cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precision alignment of integrated optics in surface electrode ion traps for quantum information processing

The integration of optics for efficient light delivery and the collection of fluorescence from trapped ions in surface electrode ion traps is a key component to achieving scalability for quantum information processing. Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) present a promising approach as compared to bulk optics because of their small physical profile and their flexibility in tailoring the optical wavefront. The precise alignment of the optics for coupling fluorescence to and from the ions, however, poses a particular challenge. Excitation and manipulation of the ions requires a high degree of optical access, significantly restricting the area available for mounting components. The ion traps, DOEs, and other components are compact, constraining the manipulation of various elements. For efficient fluorescence collection from the ions the DOE must be have a large numerical aperture (NA), which results in greater sensitivity to misalignment. The ion traps are sensitive devices, a mechanical approach to alignment such as contacting the trap and using precision motors to back-off a set distance not only cannot achieve the desired alignment precision, but risks damage to the ion trap. We have developed a non-contact precision optical alignment technique. We use line foci produced by off-axis linear Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) projected on alignment targets etched in the top metal layer of the ion trap and demonstrate micron-level alignment accuracy.
Distribution of antibody affinities. II. Fractionation of antibody with respect to its hapten binding affinity.

Abstract Antibodies from individual sera were fractionated on the basis of their binding affinity by use of a specific immunoadsorbent. The distribution of affinities in the original serum and in each of the series of 10 fractions derived from it was computed. The antibodies were highly heterogeneous and generally not distributed in a symmetrical manner. The distribution of affinities varied with different immunizing conditions. It is clear from the data presented that while values for ‘average affinity’ generally reflect accurately the overall binding properties of an antibody sample, they do not provide a complete picture of the actual distribution of affinities present. It was found that antibody samples exist which are indistinguishable with regard to ‘average affinity’ but differ significantly with respect to the actual distribution of the antibody affinities. Detailed analysis of the binding curves indicated that even animals forming mainly high affinity antibody had considerable amounts of very low affinity antibodies present in their serum.
Differential growth of Atkinsonella species on host grass calli.

The growth of the fungi Atkinsonella hypox? ylon and A. texensis on calli of three host grasses was investigated in order to determine if in vitro cell cul? tures could be utilized to predict plant/fungal com? patibility in vivo. Previous seedling inoculation studies have shown that Atkinsonella isolates from Danthonia and Stipa host grasses were incompatible with seed? lings of the opposite host genus and that isolates from D. spicata were incompatible with seedlings of D. ser? icea. In this study isolates of A. hypoxylon fromZ). sericea and D. spicata, and A. texensis from S. leucotricha were grown reciprocally on individual replicated calli of all host grasses and their growth was monitored over time. Fungal isolates grew significantly faster on their native host calli than on alien host calli. Growth of isolates from D. sericea and D. spicata was significantly faster on Danthonia calli than on Stipa calli, and the isolate from Stipa grew significantly faster on S. leucotricha calli than on Danthonia calli. The growth of the D. sericea isolate was stimulated on D. sericea calli relative to controls, whereas the D. spicata isolate was inhibited on D. sericea calli after the third day of growth relative to controls. Dual host calli/fungal culture represents an in vitro system for screening compatibility of sys? temic clavicipitaceous fungi with both native and alien host grasses.
Impact of the lab-score on antibiotic prescription rate in children with fever without source: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Lab-score, based on the combined determination of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and urinary dipstick results, has been shown accurate in detecting serious bacterial infections (SBI) in children with fever without source (FWS) on retrospective cohorts. We aimed to prospectively assess the utility of the Lab-score in safely decreasing antibiotic prescriptions in children with FWS and to determine its diagnostic characteristics compared to common SBI biomarkers. Methods: Randomized controlled trial in children 7 days to 36 months old with FWS, allocated either to the Lab-score group (Lab-score reported, blinded WBC count) or to the control group (WBC, bands and C-reactive protein determined, blinded procalcitonin and Lab-score), followed up until recovery. Demographic data, antibiotic prescription rate, admission rate and diagnostic properties of the Labscore were analyzed. Results: 271 children were analyzed. No statistically significant difference concerning antibiotic prescription rate was observed: 41.2% (54 of 131) in the Labscore group and 42.1% (59 of 140) in the control group (p51.000). If recommendations based on the Lab-score had been strictly applied, a hypothetical 30.6% treatment rate would have been encountered, compared to the overall 41.7% observed rate (p50.0095). A Lab-score $3 showed the following characteristics: sensitivity 85.1% (95% CI: 76.5–93.6%), specificity 87.3% (95% CI: 82.7–91.8%), positive predictive value 68.7% (95% CI: 58.7–78.7%), negative predictive value 94.1% (95% CI: 91.5–97.9%), positive and negative likelihood
The feminist politics of Takako Doi and the social democratic party of Japan

