cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B097: Dysregulated mevalonate and cholesterol synthesis is a therapeutic vulnerability in glioblastoma

A hallmark of cellular transformation is the evasion of contact-dependent inhibition of growth. To find new therapeutic targets for glioblastoma, we looked for pathways that are inhibited by high cell density in normal astrocytes but have lost this regulation in glioblastoma stem-like cells. Here we report that at high cell density, normal astrocytes turn off mevalonate and cholesterol synthesis but glioma cells keep these pathways active. Correspondingly, mevalonate and cholesterol pathway upregulation is associated with poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Densely plated glioma cells increase oxygen consumption to synthesize cholesterol, resulting in a decrease in reactive oxygen species, TCA cycle intermediates, and ATP, but without a compensating increase in aerobic glycolysis. This constitutive cholesterol synthesis is controlled by the cell cycle, as it can be turned off by cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and it correlates with disabled cell cycle control though loss of p53 and RB. Mevalonate and cholesterol pathway activation promoted aberrant growth through the LXR and Hippo pathways. Finally, glioma cells, but not astrocytes, are sensitive to cholesterol synthesis inhibition downstream of the mevalonate pathway, suggesting that specifically targeting cholesterol synthesis might be an effective treatment for glioblastoma. Citation Format: Diane M. Kambach, Alan S. Halim, A. Gesine Cauer, Qian Sun, Carlos A. Tristan, Aparna H. Kesarwala, Uma Shankavaram, Eric Batchelor, Jayne M. Stommel. Dysregulated mevalonate and cholesterol synthesis is a therapeutic vulnerability in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B097.
Unmet Needs and Unused Capacities: Time Banking as a Solution

In market economies many human activities have little or no money value; these include, especially, the kinds of caring labor that are supplied, mostly by women, mostly in homes and communities. Nevertheless, there is, as ever, a great need for such activities. At the same time, wealthy societies are producing ever more people who suffer from feeling that they have little or nothing of value to offer to the world. Retired people, in their growing numbers, are the most obvious examples, but teenagers and other youth, who in other societies can contribute significantly to the well-being of a family or a community, are seldom seen as assets in modern economies. Market-dominated societies have had difficulty expressing the value of work that is not organized for profit. Such work is undertaken in the public purpose economy, consisting of governments and their agencies as well as non-profit organizations. Much of this kind of work is also undertaken in the core economy, where households and communities carry on their internal activities of resource management, production, distribution, and consumption. The core economy and the public purpose economy, together with the market economy, are a trio that are differentiated by their goals; by what kind of demand they respond to; by how they define and reward work; and by what kind of currency they use. TimeBanking is an innovation in currency that turns out to affect all of these areas by getting us out of the binary box that classifies all contributions in just two ways: work (defined in market terms), or volunteering (defined as uncompensated labor). Responding effectively to different values and goals than those recognized in the market, TimeBanking has been shown able to respond to a wide variety of unmet needs by creating relationships where everyone can get some of their needs met, and everyone is valued for what they can offer.
Understanding Events, Critical Incidents, and Punctuation in Process Theories.

REQUIRED) Paradigmatic diversity in information systems research has increased as process theorizing from case studies has become increasingly popular. Central to process theorizing is the identification of events, or critical incidents that mark the evolution of a process over time. In this paper, we present a way of understanding events while building on process models which have been described in the IS literature. Specifically, we outline the interplay between punctuations, critical incidents, and incremental adaptations using a visual mapping strategy. We argue that a more precise understanding of these elements will strengthen the rigor and adoption of process research methods.
Kinetic Analysis of Distinct Product Generation in Oxidative Pyrolysis of Four Octane Isomers

Abstract The molecular structures of hydrocarbon fuels are known to have a substantial impact on their combustion properties. However, the relationship between the fuel structure and thermal decomposition intermediate products, which determine the global combustion behaviors, is not as well known. In this study, four octane isomers, n-octane, 2,5-dimethylhexane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (iso-octane), and 2,2,3,3-tetramethylbutane, are selected as the model compounds to illustrate the distinct product generation in the oxidative pyrolysis of large hydrocarbons with substantially different molecular structures. Both experimental and kinetic analysis show that all the octane isomers lead to the formation of a similar group of stable products, with the major ones being ethene, methane, propene, and isobutene. The distributions of these products vary from fuel to fuel; n-octane produces primarily ethene, while isobutene formation increases with increasing branching in the fuel molecular structure. The most branched isomer, 2,2,3,3-tetramethylbutane, produces predominately isobutene. Lumped, two-step reaction schemes are proposed for each octane isomer. Together with a detailed foundational fuel chemistry model, it is shown that the reaction models accurately predict the formation and subsequent consumption of the intermediate products for all octane isomers studied.
Spending their leisure time: adult amateur musicians in a community band

