cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating a Multimedia History System as Support for Collaborative Design

This paper describes an evaluation of the Raison d’Etre system by members of a design team that we recorded during a design project. Raison d’Etre is a hypermedia design history application developed to support design and design education [3]. It provides access to a database of video clips containing stories and personal perspectives of design team members recorded at various times through the course of a project. The system is intended to provide a simple framework for recording and organizing the informal history and rationale that design teams create and share in the course of their collaboration. The evaluation provided us with a rich set of observations about the value of using history information to reflect on design.
Temperature-Adjusted Respiratory Rate for the Prediction of Childhood Pneumonia

Abstract Objectives As both fever and pneumonia can be associated with tachypnea, we investigated the relationship between body temperature and respiratory rate (RR) in young children and whether temperature-adjusted RR enhances the prediction of pneumonia. Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 91,429 children Results The mean RR increased 2.6 breaths/minute for each 1°C increase in temperature. Interpatient variability was comparatively large; at any temperature, the interquartile range (75th percentile minus 25th percentile) varied from 4 to 16 breaths/minute. For predicting pneumonia, temperature- and age-adjusted RR was superior to age-adjusted RR: area under the curve (AUC) = 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75–0.78) versus AUC = 0.73 (95% CI, 0.72–0.75), respectively. Using WHO RR criteria, temperature-adjusted RR improved diagnostic discrimination, as the AUC increased from 0.58 (95% CI, 0.57–0.59) to 0.72 (95% CI, 0.70–0.73). Conclusions The effects of temperature on respiratory rate are modest, with a mean increase of 2.6 breaths/minute for each 1°C rise in temperature. Despite considerable interpatient variability in respiratory rates by temperature, temperature adjustment improves the diagnostic value of respiratory rate for pneumonia.
Control as Care: How Teachers in “No Excuses” Charter Schools Position Their Students and Themselves

This qualitative study focuses on how early career charter school teachers (n = 20) in schools utilizing a “no excuses” discipline approach describe their interactions with students. Using position...
Upper Airway Stimulation

Upper airway stimulation is a novel approach to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Using neurostimulation to actively dilate the pharynx during sleep, this modality is a departure from the ablative and repositioning surgeries offered in the past. This chapter outlines the evaluation, procedure, and outcomes of this new innovative therapy.
Macronutrient composition of longitudinal milk samples from captive aardvarks (Orycteropus afer).

Hand-rearing and assisted-rearing aardvarks in captivity has become commonplace and has led to success in breeding the species. However, the macronutrient content of aardvark milk past 1 month of age is unknown. A better understanding of aardvark milk composition would enhance captive management efforts. Here, we assayed milk samples from two captive individuals from 2 to 114 days postpartum (N = 21) for dry matter, fat, crude protein, total sugar, ash (total minerals), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and gross energy. The body weight of one calf was measured from birth to weaning. Milk macronutrient composition was compared to that of other Afrotherian species and Xenarthra species with similar diets. Average protein, fat, and sugar concentrations of aardvark milk across lactation were 12.3%, 13.6%, and 2.5%, respectively. Ash averaged 1.9%, with Ca (0.50%) and P (0.35%) accounting for about 45% of total minerals. All measured nutrients increased over lactation except sugar, which decreased. Aardvark milk is high in energy (2.12 kcal/g) mostly derived from fat and protein and little energy from sugar. Calf growth was linear (r2 = 0.995) with a mean gain of 159 g/day, achieving almost 30% of adult weight at weaning. Within Afrotheria, aardvark milk is higher in fat and protein and lower in sugar than elephant milk and more closely resembles the milk of its fellow insectivore, the elephant shrew. Aardvark milk is also similar in composition to milk of insectivorous Xenarthra species (nine-banded armadillo and giant anteater). Aardvark milk composition is consistent with the species' high-protein diet, fast growth, and nursing pattern.
Characterization of laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing for EGS

