cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-dispersal weed seed predation in Michigan crop fields as a function of agricultural landscape structure.

Weed seed predation by invertebrates and vertebrates was compared between a simple (large crop fields embedded in a matrix of widely scattered woodlots and hedgerows) and a complex (small crop fields embedded in a matrix of numerous hedgerows and woodlots) agricultural landscape in southern Michigan. The structural differences between landscapes were evaluated by analysis of aerial photographs and digital land-use data. Seed predation experiments were conducted in four conventional tillage corn (Zea mays L.) fields within each landscape type. Trials included four common agricultural weed species, i.e., crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), giant foxtail (Setaria faberii), pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). Treatments to exclude vertebrates, invertebrates + vertebrates and no exclusion were established at 27 m from hedgerows. Fields in the complex landscape were 75% smaller, had 63% more wooded perimeter, and 81% more wide hedgerow perimeter than fields in the simple landscape. Fields in the simple landscape were surrounded mainly by herbaceous roadside and crops, whereas the complex landscape had fields surrounded primarily by wide hedgerows. In both the landscape types there was considerable post-dispersal weed seed removal with a tendency towards higher removal rates in the complex landscape. Although there were no differences in the rate of seed removal among the four weed species, seed predation showed a high degree of variability within and among fields.
Practical aspects of efficient forward selection in decomposable graphical models

We discuss efficient forward selection in the class of decomposable graphical models. This subclass of graphical models has a number of desirable properties. The contributions of This work are twofold. First we improve an existing algorithm by addressing cases previously not considered. Second we extend the algorithm to reflect model graphs with multiple disconnected components. We further present experimental results that apply this approach to a real dataset and discuss its properties. We belief that the presented approach is applicable to a wide area of fields and problems.
Mechanical and thermal expansion behavior of laser deposited metal matrix composites of Invar and TiC

For laser assisted shape deposition manufacturing, residual stresses caused by the temperature gradient and material property mismatches result in part inaccuracy, warpage, or even delamination. The use of low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) materials such as Invar promises to reduce deformations caused by internal stresses. Thus, to obtain high quality of prototypes for molding and tooling, there is a need for a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, high yield strength, good toughness, and high wear resistance. This investigation concentrates on the development of laser-deposited composites of Invar and TiC. The experimental results show that the new materials yield exceptionally low CTE, high hardness and yield strength, and reasonable ductility. The class of materials studied in this work promises to reduce deformation caused by residual stresses and improves mechanical properties significantly.
The cost of cancer home care to families

Background. For the most part, previous research on costs of cancer care has focused on the formal medical care costs. Research on home care for patients with cancer has emphasized direct care costs (expenditures). Among indirect costs, only loss of income to family members has been studied. However, a major component of indirect costs, the family labor expended to care for the patient with cancer, needs to be included for a more realistic appreciation of home care costs. Methods. The costs of family labor are estimated by imputing monetary values for the time spent caring for the patient with cancer. The assigned monetary cost either is equated with income losses of the helper in question or is based on a putative market value of the expended labor time. In addition, out-of-pocket expenditures examined in this study cover all cancer care-related expenses for which the patient was not reimbursed by third parties. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 192 patients with cancer and their families in lower Michigan. Results. When family labor is included in the cost calculations, average cancer home care costs for a 3-month period ($4563) are not much lower than the costs of nursing home care. The substantial variation in home care costs (standard deviation [SD] = $4313) appears to be unrelated to the type of cancer diagnosis, type of treatment, or time since diagnosis but seems to be driven by the functional status of the patient and the family living arrangements. Conclusions. Outpatient care for patients with cancer coupled with greater reliance on home care appear to be economically attractive because costs to families usually are underestimated.
In vivo three-dimensional imaging of normal tissue and tumors in the rabbit pleural cavity using endoscopic swept source optical coherence tomography with thoracoscopic guidance

The purpose of this study was to develop a dy- namic tunable focal distance graded-refractive-index lens rod-based high-speed 3-D swept-source SS optical co- herence tomography OCT endoscopic system and dem- onstrate real-time in vivo, high-resolution 10-m imag- ing of pleural-based malignancies in an animal model. The GRIN lens-based 3-D SS OCT system, which images at 39 fps with 512 A-lines per frame, was able to capture images of and detect abnormalities during thoracoscopy in the thoracic cavity, including the pleura, chest wall, pericardium, and the lungs. The abnormalities were con- firmed by histological evaluation and compared to OCT findings. The dynamic tunable focal distance range and rapid speed of the probe and SS prototype OCT system enabled this first-reported application of in vivo 3-D tho- racoscopic imaging of pleural-based malignancies. The imaging probe of the system was found to be easily adapt- able to various sites within the thoracic cavity and can be readily adapted to other sites, including rigid airway en- doscopic examinations. © 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumenta-
Money, Lifestyle, or Values? Why Medical Students Choose Subspecialty Versus General Pediatric Careers