The purpose of this study was to explore how a group of adult amateur musicians devoted their leisure time to music making in a community band. Theoretical framework for the study was serious leisu...
Analysis on the Transmission Line Power Flow Control Strategy of the UPFC Project in Western Nanjing Power Grid

Among the versatile control strategies in the control system of unified power flow controller (UPFC), the transmission line power flow control strategy is the most important one, which can help UPFC to realize its core function of regulating power flow. Based on the UPFC project in western Nanjing power grid, which is the first modular multilevel converter (MMC) based UPFC project all over the world, the function configuration and hierarchical structure of the UPFC control system are introduced firstly in this paper. Besides, the details of the transmission line power flow control strategy are presented. With the above control strategy, the active power and reactive power of the transmission line can be regulated quickly, independently and safely. Eventually, the field test results are demonstrated to validate the effect of the above control strategy.
NiTi shape memory alloy helixes through the hydriding–dehydring method

Abstract Shape memory alloys have been adopted in many industries, including the biomedical and electronic industries, due to their unique properties. Actuator design is one of the areas in which the thermomechanical properties of shape memory alloys have played a major role in technological advances. Helical spring shape memory alloy actuators, a common type of actuator, are generally made by torsional loading of a straight wire; however, a stress concentration can result from the loading leading to a reduction of the recovery force. In this study, a low pressure hydriding–dehydriding method for producing shape memory alloy helixes from wires is presented. The helix pattern was obtained by hydrogen charging NiTi shape memory alloy 500 µm diameter wires for different time intervals, where the wires are embrittled and go through martersite-to-austenite phase transformation resulting in a helical crack. The wire hydrogen charging is then followed by dehydriding to remove the hydrogen. The wires and resulting helixes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and synchrotron x-ray radiation diffraction. The relationship between the dimensions of the helixes and charging time was investigated.
Abstract TP554: Etiologies of Nontraumatic Convexity Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Introduction: Nontraumatic convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH) is a non-aneurysmal variant associated with various etiologies. Methods: We performed retrospective review of consecutive cSAH ad...
Bioactive Compounds from Terrestrial Extremophiles

Since the 1960s, bioactive secondary metabolites have been isolated and structurally characterized from eubacteria, archaea, and fungi, microorganisms that have adopted strategies to grow in extreme terrestrial environments. This book highlights a myriad of natural products that have been isolated from terrestrial extremophiles, which the authors define as microorganisms found on land as well as in rivers and salterns but exclude those that dwell in water beyond seashores. The isolation and bioactivity of these molecules from the following extremophiles are described: thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkaliphiles, halophiles, xerophiles, epi- or endophytes, as well as metallotolerant, radioresistant, and unclassifiable microorganisms. Quite a few of these secondary metabolites have entered (pre)clinical trials, and their current status in the drug evaluation process is discussed. The authors also describe the isolation of natural products solely produced by endophytes via mutualistic interactions between the host and the crop and raise the argument of whether these metabolites are produced as a result of mutualistic interactions required for survival or epigenetic manipulations of microorganisms cohabiting within the same niche. This book concludes with a discussion of some of the challenges to accessing environments with significant biodiversity and the notion that as ecological niches and biotechnology evolve, extremophiles will also evolve to be continuous, untapped sources of novel drugs and drug leads.
ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE ISOZYMES AND MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT: NEWLY SYNTHESIZED ENZYMES AND CELLULAR SITE OF ACTION OF DYSTROPHY OF THE CHICKEN

ABSTRACT. Previous studies have shown that chick embryo muscles contain 3 isozymes of AChE, two of which become undetectable after hatching. These isozymes are associated with activity outside the neuromuscular junction and with release of AChE from the muscle in embryo, denervated, and dystrophic muscle. The studies led to the hypothesis that neural activity represses embryo AChE forms in normal but not in genetically dystrophic chicken muscles. Limb bud transplantation of wings between 3 1/2 day chick embryos tested whether the dystrophic nerve or muscle was defective. The results conclusively show that the gene defect of AChE regulation is expressed in the limb and not in the nerve of the dystrophic chicken. The regulation of AChE in the muscle fibers themselves is under study with cell cultures. In the experiments presented here, cells were briefly treated with an irreversible inhibitor of AChE, DFP (diisopropylfluorophosphate), to permit study of the mobilization of newly synthesized enzyme. Newly produced AChE rapidly returned in the cells and behaved as if it moved and assembled from low molecular weight forms.
BERTQA - Attention on Steroids.

