cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of operating parameters on polymer molecular weight accuracy with time-delay, exponential-decay thermal field flow fractionation

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of determining polymer molecular weight distributions (MWD) by time-delay, exponential-decay thermal field flow fractionation (TDE-TFFF). The method is especially promising for characterizing the MWD of fragile, ultra-high-molecular-weight (MW) polymers. With this method, high-resolution separations are carried out by imposing a thermal gradient across a flowing mobile liquid phase in a thin channel formed with parallel plates. The TDE-TFFF technique permits highly reproducible. MW measurements to be made without frequent recalibration. This study examines the effect of important operating parameters, flow-rate and time-delay/decay time constant τ values, on the accuracy of MW measurements by TDE-TFFF. Separation resolution and molecular-weight accuracy are increased in TDE-TFFF by operating at longer τ values and higher flowrates. Nomographs are given that allow the selection of optimum operating parameters using results from a preliminary separation.
Carcinogenesis From Inhaled 239puo2 In Beagles: Evidence For Radiation Homeostasis At Low Doses?

From the early 1970's to the late 1980's, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted life-span studies in beagle dogs on the biological effects of inhaled plutonium ( 238 PuO 2 , 239 PuO 2 , and 239 Pu[NO 3 ] 4 ) to help predict risks associated with accidental intakes in workers. Years later, the purpose of the present follow-up study was to reassess the dose-response relationship for lung cancer in the 239 PuO 2 dogs compared to controls—with particular focus on the dose-response at relatively low lung doses. A 239 PuO 2 aerosol (2.3 μm activity-median aerodynamic diameter, 1.9 μm geometric standard deviation) was administered to six groups of 20 young (18-mo-old) beagle dogs (10 males and 10 females) by inhalation at six different activity levels, as previously described in Laboratory reports. Control dogs were sham-exposed. In dose level 1, initial pulmonary lung depositions were 130 ± 48 Bq (3.5 ± 1.3 nCi), corresponding to 1 Bq g -1 lung tissue (0.029 ± 0.001 nCi g -1 ). Groups 2 through 6 received initial lung depositions (mean values) of 760, 2,724, 10,345, 37,900, and 200,000 Bq (22, 79, 300, 1,100, and 5,800 nCi) 239 PuO 2' respectively. For each dog, the absorbed dose to lungs was calculated from the initial lung burden and the final lung burden at time of death and lung mass, assuming a single, long-term retention function. Insoluble plutonium oxide exhibited long retention times in the lungs. Increased dose-dependent mortality due to lung cancer (bronchiolar-alveolar carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and epidermoid carcinoma) and radiation pneumonitis (in the highest exposure group) were observed in dogs exposed to 239 PuO 2 . Calculated lung doses ranged from a few cGy (lowest exposure level) to 7,764 cGy in dogs that experienced early deaths from radiation pneumonitis. Data were regrouped by lifetime lung dose and plotted as a function of lung tumor incidence. The lung tumor incidence in controls and zero-dose exposed dogs was 18% (5/28). However, no lung tumors were observed in 16 dogs with the lowest lung doses (8 to 22 cGy, mean 14.4 ± 7.6 cGy), and only one lung tumor was observed in the next 10 dogs with lung doses ranging from 27 to 48 cGy (mean 37.5 ± 10.9 cGy). By least-squares analysis, a pure-quadratic function represented the overall dose-response (n = 137, r = 0.96) with no apparent dose-related threshold. Reducing this function to three linear dose-response components, we calculated risk coefficients for each. However, the incidence of lung tumors at zero dose was significantly greater than the incidence at low dose (at the p ≤ 0.053 confidence level), suggesting a protective effect (radiation homeostasis) of alpha-particle radiation from 239PuO 2 ' If a threshold for lung cancer incidence exists, it will be observed in the range 15 to 40 cGy.
Detection of helper and suppressor T cell lines to soluble antigens using a modified ELISA system

Abstract Helper and suppressor activity of T cell lines were investigated using an assay system which is based on measurement by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the antibody produced in vitro. T cell lines were established from spleens of BALB/c mice immunized with ovalbumin and human serum albumin. The T cells were expanded in culture with irradiated spleen cells and antigen or concanavalin A supernatant. The culture system used for assay of T cell activities contained antigen (Ag)-primed unfractioned spleen cells or Ag-primed cells B cells and cultured T cells were incubated together with Ag (0.05 ng/ml-100 μg/ml) for various times, washed at varying intervals, and supernatants assayed for specific antibody activity by an ELISA adapted for this purpose. A total incubation time of 9 days was required for significant antibody production. Complete reconstruction of the antibody response was observed with Ag-primed B cells and Ag-primed T cells wer combined. In one experiment, a helper cell line was shown to restore specific antibody production to approximately 50% of the normal response while a suppressor cell line suppressed antibody production by 90%. A linear response of between 0.2 and 1.4 OD units was observed in the ELISA allowing easy detection of help or suppression. As little as 80 ng of specific antibody could be detected. This technique allows quantitative determination of antibody production for a large number of individual microcultures.
Intrasexual selection and testis size in strepsirhine primates