Abstract To investigate the impact of reservoir stimulation by hydraulic fracturing, a series of advanced lab-scale block tests were conducted with multiple measurement methods to characterize the fracture and to assess the operation and the performance of an enhanced or engineered geothermal system (EGS). The stimulation test samples were 330-mm cubic blocks of Sierra White granite with one injection well and four producers drilled into it. Acoustic emissions generated during the fracture initiation and propagation were monitored with twenty AE sensors mounted on all sides of the block to help characterize the fracture initiation and propagation process. The recorded AE signals were analyzed to obtain the event location and the failure mechanism. The localized AE events shows that due to the low viscosity of the fracturing fluid (water), the fracture propagated rapidly and took only about 1.4 s to reach near the block surface. During the fracturing phase, about 47 percent of the events were determined to be shear/mixed mode failure events, 28 percent tensile failure events, and 25 percent compressional failure events. Just after the simulation, a step-rate (constant flowrate) injection test was carried out to investigate the reservoir injectivity enhancement. During this phase additional compressional failure events were observed and the percentages of tensile failure and shear/mixed mode failure decreased. The dramatic increase of the injection rate with small increments of the injection pressure demonstrates the nonlinear response of the fracture to effective normal stress variation with much higher fracture opening increase during the low effective normal stress interval. Hydraulic fracturing tests under different stress levels show that more AE hits/events are recorded when the rock block is under higher applied stress. The reconstructed 3D fracture geometry shows good agreement with the AE monitoring results. After fracturing, a tracer test was carried out and the fracture aperture was estimated to be around 139 μm. The tracer recovery curve shows two linear portions of the tracer tail on a semi-log plot similar to that observed in some field data and predicted by numerical modeling. Laser scanning of the fracture surfaces indicates that the induced fracture has a rough surface with a joint roughness coefficient (JRC) of 12.98 and tortuosity of 1.10, both of which are slightly larger than that from the Brazilian test fracture on the same rock. The thin section and SEM observations show that the fracture follows the weak boundaries between the Quartz and Albite grains or the weak beddings in the grains.
Randomized Trial of Low-Nicotine Cigarettes and Transdermal Nicotine

Introduction A mandated reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes may decrease smoking, but also increase demand for other nicotine products. The present study tested the impact of smoking cigarettes with very low nicotine content and concurrent use of a transdermal nicotine patch. Study design A balanced 2 × 2 factorial randomized clinical trial investigating the impact of cigarette nicotine content (double-blind, very low nicotine content versus normal nicotine content) and use of a transdermal nicotine patch (open label, patch versus no patch). Setting/participants Adult daily smokers (n=240) in the Pittsburgh, PA area. Intervention Participants were provided with research cigarettes and transdermal nicotine patches (if assigned to patch condition) for 7 weeks. Cigarettes were Spectrum brand (National Institute on Drug Abuse) and either 15.8 mg nicotine/g tobacco (normal nicotine content) or 0.4 mg nicotine/g tobacco (very low nicotine content). In the 7th week, participants were monetarily incentivized to abstain from smoking. Main outcome measures Participants reported daily cigarette use throughout the trial and the primary outcome was average number of cigarettes smoked per day (study + nonstudy) during Week 6. Participants were recruited from 2015 to 2017 and data were analyzed between 2017 and 2018. Results Assignment to very low nicotine content cigarettes and assignment to wear a nicotine patch both reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day during Week 6 (p=0.001 and 0.04, respectively). However, assignment to the patch along with very low nicotine content cigarettes did not significantly reduce cigarette smoking compared with assignment to very low nicotine content cigarettes alone. Conclusions A mandated reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes is likely to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day, but the added benefit of concurrent transdermal nicotine is unclear. Future studies should investigate whether alternative sources of noncombusted tobacco, such as e-cigarettes, enhance the effects of very low nicotine content cigarettes on smoking. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02301325.
Aspects of biochemical differentiation in the central nervous system.

A demonstration of cell-specific patterns of development in the immature CNS is provided by examples of characteristic, cellspecific time-courses of enzyme development in different classes of brain cells isolated in highly purified form by bulk-separation from the cerebral and cerebellar cortex of the growing rat. The enzymatic analysis was carried out at the level of the nerve and glial cell lysosomes and mitochondria, two subcellular organelles crucial to the economy of all cells. The findings reveal rather similar developmental patterns for the lysosomal hydrolase N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase in neurons and glial cells of the cerebral cortex as well as in two different cerebellar nerve cell types, the Purkinje and the granule cell. However, significant differences in the post-natal chronology of development of the mitochondrial enzyme α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase were noted between cortical nerve and glial cells, the glial enzyme exhibiting 6-fold higher levels of activity than the neuronal one throughout the first month of postnatal life. The findings emphasize the feasibility as well as the necessity of studies aimed at the elucidation of the cell-specific aspects of the biochemistry of developing nerve and glial cells.
Enhancing microfibrillated cellulose reinforcing efficiency in epoxy composites by graphene oxide crosslinking

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) has the potential to be used as an alternate reinforcement to glass fibers. However, glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites at usual operating temperatures (below Tg) are still superior to MFC infused epoxy composites. In this work, MFC mats with variable amounts of graphene oxide (GO) crosslinking were prepared using epichlorohydrin. Crosslinked MFC/GO epoxy composites with constant fiber content and different GO loadings were fabricated by impregnation of the freeze-dried crosslinked MFC/GO mats with the epoxy/hardener mixture followed by compression molding. Composites with 15 vol% MFC and 2 wt% GO crosslinking exhibit a storage modulus in the glassy state (40 °C) of 6.5 GPa, which surpasses the storage modulus of glass fiber/epoxy composite with similar fiber volume content (6.2 GPa at 40 °C). Thus, with a small amount of GO crosslinking, MFC was shown to possess superior modulus and lower weight when compared to glass fiber composites at similar fiber volume content.
Social isolation alters hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activity after chronic variable stress in male C57BL/6 mice

