cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surprising roles of electrostatic interactions in DNA-ligand complexes.

The positions of cations in x-ray structures are modulated by sequence, conformation, and ligand interactions. The goal here is to use x-ray diffraction to help resolve structural and thermodynamic roles of specifically localized cations in DNA–anthracycline complexes. We describe a 1.34 A˚ resolution structure of a CGATCG2–adriamycin2 complex obtained from crystals grown in the presence of thallium (I) ions. Tl+ can substitute for biological monovalent cations, but is readily detected by distinctive x-ray scattering, obviating analysis of subtle differences in coordination geometry and x-ray scattering of water, sodium, potassium, and ammonium. Six localized Tl+ sites are observable adjacent to each CGATCG2–adriamycin2 complex. Each of these localized monovalent cations are found within the G-tract major groove of the intercalated DNA–drug complex. Adriamycin appears to be designed by nature to interact favorably with the electrostatic landscape of DNA, and to conserve the distribution of localized cationic charge. Localized inorganic cations in the major groove are conserved upon binding of adriamycin. In the minor groove, inorganic cations are substituted by a cationic functional group of adriamycin. This partitioning of cationic charge by adriamycin into the major groove of CG base pairs and the minor groove of AT base pairs may be a general feature of sequence-specific DNA–small molecule interactions and a potentially useful important factor in ligand design. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 69: 87–99, 2003
Experiments in Rainfall Estimation with a Polarimetric Radar in a Subtropical Environment

A unique dataset consisting of high-resolution polarimetric radar measurements and dense rain gauge and disdrometer observations collected in east-central Florida during the summer of 1998 was examined. Comparison of the radar measurements and radar parameters computed from the disdrometer observations supported previous studies, which indicate that oscillating drops in the free atmosphere have more spherical apparent shapes in the mean than equilibrium shapes. Radar‐disdrometer comparisons improved markedly when using an empirical axis ratio relation developed from observational studies and representing more spherical drop shapes. Fixedform power-law rainfall estimators for radar reflectivity ( ZH), specific differential phase (KDP), specific differential phase‐differential reflectivity ( KDP, ZDR), and radar reflectivity‐differential reflectivity ( ZH, ZDR) were then determined using the disdrometer observations. Relations were produced for both equilibrium shapes and the empirical axis ratios. Polarimetric rainfall estimators based on more spherical shapes gave significantly improved performance. However, the improvement was largely in bias mitigation. Rainfall estimates with the ZH‐ZDR measurement pair had the highest correlation with rain gauge observations, the smallest range in bias factors from storm to storm, and the smallest root-mean-square error.
Modal simulation and visualization in finite mixture models

Kim & Lindsay (2011a) proposed a new sampling-based visualization methodology, modal simulation, designed to describe the boundaries of the confidence regions generated by an inference function such as the likelihood. Once the sample points on the boundaries of the targeted confidence sets are created in a single simulation run, one can use those samples to describe every confidence set of interest without further numerical optimization. However, this method assumes that one is simulating the samples for the parameters from the likelihood region with a single mode. In this article we extend the modal simulation method to be applicable to the likelihood regions in a finite mixture model where there exist multiple modes. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 39: 421–437; 2011 © 2011 Statistical Society of Canada Kim et Lindsay (2011a) ont propose une nouvelle methodologie de visualisation assistee par echantillonnage, appelee simulation modale, dont l'objectif est de decrire les frontieres des regions de confiance generees par une fonction d'inference telle que la vraisemblance. Une fois que les points echantillonnes sur les frontieres des regions de confiance selectionnees ont ete obtenus par un unique ensemble de simulations, nous pouvons utiliser ceux-ci pour decrire tous les regions de confiance d'interet sans optimisation numerique supplementaire. Cependant, cette methode presuppose que les simulations des parametres proviennent d'une region de vraisemblance avec un seul mode. Dans cet article, nous generalisons la simulation modale pour prendre en charge des regions de vraisemblance provenant d'un modele de melange fini pour lequel il existe plusieurs modes. La revue canadienne de statistique 39: 421–437; 2011 © 2011 Societe statistique du Canada
Error mitigation for CCSD compressed imager data

To efficiently use the limited bandwidth available on the downlink from satellite to ground station, imager data is usually compressed before transmission. Transmission introduces unavoidable errors, which are only partially removed by forward error correction and packetization. In the case of the commonly used CCSD Rice-based compression, it results in a contiguous sequence of dummy values along scan lines in a band of the imager data. We have developed a method capable of using the image statistics to provide a principled estimate of the missing data. Our method outperforms interpolation yet can be performed fast enough to provide uninterrupted data flow. The estimation of the lost data provides significant value to end users who may use only part of the data, may not have statistical tools, or lack the expertise to mitigate the impact of the lost data. Since the locations of the lost data will be clearly marked as meta-data in the HDF or NetCDF header, experts who prefer to handle error mitigation themselves will be free to use or ignore our estimates as they see fit.
Pulmonary Capillary Flow Pulse and the Site of Pulmonary Vasoconstriction in the Dog