The main objective of this study was to investigate two predictions of sexual selection theory concerning interspecific variation in testis size among strepsirhine primates (Lemuriformes and Lorisiformes). First, the unique evolutionary history of lemurs provides an opportunity for an independent test of the predictions of sperm competition theory regarding die relationship between mating system and relative testis size. Second, I examined the evolutionary relationship between the morphological correlates of preand postcopulatory competition (Le., between sexual dimorphism and testis size) because polygamous lemurs, in contrast to other polygamous primates, lack sexual dimorphism. Based on measurements from 174 captive strepsirhines from 24 species, I found that multi-male species had significantly larger testes than pair-Irving ones, but that they did not differ significantly from solitary species. This result deviates from theoretical expectations, but may be the result of yet-unknown heterogeneity in mechanisms of male-male competition in both multi-male and solitary species. There was no difference in relative testis size between nonmonogamous lemurs and lorises, indicating that presumably lower levels of precopulatory competition are not necessarily compensated by more intense sperm competition. Body size and phylogenetic effects were also found to considerably affect interspecific variability in testis size. Analyses of independent contrasts revealed that evolutionary changes in mating system, testis size, sexual size, and canine dimorphism were not, or only weakly, associated in this monophyletic group of primates. Additional comprehensive comparative studies of sexual dimorphism, testis size, mating system, and copulatory behavior in these and other taxa are indicated to illuminate general patterns and causes of covariation among these traits. Kty words: mating system, primates, sexual dimorphism, sexual selection, sperm competition, testis. [Behav Ecot 8:10-19 (1997)]
Is noise-induced cochlear neuropathy key to the generation of hyperacusis or tinnitus?

Perceptual abnormalities such as hyperacusis and tinnitus often occur after acoustic overexposure. Although such exposure can also result in permanent threshold elevation, some individuals with noi...
Concentration and Detection of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Surface Water Samples by Method 1622 Using Ultrafiltration and Capsule Filtration

The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is known to occur widely in both source and drinking water and has caused waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis. To improve monitoring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed method 1622 for isolation and detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water. Method 1622 is performance based and involves filtration, concentration, immunomagnetic separation, fluorescent-antibody staining and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) counterstaining, and microscopic evaluation. The capsule filter system currently recommended for method 1622 was compared to a hollow-fiber ultrafilter system for primary concentration of C. parvum oocysts in seeded reagent water and untreated surface waters. Samples were otherwise processed according to method 1622. Rates of C. parvum oocyst recovery from seeded 10-liter volumes of reagent water in precision and recovery experiments with filter pairs were 42% (standard deviation [SD], 24%) and 46% (SD, 18%) for hollow-fiber ultrafilters and capsule filters, respectively. Mean oocyst recovery rates in experiments testing both filters on seeded surface water samples were 42% (SD, 27%) and 15% (SD, 12%) for hollow-fiber ultrafilters and capsule filters, respectively. Although C. parvum oocysts were recovered from surface waters by using the approved filter of method 1622, the recovery rates were significantly lower and more variable than those from reagent grade water. In contrast, the disposable hollow-fiber ultrafilter system was compatible with subsequent method 1622 processing steps, and it recovered C. parvum oocysts from seeded surface waters with significantly greater efficiency and reliability than the filter suggested for use in the version of method 1622 tested.
AT1, AT2, and AT1-7 receptor expression in the uteroplacental unit of normotensive and hypertensive rats during early and late pregnancy

Abstract Introduction We investigated the expression of angiotensin receptors in early pregnancy and established whether normal pregnancy or preeclampsia alters the expression and distribution of the uteroplacental AT1R, AT2R and mas/AT1-7R at late gestation. Methods The percentage of each receptor subtype present in tissues from virgin rats and from normotensive and RUPP hypertensive pregnant rats was established by in vitro receptor autoradiography. Receptor mRNA levels were determined by quantitative PCR at early and late pregnancy. Results AT1R mRNA levels were up-regulated in the interimplantation (IIS) site at day 7 of gestation. AT2R mRNA levels were decreased at day 5 and 7 in the IIS but increased in the implantation site (IS) at day 5 and 7 as compared to the IIS at day 5. Mas/AT1-7R mRNA was increased in early pregnancy. In normal pregnancy and RUPP the mRNA for all angiotensin receptors was reduced in the uterus at late gestation. The AT1R accounted for the majority of binding in the uterus of virgin and the placenta of pregnant and RUPP. In RUPP pregnancy there was a significant competition with d -Ala in the placenta labyrinth. Discussion and conclusion The expression of angiotensin receptors suggests their involvement in the maintenance of early stages of pregnancy. During late gestation down-regulation of Ang receptors in the uterus may arise from feedback down-regulation by Ang II. In the placenta the levels of AT1Rs are equivalent in the RUPP model. The increased binding of mas/AT1-7R at late gestation in RUPP may represent a compensatory mechanism to reduce uteroplacental vascular resistance.
Independently driven DG MOSFETs for mixed-signal circuits: part I-quasi-static and nonquasi-static channel coupling