The chronic variable stress (CVS) paradigm is frequently used to model the changes in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function characteristic of many stress-related diseases. However, male C57BL/6 mice are typically resistant to CVS's effects, making it difficult to determine how chronic stress exposure may alter acute HPA function and regulation in these mice. As social support in rodents can profoundly influence physiological and behavioral processes, including the HPA axis, we sought to characterize the effects of CVS exposure on basal and acute stress-induced HPA axis function in pair- and single-housed adult male mice. Despite all subjects exhibiting decreased body weight gain after six weeks of CVS, the corticosterone response to a novel, acute restraint stressor was enhanced by CVS exclusively in single-housed males. CVS also significantly increased arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in single-housed males only. Moreover, in single-, but not pair-housed mice, CVS attenuated decreases in circulating OT found following acute restraint. Only the effect of CVS to elevate PVN corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA levels after an acute stressor was restricted to pair-housed mice. Collectively, our findings suggest that social isolation reveals effects of CVS on the HPA axis in male C57BL/6 mice.
The current status of temporal network analysis for clinical science: Considerations as the paradigm shifts?

Objective Network analysis in psychology has ushered in a potentially revolutionary way of analyzing clinical data. One novel methodology is in the construction of temporal networks, models that examine directionality between symptoms over time. This paper provides context for how these models are applied to clinically-relevant longitudinal data. Methods We provide a survey of statistical and methodological issues involved in temporal network analysis, providing a description of available estimation tools and applications for conducting such analyses. Further, we provide supplemental R code and discuss simulations examining temporal networks that vary in sample size, number of variables, and number of time points. Results The following packages and software are reviewed: graphicalVAR, mlVAR, gimme, SparseTSCGM, mgm, psychonetrics, and the Mplus dynamic structural equation modeling module. We discuss the utility each procedure has for specific design considerations. Conclusion We conclude with notes on resources for estimating these models, emphasizing how temporal networks best approximate network theory.
Re-Silane complexes as frustrated lewis pairs for catalytic hydrosilylation.

A pathway for the catalytic hydrosilylation of carbonyl substrates with M(C6F5)3 (M = B, Al and Ga) was calculated by DFT (B3PW91-D3) and it was shown that in the case of the Al reagent, the carbonyl substrate binds irreversibly and inhibits catalysis by generating a stable carbonyl adduct. In contrast, the reduced electrophilicity of B(C6F5)3 disfavors the binding of the carbonyl substrate and increases the concentration of an activated silane adduct which is the species responsible for catalytic turnover. A similar mechanism was found for both cationic and neutral Re(III) species. Further, it was shown by tuning the electrophilicity of the rhenium catalysts, conditions can be found that would enable the catalytic hydrosilylation of ketone and nitrile substrates that were unreactive in previously reported systems. Thus the mechanisms proposed in this work, lay the foundation for the design of new catalytic systems.
Measuring Non-Equilibrium and Temperature-Dependent Thermal Emitters

We describe and demonstrate general procedures for thermal-emission measurements that are applicable to most experimental conditions, including more-challenging cases such as thermal emitters with temperature-dependent emissivity and emitters that are not in thermal equilibrium.
A Distributed and Hybrid Ground Station Network for Low Earth Orbit Satellites

Low Earth Orbit satellites for Earth observation have become very popular in recent years due to their ability to take high-resolution images of the Earth at high revisit rates. These satellites collect hundreds of GigaBytes of imagery during their orbit. This data needs to be downloaded using ground stations on Earth. However, due to the low altitudes, the satellites move fast with respect to a ground station, and consequently, have a few minutes time window to download the data to a single station. We propose a geographically distributed ground station design, DGS, that improves robustness and reduces downlink latency. DGS is the first system to use a hybrid ground station model, where only a subset of ground stations are uplink-capable. This paper evaluates the feasibility of this design using simulations and empirical measurements.
Graph Sanitation with Application to Node Classification.