In this work, we extend the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) with an emphasis on directed coattention to obtain an improved F1 performance on the SQUAD2.0 dataset. The Transformer architecture on which BERT is based places hierarchical global attention on the concatenation of the context and query. Our additions to the BERT architecture augment this attention with a more focused context to query (C2Q) and query to context (Q2C) attention via a set of modified Transformer encoder units. In addition, we explore adding convolution-based feature extraction within the coattention architecture to add localized information to self-attention. We found that coattention significantly improves the no answer F1 by 4 points in the base and 1 point in the large architecture. After adding skip connections the no answer F1 improved further without causing an additional loss in has answer F1. The addition of localized feature extraction added to attention produced an overall dev F1 of 77.03 in the base architecture. We applied our findings to the large BERT model which contains twice as many layers and further used our own augmented version of the SQUAD 2.0 dataset created by back translation, which we have named SQUAD 2.Q. Finally, we performed hyperparameter tuning and ensembled our best models for a final F1/EM of 82.317/79.442 (Attention on Steroids, PCE Test Leaderboard).
USE OF ADVANCED ANALYTICS TO EXAMINE THE INCREMENTAL PROGNOSTIC IMPACT OF COMORBIDITIES IN LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE PATIENTS

The incremental prognostic impact of co-morbid conditions after LVAD implantation is vital for clinical decision making. Using data from INTERMACS, we used discrimination and risk reclassification metrics to assess the incremental value of comorbid conditions on prediction of death at 2 years. We
Spatial distribution of human arachnoid trabeculae.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common injury modality affecting a diverse patient population. Axonal injury occurs when the brain experiences excessive deformation as a result of head impact. Previous studies have shown that the arachnoid trabeculae (AT) in the subarachnoid space significantly influence the magnitude and distribution of brain deformation during impact. However, the quantity and spatial distribution of cranial AT in humans is unknown. Quantification of these microstructural features will improve understanding of force transfer during TBI, and may be a valuable dataset for microneurosurgical procedures. In this study, we quantify the spatial distribution of cranial AT in seven post-mortem human subjects. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to conduct in situ imaging of AT microstructure across the surface of the human brain. OCT images were segmented to quantify the relative amounts of trabecular structures through a volume fraction (VF) measurement. The average VF for each brain ranged from 22.0% to 29.2%. Across all brains, there was a positive spatial correlation, with VF significantly greater by 12% near the superior aspect of the brain (p < .005), and significantly greater by 5%-10% in the frontal lobes (p < .005). These findings suggest that the distribution of AT between the brain and skull is heterogeneous, region-dependent, and likely contributes to brain deformation patterns. This study is the first to image and quantify human AT across the cerebrum and identify region-dependencies. Incorporation of this spatial heterogeneity may improve the accuracy of computational models of human TBI and enhance understanding of brain dynamics.
Joint-IVA for identification of discriminating features in EEG: Application to a driving study

Abstract We propose a new method, joint independent vector analysis (jIVA), for obtaining discriminating features, i.e., interpretable signatures from medical data that can be used to study differences between multiple conditions or groups. The method is especially attractive for event related studies of electroencephalogram (EEG) data as it enables one to take advantage of the cross information across multiple channels effectively while enabling the use of information from multiple epochs. We introduce the general model and then demonstrate its successful application to EEG data collected during a driving experiment. As opposed to traditional analysis techniques that only detect differences, we identify statistically significant differences in measured band power showing when and how the differences occur for two experimental conditions across the same group of subjects. We compare jIVA features to those produced from competing data-driven approaches and demonstrate the advantages of jIVA as it fully leverages the statistical dependencies across multiple electrodes, and note its promise as a powerful data-driven method of obtaining informative features of multiset data.
Constitutive Response and Deformation Mechanisms in Unidirectional Metal Matrix Composites Under Compression

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the constitutive response and inelastic deformation characteristics in titanium-based metal matrix composites (MMC) with two types of ceramic fibers, namely, SCS-6 and Sigma. The titanium matrix was Beta 21S, currently named TIMETAL-21S. Monotonic tests were conducted at room temperature (RT) and between 483 and 815°C. The inelastic deformation in the [0] 8 lamina under compression was controlled primarily by matrix plasticity, although some evidence of fiber-matrix debonding was observed. The inelastic deformation mechanisms under compression in [90] 8 lamina were primarily due to radial fiber cracking from the core for the SCS-6 fiber and fiber-matrix debonding. However, for the Sigma fiber, radial cracking was absent. The effect of temperature on degradation of mechanical properties such as modulus and yield strength for the composites with two different fibers were compared.
From Inert Storage to Biological Activity-In Search of Identity for Oxidized Cholesteryl Esters.

