cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ASYMMETRIC PROTON YIELDS FROM THE SEQUENTIAL REACTION $sup 6$Li($sup 3$He,$alpha$p)$sup 4$He.

Measurements have been made of the asymmetric proton yields about the $^{5}\mathrm{Li}$ recoil direction using the sequential reaction $^{6}\mathrm{Li}(^{3}\mathrm{He},\ensuremath{\alpha}p)^{4}\mathrm{He}$ for both the ground and first excited states of $^{5}\mathrm{Li}$ at a beam energy of 1.54 MeV. Measurements were made out of the reaction plane, and the results are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of a model proposed by Reimann, Martin, and Vogt. Distorted-wave Born-approximation stripping theory may also be capable of explaining the asymmetric results.
What Incentives Are Created by Medicare Payments for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Differences in profitability and contribution margin (CM) between various patient populations may make certain patients particularly attractive (or unattractive) to providers. This study seeks to identify patient characteristics associated with increased profit and CM among Medicare patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods The expected Medicare reimbursement for consecutive patients of Medicare-eligible age (65+ years) undergoing primary unilateral elective THA (n = 498) was calculated in accordance with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy. Costs were derived from the hospital's cost accounting system. Profit and CM were calculated for each patient as reimbursement less total and variable costs, respectively. Patients were compared based on clinical and demographic factors by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Medicare patients undergoing THA generated negative average profits but substantial positive CMs. Lower profit and CM were associated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification ( P P = .03), older age ( P P P = .03). No association was found with gender, body mass index, or race. Conclusion If our results are generalizable, Medicare patients requiring THA are currently financially attractive, but institutions have a long-term incentive to shift resources to more profitable patients and service lines, which may eventually restrict access to care for this population. THA providers have a financial incentive to favor Medicare patients with younger age, lower American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification, and those who can be expected to require relatively short admissions. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services must strive to accurately match reimbursement rates to provider costs to avoid inequitable payments to providers and financial incentives discouraging treatment of high-risk patients or other patient subpopulations.
Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Household Income in Relation to Sleep in Early Childhood

OBJECTIVE : Sleep health is critical for children to adapt to evolving cognitive-socioemotional contexts. Given that sleep timing in early childhood is instituted under caregiver control, the family context likely has an influential role on children's sleep. This study investigated links between maternal depressive symptoms and variability in children's sleep, and whether household income moderated this relation. METHOD : 90 children (Mage = 53 ± 9 months) wore actigraphs to objectively measure sleep for 4-16 days. Mothers reported income and depressive symptomatology. RESULTS : Higher maternal depressive symptoms were related to greater variability in 24-hr sleep duration. Income moderated this relation. Lower income, but not maternal depressive symptoms, was linked to greater variability in sleep onset time. CONCLUSIONS : Findings demonstrate important relations between maternal depressive symptoms, income, and children's sleep. Understanding distal and proximal family characteristics that may be related to children's developing sleep schedules could help identify populations and strategies for promoting optimal sleep health.
Wittgenstein on Describing and Making Connections

At a number of places in the Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein suggests that in using certain expressions we are making a connection, rather than describing one. Characteristically, though, he does not do much more than start this thought. This paper will be an attempt to push it further, to see what, if anything, can be made of it. The following are the places where the idea is most clearly presented: 487. "I am leaving the room because you tell me to." "I am leaving the room, but not because you tell me to." Does this proposition describe a connection between my action and his order; or does it make the connection? Can one ask: "How do you know that you do it because of this, or not because of this?"? And is the answer perhaps: "I feel it"? In ?682, referring back to ?666, in which someone, bothered both by pain and the sound of a piano being tuned, says it will stop soon, Wittgenstein writes:
Survival and Development of Gypsy Moths (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) on Corn and Soybean Foliage

The availability of suitable hosts is a major factor influencing insect migration. We examined gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., feeding and development on corn, Zea mays L., and soybeans, Glycine max Merr., plants widely available in midwestern states, to determine their potential to influence patterns of gypsy moth migration and establishment outside of the northeastern forests. Although corn did not seem to be a suitable host for gypsy moth larvae, soybean leaves were acceptable, and ≈50% of the larvae reared on soybean leaves developed to the adult stage. The extent of foliar feeding and the level of larval developmental perfor-mance differed significantly among 4 soybean cultivars evaluated, indicating a wide range of suitability to gypsy moth herbivory. Previously demonstrated resistance to Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, in soybean lines correlated well with resistance to gypsy moth herbivory. Gypsy moth survival and development to fertile adults on soybean leaves is a new finding that is not likely to have immediate economic impact but could have dispersal significance if soybeans prove to be a suitable alternate host.
EVALUATION OF INSECTICIDES FOR CONTROL OF SQUASH BUG ON SUMMER SQUASH, 2002