The past decades have witnessed the prosperity of graph mining, with a multitude of sophisticated models and algorithms designed for various mining tasks, such as ranking, classification, clustering and anomaly detection. Generally speaking, the vast majority of the existing works aim to answer the following question, that is, given a graph, what is the best way to mine it? In this paper, we introduce the graph sanitation problem, to answer an orthogonal question. That is, given a mining task and an initial graph, what is the best way to improve the initially provided graph? By learning a better graph as part of the input of the mining model, it is expected to benefit graph mining in a variety of settings, ranging from denoising, imputation to defense. We formulate the graph sanitation problem as a bilevel optimization problem, and further instantiate it by semi-supervised node classification, together with an effective solver named GaSoliNe. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is (1) broadly applicable with respect to different graph neural network models and flexible graph modification strategies, (2) effective in improving the node classification accuracy on both the original and contaminated graphs in various perturbation scenarios. In particular, it brings up to 25% performance improvement over the existing robust graph neural network methods.
“I Want to Come Home”: Vietnam-Era Veterans’ Presenting for Mental Health Care, Roughly 40 Years After Vietnam

There continues to be an increase in the number of Vietnam-era veterans receiving a diagnosis of PTSD in the Veterans Health Administration, nearly four decades after Vietnam. In the present study, our aim was to better understand what prompts Vietnam-era veterans to present to a VHA mental health clinic, and to determine the meaning of this experience for them. Participants were interviewed regarding the experiences that prompted their visit to the mental health clinic at a VA medical center. Ensuing narratives were analyzed via phenomenological qualitative methods. Findings revealed that veterans did not hold a clear and determinate understanding of “PTSD” prior to attending the mental health clinic. Their engagement was instead the culmination of a long process wherein trusted others (e.g., family, other veterans, primary care doctors) suggested that their difficulties may be indicative of a problematic pattern that required attention beyond the everyday ways of dealing with them. In general, veterans suffered from a longstanding experience of social rejection, abandonment, and even betrayal following the war, including pervasive stigmatizations and perceived “weaknesses,” and their own preferences for self-reliance over inattentive social and governmental institutions. Many veterans were newly focused on renewing meaning and purpose in their lives. The findings suggest the need to build stronger bridges between the VA and veterans’ community supports, who greatly influenced veterans’ care seeking. Further efforts to welcome Vietnam-era veterans home, validate their experiences of rejection and abandonment, and respectfully process their ensuing pain and anger are warranted.
The Role of the Insulin/IGF System in Cancer: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials and the Energy Balance-Cancer Link

Numerous epidemiological and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system plays a key role in the development and progression of several types of cancer. Insulin/IGF signaling, in cooperation with chronic low-grade inflammation, is also an important contributor to the cancer-promoting effects of obesity. However, clinical trials for drugs targeting different components of this system have produced largely disappointing results, possibly due to the lack of predictive biomarker use and problems with the design of combination therapy regimens. With careful attention to the identification of likely patient responders and optimal drug combinations, the outcome of future trials may be improved. Given that insulin/IGF signaling is known to contribute to obesity-associated cancer, further investigation regarding the efficacy of drugs targeting this system and its downstream effectors in the obese patient population is warranted.
Management of vesical fistulas after cesarean section

Abstract 1. 1. Six cases of vesical fistulas which occurred after cesarean section found in the literature are reviewed and three are added. 2. 2. Of these, two are vesicovaginocervical fistulas and seven are vesicocervical fistulas. 3. 3. Vesicovaginocervical fistulas are best treated in the fashion acceptable for the classical vesicovaginal fistula. 4. 4. Vesicocervical fistulas which occur after cesarean section may fit a clinical pattern of apparent amenorrhea, cyclic hematuria, and absence of urinary leakage via the vagina. 5. 5. Various methods for the surgical repair of these lesions are discussed.
Fluorometric Screening Procedure for Galactosemia Utilizing the AutoAnalyzer

A screening procedure is described which can be used to separate the great majority of normal persons from those with a lack of the enzyme galactose transferase. The method is designed to be used on dried blood spot eluates which remain after a phenylalanine determination has been performed. The optimum conditions for this test are described, and data are presented from a preliminary study of more than a thousand infants and several confirmed galactosemics.
A robotically reconfigurable truss

This paper addresses the design of passive robotically-reconfigurable truss structures and progress towards a robot capable of manipulating such structures. The elements are designed to be inserted and removed singly in “random access,” thus eliminating some assembly order constraints and enabling a physical realization of the construction process. The proposed robot is a “hinge” robot that can demonstrate manipulating said elements. The robot is also designed to be able to traverse arbitrary scale truss structures. With the addition of reconfiguration algorithms discussed by Lobo in [1], we suggest that such reconfigurable structures and robots could open the door to a machine metabolic process where structures are decomposed and recomposed autonomously to meet varying needs to a variety of applications from infrastructure recovery to space exploration.
Resource coordination in single agent and multiagent systems