A nitrous oxide-plethysmographic method was used to measure simultaneously the instantaneous pulmonary capillary blood flow and the pressure gradient across the pulmonary vascular bed. The method entailed the use of lightly anesthetized, curarized dogs for the moment-to-moment measurement of nitrous oxide uptake and the corresponding pulmonary arterial and wedge pressures. After establishing the usual patterns of pulmonary capillary blood flow, the flow patterns were modified by atropine, norepinephrine, and acute hypoxia. Before the exhibition of these agents, pulmonary capillary flow was pulsatile, with peak rates of flow of approximately twice the mean. After atropine, the amplitude of the flow pulse decreased passively as stroke volume and the pulmonary arterial pulse pressure decreased. In contrast to atropine, acute hypoxia elicited precapillary vasoconstriction as manifested by an increase in pulmonary arterial pressure and an unchanged pulmonary arterial wedge pressure in conjunction with an unchanged, or diminished and blunted, pulmonary capillary flow pulse. The predominant effect of norepinephrine appeared to be exerted distal to the pulmonary capillary bed since pulmonary arterial and wedge pressures increased in parallel while the capillary flow pulse changed passively according to changes in stroke volume.
Study of Pulse Stretching in High Current Power Supplies Using Multipulse Techniques

Considerable interest exists at Fermilab to increase the pulse width of the Neutrino Focusing Horn to permit an increase in beam spill length from twenty (20) microseconds to one (1) millisecond. Two techniques to do this have been examined: 1) A high current transformer, and 2) Increased bank capacitance using the multi-power supply technique. The transformer is the most straightforward conceptually; it is, however, a complicated device requiring sizable changes to the existing horn power supply. This alternative will be briefly reviewed. The second scheme involves pulsing a 20 KV 200 KA power supply to establish the required load current and then maintaining this current by the sequential pulsing of a number of low voltage high current power supplies. This alternative will be discussed in detail with the results of tests performed on the Fermilab Focusing Horn System.
A reliable, valid questionnaire indicates that preference for dietary fat declines when following a reduced-fat diet

This study establishes the reliability and validity of the Fat Preference Questionnaire, a self-administered instrument to assess preference for dietary fat. Respondents select the food which tastes better and is eaten more frequently from 19 sets of food. Each set is comprised of related foods differing in fat content. The questionnaire was administered to women in laboratory-based (n=63), cross-sectional (n=150), and weight-loss (n=71) studies. The percentage of food sets in which high-fat foods were reported to "taste better" (TASTE score) and to be "eaten more often" (FREQ score) was determined. A measure of dietary fat restriction (DIFF) was created by subtracting TASTE from FREQ. Food intake was assessed by direct measure, 24-h recall, or food diary. Additionally, participants completed a standard survey assessing dietary restraint. Test-retest correlations were high (r=0.75-0.94). TASTE and FREQ scores were positively correlated with total fat intake (r=0.22-0.63). DIFF scores positively correlated with dietary restraint (r=0.39-0.52). Participants in the weight-loss trial experienced declines in fat consumption, TASTE and FREQ scores, and BMI values, and an increase in DIFF scores. Weight loss correlated with declines in FREQ (r=0.36) scores and increases in DIFF scores (r=-0.35). These data suggest that preference for dietary fat declines when following a reduced-fat diet and an increase in restraint for intake of dietary fat is important for weight loss. The Fat Preference Questionnaire is a stable, easily-administered instrument that can be used in research and clinical settings.
Critical currents of superconducting microbridges

The critical currents of long uniform superconducting tin microbridges ranging in width from 0.3 to 10 ..mu..m have been measured. In the the narrowest bridges the current density is nearly uniform and the magnitude and temperature dependence of the critical-current density agree with the Ginzburg-Landau prediction. In wider bridges the current density becomes peaked at the edges of the film and the magnitude and temperature dependence of the critical current are altered. Theoretical calculations of the nonlocal linear electrodynamics together with adjustment of the nonlinear peak current density to include coherence-length effects appears adequate to explain both the magnitude and the temperature dependence of the critical currents in the wider bridges. (AIP)
Predicting sodium chloride content in commercial king (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and chum (O. keta) hot smoked salmon fillet portions by short-wavelength near-infrared (SW-NIR) spectroscopy

Abstract Partial least square (PLS) based short-wavelength near-infrared (SW-NIR) prediction models for salt content in commercial hot smoked fillet portions of king or Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (N=140; 212–468 g) and chum (O. keta) salmon (N=120; 137–356 g) were developed. Spectra were collected in the diffuse reflectance mode (600–1100 nm). The total salt content ranged from 1.66 to 5.95% w/w for king and 2.15 to 5.69% w/w for chum salmon. The moisture ranged from 50.7 to 71.6% w/w for king and 55.5 to 69.7% w/w for chum salmon. An optimal PLS model for salt required eight latent variables for king salmon (R2=0.83, SEP=0.32% w/w) and eight latent variables for chum salmon (R2=0.82, SEP=0.25% w/w).
Safe administration of hyperbaric oxygen after bleomycin: a case series of 15 patients.