The two tightly coupled channels in independently driven double-gate (IDDG) MOSFET offer new opportunities in constructing mixed-signal circuit modules. Understanding of channel coupling in various bias and frequency regimes is imperative to conceptualize the circuit design and optimization. In Part I, we will investigate both quasi-static and nonquasi-static channel coupling in IDDG through capacitance simulation. The charge reshuffling between channels provides effective coupling at high frequency when source/drain (S/D) carriers cannot respond spontaneously to the applied gate signals, which opens up new high-frequency circuit possibilities beyond the S/D transit time set by the lithography limit. The bias and frequency regions that enhance channel coupling are identified. The transition frequency related to channel charge reshuffling is investigated for its dependence on device geometry. Operational principles and practical limitations are discussed. In Part II, we will present the circuit design examples based on the interchannel coupling.
Teaching collaborative writing and peer review techniques to engineering and technology undergraduates

A recent survey of engineering professionals found that they spent 44% of their time writing, and almost all sometimes wrote as members of a team. Yet E&T students, who typically struggle with writing tasks, generally write as individuals and are evaluated only by their professors. This paper discusses a rationale and methods to provide students with experience in writing collaboratively and critiquing one another's writing. I argue that collaborative writing promotes active learning and provides students with experience working as part of a team. Peer review gives students experience in critical thinking and promotes editorial skills. These classroom techniques raise students' comfort level at having their work evaluated by others in a professional setting. Course evaluation feedback and follow-up surveying confirm that students who complete the course are more likely to write collaboratively in future courses, and students report that they will seek collaborative writing opportunities in the workplace.
Fractional Poisson—A Simple Dose-Response Model for Human Norovirus

This study utilizes old and new Norovirus (NoV) human challenge data to model the dose-response relationship for human NoV infection. The combined data set is used to update estimates from a previously published beta-Poisson dose-response model that includes parameters for virus aggregation and for a beta-distribution that describes variable susceptibility among hosts. The quality of the beta-Poisson model is examined and a simpler model is proposed. The new model (fractional Poisson) characterizes hosts as either perfectly susceptible or perfectly immune, requiring a single parameter (the fraction of perfectly susceptible hosts) in place of the two-parameter beta-distribution. A second parameter is included to account for virus aggregation in the same fashion as it is added to the beta-Poisson model. Infection probability is simply the product of the probability of nonzero exposure (at least one virus or aggregate is ingested) and the fraction of susceptible hosts. The model is computationally simple and appears to be well suited to the data from the NoV human challenge studies. The model's deviance is similar to that of the beta-Poisson, but with one parameter, rather than two. As a result, the Akaike information criterion favors the fractional Poisson over the beta-Poisson model. At low, environmentally relevant exposure levels (<100), estimation error is small for the fractional Poisson model; however, caution is advised because no subjects were challenged at such a low dose. New low-dose data would be of great value to further clarify the NoV dose-response relationship and to support improved risk assessment for environmentally relevant exposures.
Senseless functions as a molecular switch for color photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila

A major question in development is how different specialized cell types arise from a common progenitor. In the adult Drosophila compound eye, color discrimination is achieved by UV-, blue- and green-sensitive photoreceptors (PRs). These different PR subsets arise from neuronal precursors called R7 and R8 cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that R7-based UV-sensitive PRs require the repression of R8-based blue/green-sensitive PR characteristics to properly develop. This repression is mediated by the transcription factor Prospero (Pros). Here, we report that Senseless (Sens), a Drosophila ortholog of the vertebrate Gfi1 transcription factor, plays an opposing role to Pros by both negatively regulating R7-based features and positively enforcing R8-based features during terminal differentiation. In addition, we demonstrate that Pros and Sens function together with the transcription factor Orthodenticle (Otd) to oppositely regulate R7 and R8 PR Rhodopsin gene expression in vitro. These data show that sens , previously shown to be essential for neuronal specification, also controls differentiation of specific neuronal subtypes in the retina. Interestingly, Pros has recently been shown to function as a tumor suppressor, whereas Gfi1 is a well-characterized oncogene. Thus, we propose that sens / pros antagonism is important for regulating many biological processes.
Core Undertones with Rotation