An intelligent multiagent system includes a number of software agents interacting to solve a problem. Various agents are responsible for planning different tasks. These tasks must be coordinated to solve complex problems. A number of reasons exist for which coordination among the agents is necessary, and numerous issues have to be tackled to achieve efficient coordination. The focus of this paper is resource coordination. When an agent lacks a resource to achieve a goal, it may choose one of two options. It can acquire another resource, or it can change the goal so that it can achieve it with the resource at hand. We present a cost-benefit analysis that can be performed to determine if the requesting agent receives the requested resource. We present empirical results that show the relative goal satisfaction achieved in the PRODIGY planner with and without resource coordination. We have implemented a multiagent system called COMAS that implements resource coordination.
Effective buoyancy at the surface and aloft

Author(s): Jeevanjee, N; Romps, DM | Abstract: It is shown here that a wide, buoyant parcel of air at the surface accelerates far less rapidly than it does aloft. In particular, analytical formulae are derived for the effective buoyancy (i.e. the net vertical acceleration due to parcel buoyancy and environmental response) of idealized cylinders of diameter D and height H, located in free space and at the surface. These formulae quantify the decrease of effective buoyancy with increasing aspect ratio D/H, and show that this effect is more pronounced for surface cylinders, especially when D/H g 1. We gain intuition for these results by considering the pressure fields generated by these buoyant parcels, and we test our results with large-eddy simulations. Our formulae can inform parametrizations of the vertical velocity equation for clouds, and also provide a quantitative map of the 'grey zone' in numerical modelling between hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic regimes.
Kinetic Energy of Hydrocarbons as a Function of Electron Density and Convolutional Neural Networks.

We demonstrate a convolutional neural network trained to reproduce the Kohn–Sham kinetic energy of hydrocarbons from an input electron density. The output of the network is used as a nonlocal correction to conventional local and semilocal kinetic functionals. We show that this approximation qualitatively reproduces Kohn–Sham potential energy surfaces when used with conventional exchange correlation functionals. The density which minimizes the total energy given by the functional is examined in detail. We identify several avenues to improve on this exploratory work, by reducing numerical noise and changing the structure of our functional. Finally we examine the features in the density learned by the neural network to anticipate the prospects of generalizing these models.
ATP Binding to the First Nucleotide Binding Domain of Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein Plays a Regulatory Role at Low Nucleotide Concentration, whereas ATP Hydrolysis at the Second Plays a Dominant Role in ATP-dependent Leukotriene C4 Transport

Multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1) transports solutes in an ATP dependent manner by utilizing its two nonequivalent nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) to bind and hydrolyze ATP. The two NBDs possess different properties (Gao, M., Cui, H. R., Loe, D. W., Grant, C. E., Almquist, K. C., Cole, S. P., and Deeley, R. G. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 13098–13108; Hou, Y., Cui, L., Riordan, J. R., and Chang, X. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 20280–20287) and may play different roles during solute transport. We now report that NBD1 has moderately higher affinity for ATP than NBD2. The consequence of this difference is that the overall K d value for wild-type MRP1 is mainly determined by ATP binding at NBD1. This conclusion is supported by the following: 1) mutation of the cysteine residue at 682 to alanine (C682A) in Walker A motif in NBD1 decreases the K d value, indicating increased affinity for ATP; 2) mutation of the alanine residue at 1331 to cysteine (A1331C) in the Walker A motif of NBD2 does not have an effect on the K d value; and 3) photolabeling of the protein with a cysteine residue in the Walker A motif of NBD1 is much more sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide modification than the protein with a cysteine residue in the Walker A motif of NBD2. In contrast, the K m for ATP in support of LTC4 transport is mainly determined by ATP hydrolysis at NBD2. This conclusion is supported by the following: 1) although mutation of A1331C does not have an effect on the K d value, the K m values measured from LTC4 transport by proteins with this mutation in NBD2 are much higher than the proteins with wild-type NBD2, implying that the A1331C mutation affects ATP binding/hydrolysis at NBD2; and 2) ATP-dependent LTC4 transport by the protein with a cysteine residue in the Walker A motif of NBD2 is much more sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide modification than the protein with a cysteine residue in the Walker A motif of NBD1. Our previous results indicated that ATP binding at NBD1 at low concentration enhanced ATP binding/hydrolysis at NBD2. All of these results support the notion that ATP binding at NBD1 at low concentration plays a more important regulatory role than the binding at high ATP concentration and that ATP hydrolysis at NBD2 plays a dominant role in the ATP-dependent LTC4 transport.
Efficient monitoring and inspection of plate-like structures with ultrasonic guided waves