INTRODUCTION Supplemental oxygen has been reported to cause pulmonary complications after bleomycin. We describe the safe administration of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) after bleomycin in 15 patients. METHODS Paper and electronic records were reviewed for bleomycin-exposed patients at the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology from 1979 to 2010. RESULTS Fourteen bleomycin-exposed patients received HBO2 at Duke under a special-precautions protocol. One was treated for DCS elsewhere. The protocol included: pretreatment evaluation; chest radiograph; spirometry; blood gases; a single, 2-atmospheres absolute (atm abs), 120-minute HBO2 treatment; and a gradual acceleration over one week to a twice-daily schedule contingent on clinical and laboratory findings. Bleomycin indications were: head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas (11), Hodgkin's lymphoma (2), other carcinomas (2). HBO2 indications were: osteoradionecrosis (10), soft-tissue radionecrosis (3), DCS (1) and a provocative oxygen toxicity test for a military aviator (1). Total bleomycin doses ranged from 40 to 225u/m2 (mean +/- SD, 105 +/- 57) given in conjunction with other chemotherapies and/or radiation. Radiation was 63.3 +/- 31.72 Gy (mean +/- SD), none to the chest with the exception of one patient treated for DCS elsewhere. Other chemotherapies included: vinblastine (11), methotrexate (11), CCNU (6) cisplatinum (7), dacarbazin (2), Adriamycin (1), and vincristine (1). Median age at time of HBO2 was 52 years (range 22-77). Median bleomycin-to-HBO2 latency was 34 months (range 1-279). Three patients received HBO2 within six months, and seven patients received HBO2 within two years of their last bleomycin exposure. There were no adverse pre-to-post HBO2 changes in: arterial blood gases, spirometry, chest radiograph findings or clinical reports. There were no persistent post-HBO2 pulmonary complications on follow-up. Post-HBO2 data were available for 40%, 53%, 87% and 100% of these parameters respectively. DISCUSSION Bleomycin and oxygen can individually cause acute pulmonary toxicity. However, evidence for increased long-term susceptibility based on their synergy may be overstated.
Living the ‘Gift of Time’

Readiness for school is a US concept that is thought to depict the likelihood of school success. A combination of physical, cognitive, and emotional maturity, it provides a foundation for responding to school expectations. When there are readiness concerns, some advocate giving what is called the 'gift of time,' additional time to mature. This article describes the decision-making and reactions of parents and teachers who support the development of children who might be seen as having readiness risks. Children who delay kindergarten entry, those who go to kindergarten on time, and children who repeat kindergarten, their teacher and parents were the focus of a case study that addressed the process of kindergarten entry decisions and the evaluation of their success. Friday Edward's teacher said, 'not everyone is ready for the same things at the same time.' 'Well, we'll just take him home until he is ready,' said Edward's mother and father. (from Edward the Unready (Wells, 1995)) Readiness for school is a seemingly simple concept. It should indicate a likelihood of school success - a synchrony of physical and cognitive development, maturity, and skill that allows a child to fit into the expectations of schooling. Surveys of US kindergarten teachers assert that one-third of students were not ready for kindergarten and that half of teachers felt it was getting worse (Boyer, 1991). About a half of kindergarten teachers believe that children with readiness problems should enter school as soon as they are eligible, half suggest that unready children wait a year, and two-thirds of kindergarten teachers hesitate to send unready children on to first grade (Heaviside et al, 1993). Two interventions are often used to enhance readiness of children in the early years. Academic redshirting involves delaying kindergarten for children who are age-eligible to start school. About 8% of children are redshirted each year, mostly boys born in the quartile preceding the kindergarten entrance cut-
Incidence, treatment and survival of patients with craniopharyngioma in the surveillance, epidemiology and end results program

Craniopharyngioma is a rare primary central nervous system neoplasm. Our objective was to determine factors associated with incidence, treatment, and survival of craniopharyngiomas in the United States. We used the surveillance, epidemiology and end results program (SEER) database to identify patients who received a diagnosis of craniopharyngioma during 2004–2008. We analyzed clinical and demographic information, including age, race, sex, tumor histology, and treatment. Age-adjusted incidence rates and age, sex, and race-adjusted expected survival rates were calculated. We used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the association between covariates and overall survival. We identified 644 patients with a diagnosis of craniopharyngioma. Black race was associated with an age-adjusted relative risk for craniopharyngioma of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.59), compared with white race. One- and 3-year survival rates of 91.5% (95% CI, 88.9%–93.5%), and 86.2% (95% CI, 82.7%–89.0%) were observed for the cohort; relative survival rates were 92.1% (95% CI, 89.5%–94.0%) and 87.6% (95% CI, 84.1%–90.4%) for 1- and 3-years, respectively. In the multivariable model, factors associated with prolonged survival included younger age, smaller tumor size, subtotal resection, and radiation therapy. Black race, on the other hand, was associated with worse overall survival in the final model. We demonstrated that >85% of patients survived 3 years after diagnosis and that subtotal resection and radiation therapy were associated with prolonged survival. We also noted a higher incidence rate and worse 1- and 3-year survival rates in the black population. Future investigations should examine these racial disparities and focus on evaluating the efficacy of emerging treatment paradigms.
Optimization of Comb-Driven Devices for Mechanical Testing of Polymeric Nanofibers Subjected to Large Deformations