Summary The elastic behaviour of the Earth's liquid core at periods longer than those of the free oscillations is shown to be affected by the Earth's rotation. In particular, free spheroidal modes of the core, called undertones, exist in a core which is subadiabatic or gravitationally stable. The periods of these undertones are considerably modified by the rotation which serves to couple together modes by the excitation of torsional motion. The results indicate that the undertones will be confined within a period range 0-12 h. Other modes, related to the rotationally-generated inertial modes known in fluid mechanics, may exist at periods greater than 12 h. Examples are given of the effect of rotation on eigenperiods of a real Earth model, including the Slichter-type modes, and implications for the treatment of tidal deformation are discussed.
Noiseless image amplification by a phase-sensitive parametric amplifier

Optical imaging is one of the important potential applications for nonclassic states of light. It has been shown that spatially broadband squeezed light can be used to image faint objects with sub-shot-noise sensitivity. Broad spatial bandwidth of an optical parametric amplifier (OPA), determined by phase-matching conditions, makes it a good choice for studying the feasibility of imaging with nonclassic states. Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first observation of noiseless amplification of an image by means of phase-sensitive parametric amplification.
Modeling protein stability: a theoretical analysis of the stability of T4 lysozyme mutants

Free energy calculations were conducted to determine the relative stability of the unnatural amino acid mutants of T4 lysozyme norvaline (Nvl) and O-methyl-serine (Mse) and of alanine at residue 133, which is leucine in the native sequence. These calculations were performed both to assess the validity of the methodology and to gain a better understanding of the forces which contribute to protein stability. Peptides of different length were used to model the denatured state. Restraints were employed to force sampling of the side chain chi1 dihedral of the perturbed side chain, and the effect of protein repacking in response to mutation was studied through the use of different constraint sets. In addition, the convergence behavior and hysteresis of the simulations in the folded and unfolded states were determined. The calculated results agree well with experiment, + 1.84 versus + 1.56 kcal/mol for Mse-->Nvl and -3.48 versus -2.2 to -3.6 kcal/mol for Nvl-->Ala. We find that free energy calculations can provide useful insights to protein stability when conducted carefully on a well chosen system. Our results suggest that loss of packing interactions in the native state is a major source of destabilization for mutants which decrease the amount of buried nonpolar surface area and that subtle responses of the backbone affect the magnitude of the loss of stability. We show that the conformational freedom of the chi1 dihedral has a noticeable effect on protein stability and that the solvation of amino acid side chains is strongly influenced by interactions with the peptide backbone.
Progress and Challenges in Commercialization of Organic Electronics

The field of organic electronics is entering its commercial phase. The recent market introduction of the first prototypes based on organic transistors fabricated from solution is set to augment the existing market presence of organic light-emitting diode applications. Organic photovoltaic products are not far behind. In this article, we provide a brief overview of these devices, with our main focus being organic transistor applications. In particular, we examine some of the key performance requirements for working devices. We also review some of the important advances in semiconductor design and device fabrication techniques and discuss some of the technical challenges that remain in the optimization of next-generation products.
An Assay for Thiaminase I in Complex Biological Samples

An alternative method for measuring thiaminase I activity in complex samples is described. This assay is based on the selective consumption of the highly chromophoric 4-nitrothiophenolate by thiaminase I, resulting in a large decrease in absorbance at 411 nm. This new assay is simple and sensitive, and it requires only readily available chemicals and a visible region spectrophotometer. In addition, the assay is optimized for high-throughput analysis in a 96-well format with complex biological samples. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Simple Modified Colorimetric Method for Total Salicylate Assay in Urine after Salicylate Administration

A simpler and yet sensitive colorimetric method, modified after Levy's method for the assay of total urinary salicylate, is presented. The values of salicylate recovery after oral administration in humans, based on the present method and Trinder's reagent method, are compared.
Diffusion in nickel oxide pellets–effects of sintering and reduction

Diffusion rates were measured at 25°C and 1 atm by a steady state method in pellets of nonporous nickel oxide particles in order to determine the effects of sintering and chemical reduction. Sintering led to a striking decrease in diffusion flux; tortuosities above 100 were found for highly sintered (porosity 0.03) pellets. Reduction caused a sharp increase in diffusion rate when the original pellet was highly sintered. For an originally unsintered pellet the diffusion rate decreased with extent of reduction. These phenomena were explained quantitatively by using: (1) the random pore model to predict tortuosity factors for an unsintered, unreduced pellet, and (2) the extent of pore interconnections and the fractional reduction to treat the effects of sintering and reduction. In this way an approximate, predictive equation was derived which contained no arbitrary parameters and which required for application only data on porosity and extent of chemical reduction.
The Future EMS Design Requirements