Although there are many published studies on factors associated with medical student career choice, few are specific to pediatric careers, and even fewer address the choice between general and subspecialty pediatric training. Fourth-year medical students surveyed at 2 schools reported their demographics, anticipated future income, the factors influencing their career choice, and their anticipated career. This study included the subset of 337 students planning pediatric careers. Results indicated that marital status, anticipated income, and career values are associated with pediatric career plans. Specifically, married students were more likely than unmarried students to pursue general pediatric careers (P < .01). Compared with students planning subspecialties, those intending to pursue general pediatric careers anticipated lower incomes ($110 906 vs $135 984; P < .001) and rated lifestyle, comprehensive patient care, and working with the poor as more important (P < .05) when choosing a career. Students pl...
Studies on the pathogenesis of fever with influenzal viruses. I. The appearance of an endogenous pyrogen in the blood following intravenous injection of virus.

A substance with pyrogenic properties appears in the blood streams of rabbits made febrile by the intravenous inoculation of the PR8 strain of influenza A and Newcastle disease viruses (NDV). By means of a technique involving passive transfer of sera from animals given virus to recipient rabbits, the titer of circulating pyrogen was found to be closely correlated with the course of fever produced by virus. Certain properties of the pyrogen are described which differentiate it from the originally injected virus and suggest that the induced pyrogen is of endogenous origin. These properties resemble those of endogenous pyrogens occurring in other forms of experimental fever. The source of virus-induced pyrogen is unknown. In vitro incubation of virus with various constituents of the circulation did not result in the appearance of endogenous pyrogen. Granulocytopenia induced by HN2 failed to influence either fever or the production of endogenous pyrogen in rabbits injected with NDV. Similarly, the intraperitoneal inoculation of NDV into prepared exudates did not modify the febrile response. These findings do not lend support to the possibility that the polymorphonuclear leukocyte is a significant source of endogenous pyrogen in virus-induced fever. It is concluded that the liberation of an endogenous pyrogen from some as yet undefined source is an essential step in the pathogenesis of fever caused by the influenza group of viruses.
A Middleware Framework for Ambiguous Context Mediation in Smart Healthcare Application

Ubiquitous healthcare applications envision future computing and networking environments as being filled with sensors that can determine various types of contexts of its inhabitants, such as location, activity and vital signs. While such information is useful in providing context-sensitive services to the inhabitants to promote intelligent independent living, however in reality, both sensed and interpreted contexts may often be ambiguous. Thus, a challenge facing the development of realistic and deployable context-aware services is the ability to handle ambiguous contexts to prevent hazardous situations. In this paper, we propose a framework which supports efficient context-aware data fusion for healthcare applications that assume contexts could be ambiguous. Our framework provides a systematic approach to derive context fragments, and deal with context ambiguity in a probabilistic manner. We also incorporate the ability to represent contexts within the applications, and the ability to easily compose rules to mediate ambiguous contexts. Through simulation and analysis, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed framework for monitoring elderly people in the smart home environment.
Recalled Social Experiences and Current Psychological Adjustment among Adults Reared by Gay and Lesbian Parents

Children of gay and lesbian parents are a diverse group, but existing studies offer limited information about individual differences in their social experiences and subsequent psychological outcomes. In this study, 91 adults reared by gay and lesbian parents responded to measures of recalled social experiences as well as current depressive symptoms, positive and negative affect, and life satisfaction. Participants reported differing social experiences (e.g., stigma) as a function of their sex, family type, gay/lesbian parent's sex, and age at which they learned that a parent was gay or lesbian. Despite such diverse experiences, participants reported no significant differences in long-term psychological adjustment. It could be the case that children of gay and lesbian parents learn to cope with difficult social experiences, leading to positive adjustment overall. Indeed, the current sample perceived their social experiences as becoming significantly more positive over the life course, with less stigma and ...
Cross-Functionality of Nitrogenase Components NifH1 and VnfH in Anabaena variabilis