Esterification of cholesterol is a universal mechanism to store and transport large quantities of cholesterol between organs and tissues and to avoid toxicity of the excess of cellular cholesterol. Intended for transport and storage and thus to be inert, cholesteryl esters (CEs) reside in hydrophobic cores of circulating lipoproteins and intracellular lipid droplets. However, the inert identity of CEs is dramatically changed if cholesterol is esterified to a polyunsaturated fatty acid and subjected to oxidative modification. Post-synthetic, or epilipidomic, oxidative modifications of CEs are mediated by specialized enzymes, chief among them are lipoxygenases, and by free radical oxidation. The complex repertoire of oxidized CE (OxCE) products exhibit various, context-dependent biological activities, surveyed in this review. Oxidized fatty acyl chains in OxCE can be hydrolyzed and re-esterified, thus seeding oxidized moieties into phospholipids (PLs), with OxPLs having different from OxCEs biological activities. Technological advances in mass spectrometry and the development of new anti-OxCE antibodies make it possible to validate the presence and quantify the levels of OxCEs in human atherosclerotic lesions and plasma. The article discusses the prospects of measuring OxCE levels in plasma as a novel biomarker assay to evaluate risk of developing cardiovascular disease and efficacy of treatment.
Beyond inclusion: Why research on encounter needs a feminist account of freedom

Though the concept of encounter promises to move the field of social inclusion beyond the dichotomy of presence and participation, new work in political theory pushes encounter in a different direc...
Monotheism, Intolerance, and the Path to Pluralistic Politics

Discussions of monotheism often consider its bigotry toward other gods as a source of conflict, or emphasize its universality as a source of peaceful tolerance. Both approaches, however, ignore the combined danger and liberation in monotheism's 'intolerance.' In this volume, Christopher Haw reframes this important argument. He demonstrates the value of rejecting paradigms of inclusivity in favor of an agonistic pluralism and intolerance of absolutism. Haw proposes a model that retains liberal, pluralistic principles while acknowledging their limitations, and he relates them to theologies latent in political ideas. His volume offers a nuanced, evolutionary, and historical understanding of the biblical tradition's emergence and its political consequences with respect to violence. It suggests how we can mediate impasses between liberal and conservative views in culture wars; between liberal inclusivity and conservative decisionism; and, on the religious front, between apologetics for exclusive monotheism and critiques of its intolerance.
Predictors of severity and mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Rhode Island.

Background In order for healthcare systems to prepare for future waves of COVID-19, an in-depth understanding of clinical predictors is essential for efficient triage of hospitalized patients. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 259 patients admitted to our hospitals in Rhode Island to examine differences in baseline characteristics (demographics and comorbidities) as well as presenting symptoms, signs, labs, and imaging findings that predicted disease progression and in-hospital mortality. Results Patients with severe COVID-19 were more likely to be older (p = 0.02), Black (47.2% vs. 32.0%, p = 0.04), admitted from a nursing facility (33.0% vs. 17.9%, p = 0.006), have diabetes (53.9% vs. 30.4%, p<0.001), or have COPD (15.4% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.02). In multivariate regression, Black race (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–3.9) and diabetes (aOR 2.2, 95%CI: 1.3–3.9) were independent predictors of severe disease, while older age (aOR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07), admission from a nursing facility (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1–6.7), and hematological co-morbidities predicted mortality (aOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.1–10.0). In the first 24 hours, respiratory symptoms (aOR 7.0, 95% CI: 1.4–34.1), hypoxia (aOR 19.9, 95% CI: 2.6–152.5), and hypotension (aOR 2.7, 95% CI) predicted progression to severe disease, while tachypnea (aOR 8.7, 95% CI: 1.1–71.7) and hypotension (aOR 9.0, 95% CI: 3.1–26.1) were associated with increased in-hospital mortality. Conclusions Certain patient characteristics and clinical features can help clinicians with early identification and triage of high-risk patients during subsequent waves of COVID-19.
Antimicrobial resistance of strains of Pasteurella hemolytica isolated from feedlot cattle

P. haemolytica was isolated from 51 of 65 nasal swabs taken from cattle with untreated respiratory disease in Kentucky in 1978 (23 of 29 cattle), 1979 (18 of 22), and 1980 (10 of 14). Isolates were resistant (in vitro) to ampicillin (21 isolates), streptomycin (46), tetracycline (46), triple-sulfonamide (12), chloramphenicol (1), nitrofuran (1), and neomycin (1). All isolates were resistant to at least 2 drugs, 8 were resistant to 4, and one to all 7.
Internalized Binegativity, LGBQ + Community Involvement, and Definitions of Bisexuality

Bisexual people can internalize stigma from both heterosexual and gay/lesbian communities, which often occurs in the form of monosexism, the belief that people should only be attracted to one gende...
Music, personhood, and eudaimonia: Implications for educative and ethical music education