Periodic nondestructive inspections of critical structural components are typically both expensive and time-consuming, contributing to high maintenance costs and undesirable downtime. Permanently mounted transducers that both generate and received guided waves are an alternative approach whereby plate-like structures are frequently monitored for changes. The sparse guided wave array (SGWA) is a configuration whereby simple, piezoelectric disks are spatially distributed on the structure. Such an array is efficient in that a relatively large area can be monitored with a small number of transducers. The performance of SGWA imaging algorithms is evaluated for a variety of damage scenarios, and the in situ transducers are then used as sources of guided waves for follow-up inspection of limited areas via wavefield imaging. Fatigue cracks in metallic plates and impact damage in composite plates are considered as well as several types of simulated damage. Fatigue cracks are highly directional scatterers, whereas impact damage exhibits complex scattering that is not always point-like; both situations affect imaging performance. Regardless of the imaging method, the results can be used to define a region of interest for follow-up inspection. Wavefield scans of this region are performed using multiple transducers as sources, and data are analyzed to verify detection of a scatterer and then to better locate and characterize it. Results demonstrate the advantages of the two guided wave methods and also illustrate potential issues with using simulated damage for performance assessment.
Small-x nuclear shadowing from diffractive scattering

We calculate nuclear shadowing ratios at small Bjorken-$x$ for nuclei in the mass range $3lAl239$ in the framework of a generalized form of the Gribov theory. The diffractive dissociation cross sections needed as inputs are taken from the FNAL (Fermi National Laboratory) and HERA (Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator) experiments. Our calculations cover a wide range of energies between 12.8 and 231 GeV. The effects of the inclusion of subleading Reggeons on nuclear shadowing are investigated. At lower energies our results are compared to available data from the New Muon Collaboration (NMC) and E665 Collaboration (E665) experiments at $x\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$. At higher energies subleading Reggeons are found to contribute significantly to nuclear shadowing.
Connected component labeling of binary images on a mesh connected massively parallel processor

Abstract An algorithm for connected component labeling of binary patterns using SIMD mesh connected computers is presented. The algorithm consists of three major steps: identifying exactly one point (seed point) within each connected component (region), assigning a unique label to each seed point, and expanding the labels to fill all pixels in the respective regions. Two approaches are given for identifying seed points. The first approach is based on shrinking and the second on the iterative replacement of equivalent labels with local minima or maxima. The shrinking algorithm reduces simply connected regions into single pixels, but multiply connected regions form rings around the holes contained in the regions. A parallel algorithm is developed to break each such ring at a single point. The broken rings are then reduced to single pixels by reshrinking. With iterations consisting of shrinking, breaking rings, if any, and reshrinking, each pattern (of any complexity) is reduced to isolated points within itself. In the second approach every region pixel in the image is initially given a unique label equal to its address in the image. Every 3 × 3 neighborhood in the image is then examined in parallel to replace the central label with the maximum (or minimum) of the labels assigned to the set of region pixels in the neighborhood. This is done iteratively until there is no further change. The seed points are then the locations where the pixel addresses match their converged labels. A parallel sorting method is used for assigning a consecutive set of numbers as labels to the seed points. Parallel expansion up to the boundaries of the original patterns then completes the connected component labeling. The computational complexities of the algorithm are discussed.
Asymmetric price effects in the telecommunications services markets

Abstract Asymmetric price effects have been observed and reported on in the product literature, but not in the service literature. This paper investigates the asymmetric effects for a number of telecommunications services. Discrete choice methods are used to collect the data. Asymmetries in the price effects are observed between a national and local brand in the case of local, interstate long distance, and cellular markets, while the price effects are reasonably symmetric in the case of paging and Internet services. We also find that the national brands have more symmetric effects between each other, and that the asymmetries are much more pronounced between the national and local brands. In contrast to findings from the product literature, higher quality brands do not dominate in attracting nonbuyers into the market.
PISCES: an integral field spectrograph to advance high contrast imaging technologies

We present a novel optical integral field spectrograph (IFS) called the Prototype Imaging Spectrograph for Coronagraphic Exoplanet Studies (PISCES), which will be a facility class instrument within the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program's High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Integral field spectroscopy is ideal for imaging faint exoplanets: it enables spectral characterization of exoplanet atmospheres and can improve contrast by providing chromatic measurements of the target star's point-spread function (PSF). PISCES at the HCIT will be the first IFS to demonstrate imaging spectroscopy in the 10-9 contrast regime required for characterizing exoplanets imaged in scattered light. It is directly relevant as a prototype for IFS science instruments that could fly with the AFTA Coronagraph, the Exoplanet Probe missions currently under study, and/or the ATLAST mission concept. We present the instrument requirements, a baseline design for PISCES, a simulation of its performance, a solution to mitigate spectral crosstalk, experimental verification of our simulator, and the final vacuum compatible opto-mechanical design. PISCES will be assembled and tested at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and subsequently delivered and integrated into the HCIT facility. Testing at HCIT will verify the performance of PISCES and its ability to meet the requirements of a space mission, will enable investigations into broadband wavefront control using the IFS as an image plane sensor, and will allow tests of contrast enhancement via multiwavelength differential imaging post-processing. Together with wavefront control and starlight suppression, PISCES is thus a key element for maturing the overall integrated system for a future coronagraphic space mission. PISCES is scheduled to receive first light in the HCIT in 2015.
Design and Usage of an Ozone Mapping App