Comb-driven electrostatic actuators applied to mechanical testing of nanostructures are usually designed by a ldquobrute-forcerdquo approach for maximum electrostatic-force output, which results in limited actuation range. This issue is more prevalent when testing soft nanofibers with large ductility. In this paper, the design considerations for a comb-driven platform for nanoscale mechanical testing of ductile nanofibers subjected to 50%, or larger, inelastic extensions are presented. The optimization carried out aimed at increasing the net-force output by comb drives with clamped-clamped tethers, which also improves on the accuracy in the calculation of the force that is applied onto the nanofiber specimens. At large actuator motions, tethers of low bending stiffness increased the net force applied to a nanofiber and provided better accuracy in the calculation of the applied force. On the contrary, at small actuator motions, the maximum net-force output by the comb drives increased with the axial tether stiffness due to the associated increase in the pull-in-instability voltage. The fabricated surface-micromachined devices enabled experiments with individual electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers at a maximum force of 30 muN and extensions up to 60%. The force output calculated from the voltage input to the electrostatic devices was compared to direct measurements by an independent optical method. [2008-0252]
PS1-13: Variation in the Incidence and Prevalence of Autism from Multiple Health Systems: Findings from the Mental Health Research Network Autism Registry Study

Background/Aims Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, as well as restricted, stereotyped interests and behaviors. A recent study found that approximately 1 in 88 children in the U.S. were diagnosed with an ASD and that prevalence varied widely among different demographic groups. The goals of this study were to obtain accurate prevalence and incidence statistics for ASD across several large, diverse health systems and to describe the variation of these statistics across demographic factors.
Fragile by Design: The Political Origins of Banking Crises and Scarce Credit

This paper provides review for which demonstrates the links between politics and banking. In addition to the perspective in , several recent studies relating to financial crisis are also introduced here. Issues about illiquidity, insolvency, credit boom, accuracy of credit rating, and neglected risk are discussed. Banking system is the bridge connecting households and sectors in the economy, where the design of the banking system has significant influence on the developments of countries.
THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELEOPMENT ON REVENUE GENERATION AND INVESTMENT VALUATION OF INFO-TECH CORPORTIONS

In today’s rapidly changing business world, it has become imperative for companies to be innovative, in order to stay in business. At the heart of this approach is research and development (R&D). While, R&D practices differ across industries and companies, we recognize that the practice is prevalent in the pharmaceutical and the information technology (IT/ info-tech) industries. Despite the fact, that much research has been done on R&D in the pharmaceutical industry, there is limited literature and research on the subject in the information technology industry. Consequently, this study is our effort to assess the impact of R&D on revenue generation and investment valuation of IT corporations. In this study, we investigate the impact of R&D on revenue generation and investment valuation of 40 United States (U.S.) based information technology corporations. We find that info-tech companies that invest more on R&D generate more revenue. We also find that investors place higher value on corporations that invest larger parts of their revenues on R&D. This suggests that investors expect higher earnings growth in the future of companies that invest greater parts of their revenues on R&D.
Ideas in a Time of Crisis: How German and American Elites Understood the Financial Crisis Differently

The international financial crisis that began in 2006/2007 continues to threaten economic stability in many parts of the world including the United States and Europe. The paper explores how the financial crisis conforms to or challenges two models of capitalism by comparing efforts by Germany and the United States to address the financial crisis in 2008. The German Financial Market Stabilization Act passed by the German legislature and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 passed by the American legislature were enacted in the tumultuous days of October 2008. Both laws were passed with conservative executives in power, national elections on the horizon, and economies struggling with high unemployment and low growth. The stabilization acts present an opportunity to understand the current state of each country’s model of capitalism through lens of crisis. The paper examines how, in the lead-up to the legislation, policy makers defined the causes of the financial crisis. In earlier work I showed how models of capitalism influenced German and United States privatization of public assets. This paper considers a similar theme: how each country’s model of capitalism influenced government’s capacity to resolve the financial crisis.
Directing dimensionality in uranyl malate and copper uranyl malate compounds