Plots were located on the University of Arkansas Vegetable Station, Kibler, AR. Soil type is Roxanna silt loam. Plots consisted of a single six foot wide bed 35 ft. long. 'Black Beauty' zucchini squash was planted with on 29 Apr 2002. Seed was placed every 1 ft within each plot. Experimental design was RCB with four replications. Plants were mature at insecticide application and had just been harvested. Insecticide sprays were applied on 28 Jun with a CO2 powered backpack sprayer equipped with two Delvan HB 10 nozzles. Spray output was 15.3 gpa at 25 psi. Insecticide effectiveness was assessed by randomly selecting two areas in each plot. Within each area plants were shaken, then cut and removed. A 15 inch diameter wire hoop was quickly placed over the ground and all squash bugs were counted and categorized as dead (inability to walk) and alive at 3 and 7 DAT. Data were converted to percentage mortality and analyzed with ANOVA. Means were separated with LSD.
Use of a Scaling Technique in Surveys

The use of scaling techniques in sample surveys provides a way of introducing a “qualitative” dimension. However, the proper use of many scaling techniques requires a greater expenditure of time an...
Adrenal Metastasis from Uterine Papillary Serous Carcinoma.

Background Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) is a highly malignant form of endometrial cancer with a high propensity for metastases and recurrences even when there is minimal or no myometrial invasion. It usually metastasizes to the pelvis, retroperitoneal lymph nodes, upper abdomen, and peritoneum. However, adrenal metastases from UPSC is extremely rare. Here, we present a case of UPSC with adrenal metastasis that occurred 6 years after the initial diagnosis. Case report A 60-year-old woman previously diagnosed with uterine papillary serous carcinoma at an outside facility presented in September of 2006 with postmenopausal bleeding. She underwent comprehensive surgical staging with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage 2. Post-operatively, the patient was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. The treatment was completed in April of 2007. The patient had no evidence of disease until July 2009 when she was found to have a mass highly suspicious for malignancy. Subsequently, she underwent right upper lobectomy. The morphology of the carcinoma was consistent with UPSC. She refused chemotherapy due to a previous history of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. The patient was followed up with regular computed tomography (CT) scans. In October 2012 a new right adrenal nodule was seen on CT, which showed intense metabolic uptake on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan. The patient underwent right adrenalectomy. Pathology of the surgical specimen was consistent with UPSC. Conclusions UPSC is an aggressive variant of endometrial cancer associated with high recurrence rate and poor prognoses. Long-term follow-up is needed because there is a possibility of late metastases, as in this case.
On Protection of Rare and Endangered Plants in Changqing National Nature Reserve

To have a general knowledge of the present conditions of the rare and endangered plants and to establish a sample experimental conservation plot,comprehensive methods integrating sample line,quadrate,literature review and specimen identification together,are employed to investigate the species and the living conditions of the rare and endangered plants.The results showed that in Maoping,there are 2 species of plant of state first class protection,7 species of plant of second class protection,15 species of plant of third class protection,of which 12 species are rare,12 vulnerable,18 endangered plants,22 belong to Chinese endemic genera accounting for 4.7% of the total genera and 8.6% of the total families.
Unusual Hypersensitivity Reaction to Iohexol During Epidural Steroid Injection Resulting in Lipoma Development: A Case Presentation

Abstract Epidural steroid injections are common interventional pain procedures for radicular pain when conservative therapies fail. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with lumbar radicular pain who developed a hypersensitivity reaction to iohexol during a fluoroscopically guided interlaminar epidural steroid injection resulting in lipoma development. Mechanisms of anaphylactoid reaction and recommendations for lipoma treatment are described based on clinical presentation. With an increase in the number of injections performed for pain management, awareness of this complication may need to be included for informed consent. Level of Evidence V
Congenital esophagobronchial fistula in an adult.

Congenital esophagobronchial fistula occurring in infancy and childhood is a well-recognized entity necessitating urgent surgical treatment Persistence of such a communication into adulthood is rare and would seem possible only if the tract were small so that aspiration into the lung could be tolerated. The case of a 38-year-old woman is presented in this report who was cured of lifelong symptoms of aspiration by surgical division of a presumed congenital esophagobronchial fistula.
Mycenaean Greece and the Aegean World: Palace and Province in the Late Bronze Age

In this book, Kramer-Hajos examines the Euboean Gulf region in Central Greece to explain its flourishing during the post-palatial period. Providing a social and political history of the region in the Late Bronze Age, she focuses on the interactions between this 'provincial' coastal area and the core areas where the Mycenaean palaces were located. Drawing on network and agency theory, two current and highly effective methodologies in prehistoric Mediterranean archaeology, Kramer-Hajos argues that the Euboean Gulf region thrived when it was part of a decentralized coastal and maritime network, and declined when it was incorporated in a highly centralized mainland-looking network. Her research and analysis contributes new insights to our understanding of the mechanics and complexity of the Bronze Age Aegean collapse.
Effect of Na+ electrochemical potential energy on system A Amino acid transport in rat skeletal muscle during endotoxic shock