The Energy Management Systems (EMS) were invented in the seventies to add computationally intensive applications to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems which were introduced as the core infrastructure for scanning the field data in the sixties . Over the last 50 years many EMS functions were implemented and SCADA was further enhanced. Recently, limitations of low scanning capability of traditional SCADA became obvious and new substation Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) such as Digital Protective Relays (DPRs), Digital Fault Recorders (DFRs) and Phasor Measurement units (PMUs) offered much better time resolution of the filed measurements. Such developments led to a question addressed in this paper: how should future EMS systems evolve assuming that new IEDs may be integrated in a common data measurement infrastructure.
An Introduction to Sequence Similarity (“Homology”) Searching

Sequence similarity searching, typically with BLAST, is the most widely used and most reliable strategy for characterizing newly determined sequences. Sequence similarity searches can identify "homologous" proteins or genes by detecting excess similarity- statistically significant similarity that reflects common ancestry. This unit provides an overview of the inference of homology from significant similarity, and introduces other units in this chapter that provide more details on effective strategies for identifying homologs.
Acceptance of the 2012 Clark P. Read Mentor Award: Mentoring Then and Now

As you listen to my presentation today, you might be thinking that I am not prepared. You would be quite correct; I am unprepared. But I have a good excuse. You see, the possibility of being considered for the Clark P. Read Mentor Award never crossed my mind. Those of you who know me and know the universities where I have worked are aware that I, and they, do not correspond to the characteristics of previous recipients of this award or the institutions that they represented. Clearly, the Mentor Award Committee, Ash Bullard, Ben Hanelt, Janice Moore, and Valerie McKenzie stretched the envelope in making their selection this year, and I am very grateful to them. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those who wrote to support my nomination. And I offer a special thank you to Michelle Steinauer and Charles Criscione for introducing me today. I have been inspired by previous recipients of the Clark P. Read Mentor Award. Their presentations at the annual meeting have always been a motivating force for me. Every year, I resolved upon returning to my campus to heed their advice and try to become a better mentor to my own students. To my way of thinking, mentoring is a comprehensive activity that encompasses guiding students in the classes that I teach as well as directing the research of both the undergraduates and graduate students in our parasitology laboratory. Mentoring is important to me because, when I was a student, it was my mentors who were there to help me past the many mistakes and incorrect choices that I made. My advisors and professors at Tulane immediately come to mind when I think of all the good help that they provided to me and for rescuing me DOI: 10.1645/12-78.1
Nature of Scientific Knowledge and Scientific Inquiry: Building Instructional Capacity Through Professional Development

Currently, four reviews focus on the research on students’ and teachers’ conceptions of nature of scientific knowledge, as well as approaches to improving teachers’ and students’ conceptions. The research related to students’ and teachers’ knowledge about scientific inquiry (as distinct from the ability to undertake inquiry) is quite rare. Students’ and teachers’ conceptions of nature of scientific knowledge have been important goals of science education for over 100 years. Attention to understandings about inquiry and about nature of scientific knowledge is much more recent and is primarily attributed to the National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy in the USA. Rather than reiterate the research that does exist, the purpose of this chapter is to focus on the role of professional development in facilitating the desired change in students’ and teachers’ conceptions (i.e. how to help teachers to translate what they know into effective classroom practices). The existing literature reviews do not document the nature and impacts of sustained professional development in bringing about the change. This chapter focuses on several large-scale professional development approaches (i.e. teacher enhancement grant, systemic change initiative, programmatic emphases) that our group has used in Chicago. Of particular importance is the relative impacts of these different approaches and the lessons learned about the nature of the professional development that we provide. Naturally, the existing research on students’ and teachers’ conceptions, and how they are changed is briefly reviewed to provide context, but not to the point of just reiterating what has already been presented elsewhere. But, the primary focus of the chapter is on the necessary professional development provided to teachers so they can translate their knowledge into forms that are readily understood by the students.
LEGISLATIVE USURPATION: THE EARLY PRACTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL REPUDIATION OF LEGISLATIVE INTERVENTION IN ADJUDICATION

In the United States, we usually think of separation of powers as easy and obvious. Legislatures make rules of general application; courts decide cases between parties based on existing law; and executives enforce and implement the laws. Sometimes the lines shift or get fuzzy, but the principle was fundamental to the framers of the Constitution and still has the feel and supporting authority of a foundational precept. However, this was not always so. In the pre-constitutional history of the United States, legislatures regularly exercised judicial functions, intervened in adjudication, and interfered with accrued or vested rights. Congress seems poised to test the basic principle once again with a bill that bars the pending city lawsuits and most other litigation against handgun manufacturers and dealers. This short historical essay addresses the early practice of legislative intervention in litigation and its repudiation by the framers of the Constitution.
Accountability Systems and Group Norms: Balancing the Risks of Mindless Conformity and Reckless Deviation