Anabaena variabilis fixes nitrogen under aerobic growth conditions in differentiated cells called heterocysts using either a Mo nitrogenase or a V nitrogenase. The nifH1 gene, which encodes the dinitrogenase reductase of the Mo nitrogenase that is expressed only in heterocysts, is cotranscribed with nifD1 and nifK1, which together encode the Mo dinitrogenase. These genes were expressed in the presence or absence of molybdate or vanadate. The vnfH gene, which encodes the dinitrogenase reductase of the V nitrogenase, was located about 23 kb from vnfDGK, which encodes the V dinitrogenase; however, like vnfDGK, vnfH was expressed only in the absence of molybdate, with or without vanadate. Like nifH1, the vnfH gene was expressed exclusively in heterocysts under either aerobic or anaerobic growth conditions and thus is under the control of developmental factors. The vnfH mutant was able to grow diazotrophically using the V nitrogenase, because NifH1, which was also made in cells starved for molybdate, could substitute for VnfH. Under oxic conditions, the nifH1 mutant grew in the absence of molybdate but not in its presence, using VnfH, while the nifH1 vnfH double mutant did not grow diazotrophically with or without molybdate or vanadate. A nifH1 mutant that expressed nifDK and vnfH but not vnfDGK was able to grow and fix nitrogen normally, indicating that VnfH could substitute for NifH in the Mo nitrogenase and that these dinitrogenase reductases are not involved in determining the metal specificity of the Mo nitrogenase or the V nitrogenase.
Teaching cardiovascular examination skills: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Abstract purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching program designed to improve interns' cardiovascular examination skills. participants: All 56 interns rotating on a mandatory 4-week inpatient cardiology service during 1 academic year (July 1989–June 1990). methods: We randomly assigned interns to receive either an eight-session physical diagnosis course ("teaching group") taught on the cardiology-patient simulator ("Harvey") or to receive no supplemental teaching ("control group"). Before and immediately after the teaching or control period, the interns were evaluated on three preprogrammed simulations (mitral regurgitation, MR; mitral stenosis, MS; aortic regurgitation, AR). Immediately after the control or the intervention period, the interns also evaluated patient volunteers. results: There were no baseline differences in the interns' ability to correctly identify the disease simulations. Both the intervention and the control interns showed similar, moderate improvement in their diagnostic ability on the simulator. The intervention interns improved on MR from 42% correct to 54% correct; on MS from 8% correct to 23% correct; and on AR from 46% correct to 58% correct. The intervention and the control interns performed similarly on patient volunteers: for MR, 20% correct versus 31%; for AR, 29% correct versus 33%; and for aortic sclerosis, 64% correct versus 33%, respectively. conclusions: The interns had difficulty correctly identifying three valvular heart disease simulations before and after an educational intervention employing a cardiovascular-patient simulator. At no time did the proportion of correct responses exceed 64%. Our teaching intervention during internship was either of insufficient intensity or of insufficient duration to produce significant improvement in cardiovascular diagnostic skills.
Effects of dehydration and rehydration on Periplaneta americana

Abstract This study describes the effects of dehydration and rehydration on the cockroach. Osmolality and Na and K content of various body fluids have been measured. The haemolymph osmolality increases only slightly during 9 days of dehydration, although there is a 15 to 22 per cent weight loss and a decrease in haemolymph volume. During dehydration NaCl and other solutes are removed from the haemolymph. A cannulation technique was used to collect the fluid secreted by the Malpighian tubules in vivo. The tubules continue to secrete at a slow rate even after 8 days of dehydration. Although the tubules can remove the excess solutes from the haemolymph during dehydration, analyses of faecal pellets show that the excess NaCl is not excreted. After a dehydrated animal is given only water and no food, there is a rapid increase in haemolymph volume but only a slight decrease in haemolymph osmolality. The source of solutes used to form new haemolymph is not known.
Sites of lead localization in embryonic chick tissues following treatment

Lead treatment by subgerminal injection causes rupture of embryonic chick dorsal aortae during early morphogenesis, followed by localized caudal hematoma formation. Shortly thereafter, damaged tissues are resorbed, leading to a condition known as rumplessness (caudal dysplasia syndrome in humans). We have studied this process by light microscopy and have found that the caudal dorsal aortae exhibit morphological alterations as early as 4 hr after injection. Further, we used energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) to establish the precise localization and distribution of lead in the developing embryo, 4 hr after Pb(NO3)2 treatment. Embryos treated with NaNO3 were used as controls. The hierarchy of lead concentrations was endothelium of the caudal dorsal aortae greater than caudal endoderm greater than blood cells. The surrounding mesenchyme, neural tube, and notocord, as well as all control embryonic tissue, exhibited no detectable lead levels. These results suggest that lead has a high degree of specificity for entering and damaging the developing caudal dorsal aortae. A possible mechanism for this phenomenon is that lead gains access to the vascular net surrounding the caudal region of the embryo at the time of injection. Parts of this vascular net including the lead are then incorporated into the developing caudal dorsal aortae as they grow distally, thus further concentrating the lead.
Causes versus enabling conditions.