Abstract This study analyzes the feminist politics of Takako Doi, the current Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Japan. Doi's politics are significant for feminist theorists because she has created a successful political organization in which women play a principal role in formulating public policy and running for political office. This article discusses the development of Doi as a feminist politician, the feminist issues for which she has campaigned, the model for feminist organizing which she has envisioned, the involvement of women as voters and candidates in recent elections in Japan, and the implications of Doi's politics for feminism in Japan.
Estimation of the standard molal heat capacities, entropies and volumes of 2:1 clay minerals

Abstract The dearth of accurate values of the thermodynamic properties of 2:1 clay minerals severely hampers interpretation of their phase relations, the design of critical laboratory experiments and geologically realistic computer calculations of mass transfer in weathering, diagenetic and hydrothermal systems. Algorithms and strategies are described below for estimating to within 2% the standard molal heat capacities, entropies, and volumes of illites, smectites and other 2:1 clay minerals. These techniques can also be used to estimate standard molal thermodynamic properties of fictive endmembers of clay mineral solid solutions. Because 2:1 clay minerals like smectite and vermiculite are always hydrated to some extent in nature, contribution of interlayer H2O to their thermodynamic properties is considered explicitly in the estimation of the standard molal heat capacities, entropies, and volumes of these minerals. Owing to the lack of accurate calorimetric data from which reliable values of the standard molal heat capacity and entropy of interlayer H2O can be retrieved, these properties were taken in a first approximation to be equal to those of zeolitic H2O in analcite. The resulting thermodynamic contributions per mole of interlayer H2O to the standard molal heat capacity, entropy, and volume of hydrous clay minerals at 1 bar and 25°C are 11.46 cal mol−1, 13.15 cal mol−1 K−1 and 17.22 cm3 mol, respectively. Estimated standard molal heat capacities, entropies and volumes are given for a suite of smectites and illites commonly used in models of clay mineral and shale diagenesis.
Multi-gene amplification: simultaneous detection of three virulence genes in diarrhoeal stool.

Summary Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and Shigella account for a substantial proportion of acute diarrhoeal illnesses among Third-World children. Rapid detection of these infectious agents in faeces followed by the prompt implementation of public health measures could help reduce their spread during the early phase of epidemics. Towards this end, three pairs of synthetic oligonucleotide primers were prepared and shown to hybridize specifically to the genes encoding the heat-stable (ST) and the heat-labile (LT) enterotoxins of ETEC and to invasion-associated loci (ial) of the large Shigella virulence plasmid. When the three primer pairs were used together in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the three corresponding genetic loci could be simultaneously amplified using DNA extracted directly from stool; the amplified products were readily detected by ST-, LT- and ial-specific, alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotide probes (AP probes). The performance of this system was evaluated in a Mayan community in southeastern Mexico, where diarrhoeal illnesses are a common cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. Using only simple and inexpensive laboratory equipment, multigene amplification with these primers and probes led to the identification of ETEC and/or Shigella in the stools of 20 out of 71 children with diarrhoea; the procedure could be completed in seven hours and was more sensitive than conventional diagnostic tests or DNA probes used without amplification.
Decreased tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the adrenal gland of adult rats that were handled in infancy.

Abstract Rats that have been handled for the first 20 days of life have less adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activity than animals that have not had this stimulation. This decrease in activity is observed at 35, 100, and 230 days of age.
maxillopedia is the Tribolium ortholog of proboscipedia

Null mutations in the Drosophila melanogaster homeotic gene proboscipedia (pb) cause transformation of the adult labial palps to legs. The similar phenotype produced by mutations in the Tribolium castaneum homeotic complex (HOMC) gene maxillopedia (mxp) has led to suggestions that the two genes may be orthologous. We have cloned the Tribolium ortholog of pb, which predicts a protein with a homeodomain identical to that of Drosophila Pb. The two proteins also share several additional regions of identity, including an N-box, a motif unique to Pb orthologs. We have identified a frameshift mutation within Tribolium pb associated with an mxp null mutation, demonstrating that Tribolium pb corresponds to the mxp genetic locus. Thus, we will refer to the cloned gene as mxp. In addition, we have begun to construct a molecular map of the Tribolium HOMC. Two overlapping BAC clones which span the mxp locus also include the Tribolium labial ortholog (Tclabial) and part of Tczerknullt, indicating that the order of these genes in the HOMC is conserved between Drosophila and Tribolium.
Evaluation of myocardial contractility in man