This paper proposes that educative and ethical music making and teaching, which is based on a praxial philosophy of music education (Elliott and Silverman, 2014), can be carried out in a variety of ways that create places and spaces, in schools and community settings, for a variety of human values or “goods” that include, but go beyond, making and listening to classical instrumental music, or any other kind of music, for “the music itself.” One premise of this philosophical discussion is that music does not have one value; music has numerous values, depending on the ways in which it is conceived, used, and taught by people who engage in specific musical styles. For example, when music education is ethically guided—when we teach people not only in and about music, but also through music—we achieve what Aristotle and many other philosophers consider the highest human value—eudaimonia—which is a multidimensional term we explain the body of this paper. Following an examination of three community music settings that exemplify educative and ethical musical interactions, the paper provides a brief explanation of the nature of personhood that draws from embodied, enactive, empathetic, and ecological concepts put forth by several contemporary cognitive scientists and philosophers of mind nature. This sections leads to an examination to main constituents of eudaimonia: happiness and well- being as conceived by various scholars during the last 2500 years. The discussion ends by integrated the above themes with a discussion of a praxial philosophy of music education and its implications for school and community music education.
Block Algorithms for Parallel Machines

In this paper we discuss block methods in matrix computation and the role they are beginning to play on parallel computers.
Uterus and Fallopian Tube

Nonneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the uterus and fallopian tubes are presented in this chapter, with emphasis on the most common disorders. The clinical, macroscopic, and microscopic features are outlined, as well as main key points used in the differential diagnosis. Practical applications of immunohistochemistry in the different entities are offered. As far as the nonneoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix, infectious and noninfectious etiologies are included. Epithelial tumors and precursor lesions of the squamous and glandular neoplastic lesions of the cervix, their classification, and uses of immunohistochemistry in the recognition and differential diagnosis are also noted. In a similar fashion, the main morphologic features of the endometrium, nonneoplastic disorders and neoplastic lesions of the uterine corpus, including metaplasias, precursor lesions of endometrial adenocarcinoma, clinical and histopathologic classification of endometrial carcinoma and mesenchymal tumors are covered. In addition, benign inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions of fallopian tube as well as their neoplastic processes are presented.
Applications Software as Cognitive Enhancers.

AbstractConcern and commitment for developing students’ higher order thinking or problem-solving abilities have increased as greater consideration has been given to the importance of subject matter and the social context for learning. Not only can computers be used directly as problem-solving tools, but applications software also can be used more effectively for teaching the concepts essential for recognizing and solving problems. This article evaluates spreadsheet software that teaches quantitative business concepts through macro-driven drills. Because this software provides students with cognitive support by eliminating problem setup and calculation, it is judged to be operating as a “cognitive enhancer, ” permitting students to focus on complex concepts.
Measuring Church and State: Religion, Culture, and the Impact on Democracy

This paper argues that the relationship between democracy and the separation of religion and state needs to be reexamined. Previous studies have misconceptualized the impact a lack of religion-state separation can have on democracy, or have taken a narrow focus by concentrating on specific cases or sectarian groups. I argue that by comparing different indexes that measure the separation of religion and state then the most relevant indicators for the social aspects of religion-state separation that impacts democracy can be identified. This focus addresses the questions of what indicators best conceptualize different dimensions of the separation of religion and state, and what relationship these indicators have with levels of democracy. I utilize a dataset measuring religious regulation covering 175 countries for the year 2002 to test my argument.
Vaccine candidates for dengue virus type 1 (DEN1) generated by replacement of the structural genes of rDEN4 and rDEN4Δ30 with those of DEN1

Antigenic chimeric viruses have previously been generated in which the structural genes of recombinant dengue virus type 4 (rDEN4) have been replaced with those derived from DEN2 or DEN3. Two vaccine candidates were identified, rDEN2/4Δ30(ME) and rDEN3/4Δ30(ME), which contain the membrane (M) precursor and envelope (E) genes of DEN2 and DEN3, respectively, and a 30 nucleotide deletion (Δ30) in the 3' untranslated region of the DEN4 backbone. Based on the promising preclinical phenotypes of these viruses and the safety and immunogenicity of rDEN2/4Δ30(ME) in humans, we now describe the generation of a panel of four antigenic chimeric DEN4 viruses using either the capsid (C), M, and E (CME) or ME structural genes of DEN1 Puerto Rico/94 strain. Four antigenic chimeric viruses were generated and found to replicate efficiently in Vero cells: rDEN1/4(CME), rDEN1/4Δ30(CME), rDEN1/4(ME), and rDEN1/4Δ30(ME). With the exception of rDEN1/4(ME), each chimeric virus was significantly attenuated in a SCID-HuH-7 mouse xenograft model with a 25-fold or greater reduction in replication compared to wild type DEN1. In rhesus monkeys, only chimeric viruses with the Δ30 mutation appeared to be attenuated as measured by duration and magnitude of viremia. rDEN1/4Δ30(CME) appeared over-attenuated since it failed to induce detectable neutralizing antibody and did not confer protection from wild type DEN1 challenge. In contrast, rDEN1/4Δ30(ME) induced 66% seroconversion and protection from DEN1 challenge. Presence of the Δ30 mutation conferred a significant restriction in mosquito infectivity upon rDEN1/4Δ30(ME) which was shown to be non-infectious for Aedes aegypti fed an infectious bloodmeal. The attenuation phenotype in SCID-HuH-7 mice, rhesus monkeys, and mosquitoes and the protective immunity observed in rhesus monkeys suggest that rDEN1/4Δ30(ME) should be considered for evaluation in a clinical trial.
The influence of CADD on teaching traditional descriptive geometry and orthographic projection