We previously reported a decrease in Na+ dependent amino acid (AA) transport by endotoxic rat soleus muscle, in vitro. This study evaluated the kinetics of AA transport in vitro, active AA transport in vivo and intra- and extracellular Na+ concentration (mmol/L) and the calculated chloride equilibrium potential (mv) in endotoxic soleus muscle. Fasted male rats (90 g) received an i.v. injection of the system A AA analog alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) (1 mg/kg) and Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin (ETX) (20 mg/kg) or saline (SAL) and were killed 4–5 h later. Kinetic parameters Vmax (nmol/g dry wt/min) and Km (mM) were estimated from initial rates of AIB uptake during incubations in O2-Krebs with various [AIB] (0.1–20 mM). AIB uptake by muscle in vivo was expressed as a distribution ratio (DR; [AIB]intracell/ [AIBJextracell) to assess active AA transport.
Ensemble Molecular Dynamics of a Protein-Ligand Complex: Residual Inhibitor Entropy Enhances Drug Potency in Butyrylcholinesterase.

Butyrylcholinesterase is a key enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and shows an increased activity in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), making this enzyme a primary target in treating AD. Central to this problem, and to similar scenarios involving biomolecular recognition, is our understanding of the nature of the protein-ligand complex. The butyrylcholinesterase enzyme was studied via all-atom, explicit solvent, ensemble molecular dynamics simulations sans inhibitor and in the presence of three dialkyl phenyl phosphate inhibitors of known potency to a cumulative sampling of over 40 μs. Following relaxation of these ensembles to conformational equilibria, binding modes for each inhibitor were identified. While classical models, which assume significant reduction in both protein and ligand conformational entropies, continue to be favored in contemporary studies, our observations contradict those assumptions: bound ligands occupy many conformational states, thereby stabilizing the complex, while also promoting protein flexibility.
Minocycline-induced skin hyperpigmentation.

A 67-year-old male with rheumatoid arthritis and recurrent left prosthetic knee infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus presented to the clinic. He had been taking minocycline 100 mg orally twice a day for the previous 16 months as chronic suppressive therapy. On physical examination, multiple new bluish-grey macules and patches were seen on bilateral forearms and legs (figures 1 and 2). We diagnosed the patient with an unusually severe form of type II minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation. The patient was not on any other medications known …
Advancements in Pacemaker Technology: The Leadless Device

Leadless pacemakers will most likely be the future of cardiac pacing. Leadless pacing employs a single-chamber system to pace only the right ventricle and is fully self-contained, which eliminates the need for leads. These systems, implanted by using a transcatheter sheath, are indicated for patients who need right ventricular pacing only. These devices enable patients to avoid lead-related complications, from lead fracture to extraction challenges, as well as pocket-related complications such as infection and disfigurement. Leadless pacemakers also are compatible with magnetic resonance imaging and do not require surgical placement, so patients avoid postoperative mobility restrictions. Because this technology will be increasingly used for cardiac internal electronic devices, commonly seen in critical care nursing, nurses must be knowledgeable about the indications for use of a wireless pacemaker, the implantation procedure, postprocedural care, device interrogation, and follow-up. This article discusses leadless pacemakers, clinical indications for their use, key similarities and differences between the current devices being used, key points for nursing care of patients with a leadless device, and the future of this technology.
Vision based monitoring system for Alzheimer's patients using controlled bounding boxes tracking

This paper presents a food intake monitoring system for patients with reduced cognitive abilities such as Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Using skin regions to detect hand and face, we track the selected skin blobs over video frames. We also worked within YCbCr and YIQ color spaces since better control over illumination changes can be realized. To enable better tracking of moving skin regions, we create bounding boxes around segmented regions and track these boxes as the moving objects. In this paper, we also address the challenges of merging boxes using a modified version. Real videos taken under different lighting conditions and varying object speeds and skin colors are used to validate the proposed method.
Tuberculosis Treatment Completion in a United States/Mexico Binational Context

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a salient public health issue along the United States/Mexico border. This study seeks to identify the social and structural factors which are associated with TB disease burden in the binational geographic region. Identification of barriers of treatment completion provides the necessary framework for developing evidence based interventions that are culturally relevant and context specific for the United States/Mexico border region. Methods: Retrospective study of data extracted from medical charts (N=439) from Yuma County Health Department ( n=160) and Centro de Salud San Luis Rio Colorado (n=279). Patients currently accessing TB treatment at either facility were excluded from the study. Chi-square, unadjusted odds ratios, and logistic regression were utilized to identify characteristics associated with successful TB treatment in this population. Findings: The study population was predominantly male (n=327). Females were more likely to complete TB treatment (OR=3.71). The absence of drug use and/or the absence of an HIV positive diagnosis was found to be predictors of TB treatment completion across both clinical sites. Forty-four percent (43.59%) (n=85) TB patients treated at CDS San Luis did not complete treatment versus 40.35% (n=49) of TB patients that did not complete treatment at YCHD. Moving from the area or being deported was the highest category (20.78%) for incomplete TB treatment in the population (n=64) across both clinical sites.
Attraction-Repulsion Forces Between Biological Cells: A Theoretical Explanation of Empirical Formulas.