Abstract In 53 patients studied at cardiac catheterization, the relationship between the maximal rate of rise of the left ventricular pressure and the integrated isovolumetric stress was observed to be an excellent index of contractility. A clearer separation of patients with evidence of myocardial disease was possible with this index than with other parameters assessed. The ejected fraction (fiber-shortening) was noticed to be an inverse function of the peak systolic tension (afterload) as expected from extensive experimental work. The highest reciprocity was observed in patients with myocardial disease, indicating the probable deleterious effect of an increasing peripheral resistance in this type of patient. End-diastolic stress was found to be significantly higher in patients with evidence of myocardial damage, due to a relatively thinner myocardial wall in this group.
Trust and improvement in schools

This paper examines how trust affects teachers’ willingness to work with innovations introduced by central office administrators. Interview and focus group data collected over a three-year period in five schools are used to analyze the centrality of trust to teachers’ willingness to work with administrators to implement continuous improvement and quality management practices for their schools and classrooms. A qualitative data analysis software package was used to code interviews and focus groups for spontaneous comments that addressed trust. Two schools were characterized by high trust, and high willingness to change; high levels of distrust distinguished three others. This emphasis of the analysis is on the association of spontaneously expressed sentiments of trust or distrust and the association of those sentiments with willingness to participate in change initiated from outside the school building. Pre-existing patterns of relational and institutional trust will enhance or limit the ability of leaders to initiate large-scale change. More needs to be known about how to change coherently distrustful school settings in order for systemic change to occur.
The self-consistent average phonon equation of state for ionic crystals

Abstract The self-consistent average phonon (SCAP) approximation was successful in describing the thermodynamic properties of monatomic solids. This formalism was extended to ionic crystals (specifically sodium chloride) at two levels of approximation: (1) the phonon frequencies replaced by a single average frequency, and (2) the phonon frequencies replaced by two average frequencies corresponding to the usual acoustic and optic phonons. In order to compare with earlier calculations and with experiments various forms of the interatomic potential (with polarization neglected) were used. The SCAP calculation is in good agreement with experiment at low and medium temperatures but underestimates the high temperature thermal expansion. It is concluded that the SCAP formalism with polarization included should give a good approximation to the thermodynamic properties of simple ionic crystals over the entire temperature range.
Validation of CT-video registration for guiding a novel ultrathin bronchoscope to peripheral lung nodules using electromagnetic tracking

The development of an ultrathin scanning fiber bronchoscope (SFB) at the University of Washington permits bronchoscopic examination of small peripheral airways inaccessible to conventional bronchoscopes. Due to the extensive branching in higher generation airways, a form of bronchoscopic guidance is needed. For accurate intraoperative localization of the SFB, we propose a hybrid approach, using electromagnetic tracking (EMT) and 2D/3D registration of bronchoscopic video images to a preoperative CT scan. Three similarity metrics were evaluated for CT-video registration, including normalized mutual information (NMI), dark-weighted NMI (dw-NMI), and a surface gradient matching (SGM) strategy. From four bronchoscopic sessions, CT-video registration using SGM proved to be more robust than NMI-based metrics, averaging 320 frames of tracking before failure as compared with 100 and 160 frame averages for NMI and dw-NMI metrics respectively. In the hybrid configuration, EMT and CT-video registration were blended using a Kalman filter to recursively refine the registration error between the EMT system and airway anatomy. As part of the implementation, respiratory motion compensation (RMC) was implemented by adaptively estimating respiratory phase-dependent deformation. With the addition of RMC, average hybrid tracking disagreement with a set of manually registered key frames was 3.36 mm as compared with 6.30 mm when RMC was not used. In peripheral airway regions that undergo larger respiratory-induced deformation, disagreement was only 2.01 mm with RMC on average, as compared with 8.65 mm otherwise.
Identification of tay-sachs disease carriers by acrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract 1. 1. For carrier detection in the general population, a simple, rapid quantitative acrylamide gel electrophoretic technique has been developed which employs a fluorogenic (umbelliferyl) substrate and automatic fluorimetric scanning of the gels. 2. 2. With the procedure the leukocytes of 6 Tay-Sachs disease carriers had a range of N-acetylhexosaminidase A values of 33–52% (mean = 49% A) while the normal range was 62–76% (mean = 66% A) with no overlap between the two groups. 3. 3. The presence of two isoenzymes, A and B, of N- acetyl -β- d - hexosaminidase (β-2-acetamido-2-deoxy- d -acetamidodeoxyglucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.30) in the leukocytes of normal individuals (66% A/34% B) and absence of the A form in leukocytes of 12 Tay-Sachs disease patients has been confirmed.
Tests of adverse selection models in the new issues market

Due to information asymmetry between various market participants, the new issues market is characterized by the classic adverse selection problem. Several theoretical models have suggested that high quality IPO firms resort to underpricing and staged financing to overcome the adverse selection problem. This paper provides a test of these adverse selection models by examining the link between IPO underpricing, staged financing and performance.
Hot Random Off-Loading: A Hybrid Storage System with Dynamic Data Migration