With the proliferation of environmental sensor networks, real-time, quantitative, and localized pollutant information has become available for a few big cities. Several mobile apps have been developed to bring this information to the user 24/7. In contradistinction to conventional weather reporting systems that provide a qualitative and static description of pollutant levels for an entire metropolitan area, these new apps dynamically relay quantitative pollutant measurements at high spatial resolution. No design methodology has been rationalized for pollutant apps thus far. And, although such apps have potential impact to public health, their actual user base and usage have not been investigated. We have fielded an ozone mapping app for the Houston area. Ozone is a harmful environmental pollutant developing under certain conditions in major metropolitan centers. We use this as a case study to put forward a design philosophy for pollution apps in general. We also analyze the app's user portrait and her/his interaction patterns. The results of our study can inform the development and marketing of similar apps in this burgeoning field.
Bacterial DNA content in the intestinal wall from infants with necrotizing enterocolitis

Abstract Purpose The objective of our study was to quantify mucosal bacterial DNA within specimens from neonates undergoing small bowel resection for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Methods We obtained clinical information and pathologic specimens from all infants diagnosed with NEC who underwent surgical treatment at our institution from 1999 to 2008. Bacterial and human DNA were isolated from paraffin-embedded surgical specimens, and real time polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify bacterial and human genes. Linear regression was used to quantify the amount of human and bacterial DNA in our specimens. Results From a cohort of 50 infants, we identified 23 infants who underwent both surgical resection and subsequent intestinal reanastomosis. Thirteen (59%) of the neonates had Bell stage III NEC, and 9 (41%) had stage II. There was significantly more bacterial DNA in the resection specimens than in the reanastomosis specimens. This corresponds to a median (interquartile range) increase of 1.81 (1.11-4.69)-fold bacterial DNA in the resection specimen compared with the reanastomosis specimen ( P Conclusion There is more bacterial DNA in infants with acute NEC compared with the same infants after the NEC had clinically resolved. These findings underscore the potential relevance of adherent or invasive bacteria across the bowel wall in the pathogenesis of NEC.
Sacred Nationalism: The Thai Monarchy and Primordial Nation Construction

Abstract A sociological reading of Thailand's monarchistic legacy is employed to identify cultural themes and practices of nation construction. It is demonstrated how, after the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, royalist networks of Thailand's first constitutional king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, reinforced the staying power of his rule and the institution of constitutional monarchy with primordial themes. The themes functioned to sacralise the nation as rooted in a glorious past as well as legitimise the king's place and continued relevance in Thai politics. Within this context, primordial simulacra derived from the Siamese empire, Buddhism and rekindled royal ceremonies from antiquity were reassembled for nationalistic purposes. As a result, the sacralising of the Thai nation has rendered the king a sacred nationalist, a type of nationalist that synchronises the real and ethereal to construct nation, a process that elevated the country's traditional authority system to respond to the undesirable consequences o...
Left Upper Pulmonary Vein Stenosis 2 Months After Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

A37-year-old man was referred for recurrent atrial fibrillation. Surface and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed his heart to be structurally within normal limits. He underwent electrophysiological testing with multisite atrial mapping, which revealed a focal trigger for atrial fibrillation within the left upper pulmonary vein (LUPV). Radiofrequency catheter ablation was performed. Several weeks later, he developed dyspnea and cough while jogging despite maintenance of sinus …
Observational evidence for chromospheric footpoint penetration of nonthermal electrons during two well-observed flares

Recent advances have enabled simultaneous H-alpha and X-ray observations with substantially improved spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution. In this paper a study is conducted of two events observed as part of a coordinated observing program between the Solar Maximum Mission and Sacramento Peak Observatory: the flares of 1456 UT, 7 May 1980 and 1522 UT, 24 June 1980. Using recently developed physical models of static flare chromospheres, and corresponding theoretical H-alpha line profiles, effects of intense nonthermal electron heating can be distinguished from those of high conduction and pressure from the overlying flare corona. Both flares show the signature of intense chromospheric heating by fast electrons, temporally correlated with X-ray light curves at E greater than 27keV, and spatially associated with X-ray emission sites at E greater than 16 keV. Interpreting the H-alpha line profile observations using the theoretical H-alpha line profiles, values of the thick-target input power contained in nonthermal electrons that are observationally indistinguishable (within a factor of 2-3) from those inferred from the X-ray data are inferred. Although these events are small, the energy flux values are large: of order 10 to the 11th ergs per sq cm per s above 20 keV.
New Contexts for Early Tudor Plays: William Briton, an Early Reader of Gorboduc