People distinguish between a cause (e.g., a malfunctioning component in an airplane causing it to crash) and a condition (e.g., gravity) that merely enables the cause to yield its effect. This distinction cannot be explained by accounts of reasoning formulated purely in terms of necessity and sufficiency, because causes and enabling conditions hold the same logical relationship to the effect in those terms. Proposals to account for this apparent deviation from accounts based on necessity and sufficiency may be classified into three types. One approach explains the distinction in terms of an inferential rule based on the normality of the potential causal factors. Another approach explains the distinction in terms of the conversational principle of being informative to the inquirer given assumptions about his or her state of knowledge. The present paper evaluates variants of these two approaches, and presents our probabilistic contrast model, which takes a third approach. This approach explains the distinction between causes and enabling conditions by the covariation between potential causes and the effect in question over a focal set--a set of events implied by the context. Covariation is defined probabilistically, with necessity and sufficiency as extreme cases of the components defining contrasts. We report two experiments testing our model against variants of the normality and conversational views.
The Impact of Decision-Making Methodology on Job Evaluation Outcomes: A Look at Three Consensus Approaches

This research investigated the impact of different consensus decision-making methodologies and individual needs on compensation committee decisions using the Factor Evaluation System (FES), the U.S. Civil Service's nine-factor job evaluation system. Differences between subjects' initial evaluations and final group evaluations were assessed to investigate the impact of three consensus decision-making techniques (the traditional consensus approach, Nominal Group Technique, and Delphi Technique) on job evaluation outcomes. Also, subjects' scores on a job evaluation decision-making satisfaction questionnaire were used to assess their perceived satisfaction of the decision-making process. Results indicate that the traditional consensus approach yielded higher evaluations, the Nominal Group Technique yielded lower evaluations, and no change was found using the Delphi Technique. Furthermore, differential levels of satisfaction were found across the techniques.
Impact of Implementing 5 Potentially Better Respiratory Practices on Neonatal Outcomes and Costs

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is caused by lung immaturity and surfactant deficiency and is common among premature infants. Survival and outcomes for infants with RDS have improved in the past 30 years as a result of the development of exogenous surfactant, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and better mechanical ventilators. Exogenous surfactant reduces mortality and short-term respiratory morbidity in premature infants with RDS1 but requires intubation and mechanical ventilation to administer. Mechanical ventilation increases the risk of subsequent bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD),2 a chronic lung disease associated with adverse pulmonary and neurodevelopmental outcomes.3,4 On the other hand, early treatment with CPAP can preserve endogenous surfactant and reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and surfactant administration5–11 but may be insufficient support for infants born before 26 weeks' gestation.12 Although there is a growing body of evidence to guide decision making, there is not yet consensus on the best treatment approach for RDS. It has long been known that management of RDS and the incidence of subsequent BPD vary among institutions.13,14 More than 20 years ago Avery et al13 reported that Columbia University in New York had a comparatively low incidence of BPD among infants with birth weights of <1500 g and attributed this to early intervention with CPAP and avoidance of mechanical ventilation.13 This finding was confirmed by Van Marter et al15 in 2000. There has been increasing interest in pursuing respiratory management strategies for RDS that minimize mechanical ventilation in an effort to reduce the incidence of BPD. These strategies include the provision of CPAP in the delivery room5–11 and early extubation from mechanical ventilation to CPAP.16 However, the growing body of supportive evidence has not resulted in widespread adoption of either of these strategies in US NICUs. This may be attributed to a perceived lack of evidence and/or lack of consensus at individual units. In 2007, we undertook a major change in practice for infants born before 33 weeks' gestation at St Elizabeth's Medical Center (SEMC). Although our use of mechanical ventilation and incidence of BPD approximated the Vermont Oxford Neonatal Network averages, they were higher than the best-performing units. We implemented 5 potentially better respiratory practices with the goal of limiting mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen and reducing our incidence of BPD. This is a report of our rationale for these practices; how we built an effective team, achieved consensus, implemented and ensured compliance; and the impact these new practices had on clinical care, outcomes, and cost of care.
RETINAL GANGLION CELL DYSFUNCTION INDUCED BY HYPOXIA AND GLUTAMATE : POTENTIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF BETA -BLOCKERS