In dynamic task environments, decision makers are vulnerable to two types of errors: sticking too closely to the rules (excessive conformity) or straying too far from them (excessive deviation). We explore the effects of process and outcome accountability on the susceptibility to these errors. Using a multiple-cue probability-learning task, we show that process accountability encourages conformity errors and outcome accountability promotes deviation errors. Two additional studies explore the moderating effects of self-focused and other-focused group norms. Self-focused norms reduce the effect of process accountability on excessive conformity. Other-focused norms reduce the effect of outcome accountability on excessive deviation. Our results qualify prevailing claims about the benefits of process over outcome accountability and show that those benefits hinge on prevailing group norms, on the effectiveness of prescribed decision rules, and on the amount of irreducible uncertainty in the prediction task. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Four-State Straintronics: Extremely Low Power Nanomagnetic Logic Using Multiferroics With Biaxial Anisotropy

The authors had previously theoretically demonstrated that multiferroic nanomagnetic logic can be clocked in ∼1 GHz with few 100 kT/bit power dissipation which is ∼3 orders of magnitude more energy efficient than current CMOS transistor technology that dissipates several 100,000 kT/bit.. In this work, we propose the more novel concept of 4-state logic by numerically demonstrating the feasibity of an ultra low-power 4-state NOR logic gate using multiferroic nanomagnets with biaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Here, the logic bits are encoded in the magnetization orientation of a nanoscale magnetostrictive layer elastically coupled to a piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer can be clocked with a small electrostatic potential (∼0.2 V) to switch the magnetization of the magnetic layer. We also address logic propagation, where the accurate and unidirectional transfer of data from an input nanomagnet along an array of nanomagnets is needed. This is accomplished by devising an effective clocking scheme to the nanomagnet array, which allows for the realization of feasible logic circuits. Ultimately, this technology would enable higher order information processing, such as pattern recognition, to be performed in parallel at very high speeds while consuming extremely low power. Potential applications include high-density logic circuits, associative memory and neuromorphic computing.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Atimia: A novel group-based paradigm for manipulating ostracism and group members’ performance.

Ostracism, being excluded and ignored, is a socially painful experience that can lead to distressing consequences, including thwarted basic needs satisfaction and worsened mood (Williams & Nida, 2011). Ostracism researchers have relied heavily on a single paradigm: Cyberball (Williams, Cheung, & Choi, 2000), and although Cyberball has been conducted successfully with over 5,000 participants, there are few alternative paradigms to replicate ostracism’s effects. Specifically, no alternative paradigms utilize a group-based interaction in which players continuously interact to achieve a goal. Additionally, researchers have not incorporated a key characteristic of the group that influences satisfaction: the efficacy of a group to accomplish a task (i.e., burdensomeness). To address these issues, we designed Atimia, a group-based game in which players take turns completing word-association items. We manipulated computer-controlled agents to either ostracize or include participants and to be burdensome (i.e., perform poorly) or nonburdensome. We found participants felt worse when they were ostracized, compared with when they were included, and when playing with a burdensome versus nonburdensome group. Ostracism effect sizes were comparable with Cyberball and other alternative ostracism paradigms. Similar to previous ostracism research, a group characteristic (burdensomeness) did not buffer the effects of ostracism. Examining beyond the immediate ostracism effects, participants were more interested in continuing with a nonburdensome group that included them compared with a burdensome, but inclusive, group or a group that ostracized (regardless of group burdensomeness). Initial results suggest Atimia is a means to replicate ostracism’s effects and is a new tool for researchers studying groups.
3D temperature field reconstruction using ultrasound sensing system

3D temperature field reconstruction is of practical interest to the power, transportation and aviation industries and it also opens up opportunities for real time control or optimization of high temperature fluid or combustion process. In our paper, a new distributed optical fiber sensing system consisting of a series of elements will be used to generate and receive acoustic signals. This system is the first active temperature field sensing system that features the advantages of the optical fiber sensors (distributed sensing capability) and the acoustic sensors (non-contact measurement). Signals along multiple paths will be measured simultaneously enabled by a code division multiple access (CDMA) technique. Then a proposed Gaussian Radial Basis Functions (GRBF)-based approach can approximate the temperature field as a finite summation of space-dependent basis functions and time-dependent coefficients. The travel time of the acoustic signals depends on the temperature of the media. On this basis, the Gaussian functions are integrated along a number of paths which are determined by the number and distribution of sensors. The inversion problem to estimate the unknown parameters of the Gaussian functions can be solved with the measured times-of-flight (ToF) of acoustic waves and the length of propagation paths using the recursive least square method (RLS). The simulation results show an approximation error less than 2% in 2D and 5% in 3D respectively. It demonstrates the availability and efficiency of our proposed 3D temperature field reconstruction mechanism.
The Timing of Sound in the Ocean