Random accesses are generally harmful to performance in hard disk drives due to more dramatic mechanical movement. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of Hot Random Off-loading (HRO), a self-optimizing hybrid storage system that uses a fast and small SSD as a by-passable cache to hard disks, with a goal to serve a majority of random I/O accesses from the fast SSD. HRO dynamically estimates the performance benefits based on history access patterns, especially the randomness and the hotness, of individual files, and then uses a 0-1 knapsack model to allocate or migrate files between the hard disks and the SSD. HRO can effectively identify files that are more frequently and randomly accessed and place these files on the SSD. We implement a prototype of HRO in Linux and our implementation is transparent to the rest of the storage stack, including applications and file systems. We evaluate its performance by directly replaying three real-world traces on our prototype. Experiments demonstrate that HRO improves the overall I/O throughput up to 39% and the latency up to 23%.
A Fantasy Made Real: The Evolution of the Subjunctive Documentary on U.S. Cable Science Channels

The need for drama in the contemporary television science documentary, coupled with the advent of computer-generated imaging (CGI) technology, has led to the development of increasingly fiction-driven science documentary, specifically on cable outlets such as the Discovery suite channels and National Geographic. While subjunctive documentary shows such as Walking with Dinosaurs initially used CGI technology to illustrate scientists' best understanding of Earth prehistory, the use of CGI has quickly escalated to the animation of purely fantastical life forms. This trend has resulted in a baroque subjunctive documentary form that has evacuated any possibility of serious science documentary on cable channels devoted to science programming.
Antibacterial Activity of Nitropyrroles, Nitrothiophenes, and Aminothiophenes In Vitro

The antibacterial activities of nitropyrroles, nitrothiophenes, and aminothiophenes were studied. Replacement of the nitro group with an amino group enhanced the activity of the thiophene compounds.
Memristive circuits simulate memcapacitors and meminductors

Electronic circuits with memristors (resistors with memory) that operate as memcapacitors (capacitors with memory) and meminductors (inductors with memory) are proposed. Using a memristor emulator, the suggested circuits have been built and their operation has been demonstrated, showing a useful and interesting connection between the three memory elements.
Effects of brief repetitive ischemia on contractility, relaxation, and coronary flow. Exaggerated postischemic diastolic dysfunction in pressure-overload hypertrophy

The recovery of systolic and diastolic function during unstable angina may be modified by the repetition of brief episodes of ischemia and by the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We studied the effects of six consecutive 5-minute cycles of no-flow ischemia and reperfusion followed by 25 minutes of recovery in isovolumic red blood cell-perfused hearts from aortic-banded rats with chronic LVH (n = 8) and sham-operated control rats (n = 8). At baseline (left ventricular end-diastolic pressure [LVEDP], 10 mm Hg), left ventricular developed pressure (123 +/- 5 versus 114 +/- 5 mm Hg/g) and coronary flow [2.5 +/- 0.3 versus 2.2 +/- 0.2 (mL/min)/g] were similar in LVH versus control rats. Repetitive ischemia was associated with progressive depression of postischemic recovery of left ventricular systolic function, and the recovery of left ventricular developed pressure after the final 25-minute reperfusion period was similar in LVH versus control rats (61 +/- 6% versus 72 +/- 4% of baseline, P = NS). Although there was no increase in isovolumic LVEDP during the initial cycle of transient ischemia, both groups showed a rapid and similar rise in LVEDP during subsequent ischemic cycles (delta 82 +/- 8 versus delta 89 +/- 7 mm Hg/g in response to the final ischemia cycle for LVH versus control rats, respectively; P = NS). The control hearts showed complete restoration of LVEDP to baseline during final reperfusion, whereas the LVH hearts showed prolonged and severe postischemic diastolic dysfunction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Modelling and control of two co-operating planar cranes

A dynamical model is developed for the closed chain motion of two rotary cranes holding a rigid object in a two-dimensional workspace. The system is treated as a six-bar linkage, and the kinematic and dynamic constraints are determined. These constraints are used to obtain the equations of motion in the system. A proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller is designed so that the object is moved from its initial position to the specified destination. Computer simulations of the entire system are performed to illustrate the performance of the designed controller. >
Casein Accumulation by Rat Mammary Epithelial Cells Grown within a Reconstituted Basement Membrane Is Modulated by Fatty Acids in a Hormone- and Time-Dependent Manner