Biological cells attract and repulse each other: if they get too close to each other, they repulse, and if they get too far away from each other, they attract. There are empirical formulas that describe the dependence of the corresponding forces on the distance between the cells. In this paper, we provide a theoretical explanation for these empirical formulas.
Network flow relations and travel time reliability in a connected environment

Connected vehicle technology provides the opportunity to create a connected network of vehicles and infrastructure. In such a network, individual vehicles can communicate with each other and with the infrastructure, including a traffic management center. The effects of connectivity on reducing congestion and improving throughput and reliability have been extensively investigated at the segment (facility) level. To complement the segment-level studies and to assess the large-scale effects of connectivity, this paper presents a networkwide evaluation of the effect of connectivity on travel time reliability. This study uses a microscopic simulation framework to establish the speed–density relationships at different market penetration rates (MPRs) of connected vehicles. Calibrated speed–density relationships are then used as inputs to the mesoscopic simulation tools to simulate the networkwide effects of connectivity. The Chicago, Illinois, and Salt Lake City, Utah, networks are simulated. Numerical results f...
Who, Me? How Virtual Agents Can Shape Conversational Footing in Virtual Reality

The nonverbal behaviors of conversational partners reflect their conversational footing, signaling who in the group are the speakers, addressees, bystanders, and overhearers. Many applications of virtual reality (VR) will involve multiparty conversations with virtual agents and avatars of others where appropriate signaling of footing will be critical. In this paper, we introduce computational models of gaze and spatial orientation that a virtual agent can use to signal specific footing configurations. An evaluation of these models through a user study found that participants conformed to conversational roles signaled by the agent and contributed to the conversation more as addressees than as bystanders. We observed these effects in immersive VR, but not on a 2D display, suggesting an increased sensitivity to virtual agents’ footing cues in VR-based interfaces.
Vitamin C: The Next Step in Sepsis Management?

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical condition, affecting approximately 26 million people worldwide every year. The disease is a continuum, marked by dysregulated inflammation and hemodynamic instability leading to shock, multi-system organ dysfunction, and death. Over the past decades, there has been a focus on the early identification and treatment of sepsis primarily with bundled and goal directed therapy. Despite these advances, morbidity and mortality has remained high, prompting investigation into novel therapies. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in mediating inflammation through antioxidant activities and is also important in the synthesis of cortisol, catecholamines, and vasopressin, which are key mediators in the disease process. Emerging evidence provides cursory data in support of the administration of vitamin C in addition to standard therapy to ameliorate the effects of inflammation and improve hemodynamic stability in patients with sepsis and septic shock; however, further evidence is needed to support this practice. This review discusses the physiologic role of vitamin C as well as the recent literature and evidence for the use of vitamin C in patients presenting with sepsis.
Protein-Glass Surface Interactions and Ion Desalting in Electrospray Ionization with Submicron Emitters

Theta glass electrospray emitters can rapidly mix solutions to investigate fast reactions that occur as quickly as 1 μs, but emitters with submicron tips have the unusual properties of desalting protein ions and affecting the observed abundances of some proteins as a result of protein–surface interactions. The role of protein physical properties on ion signal was investigated using 1.7 ± 0.1 μm and 269 ± 7 nm emitters and 100 mM aqueous ammonium acetate or ammonium bicarbonate solutions. Protein ion desalting occurs for both positive and negative ions. The signal of a mixture of proteins with the 269 nm tips is time-dependent and the order in which ions of each protein is observed is related to the expected strengths of the protein–surface interactions. These results indicate that it is not just the high surface-to-volume ratio that plays a role in protein adsorption and reduction or absence of initial ion signal, but the small diffusion distance and extremely low flow rates of the smaller emitters can lead to complete adsorption of some proteins and loss of signal until the adsorption sites are filled and the zeta potential is significantly reduced. After about 30 min, signals for a protein mixture from the two different size capillaries are similar. These results show the advantages of submicron emitters but also indicate that surface effects must be taken into account in experiments using such small tips or that coating the emitter surface to prevent adsorption should be considered.
Chapter 21 Pain following spinal cord injury: central mechanisms.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews that the condition of pain associated with spinal injury is unlikely to have a simple mechanism that relies on a single consequence of injury. It is more probable that several components of the central injury cascade contribute to the development and maintenance of different pain states. The precise mechanism is likely to depend on the nature of the injury and the progression of pathological and biochemical changes along the rostrocaudal axis of the cord, and include anatomical and functional changes occurring in supraspinal structures. There are many possible scenarios by which the biochemical cascade initiated by injury can influence not only the progression of neuronal damage, but also changes in physiological properties responsible for the response of neurons to peripheral stimuli. It addresses potential contributing factors to the central mechanism of spinal cord injury (SCI) pain, each contributing to the anatomical and functional plasticity of spinal neurons. The chapter concludes that continued research directed toward specific components of the spinal injury cascade should provide a better understanding of spinal and supraspinal mechanisms responsible for this condition, leading to the development of novel and more effective therapeutic strategies.
The Principle of Relativity