By examining William Briton’s extracts from Gorboduc in the Houghton manuscript (BL Add MS 61822), Estill shows how the political valences of Sackville and Norton’s play changed in relation to the Elizabethan succession crisis. This essay explores the play's afterlife in Briton’s commonplace book, contextualized as both a political guidebook and literary work. Briton’s manuscript offers hitherto overlooked evidence of one early modern reader’s response to Gorboduc . Ultimately, Estill contends that early Tudor drama should be considered in changing historical contexts and not as fixed works tied solely to an original moment of publication and performance.
STOPPING CROSS SECTIONS FOR FISSION FRAGMENTS OF $sup 252$Cf BY GOLD, SILVER, AND CARBON.

Using $^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$ as a source of heavy ions, the stopping cross sections were determined for stopping media of gold, silver, and carbon. The dependence of stopping cross sections on the nuclear charge of the heavy ions was observed at approximately 1.3 cm/nsec. The results are in reasonable agreement with the theory by Lindhard. In some cases, better agreement can be obtained by using a formula published earlier by Bridwell and Moak.
FAILURE OF SEPHAROSE‐PEPSIN AS AN IMMOBILIZED MILK CLOTTING ENZYME

Porcine pepsinogen A was attached to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B and self activated to form Sepharose-pepsin A. Immobilized pepsin is active in hydrolyzing hemoglobin at acidic pH but has very low milk clotting activity. The low milk clotting activity of freshly prepared Sepharose-pepsin can be accounted for by leaching of small amounts of free pepsin during contact of the complex with milk substrate. The failure of bound pepsin to catalyze milk clotting appears to be due to part of the micellar casein in milk substrate being inaccessible to the immobilized rennet and may also be influenced by differences in pH optima with casein substrate for pepsin and Sepharose-pepsin. Porcine pepsin A, which is electrophoretically pure, and casein substrate exhibit a distinct bimodal optimum reaction pH at 2 and 6. The reaction at pH6 is not evident when the products are assayed by A280nm because the specific products formed at this pH exhibit low A280nm. The finding that a pure isoenzyme of pepsin can exhibit a bimodal pH profile for hydrolysis has probably been overlooked by other investigators because of the frequent assay by A280nm of products.
Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase inhibition: re-evaluation of kinetic data.

Abstract Inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase [PNMT, the enzyme that catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of epinephrine (Epi)] may be of use in determining the role of Epi in the central nervous system. Here we demonstrate that a routinely used assay for screening PNMT inhibitors is not appropriate for those inhibitors having K i values less than 1 μM. A revised assay has been developed that shows some inhibitors bind two orders of magnitude more tightly than previously reported.
The Virtue Ethic Difference in the Just War Discourse of James Turner Johnson and Catholic Social Teaching

In this article, I investigate how incorporating virtue ethics into the process of interpreting and responding to conflict re-shapes the understanding and application of just war theory. More specifically, I analyze James Turner Johnson's idea of just war and the implications of Thomistic virtue ethics. My argument in this article is that Johnson's rule-based idea of just war theory lacks the more integrated virtue ethic, which we find in Thomas and in the re-appropriation of Thomistic virtue ethics in contemporary Catholic Social Teaching's discourse on just war. This contributes to Johnson's idea of just war being inconsistent with the direction of contemporary Catholic Social Teaching on just war theory, particularly regarding the presumption against war. His lack of a virtue ethic also contributes to an inadequate understanding, development, and application of basic just war criteria, particularly from a Catholic perspective.
ECG diagnosis: apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an atypical phenotype of nonobstructive HCM with an indistinguishable histology.1 In Japan this apical variant constitutes approximately 25% of patients with HCM, although it is uncommon in other parts of the world, accounting for only 2% of patients with HCM.1 The electrocardiogram in apical HCM typically shows repolarization changes and giant (>10 mm), inverted T waves in the anterolateral leads (particularly in leads V4 and V5).2,3 Transthoracic echocardiography is the initial test of choice in making the diagnosis. Patients with apical HCM can present with chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, or syncope.1 Patients with this condition may remain asymptomatic, with the condition detected by chance as a result of an abnormal electrocardiogram.3 In general, the condition carries a benign prognosis, although complications including ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, apical myocardial infarction, and apical aneurysm can occur in rare instances.1