The mammary gland is under complex regulation involving the participation of hormones, growth factors, and stromal components, including lipids. Our laboratory has developed a unique primary culture system that allows undifferentiated mammary epithelial cells from immature virgin rats to proliferate and differentiate to an extent equivalent to the lactating mammary gland. Using this model system we have examined the effects of the unsaturated fatty acids oleate and linoleate on mammary epithelial cell proliferation as well as both morphological and functional differentiation. Neither fatty acid showed any effect on cell proliferation whether added to cells in the presence of optimal serum-free medium or under suboptimal conditions of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and prolactin. Morphological differentiation also was not affected by fatty acid addition under either optimal or suboptimal conditions, although a decrease was observed when medium depleted in EGF and prolactin was compared to optimal medium. The notable finding in this study was that both oleate and linoleate modulated functional differentiation, as assessed by casein accumulation, in a time- and hormone-dependent manner. At early times in culture, casein levels were stimulated by both oleate and linoleate; this effect was most dramatic under suboptimal conditions of prolactin and EGF. In marked contrast, however, linoleate decreased casein levels by approximately 50% in optimal medium, at all concentrations tested, after at least 7 days in culture. This decrease was also observed in suboptimal medium, although the concentration of EGF and prolactin influenced the extent of the reduction. Although the mechanism is currently unknown, it is tempting to speculate that the cellular and biochemical events that result in linoleate-induced inhibition of functional differentiation may also be involved in the tumor-enhancing properties of this fatty acid.
Shareholder Wealth Responses to Bankruptcy Filing Announcements under the Chandler and Reform Acts

This paper examines shareholder wealth responses to bankruptcy filing announcements between 1974 and 1989 to draw inferences about the impact of the adoption of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. The authors find that post-Reform Act announcements are associated with more negative pre-filing and announcement period returns to shareholders. Unlike prior research, this study finds that large firms and NYSE-listed firms experience more negative returns. It also finds that the market can discriminate between firms that are ultimately worthless and those that may retain some value for shareholders.
Birds of two worlds: temperate–tropical migration systems

Abstract The Birds of Two Worlds symposium was held at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV, USA, from 6 to 10 March 2002.
Typha latifolia and Cladium jamaicense litter decay in response to exogenous nutrient enrichment

Abstract The role of nutrient availability in the decay of Typha latifolia and Cladium jamaicense litter and associated microbial responses were studied under controlled experimental conditions. The experimental setup consisted of three 14 m 2 mesocosms: (i) an experimentally enriched (N&P) mesocosm containing organic soil, (ii) a mesocosm with organic soil but no external enrichment, and (iii) a mesocosm with no external nutrient inputs and a mineral soil, each equally divided into two areas predominated by T. latifolia and C. jamaicense . Air dried senesced material of each plant species from the three units were placed in litterbags and were introduced back into their respective communities on the soil and water interface. Litter from T. latifolia degraded significantly faster than that of C. jamaicense . The half life of T. latifolia litter averaged approximately 274 days, C. jamaicense litter half life was extrapolated to approximately 377 days. Nutrient enrichment significantly increased the decay rates of T. latifolia , the nutrient effect on C. jamaicense decomposition was less apparent. The microbial biomass carbon in T. latifolia and C. jamaicense litter increased significantly as the litter decomposed. No significant differences between the litter types or amongst mesocosms were found. The relative activities of the extracellular enzymes acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase were significantly ( P P = 0.0284, respectively) affected by litter type and mesocosm over time. Litter associated alkaline phosphatase activity was largest in the mineral mesocosm, followed by the organic control and then organic enriched irrespective of litter type, β-glucosidase activity showed an inverse effect, enriched organic > organic control > mineral. The litter CO 2 and CH 4 microbial production rates showed a significant litter type and mesocosm effect ( P = 0.0003 and 0.001, respectively). T. latifolia litter had larger associated methanogenic and microbial respiration rates than C. jamaicense litter. Nutrient enrichment enhanced both forms of microbial metabolic activities (CO 2 and CH 4 production). The effect of nutrient enrichment was primarily evident in the initial (3–6 months) period of decay, extracellular enzyme activities and the litter associated microbial metabolic activities showed most response during this decay stage.
Chia seed does not promote weight loss or alter disease risk factors in overweight adults.

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L) in promoting weight loss and altering disease risk factors in overweight adults. The hypothesis was that the high dietary fiber and α-linolenic (ALA) contents of chia seed would induce a small but significant decrease in body weight and fat and improve disease risk factors. Subjects were randomized to chia seed (CS) and placebo (P) groups, and under single-blinded procedures, ingested 25 g CS or P supplements mixed in 0.25 L water twice daily before the first and last meal for 12 weeks. Ninety nondiseased, overweight/obese men and women between the ages of 20 and 70 years were recruited into the study, with 76 subjects (n = 39 CS, n = 37 P) completing all phases of the study. Pre- and poststudy measures included body mass and composition (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), inflammation markers from fasting blood samples (C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and tumor necrosis factor α), oxidative stress markers (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and plasma nitrite), blood pressure, and a serum lipid profile. Plasma ALA increased 24.4% compared to a 2.8% decrease in CS and P, respectively (interaction effect, P = .012). No group differences were measured for changes in plasma eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (interaction effects, P = .420 and .980, respectively). Pre-to-post measures of body composition, inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and lipoproteins did not differ between CS and P for both sexes. In conclusion, ingestion of 50 g/d CS vs P for 12 weeks by overweight/obese men and women had no influence on body mass or composition, or various disease risk factor measures.
Strike point control for the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX)