Accounts of both the special and the general theories are included in Einstein’s popular book entitled Relativity, which was translated from German into English by Robert W. Lawson and published by the Henry Holt Company in 1920. Herein, Einstein provides “an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics.” The readings in the remaining chapters of the present volume are from Part I of Relativity, which focuses on Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Einstein begins with insightful musings about the relationship between the laws of physics, Euclidean geometry and the concept of truth. He then proceeds to carefully examine how people typically assign space and time coordinates to a particular event. These seemingly mundane observations will lead to highly counterintuitive results when he later turns to measurements of the speed of light.
The Interwar Period 1919–1939

In the period between the two World Wars Americans struggled with the morality and the cost of reading other people’s mail. Herbert Yardley created his American Black Chamber and established for the first time that the United States should be in the position to protect itself and further its own interests with the use of permanent professional cryptographers and cryptanalysts. William Friedman, working in the Army, established the organization that would be the Army cryptologic backbone during the Second World War. Friedman and the team he put together during the 1930s would move American cryptology into the machine age in both cryptography and cryptanalysis. Despite Yardley’s flaws and failure American would never again be without a cryptanalytic bureau. This chapter briefly examines the professional lives of Herbert Yardley and William Friedman and discusses their contributions to the growth of the American cryptologic infrastructure.
Imported onchocerciasis in migrants and travelers.

Purpose of review With increasing international travel and mass global population migration, clinicians in nonendemic countries must be familiar with imported neglected tropical diseases including onchocerciasis, which is commonly known as 'river blindness'. Recent findings Imported onchocerciasis manifests differently in travelers compared with migrants from endemic areas and is likely underdiagnosed in both groups. Recent clinical studies confirm that eosinophilia is not a sensitive marker for Onchocerca volvulus, with one-third of patients having a normal eosinophil count. Novel diagnostics measuring antibodies to multiple recombinant O. volvulus antigens maintain a high sensitivity while improving specificity compared with conventional pan-filarial serologic testing. A 6-week course of doxycycline has macrofilaricidal activity through Wolbachia depletion and may be useful in nonendemic areas in addition to standard serial ivermectin. Summary Recent studies characterizing distinct clinical presentations in travelers and migrants may enable clinicians to better recognize imported onchocerciasis. Although novel diagnostics have improved specificity, most remain restricted to tropical disease reference laboratories and to date there is no marker of cure. Prolonged doxycycline treatment may reduce the need for serial ivermectin, though more potent short-course macrofilaricidal drugs are being developed.
Race, financial hardship, and limiting care due to cost in a diverse cohort of cancer survivors

Estimate prevalence of types of cancer-related financial hardship by race and test whether they are associated with limiting care due to cost. We used data from 994 participants (411 white, 583 African American) in a hospital-based cohort study of survivors diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer since January 1, 2013. Financial hardship included decreased income, borrowing money, cancer-related debt, and accessing assets to pay for cancer care. Limiting care included skipping doses of prescribed medication, refusing treatment, or not seeing a doctor when needed due to cost. Logistic regression models controlled for sociodemographic factors. More African American than white survivors reported financial hardship (50.3% vs. 41.0%, p = 0.005) and limiting care (20.0% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.019). More white than African American survivors reported utilizing assets (9.3% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.006), while more African American survivors reported cancer-related debt (30.5% vs. 18.5%, p < 0.001). Survivors who experienced financial hardship were 4.4 (95% CI: 2.9, 6.6) times as likely to limit care as those who did not. Borrowing money, cancer-related debt, and decreased income were each independently associated with limiting care, while accessing assets was not. The prevalence of some forms of financial hardship differed by race, and these were differentially associated with limiting care due to cost. The ability to use assets to pay for cancer care may protect survivors from limiting care due to cost. This has differential impacts on white and African American survivors.
Transmission lines and transmission line resonators

Transmission lines are arrangements of conductors whose purpose is the transfer of power or information from a source to a load, both of which should be viewed as generic. That is, the source may well be a generator but it can equally be the output of a device such as a transmitter, a receiving antenna, or an amplifier, whereas the load can be any device or system that receives the power or information such as a resistor, a transmitting antenna, or an actuator. Transmission lines differ from the common circuit theory approach to transfer of power. In circuits, we usually assume a lumped parameter model, that is, a line, connecting two points in a circuit has some resistance, capacitance, inductance, and conductance that depend on the type of line, materials, and dimensions, but these are the total values for the whole line.
The Effects of Teaching Methods for Raising ESL Students' Awareness of Gesture.