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of hypoxia, glutamate, and beta-blockers on the electrical activities of retinal ganglion cells. Single-unit extracellular and whole-cell voltage clamp recording techniques were used to record electrical activities from ganglion cells in the tiger salamander retina. This was performed under physiologic conditions, hypoxia, or elevated exogenous or endogenous glutamate levels. Light-evoked spike activities, glutamate-induced currents, and voltage-gated sodium and calcium currents were measured in the presence of the beta-1 selective antagonist betaxolol or the nonselective antagonist timolol. Hypoxia resulted in suppressing or blocking the OFF responses in the majority of ON-OFF ganglion cells tested, whereas the ON responses were only slightly affected. The presence of increased glutamate had similar findings and demonstrated an increase in the spontaneous firing rate of retinal ganglion cells. Betaxolol (2-50 microM) reduced the rate of spontaneous firing of retinal ganglion cells induced by glutamate. At 2 to 50 microM, betaxolol reversibly reduced the voltage-gated sodium currents and calcium currents in retinal ganglion cells. Timolol (up to 100 microM) did not demonstrate any detectable action on these currents. The physiologic responses of retinal ganglion cells to hypoxia or elevated glutamate levels in this animal model appear to be very similar. Although short-term exposure to hypoxia and glutamate used in this study exerts reversible actions on ganglion cells and does not induce permanent cell damage, such initial physiologic actions are likely to be precursors of permanent cell damage. Thus, hypoxia and elevated glutamate levels in the retina may represent a final pathway in diseases affecting retinal ganglion cells, such as glaucoma. Similar damage could result from different factors, such as decreased perfusion-induced ischemia or anomalous neuronal processing of glutamate. Betaxolol exerts its primary neuronal actions on retinal ganglion cells. It reversibly blocked voltage-gated calcium current and reduced the spontaneous firing rate by suppressing glutamate-gated currents and sodium currents in ganglion cells. These actions may protect ganglion cells from damage caused by ischemia or elevated glutamate levels.
10 Gb/s adaptive receive-side merged near-end and far-end crosstalk cancellation circuitry in 65 nm CMOS

Crosstalk between neighboring channels can have significant impact on system bit-error rate (BER) as serial I/O data rates scale above 10 Gb/s. This paper presents receive-side circuitry which merges the cancellation of both near-end and far-end crosstalk (NEXT/FEXT) and can automatically adapt to different channel environments and variations in process, voltage, and temperature. NEXT cancellation is realized with a novel 3-tap FIR filter which combines two traditional FIR filter taps and a continuous-time band-pass filter IIR tap for efficient crosstalk cancellation, with all filter tap coefficients automatically determined via an on-die sign---sign least-mean-square (SS-LMS) adaptation engine. FEXT cancellation is realized by coupling the aggressor signal through a differentiator circuit whose gain is automatically adjusted with a power-detection-based adaptation loop. A prototype fabricated in a general purpose 65-nm CMOS process includes the adaptive NEXT and FEXT circuitry, along with a continuous-time linear equalizer (CTLE) to compensate for frequency-dependent channel loss. Enabling the crosstalk cancellation circuitry while operating at 10 Gb/s over coupled 4-in FR4 transmission line channels with NEXT and FEXT aggressors opens a previously closed eye and allows for a 0.2 UI timing margin at a BER = 10ź9. Total power including the NEXT/FEXT crosstalk cancellation circuitry, CTLE, and high-speed output buffer is 34.6 mW, and the core circuit area occupies 0.3 mm2.
Vascular access challenge on a patient with cerebral palsy and severe kyphoscoliosis

We report a case of vascular assess challenge on a patient with severe kyphoscoliosis and joint contractures. Multiple internal jugular (IJ) central venous catheters (CVC) and a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) catheterization were attempted via ultrasound guidance and all resulted in malposition. The PICC attempt fortuitously pushed a malpositioned IJ into the correct position. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a narrow thoracic inlet with no definite venous stenoses. Therefore, severe chest wall deformity, a narrow thoracic inlet and inadequate positioning of the patient secondary to his contractures all contributed to the malposition of the PICC and CVCs.
A place of belonging: Research at the intersection of faith and disability:

What does it really mean for people with disabilities and their families to truly belong within their faith community? This review article addresses ten dimensions of belonging and their salience to the inclusion of people with intellectual disability, autism, and other developmental disabilities. In each area, I review available research and highlight implications for churches, ministry leaders, and congregation members. This framework is intended to spur new thinking about the ways in which churches might welcome and weave people with disabilities more fully into the relationships and activities that comprise life together in a community of faith.
The relationship of total red cell volume to total body water in octogenarian males.

1. Studies of red cell volume, total body water and extracellular water have been carried out in a group of octogenarians and in a group of young men. 2. Differences in total red cell volume, blood volume and the distribution of body water were detected. 3. The implications and interpretations of these findings are discussed.
From Bench to Bedside: Understanding Stress-Obesity Research Within the Context of Translation to Improve Pediatric Behavioral Weight Management

A growing body of literature suggests that stress, including chronic stress and acute physiologic stress reactivity, is one contributor to the development and maintenance of obesity in youth. Little has been done to apply the literature on stress and obesity risk to inform the development of pediatric behavioral weight control (BWC) interventions. The aims of this review are to (1) discuss research linking stress and pediatric obesity, (2) provide examples of the implications of the stress-obesity research for pediatric BWC development, and (3) propose that a mindfulness-based approach may be useful in targeting stress reduction within pediatric BWC.
A system of tele-oncology at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and regional oncology affiliate institutions