Abstract Uranyl hybrid compounds are complex materials due to variability in coordination geometry, flexibility in ligand chelation, and metal hydrolysis, which leads to difficulty in controlling the secondary building units. The presence of transition metals in uranyl hybrid materials adds to the complexity, but also leads to an increase in the dimensionality of the topology from infinite chains and 2-D sheets, to 3-D framework lattices. In this study, five uranyl malate compounds were synthesized at room temperature: ((C4H12N2)[(UO2)2(C4H3O5)2]·4H2O (UMal1), (C4H12N2)[(UO2)2(C4H3O5)2] (UMal1-b), [(UO2)(C4H3O5)Cu(C10H8N2)Cl(H2O)]·2H2O (UCuMal1), [(UO2)2(C4H3O5)2Cu(C5H5N)2(H2O)2]·2H2O (UCuMal2), [(UO2)2(C4H3O5)2Cu(C5H5N)2(H2O)2]·2H2O (UCuMal3)). These compounds were characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy. All five compounds contain an identical uranyl malate secondary building unit that could be further linked through the Cu(II) cation. In this system, the identity of the ligands bonded to the Cu(II) cation impacted dimensionality and could be the key to designing materials with a known uranyl building unit.
The Role of Respiratory Failure in Multiorgan Failure

Respiratory failure and multiorgan failure (MOF) are a frequent, and often fatal, complication of sepsis. The prevalence of these conditions, along with their consequent mortality, has increased dramatically in recent years. This is, in part, a result of the ability of clinicians to sustain the life of patients with critical illness — particularly those in which the respiratory manifestations of sepsis have begun to occur. The pathogenesis of sepsis and MOF may include a diverse number of initiating events. While it may often result from bacterial infection, frequently a gram-negative, nosocomial infection, a variety of non-bacterial events may also cause sepsis and MOF. These include pancreatitis, trauma, tissue damage and death, burns, fat embolism, and viral and fungal infections. After sepsis or respiratory distress have occurred, it may take days, weeks, or months for MOF to develop. Respiratory failure that results from sepsis may be thought of as an organ failure which involves the lung; the pathological changes in tissue structure and function are similar to those seen in other failing organs in MOF. The lung is often the first organ to show signs of dysfunction in a sequential scheme of organ failures and may, in fact, incite further organ failure. Although these organ failures may run concurrently, the lung is often the first organ in which the process may be observed. This is due to the profound effect that edema has on the function of the lung. Clinical findings in such lung dysfunction include hypoxemia, and decreased lung compliance, while microatelectasis, the infiltration of neutrophils into pulmonary tissues, the presence of hyaline membranes, and capillary engorgement are characteristic pathological findings.
Technology in Language Use, Language Teaching, and Language Learning.

This article offers a capacious view of technology to suggest broad principles relating technology and language use, language teaching, and language learning. The first part of the article considers some of the ways that technological media influence contexts and forms of expression and communication. In the second part, a set of heuristic questions is proposed to help guide language teachers and researchers in determining how to incorporate technology into their teaching practice or research agenda and evaluate its suitability and impact. These questions are based primarily on the goal of helping learners to pay critical attention to the culturally encoded connections among forms, contexts, meanings, and ideologies that they will encounter and produce in different mediums, both traditional and new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Unusual Morphologies of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Thin Films Adsorbed on Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Substrates.

Adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), 99% and 88% hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate), to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates was studied. The substrates were prepared by covalently attaching linear PDMS polymers of 2, 9, 17, 49, and 116 kDa onto silicon wafers. As the PDMS molecular weight/thickness increases, the adsorbed PVOH thin films progressively transition from continuous to discontinuous morphologies, including honeycomb and fractal/droplet. The structures are the result of thin film dewetting that occurs upon exposure to air. The PVOH film thickness does not vary significantly on these PDMS substrates, implicating the PDMS thickness as the cause for the morphology differences. The adsorbed PVOH thin films are less stable and have a stronger tendency to dewet on thicker, more liquid-like PDMS layers. When PVOH99% and PVOH88% thin films are compared, fractal and droplet morphologies are observed on high molecular weight PDMS substrates, respectively. The formation of the unique fractal feature...
Biochemical evidence of adrenergic interaction with cholinergic function in the central nervous system of the rat

The effect of centrally administered norepinephrine (NE) into the lateral ventricle on choline acetylase activity (ChAc), endogenous levels of NE, dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5HT) was studied in different regions of the rat brain. In normal rats, the highest activity of choline acetylase was found in the cerebral cortex, followed by the brain stem, the diencephalon, the hypothalamus and least in the cerebellum. Chronic administration of NE significantly increased the choline acetylase activity in all regions studied, whereas both the acute and the in vitro studies showed no significant change except in the brain stem. Serotonin level was increased in the cerebellum, but decreased in the diencephalon and the brain stem. There was no significant alteration in the level of NE in all areas studied except in the hypothalamus where there was an increase in the mean concentration. Tissue level of DA showed a significant increase in the cerebral cortex and the hypothalamus. Behaviourally, there was a significant increase in food intake on the first day of treatment with no significant change in water intake. The data suggests that NE may be involved in the regulation of acetylcholine synthesis. The significance of interaction between different monoamines and acetylcholine may be important in the study of drug tolerance phenomena.
Density Functional Theory Modeling of Twin Boundaries in CdTe as Informed by STEM Observations