The fundamental aspects of timing sound in the ocean are discussed from the point of view that the sound velocity for an elemental volume of the ocean is determined by its physical and chemical constitution. This velocity, nearly independent of frequency, can be measured automatically by modern techniques and be used to understand the phenomena exhibited by long-range sound transmission. The basic connections between the two are presented for a set of propagation experiments in which the sound projected and received has not interacted with the ocean’s floor or surface. This embodies details in technique requisite to achieving eventually a precision of 10-5 in both local sound velocity and long-range sound pulse timing.
Is it mild obstructive sleep apnea

A 63-year-old woman was referred to the sleep center complaining of daytime sleepiness, snoring, and insomnia. She was single and never married but, on a recent business trip, was noted by a colleague to snore loudly. There was no report of witnessed apnea. She slept 8 to 8.5 hours per night but complained of daytime drowsiness and mental fogginess, particularly in the afternoons. She occasionally dozed off during small-group meetings. She also complained of nighttime awakenings, which she attributed to work stress. If she woke up and had trouble falling back to sleep, then she would take either zolpidem or alprazolam. The patient had gained 25 to 30 pounds over the past 3 to 5 years, up to a current maximum of 198 pounds, and had been on antihypertensive medications for 2 years. Her past medical history included knee and foot surgery, tonsillectomy, gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel, and postmenopausal status. Medications were amlodipine 2.5 mg daily, plus zolpidem 10 mg or alprazolam 1 mg as needed. She reported allergies to penicillin, some antidepressants, ibuprofen, and eszopiclone. Family history was negative for sleep apnea. Physical examination showed an obese woman in no distress. Blood pressure was 126/86. Airway exam revealed Mallampati class 1 (normal soft palate), small uvula, no tonsils, and no retrognathia. Exam was otherwise unremarkable, including normal heart and lung exam. Polysomnography was performed without hypnotic medication. See summary graph (Figure 1).
Promotion of sexual abstinence: reducing adolescent sexual activity and pregnancies

The prevention of unplanned pregnancies has become a national public health priority. To assure that every newborn child in America is planned and wanted, three strategies are to be implemented: expansion of school-based sex education, expansion of free condom distribution, and expansion of the role of school-based health clinics. Studies show that these strategies may not prevent unplanned pregnancies; furthermore, their implementation may be associated with public health risks. Sexual abstinence is not associated with public health risks and needs to be presented and promoted as the most effective primary prevention for unplanned pregnancies.
Positive end-expiratory pressure increases plasma catecholamine levels in non-volume loaded dogs.

UNLABELLED Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is commonly used in the treatment of critically ill patients whose sympathetic nervous system is stressed; however, PEEP's actions on sympathetic nervous system activity are unknown. We therefore measured the plasma noradrenaline response (an index of sympathetic nervous system activity) to graded doses of PEEP in nine mongrel dogs. After 30 minutes at each level of PEEP, plasma noradrenaline concentrations increased from baseline mean values of 300 (SD 108) pg/ml to 388 (SD 225) pg/ml (P less than 0.05) at 5 cm, 433 (SD 255) pg/ml (P less than 0.01) at 10 cm and 1194 (SD 882) pg/ml (P less than 0.01) at 20 cm water pressure of PEEP. The increases in plasma noradrenaline concentrations correlated inversely (r = -0.43, P less than 0.01) with PEEP-induced changes in cardiac output. Plasma adrenaline levels did not change significantly in response to 5 or 10 cm of PEEP; however, plasma adrenaline increased, while heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure fell, at 20 cm water pressure of PEEP (P less than 0.05). Within 15 minutes after discontinuation of PEEP, the plasma catecholamine concentrations returned to baseline levels. CONCLUSIONS 1. PEEP significantly increases sympathetic nervous system activity in a rapid, dose-dependent, reversible manner; 2. the PEEP-induced increases in sympathetic activity may explain the reductions in organ blood flow which others have observed following the initiation of PEEP; 3. PEEP-related changes in sympathetic nervous system activity are a consequence of PEEP-induced reductions in cardiac output.
The Korean Chip Dumping Controversy: A Case Study of Antidumping As Rent-Seeking Behavior

This paper reviews several International Trade Commission antidumping cases involving Korean computer chips from a law and economics perspective. Part I reviews and analyzes the controversy. Part II points out some of the most serious problems with the current United States antidumping policy. In addition to discussing antidumping law from a utilitarian perspective, which is the usual methodology used by law & economics theorists, the authors expand the analysis by incorporating philosophical and ethical insights that include a discussion of property and contract rights. In Part III, the authors conclude that dumping is a victimless crime and that the antidumping laws should be repealed, the sooner the better.
Predicting heart transplantation outcomes through data analytics

