modeling showed that increasing the pulse duration of the 2 μm laser leads to an increase in the CE of EUV sources. Our results also indicate that a significant reduction in the kinetic energies of ions generated from LPP can be achieved by optimizing the laser pulse duration.
To Reduce the Average Age of Autism Diagnosis, Screen Preschoolers in Primary Care.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism spectrum disorder screening at the 18- and 24-month well-child visits. However, despite widespread toddler screening, many children are not diag...
Late Breaking Abstract - Accuracy of artificial intelligence in detecting pathological breath sounds in children using digital stethoscopes

Background: Manual auscultation to detect abnormal breath sounds has poor inter-observer reliability. Digital stethoscopes (DS) with artificial intelligence (AI) could improve reliable detection of these sounds. Objective: We aimed to independently test the abilities of AI developed for the purpose of detecting wheezes/rhonchi and crackles in children. Methods: 192 auscultation recordings collected from children using two different DS (Clinicloud™ and Littman™) were each tagged as containing wheezes/rhonchi, crackles or neither by a paediatric respiratory physician, based on audio playback and careful spectrogram and waveform analysis. Untagged versions of the recordings were submitted for analysis by a blinded AI algorithm (StethoMe™ AI) trained to detect pathologic paediatric breath sounds, which generated a probability score of the likelihood of presence of crackles or wheeze/rhonchi. AI outcome was compared with tagged outcomes on a per-recording basis, with receiver operating characteristic curves used to identify optimal cutoffs representing best AI performance. Results: With optimised AI thresholds, crackle detection positive percent agreement (PPA) was 0.95 and negative percent agreement (NPA) was 0.99 for Clinicloud recordings; for Littman-collected sounds PPA was 0.82 and NPA was 0.96. Wheeze detection PPA and NPA were 0.90 and 0.97 respectively (Clinicloud auscultation), with PPA 0.80 and NPA 0.95 for Littman recordings. Conclusions: AI can detect crackles and wheeze from breath sounds obtained using different DS devices with a degree of accuracy that approaches (or exceeds) that of clinicians. Careful integration into clinical practice may improve standards of care.
An exploratory study of foster child stress and behavioral health during Hurricane Irma

This study provides an exploration of foster child stress and behavioral health during and after Hurricane Irma. Results from a survey of 50 foster parents indicated that foster child stress was si...
Flow: A Modular Learning Framework for Mixed Autonomy Traffic

The rapid development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) holds vast potential for transportation systems through improved safety, efficiency, and access to mobility. However, the progression of these impacts, as AVs are adopted, is not well understood. Numerous technical challenges arise from the goal of analyzing the partial adoption of autonomy: partial control and observation, multivehicle interactions, and the sheer variety of scenarios represented by real-world networks. To shed light into near-term AV impacts, this article studies the suitability of deep reinforcement learning (RL) for overcoming these challenges in a low AV-adoption regime. A modular learning framework is presented, which leverages deep RL to address complex traffic dynamics. Modules are composed to capture common traffic phenomena (stop-and-go traffic jams, lane changing, intersections). Learned control laws are found to improve upon human driving performance, in terms of system-level velocity, by up to 57% with only 4–7% adoption of AVs. Furthermore, in single-lane traffic, a small neural network control law with only local observation is found to eliminate stop-and-go traffic—surpassing all known model-based controllers to achieve near-optimal performance—and generalize to out-of-distribution traffic densities.
Bird singing contests: Looking back on thirty years of research on a global conservation concern

Abstract Keeping wild birds is a deeply engrained and widely prevalent cultural practice, with a history going back thousands of years. One of the more recent trends to emerge from this practice is the singing contest, which pits male birds against each other to impress human judges with their songs, plumage, and movement. A champion bird can garner social prestige and, in some cases, considerable sums of prize money for its human owner. Today these contests drive demand in the global songbird trade, especially in Southeast Asia where more bird species are threatened by trade than in any other region of the world. This literature review aims to describe how we study the songbird trade and identify new research opportunities with a focus on singing contests. We aggregated 219 papers published between 1990 and 2020 and categorized them according to geographic origin, publication date, and academic focus. We found that singing contests currently take place in 19 countries across five of the world’s biogeographic regions, using at least 36 species of birds. Our analysis revealed that research on the songbird trade is most prevalent in the Indo-Malay, Neotropic, and Palearctic regions, tends to prioritize birds over humans, and corresponds with the prevalence of singing contests. Education and Outreach had the fewest publications of any discipline in our review, and we conclude this kind of research may provide a valuable basis for future conservation strategies targeting the songbird trade at a global scale.
An Experiment to Convert Structured Product Labels into Computable Prescribing Information