Research shows that gestures help L2 learners compensate for shortcomings in their second language, aid in the language learning process, and facilitate successful classroom communication between t...
Performance of the Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) in Prognostic Models for Risk Adjustment in Patients With Back Pain

Background The Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) is a comorbidity measure associated with physical function and may contribute to risk adjustment models in rehabilitation settings, but an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) of the FCI has not been tested in outpatient settings. Objective This study examines the ability of an ICD-9-CM- based FCI to predict function, health-related quality of life, and overall health care use. Design Cohort study. Setting and participants This was a secondary analysis of 5155 adults ≥65 years of age with a new back pain visit from the Back pain Outcomes using Longitudinal Data cohort study. Independent variables We measured 18 comorbidities with an ICD-9-CM version of the FCI using diagnosis codes 12 months prior to an index visit. Main outcome measurements Outcomes included the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ, 0-24), health-related-quality-of-life (EQ5D, 0-1), and total health care use (sum of all relative value units [RVUs]) measured at baseline and 12 months after the index visit. Linear regression and generalized linear models estimated the association between the FCI and each outcome and to examine goodness of fit. We used a 10-fold cross-validation to develop and compare predictive models with and without the FCI. Results There were 1398 participants (27%) with two or more comorbidities. Adjusted estimates show that for every one unit increase in FCI, RMDQ increased by 1.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8 to 1.1) and R2 = 0.093; EQ5D decreased by 0.023 (95% CI -0.028 to -0.019) and R2 = 0.076; and mean total RVUs increased by 13% (95% CI 1.09 to 1.17). Cross-validation showed that FCI contributed to small improvements in the performance of predictive models. Conclusion An ICD-9-CM version of the FCI is associated with long-term function, health-related quality of life, and total health care use among older adults with back pain; however, it explains only a small proportion of the variance.
Zeroes of quaternionic modular forms and central L-values

Abstract Values of quaternionic modular forms are related to twisted central L-values via periods and a theorem of Waldspurger. In particular, certain twisted L-values must be non-vanishing for forms with no zeroes. Here we study, theoretically and computationally, zeroes of definite quaternionic modular forms of trivial weight. Local sign conditions force certain forms to have trivial zeroes, but we conjecture that almost all forms have no nontrivial zeroes. In particular, almost all forms with appropriate local signs should have no zeroes. We show these conjectures follow from a conjecture on the average number of Galois orbits, and give applications to (non)vanishing of L-values.
CRISPR Rube Goldberg machines for visualizing cell lineage.

A new technique developed by Garcia-Marques and colleagues uses CRISPR–Cas9 editing to activate an ordered sequence of fluorescent markers in stem cells and their progeny. These tools represent a new way to probe the spatial and temporal patterns of cell lineage progression.
Postural sway and neurocognition in individuals meeting criteria for a clinical high-risk syndrome.

Neurocognitive deficits are implicated in individuals that meet criteria for a clinical high-risk (CHR) syndrome. Evidence in patients with schizophrenia suggests that cerebellar dysfunction may underlie neurocognitive deficits. However, little research has examined if similar associations are present in those meeting CHR criteria. This study examined associations between the MATRICS cognitive battery, postural sway (an index of cerebellar functioning), and SIPS-RC psychosis risk scores in a CHR sample (N = 66). Poorer working memory and processing speed were associated with less postural control. Consistent with the cognitive dysmetria theory of schizophrenia, neurocognitive deficits are associated with cerebellar dysfunction in this critical population.
Application of water-assisted ultraviolet light processing on the inactivation of murine norovirus on blueberries