Collaborative associations between academic medical centers and community hospitals can use telemedicine to promote and enhance cancer treatment and clinical research. It is expensive to duplicate communications technology at all sites, but it is possible to share technologies using telemedicine. This paper describes a system in evolution that provides regional oncology services at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and regional oncology affiliates. The system requires integrated hardware and software to provide Internet access, videoconferencing, and data transmission. This system is comprised of several forms of technology that promote education and training, continuing medical education, patient evaluation and protocol eligibility, data transfer for radiation therapy treatment planning, and clinical and technologic quality assurance and peer review programs for medical oncology and radiation oncology.
Boggart hole clough: A nineteenth century “speak‐in”

The concepts of passive resistance and confrontation are not products of mid‐twentieth century America. These methods of protest have been effectively employed elsewhere at various times. This article is an account of the use of such tactics by the British Labour Party in its early years to secure the rights of assembly and free speech.
Electronic Thin-Film Reliability: Irreversible processes in interconnect and packaging technology

Introduction Thin-film materials science is wafer-based and flux-driven. Up to now, most thin-film applications occur on devices built on semiconductor wafers. To process a microelectronic or opto-electronic device, the basic step consists of adding a monolayer of atoms on or subtracting it from a wafer surface. In these processes, we are not dealing with equilibrium states of materials; rather, we deal with kinetic states of a flux of atoms. Furthermore, for example, a p-n junction in a semiconductor is not at an equilibrium state. If we anneal the junction at a high temperature for a long time, it will disappear by interdiffusion of the p -type and n -type dopants. At device operation near room temperature, the dopants are supersaturated and frozen in place in the semiconductor to produce the electrical potentials, the built-in potentials, needed to guide the transport of charges. In doping a semiconductor, we need to diffuse or to implant a flux of atoms into the semiconductor to obtain the desired concentration profile of dopant. In device operation based on field effects, we pass an electric current or a flow of charge particles through the device to turn on or turn off the FETs. Thus, we consider flux-driven processes. Generally speaking, we can have a flux or a flow of matter, a flow of energy (heat), or a flow of charge particles in a system. Indeed, in electronic devices, the operation can have all three kinds of flow coexist in the devices.
Encouragement for Faculty to Implement Vision and Change

The seminal report Vision and Change outlined improvements necessary for undergraduate biology courses to accomplish widely recognized learning objectives. Over the past 8 years, we have developed a two-semester introductory biology course that incorporates the core concepts and competencies recommended in Vision and Change Using published research on how students learn, we focused our efforts on three main areas of change: pedagogy, course content, and technology. We introduced active-learning strategies to improve our classroom environments, wrote an e-textbook that provides students with the tools they need to construct their own knowledge, and employed an online learning hub to assist students who needed extra support. The redesigned courses have been well received by students, and we have seen good student learning outcomes. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate to faculty that Vision and Change's recommendations are feasible and students welcome the improvements.
Silver-Mediated Oxidative Decarboxylative Trifluoromethylthiolation of Coumarin-3-carboxylic Acids

The introduction of trifluoromethylthio groups into organic compounds, in particular heterocycles, is important because of the prevalence of these structures in medicinally and agriculturally relevant molecules. Herein, the silver-mediated oxidative decarboxylative trifluoromethylthiolation of coumarin-3-carboxylic acids is reported. This methodology utilizes existing carboxylic acid functionalities for the direct conversion to CF3S groups and results in a broad scope of 3-trifluoromethylthiolated coumarins, including analogues of natural products, in moderate to excellent yields.
Development of the Pulmonary Immune System

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses developmental immunology, with an emphasis on the pulmonary system in the primates. It is well established that newborn infants have a limited ability to mount an effective immune response against microbes. As there are limited numbers of precursor or 'memory' lymphocytes within neonatal airways, it is likely that the infant is most dependent upon immune cell expansion in regional lymph nodes to respond to environmental exposure to antigens and infectious agents. The predominance of macrophages within airways of infants is likely to be representative of the first level of innate immunity established for the 'naive' lung. As the infant matures and comes in contact with environmental antigens, cells from the adaptive arm of the immune system contribute to the resident leukocyte population of the airways. Dendritic cells are the primary antigen-presenting cells of the lung and are critical for the immunosurveillance of inhaled antigens. By the 13th week of gestation, HLA-DR positive dendritic-like cells are observed in the human fetal lung. HLA-DR positive cells within the fetal lung are dispersed as single cells within the interstitium, do not stain for markers of macrophage/monocyte lineage, and increase in frequency with gestational age.
Short Physical Performance Battery, usual gait speed, grip strength and Vulnerable Elders Survey each predict functional decline among older women with breast cancer

Objective To determine the ability of three performance-based measures [Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), gait speed, and Grip Strength] and a self-report measure [Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13)] to predict functional decline among older women with breast cancer.
A rule-based phase control methodology for a slider-crank wave energy converter power take-off system