This paper presents thefirst control algorithm for the inner- and outer-strike point position for a Spherical Torus (ST) fusionexperimentandtheperformanceanalysisofthecontroller. Aliquidlithiumdivertor(LLD)willbeinstalledon NSTX which is believed to provide better pumping than lithium coatings on carbon PFCs. The shape of the plasma dictates the pumping rate of the lithium by channelling the plasma to LLD, where the strike point location is the most important shape parameter. Simulations show that the density reduction depends on the proximity of the strike point to LLD. Experiments were performed to study the dynamics of the strike point, design a new controller to change the location of the strike point to the desired location and stabilize it. The most effective poloidal field (PF) coils in changing inner- and outer-strike points were identified using equilibrium code. The PF coil inputs were changed in a step fashion between various set points and the step response of the strike point position was obtained. From the analysis of the step responses, proportional‐integral‐derivative controllers for the strike points were obtained and the controller was tuned experimentally for better performance. The strike controller was extended to include the outer-strike point on the inner plate to accommodate the desired low outer-strike points for the experiment with the aim of achieving ‘snowflake’ divertor configuration in NSTX. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Trends in Articular Cartilage Treatments of the Knee: An American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Database Study

Objectives:Full-thickness articular cartilage defects of the knee are often encountered during arthroscopy. Management likely varies between surgeons and may include chondroplasty, microfracture, o...
Influence of clays on the rheology of cement pastes

The fresh state of concrete is becoming increasingly important in furthering the types of applications of today's construction world. Processing techniques have resulted in technologies such as self-consolidating concrete and depend on the microstructural changes that take place during and immediately after mixing and placing. These changes to the microstructure reflect the flocculation behavior between the particles in suspension. The ability to modify this behavior allows control over the balance among flowability and shape-stability of concrete. This study investigates how clay admixtures affect the microstructure of cement pastes from a rheological stand point. Shear and compressive rheology techniques are used to measure how the solids volume fraction of suspensions with different admixtures evolves with stress. Based on these relationships, the effectiveness of clays on the balance between flowability and shape-stability is measured. Results are consistent with green strength tests performed on concrete mixes derived from the cement paste mixes.
The Interaction of Dietary Cholesterol and Specific Fatty Acids in the Regulation of LDL Receptor Activity and Plasma LDL-Cholesterol Concentrations

From these brief considerations, it is clear that the steady-state LDL-cholesterol concentration is determined in a powerful way by the interaction of dietary cholesterol and specific fatty acids. There appear to be only a few saturated fatty acids and an even lesser number of unsaturated fatty acids that significantly interact with cholesterol in the liver cell to alter hepatic LDL receptor activity. These effects are uniformly seen in most experimental animals and in humans under circumstances where the experiments are properly designed. Future work is urgently needed to define the metabolic effects of the more unusual fatty acids (e.g., the trans fatty acid) and the more intimate details of how these substances regulate LDL receptor activity in the cell. It is also of considerable importance to extend these studies to the members of the same species that exhibit variable responses to these same dietary lipids. It is now clear that the magnitude of these specific responses to dietary cholesterol and specific fatty acids varies in different individuals with different genetic backgrounds from the same species. Elucidating the reasons for this variability is another area of research of considerable importance to human biology.
Electrical Bursting, Calcium Oscillations, and Synchronization of Pancreatic Islets

Oscillations are an integral part of insulin secretion and are ultimately due to oscillations in the electrical activity of pancreatic β-cells, called bursting. In this chapter we discuss islet bursting oscillations and a unified biophysical model for this multi-scale behavior. We describe how electrical bursting is related to oscillations in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration within β-cells and the role played by metabolic oscillations. Finally, we discuss two potential mechanisms for the synchronization of islets within the pancreas. Some degree of synchronization must occur, since distinct oscillations in insulin levels have been observed in hepatic portal blood and in peripheral blood sampling of rats, dogs, and humans. Our central hypothesis, supported by several lines of evidence, is that insulin oscillations are crucial to normal glucose homeostasis. Disturbance of oscillations, either at the level of the individual islet or at the level of islet synchronization, is detrimental and can play a major role in type 2 diabetes.
Eligibility and utilization of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in a regional STEMI system.