With the advent of CADD, especially 3-D CADD, in industry and in educational institutions it has become imperative that educators take a close look at the subject of descriptive geometry, the method of orthographic projection, and their accompanying instructional methodology. This paper investigates the history and uses of descriptive geometry and orthographic projection in industry and in traditional engineering school curriculum. How these topics are being influenced and altered by the addition of CADD systems to engineering graphics classes is the main theme of this paper.
The concept of perceptual similarity : from psychophysics to cognitive psychology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of perceptual similarity. It illustrates psychologists' struggle, from the beginnings of the discipline, with the issue of perceptual similarity. These beginnings has been dominated by psychophysicists who attempted to create a science of psychology by relating physical changes in sound intensity to psychological changes in perceived loudness. Currently, the dominant force in experimental psychology is the study of human cognition. The goals and the levels of theoretical sophistication have changed greatly. Contemporary cognitive theories, for example, encompass a wider range of human experiences and provide a fuller account of those experiences. The chapter demonstrates the way the history of ideas and their development provide insight into the best way to characterize the concept of similarity in today's time.
Using satellite vegetation and compound topographic indices to map highly erodible cropland buffers for cellulosic biofuel crop developments in eastern Nebraska, USA

Abstract Cultivating annual row crops in high topographic relief waterway buffers has negative environmental effects and can be environmentally unsustainable. Growing perennial grasses such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for biomass (e.g., cellulosic biofuel feedstocks) instead of annual row crops in these high relief waterway buffers can improve local environmental conditions (e.g., reduce soil erosion and improve water quality through lower use of fertilizers and pesticides) and ecosystem services (e.g., minimize drought and flood impacts on production; improve wildlife habitat, plant vigor, and nitrogen retention due to post-senescence harvest for cellulosic biofuels; and serve as carbon sinks). The main objectives of this study are to: (1) identify cropland areas with high topographic relief (high runoff potentials) and high switchgrass productivity potential in eastern Nebraska that may be suitable for growing switchgrass, and (2) estimate the total switchgrass production gain from the potential biofuel areas. Results indicate that about 140,000 hectares of waterway buffers in eastern Nebraska are suitable for switchgrass development and the total annual estimated switchgrass biomass production for these suitable areas is approximately 1.2 million metric tons. The resulting map delineates high topographic relief croplands and provides useful information to land managers and biofuel plant investors to make optimal land use decisions regarding biofuel crop development and ecosystem service optimization in eastern Nebraska.
An improved Z-parameter macro model for substrate noise coupling

A new formulation of Z-parameter based macro models for substrate noise coupling is presented. With this new formulation, the variation of the self Z-parameter at small contact separations can be simulated. Instead of calculating the Z-parameters directly by two-contact models, the Z-parameters are calculated as a least-square solution to an overdetermined set of equations. In this way, the interaction between neighboring contacts can be easily accounted for in the Z-parameter calculation. The method can be applied to both the lightly and the heavily doped substrates. Examples for a lightly doped substrate are provided.
Telling a Story about the Past: Fact and Fiction in Two Recent Films on the History of Anthropology

Ishi, The. Last Yahi. 1992. 57 minutes, color. Produced and directed by Jed Riffe and Pamela Roberts. Distributed by the Center for Media and Independent Learning, University of California Extension, 2000 Center Street, Fourth Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704; 510/642-0460. Fax 510/643-9271. Available in video and 16mm. Margaret Mead: An Observer Observed. 1995.85 minutes, color. Produced by Virginia Yans-McLaughlin. Directed by Alan Berliner. Distributed by Filmakers Library, 124 East 40th Street, New York, NY l0016; 212/808-4980.
Development of a clothing iron safety device.