We report the methods, results, and some implications of an experiment to provide API access to reorganized, re-represented content from a current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Structured Product Label (SPL). Using a question-and-answer pattern and current technical approach, we demonstrate that prescribing information in SPLs can be converted to a more granular, highly computable, API-accessible format. Our results suggest that computable prescribing information can be systematically published in drug product-specific modules, deployed and widely distributed via APIs, and integrated with downstream client apps to answer key questions about medications and compute patient-specific advice.
Presenting the Successful Technical Seminar

The knowledge explosion and the desire of most business people to enhance their careers has led to a boom in continuing education classes, usually in seminar form. Conducting a successful technical seminar requires careful preparation. Pre‐seminar planning includes outlining the material, developing much more material than what is needed, and arranging comfortable and appropriate facilities. At the beginning of the seminar a topical outline should be provided, and plans to take a break between topics can be announced. After the presentation, time should be allowed for a session, not only for questions and answers, but also for an evaluation to help the speaker for the preparation of future seminars.
Impaired Regulation of the Renal Sodium Chloride Cotransporter (NCC) in Animal Models of Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

Aim: These studies test the hypothesis that excess norepinephrine (NE) and a high salt intake impairs renal NCC regulation evoking salt-sensitive hypertension. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats rec...
An Answer to Chief Justice Roberts' and Justice Ginsburg's Questions at Oral Argument in MedImmune, Inc. V. Genentech, Inc.

This very short paper (three pages) addresses a question raised by Chief Justice Roberts and later Justice Ginsburg in oral argument in MedImmune, Inc v. Genentech, Inc. The Justices asked whether a patentee, having granted a license that is still in force, could seek a declaratory judgment that the licensed patent is valid, in order to dispel legal uncertainty surrounding the patent and demand a higher royalty rate. The oral argument produced no clear answer, but there is an answer: based on two well-established legal doctrines, such a dispute would not be justifiable. The first well-established doctrine is Article III's requirement of resolvability - that the requested judgment resolve a dispute without further litigation. A declaratory judgment of patent validity would not have that effect because of the second well-established doctrine - a rule of black-letter contract law under which the validity of a contract depends only on the existence of consideration, not its value or amount. A patentee-licensor with a declaratory judgment of validity in her pocket would have to sue the licensee again, this time for a declaratory judgment that the contract was voidable for mutual mistake. That claim would be doubtful; and even if it succeeded the court would have no basis for redetermining the royalty rate but would have to remit the parties back to private bargaining. Thus the putative declaratory judgment of validity would not finally resolve the dispute. In contrast, a licensee with a declaratory judgment of invalidity would simply stop paying royalties, while continuing to manufacture products covered by the invalid patent's claims. The patentee would have no basis for suing, whether for patent infringement (because an invalid patent cannot be infringed) or for breach of contract (because of total failure of consideration). There is thus an asymmetry in the availability of declaratory judgments to patentee-licensors and licensees when a patent license is in force, but it follows from well-established principles of Article III and contract law.
The Legal Aspects of Bullying and Harassment of Students with Disabilities: School Leaders' Legal Obligations.

Research demonstrates that students with disabilities are harassed more than their nondisabled peers. Students with disabilities who have been severely harassed have argued that they are not receiv...
Hydrolysis of carbaryl by a Pseudomonas sp. and construction of a microbial consortium that completely metabolizes carbaryl.

Two Pseudomonas spp. (isolates 50552 and 50581) isolated from soil degraded 1-naphthol and carbaryl, an N-methylcarbamate pesticide, respectively. They utilized these compounds as a sole source of carbon. 1-Naphthol was completely metabolized to CO2 by the isolate 50552, while the carbaryl was first hydrolyzed to 1-naphthol and then converted into a brown-colored compound by the isolate 50581. The colored metabolite was not degraded, but 1-naphthol produced by the isolate 50581 during the exponential phase of growth was metabolized by the isolate 50552. The two isolates were used to construct a bacterial consortium which completely catabolized carbaryl to CO2. No metabolite was detected in the cell cultures of the consortium. The isolate 50581 harbored a 50-kb plasmid pCD1, while no plasmid was detected in the isolate 50552. The isolated bacteria individually or as a consortium may be used for detoxification of certain industrial and agricultural wastes. Images
Investigation of Gear and Bearing Fatigue Damage Using Debris Particle Distributions