In this study, a novel set-up using water-assisted UV processing was developed and evaluated for its decontamination efficacy against murine norovirus (MNV-1) inoculated on fresh blueberries for both small and large-scale experimental setups. Blueberries were skin-inoculated with MNV-1 and treated for 1-5 min with UV directly (dry UV) or immersed in agitated water during UV treatment (water-assisted UV). The effect of the presence of 2% (v/v) blueberry juice or 5% crushed blueberries (w/w) in wash water was also evaluated. Results showed that water-assisted UV treatment generally showed higher efficacies than dry UV treatment. With 12,000 J/m(2) UV treatment in small-scale setup, MNV reductions of >4.32- and 2.48-log were achieved by water-assisted UV and dry UV treatments, respectively. Water-assisted UV showed similar inactivating efficacy as 10-ppm chlorine wash. No virus was detected in wash water after UV treatment or chlorine wash. MNV-1 was more easily killed on skin-inoculated blueberries compared with calyx-inoculated berries. When clear water was used as wash water in the large-scale setup, water-assisted UV treatment (UV dose of 12,000 J/m(2)) resulted in >3.20 log and 1.81 log MNV-1 reductions for skin- and calyx-inoculated berries, respectively. The presence of 2% blueberry juice in wash water decreased the decontamination efficacy of water-assisted UV and chlorine washing treatments. To improve the inactivation efficacy, the effect of combining water-assisted UV treatment with chlorine washing was also evaluated. The combined treatment had better or similar inactivation efficacy compared to water-assisted UV treatment and chlorine washing alone. Findings of this study suggest that water-assisted UV treatment could be used as an alternative to chlorine washing for blueberries and potentially for other fresh produce.
A Lower Limit on the Ionization Fraction of the Very Local Interstellar Medium

Abstract The ionization state of the interstellar gas immediately surrounding the Sun is very uncertain. Known sources of ionization–the EUV stars HZ 43, Feige 24, G191-B2B, and GD153, the portion of the soft x-ray background above 90 eV, and the cosmic ray flux–will produce an ionization ratio of hydrogen n(HII)/n(HI) ≈ 0.09. However, this value is only a lower limit, since additional, as yet unidentified sources of ionization are probably present. There is some evidence that the hydrogen ionization ratio may even exceed unity, which would imply that this local gas cloud is part of a widespread, but little-understood, warm, ionized phase of the interstellar medium. If high ionization ratios are not present, then either current theories of white dwarf evolution or the generally adopted picture of the local interstellar medium may have to be significantly revised.
LLAMA: An Adaptive Strategy for Performing Background Tasks on Mobile Devices

Most computing applications are user-driven; a user must explicitly instruct a device to perform a particular task. To reduce latency and intrusiveness, some applications will act on a user's behalf even when the user is not actively using the device. For example, email clients often periodically check for new mail and virus scanners can be scheduled to run during idle periods. This model is okay for devices that are always connected to a network and power supply, but it is not suitable for mobile devices that meet neither property. When they are not actively used, mobile devices often go into a power-saving state. To perform periodic tasks on behalf of the user, applications would have to wake the device which would require large amounts of energy.
H/sup /spl infin// optimal and suboptimal controllers for infinite dimensional SISO plants

This paper presents a simple formula for H/sup /spl infin// optimal and suboptimal controllers for unstable SISO distributed plants, with rational weighting functions. The controller is expressed in terms of i) inner and outer parts of the plant, ii) a finite dimensional spectral factor obtained from the weighting functions, and iii) a rational function satisfying certain interpolation conditions. Under certain genericity assumptions, this rational function is of dimension less than or equal to n/sub 1/+l-1 (n/sub 1/+l in the suboptimal case), where l is the number of unstable poles of the plant and n/sub 1/ is the order of the sensitivity weighting function. There are 2(n/sub 1/+l) (2(n/sub 1/+l+1) in the suboptimal case) linear equations, which determine this rational function. These linear equations can be written directly from the structure of the controller. >
Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Evaluation of Solid State Welds

In the simplest view solid state welding of metals occurs when intimate contact is achieved by clean metal surfaces. These two requirements, contact and cleanliness, are attained as a result of thermal diffusion and mechanical deformation. Not surprisingly, the bond plane defects of greatest concern are incomplete contact (porosity) and residual contamination. These are illustrated in Figure 1: (a) bondline pores in Ti-6V-4A1, with good bonding between the pores; and (b) intimate contact along the entire surface, but bonding impeded by contamination, in this example 304L stainless steel. For many diffusion bonds, both of these defects are found, and of course the amount and severity varies considerably. The work reported here is specifically directed towards characterizing the second type of defect, intimate contact achieved with a thin (less than one micron) contaminant layer impeding full metallurgical bonding.
Managing Language Policies in the Foodservice Workplace

Abstract The principal objective of this paper is to review the business and law literatures to determine the legal, business and ethical issues at stake in setting language policies for personnel in foodservice businesses within the United States. Furthermore, we review the types of language policies and practices that have resulted in claims of employee discrimination under Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Code, and where applicable, we note specific legal rulings that have relevance for future managerial decision-making and future research in the foodservice industry. We additionally identify practices for managing a linguistically diverse workforce that are seen to be both beneficial and compliant with existing civil rights law.
3-Dimensional Shortest Paths in the Presence of Polyhedral Obstacles