Abstract The slider crank is a proven mechanical linkage system with a long history of successful applications, and the slider-crank ocean wave energy converter (WEC) is a type of WEC that converts linear motion into rotation. This paper presents a control algorithm for a slider-crank WEC. In this study, a time-domain hydrodynamic analysis is adopted, and an AC synchronous machine is used in the power take-off system to achieve relatively high system performance. Also, a rule-based phase control strategy is applied to maximize energy extraction, making the system suitable for not only regular sinusoidal waves but also irregular waves. Simulations are carried out under regular sinusoidal wave and synthetically produced irregular wave conditions; performance validations are also presented with high-precision, real ocean wave surface elevation data. The influences of significant wave height, and peak period upon energy extraction of the system are studied. Energy extraction results using the proposed method are compared to those of the passive loading and complex conjugate control strategies; results show that the level of energy extraction is between those of the passive loading and complex conjugate control strategies, and the suboptimal nature of this control strategy is verified.
Quality of life and unconventional oil and gas development: Towards a comprehensive impact model for host communities

Abstract New technologies like hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling have ushered in a boom of domestic oil and gas production in the United States. Oil and gas drilling often occurs in close proximity to where people live and work, creating the potential for significant quality of life impacts. In this review, we integrate across diverse literatures to develop a holistic account of how oil and gas development might impact quality of life in host communities. Our review suggests that the potential effect of oil and gas development is complex, as it can provide economic growth for beleaguered rural areas but also degrade human health, environmental quality and have other deleterious impacts. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research.
On the toughness scatter in low alloy C-Mn steel samples fabricated using wire arc additive manufacturing

Abstract Low alloy carbon manganese (C-Mn) steel builds were fabricated using a wire based additive manufacturing system developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Specimens were fabricated in the X,Y and Z direction and detailed mechanical testing was performed. The mechanical testing results showed a significant scatter in tensile ductility and significant variation in Charpy toughness. Further detailed microstructure characterization showed significant microstructural heterogeneity in builds fabricated in each direction. The scatter in mechanical properties was then rationalized based on the microstructural observations and the underlying changes in the local heat transfer conditions. The results indicate that when fabricating parts using C-Mn low alloy steel welds the process parameters and tool path should be chosen such that the cooling rate from 800 °C to 500 °C is greater than 30 s to avoid formation of martensite austenite (MA) phases, which leads to toughness reductions.
Adaptive control constraint enforcement through reactive parameter scaling

This paper presents a closed-form approach to strict enforcement of control signal magnitude constraints in a model reference adaptive control system. The control constraint enforcement procedure is reactive — no modifications are made to the system until a limit is encountered. Enforcement is obtained by introducing a scaling parameter for the control input that only becomes non-unity when a constraint is violated. An explicit solution for the update of the scaling parameter is derived that does not require any iteration or optimization to be performed. The scaling parameter update law ensures that constraints are satisfied in both the transient and steady state. A Lyapunov stability argument is presented that demonstrates the procedure provides error convergence so long as the scaling parameter's rate of growth is limited. Comments are made regarding appropriate adaptive control robustness modifications. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the design and is shown to successfully stabilize the system even when the same system subject to pure control saturation is unstable.
Thrombotic microangiopathy in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus infection: High incidence of severe thrombocytopenia.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection increases the risk of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), but TMA in the setting of HIV infection is not well characterized. The experience with TMA in the setting of HIV infection at the University of Maryland Medical Center was reviewed. Study design and methods Patients undergoing therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for TMA from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2012 were reviewed. Those with known HIV-positive and -negative status were compared. Results Among 102 patients with known HIV status, 28 (27%) were HIV-positive, including 3 with previously undiagnosed HIV. HIV-positive patients had a median viral load of 89 500 copies/mL (range, 0->750 000 copies/mL) and a median CD4 count of 58 cells/µL (range, 2-410 cells/µL). Compared to HIV-negative patients, HIV-positive patients more frequently presented with concurrent infections (60.7% vs. 23.7%; P = .0007), had a trend toward lower median platelet counts (3000/µL vs. 15 000/µL; P = .07) and more frequently had platelet counts less than 10 000/mcL (P = .02). Nevertheless, number of TPE procedures required for remission, remission rate, mortality, and relapse incidence were similar in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Conclusions The incidence described herein of HIV infection among TMA patients is the highest reported outside of South Africa. More severe thrombocytopenia in HIV-positive patients may reflect TMA in the setting of preexisting HIV-associated thrombocytopenia. HIV should be considered in patients with TMA, and TMA should be considered in HIV-positive patients with severe thrombocytopenia.
Gaze Toward Naturalistic Social Scenes by Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Designs.