CdTe is one of the most promising photovoltaic materials, currently second only to Si in market share. However, the practical efficiencies of CdTe photovoltaic cells are still significantly below the theoretical limit, indicating possible room for improvement. One aspect in which a fundamental understanding may lead to efficiency improvements is grain boundaries. Atomistic-level characterization, including microscopy and first principles modeling, is crucial in developing such a fundamental understanding.
Constrained Distributed RHC Based on Vector Lyapunov Functions and Comparison Model

In this paper, we propose a distributed receding horizon control (RHC) algorithm for a class of constrained and dynamically interconnected systems with stability and performance guarantees. For weak coupling between subsystems, a vector Lyapunov function off-line is derived and will be used as terminal cost for distributed RHC. Moreover, comparison models will be used to predict subsystem states over future horizon. An example is provided to demonstrate the control design procedure.© 2007 ASME
Vascular elastic photoacoustic tomography in humans

Quantification of vascular elasticity can help detect thrombosis and prevent life-threatening conditions such as acute myocardial infarction or stroke. Here, we propose vascular elastic photoacoustic tomography (VE-PAT) to measure vascular elasticity in humans. VE-PAT was developed by incorporating a linear-array-based photoacoustic computed tomography system with a customized compression stage. By measuring the deformation of blood vessels under uniaxial loading, VE-PAT was able to quantify the vascular compliance. We first demonstrated the feasibility of VE-PAT in blood vessel phantoms. In large vessel phantoms, VE-PAT detected a decrease in vascular compliance due to simulated thrombosis, which was validated by a standard compression test. In small blood vessel phantoms embedded 3 mm deep in gelatin, VE-PAT detected elasticity changes at depths that are difficult to image using other elasticity imaging techniques. We then applied VE-PAT to assess vascular compliance in a human subject and detected a decrease in vascular compliance when an occlusion occurred downstream from the measurement point, demonstrating the potential of VE-PAT in clinical applications such as detection of deep venous thrombosis.
The Establishment of the System for Training Creative Talents in Higher Education of the Vocational Colleges

Higher vocational education is an essential part of higher education.It plays an unreplaceable role in the process of carrying out the strategy for flourishing our country by development of science and education and building socialism with Chinese characteristics.The establishment of the system for training creative talents of higher vocational education is the key and important guarantee to achieve the goal of higher vocational education.
The relation between the urinary excretion of inorganic phosphate and sodium.

1. The relation between the urinary excretion of inorganic phosphate and sodium was studied in anaesthetized dogs subjected to acute unilateral increases of ureteral back-pressure while receiving infusions of iso-osmotic sodium chloride. Under these circumstances modest increases of ureteral back-pressure, +14 to +23 cmH 2 O, were associated with relatively small changes of glomerular filtration rate from control values (−12.7 to +8.2%). 2. Increased ureteral back-pressure caused closely proportionate decreases of urinary phosphate and sodium excretion regardless of whether glomerular filtration rate increased, decreased or remained unchanged. When glomerular filtration rate increased or remained stable, the decreases of phosphate and sodium excretion were attributable to closely proportionate increases of tubular reabsorption of sodium and of phosphate. The increased tubular reabsorption of phosphate may be causally related to the increased tubular reabsorption of sodium.
Interdisciplinary committee on infusion-control devices: containing related-product costs

A program for decreasing expenditures for i.v. sets and related items at a 530-bed university teaching hospital is described. A multidisciplinary committee originally formed to evaluate infusion-control devices (ICDs) developed a cost-containment strategy for reducing the number of accessories and amount of equipment used in i.v. therapy and for reducing inappropriate use of these items. Major problems identified in an audit were excessive use of secondary sets; inappropriate use of add-on flow-control devices, extension sets, and metered-chamber sets; and use of the wrong type of i.v. set with ICDs. New procedural guidelines, inservice-education programs, evaluation of new and different i.v. products, and increased enforcement of policies and procedures by the pharmacy department were implemented to address these problems. For fiscal year 1986, the bid process for i.v. equipment was divided into 10 sections so that manufacturers who may not have been able to bid on every item could bid only on individual sections if they desired. A follow-up audit six months after implementation of the strategy showed increased compliance with guidelines for use of i.v. sets and devices. Compared with the previous year, data for fiscal year 1986 showed total savings of $142,223 attributable to decreased use of i.v. equipment. The competitive-bid process saved $54,942; the total amount saved was $197,165. The trend of appropriate use as a result of adherence to the guidelines continued through fiscal year 1987. This multidisciplinary cost-containment approach was effective in reducing expenditures for i.v. sets and equipment.
Effects of Individualized Education Programs on Cognitive Outcomes for Children with Disabilities in Head Start Programs