We consider the problem of finding a minimum length path between two points in 3-dimensional Euclidean space which avoids a set of (not necessarily convex) polyhedral obstacles; we let n denote the number of the obstacle edges and k denote the number of "islands" in the obstacle space. An island is defined to be a maximal convex obstacle surface such that for any two points contained in the interior of the island, a minimal length path between these two points is strictly contained in the interior of the island; for example, a set of i disconnected convex polyhedra forms a set of i islands, however, a single non-convex polyhedron will constitute more that one island. Prior to this work, the best known algorithm required double-exponential time. We present an algorithm that runs in \(n^{k^{0(1)} }\) time and also one that runs in O(nlog(k)) space.
The Plasma Frequency Tracker: An Instrument for Probing the Frequency Structure of Narrow‐Band MF/HF Electric Fields

The Plasma Frequency Tracker (PFT) is a rocket-borne instrument designed to make measurements of narrow-band MF/HF electric fields with high resolution in both frequency and time. The PFT is capable of covering a band 140 kHz wide (extendable to over 200 kHz) with a dynamic range of 60 dB. The center frequency of the passband is changed during flight in order to track a characteristic frequency of the ambient plasma such as the plasma frequency, upper hybrid frequency, or electron gyrofrequency. The PFT is designed to use real-time data from another instrument and/or a preprogrammed model to set the passband frequency during flight. Telemetry can be either FM/FM or PCM. We present PFT data in which artificially stimulated upper hybrid waves are observed on the Auroral Turbulence sounding rocket.
Generalized cross-signal anomaly detection on aircraft hydraulic system

This paper outlines the mathematical foundation for a general method of anomaly detection from time-correlated sensor data. This method is a component of BEAM, but as an individual algorithm is capable of fault detection and partial classification. The method is applicable to a broad class of problems and is designed to respond to any departure from normal operation, including faults or events that lie outside the training envelope. We will also consider training of the detector and interface to a larger diagnostic system. Lastly we examine a brief illustration taken from aircraft testing that demonstrates the power and versatility of this method.
Iron Injection Restores Brain Iron and Hemoglobin Deficits in Perinatal Copper-Deficient Rats

Copper (Cu) deficiency during perinatal development in rats is associated with anemia, lower plasma iron (Fe), and brain Fe. Experiments were conducted to inject Fe dextran into Cu-deficient (Cu-) rat pups to attempt to reverse these conditions. Previous work with older Cu- rats did not reverse anemia following Fe injection. Dams began Cu-adequate (Cu+) or Cu- dietary treatments starting at embryonic d 7 and lasting through weaning. In Expt. 1, pups from each dietary treatment were given a single dose of Fe, 20 mg Fe/kg, or saline (S) at postnatal d 11 (P11). Plasma Fe and hemoglobin were higher in the Fe-injected groups at P13. Brain Fe deficit and brain transferrin receptor enhancement were eliminated in the Cu- group injected with Fe compared with Cu-S pups, supporting an association between low plasma Fe and low brain Fe. In Expt. 2, Fe treatment was increased to 45 mg Fe/kg. Four injections were given between P5 and P18 (total dose, 5-7 mg Fe). At P20, Fe concentrations in 4 brain regions (cortex, cerebellum, medulla/pons, and hypothalamus) generally were higher in all groups than in Cu-S pups. At P25, impaired vibrissae-elicited foot placement was evident in Cu-S rats and was not improved by Fe injection. However, at P26, the brain Fe deficit in Cu-S pups was eliminated by Fe injection. Fe injections in Cu- pups raised plasma Fe, brain Fe, and hemoglobin but did not reverse low cytochrome c oxidase or abnormal striatal behavior.
Living in the litter: the influence of tree leaf litter on wetland communities

Empirical research in streams has demonstrated that terrestrial subsidies of tree leaf litter influence multiple community factors including composition, diversity and growth of individuals. However, little research has examined the importance of tree litter species on wetlands, which are ubiquitous across the landscape and serve as important habitats for a unique and diverse community of organisms. Using outdoor mesocosms, we assessed the impact of 12 litter monocultures and three litter mixtures (from both broadleaf and conifer trees) on pond communities containing gray tree frog tadpoles Hyla versicolor, periphyton, phytoplankton and zooplankton. We found that leaf litter species had substantial and differential impacts on all trophic groups in the community including effects on algal abundance, zooplankton density and amphibian growth. In many instances, patterns of responses were specific to individual litter species yet some responses, including both pH values and periphyton biomass, were generalizable to broad taxonomic groups. In addition, while most responses of litter mixtures were additive, we found evidence for antagonistic effects of litter mixing among responses of periphyton and amphibian body mass. Our results highlight the potential impact of human and naturally driven changes in forest composition on wetland communities through associated changes in leaf litter.
Subcloning, localization, and expression of the rat intestinal sodium-hydrogen exchanger isoform 8.

Apically expressed intestinal and renal sodium-hydrogen exchangers (NHEs) play a major role in Na+ absorption. Our previous studies on NHE ontogeny have shown that NHE-2 and NHE-3 are expressed at ...