A diagnostic tool was developed for detecting fatigue damage to spur gears, spiral bevel gears, and rolling element bearings. This diagnostic tool was developed and evaluated experimentally by collecting oil debris data from fatigue tests performed in the NASA Glenn Spur Gear Fatigue Rig, Spiral Bevel Gear Test Facility, and the 500hp Helicopter Transmission Test Stand. During each test, data from an online, in-line, inductance type oil debris sensor was monitored and recorded for the occurrence of pitting damage. Results indicate oil debris alone cannot discriminate between bearing and gear fatigue damage.
A Cottage industry of software publishing: Implications for theories of composition

This note explores the use of UNITY-based theories to facilitate a cottage industry of software publishing. The requirements for such an industry are discussed, the appropriateness of UNITY specification and compositional theories for these requirements are analyzed, and further research opportunities in this area are identified. This work is based on joint work with Beverly Sanders, and the ideas discussed here have been explored jointly with Paul Sivilotti and Joseph Kiniry.
Population-based study of the developmental outcome of children exposed to chloride-deficient infant formula.

In 1978 and 1979 a large number of US children were fed chloride-deficient soy-based infant formula. A representative sample of such children was identified in a southern county through a mailing to the homes of 3639 first- and second-grade children in the public schools. Of the 2329 (64%) who responded, 56 reported use of deficient formula and were invited to have developmental testing by one of four study psychologists at their school. Of the 310 users of other soy formulas, 112 were selected for testing as matched controls on the basis of their sex, feeding history, age, birth weight, and socioeconomic status (as indicated by school attended). After exclusions and refusals, 42 children who used deficient formula and 66 control children were tested using the McCarthy Scales of Children9s Abilities. Examiners were unaware of the child9s history of formula use. The mean General Cognitive Index was 102.8 in those using deficient formula and 105.4 in controls. After adjustment for demographic differences the children who used chloride-deficient formula were found to average 4.9 points less than the controls (P = .04, 1-tailed). The largest difference was in the Quantitative subscale (P = .005). These data show a statistically significant although small effect of chloride-deficient formula on the long-term developmental outcome of exposed children; however, further study of these results is needed for full confirmation.
Cells for tissue engineering of cardiac valves

Heart valve tissue engineering is a promising alternative to prostheses for the replacement of diseased or damaged heart valves, because tissue-engineered valves have the ability to remodel, regenerate and grow. To engineer heart valves, cells are harvested, seeded onto or into a three-dimensional (3D) matrix platform to generate a tissue-engineered construct in vitro, and then implanted into a patient's body. Successful engineering of heart valves requires a thorough understanding of the different types of cells that can be used to obtain the essential phenotypes that are expressed in native heart valves. This article reviews different cell types that have been used in heart valve engineering, cell sources for harvesting, phenotypic expression in constructs and suitability in heart valve tissue engineering. Natural and synthetic biomaterials that have been applied as scaffold systems or cell-delivery platforms are discussed with each cell type. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of a logistic function in expressing kinetic hemolysis data.

Abstract A method of rectifying sigmoidal kinetic hemolysis curves is described. The curves are described, within limits, by the equation t = K(l/1 - l)1/n where t is time, K is a constant, l expresses the degree of lysis, and l/1 - l is the ratio of lysed to unlysed cells. This description holds over a wide range of red cell and lysin concentrations, provided the conditions are not substrate limited and the lysin preparation is reasonably stable. Graphical solution of the logarithmic transformation of the equation yields straight lines, and the intercepts of these lines with time ordinates may be used to define a time of initial lysis or, under suitable conditions, a time of 50% lysis. The time of initial lysis is inversely related to the lysin concentration, and thus its reciprocal may be used to precisely define units of lytic activity.
Hematopoietic stem cell-derived cancer-associated fibroblasts are novel contributors to the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment.

Targeting the tumor microenvironment is critical toward improving the effectiveness of cancer therapeutics. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant cell types of the tumor microenvironment, playing an important role in tumor progression. Multiple origins for CAFs have been proposed including resident fibroblasts, adipocytes, and bone marrow. Our laboratory previously identified a novel hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) origin for CAFs; however, the functional roles of HSC-derived CAFs (HSC-CAFs) in tumor progression have not yet been examined. To test the hypothesis that HSC-CAFs promote tumor progression through contribution to extracellular matrix (ECM) and paracrine production of pro-angiogenic factors, we developed a method to isolate HSC-CAFs. HSC-CAFs were profiled on the basis of their expression of hematopoietic and fibroblastic markers in two murine tumor models. Profiling revealed production of factors associated with ECM deposition and remodeling. Functional in vivo studies showed that co-injection of HSC-CAFs with tumor cells resulted in increased tumor growth rate and significantly larger tumors than tumor cells alone. Immunohistochemical studies revealed increased blood vessel density with co-injection, demonstrating a role for HSC-CAFs in tumor vascularization. Mechanistic in vitro studies indicated that HSC-CAFs play a role in producing vascular endothelial growth factor A and transforming growth factor–β1 in endothelial tube formation and patterning. In vitro and in vivo findings suggest that HSC-CAFs are a critical component of the tumor microenvironment and suggest that targeting the novel HSC-CAF may be a promising therapeutic strategy.
Involvement of Maryland pharmacists in AIDS education