Contact burns from clothing irons are a common injury seen in children. These injuries occur when an unattended iron is within reach of toddlers in its upright position. In a previous study, the authors have shown that the surface of an iron takes 90 minutes to cool below the epidermal injury threshold of 49 degrees C. The authors have constructed an"iron shoe"to shield the iron surface from young hands during cooling. The device is intended to set the cooling iron in its down position providing additional protection. The device will insulate the iron surface to avoid the fire hazard when positioned in this manner. A silicone polymer was used to create an"iron shoe."This polymer is stable at temperatures up to 370 degrees C. The device included sidewalls to shield the edges from contact. Thermal analysis of the device was conducted using an inexpensive and expensive iron. Thermocouples were placed on the iron surface and below the iron shoe. The irons were heated to its maximum temperature, placed in the shoe and then unplugged. Temperature cooling curves were obtained from the thermocouples. The experiment was repeated by measuring the temperature difference between the iron edge and the shoe sidewalls. The surface of both expensive and inexpensive irons reached a maximum of 205 degrees C. The temperature below the iron shoe reached a maximum of 49 degrees C (inexpensive) and 60 degrees C (expensive). The iron edge temperature reached a maximum of 188 degrees C (inexpensive) and 154 degrees C (expensive). The shoe sidewall temperature achieved a maximum of 52 degrees C (inexpensive) and 49 degrees C (expensive). Both expensive and inexpensive irons reach temperatures over 200 degrees C. The silicone"iron shoe"effectively shielded the surface and edge of both irons and approached the epidermal injury threshold of 49 degrees C. The temperature beneath the expensive iron did exceed 49 degrees C, but because the intention of the device is to place the iron in the down position, the surface will be out of reach from children. This device prototype offers a solution to protect toddler's hands from contact with cooling irons. Further design modifications will be tested to reduce the cost of the device without impairing its effectiveness. Language: en
A review of rifaximin and bacterial overgrowth in poorly responsive celiac disease.

A proportion of patients with celiac disease have a poor response to a gluten-free diet, which may be due to small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Treatment with rifaximin is often used in the clinical setting, but there is limited literature to support this practice. In addition, challenges in the diagnosis of SIBO confound response interpretation. Our recent placebo-controlled trial did not demonstrate any improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms after treatment with rifaximin and casts doubt on the utility of lactulose–hydrogen breath testing for SIBO in this population.
Numerical approaches for motion of dispersed particles, droplets and bubbles

Abstract Recent advances in computational approaches for two-phase flow motion of solid particles, liquid particles, and gas bubbles are reviewed in the context of engineering calculations. The surrounding fluid is assumed to behave in a continuum and the dispersed-fluid is assumed to be dilute such that particle–particle interactions and two-way coupling effects can be ignored. The key process considered herein is momentum transfer to the particles with emphasis on turbulent diffusion. Computational approaches are classified by their particular treatment of the continuous-phase (surrounding liquid or gas) and of the dispersed-phase (solid particles, droplets, or bubbles). The most appropriate point-volume descriptions for interphase transfer of momentum are described based on current research and experimental data. Modern Lagrangian and Eulerian treatments of the dispersed-phase motion are then considered for predicting a variety of particle–fluid physical phenomenon. Finally, the “tools” (computational techniques) are summarized based on the “job” (prediction of a particular set of dispersed-phase properties) and the “cost” (required computational resources).
Current Controversies in Perinatology: Why They Don't Go Away

Controversies are not new to neonatal perinatal medicine. They are an inevitable consequence of the rapid progress witnessed in this field, progress that is reflected in an across-the-board improvement in neonatal outcomes. A New York Times Op-Ed from 2012 summarizes it well: “NICUs are the triumph of modern medicine’s investment in technology, pharmacy and know-how. They exist to finish nature’s work because more than 500,000 times a year—more than anywhere else in the industrialized world—an American baby is born prematurely. The most precarious are born at the margin of life: somewhere between 23 and 26 weeks of gestation, or what is called the limit of viability. Now we face a difficult choice: whom we fight for and whom we let go.” Indeed, this problem is emblematic of the price we must pay for the progress. It is not just babies with extreme prematurity; those with severe birth defects face similar challenges, leaving parents and providers with difficult choices to make. And the issue is not just cost of care; it is the overwhelming uncertainty in predicting bad outcomes, particularly the ones that can persist an entire lifetime. Scientists and clinicians are united in finding answers to vexing questions and furthering the field. Yet, there is much work to be done. As you will see from this issue of the Clinics in Perinatology, many fairly simple and common interventions in neonatology deserve urgent attention. What oxygen concentrations do we use for resuscitating newborns? What saturations do we accept that minimize morbidity and mortality? Which probiotic and howmuch? How do we manage pain? How expansive should our neonatal screening programs be? The list goes on and on. New challenges have also emerged that threaten to severely impede the pace of progress. Legal and societal challenges to the “SUPPORT” trial have shaken the
Comparison of Photophysical and Colloidal Properties of Biocompatible Semiconductor Nanocrystals Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