Predicting the survival of heart transplant patients is an important, yet challenging problem since it plays a crucial role in understanding the matching procedure between a donor and a recipient. Data mining models can be used to effectively analyze and extract novel information from large/complex transplantation datasets. The objective of this study is to predict the 1-, 5-, and 9-year patient's graft survival following a heart transplant surgery via the deployment of analytical models that are based on four powerful classification algorithms (i.e. decision trees, artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and logistic regression). Since the datasets used in this study has a much larger number of survival cases than deaths for 1- and 5-year survival analysis and vice versa for 9-year survival analysis, random under sampling (RUS) and synthetic minority over-sampling (SMOTE) are employed to overcome the data-imbalance problems. The results indicate that logistic regression combined with SMOTE achieves the best classification for the 1-, 5-, and 9-year outcome prediction, with area-under-the-curve (AUC) values of 0.624, 0.676, and 0.838, respectively. By applying sensitivity analysis to the data analytical models, the most important predictors and their associated contribution for the 1-, 5-, and 9-year graft survival of heart transplant patients are identified. By doing so, variables, whose importance changes over time, are differentiated. Not only this proposed hybrid approach gives superior results over the literature but also the models and identification of the variables present important retrospective findings, which can be the basis for a prospective medical study. A data-driven approach for predicting survival outcomes at multiple time-points is developed.The method successfully predicted short-, mid-, & long-term heart transplantation outcomes.The proposed method is unique in that it fills an important gap in the published literature.The approach is generic so it can be applied to other organ transplantation cases.
Shodan visualized

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how using Gephi to visualize the open ports at IP addresses in Shodan may provide a means of identifying SCADA devices. Visualizations were created using both IP addresses and open ports as nodes. Modularity, centralities, and layout were used to enhance the visualizations. From these visualizations we hope to gather a better understanding of what devices are on the network.
The Effect of Internet Group Support for Caregivers on Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and Caregiver Burden: A Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Introduction: Family caregivers are socially isolated and burdened as they care for their loved one, often for many years. Internet support groups can address some of the barriers related to the social isolation, self-efficacy, and burden experienced during caregiving by connecting individuals with similar problems to one another. The purpose of the meta-analysis was to analyze the effect of Internet-based group support interventions on social support, self-efficacy, and burden. Methods: A two-step search process was used to identify peer reviewed evidence to answer the research question. Multiple databases, including MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and several others, were searched to identify systematic reviews from which to identify the final articles for data extraction. Results: Seven systematic reviews identified 10 studies to answer the research question. A statistically significant effect was found from the interventions targeting social support and sel...
An Evaluation of a Clinical Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Education Intervention among Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Objective To evaluate the impact of an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) education intervention on PrEP awareness and use among men who have sex with men (MSM) attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic. Data Sources/Study Setting Men who have sex with men STD clinic patients. Study Design We estimated a difference-in-differences linear regression model, comparing MSM whose first visit to the clinic was before (“control”) or after (“treatment”) intervention implementation and controlling for patient. Data Collection/Extraction We used self-reported data on PrEP awareness and use from STD clinic intake forms. Principal Findings Pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness between first and second clinic visits increased 27.2 percentage points (pp) in the treatment group, relative to 13.7 pp in the control group. Similarly, PrEP use increased 7.1 pp in the treatment group versus 2.4 pp in the control group. Based on adjusted estimates, the PrEP intervention increased PrEP awareness by 24 pp (p < .01) and PrEP use by 5 pp (p = .01), increases of 63 percent and 159 percent relative to the 6 months prior to the intervention. Conclusion A brief, scalable STD clinic PrEP education intervention led to significantly increased PrEP awareness and use among MSM. Health care providers should consider implementing brief PrEP education interventions in sexual health care settings.
The Cognitive and Emotional Sources of Trump Support: The Case of Low-Information Voters

This article provides empirical evidence for the hypothesis that Donald Trump distinctively attracted unprecedented levels of support from “low-information voters.” The findings suggest that his ca...
Design of a Power Line Communication transmitter and receiver for home automation

This paper investigates the use of PLC for building integrated smart homes, wherein the very wires that provide them electricity seamlessly interconnect information appliances ranging from simple control or monitoring devices to multimedia entertainment systems. Firstly, an overview is done to deﬁne the technology of PLC. Then, the state-of-the-art of PLC technologies is reviewed. Finally, the realised project was presented.
Job satisfaction as a moderator on the relationship between burnout and scholarly productivity among counseling faculty in the U.S.

This study examined the relationship between faculty burnout and scholarly productivity, as well as job satisfaction as a moderator, among 251 counseling faculty in the U.S. Faculty burnout was predictive of scholarly productivity. Job satisfaction moderated the relationship between faculty burnout and scholarly productivity. Implications for counseling faculty and higher education institutions are discussed.