Abstract This study focuses on the role pharmacists play in AIDS education and counseling. A random sample of 550 pharmacists was drawn from the current Maryland Board of Pharmacy rolls; 139 usable responses were returned. Only 16 (12%) had ever counseled a patient about AIDS. Forty percent had been approached within the past 6 months for information concerning AIDS. Pharmacists in “high risk” areas of Maryland did not report a significantly higher number of contacts for information or advice and were not involved in a significantly higher level of patient counseling about AIDS than pharmacists in “low risk” areas. Respondents rated their level of confidence about AIDS prevention higher than their level of confidence about its treatment. Pharmacists who indicated a high level of confidence in counseling patients about AIDS treatment were significantly more likely (based on chi square analysis) to have counseled a patient concerning the disease. Level of confidence, however, was not related to participation in community-wide programs concerning AIDS, even though those pharmacists who had been involved in community programs were significantly more likely to have been approached for information.
Extending the scope of the VATER association: definition of the VATER syndrome.

Analysis of malformations in 10 new cases of the VATER association as originally defined by Quan and Smith 1a,b and in 24 previously reported cases showed that two other anomalies, namely ventricular septal defect (VSD) and single umbilical artery (SUA), occurred frequently. It is suggested that the scope of the VATER association be enlarged to include these malformations and thus the V in VATER would stand not only for vertebral defects but also for vascular anomalies including VSD and SUA.
Atomistic simulations of homogeneous dislocation nucleation in single crystal copper

Atomistic simulations are used to investigate how the stress required for homogeneous nucleation of partial dislocations in single crystal copper under uniaxial tension changes as a function of crystallographic orientation. Molecular dynamics is employed based on an embedded-atom method potential for Cu at 10 and 300 K. Results indicate that non-Schmid parameters are required to describe dislocation nucleation for certain single crystal orientations. Specifically, we find that the stereographic triangle can be divided into two regions: a region where dislocation nucleation is dominated by the conventional Schmid factor (the resolved shear stress in the direction of slip) and a region where dislocation nucleation is dominated by the normal factor (the resolved stress normal to the slip plane). A continuum relationship that incorporates Schmid and non-Schmid terms to correlate the stress required for dislocation nucleation over all tensile axis orientations within the stereographic triangle is presented. The significance of this work is that simulation results are cast into an atomistically inspired continuum formulation for partial dislocation loop nucleation in face-centered cubic single crystals.
Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2.

BACKGROUND Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2 (NF1 and NF2) are autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorders with some similarities and many differences. They are frequently discussed together and often confused for one another by clinicians. Both disorders have widely variable presentations and degrees of severity. A thorough understanding of these complex disorders is essential for proper medical management, anticipatory care, and patient education. REVIEW SUMMARY In this article, the clinical features, genetics, pathogenesis, and management of neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2 are reviewed and compared. CONCLUSIONS NF1 and NF2 are complex genetic disorders with numerous manifestations and wide phenotypic variability. The complex nature of these disorders requires coordinated multidisciplinary care.
The Effect of Behavior and Ecology on Male Mating Success in Overwintering Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus)

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) appear to forego the chemical courtship that is typical of other danaid butterflies, and instead employ a coercive mating system. Females have been described as using resistance behaviors in response to male coercion. Much of our understanding of sexual selection in monarchs is based on observations of mating attempts that occur on the ground, but recent studies report frequent mating attempts in the tree canopy. I compared mating activity on the ground to that in the tree canopy and found that, among heterosexual mating attempts, location did not affect the likelihood of ending in copulation. This suggests that the more easily obtained data on ground attempts may reasonably approximate mating activity in the canopy. The outcome of ground attempts was influenced by vegetation structure and the position of the male relative to the female and the ground at the start of the ground phase of the mating attempt. My observations suggest that butterfly position may be correlated with male search strategy. It remains unclear whether described resistance behaviors represent female or male control. However, the data do demonstrate that attempt outcome is influenced by both behavior and ecology: male search and capture strategies may influence copulatory success, and human-induced changes to the habitat can influence monarch mating activity at overwintering sites.
Identifying Factors Influencing Engineering Student Graduation: A Longitudinal and Cross‐Institutional Study