A number of different surface chemistries have been developed in recent years to render semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) stable in water and biocompatible. However, most of these surface modifications affect NCs' photophysical properties, calling for a method to simultaneously monitor colloidal and fluorescence properties. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) combined with ensemble spectroscopic methods and Monte Carlo simulations were used to interpret and derive photophysical as well as colloidal properties of four different NC surface treatments. Using a novel FCS scheme with alternating laser excitation at two different intensities, we first ruled out influences from optical gradient forces (optical trapping). We then compared concentration of emitting particles, brightness per particle, saturation intensity, blinking (intermittency), hydrodynamic radius, and propensity for aggregation of the different bioconjugated NCs. This approach was successfully applied during the development and optimization of peptide-coated NCs.
Pulsed plasma deposition from 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane by electron cyclotron resonance and conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Pulsed electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas from 1,1,2,2-C2H2F4 are used to deposit fluorocarbon films. The deposited films have a F : C ratio of 1, with only slight variations in % CFx as the deposition pressure is decreased. The optical emission (OES) spectra of the pulsed C2H2F4 plasmas show high intensity peaks for H, C2, and C3, with lower intensity CF2 and F peaks. The dominant OES peak shifts from Hα to C2 when the pressure is reduced, most likely a result of the increased electron temperature at the lower pressure. Gas-phase recombination reactions may be occurring between the OES sampling region and the deposition substrate (∼ 8-in. distance), producing fluorocarbon molecular deposition species, thus accounting for the high degree of fluorination in the deposited films. Parallel plate plasma deposited films from C2H2F4 show less fluorination than their ECR counterparts, as well as vastly different OES spectra, with CF2 peaks dominating the spectra versus H and C2. The presence of ion bombardment in the parallel plate system tends to defluorinate the depositing films, and thus can account for the less fluorinated films deposited in the parallel plate versus ECR systems. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2084–2092, 2001
Mercury: Spectral reflectance measurements (0.33–1.06 μm) 1974/1975

Abstract The spectral reflectance (0.32–1.06 μm) of Mercury was measured during two elongations, September–October 1974 and March 1975. The spectra are much improved over the previously available measurements. The reflectance increases almost linearly with wavelength and no electronic transition absorption bands are evident to the precision of the data. The new spectra agree very well with the reflectance of mature lunar mare and upland soils and are dissimilar to those of any other observed solar system object. This suggests that the surface materials and the weathering processes controlling their optical properties are similar for both the Moon and Mercury. Differences between the spectra for the two observation periods may indicate differences in the average composition for the different regions of Mercury observed.
Genesis 31-34 as Spanish Comedia: Lope de Vega’s El robo de Dina

Lope de Vega’s El robo de Dina, based upon Genesis 31-34, focuses on the disturbing series of events involving Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, and culminating in the mass slaughter of an entire enemy people who were doing their best to accommodate the demands of the Hebrews. The primary focus of this article is not the Biblical story itself, but rather the techniques that Lope used to adapt his source text for a comedia audience. From the amplification of the scope of the source text by the inclusion of the story of Laban and Jacob to the depiction of women as objects to be protected, sold, or stolen, this lesser-known play by Lope provides considerable insight into how seventeenth-century Spain viewed the Bible, the history of the Jewish people, the relationships between men and women, and even the comedia and Baroque ideals. A striking example of the conflictive nature of Baroque art, comedia dramaturgy, and the contradictions prevalent in seventeenth-century Spain, this play offers a mixture of unexpected differences: an act of sexual aggression and sympathy for the perpetrator, the history of the Hebrew people as seen through the poetic and theatrical conventions of the Spanish comedia, and simultaneous reverence for and condemnation of the Hebrew protagonists.
Design Considerations for Reconfigurable Delay Circuit to Emulate System Critical Paths

The design, analysis, and implementation of an accurate delay circuit used to synthesize critical paths in a microprocessor system are presented. The delay circuit includes a novel 64-step programmable calibration delay line that is highly uniform across a wide range of supply voltages and a reconfigurable delay path with tunable delay sensitivity to voltage variations. The calibration delay line generates delay step in picosecond range, which is less than 1% of the clock cycle time for the microprocessor. The reconfigurable path is capable of increasing voltage sensitivity of the delay circuit by 40% and emulating the steeper frequency versus voltage slope of the microprocessor in low-voltage domain. The proposed circuit is implemented inside the critical path monitor block placed on a test microprocessor core fabricated using 22-nm silicon-on-insulator CMOS process. Measurement results from nine test cores show that the circuit tracks microprocessor timing margin change with an error less than 1.3% of the core operating frequency over a wide supply voltage range.
Accuracy of Kinematic Wave Approximation for Flood Routing. II: Unsteady Analysis

The applicability of the kinematic wave (KW) approximation was investigated for unsteady flow in prismatic channels. Each of the 16 cases analyzed under steady flow conditions by Moramarco et al. (2008) was now perturbed such that synthetic discharge hydrographs varying around the steady value Q0 and characterized by different values of the wave period T and steady wave travel times, T0′ , were obtained. Therefore, based on the kinematic wave number K and steady Froude number F0 , a set of 224 experimental tests were carried out and the KW accuracy was investigated by routing synthetic discharge hydrographs. In this case, the dynamic wave solution DYW was also considered as a benchmark and adopting the critical-flow depth at the downstream end. The performance of KW was assessed using different accuracy measures: (a) errors in dimensionless maximum flow depth along the channel emax ; (b) explained variance NSQ on discharge hydrographs at the outlet section; and (c) errors in peak discharge e Qp and water ...