Background Studies have shown mortality benefit for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), but contemporary eligibility and appropriate utilization of ICDs is unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the contemporary eligibility and appropriate utilization of ICDs post-STEMI. Methods Using the prospective Minneapolis Heart Institute regional STEMI registry, LVEF before discharge and at follow-up were stratified into 3 groups: normal (LVEF ≥50%), mildly reduced (LVEF 35%–49%), and severely reduced (LVEF Results From March 2003 to June 2012, 3626 patients were treated. Patients with in-hospital death (n = 187), ICD in place (n = 21), negative cardiac biomarkers (n = 337), and undocumented in-hospital LVEF (n = 9) were excluded, leaving 3072 patients in the final analysis, including 1833 (59.7%) with LVEF ≥50%, 875 (28.5%) with LVEF between 35% and 49%, and 364 (11.8%) with LVEF Conclusion Rates of ICD implantation in appropriate STEMI patients after 40 days are low. Strategies are needed to identify and expand access to these high-risk patients.
Is Bilski Likely the Final Word on Tax Strategy Patents? Coherence Matters

The explosion of business method patents after the Federal Circuit’s State Street decision - in particular, the granting of patents on applications derived from the positive law, such as tax strategy patents - has engendered a growing controversy over the nature of the patent system itself within the tax bar, the Patent Office, in Congress and in the courts, reflecting disagreement about the proper role of patent law in an economy in which services and financial transactions have taken on an increasingly significant role. Bar associations, accountancy groups and other tax practitioners have generally viewed the development of tax strategy patents with alarm. The Patent Office at first defended, and then questioned, the broad interpretation of patent eligibility that permits patenting of ideas about how to structure a tax-savings transaction. In the context of an ongoing consideration of major reforms to the law governing the issuance of patents, Congress proposed an outright ban of patents on tax planning strategies, though it has not yet enacted a ban either in isolation or as part of the reform bill. The Federal Circuit, in the meantime, appeared to do an about-face from its expansive State Street interpretation of the Patent Act’s scope in a series of opinions culminating in In re Bilski, in which the court essentially repudiated the State Street test and set forth a new 'machine or transformation' standard.In previous articles, I have argued that tax strategy patents should not be permitted, based on a number of practice, institutional and policy concerns. This article rearticulates and extends that analysis in the context of the Supreme Court’s acceptance of certiorari in Bilski. Part I briefly reviews the Constitutional and legislative context in which tax strategy patents must be considered and the courts’ shifting tests for business method patents. Part II articulates a fundamental concept of tax law, the anti-manipulation value, in its various manifestations, and demonstrates that applying patent law to tax strategies flounders on three major fallacies - the invention fallacy, the innovation incentives fallacy, and the public benefit fallacy. Part III then considers whether the Bilski 'machine or transformation' test is sufficient to block inappropriate patenting of tax strategies. This Part also speculates about the potential for the Supreme Court, in its review of Bilski, to strengthen the patent-eligibility test in a way that acknowledges the problematic nature of tax strategy patents. Part IV concludes.
50 years ago in the Journal of pediatrics: The incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia in a nursery for premature infants.

Wybregt et al made important contributions to the burgeoning field of hypoglycemia in premature neonates. They published one of the first systematic studies documenting the demographics and high prevalence of hypoglycemia in preterm newborns, defined arbitrarily as glucose concentrations less than 30 mg/dl. They noted increased incidence in small for gestational age (SGA) infants, a description that was just being adopted in research and clinical practice. They also found that no single clinical sign could reliably distinguish the hypoglycemic infant. The last 50 years have produced several more observational studies on hypoglycemia in this population and progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of preterm neonatal hypoglycemia. However, we are not much closer today to understanding the long term neurodevelopmental consequences of hypoglycemia for these patients, and at what glucose concentration to become concerned. In 1988, Lucas et al published another observational study of glucose concentrations in preterm infants (less than 1850 grams).1 Mirroring the Wybregt study, they found a high incidence of arbitrarily defined hypoglycemia, especially for SGA newborns. In addition, frequent glucose levels below 45mg/dl were associated with worse neurodevelopment at eighteen months. Tin et al2 replicated the study in 2012 and did not find an association between frequency of low glucose concentrations and worse neurodevelopment at two and fifteen years of age. Both studies, like the Wybregt study, agreed that clinical signs are neither sensitive nor specific. Today, most people agree that low glucose concentrations are common in preterm newborns, more common in SGA newborns, and that most clinical signs are not diagnostic of hypoglycemia without laboratory confirmation of a low glucose concentration. But the long term consequence and optimal treatment, especially for asymptomatic low glucose concentrations, are still debated. Today, there are many open areas for research into understanding what defines pathologic hypoglycemia, as well as its long term consequences.3 Continuous glucose monitoring shows promise as a way to more accurately measure a patient’s glucose concentrations. Combined with rigorously obtained long term outcome data, a better understanding of the exact mechanisms of preterm hypoglycemic brain injury, and research into new techniques to monitor for ongoing damage in real time, such as functional imaging, innovative electroencephalographic techniques, or novel serum biomarkers, progress will be made.
A Deeper Solution for the International Commons