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the impact of Head Start, disability status, and receipt of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) on early language, literacy, and mathematics skills for low-income children with language, cognitive, emotional/behavioral, sensory, and physical disabilities. Secondary analysis of data was performed on a sample of children with disabilities (N = 570) drawn from the Head Start Impact Study, a nationally representative study of approximately 5,000 children randomly assigned to Head Start or non–Head Start programs. Results of ordinary least squares regression analyses indicated that Head Start participation enhanced outcomes for children with multiple disabilities; language, literacy, and mathematics skills at age 5–6 years were higher for these children compared to non–Head Start attendees. Head Start children with disabilities were more likely to have an IEP, though IEP receipt was associated with lower language, literacy, and mathematics scores among all children. There ...
Chemical kinetic analysis of detonability-enhancing strategies for ethylene–oxidizer mixtures

Abstract Four detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms are used in conjunction with an empirical detonation cell width model to numerically assess strategies to increase the detonation sensitivity of ethylene–oxidizer mixtures. Using this method, reasonable agreement is achieved with computed cell width and the available experimental data. Elevated initial pressures significantly reduce cell width for a wide range of equivalence ratios, yielding 80% reduction at stoichiometric conditions for a tenfold increase in pressure. Elevated initial temperatures have almost no effect on the cell width at stoichiometric conditions, but yield 80% reduction at lean conditions when the initial temperature is doubled. Reduced nitrogen dilution within the oxidizer dramatically reduces the cell width for the entire computed range of equivalence ratios. Introducing hydrogen as a fuel additive yields mild improvement to detonation sensitivity at stoichiometric conditions, but requires relatively high H2 concentrations and is ineffective when coupled with elevated initial pressures. Introduction of supplemental oxygen and increasing the initial reactant pressure appears to be the most effective approach to enhance detonability for ethylene–oxidizer mixtures.
Which Diagnostic Modality is best to Assess Benign Hepatic Tumors

Benign hepatic lesions are relatively common in the general population. The majority of these lesions are incidentally detected at imaging and don’t pose any risk to the patient. Some of these lesions have characteristic imaging features while others can have atypical imaging features and can pose a diagnostic challenge. Utilizing the proper imaging modality and intravenous contrast agents can help better characterize them and minimize unnecessary workup of these lesions.
The Application of Airborne Mapping LiDAR for the Documentation of Ancient Cities and Regions in Tropical Regions

Abstract It is a conundrum of the 21st Century that there is much left to discover and yet never before has our cultural and ecological patrimony been so threatened. This is especially true in tropical regions where heavy vegetation, inaccessibility, and rugged topography hamper investigation. Here we present two case studies that add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the utility of airborne mapping LiDAR (a.k.a. Airborne Laser Scanning) for rapid archaeological assessments in poorly documented regions. The first outlines a program of LiDAR scanning to better understand the urban center of Angamuco in the Mexican State of Michoacan. This work shows that (1) large urban centers with complex spatial organization were present centuries prior to the formation of the Purepecha Empire; (2) the settlement incorporates gardens and other landscape features within and around the settlement demonstrating a high degree of human environmental modification; and (3) current models for the evolution of social complexity in the region cannot account for the presence of Angamuco. The second presents the results of a LiDAR survey of a remote valley in the Mosquitia tropical wilderness of Honduras which has seen little archaeological research. Here we demonstrate that (1) though today the valley is a wilderness it was densely inhabited in the past; (2) this population was organized into a three-tiered system composed of 19 settlements dominated by a city; and (3) this occupation was embedded within a human engineered landscape. For both, LiDAR data fundamentally changed the understanding of coupled human/natural systems in these areas while providing critical baseline data for conservation and management.
Endomyometritis after cesarean delivery in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis: incidence and risk factors

Purpose: To identify the rate of postpartum endomyometritis (PPE) after cesarean delivery (CD) in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis and determine risk factors.Methods: A single institution retrospe...
What controls channel form in steep mountain streams

Steep mountain streams have channel morphologies that transition from alternate bar to step-pool to cascade with increasing bed slope, which affect stream habitat, flow resistance, and sediment transport. Experimental and theoretical studies suggest that alternate bars form under large channel width-to-depth ratios, step-pools form in near supercritical flow or when channel width is narrow compared to bed grain size, and cascade morphology is related to debris flows. However, the connection between these process variables and bed slope—the apparent dominant variable for natural stream types—is unclear. Combining field data and theory, we find that certain bed slopes have unique channel morphologies because the process variables covary systematically with bed slope. Multiple stable states are predicted for other ranges in bed slope, suggesting that a competition of underlying processes leads to the emergence of the most stable channel form.
Evaluating measurement invariance across assessment modes of phone interview and computer self-administered survey for the PROMIS measures in a population-based cohort of localized prostate cancer survivors.