Pre-existing factors are quantitatively evaluated as to their impact on engineering student success. This study uses a database of all engineering students at nine institutions from 1987 through 2002 (a total of 87,167 engineering students) and focuses on graduation in any of the engineering disciplines. We report graduation rate as a function of years since matriculation, and determine the typical time-to-graduation. A multiple logistic regression model is fitted to each institution's data to explore the relationship between graduation and demographic and academic characteristics. A pooled model is fitted to six institutions where a complete data set was available. High school GPA, gender, ethnicity, quantitative SAT scores, verbal SAT scores, and citizenship had significant impact on graduation. While HSGPA, SATQ were significant for all models tested, the significance of other predictors varied among institutions. These studies add to the existing body of research about factors affecting the success of engineering students.
Nucleotide sequence of "renaturable" leucine transfer ribonucleic acid.

“Renaturable” leucine transfer ribonucleic acid from baker’s yeast was found by Lindahl et al. [l] to be able to exist in a relatively stable denatured configuration which has only low amino acid acceptor activity. Incubation at 60’ for 5 min, followed by slow cooling in the presence of magnesium ion, was found to disrupt the incorrect cornformation and allow renaturation to -the native, biologically active structure. Although the physiological significance of the reversible denaturation process, if any, is not known, it is of interest to try to determine if there is a unique feature of the primary or secondary structure that would account for the stability of the second, inactive conformation. The “renaturable leucine tRNA (tRNAy)** was purified in our laboratory by sucessive chromatography on benzoylated DEAE cellulose and Sephadex G-100 columns [2]. We determined the nucleotide sequence of this tRNA [3] by Holley’s method [4]. In this paper, we would like to report our results and compare them with those recently reported by Kowalski et al. [S] . Purified tRNALeU was digested with pancreatic ribonuclease [2] .“The identity of the products from this digestion are shown in table 1. Sequence analyses
A diagnostic predictor model for indeterminate or suspicious thyroid FNA samples.

Background: The management of patients with thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens that are neither benign nor malignant still remains problematic. Efforts to improve their management have focused on identifying risk factors that predict malignancy. This study seeks to identify clinical and tumor characteristics that predict thyroid malignancy among patients with indeterminate or suspicious FNA and to develop a diagnostic predictor model. Methods: The records of 639 patients with an indeterminate or suspicious thyroid FNA between January 1995 and April 2005 were reviewed. Patient and tumor characteristics were evaluated for their potential to predict malignancy in the final surgical histopathology. A diagnostic predictor model was designed based on statistically significant predictors. Patients seen between April 2005 and April 2007 were used to validate the model. Results: Patient age, nodule size, and FNA cytopathology were identified as risk factors. Patients at extremes of age were at increase...
Production and utilization of sugar beets

Processing of sugar beets has become a major chemical industry in the United States. About one-quarter of the country’s sugar requirement is obtained from about 12 million tons of beets grown on 700 thousand acres of land. This industry has succeeded through the combined efforts of scientists in many fields, who have improved resistance to diseases, sugar content of beets, methods of farming and processing procedures. Feed pulp, molasses, glutamic acid, potassium salts and betaine are by-products of the industry.
The Cuboidal Fe3S4 Cluster: Synthesis, Stability, and Geometric and Electronic Structures in a Non-Protein Environment

Of the three known low-nuclearity iron−sulfur clusters in metallobiomolecules with the core units Fe2S2, Fe4S4, and Fe3S4, the last has not been obtained in stable form outside a protein environment. We describe a direct route to such clusters in the [Fe3S4]0 oxidation state, and demonstrate an effective stereochemical and electronic structural congruence with the native cluster. The synthesis is based on iron-site-differentiated clusters. Reaction of [Fe4S4(LS3)(SEt)]2- with (Et3NH)(OTf) affords [Fe4S4(LS3)(OTf)]2-, whose unique site is activated toward terminal ligand substitution. Treatment with 1 equiv of (Et4N)2(Meida) affords [Fe4S4(LS3)(Meida)]3-, which is readily converted to [Fe3S4(LS3)]3- with 1−2 equiv of additional reactant. The trinuclear cluster is formed by abstraction of Fe2+ from a precursor cubane-type [Fe4S4]2+ core and complexation as [Fe(Meida)2]2-. An analogous procedure starting with [Fe4Se4(LS3)(SEt)]2- yields [Fe3Se4(LS3)]3-. The compound (Et4N)3[Fe3S4(LS3)]·MeCN crystallizes in o...