The parable of the tragedy of the commons tells that resources held under open access conditions are prone to over-exploitation. For fisheries, regulations to limit aggregate catch improve resource use yet promote over-investment. Optimal regulation would limit the investments and labor dedicated to harvesting, a task quite difficult in a global forum. Motivated by three reasons, the member-states of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission have attempted such limits for the purse-seine yellowfin fishery, in addition to implementing other conservation measures. First, increases in fishing capacity by existing participants and newcomers have resulted in financial losses for the major fleets. Second, the resolution of the tuna-dolphin controversy encouraged additional harvesting capacity in an already-crowded fishery. Finally, bureaucratic changes in some countries have empowered fishery professionals who balance sustainable resource use with economic development. The strength of these influences, as well as efforts and concessions to create a regime, vary among the states involved.
Radiation Skyshine Calculation with MARS15 for the mu2e Experiment at Fermilab

The Fermilab Antiproton source is to be repurposed to provide an 8 kW proton beam to the Mu2e experiment by 1/3 integer, slow resonant extraction. Shielding provided by the existing facility must be supplemented with in-tunnel shielding to limit the radiation effective dose rate above the shield in the AP30 service building. In addition to the nominal radiation shield calculations, radiation skyshine calculations were required to ensure compliance with Fermilab Radiological Control Manual. A complete model of the slow resonant extraction system including magnets, electrostatic septa, magnetic fields, tunnel enclosure with shield, and a nearby exit stairway are included in the model. The skyshine model extends above the beam enclosure surface to 10 km vertically and 5 km radially.
Parsing of the Lungs and Airways

Abstract Volumetric images of the lungs are often acquired for diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of various diseases such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Without automation, complete evaluation in a clinical setting is impractical due to the large volume of data, resulting in largely subjective evaluations. Automated applications for detection, visualization, quantification, and surgical guidance help create faster and more consistent results, and provide additional capabilities not available in traditional examinations. The crucial foundation for these applications is the robust and accurate parsing of the lungs, and its components, including lobes, airways, vessels, and parenchyma. This chapter reviews and details approaches for lung and lobe segmentation, for obtaining a quantitative description of the airway tree, as well as methods for vessel detection. Applications of automated parsing are reviewed in the final section.
Pediatric Spinal Sonography

Vertebral ossification is not complete in the first half of infancy and sound beam transmits through the cartilage. This combination makes imaging the spinal canal with sonography possible. Sonography is usually the first imaging exam to be performed in infants because of its simplicity, low cost, and lack of deleterious effects. Another advantage of sonography over most imaging modalities is its capacity to visualize the motion of the filum terminale, which is restricted in tethered cord. In this chapter, we discuss the technique, the indications and the imaging findings of the most common disorders involving the infant’s spine, assessed by ultrasound exam.
Determining the 95% limit of detection for waterborne pathogen analyses from primary concentration to qPCR.

The limit of detection (LOD) for qPCR-based analyses is not consistently defined or determined in studies on waterborne pathogens. Moreover, the LODs reported often reflect the qPCR assay alone rather than the entire sample process. Our objective was to develop an approach to determine the 95% LOD (lowest concentration at which 95% of positive samples are detected) for the entire process of waterborne pathogen detection. We began by spiking the lowest concentration that was consistently positive at the qPCR step (based on its standard curve) into each procedural step working backwards (i.e., extraction, secondary concentration, primary concentration), which established a concentration that was detectable following losses of the pathogen from processing. Using the fraction of positive replicates (n = 10) at this concentration, we selected and analyzed a second, and then third, concentration. If the fraction of positive replicates equaled 1 or 0 for two concentrations, we selected another. We calculated the LOD using probit analysis. To demonstrate our approach we determined the 95% LOD for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, adenovirus 41, and vaccine-derived poliovirus Sabin 3, which were 11, 12, and 6 genomic copies (gc) per reaction (rxn), respectively (equivalent to 1.3, 1.5, and 4.0 gc L(-1) assuming the 1500 L tap-water sample volume prescribed in EPA Method 1615). This approach limited the number of analyses required and was amenable to testing multiple genetic targets simultaneously (i.e., spiking a single sample with multiple microorganisms). An LOD determined this way can facilitate study design, guide the number of required technical replicates, aid method evaluation, and inform data interpretation.