Purpose To evaluate measurement invariance (phone interview vs computer self-administered survey) of 15 PROMIS measures responded by a population-based cohort of localized prostate cancer survivors.
Skeletal Muscle Lysosomal Function via Cathepsin Activity Measurement

Muscle wasting or cachexia is commonly associated with aging and many diseases such as cancer, infection, autoimmune disorders, and trauma. Decrease in muscle mass, or muscle atrophy, is often caused by dysfunction of protein proteolytic systems, such as lysosomes, which regulate protein turnover and homeostasis. Lysosomes contain many hydrolases and proteases and, thus, represent the major organelle that control protein turnover. Recently, lysosomes have emerged as a signaling hub to integrate cellular functions of nutrient sensing and metabolism, autophagy, phagocytosis, and endocytosis, which are all related to tissue homeostasis. In this chapter, we describe the protocol used to measure lysosomal proteinase (cathepsins) activity in the skeletal muscle. A better understanding of lysosomal function in muscle homeostasis is critical in developing new therapeutic approaches to prevent muscle wasting.
Operation and performance of the New Horizons Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager during the Pluto encounter

The Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) is a high-resolution imaging instrument on the New Horizons spacecraft. LORRI collected over 5000 images during the approach and fly-by of the Pluto system in 2015, including the highest resolution images of Pluto and Charon and the four much smaller satellites (Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra) near the time of closest approach on 14 July 2015. LORRI is a narrow field of view (0.29°), Ritchey-Chretien telescope with a 20.8 cm diameter primary mirror and a three-lens field flattener. The telescope has an effective focal length of 262 cm. The focal plane unit consists of a 1024 × 1024 pixel charge-coupled device (CCD) detector operating in frame transfer mode. LORRI provides panchromatic imaging over a bandpass that extends approximately from 350 nm to 850 nm. The instrument operates in an extreme thermal environment, viewing space from within the warm spacecraft. For this reason, LORRI has a silicon carbide optical system with passive thermal control, designed to maintain focus without adjustment over a wide temperature range from -100 C to +50 C. LORRI operated flawlessly throughout the encounter period, providing both science and navigation imaging of the Pluto system. We describe the preparations for the Pluto system encounter, including pre-encounter rehearsals, calibrations, and navigation imaging. In addition, we describe LORRI operations during the encounter, and the resulting imaging performance. Finally, we also briefly describe the post-Pluto encounter imaging of other Kuiper belt objects and the plans for the upcoming encounter with KBO 2014 MU69.
Commingled Bone Assemblages: Insights from Zooarchaeology and Taphonomy of a Bone Bed at Karain B Cave, SW Turkey

This chapter aims to initiate a dialogue between paleontologists, forensic anthropologists, human osteologists, and zooarchaeologists and to explore a shared methodological framework. Borrowing conceptual and methodological frameworks developed and used by vertebrate paleontologists and embedding them within a taphonomy- and zooarchaeology-oriented explanatory framework, I present a multivariate taphonomic approach and a comprehensive quantitative matrix using an Epipaleolithic archaeological bone bed from Karain B Cave, Turkey, as a case study. The multivariate taphonomic analysis probes the effect(s) of complex, interacting, depositional, and preservation agents. This methodological framework can be applied to both animal and human bone assemblages, can reveal assemblage formation processes, and can identify natural and cultural agents of bone accumulation, modification, and destruction. In this chapter, I first present a conceptual framework in which I review paleontological approaches to studying bone beds. Then I briefly present the necessary archaeological background to Karain B Cave and the Epipaleolithic bone bed as a case study. Lastly, I elaborate my taphonomic and zooarchaeological methodology. Drawing upon two lines of specific evidence, taxonomic composition and assemblage formation, the present work shows that the Epipaleolithic stratum PI.2 at Karain B is a macrofossil bone bed with multispecific, multitaxic, or multidominant taxonomic representation. As far as the genesis and formation processes are concerned, the archaeofaunal assemblage from the Epipaleolithic bone bed at Karain B provides a good example of human-accumulated and human-modified assemblage exhibiting differential bone preservation.
Local anesthesia in pediatric dermatologic surgery: Evaluation of a patient-centered approach.

Background/objectives A few studies have documented the effect of local anesthesia for minor dermatologic surgical procedures on children and their parents. Our objective was to evaluate the psychological effect and global satisfaction of a patient-centered approach to dermatologic surgery under local anesthesia. Methods Two self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate the distress and global satisfaction of 388 children who underwent dermatologic surgery under local anesthesia, accompanied by oral and written therapeutic education measures (structured information and a cartoon brochure illustrating the procedure) addressed to children and parents. Distraction techniques were also used during the procedures. Results Although 54.5% of patients manifested some degree of fear, all other parameters analyzed (pain, surgery-related distress, surgical team-patient and -family relationship, global satisfaction) indicated that the procedures resulted in limited distress and that the large majority of children and parents tolerated them well. Conclusion Specific measures for therapeutic pediatric patient education may be helpful in limiting discomfort, anxiety, and pain perception linked to procedures performed under local anesthesia. Further controlled studies are required to more precisely assess the benefits of specific therapeutic education measures.