Purpose A striking characteristic of the social communication deficits in individuals with autism is atypical patterns of eye contact during social interactions. We used eye-tracking technology to ...
On Depicting Indexical Reference

According to Hector-Neri Castaneda, indexical reference is our most basic means of identifying the objects and events that we experience and think about. Its tokens reveal our own part in the process by denoting what are “referred to as items present in experience” (Castaneda 1981:285-286). If you hear me say, “Take that box over there and set it next to this box here”, you learn something about my orientation towards the referents in a way that is not conveyed by, “Take the red box and set it next to the blue box”. My indexical tokens express what they do, not only because they issue from a unique spatio-temporal perspective that I happen to occupy, but also because they reflect my encounter with referents that are differently situated in that perspective. From your perspective, my here might be your there, my you your she, and, within my own perspective, a this differs from a that, and one this diverges from another. Encounter and orientation within a perspective are the essential ingredients in indexical identification without which particular ‘this’s, ‘that’s, ‘then’s, ‘here’s, and ‘beyond’s would be denuded of individuating prowess.1
Intermediate velocity penetration of steel spheres into deep aluminum targets

We report the results of a study focused on identifying the effects and significance of adiabatic shear band formation in metal penetration phenomena. We performed experiments in which targets of 6061-T6 aluminum were impacted by hardened steel spheres at velocities varying from 0.6 to 1.2 km/s. The targets were large enough to be treated as infinite half-spaces in subsequent analyses. Depth of penetration and target microstructure were observed after each experiment, and compared with the results of quasistatic punch tests performed on identical targets. Shear bands were observed in the targets for the dynamic experiments, but were absent in the quasistatic tests. Analyses performed indicate that thermal softening and/or thermal shear localization does strongly influence the dynamic penetration process, although not as significantly as previously reported.
Juvenile Hormone Control of Epidermal Commitment In Vivo and In Vitro

The study of the cellular and molecular basis of the morphogenetic “status quo” action of juvenile hormone (Williams, 1961) has been hampered by the lack of a good system in which this action of juvenile hormone (JH) is completely separated from the events of cuticle synthesis itself. When we first found that there were two releases of ecdysone necessary for the larval-pupal transformation in the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta (Truman and Riddiford, 1974) and that JH only affected the type of cuticle made if given before the first release (Truman et al., 1974), it seemed that these epidermal cells were ideal for a study of JH action. This paper will summarize our current state of knowledge about these cells and their response to hormones both in vivo and in vitro.
Symptoms of Bladder Pain Syndrome

The cardinal symptoms of bladder pain syndrome (BPS) are pain perceived to be from the bladder, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia. Bladder pain has become the sole necessary criterion of BPS. Most patients report multiple BPS pain sites: 83 % suprapubic, 36 % urethral, 23 % genital, and 29 % non-genitourinary sites. Pain appears to be the driving force of urgency and nocturia. When asked the cause of urgency, about three quarters of BPS patients report pain. In nocturia, pain may play a twofold role: directly in awakening the patient and indirectly in generating the sensation of urgency. The reason for the often marked frequency of BPS is considered but not proven to be a result of the abnormal urge to void.
Molecular Decay of Plant Biopolymers

Analysis of modern Metasequoia leaves revealed the presence of structural polyester cutin, guaiacyl lignin units and polysaccharides. Analysis of environmentally decayed Metasequoia leaves revealed that guaiacyl lignin units and cellulose were degraded more relative to vinyl phenol (the last being the primary pyrolysis product of cutin and plant cuticles) suggesting that cutin is likely more stable than lignin and cellulose during early diagenesis contrary to some previous studies. This is supported by electron microscopy of changes in the cellular structure and cuticle of the modern, decayed, and fossil Metasequoia leaves. Analysis of Metasequoia fossils from the Eocene of Republic (Washington State) showed a significant aliphatic component without detection of biopolymeric lignin and polysaccharides. Fossils from the Eocene of Axel Heiberg revealed the presence of lignin and an aliphatic polymer up to C29 with cellulose and fossils from the Miocene Clarkia deposit in Idaho of USA revealed lignin and an aliphatic polymer up to C27 without any polysaccharides. Modern Metasequoia needle was heated experimentally in confined conditions that generated a macromolecular composition with an aliphatic polymer up to C32 and additional phenolic compounds similar to those present in the fossils. Experimental heating of cutin is known to generate an aliphatic polymer with carbon chain length C20 in the heated Metasequoia needle is a product of incorporation of longer chain plant waxes indicated by the odd over even predominance of the >C27 n-alkanes. The resistant nature of cutin compared to lignin and polysaccharides explains the ubiquitous presence of an n-alkyl component (<C20) in fossil leaves even when polysaccharides are absent and lignin has decayed.